Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations for the US Space Force, said Saturday China is developing its space capabilities at “twice the rate” of the US.
On a panel of US space experts and leaders speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in a panel moderated by CNN’s Kristin Fisher, Gen. Thompson warned China could overtake the US in space capabilities by the end of the decade.
“The fact, that in essence, on average, they are building and fielding and updating their space capabilities at twice the rate we are means that very soon, if we don’t start accelerating our development and delivery capabilities, they will exceed us,” Gen. Thompson said, adding, “2030 is not an unreasonable estimate.”
Gen. Thompson was joined by Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat who chairs the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee, which helps oversee the Space Force’s budget, and Chris Kubasik, president and CEO of L3Harris Technologies, a defense contractor that develops Space and Airborne systems.
Cooper said, “Hell yes,” when asked if the US is competing in a so-called space race with China.
Both Gen. Thompson and Kubasik agreed with Cooper’s assessment.
Cooper has been a steadfast advocate for the Space Force, but said Saturday it is not moving fast enough to “keep up” with private industry.
“It’s great that the private sector is so much more innovative than our Air Force was, and we need to get the Space Force to be much more innovative and try to keep up with the private sector,” Cooper said.
He added: “To really be superior, we’ve got to go beyond Elon Musk’s imagination, Jeff Bezos’ imagination, beyond their pocketbooks. (The) budget right now is $17 billion — that’s a lot of money, but considering how crucial space is, are we doing enough?”
Cooper suggested the Space Force should be more like the National Reconnaissance Office, which oversees government space satellites and provides satellite intelligence to several US agencies.
“The NRO has actually done a pretty amazing job,” Cooper said. “They’re not as well-known as some other agencies. … But I had a recent side-by-side briefing with the NRO and Space Force. My conclusion after that briefing was: thank God for the NRO. I anxiously await the day that I can say the same about the Space Force.”
When asked to respond, Gen. Thompson said, “As Congressman Cooper noted, every time we meet, Congressman Cooper asks what he can continue to do to help, and my request of him is always the same: continue to be our strongest supporter and our toughest critic, and I can say this morning he continues to perform effectively in both of those roles,” to which the room erupted in laughter.
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The faces of 24 U.S. military veterans are part of a mural now on display near Chicano Park just east of Downtown San Diego. All have been deported and remain exiled in countries around the world including Mexico, Kenya and Costa Rica.
Libier Jimenez of the Leave No One behind Mural Project. (Salvador Rivera/Border Report)
It’s common for non-U.S. citizen veterans who were convicted of a crime to be deported back to their countries of birth.
“(The mural) represents bringing our brothers and sisters back home,” said Libier Jimenez, who is part of the Leave No One Behind Mural Project.
Jimenez also runs the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in San Diego’s Barrio Logan.
“The mural represents fixing an injustice,” she said.
On Monday, the mural was “re-dedicated” since the original was damaged by the weather last year.
“We have framed it and it will have a plexiglass to protected it from the elements,” said Robert Vivar, an advocate for deported veterans.
Vivar himself was finally allowed back in the U.S. last November after spending nearly 20 years in Tijuana, Mexico following his deportation.
Robert Vivar is an advocate for deported veterans. (Salvador Rivera/Border Report)
“What I see is heroes,” said Vivar about the mural. “They were not born here, they were ready to give their lives for their new adopted country.”
Vivar is hopeful new legislation now being discussed in Washington will expedite the return of all deported veterans.
“Many people were discarded, exiled to a country that most of them had no knowledge because they left at a very young age,” Vivar said.
One deported veteran Vivar pointed out is Jose Luis Cardenas, who is on the verge of returning home to California.
“He was born in Mexico but he was raised in San Diego. Jose was with the 82nd Airborne, Vietnam-era vet who continued to serve for quite some time,” Vivar said.
According to Vivar, Cardenas was convicted of a drug crime 11 years ago and was deported.
“Leave No One Behind Mural Project in San Diego, Calif. (Salvador Rivera/Border Report)
“He made one mistake and has been paying for it,” said Vivar. “His son is in the military and so is his grandson, his family is committed to serving this country.
Vivar told Border Report 30 murals depicting deported U.S. veterans have gone up across the United States.
“What people should see when they walk by and see the faces of the deported veterans, is the need to bring their voice to the government in congress to the senate to make sure we continue to support and raise awareness to change laws to bring deported veterans home.”
The Marine Corps will need nearly $5 billion throughout the next 30 years to upgrade buildings at both Marine Corps recruit depots in the wake of increased gender integration and climate change, according to documents the Marine Corps shared with Congress.
The Corps estimates that it will need $198 million over the next five years for immediate upgrades to make possible boot camp gender integration at both San Diego and Parris Island, South Carolina, according to the documents.
Beyond gender integration, the Marine Corps said it needs more long-term money, “to address resiliency concerns, modernization of facilities, and sustainment of overall recruit training.”
Between five and 30 years from now the Corps believes those costs with come out to about $4.72 billion.
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With the passing of the of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, gender segregated training at Marine Corps boot camp was banned.
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, had five years to comply with the law while Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego had eight years.
Initially members of Congress believed the law would require boot camp to be integrated at the platoon level, where most of boot camp training takes place.
But the Marine Corps seems to be on the path of arguing that the law only requires it to gender integrate companies.
Either form of gender integration would require large overhauls to the barracks at both Marine Corps recruit depots, the document said.
The Corps has trained at least 19 coed companies at Parris Island, South Carolina, and one coed company at San Diego, despite neither location having barracks capable of handling a coed living situation.
“The Marine Corps was able to temporarily overcome this shortfall by using unoccupied aging barracks to expand capacity,” a document shared with members of Congress said. “Long term support is still needed for a permanent solution.”
With a rising sea level and the precarious position of Parris Island, South Carolina, in the middle of swamp on the edge of the Atlanta Ocean, the very existence of the Corps’ historic boot camp site may be at stake.
By 2050, parts of the base would be underwater nearly a third of the year, a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists predicted.
The costs of keeping the two recruit depots safe from a changing climate and upgrading facilities to allow gender integration caused Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger to consider closing the two bases and consolidating Marine Corps boot camp at a third location.
“We have to get to a place where on both coasts or at a third location, or whatever we end up with that every recruit male, female, there’s all there’s male and female around,” Berger said at Defense One’s 2020 state of the Marine Corps event.
But that idea found little support on Capitol Hill.
“It ain’t gonna happen!” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, tweeted out in response to the idea of moving the base.
“Anyone in the Navy or Marine Corps thinking about closing Parris Island has limited growth potential,” he wrote.
Flame, SEAK #1538, taken near Juneau, Alaska in 2007. NOAA Permit 14245)
The Journey of a Tail
To celebrate Whale Week (February 14-20, 2022), NOAA Fisheries is spotlighting a well-loved, school-bus-sized, seasonal resident of Juneau, Alaska—the humpback whale named Flame!
Flame was named by the whale-watching community and is one of the most frequently observed whales in Juneau. She’s also known as #1538 in the Southeast Alaska Humpback Whale Catalog. As a juvenile, she was first documented in 2004 by the University of Alaska Southeast as part of a broad collaborative study known as SPLASH. Flame is currently around 20 years old. She’s easily identified by her distinct markings: a prominent, sharply pointed dorsal fin and the white color and asymmetrical black markings on the underside of her tail. Scientists and the local whale-watching community use such markings to track the annual movements of humpback whales between summer and fall feeding grounds. In Flame’s case, this is the trip between Alaska and her winter breeding and birthing waters around the Hawaiian Islands.
Using photographs to identify whales and other species protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act is beneficial to the scientific community. It allows for population assessments and longitudinal tracking of individuals which provides information that helps us understand and protect these animals. Humpback whales are identified by the underside of their tails, which are called flukes. Each pair of flukes is unique, making it easy to track individual whales. Photos of whale flukes are collected and cataloged as photo identification data.
Dr. Suzie Teerlink, NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Specialist, and John Moran, Alaska Fisheries Science Center Research Biologist, first started seeing Flame around Juneau in 2007. They were collecting fall and winter photo identification data of humpback whales. Since then, she has been a regular summer resident of Juneau. It wasn’t until Flame was seen off Maui during the 2020 breeding season by researchers from the Whale Trust that we knew she wintered in the Hawaiian Islands. She was seen there again in 2021 by researchers from the Pacific Whale Foundation.
“Flame is one of my favorites because she is so easy to work with,” said Moran. “She’s a great fluker with distinctive markings, so we always get a quick ID on her. That’s probably why she has a good sighting record.”
A Whale of a Mom
Flame was identified as female when she was seen with her first calf Spark in 2013; her second calf Ember followed in 2016.
“In 2019, the community was especially excited about the return of Flame and her new calf,” Teerlink said. “Southeast Alaska had seen a drop in humpback whale abundance and calf production following a marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska that impacted humpback whale prey availability. There hadn’t been many calves around Juneau in the years prior, and many felt that it was a good omen to have Juneau’s most popular whale return with a calf in tow. What we didn’t know is that this would be the start of an impressive calving streak.”
But more exciting still, we learned that Flame was most likely pregnant, yet again, in 2021. If all goes well, she might return with a calf in 2022! Most mature female humpback whales have calves only once every 2–4 years, although occasionally humpback whales will calve 2 years in a row. But Flame surpassed that by bringing three consecutive calves back to Alaska: Bunsen in 2019, Smoke in 2020, and Bolt in 2021.
In May 2021, Flame returned to Juneau, Alaska with her calf Bolt Credit: Heidi Pearson, UAS
Her pregnancy status was predicted based on tissue samples taken as part of a collaborative research project studying Juneau-area humpback whales. The samples were recently analyzed in Dr. Shannon Atkinson’s lab at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (Juneau Campus). The project is led by Dr. Heidi Pearson of the University of Alaska Southeast, with Teerlink, Moran, and Atkinson as collaborators.
“The goal of this research is to collect baseline data on Juneau-area humpback whales during the unprecedented low tourism levels caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pearson said.
The project is collecting photo identification and biopsy tissue samples. This will make it possible to measure and analyze steroid hormone levels to understand stress (cortisol) and pregnancy (progesterone), among other important markers.
“We were pleasantly surprised to see her elevated progesterone, reflecting her pregnancy, while she was still nursing last year’s calf!” said Dr. Shannon Atkinson, professor in UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.
Only one other report of a female with four calves in a row was reported in the late 1970s–early 1980s off Maui. Humpback whale calves have a 75 percent chance of surviving their first year of life. We can’t know for certain if she will arrive in Alaska with a calf in 2022. However, there is great anticipation that Flame will return to Juneau this summer with her sixth calf—an incredible feat!
Community Science Aids Sightings … and Names Babies
Flame has been sighted countless times in Juneau. More than 229 of those sightings plus several sightings of her off Maui have been uploaded to Happywhale.com. Happywhale is a global research collaboration and citizen science web platform containing data on encounters of more than 66,000 individual humpback whales. The whale-watching community contributes invaluable data to the scientific field by sighting and tracking whales throughout their range. Organizations like Happywhale connect scientists, professionals,
Map showing marine mammal sightings and tracking on Happywhale.com.
The small research and education nonprofit Juneau Flukes, run by Dr. Suzie Teerlink, curates a local Juneau catalog of humpback whales dating back to 2006. It also helps with sightings. Anyone can submit names for the cataloged whales and calves. enthusiasts, and the local community to contribute data on marine mammals. Happywhale also works to raise awareness about the ocean environment and the species within it through its creative online tracking platform. By empowering those who love whales to take part in their sightings, the community can enhance species data collection and protection efforts.
During 2019, the local community was buzzing with excitement about Flame’s new calf and eager to name the baby whale. Juneau Flukes held a competition to choose between the names Flicker and Blaze, which were neck and neck in the running. At the last minute, Teerlink threw in a third alternative, Bunsen (as in a Bunsen burner, which is a laboratory instrument), as a joke. Bunsen won the vote by a landslide and officially became the name of Flame’s 2019 calf.
Flame was most recently sighted near Juneau on December 1, 2021. At that time, she had not yet set south for her migration. The whale-watching community has followed this incredible mother over many years. NOAA Fisheries is looking forward to her return to Juneau waters this summer, hopefully with a new calf in tow.
NORFOLK, Va. – A Douglas native is serving aboard USS Helena, one of the world’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarines.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory Brackett joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Brackett serves as an electrician’s mate (nuclear).
“I wanted to do something bigger than myself, be a part of something I could be proud of and also provide for my family,” said Brackett. “That’s why I joined the Navy.”
Growing up in Douglas, Brackett attended Douglas High School and graduated in 2016. Today, Brackett relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Douglas to succeed in the military.
“I grew up learning hard work and perseverance,” said Brackett. “Those are big things that can help you in the Navy.”
These lessons have helped Brackett while serving aboard USS Helena.
Known as America’s “Apex Predators!,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technically-advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security.
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines (SSN), ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN).
Fast-attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. The Virginia-class SSN is the most advanced submarine in the world today. It combines stealth and payload capability to meet Combatant Commanders’ demands in this era of strategic competition.
The Navy’s ballistic-missile submarines, often referred to as “boomers,” serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles. The Columbia-class SSBN will be the largest, most capable and most advanced submarine produced by the U.S. – replacing the current Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines to ensure continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s.
Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes.
Strategic deterrence is the Nation’s ultimate insurance program, according to Navy officials. As a member of the submarine force, Brackett is part of a rich 122-year history of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile weapons platform, capable of taking the fight to the enemy in the defense of America and its allies.
Serving in the Navy means Brackett is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy controls the seas and also deters other countries from any kind of attacks,” said Brackett. “If they can’t get close they can’t do anything. Without the Navy, we wouldn’t have as much of a buffer to protect the U.S.”
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
Brackett and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am very proud of finishing and qualifying the nuke pipeline,” said Brackett. “It takes about two years of school. I learned the electrical and the nuclear part. There’s a lot of heat transfer and nuclear physics and then I learned to operate the nuclear reactor on an actual submarine.”
As Brackett and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.”
“Serving in the Navy means protecting my family and our home country,” added Brackett.
CAMP WALKER, Republic of Korea — U.S Army Garrison Daegu’s housing team is helping to get the word out about the 2022 Department of Defense Annual Family Housing Satisfaction Survey.
The survey provides tenants with the opportunity to give their input on housing quality in government-owned and privatized housing.
“The feedback is important because it can help us improve in Area IV, and can help the Army improve worldwide,” said Fred Moore, Chief of USAG Daegu’s Housing Division.
Fred Moore, Chief of USAG Daegu’s Housing Division, speaks to members of the community near an information table at Camp Walker, South Korea. The information table was set up in support of the 2022 Department of Defense Annual Family Housing Satisfaction Survey. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Moon Seung Gi)
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Although the survey is conducted online, the USAG Daegu housing team has been engaging directly with the community for increased feedback and participation.
“In addition to the Soldiers, we are reaching out to spouses directly. The team set up a table at the Camp Walker post exchange and discussed the survey with members of the community. We are trying to get as much participation as possible,” said Moore.
“We posted flyers throughout the housing area and we’re going door-to-door,” added Monica Richmond, USAG Daegu Chief of Unaccompanied Housing. “The current tenants may not see the improvements made due to the survey, but the future tenants will be able to enjoy them. There is also a good chance current tenants will be back to USAG Daegu to see the changes in family housing.”
Army leaders and IMCOM are committed to improving housing for service members and their families at installations across the globe. The U.S. Army’s Quality of Life priorities includehousing, health care, childcare, spouse employment, PCS moves and Soldier support and resilience.
A member of the USAG Daegu housing team sorts through survey materials at an information table at Camp Walker, South Korea. The information table was set up in support of the 2022 Department of Defense Annual Family Housing Satisfaction Survey. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Moon Seung Gi)
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USAG Daegu continues to provide additional housing options for the Area IV community; a new apartment complex is scheduled to open at Camp Walker in the Spring.
Lucas Moerman doesn’t enjoy much spare time as a freshman at the Air Force Academy, but he has consistently used his on the basketball court.
He’s there before practice. He stays after, sometimes on his own, sometimes with coaches and fellow center Nikc Jackson. On days without practice, he’ll put up 500 to 1,000 shots.
“There’s not a lot of spare moments in the day, but you get used to it,” Moerman said.
For all the ways Saturday’s performance from the 6-foot-11 center at No. 22 Wyoming – 15 points, 6-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, two blocks – was valuable, perhaps the most critical was that Moerman was able to see tangible results from all the work.
Included in that 75-67 loss, in which the Falcons were tied with the Cowboys deep in the second half in front of 8312 at Arena-Auditorium, was a 3-of-4 showing from Moerman from behind the 3-point line.
He had made just 2-of-12 from 3-point range across the previous nine games. He had never made more than one 3-pointer in a game or reached double figures in scoring.
“The day’s coming when he’ll make three in a row, four in a row,” coach Joe Scott said. “His shot is a really nice-looking stroke. It’s the way the ball’s supposed to be shot. It’s just that before this year, he never shot a 3-point shot.”
This year has been an adjustment for Moerman in so many ways. The freshman experience at the academy is, by design, difficult. Moerman said he’s surviving more than thriving away from basketball, but that’s good enough. On the floor, at about 215 pounds, Moerman has been asked to defend the Mountain West’s bevy of larger interior players.
That will continue on Tuesday, as Fresno State (16-10, 6-7 Mountain West) comes to Clune Arena to face the Falcons (10-15, 3-11) at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs feature All-Mountain West candidate Orlando Robinson, a 7-foot junior who is averaging 18.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Moerman excelled in some respects, ranking second in the Mountain West with 1.5 blocks per game. His 34 blocks have set a freshman record for Air Force and are third all-time for season in program history. The offensive production, however, has disappeared at times, as Moerman averaged fewer than 3 points per game across 12 contests from Dec. 21 through Feb. 16. Overall he is averaging 3.9 points, 3.5 rebounds in 19 minutes per game.
The work continued throughout that span, but the results just hadn’t shown up. As a result, defenses didn’t feel the need to come out and guard Air Force’s centers at the 3-point line (Jackson is shooting 28.9 percent from deep). That has congested the lane and taken away backdoor cuts from the Falcons’ Princeton offense. The only way to break that is to make shots. For Moerman, who is usually around 60 percent from 3-point range when shooting in practice, Saturday showed him he could translate that into games, perhaps setting the whole offense up for a positive change.
If that seems like a lot of pressure to put on one player, well, welcome to Moerman’s world. With his size, he was instantly a rarity for the program when he signed from Doherty High School in Colorado Springs and arrived on the team after a year at the prep school. Then he was inserted in the starting lineup for the opener. He is obviously pegged as a cornerstone for the program along with fellow freshmen Ethan Taylor and Jake Heidbreder.
“Sometimes,” Moerman said when asked if he feels the weight of those expectations. “But I have to remind myself that college is a four-year deal. … As long as I come in with the attitude every day that I’m going to get better, I think that’s the biggest deal.”
Having a one-game sample to build from might be a step in the right direction for Moerman.
“I knew it was going to come eventually because I know what I’m capable of and I could sort of see the trajectory I’m on. But I was just kind of going through a slump the last couple of games and trying to figure things out.
“It was nice to finally have that and all the work I’m putting in behind the scenes that nobody sees, it was nice to have that kind of pay off a little bit.”
Most blocks in a season
Lucas Moerman is moving up Air Force’s record book as a freshman.
PHOENIX — Veterans that used their G.I. Bill or other benefits to pay to attend for-profit colleges are fighting to get their money back.
Recently, the Biden administration announced plans to forgive more than $400 million in student loans.
Those borrowers attended for-profit schools like DeVry University, ITT Technical Institute, the Minnesota School of Business/Globe University, and Westwood College.
The estimated 16,000 students will receive debt forgiveness through a legal provision known as borrower defense.
However, former service members that used their G.I. Bill to pay for those same schools may not get their benefits restored.
“We didn’t know how to pay for college,” said Alphi Coleman, an Army veteran who joined the military to help pay for college.
“We didn’t have counselors in our school to tell us how that was going to happen so one way I knew was the military because they hung out in our cafeterias,” she said.
Coleman was a reservist working full-time for the military and used her G.I. Bill at the University of Phoenix which is based in Arizona.
“I had seen marketing that said there were three- and four-star generals that went to the University of Phoenix so I had this really high expectation of what I was going to receive and quickly found out that was not the case.”
Last week, Coleman testified to the Department of Education about the problems she faced as a student:
“I felt pressure to enroll from Phoenix recruiters who told me I needed to enroll quickly or I’d miss out, so I signed up right away. But when I arrived, I found out that new cohorts started every week. They also claimed their alumni went on to be executives and that the school had partnerships with government agencies and companies like Microsoft and AT&T, but I never saw these or any other job placement services.”
In 2019, the University of Phoenix agreed to a settlement with the FTC over their deceptive ads. As a result, the school had to pay $50 million in direct payments for some students and cancel an additional $141 million in balances students owed directly to the school.
“And I know the tactics they had been accused of doing is what they had done to me…so I was very hopeful that with that lawsuit I would get some kind of justice,” she said.
According to Coleman, she exhausted her G.I. Bill paying for school.
Meanwhile, groups like Veterans Education Success told ABC15 she’s not alone.
According to the nationwide nonprofit, thousands of veterans have used their educational benefits from the military at for-profit colleges.
“Unfortunately, the target has been on the back of veterans because of some unfortunate loopholes in federal law,” said Chris Madaio, the vice president of legal affairs and Veterans Education Success.
Madaio said it’s possible to have their benefits restored but it would probably take an act of Congress.
Still, he’s urging veterans impacted by for-profit schools to come forward.
“These benefits should not be allowed to be wasted by schools that are not teaching people what they need to teach them and are lying just to get those students in the door just to suck away their G.I. money,” he said.
Coleman said if he’s able to get her G.I. Bill back she would go to a more reputable college.
“I volunteered for this, yes but I volunteered based on the promise of opportunity and I feel like that was taken from me,” she said.
ABC15 reached out to the University of Phoenix for comment but has not yet heard back.
If you are outside doing some stargazing in the Western Hemisphere this evening and are looking up at just the right time, you might catch sight of something that will appear quite strange: a small circular cloud of light that will rapidly expand to roughly the apparent size of a full moon, before finally fading away some minutes later.
What you will have just seen is not some strange atmospheric phenomenon, but a fuel dump from a U.S. Space Force (USSF) mission that launched earlier today on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 511 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The launch, which occurred on right on schedule at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT), carried two satellites for the USSF’s Space Systems Command (SSC). The mission, called USSF 8, will place the two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites — GSSAP 5 and GSSAP 6 —directly to a near-geosynchronous orbit approximately 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the equator.
Related: Atlas V rocket launches 2 surveillance satellites for US Space Force
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites for the U.S. Space Force, on Jan. 21, 2022. (Image credit: United Launch Alliance)
According to ULA’s flight profile, 6 hours and 35 minutes after launch, the first of the two satellites (GSSAP 5) will be released to its geosynchronous orbit, followed 10 minutes later by the second satellite (GSSAP 6).
Fuel dump should create luminous cloud
Seven hours, 11 minutes and 40 seconds after the launch, the Centaur second stage will dump its unused (excess) fuel out into space. Dumping excess fuel is the usual practice for all Centaur booster-assisted launches. It happens after satellite separation; the fuel bleeding off from a Centaur upper rocket stage.
As it turns out, the timing of this event will be perfect for creating a sky show for much of the Western Hemisphere. When the Centaur releases its excess fuel, it will be nighttime over North and South America. But the Centaur, at an altitude of roughly 22,300 miles (36,000 km) will be in sunlight and as such the fuel will be reflecting sunlight as seen from Earth.
In a Twitter thread, assiduous satellite watcher Cees Bassa has provided a considerable amount of information concerning the visibility of the fuel dump:
Alerting observers and astrophotographers! Friday evening a fuel dump from a rocket may be visible as a bright nebula in the sky for observers in North, Central and South America. The fuel dump will occur at 18:11PST/21:11EST for the planned 19:00UTC launch of the #AtlasV rocket. pic.twitter.com/EjO88ktAc8January 21, 2022
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Bassa likens the appearance of the fuel dump as a “bright nebula, possibly as big as the full moon on the sky.”
“The cloud should be visible to the naked eye, and with binoculars or telescopes it should be possible to see the cloud grow and change shape,” Bassa added.
The fuel dump is expected for 9:11:40 p.m. EST (6:11:40 p.m. PST). It should suddenly appear to the naked eye as an expanding circular, comet-like cloud about 10 to 15 degrees west (or to the right) of the bright bluish zero-magnitude star Rigel in the Orion constellation. Your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures roughly 10 degrees, so approximately “one or one and a half fists” to the right of Rigel is where the cloud should appear.
Such fuel dumps from satellites have been seen before. On the evening of Aug. 12, 1986, shortly after 10 p.m. EDT (0200 Aug. 13 GMT), countless numbers of people across the U.S. and Canada, who were watching the Perseid meteor shower, were surprised by a fuel dump from a Japanese satellite launch that created a luminous cloud.
And on Sept. 1, 2004, the fuel dump from an NRO-1 satellite launched earlier that day, was visible from the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
Why dump fuel into space?
Some might ask what is the necessity to dump fuel into space? The reason it is done is for safety; to minimize the risk of an explosion of the vehicle, which in turn, would create a large amount of space junk, or orbital debris that would then put other space vehicles at in danger. At such a high altitude, the fuel is dissipated quickly and poses no environmental threat to the Earth.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers’ Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. – Leaders and Soldiers from across the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, gathered to witness Lothar “Joe” Funke, a U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran, receive his gold spurs after 50 years, Feb. 17 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
The “Order of the Spur” is a timeless cavalry tradition that allows Soldiers to earn gold spurs by serving in combat, or earn silver spurs by successfully completing a unit spur ride event.
A Soldier holds a tray containing a pair of gold spurs and the “Order of the Gold Spur” prior to a ceremony honoring Lothar “Joe” Funke, a U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran, at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, Feb. 17. The “Order of the Spur” is a timeless cavalry tradition that allows Soldiers to earn gold spurs by serving in combat, or earn silver spurs by successfully completing a unit spur ride event. US Army photo by Sgt. Savannah Roy.
“All Soldiers who support combat operations while assigned or attached to a cavalry unit earn gold spurs,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Paulus, the commander of the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd CAB. “It is the cavalry equivalent of a combat patch, and denotes those troopers as combat Veterans.”
Funke was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966 as an artilleryman. Shortly after basic and advanced training, Funke was deployed to Vietnam. There, he served as a UH-1 helicopter door gunner for the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) from 1967-1968.
An undated photo of Sgt. Lothar “Joe” Funke, a U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran. The 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, presented Funke his gold spurs after 50 years during a special ceremony, Feb. 17 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. (Courtesy Photo)
“The U.S. Air Cavalry came into being during the Vietnam War, and troopers like Sgt. Funke were at the vanguard of its development,” said Paulus. “He and his fellow Veteran troopers established the foundation upon which our Squadron is built.”
When Funke left the U.S. Army in 1972, he was never awarded his gold spurs for combat operations in Vietnam. Fifty years later, the 3rd Sqn., 17th Cav. Regt., command team embraced the opportunity to induct Funke into the Order of the Gold Spur, finally presenting him with the coveted gold spurs.
“The opportunity for us to present Sgt. Funke with his spurs after 50 years is an honor for the Squadron and one that we could not pass up,” said Paulus. “It is a testament to the traditions and brotherhood that the U.S. Cavalry embodies – once a cavalryman, always a cavalryman.”
Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, stand in formation to witness Lothar “Joe” Funke, a U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran, receive his gold spurs after 50 years, Feb. 17 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The “Order of the Spur” is a timeless cavalry tradition that allows Soldiers to earn gold spurs by serving in combat, or earn silver spurs by successfully completing a unit spur ride event. US Army photo by Sgt. Savannah Roy.
The 3rd ID commanding general, Maj. Gen. Charles Costanza, appreciated the opportunity for the Division to provide overdue recognition and gratitude.
“Vietnam Veterans fought and served under extremely challenging conditions, and were not always welcomed or commended when they returned home,” he said. “It means a lot to us that more than 50 years later, this generation of Marne Soldiers could contribute to Mr. Funke being properly recognized for his service to our nation.”
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