World Space Week, held every year Oct. 4-10, commemorates two events in the global history of space exploration:
- Oct. 4, 1957: Launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, thus opening the way for space exploration
- Oct. 10, 1967: The signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
The observance is intended to educate people about the benefits of space research and education while fostering international cooperation.
In honor of World Space Week, check out these contributions to space education, research and exploration from The University of Alabama.
Learning about our Solar System
Dr. Hunter Waite in the department of physics and astronomy studies the composition of the atmospheres of Saturn and Jupiter and of their moons. Waite continues to conduct research with data from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and the Juno mission to Jupiter. He is also
the science lead for the mass spectrometer on the NASA Clipper mission, which is on its way to the Jupiter moon Europa to study the habitability of its large interior ocean and arrives early in the next decade.
Dr. Rohan Sood, in the department of aerospace engineering and mechanics, focuses on advancing spacecraft trajectory design through innovative solutions for space exploration and mission design. As part of the NASA-sponsored Icy Worlds Missions Award, his lab — the Astrodynamics and Space Research Laboratory — developed the Astrodynamics Software and Science Enabling Toolkit, a platform designed to help bridge the gap between what researchers envision and what engineers can deliver for space missions. The toolkit is now used by multiple NASA centers, federally funded entities, and other universities. In addition, his lab supports the U.S. Space Force, Air Force, and small businesses nationwide, contributing to a wide range of space innovation efforts.
Planet Hunters
Dr. Samuel Grunblatt and Dr. Katia Matcheva focus their research on the detection and study of planets outside our solar system. But don’t think of them as star gazers.
“Modern astronomy is highly computational,” Matcheva said. “It involves a lot of high-level statistics and mathematics.”
She uses a wide range of theoretical, statistical and computational tools to extract information about planets’ chemical composition and physical parameters using spectroscopic observations made with space and ground telescopes.
Grunblatt hopes to tease out hints of our system’s future by better understanding sub-giant and red giant stars, which he says represent the distant but inevitable future of our own Sun.
“I think one of the most pressing questions facing scientists who study space is understanding whether our solar system is unique,” he said.
With the aid of the James Webb telescope, he hopes scientists will be able to learn more about the atmospheres of other Earth-like planets, and, ultimately, whether the conditions that formed Earth are typical or rare in the greater universe.
Image credit: Roberto Molar Candanosa/Johns Hopkins University
Opportunities for Students
UA students interested in the universe have many ways on campus to learn and to advance their future careers.
UASPACE is a student club that builds satellites as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. In the program, satellites built by students get to hitch a ride on a NASA launch. It’s a hands-on opportunity for students to experience actual flight hardware design, development and building experience. Students in the club are now working on BAMA-2, expected to launch in late 2026.
UA is also home to a rooftop observatory, shown above, at Gallalee Hall, which houses the physics and astronomy department. Even space enthusiasts outside the department can attend the astronomy group’s public nights to appreciate the grandeur of the observable universe.