October 11, 2016

Natural Resources Official Says Getting Rid of Trash is 1 Step to Avoiding Wildlife

U.S Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Natural Resources officials at the Air Force Academy are not surprised by the abundant reports of wildlife. Brain Mihlbachler, Natural Resources official, said surprise visits from wildlife in base housing can be reduced if residents use animal-resistant trash containers with working doors and lids that can be locked or latched. “[Garbage] is dangerous, unnatural and unhealthy for bears and other wildlife,” he said. “It can make wildlife comfortable in populated areas, so remove and secure food or garbage. Mihlbachler said female bears could return to the base housing...

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October 31, 2017

How the Air Force Academy’s Aeronautics Department Innovates

(Col. John Cinnamon/U.S. Air Force photo) Interview by Marsha Barancik, Oct. 30, 2017 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- In the last decade, the Air Force Academy’s Aeronautics Department, with the support of the $125 million Aeronautics Research Center/Aeronautics Lab and the High Performance Computing Research Center, has transformed itself from a traditional academic program into a unique modeling center that accelerates the development of innovative aeronautics solutions for U.S. military and other federal agencies. Col John Cinnamon, Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Aeronautics shares how it enables cadets to reinforce warfighter capabilities. MB: How is the...

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February 24, 2017

Update: Cadets selected to compete in round 2 of NASA space-habitat design competition

By John Van Winkle, U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs.   National Institute of Aerospace officials invited cadets to compete in the next round of the RASC-AL Space Habitat Competition's in March. If the team makes it through the next cut, they'll compete in the competition's final round, May 31-June 2 in Florida. The cadets are designing a space habitat module to use in low-Earth orbit after the International Space Station is no longer available. To complete in round 1, cadet researchers submitted the required 5-page abstract and two-minute video. Teams making it through the first round submit a mid-project...

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February 24, 2017

Academy physics experiment goes to International Space station

By John Van Winkle, U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs.   A cadet and faculty space physics experiment is in the hands of astronauts aboard the International Space station, more than 250 miles above the Earth. The latest Air Force Academy academic product in space is the Space Test Program-Houston 5 Automated Plume Sentry or “APS.” The sentry was delivered by Space-X Corporation’s CRS-10 mission, resupplying cargo and experiments to the station. Dr. Geoff McHarg, director of the Academy’s Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center, said space might be a vacuum but it’s far from empty. “It contains countless micrometeoroids...

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April 14, 2017

Academy’s Operations Research Program recognized for reach, excellence

  By John Van Winkle/April 11, 2017 U.S. Air Force Academy. Colo. -- The U.S. Air Force Academy won a high-level award April 4 for its work to advance operations research and prepare graduates to be research practitioners, as Air Force analysts. The 2017 UPS George D. Smith Prize was presented to the Academy at the 2017 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research in Las Vegas, Nevada. The annual event draws more than 1,000 leading and international analytics and operations professionals. “By teaming with a variety of organizations to provide its students access to 'real world' data and...

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April 24, 2017

Astronautics Department to retire ‘workhorse’ satellite

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs/April 24, 2017 The Astronautics Department here is scheduled to transfer control of its longest-running satellite to amateur radio operators. FalconSAT-3, built by cadets and faculty at the Astronautics Department, launched into space in March 2007 atop an Atlas V rocket for a one-year scientific mission. “FalconSAT-3 has an amazing history,” said Maj. Anna Gunn-Golkin, astronautics instructor. “It’s been an Air Force science and training workhorse for 10 years. FalconSAT-3’s science mission continued well past its design lifetime and, since it's still flying high after its primary mission was completed, the Air Force Academy has...

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May 2, 2017

Cadets showcase FalconSAT program at end-of-semester review

Ray Bowden/May 2, 2017 Cadets gave an end-of-semester review on the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Satellite Program to faculty and the school’s space-community partners April 28. The FalconSAT program is the Academy’s small-satellite engineering program. Cadets design, built, test and operate satellites, guided by faculty and technical-staff as part of a year-long senior capstone design experience. The program is administered by the Academy’s Space Systems Research Center under the direction of the Astronautics Department. Col. Martin France, head of the Academy’s Astronautics Department, said the review served several purposes. “The cadets get the opportunity to hone their briefing skills in...

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August 29, 2017

USAFA wins INFORMS award

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs, Aug. 29, 2017 The Institute for Operations Research and Management awarded the prestigious 2017 UPS George Smith Prize to the U.S. Air Force Academy for its innovative Operations Research program, Aug. 25. Smith was a UPS chief executive officer who championed operations research at Fortune 500 corporations. Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost, the Academy’s dean of the faculty, accepted the prize from UPS and INFORMS officials at the Academy. “It’s an amazing honor to be in the company of such distinguished universities,” he said regarding other academic institutions that have won the award, including MIT...

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September 19, 2017

CyberWorx “design thinking” delivers solutions to AF problems

by Col. Jeffrey Collins, Air Force CyberWorx director/Sept. 19, 2017 We're celebrating the anniversary of Air Force CyberWorx. In a year we've completed 10 design sprints; worked with over 100 Air Force and DoD operators on wicked problems; taught nearly 75 cadets "design thinking" methods; sent cadets for internships and brought almost 50 industry and academic partners into our studios to help us solve AF problems by pioneering new contracting mechanisms with the help of the Academy's legal, contracting, security, and communications squadrons. These programs affect a lot of people and organizations, but we need more. The Air Force has...

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November 1, 2017

Human-machine research teaches cadets design, human factors, culture

Jenn Kuster, U.S. Air Force Academy Dean of Faculty research publicist, Oct. 31, 2017 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The idea of an endearing, interactive and witty robot companion may elicit nostalgic flashbacks of Rosie and the Jetsons, but this is not 2062 and the star of the show is not a two-dimensional robot maid. The year is 2017 and autonomous systems are penetrating societies around the world: from self-driving vehicles and robot waiters in restaurants to robot wingmen flying alongside human pilots. Indeed, the United States Air Force’s vision is for humans and robots to partner as teammates for...

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