Published February 22, 2022
John Crassidis, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, spoke to WBFO about UB being chosen to lead a new five-year, $5 million research program that aims to improve the nation’s ability in tracking and monitoring spacecraft and other objects.
The award, part of the Space University Research Initiative (SURI) created by the Air Force and U.S. Space Force, was one of two issued nationwide.
"It's an education experience," Crassidis said. "It's obviously a tremendous honor to win this and it's the first one, so-called Multi-University Research Initiative. They put the "S" in front of it because it's for space. It's the very first one that they did in the space domain awareness area. It's great to win one of these. It's also great that we won the first one in space."
Crassidis was also quoted in La Presse (Montreal, Canada) on the dangers posed by space debris. “If we continue to do things as we do today, I estimate that low orbits will become completely unusable within 50 years,” he said.
