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.
Author: mbabcock9
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 |
Astronomy Club Lets Students Share Their Passion for the Stars
To see the historic event, 50 students from Georgia Tech’s Astronomy Club traveled to Missouri to view the solar eclipse on April 8. Read the full story to learn more.
Has the James Webb Space Telescope changed astrophysics?
Professor John Wise, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, joined Neil deGrasse Tyson on a panel of leading experts at the 25th annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate. The discussion centered on how the James Webb Space Telescope has changed astrophysics. View the full story to read more!
2025 LSIC (Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium) Spring Meeting
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – Thursday, May 22, 2025. Venue: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Kossiakoff Center, Laurel, MD, (hybrid)
Technology Demonstration
There are many technology payloads headed to the Moon from our LSII/LSIC community! This is your chance to share your technologies for the Moon and eventually, Mars. LSIC is taking submissions from individuals and/or companies interested in bringing a prototype to our 2025 Spring Meeting for our technology “Show and Tell”. This provides the community an opportunity to learn more about what technologies are out there to drive partnerships and establish networks that bridge us to a sustainable existence on the Moon. To be considered for this showcase, please fill out this application, since space is limited. Please note, LSIC may not be able to accommodate all requested support items but provided infrastructure will be communicated upon acceptance. Technology demonstrators are responsible for delivering technologies to the demonstration floor, as well as removing technologies. Storing technologies (for the day of demonstration only) can be arranged in advance dependent on space available. We are only accepting prototypes carried in hand. There is no option for shipping to our facility.
Abtract Portal
The Abstract Portal is open! We invite abstracts from the community pertaining to our LSIC capability areas. This includes technical capabilities and lunar surface technology needs and assessments. If the abstract subject is related to a specific technology, we encourage the inclusion of TRL and possible infusion paths. These abstracts are due no later than March 31, 2025 at 11:59pm EDT. Abstracts are limited to one page in length and should be submitted using the template available on the 2025 LSIC Spring Meeting webpage. Accepted abstracts will be invited to participate in the poster session. To submit, please follow our 4 step process and note that compliance with the abstract template is required for acceptance.
———-PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS———-
Step 1: Download the template https://lsic.jhuapl.edu/abstractTemplate.
Step 2: Write the abstract using the format shown in the template.
Step 3: Create a PDF file.
Step 4: Fill out the electronic abstract submission form and click “Submit”.
See the event here.
Atlanta Space Fest Happy Hour
Tuesday March 18 6:00 pm at Monday Night Brewing West Midtown Rooftop. 670 Trabert Ave NW, Atlanta.
Meet fellow engineers, founders, educators, and innovators local to ATL shaping the future of the space industry
Atlanta Space Fest Happy Hour. Space Execs in Atlanta: Launch & Libations
RSVP requested.
RSVP:
Tony Sewell: tsewell@gmail.com
OR
Colin Ake: colinake@gmail.com
New Multidisciplinary Initiative Marks Golden Age for Space Research
The Georgia Institute of Technology has a long history in space research and exploration, from educating astronauts to developing and controlling spacecraft that can travel across the solar system.
Some Georgia Tech researchers solve cosmic mysteries such as how supermassive black holes were born — and others now are getting a better, sharper look at those black holes. There are investigators searching for the origins of life, and some leading multi-institutional projects exploring questions of how life evolved and about the presence of water in the lunar environment to enable the return of human explorers for a sustained period.
And that barely gets us into orbit — there’s a lot of Georgia Tech in space. Much of the work is supported by longtime Georgia Tech partners like NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense. But as space becomes more accessible, affordable, and necessary for commercial activity — and therefore more crowded — Tech is also developing expertise in space policy and business.
And now, plans are underway for the next big phase of Georgia Tech’s outer space mission with the launch of the Space Research Initiative (SRI) on campus. The SRI team will work to strengthen interdisciplinary relationships in space research at Georgia Tech, which will lead to creation of an Interdisciplinary Research Institute (IRI) by 2025.
2025 Exploration and Origins Colloquium
March 7, 2025.
The ExplOrigins early career group invites you to join the 2025 Exploration and Origins Colloquium! This colloquium will have events on two days: a poster session & social on March 6th (4:30-8pm) and talks on March 7th. We are thrilled to feature plenary talks by Dr. Penelope Boston from NASA Ames and Dr. Tony G. Chen from Georgia Tech.
Talks and the poster session will be held in person at Georgia Tech, with a virtual viewing/presenting option for talks. Our aim is to highlight early career projects that explore, conceptualize, celebrate, and discover pieces of space, life’s origins, and astrobiology from any field in the Atlanta area. Through this colloquium, we hope to:
- forge relationships between diverse individuals of various fields, experience levels and backgrounds
- expand our internal awareness of local work and innovations
- encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary understanding
- provide a professional growth opportunity for early career individuals including undergraduates, graduates, and post-docs
General registration and abstract submission are through this form. All early career individuals (graduate students, postdocs, research scientists, and more) are highly encouraged to submit abstracts, due by the end of the day February 20th. To prepare your abstract you will need a title, author/affiliation list, and one descriptive paragraph. The announcement of selected speakers and poster presentations will be made on March 1st.
Thank you for your consideration. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
The Georgia Tech Astrobiology Fellows Abby Diering, Alivia Eng, Jelis Sostre Cortés and Chloe LeCates