Tag: space

The People Behind SPAR: Tate Gill

Posted on by U-M Space Institute
PEPL
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”

Posted on by U-M Space Institute

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 »

Professors from U-M Law and U-M Aerospace Co-Instruct Course on Removing Space Debris

Posted on by U-M Space Institute
PSI
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.

Alumna Aisha Bowe Ready to Launch on Historic All-Women Space Flight

Posted on by U-M Space Institute
Aisha Bowe in Museum
Aisha Bowe, an alumna from Michigan Aerospace, is set to board the first-ever all-women Blue Origin flight, scheduled to launch on April 14, 2025. This historic flight will be Blue Origin’s 11th human space mission that will cross the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, 62 miles (100 km) above Earth.

New FireSat Set to Transform Wildfire Detection and Response

Posted on by U-M Space Institute
Chris Ruf with students
The first prototype of the FireSat constellation launched into low-Earth orbit in March, paving the way for a large network of satellites that will help enhance wildfire detection, mitigation and response around the world. The entire constellation will eventually consist of 50 satellites that will use infrared cameras to detect and track wildfires from space. They will also use a next-generation Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) receiver that can measure soil and vegetation moisture based on how the surface reflects GPS microwaves, harnessing signals already bouncing off the Earth from navigation satellites.