Issuu

Jack Taylor & Micah Knight/The Avion Newspaper A ULA Atlas V rocket in the 401 configuration lifts off from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station just after noon on Halloween 2015, dubbed a festive “launchoween” by those attending the launch. The rocket launched the second-to-last in a new GPS Satellite series to improve accuracy. The launch was completely successful, putting the satellite in its proper orbit, right on schedule.

Atlas V Lifts GPS Satellite to Orbit Micah Knight Managing Editor At 12:13 P.M. on Sat., Oct. 31, SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was shaken by 860,200 pounds of thrust from an Atlas V rocket. The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) launch vehicle,

in the 401 configuration (4-meter fairing, 0 solid rocket boosters, 1 centaur engine in the second stage) lifted a GPS Satellite to an orbit 11,000 miles above the surface of the Earth. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is comprised of 24 satellites in six different

planes of orbit. The satellites constantly transmit data, allowing users with the proper equipment to calculate the precise time and their location or velocity, and are used in almost every conceivable application. The satellite launched on Saturday was the eleventh in the block

IIF series, the next generation of GPS Satellites that are more robust, have greater accuracy, and new signals. The launch was delayed from Fri., Oct. 30 after a leak was found in the valve for the water suppresion system, but the valve was replaced and the vehicle launched

one day after schedule. The Atlas V rocket was assembled in only 18 days, beating a previous record assembly time of 21 days. The launch was a total success, the GPS IIF11 satellite is currently in its proper orbit, operating perfectly. The next launch

from Cape Canaveral is another Atlas V on Dec. 3, carrying Orbital ATK’s Cygnus capsule to the International Space Station in a Commercial Resupply mission. The first launch of 2016 will be the final GPS IIF satellite on yet another Atlas V rocket on Feb. 3.

Opinion: Read and Heed - Just in Case Steve Dedmon Associate Professor It usually begins like this: a student arrives at my office and asks if they can discuss something with me. Of course I say yes, but there are those milliseconds of silence where I am trying to recognize the person as a present student, former student, one of my advisees, or someone just needing legal advice. After that brief but deafening silence, they introduce themselves and say there is a university issue and ask for my advice. The university issue the student is facing is an honor court hearing. All too often, this is going to be a one-sided conversation as I am going to be doing all the talking as he or she has no clue regarding the

administrative procedure they are facing, the potential ramifications or the due process rights they are afforded. Hopefully, at the conclusion of this article, you will be better informed of your rights and responsibilities if you are ever faced with a process that can be perceived as intimidating at best and overwhelming at worse. It should go without saying, but I am going to do so anyway. Take this process seriously; if you do not give it your due diligence, blow it off, just flat do not show You Lose By Default. At the outset, fully understand the proceedings related to the types of hearings students may face are outlined in the Student Handbook. Presently, it can be accessed online or in hard copy; however, it appears the

hard copy version will not be available in the future, as the university has decided to discontinue printing it. Although I understand the reasoning - everything is moving to the web now, I find it unfortunate that students (and me, for that matter) will not have some tangible reference to carry, mark-up, or bookmark for quick reference. There is also the issue that students may not know or remember that the handbook is online, but may carry it in its current form, as it contains additional information such as a calendar and discount coupons to various vendors. Also, as I annually compare the newest version to the old one, not having it in print is going to make that process a bit more difficult. Continued on A5 >>

Photo Courtesy Steve Dedmon Professor Dedmon is an attorney and member of the Florida Bar and Supreme Court Bar of the United States. He teaches a variety of law related courses in the Aeronautical Science Department. He can be reached at Stephen.Dedmon@erau.edu or in his office in the CoA building, second floor, office number 200B.