Issue 7 | Volume 151 |March 5, 2019
theavion.com | (386) 226-6049
A Campus B Industry & Technology
Demo-1 Q&A Q: What is the purpose of Demo-1? A: To test the Crew Dragon capsule and its ability to operate in a real space environment, in anticipation of later crewed launches. Q: Is this a NASA launch or a SpaceX launch? A: Both, actually, since SpaceX and NASA participated in a Public-Private Partnership to develop the Crew Dragon capsule.
SpaceX, NASA CCP Launch Demo-1
Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper
The first Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission test flight, Demo-1, launched from Kennedy Space Center in the early hours of Feb. 2, the first step in NASA’s plan to return human spaceflight capability to the United States. Demo-1 is an uncrewed mission to the ISS that will test the skills of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, also known as the Dragon 2, capsule which was developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between NASA and SpaceX. This landmark mission will be the first step in the process to get the Crew Dragon certified as a human spaceflight vehicle. Riding aboard a Falcon 9, Demo-1 launched from Launchpad 39A, the site that once launched Apollo and Space Shuttle missions and is currently operated by SpaceX. A few minutes after the launch, the Falcon 9 booster reentered and landed on the SpaceX drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You. The Crew Dragon capsule continued on its rendezvous mission with the ISS and autonomously docked with the Station on Mar. 3, slightly more than 24 hours after launch. The Crew Dragon will remain docked with the ISS for five days, until Mar. 8. After undocking with the ISS, the Crew Dragon will reenter the atmosphere and land in the Atlantic Ocean, where the capsule will be recovered and reused for an In-Flight Abort test later this year. Demo-1 is the first of three test missions required for the SpaceX
launch system. The purpose will ensure that all of the systems on the Crew Dragon system are functional and will test the space-worthiness of the capsule. It will also examine the autonomous rendezvous and docking capability of the Crew Dragon, which is the unassisted docking of the spacecraft without human interference or guidance, and the deorbit hardiness of the capsule. The next test is the In-Flight Abort, which will utilize the recovered Demo-1 capsule. The In-Flight Abort test will ensure that
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The Commercial Crew test flight missions are vital to ensuring the safety of the two Partner spacecraft.
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Jaclyn Wiley Editor-in-Chief
the capsule can escape the Falcon 9 launch vehicle in case of an emergency. This capability is vital since the Crew Dragon will carry astronauts and spaceflight participants. The third flight test of the Crew Dragon will be Demo-2, which will be the first crewed flight. NASA Astronauts Douglas G. Hurley and Robert L. Behnken will ride aboard this first flight test, which is currently scheduled for later this year. After the three flight tests, NASA will choose whether or not to certify the SpaceX system. If approved, SpaceX will be able to use the Crew Dragon system for human spaceflight missions. NASA has already planned several of these Post-Certification Missions (PCM), the first of which will fly NASA Astronauts Michael S. Hopkins
and Victor J. Glover. NASA is also working with another commercial company for the Commercial Crew Program, Boeing. Boeing is developing the CST-100 Starliner capsule, which will launch aboard a ULA Atlas V. The CST-100 will face the same tests as the SpaceX system, with three test flights. The first Boeing test flight, OFT-1, is currently scheduled for no earlier than Apr. 2019, with its In-Flight Abort and crewed mission, CFT-1, to follow later. An important distinction between the SpaceX and Boeing missions is that while the SpaceX capsule will make a water landing, the Boeing CST-100 will land in the desert in the Western US. The Commercial Crew test flight missions are vital to ensuring the safety of the two Partner spacecraft. While the test flights are the most visible safety tests for the CCP Partner systems, they are not the only ones. NASA and the Partners have conducted hundreds of tests on the spacecraft' operations, from hardware to software and everything in between. Human lives are at risk, so NASA has high and stringent safety requirements of the Partners. Though uncrewed, the Demo1 is a significant step forward in human spaceflight endeavors. NASA and SpaceX have made the first step forward in returning US human space launch capability, thereby reducing US reliance on Russia, and in encouraging the continued and increased utilization of the ISS and deep space exploration goals. Image Courtesy: NASA CCP
Q: Where is Demo-1 going? A: Demo-1 launched from Florida and docked with the ISS. The capsule will stay there for five days, and will then land in the Atlantic Ocean. Q: Are there people on it? A: No, though this is the first test of the Crew Dragon capsule, which will eventually carry astronauts. Q: When will the Crew Dragon carry astronauts? A: The first crewed mission, Demo-2, should be within the next year. Q: What Demo-1?
exactly
launched
on
A: The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule launched on a Falcon 9 booster. Q: Will any element of the mission be reused? A: Yes, both the booster and the capsule will be reused. The capsule will be reused for another flight test. The booster successfully landed on the drone ship after the launch. Q: Is there anything in the capsule? A: Yes, about 400 lbs of cargo and a anthropomorphic test device, named Ripley, outfitted with an array of sensors. Q: Is SpaceX the only company making a capsule like this? A: No, Boeing is also developing a crew capsule with NASA, the CST100 Starliner. Q: What is the Commercial Crew Program? A: The Commercial Crew Program, created in 2010, is a NASA development program that is partnering with the commercial companies SpaceX and Boeing to create new human transport spacecraft.
THE AVION
A2 Campus
Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor
Jaclyn Wiley K’Andrew France-Beckford News Editor Nick Hernandez Business Manager Alex Lee Photo Editor Vipul Telang
Page Editors Cover Editor Jaclyn Wiley Campus Editors K’Andrew K’Andrew France-Beckford France-Beckford Keenan Keenan Thungtrakul Thungtrakul Korbin Korbin Martin Martin Industry Industry Editors Editors Rajan Rajan Khanna Khanna Madaline Madaline Eitniear Eitniear Sarah Sarah Fairchild Fairchild Korbin Korbin Martin Martin Andrew Andrew Bronshteyn Bronshteyn Jordyn Jordyn Taylor Taylor Comics Comics Editor Editor Alex Alex Lee Lee Copy Jordyn Taylor Taylor Copy Editors Editors Jordyn Sarah Sarah Fairchild Fairchild
Contributors Contributors Reporters Photographers
Keenan Thungtrakul Joshua Rosado Reporters Photographers Michael Weinhoffer K’Andrew Christina Frederick Connor Strobel Sarah Fairchild France-Beckford David Keck Connor Adair Abigail Johnson Jaclyn Wiley Aakash Rathinam Chaz Pokracki Rajan Khanna Cole Helman Emily Rickel Jaclyn Wiley Michael Weinhoffer ChazCorrespondants Pokracki Connor Strobel Samantha Stirmel, Ryan Mosher, Aakash Rickel Rathiam,Emily Jacob Guliuzo, Nicholas Reuss Alex Lee
This Week’s SGA Updates Spring Break Airport Shuttles
New this year: the SGA will subsidize transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) for Spring Break flights. The cost is $7 per student each way.
Departures to MCO
Date
Departures to ERAU Student Union Circle
Time
Origin
Date
Time
Origin
March 8
05:30
Student Union Circle
March 17
12:00
MCO Ground Transportation
March 8
09:30
Student Union Circle
March 17
15:00
MCO Ground Transportation
March 8
12:00
Student Union Circle
March 17
17:30
MCO Ground Transportation
March 8
16:00
Student Union Circle
March 17
20:30
MCO Ground Transportation
March 17
23:00
MCO Ground Transportation
For more information and/or to reserve a seat on the shuttle, please visit the Student Government Association Office in the Student Leadership Suite on the second floor of the Student Union. The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, March 6. Please note that if there are any issues with the shuttle, please contact Tropical Transportation at (833) 262-4463.
Free CPR Class There is a CPR class scheduled for Wednesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. in COA 259. Contact dberems@erau.edu to schedule your free CPR or Stop the Bleed Training Class. Sponsored by the Emergency Response Team.
Ronnie Mack Asst. Director, Media & Marketing
Not So Noisy Bike Week Culminates in Community Ride
Contact Information
Keenan Thungtrakul Staff Reporter
Staff Advisor
Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Business Manager: (386) 226-7697 Editor-In-Chief: editor@theavion.com Managing Editor: managing@theavion.com News Editor: news@theavion.com Business Manager: business@theavion.com Photo Editor: photo@theavion.com
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The Avion is produced weekly during the fall and spring term, and bi-weekly during summer terms. The Avion is produced by a volunteer student staff. Student editors make all content, business and editorial decisions. The editorial opinions expressed in The Avion are solely the opinion of the undersigned writer(s), and not those of EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University, the Student Government Association, The Avion, or the student body. Letters appearing in The Avion are those of the writer, identified at the end of the letter. Opinions expressed in the “Student Government” and “Student Life” sections are those of the identified writer. Letters may be submitted to The Avion for publication, provided they are not lewd, obscene or libelous. Letter writers must confine themselves to less than 800 words. Letters may be edited for brevity and formatted to newspaper guidelines. All letters must be signed. Names may be withheld at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. The Avion is an open forum for student expression. The Avion is a division of the Student Government Association. The Avion is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The costs of this publication are paid by the Student Government Association and through advertising fees. The Avion distributes one free copy per person. Additional copies are $0.75. Theft of newspapers is a crime, and is subject to prosecution and Embry-Riddle judicial action. This newspaper and its contents are protected by United States copyright law. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in print or electronically, without the expressed written consent of The Avion. Correspondence may be addressed to: The Avion Newspaper, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114. Physical office: Student Union, Room 219.
March has begun. That means Daytona Beach will soon be met with people coming into town for spring break and the town’s popular Bike Week motorcycle fest. Before all those events get started, the community took this week to celebrate another type of bike: the bicycle. Bicycling is a popular method of transportation for college students along with skateboards and scooters. They get them to their destinations quicker than walking would. At a school that is often criticized for lack of parking, there is a push to consider alternative means of transportation to school. Recently, SGA began regular van shuttle service to nearby apartment complexes that have a large number of students residing there. Carpooling is another option, which reduces the number of cars that need to be parked on campus. T hose who want to get some exercise in their commutes can consider biking to campus. There are plenty of cycling routes in town that students can use that are safer than biking on main roads that do not have designated bicycle lanes. The week began with a small two-hour event in front of the Student Union where students got the chance to receive new bike helmets, get their bikes inspected by a representative from a local bike shop, and talk with representatives from FDOT and the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization about how they can rethink their commutes to help make the community safer and more enjoyable to live in. Professor Jason Aufdenberg of ERAU’s Physical
Sciences Department was also present, sharing his passion for cycling with students. The Avion had the privilege of covering this celebration of cycling for three consecutive years. Similar events were held at Daytona State and Bethune Cookman throughout the week. This year, The Avion took part in a community bike ride held on the morning of Saturday, March 2. A group of eight Embry-Riddle students joined members of the Daytona community and representatives from FDOT’s “Rethink Your Commute” program to complete an 8-mile bike ride through Daytona Beach. The ride was supported by the Daytona Beach Police Department who provided motorcycle escorts and stopped car traffic so that riders can pass safely. The route started at Daytona
State College and passed through Bethune-Cookman University before hanging a right on Beach St. and going down the waterfront avenue. Riders cycled back through Midtown Daytona and rode through Embry-Riddle’s campus on Aerospace Blvd. A total of nearly 30 riders took part in the bike ride. The ride was an excellent way to exercise while raising awareness of cycling as an alternate means of transportation that’s also fun when you ride with friends in a group. Besides having fun, FDOT wants to remind everyone that safety does not happen by accident. Cycling may be a great alternative method of transportation, but both motorists and cyclists should constantly be aware of their surroundings, watching out for each other and for pedestrians.
Photo Courtesy: Stephen Alianiello/FDOT reThink Your Commute
The participants in the Community Bike Ride take a group photo during a rest stop on Embry-Riddle’s campus.
Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle baseball team used great pitching, timely hitting, and solid defense to dispatch Palm Beach Atlantic on Friday night at Sliwa Stadium, 7-1. The Eagles (5-7, 1-3 SSC) got their first conference win of the year thanks to great pitching from Daniel Agramont, Samuel Brunnig, and Joey Gerber, as well as a first-inning homer from Zach Howard. This would be all the offense the Eagles needed as the pitching trio shut down the Salifish (6-9, 1-3 SSC) offense, striking out 13 and stranding 10. Agramont set the tone in the first inning, wriggling out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam thanks to a foul out and back-to-back strikeouts, sending the Eagles into the dugout with some momentum. Howard launched a no-doubter to left off of PBA starter Mitchell Carroll, driving in three runs after Kyle Guttveg and Luis Olivier reached via a walk and single earlier in the frame. Howard's ho-
mer was his 50th extra-base hit as an Eagle and his 20th home run at Sliwa Stadium. The only run the visitors would
both teams took over, inducing strikeout after strikeout and stranding runners from both squads on the bases.
Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper
get came in the second when Brandon Smith led off the inning with a solo shot to left, but Agramont wasn't fazed, setting down the next three batters he saw to keep ERAU in front. After that the pitching for
Agramont worked around a two-on, no-out situation in the fourth thanks to a double play and strikeout, but Carroll got his own DP to end the Eagle fourth, keeping the score 3-1. Olivier gunned down his 10th
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Student Life A3 ERAU Baseball Opens Weekend with 7-1 Win
would-be base stealer in the fifth and Agramont did the rest, fanning two more PBA batters. Brunnig was called on to get out of a jam in the sixth after the first two Sailfish batters reached, and the sophomore did, striking out back-to-back PBA batters before getting a weak ground ball for the final out of the inning. Embry-Riddle put the game out of reach in the seventh, getting three doubles from Guttveg, Olivier and Kirk Sidwell, going up 6-1 before Howard drove in the final run with a sac fly and a 7-1 cushion. Joey Gerber pitched the final 1.1 innings for the Eagles, not allowing a baserunner and securing the win. Agramont (2-1) got the win in 5.0 innings, while Brunnig was dominant in his 2.2 innings of relief. The pair combined for 13 strikeouts. Howard finished with four RBIs, while Olivier went 2-for4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Sidwell had two hits, an RBI and a run.
Podcast of the Week: Ologies
Samantha Stirmel Reporter
Looking to up your trivia game for this next week and have some extra time to spend on podcasts? Look no further than Ologies, produced by award-winning journalist Alie Ward. Every Tuesday a new podcast is added to the growing list about the newest –ology that Ward can find. However, this isn’t just some podcast about an individual continuously spouting off about trivia and fun facts, this is one where there is a guest on every single episode where they could reasonably be considered a subject matter expert. Volcanology, thanatology, cosmology, sexology, melittology, and
somnology are some of the very few subjects that these podcasts focus on, and they are chock-full of information. Ward prides herself as someone who is a shameless question asker and dares to dig as far as possible into a topic as she can with her interviewee. Next time you are tempted to throw aside your work for a deep dive of a random subject on Google, think about the fact that Ward does it for you. Though the podcasts from Ward are long, they have a certain flow to them that makes the time pass while you’re soaking up the knowledge. Not to mention the fact that her beautiful voice and witty remarks in the background bring light to even your darkest activity. Find her podcasts wherever podcasts
are posted, become a Patreon subscriber, or even just follow her on Twitter for some interesting posts to hit your feed when you’re not listening to her. Ward is someone who can glow through the microphone and let you know how excited she is about what she is doing and learning. She has similar reactions to silly things and interesting things like that I think most of us do and that means a lot when listening to a podcast. She hits topics that you didn't even realize you wanted to know about and uncovers things that you never knew were there. To learn more about Mars, bees, dinosaurs, trains, or eggs, it is all on there and just keeps expanding. This is a podcast that is worth
checking out. It allows your brain to wander in the correct direction when you're thinking about things rather than ending at cat videos on YouTube. It will also certainly make your trivia game a lot stronger.
Creative Submission: Up For a Breath Aakash Rathinam Correspondent When a sailor is lost in the uncharted waters with no mode of communication, he believes in the hidden gut and the instincts that nature has gifted everyone with. Days pass slowly, drowning in loneliness, the ration runs out, water dries out. Then the overwhelming desire to plunge his head into the sea and drink water takes over his soul, to quench the nerve-wracking thirst and he even falls for that
but when the very first drop of the brine touches the tongue, it slaps the reality into his mind. This story may sound so abstract and not so relatable. But this is the way nature has made us. Even when the body runs out of water and a strong desire takes over the senses, the basic instinct recognizes that the brine is detrimental to further survival and saves us. Life is designed in the same way. A logical and fundamental design. Though people push towards living an artificial life: trying to lock
away their passion and live a life of dreams which were dreamt by others, the soul reaches out from deep within for a breath. We may chain our dreams, lock our passion, and prison our heart but they will take flight. Nobody does this on purpose, but due to social factors, we all are pushed towards doing it. So, what is the solution for this self-torture? It is often simple, by just carrying out the duties that we hold and fulfilling the responsibilities that are on us with dedication, can lead us towards
destiny. As illustrated in the story the soul deep within will reach out to us and lead us on a path where it is best for our survival. Survival here doesn’t mean just living but, living with an enriched soul. A soul which has attained its purpose. So, with this, let us dedicate ourselves to every moment we live and to every deed we carry out, so that we provide the maximum margin on which we can give ourselves enough opportunities to survive. Survive with an enriched soul.
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A4 Campus
Meeting the Commander’s Intent Eagle Battalion’s 2019 Spring Field Training Exercise
The first two days of March were marked for the Eagle Battalion’s first Field Training Exercise (FTX) for the 2019 Spring semester at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Starke, FL. This FTX focused heavily on Land Navigation training for the Military Science level (MS) III cadets who are heading off to Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, KY. The remainder of the MS I’s and II’s were familiarized with Land Navigation, while conducting concurrent training on Patrol Base Operations and Battle Drills. This is the second FTX conducted by Eagle Battalion since transitioning to a cadet lead battalion.
All photos by: K’Andrew France-Beckford/The Avion Newspaper
Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper
B2 Technology
NASA Receives $21.5 Billion for Fiscal Year 2019
Micheal Weinhoffer Senior Reporter
The bill that was signed into law by President Trump on Feb. 15 to prevent another shutdown of the federal government contained budget authorizations for numerous federal agencies for the fiscal year 2019, which ends on Sep. 30 of this year. The bill authorized $21.5 billion for NASA, which is NASA’s largest budget since 2009. This budget highlights the importance of space exploration to the White House, and some of the authorized missions will be discussed below. Science $740 million was given for a mission to Europa, which is a large moon of Jupiter that may harbor some form of life in its subterranean ocean. The mission consists of an orbiter launched in 2023, called the Europa Clipper, and a lander launched in 2025 using NASA’s yet to be flown Space Launch System. The bill authorized $312.2 million for WFIRST, an infrared telescope for astrophysics studies that will be launched in the mid-2020s.
$304.6 million was given to the James Webb Space Telescope project, which has suffered from extensive delays due to poor project management, and now is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 2021. Space Technology $180 million was authorized for the RESTORE-L satellite, which is a spacecraft with robotic arms and servicing tools that will fix and refuel old satellites in orbit around the Earth after launching in mid-2020. Refueling and fixing a broken satellite both extends the mission life of the satellite and eliminates one big piece of debris from the orbital environment. $48.1 million was provided for research and development of solar electric propulsion, which is being developed to power the crewed Lunar Orbital Platform that will orbit the Moon in the late 2020s. A new addition to the budget is funding for nuclear thermal propulsion research, which has been proposed in the past as a powerful and reliable propulsion system for crewed deepspace missions but has been viewed as too dangerous for a crewed spacecraft.
Human Exploration Over $5 billion was given for continued development of NASA’s Orion crewed spacecraft, the Space Launch System rocket, and ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center. $150 million was provided for work on the Exploration Upper Stage, which is an advanced second-stage that will help power the Space Launch System no earlier than 2024. $116.5 million was provided for work on crewed lunar landers, and $450 million for the previously mentioned crewed Lunar Orbital Platform. The rest of NASA’s budget authorized by Congress can be
An image of the Lunar Orbital Platform Gateway.
spent by NASA on other missions with lower priority or scientific output. The big budget is a direct result of the goal to return humans to the Moon by 2028, and the human exploration programs in development are small steps towards achieving that goal. The budget was delayed by the 35-day government shutdown, so NASA is now already working on budget requests for the next fiscal year starting in October. From the Europa Clipper to the James Webb Space Telescope and the Space Launch System, NASA will be launching some of its most expensive projects at the start of the new decade, and we can be sure that they will impress.
Photo Courtesy: SpaceNews
Aviation Works: Emergency Oxygen Systems Sarah Fairchild Chief Copy Editor Every commercial airline commuter has heard it before: In the event of cabin depressurization, oxygen masks will fall from the overhead panels. It’s part of the monotonous speech that flight attendants give on a routine basis about emergency procedures. But have you ever stopped to think about how that oxygen system works? Did you know that there’s only 1/8th-inch separating cabin occupants from the hypoxic atmosphere when in flight? Discounting main structural members of the plane like stringers and
longerons, the skin of the fuselage isn't wider than the tip of your thumb. The Environmental Control Systems are what keep the people alive at 10,000 feet: but what if something goes wrong? The cabin depressurizes and those silly emergency procedures you ignored at the start of the flight are now seeming vitally important. So, what happens? The plastic yellow masks drop from above, you scramble to put it over your nose and mouth, pull the straps tight and breathe in the pure, life-giving oxygen that your body needs. There was a loss of oxygen, but with that funny looking mask you can now fill your lungs as normally as if you were on
the ground: magic, right? Not quite. Most commercial aircraft nowadays use a system called a Chemical Oxygen Candle (COG) to supply emergency oxygen to the passengers. COGs are small canisters filled with sodium chlorate mixed with a binding material like iron. When you yank down on the yellow mask in your scrambling, panicked frenzy to breathe, you are also pulling out a spring-loaded igniter release pin. Pulling out the pin ignites the COG (yes, fire in aviation can sometimes be used for good) and, when it burns, the sodium chlorate produces pure oxygen. The canisters themselves can heat up to an excess of 500
degrees Fahrenheit and, once ignited, the COG will continue to burn until the chemical inside has been exhausted: a timeframe of roughly 12-20 minutes. “But wait!” I hear you yelling. “That means the pilots have under 30 minutes to land? That’s less than the time it takes to watch one episode of The Office!” Pilots are actually on a separate emergency oxygen system. Their supply is similar to a scuba system; with individual tanks and masks that last long enough to descend to a safe altitude and land the plane. So, while the pilots are being hailed as heroes, don’t forget about the unsung champion who kept the oxygen flowing: the COG.
Jaclyn Wiley Editor-In-Chief NASA and SpaceX launched the first Commercial Crew test mission, Demo-1, on Mar. 2 from Kennedy Space Center. The uncrewed capsule will dock autonomously with the ISS, deliver about 400 lbs of cargo, and remain docked for five days. After undocking, the capsule will land in the Atlantic Ocean and be reused for another test flight mission, the In-Flight Abort. Demo-1 is a major milestone for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP), which is a unique program that represents a new way of doing business for NASA, in contracting, safety and future benefits.
Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper
Under CCP, NASA utilized Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to develop the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing CST-100 capsules. Traditionally, NASA utilizes cost-plus contracting for spacecraft development. Used in the Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) and Space Launch System (SLS) development programs, cost-plus contracting entails the purchaser (NASA) to pay the contractor for their costs, as well as a fee for completing the project, a profit for the contractor. Under this contracting model, NASA develops the vehicle, which the contractor then builds. NASA then owns and operates the spacecraft. Defenders of the cost-plus model say that it helps firms, especially small ones, develop technology that would be impossible without the contract. Critics of the cost-plus model say that the model disincentivizes progress since the contractor is paid regularly, regardless of the amount of work done. This can lead to schedule delays and budget overruns. Under PPPs, however, NASA and the Partner share costs in the development of the spacecraft. The NASA contributions are fixed, as well, and are dependant on the progress of the Partners, who cannot get paid until certain milestones are reached. Any cost or schedule overruns are the responsibility of the contractor. Once completed, the spacecraft is owned and operated by the Partner after completion. The Commercial Crew Program has heritage in the Commercial Orbital Transport System Program, another PPP-based spacecraft development program. SpaceX and Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems)
were selected to develop two uncrewed spacecraft to transport cargo to the ISS. Once tested, the two companies were contracted to complete Commercial Resupply Missions (CRS). The sixteenth flew in December 2018. NASA is currently using PPPs to develop lunar landers as well, as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) program. The CLPS program announced its nine Partner companies in Nov. 2018, and is projecting its first launch for before the end of 2019. Under CCP, NASA created vehicle and safety requirements that competitors had to creatively engineer their systems to meet. NASA has set high safety requirements for the Commercial Crew partners since the capsules will carry human beings. Boeing and SpaceX, however, were able to creatively design their systems to meet those requirements, with technical expertise from NASA. This means that while the two capsules both serve the same mission and meet the same requirements, they are still unique and distinct systems. Besides the safety requirements, NASA also required stringent safety testing to ensure the safety of the Crew Dragon and CST100 capsules, and that of the astronauts and spaceflight participants that will eventually ride in them. The CCP test flights are the most visible of these tests, and will help to certify the vehicles as safe for human beings. The CCP spacecraft leverage new and groundbreaking technologies, including touchscreen displays, carbon fiber components, and autonomous rendezvous and docking capabilities. Autonomous rendezvous and docking refer to the capability of the capsule to catch up to and dock with the ISS without the need for human guidance or interference. These two spacecraft are the first human spaceflight capsules developed by NASA since the Apollo program. The CCP will greatly benefit NASA and the United States. Most importantly, it will return human space launch capability to the United States, which was lost after the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011. Since then, the US has had to rely on Russia to launch astronauts. The CCP will end this reliance, as well as provide redundancy in the transportation of human beings to and from the ISS. Two commercial crew partners were chosen to provide further redundancy; if either falters, the other will remain an option. The CCP will increase the number of people who can live and work on the ISS, meaning that more research can be completed. Further, the
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Technology B3 The Dawn of a New Age in Human Spaceflight
Photo Courtesy: Bryan Gamelin
private nature of the CCP spacecraft means that the Partners can contract with private researchers who want to conduct experiments on the ISS. This means that researchers can conduct their own research on orbit, as opposed to training an already-busy astronaut to do so. Further, NASA will shift the transport of supplies and humans to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) to commercial companies with the Commercial Crew and CRS programs. The shift will open up the market to commercial companies like SpaceX and Boeing, but also their competitors, encouraging businesses and the US economy. Further, NASA can focus its development and exploration goals to targets farther out than LEO, to the cis-lunar space, the lunar surface, and on to Mars. More resources can be dedicated to deep space architectures, like the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, and the exploration of the Universe. NASA stands on the precipice of a new age in space exploration, and missions like Demo-1 are pushing it closer and closer to that edge. Should CCP be a success, NASA will be able to accomplish more and more ambitious research and missions, furthering human understanding of the Universe and humanity’s place in it.
Jaclyn Wiley/The Avion Newspaper
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B6 Technology
UX Corner
Jacob and Nick are graduate students in the Research in User eXperience (RUX) Lab in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology. RUX investigates the usability and user experience of technology in our everyday world. This is a regular column that explores different technologies typically used by Embry-Riddle students.
iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, or GroupMe: LOL or OMG? Jacob Guliuzo and Nicholas Reuss Graduate Researchers How often do you use your phone to text? What service do you use to send messages? GroupMe? iMessage? Standard text messages? WhatsApp? In a recent survey of over 100 ERAU students, we found that over 90% of students reported that they used their messaging service daily. About 70% of students were Apple users while 30% were Android users. We asked what apps students used of the following options: GroupMe, iMessage, standard text messages (more formally known as Short Message Service, or “SMS”), WhatsApp, or Other. Of the 97 respondents, 80% of students used their default messaging app as their preferred app while 20% of students preferred a third party app such as GroupMe or WhatsApp. We also asked what features were the most important, and students said that responding directly to users and sending messages over WiFi were the highest priorities. There were also features that students said were not important such as adding and removing group members and muting conversations.
Image Courtesy: Jacob Guliuzo
said “I use GroupMe for group projects, WhatsApp for planning activities with friends as well as to talk to friends. I use iMessage because it’s the default app, and to talk over WiFi with other people because I have an iPhone.” Another reason for using apps other than the standard messaging app is for group chat. One student stated that “Using default messaging group chats with both Apple and Android users are difficult because they do not communicate properly; they do not allow people to leave the chat and don’t allow for people to be added to the chat either.”
A “Perfect” Messaging App? While discussing what the “perfect messaging app” would be, there was a lot of debate. The information we gathered from the survey told us that some features are necessary and others are just extra and not required. In general, most features appear to be second to how well the app works overall. One reason why some focus group members preferred WhatsApp over the other apps was because it integrated many of the most desirable features from both Apple and Android. It makes it easy to interact with Apple and Android users without losing out on access
Image Courtesy: Jacob Guliuzo
A break-down of the different messaging apps used by ERAU students (n = 97).
Understanding Why After gathering survey responses, we conducted an internal focus group to help shed light on what features and motivations contribute to the decision as to what messaging app is used. A focus group is a guided discussion among a group of people about a particular topic. The focus group members, like the survey respondents, preferred to use their default messaging service over a third party app. However, they all used other messaging apps on their phones for different purposes, other than messaging. Third-party apps, such as WhatsApp, GroupMe, or Facebook messenger were used for a variety of reasons. One member
to any of the features. Some features were noted to not be necessary, but fun. Examples of this would be for iMessage sending messages with lasers or fireworks, sending emojis with messages, and customizing the chats themselves with wallpapers and icons. Conclusion Overall, students use many different messaging apps for many different reasons. Although most prefer the default app on their phone, they have reasons for using other apps as well. This could be as simple as “It’s what my friends use,” or because “I needed it for a group project.” Regardless of the reason(s), there isn’t a single messaging app that can do everything everyone wants it to do. Until there is an app that can, students will continue to communicate with multiple apps. If you would like to suggest a device or technology for us to evaluate for this column then please use the QR code to make a suggestion.
Image Courtesy: Nicholas Reuss
Messages sent with lasers and fireworks through iMessage on an Apple device.
THE AVION
Technology B7
After Opportunity, New Mars Rover on the Horizon
Samantha Stirmel Correspondent
With Opportunity’s mission officially ended in a reluctant goodbye from the people of Earth, attention has started to shift towards wondering what is next. Curiosity is alone as a rover on Mars with only InSight to keep it company roughly 370 miles away. However, in 2020 there is a scheduled launch of a Mars rover which has not been officially named yet. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) has been working on this 2020 Mars Rover since roughly 2013 after being announced that it was an incoming project by NASA in early December of 2012. This rover is modeled after Curiosity but will carry different scientific instruments that have been tested since as well as a core drill. The target of this rover is the Jezero Crater on Mars, which is a diverse region that includes a delta, allowing for the study of soil samples and test more if life was possible there however many years ago. There is a page on NASA JPL’s website for the Rover as well as a count-
down clock to July of 2020 when its launch date is scheduled for. According to the details released on various platforms, the meter-long core drill that the rover will be utilizing will allow some of the soil samples to be held in a cache inside of the rover, allowing for a possible return trip to Earth of these samples. The samples will be pulled into the cache inside of the rover and then sealed in a canister, before being dropped on the surface for later pick-up, the location of which will be recorded as close as possible. The rover’s drill length is important, as NASA expects that the first meter or two of the surface has been so blasted by radiation, that they have been missing out on some of the vital information the ground possesses. The mission is timed for one Mars year (687 Earth
days), but as seen from previous rover programs, this rover will likely continue to send back important data about weather conditions and the possibility of oxygen being created on the planet into the future. Oxygen creation will be done by NASA’s Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) instrument converting the CO2 available on the planet. Much like Curiosity, the power system of the rover will be nuclear power, and will not be as susceptible to the same circumstances as Opportunity. So far there are four cornerstones of this next NASA rover: looking for habitability, seeking bio-signatures, caching samples, and preparing for humans. Parachute tests have been successfully completed for the rover and there has been talk about the new camera system which will be a part of this new rover. The camera system will specifically feature a Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) which will allow the rover to land in this difficult area of Mars which was actually an impossibility when launching Curiosity. Another portion of the new camera system is in refer-
Rover Photo Courtesy: NASA
ence to NASA’s EDL camera suite which includes multiple cameras which have improved rate and color compared to Curiosity’s. Sadly, one of the features that might not be included in this new rover is the capability of singing happy birthday to itself on the surface. One big difference between Curiosity and this new rover is the possibility of trying out completely new technology on Mars, the inclusion of a mini helicopter. The thought process is that the rover will land on the surface and the helicopter will be deployed shortly afterward. The helicopters power will be solar and it will tool around the surface in front of the rover taking pictures for scientists and making sure that the way is clear. This helicopter is in development and NASA seems to hope it will be ready for the launch of this rover.
Photo Courtesy: Elkhart Public Library
Further Evidence of Water on Mars
Abigail Johnson Staff Reporter
The likelihood of water previously being abundant on the surface of Mars is increasing daily as discoveries are being made. The possibility of Mars formerly having Earth’s highlighting features, such as water and an atmosphere, could provide answers and explanations on the history of our solar system and the origins of the universe. While there have been years of observations and studies about this concept, one group has finally stated a result of discovery. Mars Express claims to have officially found that Mars contains an underground water system
that has been hidden under the surface for thousands of years. This group, running under the organization of the European Space Agency, developed a theory of a possible underground system some time ago but has now found the evidence to prove that their calculations are correct. This evidence is described as some features underground on Mars that have developed under the pressure and influence of what must be water. They believe that it was deep vast flows of water that spread in channels across the planet. Similar to the channels and flow imprints that can be found in deserts on Earth, numerous craters of mars express
these marking and are predicted to have guided water flows or possibly oceans around four billion years ago. “Early Mars was a watery world, but as the planet’s climate changed this water retreated below the surface to form pools and ‘groundwater’. We traced this water in our study, as its scale and role is a matter of debate, and we found the first geological evidence of a planet-wide groundwater system on Mars,” stated Francesco Salese from Utrecht University. More evidence shows some more physical and present-day developments that could have only developed with the presence
of water. Minerals have been found in the “ancient riverbeds” of Mars in the form of natural elements or clay, items on Earth result from ratios of water. This helps affirm the accuracy of evidence collected by the Mars Express and opens the idea of life once existing on the red planet. Mars Express is partnering with other groups to help develop a new Martian rover to explore deeper craters on the surface that will help answer more question about the former state of the planet. Until it launches in 2021, Mars Express will have to keep updated their theories so we can discover more information and data about ancient Martian water systems.
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How to Play: Each row and column of the puzzle must contain the numbers 1-5, with no repetitions. Additionally, the numbers within each outlined section must equal the target number displayed, using the mathmatical operation shown.
Fill in each row and column with the word that matches the clue. The letters in each word solution must fit both vertically and horizontally.
3/3/2019
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Puzzle No. 154159, 5X5, easy
2―
12×
2÷
2÷
4―
1
2―
13+
4
4―
1―
3
2÷
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1/5
1/1
Hard
4/5
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6/5