Senator Chris Coons was “filled with pride about our state’s extraordinary potential” when he heard that research and development in space sciences at the University of Delaware has caught NASA’s attention. NASA has been impressed by the science professors’ discoveries and wants to fund more of their research through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
Norman Wagner, a professor of Chemical Engineering at UD, came up with a thickening fluid that can be spread on spacesuits to make them more puncture-resistant. This would, therefore, make the suits safer for the astronauts. Professor John Xiao of Physics and Astronomy has found a way to use sub-wavelength structures to allows scientists to see objects in space a more detailed manner than ever before.
Prof. Wagner
Prof. Xiao
These two scholarly men will receive research awards from the EPSCoR of an amount of $750,000. NASA only grants these honorable awards to researchers that they believe will be able meet their high-priority needs.
“Researchers in Delaware are not only highly skilled and well educated, but that they have an established reputation as pioneers in space science research. I applaud NASA for recognizing the cutting edge research being done here in our state.” – Sen. Coons
