Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/pc/text/jplpaper/921204.uni

Text File | 1993-08-11 | 36KB | 663 lines

Jet Propulsion Laboratory UNIVERSE
Pasadena, California - Vol. 22, No. 35 - December 4, 1992
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Galileo to arrive Tuesday

By Jim Wilson
     Galileo's flight team will bring the spacecraft through its
second Earth gravity-assist flyby next week with a closest
approach altitude of about 305 kilometers (190 miles) Tuesday
morning, Dec. 8.
     "At that point we have completed the VEEGA and begun our
transit to Jupiter," said Galileo Project Manager Bill O'Neil.
VEEGA is the Venus-Earth-Earth Gravity Assist trajectory that
enables the spacecraft to increase its velocity enough to reach
Jupiter.
     Until Dec. 8, Galileo is in a two-year elliptical orbit
around the Sun, which carried it into the Asteroid Belt and made
possible the first close-up observations of the asteroid Gaspra.
After that date, the new six-year orbit reaches to Jupiter, with
the orbiter and probe arriving Dec.7, 1995.
     As in the first Earth gravity assist in December 1990,
Galileo's instruments will collect data on the Moon and Earth
next week. This time, the spacecraft will fly over the northern
regions of the Moon at about 110,000 kilometers (68,000 miles),
some 12 hours before its closest Earth approach, permitting a
survey of that seldom-seen territory. Then it will cross the
Earth from northeast to southwest.
     Earth observations, occurring mostly after closest approach,
will include both atmospheric and surface studies and will
culminate in 14 hours of long-range images of Earth and Moon
together. The fields and particles instruments will be collecting
data throughout the encounter period. Also after closest
approach, Galileo will support a telecommunications technology
experiment, attempting to receive laser pulses from Earth, as
Surveyor did some 25 years ago, to demonstrate optical
communications. ###
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JPL's new camera will magnify
Hubble's views of the universe

By Diane Ainsworth
     Just weeks ago, the Hubble Space Telescope's all-purpose
"eyes" -- known as the Wide Field/Planetary Camera -- captured
the most detailed view ever of a galaxy's core, feeding a
suspected black hole in the Virgo cluster about 45 million light
years from Earth.
     "The nucleus is probably the home of a black hole with a
mass 10 million times that of our sun," said Dr. Walter Jaffe of
the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands, whose findings were
published in the Astrophysical Journal. "This is our best view to
date of the immediate surroundings of the nucleus of an active
galaxy."
     While the performance of Hubble's Wide Field/Planetary
Camera-1 (WF/PC-1) has been hampered by a flaw in the curvature
of the telescope's primary mirror, the camera has nonetheless
produced some of the most awe-inspiring photographs of planets,
galaxies and exploding supernova ever taken.
     Now JPL's new second-generation Wide Field/Planetary Camera
(WF/PC-2) -- scheduled for launch as part of the Hubble Space
Telescope's servicing mission next December -- is in final
assembly and promises even more spectacular views of distant
galaxies in the universe. The new camera has been designed to
correct the optical flaw in the Space Telescope's 95-inch
(2.4-meter or 8-foot) diameter primary mirror.
     After installation, WF/PC-2, along with a second instrument
-- COSTAR, the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial
Replacement -- will restore the Hubble Telescope to its original
capabilities of imaging fine detail with high angular resolution,
photographing star clusters, detecting very faint stars, distant
galaxies and objects in the ultraviolet.
     An innovative approach to correct the error in the primary
mirror was incorporated in the design of the new secondary
mirrors of the Wide Field/Planetary Camera relay optics, said
Larry Simmons, WF/PC-2 program manager at JPL.
     "The WF/PC-2 incorporates optics that will internally
refocus the beam of incoming light from Hubble," he said. "We
corrected for the error in the curvature of the primary mirror by
creating an error of equal and opposite magnitude on the surfaces
of our WF/PC-2 relay optics. When the images reach the camera's
charge-coupled detectors (CCDs), the error will be reversed and
completely cancelled out."
     The Wide Field/Planetary Camera-2 actually consists of four
camera systems -- three wide-field cameras and one planetary
camera.
     The wide-field cameras provide extraordinary sensitivity for
the detection of star clusters and distant galaxies, while the
planetary camera performs high-resolution studies of individual
objects, including planets and their moons, nearby galaxies and
other stellar objects.
     As light enters the Hubble Space Telescope, it is bent at a
90-degree angle by a "pick-off" mirror and aimed into the Wide
Field/Planetary Camera. Design modifications in the new WF/PC
call for an adjustable pick-off mirror that ground technicians
will be able to tilt to align the light beam entering the camera.
     "The alignment of the pick-off mirror is critical to
correcting images," Simmons said.
     The light beam passes through one of 48 filters before a
pyramid mirror inside the camera splits the light into four
quadrants. Each of the four quadrants of light is relayed by
tiny, nickel-size relay mirrors -- the mirrors that JPL modified
to correct for the error in the telescope's primary mirror -- to
a separate detector called a charge-coupled device (CCD). CCDs
collect light in the same way that film collects light in a
camera, but with much greater sensitivity.
     "The corrected images are formed on the CCD sensors,"
Simmons said. "The CCDs we are using in the new camera will have
greater sensitivity and will allow the camera to see from the
ultraviolet to the infrared."
     The new Wide Field/Planetary Camera and the COSTAR axial
replacement instrument will restore Hubble's imaging performance
to nearly 100 percent of the original specifications. Currently,
the telescope is able to focus only 10 to 15 percent of the light
it receives within a diameter of 0.2 arc-second. Its original
performance goal was to focus 70 percent of the light received.
     The telescope was designed to provide three basic
capabilities: high angular resolution -- the ability to image
fine detail; ultraviolet performance -- photographing ultraviolet
images and spectra; and high sensitivity -- the ability to detect
very faint stellar objects.
     With its corrective optics, scientists expect the telescope
will be able to provide the highest sensitivity to detect objects
10 times fainter than those visible from Earth-based telescopes,
with about 10 times greater spatial resolution. ###
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Milestones, project-wide
review in sight for Cassini

By Franklin O'Donnell
     JPL's Saturn-bound Cassini mission is in the midst of
passing several major milestones, with a critical project-wide
review planned next week and recent reviews of the spacecraft's
Titan probe and science payload.
     The critical design review, which will take an exhaustive
look at the mission and all major spacecraft systems, is
scheduled Dec. 8 at the Pasadena Hilton and Dec. 9-11 in JPL's
von Karman Auditorium.
     The mission's Huygens Titan probe, meanwhile, was the topic
of a system design review Oct. 12-16 at the Cannes, France,
facility of Aerospatiale, which is building the probe for the
European Space Agency.
     And plans among scientists whose instruments will ride on
Cassini solidified this fall when NASA formally confirmed the
mission's science payload.
     "All of the project's elements are moving forward very
briskly," said Cassini Project Manager Dick Spehalski. "The
critical design review will be an important step in the process
of designing and building the spacecraft."
     Next week's meetings will include a comprehensive review of
the project --spanning how it responds to science objectives, as
well as Cassini mission design, orbiter systems, probe and
launch-vehicle interface.
     In addition to JPL staff members, the review will include
presentations by Dr. Hamid Hassan, ESA project manager for the
Huygens probe, and Dr. Romeo Pernice of the Italian space agency,
which is contributing Cassini's high-gain antenna.
     JPL Cassini Project Scientist Dr. Dennis Matson noted that
science teams were very pleased by NASA's recent confirmation of
the Cassini orbiter's 12 experiments. Another six fly on ESA's
Huygens probe.
     Although the science instruments were tentatively selected
in 1990, they were then subject to scrutiny during an
"accommodation phase" during which the cost, weight and power
needs of each experiment were carefully eyed.
     Matson credited JPL organizations with delivering "excellent
packages" on plans for science instruments that were among the
most challenging to bring in on a tight budget.
     JPL's Office of Space Science and Instruments is building
the visual and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS) and the Titan
radar mapper, while the Observational Systems Division is
fabricating Cassini's optical cameras.Matson said science teams
are now turning their attention to the ground system "and more
detailed work on how we will go about flying this spacecraft."
     As for the Huygens probe, the green light at the October
meeting in France paved the way for work to proceed, leading up
to hardware deliveries in 1996 and 1997, according to Herb
Phillips, JPL's Huygens technical integration manager.
     In all, ESA will deliver three versions of the Huygens probe
to the United States.
     The first, an engineering model to be used during Cassini
integration in JPL's Spacecraft Assembly Facility, will arrive
on-Lab in February 1996.
     A second copy of the probe, called the structural thermal
pyro model, will be delivered at JPL in June 1996. This model
will be used for environmental testing in the Space Simulator.
     The third copy of the probe -- the actual flight model --
will be delivered directly to Kennedy Space Center in May 1997
for integration with the spacecraft at the launch site.
     The Cassini orbiter will be built up in JPL's Spacecraft
Assembly Facility between September 1995 and May 1996. It will
then undergo tests through spring 1997, when it will be shipped
to Florida to be prepared for its October 1997 launch.
     After flybys of Venus (twice), Earth and Jupiter as it loops
around the sun to pick up energy, Cassini will arrive at Saturn
in November 2004, beginning a four-year orbital tour of the
ringed planet and its 18 moons. The Huygens probe will descend to
the surface of Titan in June 2005. ###
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`Take creative risks,' Goldin
tells von Karman audience

By Karre Marino
     In a quick stop-over at JPL Nov. 25, NASA Administrator
Daniel Goldin told an overflow crowd of JPL personnel in von
Karman Auditorium of his concerns about the future of NASA
missions, precipitated in part by the looming possibility of
budget cuts as a new administration takes power.
     But he challenged his audience to be bold: "Use new
technology, take creative risks. Let's work on advanced concepts
and look to the future: whether that means composite structures,
(very lightweight) cameras or other nations' space programs. But
we have to put technology money where it has its biggest impact.
We need to do better in terms of commercializing space. We've
done better with privatization."
     Goldin said that analysis of the budget for NASA's Office of
Space Science & Applications  since 1987 "is cause for alarm" --
that NASA may be on the wrong path.
     "We're spending more and more money on operations and less
on cutting-edge technology to plant the seeds for the next
generation," he said. The number of scientific spacecraft on the
books is too few, and "we're using old technology to survive."
     Goldin said he is concerned that at the university level,
professors and students do not have the dollars to fund their
research. In fact, the question of federal monies was raised
often throughout Goldin's speech: "As we compete for increasingly
fewer dollars -- dollars we share with the National Institutes of
Health, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, paying
off the national debt -- NASA sees a smaller share of the federal
pot. Some of those funds are being diverted from NASA.
     "Maybe we have to do a better job informing the public why
we're vital, why our budget shouldn't be trimmed. We also have to
tell Congress the whole truth." If a budget is set for $1.4
billion, he said, "we shouldn't come back and ask for another $70
million to cover software costs. Let's be up front and tell them
exactly how much we need."
     The administrator also noted that President-elect Bill
Clinton expects a windfall from government-funded technology,
which must one day be used in the private sector to create more
jobs. "We should be a test bed of technology, bringing in people
from a variety of industries," he said.
     Goldin also discussed the possibility of working more
closely with other nations, and other space programs. For
example, "The Russians want to work with us." Their military
program may be under the knife, he noted, "but they won't give up
on their space program. This is a great opportunity to reach out
on an international basis and have scientists (from different
countries) work together. We could build more payloads here and
fly them internationally, or fly payloads of other countries on
our spacecraft."
     While NASA certainly has concerns about the future, the talk
was not all gloom and doom. Goldin cited a number of programs
that offer great hope: Mission to Planet Earth, Discovery, Space
Station Freedom. And throughout his address, he frequently
challenged JPL staffers to be creative, to submit their ideas to
management, to ensure that NASA engenders a successful marriage
of science and technology. "NASA and JPL can have great impact in
lifting the spirits of the nation and the economy if we take
risks and use cutting-edge technology. We can't be afraid to
fail."
     And while JPL is meeting Goldin's challenges, the
administrator will be busy making changes at the top: he plans to
cut out the layers of red tape. "The paperwork has become a
burden to scientists. We're going to fix that," he said. "We want
to spend our money and energy on technology." ###
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News briefs

     JPL Chief Scientist Dr. Moustafa Chahine has been awarded
the 1993 Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award from the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
     Chahine was honored "for contributions, vision and
leadership in the development of atmospheric remote sensors and
parameters retrieval techniques, which have had major impacts on
weather prediction and climate research," the organization
announced.
     The award is named for Capt. Robert M. Losey, a
meteorological officer who was the first U.S. officer to die in
World War II, and is presented in recognition of outstanding
contributions to the atmospheric sciences as applied to the
advancement of aeronautics and astronautics.
     Chahine will receive the award during the 31st Aerospace
Sciences Meeting and Exhibit Jan. 12, 1993 in Reno, Nev.

     Dr. Edward J. Smith, U.S. project scientist of the Ulysses
mission to the poles of the sun, will be named a fellow of the
American Geophysical Union (AGU) at the Dec. 7-11 AGU meetings in
San Francisco.
     Smith, a physicist and currently senior research scientist
in JPL's Earth and Space Sciences Division, specializes in the
measurement of magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves
surrounding planets and the large region of space influenced by
the sun's solar wind.
     In addition to his position as U.S. project scientist of the
joint NASA-European Space Agency mission to the sun, Smith is
co-investigator of the Ulysses magnetometer team and
co-investigator of the magnetometer team on a future spaceflight
mission, the Cassini mission to Saturn.
     Smith will be honored at an awards banquet for his
"outstanding contributions to instrument development and data
interpretation in the exploration of planetary and cometary
magnetospheres and of the heliosphere, and for service given for
more than 30 years."

     Dr. Josette Bellan of JPL's Applied Mechanics Technologies
Section 354 has been invited to lecture at the Israel Annual
Conference on Aeronautics and Astronautics next February.
     The conference involves about 1,000 members of Israel's Air
Force, as well as the nation's aircraft industry and academic
participants. Bellan will be hosted by the Israeli Institute of
Technology (Technion).
     Bellan's JPL research involves the fundamental studies of
multiphase flows. She is also a lecturer at Caltech.

     Friends and relatives of Alzheimer's Disease patients can be
as affected and as devastated by the affliction as patients,
according to JPL Medical Services Office Director Dr. Donal
Sweeney, and Medical Services would like to know if there is
interest in forming a JPL caregivers' support group.
     Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive, irreversible brain
disease for which there is currently no known cause or cure. An
estimated 4 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer's,
Sweeney said.
     Contact Employee Assistance Counselor Dr. Judy Morrissey at
ext. 4-3680 for information. ###
_________________________________________________________________

New mission telemetry system makes debut

By Karre Marino
     For the men who helped design the software and hardware of
the old Univac 1219s (there are two of them), and for those who
had operated and used them, it was like saying goodbye to an old
friend when they were powered down at high noon on Monday, Nov.
16.
     The 1219s were part of the Test and Telemetry System (TTS)
that -- after 27 years of faithful use -- have been replaced by
the new-generation Advanced Multimission Operations System
(AMMOS). The move is being made as a means to cut costs, as well
as help transition the use of giant, dinosaur-like machinery to
that of 21st century state-of-the-art wizardry.
     Still, the old system will be missed. The Univac 1219, a
militarized computer system developed by Univac for the U.S.
Navy, was first installed and turned on by JPL at the Hughes El
Segundo facility in support of JPL's Surveyor project in
mid-1966. In its 2 1/2-decade history here, this computer, and
its identical companion, have been in virtually continuous use,
providing telemetry processing and, in some cases, real-time
imaging for six JPL projects, including Surveyor, Mariners '69,
'71 and '73, Viking and Voyager. The 1219s have been an essential
part of 17 JPL spacecraft assembly/testing and launches, as well
as the Mission Operations for 14 of those that successfully
reached their targets.
     "The 1219s have been super performers," said Galileo
Telemetry and Command Systems Engineer Ralph Johansen, who was
responsible for the development and early operation of the 1219s
and Univac 1530s (another militarized computer that was placed as
front-end processor to the 1219s, starting with the Mariner '71
operations). "In support of Mariner '69 Assembly/Test, a
stand-alone 1219 routinely took in more than 200 kbps of
bit-level telemetry; provided symbol synchronization for one of
the streams and frame synchronization for three others; processed
the telemetry; and drove 18 printers and 20 channels of
closed-circuit TV status in real-time." He also said that the two
1219s attached to each other for the MM-69 Mission Operations, in
addition to the telemetry processing, to provide the first JPL
real-time digital image reconstruction, processing, display and
video image handover to the commercial TV networks.
     "They were also super reliable," he added. "They performed
all of their tasks without ever impacting the projects -- they
were conspicuous for their lack of requiring attention."
     In the old days, a TTS system was sent to the Cape for
launches, and one remained at JPL, with an operating and
maintenance crew. Today, AMMOS communicates with Mission Control
from its third-floor home in Building 230.
     Replacing TTS with AMMOS is part of a large-scale plan
initiated in the late '70s to transition launching systems to
multimission-system use. "It isn't so much that TTS is crumbling
or obsolete," said Gary Spradlin, deputy mission development
manager for Voyager, as it is that AMMOS offers new options.
"AMMOS is cost driven; it provides a new hardware base, including
advanced workstations. This means greater flexibility at the user
site.
     "We're getting away from systems that require a distinct
base for each program. TTS was more a fixed-format device that
provided data to line printers and the Digital Television (DTV)
system. AMMOS gives the user workstation tools and access to
networks. It also enables us to create different views of data,
as well as process specific information. It's a new
communications technology that features wider distribution of
output, modern storage options, and access to a large central
database. You can retrieve information more quickly, possibly
saving days of work," he added.
     What happens to this system that supported 14 JPL missions
now that its work is finished? Parts of the system may go into a
museum, and some parts may be salvaged to be used in other
projects.
     At the formal handover, Johansen said he felt that because
of its exceptional support roles, the original 1219 computer
deserved something better than a dark corner at Chelie and
suggested that "finding a little floor space in von Karman close
to those whom it faithfully served would be more appropriate."
     Echoing Johansen's sentiments, Spradlin, who directed the
initial AMMOS conversion-assessment studies, said, "TTS served us
well. It was tough to convince many of the people here to part
with it."
     Eventually, AMMOS will replace much of the telemetry systems
on the third floor of the Space Flight Operations Facility much
as magnetic and optical disks will replace magnetic tapes for
information storage. Galileo, too, will one day transition to use
AMMOS. ###
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Co-ed gym now open
beneath Building 180

By Diane Ainsworth
     Myron Hitch jogs four or five miles a day. Then he works out
with weights. He's been doing that for years, but it's much
easier now, thanks to JPL's newly designed, co-ed gymnasium.
     Hitch, manager of Plant Protection Section 613, says access
to the co-ed facility any time of the day or evening, seven days
a week, has been a big improvement over what used to be staggered
hours for men and women. He says it's especially helpful to those
who follow a regular regimen of exercise.
     "The big improvement is that I don't have to watch the clock
every day so that I can use the gym during the men's hours,"
Hitch said. "Before, the restrictions were on your hours. Now I
can go down there any time I have a chance."
     Hitch oversees management of the new gym in Building 180's
basement. The three-month renovation project took place this fall
and culminated in 200 additional square feet of workout space and
separate shower and dressing areas for men and women.
     The gym reopened on Oct. 26 and sports brand-new
weightlifting machines and Lifecycles. Two Lifecycles -- or
stationary bicycles -- have been added, giving members a total of
five machines to use. Two new weight benches and 10 sets of
dumbbells with a storage rack were also installed for those who
like to perform gravity-defying acrobatics.
     "The weight room is completely equipped now to allow JPL
employees the luxury of working out whenever they can fit it into
their work schedules," Hitch said. "Our plans are to continue
purchasing new equipment as the funds become available."
     The gym has maintained a Universal weightlifting machine for
many years. With the renovation funds, however, Hitch was able to
purchase a new NordicTrack walking machine for low-impact
aerobics. In line with Total Quality Management (TQM), he plans
other improvements and the purchase of additional exercise
machines each year, which eventually will turn the facility into
a haven for exercise buffs.
     The facility has a current membership of about 900
employees, said Helga Wurm, Section 613 secretary, who oversees
membership and record-keeping. Up to 20 people can be
accommodated at a time, Hitch added. However, highest demand for
the weight machines seems to fall around lunch time on Mondays,
Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
     Lockers are not always available, though, and must be
assigned on a seniority and frequency-of-use basis, Wurm added.
The gym's 86 lockers are checked out to longtime members and
those who use the facility at least two times a week. Staff
interested in joining the gym must be full-time JPL employees.
New members must be checked by Medical Services first and submit
a medical approval form to Plant Protection. Once Hitch's office
has received the medical approval, employee badges are coded to
allow them entrance to the gym.
     Those interested in joining the gym should contact Wurm at
ext. 4-3673 to obtain the medical forms. ###
_________________________________________________________________

Asteroid to make close Earth approach Dec. 8

     One of the largest near-Earth objects, an asteroid named
"Toutatis," will make a close Earth approach Dec. 8, said Dr.
Donald Yeomans of JPL's Navigation Systems Section 314.
     The object, formally known as Asteroid 4179, will pass by at
about 3.6 million kilometers (2.2 million miles from Earth), said
Yeomans. The asteroid passes Earth less than one degree above
Earth's orbital plane every four years, making it an excellent
object for study, he said.
     Toutatis' orbit takes it almost to the distance of Jupiter's
orbit before the sun's gravitational attraction pulls it back.
     It will also make close Earth approaches in 1996 and 2000,
and in 2004 will come as close as about four lunar distances, or
less than a million miles.
     The asteroid, at 3.5 kilometers (two miles) diameter, is one
of the largest to cross the Earth's orbit on a regular basis.
     Yeomans said the ground-based viewing conditions for
infrared optical and radar observations just before, during and
well after the close Earth passage will be excellent and he notes
that astronomers in many areas of the world will simultaneously
study the body, using several different techniques.
     The approach of Toutatis this year and the one in 2004
represent the two closest Earth passages of any known asteroid
for the next 30 years, said Yeomans, head of JPL'S Near Earth
Object Center.
     Toutatis was discovered Jan. 4, 1989, by astronomer
Christian Pollas at Caussols, France, and was named after a
Gallic deity who was protector of the tribe. ###
_________________________________________________________________

If it smells strange, maybe you should report it

By Karre Marino
     The next time you think something in your office smells
funny -- and you're sure it isn't your office mate's lunch --
don't shrug it off, because it could be something serious.
     Call the OSO Chemical Safety & Environmental Health Office,
advised David Markie, group leader, Chemical Safety.
     "What you smell could be a hazardous chemical; an odor
indicates some type of chemical exposure. And since most of these
odors are transient, it's important to notify our office
immediately, before the odor dissipates."
     JPL is making a concerted effort to provide a safe and
healthful workplace and, in anticipation of the implementation of
new OSHA regulations regarding indoor air quality, CS&EH is
monitoring, investigating and documenting complaints.
     "Our group, specifically Caty Grobe, in anticipation of the
new regulations, will be developing an Indoor Air Quality Program
for JPL sometime next year. In the meantime, we're responding to
and investigating complaints," said Markie. "It's a fairly
complicated process, but one that could prevent future problems."
     While he admitted that people aren't always sure that the
odor is unusual and therefore hesitate to call OSO, he also said
that if you recognize something that seems wrong, you should
listen to your instincts. "And if you suddenly begin to feel ill,
that's certainly an immediate barometer to call us to report the
odor, as well as visit Medical Services."
     He explained that when problem odors are not reported --
because workers may ignore them, thinking they will go away or
nothing will happen -- long-term effects may develop; these may
be serious. "If you allow exposures to continue, damage or
chemical levels can build up in your system, resulting in some
type of chronic effect. That's why it's important to have someone
who understands airborne exposures and the toxicity of airborne
contaminants investigate the situation, evaluate it and recommend
the proper action.
     "Most odors are associated with some type of ongoing or
recently completed work," he added. "So we try to link odors to
the chemicals used in construction or maintenance operations such
as painting, roofing or cleaning."
     What kind of odors are typically problematic? "A rotten
egglike smell could be hydrogen sulfide; a garlic scent may mean
arsine, and bitter almond-like odors can indicate hydrogen
cyanide. Some chemicals -- like aluminum and chlorine -- irritate
the nose and throat. Others have no odor but offer warning signs
by the symptoms they cause. Carbon monoxide causes a particular
type of headache. All of these are signals of which people should
be aware.
     "We're monitoring the cafeterias to determine if nonsmokers
are at risk from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Based on our results, a decision will be made on whether smoking
in the cafeterias may continue."
     Markie also said that if you smell smoke or gas, call the
Fire Department immediately. If you begin to feel ill after
smelling an unusual odor, go to Medical Services. "Under no
condition should you remain in an area after you feel ill," he
warned. Call ext. 4-4710 to report those unusual odors.
_________________________________________________________________

`Golden Splice' enhances voice/video/data network

     A "Golden Splice" ceremony at JPL Nov. 16 served to mark the
completion of a coast-to-coast digital telephone network in North
America.
     The network allows users to combine voice, video and
computer data on a single telephone line, paving the way for
innovative uses in such areas as desktop video conferencing,
medical imaging and data sharing.
     "Just as the golden spike linked the nation's railroads in
1869 to carry the lifeblood of the Industrial Age, this `golden
splice' creates a transcontinental highway that will carry the
lifeblood of the Information Age," said event chairman Jim "Jake"
Jacobson of JPL's Communications, Computing and Network Services
Section.
     The digital phone system -- known by the name Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN) -- results from cooperation among
all of the country's long-distance providers, as well as local
telephone operating companies and equipment suppliers.
     JPL is among organizations that have participated in a
users' group created by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology that has helped shape and test the new technology over
the past 21 months.
     The transcontinental connection was symbolically opened Nov.
16 with a call placed between JPL's Science Conference Center on
Woodbury Road in Altadena and the Corporation for Open Systems
International in Reston, Virginia.
     Students from Eliot Middle School participated in the event,
talking with and sending pictures electronically to counterparts
on the East Coast.
     Other sites participating in the Nov. 16 event were the
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and the U.S. Army Redstone
Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
     The network allows voice, video and data to be combined in a
single phone line by the use of special digital switches at
telephone company offices and a network of fiber-optic cables
linking telephone company facilities nationwide.
     Initially the service will be available to local users over
traditional copper phone wiring, although service will eventually
be enhanced by upgrading all wiring to fiber optics.
     Potential uses include desktop video conferencing, using a
small camera about the size of a pack of cigarettes and a
personal computer for display on each end.  Until now, video
conferencing has required special facilities and transmission
equipment.
     The network will also allow medical doctors to consult on
X-rays, scans and other images interactively with specialists in
another city.
     Similarly, "screen sharing" will be possible where pairs of
architects or designers can consult on plans on computer screens
on each end of a telephone call, all conveyed by a single phone
line.
     Of special interest to JPL and other technological
organizations is the digital phone system's ability to tie
computer networks together or to give users remote access to
their office computer networks.
     Schedules of when the service will be available in various
areas will depend on local telephone companies.
     Participating in the California event at JPL were equipment
manufacturer Northern Telecom Inc. and regional telephone
operating company Pacific Bell. ###
_________________________________________________________________

ERC sub-reps honored at luncheon

By Ed McNevin
     "Thanks for Giving" was the theme of the annual Sub-Rep
Luncheon, held Nov. 18 in the 167 Cafeteria. The event honored
the 300 ERC sub-reps who work with the ERC Council to distribute
information about ERC events and keep bulletin boards updated
throughout the laboratory.
     Receiving special recognition was Bunny Bundschuh, who was
presented with the distinctive JPL-ERC Honor Roll award.
Bundschuh, a materiel control expeditor from the Supply and
Equipment Section 645, became only the 25th JPL employee to be so
honored. She accepted the accolade from ERC President Rick
McKinney, who cited her dedication while serving as the ERC's
Hospitality Committee Chair, as well as her numerous
contributions as a member of the JPL Picnic and Holiday
Children's Party Committees.
     Bundschuh said she was honored by the tribute, and noted
that the highlight of working with the ERC was "how wonderful the
JPL picnics are."
     The ERC has always been such a wonderful organization to
work with. Winning this award was a very pleasant surprise. I
thought there were others  nominated who would win."
     JPL Deputy Director Larry Dumas welcomed the more than 150
Sub-reps and ERC Council members in attendance, noting that,
"people are what JPL is all about."
     "You are a very special group of people to give your time to
volunteer," Dumas continued, "and this event is a way to
recognize the human side of JPL."
     "Sub-reps really are the unsung heroes of the ERC, and their
work is a tremendous asset to our everyday operation," said Mark
Banuelos, ERC assistant manager.
     "It's really nice that they (ERC Council) do this kind of
thing," said Kathi Younker, a senior administrative secretary and
ERC sub-rep in Section 382. "It's nice to know that they do say
thank you." ###