University of Iowa Physics Department Secures £1.2 Million NASA Grant for Space Research
The University of Iowa's Physics and Astronomy Department has been awarded a grant of almost £1.2 million from NASA to further advance scientific research and the study of space equipment.
The federal funding will be used to attract and engage more students in the department, facilitate the purchase of equipment for research linked to future space missions, and support the department's "continued excellence", according to Associate Professor Casey DeRoo, the grant's principal investigator.
"This award allows us to make significant capital investments and ensure that when NASA requests specific instruments or scientific data, Iowa can respond by building the necessary hardware," DeRoo stated during a press conference on Friday.
One of the key projects funded by the grant focuses on the production of miniature "ring cores", instruments attached to "miniature spacecraft" that are considered "the future of space science," according to a UI press release.
A ring core designed and manufactured at the UI will be launched in 2025 as part of the "TRACERS" project, a £95 million NASA contract awarded to the UI's Physics and Astronomy Department in 2019. Researchers aim to improve our understanding of how "space weather" phenomena, such as solar winds, solar flares and geomagnetic storms, impact Earth's magnetosphere.
The grant will also fund the expansion of the UI's Edge of Space Academy, a two-week summer programme held in Iowa City, attracting students from across the country to design and research their own Earth or space-based missions.
A third focus area for the funding is the development of "diffraction gratings", which capture light from sources thousands of light years away. Prototypes are currently being manufactured and tested in a lab headed by DeRoo, and the awarded funding will allow for the production of more affordable components.
Miller-Meeks Champions Funding and Visits Department
U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, representing Iowa's 1st Congressional District, visited the physics department's research facilities in Van Allen Hall on Friday.
Miller-Meeks had requested the funding as one of 15 projects included in the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, an annual funding programme that allocates federal money to congressional districts. Miller-Meeks prioritises distributing these funds across all counties within the district, with Johnson County receiving a single project selection from the £23 million awarded to the 1st District.
During her tour, Miller-Meeks met with students and faculty involved in the various projects, including Professors Allison Jaynes and Jasper Halekas, Ph.D. student Cecilia Fasano and Aerospace Project Engineer Antonio Washington.
Through hands-on demonstrations, Miller-Meeks gained firsthand insights into the space-based research supported by the grant.
"I'm a visual learner, so being able to be in the classroom or lab was always important to me," Miller-Meeks stated. "I believe it's crucial to provide people with the opportunity to experience space, not just as something far away but right here, in order to attract scientists to this field."
DeRoo echoed this sentiment, referencing the UI's long-standing connection to space science, dating back over 60 years to the pioneering work of James Van Allen, who played a key role in launching the first American satellite into space.
"You encounter students who view space as a purely abstract concept," DeRoo explained. "Through the unique position of the University of Iowa and our state, we can demonstrate to them that this science was born here. Space physics originated at the University of Iowa thanks to James Van Allen's legacy. Allowing them to interact with and touch this history is truly special."
