As the complexity of the orbital environment intensifies, the Space Telecommunications, Astronomy and Radiation Laboratory (STAR Lab) at MIT is evolving its mission set beyond hardware innovation. Under the leadership of Professor Kerri Cahoy, the laboratory is currently integrating high-fidelity astrophysics research with emerging space policy frameworks, addressing the critical gap between technical satellite capabilities and international governance.
Bridging the Technical-Policy Divide
On April 9, 2026, STAR Lab highlighted the work of Carissma McGee (SM ’25), whose dual-thesis research exemplifies the laboratory’s interdisciplinary shift. McGee is combining exoplanet characterization via the Roman Space Telescope project with a policy framework for intellectual property in international space collaborations.
This initiative arrives as the “Sovereign-Commercial Nexus” becomes the dominant theme of the 2026 space economy. STAR Lab’s research now explicitly addresses how “soft law” guidelines from UN COPUOS and the 1967 Outer Space Treaty must be integrated into the design phase of small satellite constellations to ensure sustainable space traffic management.
Advanced Mission Portfolio: Lasercom and Remote Sensing
While expanding its policy footprint, STAR Lab continues to maintain a rigorous technical flight manifest focused on miniaturized high-performance instrumentation.
| Mission | Primary Objective | Status/Upcoming |
| CLICK (CubeSat Lasercom Infrared CrosslinK) | Demonstrating high-data-rate (hundreds of Mbps) lasercom between 1.5U CubeSats. | Operational / Testing |
| DeMi (Deformable Mirror) | On-orbit demonstration of MEMS deformable mirrors for wavefront correction in direct imaging. | Heritage / Ongoing Analysis |
| AERO-VISTA | Using a pair of CubeSats to perform radio interferometry of Earth’s aurora and ionosphere. | Active |
| TROPICS | Pushing the frontier of microwave radiometry for high-revisit weather sensing. | Active Operations |
The CLICK mission remains a focal point, as it targets a critical gap in distributed sensing: the ability for a swarm of small satellites to coordinate via high-speed crosslinks with precision timing and ranging.
Executive Perspective
“I enjoy being able to ask questions about intellectual property, territorial claims, knowledge transfer, or allocation of resources early on in a research project,” said Carissma McGee, STAR Lab researcher. “I want to bring an expert level in science into the rooms where policy decisions are made.”
Professor Kerri Cahoy added in a recent briefing that the laboratory’s goal is to move beyond “conquest language” toward “stewardship language,” ensuring that the 30,000+ objects in orbit are managed through a “Decision Intelligence” layer that combines AI-driven tracking with robust policy.
Future Outlook: In-Space Assembly and Large Apertures
STAR Lab’s long-term research roadmap is focused on the transition to “Circular Space Economies.” This includes investigating technologies for in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM).
Ongoing investigations such as SPRINT and MOSAIC are exploring near-optimal planning and scheduling for hundreds of individual spacecraft agents. These algorithms are intended to enable aperture synthesis—where dozens of small satellites act as a single, massive virtual telescope—allowing for the spectral characterization of Earth-like exoplanets without the mass and cost penalties of traditional flagship missions.
