Ky. professors see increase in aerospace as projects head to the stars

Heard kentucky's adding a new famous export...space.

On board some nasa and space-x missions this year were projects designed at kentucky universities.

Abc 36's chelsea smith reports that's translating to more kentucky students interested in aerospace engineering.

### dirk "we are building a lunar mission right now in morehead and that is absolutely crazy when you think about it."

And it's not only faculty at morehead state university...but also students building that mission along with many other projects...including a deep space antenna.

Ben "it's pretty extraordinary our students literally get their hands on hardware that flies in space."

Uk is also working on a project with students that space-x launched earlier this month... in hopes one day of helping t he space station repair holes more permanently... dusan "what astronauts do right now, if they get some hole, they plug it with, you wouldn't believe, duct tape."

Over the past five to seven years...both universities say they've seen more students interested in the field.

Right now, morehead has about 150 students in its program... and there are around 100 at uk... also the aerospace industry is the number one export in the state of kentucky ben "people think it's the automotive or the distillation industry or thorobreds."

And students don't have to look in another galaxy for jobs... dirk "there's lots of jobs still here in kentucky.

If students are very bound to their families, they really don't have to leave kentucky."

U-k offers an aerospace certificate...but not a degree...yet.

Alex "so, 30 students a year that leaves the state for undergrad degree in aerospace, so they go to other programs."

But with a degree in the works at u-k and nasa's plans to send a.... m-s-u project to space in 2021...kentucky universities are hoping to keep their students in state... their projects...out of this world.

Chelsea smith, abc 36 news christmas isn't just a busy time for shoppers and retailers.