“Years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) often finds itself the butt of jokes. From satirical Webcomics to more scathing criticism, the flagship project of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency is an easy target. Yet many would argue that those delays and budget concerns Read More …
The letters are the latest outpouring of support for the Arecibo Observatory and its telescope, which collapsed in December 2020. BY ROBERT WELLS | MARCH 22, 2021 “Pull yourself up with happyiness (sic). We are with you Arecibo, Come back strong. I’m so sorry it broke. Because it was beautiful.” These are the words of Orlando-area schoolchildren Read More …
As part of Women’s History Month, UCF is sharing stories of some of the extraordinary women on campus contributing to science and scholarship. BY ROBERT WELLS | MARCH 22, 2021 From sleeping on her apartment floor as an early career physician to preparing astronauts for spacewalks, Esther Beltran has never given up following her passions. Her advice Read More …
BY MEGAN PABIAN Twenty years ago, landing people on Mars seemed like sci-fi, but with commercial spacecraft launching into space almost every month and NASA’s Mars Perseverance landing on the Red Planet last week, sending astronauts to Mars and beyond is actualizing into reality. “When the idea of astronauts actually getting to Mars became realistic, Read More …
PI Dr. Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, along with Co-Is Dr. Charles Schambeau, Dr. Mário De Prá, and astronomy doctoral student Ana Carolina de Souza Feliciano, were awarded funding for their research project by the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and the Provost Office SEED funding program. All of the research teams awarded received up to Read More …
The satellite’s mission is to capture video of small particles colliding in microgravity, which will help scientists understand the earliest stages of planet formation. BY ROBERT WELLS | JANUARY 19, 2021 University of Central Florida planetary science continues its ascent as a leader in space research with another high-profile flight, this time aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne, which Read More …
Although the researchers used Arecibo Observatory data, they are no longer able to make observations using the observatory since it collapsed in December following broken cables in August and November. BY ROBERT WELLS | JANUARY 11, 2021 Data from Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has been used to help detect the first possible hints of low-frequency disturbances Read More …
Dr. Julie Brisset has been selected as one of Icarus’ newest Editorial Board member (Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society). Dr. Brisset works on dust behavior under microgravity conditions for the study of planet formation and regolith. We congratulate her on yet another achievement as she continues to excel in her field.
The papers provide an inventory of some of the greatest discoveries of the past decade and suggest targets for the next generation telescope, scheduled to launch in 2021. BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA | OCTOBER 8, 2020 To understand the significance of the Spitzer Space Telescope on the understanding of our solar system, think of what Read More …
Estela Fernández-Valenzuela, a preeminent post doctoral researcher at the Florida Space Institute wins a highly competitive NASA grant. BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA | SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 Florida Space Institute Planetary Scientist Estela Fernández-Valenzuela has been awarded a $315,700 NASA grant to use modern day technology to analyze one of the oldest and least understood objects of Read More …