Founded in 1963, UCF was established at the start of the race to land humankind on the moon. In fact, many of our researchers and educators are NASA veterans and hail from some of the biggest, most important programs in U.S. space history.
At UCF, we’re helping discover and shape humankind’s footprint in space. Rather than be satisfied with incremental change, we’re bold. We innovate, plan and deliver high-quality solutions for the most pressing engineering challenges. The university’s renowned faculty are global thought leaders who have conducted research into microgravity environments and how planets form. Our experiments have flown to the International Space Station and aboard Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic space flights. We ask the big questions and delve into the unknowns of our infinite university — exploring the possibilities of mining the moon, simulating Martian soil, and understanding space dust, which is a bigger problem than you may think. Our most recent space research entails more than a dozen projects aimed at getting back to the Moon safely — many of which directly support NASA’s Artemis mission and other lunar operations. These projects help the future of flying and landing spacecraft, mining fuel, and protecting astronauts and their equipment from lunar dust.
And now, as we look to return to the moon and set foot on Mars, one thing is for certain — UCF researchers are turning possibilities into reality.
UCF’s relationship with NASA is really providing a reservoir of scientific talent that enables the goals of our space program. That kind of talent is not found in most universities in the country.”
Meet the Faculty
Areas of Expertise
- The strength of asteroidal materials
- Experimental and computational investigation of space weathering processes
- Comets, asteroids and other small bodies in the solar system
- Research and technology development related to lunar, martian, and asteroidal regolith
Research Applications
- Research on the physical properties and mineralogy of asteroids, comets, the Moon, and Mars
- Explore the role that comets may have played in the origin of water and organic molecules on Earth and Mars
- Develop extraterrestrial excavators, regolith conveyance technologies, dust-tolerant quick disconnects, lunar/martian landing pads, and other surface systems technology
Space Science News
Leaders in Space Exploration
From the start of studying space to the items left on the moon and the future of space exploration, our renowned faculty and student researchers share their knowledge and expertise. Learn about the impact that space research has made here on planet Earth and discover what’s still to come.
Rankings and Accreditations
Top 20 Most Innovative University in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF as one of the most innovative in its annual list of best colleges.
Top 50 Best Aerospace Schools
U.S. News & World Report ranked UCF as one of the best Aerospace schools in the nation.
Best Undergraduate Engineering Program
University of Central Florida is ranked No. 75 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
The Bachelor of Science programs in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Creating Stellar Connections
Throughout Florida and the nation, UCF has built a number of relationships with partners who share similar values — striving toward excellence in any endeavor they may undertake. NASA is an example of one such partnership. The university is participating in several major NASA planetary missions and has the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science. Having established programs in space and planetary sciences, UCF has significant input into the nation’s space program. The partnership allows leading researchers at both NASA and UCF to ensure that robotic and human missions are done safely and efficiently.
Nearby Central Florida Research Park is also home to over 120 companies and serves as a hub for the nation’s military simulation and training programs. With its close proximity to UCF’s main campus, researchers and students have an opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders — working together on projects in the sciences, engineering, photonics and optics, and modeling and simulation.
Space Companies Employing UCF Graduates
- NASA
- Boeing
- SpaceX
- Blue Origin
- Virgin Atlantic
- L3Harris Technologies
- Lockheed Martin
- Northrop Grumman
- Siemens
- JPL
- Made in Space
Institutes, Associations and Affiliations
- Florida Space Institute
- Unmanned Aerial Systems Research
- Florida High Tech Corridor
- Institute for Simulation and Training
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FIEA (Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy)
- Townes Laser Institute
- Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC)
