UCF debuts center for advancing hypersonic travel

University of Central Florida's Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion

With hypersonic travel, people can fly from New York to London  in less than 15 minutes or explore space — and the University of Central Florida wants a piece of the action.

The school launched a new center to study the technology for hypersonic travel — which is up to 17 times the speed of sound or 13,000 mph.

UCF President Alexander Cartwright celebrated this week’s opening  of the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion — or the HyperSpace Center —  in the Central Florida Research Park by the main campus.

“What we create here and across UCF will define the aerospace and defense industries for generations,” Cartwright said in front of U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Daniel Webster and State Rep. Susan Plasencia as well as other officials.

At the new center, UCF faculty, graduate students and undergraduates will be working to develop the technology fueling hypersonic travel. The school has received millions of dollars in U.S. Department of Defense grants.

UCF touted the center, saying it’s an important field of study in the United States. 

“Advanced hypersonic propulsion systems are a national priority and are essential to maintaining U.S. national defense as global technological advancements continue to evolve,” the school said in a press release. “For space travel, hypersonic technology holds promise for opening up the boundaries of space exploration as it fuels flights through the Earth’s atmosphere at very high speeds and allows for safe and efficient entries and exits through planetary atmospheres.”

Working with UCF in hypersonic research is the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

“Today, the University of Central Florida is not only opening a new, top-notch facility where leading-edge research in hypersonics and space propulsion will take place. You are also opening doors and opportunities to students from various diverse backgrounds,” said Col. Janelle Jackson, deputy director of the AFOSR. “The hyperspace hub is a place where these students can become the thought leaders and problem solvers of tomorrow.”