Furfaro joins United Nations' outer space committee
Roberto Furfaro is a professor of SIE and aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona.
SIE professor Roberto Furfaro has long supported the University of Arizona campus with his research on space systems and engineering. Now, he is bringing that expertise to a larger audience. The U.S. Department of State has invited Furfaro to join the U.S. delegation of the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
“Joining the discussion group gives me a chance to bring real-world research to the table and help shape best practices for how we share and use data in space,” said Furfaro, who also serves as deputy director of the U of A’s Space4 Center. “As human activity expands beyond Earth orbit, it is essential to pair technical excellence with transparency and international cooperation.”
His contributions will focus on space situational awareness, or SSA – the ability to characterize, track and understand the behavior of objects in space – to help ensure the long-term safety and sustainability of the near-space environment. Furfaro’s background is in orbital mechanics and machine learning for objects in space. As part of that, he is developing advanced sensing systems, cyberinfrastructure and artificial intelligence tools to improve the analysis of space objects.
“These expert discussions are vital because countries are working to develop ways to track and control the increasing number of objects in orbit,” Furfaro said. “This capability, SSA, acts like an invisible shield – preventing collisions and ensuring satellites can reliably support communications, navigation, weather forecasting and national security. Without effective monitoring, congestion and debris could threaten these essential services.”