The heart of the University of Arizona’s Applied Research Building in Tucson, on schedule for completion this month, is its 40-ton thermal vacuum chamber used to replicate the conditions in outer space. The chamber is the largest of its kind at any university. It is so massive that it was set in its place first and the rest of the three-story building grew up around it.
U of A claims the title of the top-ranked public research university in astronomy and astrophysics funding nationally. The university—whose planning, design and construction department was named ENR Southwest 2023 Owner of the Year—has been improving its space science research infrastructure and building facilities that can accommodate major research projects. Another project advancing its scientific research goals, the Grand Challenges Research Building, is also currently under construction.