University of Michigan - Climate & Space

10/23/2026

Special weather balloon privileges for meteorology majors? 🎈

CLaSP students in U-M's American Meteorological Society chapter recently toured the US National Weather Service Detroit / Pontiac Michigan, where they got a behind-the-scenes look at the operations floor and advice from the pros on applying and interviewing.

Fun fact: "This is the only Weather Forecast Office east of the Mississippi River that has an automated weather balloon station," shares Tyler Overbeek (BSE '27).

Meteorologists made an exception for students on the tour, who got to participate in a manual weather balloon launch just to see how the process works.

10/22/2026

Put climate science to work while building the technical skills organizations need to assess climate risks and make decisions.

In the MEng in Climate Impacts and Solutions at Michigan Engineering, you'll work with external partners on real climate challenges. Past projects have included modeling future Great Lakes water levels, assessing climate risks for national parks and helping update a city's climate action plan.

You can typically complete the 26-credit program in just two semesters. And you don't have to be a U-M undergraduate to apply.

Applications are open for fall 2027!

10/21/2026

A professor you can look up to? How about a trained pilot and planetary scientist. ✈️

Nilton Rennó has been named John R. Barker Collegiate Professor in Planetary Sciences and Space Engineering at Michigan Engineering, recognizing his contributions to the field.

From improving aircraft safety to exploring the habitability of Mars, Rennó helps us understand the physical processes that shape our world and beyond.

Congratulations, Dr. Rennó!

07/16/2026

Ready to move into climate impact work?
In one year, gain applied training in climate science, data analysis, and stakeholder-based problem-solving to engineer climate solutions with the Climate Impact & Solutions MEng at Michigan.

Enroll in our MEng in Climate Impacts & Solutions at Michigan Engineering! Link in comments.

07/15/2026

NASA’s SunRISE (Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment) mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shifting from its original ride into space aboard a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur vehicle. Led by P.I. Susan Lepri at the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space, the heliophysics mission will fly as a rideshare sponsored by the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command.

Read more from NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sunrise/2026/07/13/nasas-sunrise-mission-changes-launch-vehicle-to-spacex-falcon-heavy/

NASA’s SunRISE (Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment) mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in

07/13/2026

"There's a long legacy of new missions that will continue doing the work." Professor Chris Ruf, P.I. of the CYGNSS Mission, describes how the constellation of remote-sensing satellites has changed the way scientists work in space. A replica of the mission is now on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, to honor the mission's contributions to the space sciences.

07/09/2026

A 19-year ‘goldmine’ of cloud and rainwater samples from a New Hampshire mountain provides fresh insights about air pollution. The research team led by University of Michigan scientists analyzed cloud and rainwater samples collected at the top of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, by the Appalachian Mountain Club. The rare, long-term sample series contained telling markers of human pollution and rainout.

Read more: https://clasp.engin.umich.edu/2026/06/24/air-quality-rainfall-history-matters-as-much-as-where-the-air-came-from/

A 19-year ‘goldmine’ of cloud and rainwater samples collected from a New Hampshire mountain provides fresh insights about air pollution.

07/01/2026

“CYGNSS is exciting because it takes the idea of using GPS as a radar—which had been around for about ten years—and turns it into a practical instrument that scientists and emergency responders can use in surprising and innovative ways,” says PI Chris Ruf, a professor at the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering.

NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) was the first constellation to produce a high-quality data product by picking up GPS microwaves reflecting off the Earth. For its impact on science and disaster monitoring, CYGNSS is featured in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s RTX Living in the Space Age exhibit, which opens today in Washington, D.C.

Read more: https://news.engin.umich.edu/2026/07/this-satellite-constellation-transformed-earth-science-by-creatively-tuning-in-to-gps-signals/

06/09/2026

"The MEng program [in Climate Impacts & Solutions] at Michigan attracted me for a few reasons. First, the hands-on project and getting experience really appealed to me. I also knew that the program would be fairly small, allowing me more individual focus from professors and faculty as well as with my fellow classmates." Alumnus Brian Cromwell '24 shares his experience mastering in climate impacts and solutions, and going on to work for the National Weather Service.

Read more: https://clasp.engin.umich.edu/2026/06/09/climate-impacts/

The MEng in Climate Impacts & Solutions prepared Alumnus Brian Cromwell for his career at the National Weather Service, where he creates warnings and watches for hazardous weather.

06/08/2026

Congratulations to our new Ph.D.! We are proud of you, and we can't wait to see what you accomplish, Dr. Erica Whiting!

Read more: https://clasp.engin.umich.edu/2026/06/08/congratulations-to-our-new-phd-5/