This ambitious project received a substantial $200 million in taxpayer-funded backing from Texas legislators, and on Wednesday, the Texas A&M’s board of regents approved the creation of the Texas A&M Space Institute to spearhead it.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston specializes in near-Earth zero-gravity environments. Yet future missions have been centered on lunar landings and the exploration of deep space, including Mars.
“A surface mission needs a different kind of facility,” explained Rob Ambrose, a Texas A&M professor in mechanical and aerospace electrical engineering, according to the Houston Chronicle. “If we did nothing, maybe some other organization, maybe far away from Texas, would go build that facility. And then they would be the center of activity for the next generation.”
As reported in The Dallas Express, NASA’s Artemis III mission slated for 2027 will be the first manned mission to the Moon since 1972.
The Artemis program is laying the groundwork for manned missions to Mars by building a space station in lunar orbit and a Moon base.
In order to land astronauts on the red planet within the next few decades, NASA has joined forces with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft.
Texas A&M hopes to provide relevant training programs to ensure that Texas remains at the forefront of future space missions, whether civil, commercial, or military. For instance, training for lunar landing missions would want to mirror low-level gravity and extreme lighting conditions.
In line with this objective, the Texas A&M Space Institute will operate under the leadership of Nancy Currie-Gregg, an esteemed former NASA astronaut and Texas A&M professor.
Using the breadth of her experience, the aim is to conduct applied research and develop cost-effective, operational, and manufacturable projects.
This could involve designing a training program involving a machine to mimic the Moon’s reduced gravity and developing equipment that can stand up to tough conditions in new environments.
For instance, a unique aspect of the Moon is its lighting. At the lunar South Pole, the sun remains low, casting blinding light in one direction and long shadows in the other.
This is where the NASA missions intend to land, meaning lighting — as Currie-Gregg stressed — will present an enormous challenge.
“I can’t tell you how important that is as an operator and how much it can affect operations,” she added.
Texas A&M has proposed securing a 32-acre space within NASA’s available 240-acre Exploration Park for the new institute. It is ideally situated next to the Johnson Space Center.
“The Texas A&M Space Institute will make sure the state expands its role as a leader in the new space economy,” John Sharp, Texas A&M chancellor, said in a news release announcing the project. “No university is better equipped for aeronautics and space projects than Texas A&M.”