Louis Strolger, an associate professor of astronomy and physics, has been working with NASA on a projects for the past few years.

Strolger said NASA has a large community of scientists working together to do different projects.

“One is to explore the properties of the universe through the evolution of supernovas,” Strolger said.

Strolger said he is using supernovas to uncover what dark energy is, as it is a major component of the universe, and to study the energy’s strength and magnitude.

The other NASA program he works on is high-altitude balloon exploration.

“We launch balloons into the higher, upper stratosphere and we try to do various things with them, one of which is astronomical research,” Strolger said. “We do atmospheric research. We do meteorological research. Right now, we are running a proposal to do some micro-meteorite research.”

Having worked with NASA since 2003, Strolger intends to continue researching with the organization. With the various NASA facilities across the United States, Strolger said he thinks of it as a “giant university that is scattered across the country.”

“I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut, and then in high school I learned that I was afraid of heights so that wasn’t going to happen,” Strolger said. “It is the embodiment of that dream of mine to be a part of space exploration.”