Patrick McKeenSpacecraft control & autonomy

About

Patrick McKeen

Spacecraft researcher, engineer, teacher, and maker.

Portrait of Patrick McKeen wearing a gray jacket and light blue shirt.

I am a postdoctoral associate in MIT’s Robotic Exploration Lab, working with Zac Manchester on spacecraft control and estimation. I’m interested in how understanding a physical system more deeply can change what we need to build.

My work spans precision pointing, flexible dynamics, close-proximity formation flight, and spacecraft autonomy. I enjoy moving between mathematical methods, software, and the practical decisions involved in engineering a mission.

I completed my doctorate at MIT in 2025 with Kerri Cahoy. Before that, I studied spacesuit dynamics with Leia Stirling and earned my undergraduate degree in engineering at Harvey Mudd College.

Get in touchCV (PDF)
Patrick McKeen speaking into a microphone and gesturing beside a slide comparing spacecraft attitude-planning results.
Presenting attitude-planning research at the Small Satellite Conference, 2026. Read the paper →

Beyond the research

I like making things work.

That interest extends to amateur rocketry, machine shops, and the communities that grow around building things. I hold a Level 2 high-power rocketry certification through the Tripoli Rocketry Association and worked as a machinist with the SawBlaze BattleBots team in 2019.

Preparing rocket hardware and checking notes at an outdoor worktable.Two people carrying a red-and-black amateur rocket along a path between fields.A red-and-black amateur rocket standing on its launch rail in a field beneath a blue sky and clouds.
Amateur rocketry: preparing the hardware, carrying the rocket into the field, and the rocket on its launch rail.

At MIT MakerWorkshop, I served as an electronics mentor, team lead mentor, and executive member. I also mentored users at MIT ProtoWorks and worked as a machine-shop proctor at Harvey Mudd. Helping someone gain the skills and confidence to build their own idea is a part of engineering I value.

Sojourner, nicknamed Soji, holding a tennis ball while lying on a blue rug beneath furniture.
My dog, Sojourner (“Soji”).

Education

  • Ph.D. · MIT

    Advisor: Kerri Cahoy

    Dissertation →

  • S.M. · MIT

    Advisor: Leia Stirling

    Thesis →

  • B.S. in Engineering · Harvey Mudd College

    High Distinction

Professional experience & service

My industry experience includes Venturi Astrolab, Blue Origin, and Millennium Space Systems. Through Zenith Consulting, I provide space-systems and rocketry consulting, including spacecraft attitude determination and control.

I review manuscripts for journals and conferences, including the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Advances in Space Research, Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, and the International Conference on Space Robotics.

Honors & fellowships

  • Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship, 2020
  • Eugene H. Kopp Scholarship, 2016–2017