Jim Kinnison

After earning an M.S. from Michigan State University and a Ph.D from CLemson University, Jim Kinnison has developed space systems for more than 10 spacecraft and several long duration balloon flights. His work began with developng models for the space radiation environment and mitigations for space radiation effects. This led to a career in space systems engineering, where he seved as System Assurance Manager for New Horizons, NASA’s mission Pluto, and as Mission System Engineer for Parker Solar Probe from initial concept through launch and the first 5 years of operations. Lately he has focussed on developing concepts for advanced science msisions such as Interstellar Probe, intended to explore the interstellar mediium outside our solar system, and concepts for NASA’s next Great Observatory and flagship missions.

Education History

• B.S., Physics, Northeast Louisiana Unversity
• M.S., Physics, Michigan State University
• Ph.D, Physics, Clemson University

Work Experience

Principal Professional Staff, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory

Publications

• J. D. Kinnison et al., “Practical Interstellar Probe Concepts: Mission Study Results,” 2022 IEEE Aerospace Conference (AERO), 2022, pp. 1-16, doi: 10.1109/AERO53065.2022.9843339.
• J. D. Kinnison et al., “Interstellar Probe: A Practical Mission to Escape the Heliosphere,” 2021 IEEE Aerospace Conference (50100), 2021, pp. 1-16, doi: 10.1109/AERO50100.2021.9438249.
• J. D. Kinnison, R. Vaughan, P. Hill, N. Raouafi, Y. Guo and N. Pinkine, “Parker Solar Probe: A Mission to Touch the Sun,” 2020 IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2020, pp. 1-14, doi: 10.1109/AERO47225.2020.9172703.
• J. D. Kinnison, et al, “Solar Probe Plus: An Historic Mission to the Sun”, presented at the 2010 International Astronautics Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, October 2010.
• J. D. Kinnison, et al, “The Solar Probe+ Mission: A New Concept for Close Solar Encounters”, presented at the 2008 International Astronautics Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 28 September 2008.
• J. D. Kinnison, High Energy Neutron Spectroscopy with Thick Silicon Detectors, PhD thesis, Department of Physics, Clemson University, May 2005.
• P. McNulty, J. D. Kinnison, R. Maurer, D. Roth, R. Reed, W. Abdel-Kader, “Energy Deposition Events Measured by the CRRES PHA Experiment”, presented at the 2004 Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, 21 July 2004.
• J. D. Kinnison, “Achieving Reliable Affordable Systems”, Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference Short Course, Newport Beach, California, 1998.
• J. D. Kinnison, “Upsets in the Freja Magnetic Field Experiment,” Proceedings of the Third European Conference on Radiation and its Effects on Components and Systems, Arcachon, France, pp. 589-592 (1996).
• R. H. Maurer and J. D. Kinnison, Managing Single Event Effects in Satellite Systems, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 524-525.
• J. D. Kinnison, et al., Radiation Characterization of the ADSP2100A Digital Signal Processor, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 38, pp. 1398 – 1402 (1991).
• J. D. Kinnison, R. H. Maurer, and T. M. Jordan, Estimation of the Charged Particle Environment for Earth Orbits, Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, 11, 300 – 309 (1990).
• J. J. Suter, R. H. Maurer, J. D. Kinnison, The Susceptibility of Electrodeless Quartz Crystal BVA Resonators to Proton Ionization Effects, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 35, 1451 – 1455 (1988).

Professional Organizations

IEEE