12-meter space tracking antenna enhances learning opportunities

Morehead State space systems engineering students have even more resources to explore the stars with the installation of the new 12-meter tracking antenna.

The NASA Deep Space Network at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) transferred the antenna to MSU last year. It will serve as a satellite tracking station for low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite mission support and a training facility for space systems engineering, astrophysics, and astronomy students, allowing them to gain experience in space mission operations.

Dr. Ben Malphrus, executive director of MSU’s Space Science Center, said the new dish will allow the Space Science Center to take on new aerospace support contracts while ensuring a dish is always available for students.

Malphrus said students are playing an integral role in the installation.

“We have and will continue to involve dozens of students in the development and commissioning of the 12-meter ground station. It is these kinds of programs that provide relevant hands-on experiences for our engineers in training.”

The project will take another 12 to 18 months to complete, and Malphrus said the goal is to have the dish operational in the second quarter of 2025.

Morehead State is a NASA Space Grant University. The Space Grant national network includes over 850 affiliates from universities, colleges, industry, museums, science centers, and state and local agencies.

Explore how MSU students connect with this universe and beyond at www.moreheadstate.edu/science.