Kristofer Drozd

Kristofer Drozd was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He earned his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in the spring of 2015. Kris started his pursuit of a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering at the U of A in August 2015 and began working part-time on the OSIRIS-REx mission as a member of the Science Planning Team. His duty's included helping with the testing of stereophotoclinometry software for optical navigation and the engineering of attitude coordinates for the spacecraft. In the Summer of 2019, Kris left the OSIRIS-REx mission and joined the Space Systems Engineering Laboratory full-time. His research interests include guidance, navigation, and control of aerospace vehicles as well as numerical methods for optimal control.

Degrees

• BSc, Aerospace Engineering, The University of Arizona (2015)

Publications

• Drozd, K., Furfaro, R., Schiassi, E., Johnston, H. and Mortari, D., 2021. Energy-optimal trajectory problems in relative motion solved via Theory of Functional Connections. Acta Astronautica, 182, pp.361-382. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.01.031
• Drozd K., Furfaro R., & Mortari D. (2019). Constrained Energy-Optimal Guidance in Relative Motion via Theory of Functional Connections and Rapidly-Explored Random Trees. Conference: 2019 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference. Portland, ME, USA. PDF
• Drozd K., Furfaro, R., & Topputo, F. (2018). Application of ZEM/ZEV guidance for closed-loop transfer in the Earth-Moon System. In 2018 Space Flight Mechanics Meeting (p. 0958). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2018-0958.c1
• Drozd K., Furfaro R., & Lambert D. (2019). Modeling Imaging Uncertainty for OSIRIS-REx's Asteroid Approach Observations. Conference: 29th AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting. Ka'anapali, HI. PDF