The Ames Astrogram — 1July 24, 1998

AstrogramNATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AMES RESEARCH CENTER, MOFFETT FIELD

THE AMESAstrogram

Communication for the information technology age

July 24, 1998 on-line@http://ccf.arc.nasa.gov/dx/

Ames ISO Web-site address: http://dqa.arc.nasa.gov/iso9000

10 Months toCertification

seerelatedstory onpage 6

In February 1996, Alan Shepard took astep back in time as he looked into theMercury capsule that served as thebackup for his historic Freedom 7suborbital mission. On May 5, 1961, inthe Freedom 7 spacecraft, he waslaunched by a Redstone rocket on aballistic trajectory suborbital flight -- aflight that carried him to an altitude of116 statute miles and to a landing point302 statute miles down the AtlanticMissile Range. The backup capsule is ondisplay in the NASA Ames Visitor Center.

photo by Astrid Terlep

Famed Astronaut Alan Shepard passes away

Jenny Kahn of Code JH as “Cookiethe Clown” with her son Jacob.

Multicultural Street fair sizzles!

photo by Roger Brimmer

Drummers from the San Jose Taiko Group.

continued on page 7

On July 15, Ames Research Center cel-ebrated Street Fair II, a multicultural ex-travaganza of singing, dancing, music, foodand merchandise from around the world.And what a celebration it was!

With temperatures pushing into the 90s,the first evidence that El Nino had finallyrelinquished its grip on the local regioncame amidst a steamy whirlwind of ethniccuisine, diverse entertainment, and a selec-tion of clothing, jewelry and other nationalproducts. Fair goers not ready to party atthe outset were soon caught up in theinfectious enthusiasm of the estimated

2,500 in attendance. Not since last year’sOpen House has Ames seen such a sponta-neous exhibition of employee morale andgood old fashioned fun!

Sheila Johnson, chair of the food com-mittee, made sure that participants had awide variety of luncheon items from whichto choose — from the very popular ribs andpeach cobbler, to the authentic taquitos,Asian delicacies, manicotti, hamburgers,and Native American fried bread. Lots offree water, generously donated by Albion,was provided at five separate stations, anda selection of sodas and juices were sold byrepresentatives of the Ames Child CareCenter. The African-American booth wasthe first to sell out its food entrees; but theNative-American, hand-prepared items hadthe distinction of drawing the longest lines.Fortunately, those unable to get their firstchoice simply moved on to a deliciousalternative selection.

But, while the food was a big hit, theentertainment was the star! Visitors to theCenter could hardly be blamed if they wentlooking for Ed McMahon and the “StarSearch” set, such was the quality of theofferings. Like a three-ring circus under thebig top, entertainment coordinator DarrellWilliams had a total of 18 unique actsperforming in three different venues. No-tably, all of the acts presented involvedAmes workers, their associates, and theirextended families and friends. Both collec-tively and individually, they certainly were

photo by Roger Brimmer

“The entire NASA family is deeply sad-dened by the passing of Alan Shepard.NASA has lost one of its greatest pioneers;America has lost a shining star.

--Statement of NASA AdministratorDaniel S. Goldin --

Alan Shepard will be remembered, al-ways, for his accomplishments of the past:being one of the original seven Mercuryastronauts, for being the first American tofly in space, and for being one of only 12Americans ever to step on the Moon.

He should also be remembered as some-one who, even in his final days, never lostsight of the future.

On behalf of the space program AlanShepard helped launch, and all those thatspace program has and will inspire, wesend our deepest condolences to his wifeLouise, their children, and the rest of theShepard family.

Alan Shepard lived to explore the heav-ens. On this his final journey, we wish himGodspeed.”

an impressive bunch!Among the dance teams represented

were the Mighty Steppers drill team, theNative American “young eagles” singersand dancers, the Flamenco society of San

Editor’s Note: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., 74, thefirst American to fly in space and one of theoriginal Mercury astronauts, died July 21, after alengthy illness in Monterey, CA. The cause ofdeath was not disclosed. Funeral services arepending.

2 — The Ames Astrogram July 24, 1998

Employee Recognition

Here are some high-lights from the presenta-tion that I gave on March30, at Loyola ElementarySchool, in Los Altos.

Out of all of the presen-tations that I have given sofar this year, this was farabove average, as well asthe most enthusiastic andbrightest group of studentsthat I have encountered.

They knew about AlanShepard, and John Glenn;they even knew the nameof the first American Astro-naut who walked in space(Edward White II).

One of the students waseven able to name the threecomponents that make upthe shuttle tile. These stu-dents are only 4th graders!What was really fun, washaving the students de-scribe the benefits of thediscovery of ice on the Moon, and theprocess involved making the ice a con-sumable product.

Participating in National EngineersWeek has been such a great experience.The children's excitement when you walkinto a classroom, them already knowingthat you are visiting them from NASA isoverwhelming.

photo by Roger Brimmerphoto by Roger Brimmer

Engineers Week Awards - Dale Satranm(right) receives award certificate.

Nancy Bingham (left) receives plaque for most Outstanding CodeParticipation. Nancy is talking to awardee Hank Schwoob andBrenda Collins, who presented the awards.

Hank Schwoobpresenting to thestudents at LoyolaElementary Schoolin Los Altos.

photo by Sue Bowling

Engineers Week awards presented on June 10

Ed Stanton speaks atCrittenden MiddleSchool using ademonstration spacesuit provided by CodeDX.

photo by Tom Trower

BY HANK SCHWOOB

The Ames Astrogram — 3July 24, 1998

Ames Activities

photo by Dominic Hart

Students in the ‘Four Corners’ area ofthe U.S. (New Mexico, Arizona, Coloradoand Utah) have a very exciting year upcom-ing. Twenty teachers of K-12 students onNative American reservations spent twojam-packed weeks at Ameslearning about everythingfrom wind tunnels to theexploration of the Moonand Mars, from remotesensing to exobiology. Asone of the teachers said,“When we teach teachers,we reach many times thatnumber of students.”

The visit was part of anoutreach program knownas the NASA EducationalWorkshops (NEW). Eachsummer, NASA centers hostNEW groups to provideteachers with informationabout NASA programs andwork with them to incorpo-rate NASA educational ma-terials into their classrooms.The Ames workshop isunique in that it focuses onteachers from rural andNative American schools.Among the tribes repre-sented at the workshopwere the Hopi, Navajo,Shoshone and Pima. LizaAlderete of the External Af-fairs Office organized andhosted the event. Sharon Miya, the UtahState Science Teacher of the Year, acted asthe educator facilitator for the participants.

The teachers appreciated the opportu-nity to learn directly from the scientists and

BY LIZA ALDERETE

engineers.“This is the first time someone has ex-

plained the ozone depletion issue so clearly,”said Rich Stoner, referring to a presentationby Dr. Jay Skiles of the Ecosystem Science

and Technology Branch (SGE). The teach-ers simulated some of Dr. Skile’s work onthe effect of ultraviolet (UV) light exposureon plants, by growing their own plantsunder different lighting conditions. The

teachers also met with other Ames scien-tists and project managers including Dr.David Morrison, Dr. Chris McKay, Dr. DavidKoch and Scott Sandford. The educatorsalso worked on projects to determine how

to use NASA aeronautics fa-cilities to make modificationsto aircraft with the guidanceof Craig Hange, ChrisSweeney, Loran Haworth andRoxana Greenman.

Many teachers from ruralareas do not have access tothe Web and thus found theAmes educational CD-ROMs,Exploring Aeronautics, LunarProspector and Mars VirtualExploration, to be valuable re-sources to make science andaeronautics come alive in theirclassrooms.

Field trips to nearby sites,including Lick Observatoryand the U.S. Geological Sur-vey, also provided a wealth ofinformation the teachers cantake back with them. Thetwo-week workshop culmi-nated in a formal banquet.Mike Liu, Chairman of the Na-tive American Advisory Com-mittee, chose the guestspeaker Dovie Thomason, aNative American storytellerfrom Virginia. Her stories in-corporated analytical science

concepts into the voices of Indian ances-tors.

Native American teacher workshop is huge success

Back row, from left to right: Tom Clausen, Liza Alderete, Alan Ball, Brian Hawkins,Tom Gates, Peggy Donahe, Lynda Matheson, Rich Stoner, Phil Lair, Jim Hawk andSharon Miya. Front row, from left to right: Rae Crooke, Idella Poocha, CherylDennison, Diana Mike, Sharon Maki, Pauline Villegas, Mildred Nayatewa, YvonneHaven, Tina Aberta, Emma Joe, Angela Martinez, Doris Aitson, and Cheryl Lowden.

NASA Education Workshop Participants:

On Sunday, July 12, the ‘NASA Afterburners’ relay team sped around theSan Francisco Marathon course taking just over 3 1/2 hours to complete the26.2 miles. Tom Trower began the relay, carrying the baton over the GoldenGate Bridge to Janice Vass at the Marina Green. Janice ran the Embarcaderohanding off to Rick McIlmoil who powered over the infamous Hayes Street Hill.Taking the next pass in Golden Gate Park, John Arvesen sprinted to the Pacificand back, before captain Lisa Marie Gonzales raced to the finish line in KesarStadium.

‘NASA Afterburners’ finish‘NASA Afterburners’ finish‘NASA Afterburners’ finish‘NASA Afterburners’ finish‘NASA Afterburners’ finishproudlyproudlyproudlyproudlyproudly

Here is a triumphant photo of Ames’ relay team at the San FranciscoMarathon. From left to right: Janice Vass, Rick McIlmoil, John Arvesen,Lisa Marie Gonzales and Tom Trower.

4 — The Ames Astrogram July 24, 1998

Ames News and Center Briefs

Briefs

Appointment ofChief Scientist

Dr. Stephanie Langhoff has returned toAmes after a very successful year as a NASAcandidate in the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) Sloan Fellowship pro-gram.

Upon her return to the Center, Dr.Langhoff accepted the position of ChiefScientist in the Office of the Director.

In her new position, Dr. Langhoff isserving as a key advisor to the Office of theDirector and as a member of the Center'sBoard of Directors. She is providing intel-lectual leadership to internal scientific pro-grams at Ames, including those of the BasicResearch Council, the Director's Discretion-ary Fund, and the Ames Fellow and Associ-ate Fellow programs. Dr. Langhoff alsorepresents the Center's scientific interestsboth internally to the Director’s office andother senior managers at the Center, andexternally to scientific institutions and pro-fessional organizations. Further, she workswith the Deputy Director for Research toensure and enhance the quality of the R&Tprograms at Ames.

Prior to her developmental experienceat MIT, Dr. Langhoff served as Chief ofAmes' Computational Chemistry Branchwhere her technical expertise and manage-ment skills proved exemplary.

Dr. Langhoff's office is located in Bldg.N-239, Room 206. Her extension remains4-6213.

Five NASA employees, including onefrom Ames, recently were named to partici-pate in the 1998-99 NASA Administrator’sFellowship Program. The program aims toenhance the professional development ofmid-career science, mathematics and engi-neering faculty at Historically Black Col-leges and Universities, Hispanic-serving In-stitutions and Tribal Colleges and Institu-tions.

The program also provides an opportu-nity for NASA employees to teach and con-duct research at minority colleges and uni-versities. This helps the universities becomebetter qualified to assist NASA in its re-search and development mission.

The recipients are: Diane Farrar, NASAAmes; Waldo Rodriguez, Norfolk State Uni-versity, Norfolk, VA; Sheila Nash-Stevenson,NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Hunts-ville, AL; Felix Miranda, NASA Lewis Re-search Center, Cleveland, OH; DexterJohnson, Lewis Research Center; and Or-lando Melendez, NASA Kennedy SpaceCenter, FL.

The fellowship program is a two-partcompetitive program, with one fellowshipbeing awarded this year to an individualfrom outside the Agency, and five to NASAemployees. Dr. Waldo Rodriguez, the re-cipient from Norfolk State University, is aprofessor of chemistry in the School ofHealth Related Professions and Natural Sci-ences. He will conduct research at NASA'sLangley Research Center in Hampton, VA.

The five NASA employees who wereawarded fellowships will have the opportu-nity to serve as exchange teachers, scien-tists, engineers and/or managers at Ala-bama A&M University in Huntsville; theUniversity of Puerto Rico at both Humacaoand Mayaguez; Florida A&M University inTallahassee; and the Institute of AmericanIndian Art in Santa Fe, NM, for a period ofone to three academic semesters. They willshare their knowledge of the Agency's sci-entific and technical programs and lendreal-world experiences to the teaching andresearch process.

The program, scheduled to begin inAugust 1998 and run through May 2000,will be administered by the National Re-search Council. Information on the upcom-ing 1999-2001 competition can be ob-tained by contacting Lois Hobson in theFellowship Office of the National ResearchCouncil, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W.,

Washington, DC, 20418 , Phone: 202/334-2872. The National Research Councilis the principal operating agency of theNational Academy of Sciences and the Na-tional Academy of Engineering and theInstitute of Medicine. It is a private, non-profit institution that provides science andtechnology advice under a congressionalcharter.

Efforts to recover SOHO spacecraftcontinue

NASA and European Space Agency(ESA) engineers, reasoning that over thenext two to three months the spacecraft'ssolar panels will increasingly face the Sunand generate power, are continuing theirefforts to contact the Solar andHeliospheric Observatory (SOHO) space-craft.

Meanwhile, the NASA/ESA investiga-tion board concentrates its inquiry onthree errors that appear to have led to theinterruption of communications withSOHO on June 24. Officials remain hope-ful that, based on ESA's successful recov-ery of the Olympus spacecraft after fourweeks under similar conditions in 1991,recovery of SOHO may be possible.

NASA produces third volume of"Exploring the Unknown"

NASA unveiled, on July 16, “Explor-ing the Unknown: Selected Documentsin the History of the U.S. Civil SpaceProgram, Volume 3: Using Space,” ed-ited by John M. Logsdon, with Roger D.Launius, David H. Onkst and Steven J.Garber.

“Exploring the Unknown” is an essen-tial reference series for anyone interestedin the history of the U.S. civil space pro-gram and its development.

The first two volumes of the “Explor-ing the Universe” series are: Organizingfor Exploration and External Relationships.Three future volumes will trace the evolu-tion of space transportation, human spaceflight and space science.

NASA satellite sheds new light onthe La Nina phenomenon

Research scientists using data fromthe recently launched Tropical RainfallMeasuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, ajoint U.S/Japanese mission, are sheddingnew light on the phenomenon known asLa Nina. TRMM research team membershave successfully retrieved sea-surfacetemperature data from the TRMM Micro-wave Imager (TMI) instrument on boardthe spacecraft.

This temperature data is giving scien-tists new insight into the complex evolu-tion of the La Nina event. The TMI is theonly spaceborne microwave instrumentobserving sea-surface temperature in thetropics. The images show changes in sea-surface temperature and ocean currentmovement as well as the dissipation of ElNino. While it is too early to draw definiteconclusions, the results to date appear toconfirm the onset of La Nina-type condi-tions.

Ames employee named toparticipate in NASA Administrator’s1998-99 Fellowship Program

The Ames Astrogram — 5July 24, 1998

Employee Recognition

CTAS Softwarewins top award

The Ames-developed Center TRACONAutomation System (CTAS) software hasbeen selected as a winner of NASA’s 1998Software of the Year award.

Lee B. Holcomb, NASA Chief Informa-tion Officer, and Dr. Daniel R. Mulville,NASA Chief Engineer and Chair of NASA’sInventions and Contributions Board, se-lected the winners. The award is givenannually by the Inventions and Contribu-tions Board to NASA-developed softwarethat has significantly enhanced theAgency’s performance of its mission andhelped American industry maintain itsworld-class technology status.

“This is a very prestigious award for ourCenter and I, along with the NASA Admin-istrator, sincerely appreciate the effortsfrom each of the contributors,” said AmesDirector Dr. Henry McDonald.

The Center TRACON Automation Sys-tem software is a set of three software toolsfor managing air traffic control systems atmajor airports. Designed to optimize flightoperations, the software analyzes and pre-dicts aircraft paths, creating visual repre-sentations of the flow of arriving traffic. Italso provides controllers with up-to-thesecond advisories of information to pass onto pilots that will reduce time betweenlandings to the minimum possible.

The software has been integrated intothe existing radar system at the Dallas/Ft.Worth Airport. Software displays in thecontrol room supplement the manual airtraffic control system. Use of the programsaves an average of two minutes per flight,in turn saving money for the airlines andpassengers. The Federal Aviation Adminis-tration has chosen the Center TRACONAutomation System for immediate imple-mentation into all major airports and esti-mates its use could save airports as much as$800 million annually.

The Center TRACON Automation Sys-tem software was written by Michele Eshowand a team of 22 other Ames employees.Contributors included:

Thomas J. DavisGregory L. WongJohn E. Robinson, IIIDouglas R. IsaacsonKaren Y. TungPaul H. DeckerWilliam W. ThigpenMichael C. PruznickDarrell L. WootenMayank B. PatelDanny D. ChiuLiang L. ChenGeorge J. SolerTsung-Chou FangThomas KilsdonkSusan E. Hinton

Xavier BouyssounouseMark D. SlaterPhilippe StassartJoseph WaltonZheng ChenJoseph R. Cisek

In addition, Ames’ Overflow, Hypgenand Chimera Grid Tools for CFD Analysisreceived honorable mention in the samecontest. Contributors included:

Pieter G. BuningJoseph L. StegerDennis C. JespersenThomas H. PulliamWilliam M. ChanSteven M. NashStuart E. RogersJeffrey P. SlotnickSteven E. KristKevin J. RenzeGeorge HuangReynaldo J. GomezTimothy J. BarthDouglas L. SondakJasim U. AhmadShigeru ObayaskiYehia M. RizkMerritt H. SmithChristopher A. AtwoodIng-Tsau ChiuM. Jehed DjomehriRobert L. MeakinSteven J. ParksJames R. TaftTeng-Hua ShiehFerhat F. Hatay

Tempest, a computer program thatcontrols Space Shuttle science experiments,was also chosen as a winner of NASA’s1998 Software of the Year Award. Tempestwas written by Maria Babula, Lisa Lambert,Joseph Ponyik and David York of NASALewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH.

Tempest was originally developed tosupport the science experiments on theSpace Shuttle and Space Station. Thecommercial quality software is fully docu-mented, installs simply, and uses standardWorld Wide Web browsers to let usersoperate the experiments. Tempest is con-sidered to be a breakthrough and enablingtechnology, which has spawned new mar-kets and will continue to do so. A studyperformed for a NASA commercial tech-nology center estimated the commercialmarket for Web-embedded remote con-trol mechanisms could reach $100 billionover the next decade.

NASA will grant the awards during aspecial ceremony at the Technology 2008Conference Nov. 3-5 in Boston, MA.

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

photo by Tom Trower

Standing, left to right: Patricia Powell andMary Kenny accepting the award for RaySchuler; seated: Dee Shallenberger.

This summer, Code JH, Ames’ stu-dent programs office, was instrumen-tal in employing two high school se-nior students from the CaliforniaSchool for the Deaf (CSFD). Both stu-dents were very successful in theirpositions; each will be attending Roch-ester Institute of Technology as com-puter science majors in the Fall.

Ames is the first institution to hirestudents in a technical field from CSFD.The Center was selected by the stu-dents to receive the 1998 Employer ofthe Year award. Ames supervisors, whoalso received awards for excellentmentorship, were Patricia Powell, DeeShallenberger and Ray Schuler, civil/structural group lead for Code FEF.Mary Kenny accepted the award onSchuler’s behalf. The students praisedAmes for the high level of work pro-vided, the support they received, andhow much they were able to learn.

Amesemployeesreceive CFSDaward

6 — The Ames Astrogram July 24, 1998

ISO Certification Update

BY SIAMAK YASSINI

NASA’s Software Independent Verifica-tion and Validation (IV&V) facility inFairmont, West Virginia was established toensure that cost effectiveness and safety aretop priorities in current and future NASAprograms. Consolidating software IV&Vactivities into a single organization enhancesthe commitment to reducing costs whileproviding an independent analysis of mis-sion software to improve safety. As of Oct.1995, the IV&V became a part of the Cen-ter of Excellence for Information Technol-ogy (CoE-IT) at Ames.

IV&V provides independent verificationand validation and assessment services,and manages the products of the Office ofSafety and Mission Assurance software pro-gram. IV&V personnel assist customers withdeveloping software within initial cost esti-mates and on schedule, while achievingand maintaining high quality. All IV&V-provided services and products are de-signed to be applied at any phase of thesoftware development life cycle.

Currently, IV&V is undergoing prepara-tions for ISO certification. What does ISOmean and how is it achieved? Simply, theInternational Organization for Standard-ization (ISO) is a worldwide federation ofnational standards bodies from some 100countries, one from each nation. ISO is anon-governmental organization establishedin 1947. Its mission is to promote thedevelopment of standardization and re-lated activities in the world with a view tofacilitating the international exchange ofgoods and services, and developing coop-eration in the spheres of intellectual, scien-tific, technological, and economic activity.ISO’s work results in international agree-ments, which are then published as inter-national standards.

International standardization began inthe electrotechnical field with the creationof the International Electrotechnical Com-mission (IEC) in 1906. Pioneering work inother fields was carried out by the Interna-tional Federation of the National Standard-izing Associations (ISA), established in 1926.The emphasis within ISA was on mechani-cal engineering.

ISA’s activities ceased in 1942, but fol-lowing WWII, delegates from 25 countriesdecided to create a new international orga-nization “the object of which would be tofacilitate the international coordination andunification of industrial standards.” Thenew organization, ISO, was officiallylaunched in Feb. 1947; it published its firststandard in 1951.

ISO 9000 is a set of five universal stan-dards for a quality assurance system that isaccepted around the world. Currently, 90

countries have adopted ISO9000 as their national stan-dard. When a product orservice is purchased from acompany registered to theappropriate ISO 9000 stan-dard, it is assured that thequality will be as expected.

The most comprehen-sive of standards is ISO9001. It applies to indus-tries involved in the designand development, manu-facturing, installation andservicing of products or services. The stan-dards apply uniformly to companies — inany industry and of any size.

To assist NASA in its certification pro-cess, the agency selected a third-partyregistrar, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Certifi-cation, Inc., Houston, Texas to providedetailed compliance audits of selected fieldcenters. This selection was a key milestonein moving towards Administrator Goldin’sgoal of having the agency ISO 9001 certi-fied by Sept. 1999.

In Dec. 1995, NASA began the processof transitioning its quality managementsystem requirements to the ISO 9000 fam-ily of standards. At IV&V, the process togain ISO certification for its quality man-agement system began in April 1997. Theprocess is scheduled for completion byOct. 1998.

What does it take to get ISO 9000standard certification? It requires that IV&Vdo three things: document what it does,do what it documents, and provide objec-tive evidence to support the documenta-tion. It also requires a review of the processso that it can be updated to reflect im-provements in procedures. In addition,IV&V intends to enhance operational strat-egies to achieve ISO 9001 certification forproducts and services provided to custom-ers.

The IV&V ISO 9001 implementationmission is to document the facility’s qualitymanagement system in accordance withISO 9001 standards. The documentationwill reflect the dynamic and responsivenature of IV&V’s interaction with a varietyof customers, and yet be disciplined andconsistent so as to provide the best oppor-tunity for continued success. It is the goalof IV&V to attain ISO 9001 certification byOct. 1998, and to maintain it into thefuture as part of the overall IV&V strategicplan.

Collateral objectives include: thestreamlining of systems; eliminating dupli-cation of effort; simplifying and organizingdocumentation; improving management

processes; optimizing consistency of prod-uct; strengthening process focus; and cre-ating a continuously improving environ-ment. In addition, it is IV&V managementpolicy to apply the ISO philosophy to directinfrastructure support.

In early June, IV&V successfully com-pleted a pre-assessment audit. The purposeof such an audit is early problem identifica-tion and interpretation resolution in prepa-ration for the certification audit. Althoughthis audit is optional, it provides the oppor-tunity to resolve issues and reduce follow-up costs. During the audit, DNV identifiedonly 21 observations, the majority of whichare minor non-conformities, with the re-mainder requiring only cosmetic changesto documentation.

IV&V completed all necessary readinesssteps ahead of schedule to meet DNV ex-pectations for the pre-assessment audit. Tothat end, the IV&V Quality Manual wascomplete and reviewed by DNV; 100% ofthe required ISO procedures were docu-mented and implemented; managementmeetings were held and documented; in-ternal audits were performed; and correc-tive action was applied to identified non-conformances.

The DNV auditor reported strengths atIV&V with respect to the Quality Manualand system-level procedures documenta-tion. The Quality Manual was said to beclearly and concisely written. It was praisedfor appropriately focusing on “what” is tobe done and leaving “how” to referencedprocedures. The systems-level procedureswere said to be clearly written with appro-priate use of keyed flow charts and tables toease understanding.

The next challenge for IV&V is to imple-ment corrective action measures as a resultof the pre-assessment audit and prepare forthe certification audit. With continuedmanagement commitment and staff dedi-cation, IV&V anticipates full certification bythe October target.

IV&V sails through ISO Pre-audit

The Ames Astrogram — 7July 24, 1998

Ames Activities

Street fair sizzles!

BY DAVID MORSE

photo by Roger Brimmer

photo by

Roger Brimmer

photo by Roger Brimmerphoto by Roger Brimmer

The Marachi Guachinango band.

Selecting condiments for thefabulous assortment of ethnicfoods.

Ames Child Care Center’s four to five-year oldsperforming in their talent show.

Proud parents of children participating in thetalent show.

Four-year old Henry Terlep, son ofAstrid Terlep, enjoys the taquitosin the shade.

Participants waiting in line at the Indiantacos booth.

photo by Roger Brimmer

Classical Indian dancer from theLasya Academy of Dance.

Jose, the Lasya (Indian) academy,the Floridico dance troupe,Polynesian hula dancers, andmembers of Ames’ own ball-room dance club. Reggae, newage, jazz, country/western andclassical rock bands regaled thethrongs with their musical offer-ings. Singers warbled tunes thatranged from country, to blues, toMichael Jackson (glove not in-cluded!). A magician, Mariachigroup, Taiko drummers, and adelightful talent show from theChild Care Center kids completedthe attractions.

This year’s Street Fair wassponsored by Ames’ MulticulturalLeadership Council (MLC) to spread theevent’s message of “strength through di-versity.” After a six-year hiatus, the MLCdecided to bring the Street Fair back to re-energize the Ames workforce around itsprogram of multiculturalism, diversity andrespect for all. Generous support for theStreet Fair was provided by the Ames Ex-change Council which helped to under-write food and entertainment costs. Theevent would not have been possible with-out the whole-hearted support and en-couragement of the Ames Director’s Of-fice, the Equal Employment Opportunity

Office, a host of volunteers and all of theadvisory committees at the Center.

The Street Fair provided a real opportu-nity to observe the enthusiasm and spirit ofvolunteerism at work at the Center. Public-ity chair, Daryl Wong, and clean-up chair,Mary Bravo, were supported by eagerteams of helpers. Additional support wasprovided by the ham radio club, the nursesfrom the Ames Health Unit and by represen-tatives from the Center’s safety and securityoffices. The Street Fair project was co-chairedby Bravo, Joe Shields, and Mary BufordHoward, all of whom worked tirelessly formany months to ensure the success of theundertaking.

The MLC thanks everyone for their con-tributions and support which constitute thesubstance and essence of the fair. They askthat everyone at the Center get behind theirmessage of strength through multicul-turalism and diversity. And watch for thenext Street Fair coming to this Center soon.With your support, hopefully before it’sscheduled 6-year cycle in 2004!

continued from front page

8 — The Ames Astrogram July 24, 1998

Community Activities

When NASA was founded in 1958, itwas charged with the task of effecting thewidest possible public dissemination of itsfindings.

As one aspect of meeting this task,Ames participates each year in a number ofoffsite public events.

Ames is halfway through the summerseason of these events, having partici-pated at the Watsonville Airshow in May,the Sunnyvale Art and Wine festival inJune, and most recently the Los Altos Artand Wine festival on July 11 and 12. WhileAmes has become an annual participant atthe Watsonville and Sunnyvale events, thiswas the Center’s first appearance at LosAltos. Because of the small space availablein Los Altos and our location in the KidsZone, a new approach to the display wastried. Rather than focusing on displays ofselected Ames programs as is usually done,Ames exhibits were focused around hands-on activities for children, retaining a fewdisplays for the parents.

“Most definitely yes! I had a lot of fun,”said one of the Ames employees, whenasked, “would you volunteer in the futurefor an event like this one?”

Sixteen Ames employees, representingtwelve codes, volunteered their time torepresent NASA at the Los Altos Art & WineFestival. Another two volunteers were fromthe community. During their 3 1/2 hourshifts, volunteers facilitated hands-on ac-tivities for the kids and talked with peoplewho stopped by.

The NASA booth was designed to pro-vide an opportunity for young people tolearn about NASA while doing space-re-lated activities. Children of all ages con-structed Lunar Prospector replicas withstraws and marshmallows, built a NASASpace Shuttle glider, and practiced theirskills at Moon-rock archeology, mining forchocolate chips in chocolate chip cookies.Lisa Marie Gonzales, of the Office of Exter-nal Affairs (Code DX), selected and coordi-nated the activities.

What did the volunteers like best aboutworking in the NASA booth?

“The other volunteers were great andthe children were fun to work with,” saidBecky Brondos, Human Resources (CodeJH).

“I really enjoy meeting the people andtelling them a little about NASA,” said RuthOlsen, Human Resources (Code JH).

“The best part was the people’s reaction. . . I received a lot of thanks for just beingthere,” said Nancy Johnson, Information

Systems (Code IHI).“The interest shown by the kids and

their parents. It was a great day,” said JaneCordell, Systems Engineering Division (CodeFE).

“I felt that all who entered gained some-thing. Removing the mystique about NASAis a good thing,” said Sharon Bay, SpaceProjects division (Code SF).

Jeff Cross, exhibits and events coordina-tor in the External Affairs office, Code DX,is already planning the next event -- theMountain View Art and Wine Festival, slatedfor September 5 and 6.

“Attending these festivals is a personalway for Ames to let the community knowwhat goes on here. You might say it is ourreport to the stockholders,” Cross said.“One of the most rewarding aspects ofworking these events is the positive reac-tion you get from the public. They arefascinated by and eager to see what NASAis doing. It always leaves me feeling reallygood about being able to work here atAmes.”

If you are interested in participating inevents like these, please call the author,manager of the Team NASA volunteer pro-gram, at ext. 4-0494, or email her at:lburkart@mail.arc.nasa.gov

BY LORI BURKART

Los Altos Art &Wine Festival: Ahit with the kids!

photos by Lisa Marie Gonzales

Jane Cordell (Code FE) shows a fairattendee how to replicate a model of theLunar Prospector.

Standing room only as kids built NASA-related models.

Trying to build Space Shuttle gliders iseasier than it looks!

Decked out in NASA clothing, RuthOlsen (Code JH) fielded NASA questionsand mentored young people in thehands-on activities.

The Ames Astrogram — 9July 24, 1998

Earth Science Research

While El Nino was soaking NorthernCalifornia, causing mud slides and floods,severe drought was reducing rainfall in therain forests of Brazil by such a significantamount that the hazards of devastatingfires threaten an areaestimated to equalthe size of Californiaover the next sev-eral months.

With attention inBrazil turning to thesealarming fire dangers,Code SGE, the Eco-system Science andTechnology branch,researchers led byChristopher Potter,were collaboratingwith scientists at theWoods Hole ResearchCenter and the Bra-zilian Space Agencyto produce a newmap of pending firerisk for the entire Bra-zilian Amazon region.The mapping appli-cation shows that ap-proximately 400,000square kilometers ofintact forest may be-come highly suscep-tible to fire during the 1998 burning season(June to November).

This fire risk map, produced as part ofthe joint “RisQue98” project, was pre-sented in a public hearing in the Chamberof the Brazilian House of Deputies this springand was also published in Brazilian nationalnewspapers. The purpose of the map is toprovide an advanced warning so that farm-ers, ranchers, loggers, and governmentagencies can implement measures to re-duce the spread of accidental fire where therisk is particularly high.

“The combination of drought and log-ging has a deadly effect on tropical rainforests, especially when the accidentalspread of fires from nearby clearings be-comes part of the equation,” said Potter.“Protection of timber, wildlife, and of course,people of the Amazon can all benefit fromadvanced warning of the areas most atrisk.”

The drought has caused a rise in thenormal fire risk of the area in multiple ways.A normal rainy season “greens up” the rain

forest to the point that it remains some-what damp and fire-resistant throughoutthe dry season. The lack of rain this seasonis evident in the low moisture level of thesoils, as well as drier trees which form the

rain forestc a n o p y .These treeswill drop ahigher per-centage oftheir leavesbecause ofthis dryness,therefore let-ting moresunlight intothe floor ofthe rain for-est, com-pounding thedryness andflammabilityissues.

B r a z i l ’ sweather ser-vice providedthe NASAAmes/WoodsHole ResearchCenter withthe tempera-ture and rain-

fall statistics since early 1997. The teambuilt a composite Fire Risk Map based onthis input, along with computer modelpredictions of moisture content of the soil,evapotranspiration, logging zone areas, fireprevention zones, land use and forest zones.

The latest climate predictions in Brazilare for continued severe drought. Largeareas of forest on parched soils, whichhaven’t been recharged with new rainwa-ter, are becoming vulnerable to the incur-sion of accidental fires. The possibility foran ecological and social catastrophe is realand immediate over vast areas. Advancedknowledge of areas at risk should serveBrazil’s interest the way California used theadvanced warning of this last El Nino sea-son. Early awareness can lead to measuresto protect or at least minimize the impactsof natural disasters.

Ames develops valuable “FireRisk Map” for Brazil

BY BETSY CARTER

Applications fortuitionassistance

Applications for Tuition Assistance atthe Ames Child Care Center (ACCC) for theperiod July 26 through January 23, 1999,are now being accepted. Application formscan be obtained from Gabrielle Babin inthe ACCC (Building T20-D, ext 4-4184).Please note that income verification mustbe submitted with the application. Appli-cations are due by COB July 28 to theACCC office.

The Ames Child Care Center (ACCC)provides full-time and part-time qualityday care for the children of Ames civilservice employees and on-site contractors.The ACCC is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00p.m., Monday through Friday, and serveschildren aged 6 weeks to 5 1/2 years.

The philosophy at the Ames Child CareCenter is based on standards set by theNational Association for the Education ofYoung Children (NAEYC).

The program is based on developmen-tally appropriate practices. All classroomsare "child-oriented" rather than "teacher-oriented." The environment allows the childthe opportunity to make choices and deci-sions concerning his or her actions. Theteachers and assistants interact with thechildren by encouraging creative thoughtand assisting the child in developing his orher own problem solving strategies. Theteachers prepare an environment thatmeets the child's social, emotional, intel-lectual, and physical needs and that enablethe child to develop positive self concepts,the ability to get along well with others,and a joy of learning.

For a tuition assistance application,tours, or waiting list information, pleasecontact Gabrielle Babin at ext. 4-4184 ormail to: gbabin@mail.arc.nasa.gov.

10 — The Ames Astrogram July 24, 1998

Human Interest

Researchers in the Musculoskeletal Bio-mechanics Laboratory are recruiting womenrunners for a study currently underway en-titled "Age-Related Differences in PhysicalActivity Level and Bone Density in Women".If you are a woman runner 25-35 years old,or 60 or older and running is your primaryform of exercise the lab would like you tovolunteer. The lab is located at Ames in N-239, Room 178. The website URL is: http://george.arc.nasa.gov/~rwhalen

The laboratory has developed a deviceto monitor activity during a normal daywhich was previously tested at Ames dur-ing the past 1-2 years. The main focus ofresearch is to determine how musculoskel-etal loading, caused by normal activity,such as walking, stair climbing, etc., affectsbone density. Particular to this study is howaging and physical activity relate to bonedensity.

Initially, a questionnaire to determinemusculoskeletal history is used to assessapplicant suitability for this study. Afterscreening in this manner, an activity ques-tionnaire is used to determine a person’sprevious yearly activity pattern. The firstphase of testing requires a visit to Bldg. N-239 to determine gait patterns for walkingand running over a force plate mounted ina sidewalk. This may take up to one hourand be scheduled over a weekend, or otherconvenient time. The second part of testinginvolves wearing several devices that willmonitor activity during the day, includingour experimental device. For this phase oftesting, participants will need to visit thelaboratory three times.

An initial checkout on our system isperformed in our lab and will take about 30minutes. All device operation will then beexplained and given to participants for wear-ing in the fanny pack provided, or on yourwaist during your day (i.e. from when youget dressed in the morning until you retirein the evening). You will be asked to wearall devices for five continuous days startingon a Wednesday morning and continuingto the following Sunday evening. At theend of the five days you will need to returnto our lab for a final checkout. The final partof testing involves a low dosage x-ray ofyour heel bone using a commercial bonedensitometry machine, which is are cur-rently awaiting Human Research Board ap-proval for this phase of testing, which willtake about 10 minutes.

Consent is required for all study partici-

BY SUE BOWLEY

pants, and you may withdraw from thestudy at any time for any reason, althoughit is hoped that you continue with all phasesof testing.

The researchers encourage retired Amesemployees and/or spouses, civil servant andcontractors welcome, as well as currentemployees to volunteer for this study. Vol-unteers are not limited to on-site personnel,so please encourage your friends and/orspouses who live within a short drivingdistance from Ames to participate. Pleasecall the author at ext. 4-3440 or email at:sbowley@mail.arc.nasa.gov to volunteer forthis study or for further information.

Dr. Seymour "Sy" Stein died of heartfailure on June 21. Stein joined the Amesstaff in 1964.

As Chief of the Medical Office, heinitiated health programs, establishedsafety procedures, and provided consul-tation on medical problems involvingresearch on human subjects. Dr. Steinwas a key player in an unique experimentconducted at Ames in which an elderlyman with a bullet in his brain was treatedon the 5 degree of freedom centrifuge. Inaddition to contributing to the reviewand approval process, Dr. Stein utilizedhis neurosurgery background to create a"brain" made of jello to simulate theactual consistency of the human brainwhich was then used in the preliminarytests to validate the feasibility of the treat-ment.

Dr. Stein was actively involved in nu-merous NASA-related programs for youngpeople. He organized and directed theCalifornia Youth Science Congress, wasPresident (3 years) of the Santa ClaraScience Fair, and judged for countlessstudent science fairs and symposiums.

No memorial services are planned.He is survived by his son Avi.

Dr. Seymour Stein dies

Dr. Seymour Stein

ErrataDue to a typographical error in the

July 10 issue of the Astrogram, a photocaption inadvertently misidentified theGALA guest speaker Ms. RobertaAchtenberg. The Astrogram staff sin-cerely apologizes for this unfortunatemistake and for any inconvenience orconcerns it may have caused.

Age-related differences studyto be conducted

The Ames Astrogram — 11July 24, 1998

Events & ClassifiedsAmesClassifiedsCalendar

Ads for the next issue should be sent toastrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov by the Monday follow-ing publication of the present issue and must beresubmitted for each issue.

Ads must involve personal needs or items; nocommercial/third-party ads and will run on space-available basis only. First-time ads are given priority.Ads must include home phone numbers; however,Ames extensions will be accepted for carpool and lostand found ads only.

For rent: 4 bd/2ba home on quiet, pleasant court inMilpitas. Fireplace, large deck/back yard, gardener. Easyaccess to H680, H880. $1,500/mo. + deposit. Doug(408) 945-6364.

Share 2 bd/1ba house in Mtn View on Escuela Ave.No pets, N/S only. $540/mo + utilities & deposit.Available 9/1. Bruce (650) 969-4118.

For sale: Campbell PUD, 3 bd/2.5ba, 1465 sqft.Lots of extras! Wonderful location. Motivated seller.Contact Hope Wilden (408) 871-8479 for more detailsand a tour! Location: 502 Latimer Circle, Campbell.

Free - cast iron, floor-standing laundry sink. You pickup. Call (408) 295-2160.

Two tickets for mountain biking or golfing atNorthstar. Biking including bike rental and multi-ride bikelift ticket (retail $106). Golf is for 9/14-10/31. $60. Call(408) 274-9219.

AA airline roundtrip tickets to anywhere AmericanAirlines flies in 48 States. $310 includes taxes and pfc.Complete trip by August. Bob (408) 253-3903.

Two white, 'Audio Source' surround-sound speakers.$35/pr; one black, 'Boston Acoustics' center channelsurround speaker- two mids and a tweeter, w/videoshielding, $50. Call (408) 295-2160.

Sears Lifestyler multi-function gym. Folds up forefficient storage. Sears Lifestyler CardioFit total bodymotion low impact arm/leg/back exerciser. Similar toHealthRider. $100 ea. or purchase both for $175. Mac(408) 253-3027.

Wanted: 3000 to 5000 watt portable generator.Brian (650) 940-1673 or sales@landsurfing.com

Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12noon to 1 p.m., N-269/Rm. 179. Guestswelcome. POC: Jenny Kahn at ext. 4-6987or Pam Walatka at ext. 4-4461.

Ames Child Care Center Board ofDirectors Meeting, Tuesdays, 12 noon to 1p.m., N-213/Rm. 220. POC: Lisa Reid at ext.4-2260.

Native American Advisory Commit-tee Meeting, July 28, 12 noon to 1 p.m.,Ames Café. POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Ames Contractor Council Meeting,Aug 5, 11 a.m., N-200/Comm. Rm. POC:Greg Marshall at ext. 4-4673.

Hispanic Advisory Committee forEmployees, Aug 6, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30p.m., N-239/Rm. 177. POC: Carlos Torrezat ext. 4-5797.

Environmental, Health & SafetyMonthly Information Forum, Aug 6, 8:30a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Bldg. 19/Rm. 1078.POC: Linda Vrabel at ext. 4-0924.

Ames African American AdvisoryGroup Meeting, Aug 6, 11:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m., N-241/Rm. 237. POC:Antoinette Price at ext. 4-4270 and MaryBuford Howard at ext. 4-5095.

Nat’l Association of RetiredFederal Employees, S.J. Chapter #50,Meeting, Aug 7, at the Elk’s Club, 44 W.Alma Avenue, San Jose. Social hour:10:30 a.m. Program & business mtg.follow lunch at 11:30 a.m. POCs: Mrs.Leona Peery, President, (650) 967-9418or Earl Keener, Public Relations, (408)241-4459.

Professional Administrative Council(PAC) Meeting, Aug 13, 10:30 a.m. to11:30 a.m., N-244/Rm. 103. POC: JanetteRocha, ext. 4-3371.

Ames Sailing Club Meeting, Aug 13,11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., N-262/Rm. 100. POC:Greg Sherwood at ext. 4-0429.

Ames Multicultural Leadership Coun-cil Meeting, Aug 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.,Galileo Rm./Ames Café. POC: David Morseat ext. 4-4724 or Sheila Johnson at ext. 4-5054.

NFFE Local 997 Union General Meet-ing, Aug 19, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,Bldg. 19/Rm. 1040. POC: Marianne Mosherat ext. 4-4055.

Ames Amateur Radio Club,Aug 20, 12 noon, N-260/conf. rm. POC:Walt Miller, AJ6T at ext. 4-4558.

Ames Asian American Pacific IslanderAdvisory Group Meeting, Aug 20, 11:30a.m. to 1 p.m., N-241/Rm. B2. POC: DarylWong at ext. 4-6889 or Brett Vu at ext. 4-0911.

Rent 3 room ocean front suite in Cozumel. Sleeps 6,2 baths, kitchenette. Easy walk to town. August 22-29.$450. Bob (408) 253-3903.

Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley-Townhse, 3bd/2ba, BalconyView, horseback riding, hiking, biking, golf, river rafting,tennis, ice skating, and more. Summer rates. Call (650)968-4155, or email at: DBMcKellar@aol.com

DEADLINE PUBLICATION

MON, JUL 27 FRI, AUG 7 MON, AUG 1 FRI, AUG 21

‘83 Station Wagon 245 Volvo diesel, auto, 197Kmi. 3K mis on new Mercedes engine, new radiator,battery, starter, tires, many other parts. All recordsavailable. Metallic, leather seats, AM/FM cass. stereo.With some body damage after collision, but absolutelydrivable. DMV inspection O.K. Extremely safe, reliablefamily car with good mileage. Avail. Aug., $1,500.Joseph (650) 966-9692, home, eves.

'84 Oldsmobile Toronado, 40K mis, (papers),immaculate white paint, orig. interior, fully loaded,power doors, etc. $8,000 or B/O. Joe (415) 469-9945.

‘89 Honda Civic CRX Si Hatchback, 4 cyl, 5 spd,am/fm/cassette stereo, Sliding sun roof, Alloy wheels.$7,800 or B/O. Call (408) 362-9114.

'90 Ford Bronco II, 2dr, tan, XLT, A/C, automatic,cassette, roof rack, pwr windows, crs cntrl, exc. cond.,orig. owner, 89K, $4,500. Paul (408) 919-2933.

‘91 Honda Accord DX, 4 dr, 183K mis by orig.owner, auto, brown w/beige Interior. Very gd. cond.$3,500 or B/O. Call (707) 747-6174.

'91 Mazda 323 Hatchback, 51K mis, auto trans,A/C, new tires, exc. cond., $3,500. Call (650) 965-3694.

‘97 Triumph 509 Speed Triple, 13K touring miles,orange, fresh service, new tires, extras, Triumph tankbag, tank protector, fly screen, fender extension,$7,500. Denny (408) 395-2393.

Astrogram deadlines

Housing

Lost & Found

All Ames employees are invited to sub-mit articles relating to Ames projects andactivities for publication in the Astrogram.When submitting stories or ads for publica-tion, submit your material, along with anyquestions, in MS word by e-mail toastrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov on or beforethe deadline.

Motorcycle Helmet, Arai Signet, black, small, neverused, $150. Guy (408) 395-3831.

Colonial living room set, white fabric/cherry. Sofa,loveseat, chair, coffee table, end table. $400. Call (408)272-5003.

Pair of 49er tickets, sec. 53; 8/23 Miami pre-season,$35 ea. Call (510) 656-7654.

Two ea. Yakima tandem bike racks, 1 ea. Compactfreezer, 24”x33”x27”, make offer. Randy (408) 734-9550.

Sale or trade, your choice. Thousand Trails/NACOCampground membership. Dues up to date. Allreasonable offers considered. Hank (408) 923-2231.

Beautiful exotic bird: Sun Conure for sale. Verycolorful mid-size parrot. Handfed, healthy and very tame.7 years old. $580 includes AE (Animal Environment) top ofthe line designer cage. Michael (650) 969-7505.

Child's REI sleeping bag, exc. cond. $35 or B/O.Child's Billabong wetsuit, size 12, $40 or B/O. Call (831)423-5824.

Black metal bunk bed. top-single. Bottom-doublefuton. Converts to sofa. Exc. cond. $225 or B/O ($400new). Call (831) 423-5824.

PENT 90MHz system, Micronics motherboard, 512Kcache, 4 ISA slots, 3 PCI (w/one ISA/PCI shared); 8MbFPM 70ns RAM, expandable to 192Mb; 540 Mb MaxtorIDE drive, 8.5ms; Mediavision ProAudio Spectrum soundcard w/SCSI CD connector; SONY (bus) 2X CD-Drive; ATIWinturbo SVGA video card with 2Mb DRAM; 1.44 Floppy;14.4 internal modem; Orig. AT-style (full) desktopcase, serial mouse, 101-keyboard, & manuals for m/band video. Monitor & S/W not included. $280. Call(510) 278-260.

Brown leather desk pad, 20" x 36", exc. cond.Paid $63, sell for $30. Call (650) 851-5290 after 6 pm.

Beautiful African Zebra Finch for sale, $8 each.Orange beak and legs. Mary (408) 947-7179.

The Lake Alpine Nordic Ski Patrol is looking fordonations of used furniture. We will pickup. Taxexemption numbers available. Randy (408) 734-9550.

49er tickets - 2 or 4 tickets available for many games.Section 8, row 13, seats 9/10/11/12. Lisa (408) 445-0460.

Loving outdoor cat needs a home - small grey tigerstriped male, 4 years old, neuteured, all shots, currently onAdvantage flea program. Erica (650) 988-1190.

Wanted: mature, small, light colored dog, male orfemale. Fran (408) 738-1842.

Garage Sale at 6478 Edgemoor Way, San Jose, Aug 1& 2. Plants, records, and misc items. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vacation rental

Miscellaneous

Transportation

Found in parking lot of N- 248: a man’swristwatch. Call and identify. Hank, ext. 4-4559.

Ames Information

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use, $300

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Ames Research CenterMoffett Field, California 94035-1000

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

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

AstrogramTHE AMES

AstrogramTHE AMES

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

FIRST CLASS MAILPOSTAGE & FEES PAID

NASAPermit No. G-27

Ames has secured yet another TeacherArgonaut, the third in 5 years. TimothyConway, a 6th grade teacher fromWoodside Elementary School (San MateoCounty), was one of six educators selectedfrom more than 65 nominees from aroundthe world. He will spend two weeks inMarch 1999 on location with the JASONExpedition in the Amazon Center for Envi-ronmental Education and Research - Peru.Conway was a presenter for numerousJASON IX Teacher Training workshops lastfall, sharing his expertise in diving and theundersea world. He has taught the JASONProject in his classroom for the past 3 years.

"JASON X: Rainforests - A Wet and WildAdventure" is slated for March 1-12, acomparative study of fossil, temperate, andtropical rainforests. The JASON Project tiein with NASA will include the STARDUSTMission, scheduled to launch in February1999, and the use of aerogel.

Past teacher argonauts from Ames in-clude Becky Carino of Kennedy Junior Highin Cupertino (1996) and Lisa Marie Gonzalesof T.R. Pollicita Middle School in Daly City(1997).

Ames Argonautselected

It was a pleasure being at Ames last month to discuss the future of the Center and MoffettField with you, your employees, and the Commonwealth Club. Under your leadership, Ames hascome a very long way toward fulfilling its Agency leadership roles in information technology,astrobiology, and aviation operations systems. You now have a world class staff in these areasand have also forged key partnerships with the academic and corporate sectors to carry out R&Din support of a broad range of NASA missions. I am also very pleased with the mutually supportiverelationship you have developed with the cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale.

Now I want you to develop and implement a plan for the development of Moffett Field tofurther develop your Agency leadership roles, support NASA’s mission, and further our broadereducation and public outreach goals. To this end, I direct you to do the following:

(1) Within three months develop a conceptual plan for the development of Moffett. I willexpect this framework to both spell out a visionary future for the Ames/Moffett complex andprovide specific recommendations for the first stage in realizing this future (e.g., California Air andSpace Center and the Silicon Valley Computer Museum, planning for a joint-use research campusfor information technology and astrobiology, or other options.)

(2) Over the subsequent three months, incorporate the input you receive from Headquarters,the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, and your potential academic and corporate sectorpartners into refined near-and long-term plans for the development of the vision for the Ames/Moffett complex.

(3) Within one year implement the first stage of your development plan.

I look forward to working with you in this exciting venture.

Sincerely,Daniel S. GoldinAdministrator

A letter from the NASA AdministratorJuly 10, 1998

Dear Dr. McDonald: