The Iowa Spaceflight Lab brings the full mission development process under one roof, from concept and design to testing, integration, and delivery, expanding the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s capabilities in spacecraft instrumentation. Housed in Van Allen Hall, the lab enables researchers to design, build, and test technologies for upcoming missions in a single, integrated space, strengthening Iowa’s leadership in space exploration.

Several faculty and staff from the department were recognized by the graduating class of 2026 for making a meaningful difference in students experiences at the University of Iowa. Among them were: Ugur Akgun; Casey DeRoo; Hai Fu; Jasper Halekas; Allison Jaynes; Kenneth Johnson: Jane Nachtman.