Research
Research Interests:
Dr. Kasdin’s research interests are in the areas of space optics, spacecraft design and control and astrodynamics. From 1991-1998 he was a project manager and chief systems engineer for the Gravity Probe-B relativity mission at Stanford University. After coming to Princeton in 1999, he became interested in the problem of finding extrasolar terrestrial planets. He is currently the principal investigator for the Princeton Terrestrial Planet Finder project. This interdepartmental team is studying techniques for diffraction control for NASA’s TPF mission. The main impact of this team has been to introduce pupil plane coronagraphs as viable alternatives for TPF. The team has also made contributions in wavefront control concepts, amplitude control, and data analysis. Prof. Kasdin teaches classes in dynamics, orbital mechanics, and satellite design.
