DECEMBER 2002

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HUMAN-ROBOTIC LINK ............ 6Innovative communicationsinfrastructure for planetary missions

SAFETY WEEK................................ 8Hands-on activities encouragesafety awareness

MOBILE NETWORKING .............. 9The latest in secure mobilenetworking technology

Continued on page 7

New NASA—One NASABY DOREEN ZUDELL

A review from the view up thereBY S.JENISE VERIS

State of the Center 2002

Volume 4 Issue 12 December 2002

Continued on page 10

n his State of the Center 2002 address, New NASA—One NASA: Glenn’s Contributions,Center Director Donald Campbell spoke of "revolutionary changes" over the year thatwill transform NASA into a more focused and unified Agency.

Topping the list of changes at NASA are a new Administrator, the first deputyadministrator named in more than a decade, and a leadership team comprised of manynewcomers to the Agency and new colleagues from the Department of Defense andthe Office of Management and Budget. Director Campbell also emphasized thelarge number of new appointments within the centers, ranging from center directorsand deputies to associate administrators.

"Guided by the President's Management Agenda, the Administrator will work with theHeadquarters team and throughout the field centers to reshape the Agency, focusingon (1) fiscal and management discipline, and (2) the work that NASA does best,"Campbell explained. He cited Freedom to Manage and the Integrated Financial

Photo by D

oreen Zudell

ack from a record-breaking assign-ment aboard the International SpaceStation, crewmates Air Force Colonel Carl

BWalz and Navy Captain Daniel Burschgraciously navigated a full schedule ofevents during their post-mission visit andreview at Glenn on October 21.

Walz and Bursch, who served asflight engineers on ExpeditionFour, broke the previous U.S.spaceflight endurance record of188 days during their 196-daystay aboard space station. Theduo, who were also crewmateson the STS–51 mission that

Astronauts Carl Walz (left) andDaniel Bursch presented a specialcommemoration of their stay on theInternational Space Station toCenter Director Donald Campbell. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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ate in October, the Core Financialand Travel Manager modules of theIntegrated Financial ManagementProgram (IFMP) became operationalat Glenn. Users were gradually addedto the system and within 10 days thetotal number of activated users wasapproximately 1900. The Core (SAPsoftware) module includes accountspayable, accounts receivable,general ledger, purchasing, costmanagement, budget execution, anda business data warehouse with re-porting capability. Travel Manager isa Gelco product. Marshall and someelements of Headquarters went "live"at the same time. The other NASAcenters will follow with implementa-tions in February and June of 2003.

The conversion from the Center'slegacy accounting and travel systems

IFMP goes liveL

UEET recognizedfor leadership

NASA to develop biohazard smoke detector

Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have entered into an agreementwith Universal Detection Technology of Beverly Hills, CA, to mutually develop acommercially available anthrax "smoke detector." The system will combine JPL sporedetection technology with Universal's aerosol capture device for constant and unat-tended monitoring of spaces such as public facilities and commercial buildings. Thesystem currently used by Universal, a public company specializing in environmentalmonitoring technologies, cannot distinguish between inorganic particles or biologicalsubstances such as bacterial spores. JPL's detection technology discriminates againstdetecting aerosol components, such as dust, and sounds an alarm when it detects asignificant increase in spore count. For the next 10 months, JPL will work to incorporatebacterial spore detection technology to make the device sensitive enough for use byUniversal as a bioterrorism warning monitor.

s part of NASA's program manage-ment shared experiences, each Enter-prise was asked to showcase the bestprojects for the 2002 Project Manage-ment Shared Experience Program. TheUltra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET)Program, managed out of Glenn, wasselected by the Aerospace TechnologyEnterprise to receive the 2002 Academyof Program and Project Leadership(APPL) award. Seven other projects fromCodes M, S, U, and Y were also recog-nized with the APPL award. �

n a distinguishedFederal service ca-reer that spanneda half-century,George W.S. Abbeyannounced his re-tirement fromNASA, effectiveJanuary 3, 2003.Abbey leaves theAgency after a highly decorated aero-space career, which included the Medalof Freedom, the Nation's highest civilianaward, for his role on the Apollo 13Mission Operations Team.

In February 2001, Abbey became thesenior assistant for International Issuesreporting to the NASA Administrator.Subsequently, he was appointed asa senior visiting fellow at the JamesBaker Institute for Public Policy at RiceUniversity. He is also working with theUniversity of Texas at El Paso to enhancethe University's engineering and scienceprograms and to encourage youngstudents to pursue careers in scienceand engineering.

Since joining NASA in 1964 as the AirForce captain assigned to the ApolloProgram, Abbey has held numerous posi-tions such as technical assistant at JohnsonSpace Center, director of Flight Opera-tions, deputy associate administrator forSpace Flight at Headquarters, and deputydirector of Johnson to name a few. �

George Abbeyto retire

Abbey

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NASA funds improvement in lightning prediction

A new lightning index that combines measurementsof water vapor in storm clouds with data from GlobalPositioning Systems (GPS) has improved lead-time for firstlightning strikes from thunderstorms. The index willimprove forecasts and advance warning to help reducedelays or cancellations of space shuttle launches atKennedy Space Center (Kennedy) and other commercialand Department of Defense launches from Cape CanaveralAir Force Station. It combines four predictors, including aprediction tool of atmospheric electric charge, the amountof water vapor detected in a cloud or air mass, the changein the amount of that water vapor over 9 hours, and a scalecalled the "K Index" that predicts how unstable the air willbecome. One GPS receiver is located at Kennedy dueto the region's high incidence of lightning. Thisresearch was supported by the U.S. Air Force and NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration with additional funding provided by NASAand the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research under the PacificSTARNET program.

NASA missions chosen for Popular Science magazine award

NASA's unprecedented work in Space Sci-ence and Earth Science captured three ofPopular Science's Best of What's NewAwards for 2002. The Mars Odyssey mis-sion and the twin satellites of the GravityRecovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE),managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory;and the Aqua spacecraft mission, managedby Goddard Space Flight Center, were cho-sen in the Aviation/Space category. Popu-lar Science will feature the 100 winners,chosen in ten categories, in its December2002 issue. Popular Science annually

reviews thousands of new products and innovations. To win, a product or technologymust represent a significant step forward in its category.

Lightning strikes Complex39–A launchpad at Kennedy.

Top left, Aqua satellite; top right, MarsOdyssey; bottom, Grace.

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earned a master ofeducation anddoctorate in ed-ucational adminis-tration and super-vision from Bowl-ing Green StateUniversity, OH.

Michael U. Rudolphihas been named deputy center directorfor John C. Stennis Space Center. Asdeputy director, Rudolphi will supportCenter Director William W. Parsons inmanaging NASA's rocket propulsiontest capabilities and Earth Science appli-cations. Rudolphi has served as man-ager, Reusable Solid Rocket MotorProject, at the Marshall Space Flight Cen-ter since January 2000. He began hiscareer with NASA at Marshall in 1988 asfacility manager for the Advanced SolidRocket Motor Project in Luka, MS. Therehe managed the design, construction,and operation of an ultramodern $700million rocket manufacturing facility. �

wo members of the Microgravity Science Division and the National Center forMicrogravity Research (NCMR), located at Glenn, were among the 22 researchersselected to receive NASA grants totaling approximately $8.6 million to conductmicrogravity combustion ground-based research. Nine of the grants represent con-tinuing research while 13 represent new research, all sponsored by the Office ofBiological and Physical Research.

Investigators will have NASA's microgravity research facilities, such as drop tubes, droptowers, and aircraft flying parabolic trajectories, at their disposal to improve theunderstanding of fundamental physical and chemical processes associated withcombustion. NASA received 90 proposals in response to its research announcement.All proposals were peer-reviewed by scientific and technical experts from academia,government, and industry.

Headquarters release

Microgravity combustion science grants awarded

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Gwendolyn Brown has been namedNASA's deputy chief financial officer.She manages day-to-day financial opera-tions, directs the preparation and submis-sion of annual financial and relatedreports, and coordinates Agency finan-cial management activities with otherrelated Federal agencies. Prior to comingto NASA, Brown was a senior programanalyst with the Office of the Under Sec-retary of Defense, Directorate for Pro-gram and Financial Control at the Penta-gon. She replaces Stephen J. Varholy,who retired in September, and interimActing Deputy Kenneth J. Winter, whoreturns to his duties at Langley as thecenter's chief financial officer.

Dr. Adena Williams Loston, the formersenior advisor to the Administrator forEducation, was named the new associateadministrator for Education. She will beresponsible for guiding NASA's efforts toorganize and enhance Agency educationprograms. Prior to her appointment,Loston served as president of San JacintoCollege, South campus, in Houston, TX,for 5 years. She is a member of numerousprofessional associations and has receivedmany awards during her career includingthe Distinguished Alumni Award (HigherEducation) from Alcorn State University,MS, the Shirley B. Gordon InternationalPresidential Award of Distinction, PhiTheta Kappa Honor Society, and the TexasAssociation of Black Personnel in HigherEducation, Presidential Award. She

Brown

Rudolphi

Loston stronaut BonnieJ. Dunbar, JohnsonSpace Centerassistant directorfor University Re-search, has beenelected to mem-bership in the Na-tional Academy ofEngineers (NAE).Dunbar was in-ducted based on"personal leadership and significant ca-reer contributions to engineering designproblems in human spaceflight and toon-orbit operations." NAE induction isconsidered one of the highest profes-sional honors for engineers.

In addition to a spaceflight career thatspanned five shuttle missions, Dunbarhas remained active in engineeringdesign programs. She was instrumentalin the design and development ofseveral on-orbit research facilities andorbital research operational protocols.She also led efforts to develop specificcriteria for identifying on-orbit laboratorysafety rules. �

Johnson Space Center release

Bonnie Dunbarinducted into NAE

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Dunbar

The following local researchersreceived grants: from Glenn, Dr. DanielDietrich, for "Diffusion Flame Suppres-sion in Microgravity using Spray Agents,"and Michael Hicks, for "Low Re Num-ber Droplet Combustion in CO2 EnrichedAtmospheres in Microgravity;" and fromNCMR, Dr. Peter Sunderland, for "Inves-tigation of Velocity and Temperature inMicrogravity Laminar Jet DiffusionFlames," and Dr. Randy Vander Wal, for"Quantification of Fire Signatures forPractical Spacecraft Materials." Case-Western Reserve University ProfessorChih-Jen Sung was also a grantee for"Catalyzed Combustion in Micro-Propulsion Devices." �

DECEMBER 2002

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Sharon Lewis (IDI/0220) once again organized a successful motorcycle poker run tobenefit the Susan G. Koman Foundation. More than 1100 registered for the run heldSeptember 8. The final stop at the Irish Heritage Center in Avon Lake included a classiccar show and performances by bands who have Glenn membership—Hypnotic Dog,Strangers from the Street, and Trail Hawgs. Lewis' efforts raised over $24,000. Pictured,left to right, are Sally Saltzman (0220), Lewis, and Karen Matyas (0220).

During the 4th Annual NASA/WIRE-NetPre-Apprentice Machining Program gradua-tion ceremony on October 18, eight studentsreceived certificates for successfully complet-ing a rigorous 32-week training program inmetalworking and earned certificates in LevelI certification from the National Institute ofMetalworking Skills. The President of Jegens,Inc., Jack Schorn, Jr., served as keynote speakeraffirming the importance of the skills studentsdeveloped through the program at Glennand its importance to the metalworking in-dustry. Steven Sims, director of EconomicDevelopment for the City of Cleveland, repre-senting Mayor Jane Campbell's office, offeredclosing remarks. Graduates, pictured left toright, (standing) are Shawn McGan, JamesRoberts, Ramon Torres, Ramon Steward,(seated) Jonathan Roberts, Colleen Murphy,Brenda Fialko, and Robert Major.

Spirits were lifted at the 5th

annual Halloween Partyand Costume Contestsponsored by the Glenn Ex-change. The crowd enjoyedrefreshments and had a goodlaugh watching coworkersparade around the Main Cafeteria in their zany costumes. The difficult jobof judging went to External Programs Director John Hairston, Jenise Veris(IDI/9300), and Rick Bleich (5880). Finalists received a $25 Exchange Storegift certificate. Funniest: Kay Collins (EXCH/0200), 1st for a cow; GeoffLandis (5410), 2nd for carnival lady; and Alecia Evar (IDI/7160) and OlgaQuiles (7190), 3rd for chaps and chafe. Scariest: Bruni Quinones (ANLX/6711), 1st for a witch; and Steve Hippensteele (5820), 2nd for spookyventriloquist. Most creative: Karen Cristino (QSS), 1st for a pimp; RuthJackson (ZINT/7700), 2nd for a princess; and Pam Bates and Patty Meldrum(CIT/0620), 3rd for Hawaiian tourists. Pictured, left to right, are Karen Cristinoand Geoff Landis in their award-winning costumes.

Ride for the cure

Metalworking skills

Halloweenfun

Aha! Focus on chemistry

Photo by Marvin Smith

Photo by S. Jenise Veris

C-2002-2013

Photo by Mark Betlejewski

Small miracles were revealed to more than 25 students in grades 2 through 5 whoparticipated in activities designed to demonstrate how "Chemistry Keeps Us Clean,"the theme for National Chemistry Week 2002. Faded laundry items were restored;"yuck" was removed from simulated sewer water; and a spider's ability to walk acrosswater without sinking was dis-covered during two 1–hour ses-sions held October 26 in Glenn'sVisitor Center. Glenn staff withcollege student affiliates fromthe Cleveland chapter of theAmerican Chemical Societyassisted. Students used a home-made filtration system toremove various contaminantsfrom water and performedhands-on experiments with sur-face tension and water hard-ness to determine their effectson cleaning. A comparative study on the effectiveness of different chemicals usedas cleaning agents to fight stubborn stains such as ketchup, chocolate, and perma-nent marker concluded the day's activities. Pictured are Michael Lukco, left, and EricIllig teaming up on the water filtration experiment.

DECEMBER 2002

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Giving throughout the year

A t this time of year, Americans traditionally place emphasis on activities that involvethe acts of sharing and caring, but I believe that our employees do an excellent job ofreaching out to others throughout the year.

Glenn's continued commitment to the Combined Federal Campaign is a shiningexample of our employees giving of themselves—through their time, talent, anddonations—to others in our Nation. Furthermore, activities such as the Shoe Fund,Special Children's Fund, Harvest for Hunger, Habitat for Humanity, and the onsite RedCross blood drives show how our support service contractors join with civil servants toreach out to those in need. I'm also aware that many employees champion additionalcauses outside of the Center.

As government employees, and those who work in Government installations, we arekeenly aware of our responsibility to this great Nation and its people. We know that

Center forms partnership withhistoric Tuskegee University historic event took place onOctober 13 when Glenn enteredinto a Space Act Agreement withTuskegee University in Tuskegee,AL, to establish a safety and assur-ance technologies program.

Under the agreement, Glenn willtransfer its expertise and providetraining to assist TuskegeeUniversity in enhancing its exist-ing safety, health, environmental,and risk management programs.

Glenn and Tuskegee will developtraining that will educate thefaculty, staff, and students of theuniversity about safety, environ-mental, and risk management policiesand procedures for the university's Officeof Environmental Health and Safety. Theinformation can then be transferred tosimilar programs and other institutions.

The signing took place at the universitywith participation by Center DirectorDonald Campbell, Director of Glenn'sSafety and Assurance TechnologiesDirectorate Vernon "Bill" Wessel,

Tuskegee University President Dr.Benjamin Payton, and Director ofTuskegee's Environmental Health andSafety Program Jesse Barnes, Sr. �

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Left to right, Tuskegee's Jesse Barnes andDr. Benjamin Payton and Glenn's DonaldCampbell and Bill Wessel consummatetheir partnership after the signing of theSpace Act Agreement.

Photo by Linda Dukes-Campbell

SPECIAL CHILDREN'S FUND: Glenncontinues its tradition of rememberingchildren with special needs through theSpecial Children's Fund. Donations canbe sent to Carol Stofka at MS 500–320 orTim Hogan at MS 21–15. Please makechecks payable to the Glenn SpecialChildren's Fund.

ROAD OPEN: Please note that West 220th

Street in Fairview Park is open to traffic.

LESA MEETING: LESA/IFPTE, Local 28,will hold its next monthly membershipmeeting on Wednesday, December 11,at noon in Bldg. 15, Rm. 101.

the principles of dedication, integrity,and service transcend beyond our pro-fessional roles into our neighborhoods,schools, and places of worship. We alsoknow that being part of the NASA teamcomes with high expectations on thepart of the American public. Therefore,I applaud our Center's civil servants andsupport service contractors for living outthe spirit of sharing and caring through-out the entire year. �

� Olympia candies sale: December11 and 12 in the Main CafeteriaAlcove from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Save20 percent off the retail store price.

� 20th Annual Appreciation Breakfastbuffet: December 24 in the MainCafeteria from 7 to 9 a.m. Menuincludes scrambled eggs, sausage,home fries, fresh fruit, salad,danish, muffins, coffee, and tea at$3.75 per person.

� Great NASA gift ideas are availableat the Exchange Store, Bldg. 15.Clip the coupon below and save25 percent on the purchase of aNASA shirt or hat.

Exchange Corner

25% off any

NASA shirt or hatat

The Exchange Store

Located in Building 15

Sale items excluded

Coupon expires on December 31, 2002

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I f you think communicating among fellow humans here on Earthcan be challenging, try interacting with humans and robots millionsof miles away while attempting to explore a foreign world. Step-ping up to this challenge, communications and networking expertsfrom Glenn have designed an innovative communicationsinfrastructure for human-robotic planetary missions.

Glenn researchers were part of a diverse team of several NASAcenters, other governmental agencies, and academic institutionswho conducted a human-robotic mission simulation in the Arizonadesert in September. The interdisciplinary team consisted of com-munications experts from Glenn and Kennedy Space Center;spacesuit and mission control center experts from Johnson SpaceCenter; robotics experts from Johnson and Ames Research Center;planetary exploration experts from Johnson, Science ApplicationsInternational Corporation (SAIC), the University of Houston, andBowling Green State University (BGSU), OH ; and geology expertsfrom the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Cincinnati,OH, BGSU, Wright State University, OH, Stanford University, CA,and the United States Geological Survey at Flagstaff, AZ.

"Glenn provided local communications between an astronaut, a robot, various scien-tific instruments, and the base camp, and also connected this remote location to missioncontrol and the world outside the field site," explained Marc Seibert, CommunicationsTechnology Division, who served as principal investigator for the Space Communica-tions and Proximity Networks for Human/Robotic Planetary Exploration team. "Withthe assistance of audio experts from Kennedy, an innovative suit audio system wasdeveloped to enable an Extra Vehicular Activity Robotic Assistant rover to understandspeech commands with very high reliability from a human in a pressurized spacesuit."

The team exchanged video, voice, and science data between the planetary field site andseveral "Earth-side" sites. All information was exchanged in Internet protocol format. Aninnovative, dual-science server replication architecture was tested as well. In thisarchitecture, science data was stored on the "planetary" (field science) server and wassynchronized with a mirroring server on the Earthside. Scientists at Glenn, Johnson, andthe academic institutions downloaded field science data from the Earth-side server foranalysis, review, and comments back to the field team. This architecture minimized theuse of the satellite link for file transmission and ensured the science data returned toEarth prior to sharing.

Infrastructure links humans and robots

Marc Seibert (5650), center, demonstrates automated instrumentcontrol software developed by Cleveland State University to, left toright, Joseph Kosmo (JSC), Dean Eppler (SAIC/JSC), Richard Beck,(University of Cincinnati), and Mike Cauley (5610). The softwareenables a suited subject to view, take snapshots, and transmitmicroscopic rock sample images over satellite all in one press of thespacebar on the ruggedized PC.

Mike Cauley (5610) configures the Glenntransportable Earth station mobile Ku-band satelliteuplink in Meteor Crater, AZ, to connect the remotetest site back to Glenn and the Exploration Planningand Operations Center in Houston, TX. Adjacent tothe trailer is a Glenn communications van thatcontains communications equipment to enabletransmission of Internet protocol-based video, voice,and data over the satellite link.

The network connecting the remote siteand the Earth-side sites consisted of a Ku-band satellite link between the Arizonadesert and Glenn. Once the field datareached Glenn, the video and audio wasdelayed to simulate Mars communica-tions using a new technology developedfor this work called the Planetary-OhioNetwork Emulator (p-ONE).

"The biggest 'win' in this demonstrationwas the big NASA family from variousNASA centers and academic institutionswho worked together on human-roboticmission concepts," Seibert said. "Eachteam continues on its own makingincremental steps to improve their archi-tectures. Teams will then reconveneto integrate and test more concepts." �Photos by Robert Markowitz, NASA-JSC/IDI

BY DOREEN ZUDELL

DECEMBER 2002

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Campbell affirms Glenn'srole in the AgencyContinued from page 1

Photo by Marvin Smith

Five Strategic EnterprisesOne NASA

Center Director Donald Campbell presentedthe 2002 State of the Center address.

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Management Program as examples ofthe Agency's new management style.

Four major trends have emerged overthe year that will lead the Agency in anew direction:

� One NASA—move program manage-ment back to Headquarters and reshapeNASA as the premier research and devel-opment Agency� Increased emphasis on interagency re-lationships—align with the Departmentsof Defense, Energy, Commerce, Trans-portation, and Interior� Space missions based on science firstin new programs—show relevanceto mission� Implementation of President's Man-agement Agenda—improve managementpractices

Campbell stressed the importance ofNASA's vision and mission, which hecalled "all inclusive" statements that willguide the Agency's activities and re-search. NASA's strategic plan will bestructured like a pyramid with its visionand mission at the top.

"NASA's strategic organization will shiftfrom five stovepipe enterprises that com-peted with one another to mission-drivenresearch in the areas of space science,Earth science, biological and physical

research, and aerospacetechnology," he explained.

With an aging workforceand a decrease in the Nation'sscientific literacy, educationhas been named a newcore competency thatwill flow into each of theresearch categories.

"There are 17 locations within the Agencythat conduct education," Campbell said."Headquarters is working to bring themall together to focus on the Agency'seducational objectives." He added thatGlenn is recognized across the Agencyfor its education initiatives and that theCenter had input in shaping this neworganization at the Agency level.

At the Center level, Campbell definedaeropropulsion as Glenn's primaryresearch responsibility, with spacepropulsion, aerospace power, andcommunications as additional (notsecondary) responsibilities. Microgravityresides in what he called transforma-tional responsibilities because the focusis shifting from hardware to science.

Glenn competencies that reside underthe research responsibilities stated aboveinclude aeropropulsion systems, fluidsand combustion, aerospace communi-

cations, fluid physics, combustion science,bioscience and engineering, and aero-space power and electric propulsion.

"Our competencies support all missionareas," he proudly stated, affirmingGlenn's role within the Agency.

He noted that Glenn is also well posturedto transition into an up-front, full-costbudget mode, which all centers will beoperating under in 2004.

In summation, Campbell expressed pridein the Glenn workforce, affirming thatthe Center is posed to play a major rolein new Agency programs.

"Long-term projects that employeesworked hard on over the years are nowfinding practical applications, and theCenter's base of expertise will supportnew achievements," he said. �

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Center celebrates safety

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Graphic by Terry Condrich

lenn's ability to support battery development and validation efforts for future NASAmissions has been enhanced by recent upgrades to Laboratory 105, now designated theElectrochemical Cell and Battery Testing Facility. Located in Building 309, the upgradedlaboratory becomes the first test facility at the Center with the capability to performtesting on high-capacity lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.

These upgrades allow members of the ElectrochemistryBranch to cycle and characterize aerospace batteries andcells up to 200 ampere-hours capacity, at controlledtemperatures of –40 to 120°C. Glenn can now begin thetask of characterizing one of five flight-quality Li-ion bat-teries that was originally intended for the Mars 2001 mission.

"The purpose of this experiment is threefold: first, to observethe behavior of the batteries while charging, discharging,

Cell and battery validation gets a boost

and during lower Earth orbit cycling;second, to compare their behavior tosimilar batteries being tested at the JetPropulsion Lab, Air Force Research Lab,and the Naval Research Lab; and finally, tovalidate this technology for future spacemissions," explained Concha Reid, testengineer, Electrochemistry Branch.

In preparation for the cycle life test on thisflight hardware, a series of tests on Sony18650 Li-ion cells is already underway.Testing these smaller cells allows dry runsof the actual experiment to be conductedand procedures to be refined wherenecessary, without putting additionalcycles on the actual test battery.

The work is funded under the AerospaceFlight Battery Systems Program, anAgencywide program aimed at ensuringthe quality, safety, reliability andperformance of flight battery systems forNASA applications. �

variety of hands-on activities anddisplays, all designed to encourage em-ployee participation and awareness ofsafety procedures, tools, and techniques,were featured during Glenn's SafetyWeek held October 15 to 21.

Glenn's Safety Office devoted 1 day toa session on fire extinguisher training ledby Tom Eakin and Jeff Wagner. Anotherwas on industrial hygiene, conducted byAngela Windau and Betty Hodgson. OnSafety Stand Down Day, supervisors and

BY S. JENISE VERIS employees participated in safety dis-cussions and a walk through variousareas on Lab. As usual, the Safety Fairdrew the largest crowd for the week.This year, in addition to the safety andhealthy-living demonstration boothsand handouts from local vendors, theSafety Office presented its version ofthe game show Wheel of Fortune.

Because safety and mission successare synonymous at Glenn, AstronautDr. Donald Thomas welcomed theopportunity to visit and presentGlenn's Safety Awards to the peoplehe described as "the real heroes of thespace program."

"I've been with NASA for 15 years—12 asan astronaut with 4 flights," Thomas said."It's allowed me to gain a unique perspec-tive as the recipient of much of the avia-tion safety. I have incredible confidencein you people on the ground, knowingthat even the smallest element of con-cern is supported with the same level ofseriousness as if critical."

Thomas joined Manuel Dominiguez,Glenn's Safety Office chief, in presentingthe 2002 Safety Awards for OutstandingSupport to Safety exhibited by a civilservice employee, Gene Pinali (7530);by a division level organization, TestInstallation Division ; by a support servicecontractor company, InDyne, Inc.; by aconstruction contractor company,Precision Environmental, Co.; and by acontractor employee, Mary Minnillo(IDI/0480). Certificates of merit werealso presented to nominees in theabove categories. �

Caryn Chalupa (SHS/0400), Daniel Papcke(0540), Aaron Walker (SAIC/0540), and ReneeBarrett and Traci Morris (SHS/0400) test theirsafety knowledge on the Wheel of Wisdom.

Photo by Eli Abumeri

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Photo by Bill Umlouf

Astronaut Don Thomas (left) autographsphotos for Phil Jenkins (5410), BenRodriguez and Al Matthews (7240) afterthe safety award ceremony.

Mars 2001 lithium-ion battery.

DECEMBER 2002

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Industry reaps rewards oftechnology transferBY S. JENISE VERIS

Set and forget: mobile networking

he 40th anniversary edition of Spinoffmagazine highlights nine Glenn-developed technologies that have beensuccessfully commercialized in theprivate sector. While Glenn is proud ofthe specific success stories featured inthis edition, it is especially proud of theunique role the Center has played inestablishing the Agency's TechnologyUtilization Program.

The recently released Spinoff highlightsthe historical significance and applica-tion of NASA technology successfullycommercialized in the private sector.Glenn (then the Lewis Research Center)was the original site of the TechnologyUtilization Office established in 1963following a Congressional mandate thatcreated the NASA Space Act of 1958.The act encourages the transfer of aero-space technology for the developmentof commercial products and services inthe fields of health and medicine,

industry, consumer goods, computertechnology, and the environment.

Five of nine Glenn technologiesfeatured in this Spinoff became com-petitive products via partnershipscreated from Small Business Innova-tion Research projects. NASA isone of 11 agencies participating inthis Federal program established toprovide a low-risk way for small busi-nesses to develop and commer-cialize innovations with the potentialto enhance or complement Agencyresearch and development activities.

In addition to these great spinoffs, a briefsummary on research and developmentat NASA's Headquarters and its 10 fieldcenters helps demonstrate, through dis-tribution and outreach activities, howNASA technology continues to benefitglobal competition and the economy. �

Editor's note: Domestic requesters canget a free copy of the 40th anniversaryissue of Spinoff by completing an orderform online at http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spin_order_form.html or writing theU.S. Government Printing Office, Super-intendent of Documents, Mail StopSSOP, Washington, DC 20402–9328.

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seamless and secure interoperabilityof Internet communications among mov-ing vehicles was successfully demon-strated aboard the U.S. Coast Guard'sCutter Neah Bay on November 6. Thisnew technology was the result of a2-year effort initiated by Glenn.

Glenn worked closely with CiscoSystems, Inc., San Jose, CA, andWestern DataCom, Inc., Westlake, OH,under Space Act agreements to

Glenn release

Acollaboratively develop the securemobile networking technology into a newsolution that will make access and opera-tion of experiments in space as easy asif they were on Earth and connected tothe terrestrial Internet.

The new technology enables communi-cation through an encrypted, mobilenetwork with instantaneous and continu-ous Internet connectivity. The demon-stration featured seamless switchingbetween shore-based and satellite-based Internet connections withtransparent router reconfiguration.

Rear Admiral Ronald F. Silva, commander,9th Coast Guard District, and Glenn

Left to right, Rear Admiral Ronald Silva, USCoast Guard commander, 9th District; KentLeung, Cisco; and Will Ivancic, SpaceCommunications Office.

Deputy Direc-tor Dr. JulianEarls were onhand to intro-duce the pre-senters' expla-nations of thetechnology.

"The importance of this technology liesin its mobility, security, and scalability,"said Phil Paulsen, project manager in theSpace Communications Office. "Theseimprovements translate into cost savingsand increased efficiency, because seam-less interoperability between space, air,sea, and ground-based systems leveragesthe huge investment already made interrestrial network systems." �

Cutter Neah Bay

Photos by Marvin SmithC-2002-1983

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AeroSpace Frontiers is an official publicationof Glenn Research Center, NationalAeronautics and Space Administration. It ispublished the first Friday of each month bythe Community and Media Relations Officein the interest of the Glenn workforce,retirees, government officials, businessleaders, and the general public. Its circulationis approximately 6,700.

Editor..................................Doreen B. Zudell InDyne, Inc.

Assistant Editor.......................S. Jenise Veris InDyne, Inc.

Managing Editor......................Lori J. Rachul

DEADLINES: News items and briefannouncements for publication in the Januaryissue must be received by noon, Thursday,December 12. The deadline for the Februaryissue is noon, Friday, January 10. Submitcontributions to the editor via e-mail,

doreen.zudell@grc.nasa.gov,fax 216–433–8143, phone216–433–5317 or 216–433–2888, or MS 3–11.Ideas for news stories arewelcome but will bepublished as space allows.

launched the Glenn-managed AdvancedCommunications Technology Satellite,now hold the U.S. first- and second-place records for the most cumulativetime in space with 231 and 227days, respectively.

Throughout the day's events, Walz andBursch met with members of the Physicsof Colloids in Space (PCS), Space Accel-eration Measurement System II/Micro-gravity Acceleration Measurement Sys-tem, and Electrical Power Systems teamsto give feedback on hardware and experi-ment performance. Michael Doherty, PCSproject manager, said that he enjoyed thechance to speak with Walz, who workedon the PCS experiment and had an op-portunity to assist in troubleshooting onthe system in March prior to theexperiment's return.

"We provided a tour of the PCS hardwareand gave a briefing on the scienceresults," Doherty said. "The astronautswere happy to see the quantity and qual-ity of data collected and to hear thatthis data will be beneficial to the principalinvestigator's study of complex behaviorof colloidal suspensions."

small gesture but a great sourceof inspiration was the time Walzshared with NASA retiree Bill Crell, a30-year member of Glenn's SpeakersBureau. Crell was treated to "lunchwith an astronaut" in appreciationfor conducting more than 350presentations.

"I'm very honored," Crell said. "Earlierin my NASA career I thought if theopportunity ever presented itselffor me to go into space, I wouldn'thesitate; but now I'm content to be asupporter of the space program andto inspire others."

Walz and Bursch visit Glenn Thanks, Bill!Continued from page 1

During a media briefing, the crew wasencouraged to share their most excitingmoment on the station. "We were out onan EVA when we discovered a potentialflaw in the electrical system," Walz said."We took the opportunity to fix the prob-lem before it became a larger and morecostly one."

The crewmembers also shared exciting,less stressful experiences such as theirmonthly videoconferences held via satel-lite with students across the country,including one hosted at Glenn. Theyespecially enjoyed ham radio sessionsthat allowed them to share their experi-ence with a wider audience and to inspirethe underserved in remote areas.

To round out the day, Walz and Burschadded humorous narrative to a presenta-tion of slides and a videotape on theirlife in space before a packed auditoriumof Glenn employees. The following dayWalz went solo on a similar presentationfor nearly 200 guests, including Walzfamily members, who came to theVisitor Center. �

A

Walz and Crell enjoy lunch.

Photo by David DeFelice

for the most part was a huge success. There have been a number of "bugs" that haverequired considerable effort at Glenn and Marshall to overcome, although that wasnot unexpected for a system of this size and complexity.

The Glenn effort required a cross-functional team from finance, resources, procure-ment, and logistics for successful implementation. "It was a case study in teamwork,"said Chief Financial Officer Bob Fails. "This was a long-duration project and peopleselflessly rebalanced their work and personal lives in a very professional manner, withgreat enthusiasm and a dose of humor. I am very proud of the leadership that wasexhibited at all levels."

The Agencywide utilization of the Core Financial's enterprise software will allow IFMPto deliver full-cost accounting at NASA, a critical concern for both the Administrator andfor fulfilling the President's Management Agenda. In addition, improved ability tomanage will facilitate the One NASA vision, an effort to work with seamless uniformityacross the Agency.

"Agency management was very pleased with the way that we structured and managedthe project here at Glenn," Center Director Donald Campbell said. "Deputy CFOChristine Root, who served as project manager, and the entire team have my personalthanks and the gratitude of the Center for the accomplishment." �

IFMP: teamwork at its bestContinued from page 1

10

a closer look at our colleagues

Toni Niebieszczanski

Job assignment: I'm an InDyne employee who supportsthe Procurement Division.Time at Glenn: I've been at Glenn for 19 years.Hometown: I live on the westside of Cleveland.Describe your family: I come from a large, diverse,talented, and crazy family. I have 4 sisters and 23 niecesand nephews (one more niece is on the way), plus mydog, Peanut, and 2 cats, Flannel and Domino.Career alternative: Creative writing

Favorite book or magazine: Steinbeck's Cannery Row and the BibleFavorite movie or play: A Chorus LineActivities when away from Glenn: I enjoy cooking, reading, music, garden-ing, and playing in the sprinkler (we like the swaying fan kind best) with my 4-year-old great niece. Everyone needs a 4-year-old in his/her life to keep yourperspective straight.What do you see as an area of expertise at Glenn: For the past 10 years inProcurement, we've collected new toys during the holidays for the kids atMetro General Hospital. It's a great way to do something nice for kids and toreconnect with the kid in yourself.

Michael Hoyman, who retired as chief ofthe Resources Planning and ManagementOffice in 1982 with 25 years of service toNASA and the Government Accounting

Anita Liang hasbeen appointedchief of theAeropropuls ionOffice. She hasover 20 years oftechnical, research,and leadership ex-perience in aero-nautics and space.Most recently, Liangwas the lead in the planning of an aero-space fuel cell initiative that can leadto an emissionless aircraft while simulta-neously revitalizing the Ohio economy.She is known for continually striving for abalanced, diverse, and high-performanceworkforce and is highly recognized forher open communications.

SES appointment

Liang

Banks Miller

R&D honor

Web masters Tom Benson, EngineSystems Technology Branch, and DavidDeFelice, Community and Media Rela-tions Office, were recently recognizedby the National Science Teachers Asso-ciation for the comprehensive content oftheir Web sites: http://www.grc.nasa .gov/WWW/K-12/a i rp lane/atmosi.html, and http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/html/microgex.htm.

Bruce Banks and Sharon Miller, Electro-Physics Branch, have received the R&D100 Editor's award for the Most Innova-tive New Product in 2002. This is anadded acknowledgment of theirresearch in Atomic Oxygen System ArtRestoration, which earned an R&D 100award in 2002.

Web recognition

The Web sites have been selected foraddition to the Association's SciLink data-base to appear as a textbook referencefor related online material. Selection tothe database is based on a stringent set ofcriteria that ensure selected materials haveaccurate content and effective pedagogy.

NARFE treasurer

Benson DeFelice

Office, has beenelected nationaltreasurer of theNational Associationof Retired FederalEmployees (NARFE).

Hoyman

Edward Povraznik, 87, who retired fromGlenn in 1987 with 28 years of service,recently died. He retired as an electronicsystems mechanic.

Harry Nicholson, 79, who retired fromGlenn in 1980 with 29 years of service,recently died. He had served as a branchchief in the Test Installations Division.

Curt Liebert, a Glenn retiree who re-cently died, was incorrectly identified asCarl Liebert in the November AeroSpaceFrontiers issue.

11

DECEMBER 2002

12

Volume 4 Issue 12 December 2002

AeroSpace Frontiersis recyclable!

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

John H. Glenn Research CenterLewis Field21000 Brookpark RoadCleveland, Ohio 44135

Entrepreneurial spiritstimulated at GlennBY S. JENISE VERIS

T

C-2002-1923 Photo by Marvin Smith

hree small business owners—two Glennemployees and a retiree—who havesuccessfully started their own high techcompanies using Glenn technologies of-fered insight and anecdotes on the pro-cess in "Entrepreneurial Revelations." TheOctober 24 gathering kicked off a seriesof five weekly lunchtime seminarsdesigned to achieve a more entrepre-neurial-oriented culture at Glenn.

A few "revelations" commonly sharedabout navigating business start-up in-cluded some tips: Determine your net(cash flow) needs before making any de-cisions about your employment status. Awork order or project can't be counteduntil you have a signed contract or pur-chase agreement. Be willing to marketyour business. Hire someone to do yourpayroll. Understand the difference be-tween form vs. function because it is thekey to knowing when to focus on what forthe survival of your business.

The presenters included Dr. Arnon Chait,a part-time materials research engineer inthe Microgravity Environment andTelescience Branch and cofounder andpresident of ANALIZA, Inc., a biotechnol-ogy company dedicated to development

of drug discoveryand biotech tech-nologies; Dr. LonnieReid, former chief ofthe Internal FluidMechanics Divisionand now founderand president of APSolutions, Inc., acomputational analysis engineeringresearch support group for gas turbineengine technology; and Matt Moran,a mechanical engineer currentlyon leave without pay from the Thermo-Mechanical Systems Branch to jump-starthis new business, Isotherm Tech-nologies, dedicated to the developmentof cryogenic systems for high-powered lasers, fuel cells, and"super-insulation" applications.

Four subsequent seminars in Novemberdealt with questions including the follow-ing: Do I have an innovative idea? Howdo I protect my idea? How do I getfunding? How do I best utilize NASA'stechnology transfer resources?

Glenn and Enterprise Development, Inc.(EDI), a not-for-profit subsidiary of CaseWestern Reserve University, hosted the

seminars for Glenn employees to encour-age a more entrepreneurial approach tothe commercialization of NASA technolo-gies. EDI operates the Lewis Incubatorfor Technology (LIFT), which is co-fundedby Glenn and the Ohio Department ofDevelopment. Additional support for LIFTis provided by the Great Lakes IndustrialTechnology Center.

"By holding this series of programs for ouremployees, we are trying to excite ouremployees into thinking about commer-cial applications for the technologies theyare developing," said Center DirectorDonald Campbell. "As a result, weanticipate an increased number of NASAtechnologies that are successfully utilizedin the marketplace, leading to an improvedquality of life." �

Left to right, are Entrepreneurial Revelationspanelists Dr. Arnon Chait, Dr. Lonnie Reid,and Matt Moran.