8
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
SCI|TEC|
THE BAT TALK!
Wtol
scoveEBtisearch i
i H*.
You may qualify for a clinical research study if you have
any of the following conditions:
AT RISK FOR DIABETES?
• Glucose Intolerance?
• Anyone, 50 or older, could qualify for testing to
determine their risk of developing diabetes
• Up to $450 paid for time and travel.
IS co verySe.?
FACIAL ACNE
• Male and Female 12 years of age and older >
• Have mild to moderate facial acne
• Reimbursement for time and travel.
MUSCLE PAIN <0^'* <5*
• Muscle pain with spasm (involuntary contraction)
• Must be 18 to 75 years of age
• Up to $100 paid for time and travel.
(979) 776-1417, or toll free (888) 438-9586
Medical assessments, study-related diagnostic tests, and investigational
medication are provided to qualified participants at no charge.
II
vCnaaa/1 i
YouVe Invited
EVERYONE
LibFEST 2003
Wednesday, January 22 nd
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
1 st Floor Evans Library
Common Area & Whitley Suite
Meet Reveille and Grab Your Camera
10:30-11:30
® Learn more about our services
@ Meet the Dean and staff
9 Enjoy snacks and drinks
O Win door prizes
A C A * t> "e- W Y
College Dance Classes
Int - Actv.
Jazz & Hip Hop
Beg. - Int.
Jazz, Hip Hop & Ballet
Aggie Dance Team Try-Out
Prep Classes
Now Enrolling
BOO-1 813
Jennifer Hart
Director of the Texas A & M
Aggie Dance Team
Missile defense to be a realit)
US developing system to eliminate nuclear threati
By Jonathan Daugbjerg
THE BATTALION
With North Korea now defiantly restarting
its nuclear program, the Bush Administration
is reaffirming its position that National
Missile Defense is not only necessary, but
should be the highest priority.
In December 2001, President George W.
Bush announced the United States withdraw
al from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty,
which removed limitations on the develop
ment and implementation of a missile defense
shield. The administration stated the treaty
was outdated and the withdrawal was neces
sary to allow the United States to deploy a
limited missile shield to defend against an
attack from “rogue nations” such as North
Korea, Iran and Iraq.
North Korea is currently testing its Taepo-
Dong II missile, which U.S. intelligence
believes will have the capability of delivering
a nuclear payload to Alaska, Hawaii, or the
Western Continental United States. The move
to deploy a missile shield has drawn much
controversy and several scientific organiza
tions, world governments, and even the
Pentagon are debating the feasibility of such
defenses.
According to the U.S. Missile Defense
Agency, there are three different areas of
research for ballistic missile defense. The
Boost Defense segment involves research in
destroying missiles during their initial launch
phase. Midcourse Segment research targets
missiles in mid-flight, and the Terminal
Defense segment focuses on developing sys
tems to intercept missiles during the final
plunge toward their targets. The limited mis
sile shield proposed by the Bush
Administration focuses primarily on mid
course and terminal missile interception
methods.
Midcourse missile interception will utilize
a ground-based interceptor weapon consisting
of an exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV)
launched by a fixed, land-based booster rock
et. In the event of an enemy nuclear missile
launch, the booster rocket would launch its
EKV payload, which would track the incom
ing missile using sophisticated ground-based
sensors and its own long-range infrared sen
sor. The on-board sensor would have the task
of discriminating between potential decoys
and the intended target and then maneuvering
the kill vehicle using small rockets to demol
ish both objects in a high-speed collision.
According to the Missile Defense Agency, the
Navy has successfully tested a sea-based mid
course system that utilizes existing Aegis
cruisers and destroyers equipped with missile
defense computers and equipment. The
Missile Defense Agency said in a release that
the continued development of the Aegis sys
tem, ground-based systems, and planned mis
sile tracking satellite systems will provide a
complete midcourse layer of defense.
The Terminal Defense Segment focuses on
the destruction of missiles in their final stage
of flight. These systems are designed to pro
tect U.S. and Allied forces and population
centers from short and medium range missile
attack. Terminal Defense includes the
upgrade of several developing and exist
ing missile systems, including Theater
High Altitude Area Defense, the
joint U.S.-Israeli Arrow system, and
the Patriot PAC-3, which is an
improved version of the intercep
tor missile system deployed dur
ing the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
According to the U.S.
Missile Defense Agency, the
THADD system is scheduled
for flight testing begin
ning in 2004, and train- ^
ing battalions will test
the Patriot PAC-3 this
year. Israel declared the
Arrow system opera
tional in October 2000,
and is touting their con
fidence in its capabili
ties should Iraq decide
to strike again in any
renewed Gulf conflict.
The National
Missile Defense system
has not been without
critics. The primary
issue with missile
defense is its less-than-
perfect success rate.
According to the
Center for Defense
Information, the EKV
missed the target or
failed to separate from
its booster three out of eight times since in:!
ception testing of the latest kill vehicle des J
began in October 1999. Many of the test'.jg
ures have been blamed on quality coitl
issues during kill vehicle manufacturing or j
use of old Minuteman intercontinental bali
tic missiles as temporary boosters until n«
delivery systems are tested.
Continued testing of the missile defer
system also carries a larger price tag. I
Bush Administration has stated it will ask
more than $8 Billion for research and dev
opment for this year and the overall price:
may now well exceed $1(X) billion.
Some at the Pentagon refer to the p-
i ect as the”thing that ate the defense bii:
J et.” and would like to see funding di\a
ed from missile defense to conventios
forces. These issues led 50 Nobel Pr:
Laureates from the Federatior I
American Scientists to sene I
letter to Congress in whichth*
p said. “Previous attempts a:I
national missile defense hui
* collapsed as it became evkq
that performance was ma
lower and cost much higherll|
advertised. We see no evidesl
that systems currently being p.I
forward will meet or men!I
different fate.”
Aegis Balistic Missile Defense
Will destroy short to medium range ballistic mis- |
siles
Aegis fleets will work as support to ground-based
missile systems
Rubin DeLuna •THE BATWCi
Theater High Altitude Area Defense System
Platform: Landbased
Range: Short and medium missiles
• Only system designed to intercept
, * targets inside and outside the
atmosphere
—~ PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3
Platform: Builds on previous PATRIOT
technology
Purpose: Protects against traditional missiles,
aircraft, as well as Theater Ballistic
Missiles
h\\
Photos and Information Courtesy ofwvvw.ACQ.OSA.mil
Digital media negotiations successful
WASHINGTON (AP) —
The leading trade associations
for the music and technology
industries, which have been at
loggerheads over consumers
downloading songs on the
Internet, have negotiated a com
promise they contend will pro
tect copyrights on movies and
music without new government
involvement.
Lobbyists for some of the
nation’s largest technology com
panies will argue under the new
agreement against efforts in
Congress to amend U.S. laws to
broaden the rights of consumers,
explicitly permitting viewers to
make backup copies of DVDs
for personal use or copy music
onto handheld listening devices.
These companies, including
Microsoft Corp., IBM, Intel
Corp. and Dell Computer Corp.,
also will announce support for
aggressive enforcement of laws
against all forms of digital
media piracy.
In exchange, the Recording
Industry Association of America
will argue against governmeri
requirements to build lockinj
controls into future generation 1
of entertainment devices l (
make it more difficult for cot
sumers to share rnedii
Technology companies havi
complained about the controls
saying that they are too expet
sive and complex.
Emerging
EjR
Leaders
Retreat
Looking for something
Advanced
aJr
Leaders
Retreat
to do this spring?
Attend the Emerging or Advanced Leaders
Retreat, February 14 and 15, and develop
the skills necessary for successful
leadership!
To apply for either retreat, or to receive additional information, visit
http://studentactivities.tomu.edu and select “Seminars and
Workshops,” or call the Department of Student Activities at 862-6721
read the fine print.
THE
CLASSIFIEDS
CALL 845-0569
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