Nathan J. Gelino
Kennedy Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Papers
8
Total Citations
93
H-Index
5
About
Nathan J. Gelino is a space engineering researcher whose work sits at the intersection of robotics, in situ resource utilization (ISRU), and extraterrestrial construction — fields that will prove critical to humanity's ambitions on the Moon and Mars. His most cited contribution, the design of RASSOR 2.0 (36 citations), advanced NASA's capability to excavate and transport regolith in low-gravity environments, addressing one of the most fundamental challenges of sustained off-world habitation. Gelino has also made significant strides in planetary surface construction, contributing to NASA's ACME project and collaborative work with PISCES on lunar launch and landing pad construction using basalt and in situ materials (19 citations). His development of a zero launch mass 3D print head (15 citations) further demonstrated innovative thinking around additive construction technologies designed specifically for Mars missions. More recently, his research has expanded into regolith polymer composites for lunar infrastructure (8 citations) and the ARGO robotic test facility (3 citations), a dedicated platform for simulating lunar excavation conditions. Across his body of work, Gelino has consistently pushed forward practical, hardware-driven solutions that bring NASA's Artemis Program and eventual Mars exploration goals meaningfully closer to reality.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Zero Launch Mass Three-Dimensional Print Head15 citations · 2018
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- 5Robotic Mars and Lunar Landing Pad Construction Using In Situ Rocks6 citations · 2018
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