Matthew A. Vavrina
Papers
2
Total Citations
16
H-Index
2
About
Matthew A. Vavrina is a leading aerospace engineer specializing in low-thrust trajectory design and mission architecture for deep-space exploration. His primary research areas include solar electric propulsion (SEP) optimization, asteroid rendezvous and capture, and interplanetary mission design. Vavrina made major contributions to the Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission (ARRM), where his work on heliocentric low-thrust trajectory optimization enabled the design of missions to capture a free-standing boulder from a 100-meter or larger near-Earth asteroid. His 2014 paper, "Interplanetary Trajectory Design for the Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission Alternate Approach Trade Study," with 11 citations, established key performance analysis methods for SEP-based asteroid missions. Vavrina also advanced the concept of Mars sample return, showing in a 2014 study (5 citations) how the ARRM spacecraft could enable a combined Mars, Phobos, and Deimos sample return mission. His work is notable for demonstrating how high-power SEP systems can be repurposed for multiple ambitious science goals, from asteroid capture to Martian moon exploration. Vavrina’s trajectory design expertise continues to influence NASA’s evolving plans for robotic and human deep-space missions.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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