Education
Morehead State University to Complete Unique Space Science Facility in 2009
By
Dec 9, 2007, 22:58

(NewsUSA) - Ever look up at the night sky, see a star and wonder where it is in outer space? In a modern world, space increasingly pervades our lives, but it is often in ways we may not even think about.

Modern technology, that depends on space, includes national defense and modern warfare, telecommunications, radio and television, data transfer and financial transactions, navigation, exploration and national space initiatives by NASA. It also depends on scientists and engineers - that's why Morehead State University is developing a space science center.

Nestled in the foothills of East Kentucky, Morehead State University might seem an unlikely place for a space science center, but it is now one of only four universities in the country to offer a space science degree, and in 2009 the school will complete a new $15.6 million facility. The university's space center will include a control center, digital star theater, space systems development laboratory, and micro/nano fabrication center. The program offered will be all about ground operations.

Morehead State University knows that there is currently a shortage of scientists and engineers, and wants to do something about it. Aerospace engineering degrees in the United States fell by an incredible 47 percent between 1991 and 2000. In addition, nearly 5,000 NASA employees will be eligible for retirement in the next decade. Because there are three times the number of engineers over age 60 as there are under age 30, NASA is experiencing a "graying" of its workforce.

In December 2004, Morehead State University completed the first phase of its space science center with an antenna system that is eight stories high. Earlier that year, the university's bachelor's degree was approved as the fourth such program in the United States. Now on offer are research and education initiatives in radio frequency astrophysics, satellite communications, and radio frequency microelectromechanical systems.

Morehead State University's goal for its space science and engineering program includes incorporating astronautical engineering. In addition, the university plans to provide a unique combination of space science and electrical engineering, with radio frequency and microwave, wireless technologies and micro/nano technologies. For more information about Morehead State University's space program, visit http://ssc.moreheadstate.edu.

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