LASP
@laspatcu
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder is at the forefront of space weather and climate monitoring, solar and planetary research, and the search for evidence of habitable worlds.
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
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
🚀 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.
🔭✨️ 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...
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
May the 4th Be With You! 💫 Wouldn't living with a bunch of helpful little droids be great? Well, LASP kind of does! They help us explore a bunch of other cool space stuff. CubeSats can be as small as a cereal box, but they do big science like investigating galaxies far, far away. Can R2D2 do that?
Thank you to @hickenlooper.senate.gov for visiting us at LASP on Friday and learning about the amazing science happening here at CU Boulder. We hope you had fun checking out LASP's SmallSat labs and learning about the great science and vital hands-on student training they enable!
Step right up and behold the world of tomorrow, Spaceman! Don’t just imagine the future—experience it. Explore all that LASP has in store and secure your complimentary video tour today. The next frontier awaits! lasp.colorado.edu/building-the... #aprilfoolsday
🌖 Are you an early riser? ☀️ Tomorrow morning, you might be able to catch a total lunar eclipse before sunrise, especially on the west coast of the US! 📸 NASA
Discover SunCET! This SmallSat will capture images of the Sun in extreme UV to observe coronal mass ejections during their acceleration phase. LASP and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory are eager for SunCET's upcoming launch!
Monday was the 20th anniversary of New Horizon's launch! You might be familiar with the mission's work in helping us better understand our farthest solar neighbors. But did you know how many young LASPians came into their own building, launching, and using New Horizons? buff.ly/1NGB4FK
Happy New Year's Eve! What an exciting year of space exploration at LASP! So much amazing science was done, and we continued to train the next generation of space professionals. We were so honored to have you along for the ride, and we can't wait to share the cosmos with you again in 2026! 📸 NASA
Whether you'll be looking at ✨ in the 🌌 or one on top of a 🎄 this season, LASP wishes you and yours a stellar holiday season!
We're excited to see everyone at AGU this week! Keep an eye on social media for opportunities to see LASP presentations every day this week.
Can you believe it's been 30 years since Galileo became the first satellite to orbit Jupiter? After being inserted into Jupiter's orbit in 1995, Galileo spent 34 orbits studying the Jovian system, including the four Galilean moons, with the help of two LASP instruments on board, the EUV and UVS.
Happy Halloween from LASP! Usually, we use our Science On a Sphere to learn more about our terrific world, but today? Today, it's for celebrating the spookiest of holidays.
🌕 🔭 Please join us at our International Observe the Moon Night event, tomorrow, Saturday 10/4 from 6:30-9pm on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall. View the moon through our high power telescope while talking with scientists about lunar science and LASP's recent and upcoming missions. #observethemoon
🚀 We hope to see you in Sydney for #IAC2025! LASP is dedicated to science-led, mission-driven innovation: from SmallSats to global partnerships like INSPIRE. We don't just build hardware — we partner, train, and inspire. Visit Booth 118 to explore collaboration and advance space science together.
🚀 IMAP has launched! When it reaches its orbit 1 million miles from Earth, IMAP will study the Sun, including the LASP-built IDEX instrument that will study interstellar dust. Huge thanks to our partners and the LASP mission team. No one gets to space alone. Congrats, IMAP team! 📸 NASA/LASP