At MIT, I work with Prof. Richard Linares to model the near-Earth space environment and contribute to world order in outer space.
My Ph.D. dissertation assesses geosynchronous satellite operators’ compliance with orbital assignments from the International Telecommunications Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations tasked with preventing harmful interference in the radio-frequency spectrum. In 2023, portions of my doctoral research were recognized with the MIT Prize for Open Data and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy’s Prize for Innovation in Global Security. For my S.M. thesis, I developed a methodology to detect maneuvers in the geostationary belt using publicly available space object data via supervised machine learning techniques.
Outside of my work at MIT, I’ve collaborated with space sustainability and astrodynamics experts from EPFL’s Space Center, NASA’s Conjunction Assessment and Risk Analysis (CARA) program, and Planet Labs’ Orbits R&D team via visiting research positions. Before graduate school, my work focused on space security and policy as an in-residence research associate at the CSIS Aerospace Security Project.
A list of my published work is available below and on Google Scholar. For a list of my working papers, presentations, grants, and service work, see my curriculum vitae.
Articles in Refereed Journals
Æther Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower 1(4) (January 13, 2023). With Kaitlyn Johnson and Brian Weeden.
Journal of the Astronautical Sciences (November 11, 2022). With Peng Mun Siew, Daniel Jang, and Richard Linares.
MIT Science Policy Review (August 20, 2020). With Carson Bullock.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (July 2, 2018).
Conference Papers
24th Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (September 19-22, 2023). With Victor Rodriguez-Fernandez, Peng Mun Siew, Haley E. Solera, and Richard Linares.
24th Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (September 19-22, 2023). With Peng Mun Siew, Haley E. Solera, Daniel Jang, Victor Rodriguez-Fernandez, Jonathan P. How, and Richard Linares.
9th International Academy of Astronautics Space Traffic Management Conference (March 1-2, 2023). With Haley E. Solera and Richard Linares.
9th International Academy of Astronautics Space Traffic Management Conference (March 1-2, 2023). With Haley E. Solera and Richard Linares.
23rd Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (September 27-30, 2022). With Richard Linares.
23rd Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (September 27-30, 2022). With Peng Mun Siew, Daniel Jang, and Richard Linares.
73rd International Astronautical Congress (September 18-22, 2022). With Richard Linares.
22nd Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (September 14-17, 2021). With Peng Mun Siew, Daniel Jang, and Richard Linares.
22nd Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (September 14-17, 2021). With Richard Linares.
71st International Astronautical Congress (October 12-14, 2020). With Richard Linares.
Reports
Moon Dialogs (March 2023). Edited by Harshita Khera, Héloïse Vertadier, Jessy Kate Schingler, and Christopher Johnson.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (June 24, 2022). With Ian Williams, Masao Dahlgren, and Tom Karako.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (March 30, 2020). With Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, Tyler Way, and Makena Young. Featured in The New York Times and National Defense Magazine.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (April 4, 2019). With Todd Harrison and Kaitlyn Johnson. Featured in The Economist, SpaceNews, and Breaking Defense.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (April 11, 2018). With Todd Harrison and Kaitlyn Johnson. Featured in DefenseNews and The Daily Beast.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (October 3, 2017). With Todd Harrison, Zack Cooper, and Kaitlyn Johnson. Featured in Breaking Defense.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (March 21, 2017). With Todd Harrison, Andrew Hunter, and Kaitlyn Johnson. Featured in Defense One.
Academic Theses
Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Forthcoming. Advised by Richard Linares, Olivier de Weck, Moriba Jah, and Brian Weeden.
S.M. Thesis, Technology and Policy Program and Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (June 2021). Advised by Richard Linares.
A.B. Thesis, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (May 2016). Advised by Christopher Chyba.
Popular Articles
Center for Strategic and International Studies (October 18, 2018).
Center for Strategic and International Studies (July 31, 2018).
SpaceNews Magazine (October 10, 2017). With Todd Harrison, Zack Cooper, and Kaitlyn Johnson.
Multimedia
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies (April 4, 2019). Featured in Breaking Defense.
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies (April 4, 2019). Featured in Breaking Defense.
Podcast miniseries. DraftHouse Media. Featured in The New York Times, The Irish Times, and Apple iTunes Top 3 Science Podcasts (July 2019).
Space is Dangerous (March 21, 2018), featuring Todd Harrison;
Bodies in Orbit (April 4, 2018), featuring Kris Lehnhardt;
Space Germs (April 25, 2018), featuring John C. Stonesifer;
The Privilege to Fly (May 23, 2018), featuring Margaret Weitekamp and Jeanette Epps;
Disaster Strikes (September 19, 2018), featuring Sean O'Keefe; and
The Hand-Me-Down Space Suit (October 10, 2018), featuring Luca Parmitano and Dava Newman.
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies (July 2, 2018). Featured in The Verge and National Defense Magazine.
Databases
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies, Secure World Foundation, The University of Texas at Austin (2022). Watch a video demo here. Featured in Breaking Defense.
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies (September 2, 2020).
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies (August 22, 2018). Featured in National Geographic.
Interactive Data Repository. Center for Strategic and International Studies (February 12, 2018).