University of Michigan Space Institute – University of Michigan Space Institute

Providing the Artemis Mission with Solar Radiation Forecasts

Posted on April 2, 2026 (April 9, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

In the Artemis II mission, NASA will test out a pair of new solar radiation forecasts, developed at University of Michigan Engineering, designed to protect astronauts venturing away from Earth. These could warn NASA of solar particle radiation hazards up to 24 hours in advance

Michigan Aerospace Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Goddard’s Rocket Launch

Posted on March 20, 2026 (March 25, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

On March 16, 2026, the U-M Department of Aerospace Engineering community came together to celebrate a momentous occasion, honoring the legacy and impact of Dr. Robert Goddard and the 100th anniversary of the launch of the first-ever successful liquid-fuel rocket.

Chris Ruf Named to the National Academy of Engineering

Posted on February 10, 2026 (February 12, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

Congratulations to Director of the U-M Space Institute, Dr. Chris Ruf, for receiving the prestigious honor of being elected to the National Academy of Engineering! This year, the NAE elected 130 new members and 28 international members, as announced on February 10th.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Features CYGNSS Mission Led by University of Michigan

Posted on January 21, 2026 (February 5, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

The CYGNSS Mission led at the University of Michigan will be exhibited in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in July. The museum will feature a replica of NASA’s CYGNSS mission in the “RTX Living in the Space Age Hall.” Named the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, CYGNSS was developed at the University of Michigan’s Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL) and the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLASP).

NASA’s SunRISE SmallSats Ace Tests, Moving Closer to Launch

Posted on January 20, 2026 (March 26, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

In a mission led by Principal Investigator Professor Sue Lepri, Ph.D., who works as the Director of the Space Physics Research Laboratory, six small satellites (or SmallSats) are moving closer to launch in the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) Mission. Under the management of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this mission will study the physics of explosions in the Sun’s atmosphere in order to gain insights that could one day help protect astronauts and space hardware from showers of accelerated particles.

Human Exploration of Mars: National Academies Give NASA Their Recommendations

Posted on December 10, 2025 (March 26, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

NASA hired the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine to identify the scientific community’s priority objectives for human study and exploration of Mars, as well as the types of measurements, samples and studies needed to complete the objectives. The Academies delivered their report to NASA in December.

Zurbuchen, Formerly of U-M, NASA, Honored by Center for Entrepreneurship

Posted on December 5, 2025 (March 26, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

The University of Michigan’s Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) honored co-founder Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, with the presentation of a new award bearing his name, as well as the renaming of the center’s long-running Friday speaker series he launched, EHour.

U-M Joins International Consortium to Design, Build MOSAIC Instrument for Extremely Large Telescope

Posted on December 1, 2025 (March 26, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

The European Southern Observatory, or ESO, has signed an agreement with a large international consortium that includes the University of Michigan for the design and construction of the Multi-Object Spectrograph, or MOSAIC.

Launching the World’s Largest Space Telescope

Posted on November 12, 2025 (February 5, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

The James Webb Space Telescope is safe from the sun’s light and heat thanks, in part, to Robby Swoish. The largest and most powerful telescope ever launched into space, Webb is designed to study galaxies so far away that their light takes 13.5 billion years to reach us. That ancient light gives us a view of our universe that dates back to the origins of the very first stars.

We Need a Solar Sail Probe to Detect Space Tornadoes Earlier, More Accurately, U-M Researchers Say

Posted on October 6, 2025 (February 5, 2026) by U-M Space Institute

Spirals of solar wind can spin off larger solar eruptions and disrupt Earth’s magnetic field, yet they are too difficult to detect with our current single-location warning system, according to a new study from the University of Michigan. But a constellation of spacecraft, including one that sails on sunlight, could help find the tornado-like features in time to protect equipment on Earth and in orbit.