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Ph.D. student Adrienne Rudolph (center) and Lecturer Brent Barbee (right) at AIAA SciTech 2026. |
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The University of Maryland’s TERP RAPTOR team has received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ (AIAA) 2026 Small Satellite Best Paper Award for its mission concept focused on asteroid Apophis.
The award was presented during the AIAA SciTech 2026 conference, held in January, and recognized their paper “Mission Concept Development for the TERP RAPTOR (Terrapin Engineered Rideshare Probe for Rapid-response Asteroid Apophis Profiling, Tracking, Observing, and Reconnaissance).”
TERP RAPTOR is an Earth-orbiting mission concept centered on a 12U CubeSat designed and built by University of Maryland students. The spacecraft is intended to conduct a close flyby of asteroid 99942 Apophis during its historic April 13, 2029, close approach to Earth. During its visit, the roughly 350-meter asteroid will pass closer to earth than geosynchronous satellites. This close encounter is an exceptionally rare opportunity to collect data relevant to planetary science and planetary defense.
Their paper outlines several design reference mission cases, including trajectories potentially reachable through a typical geosynchronous transfer orbit rideshare launch. The concept emphasizes a small, cost-effective spacecraft capable of delivering a high ratio of scientific return relative to mission cost, compared with previous asteroid and comet missions.
Paper authors include Brent W. Barbee, Adrienne Rudolph, Cameron J. Storey, Chinthan Prasad, Kruti Bhingradiya, Rahul Vishnoi, Ryan Mahon, Sean Philips, David L. Akin, Mary Bowden, and Jarred Young. Student authors Storey, Prasad, and Vishnoi have graduated, while Rudolph, Bhingradiya, Mahon, and Philips remain at UMD.
In addition to this Best Paper Award, Lecturer Brent Barbee was also recognized during the conference as an AIAA Associate Fellow, along with fellow Department of Aerospace Engineering faculty Michael Otte and Liam Healy.
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February 18, 2026
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