1. LASP designated first Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies
In May, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) designated LASP as its first Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies. This recognition highlights LASP’s pioneering work in CubeSat missions and its leadership in the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE), a global consortium aimed at advancing space science and engineering education, particularly in developing countries. The designation underscores LASP’s commitment to fostering international collaboration, scientific discovery, and training the next generation of space scientists.
2. LASP’s unique dust instrument sets sail to Europa aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft
On October 14, 2024, NASA’s Europa Clipper mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, carrying the Europa SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), a $53 million instrument designed and built at LASP. SUDA will collect and analyze particles ejected from Europa’s surface, aiming to identify their chemical composition, including potential organic molecules. This data will help assess whether Europa’s subsurface ocean could support life. Approximately 100 LASP personnel contributed to SUDA’s development, highlighting the collaborative effort behind this significant scientific endeavor.
3. LASP appoints Scott Tucker director of engineering
In August, LASP appointed Scott Tucker as its new director of engineering, succeeding the retiring Thomas Sparn. Tucker, with over two decades at LASP, has held roles including mechanical engineering lead and project manager on various NASA spaceflight instrument and technology development projects. As director, he will oversee a division of more than 250 professionals and students, managing approximately $120 million in annual revenue for advanced flight programs and missions, including spacecraft development, and an additional $10 million for advanced CubeSat programs. Tucker expressed excitement about leading innovative engineering solutions to advance space science.
4. LASP team awarded NASA technology grant to develop dust analyzer
In July, NASA awarded a $1 million grant to LASP to develop the Compact Electrostatic Dust Analyzer (CEDA). This Rubik’s cube-sized instrument, led by principal investigator Xu Wang, will measure the speed, size, and charge of tiny dust particles on small, airless bodies like asteroids and comets. Understanding dust lofting and transport on these bodies is crucial, as it can affect surface properties and potentially alter their orbital evolution. The project builds on previous work from CU Boulder’s IMPACT lab and aims to prepare CEDA for future space missions.
5. LASP scientists make unprecedented observations of the ionosphere and thermosphere during May solar superstorm
In May, an extreme geomagnetic storm—the most intense in two solar cycles—struck Earth, disrupting power grids and navigation systems worldwide. NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, managed by LASP, observed an unprecedented phenomenon: the merging of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) with auroral regions. This caused the mid-latitude ionosphere to temporarily vanish. The southern EIA crest moved poleward at about 450 meters per second, reaching higher latitudes than ever recorded. These findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, highlight the significant impact geomagnetic storms can have on Earth’s ionosphere, potentially affecting global communication and navigation systems.
6. LASP team advances in NASA DYNAMIC mission concept competition
In July, NASA awarded LASP a $2 million grant to develop a concept study for the Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (DYNAMIC) mission. Led by researcher Aimee Merkel, the LASP team is one of three selected to propose detailed plans for this mission, which aims to investigate how Earth’s lower atmosphere influences the upper atmosphere. Utilizing multiple spacecraft for simultaneous observations, DYNAMIC seeks to enhance predictions of space weather events that can disrupt critical technologies.
7. 2024 awardees chosen for the Charles A. Barth Scholarship for undergraduate space research
In September, LASP announced six recipients of the Charles A. Barth Scholarship for undergraduate space research. Established in 2013, the scholarship honors Dr. Charles A. Barth’s legacy of mentoring future space researchers.
Read more about the awardees below.
8. Fun facts about LASP’s dust instrument heading to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa
The Europa SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) is a unique instrument developed by LASP for NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. SUDA is designed to collect and analyze dust particles ejected from Europa’s surface, allowing scientists to study the moon’s composition without landing. The instrument is plated with a thin layer of 99.99% pure gold to prevent contamination and features an iridium-coated target, utilizing the hardest known metal. Notably, SUDA bears an engraving of CU Boulder’s buffalo mascot, Ralphie, and was developed with contributions from about 60 scientists and engineers, along with nearly two dozen students. During the mission, SUDA will measure the speed, direction, and composition of dust particles in Europa’s surrounding cloud, aiding in the search for potential life-supporting conditions beneath the moon’s icy crust.
9. Front Range team wins NASA Entrepreneurs Challenge with innovative idea for lunar “service station”
In April, a collaborative team from LASP, the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines was named one of eight grand-prize winners in the 2023 NASA Entrepreneurs Challenge. Their innovative concept, the Lunar Anti-Dust Microgrid, proposes a lunar service station equipped with an electron beam dust mitigation system to clean lunar vehicles and recharge their batteries. This “car wash-like” system aims to enhance the longevity of lunar rovers and mining machines by removing harmful dust and providing power, thereby supporting sustained operations in the harsh lunar environment.
10. Boulder Solar Alliance REU kicks off summer 2024 program
In June, the Boulder Solar Alliance Research Experience for Undergraduates (BSA REU) program commenced its summer session. Funded by the National Science Foundation and managed by LASP, the program offers students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in solar and space physics research under professional mentorship. This year’s cohort includes participants from the Partners Across the Sky REU program, a collaboration between Fort Lewis College and CU Boulder aimed at promoting astronomy research pathways for Native American students.
