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EXPLORING
THE INFINITE, SHAPING TOMORROW
At the Â鶹´«Ã½, the sky isn’t the limit – it’s just the beginning.
Our Legacy in Space
We've been making giant leaps since before Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon, contributing critical instruments and technology needed for space exploration and discovery to the Apollo 11 mission. See how the U of A's work has led to some of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of space research.
1961
We Chose to Go to the Moon
When President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would land a man on the moon, Gerard P. Kuiper and his team at the Â鶹´«Ã½ created lunar atlases and maps that provided crucial insights into the moon's surface.
1969–1972
Apollo Missions
Â鶹´«Ã½ played a vital role in the Apollo Missions, with Lunar and Planetary Laboratory astronomer Ewen Whitaker identifying the exact location of Surveyor 3. This crucial information enabled Apollo 12 astronauts to retrieve the film canister from the spacecraft.
1990
First Moon of an Asteroid
U of A researchers analyzed images captured by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft during its flyby and helped in the discovery of Dactyl, the first moon of an asteroid.
2001
Mars Odyssey Mission & Exploration
Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) helped map Mars’ surface during the Odyssey mission, providing insights into Mars' geology and water history.
2016
OSIRIS-REx Mission
The OSIRIS-REx mission, led by U of A researchers, collected samples – for the first time ever – from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The mission has provided important insights, helping scientists understand the early solar system.
2021
First Image of a Black Hole
Â鶹´«Ã½ astronomers and the Event Horizon Telescope project played a crucial role in the historic capture of the first-ever image of a black hole – a new chapter in our understanding of the universe's most mysterious objects.
2021
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
U of A developed key technology and instruments for the James Webb Space Telescope, including the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which helps researchers study exoplanets and distant galaxies, and peer deeper into space than ever before.
Innovating the Future
Â鶹´«Ã½ is creating and conducting the tools, projects, and research that will lead to the next world-changing and space-defining discoveries. The secrets of the universe are within our reach.
Giant Magellan Telescope
Â鶹´«Ã½ is part of a global team that’s designing and building the Giant Magellan Telescope’s massive primary mirror segments. This telescope, with ten times Hubble’s resolution, will revolutionize our understanding of distant galaxies, exoplanets, and the universe’s evolution, advancing space science and the search for life.
Mapping the Moon
If you’re going to inhabit the moon, you’re going to need a map. Since the Apollo Missions, the Â鶹´«Ã½ has been at the forefront of mapping the Moon using cutting-edge technologies like ground-penetrating radar. Today, our research is guiding future lunar exploration, and identifying resources for permanent lunar habitation.
Asteroid Hunting
Through the Catalina Sky Survey, the Â鶹´«Ã½ is revolutionizing asteroid detection with its citizen science initiative, allowing volunteers to identify and log near-Earth objects that could pose an impact hazard at the Lunar and Planetary Lab in Tucson, including asteroid 2023 TW, discovered just days before it passed close to Earth.
Partnerships
When scientists, researchers, media, or even those in the entertainment industry have a question about space, they turn to the Â鶹´«Ã½ for answers. Wildcats’ reputation as leaders in space has led to collaborations in everything from satellites to streaming services.
NASA Collaboration
Â鶹´«Ã½ is consistently ranked as one of the top schools for NASA-funded activity, contributing to dozens of groundbreaking space explorations. Our faculty lead and advise on some of NASA’s most ambitious projects.
Hollywood & Science
During the making of Don't Look Up, Netflix consulted Dr. Amy Mainzer, former professor at U of A and principal investigator for NASA’s NEOWISE mission, to ensure scientific accuracy in the film’s portrayal of a comet threatening the Earth.
International Partnerships
We partner with organizations like the European Space Agency (ESA) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to provide expert guidance and collaboration on global space initiatives, contributing to global scientific advancement.
"Some of the most inspiring things and pictures that we have seen over the last couple of years have very strong roots [from the Â鶹´«Ã½]."
It Happens Here
Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s research facilities and laboratories make it possible to explore the edge of the galaxy from the Sonoran Desert.
Kuiper-Â鶹´«Ã½ Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis
Located approximately 30 feet below ground in the sub-basement of the Gerard P. Kuiper building for Space Sciences, the Kuiper Materials Imaging & Characterization Facility provides access to cutting-edge instrumentation for electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.
Center for Human Space Exploration
Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Center for Human Space Exploration conducts research to support human missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Their work focuses on space habitats, life support systems, and the long-term health of astronauts, crucial for deep-space exploration.
Applied Research Building
The ARB is a highly specialized, 89,000-square-foot facility that pairs new applied research capabilities with state-of-the-art equipment, like the Thermal Vacuum Chamber, which simulates both the pressure and temperature conditions found in space and the near space environment.
Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab
Where scientists, engineers, and technicians have developed innovations in constructing large lightweight mirrors with unprecedented surface accuracy, producing the next generation of telescopes that will revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
DISCOVER THE STARS
Understand the laws that govern the universe. Explore the boundaries of space. Discover the origins of our solar system and alien planets orbiting other stars. Enroll in one of the top academic astronomy programs in the world.
