Why Do We Celebrate UCF Space Week? Because Discovery Starts Here

Born from the challenge of the space race, UCF was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still where our place where our people's curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth.

Founded to reach the moon, we're already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America's Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3 -7.

With world-renowned faculty, hands-on learning experiences and a location less than an hour from Florida's Space Coast, UCF continues to prove why it's known as America's Space University - where education, industry and exploration unite to shape the future of space.

Today marks the start of the inaugural UCF Space Week, a campus-wide celebration of all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward. The observance highlights UCF's vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida's fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Here are a few key reasons why we celebrate UCF Space Week and how SpaceU is launching the next era of space innovation.

A Legacy in Fueling the Space Industry's Talent Pipeline

When the university first opened in 1963, landing humans on the moon was a dream that seemed out of reach. Yet UCF dared to believe - and take action - by supplying talent and research to the nearby space industry based on the Space Coast just 35 miles east. UCF's purpose has only grown stronger more than six decades later as space exploration fuels transformative innovation here on Earth.

Every year, thousands of students gain real-world experience, conduct interdisciplinary research and participate in programs - including a new aerospace medicine program - directly connected to industry, preparing them for in-demand roles across the space sector.

The university's excellence in providing talent is supported by data, as the American Society of Engineering Education consistently ranks UCF in the top five nationally for awarding bachelor's degrees in:

• Aerospace engineering (No. 4)
• Mechanical engineering (No. 5)
• Computer science (No. 5)
• And No. 10 for awarding engineering bachelor's degrees overall - the highest in Florida

Advancing Research That Reaches New Frontiers

When visionaries look to the future, they also look to UCF - a leader in space research, innovation and education with 14 experiments sent to space aboard commercial rockets since 2016. UCF Space Week shines a spotlight on these breakthroughs, connecting the community with the pioneering work happening right on campus.

Replicating Regolith
Researcher: Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences Daniel Britt
Project: Britt, a renowned planetary scientist, founded the Exolith Lab at UCF in 2018 - a leading facility for space hardware testing and regolith (space dirt) research. Partnering with NASA, Britt and his team study lunar, Martian and asteroid materials to advance in-situ resource utilization and other exploration technologies.

Unlocking Lunar Resources
Researchers: Planetary Geologist and Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Interim Department Chair of Physics and Associate Professor Adrienne Dove
Project: Donaldson Hanna and Dove are leading NASA's Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer) mission, which aims to uncover clues about an unexplored part of the moon and potential insight for deeper space exploration.

Bolstering Bone Density
Researcher: Melanie Coathup, lead of the Biionix Cluster and professor of medicine
Research: Astronauts can lose up to 2% of their bone density each month - a serious risk that can lead to fractures and spaceflight-induced osteoporosis. As part of a UCF-led team on Blue Origin's NS-24 mission, Coathup studied how fluid shifts in microgravity contribute to bone loss - research that could improve health both in space and on Earth.

Building Partnerships That Propel Discovery

UCF Space Week highlights these crucial collaborations with support from Blue Origin, KPMG, Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Space Florida and SpaceX.

At the heart of UCF's success is collaboration. The university works closely with NASA, private companies and research institutions to create opportunities that bridge education, research and real-world application. These partnerships help students gain experience and industry insight while advancing technologies that will define the next phase of space exploration.

Recent collaborations include UCF-developed testing technology launching on Blue Origin missions, joint research with NASA's Fram2 mission to advance space medicine and partnerships with companies like Operator Solutions to improve emergency response training for astronauts.

Now one of just three universities in the Florida University Space Research Consortium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, UCF is helping drive research, technology development and education across the state. This landmark partnership - the only one of its kind in the nation - cements Florida's role at the forefront of America's space future.

Powering Florida's Space Economy

Space is no longer just a frontier - it's the future. With the global space economy projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, UCF is preparing the visionaries who will fuel discovery and shape that growth.

Now expanding its impact into space commercialization, UCF is helping lead the business of space under the direction of Greg Autry, associate provost for space commercialization and strategy. His work is building a pipeline of leaders ready to drive innovation, strengthen national security and unlock opportunities that will advance humanity's future beyond Earth.

Reaching for What's Next

UCF Space Week isn't just about looking back at past achievements - it's about imagining what comes next. With a legacy built on exploration and a community fueled by curiosity, UCF continues to inspire students and researchers to reach higher, think bolder and push the boundaries of what's possible.

Because at UCF, space isn't the final frontier - it's just the beginning.

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