My Curriculum Vitae

Current work

Primarily I am the lead orbit determination analyst for the Parker Solar Probe mission. This revolutionary spacecraft will launch in July-August of 2018 and will fly faster and closer to the Sun than any other man-made object. The environment is incredibly challenging, not to mention very hot! This probe aims to unlock the mysteries of the solar corona, and we are busily preparing for launch. I am a member of the Psyche mission design and navigation team, working in collaboration with my Alma Mater ASU. I contribute to a variety of flight, pre-flight, and research tasks touching many aspects of robotic and human space exploration.

Research Collaborator Websites

• Try Lam, JPL
• Dr. Hanspeter Schaub, University of Colorado Boulder
• Dr. Ryan Russell, The University of Texas at Austin

Journal Articles

• Y. Guo, P. Thompson, J. Wirzburger, N. Pinkine, S. Bushman, T. Goodson, R. Haw, J. Hudson, D. Jones, et al., "Execution of Parker Solar Probe’s Unprecedented Flight to the Sun and Early Results," Acta Astronautica, 2020.
• D.R. Jones, "Trajectories for Flyby Sample Return at Icy Moons," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 55, No. 3, 2018, pp. 529-540.
• D.R. Jones, "Trajectories for Flyby Sample Return at Icy Moons," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 55, No. 3, 2018, pp. 529-540.
• M. Jesick, S. Demcak, B. Young, D.R. Jones, et al., "Navigation Overview for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 54, No. 1, 2017, pp. 29-43.
• D.R. Jones and H. Schaub "Collinear Three-Craft Coulomb Formation Stability Analysis and Control" Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 37, No. 1, 2014, pp. 224-232.
• D.R. Jones, D.R. and Schaub, H., "Periodic relative orbits of two spacecraft subject to differential gravity and electrostatic forcing," Acta Astronautica, Vol. 89, 2013, pp. 21-30.
• Jones, D.R. and Schaub, H., "Optimal reconfigurations of two-craft coulomb formations along manifolds," Acta Astronautica, Vol. 83, 2013, pp. 108-118.
• Jones, D.R. and Ocampo, C., "Optimization of impulsive trajectories between a circular orbit and a hyperbolic asymptote," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2012, pp. 234-244.

Conference Papers

• Y. Guo, P. Thompson, J. Wirzburger, N. Pinkine, S. Bushman, T. Goodson, R. Haw, J. Hudson, D. Jones, et al., "Execution of Parker Solar Probe’s Unprecedented Flight to the Sun and Early Results," 70th International Astronautical Congress, Washington, DC, October 21-25, 2019.
• N. Bradley, J.S. Snyder, D.R. Jones, D. Trofimov, and D. Koh, "Navigation Models for Psyche Electric Propulsion Uncertainty," AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Portland, ME, August 2019.
• S. Hernandez, S. Campagnola, and D.R. Jones, "An Analytical Approach to the Ballistic Cycler Problem," AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, Ka'anapali, HI, January 2019.
• P. Valerino, P. Thompson, D.R. Jones, et al., "Charting a Course to the Sun: Flight Path Control for Parker Solar Probe," AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, Ka'anapali, HI, January 2019.
• D.R. Jones, S. Hernandez and M. Jesick, "Low-Excess Speed Triple Cyclers of Venus, Earth, and Mars,” AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Stevenson, WA, August 2017.
• S. Hernandez, D.R. Jones and M. Jesick, "A Class of Io-Europa-Ganymede Triple Cyclers,” AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Stevenson, WA, August 2017.
• D.R. Jones, P. Thompson, T. Goodson, et al., “Orbit Determination Covariance Analyses for the Parker Solar Probe Mission,” AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Stevenson, WA, August 2017.
• P. Thompson, D.R. Jones, T. Goodson, et al., “Parker Solar Probe Navigation: One Year From Launch”, AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Stevenson, WA, August 2017.
• P. Valerino, P. Thompson, D.R. Jones, et al., “Flight Path Control Analysis for Parker Solar Probe”, AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Stevenson, WA, August 2017.
• A. Petropoulos, D. Grebow, D.R. Jones, et al., “GTOC9: Methods and Results from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Team," 31st International Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Matsuyama, Japan, June 2017.
• J. Thangavelautham, A. Rhoden and D.R. Jones, “The Opportunities and Challenges of GNC on a Europa Cubesat,” AAS Guidance and Control Conference, Breckenridge, CO, February 2017.
• D.R. Jones, T. Goodson, P. Thompson, P. Valerino, and J. Williams, "Solar Probe Plus: Unique Navigation Modeling Challenges," AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Long Beach, CA, September 2016.
• D.R. Jones, "Trajectories for Europa Flyby Sample Return," AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Long Beach, CA, September 2016.
• D.R. Jones, "Trajectories for Flyby Sample Return at Saturn's Moons," AIAA Astrodynamics Specialists Conference, Long Beach, CA, September 2016.
• M. Jesick, S. Demcak, B. Young, D. Jones, et al. "Maven Navigation Overview," AAS Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, Napa, CA, February 2016.
• D.R. Jones, T. Lam, N. Trawny, and C. Lee, "Using MAVEN Onboard Telemetry for Orbit Determination," AAS Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, Willimansburg, VA, January-February 2015.
• D.R. Jones and H. Schaub, "Periodic Relative Orbits of Two Spacecraft Subject to Differential Gravity and Coulomb Forces," 5th International Conference on Spacecraft Formation Flying Missions and Technologies, Munich, Germany, May 2013.
• D.R. Jones and H. Schaub, "Collinear Three-Craft Coulomb Formation Stability Analysis and Control," AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Minneapolis, MN, August 2012.
• D.R. Jones, "Optimal Reconfigurations of Coulomb Formations along Invariant Manifolds," AAS Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, Charleston, SC, January-February 2012.
• D.R. Jones, and C. Ocampo, "Optimal Impulsive Escape Trajectories from a Circular Orbit to a Hyperbolic Excess Velocity Vector," AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Toronto, Canada, August 2010.

PhD Dissertation

• D.R. Jones "A Dynamical Systems Theory Analysis of Coulomb Spacecraft Formations," 2013.