TSGC Scholarships, Fellowship Applications Closing Soon
Texas Space Grant’s Scholarships and Fellowship applications are now open! These scholarships recognize students and encourage their consideration of studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields which will ultimately lead to careers in STEM-related fields.
Applications are due October 20th. To learn more, check out our Fellowships and Scholarships page.
Space Teams University Lunar Search & Rescue Design Challenge Applications Now Open
An incoming lunar lander has crashed and you have precious little time to mobilize all available lunar surface assets to find and rescue the crew!
Test and experience your mission in a high-fidelity lunar operations simulation using Space Teams PRO where $10,000 in prizes will be awarded to the Top Teams.
To learn more about Space Teams University or to register, click here.
Gerald Soffen Travel Grant Fund Applications
The Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund is pleased to announce the Fall 2024 Travel Grant application opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies in fields of space science and engineering.
The Travel Grant will allow for students to attend virtual or in-person professional conferences to present their research.
Applications are due October 18. Learn more here.
NASA Awards UH $1.2 Million to Strengthen Diversity in STEM and Aerospace Engineering
The award is for a project called the Partnership for Inclusivity in Engineering Education and Research for Space, also known as PIE 2RS, a synergistic collaboration between UH, UH-Clear Lake, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Boeing Company and the Greater Houston Partnership.
Read more about the project here.
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Now Accepting Internship Applications
For Summer 2025, the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command is participating in the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) to fund up to 50 interns (undergrad to graduate level) across all commands.
Applications close on November 1, 2024. Learn more here.
What’s the REASON for Europa?
NASA’s first mission to study Jupiter’s moon Europa launches in a week, but what exactly is the purpose of the Europa Clipper? Currently set as NASA’s largest planetary mission spacecraft, the Europa Clipper has nine scientific instruments – one of them even including a piece of Texas onboard.
The search for extraterrestrial life is a herculean feat. However, scientists can use one set of criteria that causes for life to thrive on Earth within our solar system to narrow that search. Scientists believe that Jupiter’s moon Europa has the key ingredients for life: water, energy, and essential chemical building blocks.
The Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) will use radio waves to give measurements of Europa’s ice shell surface and subsurface structure. The instrument was developed by the University of Texas’ Institute of Geophysics’ Donald Blankenship and engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab with the University of Iowa.
REASON will use radio waves to penetrate Europa’s ice to search for the moon’s suspected ocean, study the ice’s internal structure, measure ice thickness, and any internal bodies of water that could connect the surface to the ocean. In addition to studying Europa’s topography, REASON will search Europa’s ionosphere for signs of plume activity and surface roughness to identify potential landing sites for a future Europa Lander.
“Europa has always been special,” said Blankenship. “If you’re looking for a habitat where life may have evolved, then Europa is the place you go.”
OCT. 24, 1946
FIRST MOTION PICTURES OF EARTH ARE TAKEN
Aboard the V-2 Rocket, a 35-mm camera captured images of Earth. The rocket would crash back to Earth minutes later but the film remained intact due to its steel cassette.
OCT. 4, 1957
SPUTNIK I LAUNCHES
Sputnik I launches and becomes the first satellite to be launched by man, inaugurating the space age.
OCT. 10, 2007
FIRST FEMALE ASTRONAUT TO COMMAND THE ISS
Peggy Whitson, as part of the Expedition 16 Crew, becomes the first female astronaut to command the International Space Station.
OCT 2024
Coming Soon – Europa Clipper Launch