Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT_ZIP/jplpaper/930521.ZIP/930521.UNI

Text File | 1993-08-11 | 27KB | 493 lines

Jet Propulsion Laboratory UNIVERSE
Pasadena, California - Vol. 23, No. 10 - May 21, 1993
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American Heritage Week kicks off June 1

By Ed McNevin
     JPL's 13th annual American Heritage Week celebration, set
for June 1-4 on the Mall, will offer employees and contractors an
opportunity to learn more about the diverse cultures on Lab,
shared through music, entertainment and food from around the
world.
     American Heritage Week activities are sponsored by the
Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs. The slogan of this year's
American Heritage Week, "Achieving Excellence through Cultural
Diversity," was conceived by Gary Roberts, a micrographic
technician in Section 642. The logo for this year's event was
designed by Armando Marquez, an air-conditioning mechanic in
Section 662. Both Roberts and Marquez won $25 for their
submissions to a design/logo contest.
     "I hope that when employees walk away from the events this
year, they will be encouraged to meet and respect a person from a
different culture and learn to appreciate the diversity of
cultures at JPL," said Nerissa Parmelee, chairwoman of American
Heritage Week and a junior data processing analyst in Financial
Planning, Section 632.
     According to Parmelee, 12 different ethnic groups will be
represented at the event: African American, Arab American,
Brazilian, Celtic, Chinese, East Indian, Filipino, Hispanic,
Italian, Japanese, Native American and Vietnamese. In addition to
a full schedule of entertainment throughout the week, she noted
that some unique surprises will highlight the festivities.
     On June 2, the International Fashion Show will start at 11
a.m.; a special reunion honoring all previous American Heritage
Week chairs will be hosted by Deputy Lab Director Larry Dumas at
noon; and visitors to Heritage Museum booths located throughout
the mall area will receive free ice cream from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
     American Heritage Week's International Cuisine and Dress
Night will be featured on June 3. Entertainment will begin at 4
p.m., and food service will begin at 4:45 p.m, as employees and
their families will have an opportunity to sample a smorgasbord
of ethnic foods free of charge. The Japanese ethnic group will
mark its first appearance in American Heritage Week by offering
sushi.
     Thursday evening's celebration, at which Pasadena Mayor Rick
Cole will be a guest speaker, will provide JPL employees and
contractors with an opportunity to share their cultural
traditions by wearing clothing that is native to their family's
ethnic background. "If employees are not participating in any one
event, then this is a chance for them to share their cultures by
wearing their native dress," Parmelee said.
     Parmelee, who came to the United States from the Philippines
in 1981, said she is fortunate to have had the opportunity to
work with ACMA, the American Heritage Week committee members and
ethnic group leaders, whose time and efforts she credits for the
success of the event.
     "I really can't thank them enough for sharing their ideas
and cultures with me," she said.
     As time grows short and last-minute details are being
attended to, she doesn't seem to mind the countless hours she has
spent preparing to stage one of the biggest and most popular
events at JPL.
     "I am very excited and more than a little nervous," she
said, "but this is definitely something that I love to do."
     For more information on Heritage Week, contact Parmelee at
ext. 4-6352, or Ken White at ext. 4-1810. ###
_________________________________________________________________

Magellan is readied for
aerobraking to change orbit

     At the completion of its fourth 243-day orbital cycle at
Venus on May 25, the Magellan spacecraft will dip into the
atmosphere of Venus in a first-of-its-kind maneuver, lowering the
spacecraft's orbit to help study the planet's gravity.
     The technique, called "aerobraking," will use atmospheric
drag to slow the spacecraft and circularize its orbit, explained
Dan Lyons, a member of the technical staff in the Mission Design
Section 312. Currently, Magellan is looping around Venus in a
highly elliptical orbit.
     "This aerobraking technique has never been used before on a
NASA planetary mission," said Douglas Griffith, Magellan project
manager. "Aerobraking is the only way to make such a large change
in Magellan's orbit," he added, noting that the spacecraft does
not have enough thruster fuel onboard for the change.
     Lyons explained that "aerobraking won't be easy. There will
be many sleepless nights and missed meals for everyone involved.
Keeping the on-board sequence in sync with reality will be a big
challenge for the JPL navigating team, the Martin Marietta
spacecraft team and the Deep Space Network tracking team."
     The main objective of changing the orbit is to make better
measurements of Venus' gravity field, particularly at latitudes
near the planet's poles, said Magellan Project Scientist Dr. R.
Stephen Saunders.
     Measurements from the current elliptical orbit are blurred
at high latitude by the height of the spacecraft above the
surface -- about 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) near the north
pole, and 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles) near the south pole.
     Using data collected during the aerobraking experiment
itself, scientists also hope to study Venus' atmosphere. Bill
Sjogren, principal investigator for the Magellan gravity science
experiment, explained that "by circularizing the orbit, we can
observe the entire planet rather than just the band around the
equator. The gravitational map should enable us to infer the
global mechanisms that formed the exotic surface terrain revealed
by the Magellan Synthetic Aperture Radar experiment during the
prime and extended mission cycles."
     Another objective of the technique is to "gain the
engineering experience that may allow future missions to use
aerobraking to enter planetary orbit or to change orbit without
using large thrusters," said Griffith.
     During each of the eight-month cycles, Magellan orbits from
north to south while the planet turns slowly once underneath the
spacecraft.
     During earlier cycles, Magellan used its radar to map Venus'
surface with resolution as fine as 75 meters (250 feet), and the
elevation, slope, radar reflectivity and radar emissivity over
more than 98 percent of the planet.
     In the upcoming maneuver, flight controllers hope to lower
the spacecraft from its current orbit with a low point near 170
kilometers (100 miles) and high point of 8,500 kilometers (5,300
miles). The target orbit is about 200 by 600 kilometers (125 by
375 miles). This change would alter the time taken by each orbit
from 3-1/4 hours to about 90 minutes.
     The aerobraking experiment will start at 10:30 a.m., when
the spacecraft makes the first maneuver to lower the low point of
its orbit down into Venus' atmosphere. By carefully controlling
the orbit altitude, the drag and heat generated on the spacecraft
will be kept within tolerable limits.
     Completing the change in orbit down to the final target will
take about 80 days, Lyons noted. The short period of drag on each
orbit, a few minutes at the start to about 20 minutes near the
end, will lower the high point by about 10 kilometers (6 miles)
on every orbit.
     According to Saunders, measuring Venus' gravity field
permits scientists to measure the pattern of heavier and lighter
regions under the planet's surface. It is the only technique
currently available to look inside Venus and provides information
like that gained using seismometers to probe inside a planet.
Similar measurements on Earth helped reveal plate tectonics,
Earth's fundamental geologic process.
     "Without better measurements from a lower orbit, it would
remain difficult to understand Venus' internal geology and why it
is so different from Earth's," said Saunders. ###
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More than 200 receive NASA Awards

     More than 200 employees and others from the Lab community
received 1993 NASA Honor Awards at a ceremony April 30 on JPL's
Mall.
     Officiating were JPL Director Dr. Edward Stone, Deputy
Director Larry Dumas and Associate Administrator for NASA Office
of Space Science Dr. Wesley Huntress, who congratulated JPL
employees for their outstanding work, progress and innovative
approaches to space exploration.
     The JPL community was commended by Huntress for rising to
NASA's challenge of space exploration but was also encouraged to
become more productive in an era in which funds have grown
scarce. When pursuing innovative approaches, Huntress told the
Lab community to always remember: "JPL's past is glorious, its
present is exciting, but its future is unlimited."
     The 1993 NASA Honor Awards recipients are:
     Public Service Group Achievement Award: Centre National
d'Etudes Spatiales TOPEX/Poseidon Project Team and Mars Observer
Spacecraft Development
     Group Achievement Award: Advanced Engineering Model Deep
Space Transponder Team; Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility
Operations Team; DSS-13 Monitor and Control Advanced Development
Team; Galileo Gaspra Encounter Team; GOPEX Demonstration Team;
JPL/Loral Drop Physics Module Project Team; JPL Shipping;
JPL/Stanford University Lambda-Point Experiment Team; Mars
Observer Mission Design; Mars Observer Mission Operations System
Design; Mars Observer Payload Development; Mars Observer
Procurement Support; Mars Observer Spacecraft Management and
Support; Mars Science Microrover Demonstration; Marvel Automated
Monitoring and Diagnostics Team; Multimission Control Team;
Network Operations Control Center Upgrade Task; Office of Patents
and New Technology Team; Physical Oceanography Distributed Active
Archive Center; Planetary Data System Team; TOPEX/Poseidon Ground
Data System; TOPEX/Poseidon Mission Design; TOPEX/Poseidon
Procurement Support; TOPEX/Poseidon Satellite Integration, Test
and Launch; TOPEX/Poseidon Sensors; UARS Microwave Limb Sounder
Data Processing/Analysis Team; Ulysses Jupiter Flyby Team; and
X-Band Acquisition Aid Implementation Project
     Public Service Medal: Peter Beech, James P. Brown, Peter J.
Caseley, Brett Delana, Michel Dorrer, Donald V. Fordyce, Norman
Gauss, Alan Hawkyard, Paul Kaskiewicz, Richard Laurie, Jacobus P.
Leertouwer, Michel Lefebvre, Robert R. Mullen, Howard Nussbaum,
Jon R. Osoro, Ernest Schaeffer, Owen G. Short, Kenny R. Starnes,
Steve Teitelbaum and Carl Wunsch.
     Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal: Paul G. Backes
and Edward T. Chow
     Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal: Henry G. LeDuc,
Aden B. Meinel and Joe W. Waters
     Exceptional Service Medal: Jerome E. Abraham, Philip C.
Allin, Kenneth L. Atkins, William E. Bachman, Douglas W. Beasley,
Joseph G. Beerer, Joseph W. Bott, Allen P. Bowman, G. Curtis
Cleven, Nickolas S. Climes, Jean W. Clough, Lynne P. Cooper,
James R. Curtis, E. S. "Ab" Davis, Samuel G. Deese, Michael R.
Diethelm, Henry M. Doupe, Fraser W. Draper, Roger G. Gibbs,
Marthella W. Greene, Richard A. Grippi, Jr., Carole L. Hamilton,
Daniel J. Hoppe, James H. Kelley, Robert C. Kinkade, Robert F.
Klotz, Anne-Marie Krause, Michael C. Lou, William B. Mabe, Warren
L. Martin, Jitendra S. Mehta, Marjorie P. Meinel, David P.
Miller, Timothy N. Munson, Susan C. Murphy, Timothy P. O'Donnell,
Steven C. Ogle, Floyd G. Olson, John C. Peterson, Dusan Petrac,
Dennis L. Potts, Robert V. Powell, Pamela H. Ray, Eugene C. Reiz,
Gail K. Robinson, Ralph B. Roncoli, James R. Rose, Sheldon N.
Rosell, Albert C. Rush, Terry D. Scharton, Ted J. Sivalon,
William J. Sleigh, Fred S. Soltis, Thomas W. Starbird, Donald J.
Starkey, Ellen R. Stofan, Joseph A. Wackley, Charles R. Weisbin,
Richard M. Welby, Linda L. Welz, Helmut C. Wilck, Alvin M.
Willems, Ronald Y. Yoshida and Michael P. Zydowicz
     Exceptional Achievement Medal: Nellis C. Adams, Rajiv S.
Desai, Tom W. Hamilton, Michael J. Klein, Phyllis J. Lopeman,
George D. Pace, Reuben M. Ruiz and Alfred R. Zieger.
     Outstanding Leadership Medal: Duane F. Dipprey, David D.
Evans, Marcia M. Neugebauer and Charles A. Yamarone Jr. ###
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News briefs

     Brian McGlinchey has been named manager of the Mechanical
Systems Engineering and Research Division, 35. He replaces Ronald
Ploszaj, who was named deputy assistant Laboratory director in
the Office of Technical Divisions.
     McGlinchey had, since 1988, served as deputy manager of the
division. From March 1986 to October 1988, he was deputy manager
of the Electronics and Control Division, and had earlier served
as manager of the Guidance and Control Section. Previously, he
worked in this section as an engineer, group supervisor and as
deputy manager before becoming section manager.
     McGlinchey joined the Mission Analysis Section in the
Systems Division at JPL in 1963, after working as a control
systems design engineer at the Librascope, Aerospace Branch.
     He and his wife, Marilyn, residents of La Canada, have two
sons and two grandchildren.

     Dr. Helen Wong has been named the deputy manager of JPL's
Medical Services Office, Section 618.
     Wong comes to JPL from the Family Practice Department of
CIGNA Health Plans, where she was physician in charge of the
Pasadena Health Care Center.
     Wong graduated magna cum laude from the University of
California at Berkeley in 1977 with a degree in microbiology. In
1986, she received her M.D. from the University of California at
San Diego. After internship and residency through the University
of California at Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley Program, Wong
was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1989.
She then completed a two-year fellowship in endocrinology prior
to joining CIGNA.
     Born in Taiwan, Wong moved with her parents to Monterey,
Calif., when she was 8 years old. She now lives with her husband
in the San Gabriel Valley.

     The JPL Bicycle Club and the Lab's employee transportation
coordinators are co-sponsoring BikeFest '93 May 25.
     The annual event, which runs from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on
the Mall, promotes bicycle commuting. Any Lab employee or
contractor who bikes to work on May 25 and brings his or her bike
to the Mall before 12:15 will receive a free sports water bottle,
a "Street Smarts" booklet with tips for riding in a multi-vehicle
environment and a JPL cafeteria coupon worth $1.50. A raffle will
offer four $25 gift certificates at chosen bike shops or the
grand prize, a Giro ProLight Comp bicycle helmet. Free bike
checks, exotic bicycles and a unicycle demonstration are
featured, and free refreshments will be provided.
     Special travel arrangements will be made for Foothill and
other off-Lab employees. For more information, contact Jimmie
Young at ext. 4-7219. ###
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Technology transfer vital to Lab, U.S. industry

By Mark Whalen
     JPL Director Dr. Edward Stone, NASA Administrator Daniel
Goldin and President Bill Clinton have all said it in the last
few months: Investments in technology on behalf of U.S.
industrial competitiveness are crucial to the nation's economy.
Stone, in fact, has made the point that technology transfer
outside of JPL is one of the Lab's most important near-term
goals.
     How will this be accomplished? One of the ways will be
through JPL's Commercial Program Office (890), which is headed by
Dr. William Spuck. The organization is responsible for, in
effect, marketing the expertise of the Lab's Office of Technical
Divisions to U.S. industry. "If we recognize we must help
industry, then my office has to focus on establishing one-on-one
relationships between JPL's technologists and the recipients'
technologists," Spuck said.
     The Commercial Program Office keeps abreast of current JPL
technology advances by "a variety of networking techniques," he
said. "Primarily, we work with Technical  Division
representatives, but quite often the technologists come to us,
because they recognize the commercial value of their work."
     Spuck's organization includes Section 891, the Technology
Commercialization Office, which is responsible for "projecting
our corporate availability," he explained, by such means as
advertising in trade publications and attending industry
conferences and forums. Section 893, the Technology Affiliates
Office, "identifies companies that could benefit from our work,"
he said, by contacting company vice presidents or technical
directors, "to explain what JPL can do for a company, and to try
to develop a relationship with us, so we can match their needs
with our expertise."
     However, Spuck's office is responsible for more than
matching JPL technologists with outside industry. One of his
challenges -- which falls under Section 892, the Technology
Utilization Office -- is to "sensitize and coach the entire JPL
technical staff about how their technology might be of value to
others." He said a recent NASA study, of which he was part, found
that "the average NASA (technical) employee -- and I assume also
the average JPL technical employee -- did not think technology
transfer was part of their job.
     "Many technical staff members don't understand that it's
appropriate for them to think that their work might be of some
value to U.S. industry, another federal agency or another NASA
center. Categorically, we need to state that it is," he said.
     Although technology transfer is receiving more attention
today than in past years, Spuck noted that the program is far
from being a new idea. In fact, he said, the Space Act of 1958 --
which launched NASA -- provided a mandate that the agency
disseminate its technology as widely as possible, both to other
federal agencies and industry. The current emphasis, he added,
began in the mid-1980s, when the country began to worry about the
competitiveness of U.S. firms in the world markets. At that time,
"NASA discovered that Congress was often more responsive to and
interested in the so-called `spinoff' technologies we brought to
their attention, than those mainstream engineering and science
activities in the agency," Spuck added.
     Since JPL began, success stories have emerged from the
ever-growing relationship between the Lab and U.S. industry.
Recent examples:
     Dr. Kenneth Castleman, who had worked on image processing at
JPL for 15 years, founded a company that has produced a line of
digital imaging systems for medical and industrial use. The
systems include the Geneti-SCANNER, a device that rapidly scans
multiple slides to aid in research and diagnostic applications,
and the Genetiscan Workstation and Genetiscan Master Station,
which enhance image quality, contrast, shading and other
image-enhancement operations in chromosome analysis.
     And JPL engineers recently worked with those from TRW to
transfer technology and expertise on flight worthiness and life
expectancy of lithium batteries for space. TRW then used the
technology to mission-qualify a lithium battery for a military
satellite. Spuck said that in a recent visit, Goldin observed
that JPL technology enabled that mission because until it had
worked with the Lab, TRW was unable to find the appropriate
technology.
     "JPL has the technology, and industry may know we exist, but
industry representatives don't think of us in the normal course
of their operations," Spuck said. "It's our obligation to get our
technology to them; we count it a success when we have
transferred technology to industry and they've used it." ###


Sidebar:  Lab, TRW will jointly develop Cassini power amplifier

     JPL and TRW have signed a cooperative agreement to develop a
Cassini X-band Solid State Power Amplifier (X-SSPA) as a
potential backup for the current baseline Traveling Wave Tube
Amplifier, which will amplify signals for data transmission from
the Cassini spacecraft to Earth, said Steve Burkhart of the
Spacecraft Telecommunications Equipment Section 336.
     TRW is responsible for the design of the microwave
amplifiers and  packaging of the unit; JPL will support the
development activity and perform the necessary life testing to
space-qualify the output power amplifier devices provided by
Avantek, a Hewlett-Packard subsidiary and another partner in the
project.
     "Although a flight X-SSPA contract from JPL cannot be
guaranteed," Burkhart said, "both TRW and Avantek will benefit
from this cooperative effort. Currently, there are no
space-qualified high-efficiency output power amplifier devices
that operate in the 8GHz frequency band, and the space
qualification testing at JPL will provide industry with qualified
devices that could be utilized in either in JPL missions or other
space programs that require X-band SSPAs.
     "TRW is just one example of a company that can benefit from
having a  space-qualified X-band power device resulting from this
cooperative effort with JPL, and Avantek may also benefit from
the agreement as new markets open up for its space-qualified
devices," Burkhart said.
     The joint effort was initiated by Cassini Spacecraft Manager
Tom Gavin, who worked with Section 336 and the Technology
Affiliates Office, Section 893, under Jim Rooney. There is no
exchange of funds under this cooperative agreement; JPL's work
will be funded by the Cassini project, while TRW will provide its
own funding sources. ###
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Star gazing for
the rest of us

By Ed McNevin
     JPL's Astronomy Club commemorated National Astronomy Day
April 30 by observing sunspots and Venus through a pair of
telescopes set up in the Mall.
     The observations took place during lunchtime, providing Lab
employees an opportunity to participate in amateur astronomy
activities while raising awareness of the diverse pleasures of
observing the heavens as a hobby.
     Astronomy Club secretary Dave Nakamoto, using a CCD camera
mounted on 102-millimeter optical telescope, was able to project
sunspots via a video projector and a large screen set up under
the 167 Cafeteria.
     Nakamoto, an engineer from the Imaging Systems Group,
Section 381, leads the Astronomy Club's CCD imaging group. His
goal is to create a catalog of photographic images made from
observations of objects in space, including a video map of the
Moon.
     "The CCD camera allows me to record things electronically
and then analyze my observations frame by frame, allowing me to
find the right image," he said.
     As Nakamoto was busy fine- tuning the focus on the
telescope, Jeffery Charles, a technician in Section 333, and club
vice president David Doody of Section 311 were aligning Charles'
94-millimeter optical telescope with Venus.
     Onlookers were intrigued as Charles peered through his
binoculars, scanning the hazy sky over JPL, while Doody lined up
the telescope, using the angle of Charles' binoculars as a guide.
     Upon locating Venus, Charles -- who at one time built and
marketed his own optical equipment and chases total solar
eclipses as a hobby -- stood back and allowed spectators an
opportunity to glance through the eyepiece and gaze in wonder at
the visible crescent of Venus. Even in the bright early afternoon
sky, more than 20 percent of Earth's neighboring planet was
visible. It was hard not to reflect on JPL's Magellan spacecraft,
diligently in orbit somewhere around Earth's sister planet, more
than 42 million kilometers away.
     Although most of the club's activities involve nighttime
observations, Nakamoto said that the club regularly sponsors
events in the Mall, permitting JPL employees and visitors the
opportunity to participate in solar and lunar observations during
the day.
     The Astronomy Club has returned to JPL after a 10-year
absence, and Nakamoto, along with club President Curtis Byrom, a
member of the technical staff in Section 336, hopes to revive
interest in a club that seems fitting for the Lab's work
environment.
     Nakamoto credited one of JPL's better-known astronomers, Dr.
Steve Edberg, with reviving the club after its decade-long hiatus
and with helping build membership to more than 40. The club soon
hopes to place a remote-control observatory site on the mesa
overlooking the Lab.
     Nakamoto also noted that the activities of the club are
directed to amateur astronomers. "We're not actively promoting
observations of a scientific nature," he said. "We're basically
in it for the pleasure of observing."
     For information on club meetings and activities, call Byrom
at ext. 4-5702 or Nakamoto at ext. 4-5328. ###
_________________________________________________________________

For the record

     In the May 7 issue of Universe, Gina Gonzalez of Section 315
and Sami Asmar of Section 339 should have been credited for their
contributions to the article on the Magellan spacecraft's radio
science experiments. Universe regrets the error. ###
_________________________________________________________________

Panel looks for Lab's
aspiring artists

By Karre Marino
     The walls in Building 180's newly remodeled ninth floor
Director's Office suite have remained bare long enough. Judy
Smith, administrative assistant to Lab Director Dr. Edward Stone,
thought it was a good way to recognize the artistic talent of JPL
employees and contractors by inviting the Lab's aspiring artists
to submit slides of their artwork, which might then be chosen to
adorn several of the now-white walls.
     Smith, who initiated the subsequent search, said she is
looking for "oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, textile art,
photography, graphic arts, ceramics and sculpture." She noted
that subject matter, while up to the artist, should be
appropriate for executive offices, and "we must have a commitment
from the artist to lend their works for at least 12 months."
     Artists may submit up to four slides of a maximum of four
different pieces. An independent three-judge panel from the local
art community will review the submitted slides and make
preliminary selections; the finalists will then bring in the
actual artwork for viewing by the selection panel.
     Slides are due June 11 for preliminary judging. Complete
details and submission forms are available from Public Affairs
(180-201), the Director's Office (180-904), the ERC and Graphics
(111-130). For more information, call Smith, ext. 4-3407, or Ed
McNevin, ext. 4-5011. ###

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