Space Gals - Joseph Barkoff's Portfolio

Is there water on the moon?

(Originally done for Mountain Workshops)

Students at Morehead State University think they know how to find out and are building a satellite the size of a cereal box that NASA plans to send into space.

The rural green hill country at Morehead may seem an unlikely scene for a cutting-edge space program, but MSU already has yielded two satellites now circling the earth and is laying plans for more. They are coming from MSU’s Space Science program, where students such as 19-year-old sophomore Katerina Frances Winters from Pleasureville in Henry County are learning by doing.

Katerina, “Kat” to her close friends and classmates who call themselves “Space Gals,” currently is on the team responsible for the creation of a satellite called Lunar IceCube. It follows the CXBN, launched in 2012, and its newer and improved upgrade CXBN-2, which was launched last March by NASA. These two CubeSats are measuring cosmic x-rays with the goal of better understanding the origins of the universe. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kentucky is a leader in space hardware.

In 2016, it was the nation's largest exporter of civilian aircraft, engines and parts and second to Washington State in aerospace fabrication. The CubeSat currently underway involves Katerina working in both the machine shop and the high bay where the actual assembly of the module takes place, inside a clean room.

“You have students like Katerina who get it,” says Dr. Dirk Grupe, 53, assistant professor of astrophysics and space science. “She is doing great in her classes.”

The students think the area on the moon where the dark and light sides meet may hold the secret to answering the question about water. There, as the sun’s radiation hits the surface, the temperature will rise almost 500 degrees, from minus 243 F to 250 F. In this area, if water is present, their satellite could detect it. The satellite is projected to launch in Katerina’s senior year, 2020.

"To see the launch (in) my senior year is going to be the payoff," she says.

Katerina Frances Winters, 19, from Pleasureville, Ky., puts away her books, clothes and personal items in the dark to no wake her dorm roommate and roommate’s comfort chihuahuah, in the morning after a math homework, dinner and slumber party with Katerina

Katerina Frances Winters, 19, from Pleasureville, Ky., puts away her books, clothes and personal items in the dark to not wake her dorm roommate and roommate’s comfort chihuahuah, in the morning after a math homework, dinner and slumber party with "the space gals."

Katerina tutors Emily Bujold, 24, from Fitchburg, Ma., with her improper integral math homework in the tutor center at MSU. Both Katerina and Emily are space science majors, and they and three other self proclaimed “gals” call themselves “the space gals.”

Katerina and fellow space gal, Akira King, 19, from Rock Castle County, walk home after a extended group math study “party.” Akira’s dorm is first, Katerina walks Akira in and then across to the star on the left, maybe twenty steps to hers.

Katerina takes a moment of respite from her studies and practices sight reading piano to relax.

Katerina helps Kristen Ammons, 20, from Morehead, with her math homework in fellow space gal, Emily’s bedroom at Emily’s apartment off MSU’s campus. Three of the five space gals are doing math, while the other two, Akira and Savanna Booten, 23, from Pikeille cook dinner.

Katerina and Kristen works on inputting the correct measurements to fabricate a mock section of the new satellite they are working on for NASA. Lunar IceCube is projected to launch in 2020 and is around the size of a cereal box, almost twice as large as M

Katerina and Kristen work on inputting the correct measurements to fabricate a mock section of the new satellite they are working on for NASA. Lunar IceCube is projected to launch in 2020 and is around the size of a cereal box.

Katerina and Kristen works on safety engineering in MSU’s High Bay with clean room in the Space Science Center. The two are completing MIUL’s [material identification usage list] and MUA’s[material usage agreement] to be in compliance with NASA in the con

Katerina and Kristen work on safety engineering in MSU’s High Bay with clean room in the Space Science Center. The two are completing MIUL’s [material identification usage list] and MUA’s[material usage agreement] to be in compliance with NASA in the construction of the satelite.

Akira serves up bowls of mac and cheese and chilli with jalepenos to the space gals, Savanna and Katerina at Emily’s apartment in Morehead.