| Issue 11 | Volume 147 | Tuesday, April 18, 2017 | theavion.com |
Image courtesy: NASA
US vs. UN - Asteroid Mining
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other legal agreements like the Liability Convention and the Moon Agreement. Under the Outer Space Treaty, asteroid mining is illegal, since it is an appropriation of a celestial body by a State. Since the human being or organization that is doing the resource extraction is under the purview of some State, that State is responsible for the actions that are done by the nationals or organizations that are doing the mining.
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The issue here is that US law is in opposition to a UN treaty, to which the US is a signatory.
This responsibility was given to the State by the sixth article of the OST and is strengthened by the Liability Convention of 1972. Since the State is responsible and liable for the actions done by their nationals, this means that the State could
be interpreted as appropriating the asteroid. The United States, however, has a different argument when it passed the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act in 2015, which legalized resource extraction from asteroids to an extent. The United States' argument was that the government was not directly approving the missions of the private companies, which had the rights to the resources that they extracted. The CSLCA only applies to private US companies or individuals that engage in space resource extraction. NASA activities do not fall under the purview of the CSLCA, including the recently canceled NASA Asteroid Retrieval Mission. The best metaphor to use for how the CSLCA approves space resource extraction is this: the private companies are going out into the wilds to find a mine, and then extracting gold from the mine. At no point do they try
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to claim the mine for themselves or for their country of choice, but they do claim the materials they take out of the mine. Basically, the miners go in, get the metaphorical gold, and get out. They do not plant the flag in the ground, they do not say that they own the mine, and they do not pass "go" and claim the $200. Since no asteroid mining companies that have
reached the operational stage yet, there has not been any confrontation over the rules, though there has been extensive debate and discussion over which legal document holds more weight. But multiple companies are exploring asteroid mining and other forms of resource extraction, so the idea will not die anytime soon and neither will the conflict.
Chaz Pokracki/The Avion Newspaper
Asteroid mining is the extraction of valuable resources from asteroids in outer space. While the idea of asteroid mining is not particularly new, with the first written reference found in the 1898 book "Edison's Conquest of Mars," by Garrett Serviss, the idea did not gain real traction in the scientific community until recently. The interest in asteroid mining is not limited to scientists, however, since at least two US companies are currently researching the idea and its feasibility. Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries are two notable American companies that are exploring asteroid mining. The interest is so high that the United States recently passed a law that contains an article that directly concerns asteroid mining and legalizes it. This law is the Commercial Space Launch Competitive-
ness Act (CSLCA), which was signed into law by President Obama in 2015. The CSLCA addresses resource extraction in Article IV, and states, "A U.S. citizen engaged in commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource shall be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained, including to possess, own, transport, use, and sell it according to applicable law, including U.S. international obligations." The issue here is that US law is in opposition to a UN treaty, to which the US is a signatory. The Outer Space Treaty is one of the oldest and most important agreements in the history of international space policy. The Outer Space Treaty was drafted by the United Nations (UN) in the 1960s and was approved by the UN General Assembly in 1967. The United States and more than 100 other countries are party to the Treaty, which was the basis for multiple
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Jaclyn Wiley Editor-in-Chief
Asteroids are home to many valuable minerals, including the four above.
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The Avion
Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photography Editor Advertising Manager
Jaclyn Wiley Micah Knight Henry Neiberlien Sariah Adviento Zach Fedewa Devin Edwards
Page Editors Front Editor Campus Editor Student Life Editor Opinions Editor I&T Editor Sports Editor Comics Editor Copy Editor
Jaclyn Wiley Chaz Pokracki Collin Anderson Keenan Thungtrakul Micah Knight Zachary Fedewa Henry Neiberlien Madeline Eitnier Zachary Fedewa Nick Hernandez Jack Taylor Sariah Adviento Payton Muglia Nicole Drevlow
Staff Contributors Reporters
Photographers
Jaclyn Wiley Mike Shekari Henry Neiberlien Collin Anderson Michael Weinhoffer Zachary Fedewa Trey Henderson
Correspondents Taylor Wedell, Joe Giordano, Chaz Pokracki
Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Ad Manager: (386) 226-7697 Fax Number: (386) 226-6016 Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photography Editor Advertising Manager
editor@theavion.com managing@theavion.com news@theavion.com business@theavion.com photo@theavion.com advertising@theavion.com
Website: theavion.com
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 Embry-Riddle 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: John Paul Riddle Student Center, Room 110. Phone: (386) 226-6049. Fax: (386) 226-6727.
Nikolett Ficze Correspondent The days are getting longer, and the warmer weather in Florida means the beginning of the Aerobatic season. The International Aerobatic Club (IAC) held the first competition of 2017 on the first weekend of April in Dunnellon, where three of our Eagles competed in Eagle Sport Aviation Club's Pitts S-2B. Despite the short time the competitors had for preparation and practice, Nikolett Ficze finished first in the Primary category, Hunter Havener second, and Loren Marburg fifth. All this effort was heavily supported by Richard Anderson (Founder of Eagle Sport Aviation) and Carolina Anderson (Faculty Advisor of Sport Aviation Club) who put their maximum time to train and prepare the pilots for the success. We can also be very proud of two other ERAU students; Wayne Ashplund finished first place in Sportsman category, and Jose Rodriguez got the third in Intermediate. When we talk about aerobatics, people think about the airshow pilots first, and their incredible flying to entertain the crowd. However, few
know about the competition aerobatics side, how much "acro" helps improve basic flying, stick and rudder skills. There is also a great sense of comradery among aerobatic pilots because of the judging done between competitors. Flying aerobatics is not an impossible feat; any student can join the club and train for future competitions. The Eagle Sport Aviation Club, Inc. (ESA) was created in 1998 and is a Florida nonprofit corporation started by aviation enthusiasts to help others discover the pleasures of flying. The Club
offers Aerobatic, Tailwheel and Glider flying experiences. The Club's mission is to encourage participation in aviation activities for people that would otherwise not be able to. Our members include elementary through college students, corporate, military and professional pilots, business owners, teachers and professors, maintenance technicians, air traffic controllers, airshow performers, astronauts, and many others. ESA helps its members continuously educate about unique parts of aviation. N260AB has a name in
the aerobatic competition world; many pilots started their aerobatic career on this airplane. The S-2B is a certified, two-seater aerobatic aircraft equipped with a 260 horsepower Lycoming AEIO540. The Pitts can handle six positive g’s and three negative g’s, which makes it perfect for loops, rolls, spins, inverted flight and all other competition aerobatic maneuvers. If you would like to try soaring in a glider, flying the Pitts, or learn more about tailwheels in the Cub, email Loren Marburg at LMarburg@gmail.com.
Photo Courtesy: Nikolett Ficze
Antarctic Alum SpeakER Jaclyn Wiley Editor-in-Chief On Monday, April 10, the Embry-Riddle SpeakER Series hosted Lt. Col. David Panzera, an Embry-Riddle alumnus who serves as the Director of the Program Integration Office of the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing. Lt. Col. Panzera has worked with Bernier many times, and has provided comment from every country in which he has ever flown, as well as from Antarctica. Panzera’s service in Antarctica was the main focus of the night, and he told stories about his adventures there. While stationed in Antarctica, Panzera flew missions to deliver supplies to scientific missions and to remove waste from the stations. While in Antarctica, Panzera and his air wing achieved the highest operations tempo ever achieved in Antarctica. In one year, they moved over 12 million pounds of cargo. After discussing foreign policy, Bernier and Panzer moved to the topic of Ant-
arctica. “It does not get old,” Panzera said about flying over Antarctica. Panzera first went to Antarctica in 1994, and has been back there many times in the last two decades. “It can not be captured on film; I don’t care what camera you use, [Antarctica] is stunning… it’s unbelievable.” Panzera and his air wing served as air support for scientific missions in Antarctica, where a treaty stands in effect that states that no nation can claim land and sovereignty. This treaty was created in 1959 by the UN, and was the first arms control treaty of the Cold War. Since Antarctica was reserved for science by the 1959 Antarctica Treaty, research stations cannot leave waste on the continent, which would spoil the pristine bleakness. Panzera also spoke about some misconceptions that people have about Antarctica and the scientific work done there. One misconception was that only climate research is done at the South Pole, which is not true. A wide variety of scientific work is done in Antarctica in a wide variety of
fields, including research about “ice core samples, dinosaur bones, meteorites, and a whole host of other things.” Panzera and Bernier went through some photos that Panzera brought, which varied in subject from a South Pole base to sprawling landscapes. They also viewed multiple videos from the Antarctic continent. Panzera explained the context of each of the photos, and used them as visual aids for stories. One story that Panzera told concerned a flight that went wrong over the South Pole. Due to weather and navigation issues, Panzera was unable to return to New Zealand, his base. This was the last flight of the season, and Panzera was supposed to leave Antarctica the next day. Panzera was forced to land on Odell Glacier, after getting the instruction to “land on this general area in this general direction.” “It was the single most violent landing that I’ve ever done in my life.” The plane suffered damage and multiple crew members were injured, but everyone
was eventually rescued. The runways of the South Pole, which were made of ice and snow. Due to the icy runways, airplanes must land on skis in the South pole. One of the videos that Panzera brought along was of a ski landing. Some members of the audience had also flown to Antarctica, and Panzera interacted with them throughout the event. Students were given priority to ask questions, though the general public were also invited to ask questions. Questions ranged in topic from Panzera’s missions to the personnel make-up of the crew in Antarctica to solar radiation and power at the South Pole. The SpeakER Series event was well attended and very informative. The next SpeakER Series event will be hosted by Marc Bernier in the Gale Lemerand Auditorium in the Willie Miller Instructional Center. The guest will be Congressman Ron DeSantis (R) representing Florida’s 6th District. The date for this event is April 17, and will be open to the public.
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Refounded: Arnold Air Society Taylor Wedell Correspondent The Arnie’s are back! On Feb. 8, school faculty, ROTC members, fellow students, family, andå friends gathered together to celebrate the refounding of the Arnold Air Society Squadron at Embry-Riddle. Arnold Air Society is AFROTC’s premier honors society with a focus on community service, preserving Air Force traditions, and promoting fellowship among Air Force officer candidates. The new Squadron has taken the name of the Brig. Gen Daniel P. Woodward Squadron. Brig. Gen Woodward, a graduate of Embry-Riddle, was an instrumental advocate to the refounding of
the squadron. The ceremony itself consisted of a brief history of the Air Force and Arnold Air Society followed by the presentation of the gold and blue cords. It all began at the University of Cincinnati in 1947 when a group of cadets came up with the idea of a national group of like-minded cadets who wanted to advocate for airpower. Fast forward 70 years and the cadets of Detachment 157 have successfully managed to carry on the tradition. The guest speaker at the ceremony was Glenn Harmon, a professor of Aeronautical Science, retired Air Force Officer, retired airline pilot and former Arnie himself. Professor Harmon stressed the importance
of fellowship among cadets as they prepare to become officers. He even noted that he still stays in contact with some of his
fellow Arnold Air Society members to this very day. The expectations have been set high, but we hope to hear many great
things in the future from this group of future officers! For more information on Arnold Air Society at Embry-Riddle,
please follow our Facebook page, Gen Woodward AAS Squadron (https://www.facebook. com/woodwardaas/).
erable life in a “van down by the river.” However, my choice to live in an RV is certainly not like living in a camper van. The first thing to realize about RVs is that there are many different types. Ranging from the simple camper van or pop-up trailer that only has a bed and maybe air conditioning to fully self-contained units that have all the creature comforts of a small home or apartment, such as travel trailers, Class C, and Class A RVs. My RV is a 1983 Fleetwood Pace-Arrow. It falls under the cat-
egory of being a Class A RV, which is essentially shaped like a charter bus. However, rather than having rows of seating, it has the contents of a typical one bedroom apartment. I have a living area with a couch and can place a TV linked to a satellite dish on the roof. I have a fully functional kitchen with an oven, stove, microwave, and refrigerator along with a dinette to eat at. My RV even has a bathroom area that has a toilet and shower larger than most of the dorms. Then I have a separate room for
my sleeping quarters and plenty of storage for all my possessions. There is not much else a single person in their 20’s needs out of their living situation. However, I am still frequently asked the question of why I have chosen to live in an RV? It just makes sense where I am at in life right now. My roommate for the last three years will be moving to Orlando when our lease expires, and I do not particularly like the idea of breaking in a new one. Also, it will be possible for me to save a considerable amount
of money living in an RV rather than getting another roommate of renting a studio apartment. Currently, I pay a little over $600 a month for my share of the rent and utilities; that is approximately $7200 per year I am throwing away on rent. The reason I refer to paying rent as throwing away money is that you gain absolutely no capital benefit by doing so. You are quite literally making someone else richer without gaining any longterm benefit. I purchased my RV for only $3200 as a mechanic’s special (but
hey, I am a mechanic) and RV lot rental with utilities is only approximately $300 per month. Not to mention that my RV has already experienced its maximum depreciation, which means I should be able to get most of the money I put into it when I decide to sell, so long as I maintain its condition, of course. Not to mention one other intrinsic benefit of the RV lifestyle, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. All you are is a gas tank away from a short weekend adventure or a permanent relocation.
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Wedell All members of the Arnold Air Society come together for a group photo, showing off the cords pinned on their shoulders to distinguish them as members.
RVing: An Alternate Form of Living
Mike Shekari Staff Reporter “You’re gonna live in a van down by the river!” is what many of my friends and professors exclaim when I tell them about my intentions to begin living in a recreational vehicle (RV) this summer. The exclamation references a skit that was done by Saturday Night Live several years ago about a motivational speaker who lives in a “van down by the river” trying to convince two teenagers not to do drugs using references to the speaker’s mis-
ERAU Hosts 5th Annual “Color Me Kate 5K” Joe Giordano Correspondent The “Color Me Kate 5K” is an event held every spring semester to celebrate former Embry-Riddle Women’s Soccer player Kate Waidmann. Kate was diagnosed with appendix cancer in 2012 and shortly after the cancer spread to more of her abdomen, including part of her colon and right kidney. In an attempt to cure Kate’s cancer, chemotherapy and surgery were performed to remove all tumors and she was luckily able to enter remission and return to her passion: private aviation. This however did not last because in 2014, Kate was diagnosed with cancer once again. Fortunately, after the second diagnosis, the athletics department devised a
plan for a fundraiser in the form of a color run and thus the “Color Me Kate 5K” was created. The women’s soccer team and Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity worked together to extend their reaches throughout the campus and into the local community. This year the Color Me Kate 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run were held on April 9th and with over 200 participants, and the event raised over $9,000 for Kate’s foundation: Souls of the Beach. This foundation donates money towards cancer research as well as the Embry-Riddle Kate Waidmann Memorial Scholarship. Since her passing in 2014, the event has been held 4 times. Every year it highlights a Women’s Soccer player who embodies Kate’s values and in turn receives a scholarship in her honor.
Photo Courtesy: Joe Giordano A runner gets himself “colored” during the Color Me Kate 5K run.
Photo Courtesy: Joe Giordano Runners jog on as people on the sidelines throw colored powder on them.
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The Forgotten War is Not Forgotten Collin Anderson Staff Reporter The escalating situation in the Korean Peninsula this past week has pushed brinkmanship to its limit. Since the armistice was declared in July of 1953, relations between North Korea and the US have been less than ideal. The events within the past two weeks have put both sides to extremes not seen in over 60 years. Last week, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed North Korea during Jin-
ping’s visit to the United States. Jinping agreed that North Korea is getting too bold and that something needs to be done. With China defending North Korea in the past, this came as a milestone shift in China’s rationale regarding North Korea. Earlier this week, Carrier Strike Group One was instructed to deviate from its path of going to Australia, and instead, proceed to the Korean Peninsula. Carrier Strike Group One’s centerpiece is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS
Carl Vinson (CVN-70). On Thursday, Japan announced that several of its warships would rendezvous with Carrier Strike Group One and sail to the Korean Peninsula. In the same day, the US Air Force’s 18th Wing stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, staged an unannounced “elephant walk” consisting of F-15’s, HH-60’s, E-3’s, and KC-135’s. An elephant walk is a military exercise that involves taxiing entire squadrons of aircraft in close formation as would be necessary for a
short-notice wartime situation. China has also started turning away North Korean boats carrying coal and has suspended all coal imports from North Korea until the end of the year. As tensions mount, Russia and China have warned both the US and North Korea to resolve this diplomatically. Two weeks ago, President Trump authorized a missile strike on Syria’s Shayrat Airbase comprised of 59 Tomahawk missiles, and last week, the US dropped the largest non-nuclear weapon (MOAB) on a cave
system in Afghanistan. These events were probably meant to send a message to North Korea and came days before North Korea celebrated “The Day of the Sun,” the first North Korean president, Kim Ilsung’s, birthday. Historically, North Korea launches on commemorative days. Satellite imagery has detected heavy activity on the launch pad and has suggested that North Korea is preparing for their sixth nuclear test. The US has warned North Korea that if they launch anything, the US will shoot it
down and retaliate. North Korea says this would be an act of war and is “ready for a nuclear attack.” In the past, whenever North Korea would test weapons, the US and the United Nations would sanction them. This did not deter them any of the five times. Since North Korea’s failed launch attempt on Saturday, the US and China are considering “all options.” War is never wanted; however, if it comes to that, the US has the potential to officially put an end to the Korean War.
Trey Henderson/The Avion Newspaper
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Reality Check: Flying Cars
Henry Neiberlien News Editor As the twenty-first century continues, amazing technologies continue to astound us. Smartphones, virtual reality, drone delivery and reusable rockets have shown us that maybe we are living in the future we dreamed of as children. However, there is one technology that seems to continue to elude us: flying cars. Automobiles that soar through the skies have been a staple of futuristic concepts and predictions since the early sixties, and it seems we are always so close yet so far from them. So, what is the state of this technology and can we expect to see them soon, or is it a concept that is doomed to stay within the realms of science fiction? Well, what if I told you that flying cars have existed since the 1930's, and you can buy one right now? Unfortunately, the flying car is probably not what most people were expecting. Instead of a vehicle that looks exactly like a car and adding jet engines or anti-gravity to the wheels so it can fly, like that as seen in Back to the Future, the flying cars of today are more
along the lines of airplanes that have had car features added in after the fact. The technology to create flying cars exists and has existed, but some major factors are holding them back from becoming mainstream. The first major problem with flying cars is the fact that they are still fully fledged aircraft, which means those who operate them will need the same training as a regular pilot. The FAA still considers flying cars to be conventional aircraft and regulates them as such, which means you would need at least a private pilot certificate to sit behind the wheel/yoke/ stick/thing of a flying car. People have a hard enough time driving regular cars safely, so much so that companies are trying to remove the human river altogether with autonomous cars. Another major issue with flying cars is the economic and financial investments of owning and operating a flying car. Most flying cars on the market today are in the range of $300,000 to over $3 million. Modern cars are expensive as it is and buying something that costs five times as much that does not do flying or driving all that
well is not something most people would be interested in. What drives up the cost of these vehicles is the fact many of them strive to be vertical takeoff and landing so that you could start flying right out of your driveway instead of having to drive to an airport to take off. VTOL technology, especially in a smaller, carsized vehicle, is yet to prove itself in the civilian market. Fortunately, there is still hope for flying cars, and they will arrive sooner than
you might think. They will also look different from previous concepts and no, you will probably not be able to own one, but you might be able to use one on your commute. Airbus, the French aerospace conglomerate that brought you the Airbus A300 series of commercial airlines, has heavily invested in a project they call project Vahana. Project Vahana's objective is to develop autonomous VTOL taxis for use in urban transportation.
Similar to how you would call an Uber now for a drive across town, Airbus hopes you would be able to do the same thing for a flight across town by the early 2020's. Dubai, being Dubai, has already made the step to offer a flying taxi service in their city by this summer. Yes, that was not a typo, they plan to implement autonomous flying taxis this year. The aircraft they will use already exists and was first shown off at
Photo Credit: Ehang UAV’s
the Consumer Electronics Expo in 2016. The Ehang 184 is an eight-rotor autonomous vehicle that can fly for thirty minutes with one passenger, and all you would have to do is touch a location on the onboard touchscreen, and it can take you there autonomously. It may seem a little scary to strap yourself into an oversized consumer drone and trust it can transport you safely to your destination, but the technology inside has already been proven time and time again in photography drones and quadcopters like the DJI Phantom. Also, take note that this service is not coming to the United States anytime soon. So, flying cars already exist and you might encounter one sooner than later. They might not be what we envisioned growing up, but being able to fly above traffic straight to your destination for a small fee is still awesome. However, what most people should be more concerned with is the fact you will not have to drive a car at all in the near future; it will drive or fly itself with you sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the ride.
Flying on a Historic Douglas DC-3
Mike Shekari Staff Reporter
It has been slightly over one hundred years since the dawn of powered flight. In that time the world has seen thousands of aircraft designs. However, very few are quite as iconic as the Douglass DC-3 passenger airliner. First introduced in the 1930s before the beginning of the United States' involvement in the Second World War, the DC-3 was one of the world's first fast and widely successful passenger airliners; an example before the DC-3 being the Ford Tri-Motor. DC-3s also saw extensive action with allied forces during World War II designated as the C-47, where it was used to drop paratroopers, carry cargo and serve as a medical transport. After the war, the DC-3 continued to serve widely as a passenger airliner and cargo aircraft until the beginning of the jet age alongside its larger, four-engine, tri-cycle gear variants, the DC-4 and DC-7. However, there are still
many DC-3s still in service today, mostly serving as regional cargo transports. There is even one operator in the Miami area that operates several DC-3s. The DC-3 was originally powered by two Wright R-1820 radial engines. However, there are many examples currently in service that have been converted to have two Pratt & Whitney PT-6 turboprop engines. Glass cockpits were not even imagined yet when the DC-3 was first manufactured. However, many operators have given their machines a modern avionics makeover, including a modern glass cockpit. I recently had the privilege to fly inside a DC-3 that was visiting American Aero Services, a vintage aircraft restoration shop and museum at New Smyrna Beach Airport, with my Civil Air Patrol squadron out of Ormond Beach. Unlike many other examples of currently flying DC-3s, the aircraft was almost 100 percent original to the 1930s design, minus a few seats to allow for operations under
Part 91 of the FARs. Walking up the staired door into the cabin of the aircraft was like stepping into a portal to the past. It felt strange walking up an incline to reach my seat due to the aircraft's tail dragger configuration, which places the third landing gear at the tail rather than the nose. When the throttles advanced to full power for takeoff, the radial engines roared like two mighty beasts, which made me feel an extra thrill for flying that I have not felt since some of my first general aviation flights. While flying at low altitude over the shoreline we got to circle over the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, which was patrolled by my Civil Air Patrol squadron during World War II in search for German submarines, bringing a historical significance to our flight. However, rather than being on the lookout for the enemy during a time of war, we could sit peacefully and enjoy the view while appreciating a piece of aviation history.
Riddle Players Talent Show
Chaz Pokracki/The AvionNewspaper Embry-Riddle recently held a talent show! There were many performances, including singers, a pianist, a comedy act, and an aerobic dancer who performed a rock song! Accompanied by the live band during the beginning, intermission, and end, people shuffled into their seats to witness the talent nobody thought Riddle had. Towards the start we had the Acafellas sing a medley of tunes. Following, Len Brunotte sung his cover of Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire”. A hilarious improv act from the (much expected) Improv club was delivered to the audience, followed by a very talented pianist. He played many bits of songs such as: The Mario theme, Hall of Fame, The Entertainer, and other well-known classics. There were many other fantastic acts during the entirety of the show, but many were blown away to hear a spot-on version of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”. Overall the experience was chill and mellow – and it seemed everyone really enjoyed themselves!
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Introducing the United States Space Corps? At the recently-concluded thirty-third Space Symposium, the largest gathering of space professionals in the entire world, the Air Force Space Command was a hot topic. The Space Command is a branch of the U.S. Air Force that oversees all satellites in orbit around Earth for national security purposes and has various space programs and missions of its own. The recent discussions continued to promote Space Command as the principal national force that is keeping outer space peaceful for the benefit of all mankind. The Air Force Space Command is led by General John Raymond with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. The Air and Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is the primary unit responsible for tracking all satellites orbiting the Earth. Space Command also maintains several surveillance networks and communi-
cation satellites. Anti-satellite weapons and the mysterious X-37B space plane are also managed by Space Command. Officers detect threats from China, North Korea and Iran and they maneuver surveillance satellites accordingly in order to keep an eye on the threats. They also defend satellites from being destroyed by anti-satellite missiles or disabled by a cyber-weapon. The Air Force Space Command has the best technology to protect our "birds in the sky," and without the division, satellites would be overpowered and used against the U.S. in times of conflict. Unfortunately, some members of Congress believe that Space Command is riddled with bureaucracy and needs to be reformed. The leading congressman calling for change is Representative Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee. At a government affairs breakfast on April 4 at the symposium, the congress-
man proposed for a "space corps" to be created within the Air Force, separate from Space Command. He believes that the current leaders of Space Command are not space professionals, with most of them being former fighter pilots. His goal is to create an entirely new space branch within the military, so there would be six branches of the military instead of five. The Representative intends to begin the long process in subcommittee meetings this year. On the same day, General Raymond announced a new position in the Air Force: "deputy chief of staff for space." The three-star general will oversee the space strategy of the Air Force, while General Raymond will remain in charge of actual space operations. Representative Rogers did not approve of the announcement, as he believes that an additional bureaucratic position will not improve Space Command. Lieutenant General David Buck, commander of the 14th Air Force Wing under Space Com-
mand, and General Hyten, former commander of Space Command and now head of Air Force Strategic Command, also spoke at the symposium and promoted additional improvements including an increase in space partnerships and space intelligence operatives. The proposal to create a new space branch of the military is a huge step for our national space program. China especially is creating dangerous capabilities that can take out the critical space assets of other countries.
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The proposal to create a new space branch of the military is a huge step for our national space program.
I think that it is imperative to assess if a new space defense regime is necessary at this time. Granted, the process of doing so will take years, but we must recognize the possible implications. By proposing to create a new corps, we are propos-
givingto.erau.edu/speakerseries
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
An Evening with
Congressman Ron DeSantis Join us for a discussion to include, but not limited to: foreign policy, national defense, budget, healthcare, Homeland Security and the future of space exploration. Q&A to follow. Marc Bernier will moderate.
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Michael Weinhoffer Senior Reporter
ing to take the militarization of outer space to a whole new level. This proposal does not violate any international space law agreements, but it will certainly be seen as provocative by other states, who will, in turn, increase their own capabilities. I do believe that bureaucracy within the Air Force, and within the entire federal government for that matter, should decrease, but creating a new space military branch may only escalate the existing tensions. Space Command must be prepared to counter responding actions from other nations. I look forward to seeing the development of this proposal in Congress this year, but I remain wary. Creating a space military branch only lends credence to the "war and space" concept that no one wants to see come to fruition. We must do everything we can to defend our "birds," but our right to do so stops at the space law level, and this proposal, while intriguing, it brushes up right against it.
Launch Control Center OA-7 - Atlas 5
Apr. 18 @ 11:11 a.m. Cape Canaveral, Fl. SLC-41
ISS Sightings April 18th
8:39 p.m. - The ISS will be visible for three minutes, with a max height of 28°. It will appear 26° above WSW, and disappear 10° above S.
This Week in Space History April 18, 1986 STS-61-C Space Shuttle Columbia returns on earth, last shuttle mission before the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. April 19, 1993 STS-54, space shuttle Endeavour is back on earth. April 19, 2001 Launch: Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-100 at 18:40:42 UTC. Mission highlights: ISS assembly flight 6A: robotic arm; First spacewalk by a Canadian Chris Hadfield. April 20, 2011 Launch of SA-224, also known as NRO Launch 49 (NRO L-49), American reconnaissance satellite. April 20, 2011 Launch of Elektro-L No.1, also known as Geostationary Operational Meteorological Satellite No.2 or GOMS No.2, Russian geostationary weather satellite. April 21, 1972 Apollo 16 landed on the moon. Apollo 16 was the fifth mission in which humans walked on the lunar surface and returned to Earth. April 24, 1990 Launch: Space Shuttle Discovery STS-31 at 12:33:51 UTC. Mission highlights: Hubble Space Telescope deployment. April 24, 1971 Soyuz 10 spacecraft docks with the world’s first space station, Salyut 1.
Zachary Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper
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Upcoming Games: Tuesday Baseball vs Flagler Daytona Beach, Fla. @ 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday No Games
Sports
No Games
Friday Baseball vs Nova Southeastern Daytona Beach, Fla. @ 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Baseball vs Opposing Team Location and Time Baseball vs Opposing Team Location and Time Men’s Track and Field at USF Tampa, Fla. Women’s Track and Field at USF Tampa, Fla.
Sunday No Events
Monday No Events
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Softball Double Header with Barry
Emily Ferguson ERAU Athletics
The Embry-Riddle softball team split a doubleheader with Barry on Friday. Game one was cut short due to the eight-run rule when the fifth inning ended with the Buccaneers up 15-4. The Eagles came out on top in game two with a 5-2 final score. The Eagles maintain their winning record at 23-22 while Barry moves their record to 19-24. GAME ONE – BU 15, ERAU 4
Thursday
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Barry came out strong in the first inning scoring five runs, three of which were unearned. The Eagles answered with one run in the bottom half of the inning after Kailah Rain walked and came home on Kendall Funk's RBI double. The Bucs went three up, three down in the second inning and the Eagles used the opportunity to cut the lead to one run. Gabriella Obia and Destiny Carroll both walked with two outs. Anna Battison reached first on an error that also allowed Obia to score one and then Maggie Scott singled to right field to bring in Carroll and Battison pulling the Eagles to within a run at 5-4.
Two Barry runs in the top of the third inning put the Bucs up 7-4 and their lead only increased from there. One run for Barry in the fourth inning put them up 8-4 and the Eagles went three up, three down to end the inning. The Buccaneers broke loose in the fifth, scoring seven runs to build the lead to 15-4. The Eagles again were unable to push any runs through and the game ended after five due to the eight-run rule. Dana Rowley (0-1) took the loss in her first complete game, giving up five earned runs on 16 hits with three strikeouts. Thomas, Jackson, Funk and Scott each had one hit for the Eagles while Scott and Funk had two and one RBIs, respectively.
vs Barry: 2
ERAU: 0
doubled in Thomas before Battison singled in Mckenzee Quinn and Scott for a 4-0 lead. The Eagles put one more on the board in the sixth inning when Kim George walked, was advanced by Thomas' sacrifice bunt and then by Jayla Jackson's single and scored on an error. The Bucs snuck in two runs in the seventh inning but it was not enough to challenge the Blue and Gold and the game ended
in a 5-2 Eagle victory. Ilona Andringa (14-11) tossed a complete game giving up two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Scott finished 1-for-3 with one run, one RBI and a double. Battison went 1-for-2 at the plate with one run and two RBIs. The Eagles have a weekend off before they return to action to face Eckerd in their last series of the season beginning on Friday, April 28 at 3 p.m.
GAME TWO – ERAU 5, BU 2 The Eagles took an early lead in game two after Battison walked, advanced on a throwing error, went to third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. The Eagles allowed only four Bucs on base in the following four innings and they were unable to score any runs. The Eagles furthered their lead in the fifth inning when Scott
Zach Fedewa/ The Avion Newspaper
ERAU Women’s Tennis Falls at No. 26 at the NSU Tennis Center. The Sharks got off to a strong start as the Eagles The Embry-Riddle wom- struggled in doubles. The en’s tennis team bested 23rd-ranked tandem of Isa26th-ranked Nova South- bella Lowrey and Luicelena eastern (9-3) 4-2 in singles, Perez bested Maud Mrad but couldn’t overcome a and Alexis Marshall 8-3 on doubles sweep, falling to court one, while Alex Kaesthe Sharks 5-4 on Saturday er and Simone Pratt held off Kathryn Bock and Maria Turrillo 8-6, and Eva Agasse and Arina Sharonova topped Ana Gonzalez-Hoy and Lydia Carter 8-6 to give NSU a 3-0 lead into doubles. An injury Zach Fedewa/ The Avion Newspaper during douAlison Smalling Position
vs Southeastern: 4
ERAU: 2
bles play forced the Sharks to default at No. 6 singles. Playing at the third spot, Turillo made quick work of Agasse, defeating the NSU sophomore 6-1, 6-0. Bock dropped just three games in her 6-2, 6-1 win over Sharanova at No. 5 to tie things up, but the Sharks answered with Pratt’s 6-1, 6-0 win over Georgina Wood at No. 2, and ninth-ranked Perez
clinched the NSU victory by topping Mrad 6-0, 6-2 on court one. The final match off the court was at the fourth spot where Marshall pulled out a three-set victory over Lowery, winning 6-3, 3-6, 10-7. Saturday’s contest was the last match of the season for the Eagles who capped the 2017 campaign at 2-12 overall.
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ERAU Baseball Takes Finale from Panthers in Friday Double header Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics
a walk, Brady appeared to get the game-ending ground ball that he wanted, but an infield error allowed the tying run to score, as well as the potential go-ahead run to reach third. Justin Franklin, who had entered in the prior inning, made a great leaping catch on a line drive in the next at-bat, preserving the game and sending it to extras. Embry-Riddle showed impressive resolve after seeing the lead disappear on the error, getting the leadoff man on in the 10th as Bradshaw singled to left. After a failed sacrifice attempt, Ryan Maxon delivered a stinging double to the gap in left center, pushing Bradshaw to third and then the Eagles got aggressive, electing for a suicide squeeze and executing it to perfection as Robbie Hanlon picked up his third RBI of the game, bringing in Bradshaw for a 5-4 lead. Zach Howard followed that up with a single to left center, plating Maxon for an important insurance run, making it 6-4. Troy Naab took the mound for Brady in the 10th, issuing a pair of walks around a strikeout. After a fly out for out number two,
A ERAU baseball player tosses the ball across the field.
Zachary Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper
A wild series finale went the Embry-Riddle baseball team's way on Friday afternoon as the Eagles salvaged one win in the threegame set with Florida Tech, winning the second game of the twin bill, 6-5 in 10 innings. The Panthers (2315) took the day's opener, 7-2, ensuring a series win after claiming Thursday night's contest from the Eagles (13-27). Embry-Riddle returns to Sliwa Stadium after a seven-game road trip as the Blue and Gold plays host to Flagler on Tuesday, April 18 at 6 p.m. Game 1 - FIT 7, ERAU 2 For the fifth consecutive weekend game, Aidan Brady took the mound for the Eagles, going three scoreless frames to stretch his unearned runs streak to 11 consecutive innings. Brady and his FIT counterpart, Grant Willcoxon, traded scoreless frames through the first three innings, but FIT got to ERAU reliever Austin Lee in the fourth, scoring three times, two of the runs being unearned, to take a 3-0 lead. The Panthers tacked
on three more runs in teh fifth to double their lead to 6-0 and the ERAU offense was held in check by Willcoxon and Luke Lorah, finding themselves behind 7-0 when they came to bat in the ninth. The visitors were able to finally score off Lorah in the last inning as Gunnar Bradshaw plated Jordan Brown and Ryan Maxon with a single, but Lorah got the last out of the game to preserve the 7-2 victory. Bradshaw finished 2-for4 with a pair of RBIs, while Lee (3-6) took the loss in 5.0 innings of relief. Game 2 - ERAU 6, FIT 5 (10) The Eagles were able to shrug off a ninth-inning disaster and win the final series game in extras, 6-5. ERAU got a fantastic start from Kenny Burkhead as the senior nearly went the distance, tossing 8.2 innings, allowing just three runs while scattering 10 hits, but was relieved with two outs in the ninth. Leading 4-3, Burkhead got the first two outs of the ninth quickly, but a double ended his day as Brady entered to try to nail down the win. A wild pitch moved the potential tying run to third, and after
the Panthers got a single up the middle to creep within a run at 6-5. However, Naab froze pinch hitter Michael Jenks with a strike three call, saving his third game of the season. Before the late-inning drama, the Eagles took an early 2-0 lead in the first as Hanlon singled through the infield for two
RBIs, scoring both Jordan Brown and Bradshaw. Burkhead allowed one run in the third, but ERAU extended its lead in the fourth with another tworun frame, the first on a sac fly from Luis Olivier and the second on a sac bunt from Cole Habig as ERAU went up 4-1. FIT got single runs in
the fourth and sixth, but that's all they could muster against Burkhead until the error in the ninth. The win went to Brady (2-1) in his 0.1 innings of work, and Hanlon finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Howard went for three hits and Brown and Olivier each finished with two.
Zachary Fewdewa/The Avion Newspaper An ERAU sportsman strikes the ball with his baseball bat to initiate the gameplay.
Comics and Games Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker April 10, 2017
ACROSS 1 Sharpens, as skills 6 One state’s welcome 11 Pinch hitter, e.g. 14 Horned beast, briefly 15 Graph paper features 16 Latin eggs 17 Rooftop energy producers 19 Chinchilla covering 20 Pie part 21 Mortar and ___ 23 Flower organ 26 Wide, lacy collars 27 Sets free from a leash 28 Fighter pilot’s mission 29 Nocturnal bird 30 Page opposite verso 32 Cut deeply, as prices 35 Fans’ cooperative display 37 Starter for “sayer” 39 It doesn’t take much on a card table 40 Drum kit part 42 Easy score, in basketball
11 Sympathetic and then some 12 Tonsils neighbor 13 Airs, as personal information 18 Throbs 22 Wilt Chamberlain’s nickname 23 Does a farming chore 24 American Hawkeye 25 Feature of this crossword, if you’re good 26 Ill-gotten gains 28 Weasel relative 31 Baby’s affliction, sometimes 33 Jam or lock up 34 “Active”
start 36 Eliminate from a chalkboard 38 Overbearing arrogance 41 As one group 43 Like some raids in the dark 46 Darken all lighting 48 Guarantee 49 Commissions generators 50 Discharge perspiration, e.g. 53 “Just the ___ thought of you” 54 Grad student’s exam type 57 Car stat 58 David ___ Roth of rock 59 Young boy 60 Cloud’s domain
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
xkcd.com
SO AND SO AND... By Timothy E. Parker
XKCD
4/10
44 Waiter’s reward 45 Masked thief 47 Easy job 49 Groundbreaking? 51 “___ unto Caesar ...” 52 Radiant, in old poetry 53 Makes noncashable 55 Floral necklace 56 Some gymnastic feats 61 Suffix meaning “none greater” 62 Former Toyota model 63 Inflict 64 Muddy farm home 65 Alcohol variety 66 Indigent DOWN 1 “48 ___” (Murphy film) 2 “Well, well, well!” 3 Zilch 4 Approves, in a way 5 More apologetic 6 “Pitiful me” 7 It’s trapped in the laundry 8 Small number 9 Assistant 10 States strongly
“Be careful--it’s breeding season, and some of these can be *extremely* defensive of their nests.”