Space Sciences Laboratory
@ucbssl.bsky.social
The Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at UC Berkeley is a preeminent university lab for space research and has participated in 50+ NASA missions since 1959.
John Tomsick, PI of NASA's COSI mission, describes the practical applications resulting from gamma ray detectors. From PET scans to radiation monitoring to protecting astronauts, Compton imaging technology has a profound impact on our health and safety.
October 10, 2025 at 5:56 PM
John Tomsick, PI of NASA's COSI mission, describes the practical applications resulting from gamma ray detectors. From PET scans to radiation monitoring to protecting astronauts, Compton imaging technology has a profound impact on our health and safety.
Scenes from our Mission Operations Center during launch of NASA's Carruthers, IMAP and SWFO-L1 on Sept 24. SSL operates Carruthers, built the instrumentation and contributes to the science. We also built an instrument for SWFO-L1 and lead an experiment on IMAP.
September 25, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Scenes from our Mission Operations Center during launch of NASA's Carruthers, IMAP and SWFO-L1 on Sept 24. SSL operates Carruthers, built the instrumentation and contributes to the science. We also built an instrument for SWFO-L1 and lead an experiment on IMAP.
NASA's Carruthers mission launched this morning and is communicating with the Mission Operations Center at the @UCBerkeley
Space Sciences Laboratory.
Read more 👇
ssl.berkeley.edu/nasas-carrut...
Space Sciences Laboratory.
Read more 👇
ssl.berkeley.edu/nasas-carrut...
September 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
NASA's Carruthers mission launched this morning and is communicating with the Mission Operations Center at the @UCBerkeley
Space Sciences Laboratory.
Read more 👇
ssl.berkeley.edu/nasas-carrut...
Space Sciences Laboratory.
Read more 👇
ssl.berkeley.edu/nasas-carrut...
Space science benefits every American. University space science programs are part of a vast aerospace economy that boosts local economies in every state in the country.
#SpeakUp4Science #StandUpForUC
#SpeakUp4Science #StandUpForUC
September 10, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Space science benefits every American. University space science programs are part of a vast aerospace economy that boosts local economies in every state in the country.
#SpeakUp4Science #StandUpForUC
#SpeakUp4Science #StandUpForUC
Space science is important for all Americans. Private aerospace ventures benefit immensely from the training pipeline made possible by university space science programs. #SpeakUp4Science
September 9, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Space science is important for all Americans. Private aerospace ventures benefit immensely from the training pipeline made possible by university space science programs. #SpeakUp4Science
Big thank you to Lara Waldrop for the talk at SSL. Lara leads the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory. It will orbit the Sun to capture UV images of Earth’s exosphere. SSL built many of the instruments and will contribute to the research and operate the spacecraft.
August 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Big thank you to Lara Waldrop for the talk at SSL. Lara leads the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory. It will orbit the Sun to capture UV images of Earth’s exosphere. SSL built many of the instruments and will contribute to the research and operate the spacecraft.
Thank you to "Aurora Guy" @vincentledvina.bsky.social for stopping by @ucbssl.bsky.social to tell us about your efforts to engage citizen scientists and aurora chasers in space weather research.
August 8, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Thank you to "Aurora Guy" @vincentledvina.bsky.social for stopping by @ucbssl.bsky.social to tell us about your efforts to engage citizen scientists and aurora chasers in space weather research.
America needs the strongest possible NASA, commercial space and university network to remain safe, growing, and inspiring. Space science underpins our national security, boosts local economies, develops new technologies/resources and reveals where we stand in the cosmos.
August 5, 2025 at 8:04 PM
America needs the strongest possible NASA, commercial space and university network to remain safe, growing, and inspiring. Space science underpins our national security, boosts local economies, develops new technologies/resources and reveals where we stand in the cosmos.
The Solar Polarization and Directivity X-Ray Experiment (PADRE), led by SSL, launched today. PADRE will measure polarization and directivity of hard X-rays emitted during solar flares with the aim of developing better prediction models for solar emission events.
June 24, 2025 at 1:19 AM
The Solar Polarization and Directivity X-Ray Experiment (PADRE), led by SSL, launched today. PADRE will measure polarization and directivity of hard X-rays emitted during solar flares with the aim of developing better prediction models for solar emission events.
John Bonnell, project physicist at SSL, describes NASA's
TRACERS Mission, which will study the magnetopause (the boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind) with the aim of better understanding space weather.
TRACERS Mission, which will study the magnetopause (the boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind) with the aim of better understanding space weather.
June 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
John Bonnell, project physicist at SSL, describes NASA's
TRACERS Mission, which will study the magnetopause (the boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind) with the aim of better understanding space weather.
TRACERS Mission, which will study the magnetopause (the boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind) with the aim of better understanding space weather.
Join SSL researcher and mission specialist Martin Sirk for an observational astronomy class far from city lights in the
Sierra Nevada this summer.
sierra.sfsu.edu/astr-216-pra...
Sierra Nevada this summer.
sierra.sfsu.edu/astr-216-pra...
June 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Join SSL researcher and mission specialist Martin Sirk for an observational astronomy class far from city lights in the
Sierra Nevada this summer.
sierra.sfsu.edu/astr-216-pra...
Sierra Nevada this summer.
sierra.sfsu.edu/astr-216-pra...
Photos of the SSL/@laspatcu.bsky.social-built AETHER sensor, designed to measure electric field fluctuations in the ionosphere. The full instrument is designed for use on NASA’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) mission to study coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.
May 29, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Photos of the SSL/@laspatcu.bsky.social-built AETHER sensor, designed to measure electric field fluctuations in the ionosphere. The full instrument is designed for use on NASA’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) mission to study coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.
Big thanks to @edwinkite.bsky.social whose talk on prospects for terraforming Mars filled our conference room and elicited lively discussion.
May 12, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Big thanks to @edwinkite.bsky.social whose talk on prospects for terraforming Mars filled our conference room and elicited lively discussion.
SSL's designate director, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, discusses her research, leadership style and NASA's Psyche mission.
May 8, 2025 at 10:35 PM
SSL's designate director, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, discusses her research, leadership style and NASA's Psyche mission.
Aerospace Engineer Bradley Pafchek and Aerospace Instrumentation Mechanical Engineer Matt Rubly assembling the payload for NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) satellite mission at the Space Sciences Laboratory.
See more at: www.ssl.berkeley.edu
See more at: www.ssl.berkeley.edu
March 27, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Aerospace Engineer Bradley Pafchek and Aerospace Instrumentation Mechanical Engineer Matt Rubly assembling the payload for NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) satellite mission at the Space Sciences Laboratory.
See more at: www.ssl.berkeley.edu
See more at: www.ssl.berkeley.edu
John Tomsick, research scientist at SSL, explains how Compton telescopes make gamma-ray images of the sky. Tomsick is principal investigator on NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission which hopes to learn more about element formation and antimatter at the center of our galaxy.
March 24, 2025 at 6:09 PM
John Tomsick, research scientist at SSL, explains how Compton telescopes make gamma-ray images of the sky. Tomsick is principal investigator on NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission which hopes to learn more about element formation and antimatter at the center of our galaxy.
John Tomsick, research scientist at SSL, discusses gamma-ray bursts. Tomsick is principal investigator on NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission. COSI will search the skies for gamma-rays in hopes of learning more about black holes and neutron stars.
March 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
John Tomsick, research scientist at SSL, discusses gamma-ray bursts. Tomsick is principal investigator on NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission. COSI will search the skies for gamma-rays in hopes of learning more about black holes and neutron stars.
John Tomsick, research scientist at the Space Sciences Laboratory and principal investigator on NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission, discusses the mysterious fountain of antimatter at the center of our galaxy. COSI will search for gamma-rays in hopes of solving the mystery.
March 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
John Tomsick, research scientist at the Space Sciences Laboratory and principal investigator on NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission, discusses the mysterious fountain of antimatter at the center of our galaxy. COSI will search for gamma-rays in hopes of solving the mystery.
NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope launched on Tuesday. The spacecraft, built by @caltech.edu and NASA JPL includes an instrument control electronics box designed and built by the SSL.
March 13, 2025 at 4:24 PM
NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope launched on Tuesday. The spacecraft, built by @caltech.edu and NASA JPL includes an instrument control electronics box designed and built by the SSL.
We're seeking applications from UC Berkeley sophomores for the Ursa Minor program. These paid apprenticeships support R&D and NASA flight projects. Applicants must be eligible for work-study and familiar with aerospace technology. Apply by March 15. 👇
www.ssl.berkeley.edu/ursa-minor/
www.ssl.berkeley.edu/ursa-minor/
March 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
We're seeking applications from UC Berkeley sophomores for the Ursa Minor program. These paid apprenticeships support R&D and NASA flight projects. Applicants must be eligible for work-study and familiar with aerospace technology. Apply by March 15. 👇
www.ssl.berkeley.edu/ursa-minor/
www.ssl.berkeley.edu/ursa-minor/
Please join us March 13th from 4:30PM to 5:30PM at 3110 Etcheverry Hall for our next undergraduate seminar featuring Kara Gaiser, a Berkeley mechanical engineering major who intends to minor in Aerospace Engineering. She previously worked at Vast Space and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
February 27, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Please join us March 13th from 4:30PM to 5:30PM at 3110 Etcheverry Hall for our next undergraduate seminar featuring Kara Gaiser, a Berkeley mechanical engineering major who intends to minor in Aerospace Engineering. She previously worked at Vast Space and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Please join us at 3110 Etcheverry Hall on Wed, Feb 19th at 5PM as the @ucbssl.bsky.social and UC Berkeley College of Engineering's Aerospace Engineering Program proudly welcome NewSpace, a student organization at the intersection of space technology and entrepreneurship. #sslundergrad
February 13, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Please join us at 3110 Etcheverry Hall on Wed, Feb 19th at 5PM as the @ucbssl.bsky.social and UC Berkeley College of Engineering's Aerospace Engineering Program proudly welcome NewSpace, a student organization at the intersection of space technology and entrepreneurship. #sslundergrad