Born from the challenge of the Space Race, 麻豆原创 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 麻豆原创 Space Week Nov. 3-7.
Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space
America鈥檚 first astronauts, known as 鈥渢he Mercury Seven,鈥� will forever be known as the men who began this country鈥檚 journey into space. Twenty-five years after beginning their quest, the surviving astronauts from our original space race launched the Astronaut Scholarship to help ensure the U.S. would be the global STEM leader for the next space races
The Mercury crew would be impressed with what鈥檚 happening at SpaceU in 2025: a , an , a HyperSpace Center and three more recipients of the prestigious scholarship they established. This year, the committee chose 74 juniors and seniors from 51 universities, and 麻豆原创 is one of only three universities with a trio of winners 鈥� Keanu Brayman, Kyle Coutray and Sun Latt.
Each student reminds us that you never truly know what fuels a person鈥檚 trajectory toward discovery until you reflect on the journey that brought them into orbit.
Keanu Brayman
Mechanical engineering student and Burnett Honors Scholar
There鈥檚 a good reason Keanu Brayman changed his major a few times before settling on mechanical engineering.
鈥淪pace exploration is a broad topic,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd I want to understand everything 鈥� the development of the spacecraft, sending it, landing it and discovering with it.鈥�
His curiosity led him to consider aerospace engineering, robotics, computer science and the ultimate: sitting in a capsule aimed at the moon or Mars.
鈥淟ike a lot of kids, I always wanted to be an astronaut,鈥� Brayman says.
A childhood fantasy that began with Legos in the living room has blossomed in multiple labs at 麻豆原创. In the Optical Imaging System Lab, he designed a 3D printed housing for optical vision systems with space applications. In the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research, he advanced a rover wheel testbed to simulate conditions on the moon鈥檚 surface. Today, in his fourth year, he鈥檚 working in the Astrodynamics, Space and Robotics Laboratory (ASRL) researching optimal control on a robotic arm for space proximity operations.
鈥淢y overarching goal is to help humans become multi-planetary, with enough sustained lunar infrastructure to take us further into space.鈥� 鈥擪eanu Brayman, student
鈥淚 never imagined the steppingstones in my life would take me this far,鈥� he says.
He can vividly describe each step, with his mom encouraging him to dream big. When she noticed his interest in science, she and Brayman鈥檚 dad saved enough money to buy a Lego robotics kit. They invested in a modest telescope so he could spot Jupiter from their home in South Florida. One night, Brayman鈥檚 mom took him to the beach, where they watched the streaking speck of a distant space shuttle launch up the coast.
鈥淭hat small glimpse made space technology more tantalizing for me,鈥� Brayman says.
No one in his family had a STEM background. They lived paycheck to paycheck, and he didn鈥檛 know if college would be affordable. That changed when his FIRST Robotics team visited 麻豆原创, where he heard faculty say they wanted students like him to join their research teams.
鈥淚t was hard for my mom when I left home,鈥� says Brayman, who earned the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, 鈥渂ut she knew I needed to follow my ambitions.鈥�
Those ambitions unearthed more steppingstones at 麻豆原创. He joined a competitive rocketry team, earned an internship with NASA, and started a club: the Society of Innovation and Neurodiversity in Engineering, a community of students overcoming challenges like ADHD.
And now the Astronaut Scholarship.
鈥淚t was always a pipe dream to meet an astronaut someday. But at our ceremony, every time I turned around, I met another astronaut and expanded my network of mentors,鈥� he says.
The support came at a time when Brayman needed it most as he was going through significant personal struggles.
鈥淭he scholarship has been a light. It reinforces what my mom always told me: 鈥榊ou can achieve anything you set your mind to.鈥� Her belief in me will always be my driving force,鈥� he says.
Kyle Coutray
Computer engineering and biomedical sciences student, and Burnett Honors Scholar
It may sound modest when Kyle Coutray says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 absorb complex topics instantly.鈥� Yet this is a senior pursuing two demanding majors, devoting his time at 麻豆原创 to understanding the most complex system ever discovered 鈥� the brain 鈥攁nd turning that knowledge into tools that help people.
Managing material at that level requires discipline, and Coutray relies on habits like writing things down, studying late with flashcards and breaking big ideas into manageable parts. That steady approach reflects a deeper drive, one he credits to both his parents and his faith.
鈥淚 truly have the world鈥檚 best parents. They always encouraged me to push my limits and become the best version of myself,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 also believe God blessed me with a healthy mind, and I have a responsibility to use it where I can make the greatest impact.鈥�
That mindset took root in high school, when Coutray launched an apparel brand by teaching himself the step-by-step process from design to sale. While it found success, he sensed there had to be another door into a more meaningful future. That conviction deepened when he came upon a neighbor lying in the road after a skateboarding accident.
鈥淪ome say space is the final frontier. I believe it鈥檚 the brain, with its 100 trillion connections. Exploring it will take the same spirit of discovery that drives us to the stars, and the Astronaut Scholarship fuels my own spirit to make the next discoveries.鈥� 鈥� Kyle Coutray, student
鈥淚 had done the same thing with my friends countless times, and in an instant his life was changed forever. That was the moment I realized how fragile the brain is. Later, when I began studying neuroscience at 麻豆原创, it offered me a way to reconcile that experience and a clear sense of purpose.鈥�
At 麻豆原创, Coutray has found ways to act on that purpose. He volunteers for ACEing Autism, where he facilitates adaptive tennis activities for children on the autism spectrum. Even intramural sports have offered him practical lessons that carry into his research.
鈥淒uring my first year I was juggling so much that I stopped taking care of myself, and my productivity dropped,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen I got back into sports and focused on my health, everything improved 鈥� school, relationships and research. I鈥檓 a firm believer that a healthy body is critical to keeping the mind sharp.鈥�
Coutray carries that same philosophy into the intersection of engineering and neuroscience. His focus is on decoding neural signals and developing assistive technologies that restore function and empower people of all abilities. What began as a way to process his neighbor鈥檚 accident has grown into a life鈥檚 mission: to give people their lives back.
Sun Latt
Biomedical sciences student and Burnett Honors Scholar
Sun Latt is having a moment. Actually, he鈥檚 having a year. You might remember Latt for winning a Goldwater Scholarship last spring. Or he could look familiar as an Order of Pegasus recipient. Here he is a few months later with the Astronaut Scholarship to complete a student triple crown of sorts 鈥� although Latt is too modest to say so himself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been surreal and I鈥檓 thankful beyond words,鈥� Latt says, 鈥渂ut there鈥檚 so much more to be done.鈥�
Latt has worked on nanomedicine research with urgent focus since he found his first lab as a first-year student. Three years later, he has worked alongside a team of researchers to investigate the advantages of using a novel nanoparticle in magnesium orthopedic implants: the bone heals faster and the implant dissolves without leeching toxins. He has also contributed to nanomedicine research with preventive applications, such as a delivery system to silence the gene that causes osteoporosis.
鈥淚鈥檝e been challenging myself for three reasons; To become a good scientist, to make sure my mentors and the people who鈥檝e supported me are not let down, and so I can be the best mentor possible in the future. 鈥� Sun Latt, student
鈥淲e鈥檝e explored the basic working principles in a glass dish,鈥� Latt says, 鈥渟o now other researchers can see how the nanoparticle interacts for healing applications beyond bone.鈥�
This doesn鈥檛 mean he鈥檚 finished.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e always trying to innovate, you鈥檙e never finished,鈥� Latt says.
For his honors undergraduate thesis, Latt is leading a project that incorporates nanobubbles to deliver medicine into the body before releasing it precisely where and when it鈥檚 needed. He envisions using AI to take another leap and future applications for nanobubbles in space.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 all about healing the body,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what motivated my dad, even with his limited resources and without formal recognition or awards.鈥�
Latt鈥檚 parents immigrated from Myanmar. His dad learned to be a doctor so he could care for people who needed the most help 鈥� especially in rural areas. Latt carries that same compassion into his research, fully conscious that accomplishments are not his alone.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a lifelong learner, and I look forward to being a lifelong teacher,鈥� he says.
Those interested in the Astronaut Scholarship and other opportunities should reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards at OPA@ucf.edu.
