One Small Step for Man,
One Giant Leap for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ has been committed to space exploration since before manβs first step on the moon.
Ever notice how the street names on campus represent constellations, galaxies and spacecraft? Gemini Boulevard, Andromeda Loop and Apollo Circle arenβt just happy coincidences. They reflect ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs beginnings as a space university.
And theyβre not the only ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ connection thatβs out of this world. In 1968, our first president, Charles Millican, established the motto βReach for the Starsβ to represent the universityβs promising aerospace education in engineering, electronics and other technological professions. The theme continued with his presentation of the universityβs seal, Pegasus, which was intended to βbridge the gap between the humanities and space technology.β
It was the height of space exploration in America, so given the universityβs proximity to Kennedy Space Center (KSC), it meant our then-little campus would be a big part of educating future generations of NASA engineers, administrators and even astronauts. And our connections to space have continued to grow over the past 53 years.
1968
Galactic Grants
In 1968, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ received its first research grant β $12,500 from NASA. Nearly 45 years later, NASA helped ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ make history again by awarding the single largest grant in the universityβs history, $55 million, to fund the GOLD mission. The GOLD mission will build and launch an instrument that will provide unprecedented imaging of Earthβs upper atmosphere, also making ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ the first Florida university to lead a satellite mission for NASA. To date, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ has received more than $124 million in space-related research grants.
- 1968 NASA Grant
- $12.5K
- 2013 NASA Grant
- $55M
- Total Space Grants
- $124M
1968
Model Mascot
FTUβs first suggested mascot paired Floridaβs citrus and space industries, with the introduction of the Citronaut β a character with an astronautβs head and an orange for a body β which made its debut on the cover of the 1968-69 Student Handbook.
1981
Picture Perfect
On April 12, 1981, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ students watched from campus as NASAβs first space shuttle, Columbia, launched from KSC. Rocket launches can still be seen from the main campus.
1986
Gravitational Gauge
Floridaβs first disc to measure Earthβs gravitational field was installed at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ in 1986.
1990
Savvy Scientists
The Florida Space Institute (FSI) is based at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½. Founded in 1990 as the Space Education and Research Center, FSIβs research ranges from studying the Earthβs upper atmosphere and the origin of the planets to the workings of asteroids and propulsion technologies for high-Mach aerospace vehicles.
1996
Star Searching
The Robinson Observatory was dedicated on ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs main campus in 1996 and provides hands-on learning for astronomy students.
Observatory
2009
Alumni Astronauts
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ boasts two astronauts: Fernando βFrankβ Caldeiro β95 and Nicole Stott β92. On Aug. 28, 2009, as a mission specialist on space shuttle Discovery, Stott became the first ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ grad to blast off into space and the first ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ grad to live on the International Space Station. She flew again on Feb. 24, 2011, on the final mission of Discovery.
Astronomical Archives
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Libraries hold 8,400 print publications from NASA as well as 28,000 NASA publications on microfiche, and Special Collections & University Archives has 42 boxes and 33 volumes of NASA photos, spacecraft models, reports, manuals and memorabilia.
- NASA Print Publications
- 8,400
- NASA Microfiche Publications
- 28,000
- Boxes In The Space Collections
- 42
Expert Explorers
As home to NASAβs Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is a leader in the area of solar system exploration, providing critical research in areas key to future robotic and human space exploration missions.
2012
Extraordinary Exoplanet
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ had a planet named after it. In 2012, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ researchers discovered an exoplanet candidate they named ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½-1.01, which is only two-thirds the size of Earth and 33 light-years away, with surface temperatures of more than 1,000° F.
Powerful Partnerships
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ partners with a range of agencies and companies to conduct research, including NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin. In addition to conducting research in the stratosphere and beyond, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ has partnered with NASA to offer a joint masterβs training program for industrial engineering, where ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ instructors teach courses at KSC.
2014
Space Stamina
In November 2014, a team of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ engineering students debuted a method to administer IVs in space, which will be important when astronauts begin long-range space missions.
2015
Engineering Education
A 2015 Aviation Week workforce study named ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ the No. 1 supplier of engineers to aerospace and defense industries.
2026
Mission: Mars
Two Knights are standing by as finalists for a one-way flight to Mars as part of the Mars One project to colonize the planet. Crews are scheduled to begin departing in 2026.
Project