Photo By Ray Bahner | Cadet 1st Class Nolan Turner greets a visitor to the U.S. Space Force Delta 13...... read more read more
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From directly acting as space operators to learning about orbital maneuvering in the classroom, cadets have boundless opportunities to delve into the complex concepts Guardians face. Graduates leave the Academy with the knowledge, skills and mindset they need to excel as newly commissioned Guardians.
“Space is absolutely critical to winning the future fight, and U.S. Air Force Academy space programs do not let this point slide,” said U.S. Air Force ROTC Cadet 2nd Class Kylyn Smith.
Smith was one of six cadets nationally selected for the Academy-AFROTC Semester Exchange Program. She is the FalconSAT-6 chief engineer and pursuing a Space Force space operations officer career. The FalconSAT program allows cadets to design, analyze, build, test and operate small satellites to conduct Department of Defense space missions. FalconSAT research is conducted within the Academy’s Space Systems Research Center.
While approximately 10% of graduates commission into the U.S. Space Force, all cadets develop space-mindedness. Space Force Col. Luke Sauter, head of the Department of Astronautical Engineering, is confident that cadets will be ready to contribute to the space domain.
“Our cadets will hit the ground running well ahead of their counterparts,” said Sauter, the Academy’s first and only Space Force permanent professor. “We are building space-minded Airmen and air-minded Guardians.”
The Academy provides an interdisciplinary education that combines rigorous engineering, mathematics, science and technology with military strategy, ethics and leadership instruction. Cadets experience rigorous physical training, leadership exercises and real-world simulations to develop emotional and mental resiliency. They learn to think critically, adapt to rapidly changing environments and lead effectively in high-pressure situations. Cadets regularly collaborate on space-related research, space debris mitigation and the exploration of advanced propulsion technologies.
Cadets develop as future Guardians through classroom instruction, hands-on training and mentorship.
When the Academy was founded in 1954, Astronautics and Political Science were the original two concentrations for cadets. Astronautics remains on the cutting edge of space technology and exploration that prepares cadets to excel in space-related roles. Cadets receive a robust foundation in the practical and theoretical aspects of space science and engineering through various courses. Examples of key courses in the curriculum are Space Operations and Spacecraft Design, Astrodynamics, and Space Systems Engineering.
The department emphasizes experiential learning through hands-on projects and research like the FalconSAT Program, laboratory work, simulations and collaborative research opportunities. The department ensures cadets leave the Academy with a holistic understanding of the space domain’s operational, policy and strategic implications.
“Aristotle said, ‘For the things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them,’” Sauter said. “We do that in Astronautical Engineering through hands-on application throughout all of our coursework; hence, the department motto, ‘learning space by doing space.’”
STARCOM is another essential partner in preparing cadets “to become tomorrow’s leaders in space,” said Delta 13, Detachment 1 Director of Training Lt. Col. Adam Wasinger. The partnership focuses on a curriculum that emphasizes space science, orbital mechanics, space systems and cybersecurity. Cadets also participate in exercises and simulations of real-world space scenarios.
During the summer, participants meet with strategic leaders, commercial industry partners, build rockets and operate satellites during the space detachment’s Azimuth program. The program is designed to be an immersive introduction to operations in the space domain.
This summer, almost 300 cadets and students attended one of the three sessions, an increase from 60 during Azimuth’s debut in 2022. That year, five of the inaugural Azimuth class came from ROTC detachments. In 2024, half of the attendees were Academy cadets. The other half was a combination of cadets from other service academies and ROTC detachments and DoD civilians.
“We have tried to foster more connections between our commercial partners, ROTC and the Academy,” said Cadet 2nd Class John Stevenson, a Systems Engineering major, said. “The goal is for our attendees to take their experiences back to their respective detachments to incentivize people to come to Azimuth programs and potentially join the Space Force.”
The space detachment program inspires cadets to become officers of character to lead the Space Force. It helps prepare future Guardians to prevail in competition and conflict through innovative education, training, doctrine and testing.
After graduation, Class of 2025 Guardians will assume new roles in fields, such as cyber warfare, satellite operations and space surveillance. They will immediately assume leadership roles in shaping the future of space warfare and defense and safeguarding American interests in space.
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2024 21:52 |
| Story ID: | 487890 |
| Location: | U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, COLORADO, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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