Jenna Weiss


Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex •

We Are Made of Star Stuff - and Steel Beams

It’s not rocket science, but it does take some strategic planning and creativity to pull off a grand opening for the now and next of NASA.
For Chief Operating Officer, Therrin Protze, tethering a near 230-foot-tall rocket to the ceiling and blazing skyward jets overhead was the only logical option in carrying out his vision for Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex ®.
“I think the highlight was watching the F104s fly right over. I’ll never forget the owner looking at me and he goes ‘I can see h...
University of Central Florida News | UCF Today •

NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Deliver UCF’s Lunar-VISE Payload to the Moon

NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace as the lander and rover provider to deliver UCF’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes to investigate how these mysterious silica-rich volcanic features formed.
Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data on the lunar regolith to understand how it may be used as a resource in future exploration of the lunar surfac...
Central Florida Public Media •

The science of Europa Clipper and research from the red planet

Following its launch on Oct. 14, Europa Clipper is embarking on its long journey to explore Jupiter’s moon and determine its potential habitability.Once the spacecraft reaches Jupiter’s orbit, it will perform 49 successive flybys furthering our understanding of the moon’s geophysical and geochemical properties.Paul Byrne, associate professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at University of Washington in St. Louis, said that life requires three things: water, some sort of organic c...
Central Florida Public Media •

Cosmic creeps and black hole heartbeats

The moon may disappear into the dark night sky, the stars engulf one another, and comets may scatter our inner solar system.Josh Colwell, UCF Pegasus Professor and co-host of the podcast Walkabout the Galaxy, explores the disturbing cosmic entities that dwell within our universe.Each year, the moon recedes 3.8 centimeters from our Earth, caused by a tidal interaction. From this interaction, the moon takes away bits and pieces of Earth’s angular momentum, slowing Earth’s rotation and slowly drift...
Central Florida Public Media •

Starship's big catch and Hubble's deep look

SpaceX pulled off a complex mid-air maneuver on Oct. 13, not just by launching, but catching its Super Heavy rocket booster with the large mechanical “arms” of the launch tower at Starbase in south Texas.The goal of the fifth test flight of Starship aimed to demonstrate reusability of the first stage of the rocket. Eric Berger, author and senior space editor at Ars Technica, said that from an engineering standpoint, the precision from the flight algorithms and execution of the catch is astoundin...
Central Florida Public Media •

Research endeavors on the space station and exploring an ocean world

Space science research opportunities are growing through open solicitation aboard the International Space Station, which currently hosts hundreds of experiments for this next operational crew.The ISS National Lab was created to offer a wide range of scientific experimentation, STEM education opportunities and technology research from the unique vantage point on the orbiting lab.Ryan Reeves, director of science and technology at the ISS National Laboratory, said the experiments focus on improving...
The Charge •

Tuesday's harvest moon and partial lunar eclipse: What to know and how to watch

September's full harvest moon will have a partial lunar eclipse Tuesday evening visible from "most of North America, all of South America, Europe, all but the easternmost parts of Africa, western portions of Asia and Russia and parts of Antartica," according to SpaceNews.According to NASA, the moon will enter the Earth's partial shadow at approximately 8:41 p.m. EDT but will be difficult to see until 10:13 p.m. NASA said that at its peak, the eclipse will show the top 8% of the moon in full shad...
Central Florida Public Media •

SpaceX’s past and future. Plus, a Florida scientist’s journey to space

In its existence of a little over two decades, SpaceX has made a name for itself in the space exploration industry, but the company didn’t always have that reputation.Space editor and journalist, Eric Berger, walks through pivotal moments in SpaceX history and what’s to come in his new book, Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age. Berger explores that despite a “scrappy start” 10 to 15 years ago, SpaceX shocked its competitors with its accomplishmen...
Central Florida Public Media •

NASA’s strategies for space exploration and menstrual cycles in space

From crewed mission to science on the International Space Station, NASA has played a key role in space exploration.But a lot of planning and research goes into space travel and as the space station nears retirement, NASA, commercial partners and international partners have worked together to create objectives and goals in a new Low Earth Orbit Microgravity Strategy plan.NASA’s plan outlines goals in science fields and highlights agendas for things like international cooperation, research, public...
University of Central Florida News | UCF Today •

UCF’s First Mission to the Moon Passes Two Critical Milestones

In the spring of 2024, NASA’s Lunar-VISE, or Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer, mission passed through two critical milestones on its continued successful path to the Moon in 2027. Lunar-VISE is a NASA Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program-selected mission.
In late January and early February, the Lunar-VISE team presented the key mission components including the science investigation, landing site and concept for operations at the lunar surface...
NSM.today •

Congressional caucus recharters in support of space science

Following a two-year dormancy, the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus was re-established in the 118th Congress earlier this month to accumulate support for planetary science research.

Co-chairs and Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) are partnering with The Planetary Society to form the caucus, or formal interest group, according to The Planetary Society’s press release.

The caucus strives to support space research and exploration, reduce threats of potentially unsafe near-Ear
NSM.today •

Lavender Council fosters safe space for LGBTQ+ students

LGBTQ+ Student Services hosted a mixer on Thursday evening at the Ginsburg Lounge to build relationships between students and queer organizations at UCF.

Isabella Demblewski, second-year Lavender Council board member and senior psychology major, said that they often hear that students aren’t aware of the LGBTQ+ resources available on campus, such as Pride Commons.

“It's a place for students to be able to have a safe environment to foster community or just to network. We also sometimes have eve
NSM.today •

Re-established club aims to create a community for female STEM students

The new executive board of Women in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science strives to close gender gaps for female STEM students.

Despite progress in gender equity and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields among both men and women, women only make up 28% of the STEM workforce as of 2023, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Professional Education website.

Myesha Rahman, WEECS public relations director and sophomore electrical engineering major
NSM.today •

UCF professor explores motor imagery therapy for post-stroke patients

A UCF professor received a $570,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore alternative treatments for post-stroke survivors.

Some post-stroke patients suffer from a condition called apraxia of speech, or AOS. This motor planning disorder can impair an individual’s brain from directing muscle movement to form speech correctly, according to the Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington.

Dr. Lauren Bislick, assistant professor at the School of Communication Scie
NSM.today •

Evolution of eXtended reality: UCF aims to develop first wide-range data infrastructure for human subjects research

Researchers at UCF received a nearly five million dollar grant to develop and advance human subjects research through a wide-range extended reality (XR) infrastructure.

The development of the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) will enable widespread and accessible lab-based study opportunities for researchers using a hub of newly created and existing diverse data pools, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The development will be led by Pegasus Professor Dr. Greg
NSM.today •

UCF exhibit highlights American visual culture through typographic art

Attendees gathered on Thursday evening for the opening reception of "Type Out Loud", an exhibit that captures the essence of American culture through typographic art.

Featuring typographic artwork from a variety of artists and a 30-foot-long timeline plastered on the wall, the broadsides, or posters, tell the history of American print media and the stories that go along with it.

“Typographic broadsides can be a powerful, artistic form of broadcasting social, political, and cultural messages. "
NSM.today •

UCF's Honors Congress explores the night sky

The Honors Congress of Burnett Honors College gathered amongst an assortment of telescopes at the Robinson Observatory on a cool Thursday evening to share a private stargazing experience with their peers.

The observatory, which is a research and education facility run by UCF faculty and students, hosts public and private events for attendees to explore and examine the sky through its telescopes, according to the Planetary Sciences Group’s website.

“I think it's a really great way for people to
NSM.today •

UCF photographer shares the story of his career-changing shot

After snapping an impulsively-angled photograph of the Falcon 9 rocket’s glowing orange streak cutting through the 50-yard line in 2020, UCF Knights Lead Photographer Conor Kvatek, nearly deleted the image that would soon change his life and career.

“It meant everything and I could have never expected that a photo I initially was going to delete was going to have that kind of reaction,” Kvatek said.

Kvatek said he started his photography career fresh out of high school in 2017 and stumbled upo
NSM.today •

Planetarium director engages students in an astronomical discussion

Derek Demeter, planetarium director and UCF alumnus, visited the UCF Astronomy Society Tuesday to engage in an interactive discussion about astronomy and share new planetarium renovations and collaborations.

“There's a lot of really exciting stuff in astronomy in terms of connecting to you all as well as the planetarium," Demeter said at the panel.

The Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium, located at Seminole State College, has offered interactive and educational presentations and shows fo
NSM.today •

SEDS UCF shares goals and plans for the academic year

The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space UCF, a student-based organization for space enthusiasts, announced their new board members and plans for the 2023-2024 year.

SEDS was originally founded in 1980 at MIT and grew to 95 chapters and 8,000 students across the nation, according to SEDS USA. The organization has now spread across high schools and universities internationally to promote involvement in the space industry, leadership and networking skill development and engineeri
NSM.today •

'It’s basically a new paintbrush': Exploring the frontiers of AI in art at UCF

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts buzzed with the sound of peculiar techno background music — not created by a student but by artificial intelligence.

Experts, students and guests attended the REALity of ARTificial Intelligence event Monday evening hosted by the UCF Center for Ethics in collaboration with the Center for Computer Vision and the School of Visual Arts and Design.

The event featured not only unique music by AI but also a panel discussion by experts and a poster sessi
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex •

Kennedy Here. The Podcast Has Landed

“When you look down at the earth you can see just how fast you’re actually moving… When you actually view that from space, then it really takes on a whole new dimension.”
Recorded from the very launch site that propelled the U.S. space program, join our hosts as we dive into the past, present and future of space exploration. From captivating experiences to engaging astronaut encounters, explore space like never before on “We Choose to Go to Kennedy”, the official podcast of Kennedy Space Center...
NSM.today •

UCF-Orlando Annual Jazz Festival embodies the American spirit

For UCF professor and saxophonist Jeffrey Rupert, starting an annual jazz festival in Orlando was the only logical decision to showcase this great art form.

The 17th annual UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival opened its two-day run last Friday and Saturday at the Nicholson Communication and Media auditorium with a performance from Oliver Nelson Jr. and special guests.

“One of the charges that we have is to always have high-quality artistry coming to UCF and folks that normally aren't in the Central Flor
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