Cosette Saunders
Papers
1
Total Citations
13
H-Index
1
About
Cosette Saunders is a visionary aerospace engineer whose work is redefining the boundaries of space architecture. Her primary research focuses on in-orbit assembly, modular spacecraft design, and the strategic use of small satellites to construct large-scale orbital infrastructure. Saunders’s most influential contribution, the 2018 paper “In-Orbit Assembly of Large Spacecraft Using Small Spacecraft and Innovative Technologies,” has garnered 13 citations and serves as a foundational blueprint for overcoming the volume and mass constraints of traditional launch vehicles. In this work, she systematically demonstrates how fleets of small, cost-effective spacecraft can be autonomously assembled in orbit to create massive structures—such as space telescopes or power stations—that would otherwise be unfeasible to launch intact. By addressing the prohibitive costs and logistical hurdles of single, large spacecraft, Saunders has opened a practical pathway toward next-generation space telescopes and orbital platforms. Her research is particularly notable for its emphasis on leveraging emerging technologies like robotic manipulators and autonomous docking systems. For students and researchers, Saunders’s work represents a paradigm shift: she is not merely building bigger satellites, but fundamentally rethinking how we build in space itself.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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