Soon Jo Chung

Professor Soon-Jo Chung is the Bren Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems at the California Institute of Technology and a Senior Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His research focuses on aerospace robotics, autonomous space and air vehicles, and distributed spacecraft systems, with particular emphasis on the theory and application of complex nonlinear dynamics, control, estimation, guidance, and navigation. Professor Chung’s work integrates rigorous control theory with learning-based and data-driven methods to enable safe, robust, and scalable autonomy for multi-agent systems operating in uncertain and dynamic environments. His research has advanced autonomous flight control, fault-tolerant systems, multi-robot coordination, and certified safety in learning-based motion planning, with applications ranging from aerial robotics to space exploration. Through his dual academic and NASA appointments, his work bridges fundamental theory and real-world deployment in next-generation autonomous aerospace systems. Their recent contributions to the field are exemplified by influential works such as "From Constraint to Agency: How Disability Identity Shapes Entrepreneurial Pursuits", and "Overview of Australia’s state-wide cardiovascular program and reflections on its piloting between 2021 and 2024".