A team of underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ from the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ is one step closer to a potential deployment of its robotic rover to explore Mars.

“Team Robotic Space Exploration” (Team RoSE) is headed to Utah in late May to compete in the —the world’s premier robotics competition for college ߣsirÊÓƵ.

“The team was in awe of the results, but is greatly motivated to improve upon our designs to be prepared for competition in Utah,” said lead systems integrator and student Jack Saito. “With less than 60 days left, the team is hoping to guarantee the success of our systems and eliminate any risks with thorough and persistent testing.”

After submitting a preliminary design and system acceptance review, the group was one of 38 teams selected to participate in the final round. More than 100 teams entered the competition.

“The entire team was ecstatic with the results knowing all the hard work and dedication had paid off; including all members from the past three years,” said project manager and mechanical engineering student Micah Chang. “It’s a great privilege for Team RoSE to participate in this magnificent event, and the team is excited for this opportunity to interact with peers and professionals from around the globe.”

Mission to Mars

The University Rover Challenge challenges teams to design and build the next generation of Mars rovers that may one day work alongside astronauts exploring the Red Planet.

Rovers will compete in four missions:

• Science mission to investigate a site for the presence of life
• Delivery mission to deliver a variety of objects to astronauts in the field across rugged terrain
• Equipment servicing mission to perform dexterous operations on a mock lander using a robotic arm
• Autonomous navigation mission to autonomously travel to a series of locations

“I’m so incredibly proud and impressed by the achievements of this highly motivated group of ߣsirÊÓƵ,” said Frances Zhu, assistant researcher and the team’s advisor. “This underߣsirÊÓƵuate team formed just three years ago during the pandemic and now they are competing on the international stage.”

“This is the third time our ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ team has entered this very prestigious competition and the first time they were selected,” said Trevor Sorensen, specialist/project manager and the team’s advisor. “Their teamwork and engineering skills are very impressive and I believed that this team would succeed. Go ‘Bows!”

VIP project

is one of approximately 20 (VIP) at ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, which seek to foster long-term, in-depth, project-based learning to engage ߣsirÊÓƵ and better prepare them for future careers. It consists of a faculty mentor, ߣsirÊÓƵuate student researchers and underߣsirÊÓƵuates.

“Robotic Space Exploration is an ideal example of a VIP team,” said Aaron Ohta, professor and VIP program director. “They are a multidisciplinary group of extremely talented and motivated ߣsirÊÓƵ. This impressive accomplishment is a testament to their hard work and dedication.”

“This is why we encourage all our ߣsirÊÓƵ to participate in VIP,” said College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka. “It exposes them to all the skill sets they will need in their careers and life—from the technical know-how to working with others to public speaking and leadership qualities.”

—By Marc Arakaki

A satellite designed and built by a team of more than 60 ߣsirÊÓƵ and faculty from the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 21. The Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI) satellite launched aboard the SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), deployment from the ISS is expected in May. The mission is expected to last one year.

“It is so special that I was able to watch my first live rocket launch with something I helped make on board,” said Chiara Ferrari-Wong, a ߣsirÊÓƵ ߣsirÊÓƵuate research assistant who traveled to Florida to watch the launch. “The launch represented a culmination of our team’s hard work and efforts over the past few years, and will remain one of my core memories of my time at ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa. I am incredibly fortunate to have worked with the team and had the opportunity to see the spacecraft go from concept to reality.”

ߣsirÊÓƵ satellite to study volcanic activity, more

The project’s focus is to gather valuable data for understanding Earth’s surface processes, including volcanic activity, wildfires and soil-moisture levels. Led by Principal Investigator Robert Wright, director of the (HIGP), the project began in October 2018, with funding from NASA‘s In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies Program.

“We have a couple of volcanoes here within the state which regularly erupt,” said Wright. “And the kind of data that HyTI will collect will be useful to study the eruptions that happen in the future within the state of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi.”

Related story: Students, staff and faculty head to NASA launch of ߣsirÊÓƵ satellite, February 2024

The HyTI satellite, officially owned by NASA and operated by the , was selected in 2019 as part of NASA‘s CubeSat Launch Initiative, under the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program. Equipped with onboard data processing capabilities, the satellite will deliver high-resolution thermal images, surpassing the capabilities of current sensors. These images will enable scientists and disaster response managers to analyze and respond to environmental events with precision and speed.

ߣsirÊÓƵ ߣsirÊÓƵ, staff and faculty have been actively involved in the development of the HyTI satellite, including six faculty members, 15 staff, eight ߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ, two post-docs, 30 underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ and six high school interns.

In an unprecedented opportunity for hands-on involvement in space exploration, a team of ߣsirÊÓƵ and faculty from the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa are eagerly anticipating the launch of the Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI) satellite. Members of the team are preparing to travel to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the launch firsthand on March 14.

“This project has been a highly collaborative effort since its inception,” said Wright. “Many University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa ߣsirÊÓƵ, staff and faculty have been involved in the design, integration, and testing of the satellite. We are thrilled to watch the HyTI satellite launch into space and begin the next phase of processing high-resolution thermal images.”

“Being a part of the development for the HyTI satellite with HSFL (ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Space Flight Laboratory) was truly a wonderful opportunity that allowed me to be a part of something so tremendous; that is, building a satellite!” said second-year mechanical engineering student Kent Miyahara.

The HyTI satellite, equipped with onboard data processing capabilities, will deliver high-resolution thermal images, surpassing the capabilities of current sensors. These images will enable scientists and disaster response managers to analyze and respond to environmental events with precision and speed.

“HyTI is the first NASA mission made in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi and possibly one of the most advanced 6U CubeSats in the world,” said Miguel Nunes, deputy principal investigator and systems engineer for the HyTI Mission.

The HyTI satellite, officially owned by NASA and operated by the HSFL, was selected in 2019 as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, under the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program. Scheduled to launch aboard the SpX-30 Dragon CRS-2 commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), deployment from the ISS is expected in May. The mission duration is estimated to be one year.

Real-world student experience

ߣsirÊÓƵ ߣsirÊÓƵ, staff and faculty have been actively involved in the development of the HyTI satellite, including six faculty members, 15 staff, eight ߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ, two post-docs, 30 underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ and six high school interns.

“The mere fact that I have been a part of building a satellite that will be orbiting the Earth in the near future, aimed down at us from many, many miles above, furthering the scientific understanding of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi is absolutely mind blowing and amazing,” Miyahara said.

“It was super cool and exciting to work on something that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with cutting edge technology to help solve problems of today,” mechanical engineering senior Kenny Son said.

“One of the highlights of my experience working on HyTI was utilizing theory from my classes to contribute to the development of a physical product destined for space,” said third year electrical engineering student Jhon Leo Gabion.

“This has been an incredible opportunity for ߣsirÊÓƵ, and training our local aerospace workforce, by providing real-world experience working with professional engineers on a NASA mission with real requirements and hardware,” said Yosef Ben Gershom, operations manager at HSFL.

The University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa and the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the field of space sciences, which can include space-based observations looking down on the Earth, particularly over the Pacific region, as well as looking at the stars and other planets.

“This program is one important step toward making ߣsirÊÓƵʻi the nation’s center for space-based observation of the Pacific,” said ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “There is a real need to better understand what’s going on in the Pacific. It’s this vast domain that is impossible to monitor, especially from the ground. You really have to begin to monitor from space.”

The MOU is effective for three years with both institutions committing to faculty, scholar and student exchanges; sharing academic information, materials and publications; joint research programs; conferences and other student initiatives. The agreement also prioritizes autonomy and financial independence.

MDAA is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that advocates for the development of missile defense systems. They also advocate for multi-use platforms that can make critical Earth observations for civilian needs.

The development of this new program will involve ߣsirÊÓƵ ²Ñā²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s , the , the and the (IfA).

• Related ߣsirÊÓƵ News story: Space-bound payload tested by ߣsirÊÓƵ ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Space Flight Lab team, October 27, 2023

“I think a critical need is to connect our leading-edge research to education, and that is a big part of what this program is going to seek to do,” said Bruno.

The MOU will further incorporate a variety of technology development programs at ߣsirÊÓƵ, and space research that is being conducted across different units at ߣsirÊÓƵ, to enhance ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±â€™s ability to monitor the Pacific region.

“Instead of looking up, it’s going to look down with sensors to pick up the ability to see the entire Pacific, which we have not done in the history of mankind,” said Riki Ellison, MDAA chairman and founder. “This will be the first time that we will be able to see everything around us in the Pacific, whether it’s movements of fish, ships, planes, agriculture, everything.”

ߣsirÊÓƵ also announced in January 2024 that it is in the initial stages of establishing a space engineering and instrument development center, a joint initiative between the ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa College of Engineering, IfA and ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo.

The University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi is in the initial stages of establishing a space engineering and instrument development center at the ߣsirÊÓƵ Institute for Astronomy’s facilities on the ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo campus, thanks to general fund support from the ߣsirÊÓƵʻi State Legislature and ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Gov. Josh Green. The Space Sciences Initiative is expected to attract millions of dollars in funding, expand ߣsirÊÓƵʻi‘s technology sector and create more high-paying jobs on ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Island and across the state.

To launch the program, ߣsirÊÓƵ received $2 million in state funds to start the initial design of the facility currently estimated to cost about $30 to $40 million to construct. ߣsirÊÓƵ ߣsirÊÓƵ will receive valuable hands-on training at the center producing instruments for space-based missions and ground-based telescopes.

Ground observatories, including those based in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi, spend tens of millions of dollars on a recurring basis to upߣsirÊÓƵe equipment and build instrumentation. That engineering effort typically occurs outside of the state and the planned facility will be designed to bring a larger fraction of that activity to ߣsirÊÓƵʻi. The additive manufacturing and precision machining capabilities of the center and its personnel will also be able to support the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and other Department of Defense entities as well as aerospace and private sector partners.

“The components of a successful center of this type already exist at ߣsirÊÓƵ, and this new initiative is helping to cohesively and effectively bring them together,” said ߣsirÊÓƵ Vice President of Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “We are on the verge of investing in place-based research and training of our ߣsirÊÓƵ and faculty on ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Island, where space engineering and advanced manufacturing are at the forefront of a high-tech industry that can support a locally based, well-educated and highly paid workforce.”

The center is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the (IfA), and the (COE), which is among the 15% of engineering schools in the country that have dedicated aerospace or related programs. IfA astronomers and engineers are already developing some of the most advanced astronomical instruments in the world including:

• Near-infrared sensors on the James Webb Space Telescope,
• Adaptive secondary mirrors with broad applications in telescopes
• Software for the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to process thousands of observations of supernovae or exploding stars.
• A new instrument that provides adaptive optics correction using objects invisible to the naked eye

“This is a natural fit as ߣsirÊÓƵʻi is home to the best astronomy sites in the world and one of the world’s best research universities,” said ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka, one of the champions of the program. “ߣsirÊÓƵ is now among just a handful of universities developing an on-campus, astronomical manufacturing center and it will have a far-reaching impact on our ߣsirÊÓƵ, our state and beyond.”

Center construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed by 2030 subject to securing funding for the construction phase, but the associated academic programming will begin in the 2024 fall semester. ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo will begin an initial offering of pre-engineering courses while the new high-tech manufacturing center is developed.

“The launch of the Space Sciences Initiative will provide valuable opportunities for ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo and our ߣsirÊÓƵ thanks to this collaboration with ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa and the ߣsirÊÓƵ system,” said ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin. “It expands our academic offerings that will in turn create more career opportunities for our ߣsirÊÓƵ, especially those from ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Island.”

Ten new full-time faculty are now being recruited to teach the prerequisite engineering courses at ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo and serve as the core engineering team for the new center. Five of the new faculty will be located at IfA’s Hilo facility and the rest at the College of Engineering at ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa. ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo ߣsirÊÓƵ can transfer those credits to ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa where they can go on and complete their engineering degrees. There are approximately 500 jobs at observatories on Maunakea and Haleakalā that are held by engineers and technicians who specialize in optics, software, data science, materials, mechanics, systems, and cryogenics.

“ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo ߣsirÊÓƵ are predominantly from ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Island and now they will have an academic pathway into engineering and ultimately careers that support ߣsirÊÓƵʻi observatories,” said ߣsirÊÓƵ IfA Director Doug Simons, another champion of the program. “Right now, these well-paying jobs too often go to non-residents, who are more likely to leave after a few years. We want these jobs to go to local kids. That will not only be good for them and their families, it will increase stability in the astronomy sector and broadly benefit our community.”

A report on astronomy in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi found the industry in 2019 supported the employment of 1,313 residents and had a total economic impact (output of goods and services) of $221 million.

Our Sun actively produces solar flares that can impact Earth, with the strongest flares having the capacity to cause blackouts and disrupt communications—potentially on a global scale. While solar flares can be powerful, they are insignificant compared to the thousands of “super flares” observed by NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions. “Super flares” are produced by stars that are 100–10,000 times brighter than those on the Sun.

The physics are thought to be the same between solar flares and super flares: a sudden release of magnetic energy. Super-flaring stars have stronger magnetic fields and thus brighter flares but some show an unusual behavior—an initial, short lived brightness enhancement, followed by a secondary, longer-duration but less intense flare. A team led by University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Postdoctoral Researcher Kai Yang and Associate Professor Xudong Sun developed a model to explain this phenomenon, which was published today in .

“By applying what we’ve learned about the Sun to other, cooler stars, we were able to identify the physics driving these flares, even though we could never see them directly,” said Yang. “The changing brightness of these stars over time actually helped us ʻ²õ±ð±ð’ these flares that are really far too small to observe directly.”

Light curves

The visible light in these flares was thought to come only from the lower layers of a star’s atmosphere. Particles energized by magnetic reconnection, rain down from the hot, tenuous corona (outer layer of a star) and heat these layers. Recent work hypothesized that the emission from coronal loops—hot plasma trapped by the Sun’s magnetic field—may also be detectable for super-flaring stars, but the density in these loops would need to be extremely high. Unfortunately, astronomers had no way to test this, since there is no way to see these loops on stars besides our own Sun.

Other astronomers, using data from Kepler and TESS telescopes, spotted stars with a peculiar light curve—similar to a celestial “peak-bump,” a jump in brightness. It turns out, this light curve bears a resemblance to a solar phenomenon where a second, more ߣsirÊÓƵual peak follows the initial burst.

“These light curves reminded us of a phenomenon we’ve seen on the Sun, called solar late-phase flares,” said Sun.

Producing similar late-phase brightness

Researchers asked, “Could the same process—energized, large stellar loops—produce similar late-phase brightness enhancements in visible light?”

Yang tackled this question by adapting fluid simulations that had been frequently used to simulate solar flare loops, and scaling up the loop length and magnetic energy. He found that the large flare energy input pumps significant mass into the loops—resulting in dense, bright, visible-light emission, just as predicted.

These studies revealed that we only see such “bump” flaring light when the super-hot gas cools down at the highest part of the loop. Because of gravity, this glowing material then falls, creating what we call “coronal rain,” which we often see on the Sun. This gives the team confidence that the model must be realistic.

On the surface of many of the icy moons in our solar system, scientists have documented strike-slip faults, those that occur when fault walls in the ground’s crust move past one another sideways, as is the case at the San Andreas fault in California. Two recently published studies led by University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ earth and space scientists document and reveal the mechanisms behind these geologic features on the largest moon of Saturn, Titan, and Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede.

Conducting these types of geologic investigations prior to launch and arrival of space exploration missions, helps identify interesting locations for lander exploration and maximizes what can be learned from extraterrestrial icy moons.

“We are interested in studying these features on icy moons because that type of faulting can facilitate the exchange of surface and subsurface materials through heating processes, potentially creating environments conducive for the emergence of life,” said Liliane Burkhard, lead author of the studies and research affiliate at the in the ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ .

When an icy moon moves around its parent planet, the gravity of the planet can exert tidal forces. Rather than creating high and low tides as in Earth’s ocean, on an icy moon, the tidal pull puts stress on the icy surface and can drive geologic activity such as strike-slip faulting.

Titan, a frozen ocean world

The extremely cold temperatures on the surface of Titan mean that water ice acts as rock that can crack, fault, and deform. Evidence from the Cassini spacecraft suggests that tens of miles below the frozen surface, there is a liquid water ocean. Further, Titan is the only moon in our solar system with a dense atmosphere, which, uniquely, supports an Earth-like hydrological cycle of methane clouds, rain, and liquid flowing across the surface to fill lakes and seas, placing it among a handful of worlds that could potentially contain habitable environments.

The NASA Dragonfly mission will launch in 2027, with a planned arrival on Titan in 2034. The novel rotorcraft lander will conduct several flights on the surface, exploring a variety of locations to search for the building blocks and signs of life.

In their of the Selk crater area on Titan, the designated initial landing site for the Dragonfly mission, Burkhard and her co-author explored the potential for strike-slip faulting. To do this, they calculated the stress that would be exerted on Titan’s surface due to tidal forces as the moon orbits Saturn and tested the possibility of faulting by examining various characteristics of the frozen ground.

“Our prior research indicated that certain areas on Titan might currently undergo deformation due to tidal stresses. However, the conditions we’ve determined to be necessary for strike-slip fault displacement appear to be unlikely in the Selk crater region,” said Burkhard. “Consequently, it’s safe to infer that Dragonfly won’t be landing in a strike-slip ditch!”

In a second recently , Burkhard and her colleagues also examined the geology of Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter and larger than planet Mercury, to investigate its history with tidal stress. In particular, the team looked at a region called Nippur Philus Sulci, where new terrain overlays older terrain. During the investigation of intermediate aged and younger parts of this area, the team found the direction of their slip features to have different alignments. This suggests that features in the youngest terrains may have formed through processes other than high tidal stress.

“We can conclude that Ganymede has had a tidal ‘midlife crisis,’ but it’s youngest ‘crisis’ remains enigmatic,” Burkhard added.

A free virtual symposium designed to inspire ߣsirÊÓƵ to pursue space and science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM-related careers is launching this fall. The meeting of (PISCES)—a program of University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Hilo’s —will highlight space exploration and technology.

“The goal of the Space Science Symposium is to give ߣsirÊÓƵ a realistic overview of what space careers are like. Many different disciplines are involved and we hope to inspire ߣsirÊÓƵ to pursue their own aspirations through the academic and professional stories of our presenters,” said Christopher Yoakum, a communications officer at PISCES.

PISCES will feature a nanomaterials scientist from billionaire Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company Blue Origin in an upcoming talk on Tuesday, November 14, at 3 p.m. Yajaira Sierra-Sastre currently leads crew mockups development for the MK2 lunar lander program at Blue Origin.

In October, PISCES hosted aerospace engineer Amber Imai-Hong, a ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Island native who focused on remote sensing research she conducts at the ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa .

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University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ who have been developing a satellite to launch into space in 2024 earned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire () In Switzerland for its RD51 Detector School November 27–December 1.

The RD51 Detector School is an intensive one week lecture and laboratory course. The school is primarily for PhD ߣsirÊÓƵ, making it an incredible accomplishment to have three ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ accepted.

“This is an extraordinary success for the underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ, and for the (EPET) program, which has enabled all of this through its student-centered approach to high-quality underߣsirÊÓƵuate research and through its support to assist ߣsirÊÓƵ being successful in their learning and research efforts,” said Peter Englert, a professor in the (HIGP).

HIGP developed the EPET certificate to provide underߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ with an opportunity to design research projects and build payloads for Earth, Moon and Sun observing satellites with the goal of producing, launching and operating their satellites.

Current EPET ߣsirÊÓƵ Sapphira Akins, Howin Ma and Chris Freitas applied to participate in the RD51 Detector School. Akins and Ma were accepted for in-person participation in Switzerland, and Freitas was accepted for participation in the online part of the school. All three ߣsirÊÓƵ are part of the CubeSat Relativistic Electron and Proton Energy Separator (CREPES) project.

“I feel very grateful to be able to study in a community such as the one at CERN!” said Akins. “Programs like these help me to push myself academically. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of micro patterned gaseous detectors, and ways in which we can implement them in space.”

“I believe that the insights and experiences I gain from being a part of such a prestigious institution will serve as a powerful source of motivation, inspiring me to set and achieve even higher standards for myself,” said Ma. “I also love traveling, and experiencing other cultures so I’m excited for my time in Switzerland.”

Mentorship from a leading expert

In spring 2023, to learn more about gas electron multiplier (GEM) detectors and their potential application to space research, EPET turned to Fabio Sauli of CERN. Sauli is the world’s leading expert on GEM and micro-pattern gaseous detectors. Sauli provided four Zoom lectures to the CREPES group with extensive discussion sessions, which provided the background knowledge in advancing the CREPES project.

The RD51 Detector School will provide Akins and Ma with additional skills that are important in the final design and assembly of the CREPES flight detector, which will be built in 2024. The learning modules of the school include gas detector physics and technologies, GEM foil manufacturing techniques, detector read out techniques, modeling and simulations. Akins and Ma will bring back advanced knowledge to help contribute to the success of the CREPES mission plan.

“In particular, we are working on a project here at ߣsirÊÓƵ that is attempting to put a gas electron multiplier in space, a detector that doesn’t appear to have any flight heritage,” said Akins. “Being able to receive valuable hands-on experience with this detector, and many similar, will be significant when it comes to understanding how to properly integrate it into a satellite.”

In November, the CREPES group will prepare a proposal to the CubeSat Launch Initiative to obtain support for the launch of their GEM detector mission into space at the end of 2024 or early 2025. Writing such a proposal is a significant task for a student research group.

supported the CERN opportunity through providing travel resources for the student’s participation. Students have been supported by internships, internships and conference travel grants.

The first prototype of Pono, a computing and dynamic tasking hosted payload developed by Privateer, completed environmental testing at the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa over the summer. UnderߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ, faculty, and staff at the (HSFL) partnered with Privateer, a local company with headquarters in Maui, to assist with testing their payload.

HSFL was established in 2007 as a partnership between the and the , and is also embedded as a laboratory of the . This opportunity helped train ߣsirÊÓƵ in workforce development, and supported the local economy by utilizing ߣsirÊÓƵ infrastructure that had already been developed.

“We look forward to continuing to work together and support them with design and testing for the next Pono payload and future projects,” said Yosef Ben Gershom, an HSFL Engineer.

In collaboration with Privateer’s engineers, HSFL’s equipment and technical expertise—including clean room, shaker table, and thermal vacuum chamber—enabled successful vibration and thermal vacuum testing of the payload’s ability to operate in space-like conditions.

“As a multidisciplinary research and education center, our mission is to help develop and support the aerospace industry in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi through workforce development and establishing infrastructure,” Ben Gershom said. “Collaborations with local companies and groups such as Privateer are crucial to diversifying and growing our island economy.”

Researchers hope the collaboration is a precursor to a continuing partnership, which could include future testing, technical reviews and interchange and mutually growing the talent and employment opportunities offered by aerospace and tech industries in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi.