Kentucky college students assisting in Artemis II moon mission

MOREHEAD, Ky. (WKYT) - Astronauts are headed back to the moon, and Kentucky is an important part of the Artemis II mission.

Morehead State University is playing a pivotal role, providing data using the university’s 21 m high-gain antenna. This piece of equipment is a part of NASA’s deep space network.

According to Chloe Hart, MSU Operations Engineer and Ground Station Lead, the antenna is nine stories tall and 70 ft from side to side. It will be able to track the Artemis II’s position and motion around the moon for the mission’s 10 day period.

The Artemis II will travel more than 2000 mph, and surpass distances of 254000 miles. Students of the university are aiding faculty in the mission. According to MSU Space Systems Engineering Student Mila Layne Shearer, ‘it’s the opportunity for students like us to be cogs in the wheel of this big picture global effort’.

Noah Partick, an MSU Space Systems Engineering Student says that “every Artemis that they launch just gets us one step closer to having a permanent moon base.”

The countdown for the launch is targeting a time of 6:24 p.m. at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and weather conditions are monitored as 80% favorable.