Loose capture at Europa from Halo Orbits
Capture at Europa from staging Halo orbits
Moon gravity field exaggerated
Geopotential
geometry of three dimensional flybys
Spacecraft shape modelling (2)
Periodic orbits at Europa (2)
Small body SLAM
Stark
Periodic orbits at Europa (1)
Spacecraft shape modelling
Europa periodic orbits
Ganymede periodic orbits

About

Ryan P. Russell smiling

Welcome! Thank you for visiting our site.  We are a research group that solves orbital mechanics problems as they relate to space utilization and exploration.  We consist mainly of a professor, graduate students and occasional visiting scholars.  We are in the Orbital Mechanics discipline area … Read More

Research

Areas of Interest: Spaceflight mechanics / Astrodynamics; Optimal control / Optimization / Numerical methods; Orbit determination; Multi-body dynamics; Periodic orbits and general orbit stability (high-fidelity repeat ground track design, constellation design, cyclers, planetary … Read More

Lab News

Summer 2023: Congrats to Shubam Singh for completing the PhD!  Shubham works for Shift Robotics in Austin. Summer 2022: Congrats to David Ottesen and Sean McArdle for completing their PhDs!  Sean works as a civil servant at NASA JSC, and David works for Leo Labs in CA.   … Read More

NASA Image of the Day

  • Clockwise from left, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and NASA astronauts Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, and Mike Fincke pose for a playful portrait through a circular opening in a hatch thermal cover aboard the International Space Station on Sept. 18, 2025.

spacenews

nasa

  • Winds, waves, and ice near a remote town on the Chukchi Peninsula have sculpted a series of coastal inshore lagoons that resemble an icon of winter.