LSSU Senior Helps Power Technology Upgrade at Homestead Mission Operations Center

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — The Homestead Mission Operations Center (H-MOC) has taken another major step forward with the deployment of new modeling, simulation, and digital engineering capabilities designed to support education, research, and future space mission operations.

Lake Superior State University senior Hailey Lewis, a computer science major, played a key role in the recent technology upgrade at the H-MOC in Kincheloe. Lewis worked alongside Stanley O. Kennedy, Jr., Co-founder and CEO of Hypatius, LLC. (www.hypati.us), to modernize the facility’s digital engineering, modeling and simulation, and network infrastructure capabilities.

The H-MOC supports LSSU’s Space Missions and Operations Certificate program, providing students with hands-on experience in simulated space command-and-control operations modeled on real-world industry systems. The center is part of a broader effort to develop the Eastern Upper Peninsula’s capabilities and workforce to support the growing government and commercial space sectors.

The latest upgrades introduce new and improved tools and applications at the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation’s (www.chippewacountyedc.com) Homestead Mission Operations Center, expanding the capabilities available to students and researchers for digital engineering workflows, modeling and simulation, and the network systems that support the facility.

Lewis provided technical expertise and hands-on support throughout the upgrade and deployment process.

“Getting to work directly on real mission operations infrastructure has been an incredible experience,” said Lewis. “It’s one thing to study these systems in a classroom, and another to help build and improve them yourself.”

Kennedy said Lewis’s contribution demonstrates the value of connecting university students with real-world space technology and infrastructure.

“Hailey’s technical skill and reliability were invaluable throughout this upgrade,” said Kennedy. “Students like her are exactly why the future of this region’s role in the space industry looks so bright.”

With graduation on the horizon, Lewis’s work at the H-MOC adds to a growing resume as she prepares for a career in the field.

The technology upgrade also represents another step in the continuing collaboration among Lake Superior State University, the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, Hypatius, LLC, and regional partners to develop the talent, infrastructure, and technical capabilities needed to support Michigan’s growing space economy.

About the Homestead Mission Operations Center

Located in Kincheloe, Michigan, the Homestead Mission Operations Center is operated by the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation and provides infrastructure supporting space-related education, training, research, modeling and simulation, and mission operations. The facility supports efforts to establish Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula as a location for government, commercial, and academic space activities.