2024 Parkinson Award

Presented to: Dr. Justin Kruger, Stanford University

Citation: For his thesis: “Flight Algorithms for Autonomous Tracking and Navigation of Distributed Space Systems Using Inter-Satellite Bearing Angles”

Dr. Justin Kruger received BS in Physics and Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Western Australia in 2016, an MS and PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, in 2020 and 2024, respectively.

In Australia, he achieved first class Honors for both of his undergraduate final year projects, and at Stanford, he received the Robert H. Cannon fellowship for outstanding incoming students. His dissertation titled "Flight Algorithms for Autonomous Tracking and Navigation of Distributed Space Systems using Inter¬Satellite Bearing Angles" won the 2023-24 William F. Ballhaus Prize for the most outstanding PhD thesis in the department. Dr. Kruger is a member of the Stanford Space Rendezvous Laboratory. His work focuses on autonomous angles-only navigation for distributed space systems, both in Earth orbit and in deep space, with applications to resilient positioning, navigation and timing, space situational awareness, distributed science, and rendezvous and proximity operations.