NASA announced Shirley Dyke will lead the new Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi) to be located in West Lafayette. Dyke is a professor of mechanical and civil engineering with a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering.

From left to right:

• Jay Melosh, Distinguished Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
• Antonio Bobet, Professor of Civil Engineering
• Shirley Dyke, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering
• Julio Ramirez, Professor of Civil Engineering, Director of the Network Coordination Office for the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

“This is an exciting opportunity for the RETHi research team to play a role in shaping the future smart space habitats,” Dyke said. “Developing resilient space habitats continues Purdue’s legacy of leadership and collaboration in science, engineering and space exploration.”

Purdue’s institute is one of two new Space Technology Research Institutes announced by NASA. The institute will receive as much as $15 million over a five-year period from NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

RETHi is a multi-disciplinary partnership with the University of Connecticut, Harvard University and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

NASA’s announcement: NASA Selects Two New Space Tech Research Institutes for Smart Habitats

Source: Purdue News Room