Interplanetary Laboratory

Building better space hardware solutions to explore our Earth and beyond.

We support space hardware and software projects across the university and the greater community. Our equipment, facilities and staff are accessible and our pricing model is cost-effective so that we can advance smaller and earlier stage projects led by faculty, students and industry.

Engagement by the numbers

569 lab users

7 hardware projects

5 facility collaborators

4 industry partners

Key milestones in developments and capabilities

CNC machine
cutting parts out of aluminum and steel.

Kratos radio
testing communications with spacecraft during development.

Expanded 3D printing
now printing with PLS, SLA, Nylon, ESD safe and HDPE materials.

Upgraded TVAC chamber
simulating the coldness of space down to -140C to help validate spacecraft thermal designs. Enhanced ground station pointing the directional antenna to track satellites during a pass and downlink data.

Enhanced ground station
pointing the directional antenna to track satellites during a pass and downlink data.

Vibe Table
simulated the vibrations experienced during launch for our first external customer with the SPARCS payload thermal simulator.

New CableEye unit
computer controlled testing the integrity of bespoke spacecraft cables.

Lunar Sandbox
64 sq ft of simulated planetary surface for testing locomotion of planetary rovers with an overhead hoist to simulate lower gravity.

Rover software advancements
deploying software to remotely control small rovers in our simulated lunar regolith sandbox.

Lab students driving innovation

LightCubeLaunch

The lab’s first 1U CubeSat developed entirely by students successfully launched and deployed from the International Space Station. Students and staff attended the launch at [location]. Learn more.

CharlotteMission

In collaboration with the Luminosity Lab, the lab helped test a tethered lunar rover which won second place in the 2022 BIG Idea Challenge from NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s Office of Stem Engagement. Learn more.

ROAMERDevelopment

The lab partnered with industry under a Space Force grant to design a versatile microsatellite with robotic arms to restore objects to their intended orbits. Learn more.

DORAAdvancements

Students gained hands-on experience with design and development of communications, structural, power systems, and functional and environmental testing in support of the Deployable Optical Receiver Aperture (DORA) for Lunar Communications and Navigation 3U CubeSat project. Learn more.

Get involved

If you’re interested in exploring funding opportunities or utilizing the lab’s facility, please reach out to Danny Jacobs at dcjacob2@asu.edu.