As humanity persists in gazing towards the stars for fresh research and breakthroughs, the capability to conduct science and test technologies in space is crucial. Nonetheless, obstacles such as financing and access to a launch can be restrictive. Fortunately, a recent collaboration between Texas A&M University and Aegis Aerospace may enable testing of experiments in space for Aggie researchers.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has approved Texas A&M University to engage in a contract with Aegis Aerospace for the Texas A&M / Aegis Aerospace Multi-Use Space Platform Integrating Research & Innovative Technology (TAMU-SPIRIT) facility, an exterior research facility on the International Space Station (ISS) that will solely accommodate experiments from Texas A&M researchers. TAMU-SPIRIT will function as a dedicated facility for endeavors such as in-space research, testing, advanced materials production, robotics testing, as well as space surveillance and tracking technologies. Texas A&M researchers will hold exclusive priority rights to send scientific, engineering, and technological experiments for installation on the TAMU-SPIRIT Flight Facility. The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University, and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station will also contribute to the TAMU-SPIRIT project.
“The Texas A&M System is committing significant resources for the future of Texas today,” expressed Chancellor John Sharp. “This initiative aligns with our dedication to offering high-quality educational opportunities and meeting the needs of Texas residents.”
“As a space-grant institution, Texas A&M has pioneered space research and exploration for many years,” stated General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University. “Now, due to our alliance with Aegis Aerospace and the backing from Chancellor Sharp and The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the TAMU-SPIRIT Flight Facility will create pathways for Aggie researchers to expand the horizons of space innovation. Our research is already extraordinary; it is appropriate that we are making it official.”
“Now, due to our alliance with Aegis Aerospace and the backing from Chancellor Sharp and The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the TAMU-SPIRIT Flight Facility will create pathways for Aggie researchers to expand the horizons of space innovation.”
— General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University
“The TAMU-SPIRIT facility will enable Texas A&M researchers and students to create a significant influence across various fields,” remarked Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering. “With a presence on the ISS, Texas A&M will persist as a frontrunner in space research.”
To bring this facility to fruition, Texas A&M will collaborate with Aegis Aerospace to develop, integrate, deploy and manage the TAMU-SPIRIT Flight Facility. Aegis Aerospace CEO and Chairman Stephanie Murphy ’00, ’14 is a committed benefactor of Texas A&M. Aegis Aerospace has pledged financial support for this initiative, including necessary supplies and services to operate and fly Texas A&M’s scientific research, engineering studies, and technology demonstrations.
“This collaboration presents a tremendous opportunity for Texas A&M to undertake something groundbreaking,” expressed Murphy. “To my knowledge, TAMU-SPIRIT will position Texas A&M as the first university with private access to a flight facility on the International Space Station.”
To decide which experiments will be chosen for the flight facility, there will be a biannual open call for experiments. Students, faculty, and other researchers from Texas A&M will be encouraged to suggest experiments from any discipline for selection. Texas A&M engages in innovative research across a diverse range of fields, implying that the chosen experiments may originate from areas one might not typically link to space research, such as agriculture or zoology.
“Access to space is a substantial hindrance to space research, and this facility opens avenues to distinguish Texas A&M from other institutions,” said Professor John Connolly, a professor of practice in the Texas A&M University Department of Aerospace Engineering who will spearhead the TAMU-SPIRIT project for Texas A&M.
The experiments selected must fit within the pre-constructed science carriers that offer power and data storage. The experimental packages will be transported in separate sample carriers and installed robotically on TAMU-SPIRIT. The flight facility can hold up to twelve distinct science carriers at any given time, arranged in positions ranging from deep space to Earth observation. Science carriers will be returned to Earth for data evaluation and post-mission processing, granting researchers a rare chance to analyze the effects of low-Earth orbit on their experiments after their return.
The layout for the TAMU-SPIRIT Flight Facility will be based on the MISSE Flight Facility, a commercial flight facility owned and designed by Aegis Aerospace that enables researchers to obtain a spot on the experiment carrier. Since its commercial launch in 2018, MISSE has accommodated over 2,000 experiments. Murphy has consented to donate MISSE’s design to Texas A&M to provide Aggies exclusive access to this kind of facility. The flight facility is projected to take roughly two years to construct, with the goal of initiating the first experiments by 2027.
“This could not happen without the backing of Texas A&M leadership,” emphasizes Murphy. “When the concept of TAMU-SPIRIT was presented, Dr. Ivett Leyva, Dr. Robert Bishop and Chancellor John Sharp recognized the remarkable effect it would have for Aggie researchers.”
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