Chris Owens
Papers
2
Total Citations
4
H-Index
2
About
Chris Owens is a leading aerospace engineer whose work bridges the gap between robotic hardware and the extreme demands of planetary exploration. His primary research focuses on entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems, hazard detection technologies, and the development of novel robotic testbeds for spaceflight validation. Owens made a significant contribution with the Six Degree-of-Freedom Tendon Actuated Robot (STAR), a cable-driven parallel robot developed at NASA Johnson Space Center that enables high-fidelity emulation of EDL guidance, navigation, and control systems. This innovative platform, detailed in his 2023 work (2 citations), allows engineers to test lander dynamics in a controlled yet realistic environment, reducing risk for future missions. He also led the flight testing of Astrobotic’s hazard detection LiDAR system for robotic lunar landers (2025, 2 citations), demonstrating its ability to identify safe landing sites in rugged analog terrains. These efforts directly support NASA’s Artemis campaign and commercial lunar delivery services. With a career marked by hands-on field tests and novel robotic architectures, Chris Owens is shaping the next generation of safe, precise landing capabilities for the Moon and beyond.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2