Adam Hibberd
Adam develops trajectory-optimisation software and applies it to difficult interplanetary and interstellar mission-design problems.
Profile
Adam Hibberd is a British space researcher and software engineer based in Coventry. He is the developer of Optimum Interplanetary Trajectory Software (OITS) and a contributor to the Initiative for Interstellar Studies’ Project Lyra investigations of missions to 1I/‘Oumuamua.
His work combines mission architecture, global optimisation, numerical propagation and the interpretation of observational evidence. He has collaborated with researchers including Andreas Hein, Marshall Eubanks, Adam Crowl and Avi Loeb.
Career path
From software to scientific questions
OITS began as a demanding exercise in learning MATLAB and grew into a research tool for solving multiple-gravity-assist missions. Its successful application to reference missions gave Adam the confidence to use it on open problems where the optimum trajectory was not known in advance.
Music and earlier creative work
Alongside his technical career, Adam is a pianist and composer. He reached Grade 8 piano, later recorded with Superheroes Dream for Coventry’s Tin Angel label, and maintains a collection of piano compositions on YouTube.