UCF Space Week Archives | ɫ»¨Ìà News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:52:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png UCF Space Week Archives | ɫ»¨Ìà News 32 32 Space Capsule Lands at UCF College of Medicine /news/space-capsule-lands-at-ucf-college-of-medicine/ Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:55:01 +0000 /news/?p=156033 Sierra Space has donated a life-sized cargo module that will serve as an immersive classroom, research center and a visual testament to UCF’s emerging aerospace medicine program.

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Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when UCF 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 UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background.
UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space


A space capsule is becoming the UCF College of Medicine’s newest classroom and research lab.

Sierra Space, a Colorado-based private aerospace and defense technologies company, donated the 22-foot-long life-sized model of their Shooting Star cargo module, which is capable of delivering supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.

A white cone-shaped craft with the words "Sierra Space" displayed on the body of the structure
The model of the Sierra Space Shooting Star cargo module will soon be a unique, interactive classroom and research facility at the UCF College of Medicine. (Photo by Eddy Duryea ’13 )

The gift recognizes UCF’s reputation as America’s Space University and the medical school’s emerging aerospace medicine program, which is exploring how space flight impacts the human body and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

The model was housed at Kennedy Space Center — located roughly 30 miles from UCF’s campus — where it was used as a design reference for engineers and a training tool for in-space cargo transfer. The module attaches to a Sierra Space Dream Chaser spaceplane and in the future could potentially to deliver up to 12,000 pounds of cargo, including science experiments, research equipment and medical supplies to space stations.

The mockup is almost identical to a real module with a hatch that docks with the spacecraft and a section of storage lockers that hold resupply materials.

“There’s only a handful of ships that can take payloads to low Earth orbit,” says Emmanuel Urquieta, the College of Medicine’s vice chair for aerospace medicine and director ɫ»¨ÌÃ’s new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (). “This module is a true-to-size mock-up that is fully aligned with what will actually fly into space.”

An Asian man with cropped, gray hair and brunette woman lay on stomachs, propped on their elbows, in long metal chamber
The module is almost identical to what actually will fly in space and will allow UCF students and faculty to better understand the logistics and practicalities of maintaining the health of space travelers. (Photo courtesy of Sierra Space)

Dedicated to Keeping Space Travelers Healthy

CASEEM is a multidisciplinary center that includes UCF faculty experts in medicine, engineering, computer science, psychology, arts and educational leadership who will work together to research and develop new technologies for keeping space travelers healthy as well as soldiers on military missions, deep sea explorers and mountain climbers.

UCF will use the module to give students and faculty precise training to address medical events in the confines of a spacecraft.

The model also will help researchers create technologies for improving payloads and establishing protocols to send materials into the tight spaces of intergalactic travel. Such technologies and strategies also could be used in combat zones, on submarines and in remote and isolated areas of Earth, Urquieta says.

“It is a rare piece of technology that the UCF Aerospace Medicine program is privileged to use for research.” — Ed Powers, CASEEM’s medical director

“This module brings human spaceflight to life for students and researchers at UCF,” says William (Ed) Powers, CASEEM’s medical director, who worked as director of flight medicine for Axiom Space and chief of NASA’s Medical Operations Branch before joining UCF. “It is a rare piece of technology that the UCF Aerospace Medicine program is privileged to use for research.”

The university is working to create a location for the module.

The donated module grew out of a longstanding professional relationship between aerospace medicine faculty members with Tom Marshburn, chief astronaut and vice president of programs at Sierra Space. Marshburn spent 28 years at NASA, where he was on three space flights and served as medical operations lead for the International Space Station.

“Sierra Space is proud to support the UCF’s College of Medicine and its aerospace medicine program by providing our life-size mockup of our Dream Chaser cargo module,” Marshburn says. “Humans will interface with the actual Dream Chaser spaceplane and its cargo module when it arrives at the ISS or a commercial LEO destination, and we look forward to working with UCF medical students, physicians and faculty on the insights the mockup vehicle can provide for human factors studies, in aerospace and mechanical engineering, and in potential space medical capabilities.”

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UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background. UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026 Sierra Space Capsule Ship-ucf-medicine The model of the Sierra Space Shooting Star cargo module will soon be a unique, interactive classroom and research facility at the UCF College of Medicine. (Photo by Eddy Duryea ’13 ) interior-sierra-space-capsule-ucf-medicine The module is almost identical to what actually flies in space and will allow UCF students and faculty to better understand the logistics and practicalities of maintaining the health of space travelers. (Photo courtesy of Sierra Space)
UCF Football, Spirit Teams Join Go Baby Go! Car-Building Event for Kids /news/ucf-football-spirit-teams-join-go-baby-go-car-building-event-for-kids/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:35:29 +0000 /news/?p=155950 In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the Space Game, 10 space-themed vehicles were customized for children with mobility challenges.

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Rocket sightings are commonplace from UCF’s campus and Acrisure Bounce House, whose 50-yard-line is on the same latitude as NASA’s historical Launch Complex 39A. But for a crowd of dozens gathered on Monday on the concourse of the football stadium, this wasn’t a typical “launch.”

Five toddlers from Greater Orlando and the I4-Corridor were on site to receive space-themed motorized cars built especially for them by UCF student-athletes, physical therapy doctoral candidates from , and healthcare professionals from Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute.

UCF physical therapy faculty member Jennifer Tucker leads cheers of parents and students as young children drive modified toy cars on pavement
The three-hour build event culminated in families celebrating their five toddlers as they test drove their new customized toy cars, which they get to take home at no cost thanks to Pegasus Partner Orlando Health. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

A national, community-based research, design and outreach program, Go Baby Go! provides accessible and inexpensive solutions for kids and adults with limited mobility at no cost to their families.

Nicholas Antoine ’25, a senior defensive back on the football team from Daytona Beach, Florida, who graduated last December with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, jokes his construction skills need some improvement, but he was thrilled nonetheless to be an active part of the collaboration that made an impact for the families.

“Being able to bring joy to somebody else, there’s no greater joy than that,” Antoine says.

UCF football player in longsleeve dry-fit blue shirt kneels and smiles next to toddler boy and Knightro
After assisting with the customization of the Go Baby Go! cars, UCF senior Nicholas Antoine ’25 meets 2-year-old Griffin Bordner. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

A total of 10 cars were built ahead of the 10th anniversary of the UCF football team’s Space Game, an annual event that celebrates UCF’s reputation as America’s Space University.

The Space Game presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute is now one of the signature events of a larger Space Week held at the university, which launches Oct. 25. The football team will take on Baylor University on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Monday’s build is yet another example of how the beloved tradition’s impact has spread beyond an annual football game. It continues to illustrate UCF’s integral role as a driver of impact for Central Florida, whether in the space industry, health sector or beyond.

“When we look at the Space Game, we’re excited to be in that same space to walk alongside these athletes and create an opportunity that celebrates all the things that we do here at UCF,” says UCF Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Jennifer Tucker ’23PhD.

Young boy in motorized toy car as woman in black t shirt and black pants walks alongside him.
Introducing movement and play greatly benefits a child’s development — affecting cognition, speech and language skills, and self-efficacy. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

The Magic of Go Baby Go!

Tucker started UCF’s chapter of Go Baby Go! in 2015 and has led an average of 10 to 15 workshops annually — just like the one held Monday in Athletics Village — to benefit children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old with mobility issues stemming from Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and osteogenesis, among others.

Over the last decade, UCF’s Go Baby Go! has built up such a reputation that prospective students talk about it in their interviews as they look to gain acceptance into the doctoral physical therapy program.

It’s gone international, too, with partnerships in Belgium and Wales. It has welcomed students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Sciences and College of Medicine all interested in contributing their talents.

A physical therapy male student in black polo t shirt holds a triangular shaped piece of white foam board as a UCF football player in a blue polo shirt and chain around his next assists
UCF freshman defensive back and Orlando native Otis Hardy (right) assists a physical therapy student in the build, which transformed typical toy cars into “spaceships.” (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

UCF’s students are a key component that keeps the engine running. Philanthropy is another.

Orlando Health, a UCF Pegasus Partner and a premier sponsor for UCF Athletics, has been one of Go Baby Go!’s biggest supporters since its inception as part of its mission to advance education, research, workforce development and community impact across Central Florida. It’s often personal for the clinical teams at Orlando Health who participate in these builds, since many of the recipients are longtime patients.

“It’s exciting to work alongside our partners UCF Athletics and UCF Go Baby Go! to help create this special event for these families,” says Sara Osborne ’14 ’17MHA, Orlando Health senior director of community benefit. “Go Baby Go’s mission aligns with Orlando Health as we look for ways to support our communities beyond the clinical care we provide every day. We’re proud to help play a part in making increased mobility and independence possible for these kids.”

A large group photo with five children in toy motorized cars front and center outside the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership
Representatives of Orlando Health, the UCF football and spirit teams, physical therapy and communications and sciences disorders departments along with the family recipients commemorate the special space-themed Go Baby Go! build. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

Kid-Sized Astronauts Ready for Warp Speed

Sean Calamigan ’23 kneels next to 2-year-old Griffin Bordner, who had just plopped happily into his custom-fitted “space ship” and was already testing the sound level on his “go for launch” horn.

The third-year physical therapy doctoral candidate playfully warns the toddler of speed limits inside the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership.

Griffin’s parents look on with mile-wide smiles. His father hails from a family of Knights who have been football season ticket holders since the 1990s. His mother, Jennifer Bordner ’15MEd, graduated with a master’s in exceptional student education.

They were referred by their son’s care team to apply to UCF’s Go Baby Go program! and underwent their first consultation in May. As Griffin test drove along the concourse of Acrisure Bounce House on Monday, Jennifer was already envisioning her son in their neighborhood’s cul-de-sac, spinning his wheels alongside his older sister.

Five UCF dance team members in blue Citronaunt uniforms pose for photo with 2-year-old blonde boy in white motorized toy car with his parents kneeling next to him.
The Bordner family, who are longtime football season ticket holders, pose with members ɫ»¨ÌÃ’s dance team. (Photo by Brooke Morris)

“Griffin is a happy, joyous little boy. There is nothing that slows him down — he just goes, goes, goes, but he’s normally in a stroller while his sister is on her bike or scooter. This opportunity is so exciting for him to be included in that fun,” she says. “It just gives me chills knowing that there are that many people in the community and organizations who donate the cars to allow kids with mobility issues the opportunity to be included in their communities, just to get out and play and have fun.”

UCF faculty and physical therapy students took meticulous steps ahead of the build day to ensure the vehicles would have everything they needed to launch smoothly. Each child was individually assessed to determine communication, seating and positioning needs for his or her set of wheels, and a team of volunteers assisted with a workshop to pre-wire the cars and pack kits with the necessary tools and supplies.

Faculty from the made the experience extra special for the recipients by innovating a switch-activated plush toy rocket that lights up they could take home as a memento along with their car.

Two women and one man kneel on ground next to white motorized toy car to place stickers
The build teams decked out the cars — modeled to look like space vehicles using white foam board wings attached with black foam pool noodles — with every space-themed sticker imaginable from planets, astronauts, stars, NASA and of course, UCF, Space U and Citronaut logos. (Photo by Dana Weisman)

 

Calamigan, who spent his entire morning working at the event despite a final exam on his calendar at 1 p.m., says nothing compares to the practical, hands-on experience and witnessing the families’ reactions and delight to cars they worked on so diligently.

“I think the UCF DPT program really prepares us for a lot of things, but one of the main things they do for us is make sure we’re ready to face the real world, and this is the real world,” Calamigan says.

And it’s a real world that, at the end of the day, Tucker aims to make feel a little more connected.

“We’re providing an opportunity for play, and play is a universal shared rite of passage of childhood. But we’re also building community,” Tucker says. “My hope is that the impact of today extends far outside of this moment in time, and it helps us build a better community and a better tomorrow for Central Florida.”

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ucf-go-baby-go-jennifer-tucker-space-game-brooke-morris The three-hour build event culminated in five toddlers test driving their new customized toy cars, which they get to take home free of charge thanks to Pegasus Partner Orlando Health. (Photo by Brooke Morris '22) nicholas-antoine-ucf-football-go-baby-go After assisting with the customization of the Go Baby Go! cars, UCF senior Nicholas Antoine '25 meets 2-year-old Griffin Bordner. (Photo by Brooke Morris '22) ucf-go-baby-go-test-drive-space-game-brooke-morris Introducing movement and play greatly benefits a child’s development — affecting cognition, speech and language skills, and self-efficacy. (Photo by Brooke Morris '22) otis-hardy-ucf-go-baby-go-build-space-game UCF freshman defensive back and Orlando native Otis Hardy (right) assists a physical therapy student in the build, which transformed typical toy cars into "spaceships." (Photo by Brooke Morris '22) ucf-go-baby-go-football-space-game-group-brooke-morris Representatives of Orlando Health, the UCF football and spirit teams, physical therapy and communications and sciences disorders departments along with the family recipients commemorate the special space-themed Go Baby Go! build. (Photo by Brooke Morris '22) Bordner-family-ucf-space-game-go-baby-go The Bordner family, who are longtime football season ticket holders, pose with members ɫ»¨ÌÃ's dance team. (Photo by Brooke Morris) ucf-football-otis-hardy-space-theme-cars-go-baby-go The build teams decked out the cars — modeled to look like space vehicles using white foam board wings attached with black foam pool noodles — with every space-themed sticker imaginable from planets, astronauts, stars, NASA and of course, UCF, Space U and Citronaut logos. (Photo by Dana Weisman)
Mission X: Honoring UCF’s Origin Story for 10th Annual Space Game /news/mission-x-honoring-ucfs-origin-story-for-10th-annual-space-game/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:10:35 +0000 /news/?p=155748 In celebration of the Space Game’s 10th anniversary, journey through six decades ɫ»¨ÌÃ’s space story — from the origin of America’s Space University to the people and discoveries pushing exploration forward today.

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Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when UCF 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 UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background.
UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space


Since UCF first held classes on Oct. 7, 1968, we have always been driven by an ambitious charge: “Reach for the stars.” The first moon landing followed in 1969. Decades later, UCF keeps reaching as that founding mission lives on in the Knights developing the talent, discoveries and technologies taking humanity deeper into space — and transforming life here on Earth.

Before UCF had a single classroom, we had a mission: provide the talent to help humanity reach the moon.

UCF, America’s Space University, was built for the Space Age. We have spent every decade since building what’s next.

This year’s Mission X Space Game celebrates that momentum during a year of milestones: the 10th anniversary of UCF’s Space Game, the 20th season of the university’s on-campus football stadium, the 30th anniversary ɫ»¨Ìà football’s rise to the highest division of collegiate athletics and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

UCF’s inaugural Space Game uniform in 2017 (left) and the 10th anniversary Space Game uniform (right). The 2017 uniform The helmet included a picture of the surface of the moon sublimated in the UCF logo and included a special stripe down the center of the helmet. The 2026 uniform is heavily influenced by the astronauts of NASA’s earliest human spaceflight missions Mercury, Gemini and Apollo during the 1960s when the university was founded.

Together, these milestones offer a chance to reflect on how far UCF has come — and look toward where Knights are headed next.

Across six decades, every breakthrough has built on what came before. The goalposts have moved from reaching the moon to sustaining life beyond it. New fields have joined the mission. Once-distant ideas have become experiments, breakthroughs and careers powered by Knights.

The moments that follow trace those threads across generations: then, the bold moves that launched UCF’s space legacy; now, the people and possibilities building on that foundation to push exploration even further.

A message from UCF's founding President Charles N. Millican emphasized UCF's connections to space from the beginning of the university. (President message content originally appeared in Central Florida Future's Oct. 7, 1968 edition)
A message from UCF’s founding President Charles N. Millican emphasized the university’s connections to space from the beginning of the university. (President message content from Central Florida Future’s Oct. 7, 1968 edition)

1960s | Building the Space Workforce

1963: Florida Technological University, now UCF, is founded to provide talent for the growing space industry as the United States is challenged with landing a man on the moon before 1970.

Today: UCF is the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the nation’s aerospace and defense industries by Aviation Week. That impact is especially visible along Florida’s Space Coast, where 29% of Kennedy Space Center employees are UCF graduates.

A black and white photo of the chemistry building on UCF's campus.
Some of the first buildings on UCF’s campus in 1968.

1968: Classes begin across UCF’s original five colleges, with aerospace sciences among the university’s earliest degree programs.

Today: Space at UCF extends far beyond a single discipline. Students can choose from more than 35 space-related programs spanning business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, planetary science, optics and policy — preparing them for in-demand careers across the space sector.

Central Florida Future newspaper clipping highlights astronaut John Young as UCF's first commencement speaker
The late astronaut John Young spoke at UCF’s first commencement ceremony in 1970. Young was an Orlando native and flew on the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. (Content from Central Florida Future‘s June 19, 1970 edition)

1968: UCF receives its first research grant — $12,500 from NASA — establishing an early connection between the university and the agency.

Today: UCF has received $204 million in NASA awards since 1991, supporting work that advances planetary exploration, propulsion, space medicine, technologies and more. This underscores the strong decades-long collaboration between the university and the agency.

A UCF student wearing a white virtual reality headset holds a controller in one hand.
Computer science doctoral student Hiroshi Furuya uses a virtual reality headset to simulate a moon mission, aiming to improve human decision-making and astronaut–autonomous system interactions. The work is part of a NASA-funded project in partnership with Cislune. (Photo by Melanie Cedeño-López)

1970s | Connecting Education to Industry

A newspaper clipping of Central Florida Future.
Electrical engineering alum Bob Butterfield ’75 discovered a new method for reading X-rays while a co-op student at NASA. (Content from Central Florida Future‘s May 31, 1974 edition)

1971: NASA employs 18 students through UCF’s Co-Operative Education initiative, which leverages the university’s metropolitan location to let students alternate quarters of study with off-campus work in their academic fields.

A person examining a bottle in a lab
Luis Jimenez-Chavez ’22 ’25MS, who has conducted human health related research for NASA, working in a research lab on campus.

Today: UCF students are conducting hands-on research alongside Johnson Space Center astronauts and testing technology on the world’s largest simulated lunar surface.

These experiences strengthen students’ resumes while giving them workforce-ready skills and professional connections to step directly into the fast-growing space industry — and start contributing immediately.

1980s | Developing the Foundation of Space Medicine

1985: As rockets soared off Florida’s Space Coast for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, UCF students were already exploring spaceflight’s impact on people. A group ɫ»¨Ìà health sciences graduate students, including respiratory health alum Charles Gutierrez ’82 ’85MS, conducted experiments in labs on campus and on a field used as a makeshift launch site to understand how rockets impact heart and lung health. The research, published in The Physiologist, reflects UCF’s spirit of turning curiosity into action.

Emmanuel Urquieta
Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine Emmanuel Urquieta (Photo by Jordan Smith)

Today: Reaching farther into space requires an understanding of how humans will live, work and stay healthy there. As the closest medical school to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, UCF established the Led by Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair of aerospace medicine and associate professor of medicine, the center brings together UCF experts across disciplines to lead research and develop technologies that will help humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. Urquieta also leads .

1990s | Creating a Place for Space

1990: UCF establishes the Space Education and Research Center, which later becomes the . The institute is a hub for space research, education and technology development connected to Florida’s space industry.

Today: FSI research ranges from studying the Earth’s upper atmosphere to the origin of the planets to propulsion technologies for aerospace vehicles. Through research, operations oversight and educational programs, the institute continues to position Florida as a global leader in the space industry and contributes to the state’s economic development.

A person in hazard gear operating a rover in UCF's Exolith Bin
In May 2026, UCF hosted the quarterfinal of NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge, a competition for college students to design and build a prototype off-world construction robots, for the second year. During UCF Space Week, Oct. 25-30, the university hosts the international final for the first time.

Among its facilities is the , home to the world’s largest simulated lunar surface. Filled with 240,000 pounds of simulated lunar soil, the lab’s Lunar Highland Regolith Test Bin lets researchers, students and space organizations test how rovers, tools and other technologies perform on a moonlike surface.

A person looking up while touching a telescope as UCF's Robinson Observatory is behind them
Physics alum Catherine Millwater ’23 gazes at the night sky near UCF’s Robinson Observatory. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

1996: Robinson Observatory opens on UCF’s main campus, providing students and faculty a place to study planetary systems, asteroids and more. By 2004, it housed what the Orlando Sentinel described as the largest telescope in the Southeast open to the public.

Today: UCF researchers use observations from some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, to investigate comets, asteroids, and the origins and evolution of our solar system.

2000s | Entering the Space Renaissance

In 2009, Stott completed the first painting done in space. The Wave is based on a photo taken through the International Space Station window.

2009: Engineering alum Nicole Stott ’92MS launches aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the first UCF graduate to fly aboard a NASA shuttle and live on the International Space Station.

The Rosen College Career Fair 2025 featured a space theme as students consider possibilities in space hospitality. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

Today: UCF is preparing students not only to travel to space, but also to build the industries, policies and experiences surrounding it.

Through the Barry S. Miller College of Business, students can earn the nation’s first fully online MBA in space commercialization. A Space Policy and Management course in the College of Community Innovation and Education examines the decisions and administrative mechanisms that help power the space industry. Students can help imagine the future of dining and hospitality in spaceports, shuttles and orbital hotels at the , a global leader in hospitality and tourism education.

2010s | Return to Liftoff

A football player in uniform posing next to a statue of an astronaut
The inaugural Space Game uniform launched in 2017. (Photo courtesy ɫ»¨Ìà Athletics)

2017: Invigorated by a new uniform line and excitement around the hiring of Scott Frost as head coach in 2016, UCF Athletics decides to debut the Space Game — an idea conceptualized three years prior by UCF Athletics’ brand experience department.

“It’s a unique part of the UCF story that it was too good of an opportunity not to use the athletics platform to amplify,” Jimmy Skiles ’06 said in a 2022 article about the origin of the Space Game.

UCF football player Taevion Swint models MIssion X white uniform while cradling football in left arm
UCF running back and interdisciplinary studies major Taevion Swint models the 2026 UCF Space Game uniform, which pays homage to NASA’s earliest missions. (Photo by Conor Kvatek, UCF Athletics)

Today: The annual Space Game — which has crossed over into UCF’s other sports — has grown into a spectacular, fan favorite event that promotes our talented people, the revolutionary work done here and has laid the groundwork for what has become UCF Space Week.

Two researchers examining a piece of equipment
In 2013, College of Sciences Dean Joshua Colwell’s experiment was one of eight winners for the Florida International Space Station Research Competition. The experiment, which was supported by Department of Physics Chair Adrienne Dove, aimed to investigate how planets form and was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

2019: UCF sends five research projects into space with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flights after launch activity resumes in full force following the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.

Today: UCF has worked with NASA on almost 600 projects since the 1990s, including the Lunar-VISE mission led by Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Department of Physics Chair Adrienne Dove. The $35 million project will land a spacecraft on a part of the moon never visited before: the Gruithuisen Domes.

2020s and Beyond

The next era of space exploration is already taking shape — and UCF is helping lead it.

NASA is targeting 2028 for the first crewed Artemis lunar landing. At the same time, commercial launches are accelerating — with the White House aiming to enable over 1,000 launches and reentries on American soil annually by 2030 — new markets are emerging, and the demand for space-ready talent and technology continues to grow. Our future on Earth will be shaped by our future advancements in space, and UCF will be an influential driver of that progress.

Two researchers looking at hypersonic equipment
Aerospace engineering alum and researcher Rachel Hytovick ’20 ’24MS ’25PhD (left) with Trustee Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kareem Ahmed (right) at the UCF HyperSpace Center. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

As the next phase of space exploration, launched in October 2024 as a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, providing a centralized, physical space to advance hypersonic technology.

In May 2027, Knights from Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics aim to launch a rocket from sea through a partnership with Seagate. The ambitious effort aims to be to first sea-based launch by university students in the nation — an example of how we continue to forge a path forward for space exploration.

UCF is also helping connect Florida’s universities, NASA and industry through the Florida University Space Research Consortium. The partnership creates new paths for shared space research, technology development and workforce preparation tied to Kennedy Space Center — strengthening Florida’s ability to lead the United States’ future space efforts.

Six decades in, UCF’s space legacy is still being written — in classrooms, labs and places we are determined to reach.

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UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background. UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026 UCF_Space-Game-Origins-2017-and-2026 UCF_Millican-Message UCF_Chemistry Building What is now the chemistry building was one of the first buildings on campus in 1968. UCF_John-Young-Commencement-Speaker Hiroshi-Furuya_VR headset Computer science doctoral student Hiroshi Furuya uses a virtual reality headset to simulate a moon mission, aiming to improve human decision-making and astronaut–autonomous system interactions. (Photo by Melanie Cedeño-López) 1974 Future UCF_Luis Jimenez-Chavez Luis Jimenez-Chavez '22 '25MS, who has conducted human health related research for NASA, working in a research lab on campus UCF_Emmanuel-Urquieta Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine Emmanuel Urquieta (Photo by Jordan Smith) UCF Exolith Lab 2026 UCF_Robinson Observatory UCF_Nicole Stott_Space Painting_2009 In 2009, Stott completed the first painting done in space. The Wave is based on a photo taken through the window of the International Space Station. Mission: Career Rosen College Career Fair 2025 The Rosen College Career Fair 2025 featured a space theme as students consider possibilities in space hospitality. UCF_Space Game Uniform 2017 Mission X_UCF Football_Space Game_Taevion Swint_08222026conor kvatek UCF running back and interdisciplinary studies major Taevion Swint models the 2026 UCF Space Game uniform, which pays homage to NASA's earliest missions. (Photo by Conor Kvatek, UCF Athletics) UCF_Addie-Dove-and-Josh-Colwell-2012-Experiment UCF_HyperSpace Center_2025
Your Guide to UCF Space Week 2026: Discovery, Connection and SpaceU Pride /news/your-guide-to-ucf-space-week-2026-discovery-connection-and-spaceu-pride/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:32 +0000 /news/?p=155669 From industry summits and moon gazing to a spectacular drone show and the 10th annual Space Game, experience a week of events celebrating UCF’s space origin and the people and discoveries moving it forward, Oct. 25–30.

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Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when UCF 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 UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background.
UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space


What will astronauts eat on Mars? How have books and movies fueled our fascination with space? And how much space pride can we pack into Acrisure Bounce House?

There’s a whole week to explore the answers.

Beginning Oct. 25, the second annual UCF Space Week puts the university’s founding mission in the spotlight: advancing the United States’ space program and preparing the people who’ll take it further. Today, that work spans labs, classrooms and industries, driving discovery and supporting Florida’s growing space economy. UCF Space Week brings that industry connection to campus, welcoming global space leaders, researchers, students, partners and fans for a celebration of ideas and discovery.

Explore ideas for life beyond Earth, revisit the curiosity and bold determination behind historic achievements and join traditions that bring UCF’s space legacy to life, culminating in the UCF football team’s 10th annual Space Game.

Cue up the curated by UCF Libraries faculty, staff and students, then make room on your calendar to experience UCF Space Week 2026.


Space Industry Events

Sunday, Oct. 25

National Space Society Space Settlement Summit
Running through Monday, Oct. 26, this two-day summit explores the challenges and innovations shaping lunar settlement and exploration. Hosted in partnership with the National Space Society, it features technical panels, visionary talks and networking opportunities centered on the moon and cislunar space.

Monday, Oct. 26

UCF Innovate Day
The inaugural UCF Innovate Day showcases how UCF transforms research into real-world impact through entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and strategic partnerships. Explore breakthrough ideas, hear pitches from emerging innovators and connect with industry leaders helping shape the future of innovation in Central Florida and beyond.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

SpaceU Symposium
Leaders, researchers and students from across Florida will discuss the latest innovations and research driving the future of space science.

UCF SpaceU Awards Dinner
The university’s second annual SpaceU Awards Dinner will recognize excellence and innovation within the UCF space ecosystem, including key partners, industry leaders, and outstanding faculty and students.

The Economist’s 4th Annual Space Economy Summit
The fourth annual Space Economy Summit brings the space sector together with the industries it’s beginning to reshape. Over two days, senior leaders from business, government, and investment will examine how space-enabled tools can solve problems on Earth, what customers need before they adopt them, and how partnerships can move promising technologies from impressive pilots to everyday use.


Community Events

Monday, Oct. 26

Space in the Popular Imagination
John C. Hitt Library | 1–3 p.m.

Explore how literature and film have imagined the cosmos — and our place in it — during a panel spanning literature and film from the early 20th century to today.

Moderated by UCF Associate Librarian Michael Furlong ’22EdD, the discussion features Michael Taylor, writer and emeritus faculty member in UCF’s School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences; Barry Sandler, screenwriter, filmmaker and associate professor in UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media; and Adrienne Dove, planetary scientist, professor and chair ɫ»¨ÌÃ’s Department of Physics and co-host of the Walkabout the Galaxy podcast. Visit the for more information.

Knights Under the Stars: Full Moon Observation
Robinson Observatory | 7:30–9 p.m.

Whether you’re a space enthusiast or simply curious, join an evening of and share in the excitement of a fully illuminated moon.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Movie Night: Starman (2025)
John C. Hitt Library | 5–7 p.m.

Are we alone in the universe? NASA robotics engineer and best-selling science fiction author Gentry Lee has spent a lifetime wondering. This documentary follows his search for answers and the conclusion he reaches at age 82. Learn more about the film and watch its trailer on the .

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Mars to Table: Feeding the Future of Human Space Exploration
John C. Hitt Library | 1:30–3 p.m.

Join UCF Associate Professor Amy Gregory ’11PhD and Chef Cesar Rivera-Cruzado from as they showcase the university’s Closed-Loop Culinary Ecosystem, a Mars food system that brings together food production, culinary experience, behavioral health and crew performance. Learn more on the .

Thursday, Oct. 29

Movie Night: Hidden Figures (2016)
John C. Hitt Library | 5–7 p.m.

Behind a milestone in American spaceflight were brilliant mathematicians. Hidden Figures tells the story of three Black women at NASA whose work played a pivotal role in sending astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Learn more about the film on the .

SpaceU Drone Show
Memory Mall | 7 p.m.

Gather on Memory Mall as synchronized drones illuminate the night in a display celebrating UCF’s space legacy and spirit of discovery. Presented by Pegasus Partner BNY, the show brings the campus community together for an evening of wonder and SpaceU pride.

Friday, Oct. 30

UCF Space Hospitality Student Challenge
UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management – Disney Dining Room | 9 a.m.–12 p.m.

What will dinner, sleep and an unforgettable guest experience look like in orbit? Discover how UCF students envision the answers at the ’s Final Pitch Day.

The event caps Rosen College’s inaugural eight-week competition challenging students across disciplines to make life in space more habitable. Hear a keynote address and industry panel, watch the top three teams pitch their concepts to industry judges and explore more student ideas at a poster showcase.

UCF Space Game: Knights vs. Baylor
Acrisure Bounce House | 7:30–11 p.m.

UCF Football takes on Baylor in the 10th annual Space Game, concluding Space Week with a tradition that turns our space legacy into a stadium-wide celebration. Since its debut in 2017, . Building the anticipation is the reveal of the 2026 UCF Space Game uniform, which honors NASA’s earliest missions and brings SpaceU’s legacy to life on the field. Cheer on our football team in the stadium or tune in on ESPN. For the latest updates, visit .


Explore All Week

These weeklong exhibits and activities offer more ways to connect with UCF’s space story.

From Orbit to Archives Exhibit
John C. Hitt Library | Fourth-Floor gallery

Visit the Special Collections & University Archives exhibit for a look at UCF’s space heritage and history behind the SpaceU identity we celebrate today.

SpaceU: A Universe of Possibilities Exhibit
John C. Hitt Library | Second-Floor Gallery Wall

Check out the curiosity driving UCF forward. This exhibit highlights some of the many projects UCF faculty and students are working on, offering a glimpse of the ideas taking shape across America’s Space University.

Space Out in the Digital Exploration Center
John C. Hitt Library | Digital Exploration Center, Immersion Studio

Step into the Immersion Studio for space-themed meditative experiences designed to help students relax and recharge.

Space Movies Social Media Bracket Challenge
Which space movie deserves the top spot? Put your favorite films in the running in an interactive social media bracket challenge. Follow along as contenders compete for the title of best space movie and find out if your pick goes the distance.

Find the Hidden Citronaut
John C. Hitt Library

Set out on a self-paced scavenger hunt to find the hidden Citronaut as you explore library spaces and uncover fun SpaceU facts along the way.

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UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background. UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026 UCF Space Week 25_industry events collage UCF Space Week Collage2
First Look: UCF 2026 Space Game Uniforms /news/first-look-ucf-2026-space-game-uniforms/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:39:35 +0000 /news/?p=155615 Celebrating 10 years of the UCF Space Game, the 2026 uniforms pay tribute to NASA’s beginnings and UCF’s origin as America’s Space University.

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Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when UCF 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 UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background.
UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space


Anniversaries remind us of everything we’ve achieved, and of everything still possible. They tell us that to step forward, sometimes we must look back.

On the 10th anniversary of the Space Game, this year’s draw upon NASA’s beginnings and honor the courage it took to stand on the precipice of our greatest frontier.

The design was heavily influenced by the astronauts of NASA’s earliest human spaceflight missions Mercury, Gemini and Apollo during the 1960s when the university was founded.

UCF football player in white helmet and white uniform with red, white and blue USA accents stands in atrium featuring Mission patch banners hanging from rafters
UCF football linebacker Jayden Jennings ’26MA models Mission X uniform at Kennedy Space Center’s Apollo/Saturn V Center. (Photo by Conor Kvatek, UCF Athletics)

John Young, an Orlando native, is the only astronaut to have flown during the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. He received an honorary degree as the featured guest speaker at the university’s first commencement ceremony in 1970, two years before he became the ninth person to walk on the moon.

Archival newspaper photo with headline that reads FTU Charter Class Graduates and black and white photo of astronaut John Young receiving honorary degree in cap and gown
A recap of John Young’s speech at the first commencement ceremony was published in the Central Florida Future on June 19, 1970. (Photo courtesy ɫ»¨Ìà Libraries University Archives)

Learn more details about the Mission X Space Game uniforms at .

The Space Game is now one of the signature events of a larger Space Week held at the university.

Informational graphic with stats related to UCF's space history with illuminated side profile of football player in white helmet
(Graphic courtesy ɫ»¨Ìà Athletics)

UCF Space Week

Oct. 25 marks the start of the second UCF Space Week, a university-wide celebration of all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward. The observance highlights UCF’s vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida’s fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers and entrepreneurs.

This year’s space week features summits in partnership with the National Space Society and The Economist, a space-themed drone show, the inaugural UCF Innovate Day and more.

UCF football player in white uniform and helmet looks over his right shoulder as back faces the camera while standing on orange scaffolding
UCF football linebacker Jayden Jennings ’26MA in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. (Photo by Conor Kvatek, UCF Athletics)

2026 Space Game Matchup

The football team will face Baylor in the 10th anniversary of the annual Space Game on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Tickets are available for purchase at .

UCF students can attend the game for free. A complete guide to student ticket information can be found at .

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UCF student adjusts equipment on a large telescope at night, surrounded by cables and machinery, with a starry sky in the background. UCF Space Week Oct. 25-30, 2026 Mission X_ucf_space_NASA_conor kvatek UCF football student-athlete Jayden Jennings models Mission X uniform at Kennedy Space Center. (Photo by Conor Kvatek, UCF Athletics) ftu-charter-class-graduates-john-young A recap of John Young's speech at the first commencement ceremony was published in the Central Florida Future on June 19, 1970. (Photo courtesy ɫ»¨Ìà Libraries University Archives) FB-2627_Space-MissionX_UCF (Graphic courtesy ɫ»¨Ìà Athletics) Mission X_ucf_space_NASA_08132026CK_048030 Jayden Jennings in the Apollo/Saturn V Center (Photo by Conor Kvatek, UCF Athletics)