Kick-Off for the $35 M Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience (SPAR) Institute Set for U-M’s Campus

The five-year, $35 M Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience (SPAR) Institute, led by the University of Michigan and funded by the U.S. Space Force (USSF), will convene on the University of Michigan’s North Campus for its official kick-off meeting on December 4, 2024. The newly formed institute will combine expertise from eight other universities and 14 industry partners and advisors, with Professor Benjamin Jorns as the institute director, in one of the nation’s largest efforts to advance space power and propulsion.

The national research team working on this project will collaborate closely to address key national defense and exploration needs by developing spacecraft that can optimize power, efficiency, and freedom to “maneuver without regret.” The institute is set to explore the challenges with combining fast chemical rockets with efficient electric propulsion powered by a nuclear microreactor.

Prof. Azer Yalin from Colorado State University who will be working on the project as one of the subteam team leads stated, “I have been involved in related projects on laser diagnostic development for electric propulsion for a number of years, including having had the opportunity to work with Dr. Jorns on projects such as the JANUS institute. I was thrilled to be invited to join the proposing team for this effort.”

The kick-off will begin with the USSF Strategic Technical Institute for Power and Propulsion gathering to discuss key aspects of the project, with representatives from a variety of subteam leaders and Co-PI’s in attendance. Additionally, the attendees will travel to the Plasmadynamics & Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL) and the new institute laboratory space on U-M’s campus to tour the facilities.

Professors Mirko Gamba, Venkat Raman, Chris Limbach, Alex Gorodetsky, Oliver Jia-Richards, and others from U-M will work alongside Professor Jorns and others from outside the university on a variety of subteams to overcome limitations and problems related to different system designs. The SPAR Institute will showcase how the University of Michigan is leading the way for in-space technology.

Prof. Sadaf Sobhani, one of the subteam leads working on the project from Cornell University, expressed her excitement about the project by stating, “I am excited to collaborate with industry and academic partners to push the potential of innovations in ceramic additive manufacturing for heat rejection, leveraging expertise in areas like heat pipe modeling and layout optimization, high emissivity coatings, and deployment strategies. I am also excited to build real demonstration units and test them in space-relevant conditions to ensure our heat rejection solutions are robust and mission-ready.”