Upland-based NearSpace Launch continues to grow with help from Taylor students
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA company in the small northern Indiana town of Upland is making a big impact in outer space, and Taylor University students are helping with the mission.
Dr. Hank D. Voss co-founded NearSpace Launch (NSL) in 1994 when he moved from California to Upland to teach engineering and physics at Taylor. NSL started with building radios before working on satellites. To date, NSL has sent up 111 satellites, including three just last month.
“NearSpace was threefold when it started; it was really about innovation, the newest technology and education, and how can we bring those sources together?” Matt Voss, Hank’s son and chief operating officer for NSL, said in an interview with Inside INdiana Business. “Small satellites is an industry that’s really grown since 2014.”
Taylor engineering and computer science students have worked at NSL, which is now the largest manufacturer of small satellites in the Midwest. Voss says the company is continuing to work on bringing more technology into smaller spaces.
“Usually, you think of satellites that can be the size of cars like Starlink and SpaceX. The ones we build are smaller than that,” Voss said. ” Using small satellites has a lot of advantages, and it’s becoming more recognized in the space industry.”
NSL says it is normal in the industry to spend three to four years building a satellite. NSL’s team can construct satellites in six to nine months.
In November, NSL launched its Dream Big initiative with a goal of launching satellites from at least one academic institution in every state. So far, six universities in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio have joined the project.
“We’re excited to keep collaborating with all these universities as we develop them and we believe in talent training from the beginning as well,” Voss said. “Most of us have taught, and we’ve created our own nonprofit called NearSpace Education, where we work with high schoolers and university students to train them about space. Over the years, some of them come join us on mission and to do the space work as well.”
The company is currently renovating a century-old building on Main Street, which will become its expanded headquarters. It will feature a makerspace where students can craft their own technology and practice using high-level equipment used to build satellites. The building will also contain an event hall and offices.
“I think [students can] be inspired that they can do whatever they want to from anywhere. We can do that from Upland, Indiana. We can do it from whatever location,” Voss said. “They can be curious and learn and wonder about what’s beyond us…we just want to see students be challenged and grow.”
“I can’t imagine a better advocate for Upland,” Andrea Masvero, Executive Director for 1846 Enterprises, said in a news release. “They are just an incredible source for good.”
Masvero is overseeing the Main Street Mile initiative, which is designed to connect Upland’s downtown and business district with the Taylor campus. Taylor University says it’s the largest series of revitalization projects in the town’s history.
“How do we get more people better able to utilize the businesses that are in town and frequent them on a regular basis?” Masvero told Inside INdiana Business in August. “We also look at it from a health and wellness perspective. How do you create quality of life, giving people an opportunity to socialize, connect with their neighbors and use the pathway to do those things?”
Last month, Indianapolis-based firm The Veridus Group was selected to take charge of master planning efforts along the pathway. Maservo said the effort will bring new businesses, stronger infrastructure, and improved public spaces to Upland.