UT Center for Space Research

10/20/2026

From the classroom to the launchpad, ASE/EM is engineering what’s next. 🚀

The latest issue of Liftoff highlights the students, alumni, faculty and research advancing aerospace at UT Austin, from hands-on engineering projects to the Texas Engineers that made Artemis II possible.

Discover Liftoff here: https://ae.utexas.edu/longhorn-liftoff/

10/13/2026

We're proud to see CSR Director Lori Magruder join the effort to bring the new United States Space Academy to Texas!

Dr. Magruder's leadership in space science continues to make an impact, and we're excited to see her help shape the future of the space workforce and Texas' role in the space industry.

Lori Magruder will represent UT in a statewide push to bring the new Space Academy to Texas.

10/05/2026

09/22/2026

Gov. Abbott announced Rep. Greg Bonnen will lead a team securing Texas as the permanent home of the U.S. Space Academy.

No state matches what Texas offers: NASA's Johnson Space Center, top universities, a leading commercial space industry, military installations, and an unmatched aerospace workforce.

09/21/2026

We’re excited to celebrate Lori Magruder, professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and director of the University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research, on her selection to the leadership team working to bring the United States Space Academy to Texas.

Governor Greg Abbott announced the team, which will help develop Texas’s proposal to become the permanent home of the new academy. Professor Magruder is joining leaders from across Texas’s aerospace, academic, military, and space communities in this effort.

Congratulations, Dr. Magruder, on this exciting opportunity!

https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-creates-leadership-team-to-bring-united-states-space-academy-to-texas

Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin | UT Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics

09/18/2026

🤖 What if spacecraft could make decisions for themselves?

That’s one of the questions driving the research of Dr. Ethan Burnett, who joined ASE/EM as an assistant professor in January.

Burnett studies spacecraft guidance, control and astrodynamics, developing new computational approaches that could help spacecraft autonomously plan and adjust their trajectories as missions venture farther from Earth. 🚀

His work spans everything from satellite servicing and spacecraft rendezvous to future human and robotic missions in deep space. He’s also explored the dynamics of Jupiter’s moon Europa, bringing together aerospace engineering, mathematics and space science.

Now at UT Austin, Burnett is excited to teach, collaborate and work with the next generation of aerospace engineers.

Read more about Burnett’s research: https://ae.utexas.edu/news/from-earth-to-deep-space-ethan-burnett-is-developing-new-approaches-to-autonomous-spaceflight/

08/19/2026

Congratulations to Maruthi Akella on receiving the Joe J. King Professional Engineering Achievement Award from the Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin! 🤘

We are proud to celebrate this important achievement and Professor Akella's continued contributions to the aerospace community.

🚀 Big congratulations to Dr. Akella!

Maruthi Akella has been named the recipient of the Joe J. King Professional Engineering Achievement Award from the Cockrell School of Engineering! 🎉

For decades, Akella has been advancing the fields of guidance, navigation and control, autonomy and astrodynamics — helping turn cutting-edge research into real-world aerospace innovation. 🛰️

This award celebrates his impact not only through groundbreaking research, but also through the generations of engineers and researchers he has inspired and mentored along the way.

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition! 👏

🔗 Read more about Akella’s research and award here: https://ae.utexas.edu/news/akella-honored-for-advancing-aerospace-engineering-through-controls-and-autonomy/

07/10/2026

Family, friends, colleagues, and former students will gather to remember Byron, share stories, and reflect on the many lives he touched on July 10th, at 1pm CDT at Center for Space Research in Austin, Texas. He is remembered not only for his remarkable career and contributions to science, but also for his generosity, kindness, humor, and the encouragement he gave to so many. Together, we will celebrate a life filled with curiosity, generosity, and purpose, and the many friendships, memories, and accomplishments Byron leaves with us.

If you are unable to attend in person, you are invited to join us online using the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Xhdjek8s1Jk

Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin | UT Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics

Welcome, and thank you for joining us as we celebrate the life of D...

07/06/2026

For those who knew Dr. Byron Tapley, or who would like to honor his remarkable life and legacy, the following services will be held this week.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, July 9, and a Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, July 10, at 1:00 p.m. at The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Space Research, 3925 W. Braker Lane, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78759.

Additional details are available in Dr. Tapley's obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/lakeway-tx/byron-tapley-12939932

Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin | UT Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics

Celebrate the life of Byron Tapley, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Weed-Corley-Fish Lake Travis Chapel.