Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT_ZIP/jplpaper/930730.ZIP/930730.UNI

Text File | 1993-08-09 | 30KB | 567 lines

Jet Propulsion Laboratory UNIVERSE
Pasadena, California - Vol. 23, No. 15 - July 30, 1993
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Lindstrom named NASA Management Office manager

     Kurt L. Lindstrom has been named manager of the newly
retitled NASA Management Office.
     In this position, he will oversee Caltech's contract
operations, as well as act as advisor to the NASA Associate
Administrator for Space Science on management at the Laboratory.
     Lindstrom comes to JPL from NASA Headquarters, where he was
chief of the program analyst group for the Office of Space
Science and Applications (now called the Office of Space
Science).
     Lindstrom has replaced Fred Bowen, who had served as manager
since 1980.
     The Northern California native has worked for NASA for 10
years, including his position as prime contract technical
representative for the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Program
at NASA's Ames Research Center.
     Lindstrom received his bachelor of science degree in biology
from Utah State University and his master's degree in Public
Administration from the University of Utah. He has garnered many
superior performance awards and awards for special acts of
service; he was appointed as a Presidential Management Intern to
NASA in 1983.
     Lindstrom, his wife, Karen, and their three children reside
in Glendale. ###
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`Mars Week' will salute past, future of Red Planet

By Mark Whalen
     The Mars Observer Project will sponsor a week-long series of
events Aug. 2-6 to celebrate the upcoming return to the Red
Planet.
     As the Mars Observer spacecraft approaches orbit insertion
Aug. 24, "Mars Week" festivities will commemorate previous visits
of U.S. spacecraft to Mars through films, round-table discussions
and displays of spacecraft models from prior missions, according
to Public Information Administrator Carolynn Young.
     Mars Observer Project Manager Glenn E. Cunningham will serve
as master of ceremonies for each day's activities. Historical
movies on Mariners 4, 6 & 7 and 9, as well as the Viking mission,
will be shown throughout the week.
     Moderators and participants in the round-table discussions
will include those who played key roles in past Mars missions.
     Galileo technical manager and Mars historian Ted Clarke will
kick off the week on Aug. 2 at 11:30 a.m. in von Karman
Auditorium as he moderates a discussion titled "Mars:  An
Historical Perspective." A round-table discussion on Mariner 4
will follow.
     For more information on Mars Week, call Young at ext.
3-7827. ###
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SIR-C antenna makes cross-country trek to Florida

By Mary Hardin
     After months of testing and years of planning, the antenna,
which makes up the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR), has arrived at the Kennedy Space
Center (KSC) in Florida, where it will be integrated into the
space shuttle.
     SIR-C/X-SAR will fly aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour
(STS-59) in April 1994 as part of the Space Radar Laboratory.
This will be the first of at least two planned flights that will
allow scientists to make highly detailed studies of the Earth's
surface on a global scale. By comparing the results from the
flights, scientists will gain important new information about
global change and seasonal variations.
     The SIR-C/X-SAR antenna is the most massive piece of flight
hardware ever built at JPL.
     According to Integration and Test Manager Mike Carney,
system tests were completed June 30 in the Spacecraft Assembly
Facility's High Bay in Building 179. The next day, a pre-ship
review was completed, which included stimulation of the antenna
and its associated electronics.
     Carney then escorted a convoy of four trailer loads of
electronics to KSC for a July 13 arrival.
     A post-shipment verification test is scheduled for Aug. 9,
Carney added, when the antenna and electronics will be tested
together at KSC.
     "A lot of people have worked very, very hard to put together
a powerful new instrument for science. The shipment of this
antenna to the Cape is a major milestone in the history of the
SIR-C program," said SIR-C Project Manager Michael Sander.
     A synthetic aperture radar transmits pulses of microwave
energy toward Earth and collects the energy that is scattered
back to the antenna.  The motion of the shuttle is used to
"synthesize" an antenna (the aperture) that is much longer in
length than the actual SIR-C/X-SAR antenna in the shuttle. A
longer antenna produces images of finer resolution.
     The SIR-C/X-SAR mission is a major technical step forward in
the evolution of spaceborne imaging radar. It is the first
spaceborne radar system that will simultaneously acquire images
at multiple wavelengths and polarizations.
     SIR-C, built by JPL and the Ball Communications Systems
Division for NASA, is a two-frequency radar, including L-band
(23-centimeter wavelength) and C-band (6-centimeter wavelength).
SIR-C will have the capability to transmit and receive
horizontally and vertically polarized waves at both frequencies.
     X-SAR is built by Dornier and Alenia Spazio companies for
the German space agency, Deutsche Agentur fuer
Raumfahrtangelegenheiten (DARA), and the Italian space agency,
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI).
     SIR-C is managed by JPL for NASA's Mission to Planet Earth
Office. ###
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Transport crew takes
the long road to KSC

By Mark Whalen
     Once the SIR-C/X-SAR antenna had been carefully assembled
and tested at JPL, it was up to Test and Operations Engineer Tom
Shain of Project Test and Operations Section 374 to see that it
got to its new home safe and sound.
     However, as those who have seen those "wide load" vehicles
on the highways might have guessed, the four-day trip to Kennedy
Space Center, which was scheduled for completion July 27, was far
from easy.
     It took 16 people, five vehicles in the actual convoy and
the assistance and cooperation of eight states to make the
4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) trip happen, according to Shain.
     "It's a very long, unnerving and trying trip," he said.
"Everyone can get very mentally worn out."
     That's easy to understand. Shain, who served as convoy
director for the journey, noted before the process began that it
was his plan to complete the trip -- primarily across Interstate
10 -- non-stop.
     To accomplish this, two drivers went along in each of two
tractor-trailer rigs -- one for the antenna and its supporting
electronics and another without flight gear, which served as a
"pathfinder" vehicle to foresee low bridges and other road
conditions many kilometers ahead of the 4.25-meter-wide
(14-foot-wide) rig carrying SIR-C.
     In addition, two escort vehicles manned by JPL security
guards and members of the Traffic and Transportation Section --
one vehicle in front, one behind -- protected the precious cargo
from wayward drivers and other potential hazards.
     Finally, a motor home stocked with provisions and carrying
personnel from JPL's Quality Assurance Flight Systems Section 512
and Instrumentation Section 375 -- along with the vice president
of the trucking firm hired for the job -- joined in the journey.
     "All of the vehicles were in constant communication" via
special NASA frequency radios during the trip, Shain noted.
     The journey went as routinely as expected through
California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, Shain said, but the
convoy got some extra help from the Louisiana Highway Patrol as
it passed over a 32-kilometer (20-mile) "bayou" bridge with only
two traffic lanes in each direction. "In those tight spaces,"
Shain said, "it's a good warm feeling to have that highway patrol
car on your rear."
     He underscored the need for well-planned, multi-state
coordination for the trip by noting that in the final two states
-- Alabama and Florida -- they were allowed to travel during
daylight hours only, whereas the other states allowed continuous
travel.
     The rig that housed the antenna  -- also referred to as the
ATS (Antenna Transportation System) -- was designed by JPL's
Mechanical System Development Section 352, which directed Webster
Truck of Fontana in the transporter's construction.
     Two thermal temperature control systems were mounted to the
transporter to keep the delicate antenna at a temperature of
between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 24 C) and at 40 to
60 percent humidity, Shain said, who added that instrumentation
monitors were able to detect changes in the antenna's G forces
that might be caused by potholes or other hazards.
     "TWI Transportation Systems Inc. of the City of Industry
provided all the tractors and trailers for getting us
successfully to KSC," Shain said, noting that the company has
been transporting JPL/NASA cargo for 25 years.
     It all added up to a road trip Willie Nelson would have been
proud of. ###
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News briefs

     JPL employees who are Canadian citizens residing temporarily
in the United States can now vote in Canadian federal elections,
according to the Canadian Consulate.
     To be eligible, Canadians must be at least 18, have resided
outside of Canada for less than five years, and intend to resume
residence in Canada.
     Others eligible include those who are federal or provincial
public servants posted outside Canada, members of the Canadian
Forces, employees of specified international organizations or
those dependent on one of the above.
     For further information, call Elections Canada at (800)
267-VOTE.

     The JPL Gun Club will be offering an intermediate firearms
class beginning Aug. 10.
     This class is open only to persons who have completed the
club's basic class. The fee is $65 if using your own equipment or
$85 for club-provided equipment.
     Applications are available at the ERC, or contact Jerry
Battoe at ext. 3-0649 or Celeste Satter at ext. 4-9246 for
information or applications.

     About 500 people attended the JPL-sponsored Progress in
Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) at Caltech July
12-16.
     Dr. Charles Elachi, assistant Laboratory director for the
Office of Space Science and Instruments, served as general
chairman of the event, which provided an international forum for
reporting progress and recent advances in the modern development
of electromagnetic theory and its new applications.
     Dr. Jakob Van Zyl of the Radar Science and Engineering
Section 334 was the technical chairman of the symposium, which
saw papers from about 40 countries presented on such topics as
remote sensing, radar scattering, superconducting electronics,
antenna theory and measurements, and many others.
     The fourth annual PIERS conference, to be sponsored by the
European Space Agency, will be held July 1994 in the Netherlands.

     Papers pertaining to aerospace mechanisms are being
solicited for the 28th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium, to be held
at NASA's Lewis Research Center next May.
     The deadline to submit abstracts for the meeting is Sept. 3.
Papers should describe test-qualified or flight-experienced
mechanisms and should be about 750 words.
     Two copies of the abstract should be sent to Dr. Charles
Coale, P.O. Box 3504, Org. 74-11, Bldg. 551, Lockheed Missiles &
Space Co., Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3504.
     Further information can be obtained by calling Stuart
Loewenthal of Lockheed at [phone].

     Employees who wish to receive a free tuberculosis skin test
at JPL Aug. 23-24 must sign up by Aug. 6.
     Kaiser Permanente Worksite Wellness Staff will be on Lab
both days from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Forty-eight to 72 hours after the
five-minute skin test, a return visit to Medical Services will be
required to have the test read. If the skin test is positive,
employees will be referred to their health-care provider, who
will advise them of the necessary course of action.
     Call Medical Services at ext. 4-5727 for an appointment. ###
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Bridging the gap

     Sixteen members of JPL's Bridge Club garnered first place in
a local competition for the fourth time in its last five tries
June 28 and 30.
     Four teams represented JPL against teams from Litton,
Hughes, Northrop and other large companies in the semi-annual
competition, held at the Pasadena Convention Center as part of
National Bridge Week. JPL finished first in both the four-person
and pair team contests, according to club president Bill Owen.
     About 60 JPL employees belong to the club, which has been
going for 25 years, he added. ###
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Medical services video helps
employees understand treatment

By Karre Marino
     It didn't take long for a group of physicians to realize the
potential of using interactive video technology as an educational
tool for their patients. And JPL plans to tap the system's
benefits.
     Called the Shared Decision Making Program (SDP), according
to Dr. Helen Wong, deputy manager of the Medical Services Office,
Section 618, "it is designed to help patients better understand
their medical condition and have a greater role in its
treatment."
     In November 1992, after viewing the nonprofit Foundation for
Informed Medical Decision Making and Sony Medical Systems'
program at a seminar, Medical Services Office manager Dr. Donal
Sweeney decided the system could assist in providing Lab
employees with the best available information abut their
particular medical condition.
     Now operational and only one of the few systems available in
the Los Angeles area, employees may take advantage of the
technology's five laser disc programs on benign prostatic
hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), mild hypertension (high blood
pressure), lower back pain and two on breast cancer.
     The discs are inserted into an IBM-compatible computer, and
the program begins. Each has a core 30-minute presentation, Wong
explained, followed by a 30- to 60-minute Learn More section.
Both benefits and side effects of treatment modalities are
offered, as is a basic primer on related anatomy, the disease's
process and recovery. The presentation uses diagrams, charts,
models and real patients who relate their experiences.
     All programs, she said, are tailored to an individual's
specific needs, which is made possible by answering a series of
questions before the program begins. Required data may include
age, weight, exercise habits, personal habits (smoking, diet),
previous health history and previous treatments.
     The program, which is viewed alone in a private room, is
interactive as patients simply touch the screen to answer
questions, to pause or move the program forward. They may skip
information they are uninterested in, or, once viewing is
complete, Wong noted, people can review specific portions or the
entire disc. Finally, printouts are made, one for the patient and
one for their primary-care physician, which enables the doctor to
see exactly what kind of information the patient viewed.
     Wong emphasized that use of the programs is not intended to
endorse a particular treatment. "We simply want people to know
what their options are. Ultimately, they and their physician will
decide." Nor is SDP meant to replace the patient-physician
dialogue. "The program is meant to offer background information
to help patients understand their treatment options, as well as
have realistic expectations."
     Before one can take advantage of SDP, they must make an
initial screening appointment with Wong or Sweeney, at which time
the doctors will decide if these programs are appropriate for
their particular situation.
     Wong explained that the Foundation plans to develop 15 to 20
additional programs dealing with a variety of conditions,
including stable angina, estrogen-replacement therapy, hip
replacement, prostate cancer, and vaginal birth following
cesarean section. And all of the existing five programs are
updated yearly.
     For more information, call Medical Services at ext. 4-3319.
###
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Lab's recyclying program saving materials, money

By Ed McNevin
     For Paul Salsman, recycling has become a way of life.
Salsman is JPL's Recycling Coordinator in Section 645, a job in
which he monitors and promotes recycling activities at JPL's
seven facilities.
     Since being appointed to the position in 1991, Salsman has
watched recycling awareness at JPL transition from a handful of
environmentally conscious employees to a program
     that recycles more than 26 tons of computer and office paper
per month, and saved the laboratory more than $150,000 in
computer printer toner cartridge costs last year.
     "Recently our program has really started to come together,
and people at JPL are getting into recycling," Salsman said.
     Yet, Salsman added, he sees room for improvement and so has
begun plans to expand the program in the hopes of making
recycling a way of life for every employee at JPL.
     Beginning in January, a new pilot initiative will aim to
improve recycling awareness in some of the larger buildings on
Lab. Recycling monitors will be assigned to specific buildings to
gather white and computer paper, making it easier for employees
to properly dispose of the material. In addition, large bins will
be prominently located throughout the Laboratory, allowing
employees to dispose easily of recyclable papers and cardboard.
Once the bugs are worked out during the program's pilot phase,
Salsman hopes to expand the recycling initiative to every JPL
facility.
     Unfortunately, Salsman noted, recycling colored paper is not
cost effective, primarily due to the techniques involved in
bleaching different colored paper. He hopes that JPL will become
less reliant on using colored paper in the future.
     Although he admitted that, "without paper, everything else
that JPL recycles is pretty insignificant," Salsman noted that
there are many items used in the JPL workplace that should be
recycled.
     While recognizing the JPL Metal Shop's program of recycling
all scrap metals and aluminum, he cited an example of the
expanded recycling initiative that might apply to the Lab as a
whole:  The number of Hewlett-Packard laser jet toner cartridges
accepted for recycling has been expanded from two to five. The
toner cartridges with the following serial numbers are now
accepted for recycling: EP-92285A, EPS-92295A, IV-92298A, III
SI-92291A, IIP and IIIP-92275A.
     Salsman also explained that the JPL Computer Store is now
requesting that all types of computer printer ribbons also be
recycled. In addition, JPL Stores now makes available 50 commonly
used office items -- all of which are manufactured from recycled
material -- such as pencils, file folders, adding machine tape
and index cards.
     JPL's Child Education Center benefits from recycled aluminum
cans collected from 16 locations around the Lab. (Call Scott
Nolte at ext. 4-9724 for can-deposit locations.) Cans are also
accepted at the CEC.
     "Our aluminum-can collection program combines contributions
from JPL employees and contractors with that of the CEC community
as a whole," said CEC Associate Director Lisa Cain-Chang. "The
program yields about $200 a month, which we place into our
overall operating budget," she added.
     Although its NASA contract limits the Lab's ability to sell
recyclable materials, Salsman pointed out that JPL's rubbish
disposal costs -- and other costs associated with office supplies
-- have been significantly reduced due to increased recycling
activity.
     Salsman remains confident that employees will continue to
become more aware of both the environmental and economic benefits
of an active recycling program at JPL.
     Any of the abovementioned recycled materials can be sent to
the basement in Building 171; for more information, call Salsman
at ext. 4-0378. ###
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Drug-detection device
may provide many spinoffs

By Karre Marino
     One might be surprised to hear that JPL technology may soon
help law enforcement officials keep tabs on parolees, but thanks
to the efforts of a team of Lab employees and a Naval Research
Laboratory research-er, that is indeed a likelihood.
     As part of NASA's mandate to transfer technology to the
private and public sectors, former prisoners may one day be
wearing a Real-time Biochemical Assay and Telemetering System
(R-BATS), which will indicate whether they have used drugs while
on probation, explained Frederick W. Mintz, a Division 36 systems
engineer. The device would be worn like a wristwatch, and would
detect through one's perspiration the presence of a controlled
substance; it would then send a signal remotely to a central
facility.
     The basic concept takes advantage of the fact that most
drugs of abuse are eliminated from the body in sufficient amounts
by the sweat glands to be detected, according to Mintz.
     The process of transferring this technology began some two
years ago, when Mintz attended a Technology 2001 conference in
San Jose. While there, he sat in on the presentation of Dr. David
Kidwell, who had created for the Navy a device to field-test
urine and saliva for the presence of drugs of abuse.
     Mintz, a reserve police officer with LAPD, knew that public
safety could be served by producing something that could monitor
a probationer's behavior, since for many, the conditions of
parole preclude taking drugs. "An R-BATS saves time, expense and
manpower, since the probationer won't have to come in for blood
or urine tests. He can be monitored in his home," he explained.
     Mintz, who began working at JPL in 1990, called upon the
talents of a handful of fellow employees from Divisions 33 and 35
to merge existing technologies in an effort funded jointly by
NASA and the National Institute of Corrections. Division 35
biotechnologists along with Kidwell have designed both the
Biochemical Diode-Capacitor and proof-of-concept drawings;
Division 33 designed the Photodetection and RF Transmitter, while
the photodetection and laboratory proof-of-concept and prototype
design were collaborative efforts between both divisions.
     "Marrying two pieces of technology to produce a third device
is what this particular technology transfer is really about,"
noted Mintz.
     The marriage of electronics and biotechnology to accomplish
a practical goal that neither discipline could achieve
independently has the group quite excited. While a prototype is
still some time away, he guessed that the "drug badge" will be
available within the next two years. He believes that it offers
the possibility of many applications, from law enforcement and
the monitoring of drugs in hospitals, in-home and other
healthcare settings to monitoring train or subway operators, bus
drivers or others who might seriously compromise public safety
while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
     While still in the early stages of development, the device's
simplicity and potential impact have proven so promising that in
April, Kidwell and the JPL team was given the 1993 Award for
Excellence in Technology Transfer by the Office of National Drug
Control Policy at the annual meeting of the Federal Laboratory
Consortium in Pittsburgh. ###
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Middle-school teachers enhance
education in earth, space sciences

     JPL's Public Education Office has created the Teacher
Enhancement Program (TEP), a four-week enrichment
teacher-training for 36 middle school -- sixth, seventh and
eighth grade -- science teachers.
     Designed to increase the number of middle school teachers
who have improved experience and practice teaching earth and
space science, the program is also intended to increase the
number of teachers with improved expertise in earth and space
science instruction in predominantly minority schools. The
32-hour-per week program began July 12 and runs to Aug. 6.
     According to Carmelo Zamora, a senior administrative aid in
the Public Education Office, an important component of TEP is
teachers observing and aiding scientists and engineers at work in
projects related to earth and space science research. Sponsors
will be responsible to train and provide work experience.
     Teachers are working 16 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays or
Tuesdays and Thursdays and spend the remaining 16 hours gaining
instruction at JPL's Teaching Resource Center. There, the
trainees will make use of the technical libraries, videotapes,
software and printed material for educational purposes, Zamora
said. In addition, tours of laboratories and projects at both JPL
and Caltech will provide a base for demonstrating the
applications of state-of-the-art technology.
     The TEP will emphasize earth and space science through the
California Science Framework, considered to be a model standard
in the nation. It will, in general, organize subjects around
"large ideas" in science facts. Zamora said National Science
Standards will be incorporated; in fact, the program will avoid
reliance upon textbooks as the primary source of information, but
use them as a resource and guide for the instruction.
     The TEP staff hopes to visit schools to observe the trainees
in the classroom and provide additional, scheduled workshops
during the year, he said.
     Zamora sees the students as "the ultimate winners," and
"thanks each of the 30 JPL employees who is  involved in TEP."
###
_________________________________________________________________

Lab working on fiber optics pilot for utility companies

By Diane Ainsworth
     JPL, American Electric Power Inc. and Licom Inc. have agreed
to jointly develop a fiber optics technology, AbNET, that would
automate the systems used by utility companies to distribute
electric power.
     Developed at JPL with funding from the U.S. Department of
Energy, AbNET is a fiber optics communications system designed
specifically for power systems, said Dr. Harold Kirkham, leader
of the JPL team that developed the AbNET network.
     "The technology is designed to monitor and control the
equipment in use at substations, where power is transformed down
for distribution to local areas, and to improve the operation of
distribution systems used by utility companies," Kirkham said.
     "The advantages of the technology are twofold:  The system
operates independently of topology, which means it doesn't matter
in what configuration the network may be constructed," he said.
"The other major advantage of the AbNET technology is that it is
robust, and information won't be lost if the network is damaged
during operation."
     Licom Inc., a world leader in the design and marketing of
communications products for power companies, acquired an
exclusive license to AbNET. American Electric Power Inc., one of
the nation's largest investor-owned utilities and a leader in
technology development, is monitoring and testing a prototype
system at the John E. Dolan Engineering Laboratory, located near
the company's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.
     Distribution automation is of growing interest to many of
the nation's utilities because it improves the ability of
utilities companies to restore service quickly and can be
designed to be more responsive to the needs of customers. For
instance, special switches can be installed to automatically
switch off power to certain loads at specific times of the day to
minimize peak demand.
     The fiber optics automation may also improve methods of
protecting and maintaining power lines by using remote detection
systems that can alert system operators to faults or
automatically isolate sections of distribution lines that are
damaged and then reconnect undamaged sections.
     "AbNET is a robust fiber optics system with mass
data-transfer capability," Kirkham said. "It can make possible
the monitoring and control needed for an automated distribution
system. And because fiber optics systems can be developed to
provide a steady stream of data about power-system performance,
they are more capable than radio-based systems, which often have
to restrict the available data to overcome their bandwidth
limitations."
     JPL, American Electric Power, and Licom will be working
together during the 12-month pilot study to test AbNET's
performance with staged faults and to examine the performance of
several variations on the basic protocols, or rules by which the
system operates. The demonstration is also designed to highlight
the advantages of the fault-tolerant protocols and the simplicity
of using AbNET, which was designed to operate with no prior
knowledge of network configuration.
     Approximately 12 prototype fiber optic nodes are being
developed for the demonstration, Kirkham said.  Initially the
system will be operated by personal computers. Later, these units
will be replaced by prototype field units.
     "We started out trying to develop low-cost hardware and use
existing communication protocols," Kirkham explained. "In the
end, the requirements of the power system led to a communication
system that is unlike most networks. The hardware could be
conventional, but the way the system operates is quite unusual."
     Kirkham, who works in JPL's High Speed Optical Systems
Group, is developing the AbNET network with a team of researchers
in the Robotic Systems and Advanced Computer Technology Section.
###

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