Dr. Robert D. Braun

Associate Professor

David and Andrew Lewis Professor of Space Technology

Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Montgomery Knight Aerospace Building, Room 321-3

(404) 385-6171

(404) 894-2760 fax

robert.braun@ae.gatech.edu

Dr. Braun is an Associate Professor in the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As Director of Georgia Tech’s Space Systems Design Laboratory, he leads a research and education program focused on the design of advanced flight systems and technologies for planetary exploration. He is responsible for undergraduate and graduate level instruction in the areas of space systems design, astrodynamics and atmospheric entry. In addition to a graduate research program focused on planetary exploration, Dr. Braun provides consulting services in the areas of space systems engineering and analysis, planetary entry and Mars atmospheric flight. He has provided independent analysis and review services for the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Exploration Rover, Genesis, Phoenix Mars Scout and Mars Science Laboratory flight projects.

Prior to joining the Georgia Tech faculty, Dr. Braun worked for sixteen years at the NASA Langley Research Center. While at NASA, he contributed to the design and flight operations of the Mars Pathfinder and Mars Microprobe flight projects, performing analyses pertaining to Mars entry, descent and landing. Dr. Braun was responsible for Earth Entry Vehicle technology and flight system development efforts for the Mars Sample Return project from 1999-2000. From 2001-2003, Dr. Braun served as the Mission Architect for the Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey (ARES) Mars Scout mission. In this capacity, he was responsible for balancing science, implementation risk and cost across the mission architecture and managing ARES Mars airplane technology development, including the successful ground-based and high-altitude flight test program. Dr. Braun was a member of the Aircraft Design Group at Stanford University from 1991-1996, where he developed the Collaborative Optimization architecture. This architecture was shown to have significant computational and operational benefits in the optimization of large, loosely coupled design problems. Since completing his initial research in this area, several university and industry groups have applied this technique in the solution of diverse set of engineering design problems. From 2000-2001, Dr. Braun served as Chief Engineer of NASA’s Intelligent Synthesis Environment Program, where he led and integrated NASA’s advanced engineering environment technology development activities.

Dr. Braun is an AIAA Fellow and the author or co-author of more than more than 150 technical publications in the fields of atmospheric flight dynamics, planetary exploration systems, multidisciplinary design optimization and systems engineering. He served as an AIAA Distinguished Lecturer from 2003 to 2006 and served on the NASA Planetary Protection Advisory Council and AIAA Multidisciplinary Optimization Technical Committee from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, Dr. Braun began service on the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee, the Mars Program Systems Engineering Team, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Advisory Council and the NASA Chief Engineer’s Management Operations Working Group.

Biographical Information:

One-page resume

Publications

Research Program:

Current students and research projects

Space Systems Design Laboratory

Graduates

Courses:

Dr. Braun is responsible for undergraduate and graduate level instruction in the areas of space systems design, astrodynamics and atmospheric entry. He has also developed a continuing education shortcourse on the subject of Planetary Entry, Descent and Landing. Course descriptions and materials are provided here.