The Dirk Brouwer Award was established to honor significant technical contributions to space flight mechanics and astrodynamics and to recognize Dirk Brouwer’s outstanding role in celestial mechanics and his widespread influence on workers in space flight and astrodynamics. Dirk Brouwer was an inspiring leader in the field of celestial mechanics during a period that saw a revival and flowering of that discipline, from its purely academic and esoteric role to one of widespread development and application in man’s exploration of space. He was successful as a researcher, as a teacher, and as an administrator. He always strove to make the growth of his subject truly international. The Space Flight Mechanics Committee selects the recipient of this award.  Please see the specific nomination criteria at the bottom of the page.

Recipients

• 2019 – Robert Melton, for excellence in developing the first fully three-dimensional, time-explicit representation of relative motion between spacecraft on elliptical orbits.

• 2018 – Martin W. Lo
• 2017 – Arun Misra
• 2016 – Felix Hoots
• 2015 – Daniele Mortari
• 2014 – Srinivas R. Vadali
• 2013 – Robert H. Bishop
• 2012 – Daniel Scheeres
• 2011 – F. Kenneth Chan
• 2010 – Donald J. Kessler
• 2009 – Bruce Conway
• 2008 – Bob E. Schutz
• 2007 – Bernard Kaufman
• 2006 – Nguyen X. Vinh
• 2005 – F. Landis Markley
• 2004 – Kathleen Howell
• 2003 – David W. Dunham
• 2002 – Roger A. Broucke
• 2001 – Paul J. Cefola
• 2000 – Malcolm D. Shuster
• 1999 – Shannon L. Coffey
• 1998 – George H. Born
• 1997 – Gerald R. Hollenbeck
• 1996 – Richard H. Battin
• 1995 – Byron D. Tapley
• 1994 – John E. Prussing
• 1993 – Robert D. Culp
• 1992 – Antonio L. Elias
• 1991 – No Award Given
• 1990 – Vinod J. Modi and Jer-Nan Juang
• 1989 – Peter M. Bainum
• 1989 – Kyle T. Alfriend
• 1988 – Richard W. Longman
• 1987 – John L. Junkins
• 1986 – Andre Deprit
• 1985 – No Award Given
• 1984 – Robert W. Farquhar
• 1983 – Giuseppe Colombo
• 1982 – Thomas R. Kane
• 1981 – Victor Szebehely
• 1980 – Paul Herget (Posthumously)
• 1979 – Angelo Miele
• 1978 – No Award Given
• 1977 – Ronald L. Berry
• 1976 – Barbara C. Johnson
• 1975 – Robert M. L. Baker
• 1974 – Howard W. Tindall, Jr.
• 1973 – John V. Breakwell
• 1972 – Theodore N. Edelbaum

Procedures for the Brouwer Award

The deadline for nominations is October 31. The nomination form must be only one page long and include the following:

• Name, position, address, and affiliation of the nominee
• Title of award
• Citation (maximum 3 lines)
• Description of the accomplishments for which the nomination is being made, including applicability to specific award under consideration.

The nomination is to be in no less than 10 point font. A formal letter should accompany the nomination and should include:

• Name, affiliation and address of the submitter
• Date of submission

Additional supporting materials:

• Curriculum vitae not to exceed 2 pages
• Up to three letters of recommendation

The evaluation will be based on the nomination form, the vitae and the letters of recommendation. Nominations that do not follow the above criteria will not be considered. For example, a nomination with a Curriculum Vitae longer than two pages will not be considered. Complete nomination packages (nomination form, nominator’s letter, curriculum vitae, and letters of recommendation) should be sent toaas@astronautical.org with subject line “2018 Brouwer Award Nomination”.