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Bill Nelson and others on stage commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-61C mission

40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-61C mission

January 15, 2026

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-61C mission Monday with a panel discussion on leadership, ethics and the future of […]

Rendering of a satellite near earth

UF researchers collaborate with NASA’s Deep Space Logistics team to reduce and repurpose mission waste

January 9, 2026

As the number of space missions continues to grow, with hundreds currently active, waste generated during missions has also increased. Cargo packaging materials such as foam and plastic are often […]

Looking out of window of spacecraft with a small portion of the earth in background

Sixty Years Ago: Orbital Rendezvous

December 18, 2025

As the clock approached 10 AM EST on the morning of October 25, 1965, the crew of Gemini VI, Commander Walter M. “Wally” Schirra (1923–2007) and Pilot Thomas P. Stafford (1930–2024), […]

Up close image of a petri dish with bacteria

The bacteria that won’t wake up: NASA discovers new bacteria “playing dead”

December 2, 2025

New research conducted on a NASA-discovered bacterium shows the microbe is capable of entering an extreme dormant state, essentially “playing dead” to survive in some of the cleanest environments on […]

Person running on treadmill in space

Men experience greater eye changes from spaceflight, while brain differences between sexes are subtle

October 29, 2025

A new study into how spaceflight impacts the human brain and eyes revealed notable sex differences in brain fluid shifts, with female astronauts showing a greater reduction in fluid around […]

Up close image of gray rocky planet surface

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 […]