Viktor Kerzhanovich is Principal Member of Technical Staff of the Mobility and Robotic Systems Section (347) of the Autonomous Systems Division (34). He joined JPL in 1997 and since he is actively involved in development of planetary robotic balloons including conceptual design, modelling, simulation and flight tests. Some of these concepts were base of five Discovery mission proposals.
Viktor received his B.S. degree in Physics from Moscow State University of the former USSR in 1961, Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences degrees in physics from Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences. He pioneered and led experiments on atmospheric dynamics and was Co-Investigator for other experiments on 15 Soviet Venera and Mars missions that include probes, balloons and orbiters. Viktor participated at all phases from concept development to implementation and mission operations. He received the USSR State Prize and several NASA Group Achievement Awards.

B.S. in Physics, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, Space Research Institute of Soviet Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Doctor of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, Space Research Institute of Soviet Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Leader and key team member of different planetary aerobot technology development programs. Lead numerous studies, system engineering, system development. Initiated and lead tropospheric and stratospheric flight tests of the Mars and Venus balloons prototypes. Key member of 6 Discovery proposals.
Pioneered planetary wind experiments on entry probes, discovered super-rotation of bulk of Venus atmosphere. PI and Co-PI for the Doppler wind and other experiments on all Soviet entry probes

Planetary Aerobots: concepts, design, development., modeling, implementation, testing

Concept development of planetary entry probes

Tracking and communication with planetary probes

Doppler wind experiments