The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) is a unique research, design, and teaching entity that supports the world’s only Master of Science in Space Architecture program. The organization was founded in 1987 with a permanent $3 million endowment gift provided by the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation. This was the largest foreign gift ever received by the University of Houston.

SICSA’s central mission is to plan and implement programs that will advance peaceful and beneficial uses of space and space technology on Earth and beyond. Many of these activities address extreme terrestrial environments.

As with architecture on Earth, space architecture addresses the total built environment, not just its component elements and systems. This demands a broad understanding of the issues and requirements that impact overall planning and design success. Important considerations include: influences of unique conditions of the space environment upon construction processes and material options; physiological, psychological, and sociological impacts of isolation and stress; and human factors design issues associated with human adaptation and performance in weightless and partial-gravity habitats.

SICSA is internationally recognized for its leadership in the field of space architecture. Many SICSA/Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture graduates have embarked upon productive and successful careers in government and corporate aerospace organizations throughout the world. NASA has awarded Certificates of Appreciation to SICSA for significant advanced design achievements, and its activities and work products are routinely featured in U.S. and foreign professional publications, popular magazines, and radio and television features. Founded in its present form in the mid-1980s with a multi-million dollar gift from Japanese philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, the organization has been conducting research and design for habitats in space and other extreme environments since the late 1970s. SICSA’s work has been featured on the History Channel Modern Marvels series, the History Channel, and numerous other national and international electronic and print media outlets.

First established in 2003, the MS-Space Architecture program responds to the interests of aerospace engineers, social scientists, and other specialists employed at NASA and associated organizations who wish to broaden their career development foundations and opportunities. Most attend the program on a part-time basis while retaining their jobs.

In support of the MS-Space Architecture curriculum and as an educational outreach service to other students, and professionals, SICSA has provided a large downloadable “Space Architecture Seminar Lecture Series” that is available at no cost on this website:

 

 

 

 

New Entry: SICSA MFHE Study Reports

SICSA has undertaken extensive research and design roles in support of separate NASA contract awards to teams headed by Boeing and ILC-Dover for a "Minimum Functionality Habitation Element (MFHE) Systems Concept Study". Important priorities were to determine essential requirements and accommodations to keep small crews alive and safe during early lunar surface missions, and means to expand these facilities as operational needs and stay-times extended.

Five recent reports provide a comprehensive overview of SICSA's MFHE research and concept results within the context of broader team contributions and conclusions. We encourage you to refer first to Report V of this series, "Summary Study Guidelines, Assumptions and Conclusions", and then turn to the other four for more fully elaborated reference information.

All reports can be downloaded from this website library: http://sicsa.uh.edu/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=35&dir=DESC&order=date&limit=5&limitstart=0

 Russian Space Leaders Visit SICSA on the 50th Sputnik Anniversary

SICSA was honored to host a meeting on November 20, 2007, for the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first human object into space, featuring presentations involving five distinguished experts from the former USSR and modern Russia. The participants included a cosmonaut who was on the last crew of Space Station Mir, which ceased operations in 2001. The meeting was jointly organized by SICSA and the University of Houston's Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), and involved people who contributed greatly to significant and historic Russian space program achievements:

• Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeev, who spent a total of 747 days in space, highlighted the special challenges and requirements of space station design for orbital and lunar/planetary missions.

• Former Director of the prestigious Russian Space Research Institute Roald Sagdeev presented a brief history of important people and events leading up to Sputnik, along with opportunities for joint international cooperation that lie ahead.

• Oleg Alifanov, Dean of the Moscow Aviation Institute (State University of Aerospace Technologies), addressed the importance of space programs that advance educational benefits through international university cooperation.

• Serkbol Tokmoldin, Deputy Director of the Eurasian High - Mountainous Scientific Center in Kazakhstan, discussed a variety of orbital projects his organization is conducting in areas of space science and advanced materials processing.

• Sergei Leskov, a well-known columnist for Isvestia, the leading Russian national daily newspaper, summarized important political developments and public opinion trends that have influenced past and current space initiatives in his country.

Following the meeting at SICSA, the participants engaged in a public lecture and panel discussion forum at the Rice University Baker Institute titled "Looking Back - The Impact of Sputnik."

Advanced Energy Applications SICSA Projects

SICSA has teamed with the University of Houston’s Texas Center for Superconductivity and the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) to conceptualize the influences of emerging energy technologies upon urban life in coming decades. This work draws upon a substantial amount of research that has already been undertaken by the three organizations, along with information that is being made available by large international organizations with leadership in these fields. The joint project will produce an educational film to be featured at HMNS and made available for other public audiences.

SICSA has been undertaking comprehensive research and design related to broad aspects of energy and water resource conservation. The center is currently applying sustainable design principles in developing plans for a proposed Astronomy Center as a major new facility addition of HMNS. A digital presentation of preliminary SICSA concepts prepared for HMNS during 2006-2007 was carried onboard of the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-120 on October 26, 2007, by astronaut Scott Parazynski, a member of HMNS Board.