Bennett Maruca, associate professor of physics and astronomy, has a new thermal vacuum chamber in the Delaware Space Observatory Center he directs. The instrument makes it possible for University of Delaware students to develop and test CubeSat research satellites for a 2026 NASA launch.
 by Caitlin Milera

Delaware Space Grant Consortium Funds CubeSat Mission

NASA selects UD’s CubeSat spacecraft for upcoming mission

Students pursue higher education with worthwhile goals in mind. They want to learn from experts, explore more of the world, earn a degree, find a good job and contribute to a better future.

It’s safe to say that not many expect to lead a NASA-supported mission during their undergraduate studies. But at least a dozen University of Delaware students will have done that by the time they collect their diplomas in the next few years.

All are part of a team creating Delaware’s first orbital spacecraft, which was selected by NASA for launch in 2026 as part of its CubeSat Launch Initiative. The NASA program, which started in 2011, aims to give students an opportunity to be part of real missions and gain extraordinary experience in what it takes to do space research.

CubeSats are small, modular, inexpensive satellites that carry experiments for science investigations and/or technology demonstrations. About 160 CubeSats have been launched in the NASA program over the years, many deployed from the International Space Station (ISS).

Delaware’s mission — the Delaware Atmospheric Plasma Probe Experiment (DAPPEr) — will launch its CubeSat spacecraft from the ISS and orbit independently through Earth’s upper atmosphere.

 

Author Credit: Beth Miller

Image Credit: Photos by David Barczak

Original Post Date: April 17, 2024

Read the full article on udel.edu.

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 by Caitlin Milera

South Dakota Space Grant Consortium Awards STEM Grant to Augustana University

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Augustana University has been awarded nearly $45,000 per year through 2028 to encourage youth education in STEM-related fields in South Dakota.

The grants are a part of NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and funding is provided by the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium (SDSGC).

The consortium connects colleges and universities to collaborate in the science, technology, engineering and math fields and explore innovative research and educational initiatives.

“It plays a pretty important part in providing our students with these kinds of experiences,” said Dr. Drew Alton, professor of physics at Augustana.

 

Author Credit: Dakota News Now Staff

Image Credit: First Lego League

Original Post Date: Dec. 22, 2024

Read the full article on DakotaNewsNow.com

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UD junior Timothy “TJ” Tomaszewski is the leader of a UD student team working with NASA to build and launch Delaware’s first orbital spacecraft. He holds a model of a CubeSat, a small modular satellite, which the students will create to study how the sun affects the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
 by Caitlin Milera

Delaware Space Grant Consortium Makes History through CubeSat Research

Junior TJ Tomaszewski leads student team making Delaware history in space

When he was just 4 or 5 years old, Timothy “TJ” Tomaszewski lay in the grass one warm summer evening mesmerized by the glowing full moon and the stars moving across the sky.

“I clearly remember taking it all in, the majesty of the night sky and space and what might be up there … space has always symbolized the future to me,” he said.

The University of Delaware junior’s future includes making history as leader of UD’s Delaware Atmospheric Plasma Probe Experiment (DAPPEr) team, which will build the state’s first spacecraft to orbit the Earth.

Funded by NASA, the group of 18 undergraduates and two graduate students will create a three-unit CubeSat, a small satellite about the size of a loaf of bread that uses a standard size and form and standardized parts, to study how the sun affects the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It is one of 10 satellites being built at institutions in eight states to have the opportunity to be placed into orbit. Launch is scheduled for early to mid-2026.

“It’s always been part of my makeup and my goal to work with space science, preferably at NASA where I can work on rockets,” he said. “And now I have this incredible opportunity to lead a mission — to have a team and build something that we send into space.”

Author Credit: Brenda Lange

Image Credit: Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and courtesy of TJ Tomaszewski

Original Post Date: June 28, 2024

Read the full article on udel.edu

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Silhouette of two people looking through telescope
 by Caitlin Milera

Montana Space Grant Partner Launches Statewide NASA Telescope Library Program

MISSOULA – The University of Montana’s spectrUM Discovery Area – a hands-on science museum located within the Missoula Public Library – recently launched a NASA-supported program to place telescopes in all libraries across the state.

The program is titled “Big Sky, Bigger Dreams: Telescopes for Montana Libraries.” This groundbreaking initiative will place telescopes in public and tribal college libraries across the state, making astronomy accessible to all Montanans.

Funded through a $250,000 NASA TEAM II STEM Innovator Award, this two-year project will empower families, students and amateur astronomers in rural and tribal communities to explore the night sky with user-friendly tabletop telescopes available for free checkout at local libraries.

“It has been a longtime dream of mine to make this project a reality,” said Nicholos Wethington, spectrUM’s associate director of library telescope programs. “The night sky belongs to us all and is part of our global cultural heritage.”

He said the project is about removing barriers.

“By putting telescopes in libraries, we’re giving every Montanan – regardless of income or geography – the chance to experience the wonders of astronomy firsthand.”

Read the full article on: umt.edu

Original Post Date: 12.19.25

Author Credit: University of Montana

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

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The RELLIS LTV team shows off their winning Lunar Terrain Vehicle prototype. From left are Syeda Roushan, Alyssa Castro, Behram Khan, Yashasvi Gullapally, Nicholas Ekleberry, and Irving Wistam.
 by Caitlin Milera

Tarleton State University Team Wins Top Prize at Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge Showcase

Team RELLIS LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) took first place as Top Design Team and was awarded $1,000 individual scholarships for each of the six students on the team, as well as $1,200 to be used to support the team’s project expenses. The group also won first place in Best Poster, second place in Top Peer Review and third place in Best Video.

“Our team participated in both the poster and oral presentation sessions, and our performance was outstanding among the 24 competing teams from universities across the state of Texas,” said Dr. Nourouddin Sharifi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and the RELLIS team’s faculty advisor.

The team’s winning project was titled “Next-Generation Lunar Terrain Vehicle (NextGen LTV) for Human and Robotic Exploration.” Students were tasked with developing the design and prototype for an innovative Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) concept optimized for long-range, energy-efficient and autonomous exploration of the Moon’s South Pole.

Read the full article on: theflashtoday.com

Author Credit: jhorton

Image Credit: The Flash Today

Original Post Date: 12.16.25

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Drea Hineman, a UW senior from Gillette, tends to plants undergoing a salinity trial at Laramie Research and Extension Center. Photo by Paulo Mello Neto, UW Ph.D. student and member of JJ Chen’s lab.
 by Caitlin Milera

Wyoming Space Grant Student Researcher Earns Regional Recognition

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Drea Hineman,a University of Wyoming student from Gillette, has earned regional recognition for her innovative space-farming research supported by NASA.

Hineman is a senior majoring in plant production and protection in the UW Department of Plant Sciences. As a Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium research fellow, she studies sustainable food production in reduced-gravity environments — in other words, farming in space.

The Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium sponsors education and research programs in support of NASA missions. Hineman’s fellowship project addresses a key problem astronauts face when cultivating lettuce plants in space: salt accumulation in the soil.

Reduced gravity also means reduced drainage. Aboard the International Space Station, water — and salts dissolved in that water — don’t drain away like they would on Earth. Instead of exiting the growing pod, salt accumulates in the soil, stressing the plants.

Read the full article on: thefencepost.com

Original Post Date: 11.26.25

Author Credit: University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources

Image Credit: Photo by Paulo Mello Neto, UW Ph.D. student and member of JJ Chen’s lab.

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DC Space Grant at booth at space event
 by Caitlin Milera

DC Space Grant Supports the Future of Space Science

American University joined nine other leading research institutions on Capitol Hill for the Science of Space, a November 18 gathering dedicated to the future of innovation. The event highlighted how crucial federal investment in research and development is for driving economic growth, sparking breakthroughs, and sustaining American global competitiveness.

The Science of Space was hosted by the Science Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of more than 50 public and private research universities.

Thomas Fauchez, a research professor in the Department of Physics and a member of AU’s Integrated Space Science and Technology Institute (ISSTI), represented the university at the event. ISSTI partners with the DC NASA Space Grant Consortium, housed at AU, to facilitate opportunities to advance space science research through federal and private-sector partners and promote student engagement in STEM.

Throughout the event, scientists from each of the universities offered demonstrations and presentations detailing how they are contributing to advancements in the field. Fauchez, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist, presented his research on rocky exoplanet atmospheres—or planets orbiting a star other than the sun—and weather on Mars.

Read the full article on: american.edu

Author Credit: Madison Shomaker Parks

Image Credit:

Original Post Date: 12.2.25

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MSU Billings faculty members Heather Slezak, (far left) and Elaine Westbrook stand with MSUB elementary education students Abagail Nagel and Sami Fusco when they presented their project “Drone On!” at the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Francisco. The event is one of the world’s leading showcases for creators, innovators, and DIY enthusiasts. Nagel (second from right above) was recently selected as a Montana Space Grant Consortium Student Ambassador.
 by Caitlin Milera

Montana Space Grant Selects Student Ambassador for 25-26 Year

Montana State University Billings elementary education major Abagail Nagel has been selected as a Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Student Ambassador for the 2025–26 academic year. This prestigious statewide role is designed to engage promising STEM-focused students in public outreach, NASA engagement, and science communication.

As an MSGC Student Ambassador, Nagel will train and deliver Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) presentations to K–12 schools, youth programs, and community groups across Montana. SPOT provides free, interactive presentations highlighting current NASA missions, space science discoveries, Earth-observing initiatives, and Montana’s growing role in aerospace and remote sensing research.

A senior from Laurel, Nagel has been a research intern under Dr. Elaine Westbrook, assistant professor of science education in the College of Education at MSU Billings. Westbrook said Nagel has contributed significantly to the design and facilitation of STEM drone camps for youth in grades 3-12. Due to those experiences, “Drone Academies” have launched across the state — including one at Salish Kootenai College — and other collaborations have started at with other tribal and community colleges.

Read the full article on laureloutlook.com

Original Post Date: 12.1.25

Author Credit: MSU Billings News

Image Credit: MSU Billings

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The App State student recipients of 2024–25 North Carolina Space Grants, from left to right: junior Cooper Brown, senior Hailey Church and senior Cade Tischer. Photos submitted
 by Caitlin Milera

North Carolina Space Grant Awards Three Appalachian State University Students Research Funding

BOONE, N.C. — Three Appalachian State University students have received North Carolina Space Grants to conduct science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research in the 2024–25 academic year.

North Carolina Space Grants are funded by NASA and have been administered by North Carolina State University since 1991. Awards benefit undergraduate students as they perform research on App State’s campuses, or at industrial sites or government facilities. The grants also provide students with opportunities to develop relationships with university mentors and NASA experts.

App State’s 2024–25 North Carolina Space Grant recipients:

  • Cooper Brown, a junior ecology, evolution and environmental biology major from Holly Springs, who is researching greenhouse gasses in Southern Appalachian ponds.
  • Hailey Church, a senior cellular/molecular biology major from Boone, who is also researching greenhouse gasses in Southern Appalachian ponds.
  • Cade Tischer, a senior applied physics major from Cary, who is researching measurements of humidity to predict aerosol liquid water content.

Each student will receive one year of funds to supplement and enhance their research, culminating in a final report and poster presentation to the North Carolina Space Symposium in spring 2025.

Read the full article on today.appstate.edu. (Original Post Date: Sept. 20, 2024)

Author Credit: By Lauren Gibbs and Brian Miller

Image Credit: North Carolina Space Grant Consortium

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 by Caitlin Milera

College of the Canyons Awarded NASA Funds to Participate in Space Grant’s HASP & RockSat X

The College of the Canyons Aerospace and Science Team has received a $300,000 grant from NASA’s Mentoring and Opportunities in STEM with Academic Institutions for Community Success program, which aims to expand student access to research opportunities in science and space engineering, as well as to NASA’s workforce.

The two-year grant will provide mentorship and advisor support to approximately 80 COC students, with approximately 40 opportunities for student stipends to participate in more in-depth mentorship opportunities for student leaders working on development for NASA mission projects.

The funding will also go toward establishing at least four NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory internship opportunities for COC students.

“This grant will bring enhanced recognition at our college of our participation with NASA, increase advertising to students so more students are made aware of the opportunity to participate with NASA, and lead the way to a sustainable program at our college,” Teresa Ciardi, who teaches physical science and astronomy at COC and is the AST faculty advisor, said in a news release. “We are excited to partner with JPL, (which)will provide valuable internship experience that would not have been possible without this grant. We are all excited for this next level of experience for our students to participate with NASA.”

Through this project, COC will partner with NASA JPL and California Institute of Technology to engage students in astrophysics research. A dedicated research and prototyping center workspace will also be established on campus.

Read the full article on signalscv.com. (Original Post Date: Sept. 28, 2024)

Author Credit: Signal News Room News Release

Image Credit: The Signal / Santa Clarita Community College, College of the Canyons

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