Brent W. Barbee

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About

Brent W. Barbee is a leading researcher in autonomous spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control, with a particular focus on safe, propellant-optimized maneuvering in near-circular orbits. His major contributions lie at the intersection of robotic motion planning and spacecraft trajectory generation, where he has pioneered sampling-based algorithms that enable real-time, autonomous decision-making for proximity operations. His 2016 paper on "Real-time, propellant-optimized spacecraft motion planning under Clohessy-Wiltshire-Hill dynamics" (18 citations) introduced a novel approach that adapts algorithmic advances from robotics to impulsively-actuated spacecraft, significantly improving fuel efficiency and computational speed. Barbee has also advanced safety-critical autonomy, as demonstrated in his 2015 work on "A Sampling Based Approach to Spacecraft Autonomous Maneuvering with Safety Specifications" (8 citations), which formalized methods for collision-free rendezvous. Beyond spacecraft autonomy, he has contributed to NASA’s human exploration roadmap, co-authoring "Human Exploration of Near-Earth Asteroids" (7 citations), which outlined mission architectures and technical requirements for sending astronauts to NEAs. His work bridges theoretical control theory with practical mission design, making him a key figure in developing the next generation of autonomous space systems.