astr gram · 2013. 6. 27. · horne report card for financial reporting since inception of the...

The Ames Astrogram — 1December 6, 1999

Astr gramNATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AMES RESEARCH CENTER, MOFFETT FIELD

THE AMESAstr gram

Communication for the information technology age

December 6, 1999 on-line at: http://ccf.arc.nasa.gov/dx/

NASA has been honored with the first-ever “Certificate in Excellence in Account-ability Reporting” by the Association ofGovernment Accountants (AGA) in recog-nition of the Agency’s exemplary perfor-mance in the preparation, issuance andtimeliness of its accountability report.

To receive the award, NASA’s reporthad to meet stringent requirements con-cerning the complete and fair presentationof audited financial statements, perfor-mance information about NASA’s programsand activities, as well as issues concerninginternal controls, audits and other data.

NASA and the Social Security Adminis-tration were the only two federal agenciesout of the government’s 24 largest agen-cies so honored by the AGA. The extremelyrigorous award process included thoroughreviews by a panel of experts, as well as arequirement that the Agency receive an“unqualified” opinion on its financial state-ments. An “unqualified” opinion providesassurance that the statements present fairly,in all material respects, the financial posi-tion of the agency.

The two agencies were honored duringa ceremony held Nov. 3 at the Library ofCongress. NASA Administrator Daniel S.Goldin accepted the award on behalf of theagency.

“Whether it is sending robots to Mars,flying the Space Shuttle or managing amulti-billion dollar investment in America’sfuture--it requires the accountability of allemployees to ensure that we produce whatwe say we’re going to produce for theAmerican taxpayers,” Goldin said. “AtNASA, we are honored to be a part ofAmerican’s investment for tomorrow. TheAGA award reflects well on the entire NASAteam.”

“I can’t think of adequate words thatcan express how proud I am of NASA andhow proud I am of each and everyone ofour team who contributed to this success,”said NASA’s Chief Financial Officer ArnoldG. Holz, who attended the award ceremonywith the NASA administrator and severalother NASA officials. “NASA has achievedthe highest possible financial statementaudit ratings for five consecutive years bythe NASA Inspector General and by theArthur Andersen company. Also, we havereceived straight ‘A’s’ on the CongressmanHorne report card for financial reportingsince inception of the report card process,”Holtz said.

“Receiving the AGA award is yet an-other great achievement by our Chief Fi-nancial Officer (CFO) community and staffsand the entire NASA management team.Our professionalism has been reinforcedyet again,” Holtz said.

“This is the fifth year in a row that wehave demonstrated that our financial man-agement controls have been executed incompliance with approved accounting pro-cedures,” said Ames Chief Financial OfficerLewis Braxton III. “We’re the only federalagency that I’m aware of that has demon-strated this capability five years in a row.”

The Association of Government Ac-counts established the award program inconjunction with the federal Chief Finan-

NASA receives top “accountability reporting” award

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

cial Officer’s council. The council’s goal isto recognize federal agencies that haveachieved excellence in the preparation, is-suance and timeliness of accountability re-ports. The AGA is an 18,500-memberprofessional association devoted to meet-ing the professional education needs offinancial managers at all levels of govern-ment.

NASA’s 1998 accountability report isavailable on the web at: http://i f m p . n a s a . g o v / c o d e b / l i b r a r y /1998AccountabilityReport.pdf

Ames’ 1998 annual report is availableat: http://cfo.arc.nasa.gov/

continued on back page

FutureFlight Central, the world’s firstfull-scale virtual airport control tower, willopen on Monday, Dec. 13, at Ames. Aribbon-cutting ceremony will be held start-ing at 9 a.m.

FutureFlight Central is designed to test— under realistic airport conditions andconfigurations — ways to combat poten-tial air and runway traffic problems at com-mercial airports. Facility tours, featuringlive demos of air traffic controllers andpilots interacting with a real-time simula-tion of San Francisco International Airport,will be conducted following the ceremony.

“NASA’s FutureFlight Central is a world-class research facility dedicated to address-ing the future needs of the nation’s air-ports,” said Ames Center Director HenryMcDonald. “This facility will allow NASA,the FAA and their research partners toexamine ways to increase the flow of air-craft through the national airspace systemsafely, efficiently and under all weatherconditions.”

Among the invited guests to the rib-bon-cutting ceremony are NASA Adminis-trator Daniel S. Goldin, Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) Administrator JaneGarvey, state and local legislators, and ahost of top officials from government, in-dustry and academia.

FutureFlight Central will permit inte-gration of tomorrow’s technologies in arisk-free simulation of any airport, airfield,and tower cab environment. The facilityprovides an opportunity for airlines to miti-

NASA’S new virtual airport controltower opens at Ames

gate passenger delays by fine tuning air-port hub operations, gate managementand ramp movement procedures. It alsoallows airport managers an opportunity tostudy the effects of various improvementsat their airport. Finally, it enables air trafficcontrollers to provide input and becomefamiliar with new airport operations andtechnologies before construction is com-pleted.

Real people interact in the live-actionsimulation just as in a real airport. Up to 12air traffic controllers in the tower cab are indirect communication through a simulatedradio and phone system with pilots andramp controllers at stations on the firstfloor.

“We can accurately simulate any air-port in the world,” said Nancy Dorighi,FutureFlight Central facility manager. “Thethree-dimensional visual model of an air-port is viewed out the 360-degree win-dows of the tower cab. The visual scene,along with specific airport traffic patterns,fleet mix and procedures, makes this a verycredible operational testbed.”

It is anticipated that airports, airlinesand researchers will want to look primarilyat the feasibility, safety, reliability and costbenefits of technologies prior to incorpo-rating them into airports. In addition,testing will provide information that mayassist in developing proposed changes toairport ground procedures and the con-struction of new airport facilities. “This is a

2 — The Ames Astrogram December 6, 1999

Minnie Mouse tied for the “cutest” prizecategory with a fairy.Frankenstein couple won the prize for scariest costume.

Eerie looking folks entered the AmesExchange’s Halloween contest

When I told my friends where I wasworking this summer, I got a familiar re-sponse. "Whoa, you're working at NASAAmes?"

Yes, I've had the good fortune of work-ing in the Development and Communica-tion office as a public affairs intern throughthe education associates program.

One of the highlights of my job has beenworking on the Speakers Bureau program,(SBP). This outreach program is designedto inform and educate the public aboutAmes' activities and projects. Civic groups,schools, professional organizations and clubsare a few of the many entities interested inlearning more about Ames. Upon requestfrom these groups, I looked for an appropri-ate speaker with the expertise to talk on thedesired topic. Agreeing to speak, however,is voluntary which can make it difficult to fillevery request. Nonetheless, the program isvery successful. We're grateful to all whohave participated in the program. Thistremendous service to the community isappreciated and wouldn't be possible with-out your support.

In fact, I have taken the opportunitymyself to speak with children about Ames,having worked on this program. As a child,I can still remember when guest speakersvisited my school to speak. Now the tables

have been turned, and I'm especially proudto be sharing news with others about Ames.

In retrospect, I have learned a lot. Inparticular, this program has shown me thatthere is more to this Center than remark-able accomplishments in research and tech-nology. During the conclusion of my pre-

An intern's reflection on a summer at Ames

Jason Miller,(top row, second from right), former intern at Ames, poses with elementarychildren at their school during their space week event. Miller was a summer intern who isnow back in full-time study at San Luis Obispo.

BY JASON MILLER

sentation to the children, I reminded themthat it takes thousands of people to sendastronauts up into space, and I've foundthat it takes class 'A' people to produce theclass 'A' work.

Lighter Side of Ames

Masked and costumed funlovers made the Exchangeparty a huge success.


Jill Willard (Code JAI) and Deb Glass(Code JAZ) were recently recognized bytheir peers for their achievements and ac-

The Lettermen sing Ames’ praises

David Morse, Chief, Communication Office (far left) and Jeff Cross (far right) speak with the Lettermen singers inside the GravitationalBiology Research Facility during their recent visit to the Center. The Lettermen (left to right: Darren Dowle, Donovan Tea and TonyButala) serenaded visitors with a spectacular impromptu rendition of the Star Spangled Banner in Hangar One.

BY MARIE DORISH

Kaufhardt peer awards presentedcomplishments at an annual ceremony onSeptember 30. Willard and Glass werepresented with the Leslie A. Kaufhardt Peer

phot

o by

Ast

rid

Ter

lep

award for their contributions to the Agency,their branches, the JA division, and otherCenter personnel and customers.

Willard was recognized for her contri-butions as an active participant in supportof Agency and division acquisition initia-tives, particularly in the consolidated con-tracting initiative and in performance basedcontracting, as well as for her contributionsto continual improvement within the divi-sion. In addition, she has been a mentorand back-up for other branch personnelproviding expert guidance and assistance.

Glass was recognized for her support tothe Agency and division goals in addition toher many contributions to Code JAZ and itscustomers. In addition to her extremelyheavy workload, Glass is actively participat-ing in the NASA Acquisition Internet Sys-tem (NAIS) team and sub-teams, which aredeveloping procedures for conducting elec-tronic procurements for the Agency.

The award winners have contributed toimproved performance, efficiency, andmorale, which has strengthened relation-ships within the division and with otherdirectorates.

Jill Willard (left) and Deb Glass (right) following their recent recognition ceremony.

Awards & Visits


News from Ames & Around the Agency

Ames Director Dr. Henry McDonald andSan José State University President Dr. Rob-ert Caret signed a memorandum of under-standing recently to establish a partnershipthat officials believe will have a major im-pact on the economic and social develop-ment of Silicon Valley.

Ames and San José State University willwork together to plan future R&D, technol-ogy commercialization and education part-nerships at Ames Research Center's NASAResearch Park, according to the terms of theagreement.

"Our goal is to develop a world-class,shared-use R&D campus by partnering withindustry, academia and nonprofits in theNASA Research Park," McDonald said. "I amdelighted to form this partnership with SanJosé State University to conduct joint re-search in cutting-edge technologies and todevelop new ideas to improve the region'seducation infrastructure.”

"Partnerships between business, gov-ernment and education are going to beabsolutely crucial to our future," Caret said."This partnership is an example of where weare headed in the next century." he said.

"We have planning MOUs with the Uni-versity of California at Santa Cruz, StanfordUniversity and Foothill-DeAnza Commu-nity College for R&D collaborations andeducational programs at the NASA ResearchPark," said Ames' Chief of Development andCommunication Michael Marlaire. "San JoséState University is an outstanding partner in

NASA fuels land mine removal effortswith Thiokol

The same rocket fuel that helps powerthe Space Shuttle as it thunders into orbitwill now be taking on a new--perhaps sur-prising--role, with the potential to benefitmillions of people worldwide. Leftover rocketfuel from NASA is being used to make a newflare that destroys land mines where theywere buried, without using explosives. Theflare was developed by Thiokol Propulsionin Brigham City, UT, the NASA contractorthat designs and builds rocket motors forthe Space Shuttle.

Astronomers find evidence of firstplanet orbiting a pair of stars

Astronomers have found evidence ofthe first known planet orbiting a pair ofstars. Previously, planets have been foundcircling only single stars.

The Microlensing Planet Search (MPS)project, led by David Bennett and Sun HongRhie of the University of Notre Dame, SouthBend, IN, used a technique called gravita-tional microlensing that may have revealeda planet about three times the mass ofJupiter orbiting a binary star system. Theresearchers, who are supported by NASA'sAstronomical Search for Origins Program,the National Science Foundation (NSF) andthe Research Corporation, reported theirresults in the November 4 issue of “Nature.”

Gravitational lensing is based on a prop-erty first noted by Albert Einstein in the1930s. When an object such as a star orplanet moves in front of a more distant star,the gravity of this star or planet serves as a"lens," magnifying the light from the distantstar and making it appear brighter.

X-43 hypersonic flight researchvehicle delivered

The world's first hypersonic air-breath-ing, free-flight vehicle is no longer just apaper airplane. The first of three experi-mental vehicles, designated X-43A, recentlyarrived at NASA's Dryden Flight ResearchCenter, Edwards, CA, to prepare for flight inMay 2000. Flight of the X-43 vehicles willbe the culmination of over 20 years ofscramjet (supersonic combustible ramjet)research and the first time a non-rocketengine has powered vehicles at hypersonicspeeds.

Built by Micro Craft, Inc., Tullahoma,TN, for NASA's Hyper-X program, the 12-foot-long, unpiloted X-43 vehicles will sig-nificantly expand the boundaries of air-breathing aircraft.

Three flights are planned --two at Mach7 and one at Mach 10. The flight tests willbe conducted within the western test rangeoff the coast of southern California.

Center Briefsthe areas of education and workforce devel-opment, technology commercialization,disaster assistance and information tech-nology research," he said.

"The partners will work with local col-leges, such as Foothill-DeAnza and the Na-tional Hispanic University, to develop theworkforce of tomorrow with an emphasison underrepresented minority groups," saidDr. Nabil Ibrahim, San José State Universityassociate vice president. "We will providehands-on world-class education and train-ing with some of the valley's pre-eminenthigh technology companies at the NASAResearch Park.”

Collaborations will include the develop-ment of K-12 science, math, engineeringand technology programs, development ofa teacher institute, and graduate, creden-tial and extended education programs. Theagreement envisions developing informa-tion technology for disaster research andapplication, including satellite remote sens-ing, signal processing and instrumentation.The two organizations will also collaboratein research involving human factors andinformation science.

Ames is NASA's leader in informationtechnology, astrobiology and aerospaceoperations systems.

San José State University is among thestate's top 10 organizations receiving mon-etary awards from NASA, having received$4.6 million in 1996.


New partnership to havemajor economic impact

Sixteen Ames researchers and manag-ers have been elected Associate Fellows ofthe American Institute of Aeronautics andAstronautics (AIAA). Associate Fellows areindividuals of distinction who have madenotable and valuable contributions to thearts, sciences, or technology of aeronauticsor astronautics.

“I am delighted that so many of ourtechnical staff are being recognized fortheir contributions to the profession” saidL.S. “Skip” Fletcher, Ames’ Director of Aero-space and a past president of the AIAA.

Ames’ new AIAA Associate Fellowselected are: Edward W. Aiken, William E.Berry, Nancy F. Bingham, Matthew W. Blake,John W. Boyd, Douglas G. Fletcher, StevenM. Green, Robert J. Hansen, G. ScottHubbard, Stephen B. Margolis, Grant E.Palmer, James C. Ross, Jeffery A. Schroeder,Tim C. Tam, Joseph J. Totah, and RichardZelenka. David P. Olynick, formerly ofAmes, also was elected an AIAA AssociateFellow.

The new Ames AIAA Associate Fellows

are part of a group of 184 individuals electedfor the year 2000. The new AIAA AssociateFellows will be honored at an awards dinneron Monday, January 10, 2000, at the 38thAIAA Aerospace Sciences meeting and ex-hibit in Reno, Nevada.

Ames employees elected AIAAassociate fellows


Russell L. Hiserman died on Octo-ber 5. He was 89 years old. He retiredfrom Ames, where he worked as aphotographer, 20 years ago . Hisermanhad received a NASA award for hiswork on the Apollo space program.

Hiserman is survived by his wife of68 years, Ruth; a daughter, Betty SueNaegele; and four grandchildren andfour great-grandchildren.

In Memoriam


Ames Happenings

The NASA “SuperGuppy” was hererecently to pick up a payload fromLockheed Martin for a trip down to theLockheed Martin “skunkworks” facility inPalmdale, CA. The unusual-looking propaircraft was originally designed to haulrocket boosters.

The SuperGuppy is a modified Boeing377 turbo prop cargo aircraft, the first of

photo by Tom Reddy

Boeing's commercial prop poweredcargo planes. Smaller than a Boeing747, but bigger than a C-130, theaircraft is based at Johnson Space Cen-ter. The aircraft was piloted by Arthur"A.C." Beall of San Mateo. TheSuperGuppy is due to return soon toAmes to have a new landing gear in-stalled.

“SuperGuppy” pays Ames a visit

Col. Eileen Collins, Jeff Ashby and Michel Tognini from the STS-93 crew were at Amesrecently attending technical briefings and training on the VMS.

photo by Astrid Terlep

Gift shop saleThe NASA Ames Exchange Gift

Shop is offering a 15% discount to allbadged NASA employees! Each Mon-day through December 27, stop bythe gift shop and receive a 15% dis-count off any purchase. Just in time tooutfit everyone on your Christmas listin NASA attire. For more information,call Mary Ventura at ext. 4-5412.

Ames' 60thanniversary

Mark your calendars for the biggestparty of the new millennium on Saturday,January 29, 2000, when Ames celebrates its60th anniversay.

All current, former and retired Amesemployees, both civil servants and contrac-tors, are invited to attend the festive cel-ebration to be held at the Stanford FacultyClub in Palo Alto. Among the 275 guests atthe anniversary party, it is anticipated thatthere will be representatives from NASAHeadquarters, private industry, and localand state government agencies.

The celebration will begin with a recep-tion at 6:00 p.m.with hors d'oeuvres and ano-host bar. Dinner will be served from7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., followed by a programcelebrating Ames' proud history. Jack Boyd,executive assistant to the Center director,will present a history of Ames, featuring anew video highlighting Ames' numerousaccomplishments during the past 60 years.Boyd will also introduce Russ Robinson, aretired former Ames Director of Aeronau-tics. Robinson, who participated in groundbreaking ceremonies for Ames on Dec. 20,1939, will be followed by a video introduc-tion of each of the 12 members of the AmesHall of Fame.

Former Ames Center Director Dr. HansMark will be the evening's keynote speakerand will introduce two new Ames Fellows.Ames Center Director Dr. Henry McDonaldwill then offer some insights into the futureof Ames. The party will conclude with danc-ing to the sounds of a live big band from 9p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tickets are $65 per person and are closeto sell out. The event is a black tie optionalaffair. For ticket information, contact SheilaJohnson at ext. 4-5054 or send her an emailto: [email protected].

STS-93 crew visits Ames


Come to the Ames Ballroom Dance Club(ABDC) holiday party and bring your friends.Get your tickets now from Kathy Sablan inbldg 240, room 201-A, or mail your checkto her at mail stop 240-10. Admission is$10 per person for non-members of ABDCand free for members. Make checks payableto the Ames Ballroom Dance Club.

Skyline College is gearing up for the20th annual “Expanding Your Horizons inMath and Science” conference. This con-ference is held every year with the goal ofexposing 6th-12th grade young women toa variety of careers using math and/or sci-ence. The girls who attend the conferenceparticipate in three hands-on workshopsthroughout the day. The workshops arepresented by talented and dedicated womenwho use some sort of math or science intheir career. We expect to have about1,000 young women attend this year's con-ference. The women come with a widerange of interests from "science is my favor-ite subject" to "I hate school." After theconference, the "I hate school" group oftentells us about changing their minds andlooking forward to trying harder in school!

Workshops in previous years have in-cluded veterinarians (usually a dog servesas the subject); doctors (do mock check-

Special Events

This holiday season promises somespecial added cheer as the NASA AmesExchange is offering tickets to the SanJosé Cleveland Ballet's version of theclassic tale, The Nutcracker.

Join us Thursday, December 9 at7:30 p.m., at The San José Center forthe Performing Arts.

Tickets are on sale for $29 at theNASA Ames Gift shop, Ames Café andthe Ames Exchange office.

For more information, contact JodiNeal at ext. 4-0818.

Skyline College needs presentersups, read x-rays); and biotech professionalsdoing DNA fingerprinting, making root beerand yogurt. In addition, there are environ-mental workshops such as exposing ofhazardous wastes; water pollution; house-hold chemistry; computer workshops--work-ing the internet; computer animations;engineering; math; life science--marine bi-ology, plants, dissections, bugs; police sci-ence--fingerprint analysis; lawyers--mocktrials, use of biological evidence, and manymore.

We are looking for presenters for thisyear's conference. If you are a woman whouses math or science in your career andwould like to be a role model and inspira-tion to young women, contact the authorat (650) 738-4250 or email her [email protected]. The confer-ence date is March 18, 2000.

BY SHARI SNITOVSKY

Nutcrackertickets on sale

Event: Ames Ballroom Dance Club Holiday PartyDate: Saturday, December 4Time: 7:00 p.m. to midnight (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)Location: The Moffett Training and Conference Ctr, Bldg. 3Highlights of the evening:7:00 p.m. - Rumba lesson by

expert instructors Hans and Renee Schmitt9:00 p.m. - Dance demonstration by Hans and Renee S Schmitt, 1999 San

Francisco Open Rhythm Champions and co-owners of "The Floor" in San Jose.

There will also be several door prizesgiven out during the evening and horsd'oeuvres laid out for your munching plea-sure. Semi-formal attire is suggested. Spenda special evening of dancing and socializingwith your co-workers and friends. Amesand Moffett employees will be responsiblefor obtaining security passes for their off-site guests.

If you have questions, call KathySablan at ext. 4-6345, or email her [email protected]. You may alsocontact Dee Shallenberger at ext.4-5626, or you can email her [email protected].

Tickets now available for the Amesballroom dance club party

Ames Exchangewishes you aMerry Christmas

On Thursday, December 16, the AmesCafé is offering a Christmas meal, witheverything you would expect from a holi-day feast. Come enjoy baked ham, yams,green beans, dinner rolls and finish it offwith pumpkin pie. The Christmas dinnerwill be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30p.m. and will cost $4.75.

The NASA Ames exchange is sponsor-ing a costume jewelry sale in the AmesCafé, on Tuesday, Dec. 7 and WednesdayDec. 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Justin time to dress up that holiday outfit, orpick up some Christmas gifts. For moreinformation, contact Jodi Neal at ext. 4-0818.

Jewelry sale set


Jupiter's history may be much older andcolder than previously believed, accordingto newly released findings from the Ames-managed descent probe of NASA's Galileospacecraft published in the Nov. 18edition of the journal Nature.

"This new information might shakeup our view of how the solar systemformed," said Dr. Tobias Owen, as-tronomy professor at the Institute forAstronomy of the University of Hawaii,Honolulu, HI, and a scientist on theGalileo probe neutral mass spectrom-eter instrument team. When Galileoarrived at Jupiter on Dec. 7, 1995, anddropped a probe into the atmosphereof the huge, gaseous planet, the massspectrometer measured the chemicalcomposition of Jupiter's atmosphere.

The spectrometer detected inJupiter's atmosphere higher than ex-pected concentrations of argon, kryp-ton and xenon, three chemical ele-ments called noble gases because theyare independent and don't combinewith other chemicals. Tiny traces ofthese gases are found in Earth's atmo-sphere, and argon is sometimes usedlike neon in advertising signs.

"Measuring the composition ofJupiter's atmosphere was a primaryscientific objective of the probe, be-cause we knew it could change ourunderstanding of Jupiter's formationand evolution," said Galileo probeproject scientist Dr. Richard Young of Ames"These latest probe results have done ex-actly that, and the measurements are thesort that could only have been obtained byin-situ measurements from an entry probe."

The discovery of these three gases insuch high quantities at Jupiter raises ques-tions about how they got there. "In order tocatch these gases, Jupiter had to trap themphysically by condensation or freezing,"Owen said. This process, he said, requiresextremely cold temperatures of about -240degrees celsius (-400 degrees fahrenheit),colder than the surface of Pluto, the planetfarthest from the Sun. Planetesimals (smallobjects orbiting the Sun) in the Kuiper Beltbeyond Pluto would be this cold, but Jupiteris more than six times closer to the Sun andthus is much warmer. For this reason,Jupiter could not have been the site wherethe three noble gases were originallytrapped.

"This raises some intriguing possibili-ties," Owen said. "One explanation sug-

gests that Jupiter was formed out in thearea around the Kuiper Belt and draggedinward to its present location. Anotherpossibility is that the solar nebula, a huge

cloud of gas and dust from which our solarsystem formed, was much colder than sci-entists believe," he said.

"A third hypothesis proposes that thesolid materials that brought these noblegases to Jupiter began forming in the origi-nal huge, interstellar cloud of gas and dusteven before it collapsed to form the solarnebula. That would make these icy materi-als older and more primitive than we hadexpected," he said.

"If either of the last two hypothesesproves to be correct, it would suggest thatgiant planets can form closer to their starsthan current theories predict," Owen said."This could help explain the new observa-tions of planetary systems around otherstars, in which such close-in giant planetsare relatively common."

"These new Galileo probe results pro-vide new insights into how planets form inthe solar system and around other stars,"said Galileo project scientist Dr. TorrenceJohnson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Labora-

tory, Pasadena.Owen's co-authors on the Nature article

are: Drs. Paul Mahaffy and Hasso Niemannof NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD; Drs. Sushil Atreya and Tho-mas Donahue of the University of Michi-gan, Ann Arbor, MI; Dr. Akiva Bar-Nun ofthe University of Tel Aviv, Israel; and Dr.Imke de Pater of the University of California,Berkeley, CA. Although the data werecollected by the Galileo probe in December1995, careful and thorough analysis wasnecessary in Earth laboratories to verify thefindings.

When it dropped 156 kilometers (97miles) through Jupiter's atmosphere, theGalileo probe relayed data back to the mainGalileo spacecraft more than 209,215 kilo-meters (130,000 miles) overhead for stor-age and transmission to Earth. The probedescended deeper into the atmospherethan expected, but was finally overcome byJupiter's high temperatures and pressures.

The Galileo spacecraft, meanwhile, hasbeen orbiting Jupiter and its moons fornearly four years, beaming back to Earththousands of pictures and a wealth of scien-tific data.

Its two-year, primary mission ended inDecember 1997, but it was followed by thecurrent, two-year extended mission.

The Galileo Project is managed by theJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA;the Galileo atmospheric probe is managedby Ames. Further information and imagesabout the Galileo mission to Jupiter areavailable on the Internet at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo

AstrobiologyGalileo probe results suggest Jupiter hadan ancient, chilly past

BY KATHLEEN BURTON

Janet Konrath passed away October31after a nine-year battle with cancer. Janetretired from Ames in 1993 after 37 years ofservice. She started her NASA career in1956 and in that time worked her way upto assistant branch chief in the informationsystems division. Janet moved to Groveland,CA, in 1989 and for the last few years ofservice, flew from Groveland to San José ona private plane. Janet's ashes will be spreadon a hilltop overlooking Pine MountainLake. Friends and former colleagues mayconsider contributions to the American Can-cer Society.

In Remembrance

Artist's depiction of the moment of heat shieldseparation from the Galileo Probe's descent module.Direct scientific measurements of Jupiter's atmospherestarted at this moment. As suggested by this painting,these important events occurred at a level somewhatbelow the visible cloud tops of Jupiter.


The October edition of Tech Briefsfeatured several articles about technolo-gies developed at Ames. One of those isthe environmentally friendly anti-icingfluid, invented by Robert Lockyer, CodeFMD; John Zuk, Code APT; and LeonardHaslim, Code AI. This liquid is designedfor use as an anti-icing or deicing agentfor the surfaces of aircraft, airport run-ways, roadways, bridges, nautical com-ponents, railroad switches, motor vehiclesand other objects.

A second Ames-developed innovativeproduct receiving attention was a seriesof lightweight, oxidation-resistant ceram-ics. These monolithic materials retain theirshape and strength, and resist oxidationat temperatures up to 1,200 degreescelsius. This work was performed by Daniel

Leiser, Code ASM; Ming-ta Hsu, Code ASM;and Timothy Chen, Code ASM.

Ames’ Smart System Group also madethe issue with their 3-D interactive spaceshuttle/space station docking simulationsystem. Ames is developing the project toimprove the safety, accuracy and efficiencyof spacecraft docking.

Finally, the virtual collaborative clinicproject at Ames was mentioned. This workcombines sophisticated medical imagingwith high-speed, high-performance net-working to allow doctors to receive andmanipulate high-resolution, 24-bit, 3-Dcolor images in near-real-time. This tech-nology will enable collaboration and con-sultation over long distances for patientdiagnosis and treatment.

Several Ames sailing enthusiasts foundedthe Ames Sailing Club in late 1997 to giveMoffett Federal Airfield resident agencyemployees and their families an opportu-nity to explore their interest in the art and

sport of sailing. Geared towards people ofall ages and experience levels, the clubprovides a wide range of activities through-out the year.

Membership has grown to 40 dues-paying members, and a larger number whofollow the club’s activities via its email mail-ing list and website. Members include boatowners, sailing instructors, yacht racers,

Dr. McDonald is awarded honorary membership in the AmesSailing Club by club officer Greg Sherwood.

racing crews, windsurfers, and individualsjust interested in having fun on the water.In March of this year, the club officerspresented an honorary membership to Dr.Harry McDonald, who commented at theceremony that sailing is a sport that can beenjoyed by all ages.

A remarkable slate of speakers have edu-cated club members and other interestedguests during monthly lunchtime meet-ings. Kame Richards used NASA high-altitude aerial photo-graphs to illustrate his fas-cinating talk on the tidesand currents in San Fran-cisco Bay. MikeFitzgerald, an Ames sci-entist, spoke about his ex-perience sailing across thePacific to Hawaii. NorbertUlbrich, another Ames re-searcher, spoke about theaerodynamic technologyinvolved in the successfulinnovation of the upside-down winged keel for theAmericas Cup contenderin 1983. Stan Phillips andGreg Sherwood recalledtheir adventures inAntigua as first-time en-trants in a major interna-tional regatta. LindaNewland, Northern California Yachtswomanof the year in 1998, contrasted the twooccasions that she raced in the TransPacacross the Pacific Ocean from Los Angelesto Hawaii. Scott Lighthall, skipper of theChardonnaly II and Mark Kraft, president ofPacific Yachts, spoke of charter opportuni-

ties accessible from Santa Cruz.In addition, a full calendar of sailing

events was held in 1999. These included:Mothers’ day and Fathers’ day brunch sails;whale-watching trips on Monterey Bay; aLong Beach to Catalina cruise, and oppor-tunities to participate in various local, na-tional and international sailing regattas andevents. Wednesday and Saturday fun races,cruising and racing on Monterey Bay, andFriday evening “Attitude Adjustment Sails”

filled out the calendar. The season culmi-nated in a great end- of-the-year party withover 35 attendees who thoroughly enjoyedthemselves wind surfing, sailing, participat-ing in several games and sharing a greatvariety of food and stories.

For those interested in sailing instruc-tion, the club offers informal coaching andworkshops as well as informative discus-sions at meetings. The club also assistsmembers in finding formal programs ofinstruction at several locations in the SanFrancisco and Monterey Bay areas.

No sailing experience is necessary tojoin or to participate in most club activities.General meetings will resume in February2000 with what promises to be a greatseries of speakers and presentations. Meet-ings are held the second Thursday of themonth from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. inBldg. N262, room 100.

For the most up-to-date news and infor-mation, an interactive calendar, photo al-bum, and an on-line gift shop, visit theAmes Sailing Club website at http://sail.arc.nasa.gov. For more information,contact Stan Phillips at ext. 4-3530.

Ames Sailing Club enjoys a bountiful second year

BY STAN PHILLIPS

Ames featured in Tech Briefs

Friday afternoon sails out of Redwood Citymarina are fun, relaxing, and a great way toend the week, according to club members. photo by Dominic Hart

Clubs & Kudos


Awards & Scientific Achievement

A Headquarters Code H AcquisitionImprovement Award was presented to theNational Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex(NFAC) fan blade replacement SourceEvaluation Committee (SEC), on September21. Awardees were, (pictured left to right):Greg Paulson, Laura Doty (for Gary French),Nhan Nguyen, Mark Lefler (Chair), NancyBingham (for Dr. Henry McDonald), and JoeHurlbut. Not pictured: Bill Hunter and JimCorliss, both from LaRC.

photo by Dominic Hart

Acquisition Improvement awards presented

Want to take control of your body?Tried Yoga and it did not help? Did youknow that you can learn how to be incharge of many of your seemingly noncon-trollable physical bodily reactions in just afew hours?

One Ames research psychophysiologistcan teach you how to do just that - specifi-cally, how to control up to twenty physi-ological responses of the human body withinsix-hours of training.

Dr. Patricia S. Cowings, a research sci-

entist in Ames’ Gravitational ResearchBranch, is that person. She has been withNASA since 1971, and was recently recog-nized with the Ames Honor Award in the“Technology Development” category. Theaward was presented last month in recog-

nition of her training ofU.S. Army soldiers suc-cessfully using NASAtechnology to measurephysiological and psy-chological responses toenvironmental stress.Plans are in place to trainsoldiers to control theirown physiological re-sponses and increasetheir tolerance to envi-ronmental stressors.

Autogenic FeedbackTraining (AFTE), devel-oped by Dr. Cowings isaimed toward helpinghuman beings in gen-eral, and astronauts par-ticularly, to exert controlover their bodies. Bylearning to recognizeand correct bodily re-sponse changes, a per-son learns how to exer-cise his or her ‘smoothmuscles,’ such as heart,stomach and blood ves-sels.

Cowings’ work hasthe potential to revolutionize medical treat-ment for astronauts. Her six-hour proce-dure can help people going into space toavoid the motion sickness that is usuallyexperienced by astronauts for the first sev-eral days. It can help the space traveler to

better adapt to a weightless, microgravityenvironment, and to recover more rapidlyafter return to Earth..

“The most rewarding work at NASA isworking directly with the astronauts - help-ing them do their thing in space. That’swhat I live for,” says the researcher. Herexperimental protocol has already beentested on three NASA missions. In addition,Dr. Cowings has worked with the MIRSpace Station’s cosmonauts and is seekingto expand her work with the Americanspace ‘walkers.’

According to Cowings, AFTE does notrequire face-to-face contact. She has shownthat it can be taught at a distance with theuse of personal computers and the internet.“I can teach a human being to lower hisblood pressure or decrease his pulse whetherhe’s in space or in the Sahara Desert.”

Cowings’s current research centers ontesting AFTE as a treatment for multiplepotential problems of spaceflight. Theproject entitled: “Autogenic-FeedbackTraining Exercise: A Multi-system Approachfor Improving Health, Performance andMood of Men and Women During Ex-tended Spaceflight,” will give this NASAtechnology a “real work out”, as effects oftraining will be tested for motion sickness,improving orthostatic tolerance (low bloodpressure) and human performance aftersleep deprivation. Parallel research will beconducted with military collaborators un-der “real-life” field conditions and withpatients who may gain relief from symp-toms of nausea and fainting.

“Our goal is to meet the HEDS objec-tives of enabling extended space flight andimproving the quality of life on Earth,”Cowings said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Ames scientist may revolutionize medical treatment

BY VICTORIA KUSHNIR

Dr. Cowings (left) with a woman subject wearing the AFS-2 lying on atilt-table. Head up tilt makes blood pool in the legs and drops bloodpressure. This subject was learning how to increase blood pressure.


John Givens, manager of the Space Sta-tion Biological Research Project (SSBRP), isretiring after 38 years of dedicated serviceat Ames. John has led a series of NASA’smost challenging and successful space mis-sions. He has managed the building ofprobes that have gone to Venus and Jupiter.He has also managed the building of a lifesciences laboratory for operation in space.His career stretches from 1961 as a researchengineer working on radiative heat trans-fer, through 1999 as the current SSBRPproject manager. Early in his career, he wasa member of the Pioneer Venus projectstudy team and then the Pioneer VenusProject Office. He was manager of theGalileo probe development, and chief ofthe Comet Nucleus Penetrator office.

Givens spent the last 12 years oversee-ing design and development of Space Sta-tion life sciences hardware. This hardwareincludes six life science habitats for animals,cells and plants, two zero-g habitat holdingracks and a 2.5 meter diameter centrifugeand life sciences glovebox (these latter twobeing built by the Japanese Space Agency,NASDA). The project also includes devel-opment of the ground and flight data sys-tems capable of tracking and monitoringexperiments and hardware as they operatein flight. An Ames operations team working

with user-investigators located in theU.S. and other countries will performoperations. Given’s competence, bothtechnical and programmatic, his quietdiplomacy, high personal ethics and hisvery hard work have sustained and so-lidified Ames’ important scientific de-sign and development of the life sci-ences through extremely formidablechallenges over the past twelve years.He has been a role model, teacher andmentor to the people on his team. Hewill be sorely missed by the SSBRP teamand the Space Station community.

Ames has recognized his efforts withteam awards -- Pioneer Venus studyteam, Pioneer Venus project spacecraftgroup, and Galileo Probe spacecraftdevelopment team group, and the NASAOutstanding Leadership Medal.

Givens’ many friends are invited to acelebration of his NASA service to beheld January 13, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00p.m., Ames Training and ConferenceCenter, patio room, bldg 3, on SeverynsAve. Hors d’ouevres and refreshmentswill be served for only $5.00 per person.

Payments should be made out to JanetChoi, who may be contacted at ext. 4-0605. You may bring your payment toJanet Choi in room 270 of bldg N244 or

John Givens

Givens to retire after nearly four decades of service

mail it to her at mail stop 244-19, AmesResearch Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035.

All responses should be in by Friday,January 7, 2000.

Comings & Goings

Ames’ Dr. Baruch Blumberg, direc-tor of the NASA Astrobiology Institute,was a recent visitor to the University of

Ames’ Baruch Blumberg (left) and UCSC’ JamesGill (right) get acquainted during a recent visit ofthe Ames NAI director to the coastal campus.

California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) campus.On Nov. 8, Blumberg delivered a seminarentitled, “Astrobiology: A Program for Dis-covery” at the campus’ Performing ArtsCenter. He shared with his audience someof his insights into the future of astrobiologyresearch and its exciting and unpredictablenature.

Blumberg also met with key Santa Cruzpersonnel and toured the campus facilities.Ames has a memorandum of understand-ing in place with Santa Cruz to pursueresearch in astrobiology and informationtechnology, along with projects in educa-tion, outreach, and the teacher instituteaspects of the anticipated California Air andSpace Center (CASC).

While at UCSC, Blumberg was hostedby Dr. James Gill, Associate Vice Chancellorfor Research and Professor of Earth Sci-ences. Gill was standing in for UCSC Chan-cellor M.R.C. Greenwood who was awayfrom the campus. Gill oversees researchpolicy, plus the contracts and grants office,government research affairs and regional

Blumberg addresses students andprofessors at a recent astrobiologypresentation on the Santa Cruzuniversity campus.

Astrobiology seminar held at UCSC campus

phot

os b

y L

ynd

a W

atk

ins

economic development for UCSC. He isalso director of the Monterey Bay edu-cation, science and technology center,a cornerstone of the reuse of the old FortOrd army base.


Calendar & Classifieds

Ames Classifieds

Calendar

HousingMiscellaneous

Transportation

Vacation rental

Ads for the next issue should be sent [email protected] by the Monday follow-ing publication of the present issue and must beresubmitted for each issue. Ads must involve personalneeds or items; (no commercial/third-party ads) andwill run on space-available basis only. First-time ads aregiven priority. Ads must include home phone num-bers; Ames extensions and email addresses will beaccepted for carpool and lost & found ads only. Dueto the volume of material received, we are unable toverify the accuracy of the statements made in the ads.

Ames Bowling League will be starting the 99/00season at Palo Alto Bowl every Tuesday at 6pm on Sept. 7.The season is 33 weeks long and ends April 25 with abanquet the week after. The league is in need of bowlersto join teams, as well as substitutes. POC: MinaCappuccio, [email protected], at ext. 4-1313or Mike Liu, [email protected], at ext. 4-4357.

Ames Ballroom Dance Club. Tuesdays: Cha Cha11/9, Bolero 11/16, 11/23, 11/30. No classes during themonth of December. 3 levels of classes, from Beg. to Int.,5:15 - 6:45pm. Moffett Training and Conference Center,Bldg. 3/Showroom. Women dancers are especiallyencouraged to join. Holiday party will be 12/4, watch forupcoming details! POC: Helen Hwang,[email protected].

Model HO/HOn3 Railroad Train Club atMoffett Field invites train buffs to visit and join the clubin Bldg. 126, across from the south end of Hangar One.The club is in particular need of low voltage electriciansand scenery builders and maintainers. Work nights areusually on Friday nights from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Play

time is Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, call JohnDonovan at (408) 735-4954 (W) or (408) 281-2899 (H).

Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 noon to1 p.m., N-269/Rm. 179. Guests welcome. POC: SamsonCheung 4-2875 or Lich Tran 4-5997.

Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Meeting,Wednesdays, 12 noon to 1 p.m., N-213/Rm. 204,. POC:Debbie Wood at ext. 4-0256.

Ames Sailing Club Meeting, Dec 9, 11:30 a.m. to1 p.m., N-262/Rm. 100. POC: Stan Phillips, ext. 4-3530.

Professional Administrative Council (PAC) Meeting,Dec 9 , 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Location TBD. POC: JanetteRocha, ext. 4-3371.

NFFE Local 997 Union General Meeting, Dec 15, noonto 1 p.m., Bldg. 19/Rm. 2017. Guests welcome. POC:Marianne Mosher at ext. 4-4055.

Ames Amateur Radio Club, Dec 16, 12 noon, N-260/Conf. Rm. POC: Mike Herrick, K6EAA at ext. 4-5477.

Ames Asian American Pacific Islander Advisory GroupMeeting, Dec 16, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., N-241/Rm. B2.POC: Daryl Wong, ext. 4-6889 or Brett Vu, ext. 4-0911.

Native American Advisory Committee Mtg, Dec 28,12 noon to 1 p.m., Ames Café. POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Ames Contractor Council Meeting, Jan 5, 11 a.m.,N-200 Comm. Rm. POC: Jack Stanley at ext. 4-2345.

Environmental, Health and Safety MonthlyInformation Forum, Jan 6, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Bldg.19/Rm 1078. POC: Linda Vrabel at ext. 4-0924.

Hispanic Advisory Committee for Employees,Jan 6, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., N-241/Rm 237.POC: Mary R. Valdez, at ext. 4-5819.

Ames African American Advisory Group Meeting,Jan 6, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. POC: Robert Finnie at ext.4-5230. Contact Robert for meeting place.

Nat’l Association of Retired Federal Employees, SanJose Chapter #50, Meeting, Jan 7, at the Elk’s Club, 44 W.Alma Avenue, San Jose. Social hour: 10:30 a.m. Prog. &bus. mtg. follow lunch at 11:30 a.m. POCs: Mr. Rod Peery,Pres., (650) 967-9418 or NARFE 1-800-627-3394.

Philips Magnavox TV $100; Aiwa stereo $50; EpsonStylus color writer 740, 2 months old, $150. Charles(408) 736 1319.

8 foot Flatie Knee sail boat, complete, $500. Randy(408) 734-9550.

Face painting by Marsha for on-site events, birthdayand Christmas parties, etc. Call (650) 321-9244.

Digital answering machine (requires no tapes),black. $15. SONY cordless phone. white, 10-channel.$15. Call (408) 295-2160.

New Maxime chair & ottoman from Ethan Allen(doesn't match w/other furniture). Chair:W31xD36x39h,$819. Ottoman: 25x20x18, $369. Can negotiate. Stripesin butte/charcoal. John (408) 773-8078.

Renovating house in Campbell. Need to have oldredwood siding & studs, wood doors various sizesremoved from back yard. Make offer. Tree rounds, youchop for firewood, $50 per truck load or B/O. Robin(650) 968-6102.

Computer desk, W:59", D:24", H:57", slide-outkeyboard shelf w/lift-lid drawer, 2 file drawers, hutch w/2adj. shelfs and corkboard, $75 or B/O. Call (408) 723-3804. Picture available on web @ http://www.afo.com/images product/ main/8636.jpg

Set of 99 Honda Civic Si factory springs.Inexpensive way to upgrade the handling of your CivicDX or EX. $75 for the set. Call (650) 851-5290.

Vacuum cleaner, Hoover self-propelled upright w/allattachments, seldom used, $150. Call (408) 745-7437.

Logitech 400 dpi color scanman for Windows w/manuals and software, $15. Call (408) 295-2160.

4 tickets for sale, $32 each, for the San Jose Sharksvs St. Louis hockey game on Jan. 11. Seats in section 206row 6. Call (408) 735-0524.

Digital answering machine (requires no tapes),black. $15. Call (408) 295-2160.

Snow chains, various tire sizes available. 3 sets at$20 ea. Kristina (408) 307-1424 or (408) 629-0487.

Wall bed in oak cabinet, includes single mattress.Excellent condition, $220. Call (650) 969-8714.

Wanted to buy: used stationary exercise bike.Nicole (408) 975-0433.

‘70 Mustang Grande, 351 Clev. and C6 tranny,158K mls, $4,200. Richard (408) 733-1629.

‘84 Olds Delta 88, 176K mls, 2dr, loaded, very gdcond. $1,900. Call (408) 882-4264 or (408) 735-0319.

‘85 Toyota Corolla SR5 coupe, white, 2-dr, 5 speedmanual transmission, pwr steering, A/C, AM/FM cass,180K mls, good condition. $1500. Jane (650) 949-1728.

‘85 Saab 900 Turbo, 4 door, 5 speed, sunroof, 123Kmls, $3,200. Richard (408) 733-1629.

‘88 Toyota SR5 4X4, 150K mls, deluxe, perfectcondition, $6,900. Randy (408) 734-9550.

‘89 Ford Mustang LX, 2.3L, automatic transmissionwith AC, power steering, power locks, am/fm/cassettestereo in great condition, 143K mls and runs great.$2,200 or B/O. Marita (650) 570-5748.

‘90 Mazda Miata 101,000K mls, am/fm radio, goodcondition, white, soft top. $5,000 or B/O. Ian Hamilton(415) 749-1729.

Roommate wanted to share clean, spacious,Sunnyvale apartment, 4 mls from Ames. Prefer male, N/S. $600/mo + 1/2 utils. Rob (650) 691-9961.

For sale by owner, $529K, small horse ranch for salenear Watsonville. Royal oaks, California/scenic rural area.3 acres with trees and lots of open space. 3 bd/2 bahome/family room w/fireplace. Front/rear decks w/hottub room. 2 car garage w/laundry room & storage room.Barn, tack room, corrals, workshop/electricity. Propertyfenced and outside lighting. For more info, call Ron(408) 736-2150. Lv msg/phn # or call (831) 722-0130.

Seeking N/S female to share 2bd/1.5ba. Mt. Viewtownhouse, pool, w/d, fireplace, garage, quiet privatestreet. $800/mo + 1/2 util. Marion (650) 962-8814.

2 bd/1 ba apartment in Sunnyvale. Approx 3 mlsfrom Ames. Available now. $1,250 mo. Margaret (650)570-5244.

3 bd/2.5 ba, den, deck, 1739 sf, only 2 yrs old,Stockton: golf, bike, sail, swim, take train to work. Gatedcommunity, master-planned. $181,500. Call (209) 329-0099 or [email protected].

Room for rent in house in midtown Palo Alto.Kitchen, bathroom & pool privileges. Tenant must beorderly, N/S. $600/mo. Dr. Jim Stevenson, ext. 45720.

Name Code Date

Ames Retirements

Edward Rogers AFE 8/31/99

Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley townhse, 3bd/2ba, View ofslopes, close to lifts. Wkend $470, midwk $175 night.Includes linens, firewood. Call (650) 968-4155 or email:[email protected]

Formal dining room set; contemporary. Pedestal withbeveled glass table and six high back fabric chairs - white.Great condition, $600. Jan (925) 560-9701.

Flex-A-Bed: twin/long (38" X 84"), remote handcontrol-electric, multilevel positioning w/vibrator, seldomused, like new condition, $800. Charlie (408) 739-8310.

Brand new mountain bike, $600 ($800 new); Yamahakeyboard, $100; aerobic conditioner, $20; exercise bike,$25; rowing machine, $40; like new 4 Wheel walker,$150; wooden desk, $80. Call (650) 948-1981.

Furniture--solid maple coffee table (HaywoodWakefield) $125; solid walnut credenza (4 doors) $100;pair of end tables/speakers $45l; Singer sewing machine$55; upholstered rocking chair $35. Call (408) 358-1608.

Bunk bed with red tubular metal frame includes twoadult sized mattresses, side rails and ladder. Excellentcondition. $125. Gary or Stephanie (650) 369-9944.

Two cell phones--one analog, one digital $30 each.Ben (408) 274-5474.

Moving sale. RCA swivel console TV $85; Maytagwasher & dryer, $45 ea.; GE Spacesaver microwave (w/mounting brackets), $75; Den/Library system, versatile, 6pieces, drk. Cherry, $675; desk/hutch, solid oak, $125;70’s Cost Plus Mexican furniture, several pieces, (call);patio table/4 chairs, $100. Call (650) 941-2784.

Computer system: 225 mhz (604e) PowerTower Pro,2GB HD, internal zip, Mac OS 8.0 and Misc. SW, 17”monitor, 56k external modem, Epson 600 color printer;$1,250. Call (650) 941-2784 eve.

Entertainment center - 1 TV stand wooden cabinetadjunct by a 3 compartment (for VCR, stereo etc) glassdoor wooden cabinet $65; 2 maple wood edge tables, $5each; wooden desk (2 drawer) $15; wooden desk (4drawer) $20. All B/O. Call (408) 446-0654 after 8 p.m.

Vivitar 728C Zoom auto focus flash for sale: $47. Call(408) 926-4033.

Maytag clothes washer (large capacity), $80.Maytag clothes dryer (electric), $80. GE electric stove/oven, $90. Full-sized futon w/cover, $110. All items are infine condition. Jeff (650) 251-0000.

Casio Keyboard: Model CT-636 Tone Bank, excellentcondition, $40. Bruce (831) 458-5247.

‘92 Maxima SE, excellent condition, low mls,leather interior, ABS, moonroof, CD, rear spoiler.$10,300. Yao (510) 429-1829.

’93 Mercury Capri convertible, new top, white w/black top, gray interior. Looks & runs great. Cruisecontrol, power brakes & windows, security system, am/fm cass. Orig. owner, recent smog & brake check. Funcar. $4,800 or B/O. Call (415) 861-4488.

‘95 Chevy Blazer LT,4X4,4dr., fully loaded, 75,100Kmls, asking $14,000 or B/O. Bob (408) 736-4039.


Events & Miscellaneous

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use, $300

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Ames Research CenterMoffett Field, California 94035-1000

AstrogramTHE AMES

PLEASE RECYCLEPrinted on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based ink.

FIRST CLASS MAILPOSTAGE & FEES PAID

NASAPermit No. G-27

The Ames ASTROGRAM is an officialpublication of the Ames Research Center,National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration.

AstrogramTHE AMES

We can be reached via email at:[email protected] or by phone(650) 604-3347

Managing Editor........David MorseEditor..........................Astrid Terlep

FutureFlightCentral to holdopen house

Who: For Ames resident staffWhen: December 16 from

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Where: The main entrance is accessed from the courtyard between buildings 262 and 269.For information on FutureFlightCentral, you can visit their websiteat: http://ffc.arc.nasa.gov.

Café holidayhours closure

The Ames Café will be closed for con-struction from Monday, December 27through December 31.

There will be a catering truck outsidethe cafe from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. foryour convenience. The seating in the din-ing room will be available entering fromthe east side of the café only.

Ames radio infofor employees

1700KHz a.m. radio--informationradio announcements for NASA/Amesemployees during emergencies.

NASA’S new virtual airport controltower opens at Ames


continued from front page

totally new approach to airport planningthat wasn’t possible just a few years ago,”says Dorighi.

Computer software, provided byRaytheon Systems Co., Arlington, TX, isintegrated with the tower simulation hard-ware technologies at Ames to support bothradar and out-the-window visual simula-tion. The facility’s second floor is designedto replicate a typical air traffic control tower.The tower cab has reconfigurable site-spe-cific displays, such as terminal area radar,surface radar and weather, installed basedon FAA specifications.

Twelve rear-projection video screensprovide a seamless 360-degree high-reso-lution view of the airport or other scenesbeing depicted. The imaging system, pow-ered by supercomputers, provides a realis-tic view of weather conditions, environ-mental and seasonal effects and the move-ment of up to 200 active aircraft and groundvehicles.

Constructed at a cost of $10 million, thetwo-story facility was jointly funded by NASAand the FAA. The facility is dedicated to thememory of Stanton R. Harke, the facility’sfirst project manager, who passed away onApril 25, 1999 at the age of 58 from cancer.NASA FutureFlight Central is scheduled tobegin operations in January.

Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall,Moffett Field, CA, served as project engi-

neers. Other project participants includeSGI, Inc. of Mountain View, CA, and EvansConsole of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Rep-resentatives from the FAA’s air traffic con-trol supervisors committee (SUPCOM), theNational Air Traffic Controller’s Association(NATCA), as well as the Air Transport Asso-ciation (ATA), contributed in all phases ofthe facility’s design.

Images of the facility are available viathe Internet at the following URL:

http://ffc.arc.nasa.gov

astr gram · 2013. 6. 27. · horne report card for financial reporting since inception of the...

Documents