When we check the weather forecast, that information comes from satellites. When we FaceTime a friend, that call could come via satellites. From cellphone networks to national security systems, satellites are vital to our connected globe. Yet regulating how satellites function across borders is almost as complicated as the technology that launches them into space. Researchers in Georgia Tech’s Space Research Institute are shaping how satellites operate, both scientifically and politically.

Before new technologies end up in your doctor’s office or car, they start in a Georgia Tech lab. Our work creates medical breakthroughs. Our studies help people better understand our changing climate. Our innovations create technologies that shift the paradigms of possibility. Here’s a look at some of our 2025 discoveries — and the people behind them.