Arizona State University NewSpace

Arizona State University NewSpace is a university initiative in Tempe, Arizona. It links academic space research with commercial space companies, using the university's strengths in space science, engineering and education.

The initiative is called the ASU Space Technology and Science Initiative. Its mission is to build partnerships between the university and next-generation, non-governmental space exploration and technology companies. These partnerships open new research paths and new chances for student involvement.

The program works in three steps. First, it explores the NewSpace sector and looks for ways to work with industry. Next, it leads by setting shared engineering, business and science goals and by building ties between companies and university researchers. Finally, it helps create research partnerships that draw on many fields.

NewSpace can work with partners on many kinds of projects and at many stages. Topics include spacecraft, communications, CubeSats and planetary science. The team helps faculty and companies prepare proposals for federal research funding. It also helps partners reach test facilities and connects students with industry.

Space study at the university is spread across many academic units. These include the School of Earth and Space Exploration, the School of Life Sciences and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. More than 240 space investigators work across these units, including astronomers, geologists, engineers, physicists and biologists. The university has led major NASA technology, robotics and planetary science missions.

NewSpace is a founding partner of the MILO Institute, which aims to provide affordable, accessible space science. It also runs the Planet Labs Incubator at ASU, which gives university users access to a large Earth-observation dataset. Planet Labs collects 11 terabytes of satellite imagery each day, and its satellites orbit the Earth every 90 minutes. NewSpace is also affiliated with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.

Services

• Academic-commercial space partnerships
• Research partnership development
• Federal funding proposal support
• Student engagement with industry
• Access to test facilities
• Planet Labs Earth-observation data access