Dayton Business Journal: Wright State tapped for U.S. Space Command academic engagement program

One of the region’s largest universities has been tapped to work within a selective group, collaborating with Space Command on strategic initiatives, space research and workforce development.

Wright State University is now a full member of the U.S. Space Command’s Academic Engagement Enterprise. It joins the Air Force Institute of Technology and Ohio State University as the third Ohio institution to be part of the group.

Several dozen Wright State undergraduate and graduate students, along with more than 10 faculty from the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s four departments, will contribute to space domain research, gaining hands-on experience that prepares them for careers in the growing space sector.

Wright State’s collaborative efforts with U.S. Space Command and other institutions will focus on four key areas: advancing applied space research and innovation, fostering dialogue on space strategy, expanding academic partnerships through faculty exchanges and research projects, and developing a strong talent pipeline of qualified military and civilian professionals.

Faculty and students are engaged in areas such as space access and constellation design; spacecraft and satellite materials; propulsion systems; on-orbit operations and autonomy; space situational awareness; and the study of space environments and their effects on systems and missions.

Given Wright State’s proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Laboratory, faculty and students will be able to focus research on Air Force and Space Force challenges and priorities.

The university’s academic and research programs align closely with Space Command’s mission, driven in part by the college’s research strengths in space access, space situational awareness, orbital systems and advanced materials and electronics that can operate in space.

“Joining Space Command’s Academic Engagement Enterprise will enhance Wright State’s technical exchanges with the Space Force to ensure we are addressing their most pressing needs, while also creating valuable opportunities for students to engage in real‑world challenges inside and outside the classroom,” said Darryl Ahner, dean of Wright State’s College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Read the complete article at bizjournals.com/dayton.