Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

Two UCF alums will play a major — albeit painstakingly slow — role in moving the NASA’s historic Space Launch System with Orion spaceship over land before it launches from Earth.

Loubensky Baine is one of 30 students selected from a pool of over 200 applicants for the honor, which is the second fellowship he’s earned in a year.

The work will help researchers learn what conditions make for safe hypersonic travel.

The work reflects UCF’s role as a leader in producing the technology and workforce needed for the nation’s new space race.

The findings suggest that masks can be highly effective in preventing the spread of airborne diseases, such as COVID-19, and could allow for the use of reduced social distancing.

Hypersonic speeds are those at Mach 5 and higher, or five times greater than the speed of sound.

The projects range from reducing the harmful effects of lunar dust to protect equipment and astronauts to developing robotics, flying and landing space craft, and mining fuel to run it all.

The products can reduce the transmission potential of airborne pathogens by thickening and reducing a person’s saliva and could be added to foods, such as a chocolate.

The work is funded by an $800,000 award from the U.S Department of Energy.