Have you ever wondered, what happens when a spacecraft plunges through a planet’s atmosphere? Dan Fries knows it encounters searing temperatures, powerful shock waves and chemically reactive gases — conditions that can push even the most advanced heat shields to their limits.
When NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a path around the moon — farther from Earth than any humans have traveled in decades — the world watched in awe. Yet, one of the most critical parts of the journey remained invisible. For a team of faculty, staff and students in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering at University of Kentucky, that unseen work is their expertise.
Coal has long been the fuel at the heart of energy production in the Commonwealth. Kentuckians often grow up with stories of their grandfather’s days in the mines. But researchers at the University of Kentucky are finding ways to repurpose coal for energy storage — in the form of lithium-ion batteries.
As Artemis II prepares to lift off — marking the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years — researchers at the University of Kentucky are celebrating a milestone years in the making and their role in helping bring astronauts home safely. An Orion capsule seated atop a 322-foot rocket will blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as 6:24 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 1. Its mission: carry four astronauts around the moon and back — sending humans the farthest they’ve ever been from Earth.
Last month, 40 University of Kentucky Department of Mining Engineering students attended MINEXCHANGE 2026, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Annual Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. UK mining engineering faculty and students also presented 27 papers.
For more than three decades, the University of Kentucky's Lean Systems Program has helped businesses and organizations across the state meet workflow demands — positioning Kentucky as a national leader in operational excellence by increasing productivity, reducing waste and strengthening workforce engagement, while maintaining quality and competitiveness.
Martha Grady, Ph.D., a Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholar and an associate department chair in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is leading a multidisciplinary team to investigate how 3D-printed titanium can be engineered to resist harmful bacteria.
Two engineering undergraduate researchers, Jacob Childress, Katelyn Straw, will present their work at the 24th annual Posters-at-the-Capitol on March 5.
The KREPE-3 mission capsule sendoff offers a unique opportunity to view all 12 flight capsules before their delivery to the International Space Station.
