Space and UCF

Although I won't be at the space themed game in person, I will be there in spirit. 

Today kicks off World Space Week, the largest annual space event that spans the globe.

The United Nations designated the week in 1999 to help build enthusiasm for the space workforce of tomorrow. The goal is to inspire the youth of today to pursue careers that support worldwide efforts to explore and learn about our planet and its place in the universe.

UCF's been doing that since 1963, when it opened its door to provide talent for central Florida and the growing U.S. space program. UCF's space-related research and our proximity to Kennedy Space Center, the birth of the space race for America, gives our students many unique opportunities.

Students have helped prepared experiments that have flown on International Space Station and on several commercial space flights. One undergraduate student working with our professor on NASA's OSIRIS REx mission played a role in helping identify the best location to take an asteroid sample. Many other students and post-docs are working with UCF faculty on NASA and European Space Agency missions while others work with private contractors involved in launch operations. Our students are also well represented in NASA's Pathways internship program with 19 students last semester alone.

UCF's efforts to prepare students from across all walks of life is well recognized. That's one reason why NASA awarded a team of interdisciplinary professors a half a million-dollar grant to create transformative space technologies that support space exploration. The grant means interdisciplinary teams of faculty and students will work on projects with industry and NASA centers.

This week you'll hear about some of the exciting missions UCF is a part of and about some Knights who are working on out of this world research. And don't forget Oct. 22 is UCF's Space Game when our football team takes on Memphis. This year's theme celebrates the 40^th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle program, including many Knights who worked in the program. You won't want to miss seeing the team's space-themed uniforms and special presentation.

https://www-ucf-edu.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-celebrates-world-space-week-all-october-long/?amp