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Summer 2012 A Quarterly Publication Huge Crowd at Ames Celebrates Historic Mars Landing A huge crowd of more than 7,000 excited space enthusiasts gathered at NASAs Ames Research Center Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, to witness history in the making as NASAs Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft carrying the Curiosity rover embarked on a new era of Mars exploration. Spread in lawn chairs, sleeping bags, blankets and pacing the pavement, the audience paused and held its collective breath to hear the two words they had been waiting for: ambitious planetary rover mission to the surface of the Red Planet had ofWhen they heard NASA engineers try and landing, the crowd went wild. Go NASA! exclaimed Rosalba Bonaccorsi, an environmental scientist and SETI Institute principal investigaBY RACHEL HOOVER continued on page 2 NASA photo by Eric James More than 7,000 NASA enthusiasts came to Ames to celebrate the Curiosity rovers landing. NASA Lands Car-Size Rover Beside Martian Mountain NASAs most advanced Mars rover Curiosity has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars on Sunday and begin a two-year investigation. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft that carried Curiosity succeeded in every step of the most complex landing ever attempted on of the rocket backpack. Today, the wheels of Curiosity have begun to blaze the trail for hu man footprints on Mars. Curiosity, the most sophisticated rover ever built, is now on the surface of the Red Planet, where it will seek to answer age-old questions about whether life ever existed on Mars -or if the planet can sustain life in the future, said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. This is an amazing achievement, made pos sible by a team of scientists and engi neers from around the world and led by the extraordinary men and women of NASA and our Jet Propulsion Labo continued on page 2 The parachute decelerator system for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft unMSL parachute canopy design. The basic design of the canopy is called the disc-gap band parachute, dating back to the 1970s, and has been used for all NASA spacecraft planetary sion. NASA photo by Dominic Hart www.nasa.gov
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Huge Crowd at Ames Celebrates Historic Mars Landing continued from page 1 tor at Ames working with the Natural and Cultural Resources Management support of a science instrument on Cu riosity. For this, it is okay to cry, she added while watching the broadcast of relieved mission controllers wipe their eyes and brace trembling lips in reac tion to the fantastic news. taken by one of the rover s cameras appeared on the giant video screens erected on the lawn proof that Curi osity had safely landed. This mission marks the beginning of the next chapter in Mars explora tion, said Chris McKay, senior scien tist at Ames and co-investigator of two instruments on Curiosity, grinning from ear to ear and giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up as the crowd bustled and cheered around him. osity s journey to Mars, visitors were treated to an opportunity to interact with Ames engineers, scientists, researchers and developers to learn about their contributions to crucial aspects of the mission. Children also could build Mars rovers out of paper variety of other hands-on activities. As the daylight began to fade, the crowds attention turned to the from Mission Control at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. From then until Curiositys landing, bursts of excited applause and nervous laughter sprinkled throughout the crowd, as jubilant mission controllers described the spacecrafts successful entry into the Martian atmosphere. I was impressed so many people came out to see the landing, said Ivy who worked on the software scientists use to plan Curiosity s tasks on Mars. Its great to see people and specially kids interested in what I think it such an amazing, mind-boggling mission. As the NASA devotees departed, That was so cool and When is the next mission to Mars? and I love NASA! could be heard among the homeward bound crowd. It was quite a night and one that wont be forgot ten. NASA Lands Car-Size Rover Beside Martian Mountain continued from page 1 ratory. President Obama has laid out a bold vision for sending humans to Mars in the mid-2030s, and todays ward achieving this goal. Curiosity landed at 10:32 p.m. tain three miles tall and 96 miles in a nearly two-year prime mission, the rover will investigate whether the re gion ever of fered conditions favorable for microbial life. The Seven Minutes of Terror has turned into the Seven Minutes of T riumph, said NASA Associate Administrator for Science John Grunsfeld. My immense joy in the success of this mission is matched only by over whelming pride I feel for the women and men of the missions team. Mars, a wide-angle scene of rocky ground near the front of the rover. More images are anticipated in the next several days as the mission blends observations of the landing rover for work and check the perfor mance of its instruments and mecha nisms. Our Curiosity is talking to us from the surface of Mars, said MSL Project Manager Peter Theisinger of NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The landing takes us past the most hazardous moments for this project, and begins a new and exciting mission to pursue its scien NASA photo by JPL-Caltech This mosaic of the Curiosity rover is made of 20 images, each 1,024 by 1,024 pixels, taken late at night on Aug. 7, 2012 PDT (early morning Aug. 8, 2012 EDT). nications relayed by NASAs Mars Odyssey orbiter and received by the Canberra, Australia, antenna station Curiosity carries 10 science in struments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science payloads on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportu ing instrument for checking elemental composition of rocks from a distance. The rover will use a drill and scoop at the end of its robotic arm to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out tory instruments inside the rover. To handle this science toolkit, Cu as heavy as Spirit or Opportunity The Gale Crater landing site places the rover within driving distance of layers of the crater s interior mountain. Ob clay and sulfate minerals in the lower layers, indicating a wet history. The mission is managed by JPL ate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. 2 Astrogram Summer 2012
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Ames Public Affairs Summer Intern Shares Her Experience BY DEENA KHATTAB In the eight weeks I spent as a Public Affairs Intern, I have come to one very simple conclusion: Ames is really, really cool. In honor of this whirlwind of a summer at Ames, I thought I would share some of the special moments that made the NASA communications geek inside of me squeal with delight (in no particular order). 1. When nasaimages.org froze. As I spent a considerable amount of time extracting historic images from our archives and uploading them onto Flickr, I ran into this screen numerous times. Instead of being frustrated with technology (which typically occurs whenever a website freezes on me), I generate enough viewers to overload the server. (In other words, we are popular!) 2. Becoming NASA Ames: When I became NASA Ames Research Center Okay, so I did not actually become the center, but I was appointed as a web administrator for the center s Facebook page. This was especially cool because when I went onto the page, my Facebook interface had a thin blue banner across the top that read, You are now posting, com menting, and liking as NASA Ames Research Center. Thus, I virtually NASA Ames instead, which might be the most exciting thing ever to happen to me on the Internet. 3. Going Viral: When I discovered that one of the NASA Flickr images I had uploaded went viral on Reddit. For those who do not spend all of their free time on the Internet, Reddit is a website where users can upvote and downvote Internet content based less to say when I discovered that an image I had uploaded to Flickr of human computers (female work ers that crunched data numbers) at NASA Langley Research Center in the 1940s had gone viral, I freaked out. The image had made it to the top of Reddits History page, based on Best photo ever. NASA photo the vast amount of people that had upvoted(liked) it. I was amazed that a single image taken more than 70 years ago that had sat in the images archive unnoticed for ages, suddenly was becoming popular, reminding people of NASAs rich history. 4. Best Photo Ever: When I uploaded onto Flickr what is possibly the most beautiful space image anyone has ever seen. I realize that everyone at the agency has his or her preferences, but when I stumbled upon the image in the archive, my jaw dropped. This photograph from Apollo 16, taken on April 21, 1971, has the perfect positioning a moon crater with a parked Lunar erything about this photo the depth of shadows in the crater; the lens rainbows on the left side; the subtle crosshairs from the cameras reseau helmet; and the distinct bootprints in the foreground make this the most visually appealing photograph I have ever seen. (The 150-plus Flickr users that have added this image to their favorites agree with me.) 5. The Economist : When an editor from The Economist came to Ames. While I actually had no part in the aforementioned editors visit and have met plenty of NBC, CBS, and local newspaper reporters in the past few weeks that are quite impressive, the fact that someone from what is in my opinion one of the best news magazines in the world, visited Ames made me star struck. It also is exciting, because The Economists lack of bylines makes its staff seem anony mous and elusive. Thus, a visit from one of the editors feels to me almost 6. Curiosity on Mars: When Curiosity landed on Mars, and one out of the 7,000 people gathered on the lawn started quietly singing This Land Is Your Land. This one is self-explanato ry. Because something actually landed on Mars during my internship, I now can truthfully say that I have had the my summer internship at Ames, I got to witness one of NASA s greatest successes in space exploration. 7. Wearing a Flight Suit: When I wore day of my internship, there was a blue to be my size. Of course, I did what any other space enthusiast would do. I immediately donned it while I contin ued doing my normal work. All in all, it has been quite an eventful eight weeks and these quality experiences have been added to my gleaned so much knowledge of the way communications works at the cen ter, and cannot wait to apply my new skills in the future. Editors Note to attend the University of Southern California this fall with a double major in journalism and history. 3 Astrogram Summer 2012
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Social media enthusiasts share excitement of Curiosity On Aug. 3, 2012, 24 of NASA Ames social media followers joined Ames scientists, engi neers, leadership and public affairs hosts in real life for a NASA Social focused on Ames contributions to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Throughout the day, participants posted to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and more to share their experiences with hundreds of thousands of people in their combined social networks All photos by NASA / Eric James George Raiche explains the inner workings of the Arc Jet facilities, which tested elements of MSLs heat shield. management research in Future Flight Central before witnessing the unveiling of a new Mars panorama. Kepler Mission Deputy Science Team Lead Natalie Batalha discusses the Kepler mission The keynote event of the Curiosity-themed day was a tour by David Blake, principal investigator of the Chemical and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument on MSL. Blake shared the basics of CheMin and demonBrad Bebout hosts followers in his Mars research lab studying strated its technology. methane production. 4 Astrogram Summer 2012
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Ames community celebrates successful Curiosity landing NASA photo by Eric James As JPL celebrates the successful Curiosity landing, NASA enthusiasts at Ames join the celebration of the historic moment. NASA photo by Eric James NASA photo by Eric James Ames scientist Chris McKay enjoys the chance to talk with the public. Scientists at NASA Ames made major contributions to MSL. NASA photo by Eric James NASA photo by Eric James Ames scientists love what they do and sharing their enthusiasm with the The NASA enthusiasts who came to the landing event showed an active public. interest in learning more about MSL and Ames involvement with this mission. 5 Astrogram Summer 2012
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NASA Ames Researcher Receives Presidential Award NASA photo by Dominic Hart Jessica Koehne recently received the 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. BY JESSICA CULLER President Obama has named Ames researcher Jessica Koehne of Code TSS as a recipient of the 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). NASA recipients and 90 other federal researchers will receive their awards in a ceremony scheduled in Washing ton. The PECASE awards represent the highest honor bestowed by the federal government on scientists and engineers beginning their indepen dent careers. The award recognizes recipients exceptional potential for knowledge, and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through professional leadership, edu cation or community outreach. These talented individuals have tions to the agencys mission at this early stage in their careers, said NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati. We look forward to celebrating their continued success for many years to come. The 2011 NASA recipients were nominated by the agencys Science nologist. Koehne was recognized for exceptional dedication to the develop ment of nano-bio sensing systems for NASA mission needs. The PECASE awards were cre ated to foster innovative developments in science and technology, increase awareness of careers in science and engineering, give recognition to ing agencies, enhance connections between fundamental research and many of the grand challenges facing the nation, and highlight the impor tance of science and technology for Americas future. Eleven federal departments and agencies nominated scientists and engineers for the 201 1 PECASE awards. Ames Co-Winner of the 2012 NASA Software of the Year The NASA Inventions and Contri bution Board has selected the NASA App from Ames Research Center as a co-winner of the 2012 NASA Software of the Year award sponsored by the Chief Engineer, the Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance and the Chief I am absolutely delighted that the NASA App team has been hon ored with this prestigious award. As a center we have enjoyed great suc cess in previous NASA Software of the Y ear competitions; this award adds to our proud legacy, said Ames Center Former Ames winners include: Incompressible Navier-Stokes Flow (1994), Flow Analysis SoftwareT oolkit (FAST) (1995), Center TRACON Automation System (1998), Remote Agent (2007), World Wind Java (2009), and Kepler Science Operations Center (SOC) (2010). The Ames NASA App team includes Jerry Colen, program manager, John Freitas, software engineer, and cialist who left NASA in 2009. The NASA App invites the public to discover a wealth of NASAs best and most highly requested content on various mobile platforms i.e. iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Android phones and tablets. The NASA App supports all the agencys programs, projects and missions by allowing users to gain a better understanding and appreciation of NASAs science, technology and engineering discover ies. The application uses a collection of backend scripts and servers to gather and aggregate NASAs online content and breaking news from thousands of non-mobile web pages, image data bases, video collections, news and image feeds, Twitter accounts, etc. As the content is gathered and aggregated, it is optimized, format ted and then delivered in a very fast, engaging, well-organized and intuitive application. The NASA App makes extensive use of the built-in hardware, features and usability of each of the mobile devices it supports to of fer very compelling yet concise information in a clear and easy way. With the integrated social media fea tures (such as Facebook and Twitter), the NASA App makes sharing content easy to further inform, inspire, engage, and excite the public. The NASA App currently has over 8.7 million user installs. It has received glowing reviews from CNN, Gizmodo, CNET, Macworld, Wired and The Reg also been astonishing, with a current 2 million hits per day average and peaks of over 8 million. The NASA App shares the 2012 NASA Software of the Y ear Award with co-winner QuakeSim 2.0 from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). 6 Astrogram Summer 2012
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France Honors Former Ames Test Pilot George Cooper BY APRIL GAGE the French Consulate in San Francis co, Consul General Romain Serman recently presented Frances highest honor to George Cooper, former head and research pilot. As reported in the San Jose Mer cury news, the French Consul General commended Cooper, along with two other World W ar II veterans, for their tion helping to defend and preserve the independence of France and our common values as he pinned the prestigious Legion of Honor medal to Coopers chest. Cooper received the commenda tion for his performance as a U.S. Thunderbolt on 81 missions with the 412th Fighter Squadron. France and Belgium, Cooper support ed the advance of Allied forces in 1944 and 1945 by attacking the German ground transportation system. such as roads, railways, aircraft, land, and water vehicles, as well as fuel stockpiles. Routinely deployed to conduct these highly danger ous ground attack missions and not likely to engage in air-to-air combat, Cooper encountered German enemy aircraft just three times but managed to shoot down four of them, coming one plane shy of becoming an ace. BY GLENN BUGOS Jack Boyd and Hans Mark share a friendship dating back to 1969, when Boyd got a request from the Administrator to give Mark a tour of NASA Ames as he was being courted to be its third center director. Over many decades, the two men helped shaped NASA, honed each other s perspective on NASA culture, and forged a friend ship. Today their advice is still actively sought. Boyd serves as a historian and senior advisor to the center direc tor and Mark as a professor at the University of Texas Austin. For an hour on Aug. 13, 2012 they captivated a crowded auditorium with Photo by National Adivisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Though several of his colleagues were downed, Cooper, and his aircraft, made it through the war without a scratch. Prior to his military service, Cooper studied engineering at Univer sity of California at Berkeley, focusing on mining engineering and working in California gold mines during summer breaks. While at Cal, he met and married classmate Louise Garrod, and joined T raining Corps to earn extra money, not anticipating the war and his subse quent call to active duty. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, earned a pilot degree, then served Training Command before being posted with the Ninth U.S. Army Air Force. By March 1945, he was eligible to leave the front and returned home to the Saratoga foothills and his wife Louise. Jack Boyd and Hans Mark Converse as Masters of NASA tales of battles fought, as with devel-lessons learned and best practices. oping tilt rotor aircraft and massively parallel supercomputers, and of giving a vision to the agency. Both men are known fondly as exceptional men tors of NASA leadership, and many questions revolved around how young people can best grow as leaders of NASA. Boyd recalled his own men tors helping him discover what their younger colleagues are most passion ate about, then helped them pursue their goals. NASA s Academy of Program/ Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL) developed Masters with Mas ters as interviews which pair expert practitioners to share insights, stories, In 1945, Cooper was hired as a test pilot at Ames (then known as the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), where he further dis tinguished himself as an exceptional aviator and research engineer. At Ames from 1945 until his retirement in 1973, Cooper tested more than 135 aircraft (including 41 kinds of aircraft carrier planes), routinely pushing them straight down into hazardous highspeed maximum dives during test trials. Flight testing can be fatal but, just as he did in wartime, Cooper sur (though he did have to crash-land a local prune orchard, to the decided detriment of several trees and the aircraft.) The intrepid pilot s death-defying testing of aircraft designs was only search. Cooper helped develop ways for pilots to contribute to the with greater safety and reliability by using, for example, simulators and other mechanisms for translating hu man experience and expertise into useful data. One of the best-known examples of his many efforts in this area is Cooper s Pilot Opinion Rating Scale, a standardized methodology he developed for test pilots to effectively formulate observations about aircraft handling characteristics. The system, later adjusted in collabora tion with Robert Harper and renamed the Cooper-Harper Handling Qualities Rating Scale, remains in use as an international standard. Lewis Peach, formerly of NASA Ames, helped organize the event, and Ames employees generated lots of good questions. Links to the video of the event are at: http://appel.nasa.gov Edward J. Hoffman, director of APPEL and the interviewer, recalled tion for students interning at NASA. Hoffman was pursuing his doctorate in organizational psychology and Mark asked him, jovially, Why are you here? It was a question they contin ued to explore during the evening, and one Hoffman says a question every one should revisit often. 7 Astrogram Summer 2012
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Students Shine at Ames 2012 Summer Poster Symposium BY ALEXANDER NICHOL Outreach presented the 2012 Summer Higher Education Poster Symposium Aug. 8, 2012 in Shenandoah Plaza. The event coincided with the Ames years symposium was the biggest on record, featuring a total of 203 posters from individual interns and research groups. The Poster Symposium was attended by an estimated 987 mem bers of the Ames community, who about the work that our interns con ducted over the past ten weeks. Included in the presentations were groups from the joint Environmental Protection Agency/NASA internship program, the Tribal Colleges and program, the NASA Academy for Space Exploration, and the Ames Aeronautics Academy. The event was preceded by a Career Fair featuring representatives from NASA partners such as Jacobs Technology, Greene who spoke with students about career opportunities. This years event was an improve ment over last years, in terms of scale and accessibility. The tent was wider ing branch chiefs, division heads, and and featured fans to help keep the tor Lewis Braxton III. All in all, the inside temperature manageable. The interns assembled outside the tent event was a huge success, and we event was attended by many members mid-symposium to take a photo with look forward to a repeat in 2013. of Ames upper management, includAmes Hosts Second Annual Diversity and Inclusion Day BY DEREK LOVE invited the NASA workforce and the community to participate in the second This events theme focused on the diverse Ames workforce. Pete Worden provided the opening panel discussion. Panelists included a group of diverse members of Ames past and present internship programs. Each member brought different perspectives and experiences to the discussion. The members included Joy Pierre, a former co-op intern, who is deputy director of the Human a Space Grant program intern, andcontinued on page 9 8 Astrogram Summer 2012 NASA photo by Dominic Hart Ames Center Director Pete Worden listens to a student discuss what he accomplished during his internship. NASA photo by Dominic Hart Colorful costumes highlighted Ames second annual Diversity and Inclusion Day.
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Planetary Scientists Celebrate Pasts Successes, Bright Future BY KAREN JENVEY AND TEAGUE SODERMAN On July 17-19,2012, more than 300 lunar enthusiasts came to Ames Research Center to collaborate on moon research and plan for the NASA Lunar Science Institutes future. The NASA Lunar Science forum, which is sponsored by NLSI, demonstrates the current renaissance in studies of our moon. In recent years, the amount of data available to scientists has skyrocket ed. Five U.S. spacecraft are currently studying the moon, plus several others completed their missions in recent years. With the new data available, discoveries and advancements are plentiful. The NLSI catalyzes collaborative research within and among its seven teams, but also strives to include and support the broader lunar science community in a variety of ways, said Yvonne Pendleton, director of the NLSI. In his summary review of the Kring of NLSIs Lunar and Planetary Institute team in Houston said W e have made more progress in three years with the NLSI than was made in the previous 30 years of lunar studies, but a lot of questions remain unan swered that require a return to the lunar surface, using both robot and human explorers. In addition to discussing science results, the forum attendees focused their attention on the future. NASA More than 800 people (500 people in-person and 300 people virtually) attended the 2012 NASA Lunar Science Forum. NASA photo by Dominic Hart the current NLSI and announced an expansion of the charter to allow ad ditional emphasis on research that will support both science and exploration. In NASA organizational terms, this means a closer alliance between the the forum by NASA Associate Adminlined their rationale for the expansion of the Institute, providing insight into the new era of enhanced collaboration between science and exploration. One of the greatest accomplish ments of NLSI has been a resurgence of young scientists into lunar studies. The NLSI sponsors informal organiza tions of both graduate students and of young professionals beginning their careers in lunar science. At the forum, NASA representa tives stressed that we need research ers who are passionate about under standing our neighbor the moon, and who want to improve our understand ing of our own planet. 9 Franklin, and Raquel Espinoza with the Growth Sector intern program. Shelia Johnson, Ames Community Relations Coordinator, was the panel moderator. ists provided information about their internship experiences at Ames; and shared personal stories related to diversity and inclusion. They also relayed positive feedback for future interns and mentors during the question and answer session. Passport journey that took place on Shenandoah Plaza. The event consisted of employees and others from the Ames workforce and the community who designed and hosted a cultural exhibit. Each exhibit contained items such as artifacts, cultural wear, art, costumes, informational documents and literature that showcased their individual culture or receiving a Culture Passport. The participants stopped at each exhibit to learn interesting facts, such as common points of interest and how the many facets of their life. Participants also recorded their observations in their passport and received a journey stamp from the exhibitor which journey, participants experienced each cultural exhibit, were enriched with knowledge about diversity, and garnered the appreciation for the cultural qualities in others. The objective of this event was to learn to leverage our differences and similarities in order to optimize the value that all of us bring to NASA. continued from page 8 Ames Hosts Second Annual Diversity and Inclusion Day NASA photo by Dominic Hart Ames Deputy Center Director Lewis Braxton Jendai Robinson for her participation in student intern SPEAK OUT presentation. Astrogram Summer 2012
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NASA Collaborative Environment to Advance Earth Science NASA photo by Andrew Michaelis / Tim Sandstrom First application of NEX: global vegetation density estimates shown at 30-meter resolution (nearly 340 billion pixels) from Landsat satellite data. BY RUTH MARLAIRE NASA soon will open a new chapter of discovery using enhanced Landsat Earth-observing data in a state-of-the-art, high-performance computing and data access environ ment called NASA Earth Exchange (NEX). It is a virtual laboratory that will allow scientists to tackle Earth science challenges with global, high-resolution satellite observations. After extensive development and testing, NASA is making NEX avail able to the research community for fur ther research and development. With the agencys state-of-the-art Pleiades supercomputer located at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing facility at Ames, researchers can use NEX to explore and analyze large Earth sci ence data sets in hours, rather than months. Scientists can produce com plex, interdisciplinary studies of world instantly on the NEX platform. Because of the large volume of high-resolution Landsat data, scien tists who wanted to study the planet as a whole prior to NEX needed to invest tremendous amounts of time and effort to develop high-end computational methods rather than focus on impor dar Lee, high-end computing program manager at NASA Headquarters in researchers access to and analysis of high-resolution data like Landsat. This new environment boasts a large collection of global data sets and analysis tools from NASA and other agencies, including surface weather records, topography soils, land cover and global climate simulations. Using scenes together like a giant jigsaw puzzle to create snapshots of global vegetation patterns containing more than a half-trillion pixels in less than 10 hours. These global vegetation prod the more standard products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro radiometer on NASAs Aqua satellite, but with 10 times higher resolution. The science community is under increasing pressure not only to study recent and projected changes in cli mate that likely impact our global en vironment and natural resources, but also to design solutions to mitigate, or cope, with the likely impacts, said Ramakrishna Nemani, a senior Earth scientist at Ames. W e want to change the research paradigm by bringing large data holdings and supercomput ing capabilities together, so researchers have everything they need in one place. NEX combines Earth-system model ing, remote-sensing data from NASA social networking platform to deliver a complete research environment. Users can explore and analyze large Earth science data sets, run and share mod eling algorithms, collaborate on new or existing projects and exchange workother science communities. Scientists believe costs and time associated with research develop allowing NEX members to collaborate instantly in this type of large-scale supercomputing work environment. For example, NEX may relieve re searchers from redundantly retrieving and integrating data sets and building modeling analysis codes. NEX uses Landsat data, which constitutes a large collection of images collected over 40 years by a series of satellite sensors. The enhanced col lection of Landsat data gives scientists the opportunity to study and under stand changes on a planetary scale, looking at one-quarter acre at a time. NASA, in cooperation with the agency the U.S. Geological Survey, 1972. The resulting 40-year archive of Earth observations from the Landof human and environmental health, biodiversity, energy and water man agement, urban planning, disaster recovery and crop monitoring. The Landsat program is jointly managed by 10 Astrogram Summer 2012
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Ames Ongoing Monthly Events Calendar African American Advisory Group (AAAG) Mtg., last Tuesday of each month, 12 1 p.m., Bldg. N255 Rm 101C. POC: Rose King, ext. 4-3442. Moffett Aikido Club, Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:30 p.m., Bldg. 944. Aikido is a non-competitive, defensive martial art known 787-1007, email: mfaikido@aol.com Ames Amateur Radio Club, third Thurs., of ea. month, 12 noon, N-T28 (across from N-255). POC: George T ucker, at ext. 4-2200. Ames Bluegrass Club, every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bldg. 944. Players of all instruments and all levels are welcome, but we are particularly interested in experienced play ers willing to help improve the groups musical skills. POC: Bob Haberle at ext: 4-5494 or email: robert.m.haberle@nasa.gov Ames Bocce Ball Club, Ames newest Exchange-sponsored club is seeking members. POC: Mike Lindsay email: michael.c.lindsay@ nasa.gov Ames Bowling League, Homestead Lanes Thursdays at six p.m. Need substitute bowl ers. Sign up questions: Steve Howard at ext. 4-4884. ea. month, 11 a.m., Bldg. N-200, Committee Room. POC: Herb Finger at ext. 4-6598. Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) Mtg, third W ednesday ea. month, noon. Bldg. N-204, Rm. 101. Guests welcome. Check for occoasional schedule changes at: http://www. Ames Golf Club, Members will have the op portunity to play about 13 tournaments per year at a variety of 18-hole golf courses in the Bay and Monterey Area. POC: Barry Sullivan: Barry .T.Sullivan@nasa.gov. Ames Green Team (formerly the Green Ames Tuesday of each month in N237, Room 101, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. For information, call Roger Ashbaugh, Ames Environmental http://environmentalmanagement.arc.nasa. gov/reports/eo-13514.html The Hispanic Advisory Committee for each month, 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., Bldg. N-255, Rm. 101C. POC: Jeanette Zamora, jeanette.zamora-ortega-1@nasa.gov. Ames Jazz Band Club, Bldg. 944, 5:30 p.m. 7 p.m., POC: Ralph Bach, email: ralph.e.bach@nasa.gov Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 p.m. 1 p.m., Bldg. N-269/Rm.179. POC: Tim Steiger, ext. 4-0195, tim.steiger@nasa.gov Web: http://jetstream.freetoasthost.com Ames Nimble Knitters Club, every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., Bldg. N210/Rm 141. POC: Alexander at ext. 4-3140. URL: http://knit.arc. nasa.gov Ames Roller Hockey Club, meets daily from noon to 1 p.m. at rink on north end of the 80foot-by-120-foot wind tunnel, Playsers should have experience skating and wear protective equipment. Ames Safety Committee, third Thursday of each month, 10 a.m. 11 a.m., Bldg. N-237, Rm. 200. POC: John Livacich, jlivacich@ mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext. 4-3243. Wednesday of each month, Bldg. 241 room 237, 11:30 12:30 p.m., POC: Elena Serna, elena.serna@nasa.gov Ames emergency announcements To hear the centerwide status recording, call (650) 604-9999 for information announcements and emergency instructions for Ames employees. You can also listen to 1700 KHz AM radio for the same information. Exchange Information Information about products, services and opportuni ties provided to the employee and contractor com web site at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov Beyond Galileo Gift Shop N-235 in the cafeteria 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., ext. 4-6873 Visitor Center Gift Shop (White Tent N-943-A, Tues-Fri, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat. Sun, 12 4 p.m., ext. 4--5412 Remember to purchase your baby shower, birthday, holiday gifts at Ames two gift shops! Mega Bites Cafeteria N-235, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., ext. 4-5969/Catering ext. 4-2161 Barcelona Caf Bldg. 3, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., ext. 4-4948/Catering ext. 4-4948 See daily menus at: http://exchange.arc. nasa.gov/cafe/menu.html Moffett Field Golf Club with Tee minus 1 Grill and Sports Bar Catering available. Call (650) 603-8026. Extended Happy Hour Thursdays, $5 and $6 pitchers of beer starting at 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. R V Lots Available Call to reserve a space at (650) 603-7100/01. Civilian/Contractors, $50/mo; military $25/mo NASA Lodge (N-19) 603-7100 Where to stay when youre too tired to drive home? What about the lodge?! Two types of rooms: Bldg. 19 (43 rooms), rate: $55/night ($5 ea addl adult); Bldg. 583 (150 rooms), rate: $45/night ($5 ea. addl adult) Ames Swim Center (N-109) 603-8025 Closed for repairs, for updates visit http://amesex change.arc.nasa.gov/swim/index.html The pool is heated year round! The pool is currently available for lap swim, pool parties and special events. POC: Ryan Storms, Pool Manager (650) 603-8025. Memberships: single memberships: $60/yr. Family memberships: $80/yr. After purchasing a membership, there is an entrance fee: daily entrance fee $3/day or lap pass fee $50 for 20 uses. Platinum membership $380/yr. (no daily fee). Special events: include military training, swim team events, kayak role practice, etc. The cost for special events is $75/hr, or $50/hr for military. Reservations for Chase Park call ext. 4-4948 Reservations for ARC Park call ext. 4-5969 Ames Cat Network homes for cats trapped at Moffett. They range from feral to abandoned/lost pets. Tested, altered and inoculated. Call Iris at ext. 4-5824 if you or someone you know are interested in fostering or adopting a cat. 11 Astrogram Summer 2012
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Remembering Neil Armstrong A statistical summary of activities of the Protective Protection Services units for the month of July 2012 is shown below. Protective Services monthly activity Security / Law Enforcement Activity Fire Protection Activity NASA photo by Lee Jones In February 1964, Armstrong climbing out of the cockpit of an airplane at Ames with Hangar One in the background. man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, died on Aug. 25, 2012, following complica tions resulting from cardio vascular procedures. He was 82. Armstrongs words That is one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind, spoken on July 20, 1969, as he became onto another planetary body, instantly became a part of history. Neil Armstrong was a hero not just of his time but of all time, President Barack Obama said via Twitter. Thank you, Neil, for showing us the power of one small step. Neil was not only a friend, but a superb NACA research pilot, a quiet and incredibly competent NASA astronaut, and a person who enhanced all of our lives. He can never be replaced, said Jack Boyd, NASA Ames senior advisor for history. Armstrong is survived by his wife, two sons, a stepson, a stepdaughter, 10 grandchildren, and a brother and a sister. Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 PLEASE RECYCLE Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based ink. Astrogram NP-2012-08-03-ARC FIRST-CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 85 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Managing Editor......................Michael Mewhinney @mail.arc.nasa.gov or by phone at (650) 6044789. Astrogram Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/ ames/astrogram. 12 Astrogram Summer 2012 National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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