MOREHEAD, Ky. – Some of the most prominent names in the aerospace industry continue to use the faculty, students and resources at Morehead State’s Space Science Center for missions. Now, the US government is investing to expand its capabilities.
During a ceremony at the Space Science Center on Thursday, October 17, US Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced a federal reserve of nearly $10 million in community project funding to expand the highly competitive space network deep in the region. The funding will upgrade MSU’s two space tracking stations to support future government-funded and commercial space programs.
“The staff and students at Morehead State are now involved in some of the United States’ most innovative and historic missions in space. This project will allow the space science center to support future NASA programs, including NASA’s Near Space Network, Artemis, and the Moon on Mars Program,” said Congressman Rogers, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Representatives of federal science-related funding agencies. “This means students here at MSU will have first-hand access to more lunar and deep space tracking services that they can’t get anywhere else in the country.”
Congressman Rogers also requested another $7.5 million reserve for fiscal year 2025 so that MSU’s Space Science Center can provide payload operations for government and commercial space stations. The House Appropriations Committee approved the funding request, pending ongoing budget negotiations.
The president of MSU, Dr. Jay Morgan said Congressman Rogers has been instrumental in obtaining federal funding for Morehead State, and this marks another milestone in the University’s trajectory.
“It’s always a pleasure working with the congressman because when you ask him for money, he just smiles and says, ‘let me see if I can help.’ You don’t hear from him for about six months and then, poof, the check shows up,” Morgan said. “This funding will allow us to expand our capabilities, provide our students with unparalleled hands-on experiences, and contribute to the growing space economy in our region and in Kentucky.”
“This funding is a game changer for Morehead State’s Space Science Program. This enables us to further enhance our research and technology capabilities, allowing our students and faculty to participate in innovative projects that directly contribute to the future of space exploration,” said Dr. Ben Malphrus, the Center’s executive director. of Space Sciences MSU.
To underscore the importance of this investment, Congressman Rogers recognized the staff and students who saved the last US mission to the Moon after a turbulent landing damaged the Odysseus Lander (aka “Odie”) by submitting a tribute in the Congressional Record commemorating the team that NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called the “saviors” of the nation’s first lunar landing mission since the Apollo era. It’s one of the many reasons Congressman Rogers stated that Morehead State has become “a household name within NASA” and why he considers MSU students among its top recruits.
“Morehead State was the only conduit between NASA and the private company that sent the lunar lander to the Moon to conduct research. The multimillion-dollar mission was at risk of failure, but it was the staff and students here in our Appalachian Mountains who worked around the clock for 72 hours to save that historic mission,” Rogers said.
The Congressional Record, which is held at the Library of Congress, recognizes the work of MSU staff members Ryan Collins (Engineer/Field Station Operator), Diddy Didier (Class of 2023, Engineer/Base Station Operator), Nathan Fite (Class of 2011, Instructor), Engineer/Ground Station Operator), Chloe Hart Groves (Class of 2020, 2024, Engineer/Ground Station Operator), Seifalla Moustafa (Space Systems Engineer – Software), Christopher Smith (Engineer/ field station operator) and Emily Walter (Class of 2020, 2022, instructor and RF engineer). MSU students recognized include Carrie Bruce, a junior space systems engineering student from Lancaster, Noah Patrick (class of 2023), a graduate assistant from Frenchburg, and Mila Shearer, a junior space systems engineering student from Hebron.
Learn about Space Systems Engineering at MSU by contacting Dr. Malphrus in [email protected] or by calling 606-783-2212.
Find information on other programs in MSU’s Department of Engineering Sciences by emailing Interim Chair Dr. Nilesh Joshi at [email protected] or by calling 606-783-2417.
More Kentucky business news here.