Editing Martin Lo

{{short description|American mathematician}}
{{for|the Australian football player|Martin Lo (soccer)}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=August 2009}}
[[Image:Martin Lo.jpg|thumb|Martin Lo]]

'''Martin Wen-Yu Lo''' is an American mathematician who currently works as a spacecraft trajectory expert at the NASA-owned [[JPL|Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]. Martin Lo is well known for discovering the Interplanetary Superhighway, also known as the [[Interplanetary Transport Network]]. The superhighway is created by combined gravitational forces of several planets that connects planets by a network of “tunnels” and is the most efficient way to navigate the [[Solar System]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=CNN.com - New planet freeway could transform space travel - July 22, 2002|url=http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/07/19/planet.freeway/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=www.cnn.com}}</ref> This continues to be his main area of research.

== Biography ==
Lo received his Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1975 from the [[California Institute of Technology]] and his PhD in mathematics in 1980 from [[Cornell University]] under the supervision of [[Richard S. Hamilton]] and George Roger Livesay.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mathgenealogy.org/id.php?id=125529 | title=Martin Lo - the Mathematics Genealogy Project }}</ref>

He has been a research scientist in the Navigation and Mission Design Section at the JPL since 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.caltech.edu/~mwl/personal/personal2.htm|title=Martin Lo Personal|website=www.gg.caltech.edu|access-date=2019-07-22}}</ref>

In 2000, Lo, [[Kathleen Howell]], and other scientists from the JPL developed the LTool program<ref>Martin W. Lo and Roby S. Wilson The [http://www.ieec.cat/hosted/web-libpoint/abstracts/lo2.pdf LTool Package]</ref><ref>Martin Lo, [http://hdl.handle.net/2014/16203 LTool Version 1.0G delivery memorandum] // JPL TRS 1992+, 29-Sep-2000</ref> to calculate paths near Lagrange points (ITN paths). Compared with previous methods, LTool is capable of predicting orbits up to 50 times faster. They used this tool to calculate the trajectory for the [[Genesis (spacecraft)|Genesis mission]] (2001, NASA) trajectory, which took days rather than 8 weeks.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Lo|first1=Martin|title=Genesis mission design|date=1998-08-10|url=https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.1998-4468|work=AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Exhibit|series=Guidance, Navigation, and Control and Co-located Conferences|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/6.1998-4468|access-date=2021-10-08|last2=Williams|first2=Bobby|last3=Bollman|first3=Williard|last4=Han|first4=Dongsuk|last5=Hahn|first5=Yungsun|last6=Bell|first6=Julia|last7=Hirst|first7=Edward|last8=Corwin|first8=Robert|last9=Hong|first9=Philip|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The trajectory makes use of gravitational tugs of objects in the way of the spacecraft, ensuring minimal fuel use on the return journey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.mobygeek.com/features/mathematicians-discovered-that-straight-line-is-not-the-fastest-way-through-space-6350/amp|title=Mathematicians Discovered That Straight Line Is Not The Fastest Way Through Space|last=Khatri|first=Aadhya|date=Jun 27, 2019|website=m.mobygeek.com|access-date=2019-07-22}}</ref> They called this trajectory the [[Interplanetary Transport Network|Interplanetary Superhighway]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mathaware.org/mam/05/space.exploration.html|title=Math Awareness Month|website=www.mathaware.org|access-date=2019-07-22|archive-date=2019-09-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913142901/http://www.mathaware.org/mam/05/space.exploration.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also designed the trajectory for [[SpaceDev]]'s SmallTug.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hecht|first=Jeff|title=Spacecraft to travel 'interplanetary superhighway'|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7685-spacecraft-to-travel-interplanetary-superhighway/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=New Scientist|language=en-US}}</ref> LTool was nominated for the Discover Innovation Award.<ref name=":0">[http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2002/02-128.txt INTERPLANETARY SUPERHIGHWAY MAKES SPACE TRAVEL SIMPLER], NASA  July 17, 2002</ref> He is the leader of the Lagrange Group, which is an interdisciplinary and international group of researchers and STEM experts from universities, [[NASA]] centers, and industry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Do Math? - Space Travel|url=https://www.whydomath.org/node/space/people_mlo.html|access-date=2021-10-08|website=www.whydomath.org}}</ref> Their focus is on developing nonlinear astrodynamics techniques with applications to space missions and dynamical astronomy.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Genesis : Search for Origins {{!}} Team {{!}} Martin Lo {{!}} Resume {{!}} JPL {{!}} NASA|url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/genesismission/gm2/team/people/lo/resume.htm|access-date=2021-10-08|website=solarsystem.nasa.gov}}</ref>

Lo appeared in [[Werner Herzog]]'s film ''[[The Wild Blue Yonder (2005 film)|The Wild Blue Yonder]]'' in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2005/film/reviews/the-wild-blue-yonder-1200523483/|title=The Wild Blue Yonder|last=Felperin|first=Leslie|date=2005-09-06|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2019-07-22}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==
Martin was awarded the [[NOGLSTP]] [[LGBTQ]] Scientist of the Year in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.noglstp.org/publications-documents/announcements/2012-09-07-2012-noglstp-recognition-awards-announced-lo-lickel-pope-and-ross-receive-top-honors/ |publisher=NOGLSTP |accessdate=2019-02-20 |title=2012 NOGLSTP Recognition Awards Announced: Lo, Lickel, Pope, and Ross receive top honors}}</ref>

Nominated for a Discover Innovation Award by [[Discover magazine]] for work on the Interplanetary Superhighway.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.gg.caltech.edu/~mwl/}}
* {{cite web |url= http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/gm2/team/people/lo/interview1.htm |title= Genesis: Interview with Martin Lo, Former Mission Design and Navigation Manager |first= Jacinta |last= Behne |publisher= JPL |date= June 2, 2002 }}

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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American mathematicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American mathematicians]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ scientists]]
[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]