Research

A University of Central Florida researcher and his team have developed an advanced new rocket-propulsion system once thought to be impossible. The system, known as a rotating detonation rocket engine, will allow upper stage rockets for space missions to become lighter, travel farther, and burn more cleanly. The results were published this month in the […]

NASA has turned to UCF to develop a new way of powering and heating spacecraft when they are far from the sun and solar energy isn’t practical. UCF was one of 14 universities awarded grants under NASA’s Space Technology Research Grants’ Early-Stage Innovations program, a prestigious funding competition that aims to accelerate the development of groundbreaking, […]

Mechanical engineering Associate Professor Tuhin Das is developing simulation software that could transform the design and production of floating offshore wind turbines. These turbines have the potential to produce a lot of energy for consumers, but they face some hefty challenges such as high winds and huge crashing waves. A federal agency is funding Das […]

Type Ia supernovae are thermonuclear explosions of white dwarf stars that release more energy than the Sun emits in a billion of years. The exact mechanism of these explosions  has long been a mystery – until now. In a new study published in Science Magazine, researchers detail the mechanisms that control the transition from a slow […]

University of Central Florida Associate Professor Subith Vasu and a team of researchers have unlocked some of the secrets behind the destruction of chemical weapons. The results were published recently as a cover story in The Journal of Physical Chemistry. Through his work, Vasu discovered how long it takes for toxic chemical compounds to deteriorate in […]