VOLUME 16 ISSUE 5 MAY 2014

Glenn Hosts Headquarters Leaders in Science, Aeronautics

Chief Scientist Discusses Scientific Outreach

A critical part of being NASA’s chief scientist is communicating the relevance of NASA’s 

long-term science and exploration roadmap to the nation. During her first visit to 

Glenn as chief scientist, March 28, Dr. Ellen Stofan discussed her goals for improving 

data accessibility and understanding with potential partners and the general public.

“NASA’s scientific research portfolio literally spans the universe,” Stofan said during 

her All Hands meeting at Lewis Field. “So we must be prepared to respond to the 

‘why’s’ and ‘so what’s’ in terms of impact to the community—outward, inward and 

homeward.” Continued on page 3

C-2014-1274 Photo by Marvin Smith 

In Glenn's Electric Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Dan Herman, right, gives Dr. Stofan 

a tutorial on Glenn's solar electric technologies, essential to NASA's asteroid initiative. 

Glenn leadership and media accompanied Stofan on tour. 

C-2014-1713 Photo by Bridget Caswell

Dr. Shin and Directors 

Talk Aeronautics

Associate Administrator for Aeronautics 

Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) 

Dr. Jaiwon Shin and several of his 

program directors interacted with 

Glenn employees during a recent 

visit. Shin praised the center for its 

aeronautics contributions—past and 

present—to the nation. He challenged 

them to stay at the “top of the game.” 

See story on page 2.

Hunting Ice Crystals Down Under

Depending on the altitude and weather 

conditions, in-flight ice formation in 

aircraft engines can be a concern year 

round. Glenn personnel were part of 

an international team that conducted 

72 hours of flight research above the 

clouds in Darwin, Australia, to improve 

aviation safety.

Engineers and scientists from three 

NASA facilities and their North 

American partners supported the 

European Airbus-led High Altitude 

Ice Crystals (HAIC)/High Ice Water 

Content (HIWC) flight campaign from 

January to March 2014. The primary 

Continued on page 3

In This Issue

Two Take Leadership Roles ........2

Celebrating the Earth .................4

Forms: They're Changing! ..........5

Employees Earn Wings ..............6

Project Reduces Footprint ...........8
Dr. Shin's Visit Focused on Aeronautics Preeminence

During his April 10 visit to Lewis 

Field, Associate Administrator (AA) 

for Aeronautics Research Mission 

Directorate (ARMD) Dr. Jaiwon Shin’s 

message was clear: “NASA is the global 

leader in aerospace research technology 

and we plan to stay there.” 

Shin, Deputy AA for ARMD Thomas 

Irvine and several ARMD program 

directors spent the day meeting with 

Glenn managers, interacting with 

employees and touring facilities. During 

the Town Hall meeting and panel 

discussion, they discussed the rapidly 

growing demand for new aircraft 

systems and NASA’s ability to compete 

globally in this exploding market. 

“We’re not challenging ourselves 

because anything is broken,” Shin 

explained. “We’re doing this to make 

sure we [United States] remain the 

greatest in global [aeronautics] research 

and development. We need to lay the 

groundwork when we are at the top.”

As a highlight to the visit, Shin and 

Glenn’s Aeronautics Director Therese 

Griebel presented the prestigious 

2013 ARMD Associate Administrator 

Awards to Glenn employees. (Awards 

highlighted in box on right.)

—By Doreen B. Zudell

Several ARMD directors 

visited Glenn to serve 

as panelists. Above, left 

to right: Griebel, with 

ARMD directors: Dr. John 

Cavolowsky, Jay Dryer, 

Michael Mastaler, Douglas Rohn and Dr. Edgar 

Waggoner. Pictured far 

left: Technology and Innovation Group Award 

recipients. Pictured, left: 

Dr. Shin, Steele and Irvine. 

C-2014-1732 Photos by Bridget Caswell

C-2014-1712 C-2014-1711

Program and Mission Support Award: Gynelle Steele, Small Business Innovation 

Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Portfolio 

Technology and Innovation Group Award: High-Fidelity Tool Validation for 

Sonic Boom and Drag Prediction Team. Glenn employees honored as part of 

the Langley Research Center-led team

Honorable Mention

Technology and Innovation Group Award: Ceramic Matrix Composite Team, 

Team Lead: Dr. James DiCarlo

Strategic Partnerships Award: Christopher Hughes, Acoustics Branch

Two Named to Leadership Roles 

Lynda D. Glover has been selected as 

director for the Office of Diversity and 

Equal Opportunity (ODEO), effective 

March 23. She serves as Center 

Director Jim Free’s principal advisor 

and advocate on matters concerning 

Glenn’s equal opportunity policy and 

programs.

Glover previously served as the 

diversity program management 

specialist for ODEO. In her new 

position, Glover is responsible for 

leading and managing all phases 

of Glenn’s Diversity and Equal 

Opportunity Program. This includes 

promoting inclusive workplace 

practices and equal opportunity 

in employment; eliminating equal 

employment opportunity barriers and 

workplace conflicts; and providing 

reasonable accommodations to 

qualified individuals with disabilities.

Seth Harbaugh has been selected as the 

deputy director of Center Operations, 

effective April 6. He previously 

served as the deputy chief of Glenn’s 

Logistics and Technical Information 

Division, managing a wide variety of 

institutional operations. 

Harbaugh joined NASA Glenn’s Office 

of Protective Services in 2009 as the 

emergency management specialist. 

There he coordinated preparedness, 

response and recovery efforts related 

to emergency situations.

Glover Harbaugh

2
 MAY 2014

News and Events Chief Scientist Visits

Continued from page 1

She said NASA’s spacecraft and technology enable us to do the amazing things 

we do. We look outward to explore 

planet formation and signs of life. Inward 

we analyze space science affects on the 

human biology. Homeward we measure 

the rate of change in vegetation, 

rainfall land use and climate to protect 

our planet. 

“It’s the people who innovate, discover, 

interpret the data and inspire,” she 

stressed. “If we don't communicate in 

a way that makes our work accessible, 

we’re really not doing a critical part of 

our job.”

NASA’s roadmap calls for extending the 

life of the International Space Station as 

a stable platform for Earth and space 

science research to blossom and expand 

our reach beyond low Earth orbit. 

Following a tour of several facilities, 

Stofan met with media to discuss how 

the roadmap will impact the Glenn 

community.

Stofan’s experience and familiarity 

with the agency has allowed her to 

quickly become acclimated to her 

new role. Her visit to Glenn marked a 

return to the Cleveland area and nearby childhood home in Oberlin. It also 

brought her back to the center where 

her father, Dr. Andrew Stofan, began 

his NASA career in 1958. He served 

as center director from 1982 to 1986.

Stofan noted that returning to Glenn 

was very moving. “You provide such 

a vital role for this agency—from 

aeronautics to power systems and 

across the board,” she said. “I look 

forward to coming back.”

—By S. Jenise Veris

C-2014-1255 Photo by Marvin Smith 

Dr. Stofan poses beside a portrait of her 

dad, Andrew Stofan, who served as center 

director from 1982 to 1986.

Hunting Ice Crystals

Continued from page 1

goal of the ongoing campaign is to fly 

into weather that produces specific 

icing conditions so researchers can 

study the present characteristics. 

Glenn supplied the iso-kinetic probe 

(IKP) that was mounted under the 

wing of a SAFIRE Falcon 20 research 

aircraft. The probe measures the total 

water content in clouds that have high 

concentrations of ice crystals in the 

vicinity of oceanic and continental 

thunderstorms.

“Data captured during the HAIC/HIWC 

campaign will help inform aviation 

regulatory agencies internationally and 

contribute to the development of NASA 

technologies and research conducted in 

Glenn’s Propulsion Systems Laboratory 

(PSL). This will lead to a better 

understanding of ice crystal icing effects 

on engine operation,” said Tom Ratvasky, 

a Glenn project scientist supporting the 

campaign. 

During the Darwin campaign, Kurt 

Blankenship, deputy chief of Glenn’s 

Aircraft Operations Office, had 

oversight for NASA safety and quality 

assurance. His knowledge of the HIWC 

 

operational conditions, Australian Civil 

Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) flight 

regulations and Falcon 20 performance 

parameters was critical to establishing 

rapport between local air traffic control 

and aviation authorities. Ed Emery, 

also from Glenn’s flight operations, 

participated in design reviews of 

the IKP and performed preflight and 

postflight checkouts on the IKP and 

other cloud physics instruments to 

ensure proper operation.

This research will improve aviation 

safety internationally through the 

development and utilization of 

technologies to detect and mitigate 

issues caused by ice crystal icing. Due 

to the importance of this 

effort, a follow-on to the 

Darwin HAIC/HIWC flight 

campaign is being planned 

for Costa Rica in the 

August 2014 timeframe. 

More information on the HAIC-HIWC 

flight campaign and participants is 

available at http://www.nasa.gov/aero/

haic_campaign.html. 

—Compiled by S. Jenise Veris

Above: Blankenship 

reviews flight plans with 

SAFIRE pilot. Right: Emery 

(red shirt) and Canadian 

partner Craig Davidson

perform a preflight check 

on the IKP. 

Photos by Tom Ratvasky

3
News and Events

Glenn Celebrates the Earth

Center Showcased Alternative Technologies 

NASA Glenn partnered with the Earth Day Coalition and 

more than 270 exhibitors at EarthFest 2014, April 13, at the Cuyahoga 

County Fairgrounds. Glenn showcased sustainable alternative energy 

efforts in a virtual fuel cell interactive display; International Space 

Station solar panel technology; Stirling engine technology; solar 

electric propulsion for the Asteroid Redirect Mission; alternative fuelpowered vehicle fleet; and the Tri-C–Glenn GreenLab collaboration 

on renewable ecosystems. NASA volunteers included Dr. Bilal Bomani, 

Daniel Dessauer, Dr. Carolyn Mercer, Matt Myers, Susan Bernadette 

Puleo and Sandy Valenti. Pictured: Mercer with Tri-C students, left to 

right, Sydney Pickett, David Whitehead and Charade Osborne. 

Photo by Mark Honing & Co. Photography

Earth Day Selfie

The year 2014 is a big one for NASA Earth science. Five NASA missions designed 

to gather critical data about our home planet are launching to space this year. 

NASA is marking this big year for Earth science with a campaign called Earth 

Right Now. Part of the campaign included a special Earth Day activity, April 22. 

NASA asked people to step outside, take a selfie wherever they were on Earth, 

and post it to social media using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie. The @NASAglenn 

Twitter account featured Glenn employees who work in Earth science for the 

#globalselfie campaign, including Center Director Jim Free (pictured at Lewis 

Field). Many more participated on their own personal twitter accounts.

Photo by Jim Free

STEM Activities Help Girls Take Flight at CWRU

Glenn employees and area university 

students engaged more than 100

Girl Scouts in hands-on STEM

(science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics) activities at the 

“Girls Take Flight” event at Case

Western Reserve University (CWRU), 

March 29. Scouts in grades 2 to 5 

participated in 24 different activities 

with a special emphasis on air and 

space, including parachute design 

and testing (pictured). The event

is part of an ongoing partnership 

between NASA and the Girl Scouts 

of North East Ohio, with CWRU as 

a key sponsor. Glenn volunteers for 

the event included: Dragos Dinca, 

Nancy Hall, Debbie Goodenow, Alan 

Hylton, Dawn Jenkins, Xuan Nguyen, 

Daniel Raible, Diana Santiago,

Matthew Smith, Laura Steen, Dennis 

Stocker, Jenise Veris, Valerie Wiesner 

and Afroz Zaman.

Photo by S. Jenise Veris

Yuri's Night at Visitor Center

NASA Glenn’s Visitor Center in the Great 

Lakes Science Center provided a backdrop 

for the annual Yuri’s Night, April 12. Special 

guest former astronaut Gregory “Box” Johnson (pictured, center) judged several contests 

and participated in the “Are You Smarter 

Than an Astronaut” event. David DeFelice, 

Community and Media Relations Office, gave 

a talk on “Blockbuster Technology,” a NASA 

perspective on sci-fi movies.

Photo by David DeFelice

4
 MAY 2014

News and Events

Aero Leaders Explore Collaborations

Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Commander, Wright Patterson

Air Force Base (WPAFB); C. Douglas Ebersole, director, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air

Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at WPAFB; and Ohio State Representative Rick Perales, cochair of the Aerospace Caucus, visited Glenn, March 31. Center Director Jim Free presented an

overview of the center’s 

mission-related research 

and technology activities 

and the impact of past 

and current Air Force 

partnerships. The guests 

toured several facilities 

and met with subject 

matter experts regarding 

current and potential 

collaborations. 

Glenn's Jim Demers, right, 

briefs Gen. Moore, left,

on MAMI-II (Minor Area 

Motion Imagery), a flight 

project with the AFRL. C-2014-1419 Photos by Marvin Smith

C-2014-1409

Ebersole, left, in the 10- by 10-Foot 

Supersonic Wind Tunnel with Glenn's 

Paul Bartalotta.

Forms: They're Changing!

Need to ship an item, host an 

international visitor or conduct a 

hazard analysis for a safety permit? 

Fill out an electronic form. Glenn 

forms support hundreds of business 

processes across the center—but forms 

are changing. 

Forms Transition

On Ju ne 30, Glen n wi l l be 

decommissioning its Forms Search 

Server, and all links to “C–xxx” forms 

will be broken. Glenn employees 

should immediately begin to access 

Glenn forms via the NASA Electronic 

Forms (NEF) website: http://nef.nasa.gov. 

“Glenn forms on the NEF are named 

as GRC–xxx, replacing the C–xxx 

designation,” explained Glenn Forms 

Manager Dennis Dubyk, Logistics 

and Technical Information Division. 

“Therefore, if you have Web page 

content or documentation that 

currently links to a Glenn C–xxx form 

on the Glenn Forms Search Server, 

you need to redirect these links to the 

NEF.” Additionally, all references to the 

Glenn Forms Search Server should be 

removed.

After June 30, NASA forms, including 

Glenn forms, will be accessed in the 

NEF (the agency’s centralized forms

solution). Hosting services for the

NEF are managed by the NASA

Enterprise Applications Competency

Center and the Enterprise Service

Desk provides user support.

“Using the NASA forms site rather

than a local Glenn server eliminates

redundancies and operating costs

associated with duplicate services,” 

Dubyk said.

New eForms Software

Forms software is changing too. NASA’s 

current FileNet Desktop eForms

application is no longer supported by 

the vendor (IBM), and does not run 

on the latest Mac Operating System. 

As a result, the agency is replacing the 

outdated application with the Adobe 

PDF format. All center forms are being 

recreated as Adobe LiveCycle PDF forms.

Once FileNet becomes unavailable,

employees cannot open previously

completed forms in the FileNet format 

(*.ifm). In order for employees to

preserve previously completed forms, 

the forms must be opened in FileNet 

and saved as a PDF file. This PDF will 

be read-only format. Employees should 

begin saving FileNet forms as PDF files, 

including all attachments if their forms 

are records subject to NASA Records 

Retention Schedules (NPR 1441.1). 

Viewing and completing the PDF forms 

requires Adobe Reader (version 10 or 

later) to be installed, which is included 

in ACES standard load.

“There currently is no set date for 

decommissioning FileNet Desktop 

eForms,” Dubyk said. “However, once 

FileNet becomes unavailable, employees 

will be unable to open FileNet files.” 

If you have questions regarding the 

decommissioning of the Glenn Forms 

Search Server or Adobe LiveCycle, 

please send them to grc-forms@lists.

nasa.gov. 

For center forms design services, call 

3–5788.

—By Doreen B. Zudell

Illustration by Lisa Liuzzo

5
Eight Employees Earn FEB Wings of Excellence Award

The Cleveland Federal Executive Board 

(FEB) honored eight Glenn employees 

with a Wings of Excellence Award,

May 2. The award recognizes employees

from federal agencies across Northern 

Ohio for their outstanding government

service and outreach to the community

and/or nation. 

Congratulations to the following Glenn 

honorees:

Jacqueline Barbetta, Center Operations 

Support Branch, for contributions 

in improving NASA accounting and 

procurement systems, including 

leading efforts in consolidating travel 

orders and purchase requisition 

business processes at Glenn; and 

for leading Glenn’s successful 2014 

Combined Federal Campaign, which 

included several special events. 

Michael W. Goin, Office of Human 

Capital Management, for serving as 

director of the Cleveland Federal 

Executive Board since 2004. He 

successfully led several programs, 

some of which include the North 

Coast Combined Federal Campaign, 

Harvest for Hunger and the Cleveland 

Metropolitan School District Tutoring 

Program. 

Mark J. Hyatt, Program and Project 

Assurance Division, for serving as 

an officer and supporting several 

fundraisers over the past 8 years, i.e., 

Help for Heroes, a local charity for 

homeless veterans; and leading other 

outreach activities for organizations 

such as Toys for Tots and Cub Scouts.

James B. Jackson, Audits and 

Assessments Office, for contributions 

to NASA’s Safety and Mission Assurance 

Program through leadership of the 

Quality Audit, Assessment, and Review 

Program where he defined how NASA’s 

quality requirements are audited for 

compliance; and his involvement as a 

leader and member of Glenn’s Advisory 

Group for Native Americans. 

Robert LaSalvia, E ducat ion a l 

Programs Office, for spearheading 

NASA Education’s first reimbursable 

interagency agreement with the 

U.S. Department of Education to 

pilot a series of engineering design 

challenges for middle-school students. 

The pilot addressed two of the five 

Administration’s Five-Year STEM 

Education Strategic Plan goals. 

Dr. Daniel E. Raible, Antenna and 

Optical Systems Branch, for his leadership in establishing the Integrated Radio 

and Optical Communications terminal, 

which spearheaded the advancement 

of optical communications from deep 

space to Earth; and for educational 

outreach efforts aimed at inspiring 

students to excel in STEM areas. 

Calvin R. Robinson, Information 

and Applications Office, for his 

contributions to collaborative software 

development and as a developer of 

open-source Multidisciplinary Design 

Analysis and Optimization framework; 

and for sharing software development 

skills through educational outreach 

for Explorer Post 631 and Young 

Astronaut Day. 

Angela D. Surgenor, Educational 

Programs Office, for her roles as project 

manager and coordinator of the 2013 

FIRST Buckeye Regional Robotics 

Competition and the 2013 Centaur 

Design Challenge created by Glenn; 

and for numerous other educational 

outreach efforts aimed at inspiring 

students to excel in STEM areas.

Photos by Barbara Breen, VHACLE

Barbetta Goin Hyatt Jackson

LaSalvia Dr. Raible Robinson Surgenor

Promotions

Del R. Simonovich has been selected as the deputy chief, Office 

of Protective Services. He brings a thorough background in 

and comprehensive knowledge of NASA security programs and 

operations with his 26 years at NASA Glenn. Simonovich is well 

versed in a variety of functions within the Office of Protective 

Services, and also has a network of professional contacts within 

the center, agency and external law enforcement.

Simonovich

Retirements

Vincent J. Bilardo Jr., 

Space Flight Systems 

Directorate, retired 

April 25, 2014, with 

32 years of NASA 

service. 

Bilardo Jr. 

6
 MAY 2014

More Than a Memory News and Events

Porter J. Perkins, 91, a 1980 retiree 

with 36 years of NACA/NASA service, 

died March 7. Perkins was an aerospace 

engineer and pioneer of icing research. 

Some of his many contributions 

include the icing rate meter, a tool for 

measuring the frequency and strength 

of icing during flight; a program to 

compile statistical data to define icing; 

and methods for insulating long-term 

cryogenic propellant storage tanks. He 

also co-authored a book highlighting 

50 years of icing research at the center.

Richard J. Priem, 85, a 1982 retiree with 

31 years of NASA service, died Dec. 25, 

2013. Priem was renowned for helping 

develop the F–1 

engine for the 

Apollo Program. 

H i s a d v a nce d 

rocket combustion 

experience was 

critical to technical 

assessment on 

“rocket screaming,” 

a phenomenon 

caused by strong resonant pressure 

waves, which can destroy a rocket 

engine in seconds. Priem was on the 

Basic Research Advisory Board, formed 

to promote, review, evaluate and guide 

research at the center.

Priem

Roy G. Stabe, 83, a 1990 retiree with 

32 years of federal service, died Jan. 4. 

Stabe was a U.S. Air Force veteran, 

who served NASA for 28 years in 

the area of turbine engine design. 

He retired from the Aeropropulsion 

Facilities and Experiment Division. He 

supported the building and operation 

of the Small Engine Components Test 

Facility for developing fuel-efficient 

small gas turbines, and the Integrated 

High Performance Turbine Engine 

Technology initiative to double turbine 

engine propulsion capability. 

Welcome to the NASA Family

Two new student trainees reported for Orientation and the start to their NASA career on 

April 21. They are Candice McDonald, Office of Protective Services, and Bradley Richards, 

Durability and Protective Coatings Branch. 

The AeroSpace Frontiers misidentified two new employees in last month’s issue. Curtis 

Rimer and Wesley Johnson’s names were accidently switched under their photographs. 

The error was corrected in the online version. The editors apologize and welcome Rimer 

and Johnson again to the NASA family. 

C-2014-1829 Photo by Bridget Caswell

McDonald, left, and Richards.

Calendar

IFPTE LOCAL 28, LESA MEETING: LESA 

will hold its next membership meeting 

Wednesday, May 14, noon, Employee 

Center’s Small Dining Room. 

RETIRED WOMEN'S LUNCHEON: The 

NASA Retired Women’s Lunch will be 

Thursday, May 15, 1 p.m. at Bucci’s J Bella 

Restaurant, 12201 Pearl Rd., Strongsville. 

It’s not too late to make your reservation. 

Call Gerry Ziemba, 330–273–4850.

NASA-WIDE WALKING CHALLENGE: 

Show your center pride and join the 

NASA-Wide Walking/Counting Steps 

Challenge. All NASA civil servant and 

support service contractors are invited 

to walk, run, skip or shuffle—and record 

your steps, May 18 through May 31. 

A trophy will be awarded to the center 

with the most participation. Visit http://

ohp.nasa.gov/health4life/ for details. 

POC: Glenn Fitness Center, 3–6313. 

Conversion charts are available to 

transfer workout activities into steps.

MEMORIAL DAY: MAY 26

A S I A N PAC I F IC A M E R IC A N 

OBSERVANCE: The Asian Pacific 

American Heritage month event 

will be Thursday, May 29, from 

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Briefing 

Center. This year’s theme is “Diverse 

Leadership + Expanding Opportunity: 

An Imperative For America.”

JUNE PUBLIC TOUR: The next 

Saturday tour, June 7, will highlight 

the Flight Research Building (hangar). 

Tours are open to U.S. citizens and 

lawful permanent residents. Space is 

limited and reservations are required 

for admission. To register, call 216–433–

9653 or send an email to sheila.d.reese@

nasa.gov. For more information and a 

complete schedule of Glenn’s tours, 

visit http://www. nasa.gov/centers/glenn/

events/tours.html. 

NASA SPINOFF MAGAZINE: The 2013 

edition of Spinoff magazine is now 

available. This magazine documents 

the many practical uses of NASA 

technologies and their impact on 

Northeast Ohio, the State and across the 

nation. You can read about 10 of Glenn’s 

contributions in this issue. Visit, http://

Spinoff.nasa.gov/ for the electronic version. 

Emergency and Inclement Weather 

Lines

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT)

Plum Brook Station: 419–621–3333

Connect with Glenn

7
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

www.nasa.gov

AeroSpace Frontiers is an official publication of Glenn 

Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration. It is published the second Friday of each 

month by the Community and Media Relations Office in 

the interest of the Glenn workforce, retirees, government 

officials, business leaders and the general public. Submit 

short articles and calendar items via e-mail to the editor: 

doreen.b.zudell@nasa.gov or 216–433–5317. 

June 2014 issue copy deadline: May 23, noon

Editor: Doreen B. Zudell, SGT, Inc.

Assistant Editor: S. Jenise Veris, SGT, Inc.

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Read AeroSpace Frontiers online at http://aerospacefrontiers.nasa.gov

Removal of Aging Bunkers Reduces Ecological Footprint

The Facilities Division (FD) is overseeing 

a deconstruction project to remove 28 

storage bunkers at Plum Brook Station. 

Leveling the aging buildings addresses 

costly maintenance issues and reduces 

NASA’s ecological footprint. 

Formally called “magazine bunkers,” 

the units were previously used by the 

Plum Brook Ordnance Works to secure 

munitions produced at the plant during 

World War II. The concrete shelters, 

buried partially underground, were part 

of the real estate purchased by NASA’s 

predecessor, the National Advisory 

Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), 

in 1956. In the 1960s, Plum Brook 

reopened some of the structures to 

serve as storage units for inactive NASA 

records and other miscellaneous items. 

“Removal of these structures, built in 

1942, will help Glenn toward meeting 

Presidential mandates for infrastructure 

reduction and reduce the overall 

footprint by almost 55,000 square 

feet,” affirmed Construction of Facilities 

Program Manager Christopher Williams, 

FD Program Management Office. 

The center inspected all the bunkers 

a few years ago. Construction Project 

Manager Kevin Meredith, FANS/FD, 

said those most structurally sound 

underwent renovations so they could be 

used for safe storage, primarily records. 

The bunkers, sometimes called igloos, 

measure approximately 27 feet wide 

by 65 feet deep. The bunkers can hold between 1,400 and 2,300 boxes of records, 

depending on how shelving is arranged. 

Meredith said bunkers that showed the most deterioration during the inspection 

were earmarked for removal. After the structures are leveled, the concrete, steel and 

dirt would be recycled. Deconstruction is underway and will conclude this summer. 

—By Doreen B. Zudell

Photo by Kevin Meredith

Photo by Marvin Smith C-2013-179

Top: A bulldozer levels an aging bunker. Above, left: Structurally sound bunkers can hold 

up to 2,300 boxes of records. Above, right: A front view of a bunker. 

C-2009-1178 Photo by Marvin Smith

8