SSEL is an interdisciplinary center at Montana State University for space research and space technology development, building spaceflight hardware and instrumentation with faculty, staff, and students.
The Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) is an interdisciplinary center of expertise within Montana State University's Department of Physics, established in November 2000 in Bozeman, Montana. It brings together faculty, staff, and facilities dedicated to space research and space technologies, developing space hardware and instrumentation while training students and faculty across science and engineering disciplines.
Partners and collaborators can engage with SSEL on space research and instrumentation development. The lab maintains a partners and sponsors program and can be reached at ssel@montana.edu or (406) 994-7321.
Montana State University's substantial research enterprise growth has been accompanied by focused investments in innovation and research translation, creating new opportunities for companies to engage with MSU research and expertise. A particular strength is MSU’s network of specialized centers, institutes, and industry-accessible core facilities, which bring together multidisciplinary expertise, advanced research infrastructure, testing capabilities, and established pathways for working with industry partners. MSU is one of a select group of universities participating in the NSF's Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program, which is building the capacity and infrastructure needed to translate more research discoveries into solutions with real-world impact. The growing MSU Innovation Campus and expanding incubator infrastructure provide additional opportunities for university-industry interaction, startup development, and technology-focused companies. These efforts are complemented by MSU’s Technology Transfer Office, which works with researchers and companies to protect and license MSU inventions and facilitate industry-sponsored research collaborations.