Born from the challenge of the Space Race, UCF was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still are a place where our people鈥檚 curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth.
Founded to reach the moon, we鈥檙e already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America鈥檚 Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.
Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space
As Florida鈥檚 Premier University for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, UCF continues to lead the way in preparing students for the industries of tomorrow 鈥� including those that reach beyond Earth.
UCF students are participating in the鈥疭tudent Spaceflight Experiments Program (Mission 21), a national competition that provides students with the opportunity to design experiments for launch to the鈥疘nternational Space Station. The initiative is co-directed by鈥�Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS 鈥�05PhD, planetary scientist and director of UCF鈥檚 participation in the program, and Amy Gregory 鈥�11笔丑顿, associate professor and Faculty Fellow for Space Tourism at the鈥�Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been encouraging students to think beyond science and engineering,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淲orking with Rosen College helps make this a true UCF collaboration 鈥� one that shows space can connect to every discipline.鈥�
Each campus brings a unique perspective to the challenge. On the main campus, students are developing experiments ranging from 鈥渟pace laundry鈥� 鈥� testing whether clothes can be cleaned in zero gravity 鈥� to studying crystal and yeast growth in microgravity. At Rosen College, students are exploring how鈥痜ood and beverage preparation can adapt to long-duration space travel, experimenting with tofu coagulation, texture and preservation techniques to help define what future astronauts 鈥� and eventually space tourists 鈥� might eat in orbit.
鈥淯p to this point, space research has focused on getting there,鈥� Gregory says. 鈥淥ur students are asking what comes next 鈥� what happens when people live and work in space? Food is at the heart of that conversation because it鈥檚 nourishment, medicine and community all in one.鈥�
Rosen鈥檚 efforts are also being integrated into the classroom through a new鈥痜ood and beverage in space鈥痬odule within the Techniques of Food Preparation course led by鈥疌hef C茅sar Rivera Cruzado, allowing hospitality students to connect research with coursework while learning how their field intersects with science, technology and human experience beyond Earth.
鈥淭his is an area that鈥檚 growing fast,鈥� Rivera-Cruzado says. 鈥淪pace tourism is coming in less than 10 years 鈥� maybe even five 鈥� and every sector will have an opportunity to contribute. For us, that means learning what food and hospitality look like off the planet.鈥�
Rosen College has also connected with鈥痵pace industry figures, including engineers, astronauts and chefs, such as鈥疛os茅 Andr茅s 鈥� as well as鈥痳epresentatives from鈥疊lue Origin鈥痑nd鈥疉xiom Space 鈥� to explore future opportunities in鈥�space hospitality and culinary equipment development.
Together, these initiatives highlight how UCF鈥檚 collaborative spirit continues to propel discovery 鈥� preparing students to help define what hospitality, comfort and daily life might look like as they reach for the stars.
