Tech Tuesday: University of Florida Professor Investigates How Organisms Adapt Their Metabolism When in Outer Space
UF Innovate's Bethany Gaffey interviews Dr. Rob Ferl, a distinguished scientist and professor of horticultural sciences, as well as the director of the UF Astraeus Space Institute.
Space Exploration Hub
UF researcher Rob Ferl talks about how UF has become a key hub for space exploration and how the Astraeus Space Institute is shaping the future.
UF Scientist Rob Ferl Completes Historic Space Mission
University of Florida scientist Rob Ferl took a giant leap for research Thursday when he became the first NASA-funded university researcher to conduct his own experiments in space during a flawless sub-orbital mission on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
First NASA-Supported Researcher To Fly on Suborbital Rocket
Rob Ferl, a NASA-funded UF researcher, will fly with his experiment on a commercial suborbital rocket for the first time on Aug. 29.
UF Scientist Prepares To Launch Into Space Thursday, Aug. 29
Rob Ferl, the director of the University of Florida Astraeus Space Institute, will fly on the Blue Origin craft on 8/29 to conduct an experiment studying the adaptation process of plants in space.
Blue Origin Announces Crew for New Shepard’s 26th Mission; UF’s Rob Ferl Will Be on Board
Blue Origin revealed the six-person crew flying on its NS-26 mission, which will include University of Florida's Rob Ferl. Ferl will be the first NASA-funded researcher to conduct an experiment as part of a commercial suborbital space crew.
University of Florida Scientist to Fly on Blue Origin Suborbital Mission
University of Florida Distinguished Professor Rob Ferl will be the first NASA-funded academic researcher to conduct an experiment as part of a commercial space crew on an upcoming mission of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
University of Florida To Launch Space Mission Institute With $2.5 Million in Strategic Funding
Faculty at the University of Florida are joining forces to form the UF Space Mission Institute, with $2.5 million in funding from UF President Ben Sasse. The Institute will be managed by UF Research and will be a hub in which scientists and scholars from across UF can collaborate, conduct research, and innovate.
The institute will work to enhance existing relationships with Space Florida and the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center, and seek new partnerships with the International Space Station National Laboratory. The institute will also work to leverage UF’s proximity to the growing commercial space ecosystem in Florida. Throughout the next five years, the total economic impact of the commercial space industry in Florida is expected to be more than $5.3 billion.
Rob Ferl Receives NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal
Rob Ferl, distinguished professor in the UF/IFAS horticultural sciences department and assistant vice president for UF research, has received one of NASA’s most prestigious honors, the Exceptional Public Service Medal.
UF Plant Experiment Flies on Virgin Galactic Spaceship
UF project, funded by NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, was the only science experiment on the Virgin Galactic mission, meant to study the impact the transition to and from zero gravity has on gene expression in cells, and, more broadly, to develop protocols for “human-tended” suborbital flights.
