We are a connective tissue of passionate researchers dedicated to the advancement of space technology and innovation. We collectively push the boundaries through interdisciplinary collaborations to pursue the answers to questions that help society expand our understanding and footprint in spaces beyond Earth.
The Space Institute is the central focal point of space-related research across the entire University of Michigan campus, where faculty collaborate with colleagues from a broad range of backgrounds.
The focus of the Space Institute includes:
Conducting research from space
Designing systems to operate in space
Allowing humans to live in space
We connect beyond the traditional departmental boundaries, interacting with people of diverse backgrounds, interests, and talents. With an emphasis on education, the Space Institute serves as a common entity for connecting students with space-related courses, space-focused student groups, and faculty offering space research experiences and career-enhancing opportunities.
The Space Institute positions the University of Michigan to maintain and grow its place as a premiere institute for space-related research and education in the United States.
We empower the University of Michigan to advance its world leadership in space activities scientifically (including fundamental and applied research), technically (via engineering and project synergies), socially (emphasizing society’s reliance on space), and commercially (through innovations, innovators, workforce education and corporate partnerships).
We are comprised of:
100+ programs across campus, including:
Aerospace
Astronomy
Climate and Space Sciences
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Physics
14 Engineering disciplines (link to CoE page with all departments)
Michigan Medicine
School of Kinesiology
Law School
Ford School for Public Policy
Affiliated Labs
Center for Space Environment Modeling (CSEM)
Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems (FEPS)
Solar-Heliosphere Research Group (SHRG)
Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL)