Victor Ortega RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Nasa and the UT System have partnered in a Space Act Agreement to expand research, technology and workforce development.
According to public law, space acts are agreements that allow NASA to partner or enter contracts with other institutions to further its goals.
Keya Briscoe, Johnson Space Center university engagement director, said the act will create new opportunities for students to join space programs.
“We want the best and brightest students to come and help us in all of our current projects, as well as the things that we’re going to do in the future,” Briscoe said.
According to a Jan. 9 press release from the UT System, the partnership will build upon previous collaborations with University of Texas schools, such as UT San Antonio’s research on topics such as aerodynamics.
“The way we wrote the Space Act Agreement is that even though we were here at Johnson Space Center, any of our NASA centers can benefit from this agreement,” Briscoe said.
As of now, there are no specifics on what programs will be added to UT System campuses.
However, Briscoe told KVAQ-TV that the Johnson Space Center staff had planned to meet with UT System heads on Feb. 13 to discuss the specifics in how they will carry out their goals and what opportunities may arrive at UT System campuses.
KVAQ-TV will provide updates as information is released.
