Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti and Dr. Chip Manchester, of the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, were quoted in an article in Futurity with the headline “Solar sail probe could detect space tornadoes earlier.” | October 8, 2025
Tag: space
“Earth Has a Space Tornado Problem”
Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, a research faculty member at U-M Climate and Space, was featured in the article, “Earth has a space tornado problem” for Popular Science. The article highlights how solar storms can cause their own kinds of havoc, just like severe thunderstorms on Earth. | October 6, 2025
We Need a Solar Sail Probe to Detect Space Tornadoes Earlier, More Accurately, U-M Researchers Say
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.
Frontier No More? Michigan Engineers Work on Solutions for Space Debris
Researchers at U-M and elsewhere are working to keep space safe for future generations. They’re developing solutions that could enable tracking of microscopic fragments and designing forecasting tools that could more accurately track active satellites during space weather events.
B-SPICE Raises TRL of the Spacecraft-Charging Mitigation Scheme, Operating in a Space Environment
Omar León, an Assistant Research Scientist at the U-M Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, talks more about the launch of the B-SPICE mission from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on November 23, 2024.
The People Behind SPAR: Tate Gill
Tate Gill, an assistant research scientist within the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL), has taken on the technical leadership role as head of the institute’s propulsion division. Since receiving a $35 million award from the USSF University Consortium in late 2024, the University of Michigan has continued to lead one of the nation’s largest efforts to advance space power and propulsion through Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience (SPAR) Institute.
“Spacecraft Equipped with a Solar Sail Could Deliver Earlier Warnings of Space Weather Threats to Earth’s Technologies”
Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, a research faculty member at U-M Climate and Space, was featured in the article, “Spacecraft Equipped with a Solar Sail Could Deliver Earlier Warnings of Space Weather Threats to Earth’s Technologies” for The Conversation. The article highlights how solar sails, as deployed in the SWIFT mission, could improve protections against space Continue Reading »
“It Happened at Michigan: U-M Alum Was First American to Walk in Space”
In an article for The University Record, Edward H. White II, a 1959 graduate of the University of Michigan, was featured about being the first American to walk in space. His story was featured in the article “It Happened at Michigan: U-M Alum was First American to Walk in Space.” | June 23,
NASA Announces Lepri Will Serve as SunRISE Mission Lead
In June, NASA announced that Professor Sue Lepri, who works as the director of the Space Physics Research Laboratory and a professor at the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space and Engineering, is taking over as the Principal Investigator of the SunRISE Mission, or the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment.
Professors from U-M Law and U-M Aerospace Co-Instruct Course on Removing Space Debris
The Problem Solving Initiative (PSI) course series, where students from a variety of academic backgrounds come together and learn how to collaborate and solve problems, recently drew its latest iteration to a close with an end-of-semester presentation and forum.
This semester’s PSI was co-taught by U-M Law School Professor Donald Moore and U-M Aerospace Engineering Assistant Professor Oliver Jia-Richards and covered the topic of how to handle and remove debris from space.