Kyle Hughes earned his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2008. He earned his Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington in 2010, where he also worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department throughout his M.S. studies. In the following fall, Kyle began his Ph.D. graduate studies in astrodynamics at Purdue University. He has also been working as an instructor for the Department of Mathematics at Purdue since 2010, where he teaches algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.

Kyle's research interests include interplanetary trajectory design and optimization for both ballistic and low-thrust trajectories. Recent work has focused on the design of multiple gravity-assist trajectories to Uranus and Neptune, to develop a catalog of opportunities to the ice giants for future science missions. Kyle also worked on trajectory design for the Inspiration Mars mission, to find opportunities for a Mars flyby mission other than the nominal Mars free-return in 2018. Kyle’s work found such an opportunity in 2021 that incorporates a Venus flyby on route to Mars, and was proposed at the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in February 27, 2014, as the first human-crew, deep-space mission for Orion-SLS. Kyle has also worked on the design of Earth-Mars cycler trajectories, in collaboration with Apollo astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin, as part of a mission architecture to establish a long-term human presence on Mars.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

Rogers, B.A., Hughes, K.M., Longuski, J.M., and Aldrin, B., “Preliminary Analysis of Establishing Cycler Trajectories Between Earth and Mars via V∞ Leveraging,” AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2012, AIAA 2012-4746.

Hughes, K.M., Moore J.W., and Longuski, J.M., "Preliminary Analysis of Ballistic Trajectories to Neptune via Gravity Assists from Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus," AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Hilton Head, South Carolina, Aug. 11 – 15, 2013, AAS 13-805.

Hughes, K.M., Edelman, P.J., Longuski, J.M., Loucks, M.E., Carrico, J.P., and Tito, D.A., “Fast Mars Free-Returns via Venus Gravity Assist,” AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, San Diego, CA, August 4 – 7, 2014, AIAA 2014-4109.

Edelman, P.J., Hughes, K.M., Longuski, J.M., Carrico, J.P., Loucks, M.E., and Tito, D.A., “Inspiration Mars 2018 Free-Return Opportunity,” AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, San Diego, CA, August 4 – 7, 2014, AIAA 2014-4128.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Rogers, B.A., Hughes, K.M., Longuski, J.M., and Aldrin, B., “Establishing Cycler Trajectories Between Earth and Mars,” Acta Astronautica, 2015, DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.03.002.

Hughes, K.M., Edelman, P.J., Saikia, S.J., Longuski, J.M., Loucks, M.E., Carrico, J.P., and Tito, D.A., “Fast Free Returns to Mars and Venus with Applications to Inspiration Mars,” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Submitted in March 2015. (In Review)

MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION

Hughes, K.M., Moore, J.W., and Longuski, J.M., "Catalog of Multiple-Gravity-Assist, Ballistic Trajectories to Neptune." To be submitted to the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets in August of 2015.

Hughes, K.M., Spreen, C.M., Moore, J.W., Mueterthies, M.J., Kloster, K.W., and Longuski, J.M., "Catalog of Multiple-Gravity-Assist, Ballistic Trajectories to Uranus." To be submitted to the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets in December of 2015.