UPCOMING - The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch

Hello all, 

I want to share a few links with you so you will be ready for the Spacex launch this week! 

From Forbes - This Link - there's a great article to read: 

"This Wednesday, May 27 at 4:33 p.m. EDT , two US astronauts will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) from US soil, and on a US rocket. 
That’s not happened of almost a decade, and it’s going to be a massive, unmissable event. The pandemic means it’s also going to be an event that’s almost entirely staged online. 

Get ready for some iconic imagery as NASA relieves Apollo-era imagery and SpaceX puts the astronauts in a Tesla Model X before a Falcon 9 rocket blasts-off to space to make history."

The Forbes article has more links and information on how to watch live. 

NASA's own press release page can be located here - at This Link  

 

And NASA's Launch America website is here - This Link - You can sign up for their newsletter on this site. 

You can also read the biographies of the astronauts and read more about their mission - (snippet from their page)  

"Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A atop a specially instrumented Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon will accelerate its two passengers to approximately 17,000 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station. Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system and the maneuvering thrusters, among other things. In about 24 hours, Crew Dragon will be in position to rendezvous and dock with the space station. The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously but astronauts aboard the spacecraft and the station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary."

Next definitely go check out SpaceX's website!!! This Link. 

They have timelines and graphs and diagrams of the whole event! Seriously cool! 

This is from their YouTube channel - an animation of the upcoming mission:

And one more 'technical' video you all might find fascinating is one Lt Hampson shared with me to pass along to you. It shows what we might see if rockets were transparent. Haven't you ever wondered how they work and why we need all those sections of rocket which fall away as the spacecraft ascends? Now you can look inside - 

Today's AE and STEM Offerings! Kennedy Space Center and "Imagineering in a Box"

Hello Frederick Squadron,

As promised I am posting today to share two great resources that our Aerospace Education officer, 1st Lt Howard Hampson asked me to pass along to you.

The first is a Facebook resource. It's the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex  The center is closed now, but the staff is still dedicated to the continued education and inspiration of those interested in Aerospace Education. 

There are a ton of videos you can watch. Including this one about Moon Rocks - 



The Kennedy Space Center also has a blog "The Payload Blog" 

Snip from their blog -

"LONG DISTANCE LEARNING WITH KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITOR COMPLEX

Available on our social media channels, our free, online distance learning videos dive into space-related science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts, NASA’s key milestones, book readings and more! With trained educators leading each video from different locations at the visitor complex, this virtual learning experience comes to life!"

Check it out and keep yourself entertained as you learn more about space exploration! 

~~~~~***~~~~~

The next item Lt Hampson shared was "Imagineering in a Box"  

This topic is about engineering and theme park development and you can access it via Khan Academy.

Disney and Khan Academy have teamed up to create an entertaining course with videos and activities - conducted by the experts! - and lessons that revolve around theme park design.

From the website -

"Have you ever wondered how theme parks come to life? Disney Imagineers from hundreds of career disciplines around the world share how they use a wide range of skills – from story development and conceptual design, to math, physics and engineering – that all come together to create immersive experiences. Imagineering in a Box allows you to explore different aspects of theme park design, from characters to ride development, as you design a theme park of your very own."

For example - a video lesson about testing your simulated ride so that you get the appropriate number of people through the ride, with a quality experience, and only one car per 'scene' in each ride.

I think I could lose myself in this course for an hour or two! I love Disney rides and these videos look to be educational and fun. Some are set in the park and inside the Disney rides themselves.

When you're done with Imagineering, you might find more interesting lessons to explore in Khan academy on your own. They are a wonderful resource. Their mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere.

From Khan Academy's "About" page -

"Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content."

Until next time. I hope you enjoy these resources and are staying healthy and safe! Thank you Lt Hampson for the great suggestions!

Spring is Here: And We Are Too... Online

Greetings Frederick Squadron

I hope this finds you and your family healthy and strong. By now you are likely settling in to your lockdown schedules and routines, as much as this is possible. This is chaotic and confusing for all of us, but we'll handle it. 

We are disappointed to not be able to meet in person now, but hang in there! We are working on organizing communication tools and plans for online classes and meetings. Please keep an eye on your email for further information. We want to create ways to keep you all active and developing yourselves as Civil Air Patrol Cadets - Senior Members too. (Col. Fries says "Get your iCut done!)  

I will also be sharing resources here for your information and continued education. If you have anything interesting to share, do not hesitate to contact your chain of command. 

Also, please know you are welcome to contact the Squadron via the commander, the Admin email, your chain of command, Facebook, or even comment on this post if you have questions or concerns. We're still here for you.

Remember to take the time to enjoy some time outdoors. Enjoy the Spring weather and blooming flowers. This disruption is very inconvenient, but it will pass in time and we will pick up where we left off.  I won't tell you not to worry about things, because worrying is the natural thing to do. We can worry, we can be afraid of what is happening with the Coronavirus, but always keep in mind that we are all in this together and amazing things happen when people band together and make a stand. We got this. Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. And (on behalf of our Health Officer) Wash your hands! 

My challenge for you today is to get out there in the next couple of days and maybe take a photo that represents Spring. Or maybe you enjoy drawing or painting? Get out there and see what inspires you. What does this change of season mean to you? Do you enjoy the warmer weather? The longer days? Maybe it's the rain you like? I'll make a post on our Squadron Facebook page and if you want, you can share your photos there. 

Riddle (answer below): Why do seals swim in salt water? 

Answer: Because pepper water makes them sneeze

(I didn't say it was a good riddle!) 

How to get to the iCUT training -

• Log into eServices
• Click on Menu - Online Learning - Learning Management System
• Click on "Go To Axis"
• Look for the black tab with the radio antenna "Introductory Communications User Training"

2020 Field Trip to Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt

Space shuttle model on display

UPDATE - This and all meetings and field trips have been cancelled due to COVID19 Social Distancing Guidelines. Please watch your email and this blog for further information. 

Attention Squadron members -

We are organizing a field trip - coming up soon - for a trip to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Please check your emails for an interest survey so we may best plan this trip. If you did not receive this email, please contact Admin or use your chain of command to request it. Information about transportation will be upcoming, however only so many will fit in the Van, so be aware carpooling or self-transport will be required.

One of the outdoor displays

Reminder about Remind

Screenshot of Md003 Remind App

Our Squadron has decided to use "Remind" to help keep all members informed about important and urgent news and updates. Remind is a free service that allows you to get messages directly on your phone. We intend to use this tool for last minute or urgent information, such as meeting cancellations due to weather or emergency notifications. Other usage may be explored in future.

An 'Alert' widget for Remind has been added to the blog.

Joining Remind is easy. You can choose whether you prefer text messages or smartphone notifications.

Signing up for text messages:
Text my @MD003cap to the phone number 81010.
Reply to the text messages from the Remind team.

Signing up for smartphone notifications:
Download the Remind app on your Android or iOS device. Click here for a link to the app.
Open the app and create an account (or log in if you already have one).
Tap the + by classes joined and enter my class code @MD003cap

That's all you need to do to start receiving messages!

Color Guard Training

Color Guard Crash Course at MD Wing HQ run by the Deputy Director of Cadet Programs - C/2d Lt Stigdon and C/SrA Reed, and another Cadet not of our Squadron, during class on Saturday. 

Saturday, 16 November, Cadets gathered at Maryland Wing for a four hour crash course on Color Guard activities. Some groups participated in classroom training and then rotated out for outdoor instruction. This course was designed for those just beginning in Color Guard and the more advanced too.

This was also an opportunity for those cadets who plan to compete in the upcoming 2020 MDWG Cadet Competition to improve their performance in each of the color guard events held at the competition. 

The Cadet Competition will be held on 29 February at Wing HQ. Keep an eye on your email for Squadron news and the Wing eNewsletter. If we want to form a Squadron Team to compete, we will need to get organized. Speak to your Chain of Command if you are interested.

A Glimpse into History and a Reason to Give Back

"CAP Cadets Win Promotion - Civil Air Patrol cadets Larry Seeders, Howard Hampson, and John Palmer (left to right) receive the General Billy Mitchell Award entitling them to promotion to the rank of cadet second lieutenant from Major W. W. Morley, Air Force Reserve, as Cadet Second Class David L. Thrasher and CAP Second Lt. Charles W. Taylor Jr. look on. The cadets are members of Cumberland Composite Squadron, CAP, which meets at the Naval Reserve Training Center. Major Morley serves the squadron as cadet aerospace officer and Lt Taylor is commander of cadets. "

Our own 1st Lt Howard Hampson who now teaches Aerospace Engineering with Frederick Composite Squadron was once a cadet himself and last week he brought a couple of newspaper clippings in to share. I thought it was wonderful that he still had such mementos on hand, and asked if we may post them and give a little background on his introduction to the Civil Air Patrol. I took photos of the newspaper clippings, and 1st Lt Hampson sent the following:

"I joined the Civil Air Patrol in The Cumberland Squadron when I was 13 and was a cadet until 18 when I enlisted in the Air Force. At one point we had over 200 cadets in the squadron. We had multiple ground teams, a color guard, and parade drill team of about 50 cadets that marched in parades like the Virginia Apple Festival parade.

One of the first things I was involved in was a major search and rescue operation.  A B-52 bomber crashed in a bad snowstorm north of Grantsville MD with 2 atomic bombs on it, and they didn’t know where the bombs were. We had the CAP, the State Police, the Air Force, the nuke folks, and the NTSB descend on Cumberland. Each group was set up in different hangers. We younger cadets became message runners between the participating groups (we didn’t have the internet or sophisticated communications back then!).

They had to wait until the snowstorm ended to begin search and rescue. Two crew members survived. One was located by a CAP pilot.  The bombs were located 2 days later. Watching what happened as a 13 year old made me sure that the CAP was where I wanted to be.

Through the years as a cadet, we assisted in several other SAR (Search and Rescue) operations. Western Maryland mountains were not friendly to aircraft in trouble. The cadet ground teams would set up perimeters around a crash site until the NTSB arrived, which could be a day or two."

Note: If you would like to read more about the history of the crash that 1st Lt Hampson is referring to, you can read about the 1964 Garrett County B-52 Bomber Crash in The Baltimore Sun. It mentions that it was a CAP pilot who located the downed co-pilot. You can also read this article, Residents recall B-52 Crash, Nuclear Scare in the Daily Local News that refers to the nervousness surrounding the cargo from the crash: two thermonuclear weapons.

Solo Flight  3-19-68
"Student Pilot Solos - Howard R. Hampson, 17 of LaVale, is congratulated by his instructor, Richard C Bartel, after soloing in a Piper Colt at Cumberland Municipal Airport after less than six and half hours of instruction. Hampson is a cadet technical sergeant in the Cumberland squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. His instructor is a cadet lieutenant colonel in the Bowie-Bel Air CAP Squadron and is a pilot and flight instructor for Nicholson Air Services, Inc. at the local airport."  

More from Lt Hampson - 

"One of the pictures was of myself and two other cadets receiving the Mitchell award and promotion to Cadet Second Lt.

I learned to fly as a cadet. The other picture was one of me and my flight instructor after I soloed in a Piper Colt.  It didn’t hurt that my instructor was the Deputy Cadet Commander and his boss was the Squadron Commander!

When I enlisted in the Air Force and arrived at basic training, our flight of 60 men (boys) was formed. Because the Air Force recognized the great training we received through CAP, I was selected as the flight leader and my four squad leaders were Mitchell recipients as well.

What I learned as a CAP cadet has served me well through my whole life and career.  I joined the Frederick squadron as a senior to try to give back to the organization that gave me so much."

And I for one think that we are very lucky to have him, along with his enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge and experience of Aerospace Education, with us now at the Frederick Composite Squadron. Thank you, 1st Lt Hampson.