Kathleen_Howell

Kathleen Howell
Kathleen Connor Howell is an American aerospace

engineer known for her contributions to dynamical Kathleen Connor Howell
systems theory applied to spacecraft trajectory design Nationality American
which led to the use of halo orbit in multiple NASA Alma mater Iowa State University (BS)
space missions. She is currently the Hsu Lo Stanford University (MS, Ph.D.)
Distinguished Professor at Purdue University in the Awards Fellow, National Academy of
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.[1] In Engineering (2017)
acknowledgment of her many achievements, Discover Dirk Brouwer Award (2004)
magazine recognized her in 2002 as one of the 50 most '50 Most Important Women in
important women in science.[2] Science' by Discover Magazine
(2002)
Presidential Young Investigator
Education Award (1984)
Scientific career
She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in
Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University in Fields Aerospace engineering, Orbital
1973. Howell then received her MS and PhD degrees mechanics
from Stanford University in 1977 and 1983, Institutions Purdue University
respectively. Her PhD advisor was John Breakwell and Thesis Three-dimensional, periodic halo
her PhD dissertation was entitled "Three-dimensional, orbits in the restricted three-body
periodic halo orbits in the restricted three-body problem (https://searchworks.sta
problem". nford.edu/view/1065677) (1983)
Doctoral John V. Breakwell
advisor
Career Website engineering.purdue.edu/AAE
/people/ptProfile?resource
Howell started as an assistant professor at Purdue
_id=1384 (https://engineering.pu
University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in
rdue.edu/AAE/people/ptProfile?r
1982 and is the School's first female tenured professor.
esource_id=1384)
She is best known for her contributions to the three-
body problem, the interplanetary superhighway, and
artificial satellite theories.[3]
Howell's work[4] on computing the characteristics of the invariant manifolds associated with halo orbits
was first applied for design of trajectory for Genesis mission and enabling low-energy sample return from
Sun-Earth L1 point. The spacecraft trajectory for Genesis exploiting Howell's manifold method was
computed by Howell and her student Brian Barden during a weekend in August 1996 after an urgent
request from Jet Propulsion Lab scientist Martin Lo.[5]
Howell is currently the Editor-In-Chief Emeritus of
the AAS Journal of the Astronautical Sciences;[6] she
is also a member of other editorial boards. She is both
an AIAA and an AAS Fellow.
Awards and honors

Howell is a 1984 winner of the 1984 Presidential
The Genesis mission's trajectory and flight plan
Young Investigator Award, presented to her at the
which includes 5 halo loops based on Howell's
White House by Ronald Reagan, and the 2004 work
recipient of the Dirk Brouwer Award from the
American Astronautical Society.[7] In 2007, she
delivered the Breakwell Memorial Lecture at the Astrodynamics Symposium at the International
Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad, India.[8]
In 2017 Kathleen Howell was elected to National Academy of Engineering with a citation "For
contributions in dynamical systems theory and invariant manifolds culminating in optimal interplanetary
trajectories and the Interplanetary Superhighway".[9]
In 2024, the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature gave the
name Kathleenhowell to a large asteroid in the asteroid belt of the Solar System. The entry honors Howell
as “instrumental in advancing dynamical systems theory and invariant manifolds, culminating in
trajectory optimization. Her pioneering work on the three-body problem has led to the use of halo orbits
in several missions.” [10]
Papers
"Three-Dimensional, Periodic, 'Halo' Orbits" (https://web.archive.org/web/20060910134150/
https://avalon.caltech.edu/help/uploads/wiki/files/39/howell-1984.pdf)[11]
References
1. "Kathleen Howell" (https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/People/ptProfile?resource_id=138
4). Purdue University. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
2. Svitil, Kathy (13 November 2002). "The 50 Most Important Women in Science" (http://discov
ermagazine.com/2002/nov/feat50/). Discover. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
3. "Hagler Institute for higher studies TAMU" (https://hias.tamu.edu/fellow/kathleen-howell/).
4. Howell, K; Barden, B; Lo, M (1997). "Application of Dynamical Systems Theory to Trajectory
Design for a Libration Point Mission". Journal of Astronautical Sciences. 45 (2): 161–178.
Bibcode:1997JAnSc..45..161H (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997JAnSc..45..161H).
doi:10.1007/BF03546374 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF03546374).
5. Taubes, Gary (June 1, 1999). "Surfing the Solar System" (http://discovermagazine.com/199
9/jun/featsolar). Discover. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
6. "The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences" (https://www.springer.com/journal/40295/editor
s).
7. "Dirk Brouwer Award" (http://astronautical.org/awards/dirk-brouwer-award/). American
Astronautical Society. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
8. "NASA Engineering & Safety Center Academy Biography" (https://www.nasa.gov/offices/nes
c/academy/Kathleen-Howell-Bio.html).
9. "NAE Members Directory: Kathleen Connor Howell" (https://www.nae.edu/165640.aspx).
10. "Solar System Asteroid named after Prof. Howell" (https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/spotl
ights/2024/solar-system-asteroid-named-after-prof-howell).
11. Howell, K. C.: "Three-Dimensional, Periodic, 'Halo' Orbits", Celestial Mechanics, Volume 32,
Number 53, 1984
External links
Purdue Faculty Page for Kathleen Howell (https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/people/ptPro
file?resource_id=1384)
Howell's Moving Orbits (http://gregegan.net/SCIENCE/Howell/Howell.html), web page
explaining Howell's doctoral research by Greg Egan
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kathleen_Howell&oldid=1262151498"

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Kathleen Connor Howell is an American aerospace

Awards and honors

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kathleen_Howell&oldid=1262151498"

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