Her project appears to be primarily based on a computational problem -- efficient navigation through the solar system using gravitational interactions:
Working at home and building on existing research, Erika developed an original optimizing search algorithm that discovers energy minimizing routes in specified regions of space and would allow a spacecraft to adjust its flight path en route. She believes her novel single-step method of repeated orbit refinement could work with essentially autonomous spacecraft, and may be a practical step forward in space exploration.Many of the other finalists and top prizes also went to computational projects, including Yale Fan
who:
...demonstrated the power of quantum computing in solving challenging "NP-complete" (NPC) problems. His work may offer scientists another tool for exploring theoretical physics.Thomas Friedman's take on attending the awards dinner was that legal immigration should be encouraged:
America's Real Dream Team
