By Amanda D. Stein, Naval Postgraduate School Public Affairs
MONTEREY, Calif. (NNS) -- Through a coastal network of transmitters and receivers dotting the coast of California, students and faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School are taking part in a West Coast research effort to map coastal current patterns.
The school maintains nine of the 54 stations, and has utilized the data in a number of far-reaching research projects.
The current maps are key for a number of institutions and agencies, including the State of California as they look at potential oil spill dispersion, and for the U.S. Coast Guard to help locate missing swimmers. The data is also made available to the public.
Since getting involved in current monitoring using high frequency radar back in 1993, NPS has acquired four observation stations with the support of the Navy, and also works in conjunction with the University of California, Santa Cruz to monitor the systems. NPS Professor and Chair of Oceanography, Dr. Jeff Paduan, explained that the technology gained momentum and attention from the state government, which allocated funds approved by Propositions 40 and 50 to get a larger network off the ground.
"In 2004 the state of California issued a call for proposals for creating a network of monitor stations that would help pollution and oil spill response," Paduan said. "At that point, NPS and several other campuses combined to create a consortium that responded to that proposal and was then funded to expand from Santa Barbara and Monterey out to the rest of the state."
NPS maintains the systems from Point Sur in the south to Half Moon Bay in the North, and is part of the much larger West Coast network commissioned by the state for coastal research. The land-based stations look a lot like simple metal antennas, with black boxes to house the electronics, and are stationed along the coast, near the shoreline. Their function is to house both a transmitter and receiver, which send out radio waves to be reflected off the surface of the water, delivering real-time data of the ocean's movement.
The system remotely transmits the data back to NPS, where it is then analyzed, and used as part of a number of student and faculty research projects. Student involvement has been key for not only NPS, but all of the partner institutions, in monitoring the data and finding real-world applications for it.
"We are not as interested in the real time data flow, as much as looking at the historical data to determine what the patterns of circulation are like in different seasons - for example, summer versus winter in the Monterey Bay," Paduan said. "So the analysis has a lot of impact on the local biology. The marine biologists in the area where the data are collected are very interested in seeing what the current patterns are like in the different seasons because a lot of the coastal species depend on the currents for larval dispersal."
The historical data can also provide valuable information to responders in the event of an oil spill or pollutant off the coast. In 2007, the current patterns and predictions from the West Coast Radar Network helped crews determine the dispersal path of over 53,000 gallons of oil when the COSCO Busan container ship hit the Bay Bridge.
John Largier, Professor of Coastal Oceanography at the University of California at Davis, explained that each of the key participants of the network has found a way to apply the data gathered. This collaboration of ideas and research has helped address local and statewide concerns.
"Developing the network required a co-investment of time and energy from the universities. NPS and San Francisco State University (SFSU) have done a lot to look at oil spills and Coast Guard search and rescue, where would the spill go," said Largier. "Down in Southern California, they look a lot at beach pollution and water quality. Up here in Davis we focus a bit more on the ecosystem aspects, marine protected areas and how they're connected in relation to salmon, larvae dispersal and things like that. There is a lot of added value in the local focus."
"Every place, like the data we have, you can see local everyday maps and currents off Bodega and San Francisco, and the people who go fishing out of Bodega will look at those maps, and they'll ask us about them," he continued. "Ecologists do work here, using the data to study dispersal or oil spill people will want to be looking at where the water is going. So I think the integrated component is very valuable, and then being integrated with each university means it will have local benefits."
Toby Garfield, director of the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies at SFSU, echoed that sentiment, noting that his institution is in the process of developing an app that would show local users the ocean current patterns near their location. Understanding ocean currents in the San Francisco Bay is important for recreational boaters and swimmers to safely enjoy the often-turbulent waters in the bay. It is also useful for biologists and environmentalists studying the local maritime environment.
In addition to the local projects fostered by the West Coast Radar Network, the thesis research conducted by Oceanography students at NPS has addressed larger issues of interest to the U.S. Navy, and its international partners. Oceanography student Lt. Ricardo Vicente, a Portuguese naval officer, explained how his thesis work with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) will help prepare him for his duties in the Oceanography department of the Hydrographic Institute in Portugal.
"My thesis will be an effort of characterizing SAR image features of the ocean as a function of wind speed," Vicente said. "To accomplish this, I'll overlap wave mode SAR images with High Frequency Radar data. By combining both remote sensing systems, the potential final product is a high resolution wind driven surface currents map, from the coastline to approximately 100Km.
"The ultimate goal is to develop our knowledge of the oceans. SAR and HFR systems create synergies that have a direct impact on a range of maritime operations such as search and rescue, oil spill tracking, ship routing, offshore engineering and fisheries."
Showing posts with label US Navy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Navy. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Fermi Large Area Telescope Reveals Pulsing Gamma-Ray Sources
By Daniel Parry, Naval Research Laboratory, Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNS) -- Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory-Space Science Division and a team of international researchers have positively identified cosmic sources of gamma-ray emissions through the discovery of 16 pulsating neutron stars.
Using the Large Area Telescope (LAT), the primary instrument on NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope satellite, the discoveries were made by conducting blind frequency searches on the sparse photon data provided by the LAT. The photons had energies between 20 Mega-electron-volts (MeVs) and 300 Giga-electron-volts (GeVs)— tens of millions to hundreds of billions of times more energetic than the photons we see with the human eye.
A second study, published at the same time, announced the detection of gamma-ray pulsations from eight Galactic millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Millisecond pulsars spin hundreds of times per second, but have magnetic fields 10,000 times lower than normal pulsars. These discoveries confirm that they, too, can produce powerful gamma-ray emissions.
"Fermi has truly unprecedented power for discovering and studying gamma ray pulsars," said Paul Ray, astrophysicist, Naval Research Laboratory. "Since the demise of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory a decade ago, we've wondered about the nature of unidentified gamma-ray sources it detected in our galaxy. These studies from Fermi lift the veil on many of them."
Pulsars are rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars that can emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. Prior to the launch of Fermi, gamma-ray pulsations were only detected from pulsars previously discovered using radio or X-ray telescopes. Radio telescopes can detect pulsars only if one of the narrow radio beams is directly aimed at the telescope; otherwise the pulsar can remain hidden. The much broader gamma-ray beams allowed the new pulsars to be discovered as part of a comprehensive search for periodic gamma-ray emission using five months of Fermi LAT data and new computational techniques.
The newly discovered pulsars, with rotation periods that range from 48 to 444 milliseconds, help reveal the geometry of emission from rotation-powered pulsars and provide valuable information on population statistics, the energetics of pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants. A wide variety of astrophysical phenomena, such as pulsars, active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts and some binary star systems are known to produce photons exceeding many MeVs.
"The Fermi LAT makes it possible for us to pinpoint neutron stars," said Eric Grove, astrophysicist and LAT Commissioner, NRL Space Science Division. "The combination of a very large collecting area, large field of view, and precision timing from an on-board Global Positioning System receiver enables the LAT to see sources that were far beyond the reach of previous gamma-ray telescopes."
Results of the two studies: "Detection of 16 gamma-ray pulsars through blind frequency searches using the Fermi LAT;" and "A population of gamma-ray millisecond pulsars seen with the Fermi Large Area Telescope" were published on July 2, 2009 in Science Express and may be found on the Internet at http://www.scienceexpress.org.
The LAT project is funded in the United States by NASA and developed in collaboration with the Department of Energy and by academic institutions and government agencies in France, Italy, Japan, and Sweden.
The Naval Research Laboratory is the Department of the Navy's corporate laboratory. NRL conducts a broad program of scientific research, technology, and advanced development. The Laboratory, with a total complement of nearly 2,500 personnel, is located in southwest Washington, DC, with other major sites at the Stennis Space Center, MS; and Monterey, CA.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNS) -- Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory-Space Science Division and a team of international researchers have positively identified cosmic sources of gamma-ray emissions through the discovery of 16 pulsating neutron stars.
Using the Large Area Telescope (LAT), the primary instrument on NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope satellite, the discoveries were made by conducting blind frequency searches on the sparse photon data provided by the LAT. The photons had energies between 20 Mega-electron-volts (MeVs) and 300 Giga-electron-volts (GeVs)— tens of millions to hundreds of billions of times more energetic than the photons we see with the human eye.
A second study, published at the same time, announced the detection of gamma-ray pulsations from eight Galactic millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Millisecond pulsars spin hundreds of times per second, but have magnetic fields 10,000 times lower than normal pulsars. These discoveries confirm that they, too, can produce powerful gamma-ray emissions.
"Fermi has truly unprecedented power for discovering and studying gamma ray pulsars," said Paul Ray, astrophysicist, Naval Research Laboratory. "Since the demise of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory a decade ago, we've wondered about the nature of unidentified gamma-ray sources it detected in our galaxy. These studies from Fermi lift the veil on many of them."
Pulsars are rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars that can emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. Prior to the launch of Fermi, gamma-ray pulsations were only detected from pulsars previously discovered using radio or X-ray telescopes. Radio telescopes can detect pulsars only if one of the narrow radio beams is directly aimed at the telescope; otherwise the pulsar can remain hidden. The much broader gamma-ray beams allowed the new pulsars to be discovered as part of a comprehensive search for periodic gamma-ray emission using five months of Fermi LAT data and new computational techniques.
The newly discovered pulsars, with rotation periods that range from 48 to 444 milliseconds, help reveal the geometry of emission from rotation-powered pulsars and provide valuable information on population statistics, the energetics of pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants. A wide variety of astrophysical phenomena, such as pulsars, active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts and some binary star systems are known to produce photons exceeding many MeVs.
"The Fermi LAT makes it possible for us to pinpoint neutron stars," said Eric Grove, astrophysicist and LAT Commissioner, NRL Space Science Division. "The combination of a very large collecting area, large field of view, and precision timing from an on-board Global Positioning System receiver enables the LAT to see sources that were far beyond the reach of previous gamma-ray telescopes."
Results of the two studies: "Detection of 16 gamma-ray pulsars through blind frequency searches using the Fermi LAT;" and "A population of gamma-ray millisecond pulsars seen with the Fermi Large Area Telescope" were published on July 2, 2009 in Science Express and may be found on the Internet at http://www.scienceexpress.org.
The LAT project is funded in the United States by NASA and developed in collaboration with the Department of Energy and by academic institutions and government agencies in France, Italy, Japan, and Sweden.
The Naval Research Laboratory is the Department of the Navy's corporate laboratory. NRL conducts a broad program of scientific research, technology, and advanced development. The Laboratory, with a total complement of nearly 2,500 personnel, is located in southwest Washington, DC, with other major sites at the Stennis Space Center, MS; and Monterey, CA.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Navy's ANDE-2 Launched Aboard Endeavour Downlink on 2 Meters
Blog Editor's Note: Want a shot at monitoring an orbiting spacecraft? Hams, Scanner Enthusiast and other radio hobbyist have a chance to monitor these two Navy satellites on their amateur band downlinks at 145.825 MHz. See AMSAT notice at the end of this post.
By Donna McKinney, Naval Research Laboratory Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) satellite suite, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment 2 (ANDE-2), launched aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour July 15.
The ANDE-2 satellite suite consists of two nearly perfectly spherical micro-satellites with instrumentation to perform two interrelated mission objectives. The first objective is to monitor the total atmospheric density along the orbit for improved orbit determination of resident space objects. The second objective is to provide a test object for both radar and optical U.S. Space Surveillance Network sensors.
ANDE-2 is a low-cost mission designed to study the atmosphere of the Earth from low-Earth orbit by monitoring total atmospheric density between 300 and 400 kilometer altitude. ANDE-2 data will be used to improve methods for the precision orbit determination of space objects and to calibrate the Space Fence, a radar space surveillance system belonging to the Air Force 20th Space Control Squadron, a principal resource for tracking low-Earth orbiting space satellites.
Because of ANDE-2's particular design requirements, a new deployment technique was developed by the Air Force Space Test Program and tested with the ANDE Risk Reduction (ANDERR) flight in December 2006. The primary ANDERR mission objective, a test of the Shuttle deployment mechanism, was successful.
The ANDE project was conceived and developed at NRL, by Andrew Nicholas of NRL's Space Science Division. The mission consists of two microsatellites with the same size but different masses sent into orbit at the same time: the lighter satellite, known as Pollux, and the heavier satellite, Castor.
The Castor spacecraft carries active instruments: a miniature wind and temperature spectrometer to measure atmospheric composition, cross-track winds and neutral temperature; a Global Positioning Sensor; a thermal monitoring system to monitor the temperature of the satellite; an electrostatic analyzer to monitor plasma density spacecraft charging.
Each satellite contains a small lightweight payload designed to determine the spin rate and orientation of the satellite from on-orbit measurements and from ground-based observations. The two microsatellites will slowly separate into lead-trail orbit to provide researchers an opportunity to study small-scale, spatial and temporal variations in drag associated with geomagnetic activity.
Both satellites will be fitted with an array of 30 retro reflectors and will be observed by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and domestic and international satellite laser ranging sites. The variation in observed position will be used to determine in-track total density. Scientists will determine its position in relation to the passive satellite to compute total density and validate drag coefficient models. In addition, instrumentation on board Castor will measure density and composition.
A joint effort between the Space Science Division and the Naval Center for Space Technology to routinely process and analyze the ANDERR data has led to improved orbit determination and prediction using an atmospheric model correction method. The ANDE data provide a valuable tool for correcting deficiencies in atmospheric models and have led to advancements in miniature sensor technology. These advancements are pivotal for multi-point in-situ space weather sensing. The DoD Space Test Program will provide launch services for the ANDE-2 mission.
Experiment/Payload Description
Research Summary
Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment - 2 (ANDE-2) objectives are to measure atmospheric density and composition in low Earth orbit (LEO) and to better characterize the parameters used to calculate a satellite's drag coefficient.
This experiment consists of two microsatellites, called ANDE Active (AA) spacecraft (Castor) and the ANDE Passive (AP) spacecraft (Pollux), that are launched from the Space Shuttle cargo bay.
These spherical satellites are 19 inches in diameter and will be tracked by the Satellite Laser Ranging systems and the Space Surveillance Network.
Description
The main objective of Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment - 2 (ANDE-2) is to measure the total atmospheric density between 100 and 400 km. The density data that is gathered will be used to improve orbit determination calculations of the orbits of resident space objects.
ANDE-2 consists of two spherical micro satellites. These satellites are launched from the Space Shuttle cargo bay into a circular orbit just below the International Space Station altitude.
Both satellites will be tracked by the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) system and the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN). These satellites have the same dimensions, but have different masses. Because of the difference in mass, the satellites will drift apart over time. Observing the satellites' position will provide a study on spatial and temporal variations in atmospheric drag associated with geomagnetic activity.
Operational Requirements
ANDE-2 uses two spherical microsatellites which are launched from the Space Shuttle cargo bay. Both satellites are 19 inch diameter spheres, have a mass of 50 and 25 kg, and are constructed of aluminum. The surface of both spheres contains an embedded array of sensors including 30 retro reflectors, six laser diodes for tracking, and six photovoltaic cells for determining orientation and spin rate. Both spheres also have thermal monitor systems. The ANDE spacecraft are located inside the Internal Cargo Unit (ICU). The ICU is made of three aluminum sections. Each section is separated by a light band separation system. Once ejected from the cargo bay, the ICU will separate and deploy the ANDE spheres at a safe distance from the shuttle.
Operational Protocols
ANDE will be launched from the Space Shuttle cargo bay. The two microsatellites will be contained inside the ICU canister. Once the ICU canister is a safe distance from the Space Shuttle, two micro satellites will be released at an altitude of approximately 350 km.
And from AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
July 12, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.06
Castor and Pollox, two satellites in the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE) program are ready to fly with the launch of STS-127 from Kennedy Space Center. The ANDE mission consists of two spherical spacecraft fitted with retro-reflectors for satellite laser ranging (SLR). The constant and well-determined cross section and surface properties of the ANDE spacecraft provide an ideal set of objects for monitoring atmospheric drag and the calibration of space surveillance network (SSN) assets both radar and optical.
Castor
Castor is a 19 inch diameter aluminum sphere with a mass of 63 kg. It is as near perfect sphere as possible given the constraints of cost and manufacturability. The sphere is split in half with e delrin disc. The hemispheres are also the satellite antenna. For power, the satellite has 112 19AH lithium primary cells. This provides about 7000 watt-hours of power which has to last for the one year mission.
The satellite has several different types of sensors. There are two main sensors, a Neutral particle wind and temperature spectrometer and an ion mass spectrometer.
A group of college students designed and built a MEMS sensor payload to test some commercial gyroscopes and a magnetometer. There are also six light sensors and six temperature sensors mounted in the satellite hemispheres.
Pollox
The Pollux satellite was originally to be a passive satellite with retroreflectors for laser ranging. It has been turned into a high school student project involving several schools in the Fairfax County, Virginia area.
The satellite is powered by twenty-eight 19AH Lithium-ion cells configured to provide 14 volts. The battery configuration uses the spare ANDE satellite hardware.
The electronics is based on cubesat hardware developed at the Naval Research Laboratory and Stensat Group LLC.
The communications board contains the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter operates at 2 meters and can put out up to 1 watt of signal. Power level is adjustable. The transmitter can operate at 1200 baud AFSK and 9600 baud FSK. The transmitter uses the AX.25 protocol. An experimental FX.25 protocol will be tested that adds forward error correction capability to the AX.25 protocol and still allows typical TNCs to decode the packets.
Both satellites will transmit on 145.825 MHz. Additional details about the telemetry format, as well as the FX.25 and GMSK experiments can be found at https://goby.nrl.navy.mil/ANDE/Main.html
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Observatory's Master Clock Precision Vital to Current Ops
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) formally dedicated its new Master Clock Facility Nov. 7, which will be the repository of the most accurate time-scale available in the world.
Within the walls of the new building, the Observatory's Time Service Department will install and maintain the world's largest collection of "atomic clocks", including three next-generation Rubidium Atomic Frequency Fountain clocks which, together with dozens of Cesium-beam and Hydrogen master clocks, will keep time so accurately that the system will not gain or lose more than one second in 30 million years.
The new facility, built by the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company under the supervision of Naval Facilities and Engineering Command, Washington, incorporates an elaborate environmental control system to keep the clocks in strictly regimented temperature and humidity conditions. The building's temperature will be regulated to +/- 0.1°C and its humidity will be controlled to within a 3 percent tolerance.
John G. Grimes, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration / Chief Information Officer, was the keynote speaker for the dedication.
"As the chairman of the department's senior leadership body on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), I am acutely aware of the importance of precise time for DoD operations. From the onset of locating a threat, to placing a weapon on target, and subsequently evaluating the success of this engagement - all are impacted by the precision of time. And nowhere is this more important than here, where time is generated and maintained. For this reason, I look to the Naval Observatory to be my primary focal point within DoD for all timing-related issues.
"I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we have one time standard within the department; the Naval Observatory Master Clock is this standard," added Grimes. "For without this standard, operations will fail. This time standard is vital for data fusion of intelligence information, proper operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS), reliable network performance, consistent and secure communications, and maintaining the critical national infrastructure."
The U.S. Naval Observatory has been keeping time for the Department of the Navy and for the nation since 1845, when Superintendent Matthew F. Maury first put the Washington Time Ball into operation.
Timekeeping procedures and technology have evolved dramatically since that time, and the U.S. Naval Observatory Time Services Department has aggressively developed new timing methods and timekeeping equipment to meet increasingly rigorous requirements.
The observatory's current master clock ensemble consists of roughly one-third of the world's operational atomic clocks and correspondingly accounts for one-third the weight of universal coordinated time (UTC).
The new Master Clock Facility will house three of the most precise clocks ever built, the USNO's Rubidium Atomic Frequency Fountain devices, which assure the DoD and U.S. global supremacy in time, will be maintained well into the future. USNO will thus remain the gold standard for global precision timing.
Within the walls of the new building, the Observatory's Time Service Department will install and maintain the world's largest collection of "atomic clocks", including three next-generation Rubidium Atomic Frequency Fountain clocks which, together with dozens of Cesium-beam and Hydrogen master clocks, will keep time so accurately that the system will not gain or lose more than one second in 30 million years.
The new facility, built by the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company under the supervision of Naval Facilities and Engineering Command, Washington, incorporates an elaborate environmental control system to keep the clocks in strictly regimented temperature and humidity conditions. The building's temperature will be regulated to +/- 0.1°C and its humidity will be controlled to within a 3 percent tolerance.
John G. Grimes, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration / Chief Information Officer, was the keynote speaker for the dedication.
"As the chairman of the department's senior leadership body on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), I am acutely aware of the importance of precise time for DoD operations. From the onset of locating a threat, to placing a weapon on target, and subsequently evaluating the success of this engagement - all are impacted by the precision of time. And nowhere is this more important than here, where time is generated and maintained. For this reason, I look to the Naval Observatory to be my primary focal point within DoD for all timing-related issues.
"I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we have one time standard within the department; the Naval Observatory Master Clock is this standard," added Grimes. "For without this standard, operations will fail. This time standard is vital for data fusion of intelligence information, proper operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS), reliable network performance, consistent and secure communications, and maintaining the critical national infrastructure."
The U.S. Naval Observatory has been keeping time for the Department of the Navy and for the nation since 1845, when Superintendent Matthew F. Maury first put the Washington Time Ball into operation.
Timekeeping procedures and technology have evolved dramatically since that time, and the U.S. Naval Observatory Time Services Department has aggressively developed new timing methods and timekeeping equipment to meet increasingly rigorous requirements.
The observatory's current master clock ensemble consists of roughly one-third of the world's operational atomic clocks and correspondingly accounts for one-third the weight of universal coordinated time (UTC).
The new Master Clock Facility will house three of the most precise clocks ever built, the USNO's Rubidium Atomic Frequency Fountain devices, which assure the DoD and U.S. global supremacy in time, will be maintained well into the future. USNO will thus remain the gold standard for global precision timing.
Friday, December 07, 2007
NCIS Unveils New Crime-Fighting Computer System
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and other local law enforcement officials unveiled a crime-fighting computer system Nov. 28 at the Washington Navy Yard.
The Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX) is a database that allows more than 60 state and local police agencies in the D.C. area to share mug shot and crime reports.
Prior to the system coming online, departments had to call or visit one another to get information on suspects. With LInX in place, all of the information is stored in a database available 24/7.
"We are as excited about LInX as we were about DNA and automated fingerprints," said Arlington Police Chief M. Douglas Scott.
Following the bombing of the USS Cole (DDG 67) in 2000 and the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the service launched the system to better protect naval installations and personnel.
"We need to know what our local (law enforcement) counterparts know if we're going to safeguard this country from terrorism," said Michael Dorsey, a special agent at NCIS, and LInX program manager.
Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said local law enforcement officials desired such a system after 9/11 and the sniper shootings in 2002.
The Naval service and the Department of Homeland Security spent the $2.7 million for the system. Officials said that police departments do not have to pay to use the database.
Locally, about 2,000 law enforcement officers use the system, and that number is expected to double by the end of the year, officials said.
Similar systems exist in six other parts of the United States where the Navy has a presence.
The National Capital Region LInX system already contains about 6 million police mug shots and 14 million crime reports. Officials also said that the departments of Justice and Homeland Security will participate in the District area database starting next year.
"This is a crime-fighting tool that is going to make a difference in this region," said Manger.
The Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX) is a database that allows more than 60 state and local police agencies in the D.C. area to share mug shot and crime reports.
Prior to the system coming online, departments had to call or visit one another to get information on suspects. With LInX in place, all of the information is stored in a database available 24/7.
"We are as excited about LInX as we were about DNA and automated fingerprints," said Arlington Police Chief M. Douglas Scott.
Following the bombing of the USS Cole (DDG 67) in 2000 and the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the service launched the system to better protect naval installations and personnel.
"We need to know what our local (law enforcement) counterparts know if we're going to safeguard this country from terrorism," said Michael Dorsey, a special agent at NCIS, and LInX program manager.
Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said local law enforcement officials desired such a system after 9/11 and the sniper shootings in 2002.
The Naval service and the Department of Homeland Security spent the $2.7 million for the system. Officials said that police departments do not have to pay to use the database.
Locally, about 2,000 law enforcement officers use the system, and that number is expected to double by the end of the year, officials said.
Similar systems exist in six other parts of the United States where the Navy has a presence.
The National Capital Region LInX system already contains about 6 million police mug shots and 14 million crime reports. Officials also said that the departments of Justice and Homeland Security will participate in the District area database starting next year.
"This is a crime-fighting tool that is going to make a difference in this region," said Manger.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Navy prepares computers for DST Change Issues
Here is the information on how the US Navy will handle DST issues for Windows and Outlook Express users. Are you ready for the new DST changes on your PC?
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Beginning this year, Daylight Saving Time (DST) will start earlier and run longer than it used to, giving us a total of one more month of DST than in previous years. For most of the United States, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and will run until the first Sunday of November. The new dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
While this new change will provide us with more usable hours of daylight and could possibly help us to conserve more energy, it could also lead to some technological glitches. That's because computers, cell phones and PDAs with internal clocks are programmed to automatically make the necessary changes on the dates in April and October when DST used to start and end.
“Like most computers, NMCI desktops and laptops are running Windows operating systems, which are programmed for the old daylight-saving time,” said Marie Greening, NMCI program manager. “To fix this, the NMCI enterprise will distribute a patch to the Windows operating system and Microsoft Outlook to ensure the time zone settings for the NMCI computer’s system clock and Outlook calendar are correct.”
The patch will be distributed via a Radia push in a phased approach between Feb. 26 and March 5. As a reminder, NMCI users do not have to leave their computer on at night to receive this patch. In addition to the patch, NMCI will distribute the Outlook Time Zone Update Tool. This tool only needs to be run if users operate their calendar from an Outlook personal folder (.pst) or for users with a Science & Technology or Thin Client seat. For more detailed information, read the full NMCI User Alert at www.homeport.navy.mil.
While this patch is designed to ensure that the computer’s system clock is correct, it is a good practice during the extended daylight-saving time period (between March 11 and April 1) to include the time zone in the subject line of all meeting requests. This will help ensure that all participants whether on the NMCI network or not, have the correct start time for meetings during this extended period only.
Cell phones, BlackBerries, PDAs (Personal digital assistants) and other handheld devices do not need a patch. Service providers will directly, and automatically, update the devices to ensure the correct date and time are displayed.
Please note that some NMCI sites do not recognize daylight-saving time. Hawaii, Arizona and Japan will not be affected.
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Beginning this year, Daylight Saving Time (DST) will start earlier and run longer than it used to, giving us a total of one more month of DST than in previous years. For most of the United States, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and will run until the first Sunday of November. The new dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
While this new change will provide us with more usable hours of daylight and could possibly help us to conserve more energy, it could also lead to some technological glitches. That's because computers, cell phones and PDAs with internal clocks are programmed to automatically make the necessary changes on the dates in April and October when DST used to start and end.
“Like most computers, NMCI desktops and laptops are running Windows operating systems, which are programmed for the old daylight-saving time,” said Marie Greening, NMCI program manager. “To fix this, the NMCI enterprise will distribute a patch to the Windows operating system and Microsoft Outlook to ensure the time zone settings for the NMCI computer’s system clock and Outlook calendar are correct.”
The patch will be distributed via a Radia push in a phased approach between Feb. 26 and March 5. As a reminder, NMCI users do not have to leave their computer on at night to receive this patch. In addition to the patch, NMCI will distribute the Outlook Time Zone Update Tool. This tool only needs to be run if users operate their calendar from an Outlook personal folder (.pst) or for users with a Science & Technology or Thin Client seat. For more detailed information, read the full NMCI User Alert at www.homeport.navy.mil.
While this patch is designed to ensure that the computer’s system clock is correct, it is a good practice during the extended daylight-saving time period (between March 11 and April 1) to include the time zone in the subject line of all meeting requests. This will help ensure that all participants whether on the NMCI network or not, have the correct start time for meetings during this extended period only.
Cell phones, BlackBerries, PDAs (Personal digital assistants) and other handheld devices do not need a patch. Service providers will directly, and automatically, update the devices to ensure the correct date and time are displayed.
Please note that some NMCI sites do not recognize daylight-saving time. Hawaii, Arizona and Japan will not be affected.
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