MSU-Northern's electronic engineering technology program is now building a satellite communication center that will allow students to communicate with a Stanford University satellite. Lloyd Stallkamp, an electronics instructor at MSU-Northern, heads the project. "We hope to be able to send and receive messages by the end of this year," says Stallkamp. "By next year, we hope to have the ability to track a number of satellites."

The project began after Stanford gave MSU-Northern some initial equipment to begin building a satellite communication center. When finished, the center at MSU-Northern will be able to monitor Stanford's satellite as it passes overhead. If the satellite is not transmitting properly, MSU-Northern will alert Stanford. In the future MSU-Northern intends to expand the program and to collaborate with other colleges that are building and launching satellites.

According to Dr. Stallkamp the satellite project will add a new dimension to technical education at MSU- Northern. "Not only is the satellite program cutting edge, but it fits perfectly into our program here at Northern," Stallkamp explains. "It ties the computers to the electronics program and gives the students an exciting way to be involved in the technology." The satellite program is part of MSU-Northern's effort to give students exposure to the kinds of technology that will appear in the next century.

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