Research

As high profile launches like Artemis 1 have propelled public interest in space exploration, the stories that topped UCF’s Top 10 Research News list this year have reflected this renewed focus on reaching the moon and beyond. These were stories about innovative ways to build off-world settlements; prospecting for resources in understudied portions of the […]

A University of Central Florida researcher has received NASA funding to further develop a novel rocket engine system that could revolutionize space travel. The project focuses on rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs), which are powered by continuous Mach 5 explosions that rotate around the inside of the engine and are sustained by hydrogen and oxygen […]

As part of NASA’s Artemis program to establish a long-term presence on the moon, it aims to build an Artemis base camp that includes a modern lunar cabin, rover and mobile home. This fixed habitat could potentially be constructed with bricks made of lunar regolith and saltwater, thanks to a recent discovery from a team […]

University of Central Florida researchers are developing materials for stopping hydrogen leaks, like the ones that have halted the launch of Artemis 1. Their work just received a significant boost with a recently announced nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The award will fund the design, synthesis, manufacturing, testing and modeling […]

If you have ever watched a bird land on a tree branch, you may have noticed that it rapidly pitches its wings upward at a high angle to execute a smooth landing. However, for some birds, they land by folding their wings as they perch instead, creating a sweeping motion as they decelerate. To uncover […]