SAN ANTONIO – Researchers at UTSA have created a new research center called CSTOR to bring multiple disciplines under one academic roof.
CSTOR is short for Center for Space Technology and Operations Research.
“We can see that we would actually gain strength and impact if we bring people together under one roof and have them begin to talk to each other and to begin to work on more multidisciplinary projects,” said the Head of CSTOR, Dr. David Silva.
Researchers said that aerospace is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States due to renewed interest between government agencies and private companies.
That means there’s a growing workforce need for trained students within Texas, something mechanical engineering graduate school student Dylan Bohanan looks forward to.
“As you look at the job market especially, it’s no longer just mechanical engineering. It’s a mechanical engineer with, you know, like robotics and controls, which is what I want to do, a mechanical engineer with some electrical background or civil background,” Bohanan said.
Bohanan is working with Dr. Arturo Montoya on a project to simulate lunar habitats and create successful conditions for scientists to live and work on the moon.
“There’s a recent interest in having a long-term human presence on the moon. And in order to achieve that, that will require the design of lunar habitats,” Dr. Montoyasaid.
“Lunar habitats are going to be exposed to extreme environments and under recurrent disturbances such as micrometeorite impacts, moonquakes, lunar dust and many other disturbances that we are not aware of at this moment”.
This research, along with many others at UTSA, will now be under CSTOR. The goal is to advance life on Earth by looking to the stars.
“Everyone should recognize that the space industry actually impacts us on a day-to-day basis,” says Dr. Silva.
