Dr. Kathiravan Thangavel is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Khalifa University. Prior to this, he held a research fellowship at the Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre at RMIT University. He earned his PhD from RMIT's Cyber-Physical and Autonomous Systems Research Group, with his research funded by SmartSat CRC and the Andy Thomas Space Foundation. Kathiravan's academic journey began with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India. He then pursued a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at La Sapienza University in Rome and additional master's degrees in Law and Management. Driven by a passion for space research, Kathiravan is dedicated to exploring how space can benefit humanity. His primary areas of interest encompass Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change, Cyber Security, Distributed Space Systems, Earth Observation, Multi-Domain Traffic Management, Space Domain Awareness, Space Policy, Thermomechanical Analysis, Trusted Autonomous Satellite Operations, and Trusted Autonomy. His current research involves investigating next-generation intelligent aerospace systems with enhanced decision-making capabilities.
