1 2001 GoddardGoddard Space Space Flight Flight CenterCenter Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 1 Message from the Director Vision September 11, 2001, changed us forever. How profound the impact of that day. It has affected us and has filtered our view of our We revolutionize knowledge of the achievements. Before that day, it would have been easy for me to Earth and the universe through name the many accomplishments, discoveries, milestones and com- scientific discovery from space to pletion of major projects as the capstone of so many dreams. enhance life on Earth. However, because of that day and since that day, our thinking is directed constantly at our people in a more immediate way. We’ve become closer than ever before.

This year’s Annual Report is not only our accounting to you, but also this year it is a celebration of our people. Our staff members, a highly diverse group in Mission demographics and skills, represent our strength. We recognized that before the Goddard Space Flight Center enables tragedy of September. But now we actively behave everyday according to that discovery through leadership in Earth philosophy…from choosing team members for tasks to inclusion at all levels of and space science. management. Our people provide our achievements and accomplishments. We serve the scientific community, They come from all backgrounds, interests, ages, skills. And together, our peo- inspire the Nation, foster education, ple stand for the hope of tomorrow. Our employees not only create our achieve- and stimulate economic growth. ments, but also give this Nation their commitment to progress in our under- We partner with others to achieve standing of the universe and the Earth. NASA’s goals. Please take a few moments to read our Report. Read the words of our staff We create technologies that support members as they describe a moment of discovery. Observe how, thanks to inno- and advance these endeavors to vation and creativity, a complex question yields an exquisite answer leading to take full advantage of doing research other provocative questions. Become familiar with some of our people using in space. this Report. We accomplish this through innovation in all that we do. They represent many, many others who bring forward equal amounts of dedica- tion and passion to space exploration, from hands-on engineering to supportive administrative work. I am very proud to share this Report with you because I am Table of Contents very proud of Goddard people at Greenbelt, Maryland; Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia; Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York; the Independent Verification and Validation Facility in West Virginia and the staff at White Sands, Message from the Director 1 New Mexico. Voices of Goddard 3 This document reports to you not only our desire to carry on the grand mission Working with Goddard 19 of the Center, but also our desire to cherish for a moment longer what is truly Neighborhood Relations 29 important to us, our people. I hope you will join me in that celebration as you Learning at Goddard 31 read through our year’s story through the impressions of individuals involved in People of Goddard 34 missions, support help, transitions, discoveries or engineering and technology. Goddard’s Future 35 Sincerely, Financial Statements 37

A.V. Diaz, Director 2001 GSFC Annual Report 3 Voices of Goddard Mapping the Early Universe wavelength bands. It will collect enough Discovery is the business of the When Chuck Bennett came to the data to make a map of the entire sky, Goddard Space Flight Center, and Goddard Space Flight Center in 1984 as which Bennett expects in December 2002. From this map, scientists will fiscal 2001 proved to be a fruitful a young graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, study the patterns caused by the fluctu- one for the Center. New findings the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) ations in temperature to unravel clues and the start of exciting new mis- was one of the hottest, most exciting about the nature, composition and des- missions at NASA. He couldn’t think of tiny of the universe. Because MAP has sions, which could revolutionize the anything more professionally rewarding 30 times greater resolution and is 50 “Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.” way we see Earth and the vast uni- than to peer back in space and time to times more sensitive than COBE, study the oldest light in the cosmos, the astronomers are anticipating even F. Scott Fitzgerald verse around us, defined the year. faint background radiation that the Big greater results. The scientists who played roles in Bang created between 12 and 15 billion In so many ways, MAP is a mission of years ago when it created the universe these missions as well as those who firsts. Before MAP, Goddard never com- in an unimaginable cauldron. peted for a mission. In 1995, NASA worked behind the scenes in vital received 65 proposals for a mid-sized, administrative and engineering Explorer-class mission. It selected only two. MAP made the cut. Before MAP, capacities tell their stories. Goddard had never formed such a close partnership with a university to develop a major space mission. Goddard and This year’s Annual Report is dedicated to Princeton relied on each other’s the thousands of Americans who lost their lives in the tragic events strengths to build successfully a space mission that wasn’t easy to build. And of September 11, 2001. before MAP, no satellite had ever flown Chuck Bennett in the L2 orbit, a quasi-stable position Nearly 20 years later, Bennett still wants in the opposite direction of the Sun. to study this faint afterglow radiation, Although many satellites have passed which bathes the sky in all directions. through the L2 neighborhood, none has Now, however, he’s in the driver’s seat used it as a permanent observing of NASA’s latest cosmological mission. station. As the principal investigator of the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), his job is to carry on where COBE left off when it discovered tiny temperature fluctuations in the afterglow—evidence that proved the beginnings of the large- scale pattern of galaxies we see today. Since the spacecraft’s picture-perfect launch on June 30, Bennett said he and his team, led by Goddard and Princeton IMAGE RIGHT: The Microwave Anisotropy “Like COBE, MAP so far is a huge suc- Probe (MAP), a successor to Goddard’s University, are well on the way to achiev- highly successful Cosmic Background ing the mission’s ambitious goals. cess for the Center,” Bennett says. “It Explorer, is collecting enough data to make really is a testament to the engineers a map of the entire sky showing the tiny Now safely in orbit 1 million miles from here. It really is the hottest thing at fluctuations in temperature, which reveal home, MAP has checked out perfectly NASA.” clues about the nature, composition and and has begun collecting information destiny of the universe. about the faint cosmic glow in five 4 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 5

A Hat Trick this mass would place the innermost Pinned by Gravity Astronomer Tod Strohmayer had a pro- stable orbit at about 40 miles if the Stephen Merkowitz has spent his entire ductive year. With NASA’s Rossi X-ray black hole was not spinning. However, professional career building sophisti- Timing Explorer, Strohmayer discerned the rate of oscillation, which the Rossi cated scientific instruments that details about the surfaces of neutron Explorer determined to be 450 Hz, measure gravity. It’s not an easy under- stars and the bizarre physics that could only mean that the innermost taking, but nothing compares with what abound near the so-called “event hori- stable orbit was 30 miles. This black he’s doing now. hole had to be spinning, otherwise gas zon,” the theoretical boundary of a Just before the start of the fiscal year, that close would fall in, he determined; black hole beyond which nothing can Todd Strohmayer he began working on the ambitious escape—not even light. and bingo, he had made a discovery. x-ray radiation emitted from hot gas cir- Laser Interferometer Space Antenna In April 2001, he announced the first cling very close around a black hole But it wasn’t the first for Strohmayer. (LISA) mission—the first space mission convincing evidence that at least some about 10,000 light-years from Earth. He Just a few months earlier with the Rossi to attempt to detect gravitational radia- black holes actually spin. Theorists had figured that the motions of matter near Explorer, he uncovered an unprece- tion. Gravitational radiation, also known long suspected such a twist. After all, the innermost stable orbit—the closest dented 3-hour-long thermonuclear burst as gravity waves, is one of the last stars and planets spin. Why not black orbit a blob of gas can maintain before on the surface of one neutron star, unproven predictions of Einstein’s holes? Yet detecting such a physical falling pell-mell into the black hole— which astronomers describe as a stellar theory of general relativity and it’s phenomenon proved dramatically more caused these patterns or oscillations. remnant with a mass of between 1.4 essentially ripples in space-time that difficult because black holes have no and 3 solar masses. These objects col- propagate through the universe at the So what followed for Strohmayer was solid surface to examine. lapsed under gravity, causing protons speed of light, unimpeded by matter. pure math. Earlier optical observations and electrons to smash together to Under the current plan, LISA would The LISA mission, which could fly early next To see the invisible, Strohmayer used established that the mass of the black form neutrons. This thermonuclear comprise three satellites in a triangular decade, will attempt to detect gravitational the Rossi Explorer, a satellite built by hole was about seven solar masses. burst was likely caused by more than a formation, placed 3.1 million miles radiation, one of the last unproven predictions Goddard and several universities, and Applying Einstein’s theory of general of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Under year’s worth of stored carbon—the apart, but anchored to each other by a found unique flickering patterns in the relativity, Strohmayer calculated that the current plan, LISA would comprise three nuclear ash from daily helium explo- laser. A gravity wave would rock each satellites in a triangular formation, placed 3.1 sions—packed so tightly below the satellite as it passes, altering their dis- million miles apart, but anchored to each other neutron star surface that it finally fused by a laser. A gravity wave would rock each These two images are an tances from each other by about a and exploded. picometer. Merkowitz is now developing satellite as it passes, altering their distances artist’s concept illustrating from each other by about a picometer. the difference between a spin- And before this, Strohmayer found instruments that would detect the tiny ning black hole and one that distance change across millions of kilo- is not spinning. In both direct evidence for millisecond spin meters in space. The mission is planned images, the central black cir- rates of neutron stars by discovering Stephen Merkowitz for early next decade; an engineering cle (surrounded by a blue oscillations during thermonuclear Detecting gravity waves will be challeng- test flight could fly in about 5 years. glow), represents the black bursts—finding that earned him the ing, but Merkowitz has the know-how hole's point of no return, 2000 Lindsay award from Goddard. called the event horizon. The and patience to get the job done. “Detecting gravitational radiation would be the ultimate reward,” said Merkowitz. surrounding blue and white In the world of sports, which He and his colleagues from the rings represent hot gas “The implications are staggering: If they Strohmayer follows because of his avid University of Washington hold the whirling around the black exist, gravity waves would represent a hole on its way to oblivion, interest in hockey, three in a row “makes record for measuring the force of gravity new window to observe the universe, much like soap suds swirl a hat trick.” That’s the kind of year to its greatest precision. And for LISA, analogous to electromagnetic radiation around a bathtub drain. The Strohmayer had. precision is key. The effect of gravita- green grid depicts space-time in all of its forms, from radio waves tional radiation on matter is miniscule. coordinates. Note how the through gamma rays.” spinning black hole (top Like ships on the ocean, all matter, image) distorts the space time which would include stars, planets and grid. A spinning black hole people, bob up and down with each modifies the fabric of space- passing gravity wave. Yet the waves alter time near it, allowing matter to orbit at a closer distance the distance between objects by no than if the black hole were more than a picometer, less than the not spinning. width of an atom. 6 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 7

Looking for a Connection from the region. The Ginga observation The broader implication of the Angelini- Some astronomers study black holes, The Chandra X-ray image indicated that scientists were seeing the White discovery is that these types of (inset) shows the central surface of the neutron star, while the binaries can be quite common in star exotic objects that warp space and region of the starburst bring time to a standstill. Others turn to galaxy known as NGC 253 first observation indicated the neutron clusters, as was theorized but never colorful galaxies with the remains of star as compared with the optical star’s surface was hidden. It was as if observed. “We can be certain that glob- explosions glimmering like jewels. Kim view. NGC 253 has at least this star system was wearing two faces. ular clusters, with their myriad stars, six so-called ultra-luminous Weaver has the enviable task of studying contain many x ray binary systems,” (very powerful x ray) point White and Angelini observed the region Angelini says. “We should expect many both; in fact, she is looking for a con- sources. Chandra shows with the Chandra x-ray Observatory for more black holes and neutron stars nection between the two. that four of them are locat- nearly 6 hours. They discovered two x- ed within about 3,000 buried inside.” Nancy Abell ray sources separated by a mere 2.7 In June, Weaver reported that starburst light- years from the galaxies—known for their dazzling dis- galaxy’s core. This relative- arcseconds. That’s close, considering element is the system’s commercial off- A Brave New World for Business play of young massive stars and ly close distance may imply that the distance across the pinpoint of the-shelf referral software system that supernova explosions—have a higher that the ultra-luminous light that observers see as Mars here on Chief Financial Officer Nancy Abell uses optical character recognition and objects—which are usually Earth forms an angle of about 5 arc- likens NASA’s internal business imaging technologies to automatically proportion of ultra-luminous x-ray found slightly farther out— processes to a crazy quilt, a patchwork sources, which suggests the existence are gravitating towards the seconds. It took the exquisite resolving match skills in applicants’ resumes to of a new type of black hole. What’s center of the galaxy. power of Chandra to separate the two of aging mainframes and desktop com- the skill requirements of specific jobs. interesting about starburst galaxies, she binary-star systems. puters. Although the system works, it is Since going live in July, 95 percent of the neither up-to-date nor efficient—espe- says, is that the bulk of their luminosity She believes that starbursts may evolve Hair-Splitting Stars resumes coming into NASA come by Nicholas White and Lorella Angelini cially in an era of e-commerce and comes from outside the core region. In into AGN. Gas expelled from the multi- way of STARS. Nick White and Lorella Angelini don’t other Internet-enabled technologies contrast, other types of bright galaxies, tude of star explosions might collide The next—and perhaps most critical— team up often, but when they do, big that have revolutionized the business of such as quasars, emit most of their light and collapse into intermediate-size phase is Core Finance, the accounting things happen. business. from within the core region—a phenom- black holes, the so-called ultra-lumi- piece of the system that Abell’s office In the 1980s, they worked together on enon called an Active Galactic Nucleus nous x-ray sources that she has Under a sweeping initiative now being began implementing at NASA the European Space Agency’s x ray (AGN), likely powered by a supermassive observed. These black holes might sink implemented across NASA, however, Headquarters. By 2003, the entire astronomy mission (EXOSAT) which laid black hole. to the center of a starburst galaxy to that won’t be the case for long. module should be in place at Goddard. the foundation for spectacular discover- Though starburst galaxies and AGN form a single supermassive black hole. The ramifications of this one module ies to come with the Goddard-led Rossi Last year, the Agency began implement- would appear to be completely differ- The supermassive black hole, in turn, are enormous, Abell says. Program and Explorer mission launched in 1995. In ing the Integrated Financial ent, Weaver suspects a connection. grows larger as it pulls in more gas from project managers will get more timely the 1990s, they teamed to establish Management System at Headquarters the galaxy core. This would then turn access to project costs, which will allow Goddard’s High Energy Astrophysics and its 10 centers. Once completely the light source of the galaxy “inside them to be more accountable to deci- Science Archive Research Center, and in implemented in 2008, the system will out,” making the core bright instead of sion-makers and lawmakers, she says. 2001, they joined forces once again to change the way the Agency collects the disk. But perhaps more exciting is its ability solve a mystery about a strange binary- resumes, manages assets, buys goods to provide a tool to support full-cost Recently with the Chandra X-ray star system in the M15 globular cluster and services, makes travel plans, formu- management across the entire Observatory, Weaver found evidence of that had just about everyone stumped. lates budgets and conducts human Agency—now only possible through a black holes sinking into the core of one What they discovered still borders on resources and accounting. "Virtually laborious tracking of actual expenses starburst galaxy and of nascent AGN the bizarre. The object isn’t just one every aspect of the space Agency’s and projected costs. activity there. “Could it be that this star- binary-star system but two, separated business practices will be affected," says burst galaxy is transforming itself into a by a hair. Abell, who is responsible for overseeing "It’s been a long time coming, but this Kimberly Weaver quasar-like galaxy as we watch,” she the implementation of its core financial year, it became truly evident that the The mystery began in 1984 when scien- What was once thought to be one x-ray source asks. If so, Weaver’s find will have broad backbone at Goddard and Headquar- new system was really going to come," tists, using the Einstein x-ray satellite, is really two sources separated by 2.7 arcsec- implications for galaxy evolution and onds. (The distance across Mars, from our ters. "We’re not simply implementing Abell says. "This system will improve our discovered M15’s first such binary. A black-hole formation. vantage point on Earth, forms an angle of software packages. We’re changing how business processes and give us a tool neutron star, which is the remains of a about 5 arcseconds. So imagine a gap smaller we work. The change will be dramatic." that moves us into the e-business once fairly large star, was orbiting a than that pinpoint of light from Mars.) The world. It’s exciting. It’s going to be a “living” hydrogen-burning star slightly new x-ray source, which Goddard scientists In fiscal 2001, Goddard phased in the busy year for people in finance." smaller than the Sun. Six years later, Nicholas White and Lorella Angelini dubbed first of nine modules, an automated M15-X2, is likely a neutron star orbiting a resume system known as the STaffing with the Japanese Ginga x-ray satellite, faint blue star. astronomers detected an x-ray burst And Recruitment System (STARS). A key 8 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 9

Ozone Adventures the departure deadline. Looking back, The same month Thompson headed for The image illustrates a cross-section through a she says, “it’s landmark data and well Southeast Asia and Japan to gather data tropical storm system. TRMM microwave instru- For Earth Scientist Anne Thompson, life ments allow scientists to look at the processes is a series of ozone adventures. worth the effort it took.” on global pollution as part of the inside a storm that may lead to intensification or TRACE-P mission. She and her col- Throughout her stay in Zambia, she more rainfall. Red colors represent areas of heav- leagues were flying 500 feet above the ier rainfall while green colors represent lighter says, city residents burned trash, made China Sea when the Chinese put a radar rainfall amounts. The contoured regions illustrate charcoal for a year’s cooking and the approximate vertical extent of the precipitat- lock on NASA’s P-3B aircraft. Thompson cleared debris along the roads, with ing cloud systems in the storms as measured from and the rest of the NASA team survived crews systematically torching several the spacecraft. that episode and went on to discover hundred meters a day. All this activity that the carbon monoxide pollution added to pollution created from the The Balloon Lady streaming from China toward the Pacific massive burning taking place in more Scientific balloons have become com- was far greater than expected, rural jurisdictions. “We went to study the monplace. The NASA Balloon Program Thompson says. July brought a lecture Anne Thompson huge rural fires in that region of Africa,” at Wallops Flight Facility alone averages trip to Nova Scotia and discussions for Thompson says, “and we were able to about 25 flights each year, lofting these Just before the start of fiscal 2001, for an international air-sea exchange experi- characterize for the first time the signified yet another milestone in this billowing giants a hundred thousand example, Thompson and her colleagues ment to be held in 2003. traveled to Lusaka, Zambia to measure impacts of urban burning as well. This is fabulously successful mission. It was his feet above the Earth’s surface from how biomass burning affected ozone the kind of discovery that keeps you on Thompson wrapped up the year of job to explain NASA’s rationale for per- such places as Palestine, Texas, Ft. as part of SAFARI 2000, an interna- the track of more ozone measure- adventure a little closer to home. While forming the maneuver. Sumner, New Mexico, and as far away as tional research effort aimed at verifying ments.” lecturing to a group of Honors students “This was a very important thing,” Australia and Antarctica. Now balloon- at the University of Maryland College ists would like to try their craft in an satellite data and understanding A few weeks later, Thompson traveled to Shepherd says. “Just by raising the satel- Park in September, a deadly tornado alien world, millions of miles from Southern Africa’s complex environmen- Germany to oversee ozonesonde cham- lite’s orbit from 217 miles to 250 miles roared past the classroom. She and the home. tal interactions. ber tests to calibrate the Lusaka data. above Earth, we’ve extended the satel- students were so absorbed in a demon- (Ozonesonde is short for an ozone lite’s life an additional 5 to 6 years.” Marshall Shepherd Debbie Fairbrother, a Balloon Thompson almost didn’t get what she stration of ozonesonde measurements sounder or ozone sounding instrument.) With the new orbit, NASA engineers Technology Manager at Wallops, counts went to Africa for. A mix-up in interna- that they didn’t even realize what had In January, she went to Bangkok to plan won’t have to burn as much fuel to herself as a member of that crowd and tional sampling protocols led to a happened. which are critical for assessing climate a global ozone measuring strategy. And, make orbital adjustments to counter the has begun planning a demonstration phone call in the middle of the night change and forecasting weather, in March, Thompson and her colleagues It was just another day in the life of an effects of drag and friction at the origi- project that she hopes will give her ordering a halt to the work and a return Shepherd says. home. After a week of hard work, published a paper in the journal, Science, ozone scientist. nal orbit. And because TRMM’s fuel Goddard team an edge to winning Thompson and her colleagues had just showing that smoke and ozone from reserves were running low, NASA had to “We found all of these unexpected ben- future opportunities. decide whether to end the mission and efits,” Shepherd says. Operational gotten their first ozone profile. “When I biomass fires can travel in different Mother Knows Best To Fairbrother, one of the few women prepare for a controlled re-entry or centers like NOAA’s National Hurricane saw that some of the ozone layers over directions as they move across the Marshall Shepherd, who until recently involved in the field today, balloons are boost to a higher orbit and extend it. Center and the Department of Lusaka were imported from other coun- planet. This finding could help scientists served as the Outreach Scientist for the a way to fly an experiment package on For Earth scientists and meteorologists, Defense’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center tries, I knew that we had to get more do a better job of tracking pollution and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission the decision was easy—prolong routinely used TRMM data for hurricane soundings.” Her sampling team doubled warning people when unhealthy air (TRMM), says he relied on the services Debbie Fairbrother TRMM’s life. identification and monitoring. The its efforts to get a full set of data before approaches. of his mother during his 3 years on the European Center for Medium Range job. “She was my litmus test,” he says. As with other missions, TRMM has Weather Forecasting and NOAA’s Scientist Anne Thompson and If she didn’t understand a concept or a proven to be more valuable than even National Center for Environmental one of her assistants pose with a rationale for doing something, it was its most ardent supporters could have scientific balloon, which carried Prediction are just beginning to test guaranteed that no one else would. hoped, Shepherd says. It confirmed that scientific instruments that gath- TRMM data in weather forecasts and ered data on the effects of bio- lightning was more prevalent over land And since he was tasked with explaining models. mass burning in Lusaka, areas than water and that pollution may the satellite’s findings to the media, Zambia. The effort was part of suppress rainfall—information of keen With its new lease on life, Shepherd NASA’s SAFARI 2000, an members of Congress and other lay interest to scientists trying to better believes TRMM will provide an even international research effort audiences in down-to-Earth, under- understand climate change. TRMM has longer record of rainfall over the tropics aimed at verifying satellite data standable language, he listened to his and understanding Southern provided one of the most comprehen- and more precise weather forecasting, mother. Africa’s complex environmental sive climatologies of global tropical which isn’t bad for a satellite that was interactions. He was on hand when flight controllers rainfall and has significantly reduced supposed to operate only 3 years. Even boosted TRMM to a higher orbit, which uncertainty in tropical rainfall estimates, his mother understands that. 10 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 11

Mars. “I know balloons,” she says. “You netic layer, called the magnetosphere, In September, the Center took a big changes in the Earth’s ocean algae and can get better resolution than with an causes the flickering Northern and step toward achieving its goal, however. land plants. “This is a period of explo- orbiter and more spatial coverage than Southern Lights, as well as satellite fail- It delivered its first model to Air Force ration for us,” he says. “We’ve never from a lander or rover. Furthermore, you ures, power grid blackouts and radio Operations, Hesse says. “It was a big been able to see the Earth this way can have longer duration than from air- difficulties. More worrisome, however, milestone for us. We’re learning and before.” planes or gliders. We’re hoping for 7 are the health risks posed to astro- establishing a process, and that was an With this record, NASA has more biolog- days, but it’s conceivable that you nauts. On March 31, NASA’s satellites important step forward.” ical data than has been collected by all would get much more.” detected one of the biggest storms of previous field surveys and ship cruises. the year, Fox says. Fortunately, it made Under most scenarios, a Mars balloon “I Liked to Fish” In fact, it would have taken a ship would be deployed soon after the barely a ripple here on Earth. It all started because Michael Behrenfeld spacecraft entered the Mars atmos- Given the potential seriousness of these liked to fish. phere and rapidly inflated from a helium space–weather events, many see a need “I remember thinking while waiting for a tank as the payload system descended to predict them before they happen. bite, ‘I wonder what’s going on down beneath a parachute. Once fully That’s where Michael Hesse comes in. there,’” Behrenfeld says, recalling a inflated, the parachute and tanks would In a nondescript laboratory on the childhood episode in which he first detach and the balloon and its payload Goddard campus, Hesse operates the became truly intrigued by the oceans would then fly at a near constant alti- Community Coordinated Modeling and the life that they support. His fasci- tude for a few days. But even she says In the spring, an active region on the Sun Center, a joint effort between NASA, the nation gave way to a career many years building a balloon capable of doing this Watching the Weather…Space unleashed the biggest x-ray flare on record, Air Force, the National Science later while working on a research vessel will be a challenge. Weather, That Is definitely more powerful than the famous Foundation, the Navy and NOAA. that set out to gather data on the 1989 flare that disrupted power grids in However, she’s hopeful that the experi- Sometimes she awakes at 4 a.m. and effects of ozone depletion on marine Michael Behrenfeld checks her computer to see if anything Canada. The big explosion, which took place Hesse—one of the scientists Nicky ence gained on NASA’s Ultra-Long near the Sun's northwest limb, hurled a CME life. “That was it,” he says. “I was alerts as part of her job—is responsible steaming at 6 knots more than 4,000 Duration Balloon (ULDB) will provide happened overnight while she slept. If into space at a whopping speed of roughly 4.5 hooked.” for developing, testing and evaluating some needed insights as she pursues something did, Scientist Nicky Fox million miles an hour. Goddard scientists years to provide the same coverage as a sophisticated computer models that Behrenfeld is still hooked. her goal. The ULDB is a lobed or pump- wants to be well prepared for the Nicky Fox and Michael Hesse spend their single global SeaWiFS image. onslaught of questions she undoubtedly careers tracking events and attempting to could one day help scientists predict a He and his colleagues made headlines kin-shaped platform composed of a determine their impact on Earth. More important, though, the study gave will face when she arrives to work solar eruption and its effect on geo- lightweight polyethylene film about the in 2001 because of a study that Behrenfeld and other researchers an that day. space. With its solar-terrestrial satellites, thickness of ordinary plastic food wrap. appeared in the journal, Science. Using 3 opportunity to assess how the concen- Nicky Fox including SOHO, Geotail, POLAR, ACE Fox is a space weather diva, a moniker years of observations from the Sea- tration of phytoplankton has changed “The technology developments under and WIND, NASA is making good that a Baltimore-area weathercaster viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor with time and, consequently, how pho- ULDB have made a Mars balloon feasi- progress, Hesse says. “But we’re just in coined to describe Fox’s job with (SeaWiFS), Behrenfeld and colleagues tosynthesis in the oceans has changed. ble,” she says. “The pumpkin design, our infancy. We’re where the National NASA’s International Solar Terrestrial described comprehensive global Photosynthesis is the process common combined with advanced materials, is Weather Service was 40 years ago.” making this possible.” However, the Program managed at the Goddard Mars balloon presents an added techni- Space Flight Center. It’s an appropriate cal twist, she says. “The balloon film will title. Fox alerts the scientific community, After 3 years of continuous data have to be thinner than we traditionally the media and others when the Solar collection by the SeaWiFS and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) instrument, NASA has gathered fly, and reducing the weight of every the first record of photosynthetic and other satellites detect a solar flare component of the balloon is critical. productivity in the oceans. By That’s quite a challenge,” she says. or Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) heading monitoring the color of reflected toward Earth. light via satellite, scientists can determine how successfully plant CMEs are huge bubbles of plasma from life is photosynthesizing. A the Sun’s outer atmosphere. The equiv- measurement of photosynthesis is alent of a hurricane on Earth, these essentially a measurement of suc- events propel billions of highly charged cessful growth, and growth means successful use of ambient carbon. particles toward Earth at up to 2 million Until now, scientists have only miles an hour. The collision of these had a continuous record of photo- particles with Earth’s protective mag- synthesis on land. Michael Hesse 12 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 13

to both land and ocean plants that uses Making Sense of Dust that desert dust absorbed 10 to 15 per- ished. The difference in the brightness sunlight and carbon dioxide to make Goddard Senior Atmospheric Scientist cent of the sunlight that hits the dust of the solar radiation reflected by oxygen and sugars, some of which are Yoram Kaufman had no reason to doubt particles, Kaufman says. “Our new Earth’s surface showed that nearly all later used by animals. If the concentra- the computer models. As he said: “Who results found dust absorption to be only the sunlight in the visible and near tion of phytoplankton changes globally, am I to argue here?” 1 to 5 percent.” infrared part of the spectrum was then it is reasonable to assume that the reflected back into space. Absorption The findings, which Kaufman and his levels of carbon dioxide absorbed also was found only in the blue light, and associates reported in the Geophysical has changed, which in turn could influ- also is present in the ultraviolet. Research Letters in April, and were mean- ence global temperatures. while verified using the new MODIS He found a similar ratio of reflected The study indicates that global plant space data, are significant. This means sunlight in the same area 12 years later photosynthesis increased between that the Earth’s surface receives less by looking up from the ground through September 1997 and August 2000. warmth in areas where dust lingers in the dust-filled sky. Instruments on Cape Behrenfeld believes the initial increase the atmosphere because the radiation is Verde Island, which are part of the was largely due to the response of reflected back into space. “To predict AERONET off the Senegalese coast, ocean plants to a strong El Niño to La climate change, we need models that recorded sunlight reaching the surface, Niña transition, but the cause of the understand what’s going on,” Kaufman and from that he could infer the Yorum Kaufman These images, collected as part of an interna- continued increase during the later por- explains. “We need to understand the absorbing properties of the dust. tional field, aircraft, and satellite data collec- tion and analysis campaign known as tion of the record is not clear. “With 3 As it turned out, Kaufman had plenty to energy balance every day of the year. Though he’s proven the models wrong, years of observations, we can see It’s a dynamic system and dust is one of SAFARI-2000, show smoke plumes from fires argue. Based on two independent Kaufman says it takes time for the sci- deliberately set to burn off dry vegetation in seasonal changes, but we don’t yet the ingredients.” remote sensing techniques, one applied entific community to learn and trust the northeastern South Africa, near Kruger have a long enough record to distin- to satellite data (Landsat) and one to To reach his conclusions, Kaufman used discovery. At a seminar in the fall, National Park. SAFARI-2000 is designed, in guish multi-year cycles, like El Niño, part, to study the effects of large-scale human ground-based data (Aerosol Robotic satellite observations from a 1987 dust Kaufman says a young graduate student from fundamental long-term changes activities on the regional climate, meteorology, Network, AERONET), he and his storm over Senegal along the coast of approached him, explaining that he caused by such things as higher carbon and ecosystems. research colleagues from the U.S., western Africa as measured by a French used the old dust transport model and dioxide levels in the atmosphere,” France and Israel discovered that the team. He and his research colleagues could make little sense of some data he Behrenfeld says. Michael King commonly accepted dust-absorption compared two images from NASA’s had received from the Tropospheric Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, models were inaccurate. The old the U.S. and several Southern African Researchers will continue their quest to Landsat 5 spacecraft taken 2 weeks Ozone Measurement instrument. “I hap- be more intensive than the previous two models, which were based on old labo- nations. “NASA has an excellent reputa- find out, however. NASA plans to pro- apart; one during a dust storm and pily pointed him to this paper, and his SAFARI campaigns in the second half of ratory measurements of dust, suggested tion over there.” duce a 5-year record using SeaWiFS another when dust levels had dimin- results made sense,” Kaufman says. 1999 and February-March 2000. NASA’s observations and extend the continuous NASA’s EOS project science office Terra and Landsat 7 spacecraft gathered biological record with two Earth The MODIS instrument SAFARI 2000 sponsored the research campaign, data from space, while researchers Observing System (EOS) spacecraft, flying on NASA’s Terra NASA gained more than a terabyte of which stands for the Southern African worked on the ground and air to aug- Terra, launched in 1999, and Aqua, spacecraft took this image ground-based, in situ and remote-sens- Regional Science Initiative, in part to ment the observations with NASA’s ER-2 of a dust storm along the scheduled for launch in 2002. ing data during SAFARI 2000, the validate new data products from its high-altitude jet and several ground sta- West African coast on Though Behrenfeld has an affinity for February 12, 2001. The largest and most aggressive environ- Terra spacecraft. Its primary purpose, tions situated in Botswana, Namibia, research cruises, he’s also the first to very dry conditions and mental field campaigns ever conducted though, was to study the complex inter- South Africa and Zambia. “There were a recognize the value of satellite imagery. the resulting dust storm in Southern Africa. It earned the Agency actions between the region’s lot of international agreements involved blocked on average 85 a generous dollop of goodwill and ecosystems, air pollution, atmospheric to make this happen,” King says. “Without satellite data, it would be percent of the direct sun- circulation, land-atmosphere interac- impossible to do what we did. You light reaching the surface. heightened the visibility of the Agency’s Fortunately for the 200 researchers, the tions and land-use changes in Southern couldn’t send enough ships out there.” Earth-observing satellite program biomass burning that normally takes Africa. NASA participated in three differ- among African nationals, says EOS place during the dry season was unusu- ent phases of SAFARI 2000, and it could Senior Project Scientist Michael King. ally large, especially in western Zambia, not have happened at a better time, “We created a lot of goodwill over there southern Angola, northern Namibia and King says. and the science is quite unique,” King northern Botswana. Some of the blazes says, looking back on the multidiscipli- Timed to coincide with the winter fire stretched 20 miles long and lasted for nary program that involved nearly 200 season in Southern Africa, the research days. Compounding the situation were participants from 18 countries, including effort during the dry season proved to the emissions of coal-fired power plants 14 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 15

and the metallurgical industries, which and other physical evidence, they could taken together produced a “river of confidently gather evidence at a fraction smoke” that observers compared to the of the time and cost. Currently, he says, Kuwaiti oil fires in 1991. he’s focusing his attention on gunpow- der detection and has begun a test In all, the campaign produced roughly a program that uses the same techniques terabyte of data and invaluable insights that he applied in the NEAR mission. into the physical characteristics of aerosols from primary industrial The way Trombka sees it, his dual-tech- sources. Researchers now will be able to nology work helps NASA and law evaluate the relative importance of enforcement. It’s a win-win situation for industrial and other natural and human- everyone. David Smith induced emissions on the environment. Despite the obvious lack of surface But SAFARI has done something else: It Mars Mapped water, Mars, like Earth, changes has given NASA a unique opportunity to with the seasons. In this image cre- When he’s talking about the Mars ated from data gathered by the Mars collaborate with African scientists and Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), one of Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), establish relationships with them. King the instruments flying on the Mars one of the instruments flying on the Mars Global Surveyor, scientists is particularly proud of that. Global Surveyor, David Smith sounds a discovered that as much as 6.5 feet bit like a proud papa. The Chief of of dry-ice snow can accumulate on Eros and Back Goddard’s Laboratory for Terrestrial the Martian poles. After spending a year in orbit, the NEAR On Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, the spacecraft amazed scientists and millions of Physics conceived the instrument, built Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) observers worldwide when it gently landed on it and then watched carefully as it col- spacecraft made history. After spending Eros and continued to send back signals. lected the most precise topographical Despite the obvious lack of surface features of Mars than it does of even a year in orbit around Eros, the octago- measurements ever taken of a solar water, Mars, like Earth, changes with the Earth. Unfortunately, the instrument nal-shaped spacecraft made a gentle, system body— including Earth. seasons. Over the course of a Martian stopped operating in June. Although it ing XGRS-type instruments, Trombka three-point landing on the asteroid’s year, which is 687 Earth days, as much had exceeded its design life, the instru- says. “NEAR is like a feasibility study of MOLA’s mapping mission began on surface—a maneuver it wasn’t even as a third of Mars’ tenuous carbon diox- ment’s death still saddens the MOLA how to design an instrument to be used March 1, 1999. Over 2 years, it took 700 designed to do. To the further amaze- ide atmosphere freezes out in the team. "At first we didn’t want to believe on a rover that could select samples million measurements of the planet, ment of scientists and millions of northern and southern hemispheres. As it, but there was no way we could bring from the surface, look for the presence showing topographic details that meas- observers worldwide, the little space- a result of this freezing, snow accumu- it back," Smith says "There was nothing Jacob Trombka of water or map the surface for the pur- ure about 3 feet in diameter. Even Earth craft then continued to send back lates on the poles. In fact, MOLA we could have done about it, either." pose of future mining.” has not been measured to this level of signals. measurements showed that the dry-ice detail, Smith says. "We’ve contributed to Although the instrument no longer But Trombka has no intention of snow reached a maximum depth of It was a dream come true. Faced with an The results were spectacular. “This was the data set that’s being used by every- transmits infrared laser pulses toward restricting these insights to space mis- about 5 feet to 6.5 feet last year. unprecedented opportunity to do a the first gamma-ray experiment that had one in the community." the planet to measure the time it takes sions. He is applying what he learned to little “bonus science,” the science team ever been done on the surface of a The instrument also discovered that the for the signal to bounce back—a tech- a special project with the National The details are remarkable. Pocked with decided to take advantage of the situa- body other than Earth,” recalls South Pole has a higher elevation than nique that determines the precise Institute of Justice. Under this program, giant-sized craters and towering volca- tion and spend an additional 7 days Trombka. Although the mission officially the North Pole by about 4 miles. Smith elevation of the planet’s surface— which began in 1996, he is attempting noes, Mars now looks like a dead planet gathering spectroscopic measurements ended at 7 p.m. EST on February 28, and his team believe that the slope was MOLA is still playing a role in the to apply NEAR technology to develop a incapable of supporting life—at least on with the spacecraft’s X-ray/Gamma-Ray the work did not end for Trombka. He present for most of Mars’ history and Surveyor mission. It also functions as a sensor that could be used by law the surface. But 4 million years ago, that Spectrometer (XGRS). The instrument and his team spent the remainder of the controlled the surface and subsurface passive radiometer, and is currently enforcement officials to solve crimes. may not have been the case. That’s team, led by Jacob Trombka, quickly year scrutinizing what they collected transport of water as indicated by the measuring the radiance of the planet’s when Mars lost much of its atmosphere rewrote and uploaded new software that and preparing technical papers for pub- The Oklahoma bombing provides a case outflow channels and valley networks surface to help determine why some and magnetic field, and gradually its instructed the spacecraft to begin col- lication. NEAR’s more immediate in point, Trombka says. Situations like evident on the MOLA maps. "Something surface areas are brighter than others water began to evaporate due to the lecting data on the elemental benefits, however, became evident that produce an overwhelming amount happened to this planet, and there’s an are, which is a relatively new kind of lack of pressure. "There are no oceans. composition from the instrument’s posi- almost immediately. of debris that might be hiding valuable awful lot we can learn from Mars," Smith measurement," Smith says. It hasn’t rained for 4 billion years. But tion just 4 inches above the surface. evidence. If law enforcement officials says. The mission provided invaluable insights water clearly has been a component of " This is a very fine instrument," he says. had a relatively inexpensive sensor that into how mission planners should this planet," Smith says. Thanks to MOLA, the scientific commu- "Goddard deserves a great deal of could detect gunpowder, blood, semen design and operate future remote sens- nity knows more about the surface credit." 16 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 17

These Are Not Toys These uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV), under Getting Your Money’s Worth including new antennas, radiators and development at the Wallops Flight Facility, are solar panels. Futuristic computer soft- Earth scientists have an array of plat- intended to fill a sorely needed gap in flight When mission planners asked Steve form choices when they fly experiments platforms—particularly those who wish to fly Ungar whether he’d be interested in ware also allows the spacecraft to make at high altitudes. They may choose 1- to 2-lb. remote sensing or in situ micro- serving as the mission scientist on an its own decisions—”fuzzy logic,” as the from sounding rockets, balloons and sensors at up to 30,000 feet or larger pay- experimental Earth-observing satellite, engineers like to call it. loads at lower altitudes. even large uninhabited aerial vehicles called EO-1, he says he didn’t know Just as innovative was the way the sci- (UAV). But their choices diminish con- whether to be thrilled or annoyed. He entific and engineering teams worked shore of Wallops Island. Unlike the siderably when their experiments weigh had never been involved in a validation together in the initial planning stages, Xaposoarus, which Bland and his col- only a few pounds and are designed for mission before, and quite frankly, he Ungar says. "Here we had an opportu- leagues developed completely from lower altitudes. didn’t know what to expect. nity to get involved in the very scratch, the ESP aircraft series is based beginning. We worked very closely. The But Scientist Geoff Bland, who runs the on vehicles built by commercial compa- project certainly eliminated the cultural eXperimental Aerial Platforms (XAP) Lab nies and modified for specific Earth gap that sometimes exists between sci- at the Wallops Flight Facility, has a science research needs. potential solution, and the community entists and engineers." Initial tests will be focused on flying a is beginning to sit up and take notice. Designed to operate for only a year, micro-spectrometer and a “Palm-sized” EO-1 immediately wowed the commu- For the past year, Bland and his col- computer for data collection. leagues have tested a series of small, nity with the quality of its Earth imagery. UAVs, which, to the uninitiated, may Spectrometers, such as the pint-sized Scenes of Alaska taken with EO-1’s look a lot like model airplanes. Toys one this UAV will carry, are a low-cost Advanced Land Imager were consider- method for collecting data, including they are not. They are intended to fill a Stephen Ungar ably better than those taken by Landsat sorely needed gap in flight platforms— the amount of sunlight reflected off the 7 under nearly identical lighting and sur- "This was very, very new," Ungar now particularly for those who wish to fly 1- ocean as well as the ocean’s spectra, face conditions. The Hyperion says, reflecting on the pathfinding mis- to 2-pound remote sensing or in situ which indicates chlorophyll levels and instrument demonstrated its finesse sion that over the past year has already micro-sensors at up to 30,000 feet, or other substances. In follow-on test with images of new spring growth in the set new standards on how to build and larger payloads in the 20- to 30-pound flights, the little airplane will carry an mountains of Argentina. And the Linear operate state-of-the-art scientific instru- range at somewhat lower altitudes. “We even more sophisticated instrument—a Etalon Imaging Spectral Array ments. "We’re still learning new things are trying to bring affordable, easily hyper-spectral imager, which can trans- Atmospheric Corrector eliminated the about these instruments and what to do fielded platforms to the airborne Earth mit data in near-real time to hand-held distortion that happens when pictures with them," he says. In fact, the Agency science research community,” Bland computers. are taken through the gauzy haze of decided to extend the mission on a self- says, explaining the charter of his Bland sees a bright future for the Earth’s atmosphere. sustaining basis, which means the organization. Xaposoarus, the ESP and other similar satellite will continue to collect data for "There’s no question we got our craft that he hopes to develop in the In fact, Bland’s laboratory officially Geoff Bland government and other researchers for money’s worth," Ungar says, adding that future. Wildfires, thunderstorms, hurri- “opened for business,” with the maiden as long as it holds out and for as long scientists and engineers are now analyz- canes, as well as harsh environments voyage of his Xaposoarus UAV, an air- as the investigators are willing to pay for ing EO-1’s results and determining how He also hopes to make another type of like the Arctic or open ocean, are all borne craft that measures 12.5 feet data collection. Data collection requests to incorporate those findings into future platform available to the research com- places these craft could go and deliver wide from wingtip-to-wingtip and weighs and distribution are being handled by missions. munity. The Evolved Science Platform critical data to scientists. “We’re simply less than 20 pounds with an atmos- the USGS EROS Data Center. Looking back on the mission, Ungar pheric sensor system. It relies on a (ESP) baseline vehicle, with a wingspan expanding the options available to the The first Earth Observing mission to be says he experienced something that tethered blimp to gain initial altitude to of between 10 and 14 feet and capable researcher,” he says. built under the auspices of NASA’s New he’ll always cherish—the opportunity to conserve onboard battery power used of carrying 20 to 30-lb. payloads to an Millennium Program, EO-1’s primary pur- truly experiment with the spacecraft’s for its twin electric motors and high- altitude of about 10,000 feet, will be pose was to demonstrate and test a set maximum potential. "We were encour- tech propellers. tested in the restricted airspace off- of advanced land-imaging instruments aged to take risks," Ungar explains. "So that could be used in next-generation we experimented with the spacecraft; Earth-observing satellites. In addition to we turned it around and looked at the A plume of smoke is clearly seen in this image the three scientific instruments, engi- moon. You can’t do this with an opera- of Mt. Etna. EO-1’s Advanced Land Imager neers loaded the small satellite with tional mission. I’m so pleased I was able took the image on July 22, 2001. innovative engineering enhancements, to participate." 18 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 19 Working with Goddard Free Spirits That’s why Moore’s instrument, designed havoc on Earth-orbiting satellites, power A Year in Launches: New instruments, was deployed first by a The Goddard Space Flight Center Scientist Tom Moore remembers the to study neutral atoms from Earth, was grids and other forms of technology. Spacecraft Launched to Study Delta 7320 rocket into a 438-mile orbit able to see these relatively rare neutral Earth and Space approximately 60 minutes after launch. moment when he first realized that the Some solar storms are caused by the col- is a premier research facility, home atoms coming from the Sun. They were Thirty minutes later, Argentina’s SAC-C, bright signal in his data wasn’t an irregu- lision of billion-ton clouds of electrified to thousands of scientists, engineers In fiscal 2001, Goddard deployed nine impervious to Earth’s magnetic field and which observes land and coastal envi- larity, the result of too much light gas with Earth’s magnetic field. Such missions ultimately aimed at expanding passed right through the magnetosphere and other professionals of different ronments and tests new remote sensing creeping into his instrument flying clouds, called CMEs, are blasted from scientists’ understanding of our home without obstruction, therefore, allowing technologies, separated from the Delta aboard NASA’s Magnetopause to Aurora near the visible surface of the Sun at backgrounds and traditions. The and our universe. IMAGE to see them. rocket into a similar orbit. NASA has Global Exploration (IMAGE). He speeds of up to 4.5 million mph. people of Goddard have dedicated HETE-2 extended the life of EO-1, which origi- describes it as an “aha” moment that Although scientists predicted the exis- Moore, the IMAGE project scientist, says A new gamma-ray burst mission, the nally was slated to operate for 1 year. every researcher hopes to experience— tence of free spirit atoms in the solar their professional careers to explor- that though he saw the bright signal, he High-Energy Transient Explorer (HETE-2), SAC-C has a mission life span of 4 at least once. wind, no one had ever observed them spent literally months checking and ing Earth and the cosmos, creating separated from a Pegasus rocket about years. NASA is one of six international From his data, Moore discovered the before. Now that Moore and his col- rechecking the data. “When I saw the 12 minutes after launch on October 9, partners involved with the SAC-C existence of “free spirit” atoms in the leagues have proven their existence, he world-class technology and sharing brightening in the data, I scurried off to 2000, from the Kwajalein Missile Range mission. says the scientific community hopes to solar wind, a stream of electrified and see what happened in interplanetary their knowledge and experiences with in the Marshall Islands. HETE-2 is a use these observations to better estimate magnetic gas that blows constantly from space,” Moore recalls. “Sure enough multinational collaboration and is TopHat the arrival of solar storms, which wreak others. The following pages provide a the Sun at speeds of about 250 miles per there had been a CME, which meant that designed to locate with pinpoint accu- TopHat, an innovative hat-shaped second. As their name implies, free spirit racy hundreds of gamma-ray bursts, the astronomy experiment that sat on top Tom Moore the signal couldn’t be a light leak.” glimpse of the work that they do and atoms do as they please. Electrically neu- most energetic events in the universe. of a balloon, launched successfully from Scientists also believe that CME clouds tral—which means that the number of how their contributions affect those The satellite then relays the information McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on carry a higher proportion of neutral negatively charged electrons balances who live nearby and beyond. in real-time to space- and ground-based January 4, 2001 to collect light from the atoms than regular solar wind because the number of positively charged protons optical radio observatories. cosmic microwave background radia- at the center of the atom—they are not they come from near the solar surface, tion, which formed 300,000 years after EO-1/SAC-C subject to electromagnetic forces and which is much cooler than the solar the Big Bang—long before the creation Two new Earth orbiting missions, EO-1 therefore ignore the contours of the corona, the source of the solar wind. of stars and galaxies. Observing and SAC-C, were launched from the magnetic fields in interplanetary space. With less heat, fewer atoms will lose their microwave background enables scien- Western Test Range at Vandenberg Air Such a magnetic field surrounds the electrons, and therefore more neutral tists to understand the history of the Force Base, California, on November 21, Earth. atoms will be carried within a CME cloud. universe as well as its future. Built in As it races through space, the CME cloud 2000. EO-1, which Goddard developed collaboration with the Goddard Space slows down because it plows into the to test a set of advanced land-imaging These images, taken 1 hour apart, Flight Center, the University of Chicago, show the electrically neutral atoms slower solar wind and its magnetic field. University of Wisconsin and the Danish in the solar wind as detected by Because free spirit atoms can’t feel elec- Space Research Institute, TopHat meas- NASA’s IMAGE spacecraft. The tromagnetic forces, they continue on ured the clumpiness of matter when the innermost white circle at the bot- their journey at the original speed. tom center of each photo repre- universe was very young. Previous bal- sents the Earth to scale, and the This leads solar scientists to believe that loon experiments determined that the surrounding traces represent the a burst of neutral atoms should appear in universe is geometrically flat and that it Earth’s magnetic field lines at will expand forever. four local times. The false colors Earth’s upper atmosphere well before the represent the intensity of neutral arrival of the CME. “So far, we’ve been Ultra-Long Duration Balloon atoms entering the LENA instru- unable to find any CME precursor. But we NASA ended the March 10, 2001 launch ment, with red denoting the high- have found that the neutral solar wind is est intensity and blue the lowest. of the Ultra-Long Duration Balloon mis- 100 times stronger on one side of the Note the bright, colorful patch in sion from the Northern Territory of the top center of both photos. This solar system than on the other. This tells Central Australia. The balloon, the corresponds to the Sun’s direction us that the neutrals are not coming from largest single-cell, super-pressure bal- and the burst of neutral atoms the Sun, but are formed when the solar loon ever flown, reached its desired streaming off the Sun in its solar wind is partly neutralized as it travels to wind. The right image was taken float altitude of 112,000 feet before a as a CME rammed into the us through the galactic gas in our solar NASA operations team decided to bring Earth’s magnetic field, and the system. So now, we are beginning to amount of neutral atoms detected study the flow of material from outside increased correspondingly. EO-1 captured this image of the Baltimore our solar system.” area on August 2, 2001. 20 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 21

it down because the balloon’s internal GOES-12 was launched on July 23, 2001 NASA Donates Hubble Hardware detectors arrived at the close of the pressure was less than expected. It was from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, The Hubble Space Telescope’s original fiscal year. These tiny cadmium-zinc-tel- 2002 Missions Florida, and achieved geostationary orbit on supposed to travel around the world on Wide Field and Planetary Camera, which luride (CZT) detectors measure 4 August 12. It is the first of the NOAA satel- SeaWinds (ADEOS II) the fringes of space. lites equipped with a solar x-ray imager, astronauts removed during the 1993 millimeters by 4 millimeters and repre- an instrument that can detect solar servicing mission, and its backup pri- sent the backbone of BAT, which will Aqua (PM) MAP storms. mary mirror now grace a new exhibit at observe and locate hundreds of gamma- The Microwave Anisotropy Probe CONTOUR the National Air and Space Museum. ray bursts per year. The arrival of these (MAP) lifted off on schedule aged by Wallops Flight Facility. NASA released the hardware to the tiny detectors represented a milestone Galaxy Evolution Explorer aboard a Delta II rocket from Pad Onboard were Simplesat, a pro- museum’s new “Explore the Universe” for both the Swift mission and the B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Gravity Recovery and Climate totype satellite designed to exhibit, which showcases astronomy development of CZT detector technol- Station in Florida on June 30, Experiment, Pathfinder demonstrate Global Positioning and astronomical discoveries. ogy. Each CZT detector will be fitted 2001 beginning a mission scien- High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic System attitude control and pay- onto the BAT array in the form of 128 tists hope will determine the Imager load-assisted fine pointing, and modules each containing 256 detectors, content, shape, history and the ulti- Innovations in Information and Get-Away Special canister G-780, totaling 32,768 (leaving about 7,000 STS-109, Hubble Space Telescope mate fate of the universe. The Engineering Technology which contained an experiment that spare detectors for replacement), Servicing Mission 3B satellite, a partnership between the NASA cannot explore the Earth and the allowed Minnesota high school students making the telescope the largest Goddard Space Flight Center and heavens without first building world- International Gamma-Ray to germinate Vicia Faba bean seeds and Goddard has ever built. Princeton University, is designed to cap- class spacecraft, equipping them with Astrophysics Laboratory observe root-cell growth in a micrograv- ture the afterglow of the Big Bang, cutting-edge information technologies Daley, SGI Supercomputer NOAA-M GOES-12 ity environment. In addition, Discovery which comes to us from a time well that hasten the pace and reduce the In the summer, Goddard’s Data GOES-12, a geostationary weather flew Space Experiment Module (SEM)- STS 107 (FREESTAR) before any stars, galaxies or quasars cost of delivering data to researchers Assimilation Office and the Goddard satellite and the first to carry a sophisti- 10, which contained 11 experiments existed. Science observations will take worldwide and creating innovative ways Institute of Space Studies received an Solar Radiation and Climate cated operational instrument for developed by school-age children from place from MAP’s L2 orbit, which is four to showcase and interpret that data. addition to their computing prowess in Experiment detecting solar storms, sent back a across the country. The experiments The following are a few examples of the times farther from the Earth than the the form of the 512-processor SGI Tracking and Data Relay Satellite I clear, crisp image from its vantage point studied everything from the effect of Moon in the direction opposite the Sun, technologies Goddard pursued and how Origin 3800 supercomputer, which is 22,300 miles above Earth’s surface just space travel on plants and different or about one million miles from Earth. it makes scientific data available. among the most powerful of its kind. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite J a few weeks after its launch on July 23, types of fabric and adhesives to testing MAP is the first spacecraft to use an L2 With this computer—made up of 512 2001 from Cape Canaveral Air Force the feasibility of using a laser to com- BAT orbit as an observing station. computer processors that share a128- Station in Florida. The Geostationary municate in space. Goddard received a very large delivery part memory—NASA will be able to Operational Environmental Satellite of a very small item critical to the devel- QuikTOMS double the amount of data it ingests to (GOES) spacecraft—the fifth of five opment of the Goddard-built Burst Alert The QuikTOMS ozone monitoring satel- 800,000 observations daily. Further advanced weather satellites operated by Telescope (BAT), one of three tele- lite, launched on September 21, 2001 enhancing this formidable processing NOAA—takes images of clouds, meas- scopes flying on NASA’s Swift aboard a Taurus rocket from Vandenberg power is the machine’s multi-level par- ures temperature, reads the amount of Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer slated for Air Force Base in California, was lost allelism software developed by the moisture in the atmosphere, and, with launch in 2003. To be exact, nearly due to a rocket failure. Initially, the Ames Research Center. These twin its solar x-ray imager, monitors disrup- 40,000 thumbtack-sized gamma-ray launch went off as planned, but separa- tions on the Sun. NOAA and the U.S. tion problems occurred between the Air Force will use the images to forecast first and second stages about 83 sec- In Appreciation… the intensity and speed of solar distur- onds into the flight and the rocket failed bances that could destroy satellite THE EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT MISSION COMES TO AN END to deliver QuikTOMS and another pay- electronics, disrupt long-distance radio load to their proper orbit. The loss, After 8 years in orbit—more than twice its planned lifetime—the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) stopped operating in communications or surge power grids. It though disappointing, does not hinder December 2000. The bantam astronomical satellite opened a new window on the cosmos by observing extreme ultraviolet is being stored in orbit and will replace the Agency’s capability to measure light, a form of radiation that no one had thoroughly explored until its deployment in June, 1992. The MAP satellite is up, up and away on its either GOES-8 or GOES-10 as needed. ozone. Currently, the orbiting TOMS journey to the beginning of time. NASA's Before NASA launched EUVE, many scientists believed the thin gas between the stars, known as the interstellar Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched success- STS-105 Earth Probe satellite is continuing its medium, would block extreme ultraviolet light. That proved not to be the case. Rather than seeing only a couple dozen fully on June 30, 2001, from Cape Canaveral Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off on observations and NASA plans to launch aboard a Delta II rocket. The satellite will nearby objects as many expected, EUVE observed more than 1,000 sources, including more than 3 dozen objects outside study the first light of the universe—the after- August 10, 2001 carrying a number of the EOS-Aura satellite in 2003 to assure our galaxy, making our view of the cosmos more complete. glow of the Big Bang—from an era long before small payloads that flew as part of the the continuity of these critical ozone the first stars and galaxies appeared. Shuttle Small Payloads Project, man- measurements. 22 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 23

SGI Origin 3800 Supercomputer attributes allow the Data Assimilation (GLAST), which is set to launch in 2006 Assuring Mission-Critical Software: Systems Safety and Mission Assurance. of this year’s recip- Office and the Goddard Institute of to study celestial gamma rays, particles Independent Verification and Milton Halem, former Chief of the Earth ients of a $250,000 Validation Facility Space Studies to run climate models of light millions to billions of times more and Space Science Data Computing Heinz Award. The As NASA becomes increasingly more four times faster and at double the reso- energetic than visible light. Using a 29 Division and the Center CIO, and John award, bestowed dependent on complex, highly sophisti- lution. The computer is known as Daley million-cubic-foot NASA scientific bal- Hrastar, Director of Systems, Technology annually by the cated mission-critical software, it in honor of Roger Daley, a leading data loon launched from Palestine, Texas, and Advanced Concepts Directorate, Heinz Family becomes more important that the assimilation scientist who died in scientists successfully tested a working retired. At Wallops Flight Facility, Dr. Foundation, Agency mitigate potential problems August. prototype of the much-larger detector Arnold Torres, Director of Suborbital honors the before the missions fly. The Goddard- that will fly on GLAST. The test ran for 3 and Special Orbital Projects since Jim Hansen memory of Sen. Glass-Forming Oven managed Independent Verification and hours at an altitude of 127,000 feet, January 1995, retired at the end of 2001. John Heinz, R-PA, After a campus-wide search, scientists Validation Facility in Fairmont, West which is above 99.5 percent of the who died in a plane crash in 1991. The finally found a new home for the latest Virginia, provides that assurance. Awards and Recognition atmosphere. GLAST is an international award is given in recognition of people addition to their laboratory—a 15,000- People make the Goddard Space Flight collaboration of astrophysicists and par- Founded in 1993, the facility is still who enhance the lives of others. In pound oven that is critical for forming Center a world-class research facility, ticle physicists, with funding from NASA, evolving and growing. In June, Nelson H. announcing this year’s winners, the nested glass cones to be installed inside and in fiscal 2001, several employees the U.S. Department of Energy and Keeler assumed overall management of Heinz Award cited Hansen “for his Constellation-X, a team of powerful x-ray were recognized by external organiza- agencies in France, Germany, Italy, Japan the facility, and in early September, the exemplary leadership in the critical and telescopes slated for launch in 2010. The tions for their contributions to science and Sweden. The National Scientific facility co-hosted with the NASA Office often-contentious debate over the oven can reach temperatures of 2,000º and engineering. These are a few who Balloon Facility, operated for NASA by of Safety and Mission Assurance the threat of global climate change.” Fahrenheit and is so precise that at any received recognition. New Mexico State University, managed first Annual Software Assurance given location, engineers and scientists The American Meteorological Society the balloon launch. Symposium. The conference featured Jim Hansen, Chief of the Goddard Space can get the exact temperature anywhere bestowed on Goddard’s Chief Scientist presentations by principal investigators Flight Center’s Goddard Institute for in the oven. To form these nested circles NEpster for Meteorology, Joanne Simpson, the who participated in the Software Space Studies in New York, NY, was one of extremely thin glass, technicians will A popular online music file-sharing serv- Assurance Research Program managed place sheets of glass over already- ice inspired Goddard’s NEpster service, by Independent Verification and formed molds or mandrels placed inside which went live 1 month after the Earth Validation Facility in fiscal 2001. the oven. The glass heats and forms over and Space Data Computing Division the molds. Once in the proper shape, conceived the idea in December 2000. Fifteen Minutes of Fame technicians then coat the glass with a The NEpster system, which stands for People Making a Difference Supposedly everyone gets to experience highly reflective material designed to NPP ESTO Portal for Science, Institutions evolve and change as at least 15 minutes of fame. Goddard focus the highly illusive x ray. Technology and Environmental reflected by the people who lead them. chemist Jeanette Benavides already has Research, serves as a virtually con- During the fiscal year, the Center experi- used up her allotment and everyone GLAST nected network of real-time Earth enced a number of personnel changes. else’s, too. Scientists successfully tested a key science data and products for anyone Dr. Franco Einaudi was named the new The Costa Rican native, who analyzes and instrument for the next-generation who has access to the Internet and is Director of the Earth Sciences researches new materials used to build Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope willing to share remote sensing data Directorate and Dr. Jonathan Ormes, space-hardy spacecraft and instruments, who had been serving as the Acting Glass-Forming Oven with others. The first phase of NEpster’s has made quite a name for herself in her implementation focused on accessing Director for the Space Sciences homeland. It started about 4 years ago Jeanette Benavides and managing real-time data from as Directorate, was officially named its when the Costa Rican Institute of many ground system sites as possible Director. Christopher Scolese, who Technology invited her to spend a week meeting with the country’s scientists worldwide. Phase two will add the ability served as the Deputy Director of Flight and engineers and visiting schools. It has since snowballed. to access MODIS and other instrument Programs and Projects, was named One of the country’s high schools has named a chemistry lab after her and direct broadcast data archives through Deputy Associate Administrator for the the Ministry of Science and Technology named its 2001 national science fair in the Goddard Distributed Active Archive Office of Space Science and was suc- honor of her. When she visits Costa Rica, newspaper and television reporters Center. ceeded by Phil Sabelhaus. As the year drew to a close, Center Director A. V. seek her out as they would a rock star. Scientists successfully tested a key instrument Diaz named Charles Vanek to a newly Benavides takes it all in stride. “People are fascinated by NASA,” she says, for the next-generation Gamma-ray Large created post as Assistant Director for adding that she’s particularly touched by the letters she receives regularly Area Space Telescope, shown here in this artist's rendition. The satellite is slated to Safety and Security and Wentworth O. from students who pursued scientific careers because of her. “It’s so moving launch in 2006 and will study celestial Denoon as the Director, Office of to learn that I’ve inspired someone,” she says. gamma rays. 24 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 25

Inventors of the Year Building a Better Detector Goddard’s John Kolasinski, a Senior Aerospace Technology Engineer, and Before 1990, no one had built large-format photodetector Alexander Coleman, a Senior Electronics Technician at Wallop’s Flight Facility, arrays that could operate in the far infrared—the wavelength won the NASA Government Invention of the Year award for 2000 for their band necessary for understanding climate changes and the Optical Fiber Cable Chemical Stripping Fixture. events influencing it. That was before Instrument Technology The device, which has been used on several NASA spacecraft, including the Center Chief Dr. Murzy Jhabvala teamed with other NASA X-ray Timing Explorer, TRMM, MAP, Earth Observing-1 and the Hubble Space and government agencies and private industry to produce Joanne Simpson Pen-Shu Yeh Telescope’s solid state recorder, removes coatings surrounding tiny optical the first Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector arrays, known fibers. Traditional coating removal techniques often nicked or scratched the as QWIP. Charles F. Anderson Award in recogni- glass fiber. The new tool reduces the likelihood of that happening. QWIP, a technology that earned Jhabvala a spot in the Space tion of her extraordinary contribution to Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame, is a compli- Murzy Jhabvala promoting educational outreach, educa- The device would benefit anyone who cated solid-state detector that involves sandwiching gallium arsenide chips tional service and diversity within the builds fiber optic cables. By some esti- between silicon wafers and connecting them with indium connectors. The Society and the broader community. mates, telecommunications team installed the technology onto an aircraft, which then flew along the Simpson, the former project scientist technicians install close to 200 million coastal regions to test QWIP’s remote sensing capabilities. It has since flown for TRMM, was the world’s first woman feet of fiber-optic cable each year at a successfully on several aircraft missions. to obtain a Ph.D. in Meteorology. typical cost of $30 per foot. Throughout her long and distinguished career, Dr. Simpson has been instrumen- Transferring Technology Assuring a Healthy Bottomline In fiscal 2001, Goddard obligated 58 tal in promoting diversity within the Senior Fellow and Chief Scientist for percent of its budget, or $1.3 billion, to Society and the greater scientific com- Oceanography Norden Huang won a The Goddard Space Flight Center con- commercial companies, 28 percent to munity and for mentoring young prestigious technology transfer award The award-winning Optical Fiber Cable tributes significantly to the local and professionals and guiding them toward Chemical Stripping Fixture chemically national economy because it buys educational institutions, 10 percent to from the Federal Laboratory Consortium removes the protective coatings on tiny goods and services needed to perform non-profit organizations, 7.2 percent to successful careers. for a groundbreaking technology he cre- optical fiber cables, which are made of its missions. Through grants and other other government agencies and a half Women in Aerospace, a Washington, ated to study ocean waves. glass and measure about the width of a human hair. In the image, the fiber programs, it also promotes small busi- percent to organizations geographically DC-based organization dedicated to Huang cooperated with the New Jersey- optic cable is installed in the device and nesses whose ideas and innovations outside the U.S. expanding women’s opportunities in the based Princeton Satellite Systems Inc. the end of the cable is then immersed in offer promise not only to the commer- Total Prime Contract Awards aerospace community, awarded Pen-Shu to combine his method with the Hilbert the chemical solution, which will dis- for FY01 solve the cable’s acrylic coating. cial world but also to NASA. Yeh an “Outstanding Achievement Transform to create the Hilbert Huang Award” for her new data compression Transform. This groundbreaking technol- Contract Obligations invention, which has improved the pro- ogy is the first to analyze nonlinear Celebrating Workforce Diversity The biggest portion of Goddard’s cessing of Hubble Space Telescope events, such as earthquakes, heart The Diversity Dialogue Project, one of budget is obligated through contracts images and data from other missions. arrhythmia and variations in global tem- several programs that the Goddard with commercial firms, nonprofit institu- Congresswoman Connie Morella, whose peratures. Diversity Council established in 2000 to tions and other government agencies. district includes Goddard, presented the promote workforce diversity, involved Ultimately, these dollars are returned to The award recognizes laboratory award to Dr. Yeh. more than 70 employees who for 5 the local, state and national economy employees who demonstrate excellence months this fiscal year met in small in the form of gross output, in transferring a technology developed groups to discuss their differences. More sales, the purchase of goods by a federal laboratory to the commer- than 90 percent of participants viewed and services and employee cial marketplace. the project favorably. Many reported income. Norden Huang that through this exercise they achieved a deeper understanding of diversity and that the program helped them identify behaviors that promoted mutual respect for different points of view. The partici- No Awards $101K – $1,000K $10,001K – $100,000K pants agreed that the Center should $0 – $100K $1,001K – $10,000K OVER $100,000K hold follow-on sessions. 26 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 27

Goddard Contractors Win Non-Competitive Industry Partners At-a-Glance State Total ($K) 5.4% George M. Low Award $26,959 The five companies listed below were Goddard’s top business contractors in Two Goddard contractors—Raytheon ITT Alabama $6,723 Distribution of Awards to Small and fiscal 2001. The following briefly describes their work at the Center. Alaska 15,436 in large business services and Swales Small Disadvantaged Business for Arizona Competed 36,549 Aerospace in small business product— 21.6% FY01 Obligations (In Thousands) Arkansas 819 Eight Lockheed Martin Corporation compa- won NASA’s highest honor for quality and $107,924 California 365,728 nies held 33 contracts valued at more than technical performance, the George M. Low Colorado 104,047 Set-Asides $2.5 billion. These companies employ 250 people in the Connecticut 4,376 Award. It was the second year in a row that 34.3% Delaware 1,477 $170,682 SBIR Goddard geographical area. They design and build instruments, Goddard took two out of three Low tro- Section 8(a) 4.47% District of Columbia 11,091 34.2% $22,281 spacecraft, ground systems and conduct flight operations and Florida 18,333 phies. Also, ManTech International won a $170,086 launch services. Their combined efforts amounted to $164.1 Georgia 3,525 runner-up finalist plaque. NASA million in fiscal 2001. Hawaii 15,289 Administrator Daniel Goldin presented Idaho 3,167 the awards May 10. Illinois 8,401 As the prime contractor of the Earth Observing Indiana 50,101 Sealed Bids Supporting Small and Disadvantaged .03% Distribution of Procurements for System Data and Information System Core System Iowa 3,539 $112 Businesses FY01 Obligations (In Thousands) program (ECS), Raytheon Information Systems Co. received Kansas 1,442 Kentucky 1,573 Supporting small businesses, including $127.1 million in fiscal 2001. The ECS provides the infrastruc- Louisiana 2,429 those owned by disadvantaged persons Intra- Outside U.S. ture required to perform Earth science data planning and Maine 1,614 Governmental 0.5% and women, is a NASA priority. In fiscal $12,480 Maryland 6.7% scheduling, command and control, product generation, infor- 1,027,278 2001, the Center obligated $526 million to $167,631 mation management, data archiving and distribution. Massachusetts 56,523 Michigan 7,420 small businesses, up from $424 million in Minnesota 3,884 Non-Profit fiscal 2000. Organizations Boeing Satellite Systems, formerly known as Mississippi 1,004 9.8% The Agency also supports small business Hughes Aircraft Co., is in the number three posi- Missouri 4,626 $240,740 Montana $11,247 through its Goddard-managed Small Commercial Educational tion due to two contracts building the next-generation Tracking Nebraska 1,925 Firms Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Institutions 57.3% and Data Relay Satellites and the second-generation GOES. In Nevada 1,704 25.7% Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) $1,427,066 fiscal 2001, Goddard obligated $104.1 million for the work. New Hampshire 12,292 $640,131 New Jersey 53,912 programs. In fiscal 2001, the Goddard New Mexico 9,624 selected 325 research proposals under In 2001, Swales Aerospace, a small employee-owned New York 33,108 Phase 1 of the SBIR and SBTT programs business, ranked fourth, with eight contracts valued North Carolina 3,814 and 27 research proposals for negotiation at $92.3 million. In addition to offering engineering services, North Dakota 2,100 Ohio 7,999 under Phase 2. Swales provides full-service solutions for small satellite mis- 5,120 Oklahoma FY FY Number of sions and offers a broad range of structural- and Oregon 6,532 01 00 Company Contracts Millions of Dollars Obligated thermal-management systems and flight hardware. Pennsylvania 20,571 1 1 Lockheed Martin Corp. 33 Rhode Island 2,801 $164.1 2 2 Raytheon Information Systems Co 1 $127.7 South Carolina 6,385 Top 25 Business 3 4 Hughes Aircraft Company 3 $104.1 In 1994, QSS Group, Inc. won its first support-services South Dakota 1.313 4 6 Swales & Associates, Inc. 8 $92.3 Contractors for FY01 5 5 QSS Group, Inc. 4 contract at Goddard. Since then, the company has grown Tennessee 3,770 $90.2 6 3 TRW, Inc. 10 $82.1 to become Goddard’s largest minority contractor, with Texas 46,544 7 14 Science Systems Applications 18 $56.9 Utah 3,609 8 7 Ball Aerospace & Tech. Corporation 19 $54.1 9 9 ITT Corporation 5 500 on- and off-site professionals who support the Center in Vermont 587 $48.2 10 11 NSI Technology Services Corporation 2 $26.6 aerospace science and engineering services as well as in sys- Virginia 112,648 11 35 Averstar, Inc. 2 $24.9 tems, software and IT support. Washington 9,583 12 12 P R C, Inc. 3 $24.7 13 18 Aerojet General Corporation 3 West Virginia 50,676 $23.5 14 13 Cortez III Service Corporation 2 $22.7 Wisconsin 9,088 15 33 Parsons Infrastruction & Tech. 2 $21.0 Wyoming 252 16 17 General Sciences Corporation 10 $19.1 17 25 Spectrum Astro, Inc. 3 $17.4 18 10 Computer Sciences Corporation 25 $16.7 TOTAL $2,173,598 19 15 Space Systems Loral, Inc. 3 $13.6 20 26 Global Science & Tech., Inc. 8 $9.5 21 57 Honeywell Technology Sols., Inc. 17 $9.4 22 30 L B & B Associates, Inc. 2 $9.3 Geographical Distribution Summary 23 42 Booz Allen & Hamilton, Inc. 7 $8.7 for FY01. Obligations by State, Place 24 39 Government Micro Resources, Inc. 40 $8.6 25 182 R S Information Services 2 $8.4 of Performance 0 50 100 150 200 28 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 29 Neighborhood Relations University Partnerships collaborate in proposal development The events of September 11 under- Greenbelt Mayor Judith Davis, pictured here in Goddard continued to establish partner- and other activities. Another objective is scored the importance of community front of the Greenbelt Community Center and library, is no stranger to the Goddard Space ships with some of the nation’s leading to exchange personnel for the purposes and the need for all Americans to Flight Center. She and members of the universities and colleges in an attempt of research and classroom instruction. contribute in some way to it. Since Greenbelt City Council attend many of the to foster more meaningful and produc- Schools involved include the University our founding in 1959, the Goddard Center’s community-oriented events. tive relationships in the areas of Earth of Maryland, the Massachusetts Space Flight Center has tried to be a and space science research and Institute of Technology, Scripps good neighbor. Over the years, we BELOW: Goddard salutes Lt. Paul Peterson, education. Institution of Oceanography, the have supported the local economy, firefighter Danny Stallings and Capt. Charles University of Wisconsin, Colorado State and we have willingly shared our Currently, Goddard’s Earth Science Fowler, who risk their lives as part of their work University, University of Arizona, George expertise, resources, and, most Directorate is interested in establishing with the Glenn Dale Volunteer Firefighter Mason University, Howard University, importantly, ourselves with the com- Association. partnerships with a variety of institu- Columbia University, Rutgers University munity at large. The following are tions in the hope that the two could and the University of New Hampshire. snapshots of just a few of our many neighbors.

FY FY Number of 01 00 Institution Contracts Millions of Dollars Obligated

1 1 Johns Hopkins University 129 $127.9 2 2 Assoc. of Universities for Res. in Astronomy 25 $74.3 3 3 University of Colorado – Boulder 176 $37.6 4 5 California Institute Technology 82 $24.6 5 6 University of Maryland – College Park 143 $23.3 6 13 University of California – Berkeley 94 $22.7 7 10 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 88 $21.5 8 12 New Mexico State University – Las Cruces 19 $16.3 9 9 Smithsonian Institution 166 $15.1 10 8 University of Alaska – Fairbanks 29 $14.3 11 15 Universities Space Research 32 $13.6 Part of the National Park Service, Greenbelt 12 11 Columbia University 55 $13.6 13 11 University of Maryland – Baltimore County 33 $12.1 Park is a retreat from the pressures of life and a 14 8 University of Arizona 154 $12.0 refuge for native plants and animals located just 15 7 University of California – San Diego 52 $10.7 2-1/2 miles from Goddard. 16 25 University of Hawaii 78 $9.9 17 14 Southwest Research Institute 64 $9.8 18 17 Pennsylvania State University 57 $9.4 19 16 Wheeling Jesuit College 4 $9.4 20 20 Institute Software Research 3 $8.8 21 19 University of New Hampshire 55 $8.1 22 24 Stanford University 48 $7.8 23 20 University of Washington 72 $7.4 24 21 University of Texas – Austin 47 $7.2 25 85 Montana State University 10 $7.0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Local pilot Jack Robeson is just one of many Top 25 Nonprofit Institutions for FY01 area residents who use the College Park Airport, the world’s oldest continuously operat- ed airport. This photo was taken after Robeson had installed a prop lock onto a vintage air- plane. The device, which prevents the propeller from turning until it is removed, became an aviation requirement following the September 11 attacks.

Research biologist Don Sparling, who has worked at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center for 14 years, stands in front of one of the center’s experimental wetlands. 30 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 31 LEARNING AT GODDARD Colloquia Series chief missions is “taking the Library to Pictured here is Dr. Phyllis Johnson, who or Goddard employees, it is never directs the Beltsville Agricultural Research F Offering opportunities to hear guest the users’ desktop.” The Library now Center. The center is home to 47 laboratories, too late to learn. Goddard cultivates speakers is one of Goddard’s more offers more than 600 eJournals, 1,000 more than 400 buildings and, of course, live- cherished traditions. Long known for its journal subscriptions and has begun stock. The center has been a Goddard neighbor this culture of intellectual curiosi- for more than four decades. engineering and science colloquia, the digitizing selected colloquia and making ty—a hallmark of the Center since Center now offers a relatively new offer- them available for desktop viewing. Also its founding more than 40 years ing—the Information Science and available is its growing collection of Technology Colloquia Series. Less tech- electronic books. A search engine ago—by offering a range of pro- nical topics also are presented under allows users to identify books by sub- grams to enhance employees’ job the Director’s Colloquia Series, which ject or by entering a keyword. Results during the fiscal year featured 10 distin- can be sorted by date or by title. skills and opportunities for personal guished speakers who spoke about Goddard’s Child Development discovery. Seeing to the intellectual everything from building trust in the Center workplace to awakening the heroes Providing top-quality educational growth of its employees is only part within each of us. opportunities is not restricted to of the equation, though. The Center Learning Center employees. It also extends to their chil- dren. Established in 1972, the Goddard also reaches out to employees’ fami- Goddard’s Learning Center can be com- pared to a small university. Available to Child Development Center, Inc. provides lies, students and the general public all civil servants and contractor employ- quality childcare for 122 children, aged 24 months through Kindergarten. in the hope of raising their level of ees at no cost, the facility offers more than 350 self-paced courses in engi- Membership is open to all Goddard scientific literacy. neering, science, computers, employees and on-site contractors. mathematics, supervision and manage- K-12 Educational Programs ment, organizational development, In fiscal 2001, the Center renewed its Principal Greta Lee each year hosts more than communications, foreign languages, commitment to the development of 80,000 students, who visit the Howard B. health and safety and career and per- programs and services that increase sci- Owens Science Center. The facility includes a sonal development. Courses are entific literacy among elementary, Challenger Learning Center, a planetarium delivered using interactive CD-ROM, and a nature trail. middle and high school students. In all, videodisk, computer-based video and the Center provided services to 40,000 audio training materials. teachers and 218,000 students from The Library across the Northeast, the geographical The Goddard Library celebrated its 40th area that Goddard serves. Goddard’s birthday by paying tribute to the many efforts have not gone unnoticed. The innovations that have made its mission Baltimore-Washington Chamber of of delivering information to Goddard Commerce recognized the Goddard employees more efficient. One of its Education Program for its outstanding

Eleanor Roosevelt High School (top) and DuVal High School (above) serve the Goddard Library Goddard Child Development Center community. 32 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 33

service to the school districts, museums strations, toured Goddard facilities and Robotics Competition and science centers in the metropolitan listened to presentations about The Goddard-sponsored FIRST Robotics Being the First Baltimore and Washington, DC areas. Goddard’s Earth and Space Science competition had a great year, say the When Beth Brown decided nearly a decade ago to pursue higher-level degrees programs. Organizers said they hoped event’s coordinators. The contest was in physics and astronomy at the University of Michigan, little did she know Technology Enhancement to expose girls to women working in sci- held for the first time at the Maryland that she would become the Goddard Space Flight Center’s first black woman To reach a broader audience, the Center ence and engineering, and encourage State Fair, which attracted a half-million astronomer. has incorporated technology into its them to pursue these careers when they visitors. The primary objective of the outreach efforts. In fiscal 2001, the That became her distinction in January, when she accepted a full-time job grew up. robotics competition is for schools to Center created a distance-mentoring with Goddard’s National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), the world’s work as teams to build a robot and then program for Hispanic students that fea- In the District of Columbia largest repository of space science data. The center, which also happens to to work with others to perform a partic- tured the use of e-mail, webcasting and Middle school students build water rockets to The Center also joined forces with the be NASA’s most popular Internet destinations, houses archival data from the ular job. videoconferencing. In addition, Carolyn learn the principles of flight and launch tech- American Association for the Agency’s astrophysics, astronomy, solar physics, space plasma physics and nology in the Canutillo Rocket Program in El lunar and planetary missions. It is Brown’s job to make sure that the NSSDC Shoemaker, the astronomer for whom Paso, Texas. Advancement of Science to help 20 Sharing Goddard’s Technological Comet Shoemaker-Levy is named, par- public schools and collaborated with Innovations with the Community maintains a flow of astrophysics data between other U.S. active archives and ticipated in a webcast to schools in the city to support nine so-called transi- Goddard invited members of the scien- to scientists worldwide. She also is responsible for determining which data Bayonne, NJ and Pittsburgh, PA as part Historically Black Colleges and tion schools, which are among the tific community, academia, industry, and sets need to be moved to other media. In a sense, Brown is like a data of career program. Universities District’s lowest-performing schools other federal, state, and local govern- sleuth. For historically black colleges and uni- academically. In addition, some 30 ment organizations to its third annual Her real passion—and one that could ultimately help the Agency in its quest Sun-Earth Days Dawn versities, Goddard continued its support Goddard scientists and engineers sup- Technology Showcase. “Technology to entice more women and minorities to pursue technical careers in engi- Just a week after Earth Day, the Center of the MU-SPIN Program, a comprehen- ported the Challenger Center’s Showcase 2001: Expanding Scientific neering and science—is her love for reaching out to students and sharing her held its first-ever celebration of the Sun sive educational initiative that focuses “Windows to the Universe Program” for Discovery Through Innovation” gave vis- interest in the stars. When invited, she talks with students about astronomy to coincide with the fifth anniversary of on the transfer of advanced computer all District sixth graders. itors an opportunity to see more than and related careers. She also has devoted many hours to enhancing an edu- the Agency’s Solar and Heliospheric networking technologies to Historically 100 exhibits featuring some of cational resource, the “Multi-wavelength Milky Way” Web page, which aims to Observatory (SOHO) mission. The cele- Black Colleges and Universities, Earth Science in Anne Arundel Goddard’s newest technologies and County present and explain how data across the electromagnetic spectrum is used bration involved more than 200,000 Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal explore possible collaborations with Earth science education saw the imple- by astronomers to learn about the Milky Way’s shape, size and composition. participants who attended events in sci- Colleges and Universities. Through MU- Goddard’s technology leaders. This year, mentation of a new curriculum in all ence museums and schools from SPIN, these technologies are used to the Technology Commercialization At a meeting of the National Society of Anne Arundel County public high Boston to Barcelona. Participants talked support multidisciplinary research and Office added a third day to coincide Black Physicists, for which she has served schools. The course focuses on Earth as with scientists, turned solar telescopes educational programs for students from with Goddard’s annual Open House, on the Executive Board, Brown came to a a system and has resulted in new col- toward the Sun and explored the only kindergarten through college, faculty, which gave the general public an oppor- realization. “I’m in a unique position,” she laborations with two other Maryland star Earthlings can study up close. administrators, and community mem- tunity to see Goddard’s wealth of says. “I haven’t been out of graduate counties—Carroll and Frederick, which bers. One of the program's principal technology resources. school that long. I don’t intimidate stu- are interested in developing an goals is increasing the number of dents. I guess I’m more approachable.” advanced elective course in Earth sys- minorities who develop and submit tems science. A principal focus of the research proposals in areas that interest program is viewing Earth from space NASA and other government agencies. and honing students’ skills in attaining Girls Just Want to Have Fun—And and analyzing satellite data. Learn About NASA Goddard expanded its observance of Beth Brown “Take Our Daughters to Work Day,” by inviting Washington metropolitan-area girls aged 9-15 to experience science Take Our Daughters to Work Day at GSFC and technology at work at Goddard. The girls participated in hands-on demon- 34 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 35 PEOPLE OF GODDARD GODDARD’S FUTURE Goddard Standards “Our Facilities Master Plan is a Since its founding more than 40 years campus. The separation causes difficul- ago on land previously owned by the ties. Pedestrian safety and increased To achieve its goals, the Center has See safety as vital to the public, our astronauts and pilots and employees. 20-year vision that will give adopted the following standards, which U.S. Department of Agriculture, the security risks to utility supply lines and Demonstrate excellence in quality and show our customers that reliable results all employees embrace: Goddard 21st century capabilities. Goddard Space Flight Center has grown services—a consideration that has at an affordable cost can be expected time after time. and evolved to become NASA’s Center become paramount since the It provides an excellent framework Meet our commitments and promises. of Excellence for scientific research—a September 11 attacks—make carrying for making decisions about future position the Center maintains by its out Goddard’s scientific mission more Sustain scientific and technological leadership in space and Earth science. superlative workforce, cutting-edge facil- complex and costly. facilities and equipment. Our ities and robust technology-develop- Recognize core competencies and processes that ensure the Center’s As Goddard works to more fully inte- vision is to make smart invest- ment programs. Today, however, the competitiveness. grate its activities across its many sites, Center finds it increasingly more difficult ments that will maintain and which include the Wallops Flight Facility, to perform its mission because many of the Independent Verification and enhance our reputation as a its buildings are outdated and its work- Validation Facility and others, it is more force divided by geographical barriers. world-class science and technology important than ever that the Center’s Currently, Goddard’s Greenbelt site is facilities meet its needs and changing center, and give our employees a divided in two. Running north from mission. Consequently, the Center initi- Director Deputy Director campus they can be proud of.” Greenbelt Road, Soil Conservation ated a master planning process to Associate Director Service Road cuts across the site, divid- ensure that this happens. Assistant Director for Information Sciences ing it into a West campus and an East Assistant Director for Safety and Security A.V. Diaz, Center Director Address to workforce February 2001 Equal NASA Office of Office of Office of Employment Office of Public Chief University Programs Inspector Affairs Counsel Programs General Office

Office of Office of the Human Chief Financial Resources Officer

Systems Applied Office of Flight Suborbital Earth Space Technology Engineering Management Flight Programs and Special Sciences Sciences and Advanced and Operations Assurance and Orbital Concepts Technology Projects Projects

This artist’s rendition provides a glimpse of what the Goddard campus could look like under the proposed Facilities Master Plan, which takes a 20-year look at the Center’s anticipated needs and resources. If implement- ed, Goddard could begin making changes to its facilities in 2003. 36 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 37 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Master Plan Moreover, the unified campus concept FY 2003 Budget Cycle Process 345 – OMB – Baseline (8/31/01) In fiscal 2001, Goddard unveiled a pre- concentrates Goddard’s campus and its Goddard by PCA by Object Level 3000 ($K) liminary draft Facilities Master Plan for activities in already-developed areas. That means the Center can continue to ENT106 FY FY the Greenbelt site that takes a 20-year 2001 2000 look at the Center’s anticipated needs preserve the wooded areas that serve as and resources. If implemented, it will a buffer and enhance the lives of all. Total Goddard Funding $2,770,747 $2,833,729 enable the Greenbelt facility to meet The master plan is, first and foremost, a changing goals and resources, which will commitment by Goddard to remain a Space Science 863,332 934,473 put it in good stead to win challenging vital workplace and participant in its Human Exploration and Development of Space 135,373 127,196 work, attract highly skilled employees community. Earth Science 987,967 915,184 and ensure mission success. Aerospace Technology 71,489 65,394 Future Activities Safety & Mission Assurance 15,624 12,602 Overall, the new plan helps Goddard Salaries & Benefits 306,697 318,373 achieve its goals in the following ways: In fiscal 2001, Goddard held public hearings and continues to collect public Travel 7,984 7,479 Safety. People traveling to and from the input to help refine the plan. With this Other Institutional 80,243 78,905 two campuses no longer are at risk. input, Goddard will prepare its pro- Subauthorized Received 5,849 5,849 Quality. The Center can assure that its posed Facilities Master Plan to external Reimbursables 296,190 368,273 facilities best meet the needs of its authorities for formal community review wide-ranging missions. in 2002. If accepted, Goddard would Notes: HEDS also includes Biological Research; ES also includes Academic Programs and IV&V; IV&V is based on FY01 fiscal data ; Other Efficiency. Center scientists and engi- begin making changes to its facilities in Institutional includes Enterprise IPO, Center G&A, Compliance, Discrete Projects; Minor Revitalization, and Facility Planning; Subauthorized is neers can use the buildings and services 2003. based on 9/30/01 6001 Report; Reimbursable FY01 is from 9/30/01 6001 Report; FY02 form POES POP 02-1 and GOES POP 01-1 to their fullest Campus Unification. No longer hin- dered by a geographical barrier, the OVERVIEW OF THE GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER’S workforce can work more effectively. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Partners. A new zone created specifi- The Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 Financial Statements have been formulated to present the financial position and results cally for Goddard’s partners allows the Center to work more closely with them. of operations of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), pursuant to the requirements of the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and the Government Reform Act of 1994. These statements include the Statement of Financial Position and the Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Position. The statements have been prepared from the official accounting and budgetary records of GSFC (Basic Accounting System and Fiscal System) in accordance with the form and contents prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Bulletin 94-01.

The statements should be read with the realization that they reflect the component of a sovereign entity; that liabilities not covered by budgetary resources cannot be liquidated without the enactment of an appropriation; and that payment of all liabilities, other than contracts, can be abrogated by the sovereign entity.

There are six direct appropriations included in GSFC’s Financial Statements. The current appropriations are Human Space Flight (HSF), Science, Aeronautics and Technology (SAT), Mission Support (MS), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and the Science, Space and Technology Education Trust Fund. Actual expenses for all appropriations, including government and non-government reimbursable activities are reflected in the Financial Statements for FY2001. 38 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 39

Statement of Financial Position Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Position As of September 30, 2001 For the Year Ended September 30, 2001 2001 2000 2001 2000

Assets Revenues and Financing Resources: (In Thousands of $) (In Thousands of $) Intragovernmental Assets: (In Thousands of $) (In Thousands of $) Appropriated Capital Used $ 2,617,845 $ 2,544,442 Fund Balance with Treasury (Note 2) $ 1,454,407 $ 1,401,140 Revenues from Sales of Goods & Services Accounts Receivable, Net (Note 3) – Federal Claims 12,598 41,220 To the Public 1,269 2,812 Advances and Prepayments (Note 4) 18,119 5,151 Intragovernmental 283,752 295,432 Other Revenues and Financing Resources (128) (9,563) Less: Receipts Transferred to Treasury 128 9,563 Governmental Assets: Total Revenues and Financing Resources: $2,902,866 $2,842,686 Accounts Receivable, Net (Note 3) – Non-Federal Claims $ 2,402 739 Operating Materials & Supplies, Net (Note 5) 169,457 253,838 Expenses: Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Note 6) 1,942,057 2,086,961 Program or Operating Expenses: Total Assets $ 3,599,040 $ 3,789,049 Current Appropriations: Science Aeronautics and Technology $ 2,138,041 $ 2,086,404 Liabilities Human Space Flight 29,823 14,272 Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources: Mission Support 442,081 444,686 Office of Inspector General — — Intragovernmental Liabilities Science, Space and Technology Education Trust Fund 150 190 Accounts Payable $ 32,908 $ 42,117 Other Liabilities (Note 7) 30,058 32,144 Noncurrent Appropriations: Space Flight Control and Data Communications — (1,102) Governmental Liabilities Research and Development — (1,529) Accounts Payable 590,701 610,435 Research and Program Management — — Lease Liabilities (Note 8) 0 141 Construction of Facilities 7,769 1,524 Other Liabilities (Note 7) 19,363 17,831 Special Fund Receipts, CY Expenses — (11) Total Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources $ 673,030 $ 702,668 Reimbursable Expenses 285,021 298,244 Total Expenses: $2,902,885 $2,842,678 Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources: Excess, (Shortage) of Revenues & Financing Sources Intragovernmental Liabilities Over Total Expenses $ ($19) $ 8 Other Liabilities (Note 7) $ 545 $ 2,106 Governmental Liabilities Changes in Net Position Other Liabilities (Note 7) 36,032 34,115 Nonoperating Changes: Total Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources 36,577 36,221 Unexpended Appropriations $ 68,851 $ (19,048) Trust Fund Balance (59) 225 Total Liabilities $ 709,607 $ 738,889 Invested Capital (229,144) (116,782) Future Funding Requirements (356) (2,520) Net Position (Note 9): Total Nonoperating Changes $(160,708) $(138,125) Balances: Unexpended Appropriation $ 814,320 $ 745,469 Excess, (Shortage) of Revenues & Financing Sources Trust Fund Balance 166 225 Over Total Expenses $ (19) $ 8 Invested Capital (Note 10) 2,111,514 2,340,658 Cumulative Results of Operations 10 29 Net Position, Beginning Balance $3,050,160 $3,188,277 Future Funding Requirements (36,577) ( 36,221) Net Position, Ending Balance $2,889,433 $3,050,160

Total Net Position 2,889,433 3,050,160 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

Total Liabilities and Net Position $ 3,599,040 $ 3,789,049

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements. 40 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 41

Notes to the Financial Statements Basis of Accounting For the Year Ended September 30, 2001 GSFC accounts are maintained on an accrual basis (i.e., expenses are recorded when incurred and revenue when earned). Expenses are classified in the accounts by appropriation in accordance with the Agencywide coding struc- Basis of Presentation ture, which sets forth a uniform classification of financial activity that is used for planning, budgeting, accounting, In accordance with NASA’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) directive that installations begin the process of fulfilling the and reporting. The expenses are further categorized in the General Ledger as operating or capitalized expenditures. requirements legislated by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, regarding the preparation of subject to audit financial statements (beginning FY 1996), these statements were formulated from the books and records of GSFC in Advances conformity with form and content procedures specified in OMB Bulletin 94-01. GSFC distributes the majority of its funding used for the University Contracts and Grants Program by the method of Letter of Credit through the Health and Human Services (HHS) Payment Management System (PMS). The HHS serves Reporting Entity as an agent for the U.S. Treasury in processing the drawdown of funds (disbursements) from a pre-established bal- GSFC is one of nine NASA field centers established to assist NASA in its mission to provide for aeronautical and ance set up by GSFC based on contract/grant awards. The established balance for each University constitutes space activities. The financial management of NASA’s operations is the responsibility of Center officials at all organi- advance payments. A smaller number of university contract/grant recipients receive advance payments on a quarterly zational levels. Ultimately, the Regional Finance Office, Code 151, within the Office of the Center’s Chief Financial basis via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments through the U.S. Treasury system. In accordance with OMB Officer is responsible for synthesizing, aggregating, and reporting accounting events to NASA Headquarters Code B Circular A-110, Quarterly financial reporting of transactions is provided by recipients on Federal Cash Transactions and the Department of Treasury (for cash transactions), in accordance with Agencywide financial management regula- Reports (SF 272’s). Detailed monitoring, funds control (against outstanding obligations), and accountability records tions. These statements refer only to the Goddard business. are maintained. In addition, audits by the Defense Contract Audit Agency and NASA’s OIG support this monitoring. The GSFC overall accounting system consists of numerous feeder systems. When combined, they provide the basic information necessary to meet internal and external financial reporting requirements in terms of funds control and Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E) accountability. Albeit, it is recognized that the current systems do not meet OMB Circular A-127 requirements for a GSFC-owned Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E) may be held by the Center or its contractors. Under the provi- single integrated financial system. NASA is moving to implementing a fully-integrated financial system. NASA has sions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), contractors are responsible for control over and accountability for selected SAP Public Sector and Education, Inc. to deliver a commercial off-the-shelf accounting system as part of the such property in their possession. The GSFC General Ledger is capable of separately classifying Government-held intergrated financial program that will replace 10 different systems now used by NASA field centers. Currently, PP&E from Contractor-held PP&E. Goddard is scheduled for deployment in FY 2002. Government regulation does not make a provision for depreciating PP&E under appropriated funding authority. The following six direct appropriations require individual treatment and are distinctly classified in GSFC combined However, in accordance with the User Charge Act and OMB Circular A-25, NASA is permitted to assess depreciation accounting and control systems: charges for the use of facilities and equipment, under the “full cost” concept, to non-government reimbursable cus- (1) Human Space Flight (HSF) — supports human space flight research and development activities for space tomers. It should also be noted that depreciation of Agency assets is calculated and accounted for at the Agency flight, spacecraft control, and communications actions. This includes research, development, operations, services, level. In addition, automated data processing software is treated as operating cost rather than capitalized in maintenance, and construction of facilities, which encompass the repair, rehabilitation, and modification of real and accordance with GAO Title II guidelines. personal property. Property, Plant and Equipment is capitalized when the unit acquisition cost is $100,000 or more; have an estimated (2) Space, Aeronautics and Technology (SAT) — provides for the conduct and support of science, aeronautics, useful life of two years or more; are not intended for sale in the ordinary course of operations; and have been and technology programs. Research, development, operations, services, maintenance, and construction of facilities acquired or constructed with the intention of being used, or being available for use by the Agency. Capitalized cost (repair, rehabilitation, and modification of real and personal property) also serve as by-products of this appropriation. includes unit cost, transportation, installation, and handling and storage cost. (3) Mission Support (MS) — funds safety, reliability and quality assurance activities in support of Agency programs Land values are recorded at acquisition cost and cost of improvements. Buildings are also valued at acquisition cost, and space communication services for NASA programs. The appropriation also provides budgetary resources for including the cost of capital improvements and fixed equipment required for functional use of the facility. salaries, fringe benefits and related expenses, while supporting research and construction of facilities. Government-owned/Contractor-held property includes GSFC real property, such as land, buildings, and structures, (4) Construction of Facilities (C of F) — provides budgetary resources for construction, repair, rehabilitation and materials, plant equipment, agency peculiar property, special tooling, and special test equipment. Contractors are modification of facilities, minor construction of new facilities and additions to existing structures, and facility plan- directed to report annually (on NASA Form 1018) plant equipment costing $100,000 or more and having a useful life ning and design. This appropriation was restructured and replaced in the FY 1995 NASA budget. of two years. In addition, this reporting includes capturing the other property categories mentioned above, regardless of the value (although most exceed $100,000), and is included in the Statement of Financial Position. This reporting (5) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) — funds necessary for OIG salary, travel and related expenses required is reviewed by Industrial Property Management Specialist (IPMS), Department of Defense (DOD) and the Deputy Chief to conduct audits and investigations of Center activities. Financial Officer (DCFO). (6) Science, Space and Technology Education Trust Fund (TF) — expenses of all property and services pro- cured for the trust fund. Revenues and Other Financing Sources In addition to the direct appropriations, we receive funds from various federal and non-federal customers to perform GSFC receives the majority of its funding through multiyear appropriations. These include three-year appropriations aeronautical and space activities. for construction activities, two-year appropriations for operational and space flight activities, and a single year appropriation for civil service payroll and travel. In addition to appropriated funds, the Center performs services for federal and non-federal customers upon receipt of customers funding authority. 42 2001 GSFC Annual Report 2001 GSFC Annual Report 43

Notes to the Statement of Financial Position NOTE 6 – PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT (In Thousands): For the Year Ended September 30, 2001 Government-owned/Government-held 2001 2000 Change

NOTE 2 – FUND BALANCES WITH TREASURY (In Thousands): Land $ 4,964 $ $5,473 $ ($509) Structures, Facilities & Leasehold Improvements 501,602 492,426 9,176 Obligated Unobligated Unobligated Equipment 204,531 255,528 (50,997) Available Available Restricted Total Assets Under Capital Lease — 877 (877) Work-in-Process 47,473 43,854 3,619 Appropriated Funds 1,286,337 $124,925 $13,066 $1,424,328 Total $758,570 $798,158 ($39,588) Trust Fund — 166 — 166 Reimbursable Advances 29,913 — — 29,913 Total Funds Balance with Government-owned/Contractor-held 2001 2000 Change Treasury $1,316,250 $125,091 $13,066 $1,454,407 Structures, Facilities & Leasehold Improvements $ 7,865 $ $7,866 $ (1) GSFC cash receipts and disbursements are processed by the U.S. Treasury. The funds with the U.S. Treasury Equipment 66,744 30,106 36,638 include appropriated funds, trust funds, and deposited funds for advances received for reimbursable services. Special Tooling 8,151 8,187 (36) Special Test Equipment 81,145 78,166 2,979 Agency-peculiar Property 121,383 182,262 (60,879) NOTE 3 – ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE NET (In Thousands): Work-In-Process 898,199 982,216 (84,017) Total $1,183,487 $1,288,803 ($105,316) Entity Allowances for Losses Grand Total $1,942,057 $2,086,961 ($144,904) Accounts Receivable on A/R & Interest Net Amount Due Intragovernmental $12,598 $ — $12,598 See Note 1 for discussion on Property, Plant, and Equipment . Governmental 2,428 (26) 2,402 Deletions or reductions of PP&E represents transfers of accountability to other NASA Centers. Other government agencies, returns for credit Total Accounts Receivable $15,026 $ (26) $15,000 and disposal through plant clearance process.

Accounts Receivable consist of amounts owed to GSFC by other Federal Agencies and amounts owed by the public. NASA establishes an allowance amount for reporting purposes based on an analysis of outstanding NOTE 7 – OTHER LIABILITIES (In Thousands): receivable balances. Most receivables are due from other Federal Agencies for reimbursement of services. Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources: Current Non-Current Total Non-federal customers provide advance payments which are placed on deposit with the U.S. Treasury until services are performed. Intragovernmental Liabilities: Liabilities for Deposit and Suspense Funds $ 145 $ — $ 145 Liabilities for Reimbursable Advances 29,913 — 29,913 NOTE 4 – ADVANCES AND PREPAYMENTS (In Thousands): Total $30,058 — $30,058 Governmental Liabilities: 2001 2000 CHANGE Liabilities for Deposit and Suspense Funds $ 1,730 — $ 1,730 Intragovernmental $18,119 $5,151 $12,968 Liabilities for Statistical Reimbursable Cost 2 — 2 Accrued Funded Payroll 17,631 — 17,631 Total $19,363 — $19,363 The increase in intragovermental advances represents a governmentwide partner reconciliation requirement Total Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources 49,421 — 49,421 issued by The Office of Management and Budget. Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources: Current Non-Current Total NOTE 5 – OPERATING MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES (In Thousands): Intragovernmental Liabilities Accounts Payable for Closed Appropriations $ — $ 545 $ 545 2001 2000 CHANGE Liabilities for Receipts Accounts — — — Contractor-held Materials $163,946 $247,462 $(83,516) Total $ — $ 545 $ 545 Stores Stock 5,512 6,376 (864) Governmental Liabilities: Standby Stock — — — Accounts Payable for Closed Appropriation $ — $ 10,962 $ 10,962 Total Operating Materials and Supplies $169,458 $253,838 $(84,380) Liabilities for Receipt Accounts — 1 1 Unfunded Annual Leave 25,069 — 25,069 Total $25,069 $ 10,963 $36,032 Total Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources $25,069 $11,508 $36,577 Grand Total $74,490 $11,508 $85,998 Accounts payable include amounts recorded for receipt of goods or services furnished to the Center but not disbursed. “Additionally, throughout GSFC, cost is recognized and accrued based on information provided monthly by contractors” on cost and performance reports (NASA Form 533, Contractor Financial Management Report). The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) performs independent audits on reported cost to ensure reliability of estimates. Also further assurance is provided by GSFC resource analysts as a result of examining cost accruals generated from the NF 533s. 44 2001 GSFC Annual Report GODDARD’S VALUES NOTE 8 – LEASE LIABILITIES (In Thousands): Agility There are no assets under Capital Lease for FY 2001. Anticipating the future, leading change, and adapting quickly are crucial to thriving in a dynamic environment. NOTE 9 – NET POSITION (In Thousands): Appropriated Funds Balance Unexpended Appropriations An employee’s work life and personal life, including health, family, Undelivered $676,329 community involvement, and other interests, contribute to the Unobligated: vitality both of the individual and of the Center. Available 124,925 Unavailable 13,066 Trust Fund Balance 166 Creativity Invested Capital (Note 11) 2,111,514 Cumulative Results of Operations 10 Freedom to explore new ideas stimulates discovery, fosters Future Funding Requirements (36,577 ) innovation and leads to more effective ways of doing work. Total Net Position $2,889,433 Dedication NOTE 10 – INVESTED CAPITAL (In Thousands): Successful results require a commitment to excellence and to individual and team responsibilities. Property, Plant and Equipment $1,942,057 Operating Materials and Supplies 169,457 Integrity Less: Liability for Capitalized Leases (141 ) Trust, fairness, honesty and accountability for our actions are the Invested Capital $2,111,514 cornerstones of personal and organizational integrity.

Respect Diversity among people and their ideas is an inherent strength as we work toward fulfilling Goddard’s mission.

Teamwork Accomplishments result from successful teams, both internal and external to the Center, that capitalize on the strengths and contributions of every team member. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center

NP-2002-2-425-GSFC