Born from the challenge of the Space Race, 麻豆原创 was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still are a place where our people鈥檚 curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth.
Founded to reach the moon, we鈥檙e already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America鈥檚 Space University celebrates 麻豆原创 Space Week Nov. 3-7.
Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space
Kaaliyah McGaughy still remembers the excitement that filled the room as she looked in awe at historic spacecrafts adorning the ceiling of an exhibit in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Most of her fifth-grade classmates saw a cool museum. McGaughy saw her future.
Ten years, one inspiring high school physics class and countless hours spent researching the path of an aerospace engineer later, McGaughy is contributing to space exploration as a third-year physics student at America鈥檚 Space University, just 35 miles west of where her dreams first took flight.
Today, as the university celebrates 麻豆原创 Space Week and First-Generation Student Awareness Week, her story serves as a strong example of the determination and daring spirit of Knights to boldly forge the way forward.
Here are a few things to know about the aspiring physicist:
She Chose 麻豆原创 Because of Its Strength in Engineering and Technology
SpaceU鈥檚 renowned engineering programs sealed the deal for McGaughy, who set her sights on studying aerospace engineering when she came to 麻豆原创 in 2021. For three years, she poured herself into the major 鈥� designing, testing and tinkering her way through classes that brought her closer to the world of aerospace that first sparked her imagination as a kid.
“When I came to 麻豆原创 during a campus visit in high school and I saw the engineering department 鈥� all of the works and creations they had in there 鈥� that really sold me,鈥� McGaughy says. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾hey’re doing amazing work here. They’re doing everything to make sure that space research, or any research and engineering, is continuously being done.鈥� I loved that.鈥�
Her Journey of Discovery Isn鈥檛 Limited to the Stars
鈥淚 do a lot of what I do for my family. They sacrificed a lot to get me here today, and without them, I wouldn’t be here at all.鈥�
As a proud first-generation college student, McGaughy is breaking ground closer to home, too 鈥� carving her own path through higher education and becoming a role model for her younger sister and family.
鈥淚 want to continuously make them happy and proud of me,鈥� says McGaughy, who has received a first-generation scholarship to support her studies.
Ask her what she defines a first-generation student as, and she doesn鈥檛 hesitate: trailblazer. And she鈥檚 in the good company of thousands of them. At 麻豆原创, McGaughy鈥檚 surrounded by a vibrant community of ambitious leaders, bold thinkers and brilliant pioneers at a university that dares to invent the future.
She Helped Build the 麻豆原创 Exolith Lab鈥檚 Regolith Bin
In Summer 2022, during her sophomore year, McGaughy landed a 12-week internship at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Exolith Lab 鈥� a premier facility for space hardware testing with simulated moon, Martian and asteroid dirt, known as regolith, used in spaceflight research and development.
鈥淲e built a lot of things by hand. It was a very student-friendly environment, and a really good foundation for space-related studies.鈥�
One of those hand-built projects was the world鈥檚 largest simulated lunar surface, housed within the lab鈥檚 Lunar Highland Regolith Test Bin (the regolith bin). Impressive in size 鈥� measuring 33 feet by 33 feet and filled with 240,000 pounds of simulant soil 鈥� it鈥檚 even bigger in potential, providing scientists at NASA and other space companies a realistic testbed for experiments and technologies like lunar rovers.
McGaughy鈥檚 fingerprints are literally part of the bin鈥檚 foundation. She contributed to the sketches and helped build the base by hand as one of only a handful of students involved in bringing the impressive project to life. The experience and her studies led her to a part-time senior lab engineer role, which provided her an opportunity to design and build an automated lift system for robots to enter the regolith bin for qualifying round of 2025 NASA Lunabotics Challenge.
She Recently Took a Leap and Changed Her Major to Align with Her Research Goals
As McGaughy grew as an engineering student, she found herself drawn to another path. Space wasn鈥檛 just a mystery to be admired 鈥� it was a place she wanted to understand.
鈥淚 wanted to do more of the research, learn about space and do more experimental things with that instead of more hands-on things with engineering.鈥�
With support from faculty members like Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences Daniel Britt, who founded the Exolith Lab, she switched her major from aerospace engineering to physics on the astronomy track.
Looking back, the future physicist knows the switch was the right call as she is now a research intern at the Exolith Lab.
鈥淚’m glad I made the decision,鈥� McGaughy says. 鈥淚 still have engineering under my belt. I love it. I’d still do it in a heartbeat. But physics was just another avenue I wanted to explore.鈥�
She Is Proud to Be Part of the SpaceU Community
If McGaughy鈥檚 journey shows anything, it鈥檚 that curiosity and determination can take you far 鈥� and at 麻豆原创, that same drive is everywhere.
麻豆原创 Space Week, Nov. 3-7, puts that energy on full display, celebrating all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward 鈥� from advancing space research to supporting Florida鈥檚 expanding space economy to preparing the next generation of talent.
鈥淭o have something so significant dedicated to what you’re extremely interested in and passionate about 鈥� having that represented feels amazing,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t makes you feel connected. It makes you feel like you have a community.鈥�
