TRIF Initiative: Space Exploration and Optical Sciences

U of A Regents Professor Dante Lauretta says he is "amazed by the discoveries we've made" since the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered an asteroid sample to Earth last year.

A group of researchers, including U of A astronomers, observed the atmosphere of a hot and uniquely inflated exoplanet using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Researchers believe their ultrafast microscope will lead to groundbreaking advancements in physics, chemistry, bioengineering, materials sciences and more.

Students have been preparing since 2016 for the launch of CatSat, a student-built small satellite also known as a CubeSat, that will collect data about space weather.

In the Best Global Universities rankings, UArizona earned its best scores in space sciences, ranking No. 8 overall, No. 6 in the U.S. and No. 2 among public universities.

OSIRIS-REx sample scientists took a deep dive into the rocks and dust returned from asteroid Bennu. They found that the sample is rich in carbon, nitrogen and organic compounds – essential components for life as we know it.

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have discovered about 80 new supernovas. Their findings provide a new window into the early universe.

A team of astronomers, including UArizona scientists, used the telescope to study the disk of gas and dust around a young, low-mass star.

Researchers have discovered the most distant galaxy ever detected. The secrets it contains challenge previous assumptions about galactic evolution.

Astronomers have captured a volcanic event on Jupiter's moon Io at a resolution never before achieved with Earth-based observations.

UArizona astronomers have scored some of the largest chunks of observing time with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

What if your earbuds could do everything your smartphone can, but better? A new class of synthetic materials could allow for smaller devices that use less power.

UArizona scientists mapped the moon for the Apollo missions. Now, as NASA astronauts prepare to return to the moon, two of the three instruments they'll bring have UArizona ties. The instruments will allow them to map moonquakes and the moon's subsurface.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of researchers hopes to be the first to prove the existence of a “water world.”

The observations will help astronomers refine their theories about the processes involved in planet formation and shed light on what our sun did when it was very young.

A new external report forecasts that quantum initiatives at the University of Arizona will create new jobs and generate $220M+ in economic activity in the next decade.

How much time do planets have to form from a swirling disk of gas and dust around a star? A new University of Arizona-led study gives scientists a better idea of how our own solar system came to be.

Seeking clues about the life cycle of stars, the GUSTO balloon mission, led by university astronomer Chris Walker, breaks the record as NASA's longest-flying heavy-lift balloon mission.