麻豆精品 S淚 want students to come to UCF knowing they can participate in an industry that 麻豆精品 S檚 about to take off, no matter what field they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in. This is the place to launch the next stage of your career. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Greg Autry, 聽UCF’s associate provost for space commercialization

A national leader in online education, and the top supplier of talent to the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 aerospace and defense industries, UCF launched a in Spring 2026. It aims to meet the expanding needs of the booming industry on Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Coast and around the world. Graduates will emerge ready to shape a fast-growing, high-impact global industry, applying their skills across aerospace, commercial space, government, startups and emerging tech.

麻豆精品 S淲e have world-class researchers, direct connections to the space industry and the very best location, 麻豆精品 S� says Greg Autry, creator of the pioneering program and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy at UCF. 聽 麻豆精品 S淚 want students to come to UCF knowing they can participate in an industry that 麻豆精品 S檚 about to take off, no matter what field they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in. This is the place to launch the next stage of your career. 麻豆精品 S�

The space MBA merges the university 麻豆精品 S檚 excellence in both space and online education to develop forward-thinking leaders ready to shape the future of the space sector. This part-time, fully online graduate business program spans 24 months and blends core MBA courses with four specialized electives in space entrepreneurship, governmental and commercial space finance, space leadership and the global space domain. With its flexible, asynchronous format, students can learn from anywhere on Earth 麻豆精品 S� or even in orbit.

At the forefront of this future-ready pathway is Zaheer Ali, a new instructor in the College of Business, and program director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 space commercialization and strategy initiative. He spent more than a decade at NASA and previously led space efforts across the defense and national security enterprise.

“The space industry isn 麻豆精品 S檛 the future. It 麻豆精品 S檚 happening now. Our new space MBA will put talent at the center of that movement. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Paul Jarley, UCF College of Business dean

Ali is ready to guide the next generation of space business leaders at SpaceU 麻豆精品 S� and he 麻豆精品 S檚 hoping to recruit students from every major to find their place in space. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 here helping build what I think is the greatest program in the world for space

business, 麻豆精品 S� Ali says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur students are 麻豆精品 S� given direct access to leaders in every aspect of space, creating a space network for them that will be unmatched by graduates of any other program. 麻豆精品 S�

Through more than 25 years of providing highly ranked online degrees, UCF is a trusted source for innovative academic programs and pathways, and is recognized among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 leaders in online education. Courses across more than 130 fully online degree programs are led by world-class faculty with extensive industry and academic experience, equipped to prepare students to succeed in their

careers and advance their fields. 麻豆精品 S淭he space industry isn 麻豆精品 S檛 the future. It 麻豆精品 S檚 happening now. Our new space MBA will put talent at the center of that movement, 麻豆精品 S� says Paul Jarley, dean of the College of Business, which houses the program. As the business school at Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Technological University, our goal is not just to fuel the talent pipeline, but to help shape the market 麻豆精品 S� even if it 麻豆精品 S檚 in space.

Founded to reach the moon, we 麻豆精品 S檙e already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America 麻豆精品 S檚 Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

With world-renowned faculty, hands-on learning experiences and a location less than an hour from Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Coast, UCF continues to prove why it 麻豆精品 S檚 known as America 麻豆精品 S檚 Space University 麻豆精品 S� where education, industry and exploration unite to shape the future of space.

Today marks the start of the inaugural UCF Space Week, a university-wide celebration of all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward. The observance highlights UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Here are a few key reasons why we celebrate UCF Space Week and how SpaceU is launching the next era of space innovation.

A Legacy in Fueling the Space Industry’s Talent Pipeline

When the university first opened in 1963, landing humans on the moon was a dream that seemed out of reach. Yet UCF dared to believe 麻豆精品 S� and take action 麻豆精品 S� by supplying talent and research to the nearby space industry based on the Space Coast just 35 miles east. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 purpose has only grown stronger more than six decades later as space exploration fuels transformative innovation here on Earth.

Every year, thousands of students gain real-world experience, conduct interdisciplinary research and participate in programs 麻豆精品 S� including a new aerospace medicine program 麻豆精品 S� directly connected to industry, preparing them for in-demand roles across the space sector.

The university 麻豆精品 S檚 excellence in providing talent is supported by data, as the American Society of Engineering Education consistently ranks UCF in the top five nationally for awarding bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees in:

• Aerospace engineering (No. 4)
• Mechanical engineering (No. 5)
• Computer science (No. 5)
• And No. 10 for awarding engineering bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees overall 麻豆精品 S� the highest in Florida

Advancing Research That Reaches New Frontiers

When visionaries look to the future, they also look to UCF 麻豆精品 S� a leader in space research, innovation and education with 14 experiments sent to space aboard commercial rockets since 2016. UCF Space Week shines a spotlight on these breakthroughs, connecting the community with the pioneering work happening right on campus.

Replicating Regolith
Researcher: Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences Daniel Britt
Project: Britt, a renowned planetary scientist, founded the in 2018 麻豆精品 S� a leading facility for space hardware testing and regolith (space dirt) research. Partnering with NASA, Britt and his team study lunar, Martian and asteroid materials to advance in-situ resource utilization and other exploration technologies.

Unlocking Lunar Resources
Researchers: Planetary Geologist and Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Interim Department Chair of Physics and Associate Professor Adrienne Dove
Project: Donaldson Hanna and Dove are leading NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer) mission, which aims to uncover clues about an unexplored part of the moon and potential insight for deeper space exploration.

Bolstering Bone Density
Researcher: Melanie Coathup, lead of the Biionix Cluster and professor of medicine
Project: Astronauts can lose up to 2% of their bone density each month 麻豆精品 S� a serious risk that can lead to fractures and spaceflight-induced osteoporosis. As part of a UCF-led team on Blue Origin 麻豆精品 S檚 NS-24 mission, Coathup studied how fluid shifts in microgravity contribute to bone loss 麻豆精品 S� research that could improve health both in space and on Earth.

Building Partnerships That Propel Discovery

UCF Space Week highlights these crucial collaborations with support from Blue Origin, KPMG, Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Space Florida and SpaceX.

At the heart of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 success is collaboration. The university works closely with NASA, private companies and research institutions to create opportunities that bridge education, research and real-world application. These partnerships help students gain experience and industry insight while advancing technologies that will define the next phase of space exploration.

Recent collaborations include UCF-developed testing technology launching on Blue Origin missions, joint research with NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Fram2 mission to advance space medicine and partnerships with companies like Operator Solutions to improve emergency response training for astronauts.

Now one of just three universities in the Florida University Space Research Consortium at NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Kennedy Space Center, UCF is helping drive research, technology development and education across the state. This landmark partnership 麻豆精品 S� the only one of its kind in the nation 麻豆精品 S� cements Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 role at the forefront of America 麻豆精品 S檚 space future.

Powering Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Economy

Space is no longer just a frontier 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 the future. With the global space economy projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, UCF is preparing the visionaries who will fuel discovery and shape that growth.

Now expanding its impact into space commercialization, UCF is helping lead the business of space under the direction of Greg Autry, associate provost for space commercialization and strategy. His work is building a pipeline of leaders ready to drive innovation, strengthen national security and unlock opportunities that will advance humanity 麻豆精品 S檚 future beyond Earth.

Reaching for What 麻豆精品 S檚 Next

UCF Space Week isn 麻豆精品 S檛 just about looking back at past achievements 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 about imagining what comes next. With a legacy built on exploration and a community fueled by curiosity, UCF continues to inspire students and researchers to reach higher, think bolder and push the boundaries of what 麻豆精品 S檚 possible.

Because at UCF, space isn 麻豆精品 S檛 the final frontier 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 just the beginning.

Greg Autry, who serves as UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 associate provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy, is nationally recognized for his leadership in space research and innovation, including how the space landscape is evolving with the rapid expansion of private flights.

Autry has been nominated by President Trump to become chief financial officer of NASA. Pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he will be responsible for ensuring the financial health of the agency and will oversee all financial management, budget, strategic planning, and performance activities relating to NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 programs and operations.

麻豆精品 S淥ur space agency has a long history of excellence in financial management, and I am looking forward to joining the incredible team at NASA, 麻豆精品 S� Autry said. 麻豆精品 S淚 have been honored to help move UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 incredible space enterprise forward, and I hope to return after my service at NASA. 麻豆精品 S�

Autry, known as UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S渟pace czar, 麻豆精品 S� is a leading researcher on entrepreneurship. Before joining UCF last year, he was director and clinical professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

Autry is a visiting professor at Imperial College London. He also serves as the vice president for space development at the National Space Society and chairs the Business Case sub-committee for NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 In Space Production Applications program (InSPA) which sends manufacturing experiments to the International Space Station.

At UCF, Autry has been working to lead the College of Business 麻豆精品 S� efforts to establish Executive and MBA programs in Space Commercialization while helping the university enhance and expand awareness of its many space programs.

UCF was founded in 1963 to provide talent for the space industry and today continues to be a top provider of talented graduates and research to a space economy expected to grow to more than $1 trillion in the 2030s and triple that by mid-century.

UCF is the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 top supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry, according to Aviation Week Network.

麻豆精品 S淪pace is the most important thing to happen in at least half a millennia, 麻豆精品 S� Autry said. 麻豆精品 S淲e are charting a new future for humanity, improving the lives of billions, saving our biosphere, making our nation more secure, and creating jobs right now. 麻豆精品 S�

As space travel expands and becomes less exclusive to the wealthiest demographic, it will require more people to be educated and trained in space-specific medicine, business, psychology, science, engineering, even hospitality for cities with launch sites around the world.

麻豆精品 S淚t won 麻豆精品 S檛 be long before careers are available for anyone like me who always wanted to be involved in space but couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 get into an astronaut program, 麻豆精品 S� Autry says. 麻豆精品 S淭his is where the preparation will happen, at UCF, to enter an industry with unlimited potential. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 get odd glances, 麻豆精品 S� Autry says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut I 麻豆精品 S檓 usually going so fast that I have no idea what anyone is thinking. 麻豆精品 S�

Autry 麻豆精品 S檚 skateboard is also an inescapable analogy. It 麻豆精品 S檚 made from upcycled scrap carbon fiber from space companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. Autry brought his board with him to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Business from the west coast earlier in 2024 to start a space commercialization program and to begin a university-wide effort to bolster the SpaceU brand.

麻豆精品 S淲e currently have a logo and a football game [that help] bring awareness to [UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 identity] of SpaceU, 麻豆精品 S� Autry says. 麻豆精品 S淸We want to make it more well known this is the place to be] because we already have world-class researchers, direct connections to the space industry and this unique location. I want students to come to UCF knowing they can participate in an industry that 麻豆精品 S檚 about to take off, no matter what field they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in. This is the place to be. 麻豆精品 S�

As Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 premier engineering and technology university, UCF was founded in 1963 to fuel the nearby space industry. Faculty and researchers across the university contribute to NASA missions such as OSIRIS-Rex and New Horizons, as well as the Artemis program. UCF is home to the Exolith Lab, where asteroid, Martian and lunar regolith simulants are created for space researchers worldwide, and the world 麻豆精品 S檚 largest lunar regolith test bin is located. UCF alums make up nearly 29% of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) employees, with their expertise ranking from engineering to physics and marketing. Future Knights at KSC may include experts in space medicine, as UCF is developing a new program dedicated to the field, as well as another industry Autry is helping shape curriculum for.

Autry 麻豆精品 S檚 enthusiasm is based on a vision for the future merging with present-day reality. Prior to UCF, he launched the world 麻豆精品 S檚 first space leadership, business and policy program at Arizona State University 麻豆精品 S檚 globally recognized Thunderbird School. As much as he enjoyed leading the progress and his life out west, Autry could not pass up the opportunity to launch a second business program around space at a university near the Space Coast, where a graduate program beginning in the Fall of 2025 and an undergraduate program to follow are already poised to lead the way into an all-new realm.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 confident it won 麻豆精品 S檛 take us long to reach our lofty goals, 麻豆精品 S� Autry says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e taking the Elon Musk approach: grow it quickly and innovate relentlessly to stay ahead of everyone else. We can do that at UCF because we have a huge competitive advantage 麻豆精品 S� geographically and with so much local demand in the space business. I 麻豆精品 S檝e been passionate about space my entire life, so this is a remarkable time for me, personally and professionally. 麻豆精品 S�

Like so many kids who watched the first Apollo moon landings, Autry dreamed about life in space. Those thoughts never vanished.

麻豆精品 S淭he missions to the moon were life changing for me at a young age, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲atching and reading about space became my escape. 麻豆精品 S�

On Sept. 8, 1974, Autry stood at the Snake River Canyon in Idaho to watch Evel Knievel attempt to clear the quarter-mile-wide chasm in a specially designed Skycycle. Despite the failed jump, Knievel became a hero to Autry for his willingness to take flight in the closest thing to a personal rocket he 麻豆精品 S檇 ever seen. At the University of California, Irvine and then University of Southern California, Autry studied the commercial space industry before any other management scholar had recognized its significance. He spent several years teaching a summer course in space entrepreneurship for Florida Tech. While teaching at Arizona State, he would bring students to visit Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center where they could see the growing Florida commercial space businesses up close. Autry also visited the area during his tenure as NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 White House Liaison and while serving on the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Board at the FAA. The East Coast vantage point continually rekindled his passion for space launch.

麻豆精品 S淲hen I heard UCF was serious about doing something amazing in space commercialization and taking SpaceU to another level, it meant the university 麻豆精品 S檚 vision aligned with my own, 麻豆精品 S� Autry says. 麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to be part of the action. This is a rare opportunity to participate in something transformational and to influence a new generation of space leaders. 麻豆精品 S�

Now that he lives in Florida, Autry can take breaks from his work to watch rocket launches from his dock in Melbourne. He views these frequent events with the same awe he 麻豆精品 S檚 had since the first moon landings, only now he also carries a unique business perspective. Usually, he knows someone who has a payload or an investment on board.

麻豆精品 S淚f you 麻豆精品 S檙e in Central Florida, space is business. Everyone should be excited about it. The space industry creates tens of thousands of jobs and a commercial economy worth billions of dollars. Missions are often about communications, but they also drive crop yields for agriculture, management of fisheries, the monitoring of oil reserves and real estate, manufacturing, robotics, efficient transportation of goods and products 麻豆精品 S� we could go on and on. 麻豆精品 S�

As space travel expands and becomes less exclusive to the wealthiest demographic, it will require more people to be educated and trained in space-specific medicine, business, psychology, science, engineering, even hospitality for cities with launch sites around the world.

麻豆精品 S淚t won 麻豆精品 S檛 be long before careers are available for anyone like me who always wanted to be involved in space but couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 get into an astronaut program, 麻豆精品 S� Autry says. 麻豆精品 S淭his is where the preparation will happen, at UCF, to enter an industry with unlimited potential. 麻豆精品 S�

Autry is among those who believe space will produce the world 麻豆精品 S檚 first trillionaire. Several global financial services project the space economy alone will generate $3 trillion in revenues by 2050. Autry thinks those numbers are probably too conservative.

麻豆精品 S淭he growth in space won 麻豆精品 S檛 follow a typical linear curve, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 reasonable that in the next 15 to 20 years the space economy will exceed the entire U.S. economy. Keep in mind, our first space race was driven by the government during the Cold War. This second space race is inspired by private enterprise. This is entirely different from anything we 麻豆精品 S檝e seen. And UCF 麻豆精品 S� SpaceU 麻豆精品 S� is literally right in the middle of it. That 麻豆精品 S檚 why I 麻豆精品 S檓 so enthusiastic to be here on the front end, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 encouraging everyone to join us for the ride. 麻豆精品 S�