鲍颁贵鈥檚 expertise will help drive the success of DUSTER, a payload designed specifically to capture and measure dust behavior during spacecraft and human operations on the moon. Lunar Outpost鈥檚 Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover will support NASA鈥檚 DUSTER (Dust and plaSma environmenT survEyoR) investigation, selected for development through the Artemis IV Deployed Instruments program. The instruments will be built at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder.

DUSTER represents the best opportunity to date to evaluate the theory on the physics of dust erosion, with implications for the activities being planned on the moon鈥檚 surface. The Artemis IV mission is due to launch in 2028.

Testing Rocket Exhaust and Dust Erosion

This theory introduces a fundamentally new understanding of the behavior of gas in the boundary layer, the thin region where rocket exhaust meets the moon鈥檚 surface. This new physics shows how the gas flow in that layer lifts dust grains 鈥攕omething no previous model could adequately explain. Before this breakthrough, NASA lacked a method to reliably predict how much lunar dust erosion a landing or departing spacecraft would generate, and therefore could not fully estimate how much sandblasting damage would occur to hardware on the moon.

However, several key parameters in this new model cannot be measured accurately using existing lunar data or Earth-based experiments. On Earth, large-scale testing is limited: rocket exhaust cannot be blasted into a vacuum chamber without destroying the vacuum, and gravity cannot be reduced to lunar levels for the necessary full-scale trials.

DUSTER will change that. By collecting data during actual Starship Human Landing System operations on the moon, DUSTER will allow scientists to measure these long-elusive parameters directly in the lunar environment 鈥� providing the highest-fidelity test yet of Metzger鈥檚 theory.

鈥淥ne of DUSTER鈥檚 capabilities is measuring the dust blown by rocket exhaust as the Starship Human Landing System lifts off and departs from the moon,鈥� Metzger says.

In this project, University of Colorado Boulder Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics senior researcher Xu Wang, who serves as principal investigator, will analyze upstream plasma conditions. 麻豆原创 will interpret measurements of dust ejected during the Human Landing System liftoff.

鈥溌槎乖� brings to this project its expertise in the science of how rocket exhaust blows soil and dust.鈥� 鈥� Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS 鈥�05PhD, 麻豆原创 planetary scientist

鈥溌槎乖� brings to this project its expertise in the science of how rocket exhaust blows soil and dust,鈥� says Metzger.

The findings generated by DUSTER will directly inform NASA鈥檚 long-term plans for sustained lunar operations, providing critical insights to protect habitats, instruments, and other assets as human presence on the moon grows. As NASA plans to deliver major infrastructure to the lunar surface, Artemis IV presents a new opportunity to address this outstanding engineering challenge of lunar exploration.

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

As Florida鈥檚 Premier University for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, 麻豆原创 continues to lead the way in preparing students for the industries of tomorrow 鈥� including those that reach beyond Earth.

麻豆原创 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 鲍颁贵鈥檚 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 麻豆原创 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 鲍颁贵鈥檚 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.

Founded in 1963 with the mission to provide talent for Central Florida and the growing U.S. space program, the university鈥檚 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, 麻豆原创 continues to push the frontiers of space research, and its contributions promise to help shape the future of humanity’s presence in the cosmos.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 cutting-edge areas of space expertise include:

Space Medicine

鲍颁贵鈥檚 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, 麻豆原创 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 鲍颁贵鈥檚 commitment to advancing astronaut health and shaping the future of space medicine.

Space Propulsion and Power

麻豆原创 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 鈥� an advancement that could significantly lower costs and emissions associated with space travel, creating new commercial opportunities in the industry. 麻豆原创 is taking its hypersonics research even further with its recently launched Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion 鈥� the HyperSpace Center.

Additionally, 麻豆原创 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

麻豆原创 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, 麻豆原创 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.

麻豆原创 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鈥檚 surface.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 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

麻豆原创’s new space commercialization program 鈥� led by , College of Business professor of practice and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy 鈥� positions the university as a leader in space-related business education.

Autry will guide the college鈥檚 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聽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鈥檚 leadership in space exploration and commercialization.

Autry will also be leading 鲍颁贵鈥檚 effort to develop and execute a roadmap for the university鈥檚 SpaceU brand through targeted investments in talent and facilities.

Space Domain Awareness

麻豆原创 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鈥檛 collide with spacecraft. Under the guidance of aerospace engineering expert Tarek Elgohary, 麻豆原创 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.

麻豆原创 is also addressing the growing issue of orbital debris through a NASA-funded study that includes researchers from 鲍颁贵鈥檚 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

麻豆原创 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 鈥� a key advantage for aspiring space professionals.

Additionally, 麻豆原创 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 鲍颁贵鈥檚 commitment to democratizing space access, offering pathways for students from all backgrounds to participate in and contribute to the growing space industry.

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

Planetary Science

麻豆原创’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 麻豆原创, 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, 麻豆原创 researchers are contributing to NASA鈥檚 Lunar Trailblazer mission, which will map water ice deposits on the moon 鈥� an essential resource for sustained stays in space. On another front, 麻豆原创 scientists are studying dust behavior in microgravity through experiments that flew on Blue Origin鈥檚 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, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 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. 麻豆原创 is also home to the , a node of NASA鈥檚 Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, which facilitates NASA鈥檚 exploration of deep space by focusing its goals at the intersection of surface science and surface exploration of rocky, atmosphereless bodies.

Additionally, 麻豆原创 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, 麻豆原创 researchers are also advancing bold ideas for terraforming Mars through nanoparticle dispersion to create warming effect, making the Red Planet potentially more habitable.

麻豆原创 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

鲍颁贵鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 Space Exploration

麻豆原创 is pushing the frontiers of space research and education, tackling today鈥檚 challenges while preparing for the demands of future space missions. As the new space race continues, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 forward-thinking approach will continue to drive progress, inspire new possibilities and expand humanity鈥檚 reach into the universe.

麻豆原创 physics doctoral candidate Brandon Dotson and planetary scientist Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS 鈥�05PhD analyzed rock samples from the first SpaceX Starship rocket launch in April 2023 that triggered a unique reaction causing the concrete launchpad to explode and eject material up to six miles away. The blast left a crater where the rocket had been because there was no water suppression or cooling method for the launchpad.

In a paper presented in April at the 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers Earth and Space Conference, Dotson and Metzger explained that the large rocket鈥檚 exhaust superheated the sand underneath the launchpad causing a reaction similar to a volcanic eruption. Sand particles were lofted and accelerated by vaporization of groundwater from the rocket exhaust and were carried away to the nearby town of Port Isabel, Texas.

Their unique findings may offer context for not just further Earth-based rocket launches, but also lunar-based launches, Dotson says. The knowledge gained from the launchpad鈥檚 destruction can provide information about variables related to reducing ejected material on the moon, such as vehicle size, launchpad material and cooling methods, he says.

鈥淎 lot of folks around the country are studying this problem of how you land and launch a rocket from a dusty, low gravity vacuum environment of the moon,鈥� Dotson says. 鈥淚 think this research gives us some insights into those models of what we can expect for spacecraft of this size. It helps inform the designs that we’re going to use eventually on the moon once we start to build those more permanent lunar infrastructure pieces. I think as we look at building landing or launchpads on the moon, if we start to build a base, this launch kind of shows us the importance of having maybe breathable launch pads to avoid that huge pressure build up underneath a launchpad.鈥�

According to SpaceX, its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket 鈥� collectively referred to as Starship 鈥� is a 400-foot tall two-stage reusable rocket system designed to carry cargo and up to 100 people into space. Starship is scheduled for use in NASA鈥檚 Artemis III and IV missions.

SpaceX has performed three more Starship test launches since the initial test last April, and SpaceX is anticipating a fifth launch later this year, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The Earth-based launches are useful for determining the capabilities of Starship as it prepares for future missions and to better understand more complicated launch scenarios, Dotson says.

鈥淭hat launch tells us a lot about launching a large vehicle of that class on Earth,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ventually, we鈥檙e hoping to get to the point where we鈥檙e launching those super heavy class rockets all the time, and eventually on more complicated planetary surfaces like the moon. Not having an atmosphere on the moon is a big deal. When you kick up dust, there鈥檚 no atmosphere to slow that dust down. You also can鈥檛 rely on the atmosphere to help slow you down like you could on Earth with a parachute. And you also have much less gravity, so you don鈥檛 have gravity pulling dust back down to the surface either.鈥�

The Starship launch provided scientists a rare opportunity to study the failure mechanism, Dotson says

鈥淚t鈥檚 not like that happens every day,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o, we try to learn as much as we can from those instances and see what the data tell us.鈥�

How the Study was Performed

Metzger, Dotson and collaborators from Rice University collected samples from private citizens in Port Isabel who experienced some of the peculiar sand 鈥渞aining鈥� down on them.

They were particularly concerned that they materials may be toxic, says Metzger, who coordinated sample collection through the social platform X.

鈥淭here was a lot of interest in the news on if it was hazardous,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e put a call out on [X, formerly known as Twitter] and people over there sent us samples. Brandon took the lead on the study from there.鈥�

Dotson and Metzger determined the materials were nontoxic and were not sizable enough to be considered a respiration hazard.

After careful study, the reaction that caused the launchpad explosion is like a volcanic cap rock explosion and resulted in a unique mixture of groundwater, exhaust and sand, Metzger says.

鈥淚t looked like raindrops on the windshield,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e realized this dust and the sand must be mixed in rain. Rocket exhaust is mostly water and carbon dioxide from the Starship, and so it was literally a cloud of water droplets made by the rocket and so the sand that was under the launchpad was shot up into the cloud. Because it was a hot cloud, it had circulation in it, and it was the circulation that kept the sand from falling out.鈥�

The raindrops were big enough that they fell out of the cloud and then dropped the sand far away, Metzger says. The people reported it felt like rain but was completely dry because it was so hot the rain was mostly vaporizing faster than it was hitting the ground, he says.

The next step is to figure out how to eliminate or significantly reduce the chance of failure so that rockets won鈥檛 damage surrounding infrastructure on Earth or the lunar surface, Metzger says.

鈥淚f you get cracks in the lunar launcher landing pad then the rocket exhaust will drive high pressure gas under the pad,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n the polar regions of the moon, there鈥檚 ice in the soil and that amount of ice that would be turning into vapor is comparable to the amount of groundwater that was involved with Starship鈥檚 launchpad. You could have a similar event occurring on the moon where you explode the launchpad and blow particulate matter to surrounding hardware, damaging the habitat, communication or power systems at an outpost.鈥�

Metzger says he and other scientists are investigating how to vent 鈥� or otherwise mitigate 鈥� accumulated gas under a launchpad so that future missions are successful.

Researchers鈥� Credentials

With almost 30 years of experience at NASA, Metzger has been helping to make the dream of space travel a reality. The planetary scientist started as part of the Space Shuttle team after college. Metzger joined 鲍颁贵鈥檚聽聽in 2014 as a research professor in planetary science and space technology, and in 2023 became director of . He researches asteroid, lunar and Martian regolith and exploration technology. He has also developed small spacecraft technology to mine and use water for steam propulsion. A 麻豆原创 Knight through and through, Metzger holds a聽doctorate听补苍诲听尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degree in physics聽from 麻豆原创.

Dotson is a 麻豆原创 doctoral candidate pursuing a degree in physics with a planetary science track. His research focuses on plume surface interaction and how rocket exhausts interact with planetary surfaces. Dotson also holds a 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degree in physics from the California Institute of Technology and a 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

鈥淲ithin a few decades, that鈥檒l be a real thing when you look at the trajectory of the space industry and how access to space is becoming less costly,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淓ven transportation to the moon is about to be revolutionized.鈥�

Metzger, who directs聽 鈥� a joint venture of 麻豆原创 and Space Florida that conducts and facilitates research in microgravity sciences 鈥� has developed inventions to meet those predictions while also relieving the Earth of many environmental burdens.

Here are some of Metzger鈥檚 latest inventions designed to help cost-effectively gather, use and manage resources, such as ice for water and fuel and lunar soil for building materials.

Extracting Lunar Ice for Water and Fuel

Does 鈥�Aqua Factorem!鈥� sound familiar to you Harry Potter fans? That鈥檚 the name that Metzger and his team gave to their device that鈥檚 a patented, low-cost system for extracting water from the moon. In the realm of Harry Potter, Aqua Factorem could translate to 鈥淲ater Maker,鈥� and the innovation paves the way for companies to operate facilities in space by harvesting and using the moon鈥檚 resources.

More than a decade ago, NASA discovered that the shadowy craters of the moon contained ice, metals and other valuable materials to support further space exploration. At that time, Metzger and other researchers started studying ice on the moon.

鈥淎 lot of different people were proposing ways to get the ice out of the soil to make rocket fuel,鈥� he says.

Through the years, Metzger says that a key obstacle has always been the amount of power needed to harvest and convert those resources into water, fuel and even air.

鈥淚t takes huge amounts of power to go down into these craters,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淎nd how do you get the power down into these dark craters on the moon? We were looking at things like beaming energy with lasers or gigantic mirrors to reflect the sunlight.鈥�

鈥淥ne day, I was thinking about the physical state of the ice in the lunar soil and realized that it鈥檚 granular, you know, grains of ice mixed in the soil rather than ice coating the grains of soil,鈥� he says.

Based on that geological insight, Metzger developed and led a NASA-funded study on methods for getting the ice out of the soil much less expensively.

鈥淩ather than heating it until it vaporizes in a lunar vacuum, catching the vapor and then refreezing it, we could simply sort the grains using several processes,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 proposed that we could reduce the energy by about 99%, and our study showed that we can reduce the power by 98.3%. Pretty darn good. So that means you don鈥檛 need these expensive types of energy systems. Instead, you can simply use fuel cells and just drive the fuel cells in and out of the craters.鈥�

The fuel cells would be regenerable, he says.

鈥淯sing sunlight, you split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and then you get the energy back by letting the hydrogen and oxygen recombine across a membrane,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淭hat fuel cell then drives the equipment in the crater from which you鈥檙e getting more water and bringing it back out again. The water also becomes your medium for transporting the energy to run the whole operation.鈥�

Metzger says using the moon鈥檚 resources for rocket fuel could help reduce the number of Earth鈥檚 rocket launches and in turn, help to protect its atmosphere.

With Aqua Factorem, Metzger says that a lunar rover could carry the device into one of the dark craters and set it on the聽ground. The rover would dig up soil that contains ice (frozen water that鈥檚 essentially asteroid and comet residue) and place it into the device, which would then separate the ice from the soil, making frozen water available, hence its name.

Later, another rover would take the ice and drive it outside the dark crater to a processing station in the sunlight.

鈥淵ou would clean up the ice, electrolyze it, and then chill that down to liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for rocket fuel,鈥� Metzger says.

In that scenario, he says a lander would transport the rocket fuel off the moon to a spacecraft to provide a boost service and then fly back and land on the moon on one tank of gas.

鈥淲e proved it can do that and then refuel and do it again,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e providing a method to boost spacecraft from the moon instead of launching rocket fuel from the Earth.鈥�

Metzger says that the operation reduces the energy required to harvest ice on the moon and would be profitable. It would also benefit the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere and environment by reducing the number of launches, he says.

鈥淲e quantified how much energy the whole thing would require and how big the solar cells would have to be,鈥� he says.

The team鈥檚 analysis of all the different system components, their power, mass and cost of making everything showed a viable architecture, relying only on the moon鈥檚 resources.

With that, Metzger says the technology has drawn the interest of at least 100 companies, many looking to mine the moon and asteroids.

As for the invention鈥檚 name, Metzger asked colleagues at the Florida Space Institute for ideas. 鈥淪omebody said, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you name it like in Harry Potter, one of those spells? Like Wingardium Leviosa?鈥欌�� So, the team looked up Latin words for 鈥渨ater makers鈥� and named the invention Aqua Factorem,鈥� he says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like magic because you pour in the soil, and the system magically separates the ice grains from the soil grains,鈥� he says.

For more information about the invention, see the聽聽and the聽.

Sintering Lunar Soil for Building Projects on the Moon

Metzger鈥檚 work on the ice extraction problem led to the next invention, a method for sintering lunar soil for construction materials. During the Aqua Factorem research, Metzger and his team ran experiments to magnetically separate the moon鈥檚 soil and ice.

鈥淭o sort the lunar sand grains from the ice grains, we use a combination of magnetic and electric vibration or electrostatics,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e showed that it鈥檚 very efficient. You can get a high rate of flow of the soil through the magnetic field and get good separation.鈥�

At that time, he recalled a study he had done at NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) years earlier.

鈥淚n that study, one of the tasks that the team wanted me to do was figure out the best way to build a landing pad on the moon,鈥� he says.

In the JPL study, Metzger found several ways to build landing pads.

鈥淪intering, spraying polymer on the soil to stick the soil together, baking the soil in an oven to make pavers,鈥� he says.

He even considered using microwaves, but that required too much energy. The JPL team eventually found that the cost of the power and equipment on the moon was not competitive.

鈥淎nd so again, it came down to finding a way to do it with less energy,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat was when I realized if we magnetically sort the sand, the magnetic soil can absorb microwaves better than the nonmagnetic soil.

鈥淚t seemed highly likely that the more magnetic soil would absorb the microwaves better, so that was my hypothesis,鈥� Metzger says.

Based on that, he and the 麻豆原创 team sought and obtained funding, performed experiments, and proved that the new process could reduce the power by 70%.

He also analyzed actual lunar soil, studying the microwave susceptibility and the magnetic susceptibility of all the different minerals and glass in the soil.

鈥淚 created a model that predicts that if you used real lunar soil, you would indeed reduce the energy by 70%,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he model nearly matched the experimental results. After that came an economic analysis. It showed that the cost of building a landing pad on the moon could be reduced by several hundred million dollars by using this process.鈥�

Metzger describes the process for making a viable, affordable landing pad using the moon鈥檚 resources.

鈥淵ou scoop up the soil and run it through a magnetic field to separate the nonmagnetic soil from the magnetic soil,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou lay down the nonmagnetic soil first, then the magnetic soil on top of that, and then apply microwaves to it. The better absorption in the top layer causes the soil to melt into lava. The process results in the lava solidifying into rock, a solid pad like concrete.鈥�

As a bonus, Metzger pointed out that the cost-saving landing pads could help toward cooperation among nations.

鈥淲e can build landing pads all around the moon and make them international so that any country is allowed to use them,鈥� he says.

For more information about the invention, see the聽.

Ongoing and Related Work

As for the future, Metzger plans to build the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education into something worthy of both the late theoretical physicist and cosmologist, and 麻豆原创.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a vital need for academia to extend into space,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e moving economic activity beyond Earth, so that鈥檚 going to be very good for the planet. It will give us new abilities to reduce our environmental footprint, to understand our environmental impact on the Earth and how to manage it. It鈥檚 also going to create a more vibrant civilization.鈥�

鈥溌槎乖� is going to play a leading role in advancing academia beyond planet Earth over the coming decades, and I鈥檓 excited to be at the university for that reason,鈥� Metzger adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 positioned to truly be the space university, playing an important role as we go into this new world, starting with the moon and asteroids, and then Mars and beyond.鈥�

When asked what he thinks industry in space will look like, Metzger has an unexpected answer.

鈥淪ome people think you can move most of industry into space and then bring manufactured goods back down from space. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 a very viable idea. I could be wrong,鈥� he says. 鈥淚nstead, it would be better to put computing and power generation into space. You can beam clean energy down from space, and you can beam data down from space.鈥�

He explains computer growth on Earth will prove to be an energy hog.

鈥淐omputing is growing exponentially, especially with artificial intelligence,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ithin a few decades, more energy will be spent computing than everything else combined. So, by moving computing off the Earth into space, we can reduce our environmental burden on the planet.鈥�

鈥淲e also want to reduce the number of rocket launches because rocket launches harm the atmosphere,鈥� Metzger says.

He thinks that 10-20 years from now, we could be launching 12 giant rockets a day.

鈥淭hat will be above the limit 鈥� where it is harming the atmosphere,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淲e can reduce that by about a factor of 10 if we start using resources on the moon and asteroids and launching rockets from those locations. We can protect Earth鈥檚 atmosphere by using resources in space.鈥�

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials

With almost 30 years of experience at NASA, Metzger has been helping to make the dream of space travel a reality. The planetary scientist started as part of the Space Shuttle team right out of college. After retiring early, he joined the 麻豆原创聽聽in 2014 and became The Hawking Center director in late 2023. His research includes studies of extraterrestrial soil mechanics, characterizing lunar and Martian soil simulants, and modeling the migration of space equipment in the airless and microgravity environment.

When Metzger joined 麻豆原创 in 2014, he started as a research professor in planetary science and space technology at the Florida Space Institute. He researches asteroid, lunar and Martian regolith and exploration technology. He has also developed small spacecraft technology to mine and use water for steam propulsion. A 麻豆原创 Knight through and through, Metzger holds a doctorate and 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degree in physics from 麻豆原创.

Technology Available for License

To learn more about Metzger鈥檚 work and additional potential licensing or sponsored research opportunities, contact聽Raju Nagaiah聽(raju@ucf.edu) at (407) 882-0593.

The worldwide rankings, , place 麻豆原创 in a tie with Yale University (57) and ahead of U.S. institutions such as Vanderbilt (56), Princeton (44) and Florida State University (38).

The NAI rankings may be further adjusted as patent corrections are submitted by universities.

This is the 11^th year that 麻豆原创 has ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for patents.

鈥淚nnovation is at the heart of our mission at 麻豆原创, and these latest patent rankings reaffirm our commitment to pushing boundaries and making impactful advancements,” says Winston V. Schoenfeld, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 interim vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淭he range of inventions reflects the dedication and ingenuity of our researchers across the research enterprise, and their efforts continue to position 麻豆原创 as a leader in innovation, both nationally and globally.”

The patents were secured by 鲍颁贵鈥檚聽, which brings discoveries to the marketplace and connects 麻豆原创 researchers with companies and entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into successful products.

Svetlana Shtrom听鈥�08MBA, director of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 Technology Transfer Office, says university patents are a valuable asset for universities, industry and society.

鈥淧atents facilitate transfer of technology from universities and foster collaboration between academia and the private sector,鈥� Shtrom says.聽鈥淭hrough collaboration with industry, university technologies provide solutions to pressing problems and create new products and services that benefit the public.鈥�

She says the patents also reflect the commitment of the university鈥檚 researchers to innovation, and they serve as a beacon to attract more students and faculty who are interested in cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship.

Here are a few of the 麻豆原创 inventions that led to patents in 2023:

Passive Insect Surveillance Sensor Device
Lead researcher: Bradley Willenberg, assistant professor, 麻豆原创

麻豆原创 researchers have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use device for detection of mosquitos and other insects that also indicates whether an insect carries a specific infectious disease. Through simple color-based tests (colorimetric assays) and biomolecular tools for detection (DNA aptamers conjugated to nanoparticles), a user can monitor viral presence in insect saliva samples. By doing so, various mosquito-borne emerging pathogens, including Zika, Dengue, and Chikunguya, can be detected.聽 The easily deployable technology can potentially help in the global fight and prevention against these deadly diseases. The .

Antiplasmodial Compounds
Lead researcher: Debopam Chakrabarti, professor and head,

This technology is a method of treatment for malaria by administration of specific fungus-derived compounds. Annually, malaria affects more than 200 million people and kills more than 600,000. Caused by Plasmodium parasites carried in mosquitos, an effective treatment is desperately needed. 麻豆原创 researchers used a聽 library of fungi found in habitats and ecological niches across the U.S. to find potential antimalarial compounds. The unique chemicals they identified provide starting points for developing lead compounds of new drugs against malaria. The research team is .

Coating for Capturing and Killing Viruses on Surfaces
Lead researcher: Suditpa Seal, Pegasus Professor and chair,

This technology is a nano-coating designed to capture, hold and kill viruses on a surface, such as on personal protective equipment and clothing, using natural light sources to protect against infections.

The COVID-killing coating is made with a nanomaterial that activates under white light, such as sunlight or LED light. As long as the nanomaterial is exposed to a continuous light source, it can regenerate its antiviral properties, creating a self-cleaning effect.

The efficacy of the disinfectant was shown through a study that was published in聽ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces聽this past year. The study found that the coating can not only destroy the COVID-19 virus, but it can also聽combat the spread of Zika virus, SARS, parainfluenza, rhinovirus and vesicular stomatitis.

Production of Nanoporous Films
Lead researcher: Yang Yang, associate professor,

麻豆原创 researchers have created , such as for fuel cells, hydrogen production, photocatalysts, sensing and energy storage, and electrodes in supercapacitors. The method improves performance and versatility and does not require use of costly precious metals, such as gold. Instead, the 麻豆原创 technology uses low-cost, earth-abundant resources such as iron, cobalt and nickel. The nanoporous thin films are designed to help meet today鈥檚 challenges in renewable energy production and conversion applications.

Method of Forming High-Throughput 3d Printed Microelectrode Array
Lead researcher: Swaminathan Rajaraman, associate professor, NanoScience Technology Center

This invention is a . The device has small channels and chambers that guide liquids, like samples or chemicals, to a central area where there are special electrodes. These electrodes can send and record electrical signals from tiny groups of cells called spheroids. Scientists can use this to see how cells react to different conditions and substances. The innovation offers an easy way to study biological cells, tissues and electrophysiological responses. The technology can help lead to advancements in disease modeling, toxicity assessments and drug discovery.

Adaptive Visual Overlay for Anatomical Simulation
Lead researcher: Greg Welch, Pegasus Professor, AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation,

This anatomical simulation allows users to wear a head-mounted display that presents an anatomical scenario onto a patient to allow for medical training, surgical training or other instruction. Users who experience the simulation will see a real body part or other anatomical items projected through an augmented reality system. The innovative, and provides constant, dynamic feedback to medical trainees as they treat wounds. Almost like a video game in real-life, the Tactile-Visual Wound Simulation Unit portrays the look, feel, and even the smell of different types of human wounds (such as a puncture, stab, slice or tear). It also tracks and analyzes a trainee’s treatment responses and provides corrective instructions.

System for Extracting Water from Lunar Regolith and Associated Method
Lead researcher: Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS鈥�05PhD, associate scientist,

This invention is and help to establish the industry. The process consists of robot mining of the regolith (loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock), transferring the mined material to a conveyer, and passing the soil through grinding and crushing stages. Included are mechanisms to sort the material into ice, metals, and other minerals, and final transport and cleanup. This technology allows mining water on the moon, which supports NASA missions, enables further commercial operations in space, and supports Space Force activities.

Inorganic Paint Pigment with Plasmonic Aluminum Reflector Layers and Related Methods
Lead researcher: Debashis Chanda, professor, NanoScience Technology Center

This invention, a plasmonic paint, draws inspiration from butterflies to create the first environmentally friendly, large-scale and multicolor alternative to pigment-based colorants, which can contribute to energy-saving efforts and help reduce impacts on climate.

The plasmonic paint uses nanoscale structural arrangement of colorless materials 鈥� aluminum and aluminum oxide 鈥� instead of pigments to create colors.

While pigment colorants control light absorption based on the electronic property of the pigment material, hence every color needs a new molecule, structural colorants control the way light is reflected, scattered or absorbed based on the geometrical arrangement of nanostructures.

Such structural colors are environmentally friendly as they only use metals and oxides, unlike pigment-based colors that use artificially synthesized molecules.

The researchers have combined their structural color flakes with a commercial binder to form long-lasting paints of all colors. And because plasmonic paint reflects the entire infrared spectrum, less heat is absorbed by the paint, resulting in the underneath surface staying 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than it would if it were covered with standard commercial paint.

Plasmonic paint is also lightweight, a result of the paint’s large area-to-thickness ratio, with full coloration achieved at a paint thickness of only 150 nanometers, making it the lightest paint in the world.

System and Method for Radio Frequency Power Sensing and Scavenging Based on Phonon-electron Coupling in Acoustic Waveguides
Lead researcher: Hakhamanesh Mansoorzare 鈥�21, postdoctoral researcher,

To meet the growing energy needs of the internet of things (IoT) and wireless communication systems, this new technology is .

The invention harvests ambient energy, specifically radio frequency electromagnetic waves, the most abundant form of communication among IoT nodes and hubs.

The technology can reduce the electronic industry鈥檚 reliance on batteries and broaden the expansion of the IoT and its energy needs.

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 since there is no air to slow the rocket plume down.

However, how to build these landing pads is not so clear, as hauling materials and heavy equipment more than 230,000 miles into space quickly becomes cost prohibitive.

That鈥檚 why 麻豆原创 researchers are working on a NASA-funded project to find ways to build lunar landing pads that keep people and equipment safe but are also economical and easy to construct in space. The work is led by defense and space manufacturing company Cislune and includes research from Arizona State University.

The team has found that a method that uses microwaves to melt lunar soil, coupled with 麻豆原创-developed beneficiation, or sorting, technology, may be the best option.

The findings were published recently in the journal New Space and in a report submitted to NASA.

鈥淚t鈥檚 strategically important for our nation to have a presence on the moon because the economic value of the resources in space is very high,鈥� says Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS 鈥�05PhD, a co-author of the research. He is a planetary scientist at the based at 麻豆原创.

The U.S. plans to return to the moon as part of the Artemis missions, with the first crewed lunar landing expected to take place as part of Artemis III in 2025. Future missions will establish habitats, resource extraction equipment and more.

Based on an analysis of four different construction methods, including different combinations for inner and outer landing pad rings, a melting 鈥� or sintering鈥� method using microwaves was found to be the most cost effective as long as the cost of transportation to the moon remains above $100,000 per kilogram (about $45,000 a pound), according to the new study.

Sintering becomes even more economical when coupled with a new 麻豆原创-developed, beneficiation technology that uses magnetic fields to bring the most microwavable minerals to the surface. 麻豆原创 researchers designed the technology after discovering many of the most microwavable minerals are also the most magnetic. These findings were documented in the new report to NASA.

鈥淲e鈥檝e shown that we can increase microwave absorption by somewhere in the range of 70% to 80% by sorting particles based on magnetic susceptibility,鈥� Metzger says.

The construction process could be carried out by rovers that would scoop soil, sort it with magnetic fields, layer it back down to the surface, and melt it with microwaves, the researcher says.

The New Space study found that the second-most-cost-effective method when transportation costs are above $100,000 per kilogram would be paver-based landing pads.

Additionally, once transportation costs drop below $100,000 per kilogram, due to economies of scale and rocket reusability, polymer-based landing pads become a more competitive method for constructing the outer part of the landing pad than sintering and pavers.

Each of the methods have trade-offs, such as energy and construction costs, that must be considered, Metzger says.

鈥淭he numbers showed us that sintering is actually the best method because it does require some energy, but the cost of the energy is less than the cost of construction and having to bring consumables to the moon,鈥� Metzger says.

Erik Franks, founder and chief executive officer of Cislune, says surface construction on the moon and Mars are very different than construction on Earth.

鈥淐oncrete and steel are used extensively on Earth and have come about from millennia of development and scaling up of industry based upon plentiful water, coal and air,鈥� he says. 鈥淥n other planets we don鈥檛 have any fossil fuels, and air and water are more valuable than gold. Different processes will be required, and 麻豆原创 and Cislune are working together to solve these problems with innovative solutions like microwave sintering and soil beneficiation.鈥�

The researchers used high-fidelity lunar soil simulants from 鲍颁贵鈥檚 to perform the microwave and magnetic susceptibility experiments and used computer simulations to model the economic costs of different lunar landing pad construction methods.

For the lunar soil simulant experiments, basaltic glass, bronzite, and ilmenite were found to be some of the most magnetic and microwave susceptible minerals.

鈥淥ur results were excellent,鈥� Franks says. 鈥淐areful beneficiation makes microwave heating of regolith dramatically more energy efficient, so we just need to bring solar panels and can process the lunar dirt into structures like landing pads and buildings.鈥�

Metzger says the research is not only important for establishing a U.S. presence on the moon but also for maintaining diplomatic relations by not sandblasting other countries鈥� equipment and facilities.

鈥淚 think it’s really crucial for the United States and a consortium of friendly countries that share our values for democracy to lead the way in space to set up methods of sharing space and set up pockets of benefiting the whole world from space, rather than just taking the risk of letting others do it,鈥� Metzger says.

The work was funded in part by the NASA Solar System Exploration Virtual Institute, the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science, and by the NASA Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.

Next steps for the research include developing projects to create improved prototypes of the microwave heating hardware and to test the technology in moon-like conditions in a vacuum.

The co-author of New Science study was Greg Autry with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University. Dhaka Sapkota, an assistant scientist at FSI, led the magnetic beneficiation experiments and co-authored the beneficiation report.

Metzger received his bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and his 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and doctoral degree in physics from 麻豆原创. Before joining 麻豆原创 in 2014, he worked at NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center for nearly 30 years.

Study title: The Cost of Lunar Landing Pads with a Trade Study of Construction Methods

The debris orbiting the Earth consists of human-made objects that no longer serve a purpose and range from fragments of metal to nonfunctioning spacecraft and abandoned rocket stages.

This space junk can endanger spacecraft and damage satellites that are critical to everything from communication to GPS, air traffic control, surveillance and national security.

And despite space debris becoming a large and growing problem, public awareness about it has been understudied. That鈥檚 why 麻豆原创 researchers are part of a new NASA-funded project to find out what people know about the topic and discover ways to make them care.

The findings will be used to help engage the public, which can influence policymakers to address the issue, the researchers say.

鈥淭he public needs to understand this issue because ultimately NASA and other government agencies in multiple countries are going to need to work together to address it, and we need voters who are informed to support these efforts,鈥� says project co-investigator Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS鈥�05PhD, a planetary scientist with 鲍颁贵鈥檚 Florida Space Institute.

Space debris could also impact the prospect of space tourism, says Sergio Alvarez, an assistant professor in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management and project co-investigator.

鈥淓conomic activities in Earth鈥檚 orbit are threatened by large amounts of human-made debris orbiting our planet and moving at very high speeds, in essence becoming deadly projectiles that can harm or destroy satellites, stations, ships or other infrastructure in Earth orbit,鈥� Alvarez says. 鈥淪o orbital debris poses an existential threat to the emerging industry of space tourism.鈥�

Alvarez will help study the public鈥檚 willingness to pay for fixing the problem.

The researchers say addressing orbital debris issues could make some satellite-based services, such as internet and streaming television, more expensive due to pre- or postlaunch fees to cover satellite removal.

The one-year project will consist of interviews, a nationally representative survey and the testing of different messages related to framing space debris as an issue. NASA awarded $100,000 for the project, and it is one of three projects the agency recently funded to study orbital debris and space sustainability.

鈥淥rbital debris is one of the great challenges of our era,” says Bhavya Lal, associate administrator for the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) at NASA Headquarters in Washington in a recent press release. 鈥淢aintaining our ability to use space is critical to our economy, our national security, and our nation’s science and technology enterprise.”

The project will be led by Patrice Kohl, an assistant professor of environmental communication at the .

鈥淭here鈥檚 very little known about public familiarity, understanding and attitudes about space debris,鈥� Kohl says. 鈥淜nowing key vocabulary around the issue, ways to frame it and what people already know will help us better communicate about the risks. There is remarkably little research in this area, and we hope to start filling in some of those gaps.鈥�

Metzger received his bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and his 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and doctoral degree in physics from 麻豆原创. Before joining 麻豆原创 in 2014, he worked at NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center for nearly 30 years.

Alvarez received his doctorate in food and resource economics from the University of Florida and joined 麻豆原创 in 2018. He is a member of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 and Sustainable Coastal Systems faculty research cluster. Between 2013 and 2018, Alvarez served as the chief economist at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The uncrewed Artemis I launch has been scrubbed twice due to a liquid hydrogen leak on Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS is the most powerful in the world and was built for the Artemis program. Artemis aims to return humans to the moon by 2025, develop a sustainable presence there, and be a catalyst for deep space exploration to Mars and beyond.

With any launch NASA encounters issues and troubleshoots them in real time. Metzger notes that with a new rocket the likelihood for encountering issues is higher with the first launch attempt(s).

鈥淭here’s so many things that can go wrong and it takes years of work to get everything to the point that you’re ready to try to orchestrate it,鈥� says Metzger, who shared his father worked on the Apollo program in an episode of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 official podcast, Knights Do That. 鈥淚 would say it’s really just the great numbers of things that can go wrong is the biggest challenge [with launches]. With every attempt, as [NASA] irons out these problems, the probability of launching gets higher and higher until eventually it’ll be high enough that they’re going to launch.鈥�

NASA will make its third attempt for the Artemis I launch in October.

Here Metzger shares his insight from previous launch experiences on the considerations and challenges with launches and how NASA is constantly working to enhance safety.

How is the timing for launches determined?

It depends on the destination. So if they’re going to rendezvous with something in space, they have a certain launch window when the Earth is oriented in the correct direction. This mission, [NASA is] going to send some payloads around the moon, so they have to have the Earth oriented the right way so it can head off toward the moon. Because the moon is always right there, we don’t have a certain month of the year, we just have a certain hour of the day that we have to launch.

“There are always small things that are wrong, that break or aren’t functioning correctly, just like in your house.”

The other thing of course, is the technical status of the vehicle. Making sure everything is correct. There are some things on the vehicle that get too old. [NASA] can’t use them after they’ve been sitting on the vehicle for too long. And so they have a limited amount of time before they can launch, and then they would have to start changing some hardware out.

But the most important thing is just making sure the vehicle is ready, making sure all the main problems have been solved. Now, every time I was ever involved in the Space Shuttle program launches, you never had a perfect vehicle because it’s so complicated. There are always small things that are wrong, that break or aren’t functioning correctly, just like in your house. There’s always a number of things that aren’t working in the house. So they have waivers. They will go to a board and get approval to fly with certain problems not fixed. So when they decide to launch it’s because they’ve assessed everything, they’ve gotten all the waivers approved for things that aren’t 100% functional and they know that it meets what they call the launch commit criteria, meaning the vehicle’s in good shape and the weather is good.

What is the difference in preparing for a crewed launch, like Artemis III, and an uncrewed launch, like Artemis I?

In this case, I think they’re probably using the same rigor that they would on a crewed launch because this is a human-rated vehicle. NASA is going to fly a large, high-visibility rocket like this using the highest standards, whether the crew is on it or not.

“NASA is going to fly a large, high-visibility rocket like this using the highest standards, whether the crew is on it or not.”

But more generally, a commercial vehicle that doesn’t carry flight crew, they typically would have a much smaller launch team because there’s not as much politics riding on it. It鈥檚 an easier process to get a waiver in real time if they need to. Problems always pop up in every launch. So they have to deal with waivers, problem reports, and troubleshooting and correction of problems and waivers in real time throughout every countdown. For small, commercial uncrewed launches, that process would be a lot easier than on a large one, like NASA is going to be doing for this mission.

What are some other reasons launches get scrubbed?

We’ve had scrubs because of violations in the launch range where a ship or an airplane is going where it’s forbidden to go and it causes a threat. You could have hardware falling on the ship, or you could have something interfering with the launch. And we’ve also had delays of launch because of radio signals we’re picking up.

“You can get all kinds of things happening with radio signals interfering with the launch.”

On one launch, we were picking up a Spanish language broadcast from South America on the emergency frequency of the Space Shuttle astronauts’ parachute packs. The atmospheric conditions were making [the radio waves] bounce in the ionosphere and it was just coming in booming over our parachute radios. It was causing some delay. And so we couldn’t launch without verifying that their parachutes, if they had to evacuate the vehicle and parachute in an escape attempt, the ultra-high frequency radios have to be functioning so that we can find the crew and get them out of the ocean. You can get all kinds of things happening with radio signals interfering with the launch.

Of course, the weather. You don’t really want to launch in a lightning storm or if the upper-level winds are too high. There’s something called wind shear; as you’re going up, you’re passing through different layers of the atmosphere and one layer may have a lot higher wind than the layer just below it or just above it. And so if the wind shear is too high, then you can’t launch safely. Also ice crystals in upper atmosphere can cause electrostatics to form on the outside of the rocket. And so we’ve designed the rockets to be able to handle that, but sometimes things like ice crystals in the upper atmosphere might be a consideration. So there are a lot of different aspects of the weather that could affect the launch.

When NASA encounters issues on launch day, how do they determine whether they can fix it or if they need to scrub the mission?

There’s a giant book, it’s about seven, 3-inch-thick volumes of 8 陆 by 11 size pages. It’s like a whole shelf in a library with all of the contingency plans, and they call it procedure. What if this sensor goes bad? What if we get a leak on this pipe? They think through everything ahead of time and they’ve predetermined the troubleshooting plan for everything. They’re all published and on the shelf in the control room. So whenever there’s any problem, they flip open the page to the contingency procedure for that problem and they read through the troubleshooting steps.

Now, if they exhaust the troubleshooting steps and they haven’t solved the problem, then they would start doing real-time decision making. And that’s why they have these gigantic launch teams. They鈥檙e assessing in real time, can we solve this with the amount of time we’ve got left before we get to the end of the launch window? The launch window may depend on the orbital dynamics, the alignment of the moon with the rotation of the Earth, or it might have something to do with the vehicle.

“[Scrubbing a launch is] always a really tough, real-time decision, and it falls on the launch director ultimately to negotiate that.”

I don’t know about the SLS, but on the Space Shuttle, there were things called auxiliary power units. And once you turned them on, they started using up their fuel and you only had 15 minutes to launch. And if you couldn’t launch in that amount of time, you would have to scrub and then refuel those things for the next attempt.

The team has to present troubleshooting plans to the NASA launch director, who is the top-level person in the control room and gives the go-ahead to start implementing troubleshooting.

Sometimes the launch director will make phone calls and get approval to stretch the launch window by a few minutes. They’ll talk with Houston with the flight dynamicist. And I’ve been in launches where it comes down to the last second. [Scrubbing a launch is] always a really tough, real-time decision, and it falls on the launch director ultimately to negotiate that.

What happens after a launch gets scrubbed?

Over the next few hours, they’re still assessing how long the scrub needs to be. In their procedure book, they might have a 24-hour scrub option, a 48-hour option and an indefinite scrub option. And so they’re evaluating which one of these options are we going to follow.

“They try to figure out how to fix [problems] with the minimum impact on the overall schedule.”

And it all depends on how fast they can fix the problem. Sometimes they don’t know yet because they still have to do more troubleshooting. It might be a few hours until they get enough troubleshooting to find out, but as quickly as possible, they’re going to make the call how long the scrub is going to be. They’ll announce it all to the team. And so all the team is working that procedure.

Sometimes they have to roll the vehicle back to the VAB so they can get access to things to fix. Sometimes they can do the repair right there on the launchpad. They try to figure out how to fix it with the minimum impact on the overall schedule. As soon as the repair is done, they continue right on into the countdown and go forward with the next attempt.

What is it like being in the room on launch day? What happens after a successful launch?

It’s electric. There鈥檚 so much tension and excitement and concern, and you don’t even let go of the concern until after the vehicle engines have shut off in orbit. Once we say lift off, the people in the control room at Kennedy don’t have direct control on the vehicle anymore. At that point it’s controlled by Houston. So there would be some applause, but then they would quiet down again as we’re monitoring our systems, watching, making sure everything works all the way to orbit. And then there’d be applause again.

Now, I don’t know if they still do this, but I would bet anything they’re still doing this tradition. This tradition started way back [with the first Space Shuttle program launch in 1981]. After a successful, crewed launch, the whole flight team would go upstairs in the Launch Control Center for beans and cornbread. We would all force them in little plastic bowls and we’d all stand around eating beans and cornbread while we were all talking about the experience in this crowded hallway upstairs. It鈥檚 a cool tradition.

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

鈥淎t 麻豆原创, we are involved in several lunar missions 鈥� 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聽and Lunar-VISE),鈥� says Kerri Donaldson Hanna, an assistant professor of physics and planetary science, who is involved in several of NASA鈥檚 moon-related missions.

While launching Orion is an exciting moment, 麻豆原创 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.

鈥淯sing these new high spatial resolution maps, we will be able to identify exciting locations for human and robotic exploration,鈥� Donaldson Hanna says. 鈥淢issions like L-CIRiS聽and Lunar-VISE will teach us how to best explore the lunar surface using astronauts and their hand-held tools and rovers.聽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.鈥�

Here鈥檚 just a sampling of how 麻豆原创 is making an impact on human鈥檚 return to the moon and beyond.

Launch Operations

There are more than 30 麻豆原创 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.

鈥淎s 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,鈥� says Tiffaney Miller Alexander 鈥�99 鈥�05MS 鈥�16PhD, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 in electrical engineering聽and a聽尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚聽听补苍诲听doctorate in industrial engineering from 麻豆原创. 鈥淚t 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.鈥�

NASA Test Director for Exploration Ground Systems Dan Florez 鈥�06, who earned his bachelor鈥檚 in aerospace engineering from 麻豆原创, credits the university鈥檚 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.

鈥淲e鈥檙e launching the most powerful rocket ever launched, one of the tallest launch vehicles ever,鈥� Florez says. 鈥淭here are a lot of challenges associated with this, including 鈥� like the rest of the world 鈥� working through a pandemic with people remote and on-site, that we鈥檝e 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.鈥�

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鈥檚 dangerous work. Perla Latorre-Suarez 鈥�21, who is pursuing a 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 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 鈥� 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聽NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium Fellow.

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

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

Mechanical and Aerospace Associate Professor Kareem Ahmed and his research team in the 麻豆原创 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 鈥� 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 鈥� 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鈥檚 former mechanical engineering student Ryan Ketzner 鈥�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 麻豆原创 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 range of motion and longevity by reducing the stress the material would face through repetitive movements.

At 鲍颁贵鈥檚 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鈥檛 enough. At the College of Medicine, doctors are working with commercial space companies to study the impacts of space on the human body. 麻豆原创 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鈥檒l face once we get there.

麻豆原创 planetary scientists Donaldson Hanna 补苍诲听Adrienne 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 鈥� the Gruithuisen Domes. The domes are composed of rocks similar to those found making up Earth鈥檚 volcanoes, but on Earth these types of volcanoes need plate tectonics and water to form (two things that don鈥檛 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颅

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鈥檒l 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鈥檚 why 麻豆原创 planetary scientists Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS 鈥�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鈥檝e 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鈥檛 ready. Even in this area, 麻豆原创 is stepping up and leading the way.

One way the university is doing this is through NASA鈥檚 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聽engineering,听physics 补苍诲听medicine聽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.

麻豆原创 is one of seven universities selected for the prestigious award.

The Future

As America鈥檚 Space University, there are many more projects at 麻豆原创 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鈥檚 space history.

鈥溌槎乖� was founded as the university for the Space Coast, 鈥� Artemis is just the next step on that adventure,鈥� says Associate Professor of History Amy Foster.