Extreme sports

at Space Center

Houston.

Page 7

Space station

trailers on tour

this summer.

Page 2

Dealing with

stress when the

pressure is on.

Pages 4 - 5

June 2, 2000

SPACE CENTERRoundupVOL. 39, NO. 11 LY N D O N B . J O H N S O N S P A C E C E N T E R , H O U S T O N , T E X A S

For 11 days last March, JSC was thesite of the most Mars-like place on Earth.

To be exact, a 5-foot-diameter, 5-foot-long, cylindrical vacuum chamberinside Building 353 was configured tosimulate Mars.

The atmosphere inside the chamber atthe Engineering Directorate’s EnergySystems Test Area was made up of 95percent carbon dioxide, 3 percentnitrogen, 2 percent argon, and zeropercent oxygen. The atmosphericpressure was approximately 1/100 of thatof Earth, and the day-night temperatureranged between –88° Centigrade (–126°Fahrenheit) to –23° Centigrade (–10°Fahrenheit). Even the length of a day wasadjusted to be 24 hours and 40 minutes tomimic the rotation of Mars.

Why duplicate Mars so accurately?Because a JSC payload is to fly on thenext robotic lander to Mars and thispayload needed to be thoroughly tested.JSC’s Mars In-situ-propellant-productionPrecursor will test the feasibility of usingthe thin Mars atmosphere to produceoxygen for breathing air and rocketpropellants. It will also contain a varietyof other experiments to measure theeffects of the dusty Mars atmosphere onsolar cells and heat radiators.

This “living off the land” project, alsoknown as “MIP,” had been working againsta schedule to deliver its flight hardware forintegration onto the robotic Mars SurveyorLander this summer, with a planned launchto Mars on a Delta II expendable launchvehicle in April of 2001. In light of that timetable, the JSCteam building theexperiment beganrigorous Martianenvironmental testingin March.

“The loss of theMars Polar Landerlast December 3 hasimpacted our launchdate,” said MIPProject Manager JimRatliff of the Bio-medical HardwareDevelopment andEngineering Office. “The design of the 2001 Lander is very similar to the MarsPolar Lander. Consequently, NASAHeadquarters has decided not to launchthis lander during the 2001 opportunity.”

“Despite the launch delay,” Ratliffsaid, “the MIP Team has to press aheadon nearly the original schedule in order to

stay within our budget constraints. Oncequalification testing is complete, we canthen focus on delivering the flight unit.This program has been ‘test intensive,’

but this is the firsttime hardware willproduce a resourceon another planet,and we want tomake sure thedesign is robustenough to workremotely in theharsh Martianenvironment.”

“The concept isto use the resourceson Mars to reducethe amount of

materials that need to accompany a humanmission …to ‘live off the land,’” saidPrincipal Investigator David Kaplan ofJSC’s Exploration Office. “MIP willselectively absorb and compress carbondioxide from the Martian atmosphere;produce propellant-grade, pure oxygen; testadvanced photovoltaic solar cells for

energy production; test techniques tocombat the settling of airborne dust ontosolar arrays; and test thermal radiators. Inparticular, producing oxygen usingmaterials readily available on Mars wouldbe an important step toward reducing thecosts and risks of an eventual humanexploration mission to Mars.”

MIP will be the first hardware to usethe indigenous resources of a planet ormoon. Its successful operation will pavethe way for future robotic and humanmissions to rely on propellants producedusing Martian resources as feedstock.

The qualification unit beganenvironmental testing on March 15 andfinished March 29. Initial tests qualified thethermal performance using temperatureextremes expected during the 11-month-long cruise to Mars. Thermal vacuumtesting was followed by 10 continuous daysof Mars surface environment simulations,including worst-case cold, worst-case hot,and normal temperature profiles. Thesetests exercised all operational modes of thehardware and software. Operations wereconducted in a “hands off” manner by

NASA’s Mars-bound mini-propellant plantsending commands that scheduledactivities for the next 48 hours, as will bedone on the Mars surface. Verifying thatMIP could operate remotely and return theproper experiment data was an importantpart of this test.

The experiment’s Oxygen GenerationSubsystem, which is led by Scott Baird ofthe Energy Systems Division, worked wellin three test runs. For each run, oxygenwas produced for 3 to 4 hours. The heartof the oxygen generation is a wafer-thin,solid-oxide ceramic disk made of zirconiaabout the size of a small cookie. It issandwiched between two platinumelectrodes and heated to 750° Centigrade(1380° Fahrenheit). When carbon dioxideis fed to this unit, the zirconia cell “cracks”the carbon dioxide into carbon monoxideand oxygen. Only the oxygen canpenetrate through to the other side of thedisk; the carbon dioxide and carbonmonoxide gases are stopped in their tracks.

Testing also verified the capability of the JPL-provided Mars AtmosphereAcquisition and Collection experiment to absorb an abundant supply of carbondioxide from the atmosphere and tosupply this carbon dioxide as feedstock.

Two experiments provided by the GlennResearch Center – a solar cell experimentcalled the Mars Array TechnologyExperiment and a dust mitigationexperiment called the Dust Accumulationand Repulsion Test – also worked well.

“We are currently tracking two issuesas a result of the testing,” said MIPDeputy Chief Engineer Howard Flynn ofthe Energy Systems Division.The causesfor a pinhole leak in a bellows and anopen circuit in a radiator heater have beenfound and are being corrected.

“Both experiments are scheduled to bereturned to JSC in early June where theywill be reintegrated and retested,” Flynnsaid. “After successful re-testing, the MIPQualification Unit will continue itsqualification testing with a pyroshock testto take place at Lockheed MartinAstronautics.”

When the flight hardware is completedlater this summer, it will be placed inenvironmentally controlled storage untilearly 2002, which is when the Lander isscheduled to begin payload integrationactivities.

“We are convinced that the successfuloperation of MIP will significantlyadvance the critical explorationtechnology of producing importantconsumables on Mars from Martianresources,” said Ratliff. ■

NASA JSC Photo 2000-02434 by Robert Markowitz

MIP Qualification Unit being installed inside Mars Simulation Chamber by Lockheed Martin Electrical Team Leader Jim Wines (kneeling) and MIP Principal Investigator David Kaplan.

The concept is to use theresources on Mars to reducethe amount of materials thatneed to accompany ahuman mission …to ‘liveoff the land.’

– David Kaplan

May 28 - June 9Johnson Space Center, HoustonTrailer Maintenance

June 30Johnson Space Center, HoustonAmerican Heritage Week Event

July 7 - 16Los Angeles, Calif.World Stamp Expo

July 26 - August 1Oshkosh, WisconsinEAA Air Show

2 June 2, 2000 SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

Traveling trailers bring space station to Hometown, U.S.A.

Only three months out of the shop, thenewly refurbished InternationalSpace Station trailers, simulating the

interior of a habitation and lab module ofISS, are on the road and making appear-ances across the country.

The trailers, also knownas Space Station Imag-ination, had a remarkabledebut in Wilson, NorthCarolina. Located about 40miles from Raleigh, the Cityof Wilson and area schoolswere invited to tour the trail-ers during a weeklong eventsponsored by the WilsonDaily Times. The site wasopen to the general publicevery day from 3 - 7 p.m.The trailers made front-page news, were featured ina special Timesinsert, andhad hits on all three local television stationnews broadcasts. More than 2,000 peopletoured the trailers during the week.

“The folks in Wilson did a tremendousjob with publicity and coordinating theevent,” said Louis Parker, JSC exhibitsmanager. “In addition to the trailers, theyblocked off their entire parking lot andarranged tents for other space-related activ-ities that really made it a full-scale event.”

Visitors also could try on a display space-suit, and participate in model rocketlaunches and other hands-on activities.

The Timeswent so far as to providesmall lab coats for the school-aged visitors to enhance their experience inside

the trailers, where they could step into anastronaut’s sleeping bag, peer into thecloset-sized restroom,and even browsephotographic images from space.

“I think the simplicity and humor ofthe videos guiding visitors through thetrailers helped them enjoy and rememberthe messages we are trying to communi-cate,” said Juan Galvez, JSC audio-visualmanager. “We want visitors to have a

basic understanding of what it takes towork and live in space and how thatknowledge is being applied to the ISS.”

Astronaut Dan Tani was on hand thefirst evening the trailers were opened tothe general public to greet visitors and

sign autographs. Tani had been to Wilsonfor a previous outreach event and was afamiliar name to the community, whichwelcomed him like a “hometown hero.”

“They were mesmerized,” said Parker.“They couldn’t believe some of it. Theyknew NASA launched space shuttles, but now they know there is a lot of science, medicine, and other work wheretechnologies are being developed thatwill benefit the Earth. Some of themdidn’t even know that we were workingwith the Russians.”

We may find it surprising that manypeople are unfamiliar with the scope ofthe ISS as well as the technology requiredto fly it, but increasing awareness ofISS’s global reach is an important goal ofthe trailer tour. To achieve that goal thetrailers will have a varied schedule,appearing in small to mid-size cities aspart of a concentrated NASA awarenesseffort, at major events such as the TexasState Fair and air shows, and at sciencemuseums across the country.

This fall, the trailers will reach deepinto JSC’s eight-state region in the centralU.S. It will also make stops at sciencemuseums in the region and be in Houstonfor major JSC-hosted events such asOpen House and Inspection.

The trailer exhibit just completed atwo-and-a-half-week stay at the NASAIndependent Verification Facility atFairmont, West Virginia, The educationoffice at that facility hosted programs forschoolchildren across the state. They areback at JSC during June for maintenanceand improvements before heading toCalifornia for the World Stamp Expo and the EAA Air Show at Oshkosh,Wisconsin. The exhibit will be on theroad most of the year, returning peri-odically to JSC for maintenance and public tours. ■

Space Station Imagination – coming to a city near you!August 26Johnson Space Center, HoustonJSC Open House

Late September/early OctoberDallasTexas State Fair

October and NovemberSmall cities tourCentral U.S.

November 1- 3Johnson Space Center, HoustonInspection 2000

Top: Wilson area schoolchildren get ahands-on look at what a space lab moduleis like inside Space Station Imagination –NASA’s traveling space station trailer. Morethan 2,000 people toured the trailers duringthe weeklong exhibit.

Left: Local museum volunteers show Wilsonstudents examples of astronaut tools. Manyorganizations, including the local schools,set up tents around the trailers and orga-nized hands-on student activities to furtherthe student’s space experience.

JSC reaches out to academe

June 2, 2000 3SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

JSC observes Cinco de Mayo

For more information about Traslavina, visit: www.ArtistUnlimited.com.

NASA JSC Photo 2000-04212 by Benny Benavides

NASA JSC Photo 2000-03896 by James Blair

Lockheed Martin’s Michael Alazraki and Karen Meyers discuss regenerative life support systems for long-duration space flights with Dr. Rebecca Lutte, professor of aviation at theUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute.

JSC held its annual Cinco deMayo Observance May 5 in theBldg. 3 cafeteria. Guitarist JuanManuel Traslavina headlined the festivities.

Traslavina has been playingthe guitar for more than 20years. He has performedthroughout the United States,Europe, and the Caribbean.He recently released his sec-ond all-original jazz compactdisc entitled “Liberation.”

Traslavina works for SAICsupporting the SR&QA contract and has supportedJSC for 12 years.

NASA is stepping up its effort to collaborate with universities across the country on the research

it does on space missions, biotechnology,and information technology. In the process, the agency’s space-and-researchcenters are establishing stronger ties withcampus scientists.

As part of this effort, JSC held thefirst-of-its-kind Experimental Program toStimulate Competitive Research(EPSCoR) Expo May 8-9 at the GilruthCenter. EPSCoR representatives, about40 university directors, faculty members,and researchers engaged in space-relatedtopics, attended the conference.

The purpose was to acquaint attendeeswith JSC researchers and their currentfields of study so that they might matchNASA research interests with their own.If they see strong correlations, later thisyear they will be able to submit proposalsto receive Headquarters funds to collabo-rate with NASA researchers on projectskey to the agency’s success.

“Over the years, JSC has found thatincluding the academic community in ourwork can benefit everyone involved,” said JSC University Affairs Officer Donn Sick-orez. “We benefitfrom their insightsand hard work; theybenefit from our prac-tical focus and depthof experience. TheEPSCoR Program isan excellent exampleof how we can involveyet another segment ofcollege and universityfaculty and students in the nation’s spaceprogram.”

The event beganwith an overview ofJSC’s research en-deavors. Representatives from the center’s Space and Life Sciences and Engineeringdirectorates gave presentations on ongo-ing research at JSC that is critical to thecenter’s success.

Dr. Charles Lloyd, manager, Biomedi-cal Research and Countermeasures Pro-gram, gave an overview of currentresearch in several areas including spacemedicine, occupational medicine, humanfactors, science payloads, and biotechnol-

ogy. He also reviewed key activities ofthe National Space Biomedical ResearchInstitute (NSBRI), the consortium led byBaylor College of Medicine. The NSBRIallows universities from across the countryto take on the task of developing counter-measures or mitigating measures forpotential risks involved in long-durationspace flight.

Of particular note for the visitingEPSCoR representatives was Dr. Lloyd’sreview of 55 critical risks to long-durationhuman space flight for which the direc-torate needs to develop countermeasures or mitigating factors in order for humanbeings to be sent on extended space jour-neys, including potential missions to Mars.The study of each of these risks offersavenues for future collaborative researchbetween NASA and academe.

Dr. Wendell Mendell, deputy chief ofJSC’s Earth Sciences and Solar SystemExploration Division, offered additionalavenues for collaborative research. Hecovered numerous topics includingresearch endeavors in Earth sciences,orbital debris, planetary science, and thestudy and curation of astromaterials.

John Connolly of JSC’s ExplorationOffice said thatresearch in the Engi-neering Directorateis focused on pro-jects planned beyondthe InternationalSpace Station includ-ing returning to theMoon and going onto Mars. Hedescribed a roadmapof critical technolo-gies ranging frompropulsion systemsand informationtechnology to lifesupport systems that

the directorate is working on for keepingpeople alive and well for 100- to 300-daymissions.

According to Connolly, academe willplay a key role in developing these technologies. “When we think about theacademic community, we think of you ascoming in at the very forefront of whatwe need to develop.”

Attendees appreciated the opportunityto find out more about the EPSCoR

Program and to check out potential areasfor collaborative research.

“I am attending on behalf of theUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha,” saidDr. Rebecca Lutte, professor of aviationat the University of Nebraska at OmahaAviation Institute. “We are an EPSCoRresearch grant facility and coordinate theNASA research for the state of Nebraska.We are here to look at increasing collabo-ration through NASA. The universityright now is mostly involved with theSmall Aircraft Transportation SystemProgram. So we are looking at some areasin general aviation and increasing airtransportation to rural parts of our state.”

Attendees were able to meet JSC scientists and researchers and visit labora-tories across the center. Mini-tours of theX-38, TransHab, Mission Control Center,and BIO-Plex Facility were also on theagenda. Exhibits ranging from Inspection2000 to the DeBakey ventricular assistdevice were also on display in the GilruthCenter.

The EPSCoR Program is designed toallow states of modest research infras-tructure to develop a more competitive

research and development base. In 1978,the National Science Foundation desig-nated Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut,Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska,Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, SouthCarolina, South Dakota, Vermont, WestVirginia, and Wyoming as EPSCoRstates. Puerto Rico was also included. In 1992, Congress asked NASA to estab-lish a NASA EPSCoR Program andgranted $10 million to help EPSCoRstates increase their research and develop-ment base. Under the terms of the 2001EPSCoR competition, each state will beinvited to propose up to three researchprojects totaling approximately $700,000annually.

NASA codes and centers will publishcollaborative research opportunities in awork titled Research Compendiumdue outin August. Any principal investigator wholeads a research group at one of theEPSCoR states will be able to submit proposals through each state’s EPSCoRsystem. Winning proposals will beannounced in spring 2001.■

Celebrate JSC’s multicultural workforce during American Heritage Week

June 26 through June 30. Special events in the Bldg. 3 cafeteria each

weekday will highlight unique traditions and customs that distinguish the

various backgrounds of JSC’s more than 18,000 employees.

A parade led by the Forest Brook High School Marching Band will kick off

the Grand Finale Friday, June 30, as exhibits and entertainers representing a

cornucopia of cultures transcend the Gilruth Center into a global “village fair.”

The International Space Station trailers will also be open for tours at the site.

Admission is free for Johnson Space Center employees, contractors, and

their families. To volunteer for the Grand Finale event or for more information

regarding American Heritage Week, contact Patricia Burke at x30606

or visit the American Heritage Week Web site at

http://www4.jsc.nasa.gov/EOPO/. ■

A Glimpse of the Past ...Visions of the Future!

Johnson Space Center celebratesAmerican Heritage Week 2000

The EPSCoR Program isan excellent example ofhow we can involve yetanother segment of collegeand university faculty andstudents in the nation’sspace program.”

– Donn Sickorez

4 June 2, 2000 SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

Symptoms of stress• Irritability • Feeling easily overwhelmed • Persistent negative thinking • Chronic tension • Anxiety • Fatigue • Over-reacting• Rashes • Aches, pains, nausea or other gastrointestinal symptoms • Headaches/migraines • Teeth grinding • Heart palpitations• Restless agitation (drumming fingers, etc.)• Excessive perspiration • Feeling helpless or powerless • Feeling singled out or defensive

Bill Chill’s 10 Best Stress Busters• Take a deep breath • Change your scenery (take a break) • Plan ahead and set priorities (clarify expectations and manage your time)• Ask for help • Balance work and home life • Get enough sleep • Exercise regularly and eat healthy foods • Put things in perspective• Reward yourself and others • Seek encouragement from your friends • And relax – tomorrow is always a new day!

F eeling stressed out? You’re not alone –technology, business, and the shrinkingof our global village has changed the

way people live their lives and the way workis done. Often, we are expected to do morewith less – at home, in our personal lives,and at work.

Sometimes you have the ability to changeelements of your environment to reduce the‘stressors’ in your life – but other times thelarger situation is out of your control andyou can be left feeling overwhelmed and,well, stressed!

JSC is no different. It’s no secret that theagency as a whole has faced downsizingright along with the rest of corporate Amer-ica. However, as owners of the miracle ofspace flight, we are faced with a hugeresponsibility of ensuring the very best oftechnology, safety, and mission assurance,without compromise, despite the challenges.

It’s those challenges that can wreakhavoc on our workforce in the form of stress.

Positive stress is a good thing. Somepeople thrive on it. It motivates us, chal-lenges us, and helps us grow.

On the other hand, negative stress, how-ever legitimate, can cause people to loseperspective and haveserious effects on notonly job satisfactionand personal well-being, but, on a largerscale, can impact pro-ductivity, quality,and even safety.

For any of thosereasons, acquiringmethods to deal withyour own stressshould be a priority.Whether you thinkyou have a lot or a lit-tle, it does affect you,your work, and, likely, people around you.

Many people around the center havefaced stress, either here or elsewhere, anddeveloped their own personal ways to cope.

“The key to my coping is taking a minuteto breathe,” says Jeanne Newman, IMPASSPublic Affairs Services manager. “And I domean taking several deep, long breaths. Ithelps me put the situation in perspective,assigns it a priority, and provides an oppor-tunity to refocus my energy into identifyingoptions. Too often we get spun up in a knee-jerk reaction and actually create our ownstress because we haven’t taken the time tostep back and put things into perspective.”

Sound simple? Yes, but even Newmansays it takes a conscious effort if the situationis starting to snowball, so she uses severaltechniques to force herself to take that minuteto breathe and step back. One technique is totake a walk around the JSC ponds.

“The physical activity helps burn upsome adrenaline and the beauty of thelandscape helps put things in perspective,”says Newman. “I also keep things in my

office to help giveme that calmnesssuch as a Zen rockgarden (she insistsraking designs in thesand does help), afew toys, and aserene beach paint-ing. At home, Igarden whichprovides physicalactivity, a sense ofaccomplishment, and‘alone time’ to step

back from the problem at hand. “The bottom line for me is to give myself

time to make a conscious choice on how Iwant to react, rather than reacting for thesake of reacting,” adds Newman.

Other managers note that some people letthings build up that they shouldn’t and don’ttake any steps until it becomes problematic.Rather, they should learn how to better bal-ance their life including not only work andfamily, but also hobbies, faith, and friends inand away from the workplace.

“I do a lot of listening and encouragefolks to leave it behind them, to go homeand come back to fight another day,” saidMilt Heflin, deputy chief, Flight DirectorOffice. “I think each manager needs to standback and recognize that the environment wework in is different than it was 20 years ago,and employees need to recognize that work-ing with international partners will presentnew challenges. To lower our stress, weneed to accept that and learn as individualshow to deal with it. Whatever adds to yourstress that you can fix, fix it. What you can’t

I highly recommend more offices andorganizations take advantage of the EAPoutreach program.”

“I realize my stress level is getting highwhen I have multiple tasks to do and cannotfocus as well as I know I need to,” saidWilliam Parsons, JSC deputy director. “Thatis when I know I must let go of things I havelittle or no control over. To manage it, I tryto exercise regularly, either running, weightlifting, or golf, if time permits. I recognizethere are certain things I can do to work thesituation, and once I’ve done those things, I have to let the situation go.”

So what do you do if you feel stressgetting to you? There are several solutions,according to Jackie Reese, director ofJSC’s Employee Assistance Program,and Beth Hall, an industrial psychologistinvolved in JSC stress initiative. One of the simplest changes you can make is by simply adding some physical activity to your day.

“Outside research has shown thatemotional health improves with aerobicactivity,” says Hall. “Furthermore, theadded benefits you get from regular work-outs such as power, agility, balance, speed,and neuromuscular coordination allincrease morale and your job satisfaction,which are directly affected by stress.”

“Center management has realized thetoll stress can take on our employees and is actively seeking ways to reduce the risksassociated with stress through our safetyand health program,” said Stacey Menard,

assistant to the director forOccupational Safety. “In addition to the EAP’swonderful program and theLet’s Stress, Less Stresscampaign, we are focusingon behavior-based safety.This means finding ways to emphasize doing thingssafely at work, at home, and at play all the time.We’ve started with theSTEP class, Safety ThroughEveryone’s Participation,that gives students a fewtechniques to comfortablyintervene when someone isabout to commit an unsafeact. In the future, we hope to build a culture where welook out for each other’s

safety so we can mitigate the role stresshas in causing injuries.”

If you need a more personal coping strat-egy or would like more information on cop-ing with stress as a group, you can contactthe JSC EAP, which provides workshops onan individual or organizational basis.

Reese and the EAP team can be reachedat x36310. Other information on managingstress can be found on the Total Health tabof the Safety and Total Health Web site atwww4.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/. ■

fix, learn to deal with so it won’t drive younuts. Taking the time to know the difference,and getting help to decide, can be critical.”

To help with that, many managers havearranged for seminars with stress experts fortheir employees. Heflin worked through

JSC’s Employee Assistance Program Officefor a special presentation to his staff.

“We’re made up of Type AA people,”said Heflin. “It’s in their nature. They’reselected by NASA to be the leaders inMission Control. They’re smart folks andthey understand that stress is a serious issue.The Employee Assistance Program Officepresentation to our staff gave us a goodoverview of what to look for, not only withinourselves but also what to be aware of inworking with the teams in Mission Control.

Dealing with stressWhat you can do when the pressure’s on

Jeanne Newman uses a few well-placed toys and soothing décor in her office to help to create acalming, anti-stress atmosphere. She also keeps a miniature Zen rock garden close by to helpher "slow down" when things begin to snowball.

JSC’s Elizabeth Hall and Jackie Reese help lead JSC’s StressManagement Initiative.

Recognizing what you canand cannot control, andlearning to let go of what you don’t have control over is very important in managing stress.

– Jackie Reese

June 2, 2000 5SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

Point and click to make a change“There is an increased sense among center managers that stress is directly impacting

productivity and morale,” said Hall. “Health and fitness are stepping up beside safety askey center principles. The level of commitment we are receiving is quite commendable.”

Now is your chance to paint a more detailed picture and impact the future of yourwork environment.

“The feedback we receive from the survey is very valuable,” explained Jackie Reese,MA, LPC, director of JSC’s Employee Assistance Program. “We are really paying atten-tion to the responses and implementing change because of what employees tell us.”

As a result of the feedback from the last survey, the SMI team has implementedseveral actions and programs:

✔ Successful pitch to NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin for increased staff;

✔ “Bill Chill” awareness and education materials – “Top 10 List,” Rounduparticle,posters, table tents, employee badges;

✔ Programmatic enhancements to employee service areas:

Extended Gilruth athletic and recreation programs,

Exchange Store sundries, and cafeteria services (extended hours, products,delivery);

✔ Focus groups of small JSC population discussing JSC stressors, suggestions, and exitinterviews;

✔ EAP trends analysis looking at job stress-related cases – shows increase in job-stressissues throughout the site;

✔ EAP “roadshows” to center organizations focusing on stress and stress management;

✔ Stress assessment tools through the EAP;

✔ “Physiological/Psychological Impacts and Coping Skills” 4-hour stress course offeredquarterly; and

✔ Tips via Total Health Web site regarding stress awareness and prevention, health-related fitness activities; i.e., mall walking trail map.

Future actions on the SMI’s “To Do” list include:

✔ Tracking stress-related clinic visits;

✔ Possibly extending child and elder care for JSC employees;

✔ Analyzing JSC processes for improved prioritization and definition of multiplerequirements;

✔ Benchmarking against other high-achieving organizations and seeking improvements;and

✔ Possibly offering computer-based stress training via the Total Health Web site.

But again, strong, center-wide participation is needed to be the most effective at initi-ating these changes. Employees will be notified via E-mail when the survey is available.Results will be covered in a future Roundupissue. ■

How do you cope with stress?

Robin HartSpeakers Bureau CoordinatorInDyne, Inc.

“ Bubble wrap! Since there isn’t anycarpet in my office, I can tape down thecorners of the bubble wrap to the floorand do a little dance on it! Sometimes Ilike to roll my chair around on it, butmore often than not, I just jump up anddown on it until it stops popping.Everybody can always tell when I’mhaving a very stressful day because itsounds like I’ve got a very loud pop-corn popper in my office!”

Debbie SharpLead Video ProducerMedia Services Corporation

“I’ve gotten involved in kickboxing andyoga in part for stress relief and partlyfor the health benefits. I highly recom-mend both of these activities for peoplewho are in high stress situations atwork. I used to have a lot of problemswith migraine headaches and shoulderpains from tensing up at work. Youwon’t believe the difference that kick-boxing and yoga make. I really feelgreat now… and I’m toning my body at the same time. You can’t beat themultiple benefits.”

Delene SedilloContracting OfficerNASA/JSC

“If I know in advance that I’m going tobe working or living in a stressful envi-ronment for several days or weeks, Iimmediately schedule a massage tooccur after or in the middle of the‘stressful’ period. This gives me some-thing to look forward to. I think havinga positive attitude, glass half full ratherthan half empty, contributes to success-fully dealing with stressful situationswhether at home or work.”

Beverly J. SpillerEducation Outreach AssistantMedia Services Corporation

“When answering the phones for a lot ofpeople and I’m having a day when every-body in the world is calling, and I can’t getmy work done, I’ll pick up the phone, shakeit real good, take a deep breath, and calmlysay, ‘This is Beverly. May I help you?’”

Employees on site are encouragedto take a moment and enjoy thelandscape or take a relaxing strollonce in a while to help keep thingsin perspective when the pressuremounts up.

D o you think increased staffingwould help relieve your workload?Done. What about having a lunch

delivery service for those days you can’tmake it out for a quick bite? Done. Andhow about a calm, lush, landscaped walk-ing trail for you to escape to when thingsget a little crazed? Sound good? Done.

And you can have more. For just a fewminutes of your time and feedback, youcan help initiate improvements to yourworkplace.

As part of the Stress Management Ini-tiative, a brief, in-depth stress survey willbe conducted online later this month. Theresults from the questionnaire, which willtake less than 10 minutes to complete andis anonymous and confidential, will beused to make JSC a less stressful, safer,more unified place to work.

“This is a chance for everyone, center-wide, to participate,” said Beth Hall,industrial psychologist responsible forleading the SMI for Life Sciences andHuman Resources. “The changes made sofar are because people were willing tovoice their concerns and participate in thefirst study completed last year. We needthat participation again.”

In 1999, a small sample of JSCemployees, less than 100 in fact,participated in a high-level survey aboutworkplace stress and morale. The resultswere combined with data from the HumanResources Office, Space and Life Sciences,the Employee Assistance Program Office,and morale data from the InternationalSpace Station Program to paint a picture ofthe JSC workplace environment – and,essentially, to drive change.

Although small in scale, the resultsfrom that survey were used to negotiateincreased staffing at the center.

For more information about the Stress Management Initiative or the upcoming survey, please call Hall at x37489.

6 June 2, 2000 SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

Ripped straight from the pages ofold Space News Roundups, here’swhat happened at JSC on this date:

1 9 6 5rom the Mission Control Center

in Houston, Paul Haney

described the beginning of what

has been the United States' most spec-

tacular and longest space flight to date

with America's first space pilot going

outside a spacecraft in space.

"Liftoff. We have liftoff at 16 minutes

after the hour. Climbing very nicely.

We have a roll program initiated. Roll

program completed, McDivitt reported

and the pitch program has been

initiated."

Liftoff from Launch Complex 19 at

Cape Kennedy was at 10:16 a.m.,

EST, June 3, and flight trajectory was

very nearly as planned. The space-

craft with Astronauts James A. McDi-

vitt as command pilot and Edward H.

White II as pilot was placed in an orbit

with a perigee of 100 miles and an

apogee of 175 miles.

1 9 8 5ASA scientists have adopted a

laser originally designed to

measure gases in the atmo-

sphere to the task of cleaning out

clogged arteries without harming the

walls of the blood vessels. The tech-

nique, when perfected, could allow

patients to avoid coronary bypass

surgery.

Physicians at Los Angeles’ Cedars-

Sinai Medical Center and laser scien-

tists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion

Laboratory recently teamed together to

develop a laser system designed to

non-surgically clean clogged arteries

with unprecedented precision.

1 9 9 5hough their tools will be

updated, NASA flight controllers

will carry many of the traditions

and procedures from 30 years of expe-

rience to a new Mission Control Center

as portions of STS-70 are controlled

from a new building for the first time.

The new MCC’s design offers an

unprecedented flexibility in flight con-

trol operations, allowing the facility to

be changed from controlling a space

shuttle to controlling any other space-

craft with almost the speed of simply

choosing a different function from a

computer menu.

T

N

F

Rippedfrom the

ROUNDUP

Human Resources reports the followingpersonnel changes:

Key Management AssignmentsNate Wright Jr. was named acting director, Center

Operations Directorate.Leonard Nicholson was named chief engineer, Office

of the Director.Jim Jaax was named acting director, Engineering Directorate.Frank Benz was named acting deputy director,

Engineering Directorate.Irene Verinder was named acting chief, Manufacturing,

Materials, and Process Technology Division, EngineeringDirectorate.

Ladonna Miller was selected as manager, Space ShuttleCustomer Integration Office, Space Shuttle Program Office.

Larry Shaw was selected as assistant chief, TechnologyDivision, Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance Office.

M. Scott Johnson was selected as assistant chief, SpaceShuttle Division, Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance Office.

Additions to the WorkforceKristi Devos joins the Projects Procurement Office, Office

of Procurement, as a contracting specialist.Troy Whitney joins the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering

Branch, Aircraft Operations Division, Flight Crew OperationsDirectorate, as an electrical engineer.

Zeb Scoville joins the EVA and Crew Systems OperationsBranch, EVA, Robotics, and Crew Systems OperationsDivision, Mission Operations Directorate, as an EVA instructorand flight controller.

Donna Dempsey joins the Avionics Training Branch, SpaceFlight Training Division, Mission Operations Directorate, as anISS instructor.

Nicole Smith joins the Systems Training Branch, SpaceFlight Training Division, Mission Operations Directorate, as anISS instructor.

Amy Pippert joins the Systems Development and OperationsDivision, Mission Operations Directorate, as a computer engineer.

David Saley joins the Guidance, Navigation, and ControlDevelopment and Test Branch, Aeroscience and FlightMechanics Division, Engineering Directorate, as a navigationalguidance and control systems engineer.

PromotionsSherry Nelson-Murray was selected as an accounting

technician in the Resource Control and Reimbursables Branch,Financial Management Division, Office of the Chief FinancialOfficer.

Reassignments Between DirectoratesBob Alexander moves from the Safety, Reliability, and

Quality Assurance Office to the International Space StationProgram Office.

Don Pallesen and Ben Pawlik move from the MissionOperations Directorate to the International Space StationProgram Office.

John Shebalin moves from the International Space StationProgram Office to the Space and Life Sciences Directorate.

Reassignments Between CentersDavid Black moves to Marshall Space Flight Center.James Reuter moves to Marshall Space Flight Center.

RetirementsWilliam Drastata of the Office of Procurement.Stanley Avent of the Mission Operations Directorate.Palmer Chiu of the Engineering Directorate.Bob Dotts of the Technology Transfer and

Commercialization Office.James Vincent of the International Space Station Program

Office.

ResignationsKeith Reiley of the International Space Station Program Office.

Y vette Damien of the Johnson SpaceCenter’s Public Affairs Office andLinda Green of the White Sands Test

Facility each recently received the MarilynJ. Bockting Secretarial Excellence Awardin recognition of their exceptional contri-butions, professional competence, andpersonal dedication.

Damien was recognized in April for hercontributions as secretary to the director ofthe Public Affairs Office. She has addedthoughtful organization to the everydayfunctioning of the director’s office. Trackingactions to their completion, assuring timelyresponses to all inquiries, effectively han-dling callers on a wide variety of topics,taking the extra steps to ensure callers getwhat they need, prioritizing the incomingactions and requests for the director – theseare all critical skills for an effective, respon-sive, and friendly interface to JSC throughthe front desk at the PAO.

In addition to her PAO responsibilities,she provides support to the associate directorfor university research and affairs and backs

up and at times substitutes for the supportstaff to the associate director. Her organiza-tional skills and professionalism haveallowed for helpful process improvementsand the orderly transition of cooperative pro-jects between offices.

Green was recognized in May for hercontributions as secretary to the manager,White Sands Test Facility, and his staff. She also serves as administrative assistant,responsible for coordination issues such astravel, training, personnel actions, awards,and co-op students. These responsibilitiesput her in constant contact with represent-atives from the general public, the media,academia, and industry, as well as with JSCand NASA Headquarters management.

Since the small size of the NASA contin-gent at WSTF precludes the depth of special-ized support services available at largerinstallations, Green found it necessary todevelop a high degree of independence andversatility to perform most of these diversefunctions herself. Indeed, since the retirementtwo years ago of another secretary in the

manager’s office, she has worked exception-ally hard to perform those combined func-tions single-handedly. The non-stereotypicalnature of test work creates a large number ofunique, unforeseen demands, and as the pri-mary focal point for many of these demands,she has demonstrated excellent innovation,adaptability, poise, and judgment in handlingthese unusual requests, in addition to theheavy load of daily routine functions.

Green maintains excellent official andpersonal records for quick retrieval of infor-mation often misfiled, overlooked, or forgot-ten by everyone else, and has become avaluable single-point focus for getting a jobdone through the WSTF manager’s office.She has developed an excellent ability toforesee needs, plan responses, and prioritizethe constant and diverse demands of themanager and his staff, rapidly producinghigh-quality work to support the schedule ofeach requester. Her speed and proficiencywith the computer, combined with excellentknowledge of word usage rules, have madeher an increasingly valuable asset.■

Damien, Green get Secretarial Excellence Awards

NASA JSC Photo JSC2000-04052 by Robert Markowitz

Yvette DamienNASA JSC Photo JSC2000-03951 by Robert Markowitz

Linda Green

“We have been working for several months on puttingall the pieces together to make this a unique,comprehensive, and fun experience for people of allages,” said Celina Ducceschi, exhibits manager. “Kidsmight wonder what the connection is with space, andthat’s what makes it so fun and educational. They maynot realize that astronauts, too, are extreme athletes intheir own right. Just as skydivers jump out of planes,astronauts venture outside the space shuttle for space

walks. What could be more extreme than that?”Ducceschi added, “Parts of the exhibit willshowcase the unique and daring responsibilities of extreme sports athletes as well as astronauts.”

Space Center Houston also will be showing anew Imax® movie – Extreme. “It’s absolutely aphenomenal film, and it’s a perfect compliment to the exhibit,” said Roger Bornstein, director ofmarketing. “After testing your own skills at rockclimbing and snowboarding, you’ll be able to seesome of world’s top daredevil, extreme athletes asthey compete against nature’s greatest dangers.”

See first-hand the thrills and chills of extremesports up close at Space Center Houston with livedemonstrations throughout the summer. Enjoy thebest-of-the-best in-line skaters, BMX bicyclists,skateboarders, and much more. Call 281-244-2100 for dates and times.

On display this summer also will be the hottestextreme sports equipment and gear, includingsurfboards, skateboards, motorcycles, jet skis, andmuch more!

Don’t miss your chance to be an out-of-this-world extreme athlete and have an out-of-this-world extreme blast! There’s nothing else like it!Don’t forget Space Center Houston’s EXTREMEsummer hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, untilLabor Day. ■

For more information about EXTREME 2000,

call 281-244-2100 or go to www.spacecenter.org.

JSC employees show your civil servant badge for

free admission. Contractors may obtain tickets at

the admission windows.

Space Center Houston has a new adventure foreveryone this summer, and it’s the only extremeaction in town. As of May 26, you can experience

heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, in-your-faceextreme action at “EXTREME 2000: THE ULTIMATESPORTS ZONE”...and the whole family can take part.

Feel the rush while pushing yourself to the limits attoday’s most extreme sports – skydiving, snowboarding,rock climbing, bungee running, extreme basketball, andmuch more! It’s the most-fun, no-limits summerattraction ever!

“EXTREME 2000 is truly going to be a fun,extraordinary experience for people of all ages,” saidRichard Allen, president and CEO. “We’ve combined thethrill of today’s extreme sports with excitement andcompetition for a phenomenal summer attraction.”

Each sport will put your mind and body to the ultimatetest, whether competing against yourself or against others.

Rock WallYou can’t beat the view from up here! Using professionalclimbing equipment, participants “race” each other to thetop of this 24-foot mountain. Contestants grab and steponto rocks protruding from the mountain as they climbupward to the summit.

Hang TimeYou may have played basketball, but never before likethis. We’ve taken this traditional sport and added anextreme twist – trampolines. It’s a one-on-one verticalchallenge like nothing you’ve seen before. Blocked shotsand high-flyingbaskets have neverbeen so spectacular.Everyone will be ableto jump as high asMichael Jordan!

BungeeMadnessIt’s a race to find outwho’s the fastest!While strapped to abungee cord that pullsyou backward, you’llrun to place yourVelcro target as far outas you can while thecord’s goal is to snapyou back – youropponent will be doingthe same!

Fearless FlyerIt’s like surfing...in theair! You and theextreme trampolinemake it happen. Getstrapped into a bungeecord harness and therest is up to you!Perform all kinds of aerialmaneuvers jumping 20-24 feet in the air.

Rappel TowerTwo 30-foot rappel towers will really challenge yourstrength! After you’re hoisted to the top of the tower, youdescend quickly, bouncing off the vertical wall whiletrying to hit targets with your feet. The more targets youhit, the longer your ride.

Jump ZoneStrap yourself in and experience the thrill of jumping outof an airplane at 2,000 feet. You’ll steer the parachuteand soar to the ground to a landing sight you select – aforest, aircraft carrier, oramidst skyscrapers in a bigcity – as you feel and hear thewind roar past you. You’ll geta score sheet of your ride tocompare with others, and topperformers record their namesand scores!

The latest in virtual realityfun also is part of SpaceCenter Houston’s EXTREME2000 action. Get beamed intoa simulator in a weightlessenvironment with “Grav-Ball.” Use your entire body tobump the gravity ball and

score points to win against an opponent or a robot. Or tryyour athletic ability at one of today’s hottest extremesports – snowboarding. You and your opponent plummetthrough a downhill race on “snowboards,” using full-body motion to direct your board around trees, rocks,hazards, and other snowboarders. You can experience thelatest video adventures at EXTREME 2000. Get right inthe middle of the action on Street Luger, Alpine Skier,and Ultimate Skateboarder.

June 2, 2000 7SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

Blast off on exciting adventuresat Space Center Houston’s summer day campsLooking for a cosmic adventure for kids this summer? Look no further than the out-of-this-world day camps at Space CenterHouston. Children ages 5 to 14 can choose from 12 different day camps.Whether building a rocket, traveling to the Moon, or docking with the spacestation, Space Center Houston’s day camp participants will have a blast.

Prices include all materials and lunch.To receive a Space Center Houston Day Camp registration form, call 281-244-2148 or 281-244-2131 or visit online at spacecenter.org.

You also can register by phone.

Members of Space Center Houston receive a 10 percent discount off all registration fees!

Extreme Sports 2000: the Ultimate Sports Zone

Space Center Houston visitors find themselves pushing their limits as part of ExtremeSports 2000. 1) Sam Soden, 8, from Woodlands, takes on the rock climbing wall. 2) Lauren Hill, 9, from Bixby, Okla., bounces through the air on Fearless Flyer . 3) Visitors contemplate every move as they race to the top of the rock tower. 4) G. T. Elliot, 11, steers down the slopes on Alpine Racer . 5) Christy Acevedo, 7, from Rosenberg, makes her way down the rappelling wall. 6) Julio Galvan, 10, from Hoffman, takes a shot at the Top Skater .

NASA JSC Photo 2000e15294

NASA JSC Photo 2000e15295

NASA JSC Photo 2000e15293

NASA JSC Photo 2000e15299 NASA JSC Photo 2000e15292

1

2

4

3

6

Photo courtesy of Space Center Houston

NASA JSC photos by James Blair

5

June 13Aero Club meets : The Bay Area Aero Club meets at

7 p.m. at the Houston Gulf Airport clubhouse at 2750 FM

1266 in League City. For more information contact

Larry Hendrickson at x32050.

June 14Astronomy seminar : The JSC Astronomy Seminar

Club will meet at noon June 14, 21 and 28 in Bldg. 31,

Rm. 248A. For more information contact Al Jackson

at x35037.

IAAP meets : The Clear Lake/NASA Chapter of the

International Association of Administrative Professionals

meets at 5:30 p.m. at Bay Oaks Country Club. Cost is

$16. For more information and reservations, call Tami

Barbour at (281) 488-0055, x238.

Spaceteam Toastmasters meet : The Spaceteam

Toastmasters meets at 11:30 a.m. June 14, 21, and 28

at United Space Alliance, 600 Gemini. For more informa-

tion contact Patricia Blackwell at (281) 280-6863.

June 15Communicators meet : The Clear Lake Communica-

tors, a Toastmasters International club, meets June 15,

22, and 29 at 11:30 at Wyle Laboratories, 1100 Hercules,

Suite 305. For more information contact Allen Prescott at

(281) 282-3281or Richard Lehman at (281) 280-6557.

Directors meet : The Space Family Education board

of directors meets at 11:30 a.m. in Bldg. 45, Rm. 712D.

For more information contact Lynn Buquo at x34716.

June 20NPMA meets : The National Property Management Associa-

tion meets at 11:30 a.m. June 20 and July 18 at the Gilruth

Center. For more information contact Ray Whitaker at

(281) 212-6030.

June 21Scuba club meets : The Lunarfins meets at 7:30 p.m.

For more information contact Mike Manering at x32618.

June 29Radio Club meets : The JSC Amateur Radio Club meets at

6:30 p.m. at Piccadilly, 2465 Bay Area Blvd. For more informa-

tion contact Larry Dietrich at x39198.

July 3National Space Society meets : The Clear Lake area

chapter of the National Space Society meets at 6:30 p.m. at the

Parker Williams Branch of the Harris Co. Library at 10851

Scarsdale Blvd. For more information contact Murray Clark

at (281) 367-2227.

July 6Warning System Test : The site-wide Employee Warning

System performs its monthly audio test at noon. For more

information contact Bob Gaffney at x34249.

July 13Airplane club meets : The Radio Control Airplane Club

meets at 7 p.m. at the Clear Lake Park building. For more

information contact Bill Langdoc at x35970.

MAES meets : The Society of Mexican-American Engineers

and Scientists meets at 11:30 a.m. in Bldg. 16, Rm. 111.

For more information contact George Salazar at x30162.

July 14Astronomers meet : The JSC Astronomical Society meets

at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Advanced Space Studies, 3600

Bay Area Blvd. For details contact Chuck Shaw at x35416.

8 June 2, 2000 SSPPAACCEE CCEENNTTEERR Roundup

A microwave imager on board a NASA

spacecraft can help improve forecasts of

hurricanes and severe storms and can

monitor long-term climate by seeing

through clouds, new research shows.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

(TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI)

represents the first microwave spacecraft

sensor capable of accurately measuring

sea-surface temperatures through clouds.

These findings were reported in the journal

Science by Frank Wentz and colleagues at

Remote Sensing Systems, Santa Rosa,

California, who also are TRMM Science

Team members.

Science team members have found that

data from the TMI sensor on board the

spacecraft has great potential to increase

the accuracy of tropical storm and climate

forecasts.

Microwave radiation penetrates clouds with

little loss of signal, providing an uninter-

rupted view of the ocean surface, whereas

much of the infrared radiation, typically used

for measuring sea-surface temperatures

from satellites, is blocked by cloud cover.

“The microwave imager can give consis-

tent readings of sea-surface temperatures

even through clouds,” said Wentz, director

of Remote Sensing Systems. “To date

we’ve been limited by infrared sensors.

Having the complete picture of ocean sur-

face temperatures should greatly improve

numerical models being run by the

National Weather Service.”

Sea-surface temperature plays a

fundamental role in the exchange of

energy, momentum, and moisture between

the ocean and the atmosphere and is a

central factor of air-sea interactions and

climate variability. A better understanding

of air-sea dynamics will translate into

better weather forecasting.

NASA BRIEFSNASA SPACECRAFT DATA

IMPROVES TROPICAL FORECASTS

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will

burn landfill gas to heat its buildings under

a new contract awarded recently.

“This project will prevent as much pollution

as planting 68,000 acres of trees or remov-

ing 100,000 cars from Maryland highways

by reducing harmful gases produced at the

center and the landfill. As an added bene-

fit, we expect significant savings over our

current gas and fuel oil costs. Further sav-

ings will be realized in the future if the cen-

ter expands the project to include alternate

fuel for our vehicles,” said Barry Green,

Goddard energy manager.

The sole-source contract was awarded to

Toro Energy of Maryland, LLC, Dallas,

Texas, for utility service of landfill gas. The

contract also will provide for modification of

two Goddard boilers in the center’s central

heating plant, construction of a pipeline to

transport landfill gas to Goddard, and con-

struction of a gas-treatment facility at the

Sandy Hill landfill in Bowie, Maryland.

Goddard’s five boilers currently are capa-

ble of burning either of two fuels: natural

gas or diesel fuel oil. The contract will

modify two of these boilers so that they

each can burn landfill gas, natural gas, or

diesel fuel oil. The remaining boilers will

remain unchanged.

GODDARD TO PROCURELANDFILL GAS

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWEBSTER, TXPermit No. G27

The Roundup is an official publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center,Houston, Texas, and is published by the Public Affairs Office for all space center employees. The Roundup office is inBldg. 2, Rm. 181. The mail code is AP3. The main telephone number is x38648, and the fax is x32000. Electronic mailmessages may be directed to:

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .William Jeffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .william.p.jeffs@jsc.nasa.gov

Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nicole Cloutier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ncloutie@ems.jsc.nasa.gov

The following discount tickets are available at the Exchange StoresGeneral Cinema Theaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.50Sony Loew’s Theaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.50AMC Theaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.00Fiesta Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .adult . . .$20.50. . .child (under 48 inches) . . $17.25Astroworld Early Bird (use by June 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.25Astroworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 day . . .$21.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 day . . . $31.00WaterWorld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.00Moody Gardens (2 events) (does not include Aquarium Pyramid) . . . . . . . . . $10.75Moody Gardens (Aquarium only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.25Sea World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .adult . . .$29.00 . . . .child (3-11 years) . . . $19.25Schlitterbahn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .adult . . .$21.50 . . . .child (3-11 years) . . . $18.00Space Center Houston . . . . . . . adult . . $11.00 . . . .child (age 4-11) . . . . $7.25

(JSC civil service employees free.)Space Center Houston annual pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18.75Splash Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 day . . .$13.00 . . . . . . .Season Pass . . . $37.50Postage Stamps (book of 20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.60

Exchange Store hoursMonday-FridayBldg. 3 7 a.m.-4 p.m.Bldg. 11 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

➤ All tickets are nonrefundable.

➤ Metro tokens and value cardsare available.

For additional information,

please callx35350.

Please bring your driver’s

license to pay by personal check.

OUT&ABOUT★

JSC’s Employee Assistance Program welcomes Channel 13

Weatherman Ed Brandon as he presents “Coping without Chemicals,”

a rare personal glimpse into his journey from chemical dependency

and depression to sobriety and spirituality. The event is scheduled for

June 21, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 30 Auditorium.

Barbara Reichlin, MA, LPC, LMFT, a recent guest of the EAP,

presented “Getting the Love You Want.” For more information on

EAP activities call x36310.