Florida Space Grant Consortium

2024-25 SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTS AND NASA COMPETITIONS
The NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium will be supporting senior design projects (up to $750 for each project), NASA Competition participation (up to $2000) and other competitions for the 2024-25 Academic Year. In addition, FSGC has teamed up with the Kennedy Space Center for senior design projects based on priority topic of KSC engineers and scientists. Please go to the following website to apply for the KSC projects.

KSC Senior Design University Projects 2024-25

Examples of NASA competitions are
Artemis Student Challenges
NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Robotic Mining Competition
University Student Launch Initiative

2023-24 Human Lander Challenge
2025 RASC-AL Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage

The Florida Space Institute (FSI) develops and accepts opportunities for Student Design Projects throughout the year. To check out their opportunities for the Fall of 2024 and Spring of 2025 please click on the link below.

FSI/Space Grant Fall 2024 Projects and Process

Request for funding for both senior design projects and NASA competitions should be submitted by a faculty advisor in a Florida university or College, affiliated with FSGC, through that institution’s Sponsored Research Office. Proposals not submitted through the affiliate institution’s Sponsored Research Office will not be accepted. The funds can be utilized only for purchase of materials and supplies related to the project. If the funds are to be used for travel reimbursement, only students who are US citizens are eligible for travel reimbursement through the FSGC award funds.

Work and/or student involvement in the project should commence only AFTER receipt of signed award documents from Univ. of Central Florida, acting as fiscal agents of NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium.

The request should include

student-project-proposal-cover-page sheet (both pages)
a brief description of the project,
its relevance to NASA (if applicable),
how the award funds and/or match funds (where applicable) will be spent
a Spreadsheet listing the following details of each student participating in the project.

Name of Student,
Email address,
Citizenship (US or non-US),
Status (senior, junior etc),
Major ( physics, electric engineering, etc),
Gender (Male or female)
Race (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White)
Ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino, Not Hispanic of Latino)
Disability (yes or no)

If you do not want to send me individual information, just include collective numbers as follows

Gender
# of males
# of females
Ethnicity
# Hispanic
# non-Hispanic

Race
# White
# African American
# Asian
# Pacific Islander
# American Indian or Alaska Native

# of students with disabilities.
# of students who are veterans

Here is some information about race and ethnicity categories

Race Categories

American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as “Haitian” or “Negro” can be used in addition to “Black or African American”.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Ethnicity Categories

Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term, “Spanish origin”, can be used in addition to “Hispanic or Latino”.

Not Hispanic or Latino

Since FSGC is a Training Grant, this demographic and other information is required for onward submission to NASA HQ as part of our annual report. We do not send individual information. All the information is aggregated and then compiled into our annual report to NASA. NASA in turn uses this information to present Space Grant program highlights to Congressional delegates in order to secure future years funding for the National Space Grant program through the NASA Education Office.

Indirect cost is determined as per Clause 3.4 of the signed Master Agreements between UCF, acting on behalf of FSGC and the awardee institution. Support for these projects are solely from the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium. The indirect cost rate for FSGC programs is 10%, except for fellowships, scholarships, and internships.

Maximum possible funding request for NASA competitions is limited to $2000. Any funding request exceeding $2000 will be entertained, if funds are available.

Please email your signed proposal to:

Jaydeep Mukherjee

NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium

Partnership 1 Building
12354 Research Parkway, Room 218
Orlando, FL, 32826 -0650
Email: jaydeep.mukherjee@ucf.edu
For technical information, please contact Dr. Jaydeep Mukherjee at jaydeep.mukherjee@ucf.edu

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Senior Design Projects and Competitions supported in 2019-20

Senior Design

Earth-Based Gravity Machine (3 teams) – UCF

Robinson Observatory Restoration Project – UCF

SAE Aero Design -FSU

3D Printed Aircraft – FSU

Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Drones – FAU

Mars Surface Stay Simulator – FAU

Triple Function Aerodynamic Actuation System (TFAAS) – UCF

Competitions

Robotic Mining Competition – FIT

NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge – FSU

NASA SUITS Design Challenge – ERAU

International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) – UCF

NASA Micro-g NExT – ERAU

4th Annual Spaceport America Cup – Miami

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2018-19

Senior Design

High Altitude /Mach Rocket Nosecone – Florida Institute of Technology

University Student Launch Initiative – Florida State University

SAE Aero Design and 3D Printed Aircraft – Florida State University

Competitions

Robotic Mining Competition (ERAU, FSU, and FIT)

International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) – UCF

NASA Micro-g NExT 2019 Challenge – ERAU

Rock On – FIT

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2017-18

Senior Design

UAV-based Defective Solar Panels Detection and Maintenance – FIU (Dr. Nezih Pala)

Hybrid Rocket Motor – UCF (Dr. Ahmet Ozbay)

Compact pressure sensing device for measuring Multi-Layer Insulation interstitial vacuum – FSU (Dr. Wei Guo)

Tesla pump technology for use with in tank propellant mixing and transfer – FSU (Dr. Lance Cooley)

Competitions

ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge– FSU (Mr. Keith Larson)

NASA University Student Launch Initiative – FSU (Dr. Rajan Kumar)

RoboBoat Competition– FSU (Dr. Johnathan Clark)

Development of an Autonomous Search and Rescue Unmanned Aerial Vehicle– FSU (Dr. Chiang Shih)

Micro-G NExT Reduced Gravity Experiment in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston– ERAU (Dr. Sathya Gangadharan)

Parabolic Flight Experiment – Development of a Revolutionary Approach for Efficient Microgravity Transfer Line Chilldown – UF (Dr. Jacob Chung)

Robotic Mining:

Design and Development of a Legged Mining Robot for Mars – ERAU (Dr. Eric Coyle)

Regolith Gathering Lander – FIT (Dr. Kimberly Demoret)

Ospery Miners – UNF (Dr. Stephen Stagon)

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2016-17

Senior Design

Cubesat Inflatable Heat Shield – FIT

Space Debris Removal Thruster System – FIT

Biomanufacturing for Space Flight and Robotic Exoskeleton Project – FIT

UAV-based Agricultural Monitoring and Data Acquisition System – FIU

Competitions
NASA Robotic Mining Competition – FSU, FIT, and UNF
Intercollegiate Rocket Competition – FSU
NASA University Student Launch Initiative – FIU
UAV Challenge Medical Express 2017 Competition – Miami
International Engineering Rocketry Competition – Miami
Rockon Workshop – Florida Polytech
Human Rover Challenge – Florida Polytech

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2015-16

Reusable Entry Vehicle for Suborbital Science – Univ. of Central Florida (UCF)
Diverse Air-bearing Weightless Environment Project DAWN – Florida Institute of Technology (FIT)
Mars Society’s University Rover Challenge – FIT
Unmanned underwater-air hybrid vehicle (Shark Bait) – FIT
Developing a planetary rover prototype with the capability of carrying multiple payloads for space resource utilization. – UCF
Land Based Autonomous Vehicle for the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition – Florida State University (FSU)
2016 Robotic Mining Competition – FIT, Univ. of Florida (UF), Univ. of North Florida (UNF)
Student Launch Initiative – Florida International University (FIU), UCF
High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) – UCF, UF
Mircogravity NeXt Design Challenge – Embry Riddle Aronautical University (ERAU)

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2014-15

Centrifugal Dust Experiment (CEDEX) – Univ. of Central Florida
AIAA-UCF CanSat – Univ. of Central Florida
AIAA Design Build Fly – Univ. of Central Florida
Simulated planetary science device
Design and construction of an RC aircraft
Magnetically Coupled Mixer/Pump System for Cryogenic Propellant Tank Destratification – Florida State University
Visible Light Communication for Wireless Internet Connection – Florida International University
UCF 2015 NASA Robotic Mining Team – University of Central Florida
UF 2015 NASA Robotic Mining Team – University of Florida
Asteroid Regolith Simulant Design and Development (Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT))- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Rock Chip Sampling Device for Microgravity Bodies (Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT))- University of South Florida

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2013-14

Design of a flexible cubesat bus – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Design of an electrodynamic tether and deployment mechanism fora 3U cubesat – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Android Mobile Device Controlled Compact Potentiostat for a Portable and Affordable Biosensor Platform – Florida International University
Multi-Purpose UAV – Florida International University
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHING GRENADE RELEASE AND INSPECTION SYSTEM – Florida International University
AUVSI SUAS Seafarer Competition UAV Platform – Florida International University
Direct Drive Solar Powered Arcjet Thruster – Florida State University
Mars Lander Robot Recharger – Florida State University
NASA/RASC-AL Robo-Ops Project – Florida State University
Heavy Lift Model Aircraft – University of Central Florida
Liquid Rocket Engine – University of Central Florida
Relay-Assisted Network for Guidance of Exploration Robots – University of Central Florida
LED-based sensor for simultaneous, time-resolved measurements of CO and CO2 from hybrid rocket exhausts – University of Central Florida
Micro Air Vehicles – University of Central Florida
Florida Tech 2014 NASA Robotic Mining Team – Florida Institute of Technology
UCF 2014 NASA Robotic Mining Team – University of Central Florida
UF 2014 NASA Robotic Mining Team – University of Florida
Oculus Microgravity Team – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Miami Microghravity Team – University of Miami
Investigation of Stiff Deployment Mechanism for Small Satellite Platforms – University of Florida
Student Launch Initiative – University of Central Florida
Precision Time Transfer with CubeSats – University of Florida

Senior Design Projects and NASA Competitions supported in 2012-13

Smart Materials Museum Exhibit Design – Florida State University
Multi-Element Free Space Optical Modules for Mobile Communications and Smart Lighting – Florida International University
Remote Access Arm – University of South Florida
Aerial Reconnaissance Drone Program – Florida International University
Non-Orbiting Balloon Science – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Ozone Analysis – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Micro Air Vehicle(MAV) Autonomous Wing Control – University of Central Florida
AAA Design Build Fly- University of Central Florida
Aero Design Competition: Mirco Class – University of Central Florida
Design & Construction of a Heavy Lift Model Air Craft – University of Central Florida
Search and Rescue Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – University of Miami
NASA RASC-AL ROBO-OPS – FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Airforce Nanosatellite Competition – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
NASA 2013 Lunabotics – Embry-Rdlle Aeronautical University
NASA 2013 Lunabotics – Florida Institute of Technology
Astronomy Society Balloon Project – University of Central Florida
Ballooning workshop – Florida International University

Senior Design Projects supported in 2011-12

AIAA Design, Build, Fly Competition – University of Central Florida
Designing Electrical Systems for Testing the Ionosphere using Nano-satellite – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Autonomous Sensory Aerial Platform – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
BLUAV Hydrogen Fuel Cell Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – University of Central Florida
Design Build Fly – University of Miami
Micro Air Vehicle Robust Pitch Control (MAVRC) – University of Central Florida

Senior Design Projects supported in 2010-2011:

The Recoverable Ionospheric Rocket Project – University of Central Florida
High Altitude Balloon program – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
The design, and building of a high speed photometer- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
The design and construction of a high-throughput, imaging optical spectrograph- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Aerobots – Florida International University
Aerial Robotics – University of Miami
Design and build an unmanned electric powered, radio controlled aircraft – University of Miami