Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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What if satellites could be assembled in space instead of being launched fully built? In this video, Michael Kuhl, a mechanical engineering student at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, presents his thesis project: a locking mechanism for a satellite payload designed to assemble other satellites while in orbit.

The system houses modular components that can be combined into CubeSats and deployed as independent satellites, opening new possibilities for scalable, flexible space infrastructure. Working in collaboration with researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michael focused on a critical challenge: ensuring the system can withstand the extreme forces and conditions of rocket launch.

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