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JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, Wash. - The raw power of the sun can easily overwhelm the most technologically capable society, often to devastating effect. Even the most advanced satellite orbiting the earth is vulnerable to the effects of solar flares and fluctuations in the solar system’s endless cycle of rotation, especially when it comes to how communications may be disrupted.
The ability to predict those effects upon the systems in use by today’s Army is a powerful tool, and it happens to be one readily available to the commanding general of the 36th Infantry Division for the division’s deployment to Iraq for Operation New Dawn.
“Everything we do touches space,” said Maj. Roger J. Frank, space operations officer, 36th I.D. “Every system we use runs over some uplink or downlink that hits a satellite in orbit around the earth. Understanding the architecture behind all the communications and data links the different systems use is important, because the Warfighter is only aware that his communications are down. It’s our area of expertise to backtrack all the communications architecture to find out where the problem is.”
The soldiers of space operations provide the commander with the ability to maximize the success of operations, the 43-year-old from El Paso, Texas, added. They provide global positioning satellite accuracy enhancement, ensure the commander has reliable communications, blue-force tracking and navigation, early missile warning and satellite-based weather predictions.
For example, solar weather can affect orbiting satellites and the atmosphere of the earth to a point where certain signals are unusable, Frank said. “We have the ability to predict some of this and compensate for it, so we will have some advance warning of large-scale events that could affect everything.”
The opportunity to be the subject matter expert on space-related information is a dream come true for Frank. His interest in the space operations program came about when he worked for four years as a mechanic on the NASA space-shuttle trainer used to teach astronauts how to fly the actual spacecraft.
“I’ve been tracking this space-ops thing for about 3 years; looking for an opportunity to get into the position, get the training and put it to use,” Frank said. “When the 36th I.D. mobilization came along it was too good to be true – it was the opportunity I was looking for. I’m thankful for the chance to be contributing to the space community.”
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2010 13:51 |
| Story ID: | 60410 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Soldiers use Space-Based Platforms to keep Commanding General Informed, by SGT David Bryant, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
