Avion Issue 5 Spring 2016 by The Avion

Russia Wants to Shoot Asteroids With ICBMs Micah Knight Managing Editor

Michael Nisip/The Avion Newspaper Daytona Beach Police Department and Embry-Riddle Campus Safety Department officers escort a juvenile to a patol car. The suspect was involved in an attempted robbery and fled to the ERAU Student Village, forcing authorities to lock down the area for approximately half an hour.

Student Village Lockdown Michael Nisip Business Manager It’s Friday afternoon, 48 hours before the 58th annual Daytona 500, and Daytona Beach is roaring with activity. USAF Thunderbirds are performing unrestricted climbs, stock cars are practicing on the speedway and NASCAR fans are congesting International Speedway Boulevard. Even life on campus was bustling, as students were taking exams and getting ready for their weekend. That is, until everything came to screeching halt on Richard Petty Drive. Students were suddenly advised to steer clear of the Student Village shortly after

2 p.m., as the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) were actively pursuing two juveniles believed to be involved in an attempted strong-arm robbery at the Regions Bank adjacent to Corsair Hall, just beyond the Student Village. The victim had just made a withdrawal and was counting her money in the bank’s parking lot. While counting her money, the juveniles ran towards her at which point she immediately stuffed the money into her pockets. Once the suspects made contact with her, they were unable to retrieve the money from the victim’s pockets, and soon fled the scene of the crime. One suspect was caught fair-

ly quickly near the Yeager parking lot. However, the other suspect eluded Daytona Beach’s finest by seeking refuge in the labyrinth of Student Village, comprising of three different residence halls, each housing hundreds of students. Needless to say, the manhunt quickly escalated to finding a needle in a haystack. At this point, the search instantly developed into a joint operation, with ERAU’s Campus Safety and Volusia County Sheriff ’s Office (VCSO) rapidly providing additional manpower for securing the Student Village and protecting all of its residents. DBPD set up an impenetrable perimeter, with countless

Michael Nisip/The Avion Newspaper Volusia County Sheriff ’s Air 1 Helicopter was part of the manhunt on Friday.

patrol cars, vans, SUVs and motorcycles, and radioed in for several K-9 units. Meanwhile, VCSO assigned Air One to provide aerial support for the manhunt. Once the perimeter was established, a top-to-bottom building-wide search commenced, with Campus Safety, DBPD, and VCSO checking every dorm room. It wasn’t long before the suspect was apprehended by Campus Safety’s Lt. Kenaiou and DBPD in the ground-floor bathrooms of Tallman Commons. The suspect was then taken to the police department for questioning, and Campus Safety issued the “all clear” promptly thereafter. Attempted strongarm robbery is a felony in the third degree. Campus Safety believes the suspect gained entry by “piggybacking” behind a student entering the Student Village’s main entrance. Just a friendly reminder to all student residents: please do not let anyone you do not know piggyback behind you into any of the dorms on campus. Unless you personally know them, it’s better and safer for everyone to just have them use their EagleCard to gain access to the building. And as always, if you see something, say something. You can always call Campus Safety to report a suspicious person by dialing (386) 226-7233.

According to Russian news source Tass, Russian scientists are planning to modify Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) to destroy near-earth asteroids that might pose a threat to Earth. It sounds like a reallife version of the movie Armageddon, but the Russians are hoping to test it on asteroid 99942 Apophis when it flies very close to the Earth in the year 2036. Asteroids are a potentially Armageddon-scale threat to Earth. An asteroid a kilometer in diameter would be a world-wide catastrophe that would end life as we know it. Smaller asteroids, around 20-50 meters in diameter, can be harmful to people within hundreds of miles of where they enter the atmosphere, such as the Chelyabinsk meteorite in 2013 which injured over a thousand people when it entered the atmosphere over Siberia. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has an entire website devoted to Near Earth Objects - http://neo.jpl.nasa. gov/ - including information on each Near Earth Object, Potentially Hazardous Near Earth Object, and the probability of each object striking Earth. According to this website, nearly 14,000 NearEarth objects have been discovered, and 1,677 have been classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids – asteroids whose orbits come within 4.5 million miles of Earth’s orbit and are larger than 500 feet in diameter. NASA’s website also states that, though there are many asteroids classified as hazardous, there is an extremely low probability of any asteroid striking Earth – a 0.01 percent chance that one will impact Earth in the next 100 years. NASA indicates that there is no threat to Earth from any asteroid. Despite the extraordinarily small potential for a hazardous asteroid to impact Earth, smaller asteroids enter

the Earth’s atmosphere with higher frequency, such as the Chelyabinsk meteorite in 2013 and the Tunguska meteorite in 1908 which flattened 2,000 square kilometers of forest. These objects were too small to pose any serious threat to Earth – estimated to be about 20 and 200-600 feet in diameter, respectively. Such asteroids can devastate a small area near where it enters the atmosphere. Objects smaller than 100 feet are too small to be identified or tracked until they are very near Earth – if they impact the planet, there would only be hours of warning. The threat of asteroids has been a subject of thought for decades, even enough for Hollywood to pour millions of dollars into the most epically scientifically inaccurate movie ever (Armageddon), but none of these ideas have been put into practice. Perhaps it was the Chelyabinsk meteorite that prompted Russian scientists to begin looking into the idea of asteroid deterrent, but the Russians may actually begin development on a deterrent. For a last-minute threat, ICBMs, by the very nature of their design, are the natural choice for a last-minute deterrent. Most rockets use liquid fuel, which requires several days to prepare and load the fuel. ICBMs use solid boosters, enabling them to be constantly ready for launch. They are also already carrying weapons of mass destruction which would have a great impact on any sufficiently small Near-Earth object. The only modifications required for an ICBM to go into an asteroid intercept rather than ballistic trajectory is a reprogramming of the guidance and possibly navigation system of the missile, which is a relatively cheap, easy, simple change. It seems the Russians are just some programming away from giving Earth a reasonable defense from small threats the solar system presents. Continued on B3 >>

Billy Nguyen/The Avion Newspaper Artist’s Concept of a missile launched at an asteroid

Campus

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The Avion

Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photography Editor Advertising Manager

Andy Lichtenstein Micah Knight Jaclyn Wiley Michael Nisip Jack Taylor Billy Nguyen

Page Editors Cover Editor Campus Editor Student Life Editor I&T Editor Aviation Editor Space Editor Sports Editor Comics Editor Copy Editor

Micah Knight Delilah Campos Keenan Thungtrakul Michael Nisip Micah Knight Jaclyn Wiley Zach Fedewa Sariah Adviento Rachel Dooley Michael Nisip Malana Linton

Staff Contributors Reporters

Photographers

Andy Bronshteyn Keenan Thungtrakul Micah Knight Michael Nisip Sariah Adviento Rachel Dooley Billy Nguyen Michael Nisip Zach Fedewa

Correspondents Moriah Caflin, Christain Pezalla

Staff Advisor Wesley Lewis, Asst. Director, Media & Marketing

Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Ad Manager: (386) 226-7697 Fax Number: (386) 226-6727 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

23 2016

Second “Brews on Campus” Well Received

Andrew Bronshteyn Staff Reporter

Another Thursday: Another Brews on Campus event goes off without a hitch. On the 18th, from 3-6 p.m., Sodexo (complying with the University and SGA) sold multiple types of beer and various fried foods to persons 21 and older. Beers available for sale were Blue Moon, Heineken, Miller Lite, and Corona. While the sales on the first event were much higher, Florence Keeton – a Dining Supervisor working behind the counter – remarked that the event was still very successful. Flo also remarked how, early on, she was worried about how students would behave with alcoholic beverages being sold on campus. She said that she was pleasantly surprised that everyone was well-behaved and

“… getting along just fine.” A quick glance around the room proved that there was nothing but happy students enjoying beer with their friends or on their own. I asked a group of friends, who were enjoying some of event’s beverages, what they thought about alcoholic beverages being sold on campus. They said that it was a good idea and that the event was a good move by the SGA. One of the students, originally from England, remarked on how it was nice that he could drink on campus as it was expected that a campus in the UK would have a bar where students could go to relax. There is certainly a different view on having on-campus bars in the U.S., but for him, the availability of beer was pleasing and not something to think of as being out of place. The “Brews on Campus”

event takes place in the Landing Strip inside of the Student Center, in the place of the Pacific Trader’s buffet. The beverages are meant to be consumed inside the Landing Strip, as there are signs posted on the exits which clearly state, “No alcohol beyond this point.” The next two events will be on Feb. 26 and March

4, both of which are Fridays. The ERAU Connection page by the Student Center states; “Additional dates for Brews on Campus will be announced soon to round out the eightweek trial.” If the trial goes well, it is possible the campus may make the sales a common occurrence for years to come.

to seat around 75 other individuals. Students, parents, professors and community members were able to directly ask Hagel questions after the interview. Chuck Hagel was the Senator of Nebraska and the 24th Secretary of Defense, nominated by the late Ronald Reagan in 1981. Hagel shared a heartwarming story about the time his brother saved his life in the Vietnam War. The shrapnel in Hagel's chest reminds him of all the sacrifices families made during the war. The topic is then lightened to radioing, one of Hagel’s passions. For about three years, Hagel worked in the radio industry. Because there

is focus on the sense of hearing, along with imagination, Hagel finds joy in radio. Now, one reason that the former Secretary of Defense is so well known, is because he resigned from his position due to a disagreement on how veterans were being treated. Hagel didn’t like the veteran's budget being cut. Matters on Agent Orange, blood work surveys and post-traumatic stress disorder made Hagel recognize he had a problem with the ordeal. In addition, Hagel explained that the Vietnam War veterans were different from other veterans. The Vietnam vets did not trust the government nor the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs. Hagel said in the interview that at the end of the day, "The honorable thing for me to do [was] resign." Currently, Hagel hopes that the presidential debates will ‘serious up' and talk about problems that really matter. In his opinion, cyber-attacks are the biggest threat. One thing is for certain, the people need to be unified on a common interest. Overall, Chuck Hagel was able to bring together so many different people. Whether it was an ROTC student, community member, professor or just a curious student that learned something new, it is definite to say that the event was a success.

enjoy the sights, stick with your friends and look out for each other. Do you own a motorcycle? Bike thefts increase all over the county during this event so be sure to lock your motorcycle. Use one of our Lease-A-Lock products. Let me ask you a question if you’re under 21. Have you ever thought about making or buying a fake I.D. to get into the bars? If you did, you better think twice. Many students don’t realize that making, distributing or possessing a fake I.D. is a serious crime in Florida. It’s an offense that can stay with you for a lifetime. Some consequences you may face if caught with a fake I.D. or driver’s license include loss of driving privileges for up to a year. You may also face a third-degree felony. With a felony, try applying for employment with a major airline, corpo-

ration or government agency. They all conduct thorough background checks. So if you as a student have an arrest record you may not be able to accomplish what our profile officer of the week has achieved. Campus Safety & Security would like to introduce Captain Jim Hamilton. He’s our C shift supervisor who along with our other night shift officers, keeps our campus safe during the night hours. Jim came to ERAU a little over five years ago. He served for twenty-one years in the US Coast Guard Aviation unit. Jim was drawn to the Coast Guard for their humanitarian and search and rescue missions which were a big part of their responsibilities when he first joined. One of his most memorable experiences was during hurricane Erin in August of 1995 while stationed

at the Coast Guard Air Station in Savannah. They received a distress call from the ocean tug Marjorie McAllister which was taking water and was quickly sinking, causing the crew to abandon the tug. Immediately they launched two rescue helicopters and located the crew 30 miles off the coast of Florida. Once on location, they encountered strong winds and 30-foot seas, making the rescue very difficult. After the first helicopter rescued two survivors they had to deploy Rescue Swimmers and managed to rescue 3 other crewmembers while running low on fuel. Jim recalls that seeing the smiles and the relief on their faces once on board the helicopter was priceless. It was an experience that will remain with Jim Hamilton for the rest of his life. As Kevin Mannix always says, “it’s in your interest.”

Sariah Adviento / Avion Newspaper ERAU student purchasing a beverage during “Brews on Campus” event.

Former SecDef Visits ERAU

Moriah Caflin HSSA Secretary On Feb. 16, there were an abundance of people gathered in the Willie Miller Instructional Center Auditorium as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University welcomed guest speaker and former United States Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel. With Marc Bernier as the moderator, the conversation lasted for approximately 90 minutes and captured hundreds of people's attention. At 6 p.m., lines formed as guests and students claimed their seats. In fact, there were so many spectators that a classroom was used

Campus Safety On Motorcycles Lt. Jaime Gonzalez Campus Safety

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.

February

Harley-Davidsons. Stately customized motorcycles. Trikes. The motorcycle invasion of Daytona Beach is fast approaching. There will be close to half a million motorcycles throughout our city during Bike Week. This invasion is not like it used to be twenty-five years ago. Things have mellowed out a bit. However, our ERAU community still needs to be aware of the dangers of venturing out late at night. Campus Safety & Security wants our students to have fun and enjoy the visionary splendors of custom built motorcycles but we also want you to be safe. Remember traffic becomes extremely heavy and motorcycles can sometimes be difficult to see. If you venture out to see and

23 Student Life Thunderbirds are Go at Embry-Riddle Page

February

The Avion

2016

Jaclyn Wiley News Editor

Diamond maneuvers and solo flights, both of which showcase the power and agility of the F-16. The squadron was in Daytona Beach this last week to prepare for their flyover of the Daytona 500, which took place at the end of the Star Spangled Banner. The Thunderbirds came to Daytona on Monday the 15th, which allowed them time to visit area hospitals, celebrities and schools, like Embry-Riddle. The purpose of these visits was to showcase the power and professionalism of the US Air Force. Additionally, the event showcased the number of diverse jobs held by the members of the Thunderbird team, which included Flight Surgeon, Public Affairs Officer, and maintenance officers. This variety of positions is a selling point for

recruiters since very few people can end up flying an F-16 in the Delta Formation, but more are able to help the pilots get up there.” This is an opportunity for the students to get it from the horse’s mouth, as far as the Thunderbirds go. It gives them the experience to talk to a fighter pilot, other officers in the Air Force, etc. “It’s a positive experience, I think, for everyone involved,” said Master Sergeant Christopher Lanning, an Air Force Recruiter who works with the Thunderbirds. “I think it was a very receptive audience...I will say that the relationship between the Air Force and Embry-Riddle definitely helps.” The crowd at the event followed up the video and speeches by the Thunderbird team with a long and vigorous set of questions.

Right: The members of the Air Force Thunderbirds squadron speak to Embry-Riddle students on the West Lawn.

Billy Ngyuen/The Avion Newspaper

The West Lawn, which is usually quiet and empty on Friday mornings, was anything but that on Friday the 19th. Music by artists such as AC/DC and Fall Out Boy played exuberantly, getting the crowd gathered excited and ready to be “Thunderstruck.” The reason they were out on that lawn? The Thunderbirds! The Thunderbirds are a United States Air Force squadron that performs air maneuvers and shows at many famous venues, including the Daytona 500, the Commencement Ceremony at the US Air Force Academy and the Embry-Riddle Wings and Waves Air Show in October. They are famous for their precision flying, performing in both four-ship

Master Sergeant Lanning was impressed by the crowd, saying that the students gathered were, “very professional, very responsible. They asked a lot of good questions. I thought it went real-

ly well.” He continued, “answering [the students] questions is definitely the most important part [of the event].” To learn more about the Thunderbirds and their mission, visit their

website at http://afthunderbirds.com/site/. To learn how to join the Air Force and potentially work with this squadron, visit an AFROTC officer on campus or www.airforce.com.

Students Try Their Luck at Casino Night Jaclyn Wiley News Editor

There were a few repeat winners of the chance drawings, but such is the nature of chance, as some students learned. Student Billy Nguyen said, “Casino Night taught me to not gamble because I would lose all the money I earn as an aerospace engineer. It was really fun, though, I really enjoyed it. I would definitely do it again.” Freshman Andrew Bronshteyn said that “this event was a lot of fun. I played Blackjack and bingo, which was surprisingly intense. Fun, but intense. To learn more about Tough-N-Go’s upcoming events, visit Con-

Right: Embry-Riddle students try their luck at real poker with simulated money and chips at Casino Night, hosted by Touch-N-Go Productions.

Billy Ngyuen/The Avion Newspaper

On the night of Friday, February 6th, TouchN-Go transformed the John Paul Riddle Student Center into a gaming establishment for Casino Night. The event lasted from 8 to 10 p.m. and was attended by more than 100 students. There were multiple games students could play, including roulette, Blackjack, craps, poker and bingo. Touch-N-Go trained all of the dealers before the event, as they were all student volunteers. Pizza and beverages were provided for attending students, free of charge.

Students were given $5,000 worth of gaming chips upon entering the casino. The chips, of course, held no real value outside of the Student Center, but the casino method of betting was used to increase the sense of realism. Students redeemed their chips at the end of the night for tickets. Every $5,000 in chips was equivalent to one ticket. These tickets were used in a game of chance raffle for over $1,000 worth of prizes. Some of the prizes included a Frozen snow cone machine, an Avengers waffle maker, an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a Pixma printer and 44-in LG TV.

nections, or stop by the Touch-N-Go office in the Student Center.

Student input and feedback is always appreciated, and help Touch-

N-Go bring more events to Embry-Riddle that Riddle students enjoy.

Embry-Riddle Students in Competition Need Votes for Adventure of a Lifetime Jaclyn Wiley News Editor A group of students representing Embry-Riddle wants to go on a grand adventure with Red Bull, but they need your help to do so. Riddle students Alec Reece and Marc Evedon, along with Reece’s fiancée Madisyn Denney, teamed up to form “Team Pretty Tough” for the Red Bull “Can You Make It?”

challenge. This promotion is put on by the energy drink giant Red Bull, and sends 165 student teams to Europe to travel in an “Amazing Race” like fashion. The twist? The participants’ wallets, phones, and money will be taken from them, and the participants will have to use Red Bull as currency. They have seven days to travel through six major cities in Europe, and must

beat all other teams to win the competition. Reece and company first heard about the promotion on Facebook, and soon formed a team, excited at the prospect of adventure of journeying across Europe as a group with only Red Bull as currency. Once the team was put together, they created a submission video, which featured helicopters, planes and the Daytona Interna-

tional Airport, posting it onto YouTube. The video received many likes and comments, which gave the group hope. When voting started on the Red Bull website, things started getting serious because Team Pretty Tough started getting votes. Of the 400 teams in Team Pretty Tough’s region, only four get selected. The judges choose the four winners from among

the top 18, as voted by the online community. As they stand now, “Team Pretty Tough” is ranked number 19 in their region, with a margin of only a few hundred votes. The voting window closes on Feb. 25, at 11 a.m. “Team Pretty Tough” needs your help to go on the adventure of a lifetime. To vote for their team, go to https://www.redbullcanyoumakeit.com/applica-

tions/ and search “Team Pretty Tough”. It should be noted that they are not the team from Egypt, which has an image of two women, but rather the team that is from Embry-Riddle, which has a black and red image with the words “Team Pretty Tough” on it. Team Pretty Tough thanks you for your vote and hopes they get to go on this adventure and represent Embry-Riddle in Europe.

The United States Air Force Demonstration Squadron, commonly known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thunderbirds,â&#x20AC;? are practicing their maneuvers prior to their flyover for the Daytona 500.

Photo Credit: Michael Nisip/The Avion Newspaper

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Amazon Delivery Drones vs. FAA Airshow Center TICO Warbird Airshow Titusville, FL March 11-13

• The TICO Warbird Airshow

offers three hours of aerial preformances daily, a wide variety of static military aircraft on display, and a pyrotechnics show. _________

Tampa Bay AirFest MacDill AFB, FL March 19

• Featuring over a dozen ae-

rial performances by military pilots and aircraft, Tampa Bay AirFest runs from March 19th through March 20th. Expected performers include the Thunderbirds, the Geico Skytypers and the United States Special Operations Command Para-Commandos. _________

Melbourne Air & Space Show Melbourne, FL April 1

• With over 30 aircraft on

display, the Melbourne Air & Space Show is one of the biggest airshows in Florida. Expected performers include the Berling Jet Team, Team AeroShell, SubSonex Microjet, and much more. _________

Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in and Expo Lakeland, Fl April 4-10

•Sun ‘n Fun’s 2016 Airshow features the Breitling Jet Team, a Navy F-18 Super Hornet, an Air Force F-22 Raptor, The U.S. Army Golden Nights, Patty Wagstaff, Matt Chapman, David Martin, and many other acts.

This Week in Aviation History February 24, 1967

President Lyndon B. Johnson presents Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks with a posthumous Medal of Honor. Cpt. Wilbanks earned this medal for sacrificing his life saving numerous friendlies with his air actions during the action over Dalat, South Vietnam.

February 24, 1989

United Flight 811 was damaged in-flight by a failure of the cargo door and experienced an overly fast landing. Nine of the 355 onboard died.

February 26, 1955

NAA piliot George F. Smith test flew new F-100A-20-NA Super Sabre, was forced to bail at supersonic speeds; survived.

Christian Pezalla ERAU Alumnus Amazon has announced big plans - using drones for the delivery of packages. However, the company may have overlooked one small hurdle - Federal Law. The Federal Aviation Administration has taken jurisdiction over drones (also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems) and is imposing tight restrictions, particularly in regards to commercial use. Currently, the FAA requires commercial drone operators to apply for and receive authorization prior to beginning flights. This seems easy enough, except that the pilots must be licensed to fly within the US. As of today, there is no specific certification for drone pilots; therefore, a drone pilot must, in fact, be an FAA certified pilot for some other aircraft type, such as a conventional airplane or helicopter. Under these rules,

Amazon would have to employ certified pilots at a time when the US (and much of the world) is incredibly short on qualified pilots. Furthermore, commercial drone approvals are being issued with restrictions requiring a minimum distance from people (usually 500 feet). Given the risk of injuring people on the ground, it is unlikely the FAA will be approving front door deliveries anytime soon. In

the meantime, you can expect your Amazon purchases to be dropped in the middle of the road or the nearest open field. In addition to safe distances, the FAA’s has imposed a line-of-sight restriction. The drone pilot (or a visual observer) must still be able to visually see the drone while it is in-flight. This could result in drones being followed down the road by an Amazon vehicle, at least for the first few years.

Finally, the FAA has limited commercial drones to an altitude of no more than 400 feet above the ground. However, the drone must also remain at least 500 feet away from all people, vehicles and vessels, which are not part of the drone operation. Thinking that all the way through, there is no way to fly over a city at 400 feet and not be within 500 feet of a person or vehicle. Then there is the

Photo Courtesy: FAA An infographic from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows what aircraft must be registered - if a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is between the two weight limits it must be registered with the FAA.

issue of liability. How is a device with spinning blades going to safety land (or hover over) a house with kids, dogs, and totally oblivious in-laws? The risk of a person or automobile being struck by a drone could be very high (particularly in the early years) and could cost millions in a single lawsuit. The cost of paying those claims might be enough to make drones non-cost-effective if they ever were to begin with. For this reason, the drone project may fair better in less litigious markets than the US. While drone deliveries are technically feasible, there are a number of legal and liability issues that must be resolved. It is certainly possible that 50 years from now, packages will be delivered by drones. However, the obstacles ahead are much greater than Amazon is willing to admit. Delivery drones may be coming, but they are not ready for Prime Time yet.

Solar Impulse 2 Promotes Clean Energy Keenan Thungtrakul Staff Reporter After making a record-breaking five-dayfive-night flight from Japan to Hawaii, the Swiss-born Solar Impulse 2 solar airplane is grounded at the Kalaeloa airport in Hawaii. The batteries that power the plane during its night flights overheated, resulting in a need for replacement batteries before flying again. The setback delayed the next segment of the plane’s roundthe-world adventure until spring of this year. During the down period, engineers worked to get a new set of batteries and a better cooling system to minimize the chance that the batteries will overheat again. New batteries have come in on Jan. 25, more than six months after the plane touched down in Hawaii. Before the historic flight, the aircraft ran into bad weather in Nagoya and had to undergo additional flight testing to ensure the plane was still airworthy. The record-setting flight was done shortly after the testing,

leaving no time for the batteries to properly cool down. During the down period after the successful flight, engineers worked to get a new set of batteries and a better cooling system to minimize the chance that the batteries will overheat again. With half a world remaining to cover, the pilots are eager to get back in the air. With work on the plane finally resuming, pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg have been mentally and physically preparing for the long flight ahead, doing everything from hypnosis, meditation, yoga, and freefall training to flight simulations. Beginning in April, the plane will complete the rest of its Pacific Crossing, going from Hawaii to the West Coast of the United States, landing in Phoenix, Arizona. Starting from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the Solar Impulse 2 is doing what no solar powered airplane has done before: flying around the world relying only on the sun, and ending at the same airport that it started at. The proposed route consists

of thirteen legs, and so far eight legs have been flown before the batteries overheated. The next three legs will bring the Solar Impulse 2 across the United States, landing in New York before commencing a transatlantic flight to Europe followed by the concluding flight to the UAE. From March 9 of last year, the airplane has covered a total distance of 19,957 km (12,400 miles) in almost 255 hours (10 consecutive days)

using approximately 5,644 kW of solar power, setting eight world records during the process. The plane is driven by four twin-blade propellers and achieves a cruise speed of 50 mph. Solar Impulse 2 is completely green, relying only on the solar panels on top of the wings and fuselage to charge the battery array and power the motors during the day. At night, the battery array keeps the airplane going until the

sun rises again. Being lightweight and having a wingspan the size of the Boeing 747, the Solar Impulse 2 is truly a revolutionary aircraft, illustrating the power of clean energy by being the first sun-driven plane to successfully circumnavigate the globe. One can follow the plane’s round-the-world adventure and read up on the airplane’s record-setting achievements at http://www. solarimpulse.com

Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons The Solar Impulse 2, parked on the tarmac. This fully electric airplane is currently on a trip around the world, promoting clean energy and the idea of solar-powered flight.

Space SpaceX Loses ViaSat-2 Contract February

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Jaclyn Wiley News Editor

This month, ViaSat, a California-based communications company that deals with advanced digital satellites and wireless signal processing equipment decided to change their launch provider from SpaceX to Arianespace. The company, which is working closely with Boeing to develop an ultra-powerful communications satellite named ViaSat-2, changed their launch provider due to the multiple delays encountered by SpaceX and their most recent launch vehicle, the Falcon Heavy. ViaSat aims to launch their Via-

Russian ICBMs

Continued from A1 >> However, NASA and other space experts aren’t thrilled with the idea. There are many concerns with the idea. First and foremost, nuclear weapon use was banned in space in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, for simple reasons. A high-altitude detonation of a nuclear weapon creates an Electromagnetic Pulse that fries satellites and everything electronic on the ground for hundreds, potentially thousands of miles. A high enough altitude or yield nuclear weapon could fry the power grid and every electronic in an entire country, or a large part of the US. If an “asteroid deterrent missile” were to go off course or prematurely detonate, the results could be cata-

Sat-2 satellite in late 2016, which would have created an uncomfortably close test flight to commercial flight window for the Falcon Heavy. The Falcon Heavy, which had originally been planned to launch from Cape Canaveral in 2013, is now scheduled to take off in October of this year. ViaSat is a company based out of Carlsbad, California, that owns three satellites, one of which they launched in 2011, ViaSat-1. This launch was done on a Proton rocket, and the payload holds the Guinness World Record for the high communications satellite capacity. This capacity was over 140 Gbits/s, which was more than all of the satel-

lites covering North America at the time of its launch. The launch it had contracted with SpaceX was that that would inject its second satellite into orbit, ViaSat-2, in 2016. This satellite more than doubles the capacity of ViaSat-1 with 350 Gbits/s, and would take the record for highest capacity from ViaSat-1. This satellite's power goes hand-in-hand with its size, which is too large to be carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon Heavy was supposed to solve that problem for SpaceX, but the delays have killed that possibility, leaving room for Arianespace to swoop in and save the day for ViaSat. Arianespace's

largest launch vehicle, the Ariane 5, is currently the most powerful launch vehicle in the world until the Falcon Heavy becomes operational. In addition to being powerful, the Ariane 5 is also highly reliable. Including the first test flight in June 1996, Ariane 5 vehicles have been used in 84 launches, 80 of which have been successful. Arianespace also received a larger amount of orders in 2015 than SpaceX, many of which were for the Ariane 5. Arianespace was founded in 1980 as the world’s first commercial launch provider, utilizing the Ariane expendable launch vehicle. These rockets were

the result of the Ariane project, which was first proposed by France and was later ratified by an agreement between France, the UK, and Germany. The Ariane program was not the first European attempt at creating an expendable launch vehicle; that title goes to the failed Europa Program. It was scrapped two years before the Ariane Program was made official. The Arianespace program has been very successful, and now the company operates three types of launch vehicles, the Russian-produced Soyuz, the lightweight Vega, and the powerhouse Ariane 5.

strophic for electronics and the environment. Even if the ICBM performed exactly as designed and detonated on the asteroid in question, there are further implications. The asteroid could break into many small objects, causing much more damage over a wider area, or it could be pushed to impact a more populated area than would have been affected if it went along its original trajectory. According to the JPL website mentioned above, “the trick is to gently nudge the asteroid out of harm's way and not to blow it up. This latter option, though popular in the movies, only creates a bigger problem when all the pieces encounter the Earth.” The Russians are hoping to modify some ICBMs and test the method on the asteroid Apophis when it flies near Earth in 2036. However, since Apophis

is approximately 1,000 feet in diameter, a single ICBM would not have much of an impact on the asteroid or its trajectory. NASA has a very different philosophy when it comes to saving the Earth from asteroids, and is only concerned with the objects that would threaten life as we know it. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is keeping a very close eye on every Near-Earth object and is constantly evaluating and re-evaluating the probability of any Earth impact. They are sure they will know of an imminent threat years in advance and according to their website, "Given several years warning time, existing technology could be used to deflect the threatening object away from Earth. The key point in this mitigation process is to find the threatening object years ahead of time so that an orderly international

campaign can be mounted to send spacecraft to the threatening object. One of the techniques suggested for deflecting an asteroid includes nuclear fusion weapons set off above the surface to slightly change the asteroid's velocity without fracturing it. Highspeed neutrons from the explosion would irradiate a shell of material on the surface of the asteroid facing the explosion. The material in this surface shell would then expand and blow off, thus producing a recoil upon the asteroid itself. A very modest velocity change in the asteroid's motion (only a few millimeters per second), acting over several years, can cause the asteroid to miss the Earth entirely… Another option that has been discussed includes the establishment of large solar sails on a small threatening object so that the pressure of sunlight could even-

tually redirect the object away from its predicted Earth collision." Russia's methodology puts in place an active plan for threat deterrence. NASA knows that for their passive plan to work, they need to identify the threat several years in advance. It is possible that there is a threatening object within a few years of impacting Earth that has not been identified yet, but has determined that the chances of that are smaller than the cost of developing such a spacecraft for a mission that may never be necessary. NASA's Near-Earth Object website states on several pages that there is no current asteroid threat to Earth, nor is there projected to be and that car accidents and natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes are much more likely to affect a person's life than an asteroid impacting the Earth.

The Avion

Launch Control Center SES 9 - Falcon 9

February 24 @ 6:46 pm Cape Canaveral AF Station Launch Complex 40

OA-6- Atlas 5

March 22/23 @ 11:02 PM Cape Canaveral AF Station SLC-41

Eutelsat 117 West B & ABS 2A - Falcon 9 April TBD @ TBD Cape Canaveral AF Station SLC-40

CRS 8 - Falcon 9

April TBD @ TBD Cape Canaveral AF Station SLC-40

MUOS 5- Atlas 5

May TBD @ TBD Cape Canaveral AF Station SLC-41

NROL-37 - Delta 4-Heavy

May 5 @ TBD Cape Canaveral AF Station SLC-41

ISS Sightings February 23

6:38 PM - Appears 41° above WSW, with max height of 43°, visible for 3 minutes, disapears 10° above SSE

March 1

5:58 PM - Appears 10° above SE, with a max height of 10°, visible for less than 1 minute, disapears 10° above SE

March 3

5:48 PM - Appears 11° above SSW, with max height of 31°, visible for 3 minutes, disapears 30° above ESE

Arianespace’s Record-Setting Year Jaclyn Wiley News Editor Arianespace, the main European launch provider, had a record-breakingly successful year in 2015 and is projected to be as successful, if not more so, in 2016. During 2015, the company was able to successfully break the world record for the mass of payload injected into geostationary orbit. The company also launched 12 vehicles in 12 months and won contracts for commercial space launches totaling over 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion USD), both of which broke company records for success.

Arianespace broke multiple records over the course of 2015. The company broke the record for the largest total mass of payload injected into geostationary orbit in one year, an amount greater than 50 tons. This was accomplished by launching 12 vehicles in 12 months, also a record-setting feat, all of which were launched from the Guiana Space Center (CSG). This rate of launches was a goal set forth by Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël, in post-launch comments at the CSG spaceport in December after the final of the twelve missions launched, said,

“Twelve launches in 2015: this was the target, this was our motto during the year and now it’s done.” Arianespace launched six Ariane 5 missions and three Soyuz vehicles out of CSG in 2015. The other three launches done during 2015 were done with Vega launch vehicles, of which three were launched, also out of CSG.The Arianespace launch family includes the Ariane 5, Vega, and Soyuz launch vehicles. These launchers are made for different levels of payload capacity, with Ariane 5 being the “Heavy Launcher,” with the highest carrying capacity. The Ariane 5 is capable of carrying 10

metric tons into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), and 20 metric tons into low-Earth orbit (LEO).This high carrying capacity and the launcher’s high degree of accuracy are reasons for the Ariane 5’s lasting popularity with telecommunications and satellite companies in need of a launcher. Not only did Arianespace succeed technically with its launches, it also very well financially during 2015. The company was able to win 33 contracts for new launches in 2015, booking 5.3 billion euros ($5.88 billion) worth of agreements. The Ariane 5 is the launch vehicle for 15 commercial contracts, with

the Vega and the Soyuz vehicles taking the rest of the launches. Additionally, Arianespace has 5.8 billion euros ($6.4 billion USD) in backlogged orders. These missions, along with those already launched or not in backlog, all involve launching satellites into the Earth’s orbit and come from both military and civilian sources. Arianespace did very well in 2015 and has already secured more contracts in 2016. The future looks bright for this European company, and for commercial spaceflight in general. To learn more about Arianespace, go their website at www.arianespace.com

This Week in Space History February 24 1997 Fire onboard of the Mir Space Station. No crew members were killed. February 24 2011 STS-133 launches, the third-to-last Space Shuttle Launch February 25 1960 First launch of the US Army’s Pershing tactical missile February 26 1966 Apollo 201, an unmanned mission testing the Saturn IB rocket, launched

Kenneth Shrimpton makes his personal record with a time of 21.85 at the meet on Saturday, February 20.

Zachary Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper

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The Avion

Upcoming Games: Tuesday Softball vs Dominican College Daytona Beach, Fla. at 4 p.m. Softball vs Dominican College Daytona Beach, Fla. at 6 p.m Women’s Golf at Lady Moc Classic Lakeland, Fla.

Wednesday Women’s Basketball vs Barry Daytona Beach, Fla. at 5:30p.m. Men’s Basketball vs Barry Daytona Beach, Fla. at 7:30p.m.

Thursday No Games

Friday Softball at Florida Tech Melbourne, Fla. at 2 p.m. Baseball at Rollins Winter Park, Fla. at 6 p.m.

Saturday Men’s Tennis vs Barry Daytona Beach, Fla. at 11 a.m. Baseball at Rollins Winter Park, Fla. at 12 p.m. Softball at Florida Tech Melbourne, Fla. at 1 p.m. Women’s Basketball at Lynn Boca Raton, Fla. at 2 p.m. Softball at Florida Tech Melbourne, Fla. at 3 p.m. Baseball at Rollins Winter Park, Fla. at 3 p.m. Men’s Basketball at Lynn Boca Raton, Fla. at 4 p.m. Men’s/Women’s Track & Field vs Embry-Riddle WV Wesleyan Dual Daytona Beach, Fla.

Monday Softball vs Concordia College Daytona Beach, Fla. at 6 p.m. Women’s/Men’s Golf Winter Park/Longwood, Fla. Softball vs Concordia College Daytona Beach, Fla. at 4 p.m.

Sports

February

23 2016

Men’s Track & Field Hosts Successful Last Chance Meet

Michael Pierce ERAU Athletics

The Embry-Riddle men’s track & field team hosted its annual ERAU Last Chance meet on Saturday at the ERAU Track Complex. With near-perfect weather conditions to compete in, a number of personal bests were set by Eagle athletes. The 3000m run saw five Eagles compete and four set new personal records, led by Andrew Carpenter’s third-place and PR-time of 8:47.83. Ryan Larson (8:53.73), Adam Lawrence (9:05.83) and John Dennehy (9:17.88) all set personal bests in the event as well. In the sprints, Josh Stief set a personal record in the 60m with a time of 7.26 while Annile Williams ran his fastest 60m hurdles with a time of 8.36. Lonnie Marts placed fifth in the 200m with a personal-best time of 21.83 while Kenneth Shrimpton was a split-second behind in sixth place with a personal-best time of 21.85. Will Rice also set a personal best with a 1:25.02 in the 600m.

Zachary Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper Luis Rivera, a freshman, sets his personal best in the weight throw at 11.19m, and 33.31m in the discus.

In the field events, Luis Rivera set a pair of personal bests, including an 11.19m toss in the weight throw and a mark of 44.31m in the discus. Zachary Farner (14.89m) and Michael

Haynes (13.60m) both also set PR’s in the weight throw, while Maurice Cullum posted a personal-record distance of 43.25m in the discus. Carlos Guillermo finished second in the javelin with a personal-best

mark of 51.36m while Brodie Lubelski wasn’t too far behind in third with a PR of 49.64m. The Eagles will be back home next Saturday, Feb. 27 to host a dual meet against West Virginia Wesleyan.

Sports

February

23 2016

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ERAU Softball Drops Series Against Saint Leo Right: Senior Embry-Riddle player #10, Raquelli Bianco, up to bat, attempting to make a run.

Left: Senior Embry-Riddle player #11, Robi Zimmerman, pitching during inning 4.

Sariah Adviento/The Avion Newspaper

Rachel Dooley/The Avion Newspaper

Janelle Johnson ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle was swept on Saturday by visiting Saint Leo. The Lions bested the Eagles by scores of 6-0 and 4-1. As was the story last night, the SLU pitching was able to shut down the ERAU hitters. With the loss the Eagles move to 6-3 on the year while Saint Leo stays perfect at 9-0. The Eagles had a rough go of things in the first game as they made four errors to give up two unearned runs. This allowed the Lions to get out to a quick start, scoring two runs on three straight singles while capitalizing on an Eagle error. Brooke Samios-Oy drove in the runs for Saint Leo. The Lions added another run in the second inning, again making the most

of two more errors by the Eagles in the field. Saint Leo’s Danielle Ferrara reached first on a bad throw and then a sacrifice bunt and two subsequent singles loaded the bases for the Lions. Rachael Heath then had her fly ball dropped in left field to score SLU’s third run of the game. Embry-Riddle was able to record their first hit of the series and threaten their first run of the series in the bottom of the second as Haleigh Lewis singled to left center field. Natalie Morales then reached first on a dropped third strike and Mckenzee Quinn loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. Unfortunately the Eagles couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, leaving the runners stranded. Saint Leo added its final three runs in the top

of the third inning with Samantha Ohmie leading off with a double down the left field line. She then scored on a single by Brittany Creamer. The Lions again made the most of an Eagle error to load to the bases and scored two runs on a single through the right side from Sommer Pollard. However, the Eagles were able to make up for the early errors by making a doubleplay on the same at bat. Anna Battison threw the ball to Lewis who was able to tag out Pollard as she tried to move to second base. Lewis then threw a bullet back to Battison who got Bailey McKenna out at home on the play. The Eagles found themselves with a few other base runners in the game but were unable to get them

across the plate as Saint Leo took the first game of the doubleheader, 6-0. Robi Zimmerman went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Eagles including a double. Kailah Rain and Kassidy Simons also recorded hits in the game for the Blue and Gold. In the finale, the Eagles saw Simons get her first start of the year in the circle. She faced a bases loaded jam in the top of the first inning and was able to escape with the 0-0 score line intact, striking out the final batter of the inning. In the bottom of the second inning, the Eagles threated to score their first runs of the series again as Lewis lead off with a single and Raquelli Bianco followed, getting on a base on a bunt. However, Lion pitcher, Samantha Tyler, struck out two to end

the inning. Saint Leo got on the board in the top of the third inning. Heath used her speed to get on a base with a bunt and quickly made her way to third following two stolen bases. Ohmie drove in Heath on an infield single later in the inning. The Lions added to their lead in the fourth inning quickly finding their leadoff hitters on second on third. It was Heath again making an impact by singling to left field to score one run and Samios-Oy recorded the sacrifice fly on the next at bat to drive in the other run of the inning. The Eagles went three up three down in the next two innings until picking up their first run of the series in the bottom of the sixth inning. The

Eagles were able to load the bases with Simons picking up a walk, Lewis a single through the left side and Bianco reaching first on a fielder’s choice. Victoria Reed then took her time in the batters box and was able to reach first base on a passed ball third strike. This allowed Simons to cross home plate. Saint Leo picked up a final run in the seventh inning as Ciera Schumaker hit a triple and Creamer quickly drove her in. The Eagles were unsuccessful in the bottom half of the inning as the Lions took the final game of the series, 4-1. The Eagles look to bounce back as they return to the Embry-Riddle Softball Stadium on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Dominican College beginning at 4 p.m.

Comics and Games

Degrees

“Radians Farenheit or radians Celsius?” “Uh, sorry, gotta go!” Congratulations to Julian A. Herrera Tonorio for winning last week’s puzzle contest. Please stop by SC 110 to claim your prize. Before Next Issue: Enter The Avion puzzle contest! Submit your completed crossword puzzle to The Avion office in SC 110 before Friday, 26 February, at 5 p.m. to be considered. Only students are eligible, please bring your EagleCard with your completed crossword.