Vomit Comet

Cadet 1st Class Heather Nelson (left) flips a physics department coin in zero gravity, while 2nd Lt. Samantha Latch, Class of 2012, does her own zero-G acrobatics. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

Vomit Comet

Cadet 1st Class Heather Nelson (left), Trey Quiller, Department of Physics, (center) and 2nd Lt. Samantha Latch, Class of 2012, (right) watch the deployment of the FalconSAT-7 payload while in zero gravity, The FalconSAT-7 payload is the photon sieve, a membrane with billions of holes that duplicates the function of a traditional lens, but folds into a smaller space. The payload deploys within two seconds. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

STEM Boot Camp

Melinda Skinner and Kelly Pounds put together a rocket that they will launch. The projects introduced in the STEM workshops show teachers how to integrate engineering into the classroom. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Elizabeth Andrews)

Prep Graduation

Retired Lt. Col. Wayne Kelley was the guest speaker for the Preparatory School graduation Tuesday. Kelley is a preparatory school graduate and 1966 Academy graduate. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Sarah Chambers)

Capstone UAS project explores land, sea, air possibilities

A remotely piloted aircraft takes off from the Air Force Academy's Aardvark airfield April 11, 2012. The aircraft, part of a capstone research project by Cadets 1st Class Tristan Latchu, Danny Harold, Amy Abraham and Michael McClain, is designed to work in conjunction with an unmanned surface vehicle built by Naval Academy midshipmen and two unmanned ground vehicles built by U.S. Military Academy cadets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Raymond McCoy)

Applied 'green' research teaches cadets about ins, outs of renewable energy

Several batteries connected in series power an off-road one-person vehicle located in Fairchild Hall at the Air Force Academy. Cadets in a senior-level computer and electrical engineering course designed a system to power the car using renewable energy sources. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sarah Chambers)