specific recipes for different kinds of off-world soils<\/a> that closely mimic the chemical composition of samples collected by years of space missions. The lab provides a consistent recipe, which closely mimics asteroid or moon soil (depending on the researcher\u2019s request).<\/p>\nNow over 280 scientists around the world (including all the major space agencies) are using UCF\u2019s simulant. This improves the quality of research which one day will result in methods to try on a mission.<\/p>\n
CLASS also supports researchers working on plume effects from rockets and robots designed to build extraterrestrial spaceports.<\/p>\n
The work the center conducts helps reduce risk and cost of space exploration while providing new data and insights that may lead to new space instruments and missions. As the world looks to reach the Moon, learning how to ensure the soil on the moon doesn\u2019t jam up engines and is sturdy enough to handle a heavy rocket\u2019s exhaust, is critical.<\/p>\n
In lunar landings, a spacecraft the size of the Apollo Lunar Module will blow away more than a ton of soil, dust, and rocks at high velocity. For human-class landers on Mars, the supersonic jet will dig a deep, narrow crater that redirects a jet of gas carrying rocks and sand back up at the landing spacecraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to understand the physics of these effects so we can predict and control them, and that\u2019s what CLASS is about,\u201d says Britt.<\/p>\n
The new funding means the center can expand its focus to bring in more commercial collaborators. The center already works with range of NewSpace companies including Astrobotic Technology, Honeybee Robotics, iSpace, Made in Space, Masten Space Systems, TransAstra Corporation, NVIDIA and United Launch Alliance among others. But it plans to add more lunar and planetary spacecraft companies to its team.<\/p>\n
The center also plans to grow its educational outreach. Dozens of students already work in CLASS, but the group plans to expand its graduate seminar series, workshops and public talks. Training the next generation of space scientists is a central part of CLASS\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The grant will position the university to be on the forefront of space exploration in the new century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":96771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,23,24],"tags":[982,1775,17929,15761,14916,4361],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-99674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-research","category-science-technology","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-florida-space-instit","tag-main-site-stories","tag-pegasus-briefs","tag-research","tag-space"],"yoast_head":"\n
NASA Awards $7.5 Million to UCF\u2019s Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science | 色花堂 News<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n