Natasha Bosanac

Purdue University West Lafayette, University of Colorado Boulder

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Natasha Bosanac is a leading researcher in astrodynamics, specializing in the design and automation of spacecraft trajectories within complex multi-body gravitational environments, such as the Earth-Moon system and cislunar space. Her work addresses the critical challenge of rapidly exploring vast design spaces to support the growing number of missions operating in these regimes. Bosanac’s major contributions include the development of a foundational "Earth–Moon system trajectory design reference catalog" (2014, 41 citations), which provides a systematic database of periodic orbits and transfer options, serving as a key resource for mission planners. More recently, she has pioneered the application of motion primitives and sampling-based kinodynamic planning—concepts from robotics—to automate trajectory design, reducing reliance on human expertise and enabling autonomous decision-making for spacecraft. Her 2023 and 2025 papers on these topics, though newly published, represent a significant shift toward scalable, algorithmic approaches in multi-body trajectory design. Bosanac’s work is instrumental in enabling the next generation of cislunar infrastructure and deep-space exploration, bridging the gap between classical astrodynamics and modern autonomous systems.