KSI is pleased to announce four space research centers of excellence to keep Florida at the forefront internationally in human space exploration
BRADENTON, FL, UNITED STATES, September 12, 2022 — The Academic Research Centers (ARCs) of Excellence will lead a multi-year research effort to develop and deploy new innovations and educate a future workforce for the space industry. The ARCs of Excellence will create novel approaches central to next-generation space exploration to create jobs, train a diverse workforce and ease supply chain issues by growing America’s space industry.
Academic Research Centers of Excellence
• Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
• Center for Space Healthcare and Emergency Response
• Center for Space Sustainability
• Center for Space Energy
The ARCs will foster the integration of space technology with other disciplines and focus on discoveries and innovations in four key areas:
• autonomous learning robots to meet the needs of the human family;
• multi-generational approaches for long term well-being;
• increasing the use, socioeconomic benefits, operations, and safety of outer space for peaceful purposes;
• and renewable energy sources supporting the transition towards Net-Zero communities.
The ARCs advance the current state of research and development in human space exploration by establishing and deploying new frameworks, designs, tools, learning systems, knowledge repositories, and engineering related to space exploration while driving new innovations. In addition to the collaboration with the private and public institutions, the ARCs of Excellence will include convergent research across colleges at Kepler Space Institute and support education and technology translation at the university leading to strong societal impacts to improve the quality of life on Earth. KSI is seeking partnerships with industry, educational and technical organizations working together and collaborating to develop and implement new technologies, capabilities and solutions to bring to market. Robust partnerships with industry, educational and technical organizations will enable the space research centers to train personnel at many levels from pre-college to practicing professionals, at scale.
“We must invest in both American-made solutions and our local workforce to safeguard against future supply chain challenges in the Space Industry and ensure we remain at the forefront of technological advancements in human space exploration that will transform the way we do business and improve our lives here on Earth.” Says Kepler Space Institute Chairman of the Board of Directors, Edward Kiker.
Through basic, applied and translational research, the ARCs of Excellence will accelerate the development and deployment of space research and innovations, with a focus on technologies to support the migration of humans to space and future communities in space. The new ARCs and their partner networks offer a rare opportunity to develop not only the future of space development, but also future leaders, engineers, scientists, researchers, explorers and space pioneers that will help open the next frontiers in space for the benefit of humanity.
“We really want to develop these new industries and help prepare a workforce that will enable humanity to take the next steps beyond Low Earth Orbit. We have a growing team of the best, most innovative academics in human space exploration across our colleges, and over the past ten years have developed a vision of the future of communities living and working in space. We invite you to reach out to get involved,” said Haroon Oqab, President/CEO of Kepler Space Institute, “We are committed to paving the way to a reimagined future of space exploration that builds upon a culture of diversity and inclusion, a strong workforce development effort and an expanding innovation ecosystem. Most importantly, the centers will help launch revolutionary ideas while training our most valuable assets, talented students.”
Coupled with KSI’s Graduate Programs, focused on Interdisciplinary Space Studies, the ARCs will facilitate widespread adoption of advanced technologies and the associated workforce. Diversity and inclusion are pillars of the ARCs of Excellence. Special emphasis will be focused on including urban, rural, emerging and underserved communities in educational pipeline programs.
Mr. Oqab said the new ARCs of Excellence are only part of the broader future for the university.
Each ARC has interacting foundational components that go beyond the research projects and new opportunities to commercialize research, including engineering workforce development at all stages, a culture of diversity and inclusion where all participants gain mutual benefit and value creation within an innovation ecosystem that will outlast the lifetime of the ARC.
With numerous research outcomes enabling new technologies, over the years, the ARCs of Excellence will serve to meet the nation’s future workforce and technological needs for human space exploration.
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