21st Century Space and Aerospace Cluster
NMSU has well-established programs in testing and evaluation of UAVs and launching of high altitude balloons that carry a wide variety of payloads. The university is also involved in the effort to establish Spaceport America, which will be located near Las Cruces and the NMSU campus. Additional areas of intense interest among scientists affiliated with this cluster include space weather, space environment, and solar studies. NMSU manages Apache Point, site of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, an international effort that has created the most ambitious and oft-cited astronomical survey ever undertaken. Aerospace offers virtually unlimited opportunities for development of new business and employment opportunities for a workforce prepared through existing and emerging educational and training programs offered by NMSU and its partners. The Space/Aerospace cluster brings $35 million to the university each year.
- Director: Steve Stochaj - Klipsch School Electrical & Computer Engineering (505)646-4828
- J. Allan Baker - Physical Science Laboratory (505)646-9100
- Susan Brown - Educational Research Center (505)646-1397
- Nancy Chanover
- Jonathan Cook - Computer Science (505)646-6243
- Paul Higbie - Astronomy (505)646-4438
- Steve Hottman - Physical Science Laboratory (505)646-9202
- Pat Hynes - NM Space Grant Consortium (505)646-6414
- Ou Ma - Mechanical Engineering (505)646-6534
- Bernard McNamara - Astronomy (505)646-2614
- Jim Murphy
- Jim Ni - Physics (505)646-1920
- Nicole Vogt