The Rural Institute for Space Science and Engineering integrates several existing Saint Francis programs, including near-space ballooning, Radio JOVE solar observations, CubeSat development, and STEM outreach, into a single research ecosystem where students progress from foundational learning to leadership roles on increasingly sophisticated scientific missions.
A Tiered Approach
Students and faculty are working to "observe and analyze natural radio emissions of Jupiter, the Sun, and our galaxy using their own easy to construct radio telescopes" and other equipment.
- NASA Learn More in the Radio JOVE Newsletter...
Initiated in 2023, SFU's high-altitude ballooning program has supported "the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP), [where] students gain real-world STEM experience and contribute valuable scientific and engineering data through their projects, which...[are] carried by weather balloons into the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere." The team recently joined the NASA-sponsored High Altitude Student Project.
Read about the project on SFU's blog.
The SFU CubeSat team is working to construct a small satellite, SoFIE, that will be launched into orbit around Earth. The project will study the effects of solar flare (confined and eruptive) interaction with the Earth's ionosphere. Learn More...
Image Credit: Reid Wiseman/NASA
The institute works to disseminate information about our research as well as the broader astronomy field to the public through various outreach initiatives, such as a NASA-funded mobile exhibit aimed at inspiring children’s natural curiosity about the world around them, excite the Artemis generation about space exploration, and engage them in creative thinking and problem-solving.
Earth to Moon Exhibit (developed 2023)
James Webb Telescope Community Engagement Site (2021)
Hubble Space Telescope 30th Anniversary Celebration Site (2020)
In the News:
NASA Awards Nearly $400,000 to Launch Saint Francis University Rural Institute for Space Science and Engineering Collaboration