By Russ Nelson, The University of Alabama at HuntsvilleA lifetime of probing the invisible forces that shape our solar system has earned a University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) researcher one of the highest honors in international space science, as well as an enduring place among the stars. Dr. Gary Zank, director of the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) and a faculty member and former chair of the Department of Space at UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System, has received the 2026 Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Space Science Award.