UA Space Forum joins science, commerce and defense

For Tucson, the University of Arizona’s growing role in space could mean more than discoveries about distant planets. The university is working to connect its long standing expertise in astronomy, spacecraft and planetary exploration with commercial companies and national defense interests. Those connections were a focus this week at the Space Horizons Forum, held at the Ventana Canyon resort, where researchers, industry representatives and defense figures considered how space technology can serve several purposes at once.

The University of Arizona has developed a reputation for building sophisticated satellites and space probes, as well as operating powerful telescopes. Much of that work has been aimed at understanding the universe, from planets and stars to the origins of the materials that make life possible. As space becomes increasingly important to private business and military operations, university leaders are looking for ways to extend that scientific foundation into new areas without abandoning the research that made it valuable.

Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who participated in the forum, pointed to the potential defense value of Arizona’s astronomical capabilities. He said the university’s telescopes are among the best available for observing objects in space. Their work can identify planets, stars and galaxies, but it can also help detect objects that might pose a security concern and evaluate what those objects are doing. That ability to observe and assess activity beyond Earth is part of the broader shift in how governments view space.

The military already depends on space for surveillance, navigation and communications. The forum’s emphasis on bringing science, business and defense together reflects the growing overlap among those uses. Equipment and techniques originally developed for exploration can also support security missions, while defense needs can create demand for new technologies. For the University of Arizona, the challenge is to find ways for its researchers and potential commercial partners to work across those fields.

That connection is also visible in the changing space economy. Companies that once primarily served as contractors for NASA are increasingly pursuing business opportunities of their own. Some are exploring ways to use resources found beyond Earth, creating a possible market for spacecraft and tools that can locate, collect and return material from asteroids or other bodies.

Dante Lauretta, the University of Arizona scientist who led the OSIRIS REx mission, offered a direct example of how commercial activity could benefit research. The mission collected a sample from an asteroid and returned it to Earth for analysis. Scientists learned from that material that asteroids may contain some of the chemical ingredients associated with the building blocks of life. The mission also improved understanding of how researchers might respond to asteroids that could threaten Earth.

Lauretta said the same technology used to collect asteroid material could eventually support private companies seeking valuable metals. He is working with one asteroid mining company and sees a potential arrangement in which commercial missions retrieve material for profit while also returning samples that scientists can study. In his view, a business incentive could lead to more material being brought back to Earth and create additional opportunities for scientific research.

The university’s space ambitions extend well beyond asteroid exploration. Erika Hamden, who leads the Arizona Space Institute, is involved in projects that investigate the universe at very different scales. Pandora is designed to help researchers study planets outside the solar system. Another effort, known as PUFFINS, examines dust between the stars, including the tiny particles that can contribute to the formation of much larger planets. These projects represent the basic research side of the university’s space work, driven by questions that do not necessarily have an immediate commercial or military application.

Hamden emphasized that practical goals are not the only reason people continue to explore space. She described the desire to understand the cosmos as a basic human impulse, one that existed long before electric lights made the night sky harder to see. People have always looked upward and wondered about the points of light above them. For Tucson, the forum underscored that this curiosity remains central even as the university seeks stronger ties with companies and national security organizations. The University of Arizona is trying to position its space expertise to support discovery, potential commercial activity and protection, while keeping the pursuit of knowledge at the center of its work.