MELBOURNE, FLA. — In an ambitious move to support the rapidly expanding space manufacturing sector, Florida Tech and three additional Florida universities have joined forces to establish the Center for Science, Technology and Advanced Research in Space, or C-STARS.
Researchers from Florida Tech, the University of Florida, Florida A&M University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will collaborate with industry partners to advance the in-space production of unique medicines, electronics and bioenergy systems.
The multisite center, including one site at Florida Tech, will lead workforce development programs to train the next generation of specialists in space technologies, sciences and exploration. Additionally, the universities will collaborate with Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Tennessee to enhance outreach strategies.
Since its founding, Florida Tech has been dedicated to driving technology innovation in space research. “I am excited by this opportunity for Florida Tech to collaborate with our neighboring universities and commercial partners to strengthen and expand regional resources and workforce development programs in bio-sciences and manufacturing in space sciences,” said Provost John Z. Kiss, a space biologist himself.
Florida Tech biomedical engineering professor Kunal Mitra and chemical engineering associate professor James Brenner are among the Florida Tech faculty involved in the effort. In addition, associate professor Andrew Palmer, an expert in astrobiology, will be joining this exciting initiative.
The rise in private-sector investment and competition has increased the demand for in-space manufacturing technology and products to drive the new space economy, Mitra noted.
“C-STARS is a multidisciplinary hub that will support and serve the rapidly growing sector of space manufacturing,” Mitra said. “It will bring academic researchers from the four Florida universities together with spaceflight providers to help industries transition to the space manufacturing sector and improve the production of unique medicines, therapeutics, electronics and materials that can benefit the people of Earth.”
The university coalition secured an $80,000 Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program planning or seed grant from the National Science Foundation in support of the C-STARS Initiative.
C-STARS will address six space manufacturing areas where the four universities have intersecting experience and expertise: Cell and Tissue Tools, Bioenergy Systems, Advance Material Electronics, AI and Machine Learning, Lab-on-a-Chip Systems and Recycling and Sustainability.
Florida Tech’s team will work on elements of at least three areas, including cell harvesting and organoids under Cell and Tissue Tools; disease modeling and CubeSat systems under Lab-on-a-Chip; and real-time biomonitoring and autonomous bioprinting under Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Kiss said Florida Tech is excited about possibly expanding the C-STAR initiative to include sustaining life in an extraterrestrial environment.
“This entails understanding how microgravity affects plant growth and development, exploring genetic modifications that can help plants thrive in space conditions, and exploring sustainable agricultural practices for long-duration space missions,” he said.
Mitra’s research is focused on the development of 3D bioprinted tissue models using microfluidic-based organ-on-a-chip systems for disease modeling related to space- and Earth-based applications. Brenner’s research has been on developing tissue engineering test beds with the goal of inexpensively automating the cell culturing process.
These professors have developed two courses to support this initiative. Undergraduate and graduate students can take a class on space-based biomedical engineering applications in the fall. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the full range of maker skills through Brenner’s hands-on course, the Basics of Making.
Florida is home to more than 17,000 space-related companies contributing billions in revenue to the state’s economy. Nearly 70% of all the U.S. orbital launches occurred at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral last year, making it the nation’s busiest spaceport.
More than 50 aerospace, government and industry partners have provided letters of interest in collaborating with C-STARS. These industry partners are eager to work with the center’s leadership team to address space challenges and develop novel solutions.
