Tech for GEO should be as dynamic and flexible as in LEO - the cheap heavy-lift era is coming, and we need to be able to leverage ALL orbits. Our technology allows dynamic reshaping of dished reflectors on-orbit, for a new age of GEO satcom, modern signal intelligence, and space-based earth monitoring.
Scarlett Koller is co-founder and CEO of Mithril, a space technology company building dynamic reflectors for a new era of flexible satellite communications and remote sensing. Koller completed a B.Sc. at MIT in aerospace engineering before entering the space industry. After five years with SpaceX and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory as an integration and test engineer, she returned to MIT for an M.S. in aerospace and an MBA at MIT Sloan. She and Professor Zack Cordero formed Mithril Technologies to realize the potential of the actuation technology being developed in his lab.
Zack Cordero received his SB in physics from MIT in 2010. After working one year in the materials science division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Zack returned to MIT to pursue a PhD in materials science and engineering. Upon graduating in 2015, Zack moved to a postdoctoral fellowship appointment in the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory where he developed process monitoring, quality control, and microstructure design tools. In 2016, Zack launched his independent career as an assistant professor in the Materials Science and NanoEngineering department at Rice University. In 2020, he moved to MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Zack’s research program at MIT integrates his expertise in processing science, mechanics, and design to develop novel materials and structures for emerging aerospace applications
We use electrostatic forces to actuate the flexible membrane surface of a reflector, the same way a statically charged balloon will move your hair around - and have shown this capability in MIT Lincoln Lab’s RF chamber. Now, we’re working on the next iteration of our prototypes for customers in NRO, US Space Systems Command, and partnering with Northrop Grumman.
Our unique ability to dynamically shift our dish’s focal length and steering with minimal ADCS impacts allows both scanning of large areas of space from GEO, then focusing in on specific signals in seconds - all with the same instrument. We eliminate the need for tasking of multiple spacecraft for faster, easier SDA & SIGINT.
Mithril's technology allows active shaping and correction of the reflecting surface of a reflector-type antenna for satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO). We can change our antenna’s beam direction and gain pattern within seconds, bringing the flexibility of planar phased arrays to GEO without the corresponding weight & power impacts. Additionally, we can
Mithril's ability to actively reshape the surface of satellite mesh reflector antennas on-orbit will enable a type of atmospheric radar instrument that currently does not exist. Atmospheric monitoring from space is limited, and gaps in disaster tracking are patched by pilots flying decades-old aircraft into storms, even as storm impacts become less predictable. Mithril's technology will change the game in severe weather monitoring and forecasting from space by providing the missing piece to enable essential new radar instruments.