MOREHEAD — The opening of Morehead State University’s new Space Science Center Thursday puts the university’s space program far ahead of where it was a decade ago.
The gleaming, 45,000-square-foot building is light years away, figuratively speaking, from the threadbare old house that served as its quarters then.
Packed with state-of-the-art equipment and linked to the 21-meter space antenna on the ridge overlooking Nunn Hall, the center will house a program designed both for research and to prepare students for jobs in the burgeoning space industry.
“This is the most exciting project in Morehead State history,” said MSU President Wayne Andrews during a ceremony to mark the opening.
In addition to classrooms and offices, the center houses electronics laboratories, an anechoic chamber that recreates the electromagnetic environment of space, rooftop antenna range, space systems development laboratory and a planetarium.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve gotten to this place,” said a beaming Ben Malphrus, professor of space science and director of the center. “We’ve come a long way.”
MSU’s four-pronged space science program includes academics, research, mission support and public outreach, Malphrus said.
MSU is one of only five universities in the country that offers a bachelor’s degree in space science.
Among other things, students in the program will staff actual space missions as ground control. The center houses a control room that will be linked to the 21-meter antenna, which will serve as a ground control link to a satellite to be launched in January by KySat, a research consortium of universities and private organizations.
The planetarium, called the Star Theater, is a 108-seat classroom that uses digital star projectors. The theater can be used both for space science classes, for visiting grade school and high school students, and for public presentations.
“The facility and the program create enormous opportunities for students,” Malphrus said. “The space economy grew last year. The job market is robust.”
The space industry includes much more than exploration, he said. Jobs are plentiful in finance, communications and other industries that rely on satellites for moving data.
MSU’s program differs from those at most universities in that undergraduates get involved with research projects, said staff electrical engineer Jeff Kruth. Virtually every course has a lab component, he said.
Still needed at the center is more electronic equipment, and that should be coming soon.
Gov. Steve Beshear, who attended the ceremony, announced that the program will receive a $750,000 equipment grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Over time, the center will aid the goal of developing a cottage aerospace industry in Kentucky, Malphrus said.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Kevin Goldy
Discussion
Space science center opens
Facility puts MSU light years ahead in research, academics
- Local News
-
-
2 recipes revealed in Sanders autobiography
Want to cook like the Colonel?
-
Vet picnic will be Saturday
Tri-State veterans are invited to a free outing on Saturday.
-
‘Building Doctors’ will make rounds in Portsmouth June 14,15
Main Street Portsmouth, TSHD Architects and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society will sponsor a Building Doctor Clinic for old-building owners in the Portsmouth area June 14 and 15.
-
3 arrested after meth lab found
The Boyd County Sheriff’s Department arrested three after discovering a meth lab at a home in Rush on Saturday.
-
Going with the flow
The popularity of water trails is growing in eastern Kentucky as more and more communities embrace adventure tourism as a way to paddle their economies forward.
-
State artists will shine at MSU show
Jennifer Reis wants Kentucky artists to have a chance to win prizes chosen especially for them.
-
Central Park festivities: Musical salute honors veterans
Many, including city officials, gathered Monday to enjoy music and festivities during the Memorial Day Celebration in Ashland’s Central Park on Monday afternoon.
-
An event fit for an American
Hundreds decked out in red, white and blue lined the streets as marching bands, local officials and floats galore made their way through the streets of Ironton Monday morning during the 144th annual Memorial Day Parade.
-
3 arrested for running meth lab
The Boyd County Sheriff's Department arrested three people after discovering a meth lab at a home in Rush.
-
Crowd deals with sizzling weather in paying respects
Although the weather called for scorching heat, many showed up to pay their respects at the Memorial Day celebration in Wurtland on Sunday.
- More Local News Headlines
-
2 recipes revealed in Sanders autobiography
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Raw Video: Cop Shoots Man Eating Another's Face
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Raw Video: Earthquake Shakes Evacuees in Italy
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
