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

  • Researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California monitor a research drone in the Dumont Dunes area of the Mojave Desert in September 2025 as part of a test campaign to develop navigation software to guide future rotorcraft on Mars.

spacenews

nasa

  • NASA’s broadcast of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse has won an Emmy Award for Excellence in Production Technology. At the 76th Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards on Dec. 4, in New York City, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the win. Walt Lindblom and Sami Aziz accepted the award on behalf […]