On September 5, more than 130 space researchers gathered for the Space Research Institute’s (SRI) inaugural meeting, held in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. The event drew a standing-room-only crowd, with attendees from across all of Georgia Tech’s colleges. This marked the SRI’s first major convening since its launch on July 1, offering a platform to discuss its vision and bring Georgia Tech’s space research efforts into closer conversation.

That vision builds on work already reshaping the field. Across campus, Georgia Tech researchers are imaging black holes with unprecedented clarity, flying CubeSats in heliocentric orbits that now trail closer to Venus than Earth to test optical navigation. They are also sending solar cells to the International Space Station, exploring Jupiter, and, this fall, bringing the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium Fall meeting to campus. 

“That breadth is what makes Georgia Tech’s space community so strong,” said Julia Kubanek, vice president for interdisciplinary research. “We have experts in aerospace and biology, in materials and planetary science, in public policy and even researchers who study space through fiction — all taking on some of the most complex challenges of our time. SRI gives us a framework to support that work more deliberately, connecting researchers across colleges and disciplines and aligning with Georgia Tech’s broader vision for research, education, and innovation.” 

Jud Ready, director of SRI, opened the session with an overview of the SRI’s goals and near-term plans. He emphasized how SRI will play a role in advancing several of Georgia Tech’s four big bets, including expanding research impact, increasing educational access, bringing value to students and strengthening the Institute’s role as a national hub for innovation. 

At the center of that effort is also the newly announced Centers, Programs, and Initiatives (CPI) program, which aims to support faculty pursuing shared research directions.  

“Georgia Tech has people already working on everything from sensors and propulsion systems to space policy, design, and sustainability," said Ready. “We’re geared towards linking that work early and giving teams the resources to go after the really big questions.” 

Ready noted that the meeting would be the first of many community-building events hosted by SRI in the coming year, aimed at fostering dialogue and identifying opportunities for collective work. 

“Most people don’t recognize that they use space in their everyday lives nearly every second of every day.  The opportunities for space-based education, R&D, and commercialization are literally infinite,” said Ready. “It’s exciting to be at Georgia Tech where we play a key role in pushing the frontiers of space, and what that could mean for this generation and future ones.” 

Faculty interested in future events or proposal opportunities can visit space.gatech.edu or sign up for the SRI mailing list. To view the meeting recording, click here.