U of A to Test Balloon-Based Space Tech on Tucson's South Side
The University of Arizona is taking its balloon-based space research to the next level, with a new lab sprouting up at the UA Tech Park at The Bridges on Tucson's south side.
And nearby, the UA Tech Park's first office building at The Bridges is starting to buzz with activity as major UA tech agencies including Tech Launch Arizona begin to move in.
The UA's Mission Integration Lab, under construction on the north edge of The Bridges off East 36th Street, features a roughly 40-foot-tall, hangar-like "high bay," where researchers and students can work on instruments, telescopes and high-altitude balloon technology.
While the UA has long been involved with NASA programs including balloon-borne research, the Mission Integration Lab will make the UA even more competitive for research missions such as NASA's Long Duration Balloon flight missions, said Carol Stewart, associate vice president of Tech Parks Arizona.
