The University of California, Berkeley revealed its partnership with NASA Ames Research Center and developer SKS Partners yesterday. The partnership is geared toward the advancement of aviation and space technology through the establishment of a state-of-the-art research hub known as the Berkeley Space Center, per the UC Berkeley news.
Set to be developed on 36 acres of NASA-leased land at Moffett Field, Mountain View, the center seeks completion by 2027. In addition to serving as a hub for cutting-edge research for UC Berkeley researchers and private companies, the center will also provide classrooms for students. Focused on advancements in aviation, space exploration, and human life in space, the center is designed to accommodate up to 1.4 million square feet of research space.
According to Alexandre Bayen, a UC Berkeley professor and associate provost for Moffett Field program development for this collaboration, this aims to promote resiliency in extreme environments, future aviation, space bioprocess engineering, and data science computing. The primary idea is fostering an ecosystem conducive to collaboration between Berkeley talent, the private sector, and NASA in Silicon Valley.
One of the key goals is to create an environment where UC Berkeley students can engage in hands-on learning, working alongside top-notch scientists and engineers specializing in aeronautics, space, and AI. As Claire Tomlin, UC Berkeley Professor and Chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, mentions, some projects worth noting include research on e-VTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles), collaborative work on sustaining human life in space, and AI exploration at the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research lab.
Aside from tech development, this collaboration creates an opportunity for multidisciplinary contributions from diverse educational fields. UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Berkeley Law are already exploring aspects of the commercial exploitation of space, such as legal policy issues pertaining to asteroid mining, space business operations, and lunar natural resource usage.
The project targets a sizeable revenue generation for UC Berkeley through research grants, industry participation, incubation of emerging start-ups stemming from translational research, and commercialization of developed technologies. SKS Partners, at the helm of the venture, is pursuing LEED certification for the buildings and sustainable practices in construction, including the use of solar energy and blackwater treatment, and prioritizing non-polluting transportation options.
