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58-437: The M9 grew out of the universal engineer tractor ( UET ), a follow-up to 1958's all-purpose ballastable crawler ( ABC ), also a tractor. By making a small tractor or scraper, it was possible to create a lightweight vehicle that could use local material as ballast. The weight was kept low enough to allow transportation in smaller cargo aircraft, to be air-droppable, and to allow the vehicle to float and swim. Initial development

116-542: A Union Army general. The name of the base has been criticized as improperly nostalgic for slavery and the antebellum era . In June 2021, the fort was initially included in a list of military bases to be considered for renaming by a newly created Naming Commission . Later in March 2022, the Commission determined that Fort Belvoir did not meet the criteria provided in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act for making

174-628: A refracting telescope . The actual inventor is unknown but word of it spread through Europe. Galileo heard about it and, in 1609, built his own version, and made his telescopic observations of celestial objects. The idea that the objective , or light-gathering element, could be a mirror instead of a lens was being investigated soon after the invention of the refracting telescope. The potential advantages of using parabolic mirrors —reduction of spherical aberration and no chromatic aberration —led to many proposed designs and several attempts to build reflecting telescopes . In 1668, Isaac Newton built

232-544: A few bands can be observed from the Earth's surface. These bands are visible – near-infrared and a portion of the radio-wave part of the spectrum. For this reason there are no X-ray or far-infrared ground-based telescopes as these have to be observed from orbit. Even if a wavelength is observable from the ground, it might still be advantageous to place a telescope on a satellite due to issues such as clouds, astronomical seeing and light pollution . The disadvantages of launching

290-504: A focal point. Optical telescopes are used for astronomy and in many non-astronomical instruments, including: theodolites (including transits ), spotting scopes , monoculars , binoculars , camera lenses , and spyglasses . There are three main optical types: A Fresnel imager is a proposed ultra-lightweight design for a space telescope that uses a Fresnel lens to focus light. Beyond these basic optical types there are many sub-types of varying optical design classified by

348-423: A lack of technical mechanical expertise and maintenance of hydraulic accumulators systems. Most operators were unfamiliar with the techniques associated with dozing, scraping, cut and fill ops, and grading. The ACE experienced some troubles in reducing the berms associated with Iraqi tank ditches (berm on enemy side). Due to the location of the driver in relation to the vehicle blade, the soldiers had difficulty seeing

406-479: A limited role in offensive breaches by carrying mine-clearing line charges. In Operation Desert Storm , the ACE proved to be a successful combination of armored vehicle and combat earthmover that was capable of keeping pace with the maneuver units. This was possible because of the ACE's ability to fold its blade in half upwards, allowing for unloaded travel. This is also associated with a decreased combat efficiency due to

464-793: A renaming recommendation. However, the Commission recommended that the Department of Defense conduct its own review of the naming of the fort based on results of the commission's historical research. Fort Belvoir serves as the headquarters for the Defense Logistics Agency , the Defense Acquisition University , the Defense Contract Audit Agency , the Defense Technical Information Center ,

522-528: A result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission , a substantial number of personnel were transferred to Fort Belvoir, and others were civilians employed there. All major Washington, D.C.-area National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) facilities, including those in Bethesda, MD , Reston, VA , and Washington, D.C. were consolidated at a new facility, the NGA Campus East, situated on

580-475: A single receiver and records a single time-varying signal characteristic of the observed region; this signal may be sampled at various frequencies. In some newer radio telescope designs, a single dish contains an array of several receivers; this is known as a focal-plane array . By collecting and correlating signals simultaneously received by several dishes, high-resolution images can be computed. Such multi-dish arrays are known as astronomical interferometers and

638-625: A space telescope include cost, size, maintainability and upgradability. Some examples of space telescopes from NASA are the Hubble Space Telescope that detects visible light, ultraviolet, and near-infrared wavelengths, the Spitzer Space Telescope that detects infrared radiation, and the Kepler Space Telescope that discovered thousands of exoplanets. The latest telescope that was launched was

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696-431: A wide variety of missions such as construction of combat roads and trails, survivability positions, and berms. It can move as fast as an M1 or M2 over rough terrain, but on improved roads and hardball it is limited to a maximum of 35 mph with some governors limited to around 27 mph. The vehicle operator can adjust to prevent this. The training of ACE operators appeared in some units to be inadequate, constrained by

754-412: Is called an observatory . Radio telescopes are directional radio antennas that typically employ a large dish to collect radio waves. The dishes are sometimes constructed of a conductive wire mesh whose openings are smaller than the wavelength being observed. Unlike an optical telescope, which produces a magnified image of the patch of sky being observed, a traditional radio telescope dish contains

812-432: Is increased the sound frequency of the engine changes indicating load to the experienced night operators, without the use of electronic or manual gauges. The ACE led the way in breaching the border berm between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and in reducing trench-lines during the assault breach. The ACE performed beyond its expected capability. Later studies discovered its grim success against the unequipped Iraqi forces, with ACEs of

870-528: Is now also being applied to optical telescopes using optical interferometers (arrays of optical telescopes) and aperture masking interferometry at single reflecting telescopes. Radio telescopes are also used to collect microwave radiation , which has the advantage of being able to pass through the atmosphere and interstellar gas and dust clouds. Some radio telescopes such as the Allen Telescope Array are used by programs such as SETI and

928-482: Is possible to make very tiny antenna). The near-infrared can be collected much like visible light; however, in the far-infrared and submillimetre range, telescopes can operate more like a radio telescope. For example, the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope observes from wavelengths from 3 μm (0.003 mm) to 2000 μm (2 mm), but uses a parabolic aluminum antenna. On the other hand,

986-406: Is underway on several 30–40m designs. The 20th century also saw the development of telescopes that worked in a wide range of wavelengths from radio to gamma-rays . The first purpose-built radio telescope went into operation in 1937. Since then, a large variety of complex astronomical instruments have been developed. Since the atmosphere is opaque for most of the electromagnetic spectrum, only

1044-481: Is welded and bolted aluminum with a two-speed winch capable of a 25,000 pound (110 kN) line pull. Towing pintle and airbrake connections are provided. It is equipped with a suspension system which allows the front of the vehicle to be raised, lowered, or tilted to permit dozing, excavating, rough grading, and ditching functions. The M9 is armored against small arms and artillery fragmentation, has smoke screening capability, and has chemical-biological protection for

1102-640: The Starry Messenger , Galileo had used the Latin term perspicillum . The root of the word is from the Ancient Greek τῆλε, romanized tele 'far' and σκοπεῖν, skopein 'to look or see'; τηλεσκόπος, teleskopos 'far-seeing'. The earliest existing record of a telescope was a 1608 patent submitted to the government in the Netherlands by Middelburg spectacle maker Hans Lipperhey for

1160-645: The Arecibo Observatory to search for extraterrestrial life. An optical telescope gathers and focuses light mainly from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Optical telescopes increase the apparent angular size of distant objects as well as their apparent brightness . For the image to be observed, photographed, studied, and sent to a computer, telescopes work by employing one or more curved optical elements, usually made from glass lenses and/or mirrors , to gather light and other electromagnetic radiation to bring that light or radiation to

1218-698: The Department of the Treasury . In addition, Fort Belvoir is home to National Reconnaissance Office 's (NRO) Aerospace Data Facility-East (ADF-E). Fort Belvoir is a census-designated place, consisting of the South Post and North Post and excluding Davison Army Airfield , the North Area, and the Southwest Area. Neighboring CDPs are Mount Vernon to the east, Woodlawn and Groveton to

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1276-822: The Earth's atmosphere is opaque to this part of the electromagnetic spectrum. An example of this type of telescope is the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope which was launched in June 2008. The detection of very high energy gamma rays, with shorter wavelength and higher frequency than regular gamma rays, requires further specialization. Such detections can be made either with the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) or with Water Cherenkov Detectors (WCDs). Examples of IACTs are H.E.S.S. and VERITAS with

1334-499: The First Infantry Division burying hundreds or thousands of Iraqi soldiers alive in their trenches. Problems were encountered with the ACE's trainers and maintenance shortcomings. One commander referred to the ACE operator as "Alone, unarmed, and unafraid". This highlights the ACE's major shortcomings as a piece of mobility equipment used during direct fire engagements. ACE operators, usually 19-year-old PFCs, led

1392-539: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Fort Belvoir has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption , or reflection of electromagnetic radiation . Originally, it was an optical instrument using lenses , curved mirrors , or a combination of both to observe distant objects – an optical telescope . Nowadays,

1450-572: The Spitzer Space Telescope , observing from about 3 μm (0.003 mm) to 180 μm (0.18 mm) uses a mirror (reflecting optics). Also using reflecting optics, the Hubble Space Telescope with Wide Field Camera 3 can observe in the frequency range from about 0.2 μm (0.0002 mm) to 1.7 μm (0.0017 mm) (from ultra-violet to infrared light). With photons of the shorter wavelengths, with

1508-973: The United States Army Intelligence and Security Command , the United States Army Military Intelligence Readiness Command , the Missile Defense Agency , the Defense Threat Reduction Agency , and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency . Fort Belvoir is home to the Virginia National Guard's 29th Infantry Division (Light) and elements of ten Army Major Commands; nineteen different agencies and direct reporting units of

1566-488: The 7th Corps breach into hostile country. However, they met with very light resistance. The ACE is a single operator vehicle, Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir ( / ˈ b ɛ l v w ɑːr / BEL -vwar ) is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia , United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir plantation , seat of

1624-580: The Army Theater. There are outdoor venues which include a Memorial Garden, Amphitheater, Parade Ground, and Army Trail. It opened to the public on 11 November 2020. In 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests and petitions to rename U.S. army bases with names related to the Confederacy , it was proposed that the fort be renamed as well. While not named after a Confederate officer, it

1682-527: The CDP was 58.83% White , 16.32% African American , 0.50% Native American , 3.42% Asian , 0.88% Pacific Islander , 4.49% from other races , and 15.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 16.72% of the population. Of the households, 86.6% were married couple families, 2.8% were a male family householder with no spouse, and 9.8% were a female family householder with no spouse. The average family household had 4.21 people. The median age

1740-732: The Department of Army; eight elements of the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard ; and twenty-six Department of Defense agencies. Also located here are the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) , the Military District of Washington's 12th Aviation Battalion which provides rotary-wing movement to the DoD and Congress, a Marine Corps detachment , a United States Air Force activity, United States Army Audit Agency , and an agency from

1798-627: The James Webb Space Telescope on December 25, 2021, in Kourou, French Guiana. The Webb telescope detects infrared light. The name "telescope" covers a wide range of instruments. Most detect electromagnetic radiation , but there are major differences in how astronomers must go about collecting light (electromagnetic radiation) in different frequency bands. As wavelengths become longer, it becomes easier to use antenna technology to interact with electromagnetic radiation (although it

M9 armored combat earthmover - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-488: The actuators, thus lowering the apron and blade for digging. A typical US Army combat engineer battalion contains 22 ACEs - seven per company - plus an operational readiness float. The active Army has a total of 447 M9 ACEs. The M9 performs mobility , countermobility, sustainability, and survivability tasks in combination with light or heavy combined arms forces. Tasks include the preparation or reduction of obstacles, waste management, and route clearance. It also serves

1914-455: The bottom of blade, while buttoned up through the periscope, but could determine when they are about to tip over with the assistance of the horizon and the top of the blade creating an intersecting angle or with a manual level indicating the degree of slopes that are within acceptable operational capabilities. The ACE operator can use a front-mounted telescope or a side-mounted periscope or video monitors to overcome this deficiency, also as load

1972-669: The bowl. It was also tested as a cargo vehicle and even as a mobile mortar carrier. The M9 is a highly mobile, armored, amphibious tractor , dozer , and scraper. It was finally fielded in 1986 and is capable of supporting forces in both offensive and defensive operations. It performs critical combat engineer tasks such as digging hull defilade fighting positions for guns, tanks, and other battlefield systems to increase their survivability. The ACE breaches berms , prepares anti-tank ditches, prepares combat roads, removes roadblocks, and prepares access routes at water obstacles. The engine, drive train, and driver's compartment are biased toward

2030-460: The first practical reflecting telescope, of a design which now bears his name, the Newtonian reflector . The invention of the achromatic lens in 1733 partially corrected color aberrations present in the simple lens and enabled the construction of shorter, more functional refracting telescopes. Reflecting telescopes, though not limited by the color problems seen in refractors, were hampered by

2088-596: The former Engineer Proving Ground site. The cost of the new center was $ 2.4 billion. The Army Historical Foundation announced in March 2017, its intent to begin the construction of the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir. The museum, set on 84 acres (34 ha), tells the story of the army since 1775. The 185,000-square-foot (17,200 m ) museum features historical galleries, an interactive "Experiential Learning Center" and

2146-682: The higher frequencies, glancing-incident optics, rather than fully reflecting optics are used. Telescopes such as TRACE and SOHO use special mirrors to reflect extreme ultraviolet , producing higher resolution and brighter images than are otherwise possible. A larger aperture does not just mean that more light is collected, it also enables a finer angular resolution. Telescopes may also be classified by location: ground telescope, space telescope , or flying telescope . They may also be classified by whether they are operated by professional astronomers or amateur astronomers . A vehicle or permanent campus containing one or more telescopes or other instruments

2204-558: The manual locking pins, which were usually unnecessary unless traveling at high speeds, as this could sever the blade hinges when not carefully monitored. While some operators are more efficient with the D7 dozer in earthmoving, some can outpace heavy, slow, traditional dozers by scraping in clutch brake two or three which overcomes lack of cutting ability due to lack of mass with speed. This ability to move with maneuver forces over several hundred kilometers of desert allowed it to successfully perform

2262-548: The nearby Fairfax family grave site are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The post was founded during World War I as Camp A. A. Humphreys, named for Union Army general Andrew A. Humphreys , who was also Chief of Engineers . The post was renamed Fort Belvoir in the 1930s at the request of Howard W. Smith , a Congressman from Virginia, in recognition of the Belvoir plantation that once occupied

2320-461: The need for a bucket loader and dump truck. Another key feature of the M9 is its hydropneumatic suspension system. The principal components are eight high-pressure hydraulic rotary actuators (four on each side) which connect to the roadwheel stations. During high-speed travel, this system ensures a smooth ride through the use of shock-absorbing accumulators. In earthmoving operations, the operator rotates

2378-445: The northeast, Hayfield and Kingstowne to the north, and Franconia and Newington to the northwest. At the 2020 census (some information from the 2022 American Community Survey ) there were 7,637 people, 2,107 housing units and 1,810 households residing in the CDP. The population density was 862.9 inhabitants per square mile (333.2/km ). The average housing unit density was 238.1 per square mile (91.9/km ). The racial makeup of

M9 armored combat earthmover - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-530: The operator. Its roadspeed is 30 mph (48 km/h). It is transportable in C-130 , C-141 , and C-5 aircraft and can swim at 3 mph (4.8 km/h) under ideal conditions. Since the removal of swim missions as a task for the M9, the swim-related components are not required to be maintained. By raising the dozer blade and using its scraper blade, the ACE can fill itself with ballast to improve dozing efficiency. It can also be ejected quickly, thus eliminating

2494-404: The population were military veterans , and 51.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher . In the CDP 4.8% of the population was below the poverty line , including 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and none of those aged 65 or over, with 0.5% of the population without health insurance . The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to

2552-558: The prominent Fairfax family for whom Fairfax County was named. It was known as Camp A. A. Humphreys from 1917 to 1935 and Fort Belvoir afterward. Fort Belvoir is home to a number of significant United States military organizations. With nearly twice as many workers as The Pentagon , Fort Belvoir is the largest employer in Fairfax County. Fort Belvoir comprises three geographically distinct areas: main base, Davison Army Airfield , and Fort Belvoir North. The Fort Belvoir site

2610-624: The rays just a few degrees . The mirrors are usually a section of a rotated parabola and a hyperbola , or ellipse . In 1952, Hans Wolter outlined 3 ways a telescope could be built using only this kind of mirror. Examples of space observatories using this type of telescope are the Einstein Observatory , ROSAT , and the Chandra X-ray Observatory . In 2012 the NuSTAR X-ray Telescope

2668-404: The rear of the vehicle, while the front comprises an 8.7 cubic yard (6.7 m) bowl, apron, and dozer blade with a composite aluminum ejector which can unload ballast and or cargo quickly in combat or hostile conditions. Armor consists of welded aluminum with selected steel and aramid -laminated plates. An armored cupola containing eight vision blocks covers the driver's compartment. The vehicle hull

2726-533: The river, moving in with his family in 1740. Lord Fairfax came to America in 1747 and stayed less than a year at the Belvoir estate before moving to Greenway Court . The Fairfax family lived at Belvoir for over 30 years, but eldest son (and heir) George William Fairfax sailed to England on business in 1773, never to return. The manor home was destroyed by fire in 1783. The ruins of the Belvoir Mansion and

2784-699: The site. The adjacent United States Army Corps of Engineers Humphreys Engineer Center retains part of the original name. Camp Humphreys was established in World War I as the U.S. Army Engineers Training School. It served as the post-graduate institution for U.S. Military Academy engineers and a finishing school for engineering troops headed to war. The school, which came to host the Engineer Officer Basic Course, relocated in 1988 from Fort Belvoir to Fort Leonard Wood , in Missouri. As

2842-511: The task they perform such as astrographs , comet seekers and solar telescopes . Most ultraviolet light is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so observations at these wavelengths must be performed from the upper atmosphere or from space. X-rays are much harder to collect and focus than electromagnetic radiation of longer wavelengths. X-ray telescopes can use X-ray optics , such as Wolter telescopes composed of ring-shaped 'glancing' mirrors made of heavy metals that are able to reflect

2900-519: The technique is called aperture synthesis . The 'virtual' apertures of these arrays are similar in size to the distance between the telescopes. As of 2005, the record array size is many times the diameter of the Earth – using space-based very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) telescopes such as the Japanese HALCA (Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy) VSOP (VLBI Space Observatory Program) satellite. Aperture synthesis

2958-539: The use of fast tarnishing speculum metal mirrors employed during the 18th and early 19th century—a problem alleviated by the introduction of silver coated glass mirrors in 1857, and aluminized mirrors in 1932. The maximum physical size limit for refracting telescopes is about 1 meter (39 inches), dictating that the vast majority of large optical researching telescopes built since the turn of the 20th century have been reflectors. The largest reflecting telescopes currently have objectives larger than 10 meters (33 feet), and work

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3016-488: The word "telescope" is defined as a wide range of instruments capable of detecting different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum , and in some cases other types of detectors. The first known practical telescopes were refracting telescopes with glass lenses and were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 17th century. They were used for both terrestrial applications and astronomy . The reflecting telescope , which uses mirrors to collect and focus light,

3074-473: Was 19.5, 48.0% of people were under the age of 18, and 0.1% were 65 years of age or older. The largest ancestry is the 13.2% who had Irish ancestry , 9.5% spoke a language other than English at home, and 3.7% were born outside the United States, 70.7% of whom were naturalized citizens . The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 97,290, and the median income for a family was $ 97,101. 19.9% of

3132-419: Was between the engineer laboratory at Fort Belvoir with International Harvester and Caterpillar . Successful in testing and exciting a good deal of interest for civilian spin-off, the concept languished after a demonstration where key decision-makers saw the vehicle sink in front of them while demonstrating its swimming ability. The UET was originally seen as a squad vehicle with provision for troop seats in

3190-519: Was invented within a few decades of the first refracting telescope. In the 20th century, many new types of telescopes were invented, including radio telescopes in the 1930s and infrared telescopes in the 1960s. The word telescope was coined in 1611 by the Greek mathematician Giovanni Demisiani for one of Galileo Galilei 's instruments presented at a banquet at the Accademia dei Lincei . In

3248-447: Was launched which uses Wolter telescope design optics at the end of a long deployable mast to enable photon energies of 79 keV. Higher energy X-ray and gamma ray telescopes refrain from focusing completely and use coded aperture masks: the patterns of the shadow the mask creates can be reconstructed to form an image. X-ray and Gamma-ray telescopes are usually installed on high-flying balloons or Earth-orbiting satellites since

3306-534: Was originally the home of William Fairfax , the cousin and land agent of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron the proprietor of the Northern Neck , which stood on land now part of the base. William Fairfax purchased the property in 1738 when his cousin arranged for him to be appointed customs agent (tax collector) for the Potomac River, and William erected an elegant brick mansion overlooking

3364-523: Was renamed after a slave plantation that was once owned by prominent 18th century Loyalist land owner George William Fairfax . Representative Howard W. Smith, who requested the 1930 renaming, was an old-school Southern Democrat who was sympathetic to the then-popular Dunning School of history that revered the Confederacy , and resented a base in Virginia being named after Andrew A. Humphreys ,

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