A team of astronomers has made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting molecular activity in comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein)—the largest and second most distantly active comet ever observed from the Oort Cloud.
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
Unusual stellar nurseries near our galaxy’s center puzzle scientists
New research led by Dr. James De Buizer at the SETI Institute and Dr. Wanggi Lim at IPAC at Caltech revealed surprising results about the rate at which high-mass stars form in the galactic center of the Milky Way.
ALMA Reveals Lives of Planet-Forming Disks
An international team of astronomers has unveiled groundbreaking findings about the disks of gas and dust surrounding nearby young stars, using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).