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

July 2005

www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/astrogram/2005/05astrograms.html

On July 12, Deputy Director StanNewberry kicked off an Ames commu-nity return-to-flight (RTF) event in theBldg N-201 auditorium. His talk wasfollowed by special advance showingsof ‘Space Station’ (IMAX), which did notofficially premier on DVD until July 19.

Space Station, produced byLockheed Martin with assistance fromNASA, provides a “jaw-dropping tourof the next step in space exploration: theInternational Space Station (ISS). High-lights included the station’s on-orbit con-struction, plus amazing glimpses of crewmembers as they work, exercise or doroutine tasks such as getting a haircut ordrinking water.”

Free popcorn was also handed outto the attendees at the event. Also shownwere short NASA films (including a fea-ture on Ames’ contributions to return toflight), RTF displays and posters fromthe recent workshop on a new entrepre-neurial paradigm for the InternationalSpace Station.

In addition, in conjunction with themovies, NASA items commemoratingreturn to flight were distributed to em-ployees. These included pins, a ribbon,a green RTF bracelet and photographs.

Hundreds turn out for return-to-flight event at Ames

NA

SA p

hot

os b

y D

omin

ic H

art

State Senate hearing held at Ames

Tucked away in25 of these RTFpackets weretickets for a freematinee movieat the MountainView Century16 theaters inMountain View.RTF claim tick-ets were distrib-uted to the en-tire Ames com-munity (civilservants andcontractors) viathe directoratesfor employeesto claim theirsouvenir bags.

Special return-to-flight posters were alsodistributed.

On July 12, Ames employees received free popcorn, as well as sodas, waterand NASA items commemorating the space shuttle’s return to flight.

The IMAX movie ‘Space Station’ was shown,as well as another feature that included Ames’contributions to return to flight, on July 12 atAmes.

NA

SA p

hot

os b

y D

omin

ic H

art

On July 15, California State Senator Elaine Alquistof San Jose, (left), makes a point about theimportance of nanotechnology as an emergingtechnology in the state's economy. NASA AmesCenter Director G. Scott Hubbard, seated at tablein center of photo above, gives testimony withother experts before the California State Senate'sSelect Committee on Emerging Technology andEconomic Competitiveness.

Astrogram July 20052

A deep appreciation for large,unique structures such as cathedrals,coliseums and bridges has helped oneengineer lead Ames' efforts towardNASA's return-to-flight mission.

For the past two-and-a-half years,many researchers, scientists and engi-neers have focused on one common goal:returning NASA's space shuttle to flight.As the program manager for the return-to-flight efforts at Ames, John Allmenhas been deeply involved in ensuring asuccessful mission.

“I make sure everybody has the re-sources they need to get their job done.I track progress and help solve any prob-lems that may arise…I am the maincontact with Johnson Space Center,”Allmen explained.

Allmen grew up in Oxnard, Calif.“It was a rural community of about50,000 people that primarily deals inagriculture. At least, that is what I re-member it as, not sure if it is still like thattoday,” Allmen chuckles.

While growing up, Allmen noticedlarge unique structures. He was inter-ested in cathedrals, especially large Eu-ropean cathedrals and how they wereput together. Through studying placeslike Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, thathe says “has the most classic flying but-tresses” and St. Peter’s Dome with its‘hoop-stresses,’ Allmen was always inawe and inspired by the people whodesigned them.

Ames’ leading man in our efforts for ‘Return to Flight’In the early 70s, it was this love of

structures that brought Allmen to Cal-Poly in San Luis Obispo, where he re-ceived his bachelor’s degree in architec-tural engineering.

“In college, I took a course in struc-tural analysis of cathedrals and Romanaqueducts. The people of that time fig-ured out things by failures that devel-oped a rule of thumb. For example withlarge flying buttresses, what did or didnot fall down. We now know it requiresthe accurate resolution of forces, but itamazed me how they were able to buildthese structures without our currenttechnology,” Allmen recalled.

After college, he began working forthe Army Corps of Engineers in heavyconstruction. "With them, I was helpingthem concrete the world." From there,Allmen attended the University of Cali-fornia-Berkeley for his master's degreein structural engineering and structuralmechanics.

"I had government reinstatementrights because I was on a year leave ofabsence to earn my master's. My wifewas working at San Jose State and so wedidn't want to move back to southernCalifornia. We both really liked it here,so I went to work for a structural engi-neer for three months and then found ajob for a civil engineer here at AmesResearch Center. In fact, I didn't evenknow Ames existed before that time."

Allmen began his NASA career in1974 as a facilities engineer at Ames. Hethen transferred to NASA Headquar-ters for a year and a half, and he re-turned to Ames in 1977 to work on themodifications to the National Full-ScaleAerodynamic Facility (NFAC).

During his tenure at NASA Ames,Allmen has held many titles, rangingfrom construction manager to projectmanager for acoustics on the 40-foot-by-80-foot wind tunnel to assistant branchand division chief. In recent years, hehas taken on more of the business aspectof various projects. He also has workedin the areas of new business develop-ment and developed full cost account-ing algorithms for the facility.

When asked what he feels is hisproudest professional achievement,

Allmen replied: "Completing the re-building of the NFAC. I had one of thebest construction management groupsof people I've ever had working on re-building the wind tunnel. There wereoutstanding people on the rest of theproject as well."

When asked about personal achieve-ments, Allmen mentions that the birthand raising of his children are the big-gest achievements in his life. Allmen isthe proud father of four children: threeboys, two of whom are happily mar-ried, and one who recently graduatedfrom high school. His daughter, theyoungest of the four, will be a senior inhigh school this fall. He also has twograndchildren.

Allmen is committed to a life offitness and good health. When he isaway from the office, you may find himat the gym or on a 40-to-60-mile road ormountain bike ride. During the winter,he loves to go skiing. “I find eating welland being healthy creates a lot of posi-tive experiences in my life. It helps tohave a better attitude about life.”

For those who want to lead a healthyand happy lifestyle, Allmen offers thesewords of encouragement: “One needsto ask themselves: What do you wantout of life? How do you want to feel?You might ask, how do you want yourclothes to fit? In order to achieve whatyou want in life, you need to set goals foryourself. A partner can be essential forencouraging one another and havingfun together.”

If you would sit down with Allmen,you will notice his love for life, familyand a fulfilling career. His friends woulddescribe him as a genuinely nice person.

When asked if he could do it all overagain, whether he would pick engineer-ing as a career, he replied, “Instead ofengineering, I'd probably go into teach-ing, if it paid as well. I enjoy teaching,but I think I would probably still be anengineer. It's in my blood and in mypsyche.”

BY JENNIFER KREMER

John Allmen

NA

SA p

hot

o by

Tom

Tro

wer

3Astrogram July 2005

Over 5,000 visitors attended theNASA Ames 'Cosmic Impacts' eventon July 16, the second installment inits highly successful Family NightEducation Series. This was a free, pub-lic event. During the evening, morethan 1,600 people crowded the the-ater in the NASA Exploration Center(Bldg. 943A) to hear Scott Sandford, aresearch astro-physicist atAmes, discussthe latest resultsfrom the DeepImpact missionrendezvous withcomet Tempel 1.During his pre-s e n t a t i o n ,S a n d f o r dshowed a num-

Thousands attend NASA Ames Family Nightber of 3D imagesof comets and as-teroids on the Ex-p l o r a t i o nCenter's 13-foot-tall screen. Al-though sched-uled to speakfrom 7 p.m. to 9

p.m., the crowds were so large,Sandford started at 6 p.m. and did notstop until the last visitors left after 10p.m.

David Morrison, senior scientistat the NASA Astrobiology Institute,

presented NASA's efforts to locateand identify near-Earth asteroids thatcould pose an impact hazard to Earth.

Rusty Schweickart, an Apollo 9astronaut, presented the B612Foundation's innovative and excitingplans to demonstrate how impact haz-ards to the Earth could be addressedby changing the orbit of an asteroid'spath. Local amateur astronomers setup their telescopes for the public toview impact craters on the moon andother celestial bodies. The event alsofeatured exhibits and hands-on ac-tivities for the entire family.

Ames family nights are sponsoredby the NASA Ames Education Officeand are designed to engage the com-munity in scientific exploration andto inform the public about NASA re-search and technology. The next fam-ily night will be held in September.

Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart atthe recent Ames Family Night.

NASA photos by Dominic Hart

Astrogram July 20054

2005 Length of service awards recognize Ames employeesNASA Ames Research Center ac-

knowledges and recognizes employeeswho achieved their length-of-service an-niversaries for 25 and above years ofservice during the period July 1, 2004 toJune 30, 2005. The contributions of theseemployees’ many years of service to ourcountry and in helping NASA achieveits many goals are greatly appreciated.

Code A - Office of the Directorof Aeronautics

25 Years of ServiceLisa J. BjarkeThomas J. DavisDavid M. DriverDonald A. DurstonLawrence A. HandWilliam C. HorneFrancis J. KmakDaniel B. LeiserDouglas L. LillieVincent M. MeglioHirokazu MiuraRussell A. PaielliWilliam Peneff Jr.Michael S. ReinathJames C. RossRobert K. ShipleyStephen C. Smith

30 Years of ServiceDavid O. ChinWilliam A. DeckerNancy S. DorighiLeslie A. Jacob (Retired)Arthur M. Silva

40 Years of ServiceRichard J. Exberger (Retired)

Code C - Office of the ChiefFinancial Officer

25 Years of ServiceAnthony G. MadularaKevin L. Werner

30 Years of ServicePatricia K. CrooksJimmy Y. FongHarry Tang (Retired)Joseph D. Shields

35 Years of ServiceCharles L. Jackson (Retired)

Code D - Office of the Director

25 Years of ServiceAlexander Barna Jr.Estelle P. Condon (Retired)William R. Van Dalsem

Code H - Office of the Director ofHuman Capital Directorate

30 Years of ServiceLaura A. Shawnee

Code Q - Office of the Directorof Safety, Environmental andMission Assurance

30 Years of ServiceCyrus G. Chow

35 Years of ServiceGail P. Pfeiffer

Code E - Office of the Director ofExternal Relations and Develop-ment Directorate

25 Years of ServiceDiane FarrarGregory L. GibbsRobin M. Orans

30 Years of ServiceJeffrey L. Cross

Code P - Office of the Director ofProject Management and Engi-neering Directorate

25 Years of ServiceClaire E. Barskey (Retired)John A. EstradaMichael P. FredianiJohn H. GoebelMichael GuerreiroRonald D. JohnsonPeter KittelDouglas R. KrauseFrank M. LarsenJoseph P. LavelleAnnett M. RandallLouis J. SalernoSteven K. SpitzerDavid Wong

30 Years of ServiceThomas N. AikenDavid S. AndrewsAnne C. CortezHanna J. DanfouraGilbert K. KojimaMarina D. Laroya-MarquezRichard T. PiquetteMark K. RossiDavid J. Van SickleRobert Yee

35 Years of ServiceTom M. WynnHarry Yee

40 Years of ServiceRobert E. Holmes (Retired)Ramsey K. MeluginJohn B. Wallace

5Astrogram July 2005

Code T - Office of the Directorof Exploration Technology

25 Years of ServiceSandra G. HartDochan KwakJohn R. LehmanHugh La MasterGina F. MorelloMichael E. OlsenJudith M. OrasanuDwight T. SanderferHelen M. Yee

30 Years of ServiceSusan C. NelsonRoger W. RemingtonRobert P. Trent

35 Years of ServiceRandolph L. Kaemmerer

Code J - Office of the Director ofCenter Operations

25 Years of ServiceCharles W. AdyAudrey A. GuerraWende L. HowerSusan D. ParkhurstEvelyn A. WarrenRoy A. Williams

30 Years of ServiceLewis S. Braxton IIISue J. Laurie (Retired)Dolores M. MorrisonHenry W. Remmers Jr.Daryl S. Wong

35 Years of ServiceLupe M. Velasquez

40 Years of ServiceGeorge E. Tucker

Code S - Office of the Directorof Science

25 Years of ServiceJames A. BrassMichael S. CraigChristine A. HlavkaDaniel G. MorganYvonne J. PendletonLeonhard PfisterBruce W. Webbon

30 Years of ServiceWarren J. GoreHelene A. HendriksSteven M. HingDaniel R. KojiroJeffrey D. ScargleDavid C. ScimecaRichard E. Young

35 Years of ServiceSylvia A. CoxEdwin F. EricksonDonald P. Vandendriesche

The new NASA Ames Child Care Center opened recently.It is located in front of N-201, near the front gate atMoffett Field. For information about the services offeredby the Ames Child Care Center, call ext. 4-5100. Thecenter has a capacity of 116 children. The official grandopening will be Aug. 11.

New Ames Child Care Center opens near main gate

NASA photos by Tom Trower

Astrogram July 20056

A team of researchers recently re-vealed it has discovered the smallestplanet yet found orbiting a normal staroutside the solar system, thanks to anew computer program developed un-der the guidance of a NASA astrono-

mer.The team studied irregularities in

the motion of two known giant extra-solar planets circling the star Gliese 876and its motion to deduce the presence ofa third planet in that system, accordingto a scientific paper submitted for pub-lication in the Astrophysical Journal. Anextra-solar planet is a planet that orbitsany star other than the sun.

"The mathematical techniques arevery complicated, but suffice it to saythe new computer program includes theinteractions of the planets with one an-other, not just their individual interac-tions with the star," said team memberJack Lissauer, an astronomer at NASAAmes. "Because the interactions of thetwo biggest planets with each other areso large, this effect needed to be ac-counted for in order to reveal the exist-ence of the third (smaller) planet,"

Team discovers smallest extra-solar planet yetLissauer noted.

The newly discovered planet isabout seven-and-one half times moremassive than Earth and may well havetwice its radius. One of the two giantplanets orbiting Gliese 876 has a mass

half that of Jupi-ter. The other gi-ant planet ismore than twiceas massive as Ju-piter, accordingto astronomers.The red star is anM-type, which isc o n s i d e r a b l ycooler than thesun and about athird of its mass.

The newcomputer pro-gram uses 'dy-namical model-ing,' which pre-dicts the motionof planetsaround a star.This techniqueaccounts for theg r a v i t a t i o n a ltugging of plan-ets on one an-other.

"This calculation is done on a com-puter workstation," Lissauer explained."We did the dynamical modeling atNASA Ames and at the University ofCalifornia at Santa Cruz (UCSC) sup-ported by a university/NASA Amesconsortium agreement," Lissauer added.The California-Carnegie planet searchteam -- led by Geoffrey Marcy, Univer-sity of California, Berkeley; and PaulButler, Carnegie Institution of Wash-ington -- made the observations.

"Eugenio Rivera of UCSC devel-oped the program," Lissauer said. Heguided Rivera, who conducted his doc-toral thesis research at Ames withLissauer. "Without this sophisticatedcomputer program, the small, thirdplanet would have taken much longerto discover," Lissauer added.

"We're going to observe this star tosee if we can find out more information

about its three known planets, andwhether there may be more distant plan-ets in that system," Lissauer said. "Weare also going to apply these techniquesto other stars to attempt to discoverplanets even more like Earth," he added.

Because the newly discovered planetorbits the star Gliese 876, it has beendesignated as Gliese 876 d. The star isabout 15 light years from Earth. Theteam is only able to determine theplanet's mass, but not its composition,according to Mark Marley of NASAAmes. Marley is not a member of theteam, but is one of Lissauer's colleagues.

All known planets smaller than thenewly discovered world are solid bod-ies, and those larger are gaseous.

According to the team, data indi-cate that the planet very closely orbitsthe star, as close as 10 stellar radii, whichis less than a tenth of Mercury's orbitabout the sun. Gliese 876 d zips aroundits star every two days.

"This discovery whets our collec-tive appetite for discovery of evensmaller planets," Marley said. "This ex-tra-solar planet detection gives us confi-dence that even lower mass, more clearlyEarth-like planets await discovery byeven more capable ground and space-based techniques," he said.

NASA's Kepler mission, scheduledto launch in June 2008, will be able todetect true Earth analogs – planets notonly the size of Earth but at the samedistance from their stars as Earth is fromthe sun.

In addition to Lissauer of NASAAmes, the team includes Marcy, Butler;Eugenio Rivera, Steven Vogt and Gre-gory Laughlin, University of California,Santa Cruz, Calif.; Debra Fisher, SanFrancisco State University; and Timo-thy Brown, National Center for Atmo-spheric Research, Boulder, Colo. Theteam's observations were conducted atthe Keck Observatory in Hawaii.

Artist conception of two possible realizations of the newly discovered smallplanet, Gliese 876 d. The planet's mass is about 7.5 times the mass ofEarth, halfway between the mass of Earth and that of Uranus. The image inthe upper left shows the planet as a giant but basically Earth-like, rockyplanet, whereas the one at the lower right shows the planet as a gas/ices-dominated miniature Uranus.

BY JOHN BLUCK

7Astrogram July 2005

Filmmakers Geoff Callan (second from left)and Mike Shaw (third from left) are shownreceiving awards for supporting a NASA Amesscreening of their documentary on the Web atwww.pursuitofequality.com fromrepresentatives of the Ames LGBT Advisorygroup. Lupita Armendariz, deputy director ofthe Diversity and Equal Opportunity Office,which sponsored the LGBT Pride celebrationevent, looks on.

The Ames Safety Committee(ASC), established in July 2004, wasthe inspiration of former Deputy Cen-ter Director G. Allen Flynt. Flynt be-lieved that by working together insafety committees, both contractor andcivil servant employees could focuson larger safety concerns affecting thewider Ames community.

The purpose of the ASC is to pro-vide employees with a forum in whichto recommend and implement im-provements in Ames safety and healthprograms. Membership is open tocivil servants and onsite contractoremployees who meet monthly to com-municate and exchange ideas and con-cerns about safety issues at the center.Code QH sponsors the ASC and thecommittee chair reports to the Execu-tive Safety Committee.

Visit the Web at http://q.arc.nasa.gov/qh/safetycom/AmesSafetyCommittee.php for fur-ther information about the ASC.

Members of the Ames Safety Committee shown here: Top row left to right: Herb Finger, ShelleenLomas, Don Dains, Marian Yee, Tony Damian and John Livacich. Seated row left to right: TerryReichert, Chris Henze, Marilynne Borges, Gloria Hermosillo, Ron Lamica, Al Lyon, Michael Schuh,Cheryl Orth and Maria Eloisa Perez.

Ames Safety Committee helps ensure Ames remains safe

NASA photo by Jon-Pierre Wiens

Filmmakers awarded for supporting Ames documentary

NASA photo by Tom Trower

Astrogram July 20058

In May, the Hispanic Advisory Com-mittee for Employees’ (HACE) ChairEric Kristich attended and sponsored anENLACE graduation at Evergreen Val-

ley College in San Jose, where he recog-nized and rewarded six individuals fortheir outstanding academic record.

As part of HACE’s vision of reach-ing out to the younger generation ofLatinos and promoting the value of math,science and English, HACE was proudto reward these six ENLACE studentswith scholarships.

To receive a scholarship, each stu-dent must have maintained a GPA of 3.0

ENLACE honors outstanding students at Amesor higher, musthave applied forthe scholarship viathe ENLACEcounselor andsubmitted an es-say on the topic‘Latinos in scienceand mathematics.’Also, a tough se-lection processwas conducted bythe Evergreen Val-ley College (EVC)faculty and Ames’HACE membersto select the de-serving students.

ENLACE is aprogram at Ever-green Valley College that has a missionto help Chicano/Latino students in-crease their educational success. EN-LACE provides academic classes, coun-seling, mentoring and servesunderrepresented Chicano/Latino stu-dents in San Jose and communitiesnearby.

What does ENLACE mean? EN-LACE is from the Spanish verb enlazar,meaning ‘to bind or connect,’ ‘to bringtogether’ or ‘to create community.’ IsENLACE effective? Yes, ENLACE stu-

dents are highly successful in ENLACEcourses and in their core curriculum.ENLACE holds a success rate at 85 per-cent of their students who graduate.

To participate, students need tomake an appointment with the ENLACEcounselor. This appointment will deter-mine if the student is eligible based onacademic assessment such as placementscores.

ENLACE graduates Elizabeth Gomez andFrancisco Alvarado.

From left to right: ENLACE graduates Teodolinda Mendoza, EdeliaLopez, Filomena Reyes and HACE chair person Eric Kristich (notpictured, Percilla Ortega).

NASA awarded Science Applica-tions International Corp (SAIC), Albu-querque, N.M. a contract to supportaerospace systems modeling and simu-lation facilities at Ames.

The facilities include, but are notlimited to the Crew-Vehicle SystemsResearch Facility, Vertical MotionSimulator Complex and FutureFlightCentral (called the SimLabs).

The SimLabs' primary mission isto provide high-fidelity environmentsfor simulated flight research and toadvance state-of-the-art of simulationtechnology.

NASA annnounces aerospace systems modeling selectionThe SimLabs also work on air traffic

control/management to solve the ca-pacity problems of the nation’s airports.

SAIC will be responsible for opera-tion, development, maintenance andmodification of the SimLabs; successfulpreparation and operation of the simu-lators; collection of research data, asspecified in the task order; the continu-ing operation and upgrade of facilities.

SAIC also will be responsible fordevelopment, testing and validation ofadvanced air traffic management auto-mation tools being developed in theSimLabs.

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

The total estimated cost plus feefor the base period is $28.9 million. Thecontract value, including all awardterms and fees, is $62.1 million. Thebase period is five years and there areaward term incentives for up to anadditional five years. The phase-inbegins July 1, 2005, with full contractresponsibility starting Aug.1, 2005.

NA

SA p

hot

os b

y E

liza

beth

Ipo

ng

BY ERIC KRISTICH

9Astrogram July 2005

NASA has as one of its missionspreparing the next generation of explor-ers. As part of this mission, studentsfrom across the United States are par-ticipating in the third year of the DE-VELOP internship program at Ames, an

Earth science, human capital develop-ment effort funded through the AppliedScience Program in the Earth-Sun Divi-sion at NASA Headquarters.

In previous years, DEVELOP stu-dents have studied the risk of West Nilevirus infection in Monterey County,Calif; the spread of an invasive plantspecies, tall whitetop, on the PyramidLake Paiute Reservation in Nevada; thecarbon budget of the Fremont-WinemaNational Forest in Oregon; and the in-festation of salt cedar (Tamarisk) innorthwestern Nevada.

This summer, a team of DEVELOPinterns is assessing ecological change inYosemite National Park, change whichis increasingly important to park man-agers. Fire has a fundamental role inchanging the landscape and affecting anecosystem. Yosemite's fire history isextensive with numerous lightning-ig-nited fires occurring every year. Theresearch objective for this project is toassess vegetation change utilizing re-mote sensing techniques at three post-fire sites where fires burned in the parkin 1989, 1990 and 1996.

Multi-temporal Landsat satellite im-agery is being used to detect changes inforest regeneration. In addition, field-work was conducted at selected sites inthe park to document forest stand char-

acteristics. Measurements and estimateswere performed by identifying domi-nant species, measuring tree height, treediameter, estimating vegetation percentcover and collecting GPS coordinates.Remote sensing methods in conjunctionwith the fieldwork will evaluate andquantify reforestation at post-fire sites.

Fifteen-meter-resolution ASTERdata will be used to better identify changepatterns for specific species. The resultsof this study will be presented to re-source managers at Yosemite NP andwill aid these man-agers in fire man-agement deci-sions.

C h e a t g r a s s( B r o m u stectorum) is an in-vasive speciescommonly foundon rangelands,pastures and prai-ries in the inter-mountain west.Cheatgrass burnsat high tempera-tures, assisting thespread of rangefires throughoutthe Great Basinregion. Germina-tion occurs duringthe spring and fall, which allowscheatgrass to establish a firm presencein areas burned by wildfires. Manystates in the Great Basin region havebegun tracking the spread of cheatgrassby means of remote sensing.

A DEVELOP student team at Ameshas run an accuracy assessment on UtahState University’s predictive coveragemaps for 2002 as well as producing a2005 predictive coverage map usingMODIS imagery from 2004 for specificdates. These maps produced by thestudents in conjunction with field workin Utah will help assess the accuracy offield data collected by the SouthwestRegional Gap Analysis Project, a projectbeing run in New Mexico, Idaho andUtah to ascertain extent of cheatgrassinfestation in these states.

In the third project, DEVELOP stu-dent interns at Ames have worked with

the California Integrated Waste Man-agement Board's (CIWMB) SpecialWaste Division to create a proof-of-con-cept project investigating the use of high-resolution satellite imagery for locatingand mapping waste tire disposal sites.These sites used as test cases are in theSonoma and San Bernardino regions ofCalifornia.

Previous methods for locating wastetire disposal sites in California includedcontracting California Highway Patrolto fly over suspected sites and take pho-

tographs, which were georeferencedwith a GPS in post processing, a methodlacking accuracy. The methodologyand/or outputs generated from analy-sis of the imagery couple with groundtruth evaluation of the analysis couldreduce the time and capital necessary tomanage waste tire sites. These sites,when left unkempt, pose threats of com-bustion and run the risk of becomingbreeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The DEVELOP program preparesthe student interns to explore our homeplanet. The program gives students ex-perience in planning studies, executingthose plans, interacting with customersfor their products and handing off theresults of their studies to their custom-ers and other interested parties.

DEVELOP interns access ecologicial change in Yosemite

DEVELOP student intern Becky Quinlan from San Francisco StateUniversity discusses a waste tire dump site in Lucerne Valley, Calif., witha San Bernardino County Special Waste Division waste tire inspector.

BY JAY SKILES

Mindy Syfert, DEVELOP student intern from theUniversity of Denver, takes a GPS reading in apreviously burned area in Yosemite NationalPark.

Astrogram July 200510

Located in the lobby of BldgN-240A is this eye-catching stained glasspanel conceived and designed by theLife Sciences Division community to

honor the memories of STS-107 Colum-bia, its crew and the work of the many

BY RUDY AQUILINA

The American Institute of Aeronau-tics and Astronautics (AIAA) announcedrecently that Bonnie Dalton, deputy di-

rector, Science Directorate, at Ames isthe recipient of the AIAA 2005 JeffriesAerospace Medicine and Life SciencesResearch Award.

AIAA recognizes deputy director for space biology contributionsRecognizing the importance to aero-

nautics and space of scientific endeav-ors in the field of medicine, the JohnJeffries Award was established in 1940by AIAA to honor the memory of theAmerican physician who made the ear-liest recorded scientific observationsfrom the air. The award is presented foroutstanding research accomplishmentsin aerospace medicine and space lifesciences.

Dalton, an AIAA Associate Fellow,is being recognized for outstanding lead-ership of groundbreaking flight experi-ments and payloads in space biology forthe past three decades. She was honoredat an evening banquet in July during theInternational Conference on Environ-mental Systems (ICES), at theATAHOTEL Villa Pamphili, Via dellaNocetta, in Rome, Italy.

Dalton holds advanced degrees inmicrobiology and management from theUniversity of Montana/Missoula and

Golden Gate/San Francisco, respec-tively. She began her research career atEaton Pharmaceutical Laboratories,Norwich, NY and joined Ames in 1963.

In 1975, she was appointed opera-tions manager for Viking Mars GroundLaboratories followed by branch chieffor science payloads operations (man-aging seven Spacelab mission activities);division chief for life sciences, SES certi-fication; and deputy director for Sciencein 2002.

Headquartered in suburban Wash-ington, DC, the AIAA serves over 35,000members in 65 regional sections and 79countries. AIAA membership is drawnfrom all levels of industry, academia,private research organizations and gov-ernment and focuses on emerging tech-nologies in aviation, space and defense.For more information, visit the Web atwww.aiaa.org.

New stained-glass panel pays tribute to STS-107 crew

Bonnie Dalton

Stained-glass panel, created in memory of thecrew of STS-107, hangs in the lobby of Bldg.N-240A.

people involved.A number of project people con-

tributed to this design, a young de-signer, Chad Dememters, helped totransform it, and another artist, PamRissman, brought the piece to life.

The panel is about 5 feet tall withsymbols from the crew patch in clearglass and a representation of Earth.

Seven narrow yellow stripes representColumbia's crew members and of coursethere is the shuttle outline.

The memorial stained glass panel isa source of inspiration and reflection forthe life sciences community as new ex-periments are readied for shuttle's re-turn to flight.

The Combined FederalCampaign organizationrecently held a meetingat NASA Ames to mergethe Santa Clara/SanBenito counties with thegreater San FranciscoBay area countychapters. Ames DeputyCenter Director StanNewberry, left, is seenhere speaking at theevent.

CFC merges two counties

NASA photo by Tom Trower

11Astrogram July 2005

Peter Schultz, professor of geologi-cal sciences at Brown University and co-investigator for NASA's Deep Impactmission, travels to the Vertical GunRange at Ames to simulate cosmic colli-sions between planets and roving ob-jects such as asteroids.

To conduct his experiments, Schultzfires marble-sized beads, even meteor-ites; into surfaces ranging from ice andsand to dust and mud.

The projectiles, which travel morethan 10 times faster than a speedingbullet, make craters of all shapes andsizes.

Schultz studies the collisions andthe craters' sprays of debris, the diam-eter and depth of depressions to under-stand the forces that shaped features onplanets such as Earth, Mars and Venusas well as satellites such as the moon.

Schultz was interviewed in Junewhile he was at Ames by KGO-AMnews radio and KCBS-AM news radio.He discussed how the range was used toconduct tests related to the Deep Impactmission to Comet Tempel 1.

A projectile hitting a testtarget that simulated thecollision of the DeepImpact spacecraft'simpactor with cometTempel 1. The actualcollision was July 4. Thissimulation was conductedat the Vertical Gun rangeat Ames.

Peter Schultz was interviewed in Junewhile he was at Ames by KGO-AMnews radio and KCBS-AM news radio.He discussed how the Vertical GunRange was used to conduct testsrelated to the Deep Impact mission toComet Tempel 1.

Vertical Gun Range at Ames simulates cosmic collisions

Chief of Procurement visits Ames

Tom Leudtke addresses the audience duringhis recent presentation at Ames.

On June 23, the Ames ContractorCouncil sponsored a question-and-an-swer session with Tom Leudtke, chiefof NASA procurement. Leudtke gavehis views on the current and futuredirection of procurement and an-swered many questions. Some of thetopics covered included contractor ac-cess to confidential information, smallbusiness, funding, award terms, setfee, enhanced-use leases, update onthe NSSC, the Exploration Initiativeand commitments to the space sta-tion, shuttle operations and CEV.

Photo by P.H. Schultz, Brown University and Jon-Pierre Wiens, NASA

NASA photo by Jon-Pierre Wiens

The NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range.

Photo by Peter Schultz, Brown

University and AVGR.

Astrogram July 200512

Events CalendarAmes Amateur Radio Club, third Thursday of each

month, 12 noon, N-T28 (across from N-255). POC:Michael Wright, KG6BFK, at ext. 4-6262.

Ames Ballroom Dance Club. Classes on Tuesdays.Beginning classes meet at 5:15 p.m. Higher-level classmeets at 5:50 p.m. Held in Bldg. 944, the Rec. Center.POC: Helen Hwang at helen.hwang@nasa.gov, ext. 4-1368.

Ames Bowling League, Palo Alto Bowl on Tuesdaynights. Seeking full-time bowlers and substitutes.Questions to sign up: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Mtg,every other Thursday (check Web site for meeting dates:http://accc.arc.nasa.gov), 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., N-210,Rm. 205. POC: Cheryl Quinn, ext 4-5793.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg, first Wednesday eachmonth, 11 a.m., N-200, Comm. Rm. POC: LindaMcCahon, ext. 4-1891.

Ames Diabetics (AAD), 1st & 3rd Weds, 12 noon to1 p.m., at Ames Mega Bites, Sun room. Support groupdiscusses news affecting diabetics. POC: Bob Mohlenhoff,ext. 4-2523/e-mail at: bmohlenhoff@mail.arc.nasa.gov.

Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) Mtg, thirdWednesday of ea. month, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., Bldg. 221,Rm 104. Guests welcome. Info at: http://www.afeu.org.POC: Marianne Mosher, ext. 4-4055.

Ames Mac Support Group Mtg, third Tuesday of ea.month, 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m., Bldg. N262, Rm 180. POC:Julie ext. 4-0340.

Ames Model Aircraft Club, flying radio-controlledaircraft at the north end of Parsons Ave. on weekendmornings. POC: Mark Sumich, ext. 4-6193.

Ames Sailing Club Mtg, second Thursday of ea.month (Feb through Nov), from 12:00 p.m. -1:00 p.m. inBldg. N-262, Rm 100. URL: http://sail.arc.nasa.gov/.POC: Becky Hooey, ext. 4-2399.

Environmental, Health and Safety InformationForum, first Thursday of each month, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30

a.m., Bldg. 221/Rm 155. URL: http://q.arc.nasa.gov/qe/events/EHSseries/ POC: Stacy St. Louis at ext. 4-6810.

The Hispanic Advisory Committee forExcellence HACE Mtg, first Thurs of month in N255room 101C from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. POC: EricKristich at ext. 4-5137 and Mark Leon at ext. 4-6498.

Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 p.m. to 1p.m., N-269/Rm.179. POC: Becky Brondos at ext. 4-1959, bbrondos@mail.arc.nasa.gov or Bob Hilton atext. 4-1500, bhilton@mail.arc.nasa.gov.

Nat'l Association of Retired Federal Employees,(NARFE). Former and current federal employees. Youronly contact with Congress. Join to protect yourfederal retirement. Chptr #50 will then meet on thefirst Fri. of each month at HomeTown Buffet, 2670 ElCamino (at Kiely), S. Clara, 11 a.m. lunch. POC EarlKeener (408) 241-4459 or NARFE 1-800-627-3394.

Native American Advisory Committee Mtg,fourth Tues each month, 12 noon to 1 p.m., Bldg. 19,Rm 1096. POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Safety Data

Civil Contractors Servants

First aid cases 19 10

Lost-time cases 0 4

Recordable cases 3 4

Lost workdays 0 83

Restricted duty days 0 60

Above data is as of 7/19/05. Maybe subject to slight adjustment in theevent of a new case or new inform-ation regarding an existing case.

NASA-Ames Occupational Illness-Injury Data for Calendar Year-to-Date 2005 Jan. 1, 2005 – June 30 2005

Ames emergencyannouncements

To hear the centerwide statusrecording, call (650) 604-9999 for in-formation announcements and emer-gency instructions for Ames employ-ees. You can also listen to 1700 KHzAM radio for the same information.

As NASA turns its attention topreparing for human travel to themoon and Mars, there are manyhurdles to overcome. This fall, theNASA Exploration Systems MissionDirectorate and NASA Quest will openthe school year with a challenge tostudents, primarily in grades 5-8, towork with NASA scientists to designsolutions to these obstacles.

During October and November,students are invited to join NASA re-searchers Jennifer Heldmann, WilliamJ. Clancey and Chris McKay and otherleading scientists as they embark on aMars analog study at California’sLassen Volcanic National Park. Bystudying snowfields in the park, sci-entists hope to learn more about thedevelopment and use of technologiesneeded to help understand and ex-plore the moon and Mars. They alsowill learn about polar ice caps and thepossible life that could exist there.

"Live interactive Webcasts andcontact with real NASA scientists onthe job provide the opportunity forstudents to fully experience the thrillof participating in actual researchwhile developing their own solutionsto problems NASA is working on,"said Mark Leon, education director atNASA Ames. "We hope this experi-

NASA Quest to study Mars on Earthence will inspire and encourage thestudy of math, science and engineer-ing, as students become a part of theNASA team exploring the universe,"he added.

There is no place on Earth exactlylike Mars; however, some locationsshare similar characteristics and areconsidered as analogs to study Mars.For example, scientists can study thebiology, geology and meteorology ofplaces like Lassen Volcanic NationalPark to learn more about past andpresent environments on Mars andhow to prepare for human and roboticspace missions.

This NASA Quest Challenge fea-tures Mars analog research being con-ducted to help develop and test tech-nologies that some day will enablescientists to conduct research on lu-nar and planetary surfaces. NASAQuest challenges typically span six toeight weeks. The activities are de-signed around problem-based learn-ing and designed to assist teachers byincorporating the content into theireducational standard's requirements.

For information about the NASAQuest Challenge on the Internet, visit:http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/marsanalog

13Astrogram July 2005

Ames ClassifiedsAds for the next issue should be sent to

astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov and must be resubmitted foreach issue. Ads must involve personal needs or items; (nocommercial/third-party ads) and will run on a space-available basis only. First-time ads are given priority. Adsmust include home phone numbers; Ames extensions andemail addresses will be accepted for carpool and lost andfound ads only. Due to the volume of material received,we are unable to verify the accuracy of the statementsmade in the ads. Caveat emptor!

Exchange InformationExchange InformationExchange InformationExchange InformationExchange Information

Beyond GalileoBeyond GalileoBeyond GalileoBeyond GalileoBeyond Galileo N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)ext. 4-6873ext. 4-6873ext. 4-6873ext. 4-6873ext. 4-6873

Ask about NASA customized gifts for specialoccasions.

Mega Bites Mega Bites Mega Bites Mega Bites Mega Bites N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)ext. 4-5969ext. 4-5969ext. 4-5969ext. 4-5969ext. 4-5969

Visitor Center Gift ShopVisitor Center Gift ShopVisitor Center Gift ShopVisitor Center Gift ShopVisitor Center Gift Shop N-943 N-943 N-943 N-943 N-943(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412

NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, gifts andeducational items.

Open 7 days a week, 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ratesfrom $40 - $50.

Vacation OpportunitiesVacation OpportunitiesVacation OpportunitiesVacation OpportunitiesVacation Opportunities

Check web site for discounts to local attractions,http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov and click on tickets.

Information about products, services andopportunities provided to the employee and contractorcommunity by the Ames Exchange Council. Visit theweb site at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov

NASA LodgeNASA LodgeNASA LodgeNASA LodgeNASA Lodge (N-19) 603-7100 (N-19) 603-7100 (N-19) 603-7100 (N-19) 603-7100 (N-19) 603-7100

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

See daily menu at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov

Housing

MiscellaneousThe Ames Cat Network needs help finding homes for

cats trapped at Moffett. They range from feral toabandoned/lost pets. Tested, altered and inoculated. CallIris at ext. 4-5824 if you or someone you know areinterested in fostering or adopting a cat.

Tennis and swim family club membership for sale.Location is in Santa Clara near Homestead and Lawrence.Details about the club can be viewed on the Web at http://www.konakaiclub.com/. Sandy or Val at (408) 996-9927or (408) 482-5130. We'll be happy to take you to see theclub as guests.

Four Doobie Brothers tickets for the Mountain Wineryin Saratoga on Thurs. Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. $50 ea. Will alsosell them by the pair. Call (408) 269-4101.

4 bd/2 ba Sunnyvale house for rent, $2,400/mo.,negotiable. Cupertino school district, nice neighborhood.1,800 sq. ft. hardwood floor, quite back yard. Small petOK. Avail. July 1. Call (408) 718-9728 for details.

Good sized room in 4 bd/2 ba home, excellent, quietMtn View area close to Ames. Washer, dryer, microwave,wired for cable modem. Tidy person and nonsmoker. Easyaccess to Ames, 85, 237 and 101. $475 and dep. andshare utils. Avail. Sept. 1, possibly sooner. Call (650) 964-1900.

Security/Law Enforcement Activity

Fire Protection Activity

A statistical summary of activi-ties of the Protective ServicesDivision's Security/Law Enforce-ment and Fire Protection Servicesunits for the month of June 2005 isshown below.

Protective Servicesmonthly activity

Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley Townhse, 3bd/2baequipped, balcony view, horseback riding, hiking, biking,river rafting, tennis, ice skating and more. Summerrates. Call (650) 968-4155 or e-mailDBMcKellar@aol.com

South Lake Tahoe cottage w/wood fireplace, hottub. Rates $50 to $130 per night. Call (650) 967-7659or (650) 704-7732.

Vacation rental, Bass Lake, 4 mls south of Yosemite.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/2ba housein canyon setting. Fully eqpd kitchen. Access to priv.beach. Tub in patio gdn. Halfway between Carmeland Big Sur. $175/night for 2; $225 for 4 and $250for more, plus $150 cleaning dep. Call (650) 328-4427.

Tahoe Donner vacation home, 2 bd/2ba. trees,deck. Access to pools, spa, golf, horseback riding,$280 wkend, $650 week. Call (408) 739-9134.

Pine Mountain Lake vacation home. Access togolf, tennis, lake, swimming, horseback riding, walk tobeach. Three bedrooms/sleeps 10. $100/night. Call(408) 799-4052 or (831) 623-4054.

Incline Village: Forest Pines, Lake Tahoe condo, 3bd/2ba, sleeps 8. Fireplace, TV/VCR/DVD, MW, W/D,jacuzzi, sauna, pool. Walk to Lake, close to ski areas.Visit Web page for pictures: http://www.ACruiseStore.com. $120/night low season,$155/night high season (holidays higher) plus $156cleaning fee and 12% Nevada room tax. Charlie (650)366-1873.

Disneyland area vacation rental home, 2 bd/1ba.Nearing completion completely remodeled w/newfurniture. Sleeps 6 (queen bed, bunk beds, sleepersofa). Air hockey and football tables. Introductoryrate $600/wk, once completed rate will be $1000/wk.Security deposit and $100 cleaning fee required. Call(925) 846-2781.

Ski Park City Utah, NASA Ski Week XIV, Feb 5 - 12,2005. Space limited. E-mail Steve at e-mailexnasa@sbcglobal.net or call (408) 432-0135.

New York, 5th Ave. One fully furnished bedroomin 24 hour security bldg. overlooking WashingtonSquare Park, $1,000/wk or $3,000/mo. negotiable.Call (650) 349-0238.

Paris/France: Fully furnished studio, 5th Arr, LatinQuarter, Notre Dame and Ile-St. Louis., $1,400/wk.negotiable. Call (650) 349-0238.

Santa Cruz townhouse, 2 bedrooms plus study, 2baths, decks, totally furnished, 3 blocks from beach,available July, August, September; $1,600 per month.Call (831) 423-5777 (H) or (831) 277-8476 (C).

West Maui vacation at Kahana Falls, across streetfrom beach. Thanksgiving week 19-26 Nov 05, $630/wk. 1bd/2 ba, w/d, fk. For 2 adults, 0 to 2 kids. Call(650) 962-1314 after Aug 7.

‘00 Chrysler Sebring JX convertible. $8,750 or B/O.Paul (408) 725-8942.

‘00 Chevy S-10, 10K miles, mint condition, CD player,camper shell, $12,000 or B/O, Jessica (408) 774-1218.

‘00 Gorgeous Monaco La Palma , 29-foot Class ALuxury Motorhome Ford V-10 Super Duty F series chassis, 4spd ovrdrive, 30K mls, dual pane tinted windows. Coriancounters, oak cabinets, 5.5 KW generator, ducted roof ac,powered vent, large Norcold elect/gas refrig., elect/gas hotwtr heater, 20” TV, VCR, CD/AM/FM 4 speakers, satellitedish prep, lighted electric step, rear vision camera, A&Eawning, electric brake trailer hookup and 5,000 lb hitchreceiver, hydraulic leveling jacks, 1500 watt Trace inverter,stainless wheel covers, convection microwave, rear queenbed, heated mirrors, power driver's seat, deluxe mintcondition interior and exterior, all neutral colors, 75 gallongas/water tanks, plenty of storage space, 2 years left onextended warranty, always dealer maintained.$39,888(below blue book). Tim Castellano (831) 623-4302 or e-mail tpcastellano@direcway.com

Transportation

Astrogram deadlinesSubmit articles and photographs to

astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov no laterthan the 10th of each month. If this datefalls on the weekend or a holiday, thenthe following business day becomes thedeadline. If you want a photographer tocover an event you’re sponsoring, it’svery important that you submit a ser-vice request to the Video and Photo-graphic Services Group at least 5 days inadvance of the activity. Every effort willbe made to accommodate your requestwhenever it’s submitted, but please un-derstand that photographers may notbe available for last-minute requests, sobest to plan ahead! If you have questionsabout the Astrogram, contact AstridTerlep at the aforementioned e-mailaddress or ext. 4-3347. For more infor-mation about photography or video ser-vices, contact Ed Schilling at e-mailEdward.M.Schilling@nasa.gov or ext. 4-1307.

Astrogram July 200514

National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration

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 publication ofAmes Research Center, National Aeronautics andSpace Administration.

Editor-in-Chief......................... Gregory Gibbs

Managing Editor..........................Ann Sullivan

Editor, Layout and Design...........Astrid Terlep

You can reach the Astrogram Office at:astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov or by phone at(650) 604-3347.

These new NRP tenants now lease office space in Bldg. 19, signing leases commencing after NASAResearch Park's March open house and on line marketing events.�

• BluPoint Global - An R & D green technology start-up company focused on distributing digital media and eliminating the need for physical inventory, allowing end-users to conveniently

acquire any type of media any where, any time while creating no pollution or waste;

• Honeybee Robotics - Creates robots, flight subsystems, automated drills and other machines destined for work on Earth, Mars and beyond;

• InformArt/GaryAir - Flight instruction, marketing and systems engineering and testing;

• Intrynsyx - Software developer, consultant;

• Norman B. Houge - Construction engineering, excavating and grading firm located in the South Bay area and collaborating on center-wide facility construction and engineering projects;

• Ozen Engineering - Developer and consultant for ANSYS Engineering software, provider of tutorials to engineers on ANSYS software;

• Pragati Synergetic Technology Inc. - Developer of knowledge-based software;

• Western Disaster Center, Inc. - A nonprofit using applied research and advanced computer, information and communication technologies to save lives and reduce losses from natural, environmental, technological and man-made disasters.

NASA Research Park welcomes these new tenants