Among the finalists in a national NASA competition focused on advancing technologies for future space exploration is a student-led engineering team from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa and UH Hilo.

(Robotic Space Exploration) is one of 14 university teams selected for the 2026 . The challenge invites students to develop innovative concepts supporting sustained human activity on the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Powering lunar operations

The team’s proposal, (Power Energy Transfer Architecture for the Lunar), centers on building a scalable power management and distribution system for lunar operations. The concept integrates multiple energy sources and storage methods, including nuclear power and energy stored using lunar soil, to support long-term missions and lays the groundwork for future applications on Mars.

As a finalist, Project PETAL received a $7,000 award to support participation in the RASC-AL Forum, scheduled for June 1–4, in Cocoa Beach, Florida. During the forum, students will present their work to NASA engineers and industry professionals while refining their concepts through technical feedback. The top-performing teams will be recognized for technical merit, innovation and presentation excellence.

“Being part of this project has shown us what it takes to develop a concept that could be considered for future lunar and Mars missions,” said Nathan Chong, project manager of Project PETAL and UH Mānoa computer engineering freshman. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to collaborate across campuses and push ourselves to think at a much higher level.”

The project also aligns with broader UH efforts supporting NASA’s Artemis missions, including a lunar rover instrument being developed at UH Mānoa that is slated to fly as part of the Artemis 5 mission. The work creates opportunities to connect student-led projects such as PETAL with real-world systems headed to the Moon.

Space science and engineering initiative

Project PETAL members are primarily from engineering and related STEM disciplines at UH Mānoa and UH Hilo. The interdisciplinary effort emphasizes hands-on design, systems integration and real-world problem-solving. Faculty advisors supporting the project include Matthew Siegler and Marvin Young from UH Mānoa, and Branden Allen from UH Hilo.

Project PETAL is part of , which aims to expand space technology development and hands-on student training. Launched in 2024, the initiative provides students with opportunities to work on advanced space systems while building �鶹��ý’s capacity in aerospace engineering and instrumentation. It is a collaboration among UH Mānoa’s College of Engineering, the Institute for Astronomy and UH Hilo.

Team RoSE is one of more than 20 at UH Mānoa, which seek to foster long-term, in-depth, project-based learning to engage students and better prepare them for future careers.

More about Project PETAL

Hundreds of �鶹��ý Island kids and families gathered at the on January 24, to celebrate the legacy of Kona-born astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who was killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy 40 years ago.

“We’re trying to continue his legacy. He inspired a lot of people, and he wanted to encourage the youngsters to work hard, study hard, and never give up on their dreams,” said Ellison’s younger brother, Claude Onizuka, who worked to bring the event back to �鶹��ý Island after a five-year hiatus.

Organized by the (PISCES) in partnership with UH Hilo, the Onizuka Memorial Committee, Canada-France-�鶹��ý Telescope and the �鶹��ý Science and Technology Museum, the day marked a return for the beloved community tradition, paused since the pandemic.

The event featured a keynote by NASA astronaut Donald R. Pettit, whose appearance was funded by American Savings Bank. Pettit, who has spent 590 days in space and is part of the team preparing for the Artemis II mission, challenged young attendees.

“I want them to think, ‘Wow, flying into space, it’s exploration, it’s tough, it’s difficult, but it’s something I want to do!’ and I hope everyone of these students [will] come and arm wrestle me for my job!”

Approximately 350 attendees participated in hands-on workshops from building volcanoes to learning traditional Polynesian canoe lashing. Interactive exhibits featured liquid nitrogen demos, Maunakea Observatory displays, and a state-qualifying VEX IQ Robotics tournament hosted by Waiākea Intermediate School.

Ellison Onizuka was the first Asian American and first person of Japanese ancestry to reach space when he completed the Space Shuttle Discovery mission in 1985. He remains the only NASA astronaut from �鶹��ý.

AstroDay West 2025 brought a wave of excitement to Kona Commons as crowds gathered around science booths, telescopes and live demonstrations. The University of �鶹��ý (IfA) joined partners across the island to offer a day of engaging ways to explore the universe at the annual event hosted by .

The day-long celebration offered family-friendly learning, free giveaways and simple science experiments designed to spark curiosity. Organizers said the goal was to make astronomy feel approachable for everyone.

“We were excited to provide keiki and families with the opportunity to learn more about science and astronomy right here in Kona,” said Carolyn Kaichi, education and outreach specialist at IfA. “Through hands-on learning and key partnerships with organizations across the island, we hoped to inspire the next generation of local science and technology leaders.”

Sun, sky and science

Visitors lined up to use a special solar telescope to safely view details on the sun’s surface. Nearby booths showed how stars form, how weather shapes our islands and how scientists observe the sky from �鶹��ý’s mountaintops. IfA staff and students answered questions, guided activities and shared stories about their work.

AstroDay has long been a staple for families interested in science with a mission to strengthen public understanding of astronomy and create more opportunities for learning.

The event also featured displays and expertise from a wide range of partners, such as Las Cumbres Observatory, W. M. Keck Observatory, Gemini Observatory, Subaru Telescope, Canada-France-�鶹��ý Telescope, TMT International Observatory, NASA Solar System Ambassadors and the UH Hilo .

The University of �鶹��ý showcased its growing role in global astronomy and space research by hosting an international symposium, September 22–24, bringing together leading experts from Japan and �鶹��ý to explore the future of ground- and space-based science and technology.

The three-day event at , and Subaru and Gemini observatories, was part of UH’s Space Science and Engineering Initiative (SSEI), which is positioning the university as a hub for cutting-edge space research, engineering and workforce training. More than 45 participants—22 from Japan and 25 from UH—took part in sessions on cosmology, exoplanets, planetary science, cosmochemistry and astrophysics, along with specialized discussions on telescope technologies, optics, detectors and spectrometers.

“This symposium highlights �鶹��ý’s unique role in global space research and underscores our commitment to training the next generation of scientists and engineers right here at home,” UH President Wendy Hensel said. “We are proud that UH continues to expand its expertise and work in this field.”

“One of our goals is to create an academic pathway for students in space sciences and engineering that will develop a well-qualified, locally based workforce pipeline to service the needs of our world-class observatories here in the islands,” UH ����ԴDz� Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos said.

Participants toured UH’s advanced laboratories, including the �鶹��ý Space Flight Laboratory Clean Room, the Adaptive Secondary Mirror Lab and the Advanced Detector Development and Engineering Research Laboratory. The final day featured tours of IfA Hilo’s Photonics Lab, Adaptive Secondary Mirror Lab, Advanced Detector Development and Engineering Research Lab, and visits to the Subaru and Gemini observatories on Maunakea, underscoring �鶹��ý’s unique role as home to some of the world’s most powerful astronomical facilities.

The symposium was built on a series of high-level meetings among UH, University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), which operates the Subaru Telescope on Maunakea. The expanded collaboration is expected to include joint research projects, testing of new instruments, faculty exchanges and student training opportunities.

“It became clear to all of us at this symposium that UH, NAOJ and UTokyo each have their own unique institutional strengths in research on space science, engineering and technology,” said Hiroaki Aihara, executive director and vice president of the University of Tokyo. “A UH–NAOJ–UTokyo partnership can only enhance our research capacity.”

NAOJ Director General Mamoru Doi added, “The symposium clearly shows that various new developments in space and ground-based technology are expected for future astronomy and astrophysics. By working closely, UH, NAOJ and UTokyo can achieve not only innovative research but also foster next generation leading researchers both in �鶹��ý and Japan.”

More about SSEI

UH launched SSEI to harness �鶹��ý’s natural advantages in astronomy while building local expertise in engineering and manufacturing for space-based missions. The initiative is backed by state support to create a new space engineering and instrument development center in Hilo, which is expected to expand �鶹��ý’s technology sector, bring in millions of dollars in research funding and create high-paying jobs for residents.

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� researchers in the have created a molecule once thought too unstable to exist called methanetetrol using extreme, space-like conditions. The discovery could reshape our understanding of chemistry in the universe and shed light on the complex reactions happening in deep space.

Methanetetrol is the only alcohol which has four hydroxyl groups (OH) at a single carbon atom. Scientists have theorized its existence for more than a century, but no one had ever observed it, until now. Using ultra-cold temperatures, near-perfect vacuum and high-energy radiation to simulate the environment inside interstellar clouds, researchers produced this elusive molecule.

Complex compounds, building blocks of life

This finding shows that outer space may host a far more diverse and unexpected set of chemical reactions than previously believed. These reactions are critical to understanding the formation of organic molecules (building blocks of life) across the galaxy. By proving that methanetetrol can form under cosmic conditions, the team has revealed a surprising pathway for how complex compounds might evolve in the icy dust clouds where stars and planets form.

The team used powerful vacuum ultraviolet light to detect tiny amounts of methanetetrol made from water and carbon dioxide. They found that high-energy particles mimicking high energy cosmic rays triggered a series of chemical reactions leading to the creation of methanetetrol and related compounds.

“In collaborations with scientists from Mississippi, Samara University and Shanghai, this work pushes the boundaries of what we know about chemistry in space,” said Department of Chemistry Professor Ralf I. Kaiser.

While this alcohol does not occur naturally on Earth due to its instability in everyday conditions, its formation in space demonstrates that the universe is far more chemically dynamic than previously imagined. The findings push the boundaries of both chemistry and astronomy, and open the door to further discoveries and astronomical observations about how life’s ingredients can emerge in the coldest, darkest corners of space.

The study was . The Department of Chemistry is housed in UH ����ԴDz�’s .

A telescope operated by the University of �鶹��ý has detected the third known interstellar (from outside our solar system) object to enter our solar system. Researchers say that it poses no danger to Earth.

The discovery was made by UH’s NASA-funded (ATLAS) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. ATLAS is a global network of four telescopes managed by the UH that scan the skies for asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. According to researchers, the object is moving right through the Milky Way, making it difficult to distinguish amidst all the stars. But researchers say this is one of ATLAS’s strengths.

“Spotting a possible interstellar object is incredibly rare, and it’s exciting that our UH-operated system caught it,” said John Tonry, UH Institute for Astronomy astronomer and professor. “These interstellar visitors provide an extremely interesting glimpse of things from solar systems other than our own. Quite a few come through our inner solar system each year, although 3I/ATLAS is by far the biggest to date. The chances of one actually hitting the Earth are infinitesimal, less than 1 in 10 million each year, but ATLAS is continually searching the sky for any object that might pose a problem.”

The newly identified object, designated , was added to the International Astronomical Union’s Near-Earth Object confirmation list on July 1, and a Minor Planet Electronic Circular was just released that names it 3I/ATLAS. It is currently soaring toward the sun on a trajectory and with speed that reveals that it originated from outside our solar system, and will leave the solar system again after passing the Sun. Early estimates suggest the object may be as large as 12 miles in diameter. Researchers say it will make its closest approach to the sun—about twice the distance from Earth—in October, traveling at more than 150,000 miles per hour.

Although 3I/ATLAS appears on the Near-Earth Object list, there is no risk of collision with Earth or even a close pass. It is sobering, however, that if it struck the Earth (and it will not) it would create an explosion more than 100 times greater than the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. Researchers suspect that 3I/ATLAS is a comet and it should show increasing activity as it gets closer to the Sun, although it will never get warm enough to make a naked eye display.

The four-telescope ATLAS system is the first line of defense in surveying hazardous asteroids capable of monitoring the entire dark sky every 24 hours. Read this UH News story for more about ATLAS.

Visitor number 3?

This marks the third likely interstellar visitor, following the discoveries of ʻOumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. ʻOumuamua was first detected by UH’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope on Haleakalā and became the first object to receive an official interstellar designation. It caught global attention with its strange, elongated shape and unexpected acceleration as it exited the solar system. Although it showed no visible tail, its motion suggested comet-like behavior. Most scientists now agree that it was a natural object, likely a comet from another star system, although its exact nature is still debated.

Related UH News stories:

• Two UH astronomers part of international team that agrees on a natural origin for ʻOumuamua, July 2, 2019
• An interstellar visitor unmasked, November 20, 2017

Scientists have been on the hunt to determine where and how much ice is present on the Moon. Water ice would be an important resource at a potential future lunar base, as it could be used to support humans or be broken down to hydrogen and oxygen, key components of rocket fuel. University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� researchers are using two innovative approaches to advance the search for ice on the Moon.

NASA‘s ShadowCam scouts for surface ice

Water ice was previously detected in the permanently shaded regions of the Moon’s north and south poles by Shuai Li, assistant researcher at the (HIGP) in the UH ����ԴDz� (SOEST). A led by Jordan Ando, planetary sciences graduate student in Li’s laboratory, examined images from a specialized camera, NASA‘s ShadowCam, that is aboard the Korea Aerospace Research Institute Korea Lunar Pathfinder Orbiter.

Related UH News stories:

• Water on the Moon; team confirms with ground equipment, January 10, 2022
• Direct evidence of ice on Moon surface discovered, August 21, 2018

Craters in the Moon’s polar regions receive no direct sunlight, but sunlight that bounces off of one side of a crater can indirectly illuminate another side. The ShadowCam, designed specifically to look only at the dark, permanently shaded areas on the Moon, is extremely sensitive to the indirect light reflected off the lunar surface.

“Ice is generally brighter, that is, reflects more light, than rocks,” said Ando. “We analyzed high-quality images from this sensitive camera to look really closely into these permanently shaded areas and investigate whether water ice in these regions leads to widespread brightening of the surface.”

The analysis of Shadow Cam images indicates that water ice makes up less than 20% of the lunar surface.

Cosmic rays help search for buried ice

Another group of UH ����ԴDz� researchers with HIGP and recently in Geophysical Research Letters that outlines an innovative approach to detect buried ice deposits at the Moon’s poles.

“We showed that a new technique for detecting buried water ice on the Moon is possible using naturally occurring cosmic rays,” said Emily S. Costello, study lead author and researcher at HIGP. “These ultra-high-energy cosmic rays strike the lunar surface and penetrate to the layers below. The rays emit radar waves that bounce off buried ice and rock layers, which we can use to infer what’s below the surface.”

The team used an advanced computer simulation that tests how radar waves travel through the lunar soil and how they encode information about possible buried ice layers. A team of HIGP and Department of Physics and Astronomy researchers are working to assemble a radar instrument specifically tuned to listen for these signals on the Moon and hope to test the full system by early 2026. They will look for opportunities to send it to the Moon to hopefully detect large deposits of buried water ice on the Moon for the first time.

“More and more, �鶹��ý is becoming a hub for space exploration, and specifically the exploration of the Moon,” said Costello. “These projects, led by UH ����ԴDz� scientists, represent up-and-coming opportunities for students and professionals in �鶹��ý to lead and participate in the budding space industry.”

Read the entire story on the .

—By Marcie Grabowski

Emily Costello, a planetary scientist at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�, was as one of eight participating scientists to join its to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are remnants of the early solar system trapped on stable orbits associated with, but not close to, the planet Jupiter.

On the Lucy mission, Costello will contribute to the goal of understanding the nature and history of Trojan asteroids by providing insights into the role of meteoritic impacts in shaping the surfaces of the Trojans.

“Impacts are a pervasive geological process on small bodies, so it is critical that we accurately decipher how these impacts shape the formation and evolution of the asteroids,” said Costello, who is a researcher at the in the UH ����ԴDz� (SOEST).

The impact of impacts

Launched in 2021, the spacecraft is the first space mission to explore the diverse group of small bodies known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. Trojan asteroids orbit in two “swarms” that lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun.

Impacts from meteors mix the surface of these bodies and muddle geologic layers, called strata. Impacts play a crucial role in erasing and homogenizing certain surface features, such as crater rays, and in the evolution of chemical and physical characteristics. Costello will provide the Lucy team with a key piece of the surface geology puzzle, leveraging her impact modeling expertise and targeted observations of craters and the material they propel outward.

“The history written and rewritten by impacts will influence the interpretation of all observations by the Lucy mission’s scientific instruments that view Trojan surfaces,” Costello said. “So, it’s thrilling to be able to help interpret the first ever close-up look at these likely ancient asteroids.”

More about the Lucy mission

Over its 12-year mission, Lucy will explore a record-breaking number of asteroids, flying by three asteroids in the solar system’s main asteroid belt, and by eight Trojan asteroids that share an orbit around the Sun with Jupiter. Lucy also will fly by Earth three times to get a push from its gravity, making it the first spacecraft to return to the vicinity of Earth from the outer solar system.

and .

Related UH News stories on Costello:

• Linking planetary science, art, Indigenous culture focus of early career award, June 5, 2024
• Building pathways for Indigenous lunar science at UH ����ԴDz�, June 17, 2022
• Mission to find lunar ice gets $3M NASA boost, February 1, 2022
• Surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa may have conditions for life, July 12, 2021

Researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa recently received and analyzed pristine samples from the asteroid Bennu—material that has been preserved in the vacuum of space since the tumultuous formation of the solar system. Their findings will provide clues to the building blocks and events of those earliest days.

“To date there have been only a handful of missions that brought material back to Earth from elsewhere in the solar system,” said Gary Huss, researcher at the (HIGP) in the UH Mānoa (SOEST) and director of HIGP’s . “It is an honor and a privilege to analyze a sample from another world.”

In 2016, NASA launched with a mission to reach Bennu, which orbits near Earth, and collect a sample of material from its surface. In addition to gathering remote observations that revealed Bennu’s with , OSIRIS-REx unfurled its robotic arm and, in a first for NASA, briefly touched down and collected dust and pebbles. Years later, in 2023, the spacecraft delivered the sample to Earth and a thin polished section of that material was shared by NASA in January with researchers at HIGP.

“Collecting and transporting these samples 200 million miles back to Earth was an engineering marvel,” said Rob Wright, HIGP director. “That some of this precious material has been entrusted to HIGP’s labs is testament to the world-leading expertise of Gary, Kazu [Nagashima, HIGP specialist], and the cosmochemistry group; and the cutting-edge science being conducted at the University of �鶹��ý.”

Bennu is essentially a time capsule from the early solar system. Researchers from around the world applied to receive samples of the asteroid to better understand the origin of the asteroid and by extension the origin of the solar system. Huss and Nagashima, were granted access to the cherished samples to measure oxygen isotopes in various minerals including dolomite, calcite, bruennerite, and magnetite, using the ion probe in the Keck Lab.

“This will give us new insight into the raw materials for the solar system and the water that was part of the asteroid,” said Huss. “Additionally, the mineral analyses will tell us about the temperature of interactions between rock and water on the asteroid, and the isotopic measurements can potentially tell us about the timing of various things that happened in the early solar system.”

Beneath a miles-thick icy crust, Jupiter’s moon Europa likely has a saltwater ocean that may be one of the best places to look for life beyond Earth. Researchers in the (HIGP) at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa were awarded $1.8 million by NASA to predict where they may have the best chance of accessing the ocean and possibly finding life.

On Europa, liquid from the ocean may be exposed at the surface, or actively escape into space through plumes of vapor and ice particles. Such activity could also bring with it samples of microbial life that may inhabit the ocean. Sarah Fagents, researcher in HIGP at the UH Mānoa (SOEST), is leading the effort via the , the mission to Europa launched by NASA in October.

“This precursor work will provide critical context to enable more efficient analysis of Clipper data by the science community and will help generate discoveries and new questions that will feed into the planning of mission observations,” said Fagents. “This will maximize the science return during the lifetime of the Europa Clipper, which is limited due to the intense radiation it will experience around this moon.”

After traversing the solar system for nearly six years, Europa Clipper will reach Jupiter, orbit the planet, and conduct nearly 50 close flybys of Europa.

Clues from chaos

The team’s research will focus on what is referred to as Europa’s . These are highly fractured and disrupted areas of the moon’s surface where blocks of ice appear to have broken off, drifted and refrozen to the surface. Previous research has indicated that liquid water either rises directly from the ocean to the subsurface or forms by the melting of salty ice at shallow depths, creating massive lakes inside the moon’s frozen crust. Over time, the ice directly above these lakes collapses, splintering into floating fragments that rotate, raft and resettle into all kinds of configurations.

“With the upcoming work, we will assess the feasibility of different chaos formation models, determine the potential for exposure of interior and/or ocean materials at the surface, develop techniques for efficient analysis of Clipper data, and evaluate where best to look for signs of habitability exposed at the surface,” said Fagents. “I’m excited to see what’s ahead.”

Fagents’ three-year project includes HIGP researchers Shuai Li, Gwendolyn Brouwer and Lauren Schurmeier; and collaborators from four other institutions (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the University of Texas at Austin, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab).

–By Marcie Grabowski