NASA, NSF, and DoD Research, Space Physics Research
ASTRA was formed in 2005 with a mission to perform world-class research and development in all aspects of atmospheric and space physics, and to provide a challenging yet supportive research environment for scientists and engineers. Our work includes instrument development, data analysis, modeling of the thermosphere and ionospheres of Earth and Mars, and data assimilation, and we are involved in numerous satellite missions, and space weather systems developments. We collect, analyze and store data from many ground-based and space systems. Our sponsors include government agencies such as NASA, NSF, and DoD, together with large commercial aerospace companies. The synergy between our government and commercial programs enhances the meaning and relevance of our research, and yields benefits for both types of customers.
Working Here
ASTRA is located about 13 miles from Downtown San Antonio minutes from dozens of restaurants and shopping and with easy access to major highways. Our Class A commercial office space houses our world-class computing facilities which include numerous state-of-the-art Linux workstations. Each of these systems is equipped with dual high speed single, dual, or quad-core server processors, 4-24 GB DDR SD-RAM, and 2.5 terabyte or larger double-redundant RAID storage systems. This gives ASTRA a total of 144 GHz of processing power, 100 GB of RAM, and 46 TB of storage space, all seamlessly integrated using NFS over a gigabit LAN.
Living Here
San Antonio captures the spirit of Texas. Now the eighth largest city in the United States, the city has retained its sense of history and tradition, while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress. Located in the northern part of South Texas, the city is a cultural gateway into the American Southwest. San Antonio is the seat of Bexar County with a population just under 1.3 million as of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, as well as the 4th fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000-2006. Its metropolitan area has a population of over 1.9 million and is the 29th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Famous for its River Walk, the Alamo, Tejano culture, and home to the SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks, the city is visited by 20 million tourists per year. San Antonio is also home to the first museum of modern art in Texas—the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, as well as one of the most successful National Basketball Association teams in league history, the San Antonio Spurs.
Information provided by: http://www.sanantoniocvb.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio
Weather
San Antonio is semi-arid, so our weather is generally pleasant and dry. Depending on prevailing winds, it can become humid. Summers are generally hot, although they temperatures rarely exceed 100F. Winters are very mild, with only a few freezes occurring each year and snow is rare. Most of our rain arrives in the spring and fall.