MSU alum honored at NASA for Crew-9 mission

NASA is once again recognizing the contributions of Morehead State Eagles to the field of space science.

NASA administrators chose MSU alum Brady Doepke to be involved in the ceremonial raising of the mission flag for Crew-9. Crew-9 is a mission involving NASA and SpaceX. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft launched two crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, Sept. 28. This marks the first human spaceflight mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex-40 in Florida, and NASA's ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the ISS.

Doepke started his education at Morehead State before continuing his education at the University of Kentucky (for bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering) and Virginia Tech, where he earned a Ph.D. in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in 2017. He is currently a structural engineer for NASA and was involved in the design of some of the equipment being used in the mission.

Dr. Kent Price, associate professor of physics at MSU, said his involvement in undergraduate research set Doepke's course for deep space.

"Out of the hundreds that are involved in such an undertaking, he was one of two chosen to raise the flag," Price said. "Brady worked for me as an undergraduate researcher all four years he was here, and his mother credits that experience and the other material and habits he learned from our faculty with propelling him to his position at NASA."

Find information on other programs in MSU's Department of Engineering Sciences by emailing Interim Chair Dr. Nilesh Joshi at n.joshi@moreheadstate.edu or by calling 606-783-2417.

Photo: Brady Doepke (left), MSU alum and structural engineer for NASA, was involved in NASA's ceremonial raising of the mission flag for Crew-9.