NEWS

Deepak Mishra

Creative Research Medal 2017

Deepak Mishra, associate professor of geography and leading international scholar in the use of satellite remote sensing techniques, co-created the Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) in January 2016, starting the space research program at UGA. The goal of this program, made possible by funding from NASA and the Air Force Research Lab, is to launch student-built low earth orbit satellites, aka CubeSats, by 2018 that also provide faculty with unique space-based data that will advance research on coastal ecosystems, marine processes and water quality. Mishra and colleagues assembled a 50-member team of faculty and students from physics, mathematics, computer science, marine science, geography, engineering, design and management, among other departments, to guide the missions. These projects will develop cutting-edge technologies, including running “structure from motion” techniques from an orbiting platform—something never before attempted. The SSRL is an innovative, interdisciplinary research and experiential learning program that is anticipated to be a cornerstone of a future UGA aerospace program.