Cody Paige
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
220 S.W. Mudd
Mail Code: 4703
Cody A. Paige develops innovative technological and operational solutions focusing on enabling a permanent human presence in space. Her research focuses on vision systems, virtual reality and digital twins for the Lunar surface. Cody’s research has extended to materials development for advanced spacesuits, and space architecture concepts for both short-term and permanent habitation on the Moon. She also works on mission planning and operations, and is more broadly enabling a pipeline to prototype, test and fly space-related research for a regular cadence of space missions. Her work encourages interdisciplinary projects that combine science, engineering, art, and design, all focusing on developing the artifacts for life in space.
Cody completed her Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Her research focused on enabling a permanent human presence on the Moon through the development of wearable radiation shielding material and a virtual reality platform for geological surface exploration of the Moon and Mars. During her Ph.D., in collaboration with NASA Ames, she prepared a commercial off the shelf RGB and depth camera as a Lunar payload for the MIT Space Exploration Initiative To the Moon to Stay Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission in collaboration with NASA Ames and Lunar Outpost, which landed on the Lunar surface in March of 2025. Cody leads field expeditions in extreme environments to test operations and mission readiness, and enables research on parabolic flights to assess technological readiness in Moon and Mars gravity. Cody also has a background in geology, specifically quaternary geochronology, and completed her Master of Applied Science at the University of Toronto in Aerospace Engineering and her Bachelor of Applied Science from Queen’s University in Engineering Physics. She is passionate about student outreach, in particular encouraging girls, and young women in STEAMD (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math and Design).
Cody is a Fulbright scholar, as well as a National Geographic Explorer. She is also a pilot, a scuba diver, an avid hiker, and rock climber.
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 2026 –
Director of the Space Exploration Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2023 – 2025
Project Engineer, Bombardier Aerospace, 2013 – 2015
Professional Affiliations
American Geophysical Union
Honors and Awards
National Geographic Visiting Scientist – Antarctica, 2024
National Geographic Explorer Grant, 2024
RESOURCE Research Engineer – SSERVI and NASA funding, 2024
RESOURCE Project Research Assistantship – SSERVI and NASA funding, 2021 – 2023
Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship, 2020
SSERVI NASA Ames Field School Grant, 2019
Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship, 2019
Geological Society of America Research Grant, 2017
Shell Enhanced Learning Fund Award, 2016
Atlantic Geoscience Society Graham Williams Award, 2016
Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, 2015 – 2017
Undergraduate Student Research Award NSERC of Canada, 2007
Dean’s List Scholarship, 2006 – 2008
Selected Publications
- C. A. Paige, D. D. Haddad, T. Piercy, J. E. Todd, F.Ward, A. Ekblaw, D. Newman. “Development and user study of the Operational Geology in a Virtual Environment (OGIVE) platform.” Acta Astronautica, Vol. 224, pp. 17-36 (2024)
- C. Paige. “Enabling a permanent human presence beyond low Earth orbit: wearable radiation protection and enhanced science through virtual reality.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology Doctoral Thesis 2023.
- C. Paige, J, MacNeil, P. McGa.n, D.D. Haddad, F. Ward, and D. Newman. “MIT Zero-G Outreach Initiative: using experiment design and virtual reality to inspire the next generation of space scientists and engineers.” International Astronautical Congress 2022, Paris and Acta Astronautica 2023
- C. Paige, F. Ward, D. D. Haddad, J. Todd and D. Newman. “Assessing Virtual Reality for Remote Lunar Geological Fieldwork.” Lunar Surface Sciences Workshop, 2022.
- C. A. Paige, A. Forsey-Smerek, D.D. Haddad, F. Ward, T. Piercy, J. Heldmann, D. Lim, A. Colaprete, A. Cook and D. Newman. “A virtual reality platform for lunar rover missions to reduce decision-making time and improve situational awareness.” In ASCEND, p. 4203, 2021
- C. Paige, D. Newman, J. Peter. “Advanced Thermal, Radiation, and Dust Protection for Spacesuits and Space Systems”. 49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, July 2020.
- C. Paige. “Designing the Smallest Manned Spacecraft: David Clark Company and the Evolution of the Space Suit.” AIAA SciTech Forum, 2020