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Nonprofit · Boulder · United States

Space Science Institute

In research, Space Science Institute stands highest in Physical Sciences (#5,636 of 12,888 worldwide), Astronomy and Astrophysics (#247 of 443 worldwide) and Physics and Astronomy (#1,536 of 1,646 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 102.5× its share of world research.

spacescience.orgROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#10,252
of 28,054 · #7,685 all time
Rank in United States
#1,379
of 4,192
Research works
1.1k
◆ 1% vs 2013–17
Citations
32k
29.6 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
19.4%
record average 16.5%
Open access
53%
world 28%

What is Space Science Institute known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #5,636 of 12,888 19.7%162 #4668
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #247 of 443 22.3%96 #287
Physics and AstronomyField #1,536 of 1,646 22.7%110 #2281

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Space Science Institute sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#4,668 #5,636
  2. Astronomy and Astrophysics#287 #247
  3. Physics and Astronomy#2,281 #1,536
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Space Science Institute specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 102.5× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 95.8 works102×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 109.9 works27×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.12× its world share, 1 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.65× its world share, 6 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Neuroscience: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemistry: 0.56× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.38× its world share, 5 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 5.48× its world share, 16 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 0.74× its world share, 20 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.68× its world share, 6 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.23× its world share, 2 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.73× its world share, 2 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 27.45× its world share, 110 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.05× its world share, 0 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.09× its world share, 3 worksMedicineNursing: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.27× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.12× its world share, 2 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.11× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.16× its world share, 4 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 27.4×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Space Science Institute?

Ranked on the composite score, R. T. Clancy, M. J. Wolff and B. C. Clark lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Space Science Institute.

  1. 1 R. T. Clancy · #23,103 worldwide 542 citations · 56 works
  2. 2 M. J. Wolff · #35,028 worldwide 966 citations · 167 works
  3. 3 B. C. Clark · #36,622 worldwide 604 citations · 92 works
  4. 4 W. H. Farrand · #70,886 worldwide 395 citations · 73 works
  5. 5 J. L. Bandfield · #84,201 worldwide 385 citations · 84 works
  6. 6 C. C. Porco · #86,594 worldwide 415 citations · 94 works
  7. 7 Julianne I. Moses · #114,825 worldwide 436 citations · 104 works
  8. 8 K. Rages · #168,376 worldwide 188 citations · 31 works
  9. 9 Heidi B. Hammel · #188,860 worldwide 376 citations · 91 works
  10. 10 Channon Visscher · #258,896 worldwide 137 citations · 31 works
All ranked researchers at Space Science Institute

Which keywords describe research at Space Science Institute?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Solar Wind, Solar System Abundances, Terrestrial Planets, Electron Acceleration, Ionosphere, Magnetosphere, Mars and Martian Surface.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Solar Wind28▲ 171×2 topics
  2. Solar System Abundances16▲ 187×1 topic
  3. Terrestrial Planets16▲ 187×1 topic
  4. Electron Acceleration15▲ 122×2 topics
  5. Ionosphere15▲ 147×1 topic
  6. Magnetosphere15▲ 147×1 topic
  7. Mars14▲ 239×1 topic
  8. Martian Surface14▲ 239×1 topic
  9. Coronal Mass Ejections14▲ 206×1 topic
  10. Solar Dynamics Observatory14▲ 206×1 topic
  11. Gravitational Waves8▲ 81×2 topics
  12. Exoplanets8▲ 111×1 topic
  13. Stellar Astrophysics8▲ 111×1 topic
  14. Magnetic Fields8▲ 68×3 topics
  15. Accretion Disks8▲ 93×2 topics
  16. Supernovae8▲ 52×2 topics
  17. Star Formation8▲ 82×2 topics
  18. Biomineralization6▲ 52×2 topics
  19. Nucleosynthesis6▲ 72×3 topics
  20. Geomagnetic Field6▲ 154×1 topic
  21. Magnetosome Formation6▲ 154×1 topic
  22. Gamma-Ray Bursts6▲ 125×1 topic
  23. Neutron Stars6▲ 125×1 topic
  24. Turbulence6▲ 38×4 topics
  25. Black Holes6▲ 34×3 topics
  26. Space Exploration6▲ 74×2 topics
  27. Astrobiology6▲ 107×2 topics
  28. Extraterrestrial Life6▲ 145×1 topic
  29. SETI6▲ 145×1 topic
  30. Molecular Clouds5▲ 109×1 topic
  31. Protoplanetary Disks5▲ 109×1 topic
  32. Dark Matter4▲ 21×4 topics
  33. Ionospheric Anomalies4▲ 61×1 topic
  34. Seismic Electromagnetics4▲ 61×1 topic
  35. Simulation4▲ 9.1×3 topics
  36. Design4▲ 13×2 topics
  37. Biomechanics4▲ 7.2×2 topics
  38. Cosmic Rays4▲ 43×2 topics
  39. Neutrinos4▲ 43×2 topics
  40. Extravehicular Activity4▲ 244×1 topic

Which research topics does Space Science Institute publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Astro and Planetary Science, Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics, Planetary Science and Exploration and Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics.

Astro and Planetary Science: 16 fractional worksIonosphere and magnetosphere dynamics: 15 fractional worksPlanetary Science and Ex…14Planetary Science and Exploration: 14 fractional worksSolar and Space Plasma D…14Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics: 14 fractional worksStellar, planetary, and …8Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 8 fractional worksGeomagnetism and Paleoma…6Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies: 6 fractional worksGamma-ray bursts and sup…6Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae: 6 fractional worksSpace Science and Extraterrestrial Life: 6 fractional worksAstrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 5 fractional worksEarthquake Detection and Analysis: 4 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsMolecular BiologyGeophysics

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Astro and Planetary ScienceAstronomy and Astrophysics 16 works
  2. 2 Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamicsAstronomy and Astrophysics 15 works
  3. 3 Planetary Science and ExplorationAstronomy and Astrophysics 14 works
  4. 4 Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsAstronomy and Astrophysics 14 works
  5. 5 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesAstronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  6. 6 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism StudiesMolecular Biology 6 works
  7. 7 Gamma-ray bursts and supernovaeAstronomy and Astrophysics 6 works
  8. 8 Space Science and Extraterrestrial LifeAstronomy and Astrophysics 6 works
  9. 9 Astrophysics and Star Formation StudiesAstronomy and Astrophysics 5 works
  10. 10 Earthquake Detection and AnalysisGeophysics 4 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available52.7%not open47.3%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors43.0%domestic only57.0%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Space Science Institute's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 1% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Boulder

All research institutions in Boulder

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.