Research

The MIT Space Systems Laboratory, in conjunction with NASA, DARPA, and Aurora Flight Sciences, developed and operates the SPHERES (Synchronized... Read More

OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer) will be the third spacecraft launched as part of NASA’s New... Read More

There are a number of multi-satellite architectures that require proximity operations. These include on-orbit servicing, satellite assembly, satellite repurposing, and... Read More

Traditional satellite constellations are usually static, using large numbers of satellites to provide consistent global coverage. Reconfigurable constellations (ReCon) use... Read More

Space telescopes have traditionally been monolithic (a single, rigid system) or deployable (e.g. James Webb). However, telescopes comprised of smaller... Read More

The MIT Space Systems Lab is working collaboratively with NASA and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to shape the architectures... Read More

The recent trend in satellites has been towards smaller, lighter cubesats on the nanosat scale (~1-10 kg). The next step... Read More

A rectangular “strip” mirror (see figure) whose length is equal to the diameter of a circular mirror can achieve the... Read More

Space debris is big problem! Spent rocket stages, non-functional or expired satellites, and even something as innocuous as flecks of... Read More