MOREHEAD — Morehead State University’s Space Science Center continues to attract top names in aerospace, and now the federal government is making a significant investment in its future.
During a ceremony Thursday at the Space Science Center, U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (R-Ky.) announced a federal earmark totaling nearly $10 million in Community Project Funding to broaden the region’s highly competitive deep space network. The funding will enhance 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 space missions,” said Rogers, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing science-related agencies. “This project will allow the space science center to support future NASA programs, including NASA’s Near Space Network, Artemis and the Moon to Mars Program. This means that students here at MSU will have firsthand access to more lunar and deep space tracking services that they cannot get anywhere else in the country.”
Congressman Rogers also requested another $7.5 million earmark for fiscal year 2025. The funding would enable MSU’s Space Science Center to provide payload operations for government and commercial space stations. The House Appropriations Committee approved the funding request pending ongoing budget negotiations.
MSU President Jay Morgan praised Rogers for his role in securing funding, calling the grant a milestone for the university.
“When you ask Congressman Rogers for help, he just smiles and says, ‘Let me see what I can do.’ You won’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 unmatched hands-on experiences, and contribute to the growing space economy in our region and in Kentucky.”
Dr. Ben Malphrus, executive director of MSU’s Space Science Center, described the funding as transformative for the program.
“This funding is a game-changer for Morehead State’s Space Science Program,” Malphrus said. “It enables us to further enhance our research and technological capabilities, allowing our students and faculty to participate in groundbreaking projects that contribute directly to the future of space exploration.”
During the ceremony, Rogers recognized the MSU team that recently helped save the U.S.’s latest mission to the moon. When a landing issue threatened the success of the Odysseus Lander (nicknamed “Odie”), MSU staff and students worked around the clock for 72 hours to resolve the problem. Rogers described it as heroic.
The team’s work was commemorated in the Congressional Record. Rogers noted that NASA Administrator Bill Nelson had called them the “saviors” of the mission.
“Morehead State was the only conduit between NASA and the private company that sent the lunar lander to the moon to conduct research,” Rogers said.
Learn about Space Systems Engineering at MSU by contacting Dr. Malphrus at b.malphrus@moreheadstate.edu or calling 606-783-2212. Find more information by emailing Interim Chair Dr. Nilesh Joshi at n.joshi@moreheadstate.edu or by calling 606-783-2417.