Welcome to the

Space Astronomy & Intelligent Systems Group

Our Mission

At the heart of our group is the belief that the future of uncovering fundamental physics lies in space astronomy, where the cosmos offers unparalleled opportunities to study high-energy events and extreme environments. Space provides the ultimate laboratory for probing the most profound mysteries of the universe, from the origins of cosmic structures to the mechanisms driving stellar evolution.

We see the future of space astronomy as deeply intertwined with automation and precision. The development of exacting, ultra-precise instrumentation and the integration of artificial intelligence will be critical to unlocking these discoveries. We view AI and automation as extensions of human ingenuity, designed to enhance rather than replace it. In space exploration, they unlock new possibilities for asking and answering profound scientific questions, while ensuring unparalleled precision, safer operation, and accessibility in extreme environments.

Our mission is to harness these advancements to explore the universe and expand the frontiers of space science. By combining cutting-edge physics, advanced mathematical modeling, innovative instrumentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to develop next-generation solutions for space exploration and fundamental physics discovery.

Key aspects of our research:

-- Development of Remote Sensing Instruments: Designing advanced tools such as integral field spectrographs and high-resolution X-ray and EUV spectrographs for sounding rocket and CubeSat missions.

-- Intelligent Instrumentation: Creating innovative instruments featuring micro/nano electro-optical designs and/or onboard machine learning algorithms for enhanced autonomy and performance.

-- Deep Signal Recovery: Developing state-of-the-art techniques powered by statistical and deep learning algorithms to extract extremely faint signals (SNR < 0), such as 21-cm signals from the Lunar Far-side Radio Telescope, or local acoustic sources on the surface of the Sun.

-- Plasma Physics Modeling: Develop spectroscopic diagnostics of magnetohydrodynamic processes like magnetic reconnection and wave heating to better understand plasma dynamics across the solar system.

-- Space Weather Forecasting: Employing foundation models and physics-based empirical modeling to advance predictive capabilities for space weather phenomena.

To bolster these efforts, we are are building an international collaboration to develop state-of-the-art solutions to above problems which we believe will open many new avenues in observational astrophysics.

About the Principal Investigator

I am Shah Mohammad Bahauddin, an early career scientist and astrophysicist. I am a research faculty, currently appointed at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). This facility operates under the umbrella of the Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences department at University of Colorado Boulder. I joined LASP in 2019 right after I received my Doctorate in Physics from Rice University. Prior to this, I completed two masters, one in Physics and one in Electrical Engineering, from Rice. Before coming to Rice, I earned my bachelor in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

I am a dreamer and an optimist. I believe in a world where knowledge and technology is democratized and accessed by all walks of life. I believe in conservation of nature and environment, not only because I believe it is the right thing to do, but because I want to leave a sustainable future for my children and their children.