Lisa Yaszek, Regents’ Professor of Science Fiction Studies, shares her insights on Georgia Tech’s recent event, Spacefunk! A Science Fiction Reading Meet ‘N’ Greet.
Author: mbabcock9
How might the outcome of the upcoming presidential election shape the future of space policy?
Thomas G. Roberts, a postdoctoral fellow in International Affairs at Georgia Tech explained it to The Conversation.
School of Physics Announces Two New Academic Programs
Minor in Quantum Sciences and Technology (Available Now!)
In response to the explosion of research, development, investment, and employment opportunities in quantum information science taking place across academia, national labs, and private industry, the Georgia Tech School of Physics is now offering a new undergraduate Minor in Quantum Sciences and Technology.
Major in Astrophysics (Coming Summer 2025!)
The Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics degree provides comprehensive and rigorous training in the fundamental physical processes and laws that govern planetary systems, stars, galaxies and the Universe as a whole. In addition to these core topics, the degree includes training in computational techniques and data analysis that can be applied to a variety of disciplines.
To learn more about the new major and minor, and to see the required coursework, view the full story here.
Research Centers Supported by the Space Research Initiative
Across Georgia Tech, researchers are exploring the universe — its origins, possible futures, and humanity and Earth’s place in it. These investigations are the efforts of hundreds of astrobiologists, astrophysicists, aerospace engineers, astronomers, and experts in space policy and science fiction — and all of this work is brought together under the Institute’s new Space Research Initiative (SRI).
The SRI is the hub of all things space-related at Georgia Tech. It connects research institutes, labs, facilities, Schools, and Colleges to foster the conversation about space across Georgia and beyond. As a budding Interdisciplinary Research Institute (IRI), the SRI currently encompasses three core centers that contribute distinct interdisciplinary perspectives to studying space.
To learn about all of the research centers supported by the SRI, and to read the full story, click here.
Space missions are getting more complex
“Most space mission systems historically have used one spacecraft designed to complete an entire mission independently. Whether it was a weather satellite or a human-crewed module like Apollo, nearly every spacecraft was deployed and performed its one-off mission completely on its own.”
To learn more, you can read the full story here.
A Yellow Jacket on Mars
A Georgia Tech alum has emerged after living in a simulated Mars habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for the past year.
How can there be ice on the Moon?
Have you ever wondered how there can be ice on the moon? Nine-year-old Olaf from Hillsborough, North Carolina, asked Curious Kids this question, and members of Georgia Tech’s Space Research Initiative — Glenn Lightsey, Thomas Orlando, and Frances Rivera-Hernández — had the answer.
Hirabayashi Chosen by NASA to Join European Space Agency’s Planetary Mission to Study Results of Asteroid Deflection
Masatoshi (Toshi) Hirabayashi, an associate professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, has been selected by NASA’s Hera Participating Scientist Program (HERA-PSP) to join the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission. Together, with an international consortium of 11 other scientists, Hirabayashi will perform a multi-faceted, detailed, post-impact study of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The DART mission was led by the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory.
The DART mission targeted the binary asteroid system where Dimorphos (the smaller secondary) orbits Didymos (the larger primary), to intentionally cause a spacecraft crash on Dimorphos. The collision, which occurred on September 26, 2022, was the first to demonstrate asteroid deflection by changing the asteroid’s motion in space through kinetic impact. Astronomers monitored this event using ground- and space-based telescopes like the Hubble Telescope (HST). A recent Nature article, “Ejecta, From the DART-Produced Active Asteroid Dimorphos,” on which Hirabayashi is a co-author, documented HST’s detailed observations of the intense dust ejection generated by the impact.
Read the full story here.
EAS Specially Invited Speaker Dr. Winslow
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 from 11:00am to 12:00pm in ES&T L1118.
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the primary drivers of adverse space weather at Earth. Their interactions with large-scale solar wind structures can significantly alter their properties during propagation, increasing their complexity and making space weather forecasting more challenging. To improve predictions at Earth, it is crucial to study CMEs near the Sun, in their early evolutionary phases, and track their progression through the heliosphere. So, what does this have in common with space weather at Mercury? The answer lies in a unique dataset from the MESSENGER mission. I will discuss how we have used MESSENGER data, along with observations from other spacecraft, to investigate both CME evolution and Mercury’s magnetosphere. In extreme cases, CMEs observed by MESSENGER have compressed Mercury’s dayside magnetosphere to the planet’s surface, which is an event that, to date, has not been observed in situ at any other planet. This finding also has implications for close-in exoplanetary systems. Overall, the high frequency of CME encounters during MESSENGER’s four-year mission has enabled both individual case studies and statistical analyses of space weather effects on Mercury, as well as extensive research on CME evolution. I will summarize these findings and provide an outlook on current and future research using datasets from Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, along with upcoming mission opportunities.
*Refreshments: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM (ES&T L1118)
View the event here.
Yuri’s Day
Monday April 14, 2025 from 8:30am to 4:30pm at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center. Join members of the Space Research Initiative for the 2025 Yuri’s Day Symposium at Georgia Tech, where we celebrate the incredible research and achievements in space exploration. This event will feature talks from leading experts, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
A multidisciplinary initiative, the Space RI brings together faculty, researchers, and students from across campus who share a passion for space exploration. Their combined research explores a broad array of space-related topics, all considered from a human perspective.
Seating is limited. To request a seat, please fill out the request form. Please note that your seat is not guaranteed until you receive a confirmation email from our team. We will send you an email once your registration has been processed and your seat is confirmed.
View the full event listing here.
Tentative Agenda
8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. | Networking, coffee, and continental breakfast |
9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Welcome remarks and Update on Space Research InstituteSpeakers: Tim Lieuwen, Julia Kubanek, Glenn Lightsey, Mariel Borowitz, and Jennifer Glass |
9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Session 1: Space Policy at Georgia Tech Panel Speakers: Mariel Borowitz and panel |
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Break |
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Session 2: Commercialization and Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech Speakers: Jonathan Goldman and panel |
11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Session 3: GTRI space poster session and Lunch |
12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Keynote speaker: Griff Russell, President, Gryphon Effect, LLC (formerly at SpaceX) |
1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Break |
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Session 4: Human Space Initiative in the State of Georgia Speakers: Thom Orlando and panelists |
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Session 5: Fire and Ice: Earth Analog Studies Speakers: Frances Rivera-Hernandez and panel |
3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. | Session 6: Student organizations Speakers: Glenn Lightsey and panel |
4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Closing remarks and look ahead |
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Social Hour and NetworkingBoho Taco |