-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! 0742. Space traffic controllers keep satellites safe by Lynn Gonzales Air Force Space Command Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) -- A bullet fired on Earth travels 2,700 miles per hour and can do damage for up to 1,000 yards before it stops. A loose bolt in space hits at 17,000 miles per hour, goes through a spacecraft and keeps going. It is one office's job to make sure such a catastrophe does not happen. One of the Air Force Space Command Space Safety Office's missions here is to keep satellites away from the more than 9,000 pieces of space debris and dead satellites flying around the Earth. If they fail, space assets worth millions of dollars will join the belt of worthless debris that surround the Earth. "Some areas of concern are collision avoidance, radio frequency interference, solar flares, Leonids (meteors), space debris and end-of-life 'safing' (making sure the satellite has a safe and passive afterlife in space)," said Lt. Col. Ed Browne, chief of space safety for Air Force Space Command. "Each one presents a huge risk to our space assets." Collision avoidance, also called COLA, is one of orbital safety's primary concerns. A collision can disrupt or destroy communications, navigation and weather information. While air traffic controllers must keep in radio contact with pilots to maintain safe separation, orbital safety officers must monitor the satellites, planning maneuvers through space riddled with thousands of objects. Satellites are not only a target for visible debris but also for invisible intruders. Radio frequency interference can block commands used to adjust a satellite's path from the ground. If it can cannot get commands telling it to get out of some debris' way, there could be a collision. The number of frequencies used is limited. Satellites at that distance from Earth's perspective are grouped closely together such as on the geostationary belt, which increases the need to maintain RFI-free communications. Space weather, such as an intense flurry of solar flares erupting on a cycle of every 11 years (known as Solar Max), can also damage satellites orbiting the Earth. Browne said satellite operations have statistically seen greater losses of satellites during that time. Another threat to orbiting space assets is meteor showers, such as the Leonids that occur every year in mid-November. "The risk associated with each threat seems to go in cycles," Browne said. "Each one becomes widely known at different times. When Leonids was in the news, it was a great exercise for satellite operations and orbital safety because everyone in satellite ops looked at this, planned for it and started doing risk assessments as to what should be done and what could happen to our satellites. They really started to think ahead and think how to prevent a loss. Today, people are doing the same thing with solar flares." Satellites are not the only space travelers protected. COLA also keeps manned spacecraft safe. NASA's Debris Quarterly magazine tracks the maneuvers made by the new international space station and space shuttle to avoid space debris, Browne said. Orbital safety officers also make sure that once a satellite dies, it is safely placed in a graveyard that does not interfere with live satellites. Once the useful life of a satellite has come to an end, which is usually due to running out of station-keeping or attitude control propellant or due to degraded components, the satellite can become a hazard to other operational satellites. This hazard can be minimized by moving the satellite to a seldom-used orbit, referred to as a "graveyard" orbit, or re-entered and burned up in the atmosphere if it is in a low orbit, as was done with Mir, the Russian space station that re-entered the atmosphere in March. Orbital safety can minimize the potential hazards of a satellite at the end of its life by venting any pressurized tanks, to make safe any remaining pyrotechnic devices and to turn off transmitters. Orbital safety begins its work in the satellite's cradle and ends with the graveyard. They are there during the design phase to minimize the generation of debris during the satellite's life and minimize its vulnerabilities to natural and manmade hazards. Air Force space operations squadrons, which operate satellites, are required to have an orbital safety program headed by an orbital safety officer. In AFSPC, squadrons in the 21st and 50th Space Wings at Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases, Colo., maintain programs that oversee collision avoidance, review safety procedures and limit space debris. At a recent orbital safety summit, more than 40 Air Force safety officials from AFSPC and the Pentagon discussed orbital safety, its mission and how the program is evolving. "Due to the importance of current and future military operations and on-orbit assets, operations crews, maintainers and monitors must have an active and engaging safety program to protect space assets," said Maj. Paul Mejasich, chief of orbital safety for the Air Force Safety Center at the Pentagon. "A robust Air Force space program requires a proactive safety program which can identify and mitigate space hazards; prevent mishaps during development, testing, evaluation, and space operations; and enhance the growing safe use of space products and tools by the joint warfighter." In addition to battling space debris and solar flares, orbital safety experts maintain an engineering database of lessons learned from previous situations, track the laser clearing house to ensure a clear path for any radiated lasers, and conduct launch and early orbit rehearsals to anticipate possible mishaps. If there is a mishap, an investigation is conducted to determine the cause so future mishaps are prevented. This is a challenging task, since hardware typically can not be recovered once in orbit. Preserving telemetry and other data such as factory build and test data is a critical component in determining the cause of an on-orbit mishap. (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service) 0741. 'First Look' project sparks enthusiasm for working and living in Europe by Tech. Sgt. Tim Hoffman 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFPN) -- The first impression is the most important. That is the basic premise behind U.S. Air Forces in Europe's "First Look" initiative. "We're trying very hard to make sure those people who come to serve in Europe, either alone or with a family, have a positive first impression of their USAFE unit," said Gen. Gregory S. Martin, USAFE commander, during a recent visit here. "We want them to have an impression that makes them want to serve, one that makes them want to stay, or, if they are here (on temporary duty), one that makes them want to come back and be a part of this great team," he said. "This idea is strongly supported by one of the First Look objectives," said Wayne Boswell, USAFE's First Look team leader. "High touch as well as high tech solutions, both are important to the success of First Look." "Not only do we want to make sure our newcomers have a great sponsorship experience," Boswell said, "but we want to use technology to inform members and families before they depart for USAFE, to in-process them, sustain them, and eventually for out-processing." The first phase of the project aims to smooth and improve in-processing procedures so newcomers can slip into their assignments quickly and efficiently. First Look exploits technology, such as the use of Web-based products, to speed in-processing and to give access to vital information earlier in the assignment process -- before even arriving on station. Martin pointed out he does not want people to be bogged down in paperwork and feel overwhelmed when they try to settle into their new assignments. "We want to give everyone who comes to Europe a positive and welcoming experience so they will launch into their new assignment with enthusiasm," he said. "It's really the idea of making people feel welcome before they arrive and accomplishing many of the administrative tasks before they get in," Martin said. But simply using the Web is not enough, Martin said. "Not everyone has time to search the Web," he said. "What we are doing now is not only putting the information on the Web, but putting the in-processing capability on the Web ... and that's the biggest part of the test right now." Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is serving as the test bed for First Look, and USAFE headquarters and the 86th Airlift Wing there are working together to see what areas of in-processing are good candidates to move to the Internet. "Personnel records and medical in-processing, as well as housing referral information and temporary lodging registration, all of these things can be done electronically so someone can walk in and go right to their quarters," Martin said. In Martin's estimation, the test phase is going well thus far because "we have enthusiastic people who are excited about First Look." First Look covers a wide spectrum of quality-of-life issues, not just in-processing, Martin said. "We need to be careful," he said. "It's not just a reduction in paperwork we are after here. We're after the facilities themselves. We're after working hand in hand with the schools, making the (temporary lodging facilities) better, improving people's housing and their workplace. "The workplace should be a facility that's been renovated or built to the standards that we require," he said. "This is something we don't find in most of the units in USAFE today." Every USAFE base has worked to improve the first impression newcomers get, but continued concern and enthusiasm are needed to keep building First Look, Martin said. He is convinced the project will produce people who are positive and excited about what they do for the Air Force and the country. "Hopefully, they will then be willing to take care of new people as they're coming in -- who'll be anxious to get into their jobs because the facilities and the workplace will be filled with enthusiastic people who are happy to be serving," he said. In keeping with First Look's motto "getting here, living here, leaving here," Martin summed up the wealth of opportunity an assignment in Europe provides and how First Look can enhance that. "We're serving in Europe. The opportunities people have to do exciting, interesting things are phenomenal. We want them to not only feel good about what they are doing on the job, but we also want them to feel good about where they are." (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service) 0740. June Airman Magazine now available SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Follow the flight of a WASP, a Women Airforce Service Pilot; see the effects of the drug Ecstasy; and experience the 49-year-old fury of the B-52 Stratofortress bomber in the June 2001 issue of Airman Magazine, available online now. This issue also spotlights the security forces troops who are assigned to cover paradise -- Bellows Air Force Station, Hawaii -- providing a safe and secure environment for vacationers to this little-known jewel of the Department of Defense recreation areas. When the stripes come off and the badges go on, three airmen put their lives on the line fighting crime and patrolling the streets with the Yuba County, Calif., Sheriff's Department. Also, the Joint Direct Attack Munition is giving Minot Air Force Base, N.D., B-52 crews more punch and is providing the Air Force an inexpensive way to put bombs on target. In addition, regular columns like Airman's World, Consumer and Edge keep you up-to-date with what's happening around the Air Force. This issue is available at the home of Air Force news and information on the Web, Air Force Link, at http://www.af.mil/news/airman. Look for copies of Airman on your base. Call your public affairs office for details, or order copies for your unit by e-mailing a complete mailing address to [EMAIL PROTECTED] 0739. Wife gives Hickam man greatest gift by Senior Airman Jennifer Glaser Kukini Staff Writer HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) -- In life, not many people have the chance to be truly heroic, but every now and then, when life turns a corner, it presents a situation that only a hero can endure. In October, doctors told Lt. Col. Bill McKnight, the Pacific Air Forces chief of manpower and organization, directorate of plans and programs, that in roughly 12 years, he would need a new kidney. Sarita, his new bride, did not even flinch when she heard the news. In fact, she volunteered to donate her kidney without even a moment's hesitation. "I love him," Sarita said. "I didn't even have to think about whether I would donate or not. It was an obvious decision." Both were prepared to face the future together, whatever it happened to bring. However, the future was not as distant as they had hoped. Within months, his 12-year timetable shrunk to one, and doctors told him he needed a new kidney by this fall. Because his disease, Polycystic Kidney Disease, is hereditary, McKnight's four children could not risk giving up their kidneys. Sarita, true to her word, began a series of rigorous tests, beat the odds and was found to be a near-perfect match for McKnight -- something most people on an organ donor list can only wish and wait for. In Hawaii alone, 240 people are waiting for kidneys. The number escalates to 80,000 on the nationwide waiting list or the computerized network called United Network for Organ Sharing. Because of advancing technologies in medicine, donating an organ is much less painful than it used to be, said Catherine Bailey, St. Francis Transplant Institute clinical transplant coordinator in Hawaii. "We are matching a lot more unrelated living donors to recipients than ever before, mostly due to better medications," she said. "In the McKnight's case, Sarita happened to be a very close match. She and Bill had the same blood type, and matched three of the six markers in the tissue typing." Bailey also said donation numbers are going up because donor recovery time is shortening as surgical techniques improve. "A few years ago our surgeons began laparoscopic removal of the kidneys, which leaves four small one- to two-inch scars instead of one long 14-inch scar," Bailey said. "This technique lets donors can get back to their normal routines at a much quicker pace, but there are medical criteria the patient must meet for this process. Sarita was fortunate enough to be able to choose this option." The surgeons at St. Francis Transplant Institute perform about 40 to 50 organ transplants each year to include heart, liver, kidney and pancreas, said Joyce Nekoba, also a clinical transplant coordinator at St. Francis. He was not a typical transplant case, McKnight's doctors said. "All I have is kidney failure," McKnight said. "I'm exceptionally blessed. Most kidney patients have diabetes or are very sick." McKnight knew his father had PKD, but never expected it to materialize in his own body. "I had no symptoms," he said. "The only reason we knew I had the disease was because of a kidney stone. In an X-ray, the doctors saw a cyst on my kidney. Then I remembered about my father's disease." Since then, McKnight's health slowly decreased. He has passed 12 kidney stones and has trouble sleeping. He also had pressure on his kidneys, fatigue, high blood pressure and problems with his memory. Medical protocol says kidney function must hit 20 percent or below before a transplant is considered. Mcknight's was at 27 percent. Because of this, the doctors were very hesitant to give him a transplant, but after realizing Sarita was such a close match and a willing donor, they knew making him wait until his health almost completely deteriorated was not the answer. "Sarita's focus has been on me and not herself," McKnight said. "Most people tend to think of themselves and what would happen if the kidney they're left with should fail. She never backed down -- not even for a minute. She is a great blessing in my life and I'm so grateful to her." After months of preparing, Sarita gave her husband the greatest gift she could. Her kidney was successfully transplanted into McKnight April 6. "I feel 20 years younger," McKnight said. "Everything works better ... my eyes, hearing, memory, thought process. Even assorted ailments have disappeared. My energy level is way up. I used to work out three times a week, but now it's 10. I'm a changed man: spiritually, physically, emotionally ... mostly though, I am grateful." McKnight has since returned to work after almost five weeks of recovery. After serving 28 years of active-duty, McKnight is one of only a handful of transplant patients returned to active-duty. "I've had great opportunities in my career and although I look forward to retirement, I'm not quite ready yet," he said. "I wasn't prepared to be a victim. You've got to keep your feet moving forward, even if they're little steps. I still have something in myself to live." He and Sarita quickly recovered and are making the most of their time together. "The first few days back home were difficult," Sarita said. "But it was a major surgery and heavy dosages of medicine. Being healthy going in means being healthy when you come out -- if you live a healthy life, your body can recover much quicker than if you don't." McKnight said he is fortunate to have a donor so close to home. "I saw a man die while waiting for a kidney; and many others who had no hope at all," McKnight said. "My only issue now (is) fighting infection. I'm incredibly blessed. I don't know how or why I was selected to overcome this obstacle, but I'm eternally grateful. So many prayers were said for us and we had so much support from family and friends, people at our church and those who worked in my office -- it was very powerful and almost overwhelming." McKnight is currently taking nine medications, five times a day -- a small price to pay for the gift of life, he said. Although a transplant can improve health and quality of life greatly, it is by no means a cure -- only a treatment, Bailey said. "I no longer have a need for the kidney stone medicine, which had a lot of side effects, because the new kidney filters everything out," he said. "Our biggest fear was diabetes that a lot of recipients can get from the steroids, but there are no problems yet. Donating is easier than you might think, Sarita said. "I have a great sense of having satisfied a purpose in my life," she said. "It's a wonderful feeling of truly being able to help somebody." Financially, organ transplants can be quite expensive, according to Paul McFall, financial coordinator at the St. Francis Transplant Institute. "Our job at the transplant institute is to help people find the funding to alleviate the cost of the surgery," he said. "There's never a cost to the donor, however. We're primarily here to help ensure the recipient is 100 percent covered. "Typically the only cost to patients is the medication after the transplant," he said. "Usually a co-pay for a year runs about $2,500 to $3,500. Usually there's no cost to military members who receive their medication from a base facility." *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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