Space Research and NASA Partnerships

NASA is among New Mexico Tech’s key research partners, offering students unique opportunities to contribute to space science, mission data, and advanced engineering projects.

 

Sub-orbital Experiment

Tech students designed and launched a sub-orbital experiment on an SL-5 rocket, marking the first ultrasonic test in space—a major step toward affordable structural health monitoring for future spacecraft.

Artifact Nasa Partnership

Micrometeorite Impact Testing 

Spacecraft are constantly bombarded by tiny but powerful micrometeoroids. To prepare for this, NMT students built a system to simulate these impacts. Copper projectiles were fired at this aluminum panel at EMRTC, allowing students to study how spacecraft detect and withstand damage in orbit. This project shows how Tech students directly contribute to making future space missions safer and more reliable.

 

International Space Station Payload

NMT students designed an experiment that flew aboard the International Space Station, testing structural health monitoring in microgravity. This display model shows the student-built payload that had to survive the violent forces of rocket launch and operate flawlessly in orbit. Projects like this give Tech students direct involvement in real-world space research, preparing them for careers in aerospace and beyond.

Links to more information:

Mechanical Engineering webpage to learn more about the program:
https://www.nmt.edu/academics/mecheng/index.php

More information on the sub-orbital launch artifact:
https://www.nmt.edu/news/2024/spaceport-launch.php

For more information on the past International Space Station Installation:
https://www.nmt.edu/news/2019/zagrai_instrument_to_iss.php#:~:text=NMT%20Experiment%20To%20Be%20Installed,Andrei%20Zagrai

For more info on astrophysics and more space centered academics/research we do here:
https://www.nmt.edu/academics/physics/research/astrophysics.php