Thomas González Roberts

Assistant Professor

Member Of:
  • Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Office Phone: (404) 385-0521
Office Location: Habersham 305
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 to 11:00 am
Related Links:
Email Address: thomasgr@gatech.edu

Overview

Thomas González Roberts is an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Engineering Space Policy Laboratory. Using tools from observational astronomy and computational astrodynamics, Dr. Roberts studies the behavior of Earth-orbiting satellites to understand how space actors—from superpowers to start-ups—engage with outer space governance. His research interests include international coordination, sustainability, and security in space. Dr. Roberts’ work has been supported by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation, and earned recognition with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Prize for Open Data, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy’s Prize for Innovation in Global Security, and a placement on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Science list. He holds a PhD and SM in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT, an SM in technology and policy from MIT, and a BA in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University.

Education:
  • PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • SM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • SM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology and Policy
  • AB, Princeton University, Astrophysical Sciences
Areas of
Expertise:
  • Commercial Space Activity
  • NASA And International Space Programs
  • Science And Technology Policy
  • Space Security
  • Space Sustainability

Interests

Teaching Interests:
Professor Roberts teaches courses at the intersection of space technology and policy. His teaching spans both
aerospace engineering and international affairs, with a focus on how the physical realities of spaceflight shape political,
legal, and strategic decision-making in outer space. Across courses in spacecraft flight dynamics, space sustainability,
and space policy, he emphasizes analytical rigor, modeling, and real-world applications. Students engage with orbital
mechanics, space environment data, and historical and contemporary policy debates to understand how technical
systems, governance institutions, and strategic incentives interact in an increasingly congested and contested space
domain.
Research Interests:
Professor Roberts’ research examines how data, models, and analytical tools can inform strategic and tactical
decision-making in the outer space domain. He is the founding director of Georgia Tech’s Engineering Space Policy
Laboratory, where research integrates observational astronomy, computational astrodynamics, and policy analysis to
study the behavior of Earth-orbiting satellites. His work focuses on three interconnected themes: international
coordination, space sustainability, and space security. Research projects address topics such as space traffic
coordination, orbital debris mitigation, rendezvous and proximity operations, pattern-of-life analysis, and the
implications of emerging technologies—including AI—for space operations and regulation. Together, this work aims
to support evidence-based rule-making that promotes safe, secure, and sustainable use of outer space over the long
term.
Research Fields:
  • International Security Policy
  • Science, Technology, and International Policy
Issues:
  • National Security
  • Policy Analysis
  • Science and Technology
  • Space
  • Strategy
  • Sustainability
  • Technology

Courses

  • INTA-3043: Space Policy
  • INTA-4803: Space Sustainability
  • INTA-8803: Space Policy

Publications

All Publications

Journal Articles

Conferences

Updated:  Feb 11th, 2026 at 3:45 PM