Mark McDonald

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Mark McDonald is a leading aerospace engineer whose work centers on human deep-space exploration, mission architecture, and the strategic use of cis-lunar infrastructure. His most cited paper, “Extensibility of Human Asteroid Mission to Mars and Other Destinations” (2014, 11 citations), is a cornerstone contribution that demonstrates how NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission can serve as a proving ground for technologies essential to Mars exploration. In this influential work, McDonald articulates how staging in trans-lunar space, combined with demonstrations of solar electric propulsion, deep-space robotics, and autonomous navigation, directly enables more ambitious crewed missions. His research bridges near-term robotic operations with long-term human settlement, emphasizing the value of incremental capability building. Beyond this paper, McDonald has contributed to mission planning that leverages the Moon as a gateway for interplanetary travel, influencing how agencies think about affordable, stepwise exploration. With a focus on practical extensibility, his work has shaped discussions on deep-space habitation and transportation systems. McDonald’s clear, systems-level thinking makes his research essential reading for students and engineers designing humanity’s next giant leaps.