Commercial Space Travel Design and Simulation

In December, the chapter hosted Col. Keith Colmer, USAF, Air National Guard adviser to the commander, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), who spoke on engineering design and simulation for Virgin Galactic. Col. Colmer is an Air Force test pilot with more than 5,000 hours in more than 110 different types of aircraft. He was selected as the first Virgin Galactic test pilot and enthralled the audience with the design and capabilities of this innovative commercial venture, including flight footage of White Knight 2 and Spaceship 2. He also highlighted the value of military test experience in adding controls for the test flight evaluations and in creating a state-of-the-art simulator. During the luncheon, Larry Bingaman, regional vice president, presented the AFCEA coin for Outstanding Service to Col. Dick Palmieri, USAF, and Capt. Stacie Voorhees, USAF. Furthermore, the chapter awarded its Armed Forces Leadership in Technology Award (AFLITA). The AFLITA recognizes a top performer pursuing a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degree in each of the University of Arizona's ROTC detachments with a $500 scholarship.

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