Joshua Taggart knew he wanted to work for the space industry the day he experienced his first launch, seeing the space shuttle Endeavour soar into the sky. He’s now closer to making that dream a reality after being awarded one of the industry’s most distinguished awards.
Taggart is the latest Knight to receive the coveted Astronaut Foundation Scholarship. He will be recognized with the 2026 class of scholars at the foundation’s gala, to be held next month in Houston, Texas.
With his selection, Taggart is now part of a trio of Astronaut Scholars from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, joining mechanical engineering student Keanu Brayman and computer engineering student Kyle Coutray, who were selected by the foundation to renew their scholarships this year.
Taggart’s fascination with space began at an early age, when he attended Space Camp at the Kennedy Space Center. Seeing a live launch was the spark that set his space journey in motion.
“Watching space shuttle Endeavor launch from Cape Canaveral had a lasting impact on me and ignited my interest in wanting to contribute to humanity’s exploration of our universe,” he says.
He chose UCF for its reputation in engineering and its proximity to his hometown, Ft. Lauderdale. He says that with the university being so close to Kennedy Space Center, seeing launches on a regular basis continues to inspire and motivate him to work toward his goals.
Driven to succeed, Taggart is already working on future-focused innovations that can benefit the space industry. Through NASA Office of STEM Engagement, he interned at the Johnson Space Center working on communications, avionics, propulsion and flight software for CubeSat subsystems. This summer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, he is researching packaging materials for silicon carbide pressure sensors, working to make sure they perform reliably above 1000 degrees Celsius, and on integrating thermocouple sensors for temperature compensation.
His work as an undergraduate researcher for the Q-Sim Lab, directed by Assistant Professor Jaesung Lee, also centers around developing technology designed to operate in outer space. Taggart is working on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators designed to perform under extreme conditions, such as elevated temperatures and increased exposure to radiation.
He recently won a Judge’s Choice Award at UCF Student Research Week for his honors undergraduate thesis, “Robust AlN MEMS Resonators for High Temperature Space Environments.”
“With the harsh environment that outer space is and planet surfaces like Venus, electronics must survive very high temperatures and radiation effects,” he says. “I chose this field of research because I want to be involved in next-generation electronics that can withstand the extreme nature of outer space.”
His passion for space has only grown over the years, reflected by his ongoing research at UCF and for NASA. As an Astronaut Scholar, Taggart is launching into a future full of possibilities.
“Aside from the financial support that this scholarship will provide me as I complete my undergraduate program, I am very eager for all of the networking opportunities I will have,” Taggart says. “I look forward to networking with other students and industry leaders to learn and grow as much as I can thanks to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.”
- Written by Bel Huston