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National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

Communication for the Information Technology Age September 2002

NASA implements integrated financial management


--Ames actively preparing for new system
Are you tired of keying the same data into ment CF in October of this year. Ames will In October, impacted end users will partici-
several systems, simply because they can’t implement Core Financial in ‘Wave 2,’ along pate in process walkthroughs, and have dis-
‘talk’ to one another? Have you had enough with JSC, KSC, and HQ. ‘Wave 2’ centers are cussions with their supervisors about the new
of digging through multiple reports to find all scheduled to go live in February 2003. ‘Wave roles associated with the CF system and pro-
the data you need to make good financial 3’ centers include SSC, LaRC, GSFC and DFRC. cesses. In addition, the training schedule will
They are scheduled to implement Core Finan- be finalized and communicated. From mid-
cial in July of 2003. November until the end of January, impacted
The Core Financial project team will be end users will attend training on the new
providing impacted users crucial information system and processes.
about how Core Financial will affect them. In the next few months, you will learn
During August, the project team began intro- more details about Core Financial and how it
ducing the Core Financial project to Ames will impact you through the Core Financial
through various presentations and meetings. Web site, posters, emails, meeting presenta-
In September, the project team will begin tions and training. Stay tuned!
communicating high-level process impacts. BY STEVEN MEIER

decisions? Have you grown weary of waiting


for financial data to be reconciled before you
Congresswoman Lofgren visits Ames
can use it? If so, then we have good news for Ames Center Director Dr. Henry
you. McDonald (left), Congresswoman
NASA is currently in the process of imple- Zoe Lofgren (center) and
menting the Integrated Financial Manage- Executive Assistant to the Center
ment Program (IFMP). IFMP seeks to mod- Director Jack Boyd (right)
ernize financial and administrative systems applaude the graduates of the
photo by Jonas Dino

and procedures by implementing new soft- first annual Carnegie Mellon


ware systems and processes, improving Robotics Camp held at NASA
workflow and operational efficiencies and pro- Research Park through August.
viding ‘real-time’ information for quicker de-
cision making. IFMP is a progressive step
towards the ‘One NASA’ concept currently
underway within the agency.
IFMP consists of several projects, includ-
ing: Core Financial, WebTADS, travel man-
agement, position description management,
resume management, human resource man-
agement, integrated asset management, bud- Ames Freedom to Manage
get formulation and procurement manage- Trying to hack your way through the
ment. red tape? Got a fresh approach to tackling
The Core Financial (CF) project will make a problem at Ames? Wondering where to
improvements to the following process areas: start? Here's a way to cut the red tape.
budget execution, cost management, ac- Send your problems and/or sugges-
counts payable, accounts receivable, purchas- tions to the Ames Freedom to Manage
ing and the standard general ledger. Im- (AF2M) team at the new Web site at:
provements will be realized through the roll- http://af2m.arc.nasa.gov
out of the new agency standard processes and NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe re-
the new agency standard software, SAP R/3. minded us that the heart of the President's
The new tools and processes will better Freedom to Manage effort is to call upon
support business-based decision making by our staff to be creative and to find new
providing timely financial information to ways to set aside bureaucratic obstacles.
management. Core Financial will also stream- When the NASA Headquarters Free-
line processes, reduce duplication of data by dom to Manage site was initiated in Febru-
providing a single point of data entry, reduce ary 2002, over 330 suggestions were re-
the need to reconcile financial data between ceived NASA-wide. And now, AF2M is
procurement and finance systems and im- ready to handle your suggestions to fix
prove the timeliness of acquiring goods and Ames problems.
services. Check out the AF2M Web site for a
The Core Financial project will be rolled clear definition of the scope of AF2M,
out in ‘waves.’ MSFC, as the pilot center, and names of people who can assist you with
GRC, as ‘Wave 1’ will be the first to roll out AF2M, and--most importantly--the sug-
Core Financial. They are scheduled to imple- gestion form for you to use.

amesnews.arc.nasa.gov
Recognizing NASA leadership in scientific computing
Every year, NASA recognizes outstanding explains Melton.
accomplishments of the agency’s research Reynaldo Gomez,

photo by Michael Boswell


community by presenting the NASA Soft- the space shuttle
ware of the Year award. This year, the pres- aerodynamics
tigious award was placed in the hands of the subsystem man-
NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) ager at NASA
Division’s Michael Aftosmis, John Melton of Johnson, is espe-
the Aerospace Directorate and Marsha Berger cially pleased with
of the Courant Institute of New York Univer- the robustness of
sity. The team was recognized for their long- Cart3D. “The real
time work on Cart3D, a design and analysis power of Cart3D
software package for complex aerospace lies in its simplicity
vehicles. of use. Historically,
Co-sponsored by NASA’s chief informa- computational
tion officer and NASA’s Inventions and Con- fluid dynamics
tributions Board, the Software of the Year (CFD) codes re-
award is judged by the NASA Software Advi- quired a lot of
sory Council. To meet eligibility require- manual interven-
ments, software must be supported, adopted, tion and training Michael Aftosmis, a researcher at Ames’ NASA Advanced Supercomputing
sponsored or used by NASA; it must be to develop grid (NAS) Division (left), with Marsha Berger, Deputy Director, Courant Institute
significant to the NASA mission; and be of systems and run at New York University, and John Melton (not pictured), Aerospace
commercial grade. In addition to Cart3D, the flow solver. Directorate, are co-winners of NASA's Software of the Year Award 2002.
DAC, a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo soft- With Cart3D, I’ve The team created Cart3D, a software package used to design and analyze
ware package from NASA Johnson was named actually taken a complex aerospace vehicles like the Space Shuttle.
co-winner of the annual award. third-year Air
What sets Cart3D apart from other Carte- Force cadet who
sian mesh generation packages is its ability to had no background in CFD, no knowledge of In addition to its applications in NASA
accept geometry of arbitrary complexity and UNIX or CAD systems, and within a period of programs such as the Space Launch Initia-
process it with guaranteed robustness, all in about a week, he was able to generate grids, tive, Cart3D has significant application in the
a fully automated manner. “The wildest ideas start running the flow solver, and begin post- commercial world. For example, a company
of designers can be translated into hard processing results for Space Launch Initiative based in Seattle, Wash., is using the grid
simulation numbers in just one afternoon,” configurations.” generation software to investigate the Ameri-
can Airlines airbus crash of November 2001
off Long Island, N.Y. “This kind of a virtual
Partner with NASA in safety flight capability allows people to do aero
forensics on this kind of crash,” explains
-- Communications contractor communicates Aftosmis. The airbus crash investigation in-
cludes estimation of aerodynamic loads im-
Raytheon, one of the many contractors at It is easy to see why Raytheon believes in posed by the turbulence created by other
Ames, believes communication is a key ele- specific training for their employees. They aircraft in the area.
ment in continuing their no-lost-record. strive to follow all NASA safety standards and Cart3D’s ease of use and automation
Raytheon provides Ames with support fully participated in the VPP efforts at the now make it possible to carry out ‘virtual
services for information systems develop- center. In the example above, Raytheon's flight,’ where every permutation of a design
ment and maintenance; systems administra- BEAP training proved its worth and taught is explored over the complete range of ex-
tion; network engineering; software devel- everyone to always pay attention to the pected flight conditions. “Cart3D provides
opment and testing for air traffic manage- warning signs of an emergency situation--to designers with the trend information they
ment systems; and support of human factors go ahead and place the 911 call. Heeding need in order to understand how their de-
and development. They employ 250 work- that training kept a small problem from signs are going to operate, not just under a
ers supporting two contracts and have not becoming a large and potentially dangerous single condition, but over a wide range of
had a lost-time incident in over three years. one. flight conditions,” explains Melton. “Cart3D
A recent event demonstrates why their safety Raytheon’s constant communications are makes the computational fluid dynamics
record has been outstanding. being heard by all as we congratulate them process fast enough to replace lower-order
Raytheon has fully adopted the NASA on their outstanding no-lost-time record. design methods with high-fidelity techniques
Building Emergency Action Plan (BEAP) train- --the key to streamlining the design and
ing and provides this training to all of their analysis process of complex aerospace ve-
employees. Recently, in building 233, a smoky hicles,” adds Aftosmis.
odor was detected in the building. Although
they were aware of welding work in the
VPP STAR Tip: The level of automation demonstrated by
Cart3D has sparked international interest in
basement that could produce such odors, Cartesian mesh generation. “It is very grati-
Good team interviewers will know fying to see this line of research being picked
they still placed a 911 call and evacuated the
building as they had been taught to do in how to ask questions so that the up by other researchers worldwide,” says
BEAP training. It was fortunate that they employee has to answer out of his/ Berger. The team hopes to continue generat-
placed the 911 call. The odors they smelled her experience. ing interest in Cartesian meshes as they add
were not just welding odors. The welders new capabilities to their design and analysis
had, in fact, started a small fire in some ....Margaret Richardson, in Preparing tool, Cart3D. For additional information about
insulation materials between the walls they for the Voluntary Protection Programs, Cart3D, contact Michael Aftosmis at
were cutting. Because the 911 call was made, Copyright @ 1999 by John Wiley & aftosmis@nas.nasa.gov
the fire department quickly responded and Sons BY HOLLY A. AMUNDSON
extinguished the smoldering insulation.
Raytheon employees were able to return to a
safe building a short time later.

The Ames Astrogram 2 September 2002


NASA researcher honored with national award
Dr. Rudy M. Ortiz, a participant in NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship to work with Dr.
Ames’ Graduate Student Research Program Frank Talamantes at UCSC.
(GSRP) and a recent graduate of the Univer- The Ford Foundation postdoctoral fel-
sity of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), has lowship, established by Dr. Bai Akridge in
received a Ford Foundation postdoctoral fel- 1994, was presented to Ortiz by the National
lowship for minorities to begin a new study Academies, Washington, D.C. It is a yearly
in hypertension and in recognition of his research competition administered by the
prior outstanding research. National Academies, with only 24 Ford
Starting next year, Ortiz will begin his postdoctoral fellowships given annually. This
proposed research in hypertension in rats at award is given to researchers in the fields of
Tulane University Medical School in New science, engineering, medicine and technol-
Orleans. The research will be conducted in ogy. The evaluation is based on the applicant’s
conjunction with the Department of Physiol- proposed plan of study, previous achieve-
ogy and Tulane-Xavier University’s Astrobi- ments and potential benefit to the field.
ology Program, which will allow Ortiz to Ortiz has extensive research experience,
continue his interests in space-related re- including working with NASA Ames and the
search. departments of biology at UCSC and Texas
While at Ames, Ortiz conducted unique A&M Universities, and teaching experience,
research on metabolism and kidney function including work as a graduate teaching assis-
in marine animals and in animals exposed to tant at UCSC and Texas A&M Universities.
altered gravity, in conjunction with Ames’ Ortiz has produced numerous refereed pub-
senior scientist Dr. Charles Wade of the Life Dr. Rudy M. Ortiz, recent recipient of a Ford lications and converence presentations and
Sciences Division. A majority of their collabo- Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. has received a number of other honors and
rative research has focused on kidney and awards such as the American Physiological
brain hormones that regulate water and salt Society’s Young Investigator Award.
balance.
Ortiz’s dissertation research focused on space someday,” he said. “This is one of the BY VERONIKA SOUKHOVITSKAYA
kidney function in northern elephant seals, objectives of the astrobiology program--to
which are commonly found off the coast of better understand adaptation of life in al-
California. “What makes these seals so inter- tered environments,” he added.
“Elephant seals are interesting animals:
esting is their ability to endure a two-to-
three-month fasting period after weaning, they spend eight to nine months at sea and Holton wins H. Julian
about four months on land. During their
which is a natural component of their life
history,” he said. Approximately one month time on land, they neither drink nor eat. Allen award
after birth, pups are weaned, at which time However, while in the ocean, they store
their body mass is comprised of about 46 water in their fat and use this water later on Dr. Emily Holton, winner of the 2001
percent body fat. During this fasting period, land,” Wade explained. “Seals are very unique H. Julian Allen Award, will give a presen-
the seal pups do not exhibit the negative in that thousands of years before, they only tation titled ‘Space flight and bone turn-
effects normally associated with the depriva- lived in the ocean, and then in the process of over: Correlation with a new rat model
tion of food and water observed in other evolution they have adapted to live in two of weightlessness’ on Sept. 17 from 2
mammals. “This makes these animals a different environments – water and land – p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of
unique model for examining kidney func- and that is why seals are very interesting to building N245. The presentation will
tion, obesity and other metabolic disorders NASA,” Wade said. include a discussion of why ground-based
simultaneously in a mammal naturally Ortiz has been studying hormones in ‘in vivo’ models are important, why and
adapted to extreme conditions and environ- marine mammals for a number of years. He how the NASA rat model was developed,
ments,” Ortiz said. He examined how the did his master’s degree research looking at what we have learned from the model
kidneys of these mammals responded to kidney function in West Indian manatees and our current research focus.
changes in blood volume and solutes, which commonly found in Florida and that periodi- Designing a model to simulate space
provided insight on the role their kidneys cally go from fresh water to salt water-- flight using rodents might seem simplis-
play as seals go back and forth between another example of animals adapting to two tic, yet it took over five years from design
water and land. “This is an important ex- different environments. When he started his concept to the model cage design used
ample of adaptation of living organisms to work at Ames, Wade presented Ortiz with today, and almost ten years to produce
two different environments--land, with the challenge of connecting marine animals sufficient data for approval of the stan-
Earth’s gravity, and water, with almost no to space exploration--one of the primary dard operating procedure for use of the
gravity,” he said. NASA missions. “It was quite challenging to model by the Ames Institutional Care
This research is particularly important find the link between marine mammals and and Use Committee.
and interesting to NASA as it provides an space,” Ortiz said. “In the process of my Holton’s paper has been cited 266
Earth-based model for doing space research, work, I realized that the biggest and most times since it was published in 1979. A
since there is an analogy between the seals’ enlightening idea in space research is not to better indicator of the importance of the
change of environment and astronauts go- limit ourselves when trying to find alterna- model is the 890 papers published using
ing from space back to Earth. tive research models to space exploration,” the model and the multiple laboratories
“Seals are good models for human-asso- he said. throughout the world using this system
ciated space research because they spend Ortiz received his bachelor’s degree in to study the effect of unloading and/or
around 60 percent to 70 percent of their biology in 1990 and his master’s degree in reloading on multiple physiological sys-
time each year in water, where they are wildlife and fisheries science in 1994, both tems. Holton’s breakthrough work has
essentially weightless, and then they emerge from Texas A&M University. Ortiz has worked shown that hindlimb unloading is an
onto land, where they experience gravity. with Wade at Ames since 1995. He started as effective model of space flight for mus-
Such adaptation is natural to seals, while it is a research assistant with Lockheed-Martin culoskeletal changes. Further, it is prov-
not natural to humans or rats,” Ortiz said. “I and, in 1997, he received a NASA predoctoral ing useful for evaluating the cellular
am looking at how seals are able to adapt. fellowship through GSRP. After completing mechanisms that mediate the responses
Understanding this will hopefully allow hu- his doctorate in June 2001, Ortiz was awarded to unloading and reloading.
mans to spend longer periods of time in a University of California President’s

The Ames Astrogram 3 September 2002


NASA summer students look ‘SHARP’
Center Briefs at graduation
Satellites reveal a mystery of large
change in Earth’s gravity field Thirty outstanding local high school stu- heat leak data, as well as equations to model
Since 1998, satellite data had indicated dents culminated a summer of learning and these data into my model.” He hopes the
that the bulge in the Earth's gravity field at the adventure with some of the nation’s best space station biological research project at
equator is growing, and scientists think that aerospace scientists and engineers when they Ames can use the model to compare CAM
the oceans may hold the answer to the mys- graduated in mid August from the NASA usage of water cooling lines to their interna-
tery of how the changes in the trend of Earth's Summer High School Apprenticeship Re- tional space station allocations.
gravity are occurring. search Program (SHARP). SHARP is a program unlike any other,
Before 1998, Earth's equatorial bulge in SHARP is a research-based mentorship according to student Luis Pineda. “Here at
the gravity field was getting smaller because of program specifically designed to attract and NASA we’re not treated like students, we’re
the post-glacial rebound, or PGR, that oc- increase underrepresented students' partici- treated like an investment in everyone’s time,”
curred as a result of the melting of the ice pation and success rates in mathematics and Pineda said. “It is a constant learning envi-
sheets after the last ice age. When the ice science related courses. SHARP also seeks to ronment with our mentors, other NASA
sheets melted, land that was underneath the encourage career paths that help build a employees, and college students.” The pro-
ice started rising. As the ground rebounded in pool of underrepresented science and engi- gram also provides a way for students to
this fashion, the gravity field changed. neering professionals in the workplace. The ‘earn while they learn.’
"The Earth behaved much like putting eight-week intensive, hands-on science and SHARP was developed in 1980 to provide
your finger into a sponge ball and watching it engineering learning and work experience underrepresented high school students with
slowly bounce back," said Christopher Cox, a was held on the Ames campus. research work experience. Students must be
research scientist supporting the Space Geod- "Over 90 percent of SHARP participants at least 16 years old when they begin the
esy Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight go on to complete a university degree, and program, and live close enough to NASA
Center, Greenbelt, Md. many return to NASA as valued members of Ames to commute easily. By establishing
the agency’s work force," said Dr. Ray Hill of individual working relationships between
Modern Tech Systems Inc., SHARP coordina- students and active researchers, NASA hopes
Dwarf galaxies give universe a breath tor. “Most of the students are college bound, to create a resource pool of potential appli-
of fresh oxygen if not immediately, certainly after graduation cants for future NASA employment.
Astronomers have discovered that a nearby from high school. Some are rising juniors/ The students were selected from a com-
dwarf galaxy is spewing oxygen and other seniors and some are ’02 graduates,” he said petitive pool of applicants within a 50-mile
‘heavy’ elements into intergalactic space. This “SHARP is different from other programs, radius of Ames based on their demonstrated
observation from NASA's Chandra X-ray Ob- as it provides students with a chance to work enthusiasm and qualifications for a career in
servatory supports the idea that dwarf galaxies in an actual research environment,” said the fields of mathematics, science, engineer-
might be responsible for most of the heavy SHARP student Kristina Hargraves. “By work- ing and technology.
elements between the galaxies. ing at a NASA facility, we are given the SHARP is one of many educational pro-
Despite comprising only a very small frac- chance to both learn new things, and to view grams offered by Ames for students from
tion of the mass of the universe, so-called how high school knowledge is applied to a elementary school through college. Ames
heavy elements--everything other than hydro- real world environment.” Each student in the also offers an array of Internet-based and
gen and helium--are essential for the forma- program works with a mentor on a project of multimedia software for use in the class-
tion of planets and can greatly influence astro- his or her interest. room, as well as teacher education work-
nomical phenomena, including the rate at Another student in the program, Ben shops and materials.
which galaxies form. Stewart, working with Lauren Fletcher of Further information is available at: http:/
Lockheed Martin, enjoyed a different kind of /education.arc.nasa.gov/
First images from NASA’s Thermom- summer experience. “I’ve been modeling SHARP is sponsored by NASA’s Education
eter in the sky sizzle the thermal cooling systems for the centri- Division and participating NASA centers.
The old adage that everyone complains fuge accommodation module (CAM) in Further information is available online at:
about the weather, but no one does anything Microsoft Excel,” he said. “I met with engi- http://education.nasa.gov/sharp
about it may soon fall by the wayside, thanks neers to gather power consumption and
BY CARLY SCHNEIDER
to the quality of data from NASA's new ‘ther-
mometer in the sky’--a suite of three advanced
weather instruments aboard the Aqua space-
craft.
First images from the Atmospheric Infra-
Congressional staffers visit Ames
red Sounder spectrometer and its two com- Meyya
panion instruments, the advanced microwave Meyyappan of
sounding unit and the humidity sounder for Code AS (left),
Brazil are exceeding the expectations of the briefs staff
world meteorological community. The results members from
will be substantially improved short-term Congresswoman
weather-prediction accuracy and tracking of Zoe Lofgren’s
severe weather events like hurricanes, as well office on
as advances in climate research. nanotechnology
"The three sounding instruments of the during their visit
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder experiment sys- to NASA Ames in
tem will comprehensively capture a continu- late August.
ous, detailed picture of Earth's atmosphere for
use in global weather prediction and climate
studies," said Dr. Moustafa Chahine, experi-
ment science-team leader at NASA's Jet Pro-
pulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

photo by Jonas Dino

The Ames Astrogram 4 September 2002


NASA PDP 2001-2002 graduates honored
This summer, 17 NASA employees cel- class of their responsibility to mentor and Center, who all shared their reflections of the
ebrated their successful completion of the share what they learned this past year. “Part year and their efforts to identify and move
of your leadership re- toward results. In her closing remarks, Chris
sponsibility now is to Williams, the program director, noted that
bring the energy and the effectiveness of the professional develop-
enthusiasm you have ment program is determined by how well it
to help others im- enables participants to realize “measurable
prove,” O’Keefe said. results that matter to the American people.”
He cited the frame- Participants in the NASA professional
work of Secretary of development program are competitively se-
Treasury, Paul O’Neil, lected by their centers, and they engage in a
and noted that NASA year-long, intensive leadership development
leaders need to 1) cre- process that combines developmental work
ate an atmosphere of assignments, leadership development work-
respect and profes- shops, briefings by NASA’s leadership, tar-
sionalism; 2) give geted training opportunities and individual
people the resources coaching. The goal of the PDP is to provide
required to carry out future leaders with a broader perspective of
their task, which both the agency and the impact of NASA
means being honest programs.
with ourselves and This year’s participant’s included:
making the tough ARC: Megan McCluer
judgment calls; and DFRC: John Childress
3) notice and recog- GRC: Therese Griebel, Chan Kim
nize employee’s ac- GSFC: Thom Arceneaux, Rex Elliott
complishments, and, and Bob Savage
when people are not HQ: Linda Parish
photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls successful, help them JSC: Faith Vilas
Megan McCluer, of Ames’ Code ARA, receiving the NASA professional learn from their mis- KSC: Richard Kuhns and Adam West
development program (PDP) award from NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe. takes. LaRC: Donna Blanding, Jennifer
This year’s elected Comella and Odilyn Santa Maria
class speakers were MSFC: Dennis Griffith, George Myers
NASA professional development program Linda Parish, NASA Headquarters; John and Andy Prince
(PDP). In his address to the graduates, NASA Childress, Dryden Flight Research Center;
Administrator Sean O’Keefe reminded the and Robert Savage, Goddard Space Flight

McDonald elected into IAA Contractor council


Recently, Ames Center Director Dr. The International Academy of Astro-
election results
Henry McDonald was elected into the nautics (IAA) was founded in Stockholm in On Aug. 7, the Ames Contractor
International Academy of Astronautics, lo- 1960. Since that time, the IAA has brought Council (ACC) held elections for the new
cated in France. together the world's foremost experts in six-month term ending in February 2003.
the disciplines of astronautics on a regular The council's officers are now:
basis to recognize the accomplishments of • NASA Co-Chair: Nancy Bingham,
Deputy Center Director
their peers, to explore and discuss cutting- • Contractor Co-Chair: Bob Javinsky,
edge issues in space research and technol- Enterprise Advisory Services
ogy and to provide direction and guid- • Vice Chair: Dave Appling,
ance in the non-military uses of space and Allied Aerospace Flight Systems
the ongoing exploration of the solar sys- Division
tem. The purposes of the IAA, as stated in • Secretary:Marla Arcadi,
its statutes are: ELORET, Inc.
• to foster the development of The council was established in 1987
astronautics for peaceful purposes; as a contractor-government forum to
• to recognize individuals who have address common problems and increase
distinguished themselves in a contractors' ability to respond to the
branch of science or technology center's changing needs. Its regular
related to astronautics; and monthly meetings are held in the Jack
• to provide a program through Boyd Committee Room of N-200, at
which the membership can 11:00 a.m. on the first Wednesday of
contribute to international each month. All resident contractors,
As a member of the Academy, McDonald endeavors and cooperation subcontractors and grant administrators
will participate in one of the IAA commis- in the advancement of aero- are urged to take part in the ACC’s pro-
sion meetings, program committees or grams. Its next major activity will be the
space science, in cooperation 13th Annual Contractor Excellence
study groups. Diplomas are traditionally with national science or engineer- Awards, to be presented this fall.
presented to newly elected members into ing academies. Call Bob Javinsky at (650) 793-1036
the Academy. for further information on the ACC and
its activities.

The Ames Astrogram 5 September 2002


NASA researchers discover winds in Titan’s organic haze
Researchers from NASA and other institu- Cassini mission, will take measurements and co-author is Dr. Frederic Hourdin of the
tions have developed an atmospheric model samples of Titan's haze. NASA's Jet Propul- University of Paris.
lending insights into decades-old mysteries sion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages Portions of the research were funded by
surrounding Saturn's moon Titan that could the Cassini-Huygens mission. NASA's Planetary Atmospheres Program.
shed light on the chemical processes that The lead author of the paper is Dr. Pascal For further information, go to http://
may have jump-started life on Earth. Rannou of the University of Paris and the jpl.nasa.gov/ and select 'missions'
These mysteries have especially intrigued University of Versailles-St. Quentin. The other BY KATHLEEN BURTON
astrobiologists, who view Titan as a model
for the young Earth before life began. Other
than Earth, Titan is the only other moon or
planet in our solar system with a thick, nitro-
gen-dominated atmosphere. Its thick organic
Ames Astrobiology Academy
haze also appears very similar to smog on
Earth.
students visit with NASA Administrator
"Titan is an interesting world. Its organic

photo by Timothy C. Marzullo, a member of the AAA


haze may be an example of the prebiotic
organic chemistry that led to life on Earth,"
said Dr. Christopher McKay, of Code SST,
and co-author of a research paper published
recently in the journal Nature titled "A Wind
Origin For Titan's Haze."
On Titan, methane and nitrogen mol-
ecules are thought to be converted into
complex organic materials such as hydrocar-
bons and possibly amino acids, which are the
building blocks of life on Earth. "We think
similar processes once happened here, and
life may have started that way," said McKay.
Titan has long puzzled scientists because
of several unexplained features in its thick,
hazy atmosphere, composed largely of solid
organic materials. Voyager images taken in
1980, for example, show that the haze is
much brighter at Titan's summer hemisphere
than at its winter hemisphere. Earth-based
observations also show that this difference in The Ames Astrobiology Academy students and staff with NASA Administrator, Sean O’Keefe,
brightness changes with Titan's seasons. Each (center with tie), in Washington, D.C. in July.
season on Titan lasts for four Earth years.
Titan's haze also is much thicker near the Fifteen Ames Astrobiology Academy stu- academy’s presence was well accepted at
polar caps than anywhere else. But perhaps dents and staff visited with NASA Adminis- the hearing. During the subcommittee
most puzzling, a layer of the haze is detached trator Sean O’Keefe in Washington, D.C., meeting, Lampson stated that there needs
from the rest of Titan's atmosphere, appear- on July 18. The visit was sponsored by to be continued and accelerated support
ing like a ghostly shell floating in space. NASA, which has funded the academy for for educational programs like the Acad-
The research outlined in the paper pro- the past six years. emy.
vides the first 'coupled' model, linking Titan's According to David Lamb, Ames’ Astro- The NASA Astrobiology Academy is a
organic haze with atmospheric winds and biology Academy associate director, the unique summer institute of higher learn-
with the sunlight that heats the haze. Ac- visit came about in a very interesting man- ing whose goal is to help guide future
cording to the group's model, sunlight heats ner. leaders of the U.S. space program by giv-
the haze that drives the wind, which, in turn, “We went to a House Subcommittee ing them a glimpse of how the whole
carries the haze. The smallest haze particles meeting on space and aeronautics where system works.
also can be carried from one pole to the other they were discussing the future direction of The goal of the Academy is to provide
within one Titan season. And according to NASA. Administrator O'Keefe was one of insight into all of the elements that make
the model, the detached haze arises because the panel witnesses. Ken Murphy, one of NASA missions possible. Each student is
very small particles of haze formed high in
the Goddard Academy staff, was able to get assigned to an Ames researcher to contrib-
Titan's atmosphere are blown to the pole
the word to him that we were there through ute toward one of the missions. Academy
before they can fall, becoming detached.
"We found that the main features of one of his contacts,” Lamb stated. members are selected by a series of panels,
Titan's organic haze arise from a strong feed- During the meeting, the Astrobiology interviews and their own state’s space grant
back loop between the haze, the sunlight Academy’s presence was recognized by consortium who selects and sponsors them.
and the wind," said McKay. "This is a critical O'Keefe and Congressman Lampson. After This summer, 13 students and two staff
new factor in understanding Titan." the meeting, O'Keefe greeted each of the personnel interested in life, space, Earth
The model is precursor research for a academy students and answered questions. sciences, space technology and space en-
NASA/European Space Agency probe ex- The academy students took video foot- gineering, came from all over the U.S. for
pected to enter Titan's atmosphere in Janu- age and a group photo with O'Keefe. The the 10-week session .
ary 2005. The Huygens probe, part of NASA's BY MARY BETH BISCHOFF

The Ames Astrogram 6 September 2002


If life hands you lemons . . .
As I set out last Wednesday to meet with all the time?” Then he gave an answer. I’m he wrote, and shared with me, as he let me
John Green, I knew nothing about the man. sure he knew I would ask him the question know that it affected his life profoundly.
All I knew was that when I was assigned to sooner or later, but he answered bluntly, to “To smile genuinely is to muster pieces of
save time, and the positive energy from within, and when di-
twists and turns rected toward another, it briefly gives them
that humans use to a sense of belonging, hope and perhaps
avoid being un- gives them the assurance that you’ve recog-
comfortable. This is nized them as being in part…Human!” he
what he said--and revealed. Green has been all over the world.
pay attention, it He told me of his adventures in Italy and in
may be useful to Japan. He speaks Japanese and maintains his
you someday. own Web page. As a young boy growing up
“Every morn- in Century, Fla.; he knew that when he grew
ing, I wake up, and up he would travel all over to see if everyone
when I wake up, I was the same. “When I was growing up there
realize that I am was segregation everywhere, and it seemed
breathing. That is like there was no love anywhere,” Green
my first clue that said. “But when I traveled, I found out that
things are going everyone is not the same everywhere.” The
well. Then, I go out- kindness that he encountered during his
side and I pull some travels inspired him to be the person he is
lemons off my tree, today.
and I make a tall As our conversation began to wind down,
glass of fresh he said to me, “I suspect that I have always
squeezed lemon- been lonely--or alone, and that keeps me
ade. Then, I go to right there knowing how anyone would feel
work and start my in that situation, when they feel like they
photo by Jonas Dino
day.” can’t connect. I like to know how other
John Green, one of Ames’ security guards, waves on incoming cars. By now you people are feeling, even if they are desper-
may be thinking; ate.” I was left to myself with those words,
“Is this like one of and I spent the rest of the day feeling like
interview one of the gate guards of NASA those feel-good messages that show up in something really special had happened.
Ames’ secure entrances, I immediately knew my inbox when I am not in the mood to be Because of the incredible feedback that
which one. cheered up?” Maybe so, but nobody that I Protective Services has received about Green’s
Many haven’t had the privilege of spend- saw passing through that gate gave him the performance and attitude, he recently was
ing an afternoon by Green’s side while he dagger eyes. Quite the opposite, in fact. presented with a bonus check. Sidney Johnson
carries out his duties with extraordinary en- Within the first half hour, he had already of Protective Services said, “We are truly
thusiasm and vitality. As I sat down on the received two gifts from passing employees. impressed with his [Green’s] performance,
concrete platform of his station, the August One woman even leaned out of the window and we are blessed to have such a wonderful
heat was lulling and comfortable, and Green of her pick-up and said to me, “This man is example for the other officers to emulate.”
looked down at me humbly. I sat and watched beautiful, take care of him, he’s beautiful,” As for what Green intends to do next, I have
him for a while. As employees approached and she turned to him playfully. “You two a feeling he’ll continue to make lemonade.
the gate, he would give each one a patented timing me?” She laughed and sped off. As I For more info regarding the philosophy
smile and ask them questions. “Are you began to develop a portrait of what this man or life of John Green, visit: http://
going to do your best today?” he would ask, was all about, he said something else that members.aol.com/jgreen1443/
leaning into their car window. “How are caught my attention. It was something that BY CARLY SCHNEIDER
things going today?” he inquired if the people
looked like they were having ‘one of those
days.’ He knew many people by name. As I
continued to observe him, I slowly began to
experience a change in my attitude. Look
Fitness center open house Sept. 18
how he made everyone feel so good, and it The doors to the NASA Ames Fitness per body strength, abdominal endurance
was so easy. A compliment here and a hand- Center (building 221) will be open from and flexibility are also available. The Ames
shake there, and the man revolutionized the 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to anyone inter- Fitness Center is the only NASA facility that
working environment. ested in checking out the facility on Sept. has a training wall in case there really is a
After watching Green for a while, I asked 18. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be need to climb the wall after a drawn-out
him the first thing I could think of. It was an
obvious question, but the answer was tell- available, plus the Fitness Center staff and meeting.
ing. “What do you like the best about your instructors will be present to answer ques- All these free Fitness Center services are
job?” I asked, eager for him to reveal his tions. Volunteers of the Fitness Center will available to federal and contracted em-
magic. I know so many people who com- be honored at 12:00 noon. ployees who turn in the required medical
plain about work; could there really be some- The Fitness Center offers 38 classes clearance form.
one who is satisfied all the time? throughout the week, has a large variety of Contact the Fitness Center manager,
“I don’t want to be in a place where I leading exercise equipment and has a highly Nancy Dunagan at ext. 4-5804 for addi-
can’t have fun at work,” he said. “If I ever qualified staff. Individualized exercise pro- tional information. Medical clearance forms
found that it wasn’t so, I would try to change grams based on personal needs are avail- may be downloaded for the Fitness Center
it,” he said meaningfully. I didn’t have to ask able to all Fitness Center clients. Fitness at: http://fitnesscenter.arc.nasa.gov/or
him any more questions after that. He knew evaluations that include measurements of hard copies are available at the Health Unit
I was riveted already and he continued to blood pressure, resting heart rate, inch (building 215) and the front door of the
speak for the next two hours while I listened measurements, body fat percentage, car- Fitness Center.
quietly. He told me the question he is most diovascular endurance, grip strength, up-
commonly asked is, “Why are you so happy

The Ames Astrogram 7 September 2002


NASA develops ‘Marsoweb’ for future Mars exploration
"Marsoweb," an interactive Web site de- iron oxide sometimes formed in the pres- tinuously updating and improving the Web
veloped by NASA, is helping scientists select ence of water, is abundant. Mars provides a site. They welcome suggestions for im-
suitable landing sites for future missions to wealth of exciting landing sites, but most of provement from both the science commu-
Mars. them present surface hazards to the current nity and the general public. In addition to
Scientists preparing for NASA's next Mars generation of landers. integrating data from Global Surveyor, they
mission, the twin Mars Exploration Rovers "The main goal of Marsoweb has been to also are planning to add Mars Odyssey data
scheduled for launch in June and July 2003, provide online analysis and visualization tools as they become available. Mars Odyssey is
are able to view more than 44,000 high- so the science community can interpret the the other spacecraft currently in orbit around
resolution images of Mars collected by the highest resolution images in their regional Mars and carries its own suite of unique
Mars Global Surveyor. Some show detail at context and with the benefit of the other remote-sensing instruments. Each mission
less than three meters per pixel. These im- remote-sensing information that is available," incorporates new remote-sensing instru-
ages are registered with context images and Gulick said. "We rely on those images to ments that introduce new challenges for
maps of thermal properties, rock abundance, identify sites of highest science interest and scientists to understand and to compare
slope roughness and geology acquired by we need data at multiple resolutions, as well with what they already know about Mars,
the Viking and Global Surveyor orbiters and as other data to identify sites that are rela- based on data taken from previous missions.
with altimeter and mineralogical data re- tively free of hazards," she said. "Providing Gulick said a goal of the Marsoweb effort is to
turned by Global Surveyor, which is still the information in a user-friendly format is remove the barriers that such new remote-
operating at Mars. The Web site provides essential." sensing instruments typically impose on com-
scientists with special software tools to facili- Marsoweb includes an interactive feature paring data sets and allow the focus to be on
tate their interpretation of the data. developed by Deardorff that allows scientists science. In addition to incorporating all the
"The Center for Mars Exploration (CMEX), to view Mars' surface in perspective and from latest spacecraft data, they also have plans to
in collaboration with the NASA Advanced any angle to help assess prospective landing create an electronic notebook to enable sci-
Supercomputing (NAS) Division at NASA sites from a collection of more than 400 entists to collaborate with each other, store
Ames, created this Web site to make sure that images. This Marsoweb software feature con- images, annotations and other data.
future Mars lander projects can benefit fully tains a Virtual Reality Modeling Language Deardorff said developing the Marsoweb
from all the available remote-sensing data to (VRML) component that provides a 3-D im- is the culmination of a childhood dream.
allow them to select the best landing sites, age of the surface of Mars. Using the VRML, "Being able to develop a virtual presence of
namely those that combine scientific appeal users can enjoy zooming through the can- another planet has been the most satisfying
and mission safety," explained Dr. Geoffrey yons and valleys of Mars or over its volcanoes part of the whole process," Deardorff said.
Briggs, scientific director of CMEX, located and desert dunes. Another time-saving fea- "It's like projecting the eyes and ears of
NASA Ames. ture of the Web site allows scientists to humans into another world."
Ames' CMEX planetary geologist and rapidly superimpose high-precision eleva- The Marsoweb project is a joint collabo-
project lead Dr. Virginia Gulick of the SETI tion data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altim- ration between the NASA Ames Center for
Institute and Glenn Deardorff, a visualization eter (MOLA) on images of the surface. Mars Exploration, the NAS Exploratory Com-
technologist in the NAS Division at Ames, In addition to its use by the science puting Environments Group at NASA Ames
who has an undergraduate degree in geo- community, Deardorff said Marsoweb also and the Mars Exploration Program Office at
physics, developed Marsoweb over the past has proven popular with the general public. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
three years to make a significant contribu- "It's also becoming an effective public out- Calif. The project is funded by NASA's Office
tion to the ongoing Mars exploration pro- reach vehicle for people wanting to know of Space Science through its Mars Data Analy-
gram. more about Mars," he said. "Since its incep- sis Program and through NASA Ames' Ap-
"It is easy to be overwhelmed by the great tion in August 1999, Marsoweb has been plied Information Systems Research Program.
variety of available data relating to a candi- viewed by more than 44,000 distinct users, For more information about Marsoweb,
date landing site," said Gulick, who serves on resulting in more than 1,880,000 hits," he visit the project Web site located at: http://
a NASA committee guiding the landing site added. marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov
selection process. "By pulling everything to- Deardorff and Gulick said they are con-
BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY
gether and adding advanced visualization
and analysis tools, we've enabled people to
focus on studying the candidate sites and
not lose time worrying about how to display,
manipulate and compare all the relevant but
disparate data sets," she said.
"More than 100 sites on Mars have been
EIT and Section 508 meeting set
considered by dozens of planetary scientists The Acquisition Division (Code JA) and system or subsystem of equipment that is
who are involved in analyzing candidate the Chief Information Officer (Code JT) are used in the automatic acquisition, storage,
landing sites," said Deardorff. "Marsoweb offering another electronic and informa- manipulation, management, movement,
provides a resource for them to increase their tion technology (EIT) and Section 508 town control, display, switching, interchange,
productivity as they wade through the avail- hall meeting on Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. in the transmission or reception of data informa-
able data." N245 Auditorium. This town hall meeting tion. This term also includes computers,
The goal of the Mars Exploration Rover is for anyone who is acquiring electronic software, firmware, and similar procedures,
mission is to learn more about Mars' geologic and information technology whether by services (including support services) and
and climate history, both of which are closely purchase request (PR) or service request related resources.
tied to the history of water on the red planet (SR), delivery orders or task orders. We will EIT includes, but is not limited to:
and to the possibility that life may have introduce concepts of electronic and infor- • telecommunication products
evolved there. Scientists are using orbital mation technology accessibility, demon- (telephones, cell phones, pagers)
data to help them select landing sites of strate how the requester can incorporate • information kiosks and transaction
geological interest--where water was once these requirements into their acquisitions, machines
available and the past environment may and discuss the tools available to help re- • World Wide Web sites
have been conducive for life. Orbital images questers identify accessibility standards that • Multimedia and
reveal many regions that evidently have been are applicable. • Office equipment (i.e. copiers and
shaped by water and the thermal emission Electronic information technology is de- fax machines).
spectrometer on Global Surveyor has identi- fined as any equipment or interconnected
fied a region where the mineral hematite, an

The Ames Astrogram 8 September 2002


National pollution prevention week activities set
In recognition of National Pollution Pre- Environmental Services Office, Code QE, will • Wednesday, Sept. 18, Recycling at Ames
vention Week, which is Sept.16-22, the Ames be hosting information tables at the Ames (Co-hosted by Code JFS)
Mega Bites Café Questions about how to recycle different
about three pro- commodities at Ames will be answered. For
grams you can par- more information, visit the Web site at:
ticipate in to imme- http://q.arc.nasa.gov/qe/p2/Recycling/
diately have an im- RecycleFactSheet.php.
pact on preventing • Thursday, Sept. 19, Greening Your Of-
pollution. fice Paper
• Tuesday, Sept. Gain paper use reduction ideas that not
17, Ames Chemical only prevent pollution but also save money,
Exchange (ACE) as well as information about Ames’ participa-
This is a program tion in a pilot program to purchase paper
that provides the op- that is made from 100 percent post-con-
portunity for the use sumer material and is processed chlorine
of excess chemicals free. Visit the Web site at: http://
by on-site research- www.federalsustainability.org/ for more in-
ers and other per- formation.
sonnel for free. For For more information on National Pollu-
more information on tion Week activities at Ames, contact Tammy
this, visit http:// Helminski at ext. 4-1406.
q.arc.nasa.gov/qe/
p2/ace/ for more in-
formation.
Computer History
Museum presents
Guest researcher speaks at Ames A public lecture entitled: ‘Pioneers of
In August, Dr. L. Jean Palmer-Moloney, She is co-author of a National Council Venture Capital,’ will be presented on
ASEE Faculty Fellow/State University of New for Geographic Education PATHWAYS publi- Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Moffett
York at Oneonta, assistant professor in the cation (in progress) for high school and Training and Conference Center, in
Department of Geography, visited Ames to undergraduate college education on the use Bldg. 3.
speak about the ‘Wetlands of the South of remotely sensed images across the aca- The panelists will be Bill Draper, Pitch
Bay--Past, Present and Future.’ The event demic disciplines. Johnson, Burt McMurtry, Tom Perkins,
This summer's Arthur Rock and Don Valentine. The
photo by Tom Trower

work became a moderator will be Gordy Davidson. RSVPs


chapter entitled are required.
‘The Wetlands of For more information, visit the Com-
South San Francisco puter History Museum Web site at:
Bay: Geography http://www.computerhistory.org/ or call
from an ecological ext. 4-2579.
perspective.’ If you ever wondered about the fol-
Currently, she is lowing: How did the venture capital in-
leading the research dustry get started in Silicon Valley? Why
team examining the here and not elsewhere? What were
ecological response the key milestones? The big obstacles?
to the conversion of then you should plan to attend.
South San Francisco
Bay evaporation
ponds to restored is being developed to make relevant infor-
tidal marsh wet- mation from various NASA branches and
lands. divisions (Code SGE and other branches in
She has spear- Division SG, Code QE, the Environmental
headed many meet- Services Division, and Code DXE, Education
Dr. L. Jean Palmer-Moloney, ASEE Faculty Fellow/State University of New ings among NASA --GLOBE) available to those involved in the
York at Oneonta, assistant professor in the Department of Geography, branches--Code South Bay restoration project. The database
visited Ames to speak about the ‘Wetlands of the South Bay--Past, Present QE, SGE, and DXE-- will be used to establish baseline environ-
and Future.’ and among govern- mental conditions of the South Bay evapora-
ment agencies to tion ponds prior to restoration, and to moni-
was sponsored by the Environmental Ser- develop a plan of how NASA can contribute tor conditions of the ponds during the resto-
vices Office. This summer she brought her to the restoration effort. ration process.
expertise in geographic information systems Ames’ Ecosystems Science and Technol- The aquatic ecosystem and salt ponds of
(GIS) technology, remote sensing and edu- ogy Branch (Code SGE) has a 20-year history the South San Francisco Bay area are on the
cation outreach to the center. of working with the aquatic ecosystem and brink of change. This seminar offered an
Her previous wetlands work was on the salt ponds of South San Francisco Bay near overview of the area's history, the present
Colorado River--’Rewriting the 1922 Colo- Moffett Field. Drawing on extant SGE re- conditions and possible future habitat resto-
rado River Compact: Allocating an Over- search and using NASA Earth science tech- ration.
Allocated Resource.’ nology and GIS, an environmental database

The Ames Astrogram 9 September 2002


NASA, local agency, help students achieve dreams
Four California minority students are on NASA Ames’ Wendy Holforty developing air are 38 students in the high school program.
their way to achieving their dreams of at- traffic management decision support tools. "There are several factors that make FCE
tending college, thanks to a collaboration "My experience at Ames will enhance my unique. We actively involve parents, which is
between NASA and the Foundation for a college application and will help me succeed an absolutely essential part of the equation.
College Education (FCE). in receiving a higher education," she said. By giving entire families the tools to access
The students from East Palo Alto, some of FCE interns Travis Perkins and Kevin Jones higher education, we believe we can help
them the first in their families to attend have participated in simulations in NASA build the capacity of an entire community,"
college, spent the summer engaged in cut- Ames’ Airspace Operations Lab since April. said Wick. "We set high expectations for
ting-edge research at NASA Ames. NASA’s Perkins, who has been involved with FCE for academic success and push our students to
Airspace Systems Program sponsored the more than three years, will enter San José challenge themselves beyond what they
interns, who worked in the areas of physiol- State University this fall, concentrating on might perceive as their limits. Finally, FCE
ogy, space and aviation. The internships aviation and aeronautics. He will continue considers the educational pipeline--the im-
exposed the students to a serious scientific with FCE by mentoring younger students. portance of early outreach, sustained sup-
environment, enabled them to operate so- The Airspace Systems Program at NASA port throughout secondary school, and per-
phisticated technical equipment and involved Ames is a leading developer of cutting-edge haps most importantly, retention in higher
them in exciting research projects. technology to modernize and improve ca- education. It’s not enough to get our kids to
"Our collaboration with NASA Ames has pacity and mobility within the national air- college--FCE is committed to making sure
been extraordinary--the entire agency has space system. The program works to reduce they graduate."
been an advocate for FCE and our students flight delays, improve human performance, For additional information about NASA
for the past two-and-a-half years," said and to develop new aircraft systems and air Ames’ airspace systems program, visit: http:/
Stephanie Wick, FCE’s executive director. traffic management tools. /www.asc.nasa.gov
"The internships set up for our students have Founded in 1995, FCE graduated its first For information about FCE, visit:
been such rich and valuable experiences for high school students in 1999 and now has 37 www.collegefoundation.org
them--truly transforming! We look forward students enrolled in college. Currently, there BY VERONIKA SOUKHOVITSKAYA
to building on the successes of our strong
cross-agency partnership,” she said.
FCE is a non-profit organization that aims
to increase the number of students of color
entering four-year colleges and universities.
Contractor awards ceremony set
The foundation believes that high expecta- On Monday, Oct. 21, the Ames Con- during the week of Sept. 3. If you should
tions lead to high achievement. FCE encour- tractor Council (ACC) will hold its 13th have received the instructions and did not,
ages students to pursue advanced academic annual Contractor Excellence awards cer- then contact the council secretary Marla
courses to ensure they are prepared to at- emony. The council's NASA co-chair, Arcadi at ext. 4-2924 or email her at
tend the nation’s best colleges and universi- Deputy Center Director Nancy Bingham, marcadi@mail.arc.nasa.gov as soon as
ties. FCE offers its students free tutoring, will join contractor co-chair Bob Javinsky possible. Deadline for nominations, which
college coaching, financial aid guidance, in honoring both individuals and teams must have COTR concurrence, is Sept. 25.
academic planning and advising, career ex- for their outstanding contributions to the The council was established in 1987 as
posure and various cultural events and activi- center's mission during fiscal year 2002. a contractor-government forum to ad-
ties. All are invited to the ceremony, which will dress common problems and increase con-
NASA embraces FCE’s mission to pro- be held in the Moffett Training and Con- tractors' ability to respond to the center's
mote college access for students who tradi- ference Center ballroom at 2:00 p.m. changing needs. For more information on
tionally have been underrepresented in higher Nomination forms and instructions the award ceremony, contact Anita
education. "NASA’s involvement in programs were emailed to resident site managers Fogtman at (408) 749-1416.
to provide students with the opportunity for (prime and sub) and grant administrators
higher education is the right thing to do,"
said Frank J. Aguilera, deputy director of
NASA’s Airspace Systems Program. "It is to
our advantage to bring students here now,
as they will be more apt to help us in the
Position description management
future because they have already been to
NASA. We obviously are interested in them
goes live at Ames!
coming back to us," he said. "And the stu- On Aug. 19, the Position Description Human resource specialists will continue
dents’ work is always of good quality." Management (PDM) project module was as consultants to their organizations. Hu-
"I really liked my summer internship at implemented and Ames is now ‘live.’ PDM is
Ames because I learned how actual research- man resources will hold training on PDM in
ers go about their daily work," said FCE intern one of several project modules that is being September and October. Supervisors should
Ajayi Lawrence, who works in the psycho- implemented agencywide in the overall ef- contact Barbara Chenier via e-mail at:
physiology laboratory of Dr. Patricia Cowings. fort to modernize systems and to standardize bchenier@mail.arc.nasa.gov to schedule one
"I also learned what it takes to be a re- the way NASA does business. PDM is a of the following training sessions:
searcher, which is what I would like to be one classification system created and customized
day. I believe this internship will help me to for NASA by Avue Technologies, Inc. This Wednesday, September 25
succeed in college. But even more significant Session 1, 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
is that I learned the importance of being well- IFMP pathfinder project will enable supervi-
rounded," he said. Lawrence noted that one sors, managers, and human resource spe- Session 2, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
highlight of his internship was the opportu- cialists to create properly classified position Thursday, October 24
nity to meet former astronaut Dr. Mae description documents in a consistent and
Jemison, the first African-American woman Session 1, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
faster manner. Session 2, 2:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
to fly in space. During PDM implementation at Ames,
"I liked working at Ames because I learned
new things and met new people," said FCE briefings were held for supervisors and hu- For more information about PDM, visit
student Paulina Hernandez, who works with man resource specialists that included short the Web site at: http://ifmp.arc.nasa.gov
demos of the system.

The Ames Astrogram 10


10 September 2002
Sarah Moody helped hundreds with NASA technology
The Hampton, Va., native who sought with the NASA Johnson Space Center com- children vulnerable to skin cancer. Sarah
out NASA to help her nephew lead a more mercialization office to guide the develop- won her personal bout with cancer, and
normal life passed away in August at the age ment of a new type of cooling suit--a suit that proudly wore an attractive artificial eye. But
of 63. would cool and protect sensitive skin from a new cancer struck suddenly this summer,
In 1987, Sarah "Tootsie" Moody began ultraviolet rays from the sun. The suit in- and she is now gone.
what would become the nationwide cluded a hood that covered the face and Her daughter, Kimberly Urquhart of New
Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (HED) head, gloves and full-length pants that to- Orleans, has taken over the leadership of the
Foundation by calling NASA Langley Re- tally blocked the sun. While wearing the suit HED Foundation. For more information about
search Center, looking for answers from "the and seeing through the built-in visor would the HED Foundation, visit their Web site at:
people that put man on the moon." not make normal children happy, children www.hedfoundation.org.
Her nephew, Stevie Roper of Waynesville, fitted with the suit were delighted with their BY H. KEITH HENRY
N.C., had had a life-threatening episode new-found freedom to go outside during the
while visiting her family in Hampton that hot day. Editors Note: The author works in
summer. Stevie, eight at the time, was born Ironically, it was cancer that took Sarah's the Langley Office of Public Affairs and is
with no sweat glands. His body temperature left eye, shortly after her foundation was a HED Foundation board member.
rose to 105 degrees while riding with one of expanded with the new suits to protect
Sarah's daughters in a non-air conditioned
car. Alarmed, Sarah's daughter stopped the
car, grabbed a hose from a lady watering her
lawn and wet Stevie down to cool him off.
SOLAR available for NASA training
Sarah learned that this sudden need to cool SOLAR, the ‘Site for On-line Learning And sign of several SOLAR Web pages.
down occurred often, which made his life Resources,’ is up and running and available If you are in the process of developing a
difficult. for training centers to design, host, and training course or thinking about developing
Like her daughter that day, Sarah, a life- deliver training courses. There are currently new courses, consider the benefits of Web-
long civic activist, took matters into her own 90 courses hosted in the following disci- based delivery and contact SOLAR.
hands until her death, working to help Stevie plines: ethics, export control, financial and For information about SOLAR training
and other kids born with a condition known resource management, information technol- needs, contact:
as hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED). ogy security, occupational health, and safety Tony Lopez (858) 495-0508
and mission assurance. Mandatory courses, Joe McElwee (202) 358-2158
Other symptoms include little hair, few and such as ITS for Managers 2002, are also
imperfect teeth, and abnormal skin and nails. available. Other courses are in development For content development assistance, con-
In Sarah's mind, NASA would just natu- and will become available in the next couple tact:
rally know what to do. Upon calling NASA of months. Sheila Fogle (256)544-5638
Langley, she was directed to John Samos, An upgrade to the system’s architecture Hector Garcia (256) 544-8301
then head of the technology utilization and allows the system to accommodate up to
applications office. Samos took the chal- 100,000 learners simultaneously. The SOLAR For system help, contact:
lenge and, soon, assistant Thayer Sheets had Release 1.5 this month implements multiple- Help Desk (256) 544-7600
matched a NASA technology with Sarah's user related improvements to the functional Toll Free (866) 419-6297
need. portions of SOLAR as they relate to the Email: solar.support@msfc.nasa.gov
The NASA Ames technology was high- database, usability and user-friendliness. This
lighted in an issue of NASA Spinoff maga- will be primarily accomplished through da- Visit SOLAR’s Web site at: https://
zine, and showed a young Dale Earnhardt tabase redesign activities as well as a rede- solar.msfc.nasa.gov
wearing a cooling vest. The NASCAR driver
relied on the vest, a special application of
NASA space suit technology, to keep from
overheating during his grueling stock car
races.
Sarah contacted the manufacturer of the
‘NASAPeople’ Web page debuts
vest and persuaded them to make a child- Have you ever wanted to know about
sized version for Stevie. Upon receiving the nasapeople.nasa.gov, you will find re-
NASA's Fellowship Program? Ever won- sources and Web-based tools useful for
vest, Stevie's life was changed overnight. dered what the differences are between
Now he could go outside and safely play in NASA's civil servant employees, its manag-
the Federal Employees Group Life Insur- ers and supervisors, the families of em-
the daytime for up to two hours at a time. It ance (FEGLI) and the NASA Employee
worked so well for Stevie that Sarah took a ployees and NASA retirees. Some of these
Benefit Association (NEBA)? Or, do you features include the automated benefits
giant step. She made a personal commit- know where to find the latest develop-
ment to provide as many of the vests as and annuitant calculators, education pro-
ments in the Federal Long-Term Health grams information, and the NASA training
possible to the several thousand kids with Care Insurance Program?
HED in this country. Over the next several schedule. You can also check out the
A new Web site developed by NASA Employee Express Online, Thrift Savings
years, through television appearances and Headquarters' Office of Human Resources
corporate and individual sponsorships, she Plan (TSP) Web site, and explore the many
and Education is now available for you to aspects of NASAJobs.
raised money and provided vests, free of find those answers, and the answers to
charge, to hundreds of 'her kids,' personally A demonstration of this new site will be
many other questions you may have. The held in the Ames Café on Sept. 17, from 11
travelling to present each in the child's home- new site, NASAPeople, has been devel-
town. a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by the display table,
oped to serve as the agency's online gate- view the site and see how easy it is for
In time, Sarah learned that the cooling way to its human resources, training and
vest technology could also help children people to use NASAPeople.
education information. If you have questions, send an e-mail
with other conditions, and her work ex- At this Web site located at: http://
panded. to: nasapeople@mail.arc.nasa.gov.
In one major new effort, Sarah teamed

11
11
The Ames Astrogram September 2002
Exchange sixth annual chili cook-off set for Oct. 10
The Ames Exchange is pleased to an- per officially-entered team (to a maximum of tank event, the Exchange will be conducting
nounce the Sixth Annual Chili Cook-off to be 20 teams) to help defray the costs of prepar- voting for those whom the Ames community
held on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. ing adequate supplies of your recipes to feed would like to see as dunk tank participants.
until 1 p.m. small samples to the potentially hundreds of The voting will take place at Mega Bites
The Exchange has always provided finan- expected attendees. Teams are encouraged through September 30. There is no require-
cial support for this popular employee event, to exercise creativity in recipes, presentation, ment for requested participants to take part,
but has now enthusiastically assumed lead- condiments, team naming and other, re- but we will make every effort to seek their
ership responsibility for organizing and con- lated areas. For information about entering involvement as volunteers. So, stop by and
ducting the event with support from a num- the contest and to submit the required cast your vote for who you would like to see
ber of Ames organizations. paperwork, contact Julia Horner at: in the dunk tanks.
The Chili Cook-off has proven to be wildly jhorner@mail.arc.nasa.gov, or ext. 4-4017. At the event, chili sampling is free for all
popular and successful in the past. We ex- This year’s event will also include a coun- NASA employees, contractors and other on-
pect it to be no different this year, and even try western/swing band, the California Cow- site personnel and visitors. Each taster will be
more popular in the future with the addition boys, line dancing in the street in front of the given the chance to cast their vote for the
of some new wrinkles and entertainment. Ames Café Mega Bites, and a genuine rodeo 'Peoples Choice' award. The other five cat-
We are always open to suggestions from roper. In addition, for a modest fee (and a egory winners will be chosen by a select
employees on what they would like to see signed waiver of responsibility), attendees panel of judges. Trophies will be presented
added. will have the opportunity to ride a mechani- to the winning team in each of the five
All Ames personnel are invited to form cal bull or dunk one of their favorite Ames categories, plus the 'People's Choice' overall
teams, try out their special chili recipes, and 'personalities' in one of two dunk tanks that winner. Prizes are in the form of trophies
compete for trophies in each of six catego- will be set up on site. only; there are no cash prizes for this event.
ries. The Exchange will provide a total of $50 To add a little additional spice to the dunk

Ames fire department participates in firefighter burn relay


The morning calm of Ames Research event, we are giving back to the community To volunteer for fund-raising events and
Center was recently broken by the piercing especially to those who need it the most--the planning efforts for next year's burn relay,
sound of nearly two dozen fire service and children," said Engineer Frasch. "We received contact Captain Bonin or Engineer Farsch at
many compliments for hosting the start or ext. 3-8592. For more information on the
the relay and would be glad to host this every Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation's Champ
photo by Dominic Hart

year." Camp, visit their Web site at: http://


The relay began at the Moffett Field Fire www.aarbf.org/
Station and ended at the SFFD training cen- BY JONAS DINO
ter visiting sixteen
other fire services fa-
cilities along the pen-
insula to pick up dona- Congressman Honda at Ames
tions and more trucks

photo by Dominic Hart


and engines. Truck 6,
the flagship of the de-
partment, represented
NASA and Moffett Field
on the relay.
The Moffett Station
started off the dona-
tions with a check for
$1,000. At the end of
the relay, the burn
foundation was pre-
sented a total of
$155,000. "With the
word getting out to the
Ames community, we
Fire trucks at Moffett Field participating raised $1,000 on very
in the Aug. 20 annual Peninsula short notice with two
Firefighters burn relay. pancake breakfasts.
This year we would like
to do more by getting
highway patrol vehicles. But instead of be- this community more
ing a call of alarm, it was the proud procla- involved throughout
mation of the beginning of an annual mis- the year so we can sup-
sion of good. port this event and
On Aug. 22, Moffett Field hosted the start other worthy causes,"
of the annual Peninsula Firefighters burn said Captain Bonin.
relay to benefit the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Ideas for possible fund-
Foundation's Champ Camp. The week-long raisers this year include
camp provides children a supportive envi- more pancake break- Congressman Mike Honda visited Ames recently to tour the
ronment to help sooth the emotional and fasts, a golf tourna- center aviation and aerospace facilities and hear briefings on
physical pain caused by burn injuries. ment and a fireman's
air traffic management and aviation security.
"It was our pleasure to participate in this ball.

The Ames Astrogram 12


12 September 2002
Former Ames employee Chuck Smith honored
Dr. Charles A. Smith, a former NASA in 1980, conducting helicopter noise and chief of Ames’ Space Technology Division
Ames employee, recently received the 2002 vibration research. He held a variety of tech- (Code AS). Smith's involvement with the SLI
Aerospace Engineer of the Year Award from nical and management positions, including reportedly has "led to great opportunities for
the American Institute of Aeronautics and acting chief of the Aeronautical Technolo- the center in the advanced engineering envi-
Astronautics (AIAA). Smith currently is man- gies Divisions, assistant director of ronment area, in which Ames Codes AS and
ager of the Systems Engineering and Integra- Aerophysics for facilities, and executive as- AP are participating," Arnold said.
tion Office for NASA’s Space Launch Initia- sistant to the center director. He joined Smith received his bachelor’s degree in
tive (SLI), at Marshall Space Flight Center, Marshall in 1999, where he served as deputy aerospace engineering from the University of
Huntsville, Ala. manager of the Systems Engineering and Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1967, and earned
The award recognizes an individual who Integration Office for the Space Launch Ini- master and doctoral degrees in aeronautics
has demonstrated extraordinary technical tiative prior to being named manager. and astronautics from Stanford University. A
skill and leadership in the aerospace engi- "I always respected Chuck for his techni- native of Detroit, Smith now lives in Hunts-
neering profession. Smith received the award cal and managerial expertise in the systems ville with his wife, another former Ames em-
from the Alabama-Mississippi section of the analysis area and for his leadership in several ployee and now an independent contractor,
AIAA. Smith began his NASA career at Ames management positions," said James Arnold, Annette Rodrigues.

Teachers become certified GLOBE trainers at Ames


Teachers and college faculty from around Field. Dr. Jay Skiles, of the Ecosystem Science shared many ideas that they can take back to
the United States became certified trainers and Technology Branch impressed partici- their communities which will maximize the
for the GLOBE (Global Learning and Obser- pants with some of the fascinating projects educational benefit of GLOBE while also con-
vations to Benefit the Environment) program conducted by Ames researchers. "The GLOBE tributing to the scientific research. One of
at a workshop held at NASA Ames. NASA is Train-the-Trainer
the lead agency for this research and educa- workshops are an op-
tion effort which teaches K-12 students to portunity to show-
carefully observe the world around them, case NASA capabili-
collect and analyze scientific information ac- ties and techniques
cording to specific protocols, and submit in remote sensing of
that data to GLOBE's worldwide data archive. the Earth system,"
The graduates of this workshop will train stated Dr. Skiles.
teachers in their own communities to con- "Such workshops are
duct these protocols and implement the also a way of using
GLOBE program in their classrooms. NASA data in ways
The GLOBE program studies hydrology, that will encourage
atmosphere, land cover and soils. Field work educators and their
was part of each day's agenda, spent at local students to explore
sites including Shoreline at Mountain View data sets in the class-
and the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. room that would oth-
NASA Ames manages a GLOBE partner- erwise appear too
ship through its Education Office and con- formidable to ana-
ducts workshops for local teachers. "This lyze."
event will bring new life to
the GLOBE program in the
Bay Area and beyond," said
Bonnie Samuelson, who co-
ordinates the local GLOBE
program. "Collaborating photos by Pat Helton
with Hartnell College in Sali- Bay Area teachers study hydrology as they become trainers for the NASA
nas, we'll be able to offer
Ames GLOBE partnership.
both professional develop-
ment and mentoring for
the many teachers here and
on the central coast who the program's goals is to inspire the
are interested in participat- next generation of explorers. "The
ing in this program." GLOBE program is an excellent way
Samuelson also notes that to teach science to students and to
teachers traveled from Los make teaching and doing science
Angeles and Bakersfield to less intimidating for teachers," of-
attend her weekend work- fered one participant. "Exposing
shop in April on GLOBE's GLOBE trainers to NASA data offers a
soil investigations. means of non-traditional outreach to
Two speakers from the the public. NASA benefits from in-
Earth Science Division were creased use of data and imagery,
featured during the work- interest by the public in the agency,
shop. Dr. Jean Palmer- and potential recruitment of Earth
Moloney, a NASA/ASEE Educators conduct GLOBE soil studies at ‘Shoreline’ in Mountain View. scientists," said Dr. Skiles.
summer faculty fellow, pro-
vided a local environmen- BY GLOBE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
tal context for the workshop by presenting GLOBE colleagues from Michigan to Texas
her research on the baylands around Moffett and from Mississippi to Washington state

13
13
The Ames Astrogram September 2002
NASA Ames to celebrate Hispanic heritage
This year, NASA Ames will commemorate Strength in unity, faith and diversity. ' A series pean influences. Come and enjoy the perfor-
National Hispanic Heritage Month by focus- of events are being sponsored by the His- mance. Admission is free.
ing on the many contributions and extraor- panic Advisory Committee for Employees On Sept. 27, the First Annual Hispanic
dinary accomplishments that men and (HACE) at Ames and the ARC Education Heritage Golf Tournament will be held at the
women of Spanish and Latin American de- Office in collaboration with the San José Tech Moffett Golf Course. Registration will be at
cent have made, and continue to make, as Museum of Innovation. 8:00 am, tee off is at 9:00 am and the format
part of an important component of our On Sept. 17, Latin Folkloric dancers will is best ball.
workforce. perform between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. If you are a golf enthusiast, please come
The center will pay special tribute to in the Ames Mega Bites Café patio area. and join the fun! There are still tee times
these individuals for their continued leader- Folkloric Ballet dance performances are a available. Admission is $55. Contact Eric
ship, dedication, and outstanding service in Mexican tradition, exhibiting indigenous Kristich at ext. 4-5137.
the fields of science, education, business, ritual community settings that reflect Euro-
politics and the arts.
Hispanic Americans are an important part
of our history, politics and culture. Spanish-
speaking people have lived in North America
Hispanic employee outreach
The Hispanic Ad-
for over 500 years and have helped shape our
visory Committee
laws and strengthen our democracy. Dennis
for Employees
Chavez, who served for nearly 30 years as our
(HACE) is one of sev-
first Hispanic U.S. Senator; Federico Pena,
eral employee advi-
former mayor of Denver, who was appointed
sory groups to the
Secretary of Transportation in 1992; Nydia
Equal Opportunity
Velazquez, who became first Puerto Rican
(EO) Programs Of-
woman elected to the U.S. House of Repre-
fice at NASA Ames.
sentatives in 1992; Cesar Chavez who spent
It was founded in
much of his life working to improve health,
1974. Its objective
wages and housing conditions for farm work-
is to assist Ames
ers in Arizona and California; Louis Alvarez
management in
Nobel Prize winner, physics; Severo Ochoa
meeting Hispanic re-
Nobel Prize winner, physiology and medi-
cruitment and re-
cine; and Ellen Ochoa NASA astronaut and
tention goals, providing community sup- Above: Edison-McNair NASA rocket club
former NASA Ames branch chief, are only a
port for Hispanics as well as promoting student Juan José, (second from left),
few of many prominent Hispanic Americans
activities that educate and demonstrate demonstrates a model of the space shuttle.
in public service, science and space explora- A fellow student (left) looks on, along with
how Hispanics can enrich the workplace.
tion programs. Chad Fishbein, (third from left) of the
One of the outreach programs is the
This year's theme for National Hispanic Education Associates Program and Mark
Edison-McNair NASA Rocket Club, which
Heritage Month is 'Hispanic Americans: Leon of Code D (far right).
was initiated by Mark Leon in 1990 at the
request of NASA Ames in response to heavy
Fitness Center Monthly 5K Run or 2 gang and drug-related violence. It has
Mile Walk/Run: September 17, meet out- been sponsored by HACE and various tech-
side the Fitness Center (building 221) nical organizations from Ames for 10 out of
before the 12:00 noon start. No cost. 13 years. Many of the HACE members
POC: Nancy Dunagen, ext. 4-5804. mentor the students throughout the year.
It focuses on teaching middle school stu-
dents the fundamentals of rocketry. Stu-
dents move through five level's of advance-
ment by building rockets from kits and raw
Fall Exchange materials. The students are paid NASA
‘Rocket Bucks’ for answering NASA ques-
sale at Ames tions correctly. These Rocket Bucks are then
The Ames Exchange is holding an used to buy rocket kits, engines and other
inventory reduction sale during the month supplies need to build their rockets. Typi-
of September for its two gift shops, Be- cally, a few students actually enter into
yond Galileo (Bldg. N235) and the Visitor science competitions. To date, over 300
Center (Bldg. 223). Some of the special students have participated in the NASA
savings you will find include 40 percent rocket club in East Palo Alto.
off all jewelry and polo shirts. Additional Members from HACE are active partici-
special sales can be found at each loca-
tion. This sale applies to stock on hand pants in community outreach programs,
only. minority organizations, college recruiting
The gift shop hours at Beyond Galileo activities, and other activities. Member- Juan José demonsrates a flight model of
are from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday- ship is open to any Ames employee. Meet- the space shuttle.
Friday. At the Visitor Center, the hours are ings are usually held the first Thursday of
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday- the month in Bldg. N255, room 101C.
Friday. Everyone interested is welcome to attend.

The Ames Astrogram 14


14 September 2002
The Hispanic Advisory Committee for Excellence
Event Calendar Ames Diabetics (AAD), 1st & 3rd Weds, 12 noon to
1 p.m., at Ames Mega Bites, Sun rm. Support group
HACE Mtg, every first Thursday of the month in N255 room
101C from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. POC: Eric Kristich at
Ames Amateur Radio Club, third Thursday of each discusses news affecting diabetics. POC: Bob Mohlenhoff, ext. 4-5137 and Mark Leon at ext. 4-6498.
month, 12 noon, N-T28 (across from N-255). POC: Michael ext. 4-2523/email at: bmohlenhoff@mail.arc.nasa.gov. Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 p.m. to 1,
Wright, KG6BFK, at ext. 4-6262. N-269/Rm. 179. POC: Cathy Payne at ext. 4-0003.
Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) Mtg, third
Ames Ballroom Dance Club. Classes meet Tuesdays. Wednesday of ea. month, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., Bldg. 19, Rm Model HO/HOn3 Railroad Train Club at Moffett
Begin classes start at 6:15 p.m. Higher-level class meets at 1042. Info: http://www.afeu.org. POC: Marianne, ext. 4-4055.
Field, Bldg. 126, across from south end of Hangar One. Work
5:15 p.m. Held in Bldg. 944, the Rec. Center. POC: Helen Ames Model Aircraft Club, flying radio-controlled aircraft nights: usually Friday nights, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Play
Hwang, hwang@dm1.arc.nasa.gov. at the north end of Parsons Ave. on weekend mornings. POC: time: Sundays, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. John Donovan (408) 735-4954
Mark Sumich, ext. 4-6193. (W) or (408) 281-2899 (H).
Ames Bowling League, Palo Alto Bowl on Tuesday
nights. Seeking full-time bowlers and substitutes. Pre-league Ames Sailing Club Mtg, second Thursday of each Nat'l Association of Retired Federal Employees,
meeting at Palo Alto Bowl on Tues, August 28 at 6 p.m. month, 11.30 a.m. -1 p.m. POC: Diane Purcell ext.4-3232. (NARFE), 1st Fri. of ea. month. Join to protect your fed.
Questions to sign up: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132. Check Web site for monthly calender of events, http:// retirement. Sept. 6, S. J. Chptr #50. HomeTown Buffet, 2670
sail.arc.nasa.gov El Camino, S. Clara, 11 a.m. lunch $6.70, 12 noon spkr on
Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Mtg, "Rep's of League of Women Voters will explain Nov. Ballot."
every other Thursday (check web site for meeting dates: Environmental, Health and Safety Information Forum, POC Earl Keener (408) 241-4459 or NARFE 1-800-627-3394.
http://accc.arc.nasa.gov), 12 noon to 2 p.m., N-269, Rm. first Thursday of each month, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Bldg. 19/
201. POC: Joan Walton, ext 4-2005. Rm 1040. URL: http://q.arc.nasa.gov/qe/events/EHSseries/ Native American Advisory Committee Mtg, fourth
POC: Julie Quanz at ext. 4-6810. Tues each month, 12 noon to 1 p.m., Bldg. 19, Rm
Ames Contractor Council Mtg, first Weds ea. mon, 11
a.m., N-200, Comm. Rm. POC: Paul Chaplin, ext. 4-3262. 1096. POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Ames Classifieds
Ads for the next issue should be sent to
Maple futon frame folds in half in sofa position, slides
down into double bed. Curved arm rests. Perfect for den/
guest room. Includes free futon! $75 or B/O. Elizabeth
Exchange Information
astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov by the first Friday following publica- (650) 218-7673. Information about products, services and oppor-
tion of the present issue and must be resubmitted for each issue.
Water dispenser, 2 spigots: room temp and ice cold.
tunities provided to the employee and contractor
Ads must involve personal needs or items; (no commercial/third- community by the Ames Exchange Council. Visit
party ads) and will run on a space-available basis only. First-time $40. Men's golf club set w/bag and cart. $75. Men's golf the web site at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov
ads are given priority. Ads must include home phone numbers; shoes, black, size 12B. $10. Call (650) 968-4624.
Ames extensions and email addresses will be accepted for carpool
and lost and found ads only. Due to the volume of material
Twin bed including black, metal headboard, bed Beyond Galileo N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
frame and box spring. In excellent condition. Call for pics. ext. 4-6873
received, we are unable to verify the accuracy of the statements
$45. Call (408) 295-2160 .
made in the ads. Caveat emptor! Ask about NASA customized gifts for special
Newer Healthrider model aerobics machine in occasions. Make your reservations for Chase Park.
Housing excellent condition. $30. Call (650) 938-6546.
Wanted: French research scientist being assigned to Rattan medium brown color dining table set w/oval Mega Bites N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
work at Ames for a year around Sept. 1. He, his wife and glass table top (65 x 42 3/8" thick) and four cushioned ext. 4-5969
two small children need 2 (pref. 3) bdrms w/some open swivel chairs w/arms. $250 or B/O. Shirley (408) 777-0277.
area for the children, convenient to Ames & shopping. See daily menu at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov
Wooden swing and detached fort, slide and rope
Limit $1,800/mo. Irv (650) 960-6003 or (650) 966-1364.
ladder play structure with many hours of play time left in
Wonderful coastal listing in Moss Beach, Ca. 3 bd/ them. Free. Dave (650) 588-5692. Visitor Center Gift Shop N-223
2ba, large family room loft w/built in bookshelves and lots
Tanning beds, exc. condition. Vee (408) 923-5138. (10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412
of storage. Coastal bike, horse trail nearby. Beautiful
hrdwood floors, wood burning stove, huge master bdrm, Sailboat 1/4 partnership. 25' Pacific Seacraft in Fort NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, gifts
gd size other bdrms. Large laundry rm. Large corner lot Mason marina (San Francisco). $3,500 or B/O. Email and educational items.
close to 1/4 acre all flat. His/her garages. 21 mls south of silvanopc@yahoo.com or (415) 826-3041.
San Francisco. $734,000. Sandy (408) 499-2708. Tickets, etc...(N-235, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Credenza/hutch, 20in x 30in x 46in, beautiful honey-
For rent: 4 bd/2ba house, W. San José, $2,089/mo. laquer finish, exc. condition, $350, Call (650) 473-0604. ext. 4-6873
1063 Wilmington Way. Quiet street. Fruit trees. Near
Wanted: Ping-Pong table in good condition. Deanna Check web site for discounts to local attractions,
schools, outdoor track & sports, shopping facilities. Interest
(408) 260-1180. http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov and click on tickets.
on security deposit. Avail 8/1. Call (408) 788-9770 or Sept. 8, Mamma Mia; Sept. 28, SF Giants
(408) 996-0837 or email conradg@sprynet.com. Baby Trend Caravan Light tandem double stroller.
Dark blue with white dot print. Complete with canopies
I’m looking for rent/or rent-to-own 3 bdrm house in
and attachments for baby carrier. Very good condition. NASA Lodge (N-19) 603-7100
Mtn. View area. Email: falcon7777_2000@yahoo.com
$100 or B/O. Call (650) 255-3377. Open 7 days a week, 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Rates
Northern California Retirement Living under Mount from $40 - $50.
House-sitting services available for Moffett/South Bay
Lassen: 15+ acres of pines and cedar, approx. 3,000 ft.
area. $20/day. Pets, plants, mail, etc., included. Reliable,
elevation, 1,700+ sq ft house plus Grandpa house, shop,
deeded 4 miner‚s inches of water, trout pond, and much
experienced, 29 year-old female. Call (650) 248-5755. Vacation Opportunities
Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley Townhse, 3bd/2ba,
more. Call (530) 474-1050 or (530) 474-1176. Transportation Balcony view, horseback riding, hiking,
Share 2bd/2ba condo in Mtn. View, with single biking, golf, river rafting, tennis, ice skating,
employed female (owner). 1.5 miles from Cal train. Nice ‘85 CRX Honda 5 speed, excellent condition, $1,900
and more. Equipped. Summer rates. Call
architecture and garden, W/D, pool, spa. $600/mo. only. Vee (408) 923-5138. (650) 968-4155, DBMcKellar@aol.com
includes utilities (except long distance phone calls). Bonnie ‘87 Corolla Toyota, automatic, excellent condition,
at bharvey873@aol.com or at (650) 968-6685. $1,600 only. Vee (408) 923-5138. South Lake Tahoe Cottage w/wood fireplace
and hot tub. Rates from $50 to $130 per
For rent: spacious, cozy 2 bd/1ba dplx in the Mini motor-home, self-contained. 109K mls on '87 night. Call (650) 967-7659 or (650) 704-7732.
Moorland school area of w. San José. Close to Westgate, Ford Econoline engine. $8,900 or B/O. Runs great. Nds
nice family neighbrhd, 1 car garage, fenced yard, some body work. silvanopc@yahoo.com or call (415) 826- Vacation rental, Bass Lake CA 14 mls south of
convenient to HW 280 and 85. Owner occupied, newly 3041. Yosemite. 3bd/1.5 ba, TV, VCR, MW, frplc,
renovated, security system, new dishwasher, W/D, high BBQ, priv. boat dock. Sleeps 8. $1,050/wk. Call
speed internet access incl. $1,395/mo. First and last; no ‘91 Ford F150, Fuel Injected 4.9L, 6 cylinder. Short (559) 642-3600 or (650) 390-9668.
deposit; no pets, N/S. Avail. 10/31. Call (408) 517-1054. bed, manual transmission. Good cond. Excellent
mechanical cond. 3,800. Mike (408) 530-0647. Big Sur vacation rental, secluded 4bd/2ba
Miscellaneous ‘91 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0 6cyl, drk blue, Rancho house in lovely canyon setting. Fully eqpd
suspension lift, Mickey Thompson tires, chrome bumpers, kitchen. Access to priv. beach. Tub in patio
Baby bed for sale. Asking $150 mattress included. gdn. Halfway between Carmel & Big Sur.
Excellent condition. Call (408) 859-2812. flow master exhaust, 77K mls, CD, CB radio, proximity
$175/night for 2; $225 for 4 and $250 for more,
alarm, cover, exc. cond. $7,500. Tim (408) 406-8242. plus $150 cleaning dep. Call (650) 328-4427.
Graco Play and Pac w/bassinet, navy/white, like new,
$60. Also, Graco Jumper Bumper, like new, $30. Call (408) ‘93 Saturn SL1 4 Dr, 95K mls, 5-speed, AC, sun-roof,
734-3477. driver-side airbag, recent tires, CD player, green. Perfect Incline Village: Forest Pines, Lake Tahoe condo,
student car. $2,600 or B/O. Tom (650) 326-5337. 3 bd/2 ba, sleeps 8. Fireplc, TV/VCR, MW,
Black Honda civic LX 1997, excellent condition, W/D, jacuzzi, sauna, pool. $120/night low season;
automatic, includes A/C, CD, approx. 52K mls, Retail SP: ‘95 Audio 90 sports sedan, forest green, looks good $155/night high season. $90 cleaning fee and
10,600. Asking for 9,500 or B/O. Call (408) 772-5121. with 160K mls, CD changer, power moon roof, auto trans, 12% Nevada room tax. Charlie (650) 366-1873.
$4,500 or B/O. Dave (415) 759-5248.
Looking for Mandarin speaking person for part time Tahoe Donner vacation home, 2 bd/2ba. trees,
after school care, M-F, for 3 elementary school children, ‘99 Explorer XLT, Loaded, 4dr 4WD, one owner, 100K deck, sun, fun. Access to pools, spa, golf,
Sept 2002-June 2003. Must have car. Call (650) 906-8223. mls, extended warranty, recent 60K service, 60K mostly horseback riding, $280 wkend, $650 week. Call
highway, $16.9K or B/O. Call (650) 906-5994. (408) 739-9134.
San José Sharks tickets available for many games. If
interested, call (408) 735-0524.

15
15
The Ames Astrogram September 2002
OPM establishes
Astronomy lecture series kick off disability web site
NASA Ames, Foothill The Office of Personnel Management
College, the SETI
(OPM) has recently established a new dis-
ability employment Web site. The site will
Institute and the
facilitate implementation of President Bush’s
Astronomical Society of ‘New freedom initiative,’ increasing oppor-
the Pacific will kick-off tunities for people with disabilities in all
the fourth season of areas. Additionally, it will be a tremendous
the popular Astronomy resource for applicants, managers and hu-
Lecture Series with a man resource professionals.
non-technical program NASA’s Office of Equal Opportunity Pro-
on October 9 featuring grams (OEOP) will be establishing a link on
Dr. Leo Blitz, UC the OEOP home page to the OPM Web site;
Berkeley, discussing the sharing information with various disability
formation of our Milky organizations and educational institutions in
Way Galaxy. It formed, OEOP research and internship programs;
Blitz will reveal, by and including an announcement on NASA
'cannibalizing' nearby Television. The site is located at: http://
stars and cosmic raw
www.opm.gov/disability
material. The talk
begins at 7 p.m. at Ames Public Radio & Phone
Foothill's Smithwick 1700 KHz AM radio -- information
Auditorium. Admission announcements and emergency instructions, when
is free, but attendees appropriate, for Ames employees. The emergency
information phone number for Ames is (650) 604-9999.
are advised to bring
eight quarters for
parking. Five
additional lectures will Astrogram deadlines
occur in this year’s All Ames employees are invited to submit
series. articles relating to Ames projects and activities for
publication in the Astrogram. When submitting
stories or ads for publication, submit your mate-
rial, along with any questions, in MS word by e-
mail to: astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov on or be-
fore the deadline.
Deadline: Publication:
Sept. 25 Oct. 2002
Oct. 30 Nov. 2002

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The Ames Astrogram is an official publication


of Ames Research Center, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Managing Editor.......................David Morse


Editor.......................................Astrid Terlep

We can be reached via email at:


astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov or by phone
PLEASE RECYCLE at (650) 604-3347
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The Ames Astrogram 16 September 2002

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