Tulane’s Space Ambitions Take Shape at Inaugural Forum

Hosted by the School of Science and Engineering in Diboll Gallery, the forum brought together work spanning astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computing, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, biomedical research and commercial space development. The strong turnout offered evidence of growing interest in space-related opportunities at Tulane, particularly as the school prepares to introduce its new Space Science and Engineering Minor.

Students will be able to formally declare the 16-credit minor beginning in fall 2027, but many of its courses are already available. Students can begin completing applicable coursework, participating in research and building space-related experience now.

“The minor is a start,” said Cynthia Ebinger, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and leader of the Space Science and Engineering Task Force. We’re hoping to capitalize on our proximity to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility and other collaborators to continue expanding the program with new courses, research experiences, and internships.”  

The forum demonstrated how much of that larger effort is already underway. The morning program featured undergraduate research posters and presentations from faculty members receiving SSE startup funding for interdisciplinary space-related projects. Topics included solar wind modeling, artificial intelligence for mineral identification and lunar rover navigation, space-based solar power, quantum black hole analogs, satellite remote sensing for disaster response, advanced materials for space applications and the environmental effects of satellite reentry.

The afternoon began with a keynote address from Tia Ferguson, a retired NASA senior executive who served as director of the Space Systems Department within the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Drawing upon a career spent solving complex engineering problems, Ferguson challenged students to think beyond the traditional boundaries of aerospace engineering.

“Everything we need to run a city here on Earth will also be needed to build a lunar outpost,” Ferguson told attendees.

That work will require scientists and engineers, but it will also require expertise in medicine, psychology, construction, architecture, business, law, food systems, and many other areas. Ferguson described opportunities involving human health and performance, life-support systems, computer simulation, artificial intelligence, energy generation, spacecraft systems, lunar construction, resource utilization, astrophysics, and astrobiology.

Her examples illustrated the complexity of working beyond Earth. Water-recycling systems must function without normal gravity. Lunar habitats will need protection from radiation, extreme temperatures, and sharp, potentially hazardous dust. Autonomous robots will be needed to map terrain, locate resources, and support construction. Future explorers will also need reliable power, communications, navigation, medical care, and systems capable of recycling nearly everything they use.

For students interested in entering the field, Ferguson emphasized the value of experience that extends beyond the classroom. She encouraged them to seek opportunities to solve problems, work with others and communicate what they have learned.

“Get your hands dirty. Do the work. Design something. Build something,” Ferguson said. “The people who succeed are the ones who can talk about what they do, work with other people and help them understand the amazing work they are doing.”

Tulane undergraduates are already putting that approach into practice. Chemical and biomolecular engineering senior Josh Nguyen presented a NASA-supported experiment developed with fellow students Noa Aval and Brenden Findlay under the mentorship of Noshir Pesika. Selected through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, the project will examine how microscopic droplets known as coacervate protocells behave in microgravity.

Scientists believe coacervates may offer clues about the origins of life because they can concentrate molecules and support chemical reactions. The Tulane team is exploring whether the droplets could also function as microscopic reactors for manufacturing materials in space.

Designing the experiment required the students to solve problems associated with launch, microgravity and reentry while working within strict spaceflight requirements. When an early stabilization method proved unsuitable, the team turned to a material derived from chia seeds to create a gel capable of preserving the samples for their return to Earth.

The experiment is scheduled to travel to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX CRS-35. After it returns, the team will use microscopy and quantitative analysis to compare the microgravity samples with an identical experiment conducted on Earth.

“When it comes back, we’ll be able to do the post-flight analysis and compare the ground experiment to the one from space,” Nguyen said. “In the future, we want this work to be built upon with more experimentation to determine whether these systems can be used to control reactions.”

Ebinger followed Nguyen’s presentation with an overview of the new minor. Its curriculum will combine core courses in astrophysics and planetary science with an engineering requirement and a flexible selection of electives. Students will be able to build pathways through the program from fields including biology, chemistry, computing, Earth and environmental sciences, engineering, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics.

New opportunities are already developing around the curriculum. An introductory astrophysics course and a spacecraft systems course are planned for the spring, along with a seminar for graduate students and advanced undergraduates interested in space-related literature, research and emerging opportunities. Faculty members are also working to expand internships and strengthen connections with Tulane’s medical and health sciences programs.

The growing student community includes the Tulane Rocketry Association and a proposed Space Systems Society, which would introduce students to technical skills, space policy, speakers and collaborative projects. No prior space-related experience would be required to participate.

Matt Barrios, senior professor of practice in physics and engineering physics, concluded the forum’s formal presentations by showing students how to begin gaining experience immediately. His recommendations included selecting space-related courses, joining competitions and student organizations, working in the Tulane Makerspace, contributing to faculty research, and pursuing internships.

Barrios highlighted Tulane’s history of success in national design competitions, including student teams that have developed concepts for lunar bases, rovers and other space systems. He also pointed to alumni whose undergraduate research and hands-on experience helped lead them to careers at NASA, SpaceX, Firefly Aerospace, and other organizations.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here at Tulane, and I think you all should be a part of it,” Barrios said. “Aerospace is such an exciting field, and the future is incredibly bright.”

The forum also connected Tulane’s academic work with the emergence of commercial space infrastructure. Manwei Chan of Voyager Space discussed the company’s work toward a future commercial space station and its effort to create networks connecting researchers, supporting services and commercial partners. With New Orleans’ existing aerospace activity and Tulane’s strengths in biology, advanced materials and interdisciplinary research, Chan suggested the region could become an important hub for developing new uses of the space environment.

Those possibilities reinforced the central message of the day: space science and engineering are no longer confined to a narrow collection of disciplines or distant ambitions. Tulane students and faculty are already contributing through research, coursework, design competitions, industry partnerships, and an undergraduate experiment preparing for its journey to the International Space Station.

The new minor will bring those opportunities into a more visible and connected academic pathway. Judging from the nearly 100 people who filled Diboll Gallery, the community prepared to build that future is already taking shape.