Inside Wallops National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia Volume XIX-98 Number 27 July 27, 1998 Astronaut Alan Shepard Dies at Age 74 Wallops Shorts Mercury and Apollo Astronaut Alan B. Aircraft Office Chief Appointed Shepard, Jr., the first American to travel Arnold Torres, Director of Suborbital in space and only one of 12 humans Projects and Operations, has announced who have walked on the Moon, died the appointment of John T. Riley as early July 22 at age 74. Chief of the Aircraft Office (Code 830) effective June 21, 1998. A former Navy test pilot and one of the original seven Mercury astronauts Balloon Launch named by NASA in 1959, Shepard died A 29.47 million cubic foot NASA in his sleep at Community Hospital near scientific balloon was successfully Monterey, CA. launched July 18 from Palestine, TX. The 6 hour, 49 minute flight was an Shepard became the first American in engineering test of TOPHAT launch space on May 5, 1961 riding a Redstone procedures. The principal investigator rocket on a 15-minute suborbital flight was Erich Klein, National Scientific that took him and his Freedom 7 Balloon Facility. Mercury capsule 115 miles in altitude and 302 miles downrange from Cape Emergency Medical Canaveral, FL. Alan Shepard getting into the Mercury Wallops Fire Department EMTs capsule Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961, responded to two calls for mutual aid Buoyed by the overwhelming response carrying him on a suborbital flight from Accomack County 911. On July to Shepard’s flight, President John F. which made him the first American in 18 personnel responded with an Kennedy set the nation on a course to space. ambulance to a residence on the the Moon, declaring before a joint Americans explored the lunar surface. Chincoteague Road to assist an asthma session of Congress just three weeks Shepard was named to command the attack patient. EMTs responded to a call later, “I believe this nation should Apollo 14 mission and on Feb. 5, 1971 in Oak Hall for a patient with shortness commit itself to achieving the goal, became the fifth man to walk on the of breath on July 19. before the decade is out, of landing a Moon. man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” Only four of the original seven Mercury astronauts are now living: Walter Nearby Star Cluster Yields Over a three and a half-year period from Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Scott Insights Into Early Universe July 1969 to December 1972, a dozen Carpenter, and John Glenn. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has taken a “family portrait” of young, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin on the ultra-bright stars nested in their Death of Alan Shepard embryonic cloud of glowing gases. The “The entire NASA family is deeply saddened by the passing of Alan Shepard. celestial maternity ward, called N81, is NASA has lost one of its greatest pioneers; America has lost a shining star. located 200,000 light-years away in the Small Magellanic Cloud. These are Alan Shepard will be remembered, always, for his accomplishments of the probably the youngest massive stars past: being one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, for being the first ever seen in the nearby galaxy. American to fly in space, and for being one of only 12 Americans ever to step on the Moon. He should also be remembered as someone who, even in his final The nebula offers a unique opportunity days, never lost sight of the future. for a close-up glimpse of the “firestorm” accompanying the birth of extremely On behalf of the space program Alan Shepard helped launch, and all those that massive stars. Such galactic fireworks space program has and will inspire, we send our deepest condolences to his were much more common billions of wife Louise, their children, and the rest of the Shepard family. years ago in the early universe, when most star formation took place. Alan Shepard lived to explore the heavens. On this his final journey, we wish him Godspeed.” “This is giving us new insights into the physical mechanisms governing star Maryland Firm Chosen To Provide Test Support formation in far away galaxies that existed long ago,” says Mohammad LB&B Associates, Inc. of Columbia, The work to be performed under the Heydari-Malayeri, head of the MD, a small, minority, woman-owned contract includes technician support to international team of astronomers who business, has been selected for award operate and maintain test facilities in made the discovery using Hubble’s of a contract to provide test operations the propulsion laboratory at Marshall. support for the Science and Engineer- Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. ing Directorate at Marshall Space Proposals for this work were solicited Flight Center. nationally. The procurement was These observations show that massive handled under the Small Business stars may form in groups. “As a result, The contract will start with a one-year Administration program limiting it is more likely some of these stars are basic period, followed by four one-year competition to qualified small and members of double and multiple star options, which may be exercised at disadvantaged businesses. These systems,” says Heydari-Malayeri. “The NASA’s discretion. If all options are services were previously provided by multiple systems will affect stellar exercised, the contract would be worth Consolidated Industries Inc., evolution considerably by ejecting a as much as $30,930,739. Huntsville, AL. great deal of matter into space.” A Word About Fats by Dianne Hargrove, R. N. Scientists are not certain that fats or cholesterol in foods raise blood pressure, but do know that dietary fats and cholesterol definitely affect your heart and blood vessels.

Fats, especially saturated fat, play a big role in increasing the cholesterol in your bloodstream. This increases your chance of developing heart disease. Upcoming Training Name That Tune Saturated fat is often Managing Personal Growth found in foods from Aug. 18-19, 1998 July 29 — 7 p.m. animals. This includes 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Building F-3 fatty meats, the skin of poultry and whole- This workshop provides an opportunity Prizes Will Be milk dairy products, for employees to create personal Awarded such as butter, cheese, cream and ice development plans using detailed self- cream. It also is in coconut, palm kernel assessment and supervisor feedback Contact Jan Neville, x1526 or Bob and palm oils. These oils are found data. Prior to the workshop, participants Tittle, x1244 mostly in processed foods, such as complete self-assessment instruments baked goods, snack foods and crackers. that yield important information about If you use a food high in saturated fat, their work values, the perceived Reporting Information keep the amount small. Instead of importance of various skills to their Technology Incidents butter, try tub or liquid margarine or current job, their level of development It is required that all incidents involving liquid vegetable oils such as canola, in these skill areas and other Information Technology (IT) resources corn, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame, performance variables. The employee’s used to process, store or transmit soybean and sunflower. immediate supervisor provides external feedback. By comparing self- government information be reported. Incidents are to be reported through Keep in mind, all fats have the same assessment and supervisory feedback your Data Processing Installation amount of calories. If you need to lose data, participants can: Information Technology Security weight, limit the amount of fats you Official (DPI-ITSO) to the Center consume. Fat is the richest source of · Understand and manage the differing Information Technology Security (ITS) calories. Foods lower in fat also are values that they, the organization, and Manager. more likely to be lower in calories, if their supervisor bring to the workplace you limit the serving size. · Identify their personal strengths and The following must be reported as incidents. Research shows that eating a lot of improvement opportunities within the job skill matrix fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy 1) all unauthorized access attempts products can lower blood pressure as (successful or not) much as some medications. These · Discover possible sources of foods supply plenty of potassium and miscommunication between them- 2) unauthorized user gaining root calcium. Potassium is especially selves and their supervisor access important for blood pressure. · Evaluate their current and future 3) scanning or probing by any career path. unauthorized user THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN 4) unauthorized user gaining access to Note: Pre-work materials for the a user account OPEN SEASON course will be distributed from the ENDS JULY 31 MEC. If you do not receive your pre- 5) waste, fraud, damage, or loss (theft) work at least 10 days prior to the start of government (IT) resources of the course, call Lisa Hickman, x1015. 6) The discovery of a vulnerability, especially one that may affect other NASA IT resources.

Grammar and Punctuation The current list of DPI-ITSOs can be Review found at: http://cne.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Sept. 28-30, 1998 security/dpi-itso.html Fish Fry 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. All-You-Can-Eat The information required to be included This workshop reviews basic rules of in the incident report can be found at grammar and punctuation. It does not http://cne.gsfc.nasa.gov/security/ August 14 analyze all aspects of English usage; reporting-incidents.html 4:30 p.m. instead, it focuses on the most common Building F-3 troublesome problem areas (e.g., For further information call Warren commas vs. semicolons, that vs. which, Williams, x1639. Fried Fish, Corn-on-cob, String Beans, who vs. whom). Participants are, in Hush Puppies, French Fries, Melons part, responsible for determining course Inside Wallops is an official publication of Goddard Space Flight Center and is published content by bringing samples of work- by the Wallops Office of Public Affairs, $7 per person (sodas 50 cents each). related documents to class. Extension 1584, in the interest of Wallops Children under 12 - $3.50. employees. Those planning to take “Effective Editor Betty Flowers Tickets are available from Dave Smith, Writing,” or who need to refresh their Photography Optical Section x1316 or Nicole Turner, x1168 and at understanding of grammar and Printing Printing Management Office the Rocket Club. punctuation, should attend this course.