Mission Statement for RISE:

    The mission of the Research Institute for Space Exploration (RISE) is to foster scientific and engineering developments between academia and industry that would advance exploration of the solar system, from the topside of the atmosphere to the rim of the Kuiper belt. Through innovative cross-disciplinary studies, RISE seeks to advance the reality of space exploration through the development and testing of breakthrough technologies for advanced spacecraft systems, including electric propulsion that can enable new missions, and new instrumentation to better probe the planets and their space environments.

RISE seeks to establish links between science and engineering disciplines, and between its academic and industrial partners, and to use the strengths of all the members of RISE to push the boundaries of exploration and eventual utilization of space.  It seeks to provide the next generation of professionals to expand mankind's presence in space by providing enhanced educational and research opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students interested in space science and/or engineering, with a particular emphasis on hands-on developments.