Robert D. Braun [NAE] is the David & Andrew Lewis Professor of Space Technology at Georgia Institute of Technology and has over 25 years of experience in performing design and analysis of planetary exploration systems as a member of the technical staff of the NASA Langley Research Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research has focused on systems’ aspects of planetary exploration, where he contributed to the design, development, test and operation of several robotic space flight systems. He has been an active participant in the development of advanced methods for multidisciplinary design and optimization. Dr. Braun developed the Collaborative Optimization architecture while at Stanford from 1991-1996. This architecture was shown to have significant computational and operational benefits in the optimization of large, distributed design problems. Since completing the initial research in this area, several university and industry groups have applied this technique in solving a diverse set of engineering challenges. From 2000-2001, he led and integrated NASA’s advanced engineering environment development program. Dr. Braun received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State in 1987, M.S. in Astronautics from the George Washington University in 1989, and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 1996. He has received the inaugural AAS Space Technology Award (2014), 2012 Alvin Seiff Memorial Award, the 2011 AIAA von Karman Astronautics Award, 1999 AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals, two NASA Inventions and Contributions Team Awards, and nine NASA Group Achievement Awards. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, Vice Chair of the NRC Space Studies Board, Editor-In-Chief of the AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, an AIAA Fellow, and the author or co-author of over 275 technical publications in the fields of atmospheric flight dynamics, planetary exploration, multidisciplinary design optimization, and systems engineering. He presently serves on Advisory Boards for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Space Systems Sector of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and the Planetary Society.