UCF Team Wins Space Hospitality Challenge With Digital Psychology Twin
Graduate students created StellarSync to address mental health needs for future space tourists during long-duration missions.
By Matthew Collins ·
Jalyssa Cardell, a UCF alumna and licensed mental health counselor, led a team of graduate students that won first place in the UCF Space Hospitality Student Challenge. The group developed StellarSync, a project proposing a digital twin of a clinical psychologist to support the psychological well-being of space travelers.
The competition, hosted by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, required participants to design guest experiences for space tourists. The central theme was "Life Support and Human Experience in Space Hospitality." Cardell and her team focused on mental health, an aspect they noted is frequently omitted from standard discussions regarding space tourism infrastructure.
Cardell stated that as the space tourism sector expands, mental health care must be prioritized alongside physical safety. She explained that travelers may experience anxiety, fear, or isolation while observing Earth from space, even during exciting moments. The StellarSync system is designed to provide personalized support to mitigate these emotional responses.
The project was developed by members of the SMART Lab, which studies interactions between humans and intelligent learning systems. The team included David Kirkendall, Daniela Martinez, Milouni Patel, Ritthikha Ragavan, Leighton Roberts, and Raajsria Thoppay. The students combined expertise in psychology, artificial intelligence, and simulation to build the prototype.
Roger Azevedo, a Pegasus Professor in the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training, leads the SMART Lab. His background in psychology informed the team's approach to modeling human responses in isolated environments. Cardell noted that the collaborative process strengthened the project, as each member contributed distinct skills from their respective academic disciplines.
The team was initially excited to be named among the top three finalists. They have since secured a winning white paper and plan to continue developing the StellarSync concept. Cardell described the final outcome as a rewarding experience after extensive research and effort, marking the project's successful completion in the competition.
