UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen said,“The partnership we’re entering today with Space Centre Australia and the AeroLabs Consortium holds tremendous potential for our students and faculty as they advance the cutting-edge work already happening at the Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology. We’re grateful for the opportunity to literally expand horizons in space science and environmental research by taking advantage of this collaboration and this unique platform.”
Expanding Global Academic Collaboration
The AeroLabs Science Consortium has been purpose-built as an open, expandable framework that allows additional universities and research institutions to join as participants through a structured membership process. This model ensures equitable access to the platform’s resources, including aircraft mission hours, collaborative project funding and shared data initiatives.
The agreement provides a foundation for NASA-aligned missions, STEM engagement and advanced technology testing under a unified governance structure that encourages transparency, cost-sharing and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Strengthening Trans-Pacific Research and Education
AeroLabs forms part of Space Centre Australia’s broader strategy to establish a trans-Pacific science corridor, linking research and innovation efforts between NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and the company’s Australian operations at Atakani Space Centre in Cape York, Queensland.
This partnership strengthens bilateral research capacity, creates training opportunities for students and early-career researchers and positions both Australia and the United States at the forefront of aerospace, environmental, and near-space research.
About Space Centre Australia LLC
Space Centre Australia LLC is a U.S.-based sister company to Space Centre Australia Pty Ltd, developing advanced aerospace infrastructure and research capabilities across the United States and Australia. Headquartered at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, the company operates the AeroLabs Airborne Science Platform and the Karman Line horizontal-launch program, supporting research and innovation across Earth, near-space, and cislunar environments.
About UMass LoCCST
The University of Massachusetts Lowell, through its Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology (LoCCST), is a leading U.S. research institution advancing innovation in space science, atmospheric studies and aerospace systems. LoCCST conducts cutting-edge research in astrophysics, satellite technology and atmospheric physics in partnership with NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and international collaborators.
An example of an academic-industry partnership led by LoCCST is the Massachusetts Alliance for Space Technology and Sciences (MASTS), a consortium of universities, colleges and corporations focused on developing space technology while training a workforce for the space industry. Supported by a nearly $5.5 million grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, that partnership is among those activated by the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), a UMass Lowell initiative with the City of Lowell centered on the engagement of companies and nonprofits co-located on UMass Lowell’s campus.
LoCCST’s participation in the AeroLabs Science Consortium extends its leadership by providing students and researchers hands-on access to flight missions and payload development, strengthening global academic partnerships from the atmosphere to low-Earth orbit and beyond.
