Discovering Space Operations with Embry-Riddle Junior Samuil Nikolov

What initially interested you in space? Why Embry-Riddle?

Space has been a passion for as long as I can remember. As I grew older, that curiosity turned into actual projects: I was teaching myself how to work with NASA telemetry, process images sent by rovers, track satellites and work with any space-related data I could get my hands on.

I realized just how incredibly complex a space mission really is. From early research and development to end-of-life, there’s an entire science behind designing, operating and sustaining a mission. The Space Operations program gives me the chance to understand that full picture — a holistic, interdisciplinary view of how the space industry works.

How are you engaging with organizations on campus?

I joined the Experimental Rocket Propulsion Lab (ERPL) during my second week on campus, an organization run almost entirely by undergraduate students.

By the end of that semester, I had written software that directly interacted with the most powerful hybrid rocket engine built by undergraduates in Florida. That was a surreal moment — realizing that code I wrote was talking to real hardware and propulsion technology.

During my second year, I served as the ground controller who hot-fired the first liquid bipropellant engine that Embry-Riddle had designed in over a decade.

It was a huge milestone for ERPL, and we managed to repeat the hot-fire within about two months, demonstrating that we could not only design and build systems, but also plan and execute tests with a relatively short turnaround time.

Rocketry is about more than just engines, though, which is why I started Project Yantra: an ultra-high-frequency flight computer operating in the HAM radio band, designed to transmit flight-critical data in real time while logging even higher-fidelity data for post-flight analysis.

Based on the telemetry we collected, we estimated that under favorable conditions, the system could achieve over 100 miles of line-of-sight signal range.

What is your proudest achievement at Embry-Riddle?

I’m most proud of my involvement with the Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) in the MicaPlex. With continuous mentorship from Dr. Troy Henderson, professor and honors program coordinator in Aerospace Engineering, and Daniel Lopez (’24, ’25), I’ve had the chance to contribute to real spacecraft projects.

I’m currently working on EagleCam 2, an optics payload designed to fly to the Moon on an Intuitive Machines lander. I get to apply both my software development background and my perspective as someone focused on mission operations.

Because space missions require expertise across so many systems, I’m constantly exposed to technical challenges and ingenious solutions. That pushes me to grow in areas where I’m comfortable, while expanding my understanding into more intricate and unfamiliar parts of spacecraft development.

Being surrounded by people this committed to meaningful work raises the bar in the best way, making every challenge feel like part of something bigger. And this is what makes Embry-Riddle special — the university doesn’t just talk about giving undergrads real opportunities, it delivers on it, and it’s a big reason why my experience here has been so impactful.

How have you seen elements of your future career throughout your studies?

At the end of my freshman year, I was recommended to come in as a software developer for the satellites in the Mission Control Center (MMC) Lab. My work focused on developing the interface control system that students use to communicate with the two CubeSats during their simulations.

I designed a system that allowed every console in the room to relay telemetry consistently between each other and the satellite using communication ports, internet protocols and a radio frequency antenna.

It gave the Flight Director full visibility and control over the mission from a systems perspective, while also ensuring that each MCC position was receiving the right information at the right time without gaps or inconsistencies.

Seeing students use something I built to run real-time mission scenarios was one of the first moments where I felt like I was contributing directly to how future operators are trained. It pushed me to think about software as part of a bigger operational system.

How have you pursued professional development outside of the university?

An internship with the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS) aligned with one of my biggest technical interests: building human-machine interfaces and the communication pipeline between complex systems and the people operating them.

I’ve always been drawn to the challenge of making high-stakes aerospace systems intuitive, reliable and information-rich for an operator, and CARS helped me deepen that skill set while working in cybersecurity and aviation resilience.

My main responsibility was leading the development of Controls+, a modular control and instrumentation system for a cyber-demonstrator aircraft built around Microsoft Flight Simulator.

One of the highlights was a live demonstration at DEF CON’s Aerospace Village in Las Vegas. Presenting Controls+ to an industry-heavy audience and showing the system operating through fault-injection and mitigation scenarios was a huge moment for me — it made the project feel real in the same way a flight test does.

What are some of your future plans?

I’ve always believed that stars aren’t some unreachable, far-fetched concept we’re only meant to romanticize from a distance — they’re an invitation to go out there and explore.

In a way, we are the end result of billions of years of events that led to the Universe being able to understand and explore itself through us. That’s the bigger purpose that motivates me: knowing that I’ve contributed, even in a small way, to that human endeavor of discovery.

Over my time at Embry-Riddle, I’ve also realized that I genuinely enjoy academia, so an engineering-related master’s degree is definitely not out of the question. My long-term goal is a role where I can contribute directly to the world’s next cutting-edge space mission.