Kevin Earle
Papers
2
Total Citations
60
H-Index
2
About
Kevin Earle is a leading aerospace engineer whose work is shaping humanity’s future in deep space, with a primary focus on asteroid retrieval, Mars colonization, and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). His most influential contribution is the foundational 2014 study on the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM), which proposed the novel concept of capturing a multi-ton boulder from a large near-Earth asteroid—a strategy that has garnered 38 citations and helped define NASA’s approach to asteroid manipulation. Earle’s impact extends to Mars exploration, where his 2015 analysis of ISRU and reusable lander architectures (22 citations) demonstrated how transitioning from Earth-dependent to Earth-independent systems could sustain a permanent human presence on the Red Planet. By quantifying the cost and mass benefits of automation and resource harvesting, he provided a critical roadmap for reducing reliance on Earth resupply. Earle’s work bridges robotic and human exploration, offering practical, data-driven solutions for asteroid boulder capture and Mars surface-transportation logistics. His research remains essential reading for engineers and mission planners working toward sustainable off-world operations.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission: Robotic Boulder Capture Option Overview38 citations · 2014
- 2Sustaining Human Presence on Mars Using ISRU and a Reusable Lander22 citations · 2015