Fifty Years Ago: The First Images from the Surface of Another Planet

October 21, 2025

On October 20, 1975, 134 days after its June 8 launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Soviet space probe Venera 9 approached to within 1600 km of the surface of the […]

UF scientist studies muscle loss in space to benefit astronauts and patients on Earth

October 7, 2025

Astronauts traveling to Mars will face many challenges, but one of the most serious is muscle loss during long space missions. A new study led by University of Florida researcher Siobhan […]

Rachael Seidler named director of UF’s Astraeus Space Institute

September 16, 2025

Rachael Seidler, a professor of applied physiology and kinesiology who focuses on astronaut health, has been named director of the University of Florida Astraeus Space Institute. “Dr. Seidler has proven […]

A year after liftoff: UF scientist reflects on historic space flight and the future of biology beyond Earth

August 29, 2025

One year after his pioneering flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, University of Florida space biologist Rob Ferl, Ph.D., is still processing what it meant — not just for his […]

UF plant biologist Anna-Lisa Paul receives SURA’s Distinguished Scientist Award

August 14, 2025

University of Florida plant molecular biologist Anna-Lisa Paul has been named a recipient of the Southeastern Universities Research Association’s (SURA) 2025 Distinguished Scientist Award, recognizing her groundbreaking contributions to space […]

UF Ph.D. student trains Air Force cadets in synthetic biology for spaceflight research

August 12, 2025

Hannah Roberts, a Ph.D. student conducting research in the University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, recently represented UF in a prestigious collaboration with the U.S. Air Force Academy and […]

Young magmas on the moon came from much shallower depths than previously thought, new study finds

July 30, 2025

New research on the rocks collected by China’s Chang’e 5 mission is rewriting our understanding of how the moon cooled. Stephen Elardo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Geological Sciences with […]

UF doctor bridges medicine, engineering for human spaceflight through VAST space experience

July 26, 2025

Peter Alexandrov, M.D., a University of Florida emergency medicine physician and member of the Astraeus Space Institute, recently completed a two-month rotation with VAST, a private space company hoping to […]

Robotic hands are the next frontier in astronaut safety

July 16, 2025

Drifting silently in the cramped quarters of a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth, an astronaut clutches their side, wincing at a sudden, unfamiliar pain. There’s no doctor onboard, no […]

UF engineering team tackles spaceflight fuel challenge in zero-gravity experiment

July 16, 2025

A University of Florida engineering research team led by Jacob Chung, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and member of the Astraeus Space Institute, has successfully completed […]