Research

The Center for Space Research is a world-renowned institution melding engineering, space and Earth sciences. For more than four decades, CSR has been at the forefront of geodesy and celestial mechanics, and has provided extraordinary expertise and leadership in orbit determination, remote sensing, and computational methods.

Learn More >
Large cubes orbiting Earth in space.

Missions

Illustration of underwater scene with beams represented as three glowing green lines From ICESat, shimmering through clear blue water.

Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2)

Satellite altimetry systems keep an eye on Earth’s environment from space, monitoring changes in the heights of ice sheets, glaciers, and forest canopies to record the effects of a changing climate.

Learn More >
3D illustration showing various aircraft and satellites in the sky scanning from above.

Surface, Topography and Vegetation (STV)

CSR is part of the STV community and is working together for the general advancement of this new type of Earth observing system as well and a focus on coastal geomorphology and data fusion for next generation global bathymetry capabilities.

Learn More >
Figure illustration showing ICESat-2 Boreal Biomass map with plots.

Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

Space-based laser altimetry has revolutionized our capacity to characterize terrestrial ecosystems through the direct observation of vegetation structure and the terrain beneath it.

Learn More >

News

View all News

In Memoriam: Professor Byron D. Tapley (1933–2026)

The University of Texas Center for Space Research and an international community mourn the passing of Professor Byron Dean Tapley, who died peacefully at his home in Austin, Texas, on 22 June 2026, at the age of 93, surrounded by his family.

Texas Engineer Maruthi Akella and graduate student working on aerospace machinery in his lab.

Maruthi Akella Receives 2026 AIAA von Kármán Lectureship Award in Astronautics

Maruthi R. Akella, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, has been named recipient of the 2026 von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics Award from the American Institute of…

Burke Fort stands in front of banner that says UT Austin Portugal. Create knowledge. FOster change.

Partners in Space

A historic moment in Portugal’s space history has Longhorn finger(hoof)prints all over it. After nearly a decade of planning, the first space infrastructure in Portugal was officially licensed for operation in late 2025. This monumental development…