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1013 Issue Final (Color) October 13, 2000 Inside Volume 30 Number 21 News Briefs . 2 Retirees Who Didn’t Quit . 3 Special Events Calendar . 2 Letters, Passings, Retirees . 4 Resource Management System . .2 Classifieds . 4 Jet Propulsion Laboratory “The spacecraft is steadier than any space- craft I’ve ever seen,” said Dr. Carolyn Porco 2001: a space of the University of Arizona, team leader for the camera on Cassini. “It’s so steady, the ‘Odyssey’ for images are unexpectedly sharp and clear, even in the longest exposures taken and Mars orbiter most challenging spectral regions.” By Mary Hardin At the same time, JPL mission engineers Cassini are working with their counterparts at the As NASA's next spacecraft to European Space Agency (ESA) on a con- Mars begins a crucial round of cern with the communication system on testing in preparations for launch ESA’s Huygens probe, which is attached next year, the mission has a new provides to the Cassini spacecraft. Huygens is to name: 2001 Mars Odyssey. drop from the Cassini spacecraft in late “The year 2001 has a special 2004 onto the large moon of Saturn significance to many of us who its first called Titan as the Cassini orbiter be- recall the thrill of reading the gins its own exploration of the ringed book and watching the movie planet and its system of moons. ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’” said snapshot The concern, which was identified in Scott Hubbard, Mars Program early September with tests at ESA’s operations Director at NASA Headquarters. center at Darmstadt, Germany, involves the radio “It seemed fitting to name the mission not only in honor of the NASA / JPL / University of Arizona receiver supplied by ESA to receive signals from of Jupiter story and the movie, but also to the Huygens probe as it descends through Titan's cientists are extremely pleased atmosphere. herald the start of our new long- By Guy Webster term journey to explore Mars.” According to the tests, the signal sent to with the first image of Jupiter, Hubbard added that Arthur C. Cassini from Huygens will change in frequency s received Oct. 4, from the Cassini Clarke, author of “2001: A Space as both spacecraft rapidly change position in Odyssey,” enthusiastically en- spacecraft, which is closing in on a fly-by relation to each other, much as a train whistle dorsed the new mission name. Above image of Jupiter was appears to change in pitch as it passes by a of the huge planet. The orbiter is designed to find taken by the Cassini imaging person standing alongside the tracks (called the out what Mars is made of, detect The image, first in a series of images and Doppler effect). The engineering test found that water and shallow buried ice and science narrow angle camera other measurements of Jupiter which Cassini the ESA-supplied receiver carried on the U.S. study the radiation environment. through the blue filter on Oct. 1 will be making over the next several months as Cassini main spacecraft could not receive all the Odyssey began thermal vacuum it flies by Jupiter, clearly shows the exceptional data from the Huygens probe. testing in last September at at a distance of 84 million resolving power of the imaging system even at “Cassini has given us the first tantalizing taste Lockheed Martin Astronautics in kilometers (52 million miles) the distance of more than 52 million miles of its enormous scientific potential,” said Dr. Jay Denver, where it was designed (84 million kilometers). Clouds, storms and Bergstralh, Cassini program scientist at NASA and built. from Jupiter. The smallest latitudinal bands are clearly seen in the image. Headquarters. “The spacecraft has operated “It’s exciting to have the new features that can be seen are A steady stream of ever-closer color and black- perfectly since its launch three years ago, so we name, and going into the thermal can look forward to even greater things in the vacuum testing chamber is the about 500 kilometers (about and-white images will be released in the weeks ahead. coming months. We are, of course, concerned next big step for the spacecraft,” 300 miles) across. The new image of Jupiter is available online about communications with the Huygens probe, said Project Manager George at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/cassinijupiter. but the best minds in the business are working Pace, adding that testing will It is also available from the University of Ari- on solutions.” simulate the full range of temper- zona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at ESA and NASA mission scientists and engi- atures the spacecraft will be http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu . neers are developing options to address the subjected to during its mission. “This has been our first opportunity to exer- situation, including changing the trajectory of “We have done several things cise the Cassini flight and ground systems in a Cassini during the Huygens probe's entry into in response to the NASA review board recommendations to en- mode very similar to how we expect to operate Titan's atmosphere. A plan of action is expected sure mission success, like adding at Saturn, and I’m extremely pleased with how to be ready by next summer for review and ap- additional staff and transitioning it is working,” said Cassini Program Manager proval by NASA and ESA officials. development personnel to opera- Bob Mitchell at JPL. tions. I’m confident we have a solid mission,” Pace added. JPL has dedicated the new In- During operations, the facility The orbiter will study minerals Situ Laboratory, a facility that will provide for operations de- on the surface and measure the In-situ will be initially dedicated to the velopment and surface sequence amount of hydrogen in the shallow 2003 Mars Exploration Rover validation for the rovers. subsurfaces of the planet, which laboratory Project. Project staff have already will give scientists clues about the The new Building 317, located begun to occupy the new build- presence of water, either past or dedicated just east of Building 303, will ing. The project offices will be present. It will also provide infor- serve as a testbed for the devel- located in modular offices adja- mation on the structure of the By Mark Whalen opment of identical twin rovers cent to the building to house up Martian surface and on the geo- the Laboratory is building to to 120 people, said Chuck Man- logical processes that may have send to Mars in spring 2003. ning of the Device Research and caused it. Finally, the orbiter will The first rover is scheduled to Applications Section 346, who take all-important measurements land Jan. 4, 2004, with the redesigned the facility to meet of the planet’s radiation environ- second rover to touch down 51 requirements for surface mobili- ment so potential health risks to Bob Brown / JPL Photos Bob Brown days later. ty systems test bed. Ernest future human explorers can be evaluated. To do this, the space- The new Building 317, above, will initially The facility will include clean Breig of Section 661 was the rooms for flight instrument and project manager during design craft carries three science instru- support the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover avionics assembly, a software and construction. ments: The Thermal Emission Project. Left: Facilities Division Manager development lab and a 5-meter Pete Theisinger, Mars 2003 Imaging System, the Gamma Ray Spectrometer, and the Mars Radi- Bruce Fischer, left, and Mars 2003 Project (17-foot) high bay that will serve project manager, noted that the as a rover surface testbed to facility will serve as “Mars on ation Environment Experiment. Manager Pete Theisinger dedicate the facility. supplement the outdoor Mars Earth” for the project both 2001 Mars Odyssey is sched- Yard. The high bay “sandbox” during its development and all uled for launch on April 7, 2001, includes a 2-ton crane and a through Mars surface operations with a scheduled arrival at Mars public viewing gallery. in 2004. next October. 2 Kahr wins Women at Work medal Honor Awards nominations due Oct. 31 Universe BOLINDA KAHR, deputy manager of Laboratory employees are invited to the Mission Execution and Automation nominate individuals or groups for Special Events Calendar Section 368, has been named the NASA Honor Awards to be presented classical and rock music. Held at winner of the 2000 Medal of Excel- in 2001. Ongoing Support Groups noon. lence Award by Women At Work, a See the procedure titled “NASA non-profit career and job resource Honor Awards, Rev. 1” online at Alcoholics Anonymous—Meeting center based in Pasadena. http://dmie.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi/doc-gw. at 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday, October 19 Thursdays (women only) and Kahr, who has worked at JPL for pl?DocID=14802. JPL Stories—Dr. Henry Garrett of Nominations should be submitted to Fridays. Call Occupational Health News 29 years, was nominated for the the Safety and Mission Assurance the immediate administrative supervi- Services at ext. 4-3319. award by JPL’s Advisory Council for Office will present “Things that Go sor of the nominated person for Women based on her ability to lead Codependents Anonymous—Meets at Bump in the Dark, or How processing up through their respective and motivate people. She was also noon every Wednesday. Call Occupa- Spacecraft Fail,” discussing some of Briefs administrative organization. Those cited for assuring recognition and tional Health Services at ext. 4- the more creative methods to assure nominations selected after being rewards when objectives are met and 3319. abbreviated spacecraft lifetimes. To reviewed will be forwarded to NASA. be held at 4 p.m.
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