{"689211":{"#nid":"689211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Pioneers First Space Sustainability Course in the U.S.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Polina Verkhovodova began her aerospace engineering Ph.D. at Georgia Tech in 2022, she never imagined developing an interest in space sustainability policy. But a pair of courses showed her how her technical engineering background could merge with policy. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVerkhovodova enrolled in courses on space policy and space sustainability taught by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/thomas-gonzalez-roberts\u0022\u003EThomas Gonz\u00e1lez Roberts\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (AE). Although Roberts is new to Georgia Tech, he is deeply connected within the international space community and regularly brings outside experts into his classroom. Guest speakers introduce students to the breadth of careers in the field, from technical analysis to national and multinational policymaking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne lecture in the policy class, delivered by a representative from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matthewisakowitzfoundation.org\/scholarship\u0022\u003EMatthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E program, opened a door for Verkhovodova. She later won the scholarship while in Roberts\u2019 sustainability course and spent a summer in Washington, D.C., on the government affairs team for Voyager Technologies Inc., the space technology company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese courses gave me a new perspective on how we use and consider the space environment,\u201d Verkhovodova said. \u201cThey revealed the interdisciplinary nature of the field of space sustainability to me. Now, I see myself working at that intersection of policy and engineering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s space sustainability course is the first of its kind in the United States, and each year, it focuses on a different theme. In 2025, it was space congestion in low Earth orbit; this year, it\u2019s lunar surface coordination among nation-states.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a New Kind of Class\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoberts designed the course around three components: foundations of space sustainability, an introduction to the principal sustainability challenges in the space domain and how space actors try to solve them;\u0026nbsp;a signature guest lecture series he calls \u201cSpace Sustainability According To\u2026\u201d to show students how these solutions work in practice; and a project workshop, where students break into small groups to answer research questions under the mentorship of Roberts and an external partner organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe guest lecture series brings in professionals from a wide range of organizations \u2014 economists, astronomers, diplomats, and industry leaders \u2014 to discuss what sustainability means within their part of the space ecosystem. Past speakers have represented institutions including NASA, the United Nations, and Northrop Grumman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey all have different perspectives on what it means to be a sustainable steward of the space domain,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cA company needs to be profitable, while NASA\u2019s mission focuses on expanding human knowledge. I want students to see the full spectrum of career paths that will let them work on space sustainability for the rest of their careers, if they choose to.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese conversations expose students to the tools, ideas, and people shaping the emerging discipline \u2014 connections that often extend well beyond the classroom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling the Future of Space\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome guest speakers are part of the course\u2019s external partnerships with leading space sustainability organizations, like last year\u2019s collaboration with The Aerospace Corporation and this year\u2019s with the Open Lunar Foundation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2025, The Aerospace Corporation showed students how to use important research tools and also mentored student research teams as they developed their final projects. One of these tools was the\u0026nbsp;MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool (MOCAT), an influential model used to study the effects of space debris on the long-term usability of the most popular portion of the space domain. Space debris and the resulting congestion for satellites and spacecraft navigating around this debris are some of the most pressing challenges in space sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the most unique experiences was that our professor used his connections to bring the original architects of MOCAT into the class,\u201d said aerospace engineering Ph.D. student Neel Puri.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong those architects was Miles Lifson. A graduate school colleague of Roberts\u2019 at MIT, Lifson is now a project leader in flight mechanics at The Aerospace Corporation. While Aerospace Corporation already collaborates with Georgia Tech through internships and lab partnerships, Lifson saw the class as a rare chance to work directly with students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I heard about this class, I was really excited,\u201d he said. \u201cSpace situational awareness, space debris, spacecraft coordination \u2014 these issues are becoming increasingly important as we put more spacecraft into orbit. It\u2019s immensely rewarding to work with students because they\u2019re passionate about solving problems and full of ideas. These are skills the space industry really needs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Classroom to Conference Stage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELifson also supported students in their final projects, helping them use the MOCAT model to analyze real-world problems and craft policy recommendations. One project, led by Puri, grew into a published conference paper, \u003Cem\u003E\u201c\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arc.aiaa.org\/doi\/10.2514\/6.2026-0159\u0022\u003ESpace Sustainability Implications of Combining Space Environment Pathways With Shared Socioeconomic Pathways\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0022 which he\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epresented at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Conference in January.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir research builds on recent findings that climate change is thinning the upper atmosphere, reducing drag and causing debris to remain in orbit longer. Their work shows that, depending on future climate scenarios, predicted debris in low Earth orbit could vary by 15% to 100%, underscoring the significance of climate factors in long-term analysis and planning for space traffic management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though sustainability is already part of Puri\u2019s research focus, he credits Roberts and the course with opening another door in the field and providing valuable context to his doctoral dissertation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA New Model for Tech-Driven Policymaking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoberts sees the course as part of a larger mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech can be a factory for producing tech\u2011driven policymakers,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I was choosing where to go in my career as a faculty member, I wanted to be part of that factory. I get to help shape it, both in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2025\/10\/georgia-tech-engineering-space-policy-lab-debuts\u0022\u003Emy lab\u003C\/a\u003E and new course offerings like this one.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith its blend of policy, engineering, real-world tools, and direct access to leading practitioners, Georgia Tech\u2019s space sustainability course is not just pioneering a new curriculum. It\u2019s preparing the next generation of space leaders to navigate and protect an increasingly crowded frontier.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe class blends policy and engineering, giving students rare access to real-world practitioners.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The class blends policy and engineering, giving students rare access to real-world practitioners."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-03-26 20:58:33","changed_gmt":"2026-03-30 16:06:52","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679749":{"id":"679749","type":"image","title":"iss070e044474-large.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECourtesy of NASA\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774558736","gmt_created":"2026-03-26 20:58:56","changed":"1774559878","gmt_changed":"2026-03-26 21:17:58","alt":"orthrop Grumman\u0027s Cygnus space freighter is pictured in the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm shortly after it was detached from the Unity module. The orbital complex was soaring 260 miles above the island archipelago of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean at the time of this photograph.","file":{"fid":"263947","name":"iss070e044474-large.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/iss070e044474-large_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/iss070e044474-large_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":400438,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/iss070e044474-large_0.jpg?itok=RHibIbRZ"}},"679750":{"id":"679750","type":"image","title":"ThomasGonzalezRoberts.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThomas Gonz\u00e1lez Roberts\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774559176","gmt_created":"2026-03-26 21:06:16","changed":"1774559176","gmt_changed":"2026-03-26 21:06:16","alt":"Thomas Gonzalez Roberts","file":{"fid":"263948","name":"ThomasGonzalezRoberts.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/ThomasGonzalezRoberts.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/ThomasGonzalezRoberts.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5089818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/ThomasGonzalezRoberts.jpg?itok=DZMcEZRc"}},"679751":{"id":"679751","type":"image","title":"GreenShirt-Pic-Cropped.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENeel Puri\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774559354","gmt_created":"2026-03-26 21:09:14","changed":"1774559354","gmt_changed":"2026-03-26 21:09:14","alt":"Neel Puri","file":{"fid":"263949","name":"GreenShirt-Pic-Cropped.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/GreenShirt-Pic-Cropped.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/GreenShirt-Pic-Cropped.png","mime":"image\/png","size":15483322,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/GreenShirt-Pic-Cropped.png?itok=YVC4-Zea"}},"679752":{"id":"679752","type":"image","title":"Lifson.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMiles Lifson\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774559510","gmt_created":"2026-03-26 21:11:50","changed":"1774559510","gmt_changed":"2026-03-26 21:11:50","alt":"Miles Lifson","file":{"fid":"263950","name":"Lifson.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/Lifson.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/Lifson.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2151241,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/Lifson.jpeg?itok=5QKbXsYu"}},"679772":{"id":"679772","type":"image","title":"Verkhovodova_Headshot.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPolina Verkhovodova\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774881835","gmt_created":"2026-03-30 14:43:55","changed":"1774881835","gmt_changed":"2026-03-30 14:43:55","alt":"Polina Verkhovodova","file":{"fid":"263973","name":"Verkhovodova_Headshot.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Verkhovodova_Headshot.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Verkhovodova_Headshot.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2845418,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/30\/Verkhovodova_Headshot.jpeg?itok=9xK7Un3L"}}},"media_ids":["679749","679750","679751","679752","679772"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}