MONACA, Pa. — Penn State Beaver is home to a piece of aerospace engineering history.
An Iridium satellite, flight model SV100, now hangs above the atrium stairwell in the Ross Administration Building, allowing an up-close view of the early technology that is part of Iridium Communications Inc.’s Block 1 satellite network, providing global voice and data communication.. The company’s satellites form a network in space that allows for communication coverage across the world.
The SV100, now at Beaver, built in 1997 as a backup in case of a launch failure, is a sister satellite to the model that is on display in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The campus is hosting an official unveiling celebration from noon to 2 p.m. on Aug. 27. Register for the unveiling here.
Penn State alumnus Walt Everetts facilitated the gift and installation of the satellite from Iridium to Penn State Beaver, and also made a personal gift to the project. A 1984 aerospace engineering graduate, Everetts was a 2+2 student who started his education at the Beaver campus and graduated from University Park. Everetts retired from Iridium in 2023 as the vice president of space and ground services.
Coming together
Penn State Beaver Director of Development Andrew DiPietrantonio said he first met Everetts in 2024 when Everetts was named an Outstanding Engineering Alumni by the Penn State College of Engineering.
Everetts told DiPietrantonio there was an Iridium satellite in Arizona that he hoped to have on display at Penn State. The pair worked together with Iridium and the University to bring the satellite to the Beaver campus, creating an educational and visually interesting focal point in the administration building atrium.
Alyssa Wilcox, vice president of development and alumni relations, said, “This generous gift from Iridium and Walt Everetts gives Penn State Beaver a piece of aerospace history to encourage interest in engineering, and it is a valuable addition to the campus’ STEM teaching labs.”
Everetts said he hopes the satellite will inspire students.
“Iridium is proud to be a responsible steward of space, helping drive innovations in constellation management and promoting STEM initiatives,” Everetts said. “My hope and aspiration are that this satellite sparks someone to move towards an engineering discipline and helps develop the next generation of space-based capabilities.”
For DiPietrantonio, the satellite is also a reminder of how the Commonwealth Campuses create a positive impact on the students who have studied here, whether for two years or more.
"Every day I come into work I look up at the Iridium satellite and smile and think about the amazing stories of our Penn State alumni, like Walt Everetts, whose educations and careers started here at the Commonwealth Campuses like Beaver," DiPietrantonio said.
Donors like Iridium and Everetts advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting https://raise.psu.edu/.