AUGUST 15, 2024 — About 100 of Texas’ planetary scientists will once again gather at UTSA San Pedro I for the second annual Texas Area Planetary Science (TAPS) meeting on Thursday, August 15, and Friday, August 16.
The TAPS meeting aims to strengthen interactions within the Texas planetary-exoplanet science and astrobiology community and foster collaborations and partnerships between institutions and researchers.
Xinting Yu, assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy, created the TAPS meeting during her first year at UTSA to cultivate a space for collaboration while solidifying UTSA as a leading hub in space research.
The TAPS meeting brought several univesrities together to share their research..
“We’re covering topics that range from planets in the solar system to the Artemis mission and sending humans to the moon,” Yu said. “It’s a time to have conversations that we hope keep going and help people find new collaborations.”
The inaugural meeting broke down barriers between young researchers and established faculty, Yu further expressed.
At this year’s TAPS meeting two NASA representatives will serve as keynote speakers and will share information about future space missions.
Kenna Lynch, an astrobiologist and program specialist in exploration science at NASA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., will discuss the Artemis mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon to establish human exploration of the lunar planet.
Julie Crooke, program executive for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, will introduce students and researchers to NASA’s next generation, big telescope project. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) follows the success of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The observatory’s goals are to search for signs of life on potentially habitable exoplanets and to pursue a broader understanding of the cosmic frontiers in the coming decades.
“It’s great seeing that UTSA has become the focal point to space research because it shows the local, state and national collaboration,” said Chris Packham, professor of astrophysics in the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy. “We’re also encouraging national representatives to come and talk about the next generation telescopes, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Our students and researchers could really help play an important role in defining and perhaps using this telescope. This is the nucleation point here. It’s the right time and the right place.”
UTSA will host researchers from participating institutions that include Southwest Research Institute, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, Trinity University, Rice University, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Baylor University.
UTSA faculty have made significant contributions to space sciences research in recent years. In 2023, UTSA astrophysicists partnered with the Subaru Telescope and the European Space Agency to capture one of the first-ever images of an exoplanet seen by the JWST. That same year, NASA recognized Yu with a Planetary Science Early Career Award to establish a Planetary Material Characterization Facility.
In 2022, UTSA astronomers played a pivotal role in the Event Horizon Telescope project, contributing to the first-ever image of black hole Sagittarius A*. UTSA faculty have also partnered on several NASA-funded small business innovation and technology transfer projects.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Annual Giving will host a First Day of School celebration to welcome students back to campus. We will have giveaways and photo opportunities.
Sombrilla PlazaA sweet start to the Semester. Join the University College to customize your own sugar cookie while enjoying connecting with other UTSA students.
Airport Lounge (SU 2.02.00D,) Student Union, Main CampusJoin us for a tabling event with the UTS Bold Careers Program! Start the academic year off right with our team to discuss experiential learning and career development.
In front of the Rowdy Campus StoreJoin the fun at the Najim Center’s Open House! Discover exciting paid opportunities for the semester, meet the staff, and enjoy coffee and donuts.
Najim Center (SU 2.00.10,) Student Union, Main CampusStudents looking to enhance their campus experience should join us at the Get Involved Fair! Engage with various student organizations and community partners, and discover exciting opportunities to get more involved on campus.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusJoin the Student Involvement Center to learn more about fraternity or sorority life at UTSA. This event is mandatory for fraternity and sorority organizations and prospective students aiming to participate in recruitment this fall.
Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02,) Student Union, Main CampusGrab a friend and come out to the 14th Annual Bienvenida! The Alvarez College of Business and the Business Student Council want to kick-off the year with you. Come meet other business students and business student organizations.
UTSA Oval, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.