New $3M CU-Lockheed Martin partnership seeks to train next-gen space engineers

BOULDER — The University of Colorado Boulder and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin on Thursday announced a new $3 million partnership to establish new academic programs focused on radio-frequency systems.

In a joint release from the school and the company, they touted the new Lockheed Martin Radio Frequency Space Systems Research Center as a hub for developing “the next generation of space engineers.” They noted that RF fields address commercial, civil and military needs for communications, radar and photonics, and that engineers produced by the new CU program will help develop new ways to track, navigate and control spacecraft.

The $3 million sponsorship by Lockheed will be spread out over four years.

SPONSORED CONTENT

How Platte River Power Authority is accelerating its energy transition

Platte River Power Authority, the community-owned wholesale electricity provider for Northern Colorado, has a history of bold initiatives.

“As the complexity of our satellite systems and national security solutions grows, so does our demand for world-class talent,” Lockheed chief technology officer Keoki Jackson said in the release. “This partnership ensures that University of Colorado graduates have the skills they need to build the systems of the future while also advancing Lockheed Martin’s ability to develop revolutionary and relevant innovation.”

The new partnership creates a new master of science in electrical engineering with an RF focus. It also establishes paths for aerospace engineering undergraduates to obtain a master’s degree in electrical engineering and electrical engineering students to attain a master’s in aerospace.

A Lockheed Martin Chair of RF Engineering will also be established at the school, as well as a faculty fellow and multiple graduate fellowships consisting of grad students working at Lockheed Martin or on other projects tied to the company.

The new CU program will also create synergies between the school and Lockheed’s RF Payload Center of Excellence in Littleton.

Prior to the new deal, Lockheed has already funded $7 million in CU research, and employs more than 500 CU alumni in its Space Systems division.