NASA

The university is leading Landolt, a $19.5 million NASA space mission that will put an artificial “star” in orbit around Earth.

Mechanical engineer Jeffrey Moran, whose lab focuses on self-propelled micro- and nanoparticles, has loved outer space since childhood. Now, one of his experiments, exploring aerosol thermophoresis, will be carried out on the International Space Station. 

George Mason University will be the home of the $19.5 million recently approved Landolt NASA Space Mission that will put an artificial “star” in orbit around the Earth. George Mason faculty and students will work together with the NASA and NIST and nine other organizations for a first-of-its-kind project for a university in the Washington, D.C., area.

George Mason is the home for the new $19.5 million NASA Landolt Space Mission. Led by the College of Science’s Peter Plavchan, with the College of Engineering and Computing, this mission will launch an artificial star in orbit to help scientists calibrate telescopes and measure brightness.

Ever since sixth grade, Ricky Chang looked up at the stars and wondered what could be out there in the vastness of unexplored space. With a summer internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, he had a front row seat to interstellar research.

Last fall NASA selected George Mason University’s Anamaria Berea to participate in its independent study team on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).