About the Center

Space science is the province of multiple disciplines. Understanding the formation and evolution of the solar system, the galaxy, or the universe is equally the task of the cosmochemist who measures isotopic effects in meteorites, the astronomer who observes planetary atmospheres or interstellar dust, and the astrophysicist who studies high energy emissions and gravitational effects of neutron star mergers.

Faculty, researchers, and students of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences belong to one of the traditional science departments, yet overlap in their research. Members of the Center enjoy the diversity of research being conducted and consider the eclectic nature of the Center to be one of the most important aspects of the space sciences program at Washington University.

The McDonnell Center plays a key role at Washington University through endowed professorships, supporting acquisition of sophisticated instrumentation, hiring new faculty, supporting postdoctoral and graduate student fellowships, administering visiting scientist programs, seeding innovative research, and fostering wide-reaching collaborations.  

As we look to the future, space science is central to humanity’s aspiration for knowledge as we seek to explore and comprehend our surroundings and our beginnings.     

XL-Calibur preparing to launch

NASA balloons study atmosphere and cosmos

From late May through mid-July, instruments aboard four NASA scientific balloons collected data on cosmic rays, clouds, the Sun’s magnetic field, and more. Launched from Kiruna, Sweden, the balloons and their payloads were retrieved from locations across northern Canada after flights lasting three to seven days.

Recognizing outstanding faculty and staff

Recognizing outstanding faculty and staff

At a ceremony and reception held Sept. 11 in Holmes Lounge, members of the Arts & Sciences community gathered to recognize recipients of the annual faculty and staff awards. Each recipient made exceptional contributions to the university through service, leadership, or teaching. Congratulations to all the awardees! 

Michael Nowak

Nowak named Associate Director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences

The McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences has named Michael Nowak, research professor of physics, as the new associate director.

Meet Our Partners

Postdoc Focus

Saurav Das

Exploring Unseen Forces Shaping the Universe

McDonnell Center Postdoctoral Fellow Saurav Das's primary research focus revolves around the intriguing field of dark matter, which is believed to exist in significantly greater quantities than visible matter. Despite its prevalence, the exact nature of dark matter remains unknown.

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Saurav Das