Christopher Wynard

Johnson Space Center, University of Illinois System

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Christopher Wynard is a visionary aerospace engineer whose work centers on the human exploration of Mars and its moons. His primary research focuses on developing feasible, long-duration crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit, with a particular emphasis on mission architecture and conceptual design. Wynard’s most notable contribution is the "Innovative Mars Global International Exploration (IMaGInE) Mission," which earned first place in a prestigious international competition. This award-winning paper outlines a bold plan to deliver a crew of four astronauts to the surface of Deimos and conduct a robotic exploration of Phobos during a 343-day mission in 2031. His related work, "Advanced concept for a crewed mission to the martian moons" (5 citations), further refines the technical and operational details of such an endeavor. Though his citation counts are modest, Wynard’s impact lies in the originality and ambition of his mission designs, which have inspired discussions on international collaboration and the next giant leap in space exploration. For students and researchers, his work exemplifies how innovative thinking can push the boundaries of what is possible in human spaceflight.