Gregg Barton

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About

Gregg Barton is a leading aerospace engineer specializing in planetary entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems, with a particular focus on Mars mission architectures. His most influential work centers on the **Smart Divert** concept, a novel EDL architecture designed to overcome the longstanding trade-off between landing safety and scientific value. Traditional Mars landings require vast, flat, safe zones, often limiting access to scientifically rich but hazardous terrain. Barton’s Smart Divert approach proposes a ballistic entry followed by a supersonic parachute deployment, culminating in a propulsive divert maneuver. This allows a lander to target small, precise safe zones within rugged landscapes, dramatically expanding potential landing sites. His foundational 2010 paper on this topic has garnered 21 citations, reflecting its significance in the field. By enabling access to high-priority geological targets, Barton’s work directly addresses a critical bottleneck in Mars exploration, offering a pathway for future missions to achieve both safety and scientific ambition. His contributions are essential reading for anyone studying advanced EDL systems or planning robotic missions to the Red Planet.