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Professor in Space Systems Engineering, ISAE-SUPAERO,
2026 Byram Distinguished Visiting Professsor
Friday, Apr. 3 | 10:40 A.M. | AERO 111

Abstract: Saturn’s moons are among the most compelling destinations for future planetary exploration, offering unique opportunities to investigate ocean worlds, plume activity, and the conditions for habitability.Ìý

Among them, Enceladus is a particularly attractive target, as its active south polar region provides direct access to material originating from the subsurface ocean. Turning these scientific objectives into a feasible mission, however, remains a major trajectory design challenge. Arrival conditions in the Saturn system are highly constrained, Enceladus flybys provide only limited deflection, and the strong dynamical influence of Titan plays a central role in shaping accessible tour architectures.

In this seminar, I will discuss how preliminary mission design can bridge scientific ambition and trajectory feasibility for future exploration of Saturn’s moons.Ìý

I will first review the scientific motivation for investigating the Saturnian system, with particular emphasis on Enceladus and the key questions related to plume sampling, habitability, and sustained orbital observations.Ìý

I will then present moon-tour strategies that exploit multiple gravity assists, especially from Titan, to progressively reshape the spacecraft orbit and enable repeated targeted encounters with Enceladus early in the mission.Ìý

Finally, I will discuss candidate science orbits around Enceladus, including near-rectilinear halo orbits, butterfly orbits, and period-3 halo orbits, which provide repeated low-altitude passes over the south polar region with complementary viewing geometries. Overall, the seminar will highlight how trajectory design connects system-level access to local scientific operations around one of the most fascinating moons in the Solar System

Bio: Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez is a Full Professor in Space Systems Engineering at ISAE-SUPAERO (InstitutÌýSupérieur de l’AéronautiqueÌýet de l’Espace) in Toulouse, France, where she leads the Space Advanced Concepts research group. She holds a PhD from ISAE-SUPAERO and a Dr-Eng. degree from the University of Stuttgart (2015), andÌýhas over 30 years of experience spanning space agencies, industry, and academia.

Her research and teaching focus on astrodynamics and on human and robotic space exploration (small bodies like asteroids, small moons like Phobos or Enceladus). Her work is structured around two main axes: (1) trajectory optimization for interplanetary and cislunar missions, with particular emphasis on rendezvous operations, and (2) human–robot interaction in long-duration exploration missions, including the effects of confinement and isolation on crew performance.

She previously served on console during critical operations of the ATV Jules VerneÌýmission in 2008. She is co-founder and CTO of the Spaceflight Institute, Associate Editor of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, a member of the Astrodynamics Committee of the International Astronautical Federation, and a Corresponding Member of the French Air and Space Academy.