{"676494":{"#nid":"676494","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Centers Supported by the Space Research Initiative","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAcross Georgia Tech, researchers are exploring the universe \u2014 its origins, possible futures, and humanity and Earth\u2019s place in it. These investigations are the efforts of hundreds of astrobiologists, astrophysicists, aerospace engineers, astronomers, and experts in space policy and science fiction \u2014 and all of this work is brought together under the Institute\u2019s new\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 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.\u0026nbsp;As a budding\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/interdisciplinary-research-institutes\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (IRI), the SRI currently encompasses three core centers that contribute distinct interdisciplinary perspectives to space exploration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cstar.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Space Technology and Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Center for Space Technology and Research (CSTAR) is a hub dedicated to furthering the expansion of Georgia\u2019s aerospace industry, which is already\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/11\/peaches-satellites?utm_source=coe_homepage\u0026amp;utm_medium=web\u0026amp;utm_campaign=newsfeed\u0022\u003Ethe state\u2019s No. 1 economic driver\u003C\/a\u003E. The center\u0027s team at Georgia Tech conducts cutting-edge research in fields such as astrophysics, Earth science, planetary science, robotics, space policy, space technology, materials science, and space systems engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSTAR boasts a collaborative network of more than 100 Georgia Tech faculty members and research staff, supported by annual funding exceeding $20 million. Its contribution to space research is highlighted by its active multiyear research grants totaling over $100 million. Each year, CSTAR also contributes to the academic community with around 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and provides mentorship to dozens of graduate and undergraduate students, shaping the next generation of space research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMembers of CSTAR have contributed to a variety of spaceflight projects, from observing the atmosphere of Jupiter, to creating carbon nanotube-based technology on CubeSats, to building an innovative, dual-use antenna that is simultaneously a critical life-saving handrail and a radio emitter inside an airlock on the International Space Station. Several examples of this research will soon be part of a new permanent display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe work done by the Georgia Tech research community in space is phenomenal,\u201d said CSTAR Director Jud Ready. \u201cWe have worked on the International Space Station, launched numerous free-flying CubeSats in low Earth orbit, as well as our current crowning achievement, the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat, which is the world\u2019s only heliocentric spacecraft currently owned and operated by an academic institution that recently demonstrated planetary optical navigation techniques for the first time, by any organization \u2014 including NASA.\u201d Future missions include materials demonstrations on a lunar lander, as well as additional orbital activities of both the Earth and moon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe SRI will increase our reach and impact over and above these prior activities by at least an order of magnitude,\u201d he said. \u201cI am excited for what the future holds for Georgia Tech students, faculty, and research partners as a result of this new organization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/w-jud-ready\u0022\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAssociate Directors:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/morris-cohen\u0022\u003EMorris Cohen\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/jennifer-glass\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Relativistic Astrophysics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (CRA) is housed within the College of Sciences\u2019 School of Physics. The center\u2019s mission is to provide students with education and training in the key research areas of astroparticle physics, theoretical astrophysics, and gravitational wave astrophysics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECRA researchers study the breadth of space, ranging from the early universe\u2019s large-scale structure to particle interactions. They also study black holes and the merger of compact objects, the potential outcome of the evolution of stellar binary systems, and \u2014 closer to home \u2014 exoplanets and stars found in the Milky Way. Of \u003Ca\u003Eparticular strength\u003C\/a\u003E are computational astrophysics and multi-messenger astrophysical studies with neutrinos, photons, and gravitational waves.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, CRA researchers actively participate in major international collaborations, such as the operations and development of existing and future detectors, including the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the LIGO and LISA gravitational wave observatories, X-ray observatories NuSTAR and Athena, and gamma-ray detectors VERITAS and CTA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBringing together all space research under a single umbrella will be a huge boon to the CRA\u2019s research efforts and visibility,\u201d said John Wise, CRA director. \u201cI am excited about the opportunities the SRI will bring forth within such a collaborative environment, especially the prospect of Georgia Tech leading a space mission that can test the theoretical work performed within the CRA.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/john-wise\u0022\u003EJohn Wise\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssociate Director:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/tamara-bogdanovic\u0022\u003ETamara Bogdanovi\u0107\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Astrobiology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAstrobiology research at Georgia Tech, which includes experts in biochemistry, physics, aerospace engineering, planetary science, and astronomy, as well as others, seeks to answer these age-old questions: What is the origin of life? Does life exist on other worlds?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s astrobiology community includes students, staff, and faculty across campus, the educational curriculum, the Exploring Origins student-run group, an astrobiology fellows program, and keystone events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany globally recognized researchers in this field are at Georgia Tech, and their recent discoveries hint at the potential for life on Mars and ocean worlds like Europa. Astrobiology at Tech brings together these faculty with scholars in the humanities and social sciences to share their research with the public and give it a broader cultural context.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.eas.gatech.edu\/graduate-certificate\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Astrobiology Graduate Certificate Program\u003C\/a\u003E, an interdisciplinary initiative across several Schools and Colleges, is designed to broaden student participation in astrobiology. An undergraduate minor is in development. The purpose of these programs is to expand opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the main reasons I came to Georgia Tech in 2020 is its vibrant astrobiology program,\u201d said Christopher E. Carr, co-director of Georgia Tech Astrobiology. \u201cIt\u2019s a true pleasure to have such amazing colleagues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECo-directors: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003EFrances\u0026nbsp;Rivera Hern\u00e1ndez\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/christopher-e-carr\u0022\u003EChristopher E. Carr\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Space Research Institute is the hub of all things space-related at Georgia Tech, and it includes three core centers contribute distinct interdisciplinary perspectives to studying space.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Space Research Institute is the hub of all things space-related at Georgia Tech, and it includes three core centers contribute distinct interdisciplinary perspectives to studying space."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2024-09-03 19:57:25","changed_gmt":"2024-09-03 21:16:47","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674803":{"id":"674803","type":"image","title":"Space Research Initiative Centers Image","body":null,"created":"1725394601","gmt_created":"2024-09-03 20:16:41","changed":"1725394782","gmt_changed":"2024-09-03 20:19:42","alt":"Three photos in hexagons - one group photo outside, one seminar presentation, and one of someone in a lab.","file":{"fid":"258366","name":"Centers-feature-image.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/03\/Centers-feature-image.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/03\/Centers-feature-image.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1324861,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/03\/Centers-feature-image.png?itok=oM_7ZFLv"}}},"media_ids":["674803"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaurie Haigh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}