▁Miss ile ▁Command ▁at ▁Red stone ▁Ar sen al . ▁In ▁conj unction ▁with ▁helping ▁NASA ▁reach ▁its ▁goals , ▁U A H ▁makes ▁NASA ' s ▁research ▁and ▁technology ▁available ▁to ▁all ▁of ▁Alabama ' s ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities . ▁The ▁National ▁Space ▁Science ▁and ▁Technology ▁Center ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁high - tech ▁research ▁cent ers ▁on ▁U A H ▁ 5 0 5 - acre ▁campus . ▁ ▁The ▁U A H ▁Prop ulsion ▁Research ▁Center ▁( P RC ) ▁prom otes ▁inter dis cipl inary ▁research ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁gradu ate ▁and ▁under grad uate ▁students . ▁The ▁P RC ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Dr . ▁Clark ▁W . ▁Haw k ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁provided ▁support ▁for ▁NASA , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁( Do D ), ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy . ▁Research ▁topics ▁include ▁air - bre ath ing ▁and ▁electric ▁prop ulsion ; ▁solid , ▁liquid ▁& ▁hy brid ▁prop ell ant ▁comb ust ion ; ▁magnet oin ert ial ▁fusion ; ▁high - temper ature ▁materials ; ▁and ▁space ▁and ▁terrest rial ▁power ▁systems . ▁ ▁Research ▁in ▁nan ote chn ology ▁and ▁micro fab ric ation ▁is ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁N ano ▁and ▁Micro ▁Dev ices ▁Center . ▁ ▁At mos pher ic ▁Sciences ▁and ▁related ▁research ▁areas ▁are ▁head qu arter ed ▁in ▁the ▁NS ST C ▁and ▁SW IR LL ▁buildings . ▁ ▁At