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Dude, Looks Like a LADEE Right: The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Evironment Explorer (LADEE) is encapsulated into the Minotaur V rocket at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
Richard Weakley Business Manager
Photo Courtesy: NASA/Ames Research Center
NASA successfully launched the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft aboard a Minotaur V from Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia at 11:27 PM EST on September 6, 2013. LADEE is a low cost lunar exploration mission managed by NASA Ames Research Center. The objective of the mission is to orbit around the Moon’s equator and study the lunar exosphere and particulate matter. The total cost of the LADEE mission is approximately $280 million which makes this mission low cost in stark contrast to other interplanetary missions which typically cost over $1 billion. The LADEE spacecraft was lofted quickly into the heavens by an 80 foot tall Minotaur V launch vehicle designed by Orbital Sciences Corp. The Minotaur V program is managed by the United States Air Force. The Minotaur V is a five stage solid rocket motor fueled launch vehicle. The Minotaur V was designed as a low cost launch vehicle for U.S. government sponsored payloads destined for high energy trajectories including translunar trajectories and Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits (GTO). Like on the Minotaur IV, the Minotaur V’s first three stages are former Peacekeeper ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) solid rocket motors. This hardware was made available with the decommissioning of the Peacekeeper missiles in 2005 and allows the vehicle cost to be kept low since this hardware is already designed and built. The fourth stage of the vehicle is a STAR 48BV solid motor, while the fifth stage is a STAR 37FM solid motor. Both of these motors are manufactured by ATK and variants Continued on B04 >>
The Effectiveness of RAVE Ericka Flores Guest Reporter The safety of students has always been a top priority at Embry-Riddle. Campus safety and security is constantly at work in order to ensure that students feel safe on campus. One of the more recent projects they have taken on is the implementation of RAVE, an emergency notification system. RAVE is a “one stop shop” for sending a message to a large number of people with a “push of a button”. RAVE informs subscribers of potential dangers through text messages, emails, phone calls, multiple audible sirens and a feature called “alertus”
which has the ability to take over all university owned computer screens. When put into effect, this system reaches 75-80% of the university population. Living in a state prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and sink holes—RAVE has the potential to save lives. Campus Safety has come under recent scrutiny from the student body because students feel some messages are unimportant and issued at inconvenient times. Students question the content of RAVE transmissions, skeptic of the presence of danger. If trivial messages continue to be sent the idea that RAVE is a lifesaving tool
could be lost. However, the intentions of the safety department are only to keep the university aware. Campus safety already limits its selection and those allowed to issue alerts are quarterly trained supervisors. A step-bystep process including an investigation is performed before deem-
ing an alert necessary. Students need to look beyond their immediate borders. Often, there are circumstances which can make a situation much more dangerous than a 140 character message can portray. According to the Director of Campus Safety and Security, Kevin Mannix, he would rather “err on the side
of safety,” he quotes an emergency management coordinator explaining “never have I launched a message where someone didn’t complain.” Personal relevance is insignificant in comparison to those thankful to have the knowledge RAVE offers. The fact that students are complaining shows that RAVE is doing its job
in reaching the student body. If you have yet to register your phone number, go to ERNIE > Admin Services > RAVE. RAVE emails can be replied to and are read and considered. Campus safety knows there is always room to grow and would love feedback from students.