COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Texas A&M launches the TAMU-SPIRIT project, giving students a dedicated research platform aboard the ISS.
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Texas A&M University students will soon be able to send their own experiments to the International Space Station — and bring them back to study the results firsthand.
Through a new initiative called the TAMU-SPIRIT project, Texas A&M will place its own dedicated research platform aboard the ISS. Students will have the opportunity to launch experiments every six to 12 months.
Aerospace engineering professor John Connolly said the experience will set graduates apart.
"When they graduate from Texas A&M, they could put on their resume, I flew something to the International Space Station."
For students like Garrett Stevenson, the opportunity is one he never anticipated.
"I never would have thought that I get to work through the entire lifetime of a space project while I'm still in school."
Fellow student Allison Barnes said the program's reach goes well beyond the classroom.
"The impact that that has is astronomical right, to say the least."
Barnes, who said she has been drawn to space since childhood, described what makes the TAMU-SPIRIT project different from traditional coursework.
"I've been looking at this stuff since I was a kid, right? I think every aerospace major will tell you the same thing. We've always wanted to work on space stuff."
When asked about the impact the project will have on current and future students, Barnes said the hands-on nature of the work is what sets it apart.
"The amount of students that are going to be able to understand what they're doing is leaps and bounds ahead. We're not building a model. We're not doing a proposal. We're building space hardware in this lab."
Stevenson said the experience has already exceeded his expectations.
"I think middle school me would say, I'm doing a lot more than I thought I would, especially this early in my career."
Graduate student Diego Peña said he believes the project will elevate Texas A&M's profile across the state.
"I feel like A&M is gonna be kind of a beacon now in Texas for all aspiring astronauts and engineers to go do something great."
The TAMU-SPIRIT platform is expected to launch in 2027.
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