June 27, 2003 Highlights
Utah
State's SDL Launches Rocket to Study Bowshock Heating
 The
interaction of the upper atmosphere with high-speed vehicles
such as missiles and the space shuttle will be better understood
because of data captured by a sounding rocket successfully launched
June 10.
Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) - under
contract to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego
(SSC San Diego) and in partnership with the Army Research Office
(ARO), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, and
Pennsylvania State University - launched the Dual-mode Experiment
on Bowshock Interactions (DEBI) from NASA's Wallops Island Flight
Facility in Virginia.
"I have worked on DEBI for nearly five years," said
Carl Howlett, program manager at SDL and principal investigator
for the launch. "I was very pleased to see it perform the
way it did; it was essentially a flawless measurement."
The five-year, $2.3 million project was funded by the Missile
Defense Agency's (MDA) Advanced Systems Directorate and managed
by SSC San Diego. The data is important to MDA because when
a ground-based missile interceptor is launched, it flies at
high speeds and reaches high altitudes, creating bowshock heating,
or heating in front of the nose cone. The high temperatures
the interceptor experiences could ultimately blind the sensors
used to guide it.
"The information provided will be used to understand the
environment that future higher speed interceptors will have
to operate in and verify that they will still perform properly
at these higher speeds and at those temperatures," said
Mike Lovern, project manager at SSC San Diego. "I am excited
that DEBI was successfully launched after so much hard work
and that it appears, after initial review, we have collected
more data than anticipated."
DEBI is studying bowshock heating that occurs as high-speed
vehicles traveling over 7,000 miles per hour enter or re-enter
the atmosphere 25-50 miles above the Earth's surface. Howlett
said this is the same atmospheric region where the Space Shuttle
Columbia's accident occurred.
Lovern said that NASA might also be interested in this information
for its programs. He said the hope is that the data will validate
the models they are currently working on to provide information
for both the Department of Defense and NASA.
"The most important aspect is to collect data so we can
design a future interceptor that has a faster velocity and longer
range than is currently possible," said Lovern.
The instrument suite hosted more than 30 individual sensors.
Most of the sensors were infrared (IR) with two ultraviolet
(UV) sensors. SDL provided payload systems engineering, fabrication,
integration, testing and launch support.
"This has been a great project to work on," said
Howlett. "I look forward to moving on to similar projects
in the future."
To read the full release see http://www.sdl.usu.edu/comp-info/press/2003/jun12-debilaunch
Utah
State Extension in Beaver County: Off the Grid
 Mark
Wintch's ranch is nearly 9,000 acres in the Wah Wah Valley on
the western edge of Beaver County. It's an hour from the nearest
groceries and, although he has a phone line, he has to generate
all his own electricity. Four years ago he took a big chance
by dropping out of school and going back to the family ranch
to try to make it financially viable again.
"I told my professors that I could do this now or spend
the rest of my life wondering if I could do it," Wintch
said.
To make the ranch profitable he also has to grow most of his
own alfalfa on 220 acres irrigated by center pivots. Water and
other resources are in short supply so he was grateful when
Beaver County Extension agent Mark Nelson came out to help him
with soil tests and irrigation analysis.
The result was that he found that the pivots were running too
fast and thus not applying enough water. By making some simple
adjustments in sprinkler heads and speed of the pivot he was
able to increase his alfalfa yield by one ton per acre on his
220 acres.
"These are the types of ranchers Extension is best equipped
to help, Nelson said. Although the farm goes back four generations,
Mark has only been there for four years. And he is way out on
the edge of the county by himself. In other areas he might be
able to get help from neighbors."
To find out more about Beaver
County, click
here. For more about Extension in other counties take the
Extension
tour of Utah.
Kenneth
White is BOSS
 Dr.
Kenneth White, a professor of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences
at Utah State, has received the BOSS award — Best of State
Statue — in the field of agriculture.
The Best of State awards recognize outstanding achievements
in a variety of fields state wide. White received his statue
at a black-tie gala dinner honoring the winners. Former Miss
America and ESPN reporter Sharlene Wells Hawkes emceed the event
and guest presenters included Hot Rod Hundley, John Huntsman
Jr. and Derek Parra.
The awards presentation will be broadcast June 28 at 6 p.m.
on ABC4. This is the first year for the BOSS awards and 11 individuals
or companies were honored.
The Best of State Statue is a 22-pound solid bronze sculpture,
plated with 24-karet gold, standing on a black granite pedestal.
It includes the slogan "Excelling and Surpassing All Else."
A full account of the event and list of award recipients can
be found in the Utah State Today "In the News"
archive at http://utahstatetoday.usu.edu/archives/june2003/06-25-03/inthenews-06-25-03.cfm#12
— click the Deseret Morning News link to read the full
report.
utah
state today/archives/June
2003/archives
prior to Sept 2002/
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