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History of Space Research Institute
Auburn University's Space Power Institute (SPI) was established in 1985. Its original purpose was to identify critical scientific and technological impediments to electrical power generation, conditioning, management and distribution for space and to carry out enabling research in these areas. Born out of the era of the Cold War, SPI recieved a large amount of its start up funding through the "Star Wars" ballistic missle defense arena.
Research was (and still is) funded through grants, contracts and other agreements with various federal, state, local and private agencies and organizations.
In 1987, a second major aspect was added with the NASA-sponsored Center for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), one of the nations Commercial Space Centers. It was part of a network of industry, government and academia that benefitted space exploration as well as society at large with the technology that came from the research it performed.
In 1997 the Center for Materials Solidification and Design, another NASA sponsered-center, was spun off from SPI. Both centers were co-located at SPI for a time before the Center for Materials Solidification and Design was relocated and incorporated into the College of Engineering.
In 2001 the Space Power Institute was renamed the Space Research Institute in conjunction with it's broadening research programs. Although a primary focus for much of the research performed at SRI has always been power related, there have been many other areas of research performed.
In the late 1990's CCDS went through a name change to the Center for Space Power and Advanced Electronics (CSPAE). In 2004, in an effort to more clearly define its new research goals, once again CSPAE changed it name and became the Center for Space and Electric Propulsion Systems (CSEPS).
In 2006, NASA's vision for itself redirected it's resources to the new goal of returning to the moon and eventually on to Mars. The funding that had been allocated to the Commercial Space Centers was now being redirected to the new launch vehicle and Crew Exploration Vehicle. Without this funding, CSPAE, the Center for Materials Solidification and Design and the rest of the nations Commercial Space Centers were forced to close.
Today SRI continues to expand it's research expertise into new areas that includes, among other things, renewable energy resources and National Security related issues.
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