The NASA Parker Solar Probe, a mission led by Principal Investigator Justin Kasper of the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space, is making headlines in its “mission to touch the Sun.” The probe was featured in the article “Touching a star; NASA probe set to make record-setting solar approach!” by FOX
Kick-Off Meeting Held for the $35M U-M SPAR Institute
The five-year, $35M Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience (SPAR) Institute held its official kick-off meeting on December 4, 2024.
“Marquette High School Students Research Solar Flares”
Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, a research faculty member at U-M Climate and Space, was featured in the article, “Marquette High School students research solar flares” for Upper Michigan Source. The article highlights the importance of engaging youth in space science. | November 20, 2024
New DESI Results Weigh in on Gravity
A new study using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, has traced how this cosmic structure grew over the past 11 billion years, providing the most precise test to date of gravity at very large scales.
A New Look at Voyager 2 Data Explains One of Uranus’s Long-Standing Mysteries
The new analysis of the Voyager 2 data revealed that the odd magnetic field was caused by a rare event. Just before the spacecraft reached Uranus, the planet’s magnetic field had likely been squashed by a jet of unusually dense solar wind, as evidenced by a steady increase in solar wind pressure leading up to Voyager 2’s encounter with Uranus.
NASA AACES Initiative Calls on Electra Partnership with U-M
Electra.aero, Inc. has been awarded the first contract from NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 initiative. The award will look to Electra to develop technologies for reduced carbon emissions in commercial airliners while working alongside the University of Michigan.
“Crimson Trail Lights the Way at This U.P. Dark Sky Park”
Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, an associate research scientist at U-M Climate and Space, was featured in the article, “Crimson Trail Lights the Way at This U.P. Dark Sky Park” for MLive. The article highlights innovations in sustainable lighting for stargazing. | November 6, 2024
Seeing a Black Hole’s Jet in a New Light
By Matt Davenport, Originally published by VP for Communications-Michigan News
Research led by the University of Michigan has pored over more than two decades’ worth of data from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory to show there’s new knotty science to discover around black holes.
In particular, the study looks at the high-energy jet of particles being Continue Reading »
U-M Space Institute Supports Space Medicine at ResearchPalooza and Wins Service Award
The University of Michigan Space Institute participated at ResearchPalooza in September on the University of Michigan Medical School campus. During the event, experts from the U-M Space Institute raised awareness of existing opportunities for students, faculty, and university partners to engage in space medicine research and education.
Space Force Establishes $35M Institute for Versatile Propulsion and Power at U-M
To develop spacecraft that can “maneuver without regret,” the U.S. Space Force is providing $35 million to a national research team led by the University of Michigan. It will be the first to bring fast chemical rockets together with efficient electric propulsion powered by a nuclear microreactor.