By Eric Warren

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Outside of Utah — and maybe even Cache Valley — Utah State University likely wouldn’t be one of the first names to come to mind when identifying institutions at the forefront of space research.

But space isn’t just the final frontier — it’s USU’s backyard.

Every day, nearly 1,400 engineers, scientists, and business professionals at the university’s Space Dynamics Laboratory drive innovation to strengthen national defense and enable scientific discovery.

Among those who work at SDL are nearly 200 student employees who gain hands-on experience in aerospace, defense, and scientific research.

You can sense the dynamic drive among SDL’s student employees and their eagerness to harness their skills for global impact. It’s epitomized by Ben Berlin, who credits the lab with sharpening his education through exposure to cutting-edge missions. He says his career has accelerated at SDL, where a legacy of innovation, humility, and success inspires him daily.

“At SDL, I’ve turned classroom knowledge into solutions for real-world challenges, surrounded by brilliant minds working on missions that shape science and secure our nation’s future,” Berlin says.

Alaina Denney, another student employee, has had a similar experience.

“Working at SDL has been a phenomenal ride. I’ve been able to see the lab’s vast impact on space exploration and the military up close while gaining skills that sync perfectly with my computer science degree — all while surrounded by classmates who double as collaborators on both innovative projects and coursework,” she emphasizes.

While today’s student employees like Berlin and Denney work with SDL’s seasoned industry veterans to carry forward the lab’s mission with fresh energy and skill, SDL’s pioneering work first took flight over six decades ago.

Its origins trace back to 1959 with the creation of the Electro-Dynamics Laboratories (EDL) at USU. Doran Baker, an Air Force veteran and USU engineering professor that the College of Engineering recruited to lead the institution, laid the lab’s foundation. Baker initially focused on supporting instrumentation development for atmospheric research and missile detection systems. These systems were critical during the Cold War as the United States faced the growing threat of Soviet nuclear capability.

Before EDL’s formation, Utah had already become a center for space and atmospheric research. The Upper Air Research Laboratory (UARL) at the University of Utah, formed in the late 1940s, had pioneered studies in atmospheric physics. UARL’s research focused on how Earth’s atmosphere behaved in response to nuclear detonations.

With the outbreak of the Space Race following the Soviet satellite Sputnik’s launch in 1957, the United States entered an era of heightened space exploration efforts. It quickly became clear that space technology would play a crucial role in national defense. As the threat of nuclear war loomed larger, SDL’s early research focused on understanding how to detect and respond to missiles and nuclear detonations, both of which could disrupt communications and the broader atmosphere.

As tensions rose between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the 1960s, SDL’s research on infrared sensors and atmospheric measurements became vital to developing missile detection and early-warning systems. The lab played a crucial role in supporting Operation Dominic’s nuclear tests in the Pacific, where it deployed rockets to measure the effects of high-altitude nuclear detonations.

This work helped scientists understand the interaction of nuclear explosions with the atmosphere and provided valuable data on the potential for infrared detection of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

These studies laid the groundwork for much of SDL’s future atmospheric research and space instrumentation endeavors.

GROWTH AND EXPANSION

In 1970, EDL and UARL merged, forming what would become SDL. The merger was driven by the need to consolidate expertise and resources in the growing atmospheric and space research fields.

Baker played a critical role in the merger, bringing his leadership and vision to the collaboration. His brother, Kay Baker, who had been UARL’s director, was instrumental in the transition as well, contributing his deep knowledge of atmospheric science. Together, the brothers, along with other leaders like David Burt, helped guide the newly formed Space Dynamics Laboratory into a new era of scientific research and defense technology.

“My connection to SDL runs deep — my father worked under Kay Baker at the University of Utah in the early 1960s, and I grew up watching them shape both engineering and the lab’s future,” says Robert Burt (B.S. ’89, M.S. ’12), SDL’s director of engineering and operations. “When EDL and UARL merged at USU in 1970, it fused not just expertise but families like ours, and I’m proud to carry forward a legacy that’s supported me my entire life while driving impactful missions.”

During the 1970s and ’80s, SDL became involved in various high-profile space missions, working with NASA to develop instruments for studying the upper atmosphere, space weather, and the cosmos. During this time, SDL’s collaboration with the Department of Defense grew as the lab developed technologies for missile defense and space reconnaissance. The lab’s growing remote sensing and infrared spectroscopy expertise helped advance military and scientific applications.

As space exploration expanded, so did SDL’s role in supporting NASA’s research, especially in planetary science and space weather. During this period, the lab also focused on designing and building advanced technologies, including cryogenic instruments and infrared sensors that proved invaluable for future space missions.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

The 1990s was a decade of change for SDL as it experienced significant growth in both its technology capabilities and workforce. As space-based scientific instrumentation became increasingly sophisticated, the lab was integral in developing payload systems and subsystems for NASA missions.

During this period of tremendous technological advancement, SDL developed instruments capable of capturing distant cosmic objects in detail and studying space weather dynamics. It also expanded its work in remote sensing, space-based infrared sensors, and missile defense systems.

In 1996, SDL became one of the original six University Affiliated Research Centers established by the Department of Defense. The goal of these centers is to leverage academic institutions’ expertise and capabilities to address unique and complicated national security challenges. This collaboration enables the government to conduct innovative research while maintaining its ties to the academic world.

Emerging from the lab’s growing role within the DOD was an SDL division to address the increasing demand for advanced systems to support tactical military and intelligence operations — particularly in communications, surveillance, and situational awareness. SDL established the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) Division to draw upon the lab’s expertise in remote sensing, data analysis, and instrumentation to develop technologies supporting the military’s evolving requirements in command and control.

Over time, the C4ISR Division has expanded its focus to include a wide range of capabilities, including developing systems for missile detection, satellite communications, and real-time data processing. Today, the division remains an intrinsic part of SDL’s mission, supporting defense and intelligence agencies by providing cutting-edge technologies that enhance national security and defense.

During the 2000s, SDL also focused more heavily on developing space-based platforms for observing Earth and beyond. This period saw the lab’s increased involvement in high-profile missions for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, building on earlier sensors designed to image distant cosmic bodies.

In 2001, NASA’s TIMED spacecraft launched with the SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) instrument, built by SDL, to probe the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. For 23 years, far surpassing its original two-year mission, SABER has delivered global day and night vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature, density, and pressure, unveiling the dynamic interplay of Earth’s upper atmosphere. Data from this enduring mission has been the subject of thousands of scientific articles and has provided scientists with critical insights into space weather and atmospheric behavior, cementing SDL’s legacy in advancing our understanding of the planet’s outermost frontier.

SDL’s chief engineer, Glen Hansen (B.S. ’93), worked on SABER.

“Thirty years ago, I walked into SDL as a wide-eyed, newly minted USU grad, and since then, I’ve had the privilege of shaping some of NASA’s most cutting-edge instruments,” Hansen reflects. “It’s been a remarkable journey, working alongside brilliant minds to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. I’ll always be thankful to SDL for giving me a front-row seat to explore the unknown and contribute to a legacy that lights the way for future generations.”

In the years since, SDL has continued to provide robust sensors for NASA, including for the agency’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, which was launched into orbit carrying SDL-developed cameras in two primary instruments. ICON studied the ionosphere — where Earth’s weather and space weather collide — seeking to help scientists better understand this weather interaction, which can cause disruptions in GPS satellites and radio frequencies.

In 2016, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft started its seven-year round-trip journey to the distant asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft carried a three-camera suite with SDL-built detectors and electronics, with a primary mission to explore, study, and ultimately return a sample from the near-Earth asteroid. With samples taken from Bennu, scientists hope to answer fundamental questions about our solar system’s origins.

The spacecraft’s capsule, containing surface material from Bennu, landed in Utah’s West Desert on September 24, 2023. After dropping off the sample, OSIRIS-REx maneuvered away from Earth and was renamed. OSIRIS-APEX will study changes to asteroid Apophis resulting from its close encounter with Earth in April 2029.

With every satellite, sensor, and spacecraft that carries its technology into the void, USU’s Space Dynamics Laboratory is writing the next chapter of humanity’s exploration of the cosmos. From its Cold War origins to its modern-day research, SDL is driven by something older than science itself — the relentless need to seek, understand, and explore.