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About

Andrew J. Liounis is a key figure in spaceflight dynamics and autonomous navigation, with his work underpinning some of NASA’s most ambitious robotic missions. His primary research areas include spacecraft flight dynamics, onboard optical navigation, and autonomous terrain-relative positioning for deep-space and lunar exploration. Liounis’s most significant contribution is his foundational role in the OSIRIS-REx mission, where he co-authored the definitive paper on its flight dynamics and navigation design—a work that has garnered 88 citations and serves as a critical reference for asteroid sample-return navigation. He further advanced the field by developing the Relative Terrain Imaging Navigation (RETINA) tool for the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM), demonstrating how onboard cameras can enable safe, autonomous approach and landing on small bodies. More recently, his research on lunar relay satellite networks (14 citations) has addressed the pressing need for robust, self-positioning communication infrastructure to support upcoming human and robotic Moon missions. By pioneering algorithms that allow spacecraft to navigate without constant ground intervention, Liounis is helping to make autonomous deep-space exploration a practical reality.