Aerospace & Defense – UF Innovate

Drones and Decisions: UF Optimizing Communication Among Autonomous Units (UF HWCE)

sooyoungryu — Mon, 04 May 2026 16:29:31 +0000

Imagine a cluster of drones swarming above a dense thicket of trees, eyeing its way through unfamiliar topography to locate a missing person amid unpredictable weather.

Each drone has its own complex communication and computing capabilities. But as that weather starts to sour against the clock, the rescue mission requires group optimization, not a single drone with its own problem to solve.

The team driving the drones needs to act quickly to determine how many drones to deploy, how they will communicate, which trajectory to take and how they will adapt to challenges such as wind. To be most effective, that swarm must formulate a problem that accounts for flight constraints, solve that problem to determine the route and then rely on a controller to stay on the same path.

UF Astraeus Faculty Help Shape National Science Strategy for Human Exploration of Mars (UF News)

sooyoungryu — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:53:57 +0000

Two University of Florida researchers with the Astraeus Space Institute played key leadership roles in a major National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report released in December that will help guide U.S. science priorities for future human missions to Mars.

The report was developed over nearly two years by an ad hoc committee convened by the National Academies’ Space Studies Board. The study outlines how human exploration campaigns on the Martian surface can advance high-priority scientific goals while preparing for sustained human presence on the planet.

UF Researchers Collaborate With NASA’s Deep Space Logistics Team To Reduce and Repurpose Mission Waste (UF News)

sooyoungryu — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:18:04 +0000

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 used to safely deliver supplies during missions and can contribute to logistical waste over time. Managing waste efficiently is becoming increasingly important as missions grow longer and more complex.

University of Florida researchers are trying to fix this problem.

Nils Averesch, Ph.D., an assistant professor of microbiology and cell science and a member of UF’s Astraeus Space Institute is collaborating with NASA’s Deep Space Logistics (DSL) team to explore innovative biomanufacturing techniques for recycling cargo packing materials from space missions.

UF Joins Prestigious UCAR Consortium To Advance Atmospheric and Earth Science Research (UF News)

sooyoungryu — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:03:33 +0000

The University of Florida has been accepted as a member of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a premier consortium that unites top-tier institutions in atmospheric and Earth system sciences.

This new partnership opens the door to expanded research collaborations, advanced training opportunities and unparalleled access to cutting-edge resources for UF students and faculty.

UCAR manages the National Science Foundation’s National Weather Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, which is home to advanced supercomputing facilities and groundbreaking research in atmospheric, climate and system sciences. As a newly approved member, UF now has the opportunity to both benefit from and contribute to its collective impact for at least the next eight years.