National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Volume 54 Number 2 February 3, 2012 Snow study resumes By Beth Hagenaur orbiting pattern over the CARE Dryden Public Affairs site. A Cessna Citation operated NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory by the University of North Dakota resumed flying Jan. 26 in NASA’s joined the aerial orbit that included Global Precipitation Measurement repeated spiral descents and climbs. Cold-season Precipitation Sites around CARE are heavily Experiment, or GCPEx, snow study. instrumented to collect snow and The goal of the more than six- water measurements. hour night flight was to collect In addition to the CARE ground precipitation bands over the network of snow gauges, sensors Environment Centre for Atmospheric and measurements from aircraft, Research Experiments, or CARE, advanced ground radars will scan located in Egbert, Ontario, Canada. the entire air column from the About 35 passes were made over the clouds to the Earth’s surface. CARE site in inclement weather, Among scientists aboard a second with freezing rain and strong winds science flight Jan. 21 was Gail Skofronick-Jackson, GPM deputy forcing the flight crew to change EC98 44444-007 NASA Photo by Carla Thomas the flight patterns to increase data project scientist at NASA Goddard After a couple of days off due to weather conditions and media outreach, collection. in Greenbelt, Md. NASA’s DC-8 flying lab is continuing flights in NASA’s GCPEx snow study. The GCPEx field experiment will “We took a short flight to measure help scientists match measurements validation scientist at NASA’s Laboratory and the Conical surface information over our of snow in the air and on the ground Wallops Flight Facility in Scanning Millimeter-wave Imaging GCPEx field campaign region. It is with the satellite’s measurements. Virginia. “These properties Radiometer, or CoSMIR, developed important to know what our surface “We are looking at the precipitation affect both how we interpret and by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight ‘looks like’ with our instruments for and the physics of precipitation, such improve our measurements.” Center were operated during the clear-air conditions because we can as snowflake types, sizes, shapes, The Airborne Precipitation first science flight Jan. 19. Asa ‘subtract’ the surface signal when numbers and water content,” said Radar-2, or APR-2, developed small low-pressure system moved Walter Petersen, the GPM ground by NASA’s Jet Propulsion across the area, the DC-8 flew an See Study, page 8 Gulfstream III deployment is complete By Beth Hagenauer intended to help scientists better Dryden Public Affairs understand processes occurring NASA’s Gulfstream III under Earth’s surface. environmental research aircraft The airborne study was returned to the Dryden Aircraft conducted from an altitude of Operations Facility Jan. 14 following 40,000 feet using the Uninhabited an eight-day deployment to Hawaii. Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture NASA Photo by Troy Asher Five flights totaling more than 31 Radar, or UAVSAR, developed by Although lava is not flowing from the Halema’uma’u Crater, smoke and steam hours allowed scientists to collect continue to rise into the air above the caldera. Lava flows from Kilauea’s east rift radar imaging data about volcanoes See Deployment, page 8 zone, the most active part of Kilauea, as it has since 1983. www.nasa.gov/ X-Press February 3, 2012 X-Press February 3, 2012 Passion led Meyer to long career Crossfield Drive unveiled News By Jay Levine of a career that has included a num- Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, X-Press Editor ber of groundbreaking projects and commander of the Air Force Flight When Robert R. “Bob” Meyer Jr. administrative positions at Dryden. Test Center at Edwards Air Force at NASA talks to students about careers, he As manager of the SOFIA pro- Base, and base dignitaries dedicated tells them to follow their passions, gram, to which he was appointed in a street to honor legendary pilot A. Strain set to match those with the skills they have 2006, he was responsible for overall Scott Crossfield Jan. 18. and look for opportunities. In addi- development and preparation for The former Crest Drive was leave GSFC tion, he tells them that their attitude operational service of the observa- renamed Crossfield Drive at its Robert Strain, who has served determines their altitude, or how far tory, which features a German-built intersection with Doolittle Parkway as center director at NASA’s they will get along their career path. 2.5-meter, or 98-inch, infrared tele- near the base housing area. Goddard Space Flight Center That’s sage advice that Meyer has scope mounted in a highly modified As a NACA test pilot Crossfield in Greenbelt, Md., since August lived by. It has served him well, as he Boeing 747SP aircraft. To succeed, he became the first pilot to reach Mach 2008, announced his plans retired from Dryden on Feb. 3, just had to navigate the program through 2 – twice the speed of sound – in to leave the agency on March a few days after the 40th anniversary a gauntlet of costs, politics, delays the Douglas D-558-II rocket plane 4, 2012. Strain has accepted of his arrival at the center as a coop- and technical challenges at the start. on Nov. 20, 1953. He flew more a senior executive position in erative education student. As acting deputy center director, rocket-powered flights in the X-1 private industry. Meyer retired as manager of the ED10 0298-10 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida Meyer was looking at the SOFIA and D-558-II – 87 in all – during Strain had a critical role in the Stratospheric Observatory for Infra- Bob Meyer, program manager of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for as a potential fit for Dryden’s capa- a five-year stint as a research pilot new alignment and planning for red Astronomy, or SOFIA, program, Infrared Astronomy, highlights some of the technical features of the German- at the NACA’s High-Speed Flight the James Webb Space Telescope, but that only reveals a small sample built infrared telescope mounted inside the SOFIA 747SP. See Meyer, page 7 Station – now Dryden – at Edwards ED12 0027-34 NASA photo by Tony Landis NASA’s next-generation space from 1950 through 1955. Above, Air Force Flight Test Center commander Brig. Gen. Robert Nolan observatory. Also during his Crossfield later helped design the and base officials unveil the Crossfield Drive street sign Jan. 18. Below, Ed tenure, several Goddard- cockpit of the famed X-15 rocket Schneider talks about A. Scott Crossfield’s accomplishments. Vechil helped to make Dryden safer plane while employed by North managed missions, including the American Aviation in the late 1950s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, By Jay Levine people need them,” Vechil said. and flew the first 14 developmental the Solar Dynamics Observatory, X-Press Editor Then safety chief Tom Ambrose demonstration flight tests of the craft and the Suomi NPP mission How to be safe and secure and agreed to purchase the Conex boxes, before it was turned over to the Air were successfully launched. what it takes to be so are always which essentially are locker boxes Force and NASA for the joint X-15 Strain provided essential changing and it takes vigilance to that contain disaster preparedness hypersonic flight research program. oversight for the final space stay focused on maintaining high equipment and supplies. The Conex Retired Dryden research shuttle servicing mission to the standards. boxes are spread over the center to pilot Edward Schneider in two Hubble Space Telescope during Emergency manager Jack Vechil provide immediate supplies of water presentations, one at Dryden, STS-125 in May 2009. retired Feb. 1 after more than 15 and medical essentials in the event of detailed Crossfield’s contributions Prior to joining NASA, years in safety and security positions an emergency. to the advancement of aeronautics Strain was the head of the at Dryden. Vechil knows more than Some examples of the kinds and flight research, calling Space Department at the Johns a thing or two about safety, as prior of events that change safety and Crossfield “a humble man whose Hopkins University Applied to coming to Dryden he served in security include when emergency accomplishments spoke volumes.” Physics Lab in Laurel, Md. the U.S. Navy on vessels that may management moved from the ED12 0027-64 NASA photo by Tony Landis have carried a major safety concern center’s safety organization to – nuclear weapons. Protective Services after the Sept. While most of the safety and 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he New messaging system begins this month ED08 0183-04 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida security threats here are not as said. Another example is new A new tool that provides messages affecting their specific health benefit includes three phases: messages to targeted audiences Jack Vechil and Leah Carreno were preparing for the center’s involvement in intense as his previous work place, construction methods and materials for individual NASA employees, coverage; and annual messages Phase I – Establishes the within the author’s center. one value that he brought with him a Southern California disaster preparedness exercise at the Dryden Emergency that might change safety procedures capability for NSSC HR specialists Some of the HRMES key features Operations Center in 2008. called the Human Resources normally sent to NASA employees. from his Navy career is that people and requirements. People’s thinking Messaging System, or HRMES, is Initially, HRMES provides the to draft messages, set audience include: can be enabled to be a vital part of Navy designation that signifies his improving the center’s emergency has to change with the new methods premiering in February. NSSC the ability to write, review, filters, assign appropriate review/ Ability to send messages to their own safety. management, leadership and team communications by moving from to avoid complacency and avoid HRMES is intended to permit approve and distribute messages approval officials, and send targeted audiences; electronically For example, on the ships building skills. satellite radios to satellite phones. accidents, he said. the NASA Shared Services Center to targeted audiences based upon messages to NASA employees on a creates e-mail address lists; delivers where Vechil served, everyone was Those skills were on display “It was a challenging job and lots Human nature is to become to send Human Resources-related personnel data currently contained one-time or automated basis once and archives messages; provides responsible for safety. Considering immediately when Vechil came to of fun,” he said. comfortable and complacent, even messages via e-mail and postings to and updated in the NASA the final approval is documented in two ways to receive messages; and some of the ship’s cargo, it was work here. His contributions to Shortly after Vechil came to when it comes to safety and security. the Human Resources Portal. Organizational Profile System, or HRMES. reminders to employees directly a topic that had crewmembers Dryden have included placement Dryden in 1996 he saw a problem An example of that is how the Messaging examples include: NOPS, database. The messages Phase II – Allows for additional affected by specific HR changes. attention, he added. He served of the emergency white Conex with distribution of supplies if East Coast NASA centers annually notices to employees approaching can be sent once, or scheduled to message categories and filters to The new HRMES system will 12 years active duty and 19 years boxes with a blue stripe around there was a disaster on base and practice in case a hurricane, tornado significant anniversary dates as it automatically deploy to an updated support other NSSC HR activities. soon be available at: https://hr.nasa. in the reserves. He retired as a the center, the establishment of an people at Dryden needed them. applies to retirement options; notices list selected by the message author. Phase III - Allows centers access gov/portal/server.pt/community/ See Vechil, page 6 master chief petty officer, an E-9 Emergency Operations Center and “Supplies need to be where to employees on benefit changes The HRMES deployment to write, review, approve and send human_resources_portal_home X-Press February 3, 2012 X-Press February 3, 2012

of Art the ER-2 By Beth Hagenauer Dryden Public Affairs NASA’s ER-2 Earth Resources aircraft No. 809 hasn’t taken to the ED11 0321-64 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida air since June. The aircraft sits in the vast Dryden Aircraft Operations The ER-2 is in pieces, but will resume flight Facility hangar in Palmdale, literally in pieces, preparing for the day it later this year. will be ready to return to the skies. As NASA ER-2 project manager Robert Navarro said, “The maintenance crew basically took the plane apart.” The aircraft, which has amassed 4,633 flight hours since it was built in 1989, is undergoing what is called modified periodic maintenance. A team of Dryden aircraft mechanics and technicians has removed the tail, the nose, the wings’ upper skins and placed the plane on jacks – all to ensure the structural soundness and airworthiness of the 22- year old airframe. NASA and Computer Sciences Corp. personnel are completing the inspection and repair work in-house. NASA operates two ER-2s that undergo routine inspections based on number of flight hours flown. The inspections vary in degrees of complexity. It has been about 10 years since ER-2 No. 809 has been inspected in this amount of detail. Technicians are looking for corrosion, checking for leaks in the fuel tanks and removing wiring from previous science projects that is no longer needed. In addition, some older wiring is being replaced by Teflon-coated wiring to ensure ED11 0321-32 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida flight viability long into the future. A number of improvements are planned for the airframe and this Above, twin air inspection offers the opportunity to incorporate upgrades as simple inlets on each side of the fuselage of as changing to a new type of screw. More complex activities include a NASA ER-2 cutting and removing pieces of metal to be replaced by new, stronger converge at the ED11 0321-48 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida brackets. engine’s front fan. With the pilot’s seat out, the photograher stood Although the wings were not removed, the wing root where the inside the cockpit for this unique perspective. wings attach to the fuselage is being thoroughly inspected. The upper At left, the for- halves of the wing skins were removed for examination of the fuel lines ward fuselage of and tanks and replacement of sealant. NASA ER-2 No. Dryden ER-2 pilots are looking forward to putting ER-2 No. 809 809 is missing its through a functional flight check in the spring. Scientists will again nose, canopy and begin loading the aircraft with instruments that are carried aboard instrumentation to altitudes of up to 70,000 feet, so high that the pilot can see the that were removed during major curvature of the Earth, for a variety of environmental science and maintenance and satellite instrument verification missions. inspection. The ER-2s are two of a suite of NASA Airborne Science Program research aircraft Dryden operates. The other aircraft include a DC-8 ED11 0321-34 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida flying laboratory, a Gulfstream III and two remotely operated Global ED11 0321-10 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida The rear fuselage of NASA’s ER-2 No. 809, the area that holds the engine’s ED11 0321-42 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida Hawks. exhaust pipe, resembles an aluminum cave in this front-to-back view. Wiring access is gained with the panel removed. X-Press February 3, 2012 X-Press February 3, 2012 Nichols recalls Trek, meeting with King Meyer... from page 2 Meyer and Bohn-Meyer had guidance system, and studies of By Jay Levine a big way that led to my career in bilities. It also was an opportunity been flying in research aircraft such laminar (smooth) air flow involving X-Press Editor science and technology. I think the to diversify the center’s portfolio as the F-14, and they had the op- F-111, F-14 and F-15 aircraft. Nichelle Nichols has warped to crew of the Enterprise inspired all of of work. At the time, aeronautics, portunity to receive pressure suit From 1972 to 1975, Meyer many worlds as Lt. Uhura in the us and Lt. Uhura was a part of that which was projected to decrease, training to support F-104 flights was a student in the cooperative Star Trek television show of the special crew,” McBride said. accounted for about 70 percent of after Horton and Young retired. education program between Purdue 1960s. McBride also spoke about the Dryden’s work. Meyer and Bohn-Meyer, who University, West Lafayette, Ind., However, her real-life adventures inspiration the series provided to The SOFIA program was in trou- were husband and wife, flew and Dryden. One of his projects have taken her to where no one people seeking careers in science, ble and had lost the confidence of aerobatic aircraft competitively and was aerodynamic drag reduction has gone before in advocacy for technology, engineering and NASA Headquarters, the science were friends with many of the pilots. study on ground vehicles with Ed NASA and helping to inspire – and mathematics to develop some of the community, the German partners For those reasons, the transition to Saltzman. Meyer noted the truck encourage – women and multi- high-tech items seen on the show. and others, he said. There was doubt flight crew, as additional tasks to studies had a significant impact on cultural astronaut candidates to “We are seeing things like that the flying observatory would their main jobs, went well. In 1994 long distance trucking fuel efficiency apply. Her influence led to NASA electronic readers and wireless ever capture the first image using Meyer was a member of the U.S. and he saw the results of the effort choosing astronauts such as Mae communicators. The first place we the German telescope that was de- Aerobatic Team that represented on aerodynamic trucks as he drove Jemison, who became the first black saw that was on the bridge of the livered and in the plane, but not EC96 43525-9 the United States in the biennial to work. woman in space, and current NASA Enterprise and Lt. Uhura was in close to flying. NASA Photo by Tony Landis World Aerobatic Championships Meyer graduated from Purdue Administrator Charlie Bolden. charge of it (communications),” Meyer organized a Dryden risk ED12 0013-25 NASA Photo by Tom Tschida in Hungary and ultimately flew in with a Bachelor of Science in aero- Nichols spoke about some of her McBride said. assessment team that looked at a Flight engineers Marta Bohn-Meyer Nichelle Nichols talks with some of her fans after her presentation at Dryden. three world championships. nautics and astronautics engineering experiences – including a meeting Since her days as Lt. Uhura, she list of the threats to the program, and Bob Meyer and pilots Eddie When the SR-71, another A-12 in 1975. From 1976 to 1978 Meyer with civil rights leader Martin Martin Luther King asked to meet a world as King envisioned in his has been an advocate for NASA’s starting with how to develop con- Schneider and Rogers Smith flew variant, came to Dryden in the was on a two-year temporary assign- Luther King – during a tour of Nichols. She was told her biggest famous “I Have a Dream” speech missions: “That’s what our tax fidence that the aircraft would take the SR-71s in high-speed research early 1990s, Meyer and Bohn- ment at the NASA Langley Research Dryden Jan. 10. She also toured the fan wanted to meet her and Nichols delivered in 1963. dollars do. These missions show flight and deliver on the promise of experiments. From top to bottom are Meyer asked then chief pilot Bill Center, Hampton, Va., as a test en- Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility was astonished to find out it was Nichols went to Roddenberry what mankind can dream of, ground breaking infrared astronomy Smith, Schneider, Meyer and Bohn- Dana if they could be considered gineer in the eight-foot transonic in Palmdale. King. to rescind her resignation and mankind can do,” she said. observations. As part of the analy- Meyer. for the SR-71 flight test engineer pressure wind tunnel. Meyer carried Following her first year on the King, who would have been 83 he shed a tear at her retelling Nichols said she feels an sis, Dryden’s Brad Neal was detailed cal challenge was the controller that positions and Dana agreed. They out wind tunnel investigations of television series she told Star Trek Jan. 15, was passionate about the of her conversation with King. obligation – and joy – to support to L-3 Communications in Waco, opened and closed the door over the served as flight crewmembers with winglets and the Citation III busi- creator Gene Roddenberry that she importance of Nichols’ role on Star Roddenberry told Nichols that he human spaceflight and space probes Texas, where the aircraft was under- cavity where the telescope is housed the Dryden SR-71 program until it ness aircraft under the supervision was resigning from her role as Uhura Trek. When she told him of her was happy that people were seeing to study the universe. going modernization. in the aft of the aircraft. Dryden en- ended in 1999. of famed Langley aerospace engineer and she intended to return to her plan to leave the show, King told her what he was trying to achieve with “NASA belongs to me. We have A proposal was developed to con- gineers who were assigned to fly on Tragically, Marta Bohn-Meyer, Richard Whitcomb. first love – Broadway. Roddenberry Star Trek had value to the future, as the Star Trek series. not only the opportunity, but the duct the program and steps were the aircraft with contract personnel who was Dryden’s chief engineer, In 2008, Dryden employees asked Nichols to reconsider over the it showed people of many nations Dryden Center Director David duty to keep the space program laid out as to how to get to the first helped resolve the issues. Dryden perished in a 2005 accident in the selected Meyer as one of Dryden’s weekend. and cultures working together side McBride said in his introductory viable where no man or woman has science flights. An independent re- is known for its aircraft integration custom-built aerobatic aircraft they most influential driving forces. Fate intervened. While speaking by side. Star Trek showed a future remarks that he was one of those gone before,” she said. view concluded Dryden could do work and this was a problem for designed. Nominators described Meyer as “a at a National Association for the where people where judged solely inspired by the original Star Trek. She considers one of her greatest the work and the SOFIA program visionary,” as “hard-working and Advancement of Colored People, on the content of their character “I was influenced watching Star management became the center’s re- which center engineers were ideally Prior to his appointment as the fair” and “a gifted pilot.” or NAACP event, civil rights leader and not by their differences – such Trek growing up and I think in See Nichols, page 8 sponsibility and he was asked to lead suited to resolve, he said. SOFIA program manager, Meyer it, Meyer said. He didn’t hesitate when respond- was associate director for Programs Meyer has written or co-authored Accurate schedules and making ing to a question about his best day from 2004 through 2006. He pre- more than two dozen reports and ... from page 2 Vechil milestones would be the first steps to at work – that was his first flight in viously held management positions professional papers. or other natural disaster strikes. if an earthquake hits. Even during In that way, Vechil said Dryden’s senior management to discuss the reestablishing confidence in the pro- the triple-supersonic SR-71 Black- including acting deputy center di- As he closes the chapter on his On the West Coast, however, the Great Shakeout exercise in 2008 Safety Days could be used to implications of the requirements. An gram. Networking with NASA part- bird aircraft. rector, director of aerospace proj- work life, he has a rich retirement NASA conducts annual disaster the emergency was understated in educate employees on issues close oversight committee was created and ners at Ames Research Center, NASA His first project at Dryden, as a ects and director of Research Engi- planned with travel and getting drills, but they are not as intense as terms of how bad it could be. to home like the establishment and the Emergency Operations Center Headquarters, the German partners full time engineer, was researching neering. his wrench moving to complete they should be, Vechil said. Why? Vechil recommends for people upkeep of a family emergency plan. was prepared in Building 4850. and the science community was an- why the ventral fin ripped away Earlier in his career, Meyer served restoration of two 1950s Corvettes There are fewer major earthquakes, in the more remote desert areas of Another change in safety and The new challenge, especially with other key goal. from the YF-12, a variant of the as chief of the Research Engineering and begin work on a third. He also building codes in the U.S. are more Los Angeles and Kern counties to security during Vechil’s career Vechil’s departure, is to simplify the When the aircraft arrived at Lockheed A-12 design. He dreamed Aerodynamics Branch and chief plans to complete the refurbishment stringent that other countries and be prepared with enough food and here is the establishment of an Emergency Operations Center and Dryden in 2007, Meyer organized a about what it would be like flying engineer on the F-18 High Angle of a Beech Staggerwing aircraft. there is no designated earthquake water for seven days, as immediate Emergency Operations Center, a streamline training needed to run it ceremony that marked a new start the Blackbird, a path he later pur- of Attack research project that “I had an awesome career at season, he said. For those reasons, help and supplies will be sent to place where disaster planning and in an emergency, he added. for the program and helped reaffirm sued. produced information to improve Dryden and I can’t think of any disasters are not on the top of more populous areas. recovery could begin in the case of Vechil’s thoughts are now support. People were also able to see Later in his career, he and Mar- maneuverability of future aircraft place I would have rather worked!” people’s minds on the West Coast People need to be prepared to a major event. turning to the clear, blue waters the aircraft and that it was indeed ta Bohn-Meyer, also hired as a that use thrust vectoring at high Meyer said. until they are in one. be safe at home, but also to think At a management meeting at of Lake Havasu. Born and raised flying. Dryden engineer, found themselves angle of attack. While retirement beckons for That thinking extends to Dryden about security issues, such as not Stennis Space Center, Vechil first in Bakersfield, Vechil and his wife, Technically, the program was re- with a unique opportunity. The He also led aerodynamic loads now, don’t be too surprised to see employees, he said. Although Dryden allowing bushes to give potential received stacks of documents Cindy, plan to raise their daughter aligned and contracts reworked to retirement of Vic Horton and Ray tests on the space shuttle thermal Meyer consulting for Dryden or is well prepared for an emergency, burglars cover to get in the house, about the requirements for NASA Caitlyn with a view of the lake ensure that partners were contribut- Young left no qualified flight test protective tile system prior to the first elsewhere in the aeronautics field Vechil said he is concerned that make sure the lighting is good and centers in an emergency. Vechil from the family’s new home in Lake ing based on their skills and special- engineers for supporting Dryden space shuttle mission, development because to him it’s not just a job, it’s people are not as prepared at home the doors are locked, he said. requested a meeting with Dryden Havasu City, Ariz. ties, Meyer said. The biggest techni- research flights. of a real-time cockpit trajectory a way of life. X-Press February 3, 2012

Study... from page 1 we are observing falling snow,” said clear-air surfaces), then you weigh flying above the clouds while the the mission, now scheduled to end Skofronick-Jackson. yourself holding the luggage (snow Citation and a Canadian National Feb. 29, the DC-8 also will fly over “It’s like trying to weigh your falling over the surfaces), finally Research Council Convair 580 fly blizzards along the northeastern luggage to make sure that it is under you subtract the two leaving just through the clouds and measure United States. 50 pounds so you don’t get charged the luggage weight (only the falling the microphysical properties of the For more information about extra at the airport,” she added. snow signal).” raindrops and snowflakes inside. GCPEx, visit: http://pmm.nasa. “First you weigh yourself (like During GCPEx the DC-8 is If the opportunity exists during gov/GCPEx

Deployment... from page 1

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory the reliability of the aircraft and called interferometry that sends The UAVSAR’s first data and mounted in a pod under the the radar equipment enabled the pulses of microwave energy from the acquisition over this region was in aircraft. The study focused on the research team to accomplish most sensor on the aircraft to the ground January 2010. Dryden engineers Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of their planned science data to detect and measure very subtle designed the Platform Precision of Hawaii, the state’s most active collection flight lines. deformations in Earth’s surface. Autopilot, which assisted pilots on volcano, although science data “We had one day off, and used The radar data collected during this mission to repeat the flight paths flight lines were flown over nearby that time to do a little touring on the mission will be analyzed over over the volcano from May 2011. The volcanoes including Mauna Loa, the island to see firsthand some the next few weeks to determine two sets of observations successfully Mauna Kea, Hualalai and Kohala. of what we were observing from if significant ground movement imaged the surface deformation NASA research pilot Troy Asher 40,000 feet,” he added. or deformation is occurring in the caused by the March 2011 fissure reported that good weather and The UAVSAR uses a technique active volcanic areas. eruption in Kilauea’s east rift zone.

Nichols... from page 6 accomplishments helping to open Nichols to NASA Headquarters astronaut candidates. As a result, woman in space aboard the shuttle the door for the first women and the next day. They wanted her to NASA selected five women, three Endeavour in September 1992. multi-cultural candidates to become assist them in persuading women African-American men and an Jemison also has the distinction astronauts. and people of ethnic backgrounds Asian. Two of her better-known of being the first real astronaut to In a speech in Washington, that NASA was serious about recommendations for recruitment have a role in a Star Trek series – D.C., Nichols criticized NASA for recruiting them. “I said you’ve got were NASA’s current administrator she appeared in Star Trek: The Next failing to select qualified women to be joking; I didn’t take them and Jemison. Generation. and minority candidates for the seriously,” she said. Bolden flew as pilot or Ivor Dawson, president of the astronaut corps and she gave some John Yardley, who was involved commander on four space shuttle Traveling Space Museum educational examples of qualified people who in all NASA’s manned space flights missions and served in a number of organization with which Nichols is had applied but were rejected up for almost two decades, directed the NASA positions before his selection involved, facilitated Nichols’ visit to five times. NASA was having teams that built the capsules for the as NASA administrator in 2009. to Dryden. The museum provides their fifth or sixth recruitment, initial Mercury and Gemini mission Jemison’s first application to be hands-on science and space-related but women and ethnic minorities and was a key manager for the an astronaut in 1983 was rejected, educational activities to schools. felt they were disenfranchised and development of the space shuttles, but after Nichols asked if she still Nichols’ Uhura inspired. Now her stopped applying, she said. assured her it was not a joke. was interested, Jemison applied education work encourages people NASA officials attending her She accepted the request and she a second time in 1987 and was to boldly go and discover their speech responded by inviting succeeded at attracting excellent chosen. She became the first black dreams.

National Aeronautics and The X-Press is published the first Friday of each month for civil servants, contractors and Space Administration retirees of the Dryden Flight Research Center. Dryden Flight Research Center P.O. Box 273 Address: P.O. Box 273, Building 4839 Edwards, CA 93523-0273 Edwards, CA 93523-0273 Official Business Phone: 661-276-3449 Penalty for Private Use, $300 FAX: 661-276-3566

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