NASA Completes Pair of Core Stage Tests See Page 4 Page 2 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

Volume 16 Issue 7 www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis July 2020 NASA completes pair of core stage tests See page 4 Page 2 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

ot having a long work commute these days NASA conducted the first RS-25 test on the A-1 stand has given me some unexpected time. I would in early January 2015 – and has continued develop- Nlike to say it has been used most productively mental and flight testing since then. The latest round – and occasionally, it has. Other times, well, I just sit of hot fires should begin within a few months. and think or even just sit and enjoy not thinking. Ark! In that same July in 2014, Orbital Sciences Corpora- One thing I have been thinking about is the history we tion launched its Antares rocket on a third success- are making at Stennis these days with Space Launch ful cargo supply mission to the International Space System (SLS) testing. One day, the adventures we will Station (ISS). The rocket and mission were part of help launch will be part of history books, which is no NASA’s effort to work with commercial companies big surprise. Stennis has been powering space dreams in public-private partnerships to provide low-Earth and helping to write space history since it was built. orbit missions to the ISS. Of course, it should be no big surprise to know Stennis was right at the forefront Testing of the SLS core stage is proceeding despite of that historic effort, testing the AJ26 engines that workplace limitations the COVID-19 virus has placed helped launch Antares on its early missions. on us. Preparations are underway to resume testing of individual RS-25 engines for SLS this fall as well. We Commercial partnerships are big news with the recent sure have come a long way in the last several years. launch of astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket. Yet, Stennis has been working with commercial companies It was just six years ago this month that the very first for years on technology development and propulsion RS-25 engine – No. 0525 – was lifted onto the A-1 testing. The center is not just a part of history; it is Test Stand at Stennis in preparation for a series of regularly writing history with its work. I guess folk developmental tests. NASA had spent a year prepar- around here take my Papagator’s philosophy to heart – ing the stand for the test series, so installation of an that it is best not to follow the herd all the time. Oth- engine was a pretty big milestone. erwise, people will start thinking you are a cow. Ark!

Stennis operators test an Aerojet AJ26 engine on the E-1 Test Stand on Jan. 17, 2014.

Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center. Access monthly copies at: www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/news/publications/index.html Contact info – (phone) 228-688-3749; (email) [email protected]; (mail) NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1100 Room 304, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 Subscribe at: https://lists.nasa.gov/mailman/listinfo/stennis-space-center-lagniappe Managing Editor – Valerie Buckingham Editor – Lacy Thompson Staff Photographer – Danny Nowlin Page 3 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

NASA’s MOON to MARS MISSION Stennis test complex facilities provide critical Green Run support ne day in the sooner-rather-than-later future, people A single rocket engine test requires more than 200,000 The HPGF has not ceased operations since the 1960s. across the nation will rearrange daily schedules to witness gallons of water per minute, piped to the stand and Propulsion test systems cannot be turned on and off like O a long-anticipated event – the maiden launch of NASA’s sprayed through thousands of small holes into the flame a piece of lawn equipment but must maintain constant GO... new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. deflector to protect it. When the pressurized water hits pressures and ongoing flows to ensure system integrity. the exhaust, it turns to a cloud of steam. Some water System depressurization could contaminate countless A pair of solid rocket boosters and four RS-25 engines will fire at also is held in reserve in case of a fire or mishap. pipes and components. Recovery could cost millions. a south Florida launchpad to generate more than 8 million pounds of thrust, lifting the 321-foot SLS rocket into the sky on its way For the Green Run hot fire, more than 300,000 gallons The HPGF ensures the gases needed to maintain the GO... to the Moon and back. of water per minute will be needed. In addition to pro- systems are available. The facility receives helium in tecting the flame deflector and providing fire protection, gaseous form, but hydrogen and nitrogen arrive in liquid The launch will herald the beginning of a new great era of space some water will be sprayed around the core stage to form, are pumped to high pressure, then are vaporized exploration, one set on establishing a sustainable presence on the dampen the noise and vibrations that accompany a test. and distributed through the piping network. Air is col- Moon and placing human footprints on Mars. The noise and vibrations are loud and intense enough to lected from the atmosphere, then scrubbed and cleaned GO! damage a stage. A curtain of water will help prevent that. through compressors to the missile-grade purity needed. In no small part, success of the new era rests on hard work pro- vided by Stennis Space Center, which is testing the rocket engines The water will be drawn from a 66-million-gallon reser- Core stage testing poses a particular challenge for the and SLS core stage that will power the new rocket to unprecedented voir and piped through 96-inch pipes from the HPIW HPGF, which underwent several modifications to pro- destinations. facility, using 10 large diesel pumps from the 1960s and vide the high volume of high-pressure nitrogen needed. one new electric pump. Each diesel pump provides more The modifications have been completed and tested to Lagniappe is featuring a series of articles under the “Go ... Go ... than 10 times the horsepower of a typical pickup truck. ensure they are ready to support core stage operations. Go!” heading that detail aspects of NASA’s next step into deep The water is pumped at about 250 psi, which compares to For core stage hot fire, the HPGF will provide: space and Stennis’ role in making such missions possible. The fol- the 60 psi most city water pipes use. That pressure has to lowing represents the latest installment. be constant – and monitored carefully. Otherwise, serious Gaseous nitrogen. Core stage testing will use consider- piping and stand damage can occur. ably more gaseous nitrogen than during a typical large engine test – about 12-and-a-half times more on test day It is tempting to say it takes a village to conduct a large In addition to water, the HPIW facility will provide the and four to five times more for post-test activities. Some propulsion test. However, “it takes a city” would be electricity needed to conduct the core stage hot fire. A gas will be used to pressurize propellant tanks, maintain a closer to the truth. When the core stage of NASA’s new propulsion test is a precise operation; any deviation in clean system before and after testing, and actuate valves. Space Launch System (SLS) rocket – with its four RS-25 process can be costly. This is very true when it comes to For core stage testing, the bulk of the gaseous nitrogen engines – is test fired at Stennis Space Center this fall, power. Relying on the commercial power grid puts a test will travel from the HPGF to the B-2 Test Stand through test complex support facilities will be called on to sup- at the risk of a blackout, brownout or power glitch when a 1.5-mile-long pipeline, then through five heaters, with ply city-level supplies of electricity, water, high-pressure a bird perhaps hits a transformer. Even a small inter- heating capacity equivalent to the energy needed to light gases and propellants. All must work in careful concert. ruption in power supply – a mere second or less – can 6,000 New Orleans streetlights. The heated gas will be disrupt or scuttle a test and prove very costly. piped into core stage sections to help keep the compart- The four-engine hot fire will conclude a series of Green ments and their sensitive electronics warm and dry from Run core stage tests and mark the biggest milestone yet Stennis avoids the risk by shifting test complex power the chill and moisture of the super-cold propellants used in the march to the next great era of human space explo- from the commercial grid to four generators housed for testing. Following testing, gaseous nitrogen also will ration. NASA will use SLS to launch Artemis program in the HPIW facility. Each of the four generators can be used to dry the core stage’s four RS-25 engines. missions to return humans, including the first woman, to produce up to 1.5 megawatts of power. They are original the Moon and to prepare for eventual missions to Mars. equipment from the 1960s, but their control systems and Gaseous helium. Core stage testing will use about 25 switches have been upgraded through the years. Facility times more gaseous helium than usual, primarily because Two Stennis support facilities will play essential roles (the teams also have incorporated procedures to ensure they the core stage and its propellant tanks use helium, instead roles of other facilities will be presented next month). are operating efficiently. The generators are connected to of gaseous hydrogen or nitrogen, for pressurization. He- the test complexes through underground cables, offering lium is also used to inert the hydrogen tank posttest. High-Pressure Industrial Water (HPIW) Facility another level of protection from disruption. High-pressure air. Core stage testing will require more The Stennis HPIW facility fills two critical propulsion High Pressure Gas Facility (HPGF) high-pressure air than usual, primarily to purge electrical test needs, most notably water. Rocket engines and stages boxes and the 100 or so cameras on the stand. Air also is are tested in the same way they are fired during a launch. The HPGF is responsible for providing the gaseous ni- used by B-2 stand systems and can be used as part of the During a test, the engine or stage is anchored into place trogen, helium, and hydrogen, as well as the missile-grade engine drying sequence in lieu of nitrogen. on a large stand, with exhaust directed outward by an L- air, needed for test complex pressurization, purging lines shaped steel flame deflector. The exhaust can reach 6,000 and systems, valve operation, and pushing propellant to Gaseous hydrogen. A small amount of gaseous hydro- degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt the steel. NASA barges and test stands. Its network includes miles of pip- gen will be needed to warm vent lines and push fluid in uses water to keep that from happening. ing needed to maintain systems and support test activity. propellant transfer lines back to the barges. Page 4 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

NASA’s MOON to MARS MISSION NASA completes avionics power up and fail-safe systems tests on SLS core stage at Stennis ASA marked a pair of mile- stones in testing the first flight Ncore stage of its new Space Launch System rocket during recent weeks – completing both the avionics power up test and the fail-safe systems test on the B-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center.

The dual achievement continues the agency’s progress towards the ultimate core stage test, a full power up of all its integrated systems and hot fire of its four RS-25 engines to generate 1.6 mil- lion pounds of combined thrust, just as during an actual launch.

Completion of the recent tests also continues progress toward the maiden launch of NASA’s Artemis program to return humans, including the first woman and next man, to the Moon by 2024. Artemis I will launch as an un- crewed mission, using the core stage now being tested at Stennis.

The avionics test began in the final week of June and concluded in the open- ing days of July. For the test, operators powered up the SLS flight computers control rooms as the avionic systems of the final milestones before the rocket With the pair of recent activities, engi- of Green Run. The goal is for the entire verify the stage is ready for launch. To and avionics and completed a thorough inside the Artemis I core stage were launches America’s Artemis missions to neers have completed three of the eight core stage to operate as one for up to 8.5 put the sheer amount of data collected systems checkout. The test used Green powered up and checked out. return humans to the Moon and estab- series tests: the modal test, the avionics minutes – and that includes an impres- during Green Run into perspective, just Run software that was developed for the lish a sustainable presence. power up and check-out, and the safety sive firing of all four RS-25 engines one terabyte is the equivalent of roughly test and loaded in the flight computers While this is the first time the Green systems checkout. (See accompanying simultaneously. 500 hours of movies. Even the Library for the first time. Run software was used to control all the The name for the series derives from the checklist). of Congress’s collection only amounts to avionics in the flight core stage, it was nature of the testing. “Green” refers to Just like at launch, more than 733,000 a total of 15 terabytes! The SLS avionics power on and check- not untested. Engineers had qualified the new, untested hardware (AKA the The world’s tallest rocket stage is tested gallons of liquid propellant will flow out was the second of eight tests in the the avionics and computers with earlier SLS core stage), and “run” represents in an equally giant test stand. For the from the two propellant tanks through The test data also will be used by core Green Run test series at Stennis. The tests in the Systems Integration and Test the succession of tests the core stage SLS test series, NASA upgraded the B-2 the fuel lines to feed the RS-25 engines. stage engineers at Marshall and the Boe- test steadily brought the core stage flight Facility at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight paces through. stand that was used for the Saturn V ing Company as they prepare for the hardware, which controls the rocket’s Center in Huntsville, Alabama. rocket stages during the Apollo Program When operating at sea level on the test rocket’s first uncrewed flight and build first eight minutes of flight, to life for One by one, the series will bring together and, later, for the Space Shuttle Program. stand, the cluster of four RS-25 engines future stages for Artemis missions that the first time. During the subsequent fail-safe test, several “firsts” for the rocket stage as the The stand now is customized for testing will produce just over 1.6 million pounds will carry astronauts to the Moon. conducted the week of July 6, engineers flight hardware undergoes eight different the SLS core stage. of thrust – the same amount it will pro- The three flight computers and avionics simulated various potential test scenarios tests. Each test is designed to gradually duce during the early phase of launch. Following Green Run hot fire, the next are located in the forward skirt, the top to check out all of the safety systems bring the rocket’s core stage and all its When all four core stage engines fire up, During launch, as the core stage ascends time the SLS rocket’s core stage fires section of the 212-foot tall core stage, designed to shut down operations during systems to life. they can generate some serious heat. The in altitude to near vacuum conditions, up will be on the launch pad at NASA’s with more avionics distributed in the testing, if conditions necessitate. B-2 Test Stand will use roughly 100,000 the cluster will then produce over 2 mil- Kennedy Space Center for the debut core’s intertank and engine section. (See The Green Run series is a collaborative gallons of water every 18 seconds to lion pounds of thrust. of the Artemis program. This inaugural accompanying image). The comprehensive Green Run test effort between the SLS program, the protect the stand and the hardware. SLS flight will be just the beginning of series marks the first time SLS core Stennis test team, core stage manufac- All the Green Run tests, check outs and increasingly complex missions that will Engineers from NASA and Boeing, the stage systems all operate together, as turer Boeing and engine manufacturer The core stage also will really show what the 100 terabytes of collected data will enable human exploration to the Moon core stage prime contractor, worked in needed during launch. The series is one Aerojet Rocketdyne. it is capable of during the grand finale certify the core stage design and help and, ultimately, Mars. Page 5 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

Curiosity rover begins its summer Mars trip NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has started a road trip that will continue time. Each layer helps tell the story about how Mars changed from being through the summer across roughly a mile of terrain. By trip’s end, the more Earth-like – with lakes, streams and a thicker atmosphere – to the rover will be able to ascend to the next section of the 3-mile-tall Martian nearly-airless, freezing desert it is today. Stitched together from 28 images, mountain it has been exploring since 2014, searching for conditions that the above panorama from April 9, 2020 shows the sandstone cap near the may have supported ancient microbial life. Located on the floor of Gale foot of the slop. At center is the “clay-bearing unit”; the floor of Gale Crater Crater, Mount Sharp is composed of sedimentary layers that built up over is in the distance. For more about Curiosity, visit here and here. NASA in the News

Agencies offer global view of COVID-19 NASA plans for more SLS boosters In response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) NASA has taken the next steps toward building Space pandemic, NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters to support JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) have joined as many as six additional flights, for a total of up to nine forces to use the collective scientific power of their Earth- Artemis missions. The agency is continuing to work with observing satellite data to document planet-wide changes Northrop Grumman of Brigham City, Utah, the cur- in the environment and human society. The wealth of the rent lead contractor for the solid rocket boosters that collective information now is available at the touch of a will launch the first three Artemis missions, including the finger. In an unprecedented collaboration, the three space mission that will land the first woman and next man on agencies have created the joint COVID-19 Earth Obser- the Moon in 2024. Under the new letter contract, with a vation Dashboard, which integrates multiple satellite data potential value of $49.5 million, NASA will provide initial records with analytical tools to allow user-friendly track- funding and authorization to Northrop Grumman to ing of changes in air and water quality, climate change, order long-lead items to support building the twin boost- economic activity, and agriculture. This tri-agency data ers for the next six SLS flights. Northrop Grumman will resource gives the public and policymakers a unique be able to make these item purchases as the details of the tool to probe the short-term and long-term impacts of full contract are finalized within the next year. The full pandemic-related restrictions implemented around the Boosters Production and Operations Contract is expected world. The dashboard will continue to grow with new to support booster production and operations for SLS observations added over the coming months as the global flights 4 through 9. The period of performance for the economy gradually reopens. For more information on letter contract is 150 days; the definitized contract will NASA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit here. extend through Dec. 31, 2030. For more information on For more on NASA’s Earth science programs, visit here. SLS, visit here. Page 6 LAGNIAPPE July 2020 Engineer does not take NASA career for granted yan Roberts grew up in the very shadow of As B-2 director, Roberts is in the forefront of the Green NASA and the American space program without Run effort, “coordinating all the stand activities that have Reven realizing it for much of his younger life. to happen every day to keep work progressing – with a Born in New Orleans, Roberts grew up in neighboring lot of help from a lot of hardworking great people.” St. Bernard Parish, just across the Intracoastal Waterway from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. Green Run is the largest test project at Stennis in 40 years, and Roberts said he is honored to have the op- At the time, Michoud manufactured the large external portunity to be involved. “The anticipation is awesome, tanks that carried the propellants used by a trio of main and having the opportunity not only to watch that test engines to launch space shuttle missions. In addition, happen, but to be on the front lines involved in the test every main engine that helped power a shuttle launch execution is enough to justify a career,” he said. was tested just a bit up the road at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, just inside Mississippi. Roberts recalled At the same time, Green Run is also the latest in a string his amazement at of exciting proj- finally realizing ects he has been so much space involved with at activity was taking the NASA site. place “right in my “We get to do backyard.” some really cool and interesting Years later, Rob- things at Stennis,” erts has moved he said. “I never even closer to the miss an oppor- space program tunity to watch a activity. He now rocket engine test. is a resident of Knowing how the Slidell and much time, en- Pearl River areas, ergy, and attention directly between to technical detail Michoud and is required by a lot Stennis. In addi- of great people to tion, he works as be able to accom- the B-2 Test Stand plish one makes Stennis Space Center Director Rick Gilbrech (r) and NASA Science Mission Directorate Associate director at Sten- Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen (l) present a 2019 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal for it that much more nis, still amazed at extensive efforts that were critical to the successful activation of the modified B-2 Test Stand. satisfying.” the opportunity to be part of the historic effort underway to launch the next Roberts is proud to be a member of the Stennis family. great era of human deep space exploration. “Stennis Space Center is a great place to work, and that is mainly due to the work culture, “ he said. “Stennis is on Roberts has spent 25 years involved with NASA. He the cutting edge of fostering a very diverse workplace.” worked six years for Lockheed Martin before joining the NASA team in 2001 as an engineer in such areas as He also considers it a blessing to be a part of the space mechanical operations, mechanical design, and systems industry through the last quarter century. “It is impossi- engineering. Roberts’ recent work as the B-2 director ble to say what to be more proud of,” Roberts said, citing has provided him a central role in the Green Run core the opportunity to watch shuttle launches, be involved in stage testing for NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) human space flight efforts, watch the emergence of cut- rocket. NASA is building SLS to launch Artemis program ting-edge commercial space programs, participate in the missions to the Moon and, eventually, missions to Mars. Green Run series and, hopefully, watch a future mission to Mars. “To be able to experience all of these in one Stennis is testing RS-25 engines that will help power SLS career is epic and certainly not to be taken for granted.” on its A-1 Test Stand. NASA also spent several years pre- paring the B-2 stand to test the first SLS flight core stage, Roberts has been recognized for his work, including with which will launch the Artemis I mission. The stage is a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. He said he now installed on the stand to undergo a series of Green appreciates the honor but also understands they are not Run tests of its systems. The final test will fire the stage’s single-handed efforts. “There are a lot of people deserv- four RS-25 engines simultaneously to generate 1.6 million ing of individual awards, and I feel like the recognition I pounds of thrust, just as during an actual launch. get should be shared to the greatest extent,” he said. Page 7 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

NASA invests in innovative technologies from U.S. small businesses For the latest on ASA has selected 409 technology use of a novel composite system for prehensive end-to-end architecture, proposals for the first phase of cryogen storage and transfer, with the using wireless technology, to help NASA/Stennis Space Center Nfunding from the agency’s Small potential of use in various NASA test collect instrumentation data during status, please access: Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and space-related systems. propulsion testing. and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The contracts will pro- • “Advanced Propulsion Systems • “Intelligent Sensor Systems for Stennis Emergency Management vide about $51 million to 312 small busi- Ground Test Technology,” M4 Engi- Rocket Propulsion Testing” by nesses in 44 states and Washington, D.C. neering Inc. in Long Beach, Califor- Physical Sciences Inc. in Andover, web page nia. The project seeks to develop a Maryland, and Auburn University in The selections include seven projects thermal conditioning retrofit “kit” for Auburn, Alabama. The project seeks NASA Coronavirus Response Information managed by Stennis Space Center. cryogenic shaker systems, designed to to develop a smart sensor module to web page prevent freeze-up of system acceler- enable wireless sensing capabilities in “NASA depends on America’s small ometers during cryogenic testing at liquid propulsion systems. The devel- businesses for innovative technology Stennis and other NASA facilities. opment could be used by NASA in development that helps us achieve our both ground test and flight activities. Other online resources: wide variety of missions,” said Jim Reuter, • “Adaptive Venturi for Surge Pressure associate administrator for NASA’s Space Mitigation,” Physical Services Inc. Phase I awards are made to small busi- Technology Mission Directorate. “Wheth- in Andover, Maryland. The project nesses to establish the merit and feasibil- er we’re landing Artemis astronauts on the seeks to develop a venturi for propel- ity of their innovations. Phase I SBIR Moon, sending rovers to Mars, or devel- lant feed systems that uses a passively contracts last for six months and Phase I oping next-generation aircraft our small controlled throat area to adjust flow STTR contracts last for 13 months. Based business partners play an important role.” rate. The adaptive venturi would be on their progress during Phase I, compa- useful in a variety of oxygen systems nies may submit proposals to subsequent More than 100 of the selected companies at NASA facilities. SBIR/STTR opportunities and receive will be first-time recipients of a NASA additional funding. SBIR or STTR contract. Additionally, 27 • “A Fact and Robust PIMPLE-Based percent of the small businesses are from Algebraic VOF (Volume of Fluid) “A Phase I award is just the first step in NASA at Home underrepresented groups, including mi- Method for Two-Phase Compress- helping these small businesses bring their nority and women-owned businesses. ible Flows,” Streamline Numerics Inc. technologies and ideas to market,” said in Gainesville, Florida. The project NASA SBIR/STTR Program Executive Companies will receive up to $125,000 seeks to develop an efficient, robust Jenn Gustetic. “We know these companies for each of the Phase I selections. SBIR computational fluid dynamics tool not only need funding, but business guid- awards are made to only a small business, that could be used in various NASA ance and industry expertise to help them while STTR awards are made to a small ground and launch systems. develop better products and grow. Our business in partnership with a non-profit program aims to help each of them in research institution. • “Advanced Computational Tools for their journeys to commercialization.” thermal and Acoustic Analysis of The selected proposals represent a range Rocket Ground Test Facilities,” Tetra The structure of NASA’s SBIR/STTR of technologies that aim to benefit human Research Corp. in Cornwall, Ver- program allows the agency to continuous- NASA STEM@Home for Students exploration, including NASA’s Artemis mont. The project seeks to develop ly invest in small businesses as their tech- program, as well as science, technology, a liquid injection analysis tool that nologies reach different maturity stages. and aeronautics. Many also have potential could be employed on NASA test The program encourages small businesses applications on Earth. facilities, which use water suppression to develop innovative ideas that meet the systems to protect test articles and federal government’s specific needs with The seven selected projects to be man- structures during testing. the potential for commercialization. aged by Stennis include five SBIR and two STTR selections. The SBIR projects are: The STTR projects to be managed by To view the NASA SBIR 2020 Phase I Stennis are: selections, visit here. • “Composite Facility Components,” Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories, LLC in • “Intelligent Sensor Systems - 2020,” To view the NASA STTR 2020 Phase I Tullahoma, Tennessee. Gloyer-Taylor Geocent, LLC in Metairie, Louisiana, selections, visit here. has developed a novel composite sys- and the University of Southern Mis- How to Draw Artemis tem for cryogen storage and transfer. sissippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. For more information about NASA’s in- This project seeks to demonstrate the The project seeks to develop a com- vestment in space technology, visit here. Page 8 LAGNIAPPE July 2020 1968 – Enabling missions in space and on Earth Note: NASA’s John C. Stennis was tapped to design, install, maintain, and operate the Space Center has played a pivotal computerized data management system for the ambitious role in the nation’s space program. BOMEX project. The following offers a glimpse into the history of the space program While the BOMEX project was being planned, Apollo and the rocket engine test center. 4, the first unmanned Saturn V flight, took place Nov. 9, 1967, followed by Apollo 6 in April 1968. The first n 1968, the then Mississippi Test Facility (MTF) was human Apollo missions launched Oct. 11, 1968, with not only looking in the sky toward the Moon but also Apollo 7. Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the Moon, Iout over the horizon at the ocean. launched in December 1968. The Apollo program was going strong, but a meteo- On Christmas Eve 1968, the Apollo 8 crew got the first rological and oceanographic project was planned, BO- look of the “Earthrise” above the Moonscape. The MEX – the Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological American people saw the Earth as they had never seen it Experiment. before, making the United States more curious about its home than ever before, giving momentum to projects like The mission of BOMEX was to better understand how BOMEX to discover more about the environment and to the atmosphere and the ocean react to each other. MTF explore the planet’s greatest mystery – the ocean.

Apollo 8 offered humans the first images of “Earthrise” as astronauts documented their orbit around the far side of the Moon in December 1968. The breahttaking photo became one of the most famous images not only of 1968 but of all time.

Hail & Farewell

NASA bids farewell to the following: Mary Horne Accountant Office of the Chief Financial Officer Page 9 LAGNIAPPE July 2020

Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity NASA names headquarters after ‘Hidden Figure’ ASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced cated in math and physical sciences, she was recruited in Organizations can take positive steps to eliminate racism June 24 that the agency’s headquarters building 1951 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in Washington, D.C., will be named after Mary which in 1958 was succeeded by NASA. She started as a here is a disturbing paradox in the For Starbucks, training was part of its bonds and greater understanding. N W. Jackson, the first African American female engineer at research mathematician who became known as one of the American workplace. As organi- immediate response to the crisis. Within NASA. human computers at Langley. She worked under fellow zations look to reap the benefits Joan Williams, founding director of the T days, Starbucks announced it would close “Hidden Figure” Dorothy Vaughan in the West Area Com- of a diverse, multicultural, and inclusive all its stores for a one-day racial bias Center for WorkLife Law at the Uni- Jackson started her NASA career in the segregated West puting Unit. workforce, the counter force of racism training program to create awareness of versity of California, recommends that Area Computing Unit of the agency’s Langley Research often under-mines the effort, creating unconscious biases, foster empathy, and organizations conduct internal research to Center in Hampton, Virginia. Jackson, a mathematician and After two years in the computing pool, Jackson received an challenges to overcome. build social connections. It used a 7-min- identify areas of possible bias, determine aerospace engineer, went on to lead programs influencing offer to work in supersonic pressure wind tunnel, where ute video titled The Story of Access that fea- what metrics can be used to measure the hiring and promotion of women in NASA’s science, she received hands-on experience conducting experiments. Binna Kandola, a business psychologist tures first-person accounts, primarily of change, and then make small changes technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. In 2019, Her supervisor eventually suggested she enter a training and author of Racism at Work: The Danger black individuals, describing the emotion- (called “bias interrupters”) to curb the she was posthumously awarded the program that would allow Jackson to of Indifference, likens racism to a virus that al and psychological toll of dealing with effects of unconscious bias. lingers because people have internal- racism on a daily basis. After watching the Congressional Gold Medal. earn a promotion from mathemati- ized racist stereotypes. “Unless we are video, managers and employees talked as Bias interrupters are tweaks to existing cian to engineer. Because the classes prepared to have a discussion about the a group about their experiences with rac- business systems, such as hiring practices, “Mary W. Jackson was part of a group were held at then-segregated Hamp- impact of stereotypes and how they affect ism and theories about race relations. performance evaluations, work assign- of very important women who helped ton High School, Jackson needed decisions that are made within organiza- ments, promotions, and compensation NASA succeed in getting American special permission to join her white tions, we are not going to make any more Organizational leaders, human resources decisions, that stop and correct implicit astronauts into space,” Bridenstine peers. progress toward eradicating racism” professionals and diversity and inclu- workplace biases. These may include said. “Mary never accepted the Kandola said. sion advocates are encouraged to work rewriting job descriptions, using software status quo, she helped break barriers Jackson completed the courses, together to create an inclusive environ- (rather than human judgment) to screen and open opportunities for African earned the promotion, and in 1958 In the workplace, racism most often man- ment where people feel safe to speak up applicants, or rethinking criteria for per- Americans and women in the field of became NASA’s first Black female ifests through microaggressions – indi- and share their concerns. Research by the formance evaluations. engineering and technology. Today, engineer. For nearly two decades, she rect, subtle or even unintentional acts of NeuroLeadership Institute (NLI) in New we proudly announce the Mary W. authored or co-authored research nu- discrimination against members of a mar- York found that when team members feel To facilitate better decision-making, NLI Jackson NASA Headquarters build- merous reports, most focused on the ginalized group. They may take the form safe discussing racism openly and explor- recommends scenario (“if-then”) plan- ing. It appropriately sits on ‘Hidden behavior of the boundary layer of air of stereotyping, “othering” or avoidance. ing whether unconscious racial biases are ning around racially charged situations. Figures Way,’ a reminder that Mary is around airplanes. In 1979, she joined “Microaggression is the modern form of negatively impacting their decisions, the Setting objective criteria for decision- one of many incredible and talented Langley’s Federal Women’s Program, racism,” said Jonathan Kanter, director of conversations are likely to have a more making helps eliminate racial profiling and professionals in NASA’s history who where she worked hard to address the Center for the Science of Connection lasting and sustainable impact. other racist behaviors. Had the Starbucks contributed to this agency’s success. the hiring and promotion of the next in Seattle. “To reduce racism, we need to manager relied less on personal judgment Hidden no more, we will continue to generation of female mathematicians, decrease microaggression.” “People often are scared to say anything and more on formal rules about when to recognize the contributions of wom- Mary Winston Jackson (1921–2005) is recognized engineers and scientists. Mary retired because they worry that if they say any- call the police, for example, the incident en, African Americans, and people as NASA’s first African American female engineer. from Langley in 1985. Seemingly innocuous questions or com- thing wrong, they might get fired,” said could have been avoided altogether. of all backgrounds who have made ments, such as asking black individuals Angela Nino, a human resources consul- NASA’s successful history of exploration possible.” In 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed the Hidden where they are from or complimenting tant and founder of Empathic Workplace Racism is bad for business on all fronts. Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act that posthumously U.S.-born Latinos on how well they speak in Chicago. “It is important to create Not only does it place a company in legal The work of the West Area Computing Unit caught wide- awarded the honor to Jackson, who passed away in 2005, as English, are considered microaggressions. a space where people feel safe to have jeopardy, but it also fosters a divisive work spread national attention in the 2016 Margot Lee Shetterly well as her “Hidden Figures” colleagues Katherine John- “It’s the surprise factor that makes these honest conversations where nobody feels culture that undermines morale, team- book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story son, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden. comments microaggressions,” Kanter singled out or different.” work and productivity. It makes it harder of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space said. “They reveal stereotypical assump- to recruit, engage, and retain diverse Race. The book also was made into a popular movie that “NASA facilities across the country are named after people tions that [minorities] must be from some Research from New York’s Center for talent; and it tarnishes an organization’s same year. who dedicated their lives to push the frontiers of the aero- other country or may not be well-educat- Talent Innovation showed that 38 percent reputation and brand. space industry,” Bridenstine said. “The nation is beginning ed.” of black professionals felt it was unac- In 2019, after a bipartisan bill made its way through to awaken to the greater need to honor the full diversity ceptable to speak out at their companies Stennis and NASA Shared Services Congress, the portion of E Street SW in front of NASA of people who helped pioneer our great nation. Over the Often, an event that generates negative about their experiences of bias. Their Center employees should stay tuned for Headquarters was renamed Hidden Figures Way. years, NASA has worked to honor the work of these Hid- publicity is a signal that an organization silence made them more vulnerable to upcoming diversity dialogue discussions den Figures in various ways. ... We know there are many has a racism problem. Starbucks faced feeling isolated and alienated and fostered and listening sessions to address employ- “We are honored that NASA continues to celebrate the other people of color and diverse backgrounds who have a public relations nightmare when two greater turnover and disengagement. ee feelings and concerns as a result of the legacy of our mother and grandmother Mary W. Jackson,” contributed to our success, which is why we’re continuing black patrons were videotaped being ar- Leaders who responded to racist incidents current social unrest. said, Carolyn Lewis, Jackson’s daughter. “She was a scien- the conversations started about a year ago with the agency’s rested at a Philadelphia store, ostensibly were viewed more positively by black, tist, humanitarian, wife, mother, and trailblazer who paved Unity Campaign. NASA is dedicated to advancing diversity, for trespassing. Their only “crime” was white, Hispanic, and Asian professionals. Information in this article came from www.shrm. the way for thousands of others to succeed, not only at and we will continue to take steps to do so.” sitting at a table without making a pur- The ensuing discussions between team org and Taking Steps to Eliminate Racism in NASA, but throughout this nation.” chase while waiting for a friend. leaders and team members led to stronger the Workplace by Arlene Hirsch. For more on Mary W. Jackson, the Hidden Figures, and Jackson was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia. Edu- today’s Modern Figures, visit here.