NASA Agreement Increases UA Space Presence

The University of Arizona recently signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA's Johnson Space Center, allowing the university to be substantially involved in human spaceflight expeditions. The agreement will foster joint research activities and technology transfer in a variety of disciplines, including aerospace engineering. 

"The University of Arizona is renowned for its space-related research and has participated in numerous NASA missions," said AME professor of practice Betsy Cantwell, UA senior vice president for research and innovation.

Cantwell met with Vanessa E. Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, in March to formally put the agreement into effect. The agreement will also allow UA students unique opportunities to collaborate with NASA's best minds and participate in various educational outreach activities, such as mentorships and internships related to human spaceflight and the technical aspects of supporting humans in orbit and beyond. They will be exposed to the challenges of human spaceflight and the system-focused thinking required to solve those challenges to deliver the lowest risk profile for spaceflight activities.

"At NASA's Johnson Space Center, we are eager to meet the exciting challenges of the future exploration missions and keep the core capabilities of our center functional to accomplish the next generation of human spaceflights," said Wyche. "This partnership will allow for collaboration in vital research, technology development initiatives and to build the student recruiting talent pipeline from the university to NASA."