F e b ru a ry 16, 2001 I n s i d e Volume 31 Number 4 News Briefs . 2 Leadership Transition . 3 Special Events Calendar . 2 Letters, Passings . 4 Entertainer Reaches Out . 2 Classifieds . 4 Jet Propulsion Laboratory the landing and the fact that the spacecraft is still alive and communicating with Lab Earth. NEAR Shoemaker project managers at APL said Wednesday that communications navigates with the spacecraft continue. The team will extend operations through Feb. 24 to gath- er data from the spacecraft’s gamma ray first spectrometer, which will track the abun- dance of elements on the surface of the asteroid. asteroid The NEAR Shoemaker navigation team at JPL also included Miller, Bill Owen, Mike Wang, Cliff Helfrich, Peter Antreasian and landing Steve Chesley, Eric Carranza and John Bordi. JPL’s Dr. Donald Yeomans serves as the mission’s radio science principal inves- By Martha Heil JPL navigation team made history February 12, when it guided the tigator, and JPLers Jon Giorgini and Alex and Mark Whalen Konopliv are team members. a NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft to a controlled landing on asteroid The last image from NEAR Shoemaker Eros, the first time such a maneuver has been attempted. was snapped a mere 120 meters (394 feet) from the asteroid’s surface and covers an The spacecraft, built and managed for Eros is about 32 kilometers (20 miles) area 6 meters (20 feet) wide. As NEAR NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied across, or about the size of New York City’s Shoemaker touched down, it began send- Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., Manhattan Island. Eros rotates around its ing a beacon, assuring the team that the slowly descended to Eros’ boulder- and shortest axis every five hours and 16 min- small spacecraft had landed gently. The crater-strewn surface at 12:01:52 Pacific utes, and the successful land- The last image from NEAR Standard Time. Through five engine burns ing placed NEAR Shoemaker Shoemaker was snapped a in the hours leading up to the landing, it near the asteroid’s south pole. mere 120 meters (394 feet) had slowed to a gentle speed of between Since a landing on such a 1.5 and 1.8 meters per second (less than small body had never been from Eros’ surface. 4 mph) just before finally coming to rest tried before, the navigation The potato-shaped asteroid is after a journey of 3.2 billion kilometers team had to change the math- shown in fill size at right. (2 billion miles). ematical models it used as the “It could be the softest landing of all spacecraft drew closer to the time,” said NEAR Mission Director Dr. asteroid, Williams said, noting Robert Farquhar of APL, who noted that that the team received verifi- landings on the Earth’s moon, Venus and cation Monday that the models they were signal was identified by radar science Mars were accomplished at slightly higher using would work correctly. data, and about an hour later was locked speeds. At JPL, tension and anticipation filled a onto by DSN antennas, which monitored “For a spacecraft that was not designed small and crowded control room in Build- the spacecraft until Feb. 14. as a lander, the landing came off extraordi- ing 301 as the navigation team guided the The spacecraft spent the last year in narily well,” said Dr. Bobby Williams of spacecraft slowly to asteroid. a close-orbit study of asteroid 433 Eros, JPL’s Navigation and Flight Mechanics The success of the landing, and the a near-Earth asteroid that is currently Section, leader of the navigation team. spacecraft’s continuing communications 316 million kilometers (196 million miles) “It’s a testament to the hard work of the with controllers via NASA’s JPL-managed from Earth. During that time it collected APL team and the JPL navigation team.” Deep Space Network, astounded even the 10 times more data than originally planned He said one of the major challenges in most optimistic of scientists and engineers and completed all its science goals before landing the spacecraft involved the aster- associated with the mission. attempting its descent to the asteroid. oid’s unusual shape. The potato-shaped “Unbelievable,” was how deputy naviga- For mission updates, images and other tion team chief Jim Miller of JPL described information, log on to ht t p : / / n e a r. j h u a p l . e d u . JPL’s Mars Global Surveyor space- Global craft, which has been in orbit since 1997, ended its primary mission Surveyor Jan. 31 and immediately began an extended mission through April celebrates 2002. Among those celebrating in von Kármán Auditorium were, transition from left, Dr. Michael Malin, Extended principal investigator for the Mars orbiter camera; Dr. Jim Garvin, mission begins Mars program scientist at NASA for Mars orbiter Headquarters; and Dr. Arden Albee, Global Surveyor project scientist. 2 Dumas to re t i re later this year disadvantaged business by the U.S. JPL Deputy Director LARRY DUMAS Small Business Administration. “Much has announced that he will retire like JPL encourages individual mentor- Sp e c i a l Events Ca l e n d a r sometime this year. ing, NASA’s Office of Small and Disad- admission. For information, call With the announcement last month vantaged Business Utilization encour- Ongoing Support Gro u p s (626) 395-4652. that DR. CHARLES ELACHI will become ages NASA’s prime contractors to Alcoholics Anonymous—Meeting JPL’s new director May 1, Dumas, who mentor Small Disadvantaged Business- at 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, es, Small Woman Owned Businesses, F r i d a y, Feb. 23–Sun., Feb. 25 will turn 65 in October, said he will Thursdays (women only) and Historically Black Colleges or Universi- remain at the Lab during the transition. Fridays. Call Occupational Health Othello—This Theater Arts at ties, or Minority Institutions,” said Ne w s “With the pending change in Direc- Services at ext. 4-3319. Caltech production will be present- tors I want to time my departure such GEORG SIEBES of Division 35, the ed in Caltech’s Ramo Auditorium at that I can best help in this transition,” contract technical manager. Codependents Anonymous— 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Dumas stated in a memo to employees. The agreement was developed by Meeting at noon every Wednesday. Sunday. Tickets are $15. For Br i efs “Charles has asked me to stay on for a JPL’s Business Opportunities Office. Call Occupational Health Services information, call (626) 395-4652. time after May 1 to help with the trans- Examples of the assistance JPL will at ext. 4-3319. itional workload and provide continuity provide ASL include: End of Life Issues and Bereave- S a t u rd a y, Febru a ry 24 • Support in the achievement of ISO in the Director’s Office. My date of ment—Meets the second Monday retirement will depend on the specifics 9000 certification; Les Ballets Trockadero DeMonte of the month at noon in Building Carlo—This all-male comic dance of the transition plan for the new • Mentoring and transfer of expertise 111-117. Call the JPL Employee company that performs pieces from Deputy, to be worked out after that in areas such as thermal/mechanical Assistance Program at 4-3680. classic ballets will appear at 8 p.m. individual is named. design, thermal/structural analysis, in Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium. “I intend to stay focused on doing system thermal vacuum testing and Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Support Tickets are $32, $28 and $24. For mission operations; Group—Meets the first and third everything I can to ensure a great send- information, call (626) 395-4652. off for ED [STONE] and successful • Transfer of its mechanical engi- Fridays of the month at noon in start for JPL’s new Director and Deputy neering processes. JPL’s Mechanical Building 111-117. Call the Employ- ee Assistance Program at ext. Director, as I’m sure you will as well,” Design, Build, Assemble and Test Tu e s d a y, Febru a ry 27 4-3680 or Randy Herrera at Dumas said. process is the core process applicable ext. 3-0664. Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging to the current partnership. Spectrometer (AVIRIS) Workshop— JPL, Aerospace Corp. to collaborate The goals of the agreement, Siebes Parent Support Group—Meets the Today is the first day of the work- JPL and the Aerospace Corporation said, include increasing ASL’s ability to third Thursday of the month at shop, to be held in von Kármán have signed a memorandum of under- make system-wide design trades and noon in Building 167-111. Call Auditorium from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. standing that will foster collaboration optimizations, and providing ASL with a Greg Hickey at ext. 4-0776. and will continue through March 2. on defense, civil, and commercial well-balanced portfolio of mechanical JPLers considering attending are Larry Dumas business and establish a roadmap for engineering process capabilities to help Senior Caregivers Support Group— asked to register; registration and future collaborative endeavors. them compete with best-in-class com- Meets the the first Tuesday of the agenda information are available The agreement, signed Jan. 16 by panies in the future. month in Building 167-111. For in- online at http://makalu.jpl.nasa.gov/ formation, call the Employee Assis- JPL Director DR. EDWARD STONE and ASL–supported projects at JPL html/workshop2001.html. Call tance Program at ext. 4-3680. Aerospace president DR. BILL BALL- include Mars Exploration Rover, Tro- Valentina Grigoryan at ext.