Ph.D. Theses Completed
1. P. Tsiotras, Ph.D., Analytic Theory of Asymmetric Rigid Bodies Subject to Arbitrary Body-Fixed Torques and Forces, Ph.D. Thesis, May 1993.
In 1994, Dr. Tsiotras accepted the (tenure track) position of Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia. In 2005, Dr.Tsiotras was promoted to Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech.
2. J. Puig-Suari, Ph.D., Aerobraking Tethers for the Exploration of the Solar System, Ph.D. Thesis, August 1993.
In 1994, Dr. Puig-Suari accepted the (tenure track) position of Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University. Since 2005, Dr. Puig-Suari has been Professor and Head of Aerospace Engineering at Cal. Poly.
3. J. A. Sims, Ph.D., Delta-V Gravity-Assist Trajectory Design: Theory and Practice, Ph.D. Thesis, December 1996.
In January 1997, Dr. Sims accepted the position of Member of Technical Staff in the Navigation and Flight Mechanics Section of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
4. S. G. Tragesser, Ph.D., Analysis and Design of Aerobraking Tethers, Ph.D. Thesis, December 1997.
In 1997, Dr. Tragesser accepted a position with Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA. In 1999 Dr. Tragesser accepted the (tenure track) position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). In 2004, Dr. Tragesser accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
5. R. A. Gick, Ph.D. (formerly R. Beck), Analysis of the Motion of Spinning, Thrusting Spacecraft, Ph.D. Thesis, December 1999.
In January 2000, Dr. Gick accepted a position with the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA.
6. A. E. Petropoulos, Ph.D., A Shape-Based Approach to Automated, Low-Thrust, Gravity-Assist Trajectory Design, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2001.
In June 2001 Dr. Petropoulos accepted the position of Member of Technical Staff in the Navigation and Mission Design Section of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
7. W. R. Johnson, Ph.D., Analysis and Design of Aeroassisted Interplanetary Missions, Ph.D. Thesis, December 2002.
Dr. Johnson accepted the position of Member of Technical Staff in the Navigation and Mission Design Section of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, in 2003.
8. McConaghy, T. Troy, Ph.D., Design and Optimization of Interplanetary Spacecraft Trajectories, Ph.D. Thesis, December 2004.
9. Jokic, Michael, Ph.D., Modeling and Analysis of Tethered Systems Performing Orbital Maneuvers, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2005 (School of Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.)
Professor Longuski served as co-advisor (with Dr. Bill Daniel at The University of Queensland). Michael Jokic spent approximately two years as a visiting researcher at Purdue working under the direction of Professor Longuski.
10. Landau, Damon, Strategies for the Sustained Human Exploration of Mars, Ph.D. Thesis, December 2006.
Dr. Landau joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory after this doctoral degree.
11. Okutsu, Masataka, Design of Human Missions to Mars and Robotic Missions to Jupiter,Ph.D. Thesis, December 2006.
Dr. Okutsu joined as a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University.
12. Ayoubi, Mohammad, Analytical Theory for the Motion of Spinning Rigid Bodies,Ph.D. Thesis, May 2007.
Dr. Ayoubi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University.
13. Yam, Chit Hong, Design of Missions to the Outer Planets and Optimization of Low-thrust, Gravity-Assist Trajectories via Reduced Parameterization, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2008.
14. Gates, Kristin L., Theory and Applications of Ballute Aerocapture and Dual-Use Ballute Systems for Exploration of the Solar System, Ph.D. Thesis, August 2009.
Dr. Gates works for the Global Aerospace Corporation based in California.
15. Chen, Kuan-Hua Joseph, Design of Low-Thrust Gravity-Assist Trajectories for Cycler Missions to Mars and for Non-Newtonian Physics Experiments, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2010.
16. Pollock, George E. IV, Propellantless Spacecraft Maneuvers Using The Electromagnetic Lorentz Force, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2010.
Dr. Pollock joined The Aerospace Corporation after his doctoral degree.
17. Gangestad, Joseph, Analytical Theory for Orbits of Electrostatically Charged Spacecraft and Direct Calculation of Planet-to-Planet Transfers, Ph.D. Thesis, December 2010.
Dr. Gangestad joined The Aerospace Corporation after his doctoral degree.
18. Kloster, Kevin, Interplanetary Mission Design Techniques for Flagship-Class Missions, Ph.D. Thesis, December 2010.
Dr. Kloster joined The Aerospace Corporation after his doctoral degree.
19. Lynam, Alfred E. Mission design and navigation of multiple-satellite-aided capture trajectories and cyclers for missions to Jupiter, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2012.
Dr. Lynam accepted the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University from July 2012.
20. Rogers, Blake A, Design of Cycler Trajectories and Analysis of Solar Influences on Radioactive Decay Rates During Space Missions, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2014.
21. Martin, Kaela M., Maneuver Analysis for Spinning Thrusting Spacecraft and Spinning Tethered Spacecraft, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2015.
Dr. Martin is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ as well as a Visiting Researcher at JPL.
22. Laipert, Frank E., Design of Low-Thrust Missions to Asteroids with Analysis of the Missed-Thrust Problem, Ph.D. Thesis, May 2015.
Dr. Laipert is a Flight Path Control Engineer at JPL and was part of the Cassini navigation team.
23. Saikia, Sarag J., Analytical Theories for Spacecraft Entry into Planetary Atmospheres and Design of Planetary Probes, Ph.D. Thesis, July 2015.
Dr. Saikia spent several years as a Research Professor at Purdue and is currently working with the Indian Space Agency.
24. Strange, Nathan J., Analytical Methods for Gravity-Assist Tour Design, Ph.D. Thesis, August 2016.
Dr. Strange is the Group Supervisor for the Mission Engineering and Planning Group (since 2017) in the JPL Mission Systems Engineering Section (394).
25. Hughes, Kyle M., Gravity-Assist Trajectories to Venus, Mars, and the Ice Giants: Mission Design with Human and Robotic Applications, Ph.D. Thesis, August 2016.
Dr. Hughes is an Interplanetary Mission Designer in the Global Trajectory Optimization lab in the Navigation and Mission Design Branch at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
26. Edelman, Peter J., Interplanetary Mission Design with Applications to Guidance and Optimal Control of Aero-Assisted Trajectories, Ph.D. Thesis, August 2016.
Dr. Edelman works at The Aerospace Corporation performing trajectory optimization and analysis for the Department of Defense, the US Air Force, and other civilian contractors.
M.S. Theses Completed
1. S.N. Williams, M.S., Automated Design of Multiple Encounter Gravity-Assist Trajectories,M.S. Thesis, August, 1990.
Mr. Williams accepted the position of Member of Technical Staff in the Mission Design Section of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, in 1990.
2. M. R. Patel, M.S., Automated Design of Delta-V Gravity-Assist Trajectories for Solar System Exploration, M.S. Thesis, August 1993.