Engineering Commons^™

Deterring Terroists Organizations In Times Of A Global Pandemic: An Arguement For An Indirect Approach To Deterring Terrorism, Grant Van Robays

Space and Defense

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every facet of life across the world. While the United States is the world's social, economic, and political powerhouse, it is no exception to the indiscriminate virus. The U.S. faces economic volatility, social unrest, political polarization, and a devastating loss of American life due to the pandemic. To make matters worse, these crises leave the U.S. vulnerable to opportunist terrorist organizations at home and abroad, who may seek to take advantage of these vulnerabilities, whether perceived or real. While the pandemic appears to be slowing down both in the U.S. and abroad, the vulnerabilities …

Hypersonic Weapons: Strategic Drivers And Policy Proposals, Jonah S. Bhide

Space and Defense

Whether it is troop movement across terrain, the performance of military aircraft, or the time required responding with national force, speed has always been a critical element in securing U.S. national security objectives. Indeed, Sun Tzu acknowledged that speed is the essence of war, and an essential component in speed is technology. Emerging technologies influence and alter strategic analyses as they are developed and deployed.

Lieutenant General Ret. H.R. Mcmaster, Usafa Assembly Keynote Adress: National Security And American Polarization: The Competition For Truth, H. R. Mcmaster

Space and Defense

Thank you for the great privilege of joining you for the Academy Assembly and thanks, especially, for your decision to serve your country and your fellow servicemen and women during what, I believe, is a time of growing danger to American security, prosperity, and influence in the world. But I am confident that you will make significant and lasting contributions across a career of service and help build a better future for generations of Americans to come.

Nuclear Planning In An Uncertain World, Brooke Mitchell

Space and Defense

...research is called for on what type of thermonuclear war might eventuate, and on the possible volume of material destruction and loss of human life that might occur in varying hypothetical attack situations.

The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) emphasizes a return to great power competition in a world that is no longer preoccupied by violent Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and Central Asia. 2 Great power politics are back in style, as the Trump administration made clear. In the post-Cold War era, the United States Department of Defense is focused on modernizing its nuclear enterprise in the face …

Pakistan's Space Program: From Sounding Rockets To Satellite Setbacks, Sannia Abdullah

Space and Defense

Why did Pakistan struggle for 50 years to launch its satellites into Earth's orbit when it was Asia's third country to send sounding rockets into space? Four years ago, India launched 104 satellites from a single rocket to set a groundbreaking record, whereas Pakistan launched only six satellites with assistance in the design, built, launch, and even funding from China. Pakistan plans to send its first astronaut into space by 2022; India put its first astronaut into "space in 1984 as part of a Soviet-led mission." Despite a good head-start, why is Pakistan's space program decades behind when India's space …

Russian Development Of New Hypersonic Weapons: Drivers And Implications, Julia L. Diamond

Space and Defense

The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) is, at the time of writing, nearing its 5 February, 2021 expiration date. Both the U.S. and Russia have suspended their obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. A renewal of New START would be the most logical future step that aids the cause of arms control. This is the option that requires the least political will and therefore might suit the current political climate. Nevertheless, the political relationship between the two countries …

Letter From The Editor, Michelle Black

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Vol. 12 No. 2, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Vol. 12 No. 2, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Wastewater Samples To Explore Community Substance Use In The United States: Pilot Correlative And Machine Learning Study, Marie A. Severson, Sathaporn Onanong, Alexandra Dolezal, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Lisa M. Mcfadden

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Background: Substance use disorder and associated deaths have increased in the United States, but methods for detecting and monitoring substance use using rapid and unbiased techniques are lacking. Wastewater-based surveillance is a cost-effective method for monitoring community drug use. However, the examination of the results often focuses on descriptive analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore community substance use in the United States by analyzing wastewater samples. Geographic differences and commonalities of substance use were explored.

Methods: Wastewater was sampled across the United States (n=12). Selected drugs with misuse potential, prescriptions, and over-the-counter drugs …

Planning For The Lake Izabal Basin Research Endeavor (Libre) Continental Scientific Drilling Project In Eastern Guatemala, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Andreas Eckert, Peter M.J. Douglas, Liseth Perez, Alex Correa-Metrio, Bronwen L. Konecky, Thorsten Bauersachs, Susan Zimmerman, Stephanie Scheidt, Mark Brenner, Steffen Kutterolf, Jeremy Maurer, Omar Flores, Caroline M. Burberry

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As Earth's atmospheric temperatures and human populations increase, more people are becoming vulnerable to natural and human-induced disasters. This is particularly true in Central America, where the growing human population is experiencing climate extremes (droughts and floods), and the region is susceptible to geological hazards, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and environmental deterioration in many forms (soil erosion, lake eutrophication, heavy metal contamination, etc.). Instrumental and historical data from the region are insufficient to understand and document past hazards, a necessary first step for mitigating future risks. Long, continuous, well-resolved geological records can, however, provide a window into past …

Multiple Reflections And The Near-Field Effects On A Metamaterial Quarter-Wave Plate, James Davis, Durdu Güney

Michigan Tech Publications

Metamaterial-based quarter-wave plates (QWPs) have emerged as promising candidates for advanced polarization control in a variety of optical applications, owing to their unique properties, such as ultra-thin profiles and tailored spectral responses. We design an ultra-thin, high-efficiency, and broadband QWP in transmission mode based on a TiO2" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-height: none; display: inline; line-height: normal; font-size: 13.2px; font-size-adjust: none; overflow-wrap: normal; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; position: relative;">22/Au grating structure. We show that multiple reflections and …

Editorial For The Special Issue Entitled Hyperspectral Remote Sensing From Spaceborne And Low-Altitude Aerial/Drone-Based Platforms—Differences In Approaches, Data Processing Methods, And Applications, Amin Beiranvand Pour, Arindam Guha, Laura Crispini, Snehamoy Chatterjee

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.

Mining Multibeam Transit Data For Deep Ocean Polymetallic Nodules: Case Study In Se Pacific Ocean, Mark E. Mussett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occurrences of nodules on the seafloor represent benthic habitats and present potential deposits of economically important metals. Better understanding their extent throughout Earth’s oceans will aid in resource management and determining different factors which influence their formative factors and respective local characteristics. Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, along with auxiliary data suggest an area of seafloor near the Foundation Seamount chain in the southern Pacific Ocean, centered around -36.84° latitude, -119.75° longitude, contains a previously uncharted polymetallic nodule occurrence. Our analysis of Simrad EM12 DUAL (12 kHz) multibeam data, collected during a 1997 transit, shows an area of strong backscatter …

Hurricanes And Tropical Storms’ Impact On Water Quality In Lake Okeechobee, Florida, Daniela Vasquez Diaz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes are natural events with catastrophic outcomes, while climate change's effects on their intensity and frequency remain discussed. However, it is crucial to analyze these through models and statistics to understand their behavior and impact on the basins. Particularly in lakes on tropical coasts since disruptive events such as hurricanes tend to be highly affected. Lake Okeechobee is a unique lake located in Florida and one of the largest freshwater lakes. The lake and some of its significant stations are the locations chosen to perform the investigation. The main focus of the investigation is determining the effect that hurricanes have …

Modeling And Estimation Of A Continuous Flexible Structure Using The Theory Of Functional Connections, Riccardo Bevilacqua

Math Department Colloquium Series

This talk presents a novel method for modeling and estimating the dynamics of a continuous structure based on a limited number of noisy measurements. The goal is reached using a Kalman filter in synergy with the recently developed mathematical framework known as the Theory of Functional Connections (TFC). The TFC allows to derive a functional expression capable of representing the entire space of the functions that satisfy a given set of linear and, in some cases, nonlinear constraints. The proposed approach exploits the possibilities offered by the TFC to derive an approximated dynamical model for the flexible system using the …

Notes For Contributors To Space And Defense, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Report Of The 62nd Air Force Academy Assembly

Space and Defense

In partnership with the Olmsted Foundation, ARDI-The Academic Excellence Foundation, United States Air Force Academy Endowment, USAFA Department of Political Science, and USAFA Association of Graduates, the United States Air Force Academy Department of Political Science hosted the 62nd Air Force Academy Assembly, 13-14 October, 2020 in Colorado Springs.

A total of 122 undergraduates from twenty-two colleges gathered virtually and in-person to engage experts from academia and civil society on American politics and national security. The event featured three plenary panel discussions and a Keynote Address by Lt. General (ret.) H.R. McMaster, published in Space & Defense Vol. 12, No. …

Review: A Fiery Peace In A Cold War: Bernard Schriever And The Ultimate Weapon By Neil Sheehan (New York: Random House, 2009), Paul Bolt

Space and Defense

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War is a fascinating book that focuses on the life of Air Force General Bernard Schriever and his competition with the Soviets to develop an ICBM that would prevent a nuclear Pearl Harbor.['􀀃] The story is wide-ranging, covering development of the bomb in both the United States and Soviet Union; the dynamics of the Cold War; Soviet and American espionage successes and failures; defense politics in the Eisenhower administration; and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sheehan dives into the personalities, military officers and scientists, who contributed to the research and development of American weapon systems, …

Mcmaster's Master Work On Geopolitics And The Future Of America: A Review Of Battlegrounds: The Fight To Defend The Free World (Ny: Harpercollins, 2020), Noah Grady

Space and Defense

Student Voice

In his most well-known work, Vom Kriege, Carl von Clausewitz suggested war is a continuation of policy. He proposed governments primarily use warfighting to achieve political ends. Since America's independence in 1776, geopolitics have shaped the nature of America's conflicts overseas. In the last century, the U.S. endured several different geopolitical phases. Despite Woodrow Wilson's reelection slogan, "He kept us out of war," America involved itself in an eruption of imperial interests in Europe during the Great War. Two decades after the First World War, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Naval Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor. President …

Efficacy Of The National Security Innovation Network's Hacking / Designing For Defense Programs, Max Di Lalla

Space and Defense

Student Voices

The National Security Innovation Network requires further reform to achieve its hope for long-term effects on defense innovation.

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) was crated in 2016 after a rebranding of the MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator and is actively changed with the mission to "build networks of innovators that generated new solutions to national security problems." NSIN is just one of the plethora of government organizations tasked with some form of "innovation." As the world begins to change and the United States no longer enjoys a period of unrivaled growth and security, government, military, and private …

Climate Change As A Dangerous Accelerant Of Mass Atrocity, Jesse Jenkins

Space and Defense

Student Voices

Investigating potential connections between mass atrocity and climate change reveals that the vulnerability of food systems may be valuable predictive factor in understanding which states will respond to climate change with violence.

An ongoing study by Dr. John Riley and Lt Col. William Atkins shows that strong states tend to be able to cope well with the effects of climate change and not turn to violence. They also argue that the weakest states are already broken and on the path of committing a mass atrocity regardless of the effects of climate change. This leave a middle section of …

No Method To Madness: The Failures Of Madman Diplomacy In All Its Forms, Henry Gilchrist

Space and Defense

Student Voices

Madman diplomacy fails to work as advertised. Internal contradiction of the strategy in it s ideal form reduce the chances it will succeed in future crises.

Effective deterrence requires an actor to pair powerful capabilities with a believable will to use them. The world of United States' dominance has relegated the question of will to the periphery. However, the U.S. is emerging from its hegemony with enough self-awareness to acknowledge the painful consequences of this relegation. Democratic restraint has historically played an important role in nuclear deterrence for obvious reasons, and the issue of will deficit is not …

Boosting Space Diplomacy At State, David A. Epstein

Space and Defense

Notes from the Field:

Space diplomacy remains an esoteric specialty of State.

With ever-increasing speed, humanity is expanding the scope of its activities in outer space, thanks to private enterprise as well as via national pursuits. In the last two years alone, for example, the number of active and defunct satellites in lower Earth orbit has increase by more than 50 percent, to around 5,000, with plans to add tens of thousands more in the coming years. Equally surprising, these satellites are owned and operated by nearly 100 difference countries and organizations around the world - no just the small …

Contextualizing Russia's Hypersonic Threat: Perceptions, Motivations, And Strategic Stability., Jeffery D. Taylor

Space and Defense

Rather than specific military objectives in Europe, Russian hypersonic missile development manifests deep-rooted perceptions of the United States and NATO undermining strategic through missile defense.

Future Directions For Great Power Nuclear Arms Control, T. Justin Bronder

Space and Defense

Extending the current New START regime can help maintain traditional strategic stability; however, such an approach fails to address destabilizing trends related to non-nuclear strategic technologies and China's expanding forces.

Arms control in the nuclear age has proved a useful tool of national security, meeting ends as diverse as reducing the risks of nuclear war to channeling strategic competition. Yet recent trends indicate arms control may be at an inflection point; the suitability of this tool in general and the viability of securing new agreements specifically are both unclear. The New Strategic Arms reduction Treaty (New START) extension somewhat reverses …

Editor's Note Vol. 13 No. 1, Damon Coletta

Space and Defense

Editor's Note

Table Of Contents Vol. 13 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Vol. 13 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Research Progress Of Rotary Steerable System And Its Control Methods, Li Wei, Mou Lei, Zhou Xiancheng, Tan Xianhui, Fu Quan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Rotary steerable system is a shining pearl in directional drilling technology and an important technical means to realize the low-cost and efficient development of oil and gas resources. First of all, the basic structure of the rotary steerable system was introduced. According to the different steering modes and bias effects, the rotary steerable system is divided into five categories: static push-the-bit type, dynamic push-the-bit type, static pointing type, dynamic point-the-bit type and mixed type, for which the steering principle was analyzed one by one. Secondly, according to the research and application of rotary steerable system technology at home and abroad, …