United States Air Force Academy

Cadet Research Spotlight: The New and Improved Digital Holography Demonstration System

Tom Myers — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 20:00:35 +0000

Cadet Research Spotlight: The New and Improved Digital Holography Demonstration System

The Digital Holography Demonstration (DHD) project began in 2019 as a partnership between Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and the USAFA Physics Department to build, test and improve a hands-on demonstration tool intended to show basic-to-advanced principals in optics, lasers, atmospheric physics and signal processing. The tool is designed to convey these complex topics in an interactive manner for both STEM outreach and for discussing these technologies with high-level leadership. AFRL funded the project to help encourage more participation in STEM and optics and laser career fields. Over the last few years, the number of physics majors studying optics and lasers has been low. Fortunately, the USAFA Physics Department has recognized the importance of this field and plans to require all physics majors to take a lasers & optics course in the future.

Last year, 2Lt Connor Vikupitz (’20) and C1C Ryan Schneider (’21) helped build and test the original DHD system as part of a 499 independent research course. Lt Vikupitz demonstrated the system at the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum (CSURF) 2019 and presented their results at the Education and Training in Optics & Photonics (ETOP) conference in 2019. C1C Schneider was set to present the updated project at CSURF 2020 this spring; however, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. At CSURF 2020, the team hoped to demonstrate the new dynamic turbulence system prototype they developed to simulate real-world dynamic turbulence within the DHD. C1C Schneider is currently serving as a summer intern at Lockheed Martin where he is applying the ideas he learned in his USAFA DHD research.

Lt Vikupitz is currently on casual status at Nellis Air Force Base awaiting pilot training. Lt Vikupitz and C1C Schneider were supported by Maj Casey Pellizzari, a 62E Electrical Engineer with a background in Electro Optics.

To learn more about research at your Air Force Academy, contact the Research Office at DFRO_Office_of_Research@usafa.edu. You can also visit the Research Office webpage: click here.

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AF Academy’s Class of 2024 begins Basic Cadet Training

Raymond Bowden — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 20:32:16 +0000

Story by Ray Bowden, photos by Josh Armstrong and Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Stratton, June 25, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The global COVID-19 pandemic may have changed how more than 1,100 young men and women arrived at the Air Force Academy and began Basic Cadet Training June 25, but the school’s top officer is confident the precautions will pay off.

Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, the Academy’s superintendent, said while the coronavirus has presented challenges to the Academy, there are strict plans in place to protect the basic trainees and the school’s staff and families.

“We are dedicated to keeping everyone safe and healthy but need your help,” he said, while speaking to new trainees in the Holaday Athletic Center. “Follow our health and safety guidelines, wear your masks and social distance whenever possible.”

Each trainee is to be tested for the coronavirus, quarantined and monitored for two weeks, among other precautions.

Despite those precautions, Silveria called the arrival of the new cadets a “favorite day.”

“I get to greet the best and brightest young leaders this country has to offer,” he said. “You are here not only because you’ve accepted this challenge, but because we are confident in your abilities and potential.”

Successfully completing Basic Cadet Training’s six weeks of mental and physical training is among the first steps the new cadets will take toward earning a commission as an Air or Space force officer.

Excited but Nervous
Four new trainees are apprehensive about the challenges of Basic Cadet Training but said they’re happy to begin their Air Force careers.

Daphny Wilches, from Tampa, Florida, has wanted to attend the Academy since she was a child. The 18-year-old plans to pursue two academic majors at the Academy: computer engineering and cyber science.

“I’m looking forward to pursuing all opportunities and meeting everyone,” she said.

Milton Wilches, Daphny’s father, a retired Air Force staff sergeant, supports his daughter’s decision to attend the Academy.

“She’s got what it takes, and our family is very excited for her,” he said.

Daphny Wilches knows Basic Cadet Training will be tough but said she plans to “take it one day at a time.”

“I’m going to try to be the best I can in the moment and be encouraging,” she said.

Jon Clark, 19, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is a 2020 graduate of the Academy’s prep school. He hopes to become a C-17 Globemaster pilot.

“That’s my main purpose for coming here,” he said. “My father is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and taught me love and respect for the military.”

Evan Haskins, 18, is from Pellham, New Hampshire.

“I’m excited but nervous about finally getting here,” he said. “It still doesn’t feel real.”

Haskins said becoming an Academy cadet has been a lifelong goal.

“I’ve wanted this for so long, since elementary school,” he said.

Master Sgt. Jared Flores, the Cadet Wing’s Group 2 superintendent, is among the enlisted military trainers who guide and mentor the cadet cadre. He said the Academy’s enlisted training cadre represents “the boots on the group perspective” for the cadets who lead basic training.

“The NCO corps is vital to the Academy,” he said. “The cadets couldn’t accomplish the Academy’s mission without us, and we couldn’t accomplish it without them.”

Silveria encouraged the new trainees to commit to the school’s climate of dignity and respect, where discrimination and intolerance is unacceptable.

“We expect all of you to embody our core values: integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do,” he said.

Silveria, a 1985 Academy graduate, said BCT will be difficult but the cadet cadre will do everything they can to ensure each new trainee succeeds.

“You’re not alone and never will be,” he said. “We have an outstanding professional staff and faculty dedicated to supporting you.”

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AF Academy remembers 2017 graduate, pilot ‘Kage’ Allen

Raymond Bowden — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 20:01:04 +0000

Story by Ray Bowden, June 19, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The Air Force Academy graduate who died earlier this week when his fighter jet crashed into the North Sea is remembered for his smile and love for people.

First Lt. Kenneth Allen, 27, was assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing, England, when his F-15C fighter jet went down off the East Yorkshire coast, June 15.

Allen was from Perry, Utah. He left the Academy in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering and went on to pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Oregon.

“What really stood out was his love of airplanes and flying,” said aeronautical engineering professor Thomas Yechout.

“He was always smiling in class and he was a great team player,” Yechout said. “He was the guy you’d want to have as a friend.”

Allen earned a private pilot’s license as a teenager and eventually made the Academy flying team’s roster, competing in national flying competitions.

“The flying team is pretty elite but he was a good student, too,” Yechout said. “Somehow he managed to balance academics with flying.”

Allen made the Dean’s List seven times, among his other accomplishments.

Aeronautics professor Aaron Byerley was Allen’s jet engine propulsion instructor.

“Kenneth was a real pleasure to have in class,” he said. “He was sincerely interested in learning and understanding the material.”

Byerley said Allen always was always engaging in class.

“It greatly enriched the learning experience for his classmates,” he said. “He set the example in terms of military decorum. He was always very courteous and sharp. It was a privilege to get to know him.”

Like a Brother
Cadet 2nd Class Jordan Lukow remembers Allen as the ideal leader and friend. Allen and Lukow were assigned to Cadet Squadron 34 where Allen served as the unit’s cadet commander for a semester.

Allen’s friends called him “Kage,” a nickname based on the initials of his grandparents.

“Kage was kind and bold and tough in all the ways you’d want someone to be tough,” Lukow said. “He was always looking out for me. He was like an older brother.”

Lukow met Allen during his April 2016 appointee visit to the Academy and said Allen took him “under his wing” once he officially became a cadet.

“Kage loved the Academy, its opportunities and people,” he said. “People were really important to him. He always made time for other cadets.”

Last year, Lukow gave Allen his first official salute as a newly minted second lieutenant, and Allen pinned on Lukow’s “prop and wings” during the March 2017 cadet recognition ceremony.

“Kage was the best blood this country has to offer,” Lukow said. “Anyone who met him was lucky. Any mom or dad would have been proud to have him as their son. Now that he’s gone, we all have to step up and do our part to follow in his footsteps.”

On Kage
Allen arrived at Lakenheath in February where he was the squadron’s chief of weapons and tactics at the time of his death.

British news reports indicate his jet went missing at approximately 9:30 a.m. June 15, and was found later that day.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lieutenant Allen, and mourn with his family and fellow Reapers in the 493rd Fighter Squadron,” said Col. Will Marshall, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing. Pilots assigned to the squadron are nicknamed “Grim Reapers.”

Allen is survived by his wife, Hannah Allen, and his parents, Deborah and Charles Allen of Perry, Utah.

“Kage didn’t make excuses and he didn’t put up with wimps,” Lukow said. “Everyone loved and respected him because he loved and respected them.”

[Editor’s note: Allen and Lukow served on church missions for two years between their freshmen and sophomore years, accounting for their extended time at the Academy.]

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‘Why limit yourself?’: Cadet combines majors to make Shakespeare more accessible

Raymond Bowden — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 18:30:13 +0000

Ray Bowden, June 8, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — A cadet’s project has the potential to benefit next year’s crop of English students as they wade through the works of William Shakespeare.

Cadet 2nd Class Brynn Sulte, a computer science and English major, created a database to help other students at the Air Force Academy analyze more than 150 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet.

“The goal is to make this database available in a classroom setting and develop it more broadly for research,” she said.

Daniel Couch, an English professor at the school, said Sulte’s work boosts the capabilities of a database compiled by other Academy English professors Steven Olsen-Smith and William Newmiller, for English 211Z, an experimental class for computer science majors.

“The plan is to make the database available to other English 211Z students,” Couch said. “Once that database is rolled out, we’ll test it out with the larger cadet population.”

English 211Z relies on XML – Extensible Markup Language – a universal component in computer programs.

“Cadet Sulte used 21st-Century technology to shed new light on Shakespeare’s works,” Couch said. “This is something uncommon in humanistic study and the computer science-engineering world.”

Sulte said the project highlights a unique interdisciplinary research opportunity.

“I wanted to show that combining arts and science isn’t strange or counter-intuitive. It should be embraced,” she said. “Why would you ever limit yourself to one discipline?”

Sulte is among the 3,000 cadets who left the Academy in March due to the global COVID-19 pandemic to continue her coursework via distance learning. Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria released all but the senior cadets and a few underclassmen-and-women from campus to protect the health of the base population.

Much of Sulte’s work on the project took place at her family’s home in Anchorage, Alaska.

“I’ve been able to spend more time with family and get outside and hike or run,” she said. “I can’t wait to see my friends and instructors at the Academy.”

The project allows the Academy’s English majors to compile information about Shakespeare’s sonnets on request.

“The new field of digital humanities brings those two areas together,” Sulte said. “It uses traditional methods of approach to literature while incorporating skills like web design, computer programming and linguistic analysis. I wanted to see how technology could be used to reveal new elements of literature.”

Sulte said she hopes to become a Space Force officer after graduating from the Academy.

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Academy announces new data science major

Raymond Bowden — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 20:28:56 +0000

By Jennifer Spradlin, June 5, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Data + analysis = command decision.

This simple equation can be applied to most modern military action and shows how one element must be in concert with the other to create the right sight picture for commanders.

“It’s not enough to have more data than our adversaries. It’s how we understand the information and use it at the speed of relevance that matters,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein.

To better prepare future officers in the Air and Space forces, the Academy has created a data science major, approved by the Academy Board, June 4. The Academy will also introduce data science principles into various academic disciplines.

“Data science is the tip of the spear in terms of importance to winning future conflicts,” said Professor Bradley Warner, data science program director. “It has also emerged as a leading new career field in the private sector, so much so that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine advocated that all undergraduate students receive a foundation in data science.”

The data science major will be interdisciplinary, built with core classes from the Academy’s management, math, computer science and philosophy departments. Warner anticipates this technical discipline will appeal to a wide cross-section of cadets, including those who struggle in advanced math courses but want to pursue a technical degree.

Cadet 3rd Class Devin Wasilefsky will be one of the first cadets to major in data science.

“I was attracted to the Air Force and the Academy for the opportunities you’re given to gain a skillset and a top-tier education,” he said. “Data science is such a broad capability that it will be useful during my military service, but it also lends itself to employment opportunities in the civilian sector.”

Forbes recently ranked data scientist as the “best job in America” for three years in a row.

After graduation, Wasilefsky hopes to serve in hospital management and use data science to improve hospital efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Dean of Faculty Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre celebrated the new major in a June 5 statement announcing its approval.

“Graduates of the data science major will have the strong decision-making capabilities expected of the Air and Space force leaders in this increasingly data-drive world,” she wrote.

The data sciences major is the newest major at the Academy. In fall 2019, the Academy relaunched the space operations major and approved a space warfighting minor this month.

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Getting a ‘space sense’: Academy adds space warfighting class for cadets

Raymond Bowden — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 17:23:18 +0000

Story by Ray Bowden, photo by Trevor Cokely, June 6, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Cadets at the Air Force Academy will see a new minor added to their academic schedules: space warfighting.

The Academy Board approved the addition of a mandatory space warfighting minor earlier this month, starting with the class of 2023. The board determines educational policies at the school under Air Force and Defense Department guidelines.

“It’s exciting that the Academy has a leading role in educating Space Force officers and that we’re the first commissioning source to commission those officers,” said Academy board adviser and vice dean of curriculum and strategy, Col. Dan Uribe.

Cadets will benefit from the new coursework whether they commission into the Air or Space force, said aeronautics head, Col. Doug Wickert. Wickert has been nominated to be on the Academy Board.

“Cadets have the rare opportunity to be part of the birth of a new warfighting domain,” he said. “We’ve used space for military and support operations for a long time, but we’ve always treated it as a permissive environment. That has changed and space is now a deeply-contested environment.”

Wickert said the course will give engineering majors in his department new opportunities to solve problems.

“In its basic form, engineering is about applying scientific principles to solve practical problems,” he said. “Many problems cadets will solve in the Air or Space force are ill-defined — there’s no straightforward solution — but our graduates will be comfortable with defining the warfighting domain of space.”

The Academy is the ideal institution to create officers with a greater operational and strategic understanding of space, said astronautics head and board member, Col. Luke Sauter.

“It’s natural that the Space Force would spring from the Air Force,” he said. “It’s an exciting time in our history. Cadets have designed, built and operated satellites performing Air Force and DOD missions since 1954. Graduates have played leading roles in the exploitation of space and 42 graduates have become astronauts, continuing their space-domain leadership.”

Uribe said the intent of the space warfighting minor is to make space accessible to every cadet.

“Cadets can decide whether to commission into the Air or Space force when they choose their major,” he said. “From my perspective, we want to get a ‘space sense’ similar to what we do with ‘air to make sure space becomes something cadets are comfortable with.”

The new coursework will allow cadets in any academic major to contribute to modern warfare, Sauter said, and he expects more adjustments to come in the future.

“The curriculum committee recommends improvements and updates to the department of astronautics curriculum to ensure the relevancy and impact of our programs,” he said.

Wickert said the mandate from senior Air and Space force officials to develop officers with an innate understanding of the latest technology places the Academy at an advantage.

“When the 2018 National Defense Strategy called for an increased focus of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – STEM – education, it echoed the focus of the ‘space race’ during the 1960s, when the Academy committed to graduating more than half of each class with STEM degrees,” he said.

“There is no doubt the Academy will play a large role in defining the educational DNA of Space Force officers,” Wickert said. “We’ll do everything we can to get it right.”

The first 86 officers to commission into the Space Force graduated from the Academy April 18.

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‘Join me’: A commentary from the Air Force Academy superintendent

Raymond Bowden — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 23:02:42 +0000

By Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent, June 3, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Team USAFA,

Years ago, racial tension hit our institution. I insisted then that we could not allow it to define us or question our values. I insisted that if you could not treat someone with dignity and respect, you did not belong here. Today I am asking you to join me once again to renew our commitment to those values.

As an institution of higher learning, dialogue on societal issues must be a priority at this Academy, and I can think of no other time in my nearly four decades in uniform where that dialogue is as important as it is right now. This is not a time for silence, but it can be a time for introspection, reflection and discussion. It is a time to listen, to learn, and to be inclusive of all voices. It is a time to acknowledge that disparities exist in our nation and within our Force, and that we must all be willing to talk about the realities of social injustice. Now is a time to work together towards change.

I have tasked our senior leadership team to ensure that we continue the crucial conversations we would normally have with cadets, faculty, and staff despite the current limitations of COVID. If there is an answer to the problems our society currently faces, it is in constructive conversation. The product of these conversations is understanding, empathy, progress – and strength. Just like our nation, our military is woven of an incredibly diverse fabric. When we understand one another that fabric becomes stronger. If you are like me, you are confused, angry and need to discuss what is going on in our nation. More importantly, if you are like me you are also eager to understand why. You will hear more soon about opportunities for us to have these conversations. These conversations are difficult which is precisely why they are important.

Our values as an Air Force and as an Academy do not change due to our current circumstances of geographic separation. Violence against our fellow Americans has no place in our work toward positive change. Instead, we must provide the example of leadership and character our nation expects of us. I acknowledge that all in our USAFA community have a right to peaceful protest, and we have sworn an oath to defend that right, but I ask that you avoid any situation at risk of becoming violent. If you don’t like what you see going on across our nation, and around the world, you can join me and affecting positive change here, by taking part in shaping our culture, and by ensuring that all among us are treated with dignity and respect.

Positive change and transformational ideas are borne of education. The leaders of character we are developing at this Academy will shape the future our Air and Space Forces, our military, and our nation for decades to come. We have a duty as an Academy community to ensure that these leaders are prepared to lead women and men regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. If we model a culture of dignity and respect here, they will take that culture out into our Force and into our society. Join me, it starts here.

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Air Force Academy supports Mountain West Conferences’ statement on positive social change

Raymond Bowden — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:17:20 +0000

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs, June 2, 2020
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The Mountain West published a statement decrying racism and violence on its official website, June 1.

The Air Force Academy is part of MW collegiate athletic conference.

“Racial injustice and acts of violence against members of our communities are never acceptable,” the statement reads. ”The member institutions of the Mountain West together reaffirm our commitment to the principles of inclusiveness and equity for all, which are core values for the Conference and our individual institutions. We are compelled to come together as a Conference and society to promote understanding and respectfully address these issues in our nation. By virtue of our diverse communities, higher education and intercollegiate athletics continue to offer a platform by which positive social change can be realized.”

Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, the Academy’s superintendent, has often encouraged an institutional “commitment to diversity.”

“My commitment to diversity as an ideal of our service is born from a humble belief that as people, not just airmen, we should treat each other with dignity and respect,” he said. “We must embrace the full spectrum of our humanity, perspectives and experiences.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright made a similar statement June 1.

“If you don’t do anything else, I encourage everyone to fight, not just for freedom, justice and equality, but to fight for understanding,” he said.

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Update: AF Academy extends public health emergency, continues to reopen

Raymond Bowden — Fri, 29 May 2020 17:41:14 +0000

Story by Ray Bowden, May 29, 2020

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The Air Force Academy prolonged its public health emergency until Aug. 18.

Originally slated to expire May 23, the base extended its public health emergency based on information from the Defense Department and State of Colorado, according to the school’s superintendent, Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria.

“As we slowly open back up, we need to reanalyze our risk and make smart and safe decisions,” he said.

The base first declared a public health emergency March 23 due to the COVID-19 threat, and elevated the Academy’s health protection condition to Health Protection Condition Charlie. This condition indicates a substantial risk of disease and increases protective measures, including restrictions on social distancing, in-person meetings and official travel.

The state of Colorado and all U.S. military installations, including Buckley, Peterson and Schriever air force bases and Fort Carson, are in similar states of emergency.

Public health emergencies are declared when a significant outbreak of infectious disease exists, according to Department of Health and Human Services guidelines.

In April, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper instructed everyone on a federal installation to wear cloth face coverings in public and at work when they cannot keep their social distance.

Airmen assigned to the 10th Security Forces Squadron will check all who enter the base at the South and North gates for cloth face coverings or facemasks.

“If they don’t have a mask, they will be asked to get one before they’re allowed on base,” said Col. Marcus Corbett, commander of the 10th SFS. “We invite DOD identification-card holders and beneficiaries on base, but we want them to be safe and our Academy community to be safe.”

The New Normal

Still, senior base officials are working to ease restriction as the base population gets used to what Silveria called “the new normal.” Defense Department beneficiaries who do not work or live on base are welcome to shop on base, noon until closing. Some services, including the Eisenhower Golf Course and the Community Center Gym are slowly opening to accommodate customers. To use the Eisenhower Golf Course, you must be a DOD beneficiary and ID-card holder. The Community Center Gym is open only to active duty service members who are assigned to the Academy at this time.

Col. Chris Grussendorf commands the 10th Medical Group providing healthcare to 26,000 beneficiaries.

“We’re seeing 56% more patients through telehealth visits compared to our day to day operations before COVID,” he said. “Many patients say the telehealth visits are convenient and they would like to see them continue.” Grussendorf said he’s planning future operations for the 10th MDG that include expanded telehealth visits for patients.

The medical group is a referral center for medical, dental and other health-related services. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, those services are in high demand, Grussendorf said, and telehealth online visits help his staff meet patients’ needs.

Surgeries are being scheduled and performed on a limited basis at Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson and at Colorado Springs civilian partner hospitals.

“Our primary care clinics began offering increased face-to-face appointments again for family medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine,” Grussendorf said.

All patients and staff at the Academy must wear facemasks.

“We’ll continue to use entry control screening, physical distancing, and face masks at our clinics and pharmacy to ensure the health of our patients and staff,” Grussendorf said.

In another change, Silveria is allowing service members assigned to the base to travel within 250 miles of the school. In March, he restricted service members to a 100-mile radius of the Academy, but adjusted that policy May 21.

“Please make smart choices about where you go and where you interact,” Silveria said.

Bringing Cadets Back

Silveria also announced last week the school is preparing for the arrival of its next class of cadets in June.

“We’re establishing quarantine guidance, testing and restriction of movement policies that mirror the guidelines and policies of the DOD and State of Colorado,” he said.

Silveria said he’s well aware that returning cadets to the school in full force will be challenging but safe.

“Everyone can expect restriction of movement for 14 days when they arrive, along with COVID-19 testing,” and other safety measures, he said.

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United Launch Alliance launches 6th orbital test vehicle for U.S. Space Force; project contains satellite built by Air Force Academy cadets

Raymond Bowden — Mon, 18 May 2020 14:22:32 +0000

United launch Alliance, May 18, 2020

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Colo. — A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501 rocket carrying the USSF-7 mission for the U.S. Space Force lifted off from Cape Canaveral May 17.

This marks the 84th successful launch of an Atlas V rocket, 139th launch for ULA, the second launch for the U.S. Space Force and sixth flight of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle or “OTV-6.”

“The success of this mission resulted from collaboration with our customer while working through challenging, and ever changing, health and safety conditions,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of government and commercial Programs. “We were honored to partner with the U.S. Space Force to dedicate this mission to first responders, front-line workers and those affected by COVID-19.”

Along with OTV-6, this mission deployed FalconSAT-8, a small satellite built and designed by cadets at the Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory to conduct experiments on orbit.

FalconSAT is the Academy’s small satellite engineering program. Cadets design, build, test and operate these satellites. The Academy’s Space Systems Research Center, under the direction of the astronautics department, administers these projects. Most cadets who work on FalconSAT projects pursue bachelor of science degrees in astronautical engineering, although electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or computer science students often join in.

The mission also carried two NASA experiments, including a material sample plate to determine the results of radiation and other space effects on various materials and an experiment to assess space effects on seeds used to grow food. Another experiment sponsored by the Naval Research Laboratory will examine transforming solar power into radio frequency microwave energy and transmitting it to the ground.

For more information, visit www.ulalaunch.com.

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