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Unraveling the Future of Space Exploration and Innovation

Space exploration has far-reaching effects on our daily lives, influencing technological advancements, medical research and groundbreaking scientific discoveries. With a rich history in the industry, Â鶹´«Ã½ has produced two alumni astronauts and over 50 years of experience in educating future spacex professionals. The university’s emphasis on space technologies and systems capitalizes on its legacy as the Space University, unparalleled research facilities, and interdisciplinary insights from various fields — including: business, communications, economics, education, healthcare, modeling and simulation, philosophy, political science, and STEM.

At the Forefront of Space Exploration

Â鶹´«Ã½’s space systems research explores the unknowns of our planetary systems and the cosmos. Inspired by the late physicist Stephen Hawking, Â鶹´«Ã½ researchers strive to unravel the universe’s mysteries. The Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education at Â鶹´«Ã½ furthers his groundbreaking discoveries, advances microgravity research, and investigates innovative solutions for space travel and extraterrestrial habitation.

America’s Destination for Space Science

Located just 35 miles from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Â鶹´«Ã½’s main campus offers unique access to groundbreaking space initiatives. With more interns sent to KSC than any other university, Â鶹´«Ã½ students receive hands-on training, skill development, and research opportunities that often lead to full-time roles after graduation. These experiences inspire Â鶹´«Ã½ students to recognize the importance of their discoveries and the lasting impact on future generations.

Space Researchers Charting Pathways to Other Galaxies

Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty are driven to uncover the mysteries of the universe to help us better understand our place among it. Their contributions to our collective knowledge of the cosmos helps to make space exploration safer, as we work toward future interplanetary travel.


Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Daniel Britt

Daniel Britt, Ph.D.

Pegasus Professor

Daniel Britt is a leading expert in planetary science. He has served on the science teams of four NASA missions, including Mars Pathfinder and Deep Space 1, and has created hardware for all of the space agency’s Mars rovers. At Â鶹´«Ã½, he is the director of the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science (CLASS), a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. His work through CLASS seeks to further understand the formation and evolution of the surfaces of celestial bodies so that future exploration missions — whether human or robotic — will be properly equipped to handle any challenges they face.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Philip Metzger

Philip Metzger, Ph.D.

Associate Scientist

Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who worked for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for 30 years. At KSC, Metzger co-founded Swamp Works, which provides technologies for working and living on the surfaces of the moon and other celestial bodies. While he’s still involved with Swamp Works, Metzger now conducts solar system exploration research at Â鶹´«Ã½ that focuses on predicting how rocket exhaust interacts with extraterrestrial soil, characterizing lunar and Martian soil simulants, and more.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Humberto Campins

Humberto Campins, Ph.D.

Pegasus Professor

Humberto Campins is an international expert on asteroids, comets and other small celestial bodies, especially those that can threaten Earth with impact. As head of the Planetary Science group at Â鶹´«Ã½, he uses a variety of ground-based, airborne and space-based telescopes to conduct his research, which is funded by NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation. One of his current interests is the role comets may have played in the origin of water and organic molecules on Earth and Mars. He is also a member of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which is on its way back to Earth and arriving in 2023.



Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Daniel Britt

Daniel Britt, Ph.D.

Pegasus Professor

Daniel Britt is a leading expert in planetary science. He has served on the science teams of four NASA missions, including Mars Pathfinder and Deep Space 1, and has created hardware for all of the space agency’s Mars rovers. At Â鶹´«Ã½, he is the director of the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science (CLASS), a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. His work through CLASS seeks to further understand the formation and evolution of the surfaces of celestial bodies so that future exploration missions — whether human or robotic — will be properly equipped to handle any challenges they face.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Humberto Campins

Humberto Campins, Ph.D.

Pegasus Professor

Humberto Campins is an international expert on asteroids, comets and other small celestial bodies, especially those that can threaten Earth with impact. As head of the Planetary Science group at Â鶹´«Ã½, he uses a variety of ground-based, airborne and space-based telescopes to conduct his research, which is funded by NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation. One of his current interests is the role comets may have played in the origin of water and organic molecules on Earth and Mars. He is also a member of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which is on its way back to Earth and arriving in 2023.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Philip Metzger

Philip Metzger, Ph.D.

Associate Scientist

Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who worked for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for 30 years. At KSC, Metzger co-founded Swamp Works, which provides technologies for working and living on the surfaces of the moon and other celestial bodies. While he’s still involved with Swamp Works, Metzger now conducts solar system exploration research at Â鶹´«Ã½ that focuses on predicting how rocket exhaust interacts with extraterrestrial soil, characterizing lunar and Martian soil simulants, and more.


background of space and the galaxy

America’s Space University

Founded in 1963 with the mission to provide talent for Central Â鶹´«Ã½ and the growing U.S. space program, Â鶹´«Ã½ has been making an impact on our state, our nation — and outer space — ever since. The Â鶹´«Ã½ Space Institute, based at Â鶹´«Ã½, is made up of researchers and educators from Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with those at other State University System of Â鶹´«Ã½ institutions. Many of these researchers are tied to major space missions exploring asteroids, comets, exoplanets, Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt, Mars, the moon, Pluto and Saturn.

Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty are part of several NASA missions, including OSIRIS-REx and New Horizons. But our faculty aren’t the only ones doing research in space. Â鶹´«Ã½ alumni have also gone on to take giant leaps in the space industry with companies such as Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA and SpaceX.

13

Experiments sent to space since 2019 aboard Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic rockets

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Â鶹´«Ã½ researchers have asteroids named after them in recognition of their work

29%

Kennedy Space Center employees are Â鶹´«Ã½ alumni

30+

alumni who worked on NASA’s Artemis 1 mission

$222 Million

in NASA awards since 1991
as of Oct. 2024

A Top School for Engineering, Physics & Planetary Sciences

#12

Top 15 Best Atomic/Molecular Physics Schools
U.S. News & World Report ranked Â鶹´«Ã½ as one of the best in the nation.

most innovative university in the nation - U.S. News & World Report 2025

Top 15 Most Innovative University in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report ranks Â鶹´«Ã½ as one of the most innovative in its annual list of best colleges.

Top Planetary Science Program
Â鶹´«Ã½ is highly regarded for its research on planetary bodies, including asteroids, comets, and planets. 50+ planetary science researchers (faculty, students, post docs, staff)

100+ hours Â鶹´«Ã½ researchers have been awarded on the James Webb Space Telescope
This exclusive access is leading to out-of-this-world discoveries.

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One of Kind Facilities
Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Exolith’s lab has the largest lunar highlands regolith bin in the world

43

Robotic Competition
Â鶹´«Ã½ hosted 43 teams of university students from universities around the country for the annual lunar robotic excavation competition, Lunabotics

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Space Health
Â鶹´«Ã½ researchers are exploring the effects of reduced gravity and space travel on our bodies and our minds

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ABET Accredited
The bachelor’s programs in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Space Degrees

As new space programs continue to take off from the Central Â鶹´«Ã½ region and beyond, students have an opportunity to break into this exciting industry with a number of space degrees offered at Â鶹´«Ã½.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Online Degrees

Nationally recognized online space degree programs

Additional Degree Programs

These space-related degrees are just the start of our
extensive academic offerings.

Creating Stellar Connections

Throughout Â鶹´«Ã½ and the nation, Â鶹´«Ã½ has built a number of relationships with partners who share similar values — striving toward excellence in any endeavor they may undertake. NASA is an example of one such partnership. The university participates in multiple NASA planetary missions and is home to the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science, part of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. With established programs in space and planetary sciences, Â鶹´«Ã½ has made significant contributions to the nation’s space program. The partnership allows leading researchers at both NASA and Â鶹´«Ã½ to benefit through collaboration and the university’s close proximity to Kennedy Space Center.

Nearby Central Â鶹´«Ã½ Research Park is also home to over 120 companies and serves as a hub for the nation’s military simulation and training programs. With its close proximity to Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s main campus, researchers and students have an opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders — working together on projects in the sciences, engineering, photonics and optics, and modeling and simulation.

Space Companies Employing Â鶹´«Ã½ Graduates

  • Blue Origin
  • Boeing
  • JPL
  • Kennedy Space Center
  • L3Harris Technologies
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Made in Space
  • NASA
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Siemens
  • SpaceX
  • Virgin Atlantic

Institutes, Associations and Affiliations

  • Â鶹´«Ã½ Space Institute
  • Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education
  • Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion
  • Center for Advanced Turbomachinery & Energy Research
  • Townes Laser Institute
  • Institute for Simulation and Training
  • FIEA (Â鶹´«Ã½ Interactive Entertainment Academy)
  • Astrophotonics Research Group
  • Â鶹´«Ã½ High Tech Corridor
photo of Nicole Stott

Â鶹´«Ã½ Alumni Are Soaring to New Heights

Two space shuttle missions. A three-month stay on the International Space Station. The 10th woman to perform a spacewalk. Nicole Stott ’92 broke barriers during her time as an astronaut. From her start as an operations engineer at Kennedy Space Center, she held different positions before achieving what once seemed like a far-fetched idea: becoming an astronaut. After her last mission, Stott led several groups at NASA before stepping aside to try something new: inspiring students to blend art with science. While sharing her love of both subjects, she spreads a motivational message that “this is our planet, and we need to take care of it.â€

How she soared to new heights

artemis mission logo over space background

Powering Humankind’s
Return to the Moon

Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s drive for discovery and unique proximity to Kennedy Space Center inspire our graduates, students and researchers to reach for the stars — their passion and ingenuity will take us back to the moon and beyond.

Explore NASA’s Artemis Program with Â鶹´«Ã½

Areas of Focus

Innovation. Partnership. Impact. Our integrated approach to teaching, learning and research unleashes the potential of our faculty and students — empowering them to make a difference in their communities and around the world.

Space Technologies & Systems
Entertainment & Immersive Experiences
Health & Human Performance
Energy & Sustainability
Transformative Technologies & National Security