Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data on the lunar regolith to understand how it may be used as a resource in future exploration of the lunar surface.

Firefly Aerospace is one of the American vendors NASA is partnering with to deliver payloads to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These companies are eligible to bid on NASA contracts, allowing for swift delivery and advanced scientific research and exploration.

“The CLPS initiative carries out U.S. scientific and technical studies on the surface of the Moon by robot explorers,� said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration and lead of NASA’s Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office in a . “As NASA prepares for future human exploration of the Moon, the CLPS initiative continues to support a growing lunar economy with American companies. Understanding the formation of the Gruithuisen Domes, as well as the ancient lava flows surrounding the landing site, will help the U.S. answer important questions about the lunar surface.�

Firefly was awarded its fourth task order worth $179 million to deliver six experiments, including Lunar-VISE, to the Gruithuisen Domes on the near side of the Moon in 2028.

Similar silicic volcanic domes on Earth are formed due to properties not observed on the Moon, including plate tectonics and oceans, leaving lunar scientists puzzled on how these mysterious domes formed. The Lunar-VISE science team will take what is learned at the Gruithuisen Domes and what is already known from other silicic volcanic spots on the Moon to reconstruct the history of its evolution and volcanism.

“We are beginning to have actual hardware and are building our instruments, and now we know how we will get them deployed on the lunar surface and what our rover will look like,� says Lunar-VISE’s co-investigator Jessica Sunshine, a professor of astronomy and geology at the University of Maryland. “What started as a concept and then figures in a proposal is now amazingly really happening. While the project has a lot of work to do, particularly as we integrate with Firefly, this marks a new exciting phase that gets us tantalizingly close to going from paper to the Moon.�

In the upcoming year, the Lunar-VISE team anticipates the final check, or the System Integration and Acceptance Reviews (SIR), in August to ensure all components are suitable  and safe for intended operations.

“I’m very proud of our Lunar-VISE team in developing, building, and testing our payload instruments and getting us ready for integration onto Firefly’s Ghost lunar lander and rover,â€� says Principal Investigator Kerri Donaldson Hanna, an associate professor in ±«°ä¹ó’s Department of Physics. “The Lunar-VISE team is excited to work with Firefly to plan our science and exploration operations at the Gruithuisen Domes in 2028.â€�

Founded in 1963 with the mission to provide talent for Central Florida and the growing U.S. space program, the university’s extensive involvement in space research and education not only drives innovations in space technology but also prepares the next generation of leaders in the field.

With more than 40 active NASA projects totaling more than $67 million in funding, Â鶹ԭ´´ continues to push the frontiers of space research, and its contributions promise to help shape the future of humanity’s presence in the cosmos.

±«°ä¹ó’s cutting-edge areas of space expertise include:

Space Medicine

±«°ä¹ó’s College of Medicine is pioneering new frontiers in aerospace medicine, positioning itself as a leader in space health research and education. Spearheaded by initiatives to create an interdisciplinary curriculum, Â鶹ԭ´´ is integrating expertise from engineering, medicine and nursing to address the unique health challenges of space exploration.

The college is building on existing research in space health, including innovative studies on the effects of microgravity on bone health, which could lead to improved protection for astronauts. Collaborations across disciplines, such as testing therapeutics for radiation protection and developing antimicrobial solutions for space station environments, highlight ±«°ä¹ó’s commitment to advancing astronaut health and shaping the future of space medicine.

Space Propulsion and Power

Â鶹ԭ´´ is advancing space propulsion with groundbreaking research that could make space travel more efficient and viable for future missions. Researchers are developing innovative hypersonic propulsion systems, such as rotating detonation rocket engines, which harness high-speed detonations to increase propulsion efficiency and reduce fuel consumption — an advancement that could significantly lower costs and emissions associated with space travel, creating new commercial opportunities in the industry. Â鶹ԭ´´ is taking its hypersonics research even further with its recently launched Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion — the HyperSpace Center.

Additionally, Â鶹ԭ´´ teams are exploring novel power systems for spacecraft venturing far from the sun, where solar energy becomes impractical. With funding from NASA, researchers are creating storable chemical heat sources capable of providing essential heat and power in extreme environments, from the icy surfaces of distant moons to the intense heat of Venus.

Space Technology and Engineering

Â鶹ԭ´´ is forging the future of space technology with innovations that push the boundaries of lunar and deep space exploration. Through advancements in lunar resource utilization, Â鶹ԭ´´ has developed methods to efficiently extract ice from lunar soil so that it can be transformed into vital resources like water and rocket fuel, while new techniques for processing lunar soil drastically reduce construction costs for infrastructure such as landing pads.

Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers are also pioneering 3D-printed bricks made from lunar regolith that withstand extreme space conditions, setting the foundation for resilient off-world habitats. Lunar regolith is the loose dust, rocks and materials that cover the moon’s surface.

±«°ä¹ó’s Exolith Lab, part of the , continues to lead in space hardware testing, advancing resource extraction and lunar construction technologies. Meanwhile, FSI’s CubeSat program is opening new doors in space exploration with compact, affordable satellites that give students and researchers access to microgravity and beyond.

Space Commercialization

Â鶹ԭ´´’s new space commercialization program — led by , College of Business professor of practice and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy — positions the university as a leader in space-related business education.

Autry will guide the college’s efforts to deliver Executive and MBA programs in space commercialization, driving curriculum development and establishing space-focused programs that equip students to lead in the growing commercial space industry.

In addition to the space commercialization program, Autry will be working with external stakeholders, including NASA, the U.S. Space Force and commercial firms like Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, to develop opportunities to advance mutual interests in space.

This includes working with Kennedy Space Center to lead a State University System partnership with the state of Florida to develop the necessary talent to maintain and expand Florida’s leadership in space exploration and commercialization.

Autry will also be leading ±«°ä¹ó’s effort to develop and execute a roadmap for the university’s SpaceU brand through targeted investments in talent and facilities.

Space Domain Awareness

Â鶹ԭ´´ is advancing space domain awareness research to protect critical assets in orbit by developing sophisticated algorithms for tracking and predicting the movement of objects such as satellites and asteroids, so they don’t collide with spacecraft. Under the guidance of aerospace engineering expert Tarek Elgohary, Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers are creating a computational framework to rapidly and accurately track space objects in real time. This initiative is backed by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Dynamic Data and Information Process Program.

Â鶹ԭ´´ is also addressing the growing issue of orbital debris through a NASA-funded study that includes researchers from ±«°ä¹ó’s FSI and . This project seeks to increase public awareness and support for managing space debris, a hazard to satellites and potential space tourism ventures.

Workforce Development

Â鶹ԭ´´ is propelling students toward dynamic careers in the space industry with hands-on programs and sought-after internship opportunities. Through the new engineering graduate certificate in electronic parts engineering, developed in collaboration with NASA, students are gaining essential skills in testing and evaluating space-ready electronic components — a key advantage for aspiring space professionals.

Additionally, Â鶹ԭ´´ students can benefit from hands-on internships at Kennedy Space Center, where they gain real-world experience in various fields, from engineering to project management.

At the , students gain direct experience in microgravity research and robotics. The center embodies ±«°ä¹ó’s commitment to democratizing space access, offering pathways for students from all backgrounds to participate in and contribute to the growing space industry.

FSI’s CubeSat program further immerses students in satellite design and operation, offering direct involvement in active space missions.

Planetary Science

Â鶹ԭ´´’s planetary science program is driving breakthroughs in space exploration with projects spanning the moon, Mars and beyond. The NASA-funded Lunar-VISE mission, led by Â鶹ԭ´´, will explore the Gruithuisen domes on the far side of the moon to understand their volcanic origins, potentially unlocking insights crucial for future space exploration.

Complementing this, Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers are contributing to NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission, which will map water ice deposits on the moon — an essential resource for sustained stays in space. On another front, Â鶹ԭ´´ scientists are studying dust behavior in microgravity through experiments that flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, potentially leading to strategies for mitigating lunar dust, a challenge for electronics and equipment on future missions.

Expanding its reach beyond the moon, ±«°ä¹ó’s planetary science research involves asteroid studies, including the high-profile OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu and examining seismic wave propagation in simulated asteroid materials to understand asteroid evolution and early planetary formation. Â鶹ԭ´´ is also home to the , a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, which facilitates NASA’s exploration of deep space by focusing its goals at the intersection of surface science and surface exploration of rocky, atmosphereless bodies.

Additionally, Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers are studying trans-Neptunian objects and using the James Webb Space Telescope to explore the solar system’s outer reaches, analyzing ancient ices to uncover clues about the solar system’s history, while also investigating exoplanets to advance our understanding of other planets and to search for life beyond Earth.

In parallel, Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers are also advancing bold ideas for terraforming Mars through nanoparticle dispersion to create warming effect, making the Red Planet potentially more habitable.

Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers have also contributed their expertise to multiple high-profile NASA missions, including Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Curiosity, and New Horizons.

Advancing Astrophotonics, History and Policy

±«°ä¹ó’s space research spans pioneering astrophotonics technology, studies in space history and critical analyses in space policy, each offering unique insights into the universe. The within CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, is pushing the boundaries of photonics and astronomy, using tools like photonic lanterns, fiber optics, and hyperspectral imaging to detect cosmic phenomena and address profound questions about dark energy.

Meanwhile, delves into space history, exploring the cultural and scientific impacts of milestones like the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle program, helping illuminate humanity’s journey into space.

The contributes to this comprehensive approach with its broad studies of space policy, both domestically and internationally, including examining military space policy and rising space powers. The work involves studying space law, international agreements, and policy frameworks that guide space activities, which is essential for addressing the governance and strategic planning needed for space exploration and utilization.

Pioneering Tomorrow’s Space Exploration

Â鶹ԭ´´ is pushing the frontiers of space research and education, tackling today’s challenges while preparing for the demands of future space missions. As the new space race continues, ±«°ä¹ó’s forward-thinking approach will continue to drive progress, inspire new possibilities and expand humanity’s reach into the universe.

In late January and early February, the Lunar-VISE team presented the key mission components including the science investigation, landing site and concept for operations at the lunar surface and the status of the instrument design, development and testing to an independent assessment team selected by NASA as part of its Critical Design Review (CDR). The team reached a significant milestone for the mission in passing all 13 review criteria for the key mission components as defined by NASA.

Shortly after the CDR, the team worked with NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office to present the review’s results and mission progress at a key decision point meeting with Joel Kerns, deputy associate administrator for exploration and lead of NASA’s Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office. Kerns gave approval to proceed with the mission, which clears the way to continue with hardware development, testing and integration and delivery for launch in 2027.

As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, the mission will travel to the Gruithuisen domes where a multi-instrument payload on a lander and rover will measure the compositional and physical properties of dome-forming rocks and regolith (lunar dirt).

The Lunar-VISE mission is led by ±«°ä¹ó’s principal investigator Kerri Donaldson Hanna, in collaboration with BAE Systems, Space & Mission Systems (BAE), the University of Colorado Boulder and Arizona State University (ASU). The ASU team, led by Professor Craig Hardgrove, is providing the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer for the Lunar-VISE rover.

“The Lunar-VISE Gamma Ray Neutron Spectrometer (LV-GRNS) instrument is derived from the neutron spectrometer that was developed for the LunaH-Map mission, which launched in November 2022 and successfully collected lunar flyby neutron measurements,� Hardgrove says. “We’re looking forward to continuing instrument development to be able to make these exciting measurements for the first time on the lunar surface.�

The mission’s objective is to study how the domes were formed and provide greater insight on the creation and composition of the lunar surface. Over a 10 Earth day investigation, the instruments built by BAE Systems and ASU will gather data on the mysterious silica-rich rocks making up the volcanic domes and their high concentration of heat producing elements like thorium. This data will determine their viability as resources in future missions and explorations of the lunar surface.

“The most rewarding aspect of passing the critical design review and key decision point milestones is knowing that all the hard work put in by the whole Lunar-VISE team successfully demonstrated that we can work together to build instruments that will accomplish our science and exploration goals at the Gruithuisen domes,� Donaldson Hanna says.

The team is currently working on addressing the independent assessment team’s request for actions to ensure that the instruments are properly designed to survive launch, the journey to the Moon and soft landing and operations at the lunar surface.

Later this year, the team expects NASA to put out the call for proposals from lander and rover providers to softly land the mission at the lunar surface for its investigation.

“The next step for the Lunar-VISE engineers is the building and testing of instruments and for the science team, we will be continuing to characterize our landing site and prioritizing science at the surface,� Donaldson Hanna says.

“Knights, it’s no wonder that since the beginning, NASA has relied on Â鶹ԭ´´ to help in our moonshots,â€� Nelson told engineering, computer science and optics graduates during his commencement address. “And Knights, it’s no wonder that it’s going to be a member of your generation who leaves their footprints on the red sands of Mars. So, to the Class of ‘24: you have moonshots in your DNA.

“Moonshots are big things. They’re bigger than any one of us. They’re bigger than all of us. Like Pegasus, you now have to reach for the skies— and now you can carry thunder and lightning with you.

“And you know how to aim for the moon—because this is America’s Space University. There’s no moonshot beyond your reach. So, decide what your moonshot will be — and then your launch, your liftoff, will happen right when you walk out those doors.�

Â鶹ԭ´´ President Alexander N. Cartwright told Nelson, “You’re absolutely right. Our students are incredible, and they can all achieve any moonshot they set their minds to.â€�

Â鶹ԭ´´ was founded in 1963 — and offered its first classes in 1968 — to help fuel talent to support the nearby space industry, and the university has partnered with NASA ever since, with Â鶹ԭ´´ faculty and students working on about 700 NASA projects.

Many Â鶹ԭ´´ space researchers and alumni are involved in the Artemis program. Planetary scientists Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Addie Dove are leading a $35 million NASA mission to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon in 2027 to explore never-before-visited volcanic domes and help inform future exploration. Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers also are studying rocket propulsion, protecting astronauts and their equipment from harmful space dust, and the health impacts of space travel on astronauts.

Twenty-nine percent of Kennedy Space Center employees are Â鶹ԭ´´ alumni. And Â鶹ԭ´´ repeatedly ranks as the No. 1 provider of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry, according to Aviation Week Network.

“In 1968, as Apollo 7 propelled Americans into space — and later, through Apollo 11, to land on the Moon — Â鶹ԭ´´ began to educate and inspire a new generation of leaders: the Apollo generation,â€� Nelson said. “And I ask you today to give your imagination to help us achieve another dream — now to return humanity to the moon and then to look onward to Mars and beyond.â€�

Nelson has served as NASA’s 14^th administrator for three years. A fifth-generation Floridian, he previously represented the state as a U.S. senator for 18 years and a congressman for 12 years. Â鶹ԭ´´ awarded Nelson the Exemplary Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, recognizing his longtime service in government.

“I have the honor of serving a storied organization that makes history — that makes the impossible possible,â€� Nelson told graduates, citing the James Webb Space Telescope a million miles away, always on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. “At NASA, we know a thing or two about moonshots. Because we’re going back (to the moon) after a half-century. This time, we’re going to learn to live, to experiment on the lunar surface — to invent, to create in order for us not just to go the moon, but to go further — to go to Mars and beyond.

“We’re expanding upon the vision of President John Kennedy that he laid forth in 1961 … He challenged our country to unite behind a bold endeavor, once thought impossible. He made America believe in moonshots. And today, moonshots are not confined to the cosmos. Moonshots are imagined, developed and achieved here on Earth — by people like you.â€�

In 1986, Nelson trained and flew with the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia for mission STS-61C, the 24th flight of the Space Shuttle. While orbiting Earth 98 times over six days, Nelson conducted 12 medical experiments, including the first American stress test in space on a treadmill and a cancer research experiment sponsored by university researchers.

“Kennedy didn’t have all the answers when he dared America to go to the moon, but he had the courage to dream,â€� Nelson said. “So, graduates, you don’t need all the answers on this special day. What you need today is to have the confidence and trust to decide what is your moonshot. Confidence that you will do what is hard and trust that what you can achieve is great. Confidence and trust that you will be a part of something larger than any one person. So, what’s your moonshot?â€�

Â鶹ԭ´´ awarded about 9,800 degrees this weekend, including nearly 3,000 in STEM fields and about 1,400 in engineering and computer science.

As the university grew in enrollment over the decades, so did the programs around the campus, as well as the campus itself. Space research was part of the expansion. While Â鶹ԭ´´ had done research and served as a talent pipeline for the space industry, the administration wanted to extend its reach even further. In August 2002, Humberto Campins, Pegasus Professor in the Department of Physics, joined the university as provost research professor of physics and astronomy and head of the Planetary and Space Science Group. Campins joined the university with an extensive research background in asteroids, comets and small planetary bodies. While at the University of Arizona from 1998 to 2002, he was part of a team that submitted a proposal that became the OSIRIS REx mission,Ìýthe first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.

Campins would be tasked with developing the planetary sciences program, though it took a few times to get him to join Â鶹ԭ´´. As Florida Space Grant Consortium director from 1994 to 1998, Campins got to know former professor and department chair Brian Tonner. Tonner pitched the opportunity to Campins, but he had started his job as the program officer at the Research Corporation and as research faculty at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of the University of Arizona in Tucson. However, Campins would get a final offer that would lead to him considering moving to Orlando.

“I liked my job in Tucson, and I turned them down, and then that turned into another invitation and another,� Campins says. “I had another invitation to attend a workshop on physics pedagogy. I attended a workshop that turned into a third offer that was good enough that I said, ‘You know what? I might want to take a chance.’�

Lifting Off

Campins’ first two hires brought extensive planetary science research behind them. In 2003, Dan Britt joined Â鶹ԭ´´ as a professor of astronomy and planetary sciences, having worked on the Mars Pathfinder mission and done large-scale asteroid research. In 2005, Yan Fernandez was hired as an assistant professor in physics, having studied comets and asteroids for 11 years prior.

The following year, two hires would expand the physics department and ±«°ä¹ó’s space research goals as Joshua Colwell and Joe Harrington were hired as assistant professors. Colwell came to the university having worked on the NASA Cassini mission since some of its earliest planning stages in 1990 and was part of the design and observation planning for the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph, or UVIS, on the multi-instrument spacecraft. In 2019, Colwell and Richard Jerousek ’06 ’09MS ’18PhD, a former student of Colwell and current physics department lecturer, used UVIS data recorded by Cassini to measure and describe the structure of Saturn’s largest innermost ring, the C Ring.

Harrington led the Spitzer Exoplanet Target of Opportunity Program, which measured exoplanet eclipses and transits with the Spitzer Space Telescope. He was also part of the development of the Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer, an open-source, reproducible research code for inferring the properties of exoplanet atmospheres, for which he won the 2011 College of Sciences Excellence in Research Award.

Britt, Colwell and Harrington are now Pegasus Professors, with Colwell as physics department chair and Harrington associate vice president for research.

Raising the Profile

As with many start-ups, there were early challenges in developing the planetary sciences program. However, with help from the administration, such as Tonner, M.J. Soileau, CREOL’s founding director, and Michael Johnson, then-dean of the College of Sciences and current provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, the program was able to grow over time. The research also helped increase the university’s profile, which helped administrative support.

The 2010s saw ±«°ä¹ó’s space research evolve through their partnerships with various institutions. In 2012, the Florida Space Institute (FSI) was re-chartered to allow for an extensive research portfolio. That same year, FSI was also relocated from near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the Central Florida Research Park in Orlando, closer to Â鶹ԭ´´ and its research efforts. FSI also managed the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the largest fully operational radio telescope on the planet, leading to enhanced planetary research and discoveries such as a moon orbiting a near-Earth asteroid. Recently, Noemi Pinilla-Alonso an associate scientist at FSI, was part of a team studying the size and composition of Dinkinesh, an asteroid NASA’s Lucy mission visited this month. Britt is part of the science team for the mission.

A year after FSI was re-chartered, ±«°ä¹ó’s Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science (CLASS) launched via a $6 million NASA grant in 2013. CLASS facilitated one of ±«°ä¹ó’s key space contributions: The Exolith Lab. The lab develops and produces Martian, lunar and asteroid regolith simulants and works with NASA in addition to conducting its own research, led by Britt, Zoe Landsman ’11 ’17PhD and Anna Metke.

±«°ä¹ó’s Martian formula is based on the chemical signature of the soils on Mars collected by the Curiosity rover, allowing researchers to have a more accurate simulant for the many research uses, such as plant growth, vehicle testing, processing and more.

“It’s really important to have a good handle of the mineralogy of the stuff you’re going to be working with because that really dictates the chemistry and the physical properties of the surface you’re going to be working on,â€� Britt says.

Research Now and Beyond

Recent studies are pushing ±«°ä¹ó’s understanding of space even further. In 2020, Kareem Ahmed, an assistant professor in ±«°ä¹ó’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and his team developed a new rocket propulsion system, leading more power to be generated from the rocket, traveling further while using less fuel and burning cleaner. In 2021, aerospace engineering Associate Professor Tarek Elgohary, along with his research students, used analytical and computational methods and machine learning to ensure spacecraft don’t collide with each other or space junk. The research is supported by the Federal Aviation Administration and Lockheed Martin Space.

Last year, Associate Professor Ranajay Ghosh and his team discovered a way to turn lunar regolith into 3D-printed bricks that could be used during space colonization. Using lunar regolith from the Exolith Lab, the bricks were made by 3D printing and binder jet technology (BJT), an additive manufacturing method that forces out a liquid binding agent (in this case, saltwater) onto a bed of powder.

Future space research will see Professors Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Adrienne Dove lead a robotics mission studying the moon’s Gruithuisen Domes, a previously unexplored area. Launching in 2026, the researchers will examine the domes’ makeup and how dust interacts with the spacecraft and a rover. The $35 million mission will help inform future robotic and human exploration of the moon and may also help researchers better understand Earth’s history and other planets in the solar system.

For Donaldson Hanna, the range of planetary science research within the physics department drew her to Â鶹ԭ´´. She saw intriguing ways she could collaborate with people on various research possibilities.

“Just seeing how committed to space science and space exploration the university itself is, it’s certainly nice and fun to be in an environment where what you’re doing is celebrated and is exciting,â€� Donaldson Hanna says.

While Â鶹ԭ´´ has worked with the space industry since its inception, the work done in the early 2000s helped take the university’s space research closer to the stars. From bringing in new faculty to help shape emerging departments to administrative decisions that would provide an immersive environment for space research, this period began a new era that saw Knight researchers Charge On to further understand our universe.

The unmanned spacecraft was tasked with rendezvousing with asteroid Bennu to retrieve a sample from its surface and return it to Earth — a first-of-its-kind mission for the United States.

That’s expected to happen on Sept. 24, when OSIRIS-REx will jettison a sample capsule containing loose rocks and soil from Bennu that — if all goes according to plan — will deploy parachutes and touch down in the Utah Test and Training Range.

on Sept. 24 around 10:55 a.m. EST.

A lot has happened between the launch in September 2016 and the upcoming release of the sample capsule. After reaching Bennu in December 2018, the spacecraft spent nearly two years orbiting the asteroid while mapping and studying its rugged surface.

That detailed mapping was a crucial step, allowing members of the OSIRIS-REx team back on our home planet to study images and spectral observations of Bennu to find the best location to sample without endangering the spacecraft.

Among the members of the OSIRIS-REx team are three Â鶹ԭ´´ scientists: Humberto Campins, a Pegasus Professor of physics and international asteroid expert; Associate Professor of Physics Yan Fernandez, who researches comets and asteroids; and Associate Professor of Physics Kerri Donaldson Hanna, a planetary geologist.

They helped select the sampling site on Bennu and have continued to interpret scientific data from the spacecraft to understand the asteroid’s composition.

“We were surprised in many ways,� Campins says. “All the information that we had before we went to Bennu suggested that once we got there, we should have nice flat areas that were mostly sand or pebbles that the spacecraft could come down safely and sample without any risk of hitting a rock. When we got there what we found was that most of the surface was rocky.�

After careful planning, on Oct. 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx executed a complicated touch-and-go maneuver during which a robotic arm unfurled, touched the surface of the asteroid and collected roughly 250 grams of the long-sought sample of rocks and dust.

The plan went flawlessly, and OSIRIS-REx departed Bennu in May 2021 on its 2.5-year journey back toward Earth.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have been one of the first people in the world to see the spacecraft observations of asteroid Bennu and then one of the first to see and work with the sample,â€� Hanna says. “Studies of this sample will tell us about how asteroid Bennu formed from its parent body and evolved into what we see today and will provide us key details on how the Earth’s atmosphere and weather alters meteorites before we collect them and study them on Earth.â€�

Fernandez says he’s excited for the return of a sample from Bennu.

“Having a sample from a primitive asteroid, and from a location we were able to study well ahead of time — so we know the geologic context of the sample — is really important for testing our ideas about solar system formation and evolution,� he says.

NASA tested a replica of the sample capsule landing in August. When the actual capsule is released from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, it will enter Earth’s atmosphere at more than 27,000 mph before deploying parachutes to slow its descent.

That sample recovery will be the culmination of OSIRIS-REx’s seven-year mission — and the beginning of a new one. OSIRIS-REx will be redirected to the asteroid Apophis with a new mission name: OSIRIS-APEX. It’s expected to reach Apophis in 2029.

The Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, set to launch in March 2024, has been undergoing final preparations and testing with Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado, for it to be shipped to Florida to be integrated into SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Once orbiting the moon, Lunar Trailblazer will use multiple instruments to create high-resolution maps of water ice deposits on the moon. Ice will be a critical resource for lunar and space exploration and may be used to provide hydration for astronauts and fuel for spacecraft.

Donaldson Hanna’s research group will be using observations from the spacecraft’s Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), an imaging radiometer onboard Lunar Trailblazer, to map areas on the lunar surface that are cold enough to retain water ice, and to better understand how the crust of the moon originally formed and evolved over time — including how lunar volcanism works and has changed over time.

“Both instruments on Lunar Trailblazer, LTM and the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3), have better spatial and spectral resolution than has flown before, so we will get unprecedented spectral maps of the lunar surface allowing us to answer key questions about the moon and perhaps even identify new puzzles to be solved with future surface missions,� Donaldson Hanna says. “And we will also be using Lunar Trailblazer observations to better characterize the Gruithuisen domes in preparation for our Lunar-VISE mission in early 2027.�

Collective Endeavor

Caltech planetary sciences Professor Bethany Ehlmann is the principal investigator of the mission while the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in California will manage the flight mission for NASA. Lockheed Martin is providing the spacecraft. JPL is providing the HVM3, a visible-shortwave infrared imaging spectrometer, and the University of Oxford is providing the Lunar Thermal Mapper, a thermal infrared imaging radiometer.

Lunar Trailblazer had final assembly and testing at Lockheed Martin, including thermal vacuum chamber testing. Now that all instruments have been installed, the spacecraft is undergoing final system-level testing.

“It is fulfilling to see all of the hard work pay off in getting the instruments built and delivered to Lockheed Martin,� Donaldson Hanna says.

Researcher Credentials

Donaldson Hanna has a bachelor’s degree in space sciences from the Florida Institute of Technology, and a ³¾²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s degree and doctorate in geological sciences from Brown University. Donaldson Hanna also conducted research within the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics sub-department at the University of Oxford before receiving a UK Space Agency Aurora Research Fellowship to continue her research at Oxford. While at Oxford, she held a junior research fellowship at Christ Church College and was awarded the early career Winton Capital Geophysics Award from the Royal Astronomical Society. Donaldson Hanna joined Â鶹ԭ´´ in March 2019 where she is an associate faculty.

It’s taken the nation 50 years to get ready to step on the moon again. NASA’s Artemis program expects to land the first woman and person of color on the moon by 2025. Next week’s Artemis I mission will test Orion for the next step in making that deadline. But that’s just the beginning.

“At Â鶹ԭ´´, we are involved in several lunar missions — missions currently in orbit [around] the moon (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), missions that will launch and begin orbiting the moon in 2023 (Lunar Trailblazer), and missions that will land on the moon and conduct science from its surface (L-CIRiS and Lunar-VISE),â€� says Kerri Donaldson Hanna, an assistant professor of physics and planetary science, who is involved in several of NASA’s moon-related missions.

While launching Orion is an exciting moment, Â鶹ԭ´´ is working on missions that will a make a sustainable presence on the moon possible. Lunar Trailblazer will make high spatial and spectral resolution maps of key regions on the lunar surface, including those thought to have water and those that are geologically interesting.

“Using these new high spatial resolution maps, we will be able to identify exciting locations for human and robotic exploration,� Donaldson Hanna says. “Missions like L-CIRiS and Lunar-VISE will teach us how to best explore the lunar surface using astronauts and their hand-held tools and rovers. And all of these will feed into our understanding of the moon and how to sustain human and robotic activity on its surface into the future.�

Here’s just a sampling of how Â鶹ԭ´´ is making an impact on human’s return to the moon and beyond.

Launch Operations

There are more than 30 Â鶹ԭ´´ alums connected to Kennedy Space Center who are involved with the Artemis 1 mission. From managing the countdown to safety and wellness operations, these Knights play a crucial role in ensuring a successful and safe launch.

“As the Medical and Environmental Services Division chief, I lead an amazing team of medical and environmental professionals ensuring the protection and wellness of our KSC workforce, workplace, and environment, which are essential to the Artemis (1 and future) missions,â€� says Tiffaney Miller Alexander ’99 ’05MS ’16PhD, who earned her bachelor’s in electrical engineering and a ³¾²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’sÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýdoctorate in industrial engineering from Â鶹ԭ´´. “It is an honor to be a part of the Artemis [program] and play a role in space exploration to the moon, developing a sustainable presence there and then going to Mars.â€�

NASA Test Director for Exploration Ground Systems Dan Florez ’06, who earned his bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from Â鶹ԭ´´, credits the university’s dynamic aerospace program, his involvement with a student rocketry club and industry connections he made here for setting him up for success at Kennedy Space Center. He is part of a team responsible for planning, executing and managing the integrated test. His team also oversees the launch countdown process on behalf of the launch director, which includes writing the procedures, developing the schedules and managing operations in the control room.

“We’re launching the most powerful rocket ever launched, one of the tallest launch vehicles ever,â€� Florez says. “There are a lot of challenges associated with this, including — like the rest of the world — working through a pandemic with people remote and on-site, that we’ve been able to overcome. It’s unbelievable what this team has been able to do in the past few years to get this rocket ready for launch.â€�

Getting to the Moon

Getting into space and staying safe while doing it is a huge order. While Space X launches have become almost routine on the Space Coast, it’s dangerous work. Perla Latorre-Suarez ’21, who is pursuing a ³¾²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s degree in aerospace engineering, and her mentor Professor Seetha Raghavan are working on several techniques to keep spacecraft safe while traveling in space. Latorre-Suarez is researching the use of 3D printed sensors that could be made in space and that would monitor the structural integrity of the components and vehicles used by explorers on other planets.

Latorre-Suarez was recently named an Aviation Week Network 20 Twenties Award Class of 2022 member — an honor that places her among the best aerospace graduate students in the world. In 2021, she was named an X-Force Fellow by the National Security Innovation Network and the U.S. Department of Defense and a NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium Fellow.

Latorre-Suarez recently returned from a summer internship at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia where she worked with NASA scientists to help design ceramic coatings that can protect lunar vehicles from the moon’s dust.

Raghavan’s lab has been producing outstanding space engineers for years through excellence in the classroom, exemplary mentoring, and unique hands-on experiences. That’s why the national group — Women in Aerospace — named her its 2019 Educator of the Year.

Mechanical and Aerospace Associate Professor Kareem Ahmed and his research team in the Â鶹ԭ´´ Propulsion and Energy Research Lab are working on turbulent mixing, which refers to the right recipe that converts a flame into a self-sustaining explosion that uses all of the ingested fuel and air to release a massive amount of energy. The hypersonic work is progressing and may lead to engines and aircraft that would allow people to travel from one coast to another in less than 30 minutes — and potentially reduce space travel times.

Meanwhile, assistant professors of mechanical and aerospace engineering Kawai Kwok and Tarek Elgohary are working on two other projects that aim to keep astronauts and their vehicles moving and safe. Kwok is developing new materials that are thinner than a sewing needle and lighter than a feather, but can roll out into massive tools such as solar sails. The material is strong but flexible enough to snap into whatever shape is needed for a space mission. His goal is to give NASA something that is light enough and easy enough to pack on long space missions, making them economical.

Elgohary, who runs the Astrodynamics, Space and Robotics Laboratory, is using machine learning and computational models to help predict space junk movements and ways to avoid it.

The researchers are also studying optimal space-based space surveillance networks that would provide real-time surveillance and tracking information in cislunar space, which can be considered a new highway camera system for the upcoming launch of Gateway — a small, human-tended space station orbiting the moon that part of the Artemis program and will support sustained deep space exploration and research.

Elgohary’s former mechanical engineering student Ryan Ketzner ’22 has won the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) to study the optimization of space-based space surveillance networks for those applications.

Keeping Space Explorers Healthy

While some faculty and students work on the hardware needed to get us to the moon, others are focused on keeping our space explorers safe.

A team of students advised by Â鶹ԭ´´ NanoScience Technology Center Director and Chemistry Professor Lei Zhai was recognized for an innovative approach to keeping astronauts safe from harmful lunar dust.

The group is focused on a new type of material that could be used to cover the exterior of spacesuits. The material’s nanostructure design is based on how honeybees and other pollinators can manipulate tiny pollen using both microstructures and electric fields. The researchers are also incorporating techniques from the Japanese art of paper-folding, origami, to increase the material’s range of motion and longevity by reducing the stress the material would face through repetitive movements.

At ±«°ä¹ó’s Florida Space Institute, Esther Beltran is collaborating with NASA-SSERVI on a program that aims to develop novel composites so they can be integrated into effective radiation shielding to minimize the effects on astronauts. Beltran is an expert on humans living and working in extreme environments and is passionate about exploring the solar system.

But shielding astronauts isn’t enough. At the College of Medicine, doctors are working with commercial space companies to study the impacts of space on the human body. Â鶹ԭ´´ Health ophthalmologist Mehul Patel and doctors Joyce Paulson and Ali Rizvi are working with medical groups in Israel to study the impact of space travel on the eyes, brain, and blood.

Once We Get There

While some professors and students work on getting us to the moon and beyond, others are working on the problems we’ll face once we get there.

Â鶹ԭ´´ planetary scientists Donaldson Hanna ²¹²Ô»åÌýAdrienne Dove are leading a $35 million science mission (Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer also known as Lunar-VISE) that will land a spacecraft on a part of the moon never visited before — the Gruithuisen Domes. The domes are composed of rocks similar to those found making up Earth’s volcanoes, but on Earth these types of volcanoes need plate tectonics and water to form (two things that don’t exist on the Moon). The duo plan to collect data that will help solve the mystery on how the volcanic domes formed and why.

Dove, who is an expert in dust and its behavior in space, will also be conducting additional research to see how it behaves on this part of the moon, which appears to have a different consistency than the part of the moon visited by the Apollo astronauts.

Landing Safely­

Getting to the moon requires engaging our years of space flight engineering experience but making sure we take off and land safely from there will take new techniques still being developed.

To do this, we’ll need to build safe and cost-effective lunar landing pads for spacecraft. These will be critical as these pads will have to stop lunar dust and particles from sandblasting everything around them at more than 10,000 miles per hour as a rocket takes off or lands.

That’s why Â鶹ԭ´´ planetary scientists Phil Metzger ’00MS ’05PhD and Dhaka Sapkota are hard at work developing methods for landing pads that are safe and cost-effective to build in space, since carrying heavy building materials and equipment to the moon quickly becomes cost prohibitive.

They’ve developed a magnetic sorting technology, that coupled with a method known as sintering that uses microwaves to melt lunar soil, is economical and could one day be used on the moon.

Workforce of Tomorrow

All the research and technology we develop will mean nothing if the workforce to continue and advance it isn’t ready. Even in this area, Â鶹ԭ´´ is stepping up and leading the way.

One way the university is doing this is through NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project Space Technology Artemis Research, or M-STAR, program. The initiative will prepare students to be the workforce of tomorrow and develop the technology needed to return to the moon.

Faculty who are experts in engineering,Ìýphysics ²¹²Ô»åÌýmedicine will work together to create a suite of scientific and educational efforts to support the technology capabilities in the areas of robotics, materials for extreme environments, and entry, descent, and landing technologies.

Â鶹ԭ´´ is one of seven universities selected for the prestigious award.

The Future

As America’s Space University, there are many more projects at Â鶹ԭ´´ supporting the U.S. space program, return to the moon, and interplanetary exploration, in addition to the ones mentioned here.

These stories of innovative people and projects will continue to be told, and the research and academics behind them will offer new ways for students and the community to become involved in appreciating space and supporting this new chapter in the nation’s space history.

“Â鶹ԭ´´ was founded as the university for the Space Coast, … Artemis is just the next step on that adventure,â€� says Associate Professor of History Amy Foster.

This brings the total number of current Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers whose names are attached to asteroids to 17, along with another 13 former researchers.

The honor comes just in time for today’s International Asteroid Day, which was started in 2015 to raise awareness about asteroids. The small planetary bodies could offer untold riches in rare and precious metals if mined, but they could also be catastrophic if a large one was to hit Earth.

The announcement of the new names was made recently by the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature. The names are in recognition of the researchers’ impact on space science and are a distinction for Â鶹ԭ´´ space research.

“There were more than one hundred asteroids named by the IAU working group this month, and researchers associated with Â鶹ԭ´´ and Arecibo received nearly a tenth of them,â€� says Noemí Pinilla-Alonso, an associate scientist at ±«°ä¹ó’s and an expert astronomer who had an asteroid named for her in 2017. “These awards are to individuals based on research excellence. It’s clear that the planetary group at Â鶹ԭ´´ is getting stronger and that the quality of these researchers at Â鶹ԭ´´ is being noticed by our colleagues at other institutions.â€�

Two of the new recipients — Estela Fernández-Valenzuela and Mário De Prá — are preeminent postdoctoral scholars at the institute.

Fernández-Valenzuela received the honor for her work on the study of trojan asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects by means of performing photometric and stellar occultations techniques. This type of research can lead to clues to understanding how the solar system was formed, Fernández-Valenzuela says.

The asteroid named in her honor is known as 35646 Estela = 1998 KO66 and is in the asteroid belt orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter.

“I feel very grateful that my work is recognized by other scientists in my field,� Fernández-Valenzuela says. “It makes me proud of what I do and motivates me to move forward.�

The astronomer says now that the asteroid shares her name, she may turn her sights to it.

“There is not much information about it, so that is nice,� Fernández-Valenzuela says. “Now I can be the first to study some of its properties.�

Fellow preeminent postdoctoral scholar De Prá received the honor for his work using photometry and spectroscopy to study primitive asteroids to infer their composition, and in particular, asteroids beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Primitive asteroids are dark asteroids with low reflectivity that are thought to contain primitive material relatively unchanged since the formation of the solar system.

“I feel very honored of having such recognition,� De Prá says. “It is something that I would never dream of in the past.�

De Prá says it was great to learn that the asteroid named after him, 30088 Deprá = 2000 EK128, has features similar to the primitive asteroids he studies.

“I was very happy to find out that the object is located in the inner asteroid belt and has a low albedo, which suggests a primitive nature, typical of the objects that I usually study,� De Prá says. “Also, the asteroid is a member of the Polana family, which has been deeply studied by our research group.�

The Polana family is part of the long list of more than 500 asteroids studied by the Primitive Asteroids Spectroscopic Survey (PRIMASS), led by FSI with De Prá as co-investigator.

Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers also receiving the new honor are:

• Julie Brisset, an associate scientist with FSI. Brisset’s research focuses on the behavior of dust grains in microgravity conditions with applications to the structure of small body surfaces and rings in the solar system.
• Kerri Donaldson-Hanna, an assistant professor in ±«°ä¹ó’s Department of Physics. Her research focuses on understanding the formation and evolution of airless bodies such as the Moon, Mercury, Mars’ moons and asteroids.
• Adrienne Dove, an assistant professor in ±«°ä¹ó’s Department of Physics. Her studies include the cohesive behavior of materials in microgravity, CubeSat experiments, and the electrostatic charging properties of lunar and asteroid regoliths.
• Josh Colwell, a Pegasus Professor and chair of ±«°ä¹ó’s Department of Physics. His work involves studying the structure and dynamics of Saturn’s rings, the behavior of materials in microgravity, and the electrostatic charging of lunar and asteroid regoliths.
• Phil Metzger, an associate scientist with FSI. Metzger is a leader in the study of the mechanical properties of lunar and asteroid regoliths, including how rocket exhaust interacts with regolith and requirements to protect Apollo sites from damage.
• Zoe Landsman, chief scientist of ±«°ä¹ó’s and a researcher with FSI. Landsman specializes in observations and modeling of asteroids and other airless bodies, particularly M-types and low albedo asteroid families. She also was noted as an educator who actively engages in public outreach.
• Maria Womack, a courtesy professor in ±«°ä¹ó’s Department of Physics. She has served as a professor at multiple universities and a program director for the National Science Foundation. Her research includes studies of comets and active centaurs.
• Sean Marshall, an observatory scientist at Arecibo Observatory, which Â鶹ԭ´´ manages in Puerto Rico for the National Science Foundation under a cooperative agreement. Marshall studies near-Earth asteroids using radar and light curve observations to find their sizes, shapes and rotation states, adding infrared observations to find their thermal properties.
• Maxime Devogele, an observatory scientist at the Arecibo Observatory. His work includes measuring the polarimetric properties of near-Earth and Main Belt asteroids.
• Flaviane Venditti, an observatory scientist at the Arecibo Observatory. Venditti specializes in radar observations of near-Earth asteroids, impact mitigation techniques, and spacecraft dynamics.

Researchers formerly affiliated with Â鶹ԭ´´ who were recently honored were:

• Dylan Hickson was a preeminent postdoctoral scholar at the Arecibo Observatory. Hickson specializes in radar observations of near-Earth asteroids and understanding the properties of planetary surfaces and regolith using radar scattering measurements.
• Gal Sarid was an associate scientist with FSI. Sarid studies the thermal evolution of comets and asteroids, and the early compositional evolution of the solar system.

“It’s a great honor to the scientists here at Â鶹ԭ´´,â€� says Ray Lugo, director of FSI. “Now, we need to lead a mission to explore those small bodies, and maybe one named after a member of our staff.â€�

Â鶹ԭ´´ researchers have made significant impacts in the field of asteroid research both in space and on the ground.

For example, Pegasus Professor of physics Humberto Campins, as well Donaldson-Hanna, are part of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to sample asteroid Bennu, which is more than 200 million miles from Earth. Campins also has an asteroid named after him.

To help better prepare for these missions, Pegasus Professor of physics Dan Britt, founded the Exolith Lab, which makes high-fidelity regolith simulants that researchers can use to test building and landing on surfaces like the Moon, Mars and asteroids. Britt is also a current Â鶹ԭ´´ researcher with an asteroid named after him.

Brisset is conducting a series of experiments aimed at estimating the possibility of surface regolith structural failure being at the origin of activity on asteroids. The research will help scientists better understand why some asteroids are active or ejecting dust that produces a tail almost like a comet.

Metzger’s research includes finding the best ways to one day mine asteroids and other off-world surfaces. He also notes the importance of asteroids in understanding the origin of our solar system.

“Asteroids are the leftover building material of planets,� Metzger says. “So they give deep insight to the origins and evolution of the solar system.�

There are currently 22,505 named asteroids.

The IAU working group that selects the names chooses them based on the proposals they receive. Names range from astronomers and scientists to famous historical and social figures such as Harriet Tubman. The group discourages proposing names of pets and does not allow offensive names and those that are purely commercial in nature.