$10 million has been earmarked for Morehead State University’s Space Science Center. Officials said the funding will be used to enhance the two space tracking stations on campus to support future government-funded and commercial space programs.
The money allows the center to upgrade its ground station with NASA’s new requirements to be Lunar Exploration Ground Station or LEGS compliant. MSU officials hope the school will become one of NASA’s ground stations for the next trip to the moon.
Dr. Ben Malphrus is the Director of MSU’s Space Science Center. He said Morehead State is one of the few universities with comparable ground station technology in the U.S.
“We're a pretty elite company in terms of other universities. Now, what the LEGS stations are going to be is NASA's going to create three of their own. So, three will be government-owned, and then they're trying to get independent companies, aerospace companies, out to build our own, to invest and build our own systems. And so, we'll be really unique. We may be the only university LEGS-compliant station,” said Malphrus.
Malphrus added the money will allow them to upgrade to the station to stream three frequencies at once.
“It gives us much, much more capability, higher power, or greater sensitivity and now three frequencies simultaneously instead of one at a time. So, tremendous new capabilities, that's again exactly consistent with what NASA needs for its new lunar exploration activities,” said Malphrus.
The upgrade to three frequencies increases potential communication between MSU and equipment on the moon.
Congressman Hal Rogers has also requested $7.5 million in Community Project Funding for the 2025 fiscal year. That money would allow MSU’s Space Science Center to provide payload operations for government and commercial space stations. The funding request was approved by the House Appropriations Committee and is pending ongoing budget negotiations.