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About

Julie Castillo-Rogez is a planetary scientist and robotics mission architect whose work has fundamentally shaped how we think about exploring small Solar System bodies. Her research spans mission architecture design, surface mobility systems, and autonomous science operations, with a particular focus on making in-situ exploration of asteroids, comets, and Martian moons both scientifically rigorous and operationally feasible. Castillo-Rogez's most influential contributions center on innovative spacecraft-rover hybrid architectures that address the unique challenges posed by low-gravity environments. Her 2013 work on spacecraft/rover hybrids (41 citations) and internally-actuated rover systems (27 citations) demonstrated practical pathways for achieving comprehensive surface coverage where conventional wheeled systems simply cannot function. Complementing this, her 2012 study on the science return of spatially-extended in-situ exploration (37 citations) provided a compelling scientific rationale aligned directly with NASA's decadal survey priorities. Her involvement in the Near-Earth Asteroid Scout mission reflects her broader commitment to affordable, high-return reconnaissance strategies. More recently, her work on non-robotic science autonomy and disruption-tolerant networking signals an expanding vision for intelligent, connected deep-space systems. Across her career, Castillo-Rogez has helped redefine what robotic planetary exploration can achieve at the frontier of our Solar System.