aerospace and defense News

UCF mechanical engineering alumnus Ben Bair ’19 contributed to the Artemis launch through his expertise in engineering and his passion for photography.

Seven Knights beat 15 other teams to secure UCF’s first No. 1 spot at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry 51025 Competition.

UCF beat out 119 other teams that represented 105 universities from 33 states and the District of Columbia to earn its second top title at competition.

Ninety-two teams competed in the international competition sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The UCF-developed propulsion system could allow for flight speeds of Mach 6 to 17 (more than 4,600 to 13,000 miles per hour) and would have applications in air and space travel.

UCF won the national championship in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and finished as runner-up the last three years.

The award comes at a time when cyber threats are becoming more prevalent, from stolen customer information to the hacking of government data and more recently, breaching the security of a Florida water plant.

Graduate student Michael Roberts ’19 beat more than 450 students from across the nation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2020 CyberForce Competition.

The new partnership will help prepare Florida students for careers in national security while providing classes, internships, fellowships and potentially sponsorship for security clearance.