Jet DECEMBER Propulsion 2013 Laboratory VOLUME 43

NUMBER 12 Boldly going in 2013 The year’s highlights, from new Earth missions to the interstellar threshold

Has 2013 already come and gone? Over the past 12 nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon— improve accuracy of weather forecasts and climate months, JPL’s missions moved steadily along—with­­­ a some of the key chemical ingredients of life. The team change studies, is slated for launch next fall. Jason 3 few surprises along the way. looked forward to more as Curiosity rolled toward Mount will keep tabs on ocean surface topography after the Sharp, the peak towering over the center of the crater. satellite launches in early 2015. They all will keep Into the beyond teams busy for years working with new data on Earth. Today Earth, tomorrow Jupiter The Juno spacecraft returned to the planet where it In search of a likely rock was created, but not for long. In October, the Jupiter- bound orbiter skimmed past Earth at a relatively close 559 kilometers (347 miles) in order to gain enough gravi- tational energy to send it on to the solar system’s largest planet. Despite putting itself in a protective safe mode during the close encounter, Juno accomplished a a “near- perfect” trajectory that will deliver it to Jupiter on July 4, 2016.

“Are we there yet?” asked Ed Stone, project scientist of JPL’s longest-flying mission. “Yes,” he concluded, “we No need to call Bruce Willis: NASA is on it. When are.” the space agency unveiled its annual budget request in “There” was the outer edge of the solar system, and April, it announced an ambitious new initiative to lasso Stone’s pronouncement came at a September news con- a near-Earth asteroid and nudge it into orbit around ference when the former JPL director and his science Earth’s moon, where it can be studied by visiting astro- colleagues on the Voyager mission announced that Voy- nauts. Responsibilities are yet to be assigned, but JPL ager 1 had passed into the great beyond—interstellar hopes to play a significant role due to its expertise in space, past the electromagnetic sheath that encloses robotic missions and asteroid studies. the sun and planets. And there’s still more to come. According to Project The home fleet Eying the invisible Manager Suzanne Dodd, the spacecraft and its twin Voyager 2—both launched in 1977—are both in fine Our home planet may have thought itself well-studied, shape, and should expect to radio home data about but wait until it sees the wave of missions the lab is deep space at least through 2020. about to unleash. In recent months, many JPLers have been focused on a quartet of new Earth science satellites Mars and life? Definitely not off the table and instruments due for launch in 2014 and 2015. In June, an instrument called RapidScat will be sent to the International Space Station, from whose vantage point it will monitor ocean winds. In summer, the study of atmospheric carbon dioxide will be the target of the satel- lite Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2. Soil Moisture Active Passive, a satellite expected to A decade aloft for the Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed it to be nothing short of adaptable. Launched in 2003 on what was planned as a 2-1/2-year mission, the infrared telescope studied comets and asteroids, counted stars, scrutinized planets and galaxies, and discovered soccer-ball-sized carbon spheres in space Could Mars have supported ancient life? That was called buckyballs. Though the coolant that enabled the $64,000 question for the Mars Curiosity rover some observations ran out in 2009, Spitzer opened its when it landed in 2012. Only six months later—in second decade continuing to illuminate the dark side of February 2013—the rover analyzed a rock sample that the cosmos with its infrared eyes. Among its new goals: produced a clear answer: Yes. getting a closer look at planets orbiting other stars,and Prospecting in a part of Gale Crater called Yellow- studying asteroids closer to home. knife Bay where water once ran or stood, Curiosity extracted rocky powder that proved to include sulfur, Continued on page 4 2 Performance coaching: the niverse U new face of job feedback

By Jaime Gonzales Manager, Professional Development

Have you ever thought it might be a good idea for your guidance. This training will also help managers in at- into our performance management practices. Manag- manager to have conversations with you more frequently tracting, developing and retaining talent, which is a top ers will then attend a one-day coaching skills workshop, throughout the year about career guidance? Or have you priority for JPL leadership. JPL has a great brand today, “Helping Others Succeed,” which will be offered Decem- come out of a performance review discussion wishing the and in order to remain an attractive employer of choice, ber 2013 through March 2014. discussion were more forward-looking, or more informal, we must strive to become an employer that takes grow- Human Resources will also provide optional employee or timelier? If so, you are like many employees who have ing and developing its employees seriously. briefings about the new coaching program and provide expressed dissatisfaction at some point in their career information to help employees identify actions they can with their companies’ coaching and performance man- take to make these conversations useful and meaningful. agement practices. Coaching is a mutual partnership between employees For JPL, this is about to change. We will be mak- and their managers. All of us have skin in the game when ing some changes to the performance contribution and JPL has a great brand it comes to building stronger working relationships with review process and introduce a performance coaching one another. methodology that emphasizes informal conversations on This is a significant change for JPL employees. Like a frequent basis and in real time. today, and in order to most changes, we look for what’s in it for me. For man- Human Resources has retained the services of the com- agers, the informal approach means they can hold these pany BlessingWhite to deliver a conversational coach- conversations anytime and anywhere. Informal coaching ing workshop for managers that emphasizes real-time remain an attractive feedback is not reserved only for a JPL quiet hour with performance feedback in informal settings and follow-up the boss. For employees, the benefit should come from opportunities to discuss goals, performance progress and knowing that our coaching philosophy encourages em- career development. The BlessingWhite coaching model employer of choice, we ployees to initiate conversations with their manager and balances employees’ expectations and their managers’ seek feedback and coaching not only from their immedi- business needs. ate supervisor, but from others who they feel are impor- These conversations can take place at anytime, any- must strive to become tant to their success too. where, on a formal or informal basis. The main point is We are confident we will build upon our strong working to make sure these conversations are relevant and pro- relationships with supervisors to create a coaching cul- vide useful coaching or meaningful feedback. Managers an employer that takes ture that provides employees important feedback about often miss a great coaching opportunity when they wait their performance and career guidance to help them until JPL’s designated time of the year for the annual realize their full potential. performance discussion. growing and developing There are several compelling reasons for making the shift to coaching conversations. The 2012 Employee Engagement survey revealed a strong working relation- its employees seriously. Performance Coaching Key Events ship between employees and supervisors. The manager effectiveness scores in the survey were very interesting. They showed that many of the factors that contribute to Pulse Survey a productive working relationship between managers and In November, Human Resources kicked off a number of (November–December 2013) employees are already present—trust, communication, activities to introduce the new coaching program called Employees assess performance discussions over past six months; identify types of future listening, openness and feedback. This is a strong foun- Helping Others Succeed. First, all employees were invited conversations dation for managers to build on to help their employees to participate in a brief anonymous “pulse survey.” The succeed. survey gives employees the opportunity to assess the Management Training Anticipated shifts in workplace demographics are also various types of performance discussions they have had (December 2013–March 2014) a factor in making this change. Data are clear: Over the with their manager over the past six months and provide Orientation session (90 minutes) and one-day next decade, there will be a pronounced generational input to the types of conversations they want going for- “Helping Others Succeed” coaching skills workshop shift in our workplace. This shift will be accompanied by ward. The pulse survey is one way for us to identify what an expectation for more timely feedback and coaching. else we can do to support managers and employees with Optional Employee Briefings Industry research and our own JPL survey data indicate their coaching conversations. (December 2013–March 2014) that employees increasingly want more direct and real- The Executive Council has endorsed a two-phase train- Information about the new coaching program; time feedback about their performance and more clarity ing program based on the BlessingWhite coaching model. help employees identify actions to make about their career development opportunities. Managers will attend a 90-minute coaching orientation conversations meaningful We think it is imperative to get out ahead of this trend session sponsored by Human Resources. The purpose and provide our managers critical training in order to of this session will be to help managers understand the meet employees’ expectations for feedback and career coaching initiative and learn how it will be integrated 3 niverse

Balloons, balsa wood U

The annual Invention Challenge By Mark Whalen and duct tape is JPL’s rite of December

Fifteen years ago, JPL engineer Paul MacNeal’s seventh- Since then, the annual competition has become a JPL with JPL. As a result, that year the Invention Challenge grade son David came home from school with an extra-credit fixture each December. More than 4,000 Southern Cali- had 22 student teams. project to create a balloon-powered car. The pair decided fornia students have competed alongside (and against) “That put us on the map,” MacNeal said. “Word of on straw for axles, cutting up paper to make cones for light- JPL employees in contests building things as varied as a mouth was spreading, and we’ve been growing ever weight wheels, and cardboard for a structure to hold the device to play a song in C major scale to another to light since.” Two years ago, the challenge saw its biggest balloons. a match in 20 seconds or less. Over the years, contests participation level, at 78 teams. Regional, playoff-type “He took it to school and operated it,” said MacNeal. “The have tested competitors’ skills to move, launch or toss competitions precede the JPL event. teacher loved it so much, she took it from him. We never got various items ranging from tennis balls to tissue paper to For kids, one of the biggest draws “is that if you get it back. That got me thinking: I had fun with that, David had jellybeans. On Dec. 6, a new field of aspirants will gather a chance to come here, you’re competing side-by-side fun with that; why don’t we let all of JPL have fun with that?” on the JPL mall to try to sink a golf ball in a challenging with JPL engineers,” said MacNeal, a senior mechani- Later that year—in December 1998—MacNeal took to hole-in-one. cal systems engineer whose day job is working on a JPL’s mall to host the first-ever Invention Challenge. Also a Originally a contest primarily for JPLers, students Microwave Limb Sounder testbed. “But guess what?,” balloon-car competition, it drew 46 entries with the winning became involved in 2002 when three educational centers asked MacNeal. “Quite often, the students beat the JPL car traveling 110 feet on the power of two balloons. in Los Angeles, Orange County and Long Beach partnered teams.”

JPLers and student competitors alike have created a myriad of contraptions over the 15 years of the Invention Challenge. Among them, top left, are two distinctly different entries from the competition’s first year, 1998’s balloon car contest. Third from left, Arcadia High School checks its entry in the 2007 contest to play a song. Bottom right, teams prepare to propel bowling balls (2004) or footballs (2011). Bottom left: Magnolia Science Academy Middle School celebrates its first-place finish in 2010’s ping-pong ball climb contest. 4 Continued from page 1 Lunar laser from Table Mountain observatory successfully demonstrated News JPL has participated in a key demon-

niverse stration of potential breakthroughs in

U space communication capabilities. Rosaly Briefs NASA’s Lunar Laser Communica- Lopes tion Demonstration, the agency’s first attempt to demonstrate two-way com- munication with lasers instead of radio waves, was conducted with the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or Ladee, which launched to Earth’s moon in September for a 100- New Lopes book looks at alien worlds day mission. Rosaly Lopes, manager of the Plan- The demonstration was managed by etary Science Section and lead scientist NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. for geophysics and planetary geosci- MIT Lincoln Laboratory built the termi- ences, has co-edited a new book that nal onboard the lunar orbiter and the features contributions from several JPL primary ground station at White Sands, scientists. NM. “Alien Seas: Oceans in Space,” edited NASA’s Space Communication and by space artist Michael Carroll and Navigation Program Office funded JPL Lopes, discusses current research, past to configure the Optical Communication beliefs and new theories of the “seas” View from the top “because it looks so much like a Telescope Laboratory at Table Mountain hurricane on Earth.” of other worlds in our solar system, After years in orbit around observatory near Wrightwood to serve ranging from seas of sand on Titan, But Saturn’s version is on ste- Saturn, Cassini is proving it can as a backup ground station. Mars and Earth to seas underneath roids: the eye alone of the immense Downlink and uplink at 622 and 20 still deliver surprises. In April, the the frozen surfaces of Enceladus and cyclone is about 2,000 kilometers megabits per second were demonstrat- spacecraft sent home pictures of Europa. (1,250 miles) wide, 20 times ed at White Sands, a NASA and world Contributors include JPLers Tim a massive storm swirling around larger than most on Earth. It, and record, according to JPL Project Man- Parker, Bob Pappalardo, Karl Mitchell the planet’s north pole. “We did a ager Abhijit Biswas, who added that the other features such as a pentagon- and Kevin Baines. The foreword is by double-take,” said science team Table Mountain photon-counting opti- shaped pattern visible for years film director and underwater explorer member Andy Ingersoll of Caltech, cal receiver was designed to support James Cameron. near Saturn’s north pole, are prov- 78 megabits per second downlink. By Lopes, an expert on volcanism on ing that the higher latitudes at transmitting a modulated multi-beam Earth and the planets, currently studies laser beacon from Table Mountain for ice volcanism on Saturn’s moon Titan. link acquisition, 22 successful links were demonstrated between Oct. 18 JPLers on virtual institute team and Nov. 19, said Biswas. Three JPL researchers are co-inves- “Remember using dial-up modems tigators on one of nine research teams L etters P assings and how long it took to get data to com- selected by NASA for a new institute puters?” asked Biswas. “That’s a perfect that will bring researchers together in a I would like to thank my JPL friends Edward Billmeyer, 87, a retired analogy for optical communications vs. collaborative virtual setting to focus on and colleagues for their condolences quality assurance engineer, died Oct. state-of-the-art radio frequency commu- questions concerning space science and and concerns on the sudden passing of 15. nications. Orders of magnitude increas- human space exploration. my wife, Avinger. Your support has been Billmeyer worked at JPL from 1960 es in channel capacity are achievable The teams participating in the Solar more helpful than you know. I also want to 1990. He was instrumental in with optical technology.” System Exploration Research Virtual In- to thank JPL for the beautiful potted quality-control efforts on connectors and cabling for the Ranger and Voyager Biswas said the success of using stitute will address scientific questions plant. projects, and was a cognizant engineer the Table Mountain telescope to sup- about the moon, near-Earth asteroids, Robert W. (Bill) Nelson on the Galileo project. port the laser demonstration will feed the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, My family and I would like to thank He is survived by his wife, Susan; chil- forward to the upcoming Optical PAy- and their near space environments, in JPL and all my co-workers for the dren Doria, James, Annabelle, Kathleen, load for Lasercomm Science, or Opals, cooperation with international partners. beautiful plant, kind thoughts and Bonnie and Elise; eight grandchildren link demonstration from the Interna- Benjamin Greenhagen is the lead JPL condolences during the recent passing and one great-grandchild. Services at tional Space Station in spring 2014 co-investigator for “Volatiles, Regolith of my grandmother. Rose Hills in Whittier included honors READ AND SUBMIT CLASSIFIED ADS and another planned NASA long-term and Thermal Investigations Consortium AT JPL’S ONLINE NEWS SOURCE Linh Hua for Billmeyer’s World War II U.S. Navy laser-relay demonstration to a geosta- http://jplspace for Exploration and Science,” which is service. tionary spacecraft, scheduled to launch led by Ben Bussey of Johns Hopkins I would very much like to thank my in 2017. University Applied Physics Laboratory E-MAIL US AT JPL friends and co-workers for the kind in Laurel, Md. JPL’s Matthew Siegler universe@jpl.nasa.gov thoughts and condolences I received on Mars Science Lab flight software and Paul Hayne are also co-investiga- the recent passing of my wife Carol. I R etirees named NASA’s best for 2013 tors. appreciate the support more than words NASA’s Inventions and Contribution Based and managed at NASA’s Ames can say. I also want to thank JPL for The following employees retired in Board has selected JPL’s Mars Science Research Center, the institute will the beautiful plant. November: Kerry Erickson, 44 years, Laboratory flight software as the win- support scientific research and comple- William A. Imbriale Section 704; Donald Calkins, 26 ner of the 2013 NASA Software of the ment and extend existing NASA science years, Section 173E; Jesus Gon- My family and I would like to pass Editor Year competition. programs. The institute represents an zalvez, 23 years, Section 393I; Dean along our thanks to my JPL colleagues Mark Whalen The onboard flight software for Mars expansion of NASA’s Lunar Science In- Allen, 15 years, Section 357E; Penny for the outpouring of sympathy follow- Science Laboratory, which landed its stitute, established at Ames in 2008, to Carter-Lockert, 15 years, Section Curiosity rover on Aug. 5, 2012, suc- include other solar system destinations. ing the recent passing of my father. Dad Design took great interest in the exploits of the 1161. cessfully controlled the cruise phase; Institute members include academic Audrey Steffan laboratory and followed every success- entry, descent and landing phase; and institutions, non-profit research insti- Barbara Insua ful launch and landing event as if he ongoing surface operations. tutes, private companies, NASA centers was on the JPL team. He will be dearly Production The flight software team was led by and other government laboratories. The missed. We would also like to thank David Hinkle former JPLer Ben Cichy, now at God- winning teams, which the institute will JPL for the beautiful plant sent in his dard Space Flight Center, and also support for five years at a combined remembrance. Everyone’s thoughts and Photography included many innovators at JPL and total of about $12 million per year, generosity are truly appreciated. JPL Photo Lab beyond. were selected from a pool of 32 propos- Mike Mangano For questions about the NASA Soft- als based on competitive peer-review ware of the Year competition, please evaluation. Universe is published by the Office contact NASA Space Act Awards Liaison For more information, visit http:// of Communications and Education Officer Chris Jaggers or IT Chief Tech- sservi.nasa.gov. of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, nology Officer Tom Soderstrom. 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109.