UCF Master Class: Staying Alive in Space - The Science of Human Survival Beyond Earth
As missions extend in duration and distance, keeping humans alive in space becomes one of the most complex challenges in exploration.
In this master class, Emmanuel Urquieta, Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine at UCF, will explore the medical, physiological, and operational realities of human survival beyond Earth - from radiation exposure and bone and muscle loss to immune system changes, behavioral health, and medical autonomy far from home.
He’ll examine how space medicine is evolving to support longer missions to the Moon and Mars, commercial spaceflight, and future off-Earth communities, and what innovations in monitoring, prevention, and treatment will be required as humans push deeper into space.
This session offers a practical look at what it truly takes to keep people healthy, functional, and alive as space becomes a place not just for missions, but for sustained human presence.