Project Lead: Jasper Halekas
Funding Approved: Fiscal Year 22
Project Status: In Progress
Funded amount: $3.6M over three years
The Extending Iowa's Success in Space-Based Research Across Campus project has laid the groundwork for enhancing one of the university's research strengths while also increasing access to transformational educational experiences for undergraduate students.
The project draws on the expertise of faculty across multiple departments to create interdisciplinary research teams that strengthen the University of Iowa's ability to compete for NASA funding.
The project was extended for an additional year following year three but with no additional funding requested.
Activities to date:
- Instrument development for Earth and lunar science, including:
- Continued development the NightHawk instrument for fire detection and pollution monitoring
- Held bi-weekly calls with NASA Ames to develop a proposal for the next NASA Earth Venture Mission opportunity
- Developed partnerships with other institutions such as the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Colorado State University, Naval Research Lab, and US Forest Service
- Conducted a test flight in Feb. 2024 over a controlled burn in Georgia
- Collaborating with NASA Ames Research Center to prepare a NASA Earth Venture Mission proposal in 2025
- Working on instruments for NASA's Lunar Vertex mission
- Prepared prototype instrument for a future lunar lander mission
- Tested instruments using new thermal vacuum test chambers obtained for the TRACERS project
- Successful proposal on air quality monitoring and funding from NASA and NOAA
- Development and submission of several additional funding proposals
- Continued development the NightHawk instrument for fire detection and pollution monitoring
- Established new collaborations with several NASA centers
- Completed infrastructure upgrades for spaceflight capabilities
- The electromagnetic compatibility/interference test chamber, vibration table, mass properties facility and thermal test chambers, and thermal vacuum chamber are all fully operational and in use by the TRACERS project and other users.
- Created the Edge of Space Academy for undergraduate students, which provided a diverse group of students from across the country with hands-on learning experiences and guided mentorship.
- The third annual academy will take place in summer 2024.
Next Steps:
The project team received a one-year no-cost extension to further advance the development of the Earth Observing and Lunar Rover missions, as well as complete the aircraft pod development to finish modernizing the university's spaceflight capabilities. The extension will support additional flight tests, technology maturation, and proposal preparations for upcoming NASA mission opportunities. The extension will also allow for the continuation of the highly successful Edge of Space Academy, providing further hands-on learning experiences for undergraduate students.
In the News
Iowa academy inspires next wave of space researchers
Undergraduate students from across the United States came to the University of Iowa in July, enticed by the prospect of stewarding a mission to explore Earth or space. The students were the first group to enroll in a new class, called the Edge of Space Academy, offered by Iowa as another marker of its living, breathing legacy in space-based research.
NASA touches down in Iowa to talk TRACERS
Delegates from NASA visited the University of Iowa to learn about progress on TRACERS, the largest externally funded research project in institutional history. P3 funds have helped build infrastructure to support TRACERS and provide the opportunity for the university to be involved in future near-Earth and space missions.
Iowa engineering students collect data to help detect wildfires
UI engineering students, using an instrument developed as part of the Extending Space-Based Research P3 project, were invited to a US Army post in Georgia to capture data that could enhance the ability to remotely detect wildfires.
Iowa lands $1.5 million award to build advanced space equipment
The University of Iowa has been awarded nearly $1.5 million from NASA to purchase state-of-the-art equipment needed to build instruments for future missions. The funds will also provide students more opportunities to obtain the instrument-building knowledge and training for careers in space exploration through the Edge of Space Academy.
CLAS Departments Collaborate for Third Edge of Space Academy
Students from across the country traveled to Iowa City for two weeks this past summer to participate in the third year of the Edge of Space Academy, an immersive summer research experience focused on space-based instrumentation for observing Earth and space.