Navigating the Crowded Skies of Low-Earth Orbit

MIT professor Richard Linares tackles the challenges of managing the growing number of satellites and space debris in Earth's orbit.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 12:14am

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A bold, abstract painting in muted earth tones depicting a complex web of geometric shapes, concentric circles, and intersecting waveforms, conceptually representing the structural order and growing congestion of objects in low-Earth orbit.As the number of satellites and space debris continues to grow, innovative engineering solutions are needed to manage the increasingly crowded skies of low-Earth orbit.Yonkers Today

As the number of satellites and space debris in low-Earth orbit continues to grow, MIT professor Richard Linares is leading research to develop new tools and techniques to safely manage this increasingly crowded environment. Linares' work spans issues like satellite traffic management, predicting orbital capacity, and using artificial intelligence to enable satellites to autonomously adapt to changing conditions.

Why it matters

The rapid increase in the number of satellites, from communications networks to Earth observation, is creating new challenges for ensuring the long-term sustainability of space operations. Linares' research aims to provide the engineering solutions needed to enable the economic and scientific benefits of these space-based technologies while mitigating the risks of collisions and orbital congestion.

The details

Linares, an associate professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, leads the Astrodynamics, Space Robotics, and Controls Lab (ARCLab), which applies astrodynamics to track and manage the millions of objects in orbit. The group has developed advanced models to simulate the trajectories of over 10 million objects in space, and tools to help satellite operators plan safe spacecraft paths. Linares is also exploring how artificial intelligence could enable satellites to autonomously adapt to changing conditions and fix issues, rather than relying solely on ground-based control.

  • In the early 2000s, Linares worked on research related to satellite formation flying as an undergraduate at SUNY Buffalo.
  • Linares completed his PhD at SUNY Buffalo, developing techniques to help the U.S. Air Force track and catalog objects in space.
  • Linares joined MIT as a faculty member in 2018, focusing his research on the growing challenge of space sustainability and orbital congestion.

The players

Richard Linares

An associate professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Linares leads the Astrodynamics, Space Robotics, and Controls Lab (ARCLab) and conducts research on managing the growing number of satellites and space debris in low-Earth orbit.

Charles Stark "Doc" Draper

A legendary MIT professor who developed the first inertial guidance systems in the 1940s, enabling the self-navigation of airplanes, submarines, satellites, and spacecraft for decades.

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What they’re saying

“It is a judgement that society has to make, of what value do we derive from launching more satellites.”

— Richard Linares, Associate Professor, MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

“Imagine if each satellite had a virtual Doc Draper onboard that could do the de-bugging that we did from the ground during the Apollo missions. That way, satellites would become instantaneously more robust. And it's not taking the human out of the equation. It's allowing the human to be amplified. I think that's within reach.”

— Richard Linares, Associate Professor, MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

What’s next

Linares and his team at ARCLab will continue to develop advanced models and tools to help satellite operators and space agencies manage the growing congestion in low-Earth orbit, as well as explore the use of artificial intelligence to enable more autonomous and adaptable satellite systems.

The takeaway

As the number of satellites and space debris continues to rapidly increase, Linares' research is providing critical engineering solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of space operations and enable the many economic and scientific benefits of these space-based technologies.