UTA is funding the center with $1.5 million it was awarded two years ago from the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Development in GeoSpace Science project. The goal is to strengthen UTA’s leadership in space physics and prepare undergraduate students for careers in space. The undergraduate and graduate degree programs include research supported by NASA and U.S. Air Force projects.
“We are very excited to launch the Center for Space Physics and Data Science, which will strengthen UTA’s already thriving space physics program,” said Morteza Khaledi, dean of UTA’s College of Science. “With an outstanding leadership team and a multidisciplinary approach, the center will prepare students for success in the workforce and position UTA to make a meaningful impact on the space industry.”
The center will focus on six areas: space simulation, space instrumentation, astrophysics, data science, aerospace engineering and physics education.
The center will introduce a new bachelor’s degree in space physics and data science, and a new fast-track master’s degree. Both programs will include engineering spacecraft and launch systems, courses that explain the space environment and its effects on missions, and cross-disciplinary training focused on adaptability in computing, data and policy.
“UTA already has a strong foundation in space physics research,” said Yue Deng, a professor of physics who will serve as director of the center. “With the creation of this center, our goal is to elevate UTA into the top five universities in the nation in space physics and further strengthen our role as a leader in the space science community.”
University leaders also believe the new space center is positioned for sustained growth over the next several years. Faculty affiliated with the center receive almost $3 million per year in research funding from NASA and other agencies.
The University of Texas system was ranked as the 14th best university in the world for space science in 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report. Nine of the 13 schools ranked above UTA are also in the United States, including University of California, Harvard University, University of Arizona, Princeton University, and others.
The space industry in general has rapidly expanded in the Dallas-Fort Worth in recent years.
E-Space, a global space company focused on “bridging Earth and space,” is developing a 750,000 square foot headquarters in Arlington. The region is also anchored by massive aerospace companies like Lockheed Martinin Fort Worth and Dallas -based Balerion Space Ventures.
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