Exploring Space, Advancing Science, Powering Missions
The Solar System Science & Exploration Division of Southwest Research Institute pushes the boundaries of space exploration, solar physics, and mission operations. Our experts lead groundbreaking research, develop cutting-edge instruments, and operate space missions that expand our understanding of the universe.
Mission Leadership
Cutting-edge Research
Technological Innovation
About SwRI’s Solar System Science & Exploration Division
The Solar System Science Exploration Division’s goals are to achieve excellence in space research and to expand and deepen SwRI’s space research efforts. Our division is located in downtown Boulder Colorado with over 120 employees.
About Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Southwest Research Institute base in San Antonio, Texas, is an independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical science research and development organization with over 3000 employees.
Our Departments
SwRI Boulder offers collaborative research, mission leadership, and technology innovation at the forefront of space science.
Department of Space Studies
Advancing planetary science and space exploration.
Leading space missions
New Horizons, Lucy, and more
Solar system modeling
Formation, impacts, and planetary dynamics
Groundbreaking observations
Telescopic studies from Earth and space
Planetary weather & climate research
Mars, exoplanets, and beyond
Advanced laboratory studies
Sample analysis, regolith, and planetary ices
Instrument development
Innovative instruments from concept to flight
Department of Solar & Heliospheric Physics
Unlocking the mysteries of the Sun and its influence on the solar system.
Space-based solar instruments
UV, X-ray, and magnetography
Solar wind & coronal imaging
PUNCH, Solar Orbiter, and eclipse missions
AI-powered solar data analysis
Pattern recognition & feature detection
Solar cycle research
Forecasting solar activity and understanding space weather
Department of Space Operations
Delivering world-class space mission management and technology.
Instrument development
From prototypes to flight-ready systems
Mission operations
Supporting spacecraft like CYGNSS and PUNCH
Project management
Mission execution, resource allocation, and earned value
Systems engineering
Risk management, payload acquisition, and mission design
Cutting-edge facilities
Clean rooms, optical labs, and geochronology research
News
Check out our latest news in order to stay up to date on all things SwRI.
Lucy Encounters Asteroid DonaldJohanson
On April 20, the SwRI-led Lucy mission got a close-up of the main belt asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson en route to the never-before-visited Trojan asteroids, located in two swarms leading and trailing Jupiter along its orbit. “Lucy came within about 600 miles of this...
SwRI-led team discovers methane gas on Makemake
September 9, 2025 — A Southwest Research Institute-led team has reported the first detection of gas on the distant dwarf planet Makemake, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This discovery makes Makemake only the second trans-Neptunian object, after Pluto,...
Join our Weekly Colloquia
We host speakers who present on various topics from planetary science, heliophysics, and other areas.