Scarlett Koller
Scarlett Koller began her career in the space and satellite industry in 2016 after completing her Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering at MIT. She joined SpaceX as a Certification Engineer specializing in Crew Dragon Life Support Systems, where she was instrumental in developing a qualification acceptance testing strategy in collaboration with NASA’s Commercia Crew program. As part of this role, Scarlett secured NASA’s approval for Life Support & Thermal Control subsystems, and she was also later responsible for obtaining three variances through Engineering Change Boards for the program. In 2019, she joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she led testbed operations for the critical entry, descent and landing phase of the Perseverance rover mission to Mars. Scarlett’s work included developing testbed procedures for Operations Readiness Tests aimed at enhancing the Systems Testbed’s capabilities and devising and executing simulations of attitude control anomalies and solar flare impacts to prepare for potential mission anomalies. She presented her insights and developments on the anomalous ORT at the AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference in 2021. While interning at Amazon during her time as a student, Scarlett invented technology that was awarded a U.S. Patent in 2017.
Scarlett returned to MIT in 2021 as a Leaders for Global Operations Fellow, where she earned dual degrees: a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA from MIT Sloan. During her fellowship, she helped orchestrate the New Space Age Conferences in 2022 and 2023 and presented a paper at IEEE ARRAY as a first-time author. Scarlett co-founded Mithril Technologies in 2023 and currently serves as its CEO. Her role primarily involves steering the startup through the challenging landscape of defense tech hardware development. Scarlett and her co-founder Professor Zack Cordero are working on innovative applications of electrostatic actuation technology for satellite membrane reflectors, an idea that was spun out of MIT’s Cordero Lab for Aerospace Materials & Structures. Mithril’s technology promises to offer significant advancements in atmospheric monitoring, enhancing climate resilience across industries and providing robust satellite communications solutions that are resilient to jamming.
Outside of work hours, Scarlett and her husband serve as Graduate Resident Advisors at MIT, where they provide guidance and support and foster community building among undergraduate students. She attended SATELLITE 2024 as a first-time speaker to provide her insights to the greater space and satellite industry.
