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

Communication for the Information Technology Age February 11, 2002

amesnews.arc.nasa.gov

How will history portray NASA's new Ad-ministrator, Sean O'Keefe? Time will tell. Butas we seek a clear vision into the futurethrough an often-cloudy crystal ball, we canonly speculate what his words and actionsmay foretell.

During his recent whirlwind tour of Ames,O'Keefe delivered the message that NASAmust be more focussed in its objectives, and

he suggested that an immediate agency goalshould be to develop enabling technologies.One example technology he referenced isdevelopment of advanced space propulsionthat would send spacecraft to the outer solarsystem much faster. He said that supportingeducational activities is an important NASAactivity that can encourage young people tospecialize in science and technology.

"The visit went extremely well," said Cen-ter Director Henry McDonald. "Sean left verypleased at what he saw at the Center."O'Keefe's message to NASA employees andthe local media alike suggested that NASA isat a turn in the road of its history.

While at Ames, O'Keefe took the oppor-

Administrator O'Keefe tours Ames, sets tone for futuretunity to meet with local print media. Areporter asked what most surprised O'Keefein his first few weeks of working at NASA."Two things," he said. "There is almost noneed to energize people (at NASA)." NASApeople are highlymotivated, he ex-plained. They are inpursuit of "lots of

objectives," hesaid. But thereis a need to fo-cus the energiesof the agency'swork force, headded. Thereare so many in-teresting sub-jects that scien-tists wish tostudy, he sug-gested.

While talk-ing with reporters, and later with employ-ees, O'Keefe repeatedly said that NASA needsto focus it efforts. An example of a clearobjective, he explained, is the concept of'follow the water,' mission to Mars. Thatobjective is good because it may help usanswer other questions related to life, heexplained.

The larger task that NASA should zero-inon is what in the overall science and engi-neering agenda such that "if we didn't do it,it wouldn't be done," he said.

He added that one thing we have to beon guard for is that when dealing with publictrust, "you shouldn't be caught maintainingcapacity when you don't need it."

O'Keefe began his day at Ames with abreakfast in the Committee Room with U.S.Rep. Anna Eshoo, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, U.S.Rep.Mike Honda, Senator Diane Feinstein'sState Director Jim Molinari, and the mayors

and city managers of Sunnyvale and Moun-tain View. McDonald said, "Sean, we wel-come you to Ames with such a demonstra-tion of support from the local communityand Congressional delegation." Anna Eshoosaid that Ames was the first place she visitedin her district after her election in 1992 andhas proudly represented it since. Eshoo high-lighted the excellence of McDonald's leader-ship and the quality of Ames research anddevelopment and its importance to the na-tion, stating that "Ames is the future." Lofgrenand Honda explained that they are membersof the House Science Committee (NASA'sauthorization committee) to help NASA Amesand the nation's aeronautics and space pro-gram. Feinstein's Molinari said, "...the Sena-tor believes that Ames is critical to the spaceprogram and that a lot more will be comingout of here." O'Keefe was impressed by whatwas stated and said that "Ames is exploitingthe opportunity to become an integral partof the community and the information tech-nology sector as represented so impressivelyin Silicon Valley." Local community leadersvoiced their support for Ames, and as theCongressional leaders did, supported theplan for the NASA Research Park.

"This is really an amazing place," O'Keefesaid to the group of local reporters. He also

continued on page 6

photos by Dominic Hart

Administrator O’Keefe makes a point during his all-hands meeting with theAmes community. Employees were impressed by his friendly demeanor andemphasis on mutual respect.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Center Director McDonald share alight moment with O’Keefe during a break in the formal proceedings.

The Ames Astrogram February 11, 2002

B I O T E C H N O L O G Y I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y N A N O T E C H N O L O G Y

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Did you know that ergonomic injuriesaccount for 50 percent of all Ames reportableOSHA injuries? Many of these injuries arepreventable. In response to the growingergonomic issues at the center, Miriam Glazerof the Health and SafetyOffice established theErgonomics SolutionsTeam last summer.Glazer has been the er-gonomics programmanager since 1997,with increasing respon-sibilities as awarenessof ergonomics is height-ened. She has enlisted the help of employeesthroughout the center in the enormous chal-lenge of controlling and preventing ergo-nomic hazards in the workplace.

At present, there are over 30 members onthe ergonomics team, including contractorsand civil servants representing every code.

The first goal of the team is to get all mem-bers trained in either office ergonomics orindustrial ergonomics. Deborah Hunter ofPAI Corporation has been assisting Glazer inthe ergonomics program and is helping the

training effort. A major goal for the futureincludes having all team members perform10ergonomic assessments in their codes byApril of this year.

If you would like to join the ErgonomicsSolutions Team, volunteers are still needed.Joining the team may help you and your

coworkers prevent repetitive strain injuriesand become more familiar with all aspects ofergonomics. ‘Ergonomics for Office Work-ers’ is a comprehensive 2-hour class offeredeach month. In addition, an industrial ergo-

nomics class will beoffered beginning inMarch. You may signup for these classeson the Code QH website located at: http://q.nasa.gov under‘Training/TrainingRegistration.’ To findout who is on the

team in your organization, check the CodeQH web site under ‘Health/Ergonomics.’

For more information about the ergo-nomics program or to join the ErgonomicsSolutions Team, call Miriam Glazer at ext. 4-5172.

NASA Ames and the Stanford NationalBiocomputation Center are developing sys-tems to monitor the health and performanceof NASA personnel. But to monitor the healthof soldiers and astronauts requires light-weight, reliable, robust, and easy-to-use sys-

tems. The system should be unobtrusive andnoninvasive, and not reduce the subject’sperformance. It must transmit physiologicaldata in real time using secure wireless tech-nologies. Ames and Stanford jointly devel-oped a portable physiological monitoringsystem for astronauts that meets all of theabove requirements and is applicable to sol-dier monitoring as well.

This modular system combines user-friendly, lightweight medical sensors, por-table computing platforms, a secure wirelessnetwork architecture, and intelligent soft-ware for data display, storage and analysis.The vital signs sensors are based on a com-mercial, FDA-approved, home healthcare sys-tem from NEXAN and measure ECG, respira-tion, heart rate, pulse oximetry and tempera-ture. All the sensors are integrated into a

single harness that is easy to apply and isnon-invasive. The sensor harness includes asignal conditioning device that is connectedto a pocket PC that formats and transmits thedata to a wireless LAN access point. Fromthere, the data is distributed to wireless por-table display devices, a local database, ordirectly to the internet. Data distribution isaccomplished by a switchboard server, de-veloped by Stanford, which receives inputfrom a variety of sensors using a standardprotocol, and distributes the information tomultiple viewers. This system is also expand-able to include other sensors, such as envi-ronmental sensors. The software supportsvarious sensor types, handheld and head-mounted wireless display devices, and is ableto alert the soldier or medic when the mea-sured parameters exceed pre-set limits orconditions.

The Smart Health Care Management Sys-tem (SHMS) has a wide variety of applica-tions for both NASA and non-NASA users. Itsmain NASA application is physiological sta-tus monitoring of astronauts in clinical andoperational scenarios. Because of the smallsize of this wearable system and its wirelessdata transmission technology, astronauts areallowed to move around freely and performwork while being monitored. The switch-board data server allows crewmembers ormission control center personnel to view thedata using various display and analysis de-vices, such as wearable and handheld com-puters.

Recent advances in wearable metabolicmonitoring devices from BodyMedia allow amore accurate evaluation of performance ofa person working in extreme environmentsor under extreme stress. By measuring heatflow, skin resistance, activity, and other pa-rameters, it may be possible to predict howlong an astronaut can safely continue a space

walk. These new devices are currently beingevaluated for incorporation into the SHMSsystem.

There are many non-NASA applicationsof this wireless monitoring system as well.First responders could use it as a valuablediagnostic tool until the patient arrives at theemergency room. It also could be used tokeep track of the health of a fire fighter in abuilding, or of a soldier on the battlefield.The system can easily be adapted to manydifferent scenarios due to its open and modu-lar architecture.

Smart health care management system (SHMS)

Vital Signs Monitoring device from NEXAN.

IPAQ Pocket PC that formats and transmits thedata to a wireless LAN access point. Datais then distributed to wireless portable displaydevices, a local database, or directly to theinternet.

The Ergonomics Solutions Team

BY CHRISTINE CHEN

photos by Christine Chen

Safety is mission one!



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Jim Monfort still remembered

BY JOHN BLUCK

Jim Monfort

Though Jim Monfort, who was retiredfrom Ames, passed away last May at age 76,some of his former colleagues at the centermay not be aware of his death or the detailsof his non-NASA life.

Monfort was born in Norfolk, Va., into aNavy family, according to his wife, Jackie.

"His father, a naval officer, was a pioneernaval aviator," she said. "Jim attended board-ing school at Gill-St. Bernard's in Gladstone,N.J. for six years and transferred to RaenfordAcademy in Sherman Oaks, Calif., to be near

his family when his father was head of theNaval Air Station in San Diego."

In the fall of 1942, Monfort enteredStanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. in the V-12 college program. It was a naval programto train college students in preparation forservice. In 1943, he was called to activemilitary duty.

"He was sent to the University of Texasand on to Washington, D.C. for commission-ing, and was immediately ordered to sea in1945," his wife said. "After the war, he re-turned to the University of Texas and re-ceived his bachelor’s degree in mechanicalengineering. He accepted a position with BFGoodrich in Akron, Ohio."

After three years in Akron, Monfort wentback to Palo Alto and married Jackie Chagnardat the Stanford Chapel in 1950.

In 1951, Monfort starting working atAmes, which at the time served as one of theNational Advisory Committee for Aeronau-tics (NACA) research centers. He worked inhigh-speed wind tunnel testing, spendingmore than 10 years evaluating space ve-hicles, including the space shuttle, his wifesaid.

"He worked in the Unitary, the 12-foot

and the 14-foot wind tunnels primarily," saidDan Petroff of Code FO. "He did a lot oftesting of early spacecraft--Mercury, Geminiand Apollo. He was instrumental in the testprogram that got the U.S. space programgoing."

"He was a very likeable person," Petroffsaid. "He helped me quite a bit. He was veryopen and supportive of junior engineers. Hewas a good mentor."

"He continued working at NASA onprojects including the Stealth aircraft andtook early retirement in 1980," his wife said.He worked a year or so at Ames after retiring,she added. "A lot of engineers did that at thattime," she said.

"Jim continued working throughout hislife in areas unrelated to aeronautical engi-neering," she continued. Shelly, his daugh-ter, also an engineering graduate of Stanford,worked with Monfort in various businesses.

Father and daughter worked at PruneridgeGolf Club in Santa Clara while Shelly at-tended college. He enjoyed playing golf there.

His daughter began to work in the devel-

opment of medical devices. "Jim joinedFogarty Engineering, a medical device re-search and development group where ourdaughter began her professional career. Healso later went to work with Shelly in severalstart-up medical device companies, includ-ing General Surgical Innovations and StarionInstruments, where he worked until hisdeath," his wife said.

"Jim was an ardent genealogist for 20years, his family research taking him all overthe U.S. and Europe," she said. "He enjoyedgolf and tennis and traveled the world withhis family for the past 40 years, makinglifelong friends in many countries."

Monfort also was a volunteer with theFriends of the Los Altos Library and a found-ing member and volunteer for the Museumof American Heritage in Palo Alto. He and hiswife celebrated their 50th wedding anniver-sary in October 2000. His wife, Jackie; daugh-ter, Shelly; and his sister Elizabeth Truax ofLeola, Penn., survive him.

As a start-up in the early 1990s, PalmComputing launched the Pilot organizer andPalm operating system, which triggered thehandheld computing industry.

Palm principals Jeff Hawkins, DonnaDubinsky and Ed Colligan share the insidestories behind the origins of handheld com-puting. There will be a discussion led by

New security procedures in effect

The Palm Pilot StoryAndrea Butter, former Palm marketing ex-ecutive and co-author of “Piloting Palm,”on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.

The discussion is sponsored by the Com-puter History Museum at the Moffett Train-ing and Conference Center.

RSVPs are required by Feb. 19. Formore information, call ext. 4-2714.

The new security gate on Arnold Avenue became operational on Feb. 4. This is one of two newgates and a new security fence that have been installed to control public access to NASA Ames.

photo by Dominic Hart



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Center BriefsChandra finds ghosts of eruption ingalaxy cluster

‘Ghostly’ relics of an ancient eruption thattore through a cluster of galaxies were re-cently uncovered by NASA's Chandra X-rayObservatory. The discovery implies that gal-axy clusters are the sites of enormously ener-getic and recurring explosions, and may pro-vide an explanation of why galaxy clustersbehave like giant cosmic magnets.

"Chandra's image revealed vast regions inthe galaxy cluster Abell 2597 that containalmost no X-ray or radio emissions. We callthem ghost cavities," said Brian McNamara ofOhio University in Athens. "They appear to beremnants of an old explosion where the radioemission has faded away over millions ofyears," he said.

Hubble suggests first stars opened ina blaze of glory

The deepest views of the cosmos fromNASA's Hubble Space Telescope yield cluesthat the very first stars may have burst into theuniverse as brilliantly and spectacularly as afireworks finale. In this case, though the finalecame first, long before Earth, the sun and theMilky Way galaxy formed.

If this interpretation is correct, it offers atantalizing possibility that astronomers maybehold this stellar blaze of glory when theyuse NASA's Next Generation Space Telescopeand other future space telescopes to probeeven farther into the very early universe.

NASA balloon makes record-break-ing flight

Larger than a football field and flying nearthe edge of space, a NASA scientific balloonhas set a new flight record of almost 32 daysafter recently completing two orbits aroundthe South Pole.

The record-breaking balloon carried theTrans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (TIGER)experiment, designed to search for the originof cosmic rays, atomic particles that travelthrough the galaxy at near light-speeds andshower the Earth constantly.

The pilotless, helium-filled scientific bal-loon was launched from McMurdo Station,Antarctica, on Dec. 20, 2001. The balloontraveled approximately 8,800 miles beforelanding about 31 days, 20 hours later on Jan.21, 284 miles (458 kilometers) from theMcMurdo Station. Payload recovery opera-tions are in progress.

The previous endurance record for a long-duration balloon flight was set in January2001 from McMurdo. The flight was one orbitof the South Pole that lasted 26 days. TheTIGER mission was able to more than doublethe amount of continuous science observa-tional time over any previous balloon mission.

Scenario: You have just been asked topresent the next Ames Safety AccountabilityProgram (ASAP) topic to your organization.While reviewing the topic, you have somequestions about the regulations and howthey apply to your organization. Is theresomeone you can call for help?

Answer: Yes, Code QH has assigned asafety specialist and an industrial hygienist toeach directorate at Ames.

The Safety Office hopes to provide bettercustomer service throughout the center inorder to make it easier for proactive organi-zations to improve safety. Each directoratehas been assigned one industrial hygienist

Safety regulations - whom do you call?and one safety specialist as a point of con-tact. These individuals will be working withthe assigned organization throughout theyear. As they become familiar with yourfacilities, mission and staff, they will be in abetter position to help you interpret com-plex safety rules and solve problems involv-ing potential hazards. They would like to getto know supervisors on a first-name basis andparticipate in various safety-related activi-ties, such as training, safety committees,ASAP meetings and staff meetings. If youhave an idea how they might help you, findthe point of contact for your organization inthe table below and give them a call.

A Director's Discretionary Fund (DDF)poster session took place in the MoffettField Training Center on Jan. 14. Nearly40 posters were presented describing the

DDF poster session held

From left to right: Bill Feiereisen, Center Director Dr. Harry McDonald and Greg Laughlindiscuss a telescope/CCD system designed to detect transits of extrasolar planets usingthe photometric technique. The system is affordable and straightforward to use, makingit possible for amateur astronomers to become involved in the exciting search for planetsoutside our solar system.

work that is being carried out with DDFfunding. The poster session was well at-tended by both senior management andthe science community at Ames.

phot

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Tom

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wer

Directorate Safety Specialist Industrial Hygienist

Codes A, I, N and Y Deborah Hunter, ext. 4-3352 John Rosen, ext. 4-6295

Code D and NRP Rob Clark, ext. 4-1806 Ramsey Razik, ext. 4-6946

Codes F and J Bill Bramble, ext. 4-0922 Dan Kuey, ext. 4-3573

Codes C, Q and W Don Dains, ext. 4-3276 Lynne Keswani, ext. 4-3680

Code S Presley Millare, ext. 4-0925 Janeen Robertson, ext. 4-5986



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Researchers aim to avert airport gridlockwith a new software tool being evaluated inNASA's virtual control tower simulator.

NASA researchers and Dallas/Fort Worthair traffic controllers conducted the secondevaluation of the Surface Management Sys-tem (SMS), being developed at Ames. Cur-rent systems used by airports don't providecontrollers with accurate information aboutthe number of future departures. During thevarious ‘rush hour’ times at the airport, sched-uled departures often exceed runway capac-ity, creating delays.

“The main objective of the Surface Man-agement System is to allow the controllersand airlines to collaboratively manage de-parture operations and surface movements.The system gathers relevant informationfrom multiple sources, processes it anddisplays the appropriate information andadvisories to the users,” said Dr. Steve Atkins,SMS project lead at Ames.

“The system has the potential to de-crease departure delays significantly,” headded.

The information compiled by the systemis displayed as aircraft-location maps, depar-ture timelines and load-capacity graphs giv-ing controllers timely data to effectivelymanage aircraft movement between the ter-minal and the runway. With this informa-tion, controllers can predict possible trafficcongestion and rapidly eliminate systembottlenecks.

Ames' FutureFlight Central (FFC) air-traf-fic control tower simulator was used for theevaluation. FutureFlight Central gives con-trollers a unique facility to test software toolswith its detailed 360-degree views, provid-ing controllers with a very realistic experi-ence. The data collected will be used torefine the SMS user interface and identifyadditional user features.

“We presented a spectrum of ideas to agroup of Federal Aviation Administrationcontrollers and airline representatives tohelp us focus on what potential capabilitieswould be most helpful. Our ideas have beenreceived positively,” said Atkins.

The realism provided by FFC will allow forthe smooth transition to the field-test por-tion of the evaluation.

Additional features, such as integrationwith arrival scheduling and other air trafficmanagement tools, will be added as part ofthe staged evolution of the tool.

Other participants in the evaluation wererepresentatives from the Federal AviationAdministration's Free Flight Program office,

NASA software to help speed aircraft departures

BY JONAS DIÑO

A daunting challenge awaited 500 north-ern California students and their miniaturerobots on Jan. 12 at San José City College.

Students had to use their expertiseand imagination to respond to the fol-lowing transmission: Massive Arctic stormapproaching. Stop. Expedition Arctic Im-pact ordered to evacuate. Stop. Re-nowned scientists trapped by storm. Stop.Millions in equipment and valuable re-search in peril. Stop. Request immediateassistance.

The contestants, ages 9-14, competedto save the imaginary Arctic expeditionby programming their robots to performvarious missions within a 2-minute timelimit.

"The purpose of this challenge was toenhance student awareness in scienceand engineering. We often find that stu-dents participating in these programsshow great improvement in their scienceand math courses," said Hank Schwoob,team mentor and volunteer coordinator,from Ames. "I knew this was going to bebig when out of 600 students in mydaughter's school, 60 are participating."

The competitors' Lego robots werescored on their ability to: raise three flags,launch a weather balloon, raise a weathertower, get a medicine barrel, deliver a re-search instrument, retrieve an ice core,move a storage hut away from cracking ice,deliver 10 fuel barrels and rescue threescientists.

Teams had eight weeks to build theirrobots from identical kits received from theFIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition ofScience and Technology) organization thatsponsors robotics competitions across the

Students and robots compete in‘Arctic rescue’ scenario

country. Each year, the competition fo-cuses on a scientific or technological prob-

lem facing the world today. This year'schallenge is global warming.

The FIRST Lego League is a collaborativeeffort between FIRST, the NASA RoboticsEducation Project managed by NASA Ames,and industry partners.

Further information about the FIRSTLego League is located on the internet at:http://www.usfirst.org/jrobtcs/index.htmlMore details about the NASA Robotics Edu-cation Project are on the internet at: http://robotics.nasa.gov/

BY JONAS DIÑO

Ames engineer Alan Federman discussesrobots with Encinal 6th grade student.

research and development since the mid-1980s.

More information about the Aviation Sys-tems Capacity program can be found on theInternet at:http://www.asc.nasa.gov/

More information about FutureFlightCentral is available at: http://ffc.arc.nasa.gov

officials from major passenger and freightcarriers, and controllers from Memphis,Tenn., and Norfolk, Va., airports.

The Surface Management System is be-ing developed at Ames by the Advanced AirTransportation Technologies project, a partof the Aviation Systems Capacity program.Ames has been conducting air-traffic control



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said that Ames has the advantage of beingamidst the extraordinary capabilities in Sili-con Valley. Ames is in an ideal location forcollaboration with academia and industry,he said.

O'Keefe came to NASA from the Office ofManagement and Budget, where he servedas deputy director since March 2001. He is

known as a manager with a pencil-sharp eyeon budget. As the first deputy cabinet officerappointed in the Bush Administration,O'Keefe oversaw the preparation, manage-ment and administration of the federal bud-get and government-wide management ini-tiatives across the executive branch.

Though O'Keefe and NASA's second Ad-ministrator, James E. Webb, came from back-grounds that include budgetary experience,they became NASA administrators duringentirely different circumstances. Each manfaced a different 'season' of history. Bothmen share a non-engineering backgroundand a capacity for vision.

"During the Apollo program we had afocused mission," said O'Keefe. He said thatwhat motivated the lunar mission was notjust President Kennedy's speech in 1961 to ajoint session of Congress that called for thecountry to go to the moon within the de-cade. "It (the race to the moon) was a veryclear by-product of a Cold War," O'Keefesaid. "It was to show our technological prow-ess . . . . Folks of that time also rememberdiving under desks," he said.

O'Keefe said we would have to thinktwice about "the price of duplicating thosesame calls to arms," (the circumstances thatled us into the space race.) "Folks wouldprefer not to do that again," he pointed outto reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle,San José Mercury News, Mountain ViewVoice, Palo Alto Daily News and Bay CityNews Service.

After lunch with Silicon Valley industry

leaders in the Ames Committee Room, aSenator Barbara Boxer aide, AdrienneBousian, read a letter to the new Administra-tor from the senator praising Ames and wish-ing him good luck in his new job.O'Keefeaddressed Ames employees for an hour dur-ing an all-hands meeting in the main audito-rium. He spoke of an opportunity to focus

NASA's energy anddefine "what wedo." He also said,"We have to de-velop this agenda .. . . I don't know theanswer to it. I don'thave an agenda."

"In the nextmonths, we will be-gin the debate ofwhat the appropri-ate priorities shouldbe," he said. "All ofus are participantsin this process. It be-gins Monday (Feb.4) with the budgetrelease (budgetproposal for 2003)."He emphasized theneed for the agencyto overcome tech-nology obstacles inorder to achievebetter science results faster.

"There is nothing we do that is linear. Wedon't produce things in volume," O'Keefetold the Ames audience. He explained thatthere are only four space shuttle orbiters andone space station. "We're not doing morethan one, I can assure you of that," he said,to tumultuous audience laughter.

Asked about what should be NASA 'grandchallenges,' he said he hoped "we (would)define what we do in future to meet the

grand challenges, but we need to be disci-plined."

"Propulsion is limited," he said. If westarted immediately on a mission to Pluto,inside of 20 years we would only be able totake some pictures on arrival for about twoweeks. Distance and time, according toO'Keefe, limit our space missions. During hisAmes visit, he repeated his message thatNASA should look at what technologicallimitations block the Agency from obtainingobjectives in reasonable time. He said thatNASA must find ways to reduce the traveltime to planets.

"There are all kinds of things we can dobecause we don't have to do (a volumeproduction)," he said. Human resources haveto be targeted, "really focussed," to achievetasks, he continued. Also, there are a lot ofthings "we don't need to do any more." Heremarked that the NASA budget is about $15billion, and that that sum can enable muchto be done. NASA's charter is to "press theedge, to explore the unknown," he said.NASA people have an opportunity to focustheir energy, and "define what we do."

"The contributions that each center makeswill follow after we collectively set objec-tives," he said. "You have to be honest withyourself. You have to have something toback you up of what it takes you to do a taskup front before you take the trip. So youdecide up-front what it will cost," he added.

There are tough choices ahead becausewe have to be selective, according to O'Keefe.

"If everything is a priority, nothing is a prior-ity."

"Be ambitious. Be realistic about what itwill take to do it," he continued. "Do our levelbest to achieve (our objectives)," he said.

"Everything, every tool in the bag, shouldbe used to achieve the outcome," he added.

While at Ames, O'Keefe had the opportu-nity to meet with a large group of schoolchildren attending the JASON educationalactivities at Ames. Some 11,000 students

continued from front pageAdministrator O'Keefe tours Ames, sets tone for future

continued on back page

photos by Dominic Hart

The NASA Administrator charmed JASON kids while handing out patches and pins and welcomingthem to NASA.

Congressman Mike Honda and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren flank SeanO’Keefe during the community breakfast.



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FY 2002 FY 2003Full Time Equivalent Employees 1,498 1,506Space Science 105.4 116.4 Major Development Programs 43.6 51.9 Mars Exploration Program 4.5 3.9 Technology Program 3.8 4.3 Research Program 37.2 40.7 Space Science Institutional Support 16.3 15.5Human Exploration and Development of Space 13.6 6.2 International Space Station 0.2 0.2 Space Shuttle 2.0 HEDS Institutional Support 11.4 6.0Earth Science 32.8 33.8 Earth Observing System Program 3.7 2.9 Operating Missions 0.5 Research and Technology 22.0 24.4Aerospace Technology 474.4 429.8 Aerospace Focused Programs 151.5 Aerospace Base 236.0 Aviation Safety 22.8 Vehicle Systems 19.0 Airspace Systems 97.5 2nd Generation RLV Focused 23.9 Space Transfer and Launch Tech 5.8 Computing Info and Communication 160.6 Engineering for Complex System 18.5 Enabling Concepts and Technology 4.0 Commercial Technology Program 17.2 16.9 Aerospace Tech Institutional Support 69.7 60.6Safety, Mission Assur and Engineering 0.6 1.1Academic Programs 7.9 5.1Biological and Physical Research 104.2 116.3 Biological and Physical Research 48.2 68.7 and Technology ISS Research 49.8 41.9 B&PR Institutional Support 6.3 5.7

739.0 708.7

Ames’ proposed budget reflects IT emphasisPresident Bush’s budget request of $15.1

billion for the Agency includes "a significantinvestment in computing and informationtechnology developments and also increasesthe investment in biotechnology andnanotechnology--the revolutionary technolo-gies of the 21st Century," according to astatement released by NASA Headquarters.This is promising news for Ames, wherecomputing, information technology, biotech-nology and nanotechnology are key compo-nents of the center’s mission and researchfocus.

The proposed FY 2003 budget requestfor NASA Ames is $708.7 million. "This bud-get is very encouraging, and clearly showsthe importance of Ames’ role in the agency’sprograms over the long term," said AmesCenter Director Dr. Henry McDonald.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe un-veiled the president’s proposed NASA bud-get during a news conference held Feb. 4 atNASA Headquarters. O’Keefe said the pro-posed budget reflects the president’s "com-mitment to this agency’s core research ef-forts and its fundamental mandate to ad-vance aeronautics and aerospace science."He predicted that agency officials would"have no difficulty" defending NASA’s pro-posed budget when the proposal is reviewedby Congress later this month.

During the one-hour briefing held atNASA Headquarters and televised live overNASA Television, O’Keefe appeared relaxedand in good spirits as he fielded questionsfrom news media gathered in the Headquar-ters auditorium and also at several of theagency’s field centers.

In addition to the Administrator’s re-marks, the briefing featured a video high-lighting some of the NASA’s future scienceand technology thrusts, including nuclearpropulsion and flight safety programs.

"From developing safe, more powerfuland more efficient space transportation sys-tems to pioneering the frontiers of flight andknowledge, NASA is the world's premiereaerospace agency. We have the freedom andthe people to dream big, and then are giventhe enviable task to make those dreams intoreality," O’Keefe said.

"But it's not enough to make promisesabout the future. We have to adhere to ‘ThePresident's Management Agenda,’ which asksus to responsibly live up to those promises,"O’ Keefe said. "The Administration has char-tered a fiscal course for the future that asksNASA to look at the way it does business,identify improvements in management andperformance, and continue to build on theagency's core foundation of science andtechnology research."

Additional information about NASA's FY2003 budget and the President's manage-ment agenda is available on the internet,located at: http://www.nasa.gov/budget/budget2003_index.html or http://ifmp.nasa.gov/codeb/budget2003/ orhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2002/mgmt.pdf

NASA Ames FY 2003 Proposed Budget ($ in millions)

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

NASA's popular educational web site,Space Place, has announced a new Spanish-language version for children and their fami-lies.

The web site located at: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov and its new Spanishcompanion located at: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/espanol serve children8 to 13 years of age. The site contains ap-proximately 40 activities, including gamesand ‘amazing facts’ about space, Earth andNASA.

The 2000 census data shows that Spanishis the primary language of more than 27million people living in the U.S. Of those,nearly 13 million feel they do not speakEnglish very well.

“This web site is dedicated to reachingthat audience. NASA is committed to ex-plaining the results of its programs to theentire American public in all its diversity,”said Dr. Jeffrey Rosendhal, education and

NASA kids’ web site ‘en espanol’outreach director of NASA's Office of SpaceScience, Washington, D.C.

The Space Place site launched in early1998 and continues to add new activitieseach month. Its educational value has beenrecognized by the National Science TeachersAssociation, the International TechnologyEducation Association, Griffith Observatoryin Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times, USAToday and several children's educational websites.

The Space Place is an outreach effort ofthe New Millennium program, managed forNASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasa-dena, Calif. JPL is a division of the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology, also in Pasadena.

Ames is working cooperatively with NASAHeadquarters, JPL and other NASA field cen-ters to better serve Spanish-speaking com-munities and individuals throughout theUnited States.

BY JOHN BLUCK



8

Students can ‘search’ for habitable planets on NASA siteSearching for a fictional planet on which

people could live is one of the student activi-ties available on a new NASA web site thatopened for business on Feb.1. The web siteit located at: http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov

'Astro ferret,' a cartoon character, willguide students through a series of role-play-ing steps on the multi-media, interactiveweb site. Young people using the 'Astro-venture' web site can observe the effects of

changes to the Earth and draw conclusionsabout what is needed for survival. Partici-pants can 'feel' that they are part of aninternet world by receiving informationseamlessly, through use of graphics, audio,video and audio transcriptions.

"Students in grades 5-8 are transportedto the future where they role-play NASAoccupations and use scientific inquiry, asthey search for and eventually build a planetwith the necessary characteristics for humanhabitation," said Christina O'Guinn of theeducational technology team at Ames. "Sup-porting activities include internet webcastswith real NASA scientists, online collabora-tions, classroom lessons, a student publish-ing area and occupation-related fact sheetsand trading cards."

Webcasts enable students to watch livevideo, listen to audio, and interact in realtime on the internet with experts. Thewebcasts' URL is located at: http://quest.nasa.gov/astrobiology/astroventure/2002/index.html

Two one-hour Astro-venture webcastswill take place in April. The first, 'HabitablePlanets,' will be on April 2 at 10 a.m. PST. Thesecond, 'Doppler Shift,' will take place onApril 9 at 10 a.m. PDT.

"Our goal is to inspire students to pursuescience, math and technology careers byengaging them in an extremely compellingtopic, astrobiology, in a way that is veryrelevant to them, focusing on Earth andhuman survival," said Donald James, educa-tion director at NASA Ames. Astrobiology isthe study of the origin, evolution, distribu-tion and destiny of life in the universe. "Re-search shows that it is crucial to capturestudents' interest in science before they reachhigh school," he said.

O'Guinn described the 'Astro-venture'

web site to 150 teachers who attended a'Space in the Classroom' conference Feb. 1 -2 at the Golden State Museum in Sacra-mento, Calif.

The conference, for K-12 educators, wassponsored by the California Space Authorityand hosted by the Space Foundation ofColorado Springs, Colo. More informationabout the conference can be found at: http://www.spacefoundation.org/sitc

The astronomy section of NASA's newweb site zeros-in on our solar system's astro-nomical characteristics that make it livable tohuman beings.

"Students test cause-and-effect relation-ships to discover the characteristics that al-low Earth to remain habitable. Students alsowill explore hands-on, inquiry-based lessonson states of matter and systems and thencomplete a mission in which they simulatethe process scientists might use to find aplanet that would be habitable to humans,"said O'Guinn.

Students can participate in the NASA-sponsored Astro-venture internet events with-

out pre-registering. There is no charge.The Astro-venture lessons meet national

educational standards and provide a pur-pose for understanding concepts such asstates of matter. "Since we need liquid waterto survive, we need to understand how liquidwater is different from solid and gas andwhat conditions permit water to be a liquid,"O'Guinn explained. The web site also high-lights NASA careers and astrobiology re-search in astronomy, geology, biology andatmospheric sciences.

According to web team members, theyare developing the web site to meet educa-tional standards, research-based instructionalmethods and the constraints of today's class-rooms. The team includes instructional de-signers, graphic artists, multimedia program-mers and web developers who work withNASA scientists, including some astrobiolo-gists and their support personnel from theNASA Astrobiology Institute, which isheadquartered, at Ames. Astrobiologists atAmes are studying the organic chemistry of

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Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950),known to many as the ‘Father of BlackHistory,’ was born in New Canton, Virginiaon Dec. 19, 1875. He was the son of ex-slaves who could neither read nor write.His family moved to West Va., where heworked in the coal mines to contribute tohis family's income. Although he was notable to attend school as many children hisage could, his desire to learn and his par-ents’ encouragement helped him accom-plish many things throughout his life. Af-ter graduating from high school at the ageof 20, he attended the University of Chi-cago. He received a bachelors degree in1907 and a masters degree in 1908.

Carter G. Woodson fulfilled the goalshe set for himself and is remembered formany accomplishments, one of which wasestablishing Negro History Week in 1926,which we now celebrate as ‘Black HistoryMonth.’

There are many black Americans whohave made significant contributions to theAmerican culture. Many of these contribu-tions and accomplishments were not rec-ognized in the past and some still are not.We should do research to learn and be-come informed about these outstandingpeople, as there are many.

Another accomplished black Americanis James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938).Born in Jacksonville, Fla., he is recognizedas an educator, poet, author and orga-nizer. His mother, a native of the Bahamas,instilled a sense of racial pride in him andhis brother John, a musician. In 1900, Johncomposed music to accompany a poemwritten by James, which has become awell-known song that represents a sense of

February is ‘Black History Month’pride felt by many of us. Here are thewords to that song:

Lift every voice and sing‘Till earth and heaven ring,Ring with the harmonies of liberty;Let our rejoicing riseHigh as the listening skies,Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith thatthe dark past has taught us,Sing a song full of the hope that thepresent has brought us,

Facing the rising sun of our new dayBegun, let us march on ‘till victory iswon.

The National Association for the Ad-vancement of Colored People (NAACP)with a collaborative effort was founded inNew York City by black American andliberal Caucasians. One of the accom-plishments of this organization succeededin getting the Supreme Court to rule thatsegregation was unconstitutional in placesof public education, housing, employ-ment and the military.

There are many organizations andAmericans at all levels who are strivingeach day to help all of us live together onequal ground. Remember, this monthhas been recognized as ‘Black HistoryMonth’; however, one month of remem-bering is not enough. Americans of allcultures should continue to work daily forunity and equality amongst us all.

BY MARY BUFORD HOWARD

continued on next page



9

BY JOHN BLUCK

NASA Ames has signed an agreement toaward $23.3 million to Carnegie MellonUniversity’s School of Computer Science todevelop a multi-disciplinary, multi-institu-tional High-Dependability Computing Pro-gram (HDCP) to improve NASA’s capabilityto create dependable software.

The incremental five-year cooperativeagreement is part of a broad strategy fordependable computing that links NASA,Carnegie Mellon, corporate partners andother universities. Carnegie Mellon expertswill collaborate with NASA scientists andresearchers from other universities, includingthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology,University of Maryland, University of South-ern California, University of Washington andUniversity of Wisconsin, to measure and im-prove the dependability of NASA’s systems.

"We are delighted to work with CarnegieMellon," said Ames Center Director Dr. HenryMcDonald. "Carnegie Mellon is a leader incomputing and robotic technologies. We seethis as a cornerstone as we move forwardwith the development of NASA ResearchPark," he said.

"While software dependability has been atheme of computing research for severaldecades, this program addresses the issue ina new way, looking at the particular chal-lenges of large systems, and combining mea-surement with improvement," said William L.Scherlis, principal research scientist in theInstitute for Software Research, Internationalin Carnegie Mellon’s School of ComputerScience. Scherlis and James H. Morris, profes-sor and dean of the School of ComputerScience, are principal investigators on theHigh-Dependability Computing Program.

"This is a unique opportunity to developan empirically based science for softwaredependability, and could have a major im-pact on NASA’s ability to rely on complexsoftware for advanced mission capability,"said Dr. Michael L. Lowry, chief of research inadvanced software engineering technologywithin the Computational Sciences divisionat Ames. Previous research collaborationsbetween this division, headed by Dr. DanielClancy, and Carnegie Mellon have resulted intools that formally verify artificial intelligencesoftware that autonomously controls roboticspacecraft.

Dependability is a major challenge for allcomplex software-based systems. Today,there are few effective techniques for mea-suring dependability and for improving thedependability of large and complex systems.Aspects of dependability include safety-criti-cal reliability, high security, high integrity,continuous operation and human-computerinteraction. "Human performance and hu-man computer interaction are critical ele-ments of software reliability," said Dr. Terry

NASA, Carnegie Mellon sign computing agreement

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

VPP STAR Tip:

A union member describing herexperience as part of a delegationto a VPPPA conference told workersat her plant that she had just seenlabor and management in suchtotal agreement that you couldn'ttell one from the other by whatthey said or even what they wore.

....Margaret Richardson, in Preparingfor the Voluntary Protection Programs,Copyright @ 1999 by John Wiley &Sons, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

Allard, chief of the Human Factors Researchand Technology Division at Ames. Thesecriteria have long been requirements forspace and defense systems. Now they areincreasingly important for systems in manyother sectors of society, including systemsassociated with national infrastructure, de-fense and health care, as well as mainstreamsystems ranging from electronic commerceto desktops.

"By studying large systems and compo-nents important to NASA, we will be betterequipped to understand the challenges ofmoving techniques for measuring and im-proving dependability from the laboratoryinto practice, both for NASA and for themainstream software development that con-tributes to the NASA mission," Scherlis said."The testbed projects will provide importantstepping stones in this process." Testbedprojects, to be announced over the next fewmonths, are likely to include an advancednetworking architecture for the InternationalSpace Station and NASA’s research to im-prove air-traffic control.

Morris explained that the diverse skillsneeded to accomplish the HDCP’s goals donot reside exclusively at any single labora-tory. The principal focus is on strengtheningsoftware dependability for NASA. In addi-tion, Carnegie Mellon and its partners willdevelop collaborations with industry andwith other major software development ef-forts, including open source projects. First-year funding for the HDCP is $2.9 million,which will be divided between CarnegieMellon’s Pittsburgh campus, research effortson the West Coast and other universities assubcontractors.

The High-Dependability Computing Pro-gram is the most recent in a number ofimportant collaborations that CarnegieMellon has undertaken with NASA. CarnegieMellon has worked for the past two years toestablish a presence in the Silicon Valley. Thisincludes formation of the High-Dependabil-ity Computing Consortium (HDCC) jointlywith NASA and 15 Silicon Valley companies,focused broadly on reducing failures in com-puting systems critical to the welfare of soci-ety.

Carnegie Mellon has an agreement withNASA to use facilities at Ames to initiate thehigh-dependability program. "CarnegieMellon has unique capabilities to offer in theSilicon Valley, the information technologycapital of the world," said Morris. He believesthat Carnegie Mellon’s presence in the valleynot only makes its offerings more broadlyaccessible, but also can enhance the educa-tional experience of students at the Pitts-burgh campus by giving them opportunitiesfor internships or research with NASA orSilicon Valley companies. In addition,

"Carnegie Mellon has more than 2,500 alumniin Silicon Valley. They want to see us take amore active role in this environment," hesaid.

In other work with Ames, Carnegie Mellonresearchers have developed high-profile ro-bots such as Dante, which explored theinterior of a volcano, and Nomad, whichdiscovered meteorites in Antarctica. In addi-tion, Carnegie Mellon researchers also haveworked with Ames researchers on projectssuch as formal methods for verifying digitalcircuitry, vision and navigation, machinelearning and data mining.

space, the formation of planetary systems,and the early history of the Earth, one NASAastrobiologist explained. These scientists in-vestigate the origin of life and explore themost extreme environments that supportlife, from boiling hot springs to cold Antarc-tic rocks. Astrobiologists analyze martian me-teorites for possible fossil evidence of life andcarry out experiments in evolutionary biol-ogy using space shuttle flights.

"NASA Ames also is beginning a collabo-ration with California State University, Hay-ward, educational technology graduate stu-dents who are rapid-prototyping other mod-ules and curriculum," O'Guinn said.

continued from previous page

Students ‘search’for habitableplanets



10

Cancer takes master model maker Elwood Leibfritz

BY JOHN BLUCK

Elwood R. "Fritz" Leibfritz, who worked inmodel making at Ames from 1947-1984,died Jan. 8, at age 76, of cancer. Modelmaking was not just a job for Leibfritz. Mod-els, real airplanes and automobiles perme-ated much of his life. In retirement, he evenbuilt a very unique hot rod from scratch.

“At home he was into wood models, slotcars, radio-control models and he had aroadster he worked on. He was a real niceguy,” said Greg Paulson of Code FMD.Leibfritz even worked on two-dimensionalrubber band-powered planes covered withlaser-printed paint schemes on tissue paper.His family still has one-inch-long, scale mod-els he made as a child.

“He designed and manufactured theframe for the hot rod,” said Manuel Fontes,who retired from the Ames model shop in1989. “The frame and suspension were de-signed to racing car specifications. He de-signed it so the seating was lower, not sittingup high like in most hot rods. He put a smallblock V-8 Buick motor in it. The motor wasspecial-built in Reno at a race car motormanufacturer. The body or ‘bucket’ was a1927 Ford Model T. He made a profession-ally manufactured hot rod. It handled well.”

Leibfritz worked in the Advanced Com-posites and Metals Development branch,Code FMD, and was branch chief when heretired. During Leibfritz's early years at Ames,he was a research model maker. He was aperfectionist, which made him a good fit forthe work he did, according to his brotherGilbert, of Code FM. He also said his brotherdidn’t hesitate to tell someone that he didsomething wrong, but he did it in a non-critical or blaming way.

“Leibfritz was an Army Air Force B-25pilot in World War II,” Fontes said. “Rightafter the war, he came to work at Ames whenit was part of the National Advisory Commit-tee for Aeronautics. They were still makingWorld War II vintage test models of aircraftand were just getting into the jet age.”

“During his early days, he raced hardtopsand sprint cars at the speedway in San José,Belmont and others,” Fontes said. “He andFrank Luft also completely restored a WorldWar II vintage Steerman airplane.” The UnitedStates used Steerman biplanes in the 1930sand the second world war to train militarypilots.

“He and Luft got together and theybought this old Steerman, and it didn’t haveany wings,” said Fontes. “The men went outand researched and then built wings fromscratch. They had to hunt to find specs. Thewings were fabric-covered. The two had togo find an engine and rebuild it. When theycompleted the plane, it was featured in maga-zine articles across the country and in theUnited Kingdom.”

“We had lunch together about a monthand a half ago,” Fontes said. “We both came

to the conclusion how lucky we were to getthose jobs in model making. This was a job todream about. We enjoyed every minute of it.‘How lucky we were,’ Fritz would say.”

“We worked with the best of the bestdirectly on their aerospace projects,” Fontescontinued. “We made couches for the astro-

nauts. Some came here. We made all themodel capsules and boosters and just abouteverything. We were called out many, manytimes to engineering conferences to makerecommendations. He was always a con-tributor.”

In those earlier days of NACA and earlyNASA, there was a great team spirit, accord-ing to Fontes. People from different groupsdropped in and helped each other withoutformal pre-arrangements, Fontes related.“They were just a telephone call away,” hesaid.

“He made one of the first scale models ofa vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft,” saidFontes. “That model was presented to Con-gress. At that time, we were called researchand development model makers. We were avery unique group. We virtually worked inevery field.”

“One of the reasons that the model mak-ers were able to adapt to new projects andtechnology was because they could draw ontheir past projects and experiences. We wereexposed to all of these people, and whereelse could we be exposed to so many tech-nologies? I cannot think of any companywhere you could work and where you couldget that kind of exposure that we got atAmes. We even developed medical stuff.”

“Fritz got onto a project to make model

rotor blades for helicopters. These were scaleblades, and researchers made regular setupsthat were tested in the Army wind tunnels atAmes. The models had to be accurate andhave structural integrity. He had to researchmany plastics and materials. Basically, youwould call these composite blades, made ofcomposite materials,” Fontes said. “Fritz waswell-known on the Army side. He worked onquiet blades.”

“He developed the blade molds and thetechniques to make the models,” said Fontes.“That grew into other projects as the modelshop went on to projects involving modelsthat used composite materials. He was in theforefront of developing techniques to enablefabrication of strong and accurate compos-ite models.”

“We even started a casting shop. We casta lot of exotic metals. We made models likethe X-15 for the gun tunnels,” Fontes said.

“As the agency grew, we grew. We startedas a wood shop. We evolved from basicwood model pattern making. Some of theearly metal models that were made in themachine shop were made from three-di-mensional patterns made in the model shop.And then we got into plastics, which evolvedinto making composite models, investmentcasting and then we actually had a machineshop to machine special materials. They gotinto fire retardant materials for windows,and came up with coatings to stop explo-sions. The effort led to the establishment ofa chemical lab in our model shop. We devel-oped the space shuttle tiles, the blankets thatcover the other body parts of the spaceshuttle and aircraft brake materials. Many ofthese advancements took place in the modelshop, and many others we learned fromother groups and industries.”

“Later on, he also became the shop stew-ard," Fontes remembered. "We had the onlyoutside union then, the Northern CaliforniaPattern Makers. During negotiations, hehelped establish higher grade levels for modelmakers.”

Eventually, Leibfritz became a branchchief. “There was one thing really uniqueabout him. He never considered the effectsof his actions on his career. He always foughtfor people, if they were right,” said Fontes.“He never held a grudge.” At one time, therewere as many as 40 people working in themodel shop, according to Fontes.

Leibfritz is survived by his brother, Gil-bert Leibfritz of Milpitas; sister Barbara Svetichof Bishop; son Fred Leibfritz of Colorado;daughter Karen Batchellor of Oregon; long-time companion Marge A. Wilson; and fourgrandchildren. Family members said theywould like to thank everyone who donatedto cancer research and other charities and forattending the Leibfritz memorial service.

Elwood Leibfritz

10



11

Event Calendar

Miscellaneous

Transportation

Ames ClassifiedsAds for the next issue should be sent to

[email protected] by the first Friday follow-ing publication of the present issue and must be resub-mitted for each issue. Ads must involve personal needsor items; (no commercial/third-party ads) and will runon a space-available basis only. First-time ads are givenpriority. Ads must include home phone numbers; Amesextensions and email addresses will be accepted forcarpool and lost and found ads only. Due to the volumeof material received, we are unable to verify the accuracyof the statements made in the ads.

Housing

Ames Public Radio1700 KHz AM radio -- information announcements

and emergency instructions, when appropriate, for Amesemployees. The emergency information phone number forAmes is (650) 604-9999.

Ames Bowling League, Palo Alto Bowl on Tues nights.Seeking full-time bowlers and substitutes. Pre-league meeting atPalo Alto Bowl on Tues, August 28 at 6 p.m. Questions to signup: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Ames Diabetics (AAD), 1st & 3rd Weds, 12 to 1p.m., at Ames Mega Bites, Sun rm. Support group discussesnews affecting diabetics. POC: Bob Mohlenhoff, ext. 4-2523/email at: [email protected].

Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Mtg, Everyother Thursday (check web site for meeting dates: http://accc.arc.nasa.gov), 12 noon to 2 p.m., N-269, Rm. 201. POC:Joan Walton, ext 4-2005.

Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) Mtg, Feb. 20,12 p.m. to 1 p.m., Bldg. 19, Rm 1042. Info at: http://www.afeu.org. POC: Marianne Mosher at ext. 4-4055.

Ames Amateur Radio Club, Feb. 21, 12 noon, N-T28(across from N-255). POC: Michael Wright, KG6BFK, at ext. 4-6262. URL: http://hamradio.arc.nasa.gov.

Native American Advisory Committee Mtg,Feb. 26, 12 noon to 1 p.m., Building 19, Rm 1096.POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Nat'l Association of Retired Federal Employees,(NARFE), Mar. 1, S. J. Chptr #50 mtg, 9:30 a.m.,Hometown Buffet, Westgate Mall, 4735 HamiltonAvenue., San José. Program at 10 a.m. Gardeningspecialist. Lunch at 11 a.m. $6.27 pp. POC: Earl Keener(408) 241-4459 or NARFE 1-800-627-3394.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg, Mar. 6, 11 a.m.,N-200, Comm. Rm. POC: Paul Chaplin at ext. 4-3262.

Environmental, Health and Safety InformationForum, Mar. 7, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Bldg. 19/Rm1040. URL: http://q.arc.nasa.gov/qe/events/EHSseries/POC: Julie Quanz at ext. 4-6810.

Model HO/HOn3 Railroad Train Club at MoffettField in Bldg. 126, across from the south end of HangarOne. Work nights are usually Friday nights, 7:30 p.m. to9:30 p.m. Play time is Sundays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call JohnDonovan (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 at ext. 4-2875 or Lich Tran at ext. 4-5997.

Ames Ballroom Dance Club. Classes meetTuesdays. Begin. classes start 6:15 p.m. Schedule:Feb., East Coast swing; Mar., waltz. Higher-level classmeets at 5:15 p.m., Schedule: Feb. 5, 12, East Coastswing; Feb. 19, 26, Mar. 5, West Coast swing; Mar.12, 19 and 26, waltz. Classes held in Bldg. 944, theRecreation Center. POC: Helen Hwang,[email protected].

Exchange Information

Beyond Galileo N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)ext. 4-6873Ask about NASA customized gifts for specialoccasions. Make your reservations for Chase Park.

Mega Bites N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)ext. 4-5969See daily menu at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov

Visitor Center Gift Shop N-223(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, giftsand educational items.

NASA Lodge (N-19) 603-7100Open 7 days a week, 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ratesfrom $40 - $50.

Vacation Opportunities

Check web site for discounts to local attractions,http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov and click on tickets.March, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, GoldenGate TheatreMar. 9, 7:30 p.m. San José Sharks vs. Vancouver,Compaq Area, San José.Mar. 23, 8 p.m., Joseph & The Dream Coat, San JoséCenter for the Performing Arts

Information about products, services and oppor-tunities provided to the employee and contractorcommunity by the Ames Exchange Council. Visitthe web site at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov

Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley townhs, 3 bd/2ba,view of slopes, close to lifts. Wkend $500,midwk $190 nite. Included lines, cleaning,propane fireplace, fully furnished.Call (650) 968-4155. [email protected]

South Lake Tahoe Cottage w/wood fireplaceand hot tub. Rates from $50 to $130 pernight. Call (650) 967-7659 or (650) 704-7732.

Vacation rental, Bass Lake CA 14 mls south ofYosemite. 3bd/1.5 ba, TV, VCR, MW, frplc,BBQ, priv. boat dock. Sleeps 8. $1,050/wk. Call(559) 642-3600 or (650) 390-9668.

Big Sur vacation rental, secluded 4bd/2bahouse in lovely canyon setting. Fully eqpdkitchen. Access to priv. beach. Tub in patiogdn. Halfway between Carmel & Big Sur.$175/night for 2; $225 for 4 and $250 for more,plus $150 cleaning dep. Call (650) 328-4427.

Incline Village: Forest Pines, Lake Tahoe condo,3 bd/2 ba, sleeps 8. Fireplc, TV/VCR, MW,W/D, jacuzzi, sauna, pool. $120/night low season;$155/night high season. $90 cleaning fee and12% Nevada room tax. Charlie (650) 366-1873.

Tickets, etc... (N-235, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)ext. 4-6873

'62 Chevrolet Bel Air, project car, one owner, 2 dr,283 cu. in. V-8, 3spd w/OD, not operated in last 3 yrs,$850 or B/O. Call (408) 227-2710.

'70 VW convertible classic--like to restore VW's? Takeme home. Original owner, no smog needed, transmissionok, needs work on top & possibly engine. Only $1,200.Esther or Art (650) 961-2732.

‘84 Mazda truck, white, has shell, good tires, trannyyear old runs good, $700 or B/O. Call (408) 564-0314.

‘87 BMW 535i, loaded, 2 years old radiator, converter,exhaust system, brake and tires. Metallic blue, never hadaccident, nice body,run smoothly, 193K mls. $3,500.Francis (510) 489-0830.

‘92 Honda Accord, loaded, great shape, low miles,and all maintenance records. $6,750 or B/O. Debbie orEric (650) 424-8138.

‘92 Honda Accord, 4dr,automatic, exc. condition,smogged, automatic. $5,000. Call (408) 253-9453.

‘93 GMC 1500 SLE 4x4 full sized truck 5.0L eng. red/black 2 tone paint, 5 speed manual trans, 108,000 mls,cruise control, pwr locks and windows, A/C, new clutch,new radiator, tow package. Must sell! $6,900 or B/[email protected] or Colby or Kathey (510) 796-4503.

‘94 Chevrolet Camaro, V-8, T-Top, w/rear spoiler.emerald green, 65,000 mls, $7,500 or will negotiate.Tommy (408) 464-8803.

’98 Ford Ranger XLT, ext cab, automatic, V6 3.0, AC,Vista camper shell, carpet kit, AM/FM stereo, cassette, 25Kmls, $10,500 or B/O. Deanna (408) 260-1180, 5-9 p.m.

‘00 Chevy Impala, assume lease or purchase,18 mosleft on lease. Full power, P-front seats, cd, pw, abs-brakes,tilt wheel, LS suspension, 4w-disc brakes, 3 on brdcomputors. Bob (408) 736-4039 (H).

'00 Honda VTR 1000 motorcycle. Yellow, fast andpristine. Only 1,600 mls. Adult owned, dealer serviced,garaged. $6,800. Tom (831) 335-7957.

Mahogany ranch mink coat, street length, all femaleskins, I.Magnins appr/ins. $7,500 sell $1,075 or B/O.Cleaned and glazed. Wini Wood (650) 968-8650.

Apple PowerBook G3: 14.1 inch display, 10GB HD,internal zip drive, 1GB Jaz drive, 20x CD-ROM, USB card,56K modem, built in SCSI port, mouse, 96 MB RAM, Office98, PhotoDeluxe, etc. $1,200. Bob Gisler (408) 378-8633.

6400 PowerMac, oldie but a goody, everything butthe monitor, great cond, $100. 29in. truck tires w/ steelwheels, 6 lug, plenty of tread, best offer. Fire extinguishers,all types, empty, best offer. Call (408) 377-8671.

Equinox bike trailer (double) $125. Call (408) 725-8695.

For rent: duplex in MV (nr Grant Rd. & Hwy. 85).Spacious, clean, 2bd/1.5ba. Lg. kitchen w/appliances; lg.living room w/fireplace. Newly painted; new blinds,drapes; neutral colored carpets. Updated bthrms. W/Dhkup. Garage. Priv. yard. Nice nghbrhd; walk to shopping.No P/S. $1,625/mo.; $1,750 dep. Call (650) 948-7542.

Renting 2 rooms/1 bath, dep: $325 & $650/mo w/bath; or dep: $225 & $550/mo w/o bath. Location: SantaClara. Jennifer (408) 567-0213.

Week of Feb. 23 through Mar. 2 at Ridge Tahoe Resortfor sale, $150 plus $129 exchange fee, includes tax. Unithas kitchenette, t.v., indoor pool, shuttle to ski-ing, otheramenities. Sarah (650) 537-0057.

Room in 3bd/2ba MV townhouse. $800 rent (incl.utils). Share w/prof’l female (and cat). Private bathroom.Female preferred. NS/NP. Call (650) 254-1121.

1 bd/1 ba apartment for rent in MV. $995/mo, $750dep, no smoking, no pets. Avail. now, located 5 minutesfrom Ames on Mariposa Ave. Call (408) 249-3220.

Summer visitors--temporary rental available for 3 to 6months between April and October 2002. 3 bd/1 ba homein Cupertino, DW, W/D, hot tub & pool table. Furnishingsoptional. 12-20 min commute to Ames. $2,450/mo.Laura (408) 343-1272.

Room & priv. bath avail. April 1 in beautifultownhouse on Sunnyvale/Los Altos border. Share with onequiet prof’l female. Rent is $1,200 per month and includesprivate patio, storage space, office space, covered parking,fireplace & pool. Prefer 1 year lease. Call (408) 253-6043.

Condo for rent: 1 bdrm, remodeled bath, w/ largecloset, new W/D, new carpet/paint, 2 decks, BBQ, pool &jac, garage negotiable, quiet location on Fairoaks close toH101. Rent $1,450/mo (or $1,800 furnished) + $1,500 dep+ PG&E (about $30/mo). Rental agreement, refs and credithistory req'd. Avail March. Scott (408) 736-3121.

Elna Jubilee electronic 500 sewing machine includesmaple cabinet and attachments. New condition. $300.Call (408) 745-1734.

Adobe GoLive 5.0 for the Mac, professional webauthoring and site management, unopened, still in shrinkwrap, $250 or B/O. Call (408) 377-8671.

Bunk bed, dresser, desk with hutch and chair, $350.Call (408) 725-8695.

Two matching pairs of double, prairie-style casementwindows removed from 1923 California Bungalow home.Good condition. Call for pics, $75. Call (408) 295-2160.

Organ: Thomas 782 Symphony Royal, full keyboards.Gd cond. $995. Call (408) 723-7095 lv msg.

Adorable mini Schnauzer puppies, 2F, 2M, born 1/11;available 3/11; clipped tails and dew claws and first shots;AKC registered. Ed Kelley (408) 294-9289.

NCAA Men’s Western Regional BasketballChampionship at the San José Arena on Mar. 21 (2 games)and Mar. 23 (championship game). Four tickets forsessions 1 and 2. Section 207, Row 8, seat #s 13 - 16.$800 for entire package. Ken (408) 253-6643.

Printer: HP Deskjet 870 Cse. Professional Series, colorprinter, exc. condition. $50. Call (408) 723-7095; lv msg.

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National Aeronautics and Space Admnistration

Ames Research CenterMoffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use

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 official publicationof Ames Research Center, NationalAeronautics and Space Administration.

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

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

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from the greater San Francisco Bay areainteracted via satellite with scientists in Alaskaduring 50 telecasts Jan. 28 - Feb. 8 at Ames.During the broadcasts, local students fromgrades 3 to 12 talked live by satellite withscientists and students in polar regions whoare studying geology, climate change, na-tive cultures, plants, animals and even thebacteria of some of Earth's colder places.These investigations were part of "JASONProject XIII: Frozen Worlds."

Commenting on the value of NASA'seducational programs, O'Keefe said educa-tional activities, like JASON, can inspire chil-dren to study science, engineering and tech-nology. Translating what NASA is doing forschool children is going to make a differencein so many lives, he said. Children should say,"Wow, I want to be a part of that," saidO'Keefe. Scientists and engineers should dotheir best to "translate" NASA research andfindings for K-12 students, he suggested.

More information about AdministratorO'Keefe is available on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/bios/okeefe.html

Link to biographies of NASA Administra-tors--http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/prsnnl.htm

O'Keefe toursAmes, sets tonefor futurecontinued from page 6

BY JOHN BLUCK

communication for the information technology age february 11, … › centers › ames › pdf ›...

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