With its renowned faculty and research capabilities, Texas A&M is attracting the next generation of innovators eager to leave their mark in space. One such student is Deep Parikh ’25, an aerospace doctoral student with the Land, Air and Space Robotics Laboratory. Parikh’s work focuses on using robotics to leverage autonomy in handling hazardous space operations, such as inspections, maintenance and proximity operations of space vehicles.  

His main research involves developing 10-by-10-by-10-centimeter modular cubes that can attach to and stabilize malfunctioning satellites. These servicing agents can be controlled remotely and move around on a satellite to form structures that allow it to be docked to, repaired and refueled. “I hope my research will not only automate these hazardous tasks but also make them safer and more efficient,” he explained.  

Innovative minds like Parikh’s are in no shortage at Texas A&M, where funding is essential to advancing this world-changing research. To address this need, the Skyward Fellowship Society provides fellowships to help attract the best and brightest master’s and doctoral aerospace students. Funded through gifts of $1,000 annually for five years, these fellowships empower students to make significant research contributions in aerospace. 

Reflecting on her nearly 25-year career in space, Skyward Fellowship donor Stephanie Murphy ’00 ’14 recalled how Aggie engineers have always risen to the challenge. That’s why she and her husband, Donald ’97, decided to give a fellowship. “It was an easy win,” she explained. “Giving the fellowship in five portions made it much more affordable, and I know it’s helping Texas A&M recruit and retain graduate-level students who might decide to go elsewhere if they didn’t have access to these funds.” 

As owner and CEO of Aegis Aerospace, Murphy leads her small business as it collaborates with NASA, the Department of Defense and commercial businesses to provide what she calls “space testing as a service.” Through a permanent structure attached to the space station, the company tests materials like polymers, paints, cameras, antennas and more. In a recently announced partnership, Murphy is collaborating with the College of Engineering to make this service available to Texas A&M faculty and staff for research purposes. She is also looking toward the lunar surface as the company intends to expand its testing services to the moon this year.

Although Murphy’s degrees are in agribusiness and business administration, she credits much of her success in space to lessons learned in Aggieland. “Texas A&M taught me to commit to its values,” Murphy said. “Many of those same values continue to ground both me and Aegis Aerospace.”