08/14/2026
A Farewell Message from Dr. Pablo de León as He Steps Down as Chair
Dear Students, Alumni and Friends of the Department of Space Studies,
During the last six years, I have had the distinct pleasure of serving as Chair of Space Studies. This has been the culmination of my 22 years at UND, first as a researcher and then as a professor. During this time, I have always tried to provide our students with a good environment in which to grow, pursue their interests, and be able to achieve their dreams. I hope I was able to deliver what all of you deserve from this great program.
In a few days, Professor Michael Dodge will take over as our new Chair, and I will be supporting him in any way needed during this next chapter in the life of the department.
Looking back at these six years, I am proud of what we were able to accomplish together, particularly considering that my term started in the middle of the COVID crisis and at a time of considerable change for the department. We were able to bring new faculty and new areas of expertise to Space Studies, including military space, international space affairs and policy, propulsion and hypersonics. We expanded our technical capabilities and created new opportunities for our students to participate directly in space research and operations.
UND now has two satellites operating in Earth orbit, ROADS-1 and ROADS-2, supported by our Satellite Operations Center and our own ground station operated with the participation of students. Our Integrated Lunar/Mars Analog Habitat, ILMAH, has grown into a major research facility supporting a significant number of our theses and dissertations, external analog missions, and NASA-funded research.
We also established an annex of the Human Spaceflight Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center, providing our students with the unusual opportunity to conduct research at one of the world's most important spaceflight centers. Our collaborations with NASA have continued to grow, including research with the Johnson, Marshall and Kennedy Space Centers in areas ranging from spacesuits and human performance to lunar surface systems and future Moon-to-Mars exploration.
During this period, we were also able to bring to UND some remarkable pieces of spaceflight history, including a Saturn IB rocket engine and a full-size Orion test capsule, while continuing the development of our spacesuit research, including our 3-D printed spacesuit technology. Looking toward the future, the new neutral buoyancy facility currently under development will provide another important capability for EVA and human spaceflight training and research.
While my time as Chair is coming to an end, I am not leaving Space Studies. Quite the contrary. I will continue as a professor and researcher, and I hope that leaving the administrative responsibilities behind will allow me to dedicate more time to our students, research, teaching, and the development of new projects.
I also want all current students and alumni to know that I will remain available to you. Whether you need advice, a recommendation, a professional contact, or simply want to reconnect with the department, please do not hesitate to reach out. I will also continue using our listservs to share job opportunities in the space industry whenever they come to my attention. One of the greatest satisfactions of being a professor is seeing our students and graduates succeed, and I intend to continue supporting you in any way I can.
As Space Studies approaches its 40th anniversary, our goal should remain as ambitious as it was when the department was created: to provide the best education in Space Studies in the world, and to prepare the people who will help shape the future of space exploration. UND Space Studies must continue supporting NASA, the military, and the growing commercial space industry in the enormous task ahead of us: expanding human presence beyond Earth and, ultimately, helping make humanity multiplanetary.
Finally, I want to thank each of you for choosing UND Space Studies as your program. A department is ultimately defined by its students and its graduates, and everything we build, teach, research, and develop has its greatest value through what all of you accomplish afterward.
It has been a privilege and an honor to serve as your Chair. I look forward to continuing to work with you, now again simply as your professor and friend.
Thank you,
Dr. Pablo de León,
Professor and Chair
Director, UND Human Spaceflight Laboratory
Department of Space Studies, UND
