Inside Wallops National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia Volume XX-0I Number: 01 January 8, 2001 Space Odyssey for NASA Renewed in 2000 Administrators New Years NASA has pioneered the future for accurate maps of Earth ever assembled. Message more than four decades, and the http://www-radar.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/ What a difference a year makes. The agencys achievements this past year year 1999 tested our character and our are marked by a spirit of cooperation SOHO Sees Turbulent Side of the spirit of exploration. Each of you never-before-seen in the history of Sun responded in 2000, answering those Space exploration. The dream of the A weeks advance warning of potential challenges with a diverse string of first crew to live on the International bad weather in space is now possible impressive achievements. Space Station is realized at a time when thanks to the Solar and Heliospheric nations that were once separated by the Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. With a technique that uses ripples on the I couldnt be more proud. Today, you Cold War are now joined in a project Suns visible surface to probe its can look into the sky at one of our of discovery. interior, SOHO scientists have, for the bright new stars and literally catch a first time, imaged solar storm regions glimpse of our future as the Inter- The discovery in 2000 of evidence of on the far side of the Sun, the side national Space Station orbits overhead. flowing water on Mars rekindled hopes facing away from the Earth. The arrival of the Expedition One crew of finding life on our planetary http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov ushered in a new era of international neighbor. The images from Mars cooperation unprecedented in the Global Surveyor also helped fuel the history of space exploration. Through excitement for NASAs long-term international partnerships, commercial exploration plans of the Red Planet. ventures and customer-driven projects, we will do things in space not possible For additional information and images here on the Earth. from the past year, visit: http://www.nasa. gov/newsinfo/topten2000.html How did the universe evolve? Are we alone? Were trying to answer these Expedition One Crew Begins Sounding Rocket Program Office Picture fundamental questions of science and International Space Station The Terrier MK 70 Lynx on the rail prior technology. Some of the answers may Adventure to launch from Wallops Island. be unfolding before our eyes. NASAs The arrival of the Zvezda service module scientific research was recognized as cleared the way for the Expedition One Wallops Shorts .............. world class this year. crew to launch a new era in space Sounding Rocket Launch history Oct. 31. American Commander A Terrier MK 70 Lynx sounding rocket Science Magazine credited NASA-led Shepherd and his Russian crewmates, was successfully launched on Dec. 19 teams with three of the 10 most Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev from Wallops Island, Va. The mission important scientific breakthroughs of lifted off in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft was to test the new Lynx rocket motor the year 2000: Mars Global Surveyors from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in that will be used as a Navy target vehicle and as a potential sounding evidence of liquid water on Mars; Kazakhstan to make their new home rocket. John Winstead, NAWC, White creation of the most detailed map of aboard the International Space Station. Sands Missile Range, N.M., was the the early universe, developed by http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/ principal investigator. BOOMERANG data; and the NEAR station/ Shoemaker spacecrafts rendezvous Balloon Launch with the asteroid Eros. Evidence of Liquid Water Found A NASA scientific balloon was on Mars successfully launched on Dec. 28, And not only is NASAs work earning Imaging scientists using data from 2000, from McMurdo, Antarctica. The kudos from the scientific community, NASAs Mars Global Surveyor camera 29.47 million cubic foot balloon carried but also from the general public. This spacecraft found features that suggest a cosmic ray astrophysics experiment. year, NASAs Customer Service Rating, there may be current sources of liquid Principal investigators for this mission as measured by the National Partnership water at or near the surface of the red were Drs. John Wefel and Greg Guzik, for Reinventing Government, rose planet. Studies of later images by Mars Louisiana State University. The balloon from 80 percent in 1999 to 86 percent Global Surveyor revealed layers of was still flying on January 4. in 2000. NASA received the highest score of any federal agency, higher sedimentary rock that paint a portrait Student Summer Program of an early Mars filled with numerous even than the U.S. Mints rating among Applications Available coin collectors. lakes and shallow seas. Applications and information for three http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2000/ summer programs NASA SHARP, marswater.html In 2001, we face a new frontier of NASA SHARP Plus and the National possibilities and opportunities. Our Space Club Scholars Program space odyssey is just beginning. We Earth Mapping Mission a geared towards high school students Stunning Success lost some of the best and brightest interested in careers in science and members of our NASA family this year. The Space Shuttle Endeavour served as engineering are available in the Public It reminds us to cherish each other and an Earth observatory early in 2000 Affairs Office, Rm. 108, Bldg. F-6. to do the most with each day we have during STS-99. The Shuttle Radar SHARP and the Space Club Scholars on Earth. We mourn their loss, but Topography Mission was a break- honor their memory with renewed through in the science of remote Program are conducted at the Wallops Flight Facility and are open to students commitment to safety, teamwork, and sensing and produced topographic within commuting distance to Wallops. excellence. We should also use this maps of Earth 30 times as precise as SHARP Plus is a residential program time at the beginning of a new year to the best global maps in use today. The at universities across the country. The take a personal inventory of our lives, information collected will help produce application deadline for all three paying closer attention to our health, one of the most comprehensive and programs is mid to late February. our family, and our friends. Highlights from Wallops Annual Awards Ceremony Congratulations to the many Wallops employees who received Goddard Annual and Quarterly Awards during 2000 and were recognized at the Wallops Annual Awards Ceremony held Dec. 15. John Conquest was named the WEMA/MAC Volunteer of the Year, and the following employees received recognition for years of service. The Wallops Black History Over Extended After the 40 Years of Service Club Holidays? Joe Duke (a MAC sponsored club) The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) monthly discussion group will 35 Years of Service Presents an evening of dinner and meet on January 18 at 11:30 a.m. in Gracie Drew, Charles Griffin, Dave entertainment Building F-160, Room C-164. Over Shrewsberry, Johnnie Long and David extended after the holidays? is the Hancock, III February 17, 2001 topic for January. 5 p.m. to Midnight 30 Years of Service Bldg. D-10 Credit card bills start coming in, we Peggy Belote and Joan Murden Wallops Gymnasium realize how many pounds we gained in the past two months, and we feel let 25 Years of Service Donation: $20.00 per person down because the holidays didnt go as Donald Carson, Sherry Kleckner, Judy Tickets must be purchased by Feb. 5, well as expected. Killmon, Howard Killmon, Sandra 2001. Savage, Andrea Wessells and Ralph Following a holiday vacation, returning For tickets or information, call Karen Selby, III to work is not always an easy transition, Downing, x2163; Sandra Banks, x2526 especially when you are feeling Swales and Associates or Rebecca Beach, x1559. stressed about how you are going to Selected for Mechanical recover from overextending yourself, Systems Engineering either physically, emotionally or Services Contract financially. Some of the difficult Swales and Associates, Inc., in experiences people commonly have Beltsville, Md., has been selected for after the holiday season will be a contract to provide mechanical discussed. Different ways to effectively systems engineering services to manage over extension and overall NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center. stress levels, as well as additional The five-year contract has a potential resources will be provided. value of $350 million. For further information, call the EAP This is a new contract that consolidates on x66-4600. the services of two previous engineering support contracts at Goddard. Congratulations and best wishes to Terry Sommers, Real-Time Software Engineering From FEDweek Swales will provide engineering Branch, who retired effective January 3 Dec. 20 Issue services for the study, design, develop- with more than 31 years of government TSP Contributions Limits to Rise ment, fabrication, integration, testing, service. The percentage of salary investment verification and operations of space limits in the Thrift Savings Plan will flight and ground system hardware and NASA Selects Cortez III rise and then be abolished, although a software. The company also will Service Corporation for dollar cap still will apply under terms develop and validate new technologies Logistics Contract of the budget package enacted just to enable future science missions. NASA has selected Cortez III Service before Congress adjourned in December. Goddard launches dozens of orbiting Corporation of Albuquerque, N.M. for spacecraft, sub-orbital sounding the award of a Cost-Plus-Incentive- Fee, Award Term logistics contract. The measure raises the maximum rockets, high-altitude research balloons amounts that can be deducted from and sophisticated instruments each The new contract has a basic three-year employee salaries each pay period year to gather scientific data.