Plane on runway

Iowa Space Grant Awards University Grant on Aviation Training

Sioux City – Morningside University is proud to announce it has been awarded a $10,000 Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) Academic Project Grant to support its innovative project, EYES: Eye-tracking for Youth Engagement and Safety. This initiative will use advanced eye-tracking technology to better understand how students process critical information in aviation training environments, with the ultimate goal of improving instruction, performance, and safety.

Led by Harley L. Waters, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Aviation at Morningside, the EYES project will combine wearable eye-tracking devices with workload assessments to investigate the relationship between cognitive fatigue, stress, and performance in aviation students. By analyzing gaze behavior and attention management during simulated flight, the research team aims to identify patterns that contribute to both effective and ineffective performance.

“We are excited to bring eye-tracking technology into aviation research and education at Morningside,” said Waters. “This project gives our students the opportunity not only to participate in the research but also to actively help conduct it—developing skills in data collection, analysis, and human factors methods that directly prepare them for careers in aerospace and STEM.”

Read the full article on morningside.edu

Original Post Date: 10.8.25

Author Credit: Morningside University

 

 

students standing outside with weather balloon

Wyoming Space Grant Supports Elementary Student Balloon Launch

Third-grade students at Velma Linford Elementary joined forces with the University of Wyoming’s NASA Space Grant Consortium on Tuesday morning to launch a high-altitude weather balloon, combining hands-on science learning with the thrill of near-space exploration.

According to the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium website, it is one of 52 programs nationwide that supports NASA missions through statewide education and research initiatives. It provides scholarships, internships and grants for Wyoming students and educators while offering hands-on STEM learning opportunities for K-12 classrooms.

Since 2014, its high-altitude balloon program has allowed students to design and launch experiments to the edge of space, engaging more than 4,500 Wyoming students. Velma Linford Elementary was one of the first public schools in the state to participate, continuing a tradition of sparking curiosity and inspiring future scientists.

“It’s just a latex balloon filled with helium,” UW research scientist and high-altitude ballooning specialist Phil Bergmaier said. “But we attached some tracking devices with GPS, as well as some weather sensors and some cameras.”

Read the full article on wyomingnews.com

Original Post Date: 10.11.25

Author Credit:

Image Credit: Rachel Finch/Laramie Boomerang

drone in sky

Guam Space Grant Supports Drone Corps Program

Several local agencies and organizations now have federally certified remote pilots in their ranks, with the support of the latest University of Guam Drone Corps program cohort.

UOG Drone Corps, along with partner 2cofly, celebrated its fifth cohort to complete the Knowledge Course portion of the program and attain a 100% passing rate on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107b exam.

Passing this exam gives participants a remote pilot certificate, which allows them to fly drones both recreationally and commercially.

All 13 participants successfully earned their certificates this summer.

As a program of the UOG Land Grant system, which works to advance knowledge for the improvement of agriculture and natural resources in the region, the UOG Drone Corps this year opened its training program beyond students for the first time.

Participants included natural resource managers and UOG faculty and staff, in addition to students from the university and the Guam Community College.

The new pool of participants was the result of local agencies and organizations expressing a need for drone technologies in their line of work.

Read the full article on: Kuam.com

Author Credit: KUAM News

Image Credit: KUAM News

Original Post Date: 9.16.25

Artist's Concept of Rocket Launch with Surface of Earth in Background. View from Space

Colorado Space Grant Inspires Grand Rocketry Challenge

GHOST is a student-oriented research rocket that will be launched from Andøya Space in November 2025. It is a two-stage rocket that will fly up to an altitude of 248 kilometers as part of a larger research campaign organized by NASA.

In other words, it is a full-scale research rocket in a full-scale scientific
research campaign. What is special about GHOST is that the technological experiments it carries are not built by professionals, but by students from Norway, the USA, and Puerto Rico.

GHOST is a collaborative project between NASA and Andøya Space to foster cooperation among students across national borders. It is a unique opportunity to show students what they can experience should they choose a career in the space industry. The students will gain invaluable experience from a real rocket
mission and have the opportunity to make many new contacts within the space industry.

Read the full article on: andoyaspace.no

Author Credit: Andøya Space

Image Credit: Andøya Space

 

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness – Grok via Astrobiology.com

Wisconsin Space Grant Supports Astrobiology Research

  1. Johns S, Wiegman E, Bakshi A, Gilroy S.The cyclic nucleotide-gated channels CNGC2 and CNGC4 support systemic wound responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.Front Plant Sci. 2025 Aug 21;16:1545065.PI: S. GilroyNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.Journal Impact Factor: 4.8

    Funding: “The authors are grateful for funding for this work from NSF MCB2016177, NASA 80NSSC21K0577 and 80NSSC19K0126, and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium.”

 

Original Post Date: 9.2.25

Author Credit: Keith Cowing

Image Credit: Astrobiology.com

Student looking through telescope at Seton Hall University Astronomical Observatory

New Jersey Space Grant Awards Undergraduate Research Fellowships

For 2025-26 academic year, Seton Hall University has been awarded four academic year fellowships for science, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) undergraduate students by the New Jersey Space Grant Consortium (NJSGC), a NASA-sponsored program.

Background

The New Jersey Space Grant Consortium was established in 1991 by a grant from NASA. The objectives of the consortium are to develop programs to further aerospace and STEM education, research, and development in New Jersey. For the 2025-26 academic year, NJSGC has awarded Seton Hall University four Academic Year Student Research Fellowships to administer.

Fellowship details

  • The fellowship recipient must conduct research relevant to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or aerospace and fit into one of NASA’s missions as outlined on the website.
  • The fellow must be a full-time student at Seton Hall University. A faculty member in Seton Hall must agree to supervise the research of the fellow.
  • Seton Hall University has three fellowships to award in the 2025-26 academic year. The fellowship amount is $2,000 per student.

 

Read the full article on: shu.edu

Original Post Date: 9.19.25

Author Credit: Mehmet Alper Sahiner

Image Credit:  Seton Hall University

University of Minnesota physics major and SmallSat project manager Kelsey Henry is eager for her team’s move to the renovated Shepherd Labs. The space will give students access to a clean room and rooftop workspace in one location. Photo by Pauline Oo, CSE Communications and Marketing.

Minnesota Space Grant Supports Students’ Satellite Research

“Working on a satellite that could go to space is something I never imagined I’d do as an undergrad.”

That’s physics major Kelsey Henry describing one reason she’s excited about working in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ Small Satellite Research Laboratory.

transfer student from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Henry sees the challenge of designing small—as in shoebox-sized—satellites as a way to combine art and science. Called CubeSats, these satellites are built to work in near-space and low Earth orbit.

Currently, Henry is working on two sister projects. One will use CubeSats to study powerful flares that erupt from the surface of the sun. The other will test a method of using distant, rapidly spinning stars to navigate in space, where GPS is not an option.

The latter project, says Henry, “will be hosted as an experimental science payload on the International Space Station—a rare opportunity for an undergraduate-led project.”

Read the full article on umn.edu

Original Post Date: 8.29.25

Author Credit: Kristin Kelker

Image Credit: hoto by Pauline Oo, CSE Communications and Marketing.

College of Science and Engineering Story

Local business leaders learn about North Idaho College aerospace options during a tour in this file photo. NIC has been selected to advance in a competitive national process to help develop the future aerospace and defense workforce as part of NASA’s Aerospace State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce Initiative.

Idaho Space Grant Supports North Idaho College in National Aerospace Competition

North Idaho College has been selected to advance in a competitive national process to help develop the future aerospace and defense workforce as part of NASA’s Aerospace State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce Initiative.

NIC, in collaboration with the Coeur d’Alene Area Economic Development Corporation and the regional Aerospace Tech Hub, was named among 15 organizations invited to submit a concept paper to NASA. The initiative seeks to address a projected shortage of 1 million aerospace and defense workers by 2030 by building stronger education-to-workforce pathways.

“Being part of this next phase with NASA demonstrates that North Idaho College is positioned as a critical player in preparing students for high-demand technical careers,” NIC President Nick Swayne said. “This recognition validates the quality of our academic and workforce training programs while opening new opportunities for students in our region.”

NIC this fall opened an Airframe and PowerPlant Mechanic Apprenticeship that provides hands-on training in aviationmaintenance at its Workforce Training Center in Post Falls.

The college and its partners will now work with a NASA liaison to shape a concept paper due Sept. 17. Selected hubs will convene stakeholders, submit plans, and participate in the NASA STEM Workforce Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Fla., Sept. 23-25.

Read the full article on nic.edu

Original Post Date: 8.26.25

Author Credit: North Idaho College Newsroom

Image Credit: North Idaho College Newsroom

Blue Origin rocket launching from pad

Wisconsin Space Grant Supports Payload on 35th New Shepard Mission

Blue Origin completes 35th New Shepard mission

  • Propellant Refueling and On-Orbit Transfer Operations (PROTO) & Microgravity Ullage Detection (MUD), Carthage College: Carthage College Space Science program’s PROTO experiment is collaborating with NASA Johnson Space Center to test new alternatives to measure spacecraft propellant levels in microgravity. MUD is a non-invasive method to locate the liquid-vapor interface in spacecraft fuel tanks during microgravity. The system incorporates acoustic vibrations and external sensors to detect whether the tank wall is in contact with liquid or gas, which is critical for safe in-space refueling. This experiment is flying for the third time with New Shepard. Both payloads are supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium.

Read the full article on: satnews.com

Original Post Date: 9.18.25

Author Credit: SatNews

Image Credit: SatNews

MARS provides, through competitive robotics, hands-on learning for K-12 students throughout the state. During the past five years, MARS has reached more than 50,000 young people with unique learning opportunities to prepare them for the future. WVU Division of Land-Grant Engagement

West Virginia Space Grant Partner Named 2025 W.K. Kellogg FoundationCommunity Engagement Scholarship Regional Winner

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — For the second year in row, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities has named West Virginia University as a regional winner of the 2025 W.K. Kellogg FoundationCommunity Engagement Scholarship.

The university’s partnership with Mountaineer Area RoboticS (MARS) was selected for the award, which recognizes extraordinary community engagement initiatives between land-grant institutions and its community partners.

As a regional winner, WVU will compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced in November. Other finalists for the award are Indiana University, Oregon State University, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

MARS has been integral in addressing persistent barriers to employment, education, and participation in fields in science, technology, engineering and math. Founded in 2008 through a collaborative partnership with local communities and WVU, MARS provides a purpose-driven, creative outlet for West Virginia students to inspire change.

Read the full article on wvnews.com

Original Post Date: Aug. 27, 2025

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