Goddard Space Flight Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Annual Report 2000
Annual Report 2000 Message from the Director

We,like thousands of corporations across the country,produce anannual report each year to give our constituents an idea of whatwe have accomplished over the past 12 months.The exercisegives us an opportunity to reflect on our successes and areaswhere we might improve in the future.I can honestly say that wemade great strides in fiscal year 2000.We successfully deliveredseveral high-profile spacecraft into orbit and we remained carefulstewards of our financial resources.In this report,you will learn the details of what we did.You will read about some ratherremarkable scientific findings made by Goddard scientists,who worked closely with theiruniversity and industry colleagues to explore space and engage others in the excitement ofdiscovery.You will learn how our employees made safety their number-one priority and how theCenter itself set its sights on being the employer of choice.And you will learn how we workedwith our neighbors to enrich our community and make the region a wonderful place in whichto work and live.Indeed,our accomplishments are many.During the past fiscal year,Goddard employeesdelivered Terra,IMAGE,GOES-L,NOAA-L,HETE-2 and TDRS-H into safe orbits.They also extendedthe life of Goddard’s astronomical workhorse,the Hubble Space Telescope.And they led thecreation of the first Regional Finance Office,which consolidates the financial and businessrequirements of Goddard,Headquarters and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.This is no smallendeavor.Our financial community deserves recognition for its perseverance in making such aconsolidation successful and a model for the rest of the Agency.Even as 1999 drew to a close,the Center continued to shine.Our employees prepared for everypotential emergency associated with the Y2K rollover,but nothing happened when the clockstruck 12.I attribute that to one simple fact:We were prepared.We looked critically at our work environment and took into consideration what is mostimportant to our employees.We established a Diversity Council to help the Center maximize thefull potential of every employee.We began looking at information technology,as today’s needs,not tomorrow’s goals.And to strengthen the operational needs of the Agency throughindependent testing and verification of software,we welcomed to our family a new facility inFairmont,West Virginia.This is our report card to you.Recognize that many,many people contributed to our success,and that we are forever changed by the positive actions of our employees.Every person isimportant to us.I’m very proud to be a part of this organization,supported by dedicated and devoted people,who are critical to our mission success.After you read this document,you will see why I feel sofortunate.A.V. Diaz

Earth and the

ry from space to

bles discovery

ace science.

 inspire the Nation,

onomic growth.

NASA’s goals.

rt and advance

tage of doing

ation in all that we do.
Like many organizations of

Goddard’s size, age and mission,we have benefited from the diversity of our people and theirinnovations. Their contributionshave allowed us to remaincompetitive and ready to face thechallenges of a changing world.Goddard’s mission is to serve asNASA’s Center of Excellence forScientific Research. We arecommitted to the Agency’s visionas outlined by NASA’s SpaceScience and Earth SciencesEnterprises. Both state NASA’sgoals as advancing knowledgewith new information, using revolutionary technologies andcontributing to the educationalgoals of the Nation.Maturity and TransitionWith maturity, though, comeschange. For Goddard, middle agebrought about changes inpersonnel, as several Goddardleaders moved on to new leadership positions elsewhere in the

Agency. Several members of theExecutive Council completed theirgovernment service and retiredfor personal and other careergoals. James Moore, Director ofFlight Programs and Projects, andDr. Stephen Holt, Director ofSpace Sciences, both retired fromgovernment service. BrianKeegan, Director of the AppliedEngineering and TechnologyDirectorate, moved to NASAHeadquarters to serve as theAgency’s Chief Engineer. OrlandoFigueroa, Director of Goddard’sSystems, Technology, andAdvanced Concepts Directorate,joined Brian Keegan at NASAHeadquarters as Deputy ChiefEngineer for Systems Engineering.Sherry Foster, Director of theManagement OperationsDirectorate, accepted a position

as the Executive Director for theCentennial of Flight Commission. To ensure a smooth transition,the Center moved swiftly to fillthe vacancies. John Campbell isthe Director of Flight Programsand Projects and Jonathan Ormesserves as the Acting Director forthe Space Sciences Directorate (atthis writing). Rick Obenschain isthe Director for the AppliedEngineering and Technologyorganization. John Hrastar is the

Where We Are Today Where We Are Today

We revolutionize knowledge

of the Earth and the

universe through scientific

discovery from space to

enhance life on Earth

Goddard Space Flight Center’s

Vision

TOP: John CampbellMIDDLE: Jonathan OrmesBOTTOM: Rick Obenschain

Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 3

Goddard Values To achieve these goals, the Center has adopted a set of standardsembraced by all employees. They include:• Seeing safety as vital to the public, our astronauts and pilots and

employees.

• Demonstrating excellence in quality and showing our customers that

reliable results at an affordable cost can be expected time after time. 

• Meeting our commitments and promises. • Sustaining scientific and technological leadership in space and Earth

science.

• Recognizing core competencies and processes that ensure the Center’s

competitiveness.
Economic Impact

Goddard significantly affects theeconomy because we buy thegoods and services to performour mission. As a result, the local,state and national economiesbenefit because of business development, job creation and anincreased tax base. Contract ObligationsThe largest portion of Goddard’sbudget is obligated throughcontracts with commercial firms,nonprofit institutions and other

government agencies. Thesecontracts allow the Center toacquire the goods and servicesnecessary to accomplish ourmission. Ultimately, these dollarsare returned to the local, stateand national economy in the formof gross output, sales, thepurchase of intermediate goodsand services and employeeincome.During Fiscal 2000, Goddardprocessed more than 29 percentof the Agency’s contractualactions and 19.9 percent of the

contractual obligations. In total,the Center obligated more than$2.4 billion on new and existingcontracts. These obligations andprime-contract awards are issuedto contractors nationwide, as wellas outside the U.S. Commercialfirms received 59 percent, educational institutions 25 percent,nonprofit organizations 9 percentand other government agencies 6percent. One percent wasawarded geographically outsidethe U.S.

Suborbital

and University

Class Project

Operations

Flight

Programs

and

Projects

d of Employees

% of Work Force

14.6

18.6

 38.9

3.6

 24.3

Total Prime ContractAwards - FY00

er Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 5

astar

on McNally
 Millions of Dollars Obligated 

0 50 100 150 200

$197.0

$130.4

$106.5

$87.5

$75.2

$63.2

$53.8

$48.2

$45.1

$25.2

$23.9

$22.4

$20.0

$19.9

$15.4

$15.0

$14.2

$14.0

$13.5

$13.4

$13.2

$12.5

$12.1

$11.6

$9.1

CompanyLockheed Martin Corp.Raytheon STX CorporationTRW, Inc.Hughes Aircraft CompanyQSS Group, Inc.Swales & Associates, Inc.Ball Aerospace & Tech. CorporationHughes STX CorporationITT CorporationComputer Sciences CorporationNSI Technology Services CorporationPRC, Inc.Cortez III Service CorporationScience Systems ApplicationsSpace Systems Loral, Inc.Alliedsignal Technical ServicesGeneral Sciences CorporationAerojet General CorporationOrbital Sciences CorporationUnisys CorporationSilicon Graphics, Inc.CTA, Inc.ITT Industries, Inc.Fairchild Space & Defense Corp.Spectrum Astro, Inc.

Number of

Contracts 

9830

169141

859171462719

140148114

5067

4

682654714260464872

FY 

99 

1642

16

7869

121318111519

5

231471213422

9

17

182

FY 

00 

1234

*5

6789

101112131415161718192021222324

*25

*8(a) Minority

FY 

99 

123465

17

9

1612101113

8

1415342817201922211823

 Millions of Dollars Obligated 

FY 

00 

123456789

10111213141516171819202122232425

Number of 

Contracts 

9830

169141

859171462719

140148114

5067

4

682654714260464872

$93.8

$72.3

$52.1

$32.1

$27.6

$21.6

$18.2

$18.0

$16.1

$14.5

$14.2

$13.1

$12.8

$12.7

$11.0

$9.3

$8.9

$8.0

$7.9

$7.6

$7.1

$6.8$6.8

$6.6$6.5

Institution Johns Hopkins UniversityAssoc. of Universities for Res. in AstronomyUniversity of Colorado – BoulderUniversity of Maryland – College ParkCalifornia Institute TechnologyUniversity of California – BerkeleyUniversity of California – San DiegoUniversities Space ResearchUniversity of Alaska – FairbanksNew Mexico State University – Las CrucesUniversity of ArizonaSmithsonian InstitutionMassachusetts Institute of TechnologySouthwest Research InstituteColumbia UniversityWheeling Jesuit CollegePennsylvania State UniversityUniversity of Maryland – Baltimore CountyUniversity of New HampshireUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Texas – AustinUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonUniversity of California – Santa BarbaraStanford UniversityUniversity of Hawaii

Top 25 Nonprofit Institutions FY00

mental

52

Outside U.S.

1%

$23,907

Commercial

Firms

59%

$1,457,896

urements -

Top 25 Business Contractors - FY00

mpshire

ey

ico

rolinakota

a

ania

and

rolina

kota

e

on

inia

n

Total ($K)

$4,543

1,3971,508

11,70263,999

8,124

29,536

4,4772,3486,5311,9767,073

16,328

3,5533,3931,0143,613

45,806

3,245

796

94,471

9,971

15,936

7,389

544

$2,075,499

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 7
model to determine the impact of

NASA’s educational programs andresources on the improvement ofinstruction in science, mathematics and technology.Maine drew upon the Center’sresources for teacher trainingrelated to Earth and spacescience standards. The NASA Sun-Earth ConnectionEducation Forum, located atGoddard, is one of four nationalforums responsible for developingspace science education programsand products. A major feature ofthe past year’s forum was the webcasting of a solar eclipse, whichdrew more than 225,000 individuals to the Goddard web site.The Center increased support tounderrepresented populationsthrough partnerships withMorgan State University, theASPIRA of New Jersey, Chicagoand the PennsylvaniaOrganization for the Advancement

of Hispanic Youth. Goddardhosted an urban initiative withthe District of Columbia PublicSchools through the SUNBEAMSprogram. Under this initiative,15separate classes of sixth-gradestudents attended week-longclasses at Goddard. Education efforts also were prominent at the Goddard Institute forSpace Science (GISS) in New YorkCity and Wallops Flight Facility inVirginia. Through its Institute on Climateand Planets, in collaboration withCity University of New York,Columbia University and NewYork City public schools, GISSprovides a range of researcheducation experiences for precollege and undergraduatestudents and faculty, focusing onthe advancement of minorityyouth in science. At the Wallops Flight Facility,students in kindergarten throughcollege flew 23 experimentsaboard the Space Shuttle via theSpace Experiment Module. 

Diversity at theGoddard Space FlightCenterThe Goddard Space Flight Centercreated the Diversity Council inJanuary 2000 to oversee diversityrelated efforts at the Center. Tothat end, the Council will identify

issues and actions, propose policies and develop strategies tomake sure the Center attains ahighly skilled and diversifiedworkforce. The Council is madeup of the Deputies of eachDirectorate, Directors of OHR andEEO, Chairs of the EO AdvisoryGroups and employee unions.Since its creation, the DiversityCouncil has accomplished thefollowing:• Published a Business Case for

Diversity that outlines howdiversity adds value to theCenter in a business context. 

• Examined the results of the 1999

Culture Survey from a demographic perspective anddeveloped a Plan of Action. 

• Is in the process of developing a

Quality of Work Life Program topromote a friendlier workplacethat encourages employees tobalance their lives.

• Is planning the Diversity Dialog

Project, which involves smallgroups of employees who willfacilitate a deeper understanding of diversity issuesamong Center employees. Theproject will emphasize the needto listen, introspect, findmeaning and build acceptanceof different perspectives. 

• Other plans include the start of

Directorate Diversity FocusGroups and Diversity Seminarsas part of the Director’sColloquium and DiversityTraining by outside experts foremployees who want to learnmore about diversity. 

adquarters and

 technical guidance to

Centers. 

stitutions. These are

s that Goddard allo

versities that

serve underrepre

orities, with the aim of

ng these institutions. 

To increase scientific

versities use Goddard

evelop outreach

hese university collab

 accomplished

all of Goddard’s tech

zations. 

n Programs

ntinues its commit

elop programs and

t increase scientific

he elementary, middle,

and higher education

ng the year, Goddard

its curriculum efforts

ter’s service to

d students.

tem science

or example, Goddard

egional workshops in

s of library media

nd science teachers

products that linked

m science definitions

ts to Maryland

comes and test

lar workshops and

mplementation

ed as models nation

ool districts seeking

Earth system science

Maryland, a Goddard

hip with the

/NASA Education

e resulted in 24 work

onnecticut educators,

20 classrooms.

 is developing a

Maine teachers learning to inspirefuture rocketeers.

Deputy Center Director WilliamTownsend (center) chairs a meeting ofGoddard's Diversity Council.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000

9
Terra data, along with other measurements from surface-based and

aircraft-borne instruments,provide much-needed inputs forEarth science models. This ultimately will enable scientists topredict more accurately futureclimate change. Many scientistsbelieve that to successfully buildpredictive computer models ofcomplex Earth interactions, theymust clearly understand globalclimatic processes and parameters. The Terra team estimatesthat the scientific community willcomplete the first Earth-systemmodels making full use of Terradata by 2005.

Using Terra DataFirefighters battling dozens ofblazes that had consumedhundreds of thousands of acresacross Montana and Idaho gotsome valuable assistance fromTerra. Shortly after Labor Day,scientists from Goddard andNOAA began providing ForestService officials with daily imagesacquired over those states byTerra’s Moderate ResolutionImaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) instrument. The MODISsensor observed the fire region in36 different wavelengths of thespectrum, ranging from visible tothermal infrared light.

Consequently, MODIS data helpedfirefighters pinpoint the locationsof still-burning fires, smolderingburn scars and spreading smoke. Snow Cover as a PredictorEarly results from MODIS clearlyobserved below-normal snowcover in parts of the NorthAmerican continent during thewinter of 1999-2000, and the snowthat did fall melted earlier thanusual, too. Low snow cover canresult in drier soil conditions,affect crop production and leadto wildfires. Using data fromTerra’s MODIS instrument andother satellites, scientists can

r Annual Report 2000

irst Terra images

of the North American

hese images, taken by

ensors aboard the

owed global surface

s and “spring

thers showed the

ontinent and the rela

ween population,

nd pollution, as well

ations of carbon

 the lower atmosphere.

Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 11

ra in the study of Earth as

s December 18, 1999 with

he Earth Observing System

spacecraft from

r Force Base, California.

LEFT: This image of the Mississippi Delta was acquiredon February 24, 2000 and is one of the first scenestaken by Terra's Moderate resolution ImagingSpectroradiometer (MODIS). It covers an area of 62miles (100km) by 62 miles (100km) over New Orleans,Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. The scene was madeby combining three of the visible bands of the MODISLand Surface Reflectance product.

ted in this artist’s concept,

ecraft is a part of NASA's

ng System designed to

arth. On February 24,

gan collecting what will

ome a new, 15-year global

ich to base scientific

about our home planet.

ABOVE RIGHT: This visible light/infrared compositeimage over Montana and Idaho was acquired byTerra's Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometeron Aug. 23, 2000. The image shows the locations ofactively burning wildfires (red pixels) and the thickshroud of smoke they produced (grey-blue pixels).There were 57 wildfires burning across both states.
Landsat is offering scientists a

detailed look at unique weatherand cloud-formation phenomenaand glacial retreats and advances.Landsat 7 will acquire a nearlycomplete data set of the world’s

coral reefs to help researcherskeep track of these importantocean ecosystems.Regional Application CentersFocus on Earth Applications“Smarter” land-use planning andbetter estimates of polluted waterrunoff across the 64,000-squaremile (110,000-square-km)Chesapeake Bay watershed are onthe horizon thanks to new landcover maps being produced bythe Mid-Atlantic Regional EarthScience Applications Center at theUniversity of Maryland. Thesemaps, generated by overlayingimages from NASA’s Landsat 7,will provide a more preciseassessment of the presence and

amount of different land-covertypes, including residential development, wetlands, forests andcrop lands. This type of preciseland-cover classification has notbeen done for such a large region.The new maps can distinguishlow-density from high-densityresidential development and cropland from pastureland, as well aswetlands and different types offorest. Record Ozone DepletionRecorded in 2000Goddard scientists determinedthat the area of ozone depletionover the Antarctic 

— the wellknown ozone “hole” — was a bit

smaller in 1999 than it was in1998. However, in 2000, scientistsrecorded an Antarctic ozone holethat was three times larger thanthe entire land mass of the U.S. 

—

the largest such area everobserved. The hole expanded to a

record size of about 11-millionsquare miles (28.3-million-squarekm) on September 3. Theprevious record was about 10.5-million-square miles (27.2-millionsquare km) on September 19,1998. The lowest readings in theozone hole are typically observedin late September or earlyOctober each year. These observations reinforced concerns aboutthe frailty of Earth’s ozone layer.

eeds Expectations

ndsat 7 spacecraft,

pril 15, 1999, continues

ientists’ expectations.

ellite’s state-of-the-art

and new computer

ems, researchers

itored such events as

canoes in Hawaii, Italy

merica, the severe

he mid-Atlantic region

astating floods in

na. In addition to its

s of natural disasters,

sat 7 captured this image

cily, Italy, on October 28,

ellite orbits the Earth at an

proximately 438 miles (705

n-synchronous 98-degree

d a descending equatorial

of 10 a.m. The space

y instrument, the ETM+,

approximately 3.8 gigabits

ch scene, which is roughly

nearly 15 sets of encyclo

olumes per set.

t 7, shown here under

at the Lockheed Martin

ace facility in Valley Forge,

 will add to the global

nlit, cloud-free images of

using an instrument called

 Thematic Mapper Plus.

LEFT: “Smarter" land-use planning andbetter estimates of polluted water runoffacross the 64,000 square-mile (110,000-square-km) Chesapeake Bay watershedare on the horizon thanks to new landcover maps being produced by theMid-Atlantic Regional Earth ScienceApplications Center (RESAC) at theUniversity of Maryland. These maps,generated by overlaying images fromLandsat 7, will provide a more preciseassessment of the presence and amountof different land-cover types, includingresidential development, wetlands,forests and crop lands.BELOW: This year's Antarctic ozone'hole' is the largest ever observed. Usingdata from NASA's Total Ozone MappingSpectrometer (TOMS) instrumentonboard the Earth Probe satellite,researchers can evaluate and comparecurrent conditions over the South Pole toreadings taken by other instruments inyears past. Continued monitoring ofpolar ozone levels helps researchersgain a better understanding of how theplanet's climate may be changing.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 13
Any change is important because

a smaller ice sheet could result inhigher sea levels. A conservativeestimate, based on the data, indicates a net loss of about 12.23miles (51 cubic km) of ice peryear from the entire ice sheet,sufficient to raise global sea levelby 0.005 inches (12.7 mm) peryear, or approximately 7 percentof the observed rise. This amountof sea-level rise does not threatencoastal regions, but these resultsprovide evidence that the marginsof the ice sheet are in a process ofchange. The thinning cannot beaccounted for by increasedmelting alone. It appears that icemust be flowing more quickly intothe sea through glaciers.Latest News and Views onClimate ChangeBecause climate change affectseveryone on Earth, scientistshave been trying to pinpoint itscauses. For many years,researchers agreed that climatechange was triggered by whatthey called greenhouse gases,with carbon dioxide (CO2) from

the burning of fossil fuels (coal,oil and gas) playing the biggestrole. However, new researchsuggests fossil-fuel burning maynot be as important in themechanics of climate change aspreviously thought. NASA-fundedresearch by the New York-basedGoddard Institute suggests thatthe real culprit is air pollution,and in particular non-CO2 greenhouse gases such as troposphericozone, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and black carbon(soot) particles. Since 1975,global-surface temperatures haveincreased by about 0.9 °F (-17°C),a trend that has taken global

temperatures to their highestlevel in the past millennium.Estimates of global climate forcings, or factors that promotewarming, indicate that theprocesses producing non-CO2greenhouse gases are more significant in climate change. The goodnews is that the growth rate ofnon-CO2 greenhouse gases hasdeclined in the past decade, and ifsources of methane and tropospheric ozone were reduced in thefuture, further changes in climatebecause of these gases in the next50 years could be near zero. Ifthese reductions were coupledwith a reduction in both particlesof black carbon and CO2 gasemissions, such conditions couldlead to a decline in the rate ofclimate change.Adios to La NiñaLa Ni

ña, the large area of cold

water in the Pacific Ocean widely

blamed for last summer’s drought

and often related to an increase inthe number of hurricanes thatmake landfall, disappeared overthe Pacific by the end of 2000. Asexpected, La Ni

ña reached a

maximum level of intensity duringJanuary 2000. Anomalousbehavior, however, was not new

more than 3 feet per

e places. The ice

s completed by NASA,

een surveying the

ce sheet for nearly 7

93 and 1994, NASA

surveyed the ice

an airborne laser

d precision global

satellite receivers.

 areas were surveyed

8 and 1999. Now, for

e, portions of the

eet covering

re mapped with suffi

cy to detect

hanges in elevation.

After 3 years of El Niño and La Niña and their often devastating climate consequences, the Pacific is finally calming down in the tropics. According to the latestspacecraft and ocean-buoy observations, La Niña disappeared entirely in the easternPacific Ocean followed by a rapid disappearance over the rest of the Pacific. Asexpected, La Niña reached maximum intensity during January 2000 and has beenwaning ever since.

This view of the United States wasproduced from SeaWiFS data collectedat four receiving stations on March 6,2000.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 15
ixels show dense 

on blooms, while 

urples indicate low 

ons of the microscopic 

t. 

l Rainfall Measuring 

MM), the first satellite 

designed to measure 

 celebrated 3 years in 

collected by TRMM 

o contribute signifi- 

r knowledge of 

al rainfall over the 

ntists are excited 

 new data because 

e important steps in 

 accurately measure 

 space. Before TRMM, 

ere uncertain about 

fall amounts, which 

now to fully under- 

e variations and 

ations in floods and

droughts. TRMM measurementsare helping to improve that situation, although it will takefurther analysis to fully use the measurements.SOLVEDuring the winter of 1999-2000,NASA conducted its SAGE IIIOzone Loss and ValidationExperiment (SOLVE) with theThird European StratosphericExperiment on Ozone (THESEO2000), which scientists designedto investigate the processes thatcontrol polar and mid-latitudewinter and spring ozone levels.With the joint experiment, theyalso wanted to validate measurements from SAGE itself, theStratospheric Aerosol and GasExperiment. All three experimentstook advantage of other satelliteassets and achieved a betterunderstanding of polar ozonelosses that winter. The insightsgained by the experiment, especially the role of polar stratospheric clouds in producing ozone-destroying chlorine, will be used in diagnostic and assess- ment models to better predict changes in the stratospheric ozone. The HPCC Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) Project The High-Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program conducted by Goddard’s Earth and Space Sciences Project is designed to demonstrate the power of high-end computing to predict the effect of physical, chemical and biological processes on Earth, the solar-terrestrial environment and the universe. With this program, the project hopes to improve its ability to produce, analyze and understand mission data, while reducing the amount of time, money and human resources required to do so, especially important because currently available ground systems cannot process the volume of data expected from the next-generation spacecraft. In fiscal year 2000, the project released the third solicitation for investigations through NASA’s Cooperative Agreement Notice, titled “Increasing Interoperability and Performance of Grand Challenge Applications in the Earth, Space, Life and Microgravity Sciences.” This round will have a broad impact on the scientific community. The program is seeking investigations whose code products will be used by other groups, including NASA scientific research programs and flight missions. A full peer review of the proposals will take place in early 2001, with award selection set for the spring of 2001. The program anticipates awarding eight to ten 3-year awards. ESS develops systems software that helps scalable computer systems become integral high-end resources for Earth and space

sciences. In these sciencecommunities, applications areincreasingly complex and in acontinual state of change,evolving as the scientific understanding of the problems evolveand using a series of computersystems because the lifetime ofthe software exceeds that of individual high-end computerplatforms. ESS is focusing on fourmajor thrusts while leveragingother research groups andvendors to provide complementary software tools.

This hurricane visualization was developed using data from TRMM's precipitationradar. High rates of rainfall appear in red, with lesser amounts appearing in blue.TRMM gathered data for these images of hurricanes Mitch, Georges and Earl in 1998.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 17
galaxy structures in which they

are found. These structures, thecentral bulges of the galaxies, arehuge round systems containingbillions of stars. Black holes areregions of space where gravity isso powerful that nothing canescape, not even light. Giant or“supermassive” black holes rangefrom about one million to severalbillion times the mass of the Sun.

The observations, conducted bythe Goddard-built SpaceTelescope Imaging Spectrograph,showed that a giant black holetypically contains one-fifth of onepercent of the mass of the galaxybulge. Galaxies with big bulgescontain more massive giant blackholes, while galaxies with little orno bulge have black holes (if any)of much lower mass. The findingsuggests a causal relationshipbetween the presence of a blackhole and the formation of thegalaxy in which it is found. 

X-Ray AstronomyHard X-Ray BackgroundGoddard and University of Hawaiiscientists settled a decades-oldmystery when they resolved aseemingly featureless celestialglow in many distinct objects.The glow, called the “hard X-raybackground,” had defied previousefforts to pinpoint its source.However, with the Advanced CCD

Imaging Spectrometer on NASA’sChandra Observatory, the investigators traced the glow tonumerous distinct and verydistant objects, each a likely giantblack hole at the center of agalaxy. The galaxies are so distantthat the X-rays Chandra detectedtook billions of years to travelacross time and space, and therefore we observe them as theywere during the early stages ofthe universe. Many of the galaxiesfrom which the X-rays come arequite strange, astronomersreported. They appear to lack thebright central regions or “galactic

nuclei” that typically surround

giant black holes. The new findings on giant orsupermassive black holeswhetted researchers’ appetitesfor definitive measurements ofthese strange objects. Morepowerful X-ray telescopes will berequired to actually image thegiant black holes.

best images, known

as the Hubble

re released at regular

fiscal year 2000.

ble’s latest and poten

ignificant

hs came when

from two consortia

tly discovered an

and simple relation

n the masses of the

and the masses of the

000, Goddard employees

cial Hubble Space

 Anniversary symposium

A Administrator Dan

ryland elected officials. In

U.S. Postal Service unveiled

a special cancellation of a

mmemorating the Hubble

pe.

These illustrations show the relationshipbetween black hole mass and the starsthat comprise an elliptical galaxy or thecentral bulge stars of a spiral galaxy.Galaxies with small bulges, like ourMilky Way, have diminutive centralblack holes of a few million solarmasses, while giant elliptical galaxieshouse billion-solar-mass black holes.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 19

Three images from the Hubble HeritageProject, a collection of compelling HSTimages distilled from scientific datadesigned to pique curiosity about astrophysical understanding of the universe.Left: Glowing like a multi-faceted jewel,the planetary nebula IC 418 lies about2,000 light-years from Earth in thedirection of the constellation Lepus.Center: What appears as a bird's head,leaning over to snatch up a tasty mealis a striking example of a galaxy collision in NGC 6745.Right: This stellar swarm is M80 (NGC6093), one of the densest of the 147known globular star clusters in theMilky Way galaxy. Located about28,000 light-years from Earth, M80contains hundreds of thousands ofstars, all held together by their mutualgravitational attraction.
regions arise on the far side of the

Sun, out of Earth’s view. Researchers from Solar PhysicsResearch Corp. and NorthWestResearch Associates found thatthey can detect active regions onthe far side by measuring andinterpreting vibrations in the hotgas on the Sun’s near side. Thenscientists can estimate when theactive regions will rotate to thenear side, where they maydischarge material and radiationtoward the Earth. Solar researchers pinned downthe likely location of the heatingprocess that makes the solarcorona reach a temperature 300times hotter than the Sun’s visiblesurface. Scientists from LockheedMartin and the Solar andAstrophysics Laboratory madethe discovery while observing theSun’s immense, magnetized coilsof hot, electrified gas, known ascoronal loops. These structureswere observed in unprecedenteddetail with TRACE, the TransitionRegion and Coronal Explorer. Bytaking the Sun’s temperature atdifferent positions along thelengths of the loops, theresearchers concluded that theheating of the corona occurs infountains of hot gas gushingupward at their foot points, theplaces where they emerge fromthe denser solar atmospherebelow.In related work, TRACE scientistsdetected a previously unknownsolar phenomenon, which theydubbed “solar moss” because its

spongy appearance remindedthem of moss found in a garden.With this discovery, scientists arebeginning to resolve the mysterious transition region, a thinregion in the Sun’s atmosphere

nt contributors were

European Space

SA Solar and

c Observatory, and

WIND and TRACE

od for predicting the

of certain huge solar

s on Earth should

ove warnings of these

ording to work by

cists at the Catholic

f America and

hese disturbances,

nal mass ejections

 clouds of electrified

zed gas that erupt

n. A typical CME has a

ut 1 billion tons and

ace at about 1 million

ew technique can

 an accuracy of about

hen the disturbance

fecting Earth.

ethods were accurate

5 days. The travel

ME depends not only

nce from the Earth to

 also on the distur

vidual properties and

nd, the constantly

tflow of solar gas that

terplanetary space. To

dvance, researchers

nformation from SOHO

n solar wind from

roving the accuracy

the arrival of solar

s can be predicted,

th SOHO resulted in a

ure for long-range

of bad “space

he sources of many

, which affect condi

ce and on Earth, are

ons” that come and go

 surface. However,

alf of these stormy

On February 26, 2000, a large filament eruption was seen in imagesfrom the Extreme ultravioletImaging Telescope (EIT) on theSOHO spacecraft. About an hourlater, the filament eruption wasseen as a huge coronal mass ejection (CME) in this image from theLarge Angle and SpectrometricCoronagraph (LASCO). Theshaded disk is a mask that blotsout direct sunlight. The white circleadded within the disk shows thesize and position of the visibleSun.

Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn andthe Sun all appear plainly in thesame image sent to Earth on May15, another scoop for the SOHOspacecraft. Also conspicuous in thepicture is a famous star cluster, thePleiades. Bright Venus entered thescene from the right, whileMercury exited on the left. Suchcongregations of planets are rare,and cannot be seen from theground when so close to the Sun.But the LASCO instrument uses amask to blot out direct sunlight,and its wide field of view (15degrees) can take in all fourplanets.

Currents of gas deep inside the Sun pulsate like the blood in human arteries,speeding and slackening every 16 months. Solar scientists were astonished by thisdiscovery from an international team pooling observations from the MDI instrumenton the ESA-NASA SOHO spacecraft and from a worldwide chain of ground stationscalled GONG. The need to understand the Sun's magnetic behavior, which producesspace storms affecting the Earth, gives practical as well as theoretical importance tothe discovery. To explain the cycle, in which dark sunspots and solar storminesspeak at intervals of about 11 years, theorists visualize a dynamo inside the Sun.Relative motions between neighboring layers of electrified gas supposedly drive thedynamo. As the years pass, so the theory goes, the magnetic field becomes too strongfor the gas to hold. It breaks out to the solar surface, causing sunspots and magneticexplosions. The changes now observed are at the right depth for a dynamo.

er Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 21
Comets Strike the Sun

While observing the Sun’s eruptions and vibrations, astronomers

also used SOHO to discover morethan 250 comets during its first 5years of operation, making it byfar the most successful comethunter in history. SOHO recordedmore than 240 of these comets asthey plunged to their doom in theSun’s outer atmosphere orcorona. These objects, called Sungrazing comets, are thought to besmall fragments of a very largecomet that broke apart in interplanetary space centuries ago.While many of the comets foundin the SOHO images were discovered by SOHO scientists atGoddard, many others werediscovered by amateurastronomers who studied SOHOdata, which are available over theInternet.

Gamma Ray DiscoveriesGoddard astrophysicists using theEnergetic Gamma Ray Telescope(EGRET) on the Compton GammaRay Observatory reported a newclass of mysterious objects inEarth’s home galaxy, the MilkyWay. The nature of the objects isstill uncertain. One theory is thatthe gamma rays are generated bythe collisions of stellar windsfrom young stars, but furtherinvestigation with future spaceinstruments is needed to accountfor them.

Goddard researchers alsoreported finding a method togauge the distances of the objectsthat produce gamma-ray bursts,considered perhaps the mostpowerful explosions in theuniverse. (These objects arelocated in faraway galaxies andare not related to the new class ofobjects in our Milky Way.) Theinvestigators found that gammarays of different energies within asingle burst arrived at slightlydifferent times, and that the briefinterval between the arrival of thehigh-energy gamma rays and thesubsequent arrival of the lowenergy gamma rays depends onthe true brightness of the burst.Consequently, the scientists wereable to estimate the distancesthat the gamma rays had traveled.The new method may enableastronomers to identify the locations of objects beyond the reachof existing visible-light telescopes.As a result, scientists can explorehow the geometry of the universe,the shape of space itself, has

 magnetic distur

pace weather, around

he scientists meas

nsfer of energy from

nd into the Earth’s

magnetic umbrella,”

osphere, and on down

sphere. Such events

dio communications,

perations and the

ectric power systems

lying on observations

 NASA’s Polar satellite

Geotail spacecraft,

ators gathered clear

at this process, known

 reconnection, occurs

the Sun-Earth system.

econnection, which

he rearrangement and

tion of so-called lines

force, had been

nly under artificial

n laboratories. 

ddard satellite, the

 Snapshot (FAST)

discovered an “invis

 which occurs along

miliar visible aurora,

as the aurora borealis

ights) in the Northern

 and the aurora

outhern Lights) in the

misphere. Using FAST,

f California, Berkeley,

established the pres

nvisible aurora by

 detecting upward

trons interspersed

wnward flowing elec

roduce visible aurora.

ry provides the first

ture of how the aurora

rted companion func

r to complete a huge

uit in the magnetos

h is that region of

e electrically charged

e controlled by the

netic field.

Series of images from SOHO's LASCO C3instrument showing two cometsapproaching the Sun. The time periodcovers about four hours.

This image is the map of objectsdetected in high-energy gamma rays byEGRET on Compton, including theobjects of the new class just discovered.

Set against the Earth's surface, theCompton Gamma Ray Observatory, withits solar array panels deployed, is grappled by the remote manipulator systemduring Space Shuttle mission STS-37.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 23
than 1,025 miles (1650 km) long,

might have poured water into alarge basin, even an early ocean.The scientists used data from theGoddard-built MGS Mars OrbiterLaser Altimeter and the probe’sRadio Science Experiment toinvestigate the gravity and topography of the planet’s crust.Investigators from theMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology, Goddard and manyother institutions workedtogether to unlock the record ofheating, cooling and the effects ofwater on Mars’ crust long ago. It

appears that early in the planet’shistory, Mars’ northern lowlandswere the location of heat escapefrom the planet’s interior. The

buried channels may have beenproduced by the enormous waterflows that are no longer presenton the Martian surface. The MGSspacecraft is a project of NASA’s

Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Exploring the FarUltraviolet UniverseAn enormous halo of half-milliondegree gas that surrounds theMilky Way was generated by thousands of exploding stars, orsupernovae, as our galaxyevolved, according to observations by the Far UltravioletSpectroscopic Explorer (FUSE)spacecraft. The football-shapedhalo of hot gas that surrounds ourgalaxy extends about 5,000-10,000light-years above and below the

mid-plane of the Milky Way andthins with distance. (One lightyear is almost 6 trillion miles.)The FUSE observations reveal anextensive amount of oxygen VI(oxygen atoms that have had fiveof their eight surrounding electrons stripped away) in the halo.Some scientists thought thatultraviolet radiation from hotstars could produce the halo,which was discovered byGoddard’s earlier International

Ultraviolet Explorer satellite.However, the only way to producethe observed amount of oxygenVI is from the collision of blastwaves produced by supernovaeor exploding stars, the FUSEresearchers said.

 indicates that similar

have occurred when

 Earth formed about 5

 ago.

 an Asteroid

ear Earth Asteroid

 (NEAR) Shoemaker

ircled the asteroid

inary data from a

trument strongly

 Eros is a very primi

which may have been

e the Earth still was

e sensor detected X

oms in the minerals

oid surface, which

ted when energetic

m explosions on the

ted the atoms and

glow. Each brief flash

ation caused the

w in unique “colors”

at are reliable indica

toms’ identities. The

s indicate that the

mposition of Eros’s

milar to that of a class

s, the chondrites,

gglomerations of dust

the birth nebula of

 planets. The chemical

icated that Eros has

exposed to substantial

nternal heat. As a

 not melted, and its

s have not sunk

center, unlike Earth,

 which has a molten

ore.

ecrets of Mars

 with the Mars Global

MGS), a Mars-orbiting

discovered the pres

e underground

at cannot be seen in

s of the Martian

 channels, nearly 125

m) wide and more

This image mosaic (below), showingEros' saddle and a shadowed feature toits left, was taken on March 3, 2000 froma distance of 127 miles (204 km).Features as small as 65 ft (20 m) acrossare visible. The Sun illuminates a shadowed feature that consists of three largecraters adjacent to each other. The twolargest are each about 2-3 miles (4-5 km)across. Because the Sun is very low withrespect to the craters, even small topographic features cast long shadows,making them easier to see, and severalboulders on the crater walls can bedistinguished, ranging from about 164-328 ft (50 to 100 meters) in diameter.The saddle (on the right) is relativelysmooth with few impact craters, and hasseveral grooves running across it. At thetop of the saddle are several curvedgrooves that are brighter than thesurrounding surface. Unusual brightnesspatterns are also visible in the crater atthe top left of the mosaic. The walls ofthe crater appear to be more reflectiveand its floor less reflective than nearbyparts of the asteroid.

Some of Mars' best kept secrets, long buried beneath the surface of the red planet,were recently revealed by instruments on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.New observations of Mars reveal that the planet's flat northern lowlands were anearly zone of high heat flow that later may have been the site of rapid water accumulation. Elevation and gravity measurements, which have been used to probebeneath the surface of Mars, indicate a period of rapid cooling early in Martianhistory, and evidence for large buried channels that could have formed from the flowof enormous volumes of water.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 25
IMAGE

NASA’s newest Sun-EarthConnection spacecraft lifted offMarch 25, 2000 from the WesternRange at Vandenberg AFB,California. Called IMAGE (Imagerfor Magnetopause-to-AuroraGlobal Exploration), the spacecraft separated from the Delta IIthird stage about 56 minutes afterlaunch. IMAGE’s initial pictures

revealed that the global ebb andflow of hot, electrified gas aroundthe Earth is a reaction to the solarwind. Severe disturbances in thisregion, which is controlled by theEarth’s magnetic field, are capableof disrupting satellites, telephoneand radio communications andpower systems. IMAGE is the firstweather satellite for spacestorms. This revolutionary spacecraft makes these invisible stormsvisible. GOES-LThe fourth in a series of fivesophisticated weather spacecraftsoared into space May 3, 2000from Cape Canaveral Air Force

Station, Florida. TheGeostationary OperationalEnvironmental Satellite (GOES)-Lspacecraft, considered the mostsophisticated ever built, wascarried in space aboard aLockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket.The Nation’s newest weather

satellite, renamed GOES-11, sentback its first image from space

shortly after launch. GOES-11takes images of clouds and readsthe amount of moisture in theatmosphere. Shortly after launch,the satellite sent back a clear,crisp image from its vantage point22,300 miles (35,887 km) in space.GOES-11 is being stored in orbitand will replace either GOES-8 orGOES-10 as needed. 

, an international

n led by the European

cy, investigates inter

ween Earth’s magnetic

e solar wind. Four

ying in formation,

s complex relation

oject began with the

16, 2000 of two of the

ecraft aboard a

uz rocket from

azakhstan. The second

nched August 9, 2000.

onstrates the level of

on that NASA and ESA

 when they collabo

 a 2-year mission, the

atellites will travel

Earth in a tetrahedral -

r pyramid - formation,

ata on where the solar

 is a gas comprised

electrons and

pacts Earth’s magnetic

nprecedented detail

 Cluster will allow

 assemble the first

ree-dimensional maps

onment that sur

protects our planet.

raft carries a comple

dentical instruments.

The IMAGE spacecraft carries an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imager to detect solarEUV photons that are resonantly scattered by singly ionized helium in the plasmasphere, the torus of cold dense plasma surrounding the Earth in the innermagnetosphere. Unlike the plasma of the central plasma sheet, which in general"convects" (i. e., flows) sunward toward the dayside magnetopause, the cold, denseplasma of the plasmasphere is trapped on magnetic field lines that rotate with theEarth and thus "co-rotates" with them. It is the competitive interplay between thesetwo flow regimes -- one convecting sunward, the other co-rotating -- that, togetherwith the outflow of plasma from the ionosphere, determines the size, shape, anddynamics of the plasmasphere, which vary strongly according to the level of magnetospheric activity.

A Delta II rocket carrying NASA's newestSun-Earth Connection spacecraft, theImager for Magnetopause-to-AuroraGlobal Exploration, lifts off from theWestern Range at Vandenberg AFB,California.

GOES-L (now called GOES-11), thefourth in a series of five of the mostsophisticated weather spacecraft everbuilt, soars into space May 3, 2000.The spacecraft has the dual capabilityof providing pictures while performingatmospheric sounding at the sametime. The successful launch of GOES11 launch assures continuity inservices from NOAA's two-spacecraftconstellation.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 27
December 10, 2000 from French

Guyana on an Ariane 5 launchvehicle. NASA contributed to thedevelopment of XMM with criticalcomponents for two of the spacecraft’s three science instrumentsand is participating in the scienceobserving program. XMM willprovide high-quality spectra of Xray sources, including black holesand very hot objects createdwhen the universe was veryyoung.ULDBNASA successfully launched anddemonstrated a prototype of itsexperimental balloon, the UltraLong-Duration Balloon (ULDB).ULDB has the potential to revolutionize scientific balloon researchbecause it can carry telescopesand other experiments weighingseveral tons to the edge of spacefor 100 days or more. In additionto be being less expensive than arocket, the balloon allows thepayload to be retrieved andlaunched again. The flight from Ft.Sumner, New Mexico, lasted morethan 30 hours and tested thedurability and functionality of thescientific balloon’s unique

pumpkin-shaped design and itsnovel material, a lightweight polyethylene film. Goddard Mission Selected forNext MIDEXGoddard is currently developing asatellite capable of capturing briefflashes of highly energetic lightthat momentarily outshine therest of the universe and appearwithout warning once or twice aday above the Earth. NASAselected Swift, the fast movinggamma-ray burst detection satellite, as its next MIDEX-classmission. Gamma-ray bursts, whichscientists believe may originate

from the farthest reaches ofspace, perhaps when the universewas still very young, are amongthe most mysterious objects inspace. MIDEX is the right venuefor studying these objects. Theprogram’s aim is to incorporate

the latest technology onto smallersatellites, which engineers andscientists can build and launchquickly and less expensively. Swiftwill be launched in 2003 andoperate for 3 years at a cost ofabout $163 million.

y beefing up its elec

installing critically

acement gyroscopes.

ration of Earth

e that studies the

, oceans, air, ice and

l global system, began

ess launch of the Terra

rom Vandenberg Air

California. Formerly

OS AM-1, the Terra

fted off on an Atlas

Terra is the “flagship”

ecedent-setting Earth

ystem program,

tudy the complex

 of Earth’s land, water

cientists anxiously

launch of the

pace Agency’s (ESA) X

irror (XMM)

which lifted off

An artist’s concept ofNASA's Ultra LongDuration Balloon (ULDB),a revolutionary newballoon system capable ofsupporting scientific observations above 99 percentof the Earth's atmospherefor durations approaching100 days. Balloons offer alow-cost, quick-responsemethod for doing scientificinvestigations.

e Space Telescope was

ss, as made dramati

n this stunning new

re of a colorful dying star

nuary 2000. Designated

s dubbed the "Eskimo

se, as seen through

telescopes, it resembles

a furry parka. In

p view, the "furry"

ble giant comets all

 from the central star,

s of a wheel. The clumps

comet heads all seem to

a similar distance from

2001 LaunchesHESSI - High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager MarchQUIKTOMS - Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer MayTIMED/Jason - Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics JuneMAP - Microwave Anisotropy Probe JuneGOES-M - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-M JulyAQUA-formerly Earth Observing Spacecraft PM-1 JulyNOAA-M (POES) Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite AugustTDRS-I - Tracking and Data Relay Satellite OctoberGRACE - Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment NovemberHST SM 3B - Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 3B NovemberICESAT/CATSAT - Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite, Cooperative Astrophysics and Technology Satellite December

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 29
field Imaging Interferometry

Testbed (WIIT), which will demonstrate the feasibility of scienceobservations for the Submillimeter Probe for the Evolutionof Cosmic Structure mission.As part of its technology-transferefforts, Goddard’s TechnologyCommercialization Office isaggressively marketing the newencoder technology to the privatesector. High Rate User Ka-Band PhasedArray AntennaAlthough new NASA missions aregetting smaller, they are notgenerating less data. To advancecommunication technology,Goddard is developing an engineering model of the High RateUser Ka-Band Phased-ArrayAntenna (HRUPAA). With theantenna, low-Earth orbiting spacecraft will be able to establish high

data-rate communications in the25.25-27.5 GHz band with groundstations or the Tracking and DataRelay Satellite System. Theantenna is small enough to becarried by small satellites and hasno moving parts, which eliminateundesired mechanical disturbances that may affectinstruments. The antenna willprovide future satellite projectswith the compact antenna systemto take advantage of the new Kaband allocation. Infrared Array CameraGoddard built and integrated theInfrared Array Camera (IRAC)onto the Space Infrared TelescopeFacility (SIRTF), the fourth andlast of NASA’s Great Observatories. SIRTF will explore thecosmos in the infrared portion ofthe electromagnetic spectrum,particularly young galaxies andstars, dust disks around stars

where planets may be forming,objects hidden by dust and someof the most distant objects in theuniverse. IRAC, one of threeinstruments to be installed andflown on SIRTF, will be used for awide variety of astronomicalinvestigations during SIRTF’smission, including the study ofthe early universe, searching forbrown dwarfs and protoplanetsand the study of galaxies.Three-Dimensional StackedMicroelectronicsGoddard is developing advancedforms of microelectronic packaging which are critical to thedevelopment of smaller satellitesand instruments. In particular,Goddard is developing a conceptfor three-dimensional (3-D)stacked microelectronics. Withstacking, engineers can more efficiently use printed circuit boards. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)diamond meets these requirements. CVD diamond is used as asubstrate for Vertical CavitySurface Emitting Lasers, Power

ects of instrument 

and analysis. 

coder 

-high resolution, 

tion-encoding tech- 

nted by Douglas B. 

oddard’s Optics 

n NASA’s “Government 

 the Year.” Position 

e devices that 

ear or rotary positions 

arts in machines such 

achine tools, inspec- 

s and telescope 

SA already has used 

d encoder in several 

cal measurement 

and calibrations. 

he instrument, for 

develop the first far- 

rism refractometer, 

ated the spectral 

f flight prisms for the 

ce Telescope’s 

amera for Surveys 

Agency also used it to 

easure the motions of 

e-axis positioning plat- 

curately positions a 

kg) optical stimulus in 

ACS for ground cali- 

ASA then used it to 

accuracy of the flight 

the ultra-high resolu- 

ed scan mirror 

r the High Resolution 

mb Sounder instru- 

 Earth Observing 

emistry mission. No 

er was capable of 

this task. 

ow are being built for 

anisms in the optical 

timulus for Hubble’s 

Camera 3 where the 

s encoding require- 

eyond the 

l. These encoders 

ng used in the Wide- 

Scale engineering model of the High Rate User Ka Band phased array antenna which is being developed so that low-Earth orbiting spacecraft can communicate with ground stations or TDRS satellites in the Ka-band frequency. Technicians complete the integration of the Infrared Array Camera instrument to the Space Infrared Telescope Facility’s Multiple Instrument Chamber baseplate.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 31
my of onboard opera

miniaturization that

smaller, more capable

and surface based

proaches for linking

a sets and extracting

ing Earth system data

tion.

Tools to expand access to Earthscience information by commercial and local users in formssuitable for their own applications.IndependentVerification andValidation FacilityIn Fiscal 2000, the Goddard SpaceFlight Center welcomed to thefamily NASA’s IndependentVerification and Validation (IV&V)Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia.Located in the heart of the state’semerging technology sector, thefacility was established in 1993 aspart of an Agency-wide strategy toprovide the highest levels ofsafety and cost effectiveness formission-critical software. Since its founding, the IV&Vfacility has experienced continuous growth in personnel,projects, capabilities and accomplishments and has contributedsignificantly to NASA’s improved

safety record. Now staffed with140 full-time employees, thefacility leverages the expertise ofmore than 20 in-house partnersand contractors.Their expertise is especiallynecessary today. As NASAbecomes increasingly dependenton complex, critical software toachieve its mission objectives, theAgency is turning to IV&V to identify and mitigate possible softwarerisks. During the summer of 2000,for example, the Agency evaluated its missions for the potentialapplication of IV&V. In addition, the IV&V Facility hasa research division that developsnew methodologies and tools toenhance the efficiency and effectiveness of its NASA work. The

facility collaborates with theNASA Office of Safety and MissionAssurance, other NASA Centers,the NASA Software WorkingGroup, West Virginia Universityand other academic institutions.

ddard’s Paul Haney and

old the Infrared Array

genic assembly in the

cs lab clean room.

T: Integrating sol-gel

ptical fibers, as shown

vide both scientific and

sekeeping data needs in

onic components of the

clude advanced 3-D

chip modules like the one

Workers place a large NASA logo on theNASA Independent Verification andValidation Facility located in Fairmont,West Virginia..

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 33
Building 2 at GSFC asit looked underconstruction.

This aerial photo ofGSFC shows a fewcompleted buildings.

umps on

tants look

 on the left

tank are on

ddard at

at Clark

4,

ethod

t might

Dedication ceremoniestake place at GoddardSpace Flight Center onMarch 16, 1961.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 35
research associates

vice retirees with

brary cards.

l Information

Branch 

cal Information

anch (TISB) provides a

of services, including

 service, conference

plicating, editing,

inting, photo, video

video teleconfer

y management and

scheduling.

Employee

Association

d Employees Welfare

(GEWA) encourages

ts group activities and

 the Center and is

o the social, athletic,

 and cultural welfare

ers. To that end,

orts more than 50

ponsors several

nts and activities for

and their families. 

Recreation CenterGoddard employees and theirfamilies, on-site contractors andtheir families and official clubsrecognized by GEWA use theGEWA-built Goddard RecreationCenter. The facility is located onabout 17 acres of land andincludes a playground, softballfield and a basketball and volleyball court.Goddard Child DevelopmentCenterEstablished in 1972, the GoddardChild Development Center, Inc.(GCDC) provides quality childcarefor 122 children, aged 24 monthsthrough kindergarten. The GCDCis licensed by the MarylandDepartment of Human Resources,certified as a preschool andkindergarten by the MarylandState Department of Educationand accredited by the NationalAssociation for the Education ofYoung Children. Membership isopen to all Goddard employeesand on-site contractors. 

Post OfficeGEWA owns and operates the onsite Post Office for theconvenience of Goddardemployees. A GEWA employee,trained by the U.S. Postal Service,operates the Post Office 4 days aweek, providing the full range ofpostal services.CafeteriaGoddard employees have achoice of two on-campus cafeterias, operated by GEWA-contractemployees. Both facilities offerfull lunch menus with an occasional guest chef. The cafeteriasserve more than 420,000 peopleannually.Fruit TruckGEWA coordinates with localproduce growers to provide freshfruits and vegetables for Goddardemployees. The "fruit truck" visitsGoddard once a week to sellseasonal fruits, vegetables, homemade bread and pies, jams andjellies.

Director’s ColloquiaThe Center Director’s ColloquiaSeries began in 1997 to educatethe workforce about the Center’s

Strategic Implementation Plan andother NASA initiatives. In fiscalyear 2000, the Colloquia Seriesfeatured 12 distinguishedspeakers, who discussed a varietyof business and leadership topics. 

Two cafeterias within walking distanceof most Goddard building, provide fullbreakfast and lunch menus. The Director’s Colloquium series focuseson Goddard’s seven organizationalvalues. Speakers address a wide rangeof topics. Shown above is Dr. RobertBallard, founder of the JASON Projectand the Institute for Exploration, discussing his explorations in oceanography.

The Goddard Child Development Centerprovides educational and developmentalchildcare for employees’ children duringthe year.

The Goddard Employee WelfareAssociation sponsors a weekly "freshfrom-the-farm" service. A vendor sellslocal fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade breads and jams.

Goddardemployeesattend theLearning Centerto refresh orlearn new skills.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 37
bers of NASA FCU also

 Members elect the

o set the policies and

the credit union. As a

fit" institution, the

 returns its profits to

s in the form of lower

higher savings rates

ee or affordably

ces.

Visitor Center

mployees take great

r accomplishments

c achievements and

 share their work with

The Goddard Visitor

place where our scien

gineers can do just

cility offers permanent

ary exhibits as well as

er Goddard" program,

ecial presentations by

entists.

The VisitorCenter offers alocation forGoddard’s engineers andscientists toshare theirwork with thepublic, teachersand students.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 39

Goddard interacts with its neighbors on a regular basis andcollaborated with them on avariety of events, including the10th Anniversary of the HubbleSpace Telescope, EarthAwareness 2000, EngineeringWeek and Goddard CommunityDay, just to name a few. TheCenter shares its expertise,resources and, most importantly,its people with others. The Patuxent Wildlife ResearchCenter, an international leader in

wildlife research and managementsince its founding in 1936, is oneof America’s first wildlife experiment stations and researchrefuges. Its scientists are responsible for some of the mostsignificant advances in wildlifeconservation and management,especially in such areas as waterfowl harvest management, wildlifehabitat improvement, effects ofenvironmental contaminants,conservation of endangeredspecies, migratory bird management and wildlife population

analysis. Located in Laurel,Maryland, the Patuxent WildlifeResearch Center is part of the U.S.Geological Survey and one ofGoddard’s neighbors to the north.

Beyond our Gates Beyond our Gates

The Maryland Science Center is located inBaltimore’s Inner Harbor and contains three floors ofinteractive exhibits as well as an IMAX Theater,Davis Planetarium, Lightspeed Laser Theater, KidsRoom and Demonstration Stage. The new exhibit,Outer Space Place, is home to the Hubble SpaceTelescope National Visitor Center, where visitors canexplore Hubble’s images and technology.

ABOVE: SpaceLink is the MarylandScience Center’s new high-tech, hightouch update center that treats itsvisitors to the latest in space exploration, space science and astronomy.Four large video screens are connectedto 18 inputs, including satellite feeds,NASA TV and live video from theScience Center’s rooftop Observatory.Interactive SpaceLink exhibits andInternet-connected computers invite visitors to investigate Mars exploration, theInternational Space Station and otherNASA missions with Maryland connections, including SOHO, the Hubble SpaceTelescope and NEAR Shoemaker.
 Owens Science Center,

nce George’s Public School

asizes hands-on instruction

d educators. The facility

llenger Learning Center, a

nd a nature trail. Hands-on

ide students with experi

cs, chemistry, physiology,

science education, pale

orology, optics, nutrition,

nce and astronomy. 

rt of the National Park

e, Greenbelt Park is a

t from the pressures of life

 refuge for native plantsnimals located just 2.5

from Goddard. Greenbelt

has a campground, nature

and picnic area. Goddard

yees and their families

nearby Greenbelt Park in

eisure. 

College Park Airport is the "world’soldest continuously operated airport." Itwas established in 1909 when Orvilleand Wilbur Wright brought their newlyaccepted government aircraft to thefield, where they taught the first twoArmy officers how to fly. The MarylandNational Capital Park and PlanningCommission owns the College ParkAirport and maintains it as both anoperating airport and an historic site.

orce Base (AAFB) is in

Maryland, about 15 miles

The 4,300- acre main

unways, aircraft-support

dministrative, housing

al facilities. The facility,

1942 as the Camp Springs

and later renamed

orce Base, supports the

everal aircraft, including

ers, cargo and passenger

cility continues to serve

 the presidential air fleet,

orce One.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 41

RIGHT: The Henry A. Wallace BeltsvilleAgricultural Research Center (BARC) complex inBeltsville, Maryland, comprises 47 laboratoriesand more than 400 other buildings located on7,000 acres. It includes eight weather stations, 10million-dollar greenhouses and the 14-storyAbraham Lincoln Library, which houses theworld’s largest collection of agricultural-relatedmaterials. Part of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, BARC has been a Goddard neighborfor more than four decades. 

On the first anniversary of Hurricane Floyd, whichbrought flooding rains, high winds and rough seasalong a good portion of the Atlantic seaboard in midSeptember 1999, NOAA opened at Goddard its newbackup station for satellite command and data acquisition. The backup station will ensure that data fromNOAA’s geostationary satellite, which watches overthe Atlantic Ocean, continues to flow if a hurricanedisables the primary site at its station in Wallops,Virginia. The Wallops station acquires and distributesa continuous flow of data from NOAA’s GeostationaryOperational Environmental Satellites to users aroundthe country. NOAA’s environmental satellite system ismade up of two types of satellites: geostationaryoperational environmental satellites for national,regional and short-range warning as well as "nowcasting" and polar-orbiting environmental satellitesfor global, long-term forecasting. Both kinds of satellites are necessary for providing a complete globalweather monitoring system.

RIGHT: MariettaHouse, located in GlenDale, approximately 4miles from Goddard,was the plantationhome of GabrielDuvall. He undertookthe building of thismodest Federal-stylebrick house about thesame time he wasappointed anAssociate Justice onthe U. S. SupremeCourt in 1811.Marietta is owned bythe Maryland NationalCapital Park and Planning Commissionand operated by the Natural andHistorical Resources Division of thePrince George’s County Department ofParks and Recreation.
r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 43

Resources

Resources

Goddard FY00 Budget ($M)Earth Science 1,185.6Space Science 832.2Mission/Space Communications 88.9Other Programs 167.1R&PM 352.8Subtotal Direct Appropriations 2,626.6Reimbursables 309.4Total 2,936.0

Goddard Workforce (FTEs)Civil Service/Contractor Support FTEs

FY00

Earth Science 2,106Space Science 1,944Mission/Space Communications 1,095Other Direct Programs 1,005Indirects 1,951Total 8,101

Goddard FY00 Budget ($M)

Earth Science

40%

Reimbursables

11% R&PM

12%

Other Programs

6% Space Science 28%

Mission/Space

Communications

3%
Statement of Financial Position 

As of September 30, 2000

2000 1999

Assets

Intragovernmental Assets: (In Thousands) (In Thousands) 

Fund Balance with Treasury (Note 2) $ 1,401,140 $ 1,429,862Accounts Receivable, Net (Note 3) – Federal Claims 41,220 45,892Advances and Prepayments (Note 4) 5,151 2,749 

Governmental Assets:

Accounts Receivable, Net (Note 3) – Non-federal Claims 739 2,211

Operating Materials & Supplies, Net (Note 5) 254,050 241,320Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Note 6) 2,067,630 2,216,432Total Assets $ 3,769,930 $ 3,938,466

LiabilitiesLiabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources:Intragovernmental Liabilities:

Accounts Payable $ 42,117 $ 50,411Other Liabilities (Note 7) 32,144 20,005

Governmental Liabilities:

Accounts Payable 610,435 628,934Lease Liabilities (Note 8) 141 190Other Liabilities (Note 7) 17,831 16,827

Total Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources $ 702,668 $ 716,367Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources:Intragovernmental Liabilities:

Other Liabilities (Note 7) $ 2,106 $ 2,092

Governmental Liabilities:

Lease Liabilities (Note 8) — 121

Other Liabilities (Note 7) 34,115 31,609

Total Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources 36,221 33,822

Total Liabilities $ 738,889 $ 750,189

Net Position (Note 9): Balances: 

Unexpended Appropriation $ 745,469 $ 764,517Trust Fund Balance 225 Invested Capital (Note 10) 2,321,539 2,457,440Cumulative Results of Operations 29 21Future Funding Requirements (36,221) (33,701)Total Net Position $ 3,031,041 $ 3,188,277

Total Liabilities and Net Position $ 3,769,930 $ 3,938,466The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 45
Notes to the Financial Statements

For the Year Ended September 30, 2000Summary of Accounting Policies and Operations – Note 1 Basis of PresentationIn accordance with NASA’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) directive that installations beginthe process of fulfilling the requirements legislated by the Chief Financial Officers Act of1990, regarding the preparation of subject to audit financial statements (beginning FY1996), these statements were formulated from the books and records of GSFC inconformity with form and content procedures specified in OMB Bulletin 94-01.Reporting EntityGSFC is one of nine NASA field centers established to assist NASA in its mission to providefor aeronautical and space activities. The financial management of NASA’s operations isthe responsibility of Center officials at all organizational levels. Ultimately, the RegionalFinance Office, Code 151, within the Office of the Center’s Chief Financial Officer is responsible for synthesizing, aggregating, and reporting accounting events to NASA

Headquarters Code B and the Department of Treasury (for cash transactions), in accordance with Agencywide financial management regulations. These statements refer only tothe Goddard business. The GSFC overall accounting system consists of numerous feeder systems. Whencombined, they provide the basic information necessary to meet internal and externalfinancial reporting requirements in terms of funds control and accountability. Albeit, it isrecognized that the current systems do not meet OMB Circular A-127 requirements for asingle integrated financial system. NASA is moving to implementing a fully-integratedfinancial system. NASA has selected SAP Public Sector and Education, Inc. to deliver acommercial off-the-shelf accounting system as part of the intergrated financial programthat will replace 10 different systems now used by NASA field centers. Currently, Goddardis scheduled for deployment in FY 2002. The following eight direct appropriations require individual treatment and are distinctlyclassified in GSFC combined accounting and control systems:(1) Human Space Flight (HSF) — supports human space flight research and development

activities for space flight, spacecraft control, and communications actions. This includesresearch, development, operations, services, maintenance, and construction of facilities,which encompass the repair, rehabilitation, and modification of real and personalproperty.(2) Space, Aeronautics and Technology (SAT) — provides for the conduct and support of

science, aeronautics, and technology programs. Research, development, operations,services, maintenance, and construction of facilities (repair, rehabilitation, and modification of real and personal property) also serve as by-products of this appropriation.(3) Mission Support (MS) — funds safety, reliability and quality assurance activities insupport of Agency programs and space communication services for NASA programs. Theappropriation also provides budgetary resources for salaries, fringe benefits and relatedexpenses, while supporting research and construction of facilities.

1999

n Thousands)

2,588,377

16,048

342,375

4,490

(4,490)

2,946,800

2,128,938

23,073

458,051

8

(169)

(434)

(21,570)

(5)

464

——

358,423

2,946,779

21

 (394)

—

(511,106)

(1,733)

 (513,233)

21

3,701,4893,188,277

er Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 47
Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E)

GSFC-owned Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E) may be held by the Center or itscontractors. Under the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), contractorsare responsible for control over and accountability for such property in their possession.The GSFC General Ledger is capable of separately classifying Government-held PP&E fromContractor-held PP&E.Government regulation does not make a provision for depreciating PP&E under appropriated funding authority. However, in accordance with the User Charge Act and OMBCircular A-25, NASA is permitted to assess depreciation charges for the use of facilitiesand equipment, under the “full cost” concept, to non-government reimbursablecustomers. In addition, automated data processing software is treated as operating costrather than capitalized in accordance with GAO Title II guidelines.Equipment with a unit cost of $100,000 or more and a useful life of two years or more andwill not be consumed in an experiment is capitalized. Capitalized cost includes unit cost,transportation, installation, and handling and storage cost. Real property, such as land,buildings, and other structures and facilities, is capitalized when the asset value is$100,000 or more. Effective in FY 1998, NASA raised the capitalization threshold forProperty, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E) from $5,000 to $100,000. Land values are recorded at original acquisition cost and do not reflect current marketvalue or include cost of improvements. Buildings are also valued at acquisition cost,including the cost of capital improvements and fixed equipment required for functionaluse of the facility. Government-owned/Contractor-held property includes GSFC real property, such as land,buildings, and structures, materials, plant equipment, space hardware, special tooling,and special test equipment. Contractors are directed to report annually (on NASA Form1018) plant equipment costing $100,000 or more and having a useful life of two years andwill not be consumed in an experiment. In addition, this reporting includes capturing theother property categories mentioned above, regardless of the value (although mostexceed $100,000), and is included in the Statement of Financial Position. This reporting iscertified by the contractor’s representative and reviewed by a government propertyadministrator. Space hardware work-in-process represents the largest amount of assetsowned by GSFC. Revenues and Other Financing SourcesGSFC receives the majority of its funding through multiyear appropriations. These includethree-year appropriations for construction activities, two-year appropriations for operational and space flight activities, and a single year appropriation for civil service payrolland travel. In addition to appropriated funds, the Center performs services for federal andnon-federal customers upon receipt of customers funding authority. 

pace flight,

 including

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ontracts, as

house

e institu

restructured

nstruction,

acilities and

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property and

 1998 NASA

 and non —

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 appropria

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eporting of

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untability

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r Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 49
NOTE 6 – PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT (In Thousands):

Government-owned/Government-held 2000 1999 ChangeLand $ 5,473 $ 5,473 $ —Structures, Facilities & Leasehold Improvements 492,426 494,008 (1,582)Equipment 255,528 284,768 (29,240)Assets Under Capital Lease 877 877 —Work-in-Process 43,854 43,944 (90)Total $ 798,158 $ 829,070 $ (30,912)Government-owned/Contractor-held 2000 1999 ChangeStructures, Facilities & Leasehold Improvements $ 7,866 $ 7,461 $ 405Equipment 30,106 45,489 (15,383)Special Tooling 8,187 5,555 2,632Special Test Equipment 78,056 63,120 14,936Space Hardware 180,580 106,639 73,941Work-In-Process 964,677 1,159,098 (194,421)Total $ 1,269,472 $ 1,387,362 $ (117,890)Grand Total $ 2,067,630 $ 2,216,432 $ (148,802)See Note 1 for dissussion on Property, Plant, and Equipment .NOTE 7 – OTHER LIABILITIES (In Thousands):Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources: Current Non-Current TotalIntragovernmental Liabilities:

Liabilities for Deposit and Suspense Funds $ 2,058 $ — $ 2,058Liabilities for Reimbursable Advances 30,086 — 30,086

Total $ 32,144 — $ 32,144Governmental Liabilities:

Liabilities for Deposit and Suspense Funds $ 280 — $ 280Liabilities for Statistical Reimbursable Cost — ——Accrued Funded Payroll 17,551 — 17,551

Total $ 17,831 — $ 17,831Total Liabilities Covered by Budgetary Resources $ 49,975 — $ 49,975Liabilities Not Covered by Budgetary Resources: Current Non-Current TotalIntragovernmental Liabilities:

Accounts Payable for Closed Appropriations $ — $ 2,106 $ 2,106

Liabilities for Receipts Accounts — — —

Total $ — $ 2,106 $ 2,106Governmental Liabilities:

Accounts Payable for Closed Appropriation $ — $ 9,538 $ 9,538 

Liabilities for Receipt Accounts — 2 2Unfunded Annual Leave 24,575 — 24,575

Total $ 24,575 $ 9,540 $ 34,115Total Liabilities Not Covered

by Budgetary Resources $ 24,575 $ 11,646 $ 36,221

Grand Total $ 74,550 $ 11,646 $ 86,196

Accounts payable include amounts recorded for receipt of goods or services furnished to the Center but not disbursed.“Additionally, throughout GSFC, cost is recognized and accrued based on information provided monthly by contractors”on cost and performance reports (NASA Form 533, Contractor Financial Management Report). The Defense ContractAudit Agency (DCAA) performs independent audits on reported cost to ensure reliability of estimates. Also further assurance is provided by GSFC resource analysts as a result of examining cost accruals generated from the NF 533s. 

Total

$ 1,370,829

225

30,086

$ 1,401,140

with the U.S.

eceived for reim

et Amount Due

$ 41,220

739

$ 41,959

amounts owed

n an analysis of

s for reimburse

on deposit with

CHANGE

$ 2,402

nciliation

CHANGE

$ 12,757

27 

54

$ 12,730

er Annual Report 2000 Goddard Space Flight Center Annual Report 2000 51
Safety

The personal security of all those associated with or potentiallyaffected by Goddard’s programs and activities is the foundationupon which we build success. We will also be active stewards inthe use and protection of all the resources and assets that NASAand this Nation have entrusted to us. AgilityAnticipating the future, leading change, and adapting quickly arecrucial to thriving in a dynamic environment.BalanceAn employee’s work life and personal life, including health, family,community involvement, and other interests, contribute to thevitality both of the individual and of the Center.CreativityFreedom to explore new ideas stimulates discovery, fosters innovation and leads to more effective ways of doing work.DedicationSuccessful results require a commitment to excellence and toindividual and team responsibilities.IntegrityTrust, fairness, honesty and accountability for our actions are thecornerstones of personal and organizational integrity.RespectDiversity among people and their ideas is an inherent strength aswe work toward fulfilling Goddard’s mission.TeamworkAccomplishments result from successful teams, both internal andexternal to the Center, that capitalize on the strengths and contributions of every team member.

$ 877

$ 736

e terms longer

and agreement

$ 150

$ 150

(9)

$ 141

r Annual Report 2000

Goddard’s Values

Goddard’s Values
Goddard Space Flight Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Annual Report 2000