NASA Nebraska Space Grant
Faculty 2026-2027
The NASA Nebraska Space Grant is excited to highlight our innovative faculty research projects this year. The profiles below highlight the excellent research and aerospace workforce development activities being undertaken in Nebraska this year. For 2025-2026 profiles, click here.
Alison Adams
UNO - University of Nebraska at Omaha
Latino Professionals in Aerospace Expo
A group of our Latino Professionals in Aerospace organization plan to attend the Latino Professionals in Aerospace Expo 2026 in September. As advisor of this student organization, I'd like to be on hand both to help out if there are any issues and to learn from breakout sessions and network at the expo. At this conference, students and industry professionals network with leaders in aviation and aerospace and learn about best practices, innovations in the field, and professional development opportunities.
Jack Gabel
CU - Creighton University
Quasar Accretion Disk Simulations and Spectral Modeling
This project will support the Creighton Astrophysics Research Group's studies of black hole accretion and mass outflow systems in quasars. Our research group will test models of these fundamental processes that occur in the central regions of quasars using computer simulations and archival spectral data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The funding from this project will provide support for an undergraduate student research stipend, travel to present results at research conferences, and open-access publication costs in a research journal. Key outcomes include unique opportunities in the field of astrophysics research for Creighton students, expanded visibility of our work in the astrophysics research community, and increased productivity from our research group. These outcomes will support our broader objectives of submitting successful future funding proposals, developing new research projects and collaborations, and preparing students for careers in STEM.
Carl Nelson
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Micro-g NExT UNL Team 2026-27
This project involves a student team performing research and development of a tool supporting the Artemis lunar missions for NASA. The project will culminate in device testing at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center
Derrick Nero
UNO - University of Nebraska at Omaha
Science Experimentation & Engineering Design (SEED) Modernization II
Science Experimentation & Engineering Design (SEED) is a general education science course that introduces integrative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) concepts and their applications. The course fosters 21st Century Learning through study and work in active, team-based experiential learning environments through all phases of near-space experiments using highaltitude balloon platforms. Near-space experiments (NSEs) require research question development, experiment hardware fabrication, experiment software integration, payload launch and recovery, data analysis, and formal experiments' results reporting. Applicable technology advances allow for researchers to conduct, collect, and store time-sensitive results at the moment of NSEs' retrieval. SEED Modernization II will ensure improved real-time telemetry using APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System), and results are collected and stored in the field eliminating data degradation or loss.
Jae Sung Park
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
2026-2027 UNL Aerospace Club
UNL Aerospace eXperimental Payloads (AXP) seeks to develop a second payload for High Altitude Student Platform (HASP). Our team's goal is to help further develop the knowledge basis necessary to lead our world to clean energy and improved space flight. The annual Design, Build, Fly (DBF) competition, held by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, invites university teams worldwide to compete in an ever-changing, multi-mission aeronautical event. Like NASA, the competition drives aeronautical discovery through teamwork and hands-on experience. Our project involves integrating autonomy into our Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. A dual motor octocopter for first aid delivery. The purpose of Lunabotics is to design and build a lunar rover. The project connects to NASA goals by preparing students for work in robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and technologies needed for future lunar missions. The Husker Rocketry team will attempt to create an airframe that is fully made in-house. We also plan to make our own trackers for our avionics system.
Li Tan
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Atomic oxygen simulator for neuromorphic chips
AI computation using neuromorphic chips is ideal for aerospace, space station, and satellite applications as the chips are small and computation using these chips costs only a fraction of energy as that in conventional Von Neumann approach. While promising, these chips could be exposed to atomic oxygens that are abundant in low earth orbital. The aim of this proposal is to design and build a simulator generating atomic oxygens in PI's lab. Later, it will be used to evaluate influence on neuromorphic chips.
Devahdhanush V.S.
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Physics-Informed Image Feature Selection for Efficient AI/ML Modeling of Two-Phase Space Thermal Systems
As NASA advances crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, managing the intense heat generated by spacecraft electronics and propulsion systems is increasingly critical. Two-phase thermal technologies, in which a liquid absorbs heat and boils, offer exceptional thermal performance with channel flow boiling being well-suited for the microgravity environments of deep space. Designing these systems requires accurate predictive tools, and artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) offer a powerful approach. Recent efforts have leveraged high-speed flow images from experiments to train AI models, but significant gaps remain: no scientific basis currently exists for selecting which image characteristics to use in training, or for determining how many images are needed to build accurate, reliable models. This project develops physics-informed strategies for image feature selection and minimum training image set sizes for AI/ML models of two-phase space thermal systems, ultimately representing a pivotal step towards digital twin capabilities. Beyond its technical contributions, the project will train Nebraska students in thermal-fluid sciences, AI/ML, and data analytics, strengthening the state's research capabilities and workforce in this nationally high-priority area.
Rachel Wagner
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
JPL Senior Design Challenge
Rapid changes in Artemis, including the planning for Moon Base, have increased focus on potential robotic surface precursors for astronauts. This project will focus on developing robotic technologies for use with Moon to Mars Architecture. This project will investigate these architectures and design/build robotic prototypes under mentorship of a NASA JPL Engineer.
Rachel Wagner
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Nebraska Rover Exploration Project
A Mechanical Engineering Senior Design group in collaboration with the School of Global Integrative Studies (SGIS) and Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) are requesting $3,500 to develop a rover for Nebraska cave exploration. The rover would enable SGIS to search for human modifications within rocky subterranean geography. Many elements of rovers used for exploring other worlds (Moon, Mars, etc.) are relevant to this application, including remote control, autonomous functions, durability for rigorous terrain, and Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM). The student team will work to develop the mechanical, electrical, and programming subsystems of the rover prototype before testing it in a representative environment, such as Robber's Cave—a 5,000-square-foot, a hand-dug historical cave located in Lincoln, Nebraska. An essential aspect of their work will include data fusion. The interdisciplinary students will synthesize lidar data acquired in the accessible cave tunnels using a 3D terrestrial scanner with data captured by the rover from inaccessible cave tunnels. The team will gain critical workforce and leadership skills, and deliver a functioning robot prototype, user guide, and design documentation to SGIS that supports NASA's long history of benefiting humanity through innovation and exploration.
Rachael Wagner
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Portable Zero-Gravity Surgical Skills Simulator
Spaceflight presents a challenging environment for medical treatment, especially for acute care and surgery. In a microgravity environment, minimally invasive procedures are necessary to keep body tissues and fluids enclosed. Robotic-assisted simulated surgery in zero-g has been demonstrated, but further investigation is needed on the laparoscopic techniques (tissue retraction, endoscope use) used to support these procedures. Manual laparoscopic skills, already challenging on Earth, are more difficult in zero-g. Past work on parabolic flights has confirmed this using traditional commercially-available surgical simulators. However these platforms are large and bulky, unsuitable for spaceflight and long-duration missions. Therefore, a low-profile and lightweight surgical simulator is needed. We propose the development of a portable and open-source simulation platform used for crew skill maintenance and surgical procedure preparation. This project will help address the need for surgical care in space during extended Artemis missions and human presence on the Lunar Gateway.
Yumeng Zhao
UNL - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Computational Investigation of Helical Penetration into Planetary Regolith Under Low-Gravity
The failure of NASA InSight's HP3 hammer-driven cone penetrator in Martian regolith exposed a fundamental vulnerability of gravity-dependent self-propulsion: under low gravitational overburden, the hull friction required for advancement collapses, halting both subsurface sampling and anchoring operations. This study investigates helical penetration as a gravity-robust alternative for planetary subsurface access. Unlike cone penetrators, helical systems convert applied torque into axial thrust through screw geometry, generating local particle confinement independently of overburden pressure, which is a critical advantage in low-gravity environments. Using computational simulations calibrated against existing Earth-gravity helix penetration experiments, this research will systematically characterize torque-thrust efficiency, penetration failure modes, and optimal helix geometry across planetary gravity environments spanning asteroids, the Moon (0.17g), and Mars (0.38g). The resulting gravity-scaled performance maps will directly inform helical anchor and drill design for NASA Artemis lunar surface systems and future Mars and asteroid access missions.
