Lilly Clark
Network Software Engineer @ Starlink
I'm a software engineer at SpaceX, where I am responsible for delivering performant satellite software to provide high throughput,
low-latency global coverage for fast-movers including our commercial airline customers, Falcon rockets, and Starship.
Prior to SpaceX, I attended graduate school at the University of Southern California where I received my PhD in Electrical Engineering. My work in the Autonomous Networks Research Group focused on connectivity modeling, collaborative localization, and communication-aware autonomy for multi-robot teams exploring harsh unknown environments. I graduated from MIT with BS in Aerospace Engineering in 2018.
linkedin.com/in/lillianmaryclark/
Prior to SpaceX, I attended graduate school at the University of Southern California where I received my PhD in Electrical Engineering. My work in the Autonomous Networks Research Group focused on connectivity modeling, collaborative localization, and communication-aware autonomy for multi-robot teams exploring harsh unknown environments. I graduated from MIT with BS in Aerospace Engineering in 2018.
linkedin.com/in/lillianmaryclark/
Publications
Robotic Exploration of Martian Caves: Evaluating Operational Concepts Through Analog Experiments in Lava Tubes. Acta Astronautica 2024 (link).An Addendum to NeBula: Towards Extending TEAM CoSTAR's Solution to Larger Scale Environments. IEEE Transactions on Field Robotics 2024 (link).
SMILE: Robust Network Localization via Sparse and Low-Rank Matrix Decomposition. IPSN 2022 (pdf).
ACHORD: Communication-Aware Multi-Robot Coordination with Intermittent Connectivity. IROS 2022 (pdf).
A Survey on the Autonomous Exploration of Confined Subterranean Spaces: Perspectives from Real-word and Industrial Robotic Deployments. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 2022 (link).
PropEM-L: Radio Propagation Environment Modeling and Learning for Communication-Aware Multi-Robot Exploration. RSS 2022 (pdf).
A Queue-Stabilizing Framework for Networked Multi-Robot Exploration. ICRA 2021 (pdf) (correction).
TEAM: Trilateration for Exploration and Mapping. Ubiquitous Robots 2021 (pdf).
Graph Convolutional Network-based Scheduler for Distributing Computation in the Internet of Robotic Things. MILCOM 2022 - IoT Workshop (pdf).
Inter-Mobile-Device Distance Estimation Using Network Localization Algorithms for Digital Contact Logging Applications. Smart Health 2020 (pdf).
A Blockchain-based Reputation System for Small Satellite Relay Networks. IEEE Aerospace 2020 (pdf).
Privacy-Utility Trades in Crowdsourced Signal Map Obfuscation. Computer Networks 2022 (link).
Select Presentations
Invited panelist — Practical Mesh Networking in Field Robotics. International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Kyoto, Japan. October 2022.Selected as Ming Hsieh Institute Scholar — Queue-aware Remote Exploration. University of Southern Califonia. Los Angeles, California. November 2022.
First Place — Graph Convolutional Network-based Scheduler for Distributing Computation in the Internet of Robotic Things. CPS-IoT Week Student Design Competition on Networked Computing on the Edge. Virtual. May 2022.
Best Poster Award — Using Network Localization Algorithms for Digital Contact Logging Applications. N2Women Workshop at SIGCOMM. Virtual. August 2020.
2023 - present
SpaceX — Software Engineer IIBeam planning for a constellation of 6000+ satellites, with a focus on mobile customers.
2021
NASA JPL — Visiting ResearcherField-hardened multi-robot networking for the DARPA SubT Challenge.
Hedron (formerly Analytical Space) — PhD Intern
Research and development for a satellite relay network startup.
2020
NASA Goddard — Visiting ResearcherRisk-aware decision-making for a hopping lunar robot.
2019
Aerospace Corporation — Matthew Isakowitz FellowReputation-aware routing in small sat networks using distributed ledgers.
2018
Maxar SSL — Brooke Owens FellowRobotic servicing systems engineering and signal/interference optimization.
MIT LIDS — Undergraduate Researcher
Prototyping distributed coordinate functions on software-defined radios.
2017
NASA JPL — InternTelecommunication systems engineering for the Next Mars Orbiter.
2016
Thales Alenia Space — InternUser interface for satellite simulations and testbeds.
2015
MIT CSAIL — Undergraduate ResearcherUser interface for specifying multi-robot missions.
I currently live in Seattle with my partner Kyle and our cat Melvin.
Outside of work, I love the performing arts. In my free time I perform with Minx, a Seattle-based dance team. During graduate school, I studied vocal jazz (checkout this article about me in Viterbi News). In college, I played alto saxophone in the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble and danced with MIT Ridonkulous. I studied clarinet at LaGuardia High School, a performing arts high school in New York City.
Representation is very important to me. During graduate school, I organized monthly seminars for the USC PhD Women and gender minorities in Computing Club (WinCC), and was a mentor through the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program. In college, I was on the executive board of MIT Women in Aerospace Engineering (WAE).
I've been interested in the commercial space industry for many years; I was a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow in 2019 and a Brooke Owens Fellow in 2018.
Outside of work, I love the performing arts. In my free time I perform with Minx, a Seattle-based dance team. During graduate school, I studied vocal jazz (checkout this article about me in Viterbi News). In college, I played alto saxophone in the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble and danced with MIT Ridonkulous. I studied clarinet at LaGuardia High School, a performing arts high school in New York City.
Representation is very important to me. During graduate school, I organized monthly seminars for the USC PhD Women and gender minorities in Computing Club (WinCC), and was a mentor through the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program. In college, I was on the executive board of MIT Women in Aerospace Engineering (WAE).
I've been interested in the commercial space industry for many years; I was a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow in 2019 and a Brooke Owens Fellow in 2018.