UTEP is playing a critical role in revolutionizing deep space exploration

 

POSTED ON Aug 16, 2022

 

On Aug. 26, 2021, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) signed agreements with the U.S. Space Force. According to a UTEP press release, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the University of Texas System and Space Force provides advanced research and workforce development for the newest U.S. military branch.

UTEP and UT Austin were reportedly two of 11 universities selected to join the Space Force University Partnership Program in 2021. The institutions were selected based on a number of factors.

They include the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree offerings and space-related research laboratories and initiatives; a robust Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program; a diverse student population; and degrees and programming designed to support military, veterans and their families in pursuing higher education.

In 2009, UTEP established the Aerospace Center’s Spacecraft Design and Engineering Facility through a $5 million investment from NASA. The center, formerly known as the NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR), has evolved and is aimed at training a diverse future aerospace workforce. It received renewal grants of $5 million in 2015 and $1.5 million in 2020 due to the extraordinary progress it has made to support NASA’s mission.

During the signing event at UTEP, Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson joined UTEP President Heather Wilson, UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, and Archie Holmes Jr., The University of Texas System executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.

“At the heart of the Space Force’s University Partnership Program is the need to advance our science and technology to build the next generation of space capabilities coupled with the need to develop the workforce of the future,” Thompson said. “With a long history of leading aerospace research across the Paso del Norte region and beyond, we’re confident we can find such talent here at UTEP, at UT Austin and across the UT System.”

The challenges facing the Space Force in protecting access to space requires a workforce with a deep understanding of the domain, who also possess the creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative ability to solve problems, Thompson said. The agreement with UTEP is one way in which the Space Force is building that future workforce.

“The University of Texas at El Paso has been engaged in aerospace research for decades. We are pleased to be able to support the Space Force as they develop the capabilities to protect America’s vital national interests in space,” President Wilson said. “This agreement further establishes the greater El Paso region as a leader in space flight and aerospace research.”

UTEP is playing a critical role in deep space exploration through projects backed by multiple funding opportunities awarded to the UTEP Aerospace Center that, in turn, expose undergraduate and graduate students to unprecedented research opportunities while working toward their degrees.

Roberto Osegueda, Ph.D., vice president for research at UTEP, said the increased prominence of aerospace research, in terms of grants received and research activity, is attributable to the leadership of the units that conduct work in this field. Faculty members and campus leaders have been successful in securing larger awards from agencies such as NASA, which historically have not been a major funding source for UTEP. That is now changing due in large part to the increased aerospace research conducted at the university.

“The research environment at the university is healthy. We continue to have a lot of outstanding individuals who continue to be motivated to submit proposals, who aspire to secure more grants for their research, and that is very good to see,” Osegueda said. “Primarily, that is because we have created a very good culture of celebrating the success of our faculty in grants.”