The University of Central Florida (UCF), known as “America’s Space University,” is highlighting its ongoing commitment to space research during UCF Space Week, which takes place from November 3 to 7. The university, established during the era of the space race, continues to focus on innovation and scientific discovery aimed at advancing knowledge about space and its impact on life on Earth.
As part of the “Research in 60 Seconds” series, Kerri Donaldson Hanna, associate professor of physics and a member of UCF’s Planetary Sciences Group, shared insights into her work exploring lunar landscapes. She expressed enthusiasm for her field, stating, “How cool is it to be able to study planetary bodies using spacecraft and telescopic observations and with studies in the lab!”
Donaldson Hanna credits her motivation to her research group: “My research group that includes undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers as well as my colleagues and teammates located at research institutions from the U.S. and U.K. Working with such great people really motivates me and makes we want to keep pushing forward even when things are tough.”
She also noted the supportive environment at UCF: “Being surrounded by such fantastic colleagues to work with on a daily basis has really empowered me and my research. And being at SpaceU where all of our cool projects are really celebrated is a lot of fun!”
Donaldson Hanna has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on several NASA projects. These include the Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE), efforts to collect terrestrial rocks similar to those expected at the Gruithuisen domes—the planned Lunar-VISE landing site—and laboratory characterization of these samples. Her work also involves analysis of lunar samples returned by Apollo astronauts and participation in the Lunar Compact Infrared and Imaging System (L-CIRiS), a thermal camera destined for deployment at the lunar south pole aboard an Intuitive Machines lander.
Discussing the broader significance of this research, she said, “Scientific investigations from the lunar surface like what we will be doing with Lunar-VISE will help us better understand how planetary bodies form and evolve into what we observe today and will help in developing and building tools, rovers and robots for future exploration.”
