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America’s Space University

When UCF was founded in 1963, landing humans on the moon was a dream that seemed beyond reach. But we dared to believe — and we educated the workforce and pioneered the technology that helped make it reality. And so, America’s Space University was born.

A leading institution in space research, innovation and education for 60+ years, UCF is where engineering, technology and creativity converge. Our distinguished faculty collaborate across disciplines to solve society’s greatest challenges — on Earth and in space. Our powerful partnerships advance industry to improve the human experience. And we provide access to excellence and opportunity at scale, equipping students for fulfilling roles of the future.

Bold Space Research


UCF is home to world-renowned experts pioneering the possibilities in space. Our faculty are leading innovators, driving breakthroughs that will impact humanity for generations. Their work isn’t just pushing the boundaries of knowledge — it’s building the future.

Portrait of Daniel Britt

Daniel Britt

Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences

Replicating Regolith: Renowned planetary scientist Daniel Britt founded the Exolith Lab — a space hardware testing and regolith simulant (space dirt) research facility — at UCF in 2018. He and his team conduct experiments in conjunction with NASA as well as their own research, including in-situ resource utilization, with high-fidelity lunar, Martian and asteroid regolith.

Impact to Industry: The lab boasts a test bin with the world’s largest simulated lunar surface, replicating the moon’s South Pole region. Humans will explore the area for the first time during NASA’s Artemis program in hopes of uncovering resources to sustain humankind’s presence in space, among other mission goals.

Explore the Exolith Lab

Researches working in the Exolith lab
Emmanuel Urquieta standing in front of Space U

Emmanuel Urquieta

Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine

Collaborative Curriculum: A recognized leader in his industry, Emmanuel Urquieta is developing our groundbreaking degree and residency program in aerospace medicine. The only one of its kind in the nation, this program helps define the future of the field — bridging medicine, nursing, engineering, computer science, and optics and photonics to remedy the health challenges of human space exploration.

Impact to Industry: To sustain life beyond Earth, we must understand the impacts of space on the human body. The discoveries we make in aerospace medicine won’t just ensure the survival of humans in space. They will revolutionize healthcare on Earth — transforming the way we diagnose, treat and heal.

Learn more about aerospace medicine

Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine Dr. Emmanuel “Manny” Urquieta from the UCF College of Medicine discusses the effects of aerospace travel and microgravity on astronauts health
Kerri and Addie in a lab

Kerri Donaldson Hanna

Planetary Geologist and Associate Professor

Adrienne Dove

Interim Department Chair of Physics and Associate Professor

Unlocking Lunar Resources: UCF planetary scientists Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Adrienne Dove are leading NASA’s Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer) mission to send a robotic lander and rover to the moon’s previously unexplored Gruithuisen Domes. Complementing this, Donaldson Hanna is also contributing to NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission, which launched in early 2025 to map water ice deposits on the moon — an essential resource for sustained stays in space.

Impact to Industry: The moon’s unusual volcanic domes may hold clues to the history of lunar volcanic activity. The area also appears to have large concentrations of heat-producing elements, which could potentially be used for resources for long-term presence on the moon — and exploration far beyond. This vital work will chart new paths for humanity’s future in space.

Uncover more about lunar resources

Adrienne Dove working in the lab
Melanie Coathup smiling in a lab

Melanie Coathup

Director of UCF’s Biionix Cluster and Professor of Internal Medicine

Bolstering Bone Density: Biomedical engineer Melanie Coathup is recognized for developing groundbreaking technologies and therapies to protect, repair and rebuild damaged bones. As part of a UCF-led research team working on Blue Origin’s NS-24 mission, she conducted a study to better understand how fluid changes in microgravity contribute to bone degeneration.

Impact to Industry: Microgravity- and radiation-induced bone loss is a serious health risk for long-term space travelers, as astronauts who stay in space for extended periods can lose up to 1% to 2% of bone density per month. This significant bone loss can place space travelers at risk for bone fracture and an early-onset spaceflight-induced osteoporosis. Through Coathup’s work, we can help mitigate the issue to focus on safe space exploration.

More about Space Health

Blue Origin NS-24 blasts off carrying UCF research payloads

Terraforming Mars

Accomplished UCF physics researcher and planetary scientist Ramses Ramirez and collaborators have boldly reimagined terraforming Mars by using the planet’s own resources. Their research shows nanorods made from Martian soil could warm the surface 5,000 times more effectively than previous methods, potentially creating a habitable world.

Centers for Space Excellence


UCF research isn’t confined to the lab — it’s launched into action. Our cutting-edge facilities serve as dynamic hubs where students, faculty and industry leaders come together to unlock new discoveries, and advance space exploration and commercialization. Explore some of our most significant centers of excellence in the space sector:

Engineering Faster Hypersonic Travel

Led by esteemed UCF researcher Kareem Ahmed, the HyperSpace Center is a partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research to revolutionize space exploration and accelerate discovery through faster, more efficient travel.

Simulating Lunar Landscapes for Life in Space

Founded by UCF’s Daniel Britt, the Exolith Lab houses the world’s largest simulated lunar surface, where researchers can efficiently and safely test space hardware and develop in-situ resource utilization techniques to sustain human life in space.

Professor Joshua Colwell, Associate Professor Adrienne Dove and a group of students aboard a Zero-G flight with an experiment built in the Microgravity Center.

Training the Next Great Microgravity Researchers

Directed by UCF’s Philip Metzger ’00MS ’05PhD, the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education provides hands-on training in executing space experiments through parabolic airplane flights, drop towers, suborbital rocket flights and orbital flights.

Other Notable UCF Institutes and Affiliations

  • Astrophotonics Research Group
  • Center for Advanced Turbomachinery & Energy Research
  • Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science
  • Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to UCF
  • Florida High Tech Corridor, anchored by UCF
  • Florida Space Institute
  • Institute for Simulation and Training
  • Townes Laser Institute

Partnerships That Advance the Space Industry


UCF sits at the epicenter of the space industry, located only 35 miles from Florida’s Space Coast, with unmatched access to top space and aerospace companies, cutting-edge research, and the next frontier of exploration.

By partnering with industry, we not only lead powerful research, but also develop programs to educate well-equipped talent and unlock opportunities for roles of the future. Our deep collaborations with top aerospace companies, space agencies and emerging innovators power economic growth at both regional and national levels.

These impactful partnerships do more than keep pace with industry — they set the trajectory for what’s next.

Other Notable Space Partners

Kennedy Space Center logo
Northrop Grumman logo
Lockheed Martin logo
Boeing logo
Department of Defense logo
Galactic logo
NASA logo

NASA: Powering Discovery and the Space Workforce

Through six decades of partnership with NASA, UCF serves as a direct pipeline for talent, research and innovation. From bolstering planetary knowledge to innovating advanced space systems, UCF continues to be a trusted partner in NASA’s mission to explore beyond Earth.


29% of Kennedy Space Center Employees are UCF alumni

providing in-demand talent for space exploration

Blue Origin logo

Blue Origin: Experimenting at the Edge of Space

UCF’s research goes beyond simply reaching for the stars — it soars among them. These missions provide unparalleled opportunities for faculty and students to push the boundaries of discovery and pave the way for the future of space exploration.


14 UCF experiments have been sent to space aboard commercial rockets since 2016

solidifying our role as a leader in hands-on, space-based research

Preparing the Next Generation to Lead the Space Economy

Greg Autry

Greg Autry

UCF Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy

At UCF, the same relentless spirit that fueled our original mission still powers our commitment to space exploration and education today. Space is no longer just a frontier — it’s the future, with the global space economy projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035.

To unlock the vast resources of space to advance humanity, we must continue to drive discovery and educate the next generation of visionaries and leaders here at America’s Space University.

Expanding Expertise

Long recognized as a leader in space research and innovation, UCF is now expanding our impact into space commercialization and the rapidly evolving business of space. These efforts are spearheaded by globally recognized expert — and UCF associate provost for space commercialization and strategy — Greg Autry, who served on the NASA Agency Review Team and as NASA’s White House liaison.

Impact to Industry

With a focus on the future, this program will produce a pipeline of well-prepared graduates, poised to become the leaders who will power the space economy boom. As a key component of advancing the space sector, space commercialization is vital to everything from promoting economic growth and ensuring national security to sustaining life in space and enabling continuous innovation that benefits all of humankind.

…We already have world-class researchers, direct connections to the space industry and this unique location. I want students to come to UCF knowing they can participate in an industry that’s about to take off, no matter what field they’re interested in. This is the place to be.”

— Greg Autry, UCF Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy

Fueling the Space Talent Pipeline


As Florida’s premier engineering and technology university, UCF prepares the next generation of engineers, scientists and visionaries — at scale — to tackle today’s challenges for a better tomorrow. Armed with cutting-edge skills and real-world experience, UCF graduates don’t just enter the workforce — they lead it, shaping the future of space exploration, discovery and technology.

Filling Future Roles at Scale

1 in 4 of Florida’s Engineering Graduates Come from UCF

making UCF the driving force behind the state’s tech and space workforce (State University System)

Developing In-demand Graduates

No. 1 Supplier of Talent to the Nation’s Aerospace and Defense Industries

for six years in a row — fueling innovation where it matters most (Aviation Week Network)

Industry is interested in our top talent. Once they graduate, they are already hired by industry, pretrained on the topics they would explore — and they become the next generation of leaders…”

— Kareem Ahmed, UCF Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

35+ Space-related Degrees

Students at America’s Space University have exceptional opportunities to learn from industry’s foremost experts — in the classroom, in the lab and in the field — across our myriad space-related degree programs spanning every level of academia. As students find their niche to hone their skills, the sky is no longer the limit for where a UCF education can take them.

Areas of Focus

Innovation. Partnership. Impact. Our integrated approach to teaching, learning and research unleashes the potential of our faculty and students — empowering them to make a difference in their communities and around the world.

Space Technologies & Systems
Entertainment & Immersive Experiences
Health & Human Performance
Energy & Sustainability
Transformative Technologies & National Security