LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 08/10/2026A recent NYT article on the biggest questions in science today featured LASP scientist Fran Bagenal, who asked: “Why are Earth and Venus so different?” This week, LASP is hosting VEXAG to bring together the Venus science community and explore big questions about Venus. 💫 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Happy 45th launchiversary to NASA's Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME)! Launched on Oct. 6, 1981, SME's mission was to study ozone processes in the mesosphere. It was the first NASA satellite to be operated entirely by a university and helped confirm the discovery of the ozone hole. 012 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 01/10/2026SPRITE's taking flight! 🚀 🌌 On October 1, this LASP-led mission is scheduled to launch and begin its journey to investigate some of astronomy’s biggest questions about the early universe. Learn more about SPRITE and how to watch the launch: lasp.colorado.edu/2026/09/29/s...lasp.colorado.eduSPRITE mission set to launch, opening a new window on the ultraviolet universeNASA’s SPRITE (Supernova Remnants and Proxies for ReIonization Testbed Experiment) mission, scheduled to launch in October 2026, will collect unprecedented observations in the far-ultraviolet… 053 5
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Happy Launchiversary IMAP! 🚀🎂 One year ago today, The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe set off on its journey with LASP’s Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) along for the ride. We are happy to celebrate all the LASPians on the IDEX team on this accomplishment! #IMAPLaunchiversary 051 5
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Congratulations to LASPian Ryan French on receiving AGU’s 2026 Athelstan Spilhaus Award. This award recognizes individuals who have enhanced public engagement with Earth and space science! ☀️ Learn more about Ryan and this incredible honor here: lasp.colorado.edu/2026/09/23/l... 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 29/08/2026Come to think of it, I've never seen my bestie and Jupiter's Great Red Spot in the same room 🤨 020 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 24/08/2026It's been 20 years since Pluto was demoted from major planet status, and reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Because it's not gravitationally dominant enough to clear its own orbital path, and can’t be considered a major planet. 😔🪐💔 020 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 21/08/2026LASP is #SmallSat26 bound! Our lab is powered by advanced research, hardware innovation, and collaboration. Each mission is designed to support scientific discovery with the next generation of space technology. Stop by booth 319 to learn how LASP can transform your SmallSat vision into a success. 030 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Today is the twelfth launch anniversary of LASP’s HySICS Instrument Incubator Project. HySICS measured sunlight reflected by the atmosphere and surface of Earth. ☀️ These measurements help us understand environmental changes, monitor global temperature trends, and conduct environmental research. 🔬🌳 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 17/08/2026Pushing the limits of space science and exploration is so chic 😌🚀✨ 051 5
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 12/08/2026What is a Thermal Vacuum Chamber? Why do we use them to test our instruments? Alyse works with thermal vacuum chambers here at LASP and does a great job explaining why we use them, how they work, and how she got started working with them! 📸 NASA 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 01/08/2026Happy 150th Birthday, Colorado! We’re so lucky to live in a state with such unique beauty, diverse landscapes, and unparalleled charm ⛰️☀️🌲🏕️🦬 📸 from LASPians: Bryan Button, Ravyn Cullor, Liam Kleinberg, Kisa Minardi, Michelle Salyer 020 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Where’d all the time go? 😞 🦬 Our BSA REU program has reached its bittersweet conclusion. We’re sad to see the program end, but we’re looking forward to seeing what they accomplish with everything that they’ve learned! lasp.colorado.edu/2026/07/31/s... 151 5
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Since we’ve been to every planet and Pluto, we can confirm that this is entirely accurate 😜 031 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 22/07/2026On Monday, the LASP ASTRO Academy went on a field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park! The students learned about the history of glaciers in the Rockies and how glaciers are influenced by a planet's orbit. Learn more about student opportunities at LASP: buff.ly/yy9Zo4z 020 2
Reposted by LASPUniversity of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) @colorado.edu · 20/07/2026Happy #NationalMoonDay! CU Boulder scientists are involved in five upcoming trips to the moon. 🌒 Researchers will explore everything from volcanoes on the moon’s surface to signals washing through our galaxy from the dawn of the universe. Read more ↓ bit.ly/459FS5w @laspatcu.bsky.social bit.ly5 upcoming trips to the moon and how CU Boulder scientists are involvedResearchers will explore everything from volcanoes on the moon's surface to signals washing through our galaxy from the dawn of the universe. 031 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 06/07/2026Last Thursday, our BSA REU cohort toured the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder. We’re so grateful to our friends at NOAA who allowed us to tour! It was the perfect way to kick off a long weekend- with a little science! 🌤️🌎🔭 031 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 04/07/2026Do you know why these stars appear red, white, and blue? 🔴⚪🔵 It all has to do with differences in their temperature! Researching our Sun and stars across the universe is an important part of how LASP revolutionizes our understanding of the cosmos!⭐🌏 📸 NASA 031 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 28/06/2026🚀 Happy National Logistics Day! ✈️ Logistics plays a critical role in our exploration of the cosmos. In 2022, FedEx transported the LASP-built Surface Dust Analyzer from CO to CA, starting this instrument on the first leg of its 3-billion-kilometer journey through the solar system. 011 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026A new day is dawning at LASP! ☀️ 🌍️ 🛰️ A huge thank you to our team here at LASP, CU Boulder, and the DAPHNE team across the country! This mission will help us better understand how weather here on Earth and space weather interact at the very edge of our atmosphere. buff.ly/GnlL9XFcolorado.eduNASA selects LASP mission to study how Earth and space weather connectNASA has selected a mission concept led by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics to investigate the complex system of space weather that surrounds 075 7
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 11/06/2026A LASPian was among the eight CU Boulder researchers and four university-connected startups to receive a combined $2.2 million in funding through the annual Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. Read more👇️ buff.ly/71Wbw9jcolorado.eduEight CU Boulder researchers and four startups receive funding through Colorado’s Advanced Industries AcceleratorThe Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight University of Colorado Boulder researchers and four 060 6
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 06/06/2026🔭✨️ See that bright yellow dot up there? That’s Venus - visible in the sky every evening until late October! LASP has been to Venus twice, with the Mariner 5 and Pioneer Venus missions. 📸 Space lasp.colorado.edu/missions/pio... 011 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 03/06/2026Ad astra, MAVEN 🫡 🛰️ ✨️ For more than a decade, MAVEN and its amazing team have given us an unprecedented understanding of the Martian atmosphere and its evolution. We are so proud and grateful to everyone on the mission who has enabled MAVEN's exploration of Mars. www.nasa.gov/news-release...nasa.govNASA Says Farewell to MAVEN Mars Mission, Hosts Media Call Today - NASAThe first mission devoted to observing the Martian atmosphere and its evolution, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), has ended after more 032 3
Reposted by LASPAGU Advances @aguadvances.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Read the #OpenAccess article by Mutschler et al. [2026] for free on @wiley-stem.bsky.social! 🔗 doi.org/10.1029/2025... @laspatcu.bsky.socialdoi.orgFirst Results of a New Inversion Tool for Thermospheric Neutral Mass Density Computations During Severe Geomagnetic StormsAn Ensemble Kalman Filter inversion tool estimates temporally deconvolved densities from Energy Dissipation Rates, adjusting MSIS ap inputs to match observed conditions Estimated densities are co... 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 01/06/2026Last week, the BSA REU kicked off its 2026 program. The program offers students from a variety of backgrounds and home institutions the opportunity to collaborate with professional mentors on hands-on solar and space physics research. Stay tuned to see what the cohort accomplishes! buff.ly/JlzOsnL 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 30/05/2026Today marks the 55-year launch anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission. Mariner 9 was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, and the information that it returned transformed our understanding of the red planet and Earth. 📸 from NASA & LASP 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Today is astronaut and physicist Sally Ride's birthday! 🎂 In June 1983, Ride became the first American woman to travel to space. Her legacy and cosmic curiosity serve as an inspiration for all of us at LASP as we persevere in our mission to explore the cosmos! Happy Birthday, Sally! 📸 from NASA 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Congrats to Alex! 🎉 lasp.colorado.edu/2026/05/22/l...lasp.colorado.eduLASP awards inaugural Frank J. Crary Fellowship to Alex DonerThe Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) has announced Alex Doner as the inaugural 2026 recipient of the Frank J. Crary Endowed… 000 0
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 05/05/2026NASA's next big astrophysics mission won't launch for quite a while, but we're already working on it! While people like LASP's own Dr. Kevin France hammer out the technology needed to do the HWO's science, take a listen to this story to learn more about the mission.kunc.orgFinding another Earth: CU Boulder’s role in the search for habitable planetsKevin France, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Colorado Boulder, discusses the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a new space telescope that could help us find new worlds. 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 04/05/2026May the 4th Be With You! 💫 Wouldn't living with a bunch of helpful little droids be great? Well, LASP kind of does! They help us explore a bunch of other cool space stuff. CubeSats can be as small as a cereal box, but they do big science like investigating galaxies far, far away. Can R2D2 do that? 111 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Reduce, reuse, recycle - but make it space! This month, the LASP Sustainability Group won a CU Campus Sustainability award in the Lab Achievement category in recognition of the nitrile lab glove recycling which diverted at least 600lbs of gloves from the landfill! #EarthDay 031 3
Reposted by LASPUniversity of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) @colorado.edu · 10/04/2026New @laspatcu.bsky.social research may give lunar explorers hints about where to go looking for water. 🌓 Learn about the moon craters that are top candidates for storing ice ↓ bit.ly/4ccWuN0colorado.eduWater on the moon? New study narrows down the mostly likely locationsAstronauts on the moon could mine ice for drinking water or to make rocket fuel. A new study pinpoints a few cold, dark craters where water likely accumulated 052 5
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Thank you to @hickenlooper.senate.gov for visiting us at LASP on Friday and learning about the amazing science happening here at CU Boulder. We hope you had fun checking out LASP's SmallSat labs and learning about the great science and vital hands-on student training they enable! 020 2
Reposted by LASPUniversity of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) @colorado.edu · 02/04/2026NASA’s Artemis II mission has sent astronauts to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. Scientists at @laspatcu.bsky.social and the College of Arts and Sciences are supporting the Artemis program by studying the moon’s extreme thermal environments. bit.ly/4s9KgL5bit.lyAstronauts are going back to the moon. Planetary scientist talks about what we can learnThe crew of NASA's Artemis II mission are slated to launch for the moon in March. CU Boulder researcher Paul Hayne talks about why it's important for humans to 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 02/04/2026We still have goosebumps from the Artemis II launch yesterday! lasp.colorado.edu/2026/04/01/s...lasp.colorado.eduSix ways LASP is leading in lunar science and enabling explorationWith the launch of Artemis II, the first mission to send humans to fly by the Moon in more than half a century, the Artemis program enters its next exciting phase with the eventual goal of landing… 030 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Step right up and behold the world of tomorrow, Spaceman! Don’t just imagine the future—experience it. Explore all that LASP has in store and secure your complimentary video tour today. The next frontier awaits! lasp.colorado.edu/building-the... #aprilfoolsday 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 31/03/2026Do you love books and space? ☀️ 💫 📖 Meet LASPian Dr. Ryan French at a talk and signing of his book "Space Hazards" at Boulder Bookstore on Thursday! Learn more at the link below! boulderbookstore.net/event/2026-0...boulderbookstore.netRyan French -- "Space Hazards"Main navigation 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 31/03/2026💫 Shaping the future of space exploration starts with you! 💫 It's #BuffsAllIn, which means you can directly support LASP in our mission to explore the cosmos and train the next generation of space professionals. Donate below! giveto.colorado.edu/schools/Univ...giveto.colorado.eduLaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)I’m All In! Join me and contribute to support CU Boulder and the community we love. 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 30/03/2026Congratulations to Paul! We know you'll 🪨 it studying the 🌒 with Artemis! lasp.colorado.edu/2026/03/27/n... #artemis #nasa #moonlasp.colorado.eduNASA names CU Boulder-LASP planetary scientist Paul Hayne to Artemis geology teamPaul Hayne is an associate professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and a researcher at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). He… 041 4
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026New CubeSat incoming! Read more about what AtmOCube will investigate here: lasp.colorado.edu/2026/03/23/n...lasp.colorado.eduNASA selects LASP’s AtmOCube mission for developmentAtmospheric gravity waves are oscillations in the atmosphere caused by vertical displacement of air by weather or topography. These waves can propagate through the atmosphere, like ripples in a pond,… 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 26/03/2026🌟 💥 😮 IXPE digging into the cosmos! Did you know the satellite is operated out of LASP? And by CU students who we trained and certified as mission operators! www.nasa.gov/image-articl...nasa.govNASA X-Ray Mission Gets Fresh Look at 2,000-Year-Old Supernova - NASANASA's IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission has taken a new observation of a supernova, RCW 86, helping fill in a fuller picture of what other 031 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 24/03/2026📢 Calling CU undergrads! LASP is hiring undergraduate interns this summer, and not only STEM roles! Openings will be posted over the next few weeks on the page linked below. Just navigate to the "Undergraduate Students" tab. We hope to see you this summer! lasp.colorado.edu/careers/lasp.colorado.eduCareersWant to help deliver the future of space science? As the only academic research institute in the world to explore every planet in our solar system, our societal impact is measured at truly cosmic… 021 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 17/03/2026Looking for a weekend activity? Don't miss a LASPian at Astronomy on Tap Boulder! Dr. Fran Bagenal will give a talk on what we've learned about Jupiter from the Juno mission. And you might be able to catch her for a chat about our solar system's gas and ice giants! 🪐astronomyontap.orgAoT Boulder X Rosetta Hall – Astronomy On Tap« All Events 012 2
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 11/03/2026🛰️ 🧑🎓 Did you know undergrads can train as mission operators and fly real space missions at LASP? CU Boulder undergrads can take LASP's summer-long course, pass certification, and work as operators, sending commands to SmallSats, instruments, and NASA missions. Learn more here:lasp.colorado.eduStudent Flight Controllers ProgramCertifying undergraduates to operate NASA missions One of the most exciting and unusual aspects of mission operations at LASP is the opportunity for CU Boulder undergraduate students to become… 031 3
Reposted by LASPUniversity of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) @colorado.edu · 27/02/2026After six years, @laspatcu.bsky.social has said goodbye to Libera. The space instrument will now be integrated onto a satellite to be launched next year. It'll continue a 26-year record of Earth's "energy budget," or how energy flows to Earth from the sun and back into space. bit.ly/4shhfxt 071 7
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 02/03/2026🌖 Are you an early riser? ☀️ Tomorrow morning, you might be able to catch a total lunar eclipse before sunrise, especially on the west coast of the US! 📸 NASA 030 3
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 21/02/2026I spy LASP! Thanks for the shout-out, @colorado.gov ! We've seen a ton of stuff in space! 🛰But not these guys...yet👽 010 1
LASP @laspatcu.bsky.social · 14/02/2026Happy Valentine's Day to the LASP community! Our world orbits around you! 000 0