Dr. Benjamin K. Malphrus is Professor of Space Science at Morehead State University, where he also directs the University’s Space Science Center. He served as project director of the design and construction of the 13 M Morehead Radio Telescope and, more recently, the 21 M Space Tracking Antenna operated by the center. He has served on the scientific staff of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, as a visiting scientist at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and on the faculty of universities, including the University of South Carolina and West Virginia University. He is author of a book on the evolution of instrumentation in radio astronomy, editor of a book on Small Satellite Technologies, and author of numerous publications in science and engineering journals. 

D. Malphrus has served as Principal Investigator on several nanosatellite missions, including KySat-1, KySat-2, the Cosmic X-Ray Background Nanosatellite (CXBN), CXBN-2, TechSat-1, DM-7, and Lunar IceCube, and has had various roles on other microsatellite missions. Seven of these satellite missions have flown in space to date. He currently leads an effort (supported by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems) to upgrade the 21-meter ground station at Morehead State to become the NASA Deep Space Network node for interplanetary smallsats. He and his team were awarded a $24million program by NASA in 2016 to develop and send a space probe (Lunar IceCube) to the Moon to investigate the transport physics of lunar volatiles, including water ice. Lunar IceCube will launch on the maiden voyage of NASA’s newest rocket- the Space Launch System, that, when it launches in 2020, will be the largest rocket launched in the history of the space program.

Dr. Malphrus established several academic programs at Morehead State University, including the B.S. in Space Science, BS in Astrophysics, and M.S. in Space Systems Engineering. In 2019, Morehead State began to offer a B.S. in Space Systems Engineering, the only undergraduate aerospace engineering program in Kentucky- this degree program evolved from the space science program. Dr. Malphrus served on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Science Teachers Association from 1990- 1994 and as president of that organization in 1996. Additionally, he has served on numerous state-wide committees (Statewide EPSCoR for two years, NASA EPSCoR for 14 years, Kentucky Space Grants Consortium for 14 years). Dr. Malphrus has published papers in scientific journals on topics ranging from extragalactic astrophysics to instrumentation in radio astronomy to space systems engineering. He has managed over 100 grant projects totaling over $34 million and negotiated transfers and gifts of scientific equipment to the university totaling over $7 million. In 1994, 1995, and 1996 Dr. Malphrus was awarded the NASA JOVE research fellowship for research in the structure and kinematics of gravitationally interacting galaxies. This research led to the discovery of the first genuinely young galaxy ever observed in an interacting field, NGC 5291-B. Recently, Dr. Malphrus has been involved in promoting, capitalizing, designing, and constructing a $15.6 million state-of-the-art research, development, and education center for the space science program. 

In the late 1990s, Dr. Malphrus developed a theory of galaxy formation that has gained wide acceptance among the astronomical community. 
In 2017, Dr. Malphrus helped to establish the Kentucky Aerospace Industry Consortium (KAIC) at the request of Kentucky’ Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton. KAIC was established to engage universities, state government, and the private sector in the development and implementation of a strategic plan to evolve the aerospace industry, the most important industry in the Commonwealth. Dr. Malphrus has served as the President of KAIC since its inception in 2016.    Continuing collaborations with NASA, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Department of Defense. Managed contracts for satellite mission support with NASA and commercial ventures. Promoted, capitalized, designed, and constructed a $15.4 Million state-of-the-art research, development, and education center for space science. Developed high-precision flux calibration methods for the 21 M radio telescope. Developed a theory of galaxy formation that has gained wide acceptance among the astronomical community.