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MIT's Secret Lab: How Students Built Tech for JWST & Mars!

The biggest thing I've learned while working on Rexus is really that that instruments like this and spacecraft like Osiris Rex are very very complex. There's a lot of dependencies, a lot of requirements, a lot of relationships, a lot of design decisions that all impact one another.

Uncover the incredible journey of MIT's Space Systems Lab, from early shuttle experiments to designing instruments for Mars rovers. Learn how student-led projects are shaping the future of space exploration and inspiring the next generation of engineers.

Space ExplorationMITNASARoboticsAerospace Engineering

Top Moments

Mars landing explained!

Mars Landing: 7 Minutes of Terror!

Beyond classroom limits!

Zero-G Flight: Students' Dream Come True

Find your space passion!

Igniting Passion: The Power of Zero Robotics

JWST's hidden testing origin!

MACE: The JWST's Secret Precursor?

No fuel, no problem!

Propellantless Space Travel: How it Works

Playtime in zero-G!

Astronaut's Favorite 'Toy' in Space

Complexity of space instruments!

Building Interplanetary Hardware: Student Insights
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MIT's Space Systems Lab: 30 Years of Innovation, From Shuttle Experiments to Martian Rovers

Professor David Miller's keynote at SpaceTech 2026 offered a captivating retrospective on three decades of groundbreaking work at MIT's Space Systems Lab (SSL). From the early days of shuttle experiments to contributing to the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars rover landings, the SSL has consistently pushed the boundaries of aerospace engineering, often with students at the helm.

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