News

Jun 20, 2024

Community Colleges Across NC Participate in the Annual High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge

In early March, teams from across the state assembled at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, NC to compete in the 2024 North Carolina Space Grant Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge (HABC). Awards were given in various categories, such as Highest Altitude and Best Photo, with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s team taking home the Best Overall Team award.

Jun 7, 2024

NC Space Grant Unveils the Summer 2024 Class of Interns

Each year, NC Space Grant works with NASA centers, research organizations, and various STEM industry leaders to give higher-education students an opportunity to conduct hands-on research projects throughout the summer. This year, NC Space Grant has awarded internships to 13 students.

Jun 4, 2024

NC Space Grant Announces 2024-2025 Faculty Research Grant Recipients 

North Carolina Space Grant is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024-2025 Faculty Research Grants. The selected faculty members will make research contributions to the STEM field through examination of topics in astrophysics, engineering, and more.

May 23, 2024

NC Middle School Soars to Regional Honors in “Plant the Moon” Challenge

The “AVID Curiosity” team from Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, recently won the ‘Best Middle School’ regional award in the “Plant the Moon Challenge” NASA Space Grant Regional Project. Led by Christine Sudzina Schut, the team competed against 360 other schools, clubs, and education organizations involving over 3,600 students across five southeastern states and Puerto Rico.

May 16, 2024

North Carolina Science Festival: Thousands Gather Across the State for Solar Eclipse Star Parties

On Friday, April 5th to Monday, April 8th, 2024, the 12th annual Statewide Star Party, a hallmark event of the NC Science Festival, unfolded across the state to thousands of eager attendees. This year's theme, "Sun and Moon," served as a fitting tribute to the solar eclipse that graced the skies on the event's final day.

Apr 25, 2024

NASA’s Earth-Observing Mission, PACE, Releases First Set of Data to Public

On February 8, 2024, NASA launched its newest Earth-observing satellite, the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The first of the mission’s data was just made available to the public. 

Apr 24, 2024

Exploring Earth from Space: North Carolina Space Symposium Emphasizes Importance of Open Science and Student Research

On March 22, North Carolina Space Grant hosted its annual NC Space Symposium at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Highlighting open science and exploring Earth from space, the signature event brought together over 200 attendees, with 75 percent being students, from across the state and beyond to learn from one another and celebrate student research. 

Mar 13, 2024

NC Space Symposium Speakers Highlight NASA Missions, Earth Analog Research, and Open Science

The 2024 North Carolina Space Symposium: Explore Earth and Beyond features diverse talks ranging from NASA Missions and career growth to planetary research, environmental justice, and community-engaged open science. 

Mar 6, 2024

NC Space Symposium Features NC Research that Explores Earth From Space

This year’s North Carolina Space Symposium features exciting talks from NC researchers whose work explores Earth from space. The speakers’ research ranges from monitoring the climate to mapping floods and measuring water elevation.

Mar 4, 2024

Reflecting the Future: Revolutionizing Space Exploration with Liquid Mirrors

The exploration of space has always been at the forefront of human curiosity and scientific advancement. One critical aspect of space exploration is our ability to observe and understand the universe beyond our atmosphere. Telescopes play a pivotal role in this endeavor, allowing us to peer into the depths of space. As space exploration demands more agile and efficient instruments, researchers at NASA have turned their attention to the use of liquid mirrors.