Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics A research institute at the University of Colorado, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is a full-cycle space institute, combining all aspects of space exploration through our expertise in science, engineering, mission operations, and scientific data analysis. LASP is an institute at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). LASP began in 1948, a decade before NASA, to develop a stabilized platform for instruments launched aboard sub-orbital rockets. LASP addresses key questions in:

* Solar Influences
* Atmospheric Science
* Planetary Physics
* Space Physics

LASP focuses on the study of Earth’s atmosphere, the sun, and the solar system. LASP is the world’s only research institute to have sent instruments to all eight planets and Pluto. As part of CU, LASP works to educate and train the next generation of space scientists, engineers and mission operators. Undergraduate and graduate students are integrated into working teams at LASP. Our students take their unique experiences with them into government or industry, or remain in the academic environment to continue the cycle of exploration.

Come to think of it, I've never seen my bestie and Jupiter's Great Red Spot in the same room 🤨
08/29/2026

Come to think of it, I've never seen my bestie and Jupiter's Great Red Spot in the same room 🤨

08/24/2026

😔🪐💔

It's been 20 years since Pluto was demoted from major planet status, and reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

But did you know why?

According to the IAU, there are three criteria that a major planet must possess:
Orbit around the sun ✅
It has a round shape ✅
It has “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit ❌

Pluto exists in part of our solar system beyond Neptune, where it shares orbital paths with objects from the Kuiper Belt, a region far in the outer solar system.

Therefore, *sigh* it's not gravitationally dominant enough to clear its own orbital path, and can’t be considered a major planet.

📸 NASA

LASP is SmallSat 2026 bound!LASP’s SmallSat program is powered by advanced research, hardware innovation, and collaborat...
08/21/2026

LASP is SmallSat 2026 bound!

LASP’s SmallSat program is powered by advanced research, hardware innovation, and collaboration. Each mission is designed to support scientific discovery with the next generation of space technology.

We deliver reliable science returns for SmallSats studying heliophysics, Earth and atmospheric science, astrophysics, and more. As a proven partner in space exploration, we specialize in providing full-cycle mission capabilities, including mission development, AI&T, operations, and scientific analysis.

Stop by booth 319 to learn about how LASP can transform your SmallSat vision into a mission success.

08/20/2026

Can you believe it's been nearly half a century since the launch of Voyagers 1 and 2, NASA’s longest-running and most distant mission? 🌌

On this day in 1977, Voyager 2 launched with a primary mission to visit the outer planets in our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. A LASP-built instrument, the Photopolarimeter Subsystem (PPS), used light measurements to study the atmospheres, rings, and moons of these planets. 🪐

After completing all four planetary flybys, Voyager 2 continued further into space. In 2018, it crossed the heliopause, the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space (depending on who you ask). 😜

It is one of the only two spacecraft to have crossed this border, an achievement it shares with its twin, Voyager 1.

Today, Voyager 2 is 13.3 billion miles from Earth, cruising through interstellar space and relaying information to us back here on Earth 🛰️🌍

📸 NASA

Pushing the limits of space science and exploration is so chic 😌🚀✨
08/17/2026

Pushing the limits of space science and exploration is so chic 😌🚀✨

08/14/2026

The accuracy… The talent… Truly out of this world 🚀

08/12/2026

What is a Thermal Vacuum Chamber? Why do we use them to test our instruments?

Alyse works with thermal vacuum chambers here at LASP and does a great job explaining why we use them, how they work, and how she got started working with them!

📸 NASA

08/10/2026

On Wednesday, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal will experience a total solar eclipse. This is an exciting and rare phenomenon! The Moon will totally block out the Sun for those within the 180-mile-wide path of totality. The Sun's atmosphere, the solar corona, will be visible from Earth, as well as the stars and planets, during the day!

Canada, Europe, the Northeast USA, and Northwestern Africa will experience a partial solar eclipse, with the Moon covering part of the Sun.

Remember: Do not look directly at the Sun and damage your eyes! Instead, view this event through eclipse glasses or a projector.

If you're lucky enough to be in the path of totality, take off your eclipse glasses when the sun disappears behind the moon to see the solar corona- a truly magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime sight!

Happy eclipse viewing!

To learn more about solar eclipses- including when, how, and where to view this one: check out the European Space Agency link in our bio.

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Total_solar_eclipse_how_to_watch_live_from_home

08/08/2026

Happy International Cat Day 🐱🌌

Address

1234 Innovation Drive
Boulder, CO
80303

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13034926412

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