A recent NYT article on the biggest questions in science today featured LASP scientist Fran Bagenal, who asked: “Why are Earth and Venus so different?” This week, LASP is hosting VEXAG to bring together the Venus science community and explore big questions about Venus. 💫

Happy 45th launchiversary to NASA's Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME)! Launched on Oct. 6, 1981, SME's mission was to study ozone processes in the mesosphere. It was the first NASA satellite to be operated entirely by a university and helped confirm the discovery of the ozone hole.

SPRITE's taking flight! 🚀 🌌 On October 1, this LASP-led mission is scheduled to launch and begin its journey to investigate some of astronomy’s biggest questions about the early universe. Learn more about SPRITE and how to watch the launch: lasp.colorado.edu/2026/09/29/s...

SPRITE mission set to launch, opening a new window on the ultraviolet universe

NASA’s SPRITE (Supernova Remnants and Proxies for ReIonization Testbed Experiment) mission, scheduled to launch in October 2026, will collect unprecedented observations in the far-ultraviolet…

lasp.colorado.edu

Happy Launchiversary IMAP! 🚀🎂 One year ago today, The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe set off on its journey with LASP’s Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) along for the ride. We are happy to celebrate all the LASPians on the IDEX team on this accomplishment! #IMAPLaunchiversary

Congratulations to LASPian Ryan French on receiving AGU’s 2026 Athelstan Spilhaus Award. This award recognizes individuals who have enhanced public engagement with Earth and space science! ☀️ Learn more about Ryan and this incredible honor here: lasp.colorado.edu/2026/09/23/l...

Come to think of it, I've never seen my bestie and Jupiter's Great Red Spot in the same room 🤨

It's been 20 years since Pluto was demoted from major planet status, and reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Because it's not gravitationally dominant enough to clear its own orbital path, and can’t be considered a major planet. 😔🪐💔

LASP is #SmallSat26 bound! Our lab is powered by advanced research, hardware innovation, and collaboration. Each mission is designed to support scientific discovery with the next generation of space technology. Stop by booth 319 to learn how LASP can transform your SmallSat vision into a success.

Today is the twelfth launch anniversary of LASP’s HySICS Instrument Incubator Project. HySICS measured sunlight reflected by the atmosphere and surface of Earth. ☀️ These measurements help us understand environmental changes, monitor global temperature trends, and conduct environmental research. 🔬🌳

Pushing the limits of space science and exploration is so chic 😌🚀✨

What is a Thermal Vacuum Chamber? Why do we use them to test our instruments? Alyse works with thermal vacuum chambers here at LASP and does a great job explaining why we use them, how they work, and how she got started working with them! 📸 NASA

Happy 150th Birthday, Colorado! We’re so lucky to live in a state with such unique beauty, diverse landscapes, and unparalleled charm ⛰️☀️🌲🏕️🦬 📸 from LASPians: Bryan Button, Ravyn Cullor, Liam Kleinberg, Kisa Minardi, Michelle Salyer

Where’d all the time go? 😞 🦬 Our BSA REU program has reached its bittersweet conclusion. We’re sad to see the program end, but we’re looking forward to seeing what they accomplish with everything that they’ve learned! lasp.colorado.edu/2026/07/31/s...

Since we’ve been to every planet and Pluto, we can confirm that this is entirely accurate 😜

On Monday, the LASP ASTRO Academy went on a field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park! The students learned about the history of glaciers in the Rockies and how glaciers are influenced by a planet's orbit. Learn more about student opportunities at LASP: buff.ly/yy9Zo4z

Happy #NationalMoonDay! CU Boulder scientists are involved in five upcoming trips to the moon. 🌒 Researchers will explore everything from volcanoes on the moon’s surface to signals washing through our galaxy from the dawn of the universe. Read more ↓ https://bit.ly/459FS5w @laspatcu.bsky.social

Last Thursday, our BSA REU cohort toured the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder. We’re so grateful to our friends at NOAA who allowed us to tour! It was the perfect way to kick off a long weekend- with a little science! 🌤️🌎🔭

Do you know why these stars appear red, white, and blue? 🔴⚪🔵 It all has to do with differences in their temperature! Researching our Sun and stars across the universe is an important part of how LASP revolutionizes our understanding of the cosmos!⭐🌏 📸 NASA

Spoiler alert!

🚀 Happy National Logistics Day! ✈️ Logistics plays a critical role in our exploration of the cosmos. In 2022, FedEx transported the LASP-built Surface Dust Analyzer from CO to CA, starting this instrument on the first leg of its 3-billion-kilometer journey through the solar system.

A new day is dawning at LASP! ☀️ 🌍️ 🛰️ A huge thank you to our team here at LASP, CU Boulder, and the DAPHNE team across the country! This mission will help us better understand how weather here on Earth and space weather interact at the very edge of our atmosphere. buff.ly/GnlL9XF

NASA selects LASP mission to study how Earth and space weather connect

NASA has selected a mission concept led by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics to investigate the complex system of space weather that surrounds

colorado.edu

A LASPian was among the eight CU Boulder researchers and four university-connected startups to receive a combined $2.2 million in funding through the annual Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. Read more👇️ buff.ly/71Wbw9j

Eight CU Boulder researchers and four startups receive funding through Colorado’s Advanced Industries Accelerator

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight University of Colorado Boulder researchers and four

colorado.edu

🔭✨️ See that bright yellow dot up there? That’s Venus - visible in the sky every evening until late October! LASP has been to Venus twice, with the Mariner 5 and Pioneer Venus missions. 📸 Space lasp.colorado.edu/missions/pio...

Ad astra, MAVEN 🫡 🛰️ ✨️ For more than a decade, MAVEN and its amazing team have given us an unprecedented understanding of the Martian atmosphere and its evolution. We are so proud and grateful to everyone on the mission who has enabled MAVEN's exploration of Mars. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

NASA Says Farewell to MAVEN Mars Mission, Hosts Media Call Today - NASA

The first mission devoted to observing the Martian atmosphere and its evolution, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), has ended after more

nasa.gov

Read the #OpenAccess article by Mutschler et al. [2026] for free on @wiley-stem.bsky.social! 🔗 doi.org/10.1029/2025... @laspatcu.bsky.social

First Results of a New Inversion Tool for Thermospheric Neutral Mass Density Computations During Severe Geomagnetic Storms

An Ensemble Kalman Filter inversion tool estimates temporally deconvolved densities from Energy Dissipation Rates, adjusting MSIS ap inputs to match observed conditions Estimated densities are co...

doi.org

Last week, the BSA REU kicked off its 2026 program. The program offers students from a variety of backgrounds and home institutions the opportunity to collaborate with professional mentors on hands-on solar and space physics research. Stay tuned to see what the cohort accomplishes! buff.ly/JlzOsnL

Today marks the 55-year launch anniversary of the Mariner 9 mission. Mariner 9 was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, and the information that it returned transformed our understanding of the red planet and Earth. 📸 from NASA & LASP

Today is astronaut and physicist Sally Ride's birthday! 🎂 In June 1983, Ride became the first American woman to travel to space. Her legacy and cosmic curiosity serve as an inspiration for all of us at LASP as we persevere in our mission to explore the cosmos! Happy Birthday, Sally! 📸 from NASA

Congrats to Alex! 🎉 lasp.colorado.edu/2026/05/22/l...

LASP awards inaugural Frank J. Crary Fellowship to Alex Doner

The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) has announced Alex Doner as the inaugural 2026 recipient of the Frank J. Crary Endowed…

lasp.colorado.edu

In our space science era since day one 😏 🌌 🛰️