Arizona Space Summit

- TABLE 2 :

TABLE

In the Swamp Works laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Andrew Thoesen are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of Exploration Research and Technology. Thoesen is studying mechanical engineering at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program

CREDIT:

LOCATION:

PHOTO DATE: 2017-07-19

PHOTOGRAPHER: NASA/Bill White

Nasa.gov

Swamp Works

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report is based on a first Arizona Space Summit that was organized by space program leaders at Arizona State University, and was co-sponsored by ASU’s Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, Fulton Schools of Engineering, the Interplanetary Initiative, the School of Earth and Space Exploration, Space Technology and Science “NewSpace” Initiative and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

We would like to especially thank our partners the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Technology Council, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona; sponsors Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation and Rose Law Group; the dozens of invited speakers who came to Tempe, AZ as well as the nearly 150 people who participated in the full day of discussions.

We thank Chantal Sathi and Ben Bacon for their note taking written contributions and Chase Kassel and Chetan Nagaraja for their photos that appear in this report.

PRIMARY AUTHOR

Jessica Rousset, Director, ASU Interplanetary Initiative

CONTRIBUTORS

Chamai Shahim, Strategic Futures Innovation Manager, Arizona Commerce Authority

Chase Kassel, Portfolio Manager, ASU Interplanetary Initiative

Greg Autry, Clinical Professor, director of the Thunderbird Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy and Business, ASU Thunderbird School of Global Management

Jim Bell, Director, ASU NewSpace Initiative, Professor, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration

Karyn MacVean, Senior Real Estate Coordinator, Arizona Commerce Authority

Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Principal Investigator, NASA Psyche mission, Vice President, ASU Interplanetary Initiative, Foundation & Regents Professor, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration

Ramon Arrowsmith, Professor, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration

Scott Smas, Associate Director, ASU NewSpace Initiative

Stephen Fleming, Director, Strategic Partnerships and Innovation, University of Arizona Wyant College of Optical Sciences

Timiebi Aganaba, Assistant Professor, ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Senior Global Futures Scientists, ASU Global Futures Lab

Further information may be found on the website: azspacesummit.com

This summit represents an opportunity for a comprehensive dialogue among the relevant stakeholders to chart out how Arizona can best address the short and long term needs of the commercial space sector.”

— Governor Katie Hobbs

SUMMIT OBJECTIVES

Arizona’s space sector is at an inflection point. Building upon its already strong aerospace and defense ecosystem, the state is ready to assume an even greater role in the global new space economy.

The space domain is increasingly a national priority across multiple commercial sectors as well as the military and civil domains. Government and industry are focused on sustainable business cases much more than in previous decades, when engineering and government requirements dominated over cost and agility.

The need for agile development and rapid acquisition of commercial services from the military as well as the development and implementation of new civilian Earth, lunar, and planetary space projects are driving public-private partnerships more

than ever before. Forging new opportunities for commercial space1 providers is also a critical component in global economic competitiveness and ensuring continued US leadership in space.

While the commercial space sector remains very dependent on the government and its buy-in to raise capital, the global space economy currently estimated at $212 billion in 20212 will reach and likely exceed $2.7 trillion by 20403.

The State of Arizona, with its world-class university system and substantial base of corporate aerospace and high-tech activity in the Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff metropolitan areas (Figure 1), has built-in competitive advantages across a wide range of key parts of the space sector (Figure 2).

The 2023 Arizona Space Summit convened cross-sector leaders from Arizona and beyond to engage in a dialog to accomplish the following goals: Highlight the business environment, infrastructure, talent pool, and innovation happening in Arizona that is driving the space sector’s growth today.

Identify strategic opportunities for Arizona to become an even stronger global player in the space sector.

Spur further coordination among Arizona stakeholders to advance opportunities.

This report is the beginning of a conversation on the future of the space industry in Arizona.

Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords with Astronaut Mike Fossum and JSC Center Director Ellen Ochoa.

PHOTO DATE: 03-27-15 LOCATION: Bldg 30 South, FCR-1

PHOTOGRAPHER: James Blair / NASA CREDIT: Nasa.gov

CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA

The Central and Northern Arizona segment contains all space activities centered around the Greater Phoenix metropolitan areas and Northern Arizona including all space related activities at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. The follow areas, excluding NASA mission areas, have been identified as key competencies:

In-Situ Resources (Metals, Mineral, and Mining)

Satellite Component Manufacturing

Planetary and Geological Sciences

Remote Sensing and Sensor Development

Human spaceflight Subcomponent Development and Testingsting

SOUTHERN ARIZONA ( SOUTHERN ARIZONA SPACE ECOSYSTEM )

The Southern Arizona Space Ecosystem is a loosely coupled grouping of space industry actors centered around Tucson and the University of Arizona. The definition of the ecosystem was created in 2018 and the implementation of its activities and linking mechanisms are currently underway. The feasibility study identified the following areas as key competencies, excluding NASA mission areas:

Space Situational Awareness

Validation and Component Test

Launch Services and Flight Opportunities

In-Situ Resources (Metals, Minerals and Mining)

Space Vehicle and Missile Manufacturing

300+ days of sunshine in Arizona annually

TOP 2 AVIATION MAINTENANCE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE NATION

Aeronautical Repair Station Association, 2022

TOP 2 AEROSPACE-AERONAUTICALASTRONAUTICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM IN THE NATION

at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (U.S. News & World Report, 2023)

LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT to supporting the U.S. military, and a strong ecosystem of industry innovators

TOP 2 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND LOGISTICS PROGRAM IN THE NATION

at Arizona State Univeristy (U.S. News & World Report, 2023)

TOP 5 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROGRAM IN THE NATION

at University of Arizona (U.S. News & World Report, 2023)

Arizona ranks as the

TOP STATE for aerospace and defense leaders to flourish

#1IN THE NATION

Guided missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (Lightcast, 2023)

TOP 5 LARGEST EMPLOYMENT IN A&D MANUFACTURING IN THE NATION

(Lightcast 2023)

TOP 6 A&D MANUFACTURING ATTRACTIVENESS IN THE NATION

(PWC 2022)

HIGHLIGHTS

Arizona has been a key player4 in the history of space exploration [Table 1]. The summit highlighted many ways in which the state is building on its achievements to drive the space sector to new heights. We summarize here the key takeaways.

WORKFORCE

All three public universities – Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona – excel in space science and have made space science a priority for both education and research.

Arizona’s universities and community colleges enroll a highly diverse student population.5

All three public universities participate in mission integration, launch, and operations and provide their students with hands-on training in these areas. Thus, student experiences go beyond capstone projects and include internships, apprenticeship programs, and co-ops, embedding them in teams that are working on real world projects.

Some distinctive attributes of Arizona’s educational programs that are critical to the industry include real world hands-on experience with actual hardware and missions, a commitment to transdisciplinarity and experiential learning, and the only dedicated space degree program offered through a business school with a focus on the entire space ecosystem– including business, policy, and governance [Table 2].

INNOVATION & COLLABORATION

All three public universities have complementary capabilities and shared core facilities in areas such as material characterization and fabrication which are also available to companies [Table 3].

Arizona is a leader in many technology sectors that support the aerospace industry today and is on the cutting edge of the technologies that will be critical to the industry tomorrow, such as quantum science and quantum communications.

The Arizona Commerce Authority integrates companies that are establishing a presence in Arizona into a Statewide network of world class assets, creating strong industry synergies.

Arizona benefits from strong support and advocacy at the Federal level through the strong supporters of space science and technology among our Congressional delegation.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Arizona has invested in building an ecosystem designed to mature and strengthen over the long term rather than entice short term corporate investment with cash incentives. This ecosystem model, anchored by the robust aerospace industry in the state, is sustained by university partners to provide the needed workforce and innovation and by leveraging a robust supply chain and adjacent industries in the state (e.g. semiconductor).

Other factors such as reliable energy, a pro-business environment, a strong infrastructure, and unmatched quality of life are key differentiators that sustain long term success for companies locating to Arizona.

Arizona recognizes that companies seeking new states to establish operations are looking to relocate to solve specific problems, such as workforce.

Arizona is set up to deeply engage in solving their problems and collaborate at the speed of business through dedicated organizations such as the ACA, GPEC and the AZ Tech Council.

Industry leaders with operations in the state include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, World View Enterprises, Phantom Space, Paragon and General Dynamics Mission Systems.

Across these three universities you will find no other State that delivers as many people into the US aerospace [sic] workforce”

– Betsy Cantwell, UA

...economic development is a full contact sport and there are non-monetary things that you can do that bring in huge investments from industry in - it’s not just about the money, it has a lot to do with responsiveness.”

– Vic Narusis, Arizona Commerce Authority

INSIGHTS

BUSINESS MODELS

Summit participants identified several important trends that can inform Arizona’s strategic investments in the space sector. We summarize here some key trends and insights.

While business models are shifting from purchasing bespoke systems to purchasing services and standardized hardware, the government’s expectations for oversight of the hardware has not changed.

INSIGHT It will be critical to educate the next generation of leaders to (i) develop appropriate mission assurances when buying hardware as opposed to services, (ii) quickly identify new technologies and get them to the marketplace with a return on investment, and (iii) embed agility as a core skill set.

And if you think about shipping something on Fedex, you don’t actually get to inspect the plane that you’re going to have it fly on, or be delivered on.”

An ongoing challenge is sustainability of space programs from one administration to another. The Trump-Biden transition has been a positive example of continuity with the Artemis program and many other space policies. Such continuity is critical for the United States to remain competitive with China and other competitors. Industry and government have been working together effectively to bring new capacity to market by helping mature and disseminate technologies for the benefit of the entire ecosystem. Examples include the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR).

That said, the federal government’s role as an enabling customer for microgravity R&D and manufacturing could be more robust.

INSIGHT Any official coordinating body for the space sector in the State of Arizona should be designed to ensure continuity of its mandate, decisions and decision-making ability between administrations.

INSIGHT Those companies and countries that lead in microgravity will be the economic and national security leaders in the future. There is an opportunity for the State of Arizona to fill this void and help deliver on the promise of microgravity research for the biotech, medtech, semiconductor and other industries.

I truly believe that those companies and countries that manufacture and sell in microgravity will be some of the economic and national security leaders in the future. The only question is, will that happen here in the free world but in Arizona? Or will it happen in China?”

– Mike Gold, RedWire

– John Reed, United Launch Alliance

NASA has completed the final test to qualify Orion’s parachute system for flights with astronauts, checking off an important milestone on the path to send humans on missions to the Moon and beyond on Sept. 12, 2018. Over the course of eight tests at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona,

PHOTO DATE: 2018-09-12

CREDIT: Nasa.gov

PHOTOGRAPHER: US Army

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Communications is one of the biggest economic factors for space with optical communications having the greatest potential value to the industry. In addition, there is untapped opportunity in spectrum developmentboth at the lower frequencies and higher end of the spectrum (e.g., terahertz). Developments at the margins and within gaps in the spectrum will yield the greatest advancements.

One of the biggest challenges for deep space activities such as surveying the Lunar or Martian surface is also communication. Getting high quality data sets down to Earth represents a huge bottleneck. NASA is moving toward a more commercial model for the near Earth network and will likely move in that direction as well for the deep space network. Technology is moving in a direction where antennas are going to get cheaper leading to greater commercial opportunities.

.01 .02

On Earth, space hardware manufacturing is shifting from one-offs to mass production with increased use of robotics, additive manufacturing to inform the design process and prototyping and digital engineering, which holds great promise to further reduce manufacturing costs. By developing a digital infrastructure, digital twins of prior models can be reprogrammed with new parameters, mitigating team turnover and optimizing financial sustainability.

INSIGHT Arizona, with its clear skies and telescope networks is well positioned to lead this growth in optical communications and can also play an important role in advancing secure, space-based optical networking - a critical capability for the future of space. Furthermore, the State’s premier research and development programs in quantum science, which is seeing increasing private sector investment, can provide solutions for the most challenging deep space communications challenges. Arizona may consider creating a hub or core facility for optical, quantum, and secure space communications.

The second building on the campus of the University of Arizona was a telescope.”

– Betsy Cantwell, UA

INSIGHT As the industry transitions from a large contract model to a more cost constrained agile environment, corporate culture and the workforce need to adapt. It will be critical to train students to be well versed in creating and using digital systems in a variety of engineering and scientific processes.

The feasibility of in-space manufacturing will require new physics-based models that can be used on Earth to simulate the effects of microgravity and atmospheric variables on manufacturing processes, as we cannot routinely test these processes in space. We know that none of additive manufacturing using powder-based metal systems, subtractive machining or heat transfer can be leveraged as they are on Earth without substantial changes.

INSIGHT We will need to develop highly efficient novel processes for in-space manufacturing. The development and characterization of new multifunctional materials with embedded sensors could represent a novel avenue for in-space manufacturing. In-space manufacturing, assembly, logistics in flight, on orbit and on celestial bodies requires knowledge of advanced manufacturing, space missions, space law, business, and mining - all areas that Arizona leads in. We have an opportunity to develop educational programs to advance Arizona’s leadership in in-space manufacturing. .04

Verifying and validating manufacturing systems and processes in space is a significant need and challenge. As high fidelity simulations of in space manufacturing environments on Earth may not be feasible, leveraging artificial intelligence where human intervention is not possible may represent a viable approach to manufacturing verification/validation.

INSIGHT Figuring out how to configure these systems in a way that operators can remotely verify when things go wrong in terms of measurements, verification and validation will be critical to have confidence in any in space manufacturing program.

There will be huge health challenges as human space travel moves from professional to civilian and military astronauts and crewed missions go deeper into space. There is a need for teams of highly diversified groups of experts in human health and life sciences to proactively address the big unanswered questions6 on the short and long-term physical and mental impact of microgravity on a diverse population. The field cannot afford to remain reactive and incremental.

INSIGHT Arizona, with its clear skies and telescope networks is well positioned to lead this growth in optical communications and can also play an important role in advancing secure, space-based optical networking - a critical capability for the future of space. Furthermore, the State’s premier research and development programs in quantum science, which is seeing increasing private sector investment, can provide solutions for the most challenging deep space communications challenges. Arizona may consider creating a hub or core facility for optical, quantum, and secure space communications.

“I’m working here in Arizona because, in my opinion, Arizona has the most incredible and impactful concentration of astronomers and planetary scientists of anywhere in the world.”

— Jim Bell, ASU

Photographic support and coverage of night field evaluation. EVA Test #1

PHOTO DATE: 10-20-21

LOCATION: Flagstaff, Arizona - Field Location

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Stafford

CREDIT: Nasa.gov

RECOMMENDATIONS

01. COMMUNITY AND CULTURE

On the heels of a successful first Arizona Space Summit, there is substantial enthusiasm for making the Summit an annual event. Arizona State University, as the inaugural host, is supportive of hosting a larger second Summit with the buy-in and financial support of stakeholders and partners across the state. Partner organizations across the state would ideally host future Summits.

An annual Arizona Space Summit would serve to grow the Arizona-based space community, inform the State’s space policies and priorities, showcase the State’s commitment to the space sector, and highlight its accomplishments year to year.

The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer, or LBTI, is a ground-based instrument connecting two 8-meter class telescopes on Mount Graham in Arizona to form the largest single-mount telescope in the world.

PHOTO DATE: 2018-04-24

LOCATION: Bldg 30 South, FCR-1

CREDIT: Nasa.gov

SECONDARY CREATOR CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech

From my office, I can look out the window and see the Lowell Observatory every day. So it’s a really special place in that way and we feel that deep connection to science.”

— Jason Wilder, NAU

Those countries, those cities and of course, indeed those states like Arizona that lead in space will be rewarded and those not engaged well, they will miss the caravan, or the riverboat or the railroad or the plane.”

— Amb. Barbara Barrett

RECOMMENDATIONS

02. A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT HUB FOR LEO

As mentioned in the Insights section of this report, in contrast with the role it played for the commercial launch industry, the federal government sees itself as one of many customers for microgravity R&D and manufacturing on commercial platforms in low Earth orbit (LEO). This represents a strategic opportunity for the State of Arizona to help develop the market for R&D and manufacturing in LEO.

A state-funded accelerator program to support LEOenabled research activities in conjunction with corporate partners and NASA centers could give Arizona a significant competitive advantage by attracting investors, entrepreneurs and strategic partners to the state.

Strategic advantages include:

Building out the entrepreneurial space ecosystem and attracting early stage investors to the state.

Leveraging a burgeoning space start-up ecosystem to attract the more established commercial space companies to Arizona.

Engaging those downstream customers and industries to integrate space in the local economy (see recommendation #3).

A device known as an RWV (rotating wall vessel) bioreactor was used to simulate the conditions of microgravity encountered by cells during spaceflight missions.

CREDIT: Biodesign Insitute

Arizona is at the forefront of many space innovations. In 2021, researchers from NAU worked with NASA to launch the DART mission which used a kinetic impact to redirect an asteroid, and at ASU, scientists are working on the Psyche mission, a journey to a unique metal rich asteroid… and right now at the UA, they are developing a new space telescope to track every large asteroid that could potentially threaten the Earth.”

– U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.

NASA astronaut Mark E. Kelly, commander.

PHOTO DATE: 2005-01-05

CREDIT: Nasa.gov

RECOMMENDATIONS

03. INTEGRATING SPACE INTO THE BROADER ARIZONA ECONOMY

The proposed new Arizona space advisory council set forth in recommendation #4 should identify the downstream customers for the Arizona space economy and invite them to have a seat at the table. Integrating the space sector as a strategic domain for these industries through space-enabled data as a service, space-enabled research and development and manufacturing and space-enabled products into their supply chains, will set Arizona apart in attracting and retaining high tech sectors and high paying jobs to the state.

Relevant industries include manufacturing, aerospace and defense, the biotechnology, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries, construction, telecommunications, food and agriculture, mining, electronics and semiconductors, finance and business intelligence and the garment industry.

Researchers at Arizona State University in Tempe are evaluating a small, lightweight, efficient 3D imaging sensor designed for weather forecasting on consecutive balloon flights made possible by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. In this image, World View’s Stratollite high-altitude balloon is inflated on the launch pad in Tucson, Arizona on April 9, 2022.

PHOTO DATE: 2022-04-09 LOCATION: Tuscon, Arizona

CREDIT: World View Enterprises

PHOTO DATE: Aug 7, 2017

LOCATION: Gilbert, AZ

CREDIT: Orbital Sciences Corporation/NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)-2 spacecraft is moved into a thermal vacuum chamber at Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Gilbert, Ariz., for a series of environmental tests.

RECOMMENDATIONS

04. GOVERNANCE

It was proposed that a reconfigured version of the Arizona Space Commission, which ran from 2005 to 2012, be established to more strategically coordinate the activities and investments supporting the space sector across Arizona.

The new Arizona space advisory council should be composed of representatives of the three public universities as permanent members with participation from industry, economic development groups and policymakers. It is critical for this council to have continuity from one administration to another.

The council would be charged with

01. having a comprehensive understanding of the space assets across Arizona’s ecosystem,

02. driving a cohesive and targeted narrative around our state’s value as a market for space companies and the investment community,

03. identifying gaps in the funding continuum to support a growing ecosystem and

04. advocating for specific strategies to grow the sector to local, state and federal policymakers and key stakeholders.

Daniella DellaGiustina, OSIRIS-REx lead image processing scientist at the University of Arizona, Tucson, speaks to members of the media during a briefing on science experiments involved in NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

PHOTO DATE: 2016-09-06

LOCATION: KSCTV Auditorium

CREDIT: Nasa.gov

PHOTOGRAPHER: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Principal Investigator of the NASA Psyche mission from Arizona State University gives remarks during a briefing discussing small bodies missions, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.

LOCATION: Johns Hopkins University Applied

CREDIT: Nasa.gov/Bill Ingalls

PHOTO DATE: 2018-12-31

CONCLUSION

Arizona benefits from a long standing heritage in space exploration. These have been driven by its public universities and the enduring presence of the aerospace and defense industries.

The State has the opportunity to become a global hub for commercial space by building on its strong foundation through a multi-pronged strategy consisting of (i) investing in transformative research and development in LEO and building out an entrepreneurial ecosystem, (ii) integrating the growing space economy with downstream industries that drive the Arizona economy, and (iii) more closely coordinating stakeholders and assets across the state toward common strategic goals.

CITATIONS

1. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/national_space_policy_6-28-10.pdf

2. New and Revised Statistics for the U.S. Space Economy, 2012-2021

3. https://business.bofa.com/content/dam/flagship/bank-of-america-institute/transformation/expansion-ofthe-space-economy-january-2023.pdf

4. https://www.phoenixmag.com/2019/06/20/arizona-in-space/

5. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/how-diverse-are-the-student-bodies-of-arizonas-public-universitiesheres-what-you-should-know

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9818606/

APPENDIX

2023 ARIZONA SPACE SUMMIT PROGRAM

PARTNERS

• The University of Arizona

• Northern Arizona University

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

• Arizona Commerce Authority

• Arizona Technology Council

• Greater Phoenix Economic Council

SPONSORS

• Greater Yuma Economic Development Corp

• Rose Law Group

WELCOME REMARKS

• Jessica Rousset, Director, ASU Interplanetary Initiative

• Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Vice President, ASU Interplanetary Initiative, Principal Investigator, NASA Psyche Mission

• Jim Bell, Director and Professor, ASU NewSpace, School of Earth and Space Exploration

• Meenakshi Wadhwa, School Director and Foundation Professor, ASU School Of Earth and Space Exploration

• Sanjeev Khagram, Dean, ASU Thunderbird School of Global Management

• Zaheer Ali, Professor of Practice, ASU Thunderbird School of Global Management

• Kyle Squires, Dean, ASU Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

SPECIAL REMARKS

• Governor Katie Hobbs

• Senator Mark Kelly

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

• Ambassador Barbara Barrett

25th Secretary of the Air Force & Space Force

• Lt Col Justin Chandler

Director, Strategic Initiatives Group

United States Space Force

THE FUTURE OF SPACE IN ARIZONA

How are Arizona’s leading academic institutions and government partners driving the space sector in the State?

MODERATOR

• Stephen Fleming, Vice President, Strategic Business Initiatives, University of Arizona

PANELISTS

• Sally Morton, Executive Vice President & Professor, ASU Knowledge Enterprise

• Andrew Aldrin, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

• Betsy Cantwell, Senior Vice President for Research and innovation, University of Arizona

• Vic Narusis, Executive Vice President of Business Development, Arizona Commerce Authority

• Jason Wilder, Vice President for Research, Northern Arizona University

THE GROWTH AND NEEDS OF THE SPACE INDUSTRY

Where is the industry today? What are the most pressing needs, threats and opportunities for continued growth? What is the ideal ecosystem for space companies to thrive?

MODERATOR

• Greg Autry, Clinical Professor, ASU Thunderbird of Global Management

PANELISTS

• Kiah Erlich, Head of Brand Partnerships and Astronaut Sales, Blue Origin

• Mike Gold, Chief Growth Officer, Redwire Space

• John Reed, Chief Rocket Scientist, United Launch Alliance

• Eric W. Stallmer, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Voyager Space Holdings

SPACE DATA, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

Communications, space situational awareness (SSA), remote sensing, Earth observation.

MODERATOR

• Dan Bliss, Professor, ASU School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering

PANELISTS

• Phil Mauskopf, Professor, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics

• Jeremiah Pate, Founder and CEO, Lunasonde

• Ken Buer, CTO, Viasat

• Saikat Guha, Professor of Optical Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona

MANUFACTURING

Satellite components, space vehicles, subsystems and subcomponents, in-space assembly and manufacturing.

MODERATOR

• Binil Starly, ASU School Director and Professor, Manufacturing engineering

PANELISTS

• Chris Hodge, General Manager, Moog Space and Defense Group

• Scott Bennett, VP of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Terran Orbital

• Christopher Keeler, Sr. Director, Space Avionics and Electronics Solutions, Space and Intelligence Systems General Dynamics Mission Systems

• Kavan Hazeli, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Professor of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

SPACE SCIENCE

Planetary and geological sciences, deep space exploration, microgravity research, astronomy, space medicine, health and performance.

MODERATOR

• Philip Christensen, ASU Regents Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration

PANELISTS

• Jan Stepanek, Associate Professor of Medicine, Chair Aerospace Medicine Program, Mayo Clinic

• Cheryl Nickerson, Professor of Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute at ASU, Co-Lead, ASU Space Life Sciences and Health Initiative

• David E Trilling, Professor, Astronomy & Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University

ASU HELPS CHART A COURSE FOR ARIZONA’S SPACE INDUSTRY

April 26,2003 | ASU News

According to the Big Bang Theory, a tiny speck of unimaginable energy exploded 13.8 billion years ago, creating all matter in the universe and eventually forming the galaxies, planets and stars that humans have spent the last 60 years exploring.

Arizona has been at the forefront of such exploration across our solar system and beyond. Today, the state’s space sector is poised for its own “Big Bang” of explosive expansion.A saguaro cactus reaches up toward a starry night skyArizona State University hosted the first Arizona Space Summit, bringing together industry, academia and policymakers to support a growing space sector in the state.

Engineering, the event included networking opportunities, panels and a reception dinner. The summit explored Arizona’s space ecosystem and its benefits to participants’ organizations, while providing opportunities to discuss what the industry needs to grow and thrive.

“Our goal with the summit was to provide participating companies with a deeper understanding of how Arizona is advancing the sector today,” said Jessica Rousset, deputy director of the Interplanetary Initiative and head of the Space Summit planning committee, “but also, to gain insights into how the state can further evolve its talent pool, infrastructure and business environment to maximize the growth of this important sector.”

Arizona is home to top engineering and space companies, including Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace and Northrop Grumman. In fact, Arizona is the fifth-largest employer in aerospace and defense manufacturing, with more than 1,250 companies contributing to its supply chain.

“We have an ecosystem that we’ve built here in Arizona that supports a strong sector that will last them the entire time they’re here,” said Vic Narusis, executive vice president of business development at the Arizona Commerce Authority, during “The Future of Space in Arizona” session.

of the Arizona Space Grant Consortium, a coalition that encourages research, training and education in the space industry. ASU is also the only university to be an executive member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.

Participants at the Arizona Space Summit wave to an overhead camera from the atrium of AS U’s Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV

Participants at the Arizona Space Summit in the atrium of ASU’s Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV. Photo by Chase Kassel

Empowering future space leaders

An astronomical component of growing the space industry in Arizona is investing in the future of space — students.

At the summit, ASU Space student ambassadors, undergraduate students who are passionate about space exploration and getting involved in the space industry, volunteered and attended sessions.

Lucas Barduson, a senior studying aerospace engineering, said the opportunity to hear the conversations going on around the space industry in Arizona was the most valuable part of his experience attending as a student ambassador.

This month, Arizona State University convened industry, academia and policymakers to coordinate efforts supporting this growth at the first Arizona Space Summit.

Hosted by the ASU Interplanetary Initiative, the School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU NewSpace, the Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of

ASU has been involved in space research since the 1960s and assisting NASA missions since the ‘70s. The University of Arizona ranks fifth for NASA-funded activity and has long been at the forefront of space exploration, dating to the founding of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and the first Ranger missions to the moon in the 1960s. Along with the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University, ASU is a member

Barduson poposes creating more opportunities for students to be involved with these conversations by coordinating all of the spacerelated student clubs on campus.

Additionally, a career fair hosted at the Memorial Union on April 5 allowed students to connect with space industry recruiters and learn what career options are available to them

after graduation. Companies including Blue Origin, AstroForge, Katalyst Space Technologies and LinQuest Corp, among others, shared opportunities and information with interested students.

“It’s really cool to have General Dynamics Mission Systems, which is a legacy defense company, and Blue Origin, which is a new space company, talk to students together in the same room,” said Chase Kassel, a portfolio manager at the ASU Interplanetary Initiative.

For international students like Pradnesh Mhatre, who is getting his master’s degree in aerospace engineering, it can be challenging to secure jobs in the space industry in the United States. The career fair was an opportunity for him to see what options are available.

“There are many companies that just hire U.S. citizens, but there are very few companies, like Planet, which hire international students, since most of the aerospace industry comes under the defense domain,” Mhatre said.

Working together to navigate challenges

The summit opened with remarks from Lindy Elkins-Tanton, vice president of the ASU Interplanetary Initiative and principal investigator of the NASA Psyche mission; Jim Bell, director of ASU NewSpace; and Meenakshi Wadhwa, director and Foundation Professor

in the School of Earth and Space Exploration; followed by recorded remarks from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration between educational institutions, economic development groups — such as

the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona Technology Council and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council — and industry partners to propel the state further into the commercial space sector.

“There’s a tremendous amount of innovative research and education that’s going on here in the planetary, astronomical and space sciences in general. It’s not surprising that this amount of activity is actually having a huge economic impact already in the state of Arizona,” Wadhwa said. “The reason we are here is to see if we can scale that to an even bigger impact.”

Panelists Jason Wilder, Vic Narusis, Betsy Cantwell, Andrew Aldrin, Sally Morton and Stephen Fleming sit on stage at the Arizona Space Summit.

In “The Future of Space in Arizona,” panelists from Arizona’s three public universities, EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University and the Arizona Commerce Authority discussed how Arizona’s leading academic institutions and government partners can financially drive the space sector in the state.

“Rocket fuel is not kerosene and oxygen, it’s cash. Instead of looking at remote sensing technology, look at where business information markets are headed, because that’s where the

revolutions are gonna happen,” said Andrew Aldrin, associate professor at Embry-Riddle and director of the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute.

In the “Growth and Needs of the Space Industry” session, representatives from Blue Origin, Redwire Space, United Launch Alliance and Voyager Space Holdings discussed the current state of the space industry and what is needed for continued growth to allow the industry to thrive.

A key enabler of growth in the commercial space sector is reducing the cost of access to space through reusable launch vehicles, according to Kiah Erlich, head of brand partnerships and astronaut sales at Blue Origin.

“We’re making space more accessible by reducing the cost of access to space, and enabling a more diverse demographic of astronauts, one that represents our demographics here on Earth. Back when I was a kid, statistically, you had about a better chance of becoming a rockstar than an astronaut,” she said.

Following this were sessions discussing how manufacturing and satellite communications companies can address the needs of the space industry, including representatives from Lunasonde, Viasat, Moog Space and Defense Group, Terran Orbital and General Dynamics Mission Systems.

“There is an insatiable demand for connectivity and we need to get more evenly distributed,” said Ken Buer, the chief technological officer of Viasat. “That will help a lot of people that don’t have access to information and don’t have access to being able to contribute in a meaningful way to science and technology in the future.”

During lunch, keynote speaker Barbara Barrett, former secretary of the Air Force, gave a wide-ranging overview of Arizona’s key role in advancing space science, the space economy and national security.

Barbara Barrett delivers an address from a podium while participants in the Arizona Space Summit enjoy lunch.

“I can’t think of a more relevant keynote speaker for this event than Ambassador Barrett, who has had a remarkable leadership journey in the private, public and academic space sectors with deep roots in Arizona,” Rousset said.

In the final session, “Space Science,” speakers from Mayo Clinic, ASU and NAU focused on biomedical life sciences, space exploration and space medicine, covering topics such as pharmacogenomics, radiation protection and manufacturing in microgravity. They emphasized the need for hardware that can operate at a high level of experimental reproducibility and modularity, as well as multidisciplinary collaboration among scientists, engineers and commercial companies.

Kyle Squires, dean the Fulton Schools, opened the final session with an overview of the seven engineering schools at ASU and their spacerelated programs.

The event rounded out with a dinner reception at the Thunderbird School of Global Management’s new Global Headquarters on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. Sanjeev Khagram, director general and dean of Thunderbird, discussed Thunderbird’s Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy and Business and its work to bring space sector leaders together to address global challenges and drive collaboration in commercial space and beyond.

Several state legislators attended the event, which included a keynote speech from Lt. Col. Justin Chandler, the director of the chief of space operations’ Strategic Initiatives Group of the U.S. Space Force, and special recorded remarks from U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.

“Our nation needs groups like this to work together to solve these complex problems we face today and will continue to face in the future,” Chandler said. “This effort will require all of us.”

Building on the success of the inaugural summit, the planning committee is working to establish it as an annual event. To keep the momentum

going in the meantime, they will release a report of key insights in the coming weeks.

“This is a great example of us working all together across the state to showcase the assets we have, and then to build on the connections that we make,” Rousset said. “We will continue to grow the Arizona space ecosystem and support an industry that will carry humanity forward in unprecedented ways.”

MISSION STATUS ORGANIZATION

ACTIVATE

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite

AI dashboard for food security in Maui County, Hawaii, as part of NASA Harvest

Artemis moon missions

(Swift Coat, ASU spinout, developing coating for the new xEMU space suits for it)

BepiColombo

CASE on ESA’s ARIEL mission (2028)

Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry, and Imaging

EFRI ELiS: Bioweathering dynamics and ecophysiology of microbially catalyzed soil genesis of Martian regolith

Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS) on UAE al-Amal orbiter

Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) on Europa Clipper (2024)

Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz

Hayabusa 2 from JAXA

Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express

In-Space Semiconductor Memory Manufacture

Intuitive Machines-1, Intuitive Machines-2, Mico-Nova Hopper

James Webb Space Telescope

JAXA Martian Moons eXploration

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (2023) from ESA

Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer (L’TES)

LunaH-Map cubesat Moon orbiter

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) on NASA’s LRO

CTX, CRISM on NASA’s MRO

Mars Exploration Rover Mission

MISSIONS

MISSION STATUS ORGANIZATION

MastCam on NASA’s Curiosity Rover

Mastcam-Z on NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (late 2020s)

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABOVE)

SUDA, MASPEX on Europa Clipper (2024)

SBIR Ignite program: Reducing Cost of Space Photovoltaics via Sound-Assisted Substrate Reuse

on Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter

Solestial (founded by an ASU alum and based in MacroTechnology Works) providing solar blankets for Atomos Space orbital transfer vehicles on two commercial missions starting in late 2024

Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPLunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE)HEREx) (2024)

Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) (2023)

Stardust-New Exploration of Tempel mission, or Stardust NExT mission

Super Balloon-Borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope for Polarization (Super BLAST-TNG) (Paused) In

Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter

UAE Asteroid Mission

UAE Mars Mission “Hope”

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PROGRAM TYPE ORGANIZATION

Astrobiology Minor NAU

Astrobiology

UA

Astrochemistry Minor NAU

Astrogeology

NAU

Astronomical Studies Minor UA

Astronomy Minor ASU

Astronomy Minor NAU

Astronomy Club Student Club ASU

Astrophysics Minor ASU

BS Aeronautics

BS Aerospace Engineering

BS Applied Physics

BS Applied Physics

BS Astronomical and Planetary Sciences

Undergraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

Undegraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

Undegraduate Degree ASU

Undegraduate Degree UA

Undergraduate Degree ASU

BS Astronomy Undergraduate Degree UA

BS Astronomy Undergraduate Degree UA

BS Astronomy

Undegraduate Degree NAU

BS Astronomy Undegraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

BS Business Administration

BS Earth and Space Exploration

BS Earth and Space Exploration (Astrobiology and Biogeosciences)

BS Earth and Space Exploration (Astrophysics)

BS Earth and Space Exploration (Exploration Systems Design)

BS Earth and Space Exploration (Geological Sciences)

BS Geology

BS Global Business & Supply Chain Management

BS Mechanical Engineering

BS Mechanical Engineering

BS Multidisciplinary Engineering

BS Physics

BS Physics

Undegraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

Undegraduate Degree ASU

Undegraduate Degree ASU

Undegraduate Degree ASU

Undegraduate Degree ASU

Undegraduate Degree ASU

Undergraduate Degree NAU

Undegraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

Undegraduate Degree NAU

Undegraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

Undegraduate Degree NAU

Undegraduate Degree NAU

Undegraduate Degree ASU

PROGRAM TYPE ORGANIZATION

BS Physics

Undegraduate Degree NAU

BS Physics Undegraduate Degree UA

BS Physics and Astrophysics

BS Space Physics

BS Technological Leadership

BSE Aerospace Engineering (Aeronautics)

BSE Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics)

BSE Aerospace Engineering (Autonomous Vehicle Systems)

Capstones (Projects in partnership with NASA)

Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Joint Technical Education Districts (JTED)

Undergraduate Degree NAU

Undegraduate Degree Embry Riddle - Prescott

Undergraduate Degree ASU

Undergraduate Degree ASU

Undergraduate Degree ASU

Undergraduate Degree ASU

Course ASU

Arizona is home to 14 CTE and JTED districts throughout the state with 99 participating school districts. CTE education provides students with necessary career training in partnership with business and industry to educate Arizona's future workforce. Courses offered in the state that benefit the space economy include, but are not limited to, automation and robotics, electronic technologies, engineering, laboratory assisting, precision machining, software and app design, technology devices maintenance, and welding technologies.

Desert WAVE robotics team

Disruptive Innovation & Technology Evolution

Ethical Issues in Technology (Space Topics)

Executive Master of Global Management with a Specialization in Space Leadership, Business and Policy

Fundamentals of Space Leadership

Helios Rocketry

Manufacturing Engineering (Interplanetary Manufacturing) (In Development)

MGM Executive Master of Global Management: Space Leadership, Business, and Policy

MNS Physics

MS Aerospace Engineering

MS and PhD Astronomy and Astrophysics (Masters only available for those permitted to PhD program)

MS Applied Physics

Degree

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PROGRAM TYPE ORGANIZATION

MS Applied Physics and Materials Science

MS Astrophysics and Astronomy

MS Experience Design MIX Center/Concentration Space Architecture and Extreme Environment

MS Exploration Systems Design

MS Exploration Systems Design (Instrumentation)

MS Exploration Systems Design (Sensor Networks)

MS Exploration Systems Design (Systems Engineering)

PhD

PhD

Systems Design (Sensor Networks)

Systems Design (Systems Engineering)

TABLE 2 4 OF 4

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PROGRAM TYPE ORGANIZATION

PhD Optical Sciences

Graduate Degree UA

PhD Physics Greaduate Degree UA

PhD Physics Graduate Degree ASU

PhD Planetary Sciences Graduate Degree UA

Physics Minor NAU

Planetary Science Minor UA

Planetary Sciences Certificate ASU

Psyche Free Online Courses Course ASU

Satellite Command and Control Certificate ASU

SEDS: Rocketry Division Student Club ASU

Space Architecture Studio IV Course ASU

Space Business and Entrepreneurship Course ASU

Space Business Association Student Club ASU

Space Leadership, Business, and Policy Certificate ASU

Space Student Ambassadors Program ASU

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Student Club ASU

Sun Devil Rocketry Student Club ASU

Sun Devil Satellite Lab Student Club ASU

Technological Leadership Minor ASU

Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Course ASU

Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics Student Club ASU

FACILITY DESCRIPTION ORGANIZATION

100K and 10K Cleanroom Facilities

Spaceflight-certified cleanrooms for assembly and testing of instruments and spacecraft for missions beyond Earth. One cleanroom is rated at 100K (no more than 100,000 dust particles per cubic meter), the other is rated at 10K (no more than 10,000 particles).

Aberration Corrected Transmission Electron Microscope

Accessory Minerals (Apatite, Zircon) IN-situ Geochronology/ geochemistry lab (AMAZING)

Anbarlab

Applied Research Building

One of the premier microscopy facilities in the United States dedicated to understanding the behavior of materials at the atomic level.

Equipped with a Triple Quadrupole (QQQ) ICP-MS mass spectrometer (Agilent 8900).

A diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students, postdocs, and research scientists from the fields of geology, chemistry, forensic science, and education committed to exploring the world and developing applied solutions to new challenges.

The Applied Research Building (ARB) is a highly specialized, one-of-a-kind, 89,000-square-foot facility that pairs new applied research capabilities with stateof-the-art equipment and technology and brings together several interdisciplinary university programs under one roof.

It will provide regionally unique capabilities for the university, allow for expansion of industry and advanced manufacturing partnerships, and turn research and discovery into practical, real-world solutions that produce societal impact.

Spaceflight-certified cleanrooms for assembly and testing of instruments and spacecraft for missions beyond Earth. One cleanroom is rated at 100K (no more than 100,000 dust particles per cubic meter), the other is rated at 10K (no more than 10,000 particles).

AstroBio Center

Astrobiology, Molecular Biology, and Proteomics Lab

ASU Core Research Facilities, including Macro Technology Works Includes equipment for manufacturing a variety of devices in semiconductors, solar technology and more that private businesses can rent.

Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics Lab (CaNDy LaB)

An interdisciplinary group of graduate students, undergraduate students, researchers, and postdocs working with Professor Hilairy Hartnett at Arizona State University. Dr. Hartnett is an oceanographer and organic geochemist whose research focuses on carbon and nitrogen cycling in aquatic systems.

Center for Education Through eXploration

Center for Meteorite Studies

Cosmogenic and Short-Lived Isotopes Lab

Distributed Robotic Exploration and Mapping Systems Lab (DREAMS)

Dryland Ecosystems Lab

Brings science educators, technologists, artists, and researchers together to design and build cutting edge digital learning experiences.

One of the world's largest university-based meteorite collections.

Builds teams of autonomous bots and drones that gather environmental data.

FACILITY DESCRIPTION

Earth Dynamics Observatory

Combines the University’s strengths in space exploration, instrumentation, and earth sciences to learn more about our planet. Collecting information about Earth from space provides new information about how Earth systems work, how they are changing, and how humans might anticipate and respond to changes. Integrating UA’s expertise across diverse disciplines, in partnership with agencies and industry, allows researchers to collaboratively pose questions, design instruments to acquire the data needed to answer the questions, get the instruments into space to collect and transmit the data, analyze the data, and interpret its meaning. The results, especially when combined with ground-based data, will place the university at the forefront of understanding and educating others about how our planet functions and how we can mitigate and respond to hazards.

Earth Surface Processes and Geomorphology Lab

Engineering Flight Hardware Lab

Experimental Petrology and Igneous Processes Center (EPIC) Studies magma: how and why it forms, its composition and timescales, and the resulting consequences for planetary differentiation.

Experimental Volcanology Lab

Eyring Materials Center Electron Microprobe

GEOPIG Biogeochemistry Lab

Group 18 Labs

High Pressure Diamond-anvil Lab

Simulates volcanic flows.

Provides academic and industry researchers with open access to advanced facilities and equipment for materials characterization, surface, optical and structural analysis, elemental composition, and high-resolution electron microscopy.

Equipped with High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS), ion chromatography (IC), gas chromatography (GC) and microwave digestion systems.

Houses analytical systems for both quadrupole and magnetic sector mass spectrometry.

Examines the internal structures and processes of various planets, including Earth, Solar-system planets, and exoplanets, by examining the properties and behaviors of their constituent materials, which include hydrogen, water, silicates, oxides, hydroxides, carbides, hydrides, and metal alloys.

Hubble Data Lab

Hydrogen Gas Loading Facility

Hydrothermal Organic Geochemistry (HOG) Lab

Interplanetary Initiative Lab

Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochronology Lab

Recreates temperatures and pressures

Includes collaboration space, electronics development, fabrication, assembly and test. Test facilities include a cubesat shaker table, a thermal vacuum chamber, a small clean room, a roof deck, and anechoic chamber.

Analyzes the stable and radiogenic isotopic compositions of extraterrestrial samples to understand the processes and timescales involved in the formation and early evolution of the Solar System and the rocky bodies within it.

FACILITY DESCRIPTION

John M. Cowley Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy Houses a dozen electron microscopes that can probe the physical, electronic, and chemical structure of matter on an atomic scale. Instruments and techniques include focused ion beam (FIB) microscopes, electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and aberration-corrected electron microscopy.

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Laboratory for Astronomical Space Instrumentation

Low-frequency Cosmology (LoCo) Lab

The Kitt Peak National Observatory is a United States astronomical observatory located on Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, 88 kilometers west-southwest of Tucson, Arizona.

Develops radio instrumentation and conducts astronomical observations to study the evolution of the early Universe and the first stars and galaxies. Applies technical experience in large data analysis to study new approaches for helping improve science learning and public outreach.

ORGANIZATION

Low-frequency Cosmology Lab

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL)

Develops radio instrumentation and conducts astronomical observations to study the evolution of the early Universe and the first stars and galaxies.

LPL was founded in 1960 by planetary astronomer Gerard P. Kuiper, after whom the Kuiper Belt of icy objects in the outer Solar System and the Kuiper Prize (the top honor of the world’s largest organization of planetary scientists) are named. Most of the original work was based on observations using telescopes, but as the exploration of the planets expanded in scope, so did LPL. In 1973, the Department of Planetary Sciences was formed, to educate succeeding generations of planetary scientists. The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has been involved in almost every interplanetary spacecraft sent.

Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper Development and Test Lab

Home of the LunaH-Map mission researching the abundance of water-ice on the Moon.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Science Operations Center Home of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) mission that captures high resolution black and white images and moderate resolution multi-spectral images of the Lunar surface.

Mars Space Flight Facility

Metals, Environmental and Terrestrial Analytical Laboratory (METAL)

Microbiology of the Deep (MOD)

Part of the Christensen Research Group which operates robotic missions to Mars and other solar system targets.

A dual-location analytical facility with the instruments and resources to support research across many fields, including anthropology, chemistry, biology, forensics, geology, environmental studies, and ecology.

Incorporates elements of microbial ecology, astrobiology, geobiology, oceanography, and geochemistry to ask questions about the microbial role in Earth-life interactions

FACILITY

Mission Integration Lab

DESCRIPTION

The Mission Integration Lab accommodates balloon-borne astronomy, which fills an important niche between ground-based observatories and space telescopes, providing an ideal way to deploy telescopes and other instruments to altitudes where they experience less interference from the Earth's atmosphere. Modern balloon-borne observatories offer space-like views of the universe in missions that require a fraction of the time and cost of a full space mission. These missions are also a platform to test cutting-edge technologies that will define future orbital missions.

NASA Mission Operations Facility

Multi-anvil Press Lab

OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer Lab

Planetary Aeolian Lab

Planetary Aeolian Laboratory

Planetary Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab

Currently operates three multi-anvils.

Built the Thermal Emission Spectrometer as part of the OSIRIS-REx mission, launched to the asteroid, Bennu.

A facility used for conducting controlled experiments and simulations of aeolian processes (windblown particles) under different planetary atmospheric environments, including Earth, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan.

A facility used for conducting controlled experiments and simulations of aeolian processes (windblown particles) under different planetary atmospheric environments, including Earth, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan.

House a 6-computer GIS laboratory, where faculty, students, and visiting researchers can work on planetary mapping projects with a goal to provide GISready datasets of the individual planetary bodies imaged by planetary missions and give assistance to researchers in completing their work.

Planetary Surface Imaging Science Lab

Planetary Surfaces Spectroscopy Lab

Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory

At the University of Arizona's Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory, a team of scientists and engineers are making giant, lightweight mirrors of unprecedented power for a new generation of optical telescopes.The Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab continues its impressive history of successful, groundbreaking mirror castings with the Giant Magellan Telescope. Upon completion, this telescope will be the largest and most advanced earth-based telescope in the world. Currently, five of the seven 8.4 meter segmented mirrors have been cast. The first and second mirrors are complete and the other five are in various stages of production.

Ronald Greeley Center for Planetary Studies

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Community Facility

One of an international network of 17 Regional Planetary Image Facility (RPIF) data centers, established by NASA in 1977 to archive planetary images for use by the scientific and educational communities.

Home to a Camexa 6f SIMS and Cameca NanoSIMS. These state-of-the-art instruments are dedicated to studying materials (minerals, microbes, volatiles) helping advance our knowledge of the world around us.

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Lab (SIMS) / Nanoscale

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Lab (NanoSIMS)

Space4

Steward Observatory

Housed within Research, Innovation and Impact, Space4 is a group of researchers with trusted and demonstrated expertise in science and engineering. Housed within Research, Innovation and Impact, Space4 is a group of researchers with trusted and demonstrated expertise in science and engineering. Together, we are committed to ensuring responsible, peaceful, and sustainable access to and exploration of all orbital regimes in the Earth-Moon system for future generations.

Steward Observatory is the research arm of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. Its offices are located on the UA campus in Tucson, Arizona. Established in 1916, the first telescope and building were formally dedicated on April 23, 1923.

Terahertz Instrumentation Lab

The NASA Center for Astronomy Education

Specializes in the design, construction and deployment of THz and similar frequency electronics for astrophysics and other remote sensing applications.

The Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) is devoted to improving teaching and learning in general education college-level Earth, Astronomy and Space Science (Astro 101) by conducting fundamental research on students’ beliefs and conceptual and reasoning difficulties related to astronomy, and instructor implementation related to teaching Astro 101. We use the results of our research to inform the development of research-validated curriculum and assessment materials. These materials frame our professional development CAE Teaching Excellence Workshops, which are designed to support instructors in their efforts to create effective active learning classrooms, whether in-person or online.

UA Space Institute

The University of Arizona Space Institute (UASI) serves as an umbrella-organization to facilitate the work of UA’s space-oriented researchers, providing seed grants for major missions and other space projects in development, coordinating technical staff, helping to build the necessary infrastructure, and operating the Applied Research Building. LPL scientists have played important roles on spacecraft instrument and mission teams since our founding in 1960.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium (UROC) Provides participants with excellent research training and graduate school preparation through:

research experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor professional development and graduate admission workshops social networking and a community building with like-minded peers poster session, oral presentation, and abstract writing a free comprehensive GRE workshop and a $5,000* summer stipend.

W.M. Keck Foundation Lab for Environmental Biogeochemistry ASU