Payload Applied Technology and Operations Lab

The mission of the PATO Lab is to provide development, operations, design integration and testing support for university space research payloads and instrumentation. Our work spans suborbital and microgravity flights, as well as high-altitude balloon missions, in partnership with national and international research platforms.

Since 2017, the PATO Lab has supported multiple payload demonstrations on Blue Origin’s New Shepard, NASA’s WB-57 and Zero-G parabolic research flights. However, we have expanded our scope to include the design and testing of payloads for balloon flights, enabling experiments in near-space conditions.

These high-altitude balloon missions provide an accessible platform for a variety of research objectives, including technology demonstrations, Earth observation and atmospheric studies.

The PATO Lab continues to partner with industry, government, and academic collaborators to advance space-related technologies. With updated imagery and information, we look forward to showcasing our evolving mission and recent successes in both experimental payload development and sophisticated simulation-based research.

Research Capacity

• Our lab leverages state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing equipment to drive innovation in payload development.
• We integrate sophisticated simulation and software tools to support complex research in astrodynamics, astronautics and space operations.
• With dozens of publications to our credit, our research contributions have significantly advanced the field of space technology.
• Our comprehensive approach covers everything from hands-on hardware testing to advanced computational simulations, ensuring robust support for high-altitude balloon flights, suborbital and microgravity research initiatives.

Equipment

Advanced Manufacturing and Testing

• Raise 3D N2 printer
• Thermal vacuum chamber
• Flight hardware and rocketry systems
• Hybridization oven/clinostat

Computational and Simulation Tools

• MATLAB-based simulations for astrodynamics and astronautics
• Software development platforms to support space operations and spacecraft systems
• Advanced simulation tools for mission planning and systems integration

Biological Research Chamber

• Dedicated chamber for growing plants and other biological systems for space biology research, mirroring the controlled environment astronauts use in space biology research