The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) has designated the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder a COSPAR Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies. The partnership was announced by COSPAR President Pascale Ehrenfreund at a ceremony at LASP, which was attended by University of Colorado Boulder administrators, LASP senior leadership and scientists, and representatives from industry and NASA.
“For decades, the work of the Committee on Space Research has been a critical part of the international collaborations that are necessary to advance science and develop new space disciplines,” said University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Phillip DiStefano in opening remarks at the LASP Space Technology Building. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to advance global collaboration through our work specifically with small satellites, and CU Boulder is thrilled to be recognized as COSPAR’s first Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies.”
In announcing the partnership, Ehrenfreund cited LASP’s record of pioneering CubeSat missions and its leadership in the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE), a consortium of universities around the world formed to advance space science and engineering and further space science education in developing countries, which is spearheaded by CU Boulder and led by Amal Chandran, LASP CubeSat Program lead.
“It is an honor and a privilege for LASP to be named the first COSPAR Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies,” said LASP Director Dan Baker. “With science returned on all our small satellite missions to date, and a proven record of successfully miniaturizing a range of scientific instruments, LASP has become an established leader in the SmallSat revolution. We’re dedicated to using this expertise to build small satellite capacity to further scientific discovery and train the next generation of space scientists.”
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