Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Morehead Takes Delivery of Second Space Antenna

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/11/21

Morehead State University in Kentucky has taken delivery of a second space antenna. The 12-meter tracking antenna was delivered to the university by NASA Deep Space Network operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There, it will serve as satellite tracking station for low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite mission support and as a training facility for students studying in the space systems engineering, astrophysics and astronomy programs.

The school already has another system, the 21-meter space tracking antenna. The new antenna will be set on the same hilltop and will build on the success of that larger one, which provides telemetry, tracking, ranging and commanding services for multiple missions. Construction will begin this spring with the goal of having the antenna fully operational by the end of 2022.

Morehead Takes Delivery of Second Space Antenna

Morehead University's 21-meter space antenna will soon share a hilltop with the school's second space antenna, which is 12 meters in size. Source: Morehead State University

"Dozens of students will have the opportunity to perform research projects, thesis projects and special topics courses on various aspects of the antenna system, not only after the instrument is operational but even during the installation and commissioning of the station," said Ben Malphrus, executive director of the university's Space Science Center, in an article about the project. "Space Systems Engineering graduates benefit from hands-on training and from directly supporting NASA space missions. Access to cutting-edge instruments like the 12-meter antenna represents a unique aspect of our program and make our graduates highly competitive in the aerospace workforce."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.