LPL Spotlight Stories

Pandora Mission Begins Science Operations

Few space missions are run from university campuses. NASA's Pandora space has embarked on its mission to stare at worlds outside of our solar system and their host stars, all under the watchful eyes of a dedicated team at the U of A's own mission control center.

U of A Scientists Play Crucial Roles in Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Science

The Launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope takes place live Sunday on NASA Live.

Planet Formation is a 'Race Against Time,' According to New U of A Research

"Stunning" JWST images of newborn-solar systems shed light on how and when they lose gas, suggesting that planet formation is "a race against time," according to new research led by U of A graduate student Naman Bajaj.

U of A Begins Building Moon-bound EMILIA-3D to Study Lunar Terrain

The LPL-led EMILIA-3D is one of three recent science investigation payloads selected through NASA's PRISM SALSA program to study the lunar surface.

Prototype NASA Lunar Radar Instrument Makes History as the First Test Subject for U of A’s Giant Thermal Vacuum Chamber

SESAR-LITE, a radar instrument designed to search for water ice and map lunar subsurface terrain, has completed critical thermal vacuum and preliminary antenna testing at the U of A ahead of humanity's planned return to the moon.

U of A Space Science Ranks No. 1 Among Public Universities in Latest US News Global Ranking

The U of A ranked No. 1 among public U.S. universities in space science and No. 20 among all public U.S. universities overall in the 2026-2027 Best Global Universities ranking.

Google Selects U of A for Quantum Research Group Focused on Life Sciences

LPL's Regents Professor Dante Lauretta leads the university's participation in an initiative announced by Google Quantum AI that will apply advanced quantum science and artificial intelligence to the life sciences to catalyze scientific discovery in these fields.

Seismometers Re-designed by U of A Will Measure Moonquakes During a Future Artemis Mission

LPL researchers developed seismometers for NASA’s Lunar Environment Monitoring Station to capture seismic activity at the moon’s South Pole and assess sites for future human exploration and infrastructure.

Drone Radar Reveals Buried Glaciers on Earth, Guiding the Search for Water on Mars

LPL Researchers launched drones equipped with ground-penetrating radar over debris-covered glaciers in Alaska and Wyoming that resemble buried ice deposits found on Mars.

Bear Down 100: Tagging an Asteroid

When it came time to actually land on asteroid Bennu and collect a sample, it took the scientific know-how and meticulous dedication found in University of Arizona LPL researchers to make that mission a reality.