New research reveals that 3I/ATLAS is packed with an unusually large amount of the organic molecule methanol – more than almost all known comets in our own solar system.
We Make Scientific Breakthroughs Possible
The Infrastructure of Discovery Doesn’t Happen Overnight — We Can Help
We transform ideas into technologies, laboratories and policies that initiate, inform and inspire. For over seven decades, AUI has developed specialized expertise in science, engineering, technology and cyber security to enable greater impact. Uniquely positioned, we combine exceptional operations management with collaborative community engagement, drive innovation and affect lasting change within organizations.
Experts at Managing Complexity
We create an environment where innovation, imagination and people thrive. Even in the harshest desert terrain, discovery flourishes at ALMA Observatory, where AUI has led an international partnership with Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Chile. The $1.4 billion project is a monumental achievement for space exploration and collaborations.
Recent News
10 Questions: Anica Miller-Rushing
Meet Anica Miller-Rushing, STEM education research associate for AUI’s Office of Education and Public Engagement.
A Quintillion-to-One: Giant Stars, Tiny Dust
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered that some of the most massive stars in our galaxy are emitting unbelievably tiny grains of carbon dust—dust that one day could form future stars and planets.


