91勛圖厙 Space Week celebrates this mission annually by welcoming global space leaders, researchers, students, partners, and fans to campus for collaboration, discovery, and the development of Florida���s growing space economy.

Take a look back at some of the standout sights and celebrations from 91勛圖厙 Space Week 2026.

Knightro brought SpaceU spirit to the Celeste Hotel, welcoming industry partners gathered for 91勛圖厙 Space Week 2026.

91勛圖厙 Libraries hosted several events, special programs and multiple exhibitions built from University Archives and Special Collections in celebration of 91勛圖厙 Space Week 2026.

One exhibit in the Digital Exploration Center’s Immersion Studio, curated by graduate research assistant Eric Thompson ���19, brought six decades of 91勛圖厙, United States and international space history and culture beyond the archives and into visitors��� hands.

The inaugural 91勛圖厙 Innovate Day showcased how 91勛圖厙 transforms research into impact through entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and strategic partnerships. During the event,��representatives from the City of Orlando and Orange County government presented 91勛圖厙 with a special proclamation honoring 91勛圖厙 Space Week.

A featured panel during 91勛圖厙 Innovate Day brought together (from left) moderator Ben Patz ’85MS, co-founder and general managing partner of DeepWork Capital; Joe Sleppy ’18, CEO of Capacitech Energy; Guifang Li, 91勛圖厙 professor of optics and photonics; Jason Eichenholz ���95MS ���98PhD; Melanie Coathup, a professor in 91勛圖厙’s College of Medicine; and Jonathan Reyes ���15 ���17MS ���19PhD, CEO of Halo Engines.

91勛圖厙���s Florida Space Institute and its Exolith Lab hosted NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. The Exolith Lab is home to the world’s largest simulated lunar surface, where NASA tests rovers and equipment for upcoming moon missions. from Exolith Lab Chief Engineer Max Kuehn ’22.

91勛圖厙 honored seven contributors helping shape Central Florida���s thriving space ecosystem at the 2026 SpaceU Awards. 91勛圖厙 President Alexander N. Cartwright (center left) joined the honorees and their representatives. From left: planetary exploration research scientist and 91勛圖厙 physics alum Jared Long-Fox ���26PhD, accepting on behalf of Daniel Britt; mechanical engineering major Noah Brockhoff; 91勛圖厙 Associate Professor of Medicine Emmanuel Urquieta; 91勛圖厙 Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Paula do Vale Pereira; mechanical engineering major Keanu Brayman; Tahllee Baynard, Lockheed Martin���s vice president of system prototypes; and Michael Edmonds, Blue Origin���s chief commercial officer.

hosted its fall career fair, which welcomed some of the world’s top companies, including Pegasus Partner Universal Orlando Resort, Marriott International, Walt Disney World Resort’s Swan and Dolphin Resort, and SpaceX.

Drone shows on 91勛圖厙’s main campus and at Acrisure Bounce House commemorated 91勛圖厙’s identity as America’s Space University, including a special show presented by BNY that brought the community together on Memory Mall.

Space Week’s grand finale was marked by the 10th anniversary of the 91勛圖厙 Space Game. This year’s unique uniform theme paid tribute to 91勛圖厙’s origin story as America’s Space University.

A Citronaut robot is one of several inventions built by 91勛圖厙 students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science that make the game day atmosphere uniquely 91勛圖厙.

91勛圖厙 President Alexander N. Cartwright and 91勛圖厙 donor, consultant and space visitor Marc Hagle take in the atmosphere at Acrisure Bounce House.

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the Space Game, 91勛圖厙’s Go Baby Go program, Orlando Health and 91勛圖厙 Athletics partnered to build 10 space-themed vehicles (like the one pictured above) customized for children with mobility challenges.

91勛圖厙 took on Baylor at Acrisure Bounce House for the Mission X Space Game.

The 91勛圖厙 football team’s Space Game has become a fan favorite.

The dance team helped lead the “Lights Up, Lights Down” tradition during the Mission X Space Game.

We are America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

at 91勛圖厙 extends far beyond a single discipline.

91勛圖厙 students can choose from numerous space-related programs spanning business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, planetary science, optics and policy ��� preparing them for in-demand careers across the space sector.

Joining a space-focused student organization can strengthen your skills, connect you with like-minded peers and offer opportunities to turn your studies into real-world work.

Learn more about some of these groups and how to get involved.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Who they are: 91勛圖厙���s chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a technical society dedicated to the aerospace profession, welcomes students of all experience levels and academic disciplines. It boasts nearly 400 active members, with many�� studying aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering or computer science.

Ways to get involved: AIAA@91勛圖厙 sponsors industry tours, guest speakers, professional development events, socials and creative engineering projects. One is a multi-year effort in partnership with SEDS and Seagate Space to engineer the first sea-based launch by university students in the nation.

How to find them: Join the to stay up to date with announcements and general information, or follow on Instagram.

Astronomy Society

Who they are: The Astronomy Society is dedicated to cultivating a deep appreciation for space while providing valuable opportunities for students aspiring to build careers in astronomy.

Ways to get involved: Members can participate in resume workshops, physics conferences, space-themed social meet-ups, and telescope operation training, and help organize or attend Knights Under the Stars stargazing events at Robinson Observatory on 91勛圖厙���s main campus.

How to find them: Attend a general board meeting, follow on Instagram or join the .

Knights Experimental Rocketry

Who they are: Knights Experimental Rocketry designs and builds experimental rockets and payloads for collegiate competitions.

Ways to get involved: Students can get involved in a wide range of projects, from designing and building rockets, developing liquid rocket propulsion systems, and researching and testing electric thrusters.

How to find them: Join the follow on Instagram or visit .

Knights Satellite Club

Who they are: Knights Satellite Club is 91勛圖厙’s center for satellite and space systems development. Students can join with little to no satellite experience and gain�� engineering skills through low-cost projects that introduce them to spaceflight hardware, integration, testing, communications, recovery, and systems engineering.

Ways to get involved: Members can join progressively more challenging projects as their experience, skills and knowledge develop. Weekly committee meetings also welcome members with interests beyond engineering and science, including fundraising, event management and public relations.

How to find them: Find the latest information at .

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)

Who they are: SEDS empowers members to make an impact in space exploration through an interdisciplinary community spanning engineering, biology, economics, history, photography and more.

Ways to get involved: Attend speaker series, social events like space-movie viewings, professional workshops, rocketry tutorials and tours of space-industry companies. Members can also take part in research projects ranging from agriculture in simulated Martian regolith and space economics to solving space exploration challenges for NASA.

How to find them: 博勳莽勳喧���, stay up to date�� through the or follow on Instagram.

We are America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

91勛圖厙 celebrated seven dynamic contributors to Central Florida���s robust space ecosystem with its 2026 SpaceU Awards.

America���s Space University honored two students, three faculty, a Pegasus Partner, and a space company leader for advancing space development, discovery, exploration and engagement. The awards were part of the second 91勛圖厙 Space Week, which runs Oct. 25-30 and showcases the university’s impact across the space sector.

Tuesday���s SpaceU Awards ceremony at the Celeste Hotel drew more than 200 community leaders and supporters from 91勛圖厙, industry and government. The event also spotlighted the inaugural 91勛圖厙 Space Ideation Challenge, a national competition showcasing practical, forward-looking ideas to strengthen U.S. leadership in space and accelerate the emerging space economy.

“Their achievements remind us that exploration is about more than reaching new frontiers ��� it is about advancing knowledge, creating opportunities and improving lives on Earth and beyond.” ��� Alexander N. Cartwright, 91勛圖厙 president

“Our SpaceU Award recipients embody the ingenuity and determination that have defined 91勛圖厙 from the start. They ask bold questions, take on difficult challenges, and pursue ideas that have the potential to change what we know, what we can do and where we can go,” said 91勛圖厙 President Alexander N. Cartwright. “Their achievements remind us that exploration is about more than reaching new frontiers ��� it is about advancing knowledge, creating opportunities and improving lives on Earth and beyond.”

91勛圖厙 originated in 1963 to help supply talent and technology for Central Florida���s growing space program. Today, SpaceU has become a vital force for enhancing Florida���s vibrant space economy through excellence in research, innovation and workforce development ��� leading the nation in producing talent for the aerospace and defense industries.

Other Space Week events include the inaugural 91勛圖厙 Innovate Day, which highlights how university research translates into real-world applications; The Economist���s fourth-annual Space Economy Summit; the National Space Society���s Space Settlement Summit; and the SpaceU Symposium, featuring student, faculty and staff research. The week also includes a SpaceU Drone Show on Memory Mall and the 10th-annual Space Game against Baylor at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium.

Here are the 2026 SpaceU Awardees.

Student Space Research Award

Noah Brockhoff, Junior, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Brockhoff���s research is helping to address the critical challenge of minimizing the effects of moon dust on spacecraft and landing sites. At 91勛圖厙���s Exolith Lab, the mechanical engineering major spent 300 hours building a simulated lunar lander to study how lunar dust traveling at terminal velocity could damage spacecraft. NASA is partnering with 91勛圖厙 on the research and plans to use the findings, connecting Brockhoff’s work directly to the future of space exploration.

Student Space Innovator Award

Keanu Brayman, Senior, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Burnett Honors College

Brayman, a mechanical engineering major, is making contributions to space innovations with commercial applications. As an intern at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, he has worked on trajectory optimization for the Human Landing System, additive manufacturing technology for lunar resource utilization and robotic in-space laser welding ��� a necessity for assembling large structures on the lunar surface. Brayman is also a researcher in 91勛圖厙���s Astrodynamics, Space and Robotics Laboratory, a Goldwater Scholar, and an Astronaut Scholar.

Early Career Space Achievement Faculty Award

Paula do Vale Pereira, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

do Vale Pereira develops approaches for exploring the hidden oceans of icy moons. She specializes in space systems, spacecraft engineering, and planetary exploration technologies for navigating some of the solar system’s most challenging environments. do Vale Pereira contributes to shaping the next decade of planetary exploration through NASA���s Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy and the Ocean Worlds Working Group. Her lab investigates spacecraft thermal performance, orbital dynamics, lunar surface power transmission, and innovative satellite structures.

Mid-Career Space Achievement Faculty Award

Emmanuel Urquieta, Associate Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for Aerospace Medicine, College of Medicine

Urquieta is a physician and scientist helping to make human spaceflight safer through research, education, and aerospace-medicine leadership. He founded and directs SpaceU���s Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine, leading 91勛圖厙’s efforts to promote research, education, clinical care, and operational capabilities to protect human health and performance in space. At 91勛圖厙, he established Florida���s first academic Division of Aerospace Medicine and spearheaded the development of an aerospace medicine residency, master���s degree program, and specialized research and simulation capabilities for future exploration missions.

Lifetime Space Achievement Faculty Award

Daniel Britt, Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, College of Sciences

Britt’s trailblazing contributions to planetary science have expanded the world’s understanding of the solar system. A member of several NASA mission teams, he managed the camera project for Mars Pathfinder and has contributed hardware to Mars missions, extending 91勛圖厙 technology in reaching the stars. He directs 91勛圖厙���s Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science and studies the physical properties of asteroids, comets, the moon and Mars. Since joining 91勛圖厙 in 2003, his honors include six NASA Achievement Awards and an asteroid named 4395 Danbritt.

Industry Partner Impact Award

Lockheed Martin

Global industry leader Lockheed Martin is a cornerstone of Florida���s space ecosystem and a long-time champion of 91勛圖厙. Since 1981, Lockheed Martin���s College Work Experience Program at 91勛圖厙 has provided paid professional opportunities to more than 10,000 students. Many have gone on to join the company. The partnership also supports mentorship, scholarships and cutting-edge faculty research in robotics, AI, advanced manufacturing and hypersonics. Last year, Lockheed Martin became a Pegasus Partner, expanding collaboration with 91勛圖厙 on research, workforce development and economic growth.

Innovative Space Leader Award

Michael Edmonds, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Origin

Edmonds��� leadership fosters business, government and customer relationships essential to the growth of commercial space. He also serves as president of Club for the Future, Blue Origin���s nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Under Edmonds’ leadership, the organization has awarded $1 million in grants to 19 space-focused nonprofits, extending STEAM outreach worldwide. Through educational challenges and postcards flown to space and back, the club makes exploration tangible for students across the globe.

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91勛圖厙 was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe ��� developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

A rover���s next move on another planet could begin in a 91勛圖厙 lab.

Before its wheels encounter a rocky slope or an unexpected obstacle, a virtual assistant could help operators answer a critical question: Can it get through?

Luis Rabelo, a professor in 91勛圖厙���s College of Engineering and Computer Science, is leading a team of 91勛圖厙 undergraduate researchers/engineers developing an AI-driven digital twin to investigate how the technology could support robotic exploration when communication with Earth is delayed.

Digital twins are virtual representations of physical systems that can use data from their physical counterparts to model and simulate behavior. By testing a rover���s movements virtually before executing commands, operators could anticipate obstacles and evaluate potential actions without waiting for every instruction to travel to the robot and back.

The research builds on an international collaboration involving Rabelo and 91勛圖厙 planetary scientist , director of 91勛圖厙���s . 91勛圖厙 aerospace engineering graduate student Carson Gray ’26 has helped develop the digital-twin software and advised the student teams that constructed 91勛圖厙���s rover prototypes.

Connecting Physical and Virtual Systems

The team uses RE-RASSOR, the Research and Education Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot, a low-cost, 3D-printed educational platform adapted from NASA���s original RASSOR mining robot.

Each rover costs approximately $400 to produce, allowing students to experiment with digital twin software on comparatively inexpensive hardware, says Gray, a mechanical engineering alum. That accessibility could make advanced robotics research more feasible for university laboratories with limited resources.

During a demonstration, Gray showed how an iPhone���s camera and LiDAR sensor, mounted on the rover, help the system construct a 3D virtual representation of the robot and its surroundings in real time.

���It���s a two-way street. The robot is constantly sending its position ��� you can move it in the digital twin, and then that will be sent to the robot. … At the end of the day, you want them mirroring each other,��� Gray says.

Rabelo says a digital twin���s update frequency must reflect the behavior of the physical system it represents. For robotic systems, that means accounting for changes second by second rather than relying on the longer-term predictions used in conventional simulations.

���The digital twin depends on the time constant of the system,��� Rabelo says. ���That���s the difference.���

That connection between physical and virtual systems could help operators make more informed decisions in unfamiliar lunar or planetary terrain.

���Say on the moon, if the environment is very bumpy, rocky, you might not always know if a command is going to be successful or not,��� Gray says. ���So you can see in the simulation if it can go over this bump successfully. And then if it does, then you can do it on the real rover with a lot more confidence than if you didn���t have the simulation.���

Building on Earlier Research

The work grew out of a collaboration between 91勛圖厙 and the Universidad Polit矇cnica de Durango in Mexico. During the 2025-26 academic year, Rabelo and Metzger advised an international senior design project focused on developing an AI-driven digital twin of RASSOR.

A central objective was to investigate how digital twins could help operators work around communication delays. The farther a robot travels from Earth, the longer commands and information can take to pass between it and the people directing it.

Rabelo describes a test scenario with a simulated three-second delay in each direction, creating a six-second round trip. The digital twin could help operators anticipate the rover���s behavior and identify potential problems before they occur.

Preparing for Future Space Exploration

Rabelo envisions expanding the research beyond individual rovers to groups of autonomous robots collaborating on complex logistics tasks at the moon���s south pole.

Different robots could perform specialized tasks, from surveying terrain and identifying resources to collecting materials and transporting equipment. A shared digital twin could help coordinate their movements across a larger environment.

���You have to have a bigger digital [twin] of the entire piece of the moon where all of those things have to go,��� Rabelo says.

Such technology could eventually help researchers coordinate robotic operations across distant planetary environments, where communication delays make continuous human oversight difficult.

For now, this student-built platform lays the groundwork for a larger ambition: helping future robotic teams explore farther, with operators better prepared for what comes next.

The research received $5,000 in support from the Florida Space Grant Consortium through 91勛圖厙���s Florida Space Institute. Undergraduate senior design teams developed the rover prototypes under the guidance of Rabelo, Gray and Metzger.

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91勛圖厙 was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe ��� developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are��America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

While taking a break from his job responsibilities on ���another planet,��� Matthew Montgomery ���08 ���09MS settled in for some light reading: The Handbook of Space Resources. Curious about the authors��� backgrounds, he flipped through the contributors list.

The two-time 91勛圖厙 electrical engineering alum couldn���t help but smile when he spotted two familiar names: acclaimed 91勛圖厙 planetary scientists Daniel Britt and Phillip Metzger ���00MS ���05PhD.

Even on a mission to ���Mars,��� 91勛圖厙 was right there with him.

On Oct. 19, 2025, Montgomery entered a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center with three crewmates for NASA���s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA). Together, they’ve simulated living on Mars, conducting research and collecting data as if they were 140 million miles from Earth.

Their work includes spacewalks with and without virtual reality, time-delayed communications, crop growth, meal preparation and consumption, exercise, hygiene activities, maintenance work, personal time, science work and sleep ��� all to help prepare for future missions.

The 39-year-old isn���t a trained astronaut or a NASA scientist. After an 18-month application and screening process, being selected to volunteer for this mission meant stepping away from his loved ones and Floating Lava Studios, his Los Angeles-based film production company, for more than a year.

He cultivated the skills that helped him land this gig, in part, at 91勛圖厙.

An Orlando native, Montgomery enrolled through an early admission program while still a senior at nearby University High School. As a Burnett Honors Scholar, he immersed himself in research opportunities and lab work while earning his bachelor���s and master���s degrees in electrical engineering.

���91勛圖厙 provided me the technical foundation to get where I���m at,��� Montgomery says. ���I think engineering is one of the best undergraduate degree programs that anyone can pursue. Foundationally, it teaches you problem-solving skills that can be broadly applied to almost anywhere you go. I also learned solid research principles, and lab work was critical. You need both sides. There���s a lot of opportunity (at 91勛圖厙). I���ve taken a more entrepreneurial approach (in my career), and I think 91勛圖厙 really sets you up for that.���

As CHAPEA���s science officer, Montgomery draws on his engineering background to contribute expertise in LED lighting, robotics, controlled environment agriculture and embedded control systems.

Ahead of the mission’s scheduled Oct. 31 conclusion, Montgomery answered questions via video about life inside the habitat ��� and what it could mean for humanity’s future beyond Earth.

A Glimpse of Life on Mars

Why did you say yes to this mission?
When I read through the application, I really felt meant for this mission. It comes down to a simple answer: The researchers asked for help, and they had a worthy cause.

I think there���s a powerful lesson and reminder in there ��� when you���re pursuing lofty goals or reaching for the stars, you do need support. All you need to do is communicate your vision and ask for help. When you do, people show up and support you.

What does a routine day look like?
Our day-to-day life is similar to astronauts on the International Space Station and representative of what will be expected of Mars-surface astronauts: drone and rover operations, exercise testing, bio collections. Each day has a mix of standard items ��� resistance or cardio exercise, science and experiment work, crop care,�� maintenance, ensuring you get your daily caloric intake goals met.

We also perform spacewalks, or extravehicular activities, in two forms: virtual reality (VR) or non-VR.

Outside the airlock, we have a simulated Mars surface with red regolith simulant. During non-VR spacewalks, we participate in surface equipment checks, maintenance, infrastructure builds, and a lot of science and geological-type tasks.

On VR spacewalks, we put on headsets and use treadmills that allow us to traverse much larger distances. Compared to the International Space Station, you might be doing spacewalks every day on Mars, and that tempo is something NASA isn’t used to. We need to gather data: Does that tempo start to affect cognition or physical performance?

When you are on the surface of these more remote environments, you���re going to want to use that time to not only survive, but gather data and increase the body of scientific knowledge.

How well did you pack for 378 days?
I consider myself a light packer, and I���ve learned you really don���t need a whole lot to get by. That way of life translated well into the mission.

I did bring some comforts. I���m glad I brought a buckwheat pillow. I find them really comfortable, especially when they���re broken in. I brought a good pair of headphones and a set of spudger tools.

We packed quite a few books. We have a nice library of music and movies. Owning a production company, I really enjoy film, and members of the crew are film fans, too.�� It���s been something we���ve bonded over.

I wish I had brought a small mirror for my room. One of the other crew members brought high-quality microphones we could plug into different devices. It���s contributing to this interview.

In the end, there are four of us. When we come together, we have quite the spread and our bases covered.

How do you hope this mission will advance space exploration?
A lot has to come together to advance space research. The technical side is probably thought of first, but an important piece is the human aspect.

An important aspect of our mission is time-delayed communication. That���s something NASA has limited experience with but is looking to gain through experiments like this.

If we think about the ISS or the moon, they���re relatively close to the Earth, and [communication] is nearly instantaneous. But as we push farther out to Mars, that distance gets quite long. We have no [option for] instant [communication] like a phone call or video chat. A lot becomes written, and we have to account for the time it takes to send messages and receive responses.

Ultimately, all of this will hopefully create new processes, procedures and plans for surface missions where mission control isn���t quite as integrated with the crews.

What have you learned about yourself during this mission?
I should give myself a little grace and have a short memory. I���m driven to strive for really high-performing outputs, but in complex situations, especially on long-duration missions, you���re going to make mistakes and things aren���t going to go as planned. You need to assess those accurately, learn the lesson and move on.

The good part about a long-duration mission is there’s usually an opportunity to give something a go again. There���s a little comfort in that.

I���ve also learned I should trust myself a little more. When something doesn���t feel right or I���m feeling [drawn to] a particular course of action, I should dive in and pinpoint where that���s coming from. A few [times during] this mission, [doing that has] led to better outcomes.

What advice do you have for future Mars explorers?
Acquire a broad set of skills. I���m continually impressed by the crew���s breadth and depth of knowledge. When it���s just the four of you and you have to rely on yourself and each other, having that broad set of skills is incredibly important. You���ll be the ones solving problems, and that could be the difference between life and death and the success of the mission.

Foster a deep sense of inquisitiveness. You need to be present. Being [observant] might lead to new discoveries. It might also lead to preemptive measures that help your safety and success.

Check everything. That���s both good for data and good for safety.

We are America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

The John C. Hitt Library is likely the only place where you can find odes to Citronaut, space mice, sports and human spaceflight together in one room.

A new, interactive exhibit, debuts this week in the Immersion Studio on the fourth floor of the library���s Digital Exploration Center.

The exhibit brings six decades of 91勛圖厙, United States and international space history and culture beyond the archives and into visitors��� hands. It draws on digital assets from 91勛圖厙���s former student newspaper, Central Florida Future, NASA, 91勛圖厙 Athletics and the university.

91勛圖厙 Libraries graduate research assistant Eric Thompson ���19, a history alum pursuing a doctorate in texts and technology, is the mind and heart behind the project. He set out to maximize the studio���s potential through its 270-degree immersive projection and interactive touch capabilities.

Over the past two months, he meticulously selected every image and wrote nearly 7,000 words for the exhibit���s text boxes, bringing the experience together through an iterative process that used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate code.

The Cocoa Beach, Florida, native worked as a bicycle mechanic for nearly a decade before enrolling through to pursue a more fulfilling career as a public historian. He wants to bring history to life beyond the classroom, in places like museums, parks, and monuments.

���I was giving tours of a Civil War painting at the Atlanta History Center, and when you���re doing programming like that it���s exciting because it���s different every single time depending on the makeup of whoever comes through,��� he says. ���I think the best public history exhibits make some sort of argument. We���re not just saying, ���Hey, look at this neat thing from 100 years ago.��� We���re also saying what that meant back then, and how it ties to our society today.���

Here, Thompson explains how the exhibit came together, what visitors can expect and the stellar result when the humanities collide with technology.

What inspired this exhibit?

At the beginning of this semester, the for 91勛圖厙 Space Week 2026 and my supervisor asked if I wanted to propose something specifically for the Immersion Studio. I started with just a wall ��� I built a very, very bare-bones prototype that was basically just the mission patches from the space games. Can I make this work? What does it look like from there? How do we do some more history or scholarship along with that?

That���s where some of the other elements ��� old newspaper articles, actual NASA mission patches, 91勛圖厙���s space origins ��� started to come in. One advantage of a digital exhibit is that you’re not constrained by what fits in a 4-foot-wide glass case. Nearly all images are clickable with a tap of your finger so you can read more information.

The texts and technology program has been recognized as a leader in digital humanities education. How did you apply what you���ve been studying to this project?

One of the research methods that texts and technology students use a lot is something called critical making. It���s a way of building something, thinking and writing through that process very deliberately, and iterating on it. That���s what this process was.

Another key element was how I used AI. I wrote all of the content. I picked all of the images and even hand-sketched the layout, but I don’t know how to code. I didn’t write the programming that made boxes be boxes. I would prefer a human whose job is to program and get paid for it, but I didn���t have that opportunity in this case.

So the code work on this was done with a generative AI tool, Claude. I had a leg up through coursework that was explicitly about using AI like this, including a significant manual review process. It has to be really deliberate.

What do you hope this exhibition adds to campus culture?

As a university, we don’t have the same generations of history that other places do because we were founded just 63 years ago. So we have an opportunity, all of us, to take a more active role in shaping it. I hope somebody will learn something about our campus history and use that to build positive change here on campus.

How did you highlight the humanity of this tech-forward exhibit?

I very intentionally wrote the names of the people on the mission patches with crews. There are people at home who designed these, who thought through these experiments and these projects. Most of these patches are human-forward designs, and people made choices to symbolize our values and what���s important to us.

Why should people come visit this?

The Immersion Studio opened in February, and we want to show what the space is capable of. My hope is that faculty will come in and realize they can bring a class here or design a presentation. Student organizations can hold meetings here. I plan to do my dissertation defense in this space one day.

���We want to show what the space is capable of.��� ��� Eric Thompson ���19

The Digital Exploration Center is a really interesting space on campus. People who aren’t necessarily in something tech-focused are still going to need to learn how to use more modern tools and need workstations and equipment that their departments may or may not have.

So this is a really high-powered space that’s open to anybody on campus. I would love it if somebody found this space because of this exhibit; that would be a win.

Funded by the Department of War���s Joint Hypersonics Transition Office, the 91勛圖厙-led project aims to develop and test a design for a dual-mode, liquid, rotating detonation engine at 91勛圖厙���s brand-new Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion (HyperSpace Center).

The project builds on previous 91勛圖厙 research and may improve energy efficiency and reduce costs for commercial space access and transatlantic travel.

The research is in its early stages, but Ahmed says he���s hopeful this transformative technology will be realized over the course of the project.

���In simple terms, it could propel you at Mach 5 and above.���

���In simple terms, it could propel you at Mach 5 and above,��� he says. ���It will work like an aircraft engine that ingests air but transitions into a rocket engine that could take you to space or at faster speeds and bring you back into air mode propulsion again.���

Continuing to advance the emerging field of hypersonic travel and build upon previous successes is something Ahmed is looking forward to with his dual-mode detonation engine research.

Ahmed���s proposed engine technology may lend itself to making hypersonic travel possible ��� meaning that transatlantic travel may be possible in a fraction of the time it takes for conventional aircraft.

���We have significant plans of using that technology for hypersonic travel and other initiatives, reducing cost for commercial space access and making transatlantic travel quicker.���

���We’re very excited about this program because it builds up a lot of the capabilities that we have at the lab with exploring detonation-based propulsion, where we could drive high energy efficiency propelling you at faster speeds and functioning in different modes,��� he says. ���We have significant plans of using that technology for hypersonic travel and other initiatives, reducing cost for commercial space access and making transatlantic travel quicker.���

For this project, 91勛圖厙 is collaborating with researchers at the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Raytheon Technologies and Pratt & Whitney.

Researcher���s Credentials
Ahmed joined 91勛圖厙���s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, part of 91勛圖厙���s College of Engineering and Computer Science, in 2014. He is also a faculty member of the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery, Director of the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion (HYPERSPACE Center) and the director of the Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory. He served more than three years as a senior aero/thermo engineer at Pratt & Whitney military engines working on advanced engine programs and technologies.

He also served as a faculty member at Old Dominion University and Florida State University. At 91勛圖厙, he is leading research in propulsion and energy with applications for power generation and gas-turbine engines, propulsion-jet engines, hypersonics and fire safety, as well as research related to supernova science and COVID-19 transmission control. He earned his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is a DoD Distinguished Faculty Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics associate fellow, and a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Office of Naval Research faculty fellow.

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91勛圖厙 was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe ��� developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are��America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

Two 91勛圖厙 College of Medicine faculty have been elected Academicians of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) ��� a lifetime distinction recognizing worldwide leaders in space travel.

91勛圖厙 Associate Professors Emmanuel Urquieta and Jennifer Fogarty were honored at the IAA���s 79th annual International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Turkey. The academy includes 1,200 fellows worldwide who are committed to collaborative research and education that advance space exploration to serve humanity.

Urquieta and Fogarty are leaders in the College of Medicine���s emerging aerospace medicine program that is creating a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.

The program���s goal: explore how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

As part of that effort, 91勛圖厙 has created a new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (). Urquieta leads the center; Fogarty is its chief scientist.

The multidisciplinary center includes 91勛圖厙 faculty experts in medicine, engineering, computer science, psychology, arts and educational leadership who collectively research and develop new technologies for keeping space travelers healthy. The work is applicable here on Earth, as well, to soldiers on military missions, deep sea explorers and mountain climbers.

From Flight Surgeon to Aerospace Leader

Urquieta began his career in aerospace medicine as a flight surgeon, serving on the Mexico City Police Department���s emergency medical services helicopter team before being selected for NASA���s HERA XI program. There he spent 30 days isolated with three crewmates in a simulated mission to the asteroid Geographos to understand how the isolation of a space mission affects the crew medically and psychologically.

In 2016, Urquieta joined the Translational Research Institute for Space Health at Baylor College of Medicine (TRISH), eventually becoming chief medical officer, where he managed medical research for missions to the moon and Mars as well as the institute���s commercial spaceflight programs.

He joined the College of Medicine in 2024.

Urquieta says this recognition inspires him to continue striving to make 91勛圖厙 an international leader in aerospace medicine.

���I look forward to contributing to the work of the academy,��� he says. ���And to helping advance the science and medicine that will support the next era of human space exploration.���

Leading Innovation in Spaceflight Safety

Fogarty���s honor recognizes her nearly 20-year career in aerospace medicine, beginning as chief scientist of NASA���s human research program. There, she examined the risks humans face while exploring space and developed research and programs to keep astronauts safe and healthy.

Following nearly 14 years at NASA, Fogarty brought her expertise to TRISH, where she provided strategic leadership in developing innovations to maintain human performance and wellness during space travel.

She joined 91勛圖厙 in 2025.

Fogarty says she was honored because she and�� Urquieta were nominated by a mentor, Jeffrey Davis, who has served as branch chief of medical operations at NASA.

���We were honored to be nominated by Dr. Davis and to have other people who agreed that we have made significant contributions to the field at an international level,��� said Fogarty. ���It���s very special to be recognized in this way.���

Fogarty says her role is not only to improve the health of space travelers, but to use that knowledge to create more innovative medical treatments for patients on Earth.

���There���s a lot of responsibility when you���re in an industry that���s relatively small and young,��� she says.�� ���I think it���s our role with the positions we have here to engage students and educate the public about what���s happening in space medicine and why.���

We are��America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

Whether it���s solving the world���s biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at 91勛圖厙 are on the edge of scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the��, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights plan to improve our world.

Name: Hansjorg Schwertz, M.D., Ph.D.

Position(s): Assistant professor of aerospace medicine; associate director for translational aerospace medicine research at the 91勛圖厙 Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM)

Why are you interested in this research?
We study some of the smallest and most overlooked cells in the blood. Platelets are famous for stopping bleeding and forming blood clots, but they also talk to the immune system, help initiate and control inflammation, and play roles in conditions from infection to cancer. They are made by much larger cells in the bone marrow called megakaryocytes, which grow to an enormous size, pack themselves with the machinery for making proteins, and then extend long, branching arms from which thousands of platelets are released. What makes these cells especially intriguing to us is that platelets have no nucleus, yet they carry RNA blueprints and can finish processing them and build new proteins when they are activated. Understanding that hidden layer of platelet behavior has been the thread of our work for years.

During spaceflight, astronauts experience changes in blood clotting and immune regulation, and surprisingly little is known about what happens to megakaryocytes and platelets during a mission. That gap is what drew us in. I should be clear that this is not my research. It is our laboratory’s research, carried forward by many hands. We all run the experiments ��� technicians, students and collaborators ��� and often analyze the data through nights and weekends. The flight experiment on the International Space Station was simply the next question we got to ask together.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?
Family comes first: My wife and our daughters are my inspiration, my support and honestly my drivers. They push me and motivate me on the days when experiments fail, which is most days in research. I also want to show them, by example rather than words, that everything is possible if you are willing to work for it.

My mentors are the other half of the answer: Guy Zimmerman and Andy Weyrich at the University of Utah. They taught me how to do science, but more importantly how to treat people in science. Whatever our laboratory accomplishes rests on what they built, and the fact that our collaborations are still active says a lot about the kind of environment they created.

Furthermore, the students ��� whether I am talking to schoolchildren or university students ��� watching someone encounter the beauty of megakaryocytes and platelets for the first time is a reminder that the work matters beyond the laboratory.

And finally, within the MOON study itself, [University of Utah researchers and collaborators] Marina Tristao and Neal Tolley are the core team. We do the heavy lifting as a team, and none of this flies without them.

How does 91勛圖厙 empower you to do your research?
91勛圖厙 has built something rare: a Division of Aerospace Medicine whose research goal is to understand how microgravity, radiation, and isolation affect the human body, and to turn that knowledge into better care for people in space and on Earth. As a tenure-track faculty member in the division and associate director for translational aerospace medicine research at the Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine, I have an institutional home that is committed to exactly this kind of work. “Translational” is a word I care about: it means the path from a cell in a dish to an astronaut on orbit to a patient in a hospital should be short, and 91勛圖厙 is organized around making it short.

Just as important, 91勛圖厙 lets the collaboration continue. The MOON study began at the University of Utah and depends on partners there, on BioServe Space Technologies, whose hardware keeps our cells alive on orbit, and on the astronauts who perform the experiments themselves. Being able to keep that team together while growing new collaborations here is the real empowerment.

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
The MOON study is supported by a NASA research award, and our laboratory has been fortunate to receive support over the years from the Volkswagen Foundation through a Lichtenberg Professorship, the German Research Foundation, the American Heart Association, and others. I say “our laboratory” deliberately because grants are written by teams and carried out by teams, and the funding belongs to the work, not to one person.

The honors I have received, including young investigator awards from the thrombosis and hemostasis community early in my career and fellowship in the occupational and aerospace medicine colleges more recently, mean the most as recognition of the mentors who trained me and the colleagues who did the work alongside me.

Why is this research important?
Because astronauts’ blood changes in space, and one of the more sobering possibilities is an increased risk of blood clots on long missions. We do not yet completely understand why, because no one has watched the cells that control clotting ��� the megakaryocytes and platelets ��� develop and function over the course of a spaceflight. Our experiment was the first to grow megakaryocytes on the International Space Station, and by comparing those cultures with blood samples taken from crew members before and after flight, we hope to connect what we see in a dish to what actually happens in a person.

Whatever comes of it will be a team accomplishment in the fullest sense: our laboratory on the ground, Marina, Neal, and myself running the experiments, collaborators in Utah, the engineers who built the hardware, and the astronauts who gave their time and their blood. If the findings help protect crews heading to the moon and Mars, that is the goal. And because the same cells misbehave in sepsis and clotting disorders here on Earth, there is a good chance the work helps patients who will never leave the ground.

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91勛圖厙 was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe ��� developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are��America���s Space University. And we celebrate 91勛圖厙 Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what���s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

Houston, do we understand each other?

Imagine living about 250 miles above Earth, traveling at approximately 17,500 mph, surrounded by some of humanity���s most sophisticated technology and realizing the person beside you calls a piece of equipment by a different name.

Welcome to the International Space Station (ISS), where rocket science sometimes requires a language lesson.

Understanding one another in space requires linguistic flexibility, cultural awareness and cultural intelligence.

The station is an extraordinary experiment in human communication. Astronauts and cosmonauts from different countries, languages, professional backgrounds, and cultural traditions must live, work, and solve problems together ��� and occasionally disagree ��� for months at a time in a confined environment. On Earth, a misunderstanding may lead to an awkward conversation. In space, where procedures can involve complex machinery, scientific experiments or emergency responses, clear communication can become a matter of safety.

This raises an interesting question: What does it really mean to understand one another in space?

The answer involves more than knowing the right vocabulary. It requires linguistic flexibility, cultural awareness, and what we might call cultural intelligence: the ability to observe, question assumptions, and adapt when communicating across cultural boundaries.

Somewhere Between Russian and English

English and Russian have long played central roles aboard the station. The U.S.-led portion operates primarily in English, while Russian is used extensively in the Russian segment and in communications with Russian mission controllers. Crews train in the languages needed to work with international partners, but everyday communication rarely follows a textbook perfectly.

During the first long-duration ISS mission in 2000, crews communicated in a mix of Russian and English they called “Runglish.”

During the first long-duration ISS mission in 2000, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev described how the crew communicated using a mixture they jokingly called ���Runglish������ part Russian, part English. Krikalev explained that crew members switched between the two languages when they lacked a word in one.

The practice did not disappear with Expedition 1. Astronaut Jeff Williams later described conversations with Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov in much the same way. Each would try to speak the other���s language, and together they would simply ���work through it.���

From a language professor’s perspective, this is fascinating. Successful communication doesn���t always require linguistic perfection. It requires adaptability. Speakers repeat information, simplify explanations and use shared technical vocabulary to achieve shared understanding.

When ‘On’ and ‘Off’ Become a Language Problem

One story from the Shuttle-Mir program ��� a 1994���98 space collaboration between the United States and Russia ��� captures the challenge.

Astronauts encountered the Russian commands 赲郕郅����邽���� (措域梭聆喝釵堯勳喧��� ��� switch on) and 郋��郕郅����邽���� (棗喧域梭聆喝釵堯勳喧��� ��� switch off).

To an American ear still learning Russian, these opposite commands could sound uncomfortably similar.

Surely English would solve the problem. But to their Russian colleagues��� ears, ���on��� and ���off��� could also be surprisingly easy to confuse.

Suddenly, neither language was the ���easy��� one. We naturally assume our own language, habits and ways of expressing ideas are obvious, but the other person may face the same difficulty from the other direction. Recognizing that is a reason to check understanding before acting.

Language Is Only Half the Conversation

Vocabulary matters, but knowing every word doesn���t guarantee understanding someone���s intent. People can have different expectations about hierarchy, disagreement, humor or silence. An instruction intended to sound efficient may seem abrupt; a cautious response may be mistaken for uncertainty.

This is where cultural intelligence matters.

Trust also develops in ordinary moments. Space station crews share meals, celebrate holidays and bring traditions from home into orbit. These interactions help them connect beyond their assignments.

Former NASA astronaut Robert Cabana described learning Russian language and culture as part of building trust with Russian colleagues. He explained that even learning enough of another person’s language to communicate politely can help ease communication challenges.

And Then Comes the Matryoshka

One illustration of that connection comes after astronauts return to Earth.

In December 2025, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz MS-27 with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. During 245 days in space, they had orbited Earth 3,920 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles. After landing, Kim displayed a matryoshka, a traditional Russian nesting doll painted in his likeness.

In July 2026, the tradition continued. NASA astronaut Chris Williams returned aboard Soyuz MS-28 after 241 days in space alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. Waiting for them were personalized matryoshkas depicting the crew as welcome-home gifts.

A small cultural object marked the end of an extraordinary technological journey. It shows how culture travels with us, shaping how we recognize one another and find meaning in shared experiences.

From the ISS to 91勛圖厙 and Beyond

At 91勛圖厙, the connection between language learning and space exploration has particular resonance. As we prepare scientists and engineers to contribute to the future of aerospace and exploration, we can also help them develop the communication skills international collaboration demands.

As international crews venture farther from Earth with less immediate mission control support, they’ll need to clarify intentions and navigate differences.

Languages belong in that preparation. An engineer must explain technical decisions. A scientist must work through disagreements with collaborators.

Future international crews may spend longer periods farther from Earth, with less immediate support from mission control. Translation technologies can help with words. Crews will still need to clarify intentions, navigate differences and be willing to ask, ���Is that what you mean?���

A Russian language classroom may seem removed from a spacecraft. Yet both ask people to work through unfamiliar ideas and learn from someone with a different perspective.

Perhaps the next great challenge in space exploration is not only how far we can travel, but how well we can travel together.

Wherever humanity goes, one question remains useful: ���� 郈郋郇邽邾訄迮邾 迡����迣 迡����迣訄?

Do we understand each other?