The SwRI-built Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) and Space Weather Follow-On Magnetometer (SWFO-MAG) will capture real-time data on solar wind and magnetic field changes to monitor space weather phenomena. This data will support NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and help predict potential impacts on Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers are developing a detection system to identify pre-ignitions in hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2-ICE) using machine learning algorithms and onboard sensors. The project aims to address the challenges associated with H2-ICE pre-ignition, which can degrade engine performance and compromise its mechanical integrity.
Researchers are developing a novel smart coating to enable continuous monitoring of cells during CAR T-cell production, reducing production costs. The biosensor coating is expected to reduce human errors and costs associated with existing flow cytometry methods.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has installed a private 5G network to boost security, eliminate dependency on outside mobile networks, and expand off-site capabilities for advanced 5G projects. The secure network supports various 5G advancements, including cybersecurity research, drone technology, and antenna development.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team has detected methane gas on Makemake using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The discovery suggests that Makemake may have a dynamic atmosphere where methane ice is evolving, indicating activity or tenuous atmosphere.
The Copeland oil-free centrifugal compressor with Aero-lift bearing technology has been recognized as one of the most significant innovations of 2025 by R&D World Magazine. This frictionless, oil-free compressor delivers improvements in full-load efficiency and is compatible with lower global warming potential refrigerants.
A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) study proposes a mission to fly by an interstellar comet, providing insights into its properties. The mission aims to determine the comet's physical and compositional properties, as well as its nature of coma.
Researchers developed a reliable and affordable purification technique for chromatography using calcium chloride, applying to organic compounds like amines and peptides. The technique has shown promising results in purifying APIs with high accuracy.
Surya is a visual AI model trained on massive amounts of solar data, leveraging NASA's deep scientific expertise in cutting-edge AI models. The system aims to determine the Sun's magnetic field generation and structure, as well as its impact on the heliosphere and geospace.
A transportation system management and operations data exchange solution will be developed by SwRI for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The platform aims to enhance mobility, safety, and infrastructure management in the region. It will serve as a regional clearinghouse for real-time transportation system data.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has opened its first facility outside of Texas in Warner Robins, Georgia, with a 33,000-square-foot, $18.5 million building supporting Air Force and national defense advancements. The new structure houses offices, conference rooms, and laboratories for developing advanced aerospace technology and ele...
A previously unknown tiny moon has been discovered orbiting Uranus, bringing the planet's total moon count to 29. The small object, designated S/2025 U 1, is estimated to be around six miles in diameter and was detected using the Near-Infrared Camera on the James Webb Space Telescope.
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy confirmed decades-old theoretical models of magnetic reconnection in the solar corona, using data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe. The research provides new insights into the process that drives solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can impact technology on Earth.
Researchers have developed a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system for satellites and spacecraft. The system can detect impact details, including particle size and volume, and alert spacecraft of potential hits.
A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) review of data collected from near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu supports the hypothesis that they were originally part of the Polana collisional family. The study found similarities in their near-infrared spectrum, suggesting a common origin.
Researchers trained GAMES to generate accurate SMILES combinations, enhancing computer-aided drug design and accelerating discovery. The model combines LoRA and QLoRA techniques to reduce hardware and energy needed.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has introduced a new indoor antenna measurement range that enables comprehensive 3D radiation pattern data collection for all antenna types. The spherical near-field range offers improved flexibility and accuracy, overcoming size, angle, regulatory, and weather limitations.
SwRI's award-winning NEXTCAR project successfully completed its 8-year-long connected and automated vehicle technology project. The completed SwRI NEXTCAR vehicle demonstrated up to 30% energy savings compared to traditional hybrid vehicles.
Researchers used an experimental technique called annealing to rescue a damaged camera on NASA's Juno spacecraft, offering lessons for other space systems that experience high radiation.
Scientists at SwRI conducted lab experiments to explain the mysterious distribution of hydrogen peroxide on Jupiter's icy moon Europa. The research found that trace amounts of CO2 in water ice can enhance hydrogen peroxide production, shedding light on the moon's habitability and chemical cycles.
The TRACERS mission will explore dynamic interactions between the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields. By observing particles and fields in the northern magnetic cusp region, researchers can study how magnetic reconnection affects the space environment.
Dr. Sidney Chocron has been named a Ballistic Science Fellow by the International Ballistics Society due to his significant contributions to ballistics science. He specializes in nonlinear response of materials under high strain rates and has made notable advancements in characterizing terminal ballistics and thermal protection systems.
Researchers at SwRI create a custom test rig to study how blending hydrogen into liquid natural gas affects storage tank temperatures and steel material integrity. The goal is to determine if tanks can endure lower temperatures without compromising safety.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is expanding its heat exchanger testing capabilities to include megawatt-scale performance evaluations. This move addresses a significant market gap for high-heat transfer rates involving high-temperature and -flowrate applications in data centers, defense, and other fields.
The project aims to improve propellant and life-support compound production in lunar and Martian environments. The researchers will evaluate the performance of a patent-pending electrolyzer developed with NASA support, testing its ability to produce fuel and oxygen.
The CoDICE instrument will measure energized interstellar and solar particles to better understand the boundary of the heliosphere. The instrument will also characterize solar wind ions and the mass and composition of highly energized solar particles associated with flares and coronal mass ejections.
SwRI has created a novel controller system to test fuel cell stacks under normal and extreme driving conditions, enhancing performance and efficiency. The project aims to develop predictive control models for humidity management, improving fuel cell performance and reliability.
Researchers used foam-entrapped supercritical CO2 to prevent stored carbon from moving back to the surface. The approach shows promise for enhancing oil recovery and reducing CO2 migration.
A recent paper by SwRI-led researchers summarizes the scientific community's notable progress in advancing the understanding of the formation and evolution of the inner rocky planets. The study focuses on late accretion's role in controlling the long-term evolution of these planets, with implications for their habitability.
The PUNCH mission has successfully imaged a huge solar eruption, providing unprecedented views of coronal mass ejections and the solar wind. The spacecraft constellation is enabling scientists to better understand and predict space weather events that can disrupt communications and endanger satellites.
A new study by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) proposes that compact exoplanetary systems may be surviving remnants of planet accretion during the final stages of stellar formation. This process results in similarly sized planets with characteristic masses determined by infall and disk conditions.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has received a new contract worth up to $250 million from the US Air Force to sustain the structural integrity of aging military aircraft. The program supports the A-10 Thunderbolt II, T-38 Talon, C-5 cargo carrier, and B-52 Stratofortress bomber, among others.
A Southwest Research Institute-led study using NASA's Parker Solar Probe has identified a new source of energetic particles in the nascent solar wind. The research found that magnetic reconnection near the heliospheric current sheet heats the solar atmosphere and accelerates charged particles to near-relativistic speeds.
New data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggests that Europa's icy surface is constantly changing due to interactions with charged particles. Laboratory experiments also found evidence of crystalline ice beneath the amorphous ice layer, indicating a possible liquid ocean beneath the surface.
Dr. Robin Canup, a leading expert in planetary science, has received the 2025 AAS DDA Dirk Brouwer Career Award for her groundbreaking research on planet and satellite formation, including the Earth-Moon system's origins.
A new study by SwRI scientists reveals that solar energetic particles (SEPs) can be twice as fast as the solar wind and are more effectively accelerated to higher energies due to their distinct velocity distribution. This discovery is crucial for understanding radiation hazards to astronauts.
Researchers at SwRI designed netting systems to deliver antimalarial drugs called Endochin-like Quinolones (ELQs) that destroy Plasmodium parasites transmitted by mosquitoes. The findings, published in Nature, show that the two ELQs kill parasites developing within the mosquito, potentially eliminating resistance.
The $10 million facility will evaluate machinery powered by hydrogen, hydrocarbons and other flammable gases for efficiency, safety and reliability. SwRI aims to improve natural gas technology, reducing carbon emissions and increasing power supply sustainability.
Researchers from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have set a new temperature record for testing materials in high-pressure environments. The team successfully achieved unprecedented conditions of 1,150 degrees Celsius at 300 bar using a modified autoclave setup.
The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) has successfully completed its initial commissioning aboard the Europa Clipper spacecraft. The instrument will analyze Europa's atmospheric gases and surface materials, searching for evidence of potential plumes erupting from within the icy moon.
SWORD accelerates robotics development by reducing manual coding required for complex applications, integrating CAD with open-source ROS tools to streamline automation. The software models, plans, and executes automation in a user-friendly environment.
The study provides a new look at the galactic region surrounding our solar system, revealing a roughly uniform background Lyman alpha sky brightness. The findings suggest hot interstellar gas bubbles may be regions of enhanced hydrogen gas emissions at a wavelength called Lyman alpha.
Researchers trained a machine learning algorithm to identify over 30 viable treatments for diseases caused by bat-borne Nipah and Hendra henipaviruses. The study used Rhodium software to virtually screen compounds based on the protein structure of the measles virus.
The PUNCH mission has successfully collected its first images of the solar corona using four small spacecraft that act as a single virtual instrument. The images show the outer atmosphere of the Sun in stunning detail, with scientists aiming to remove background light and preserve the faint signal of the solar wind.
The Lucy mission is surveying the three-mile-wide main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, which may have formed 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart. The flyby will provide independent insights on evolutionary processes based on its shape, surface geology and cratering history.
Researchers have modeled the chemistry of TOI-270 d, an exoplanet between Earth and Neptune, finding evidence for a thick, hot atmosphere. The study suggests that the planet is unlikely to be habitable, but offers insights into alternative paths of planetary origins and evolution.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team identified a rare helium isotope (³He) emitted from the Sun, with a concentration 200,000 times higher than usual. The unusual occurrence supports earlier theories suggesting weak magnetic field strength and minimal turbulence in the plasma.
BEAMoCap simplifies 3D animation by eliminating marker suits using AI and machine vision. This reduces production timeline and increases creative flexibility for game developers and film animators.
Researchers will use sensors and software to predict AM part lifespan, enabling cost savings and extending part life. The project aims to improve Darwin software to provide detailed insights into manufacturing processes.
The SwRI H2-ICE2 consortium aims to refine the performance and efficiency of hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles. The two-year program will test the vehicle's capabilities under various real-world conditions, with a focus on commercial viability.