NASA Armstrong X-Press April 2020
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration Volume 62 Number 3 April 2020 AFRC2020-0058-032 NASA/Carla Thomas NASA Armstrong engineer Mike Buttigieg works on an oxygen hood system prototype worn by Dr. Daniel Khodabakhsh from the Antelope Valley Hospital. The hood is designed to help coronavirus patients who don’t yet need a ventilator, but who are experiencing breathing troubles. The hood forces oxygen into patients with mild coronavirus symptoms, minimizing the likelihood that the patient will need to use a ventilator. Lending a hand Center assists community COVID-19 response www.nasa.gov/ Return to center plans begin, page 2 X-Press April 2020 Successful partnership By Teresa Whiting next week at TSC’s Faith Facility in NASA Armstrong Public Affairs Mojave. NASA Armstrong has joined “I’ve been inspired by the forces with an Antelope Valley teamwork shown by the Antelope task force to build medical devices Valley task force in response to the to help patients with coronavirus. challenge of COVID-19. Now more Armstrong partnered with than ever, it is crucial that we share Antelope Valley Hospital, knowledge, skills and collaborate,” Lancaster, Virgin Galactic, said Virgin Galactic CEO George The Spaceship Company and Whitesides. “By producing several Antelope Valley College to innovative health solutions for develop innovative ideas to solve regional hospitals over a few possible shortages of critical weeks, we are protecting health medical equipment. care workers on the front lines “NASA is more than scientists, while improving patient care. It is engineers and explorers. We truly showing the best of American are neighbors and members of public-private cooperation.” AFRC2020-0059-024 NASA/Carla Thomas communities across the country,” The device, developed byNASA engineer Mike Buttigieg works on the Aerospace Valley Positive Pres- said NASA Administrator Jim NASA engineer Mike Buttigieg, sure Helmet, a device successfully tested by Antelope Valley Hospital doctors. Bridenstine. “In a time like this, is an oxygen hood for COVID-19 The Spaceship Company and Armstrong began producing 500 helmets and it’s critical that we contribute the patients exhibiting minor submitted a request April 22 for FDA emergency use authorization. vast expertise of our workforce symptoms and will minimize the to do all we can to help our need for those patients to use Technologist David Voracek. Parker said. “In doing so, the neighbors, our communities and ventilators. The device functions NASA engineer Allen Parker health provider can freely work the nation.” like a continuous positive airway and this team at Armstrong around the patient outside the This task force is working pressure (CPAP) machine to designed a canopy that protects canopy with minimal risk.” closely with medical professionals force oxygen into a patient’s low- health care workers by safely The ingenuity and teamwork at the hospital to provide functioning lungs. covering COVID-19 patients displayed by NASA employees, alternative solutions to needed “We looked across our center’s while still allowing health care along with their task force equipment that is not available expertise in innovation, engineering, providers access to the patients to partners while in quarantine, for a large-scale emergency. design and fabrication of unique provide care. may help in prepare for future One of their first efforts was to systems, to bring NASA knowledge “The patient will be located emergencies that affect the nation. build a prototype oxygen hood and people together to collaborate inside this canopy where aerosol Learn more about NASA’s efforts that has now proven to work for on solving the needs and challenges viral contaminants will be to aid in the national response to the doctors at the hospital. The brought about by the COVID-19 vacuumed out through a viral COVID-19 at https://www.nasa. production of 500 will begin situation,” said Armstrong Chief filter located within the canopy,” gov/coronavirus. Preliminary return to center plans begin By Jay Levine chiefs, project managers and watching out for complacency. for an extended period, including X-Press editor other supervisors focused on “Employee health is the center’s employees with high risk family The Armstrong Executivewhat they should consider as top priority and the guiding members or other high-risk Leadership Team is developing they begin detailed planning for principle for planning our return persons in their care. High-risk preliminary plans for when it is resuming on center work. to the center is having employees personnel who want to return safe to begin bringing groups of One of the central themes was continue to telework as much as to the center may be able to employees back to the center. all employees need to remain possible,” Graham said. “This is get conditional approval based Glenn Graham, Armstrong’s flexible and vigilant with respect to ensure social distancing and to on additional mitigations and Safety and Mission Assurance to COVID-19 mitigation minimize close contact between depending on their place of work director, and Dr. Dwight Peake, measures. Other key takeaways employees.” Additionally, he asked and type of work. Armstrong’s chief medical officer included the importance of supervisors to tell their people “if The decision to return to and flight surgeon, discussed sharing best practices among you feel sick, don’t come to work, Armstrong will include federal, safety and medical activities branches, warning each other and if you start to feel sick at work state and agency guidance plus during an Armstrong Center about close calls and practices to go home.” local threat conditions. People Management Board (CMB) April that don’t work well, holding High-risk populations should 22. The meeting with branch each other accountable and expect to continue teleworking Preliminary plans, page 3 X-Press April 2020 Preliminary plans... from page 2 should expect a risk-based, News phased approach to re-entering Armstrong in accordance with the at NASA agency’s pandemic framework. For example, as the center moves from Stage 4 back to Stage 3, then Stage 2 and more and more Hubble groups of employees will gradually be allowed onto the center and now 30 the remaining employees will continue to telework. Thirty years ago, on April 24, Before any project work 1990, Hubble was carried aloft resumes at Armstrong there are from NASA’s Kennedy Space a series of actions needed. It will Center in Florida aboard the take about a week for facilities, space shuttle Discovery, along with a five-astronaut crew. information technology, safety NASA/Bill Werner and security personnel to come Deployed into Earth orbit a in to prepare the center. Work social distancing criteria can be met. NASA elevated every center day later, the telescope opened includes items such as flushing If not, they will need to determine to Stage 2 March 14, when the a new eye onto the cosmos that water lines, checking heating, other ways to keep their employees agency strongly encouraged has been transformative for ventilation and air conditioning safe, like limiting the number of employees to telework. NASA our civilization. systems, cleaning facilities, people at one time in labs and leadership decided to move to Hubble is revolutionizing making sure networks are up and offices, rearranging furniture orStage 3 March 17, which dictated modern astronomy, not only running and conducting grounds mandating mask usage. Each one mandatory telework and allowed for scientists, but also by taking maintenance. of these options presents challenges, only mission essential personnel the public on a wondrous Also, the center will ensure and for this reason people can to access Armstrong. The center journey of exploration and adequate personal protective expect a mix of on-site and off-site moved to Stage 4 March 24, which discovery. Hubble’s never- equipment (PPE) and cleaning work to continue through the end remains in effect, due to rising ending, breathtaking celestial and sanitizing supplies are of the fiscal year, Graham said. number of COVID-19 cases in snapshots provide a visual available. Finally, there will have After the presentation, Graham the area and to comply with local, shorthand for Hubble’s top to be adequate COVID-19 and Peake answered questions state and federal guidelines. scientific achievements. Unlike testing capability available before posed by the supervisors and they NASA’s Ames Research Center any space telescope before work resumes. reiterated that this set of challenges in California and Marshall Space it, Hubble made astronomy Supervisors were asked at the is uncharted territory. For that Center in Alabama were the first relevant, engaging and CMB to survey work areas before reason, people should expect local two centers to go to Stage 3 after accessible for people of all ages. their employees arrive to confirm guidance to change often based on employees at those centers tested Hubble’s top accomplish- PPE availability and ensure that conditions and lessons learned. positive for COVID-19. ments include measuring the expansion and acceleration rate of the universe; finding 3 former center employees pass that black holes are common among galaxies; characterizing Three former center employees the center at age 19. On his first for phone and computer network the atmospheres of planets recently passed. day he met Connie, who also had infrastructure. around other stars; monitoring started her first day as an intern People who knew him said he weather changes on planets John Bosworth in Human Resources. They were had an exemplary work ethic, was across our solar system; John Bosworth, a former center married for 32 years. loyal, had a gentle nature, and was and looking back in time aerospace engineer, passed April Friends said he represented the cheerful, respectful and funny. across 97% of the universe 22. He was 59. best of the best and was kind, to chronicle the birth and Bosworth worked at the center patient and calm.