NASA has announced a significant investment of $12 million, distributed among 12 U.S. scientific institutions, to accelerate the research and development of new technologies crucial for future lunar, Martian, and deep space exploration missions. The MUREP Space Technology Artemis Research (M-STAR) program will provide each selected institution with up to $1 million to bolster their scientific and engineering capabilities, engage students and faculty in aerospace research, and enhance their capacity to secure future grants.
Fueling Talent for Space Challenges
“We are thrilled to launch this new cohort of M-STAR researchers,” said Alicia Baturoni Cortez, MUREP Program Manager in NASA’s STEM Engagement Office. “NASA’s investment in our nation’s research institutions creates tangible opportunities for students and faculty to develop skills, knowledge, and infrastructure, while simultaneously helping NASA close technology gaps for sustained operations on the Moon, and eventually Mars.” In an era often described as a “golden age” of innovation and exploration, the M-STAR initiative supports the agency’s mission to develop advanced technologies that improve space transportation, human exploration, robotic discovery, and the burgeoning space economy.
Projects Shaping the Future
The selected scientific institutions and their key research areas include:
- California State University, Sacramento: Developing adaptive vision-language-action models for robust multi-robot collaboration in unstructured planetary environments.
- University of Central Florida, Orlando: Performing multi-filament aerothermal simulations and testing for the Artemis program.
- University of Hawaii at Manoa: Training Hawaii students for radiation instrumentation, space discovery, and exploration research (HI-STRIDE).
- University of Houston: Designing robotic deployment systems for surface operations and exploration.
- University of Texas, San Antonio: Characterizing the physical and mechanical properties of regolith under cryogenic conditions using the Mars Planetary Surface Simulant (MPS2).
- Kean University, Union, New Jersey: Integrating terrain-understanding models with robust control for autonomous path planning.
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond: Developing multifunctional Boron Nitride Nanotube (BNNT) composites for radiation and hydrogen-resistant components in nuclear thermal propulsion systems.
- Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina: Establishing a platform for research and workforce development in materials for life support systems and surface infrastructure (Project ARES).
- Howard University, Washington: Creating a heterodyne-based lunar spectrometer for local and remote sensing from mini-rovers (LumSHRS).
- Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas: Investigating functionally graded interfaces for in-situ engine component repair using directed energy and machine learning.
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque: Developing batteries and fuel cells for sustained operations on the Moon and Mars in extreme environments (POWER-Artemis).
- Fayetteville State University, North Carolina: Applying generative artificial intelligence for the development of engineering design systems for the Artemis program (Doc2Model).
These NASA-driven efforts underscore a strategic approach to cultivating a new generation of scientists and engineers, while simultaneously fostering innovative technologies critical for the success of future space missions and maintaining U.S. leadership in space.
