VOLUME 23 • ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2021

SPECIAL EDITION: 

Congratulations 

Honor Award

Recipients! 

Pages 4–9

Dr. Pérez-Davis

Receives Local 

Honors

Page 10

 NASA Glenn 

Marks 80 Years

Page 12

Electrifying

Propulsion

Pages 2–3
Welcome to the New Year

Welcome back! I recognize the past

year presented hardships for many, and 

I truly appreciate and thank you for your 

dedication. As we start 2021, your health 

and safety remains my top priority. 

With this in mind, we will continue 

Stage 2 preparations and look forward 

to continued success in delivering 

on our key space and aeronautics 

mission priorities, including Artemis/

Orion, power and electric propulsion, 

electrified aircraft technologies, and 

key testing in our facilities. We will 

also be investing and transforming our 

infrastructure in support of our mission, 

and further developing our partnerships, 

collaborations, and communications 

to promote innovation and technology 

commercialization. Join me as we 

implement our priorities safely and

with excellence.

Happy new year,

Since the beginning of the space program, people have been captivated by big, powerful 

rockets—like NASA’s Saturn V rocket that sent Apollo to the lunar surface or the 

Space Launch System that will produce millions of pounds of thrust as it sends Artemis 

astronauts back to the Moon.

But what if the most powerful propulsion system in NASA’s toolbox produces less than

1 pound of thrust while reaching speeds of up to 200,000 mph? What if it costs less, 

carries more, and uses less fuel?

This radical system is in-space electric propulsion. It can reduce the amount of fuel, or 

propellant, needed by up to 90% compared to chemical propulsion systems, saving 

millions in launch costs while providing greater mission flexibility.

Newton’s Third Law in Space 

Chemical propulsion uses a fuel and an oxidizer, converting energy stored in the chemical 

bonds of the propellants, to produce a short, powerful thrust, or what we see as fire. 

An electric propulsion system uses energy collected by either solar arrays (solar electric 

propulsion) or a nuclear reactor (nuclear electric propulsion) to generate thrust, eliminating 

many of the needs and limitations of storing propellants onboard.

That power is then converted and used to ionize—or positively charge—inert gas 

propellants like xenon and krypton (no, it is not from Superman’s home planet). A 

combination of electric and magnetic fields (Hall effect thruster) or an electrostatic

An illustration of the PPE and habitation and logistics outpost (HALO) in lunar orbit.

GRC-2020-CN-00074

Image by NASA

DIRECTOR’S

SAFETY CORNER

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 Office of 

Communications in the interest of the 

Glenn workforce, retirees, government 

officials, business leaders, and the

general public. 

Submit short articles and calendar items 

to the editor at doreen.b.zudell@nasa.gov. 

Editor: Doreen B. Zudell, ATS, 

 216–433–5317

Assistant Editor: S. Jenise Veris, ATS

Design: Rhys Sampson, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Circulation: Angela Williams, ATS, 

 216–433–8921

On the Cover: 

Researcher Wensheng Huang examines diagnostic hardware for a 

test of the Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) Engineering 

Test Unit 2. Flight model AEPS Hall thrusters will propel the power 

and propulsion element to lunar orbit.

GRC-2019-C-13123

Photo by Bridget Caswell

The Propulsion We’re 

Supplying...It’s Electrifying
(gridded ion) field then accelerates the ions and pushes them out of the thruster, driving the spacecraft to tremendous speeds 

over time. Instead of fire, its exhaust is a glowing greenish-blue trail, like something straight out of science fiction.

Drag Race Versus Road Trip

A chemical spacecraft is a top fuel dragster as it departs Earth’s orbit toward its destination. The initial burst is quite powerful,

but it can really only go in the direction it is pointing when you stomp on the gas pedal. The spacecraft is off like a bullet, but 

after its fuel supply is exhausted, there is little ability to speed up, slow down, or change direction. So, the mission is locked 

into specific launch windows and orbital departure timeframes, and it can make only minimal corrections along the way.

An electric propulsion spacecraft, once it is in space, is out for a cross-country drive, limited only by the gas in the tank. The initial 

thrust is quite low, but it can continue accelerating for months or even years, and it can also slow down and change direction.

NASA’s Dawn mission is a perfect example. After launch, it accelerated toward Vesta in the asteroid belt. Because of the 

spacecraft’s small solar arrays, it took over 5 years to get there, but as it approached, the spacecraft flipped 180 degrees, 

burned its thrusters to slow down, and orbited for a year. When it was done, it fired back up and traveled to Ceres, where it 

still orbits today. This would not be possible with chemically propelled spacecraft. 

Systems like the one on Dawn are in wide use across NASA and the commercial sector, typically operating in the 1- to 

10-kilowatt range. As we prepare to use electric propulsion for more complex science and technology missions and on 

human missions for the first time, we are going to need more power.

More Power for People!

The power and propulsion element (PPE) for Gateway will demonstrate advanced, high-power solar electric propulsion 

around the Moon. It is a 60-kW-class spacecraft, 50 of which can be dedicated to propulsion, making it about four times 

more powerful than current electric propulsion spacecraft. We do this not by building one big thruster, but by combining 

several into a string with giant solar arrays.

This advanced system will allow our orbiting platform to support lunar exploration for 15 years given its high fuel economy, 

and its ability to move while in orbit will allow explorers to land virtually anywhere on the Moon’s surface.

While it is a critical piece of our Artemis lunar exploration plans, the PPE will also help drive U.S. commercial investments in 

higher power electric propulsion systems, like those that could be used to get to Mars.

Next Stop, Mars 

Future Mars transfer vehicles will need around 400 kW to 2 megawatts of power to successfully ferry our astronauts or 

cargo to and from the Red Planet. We are still exploring vehicle and propulsion concepts for Mars, including a combination of 

nuclear electric and chemical propulsion and other emerging options like Nuclear Thermal Propulsion. 

No matter how we get to the Moon and eventually Mars, one thing is for certain...the future of space exploration is exciting. 

One might even say, it’s electrifying.

By Jimi Russell

An illustration of how electric propulsion systems work.

JANUARY 2021

3

Thrust

Propellant Thruster

GRC-2020-CN-00073

Image by Lisa Liuzzo
OUTSTANDING 

LEADERSHIP MEDAL

Robert W. Carter

Karen M. Meinert

Jonathan S. Millard

Lynn N. Smith

Timothy D. Smith

OUTSTANDING PUBLIC 

LEADERSHIP MEDAL

Caroline A. Rist

EXCEPTIONAL 

SERVICE MEDAL

Helen M. Ceh

John J. DeGreen

Sallie A. Keith

John M. Koudelka

Cassey D. Kuhl

Ronald D. Noebe

Renee D. Palyo

Dennis P. Stocker

Tonyia J. Williams

Gary S. Williamson

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC 

SERVICE MEDAL

Margarita Aponte

Paul A. Catalano

Gregory P. Frederick

Richard J. Kearney

Arnold Kuchenmeister

HONOR AWARDS

Carter Meinert Millard Smith

Smith Rist Ceh DeGreen

Keith Koudelka Kuhl Noebe

Palyo Stocker Williams Williamson

4

The 2020 NASA Glenn Virtual Agency Honor and Center Awards 

Ceremony, held Dec. 2, 2020, honored individuals and teams who 

have made a dramatic impact in executing NASA’s mission and have 

distinguished themselves above and beyond NASA’s high standards 

of performance. Center Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis and special 

guest Deputy Associate Administrator Melanie Saunders provided 

congratulatory remarks, and Elizabeth Turnbull and Dr. Lyndsey 

McMillon-Brown served as the event moderators. 

2020 NASA and Center 

Honor Awards
EXCEPTIONAL 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Jeffrey A. Chambers

Nicholas A. Connelly

James A. Doglio

Glenn S. Feldhake

Kristin B. Hawkins

James W. Jackson

Sherri A. Lippus

Peter W. McCallum

Scott A. Numbers

Erin M. Reed

Elliot A. Schmidt

Heidi D. Shaw

James E. Smith

Robert T. Spangler

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Christopher P. Garcia

Sharon L. Lewis

EXCEPTIONAL 

ENGINEERING 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

James M. Downey

Robert D. Falck

Homer J. Fincannon

EXCEPTIONAL SCIENTIFIC 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Ken K. Lee*

EXCEPTIONAL TECHNOLOGY 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Daniel E. Paxson

EXCEPTIONAL 

ADMINISTRATIVE 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Stacy Alcorso

Connelly Doglio

Feldhake

Kuchenmeister Chambers

Jackson Lippus

McCallum

Hawkins

Reed Schmidt

Shaw

Numbers

Smith

Downey

Spangler

Falck

Garcia

Lewis Fincannon

JANUARY 2021

5

Aponte Catalano Frederick Kearney

*Not pictured
Sondra D. Atkins*

Wendy A. Berndt

EARLY CAREER 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Waldo J. Acosta

Brianna L. Artino

Michael L. Belair

James P. Burke

Julie T. Justice

Candice M. McDonald

Rebecca C. Molnar

Ryan J. Munro

Michael A. Pepen

Deboshri Sadhukhan*

Sydney L. Schnulo

Timothy M. Smith

EARLY CAREER PUBLIC 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Brian S. Rouse

Matthew R. Rozema 

Jordan I. Salkin

SILVER 

ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL

Joshua E. Allen

Kristen M. Bury

Vicki J. Crable

Scott B. Cutlip

Patrick S. Edmonds

Lisa M. Hicks

Eric S. Mindek

George C. Soulas

David E. Stark

SILVER ACHIEVEMENT 

GROUP AWARDS

Advanced Colloids

Experiment (ACE) Team

South Chilled Water Plant 

Restoration Team

Alcorso Berndt Acosta

Artino Belair Burke Justice

McDonald Molnar Munro Pepen

Schnulo Smith Rouse

Salkin Allen Bury

Rozema

Cutlip Hicks

Crable

Edmonds Mindek

6

Paxson

*Not pictured
Soulas Stark Barrett 

Lobo Martzaklis Puchmeyer

Hagerman

Schubert Straub Whitfield

McCartney

Gordon

Follen

Cheston

Motil Smith

Corban

Shape Memory Alloy

Actuated Vortex Generator 

Development Team

Cybersecurity Standards and 

Engineering Team (CSET)

Asymmetric Ka-Band

Waveguide Power Combiner

Development Team

SENIOR EXECUTIVE

SERVICE APPOINTMENT

Michael J. Barrett

Vicki L. Hagerman

Mary J. Lobo

Konstantinos S. Martzaklis

Timothy P. McCartney

Callista M. Puchmeyer

Kathleen E. Schubert

Kurt A. Straub

Susan L. Whitfield

PRESIDENTIAL RANK

Derrick J. Cheston

Robyn N. Gordon

Susan M. Motil

Bryan K. Smith

CAREER

SERVICE AWARDS 

40 YEARS OF SERVICE

Andrea R. Bonesteel

Robert R. Corban

Michael P. Doherty

Gregory J. Follen

Gerald A. Hurd 

Frances I. Hurwitz

Joseph J. Kan*

Lisa L. Kohout

Kevin J. Melcher

7

JANUARY 2021

*Not pictured

Bonesteel

Doherty Hurd
8

Mudry

Melcher

Oldenburg Buttler Fralick

Thomas B. Miller

John J. Mudry

John R. Oldenburg

45 YEARS OF SERVICE

Robert D. Buttler

55 YEARS OF SERVICE

Gustave C. Fralick

Orion Thermal Vacuum/Thermal Balance

Test Team

10x10 Critical Hardware Repair Team

SHIIVER Engineering and Testing Team

S–3B Viking Aircraft

Hybrid Gas Electric Propulsion Team

8x6/9x15 Wind Tunnel Complex Acoustic 

Improvement Team

System for Tracking

Audits/Assessments and Reviews Team

World Radio

Conference 2019 Team

Orion Artemis I Test Facility Preparation Team

Second European Service Module (ESM–2) 

Orbital Maneuvering System–Engine (OMS–E) 

Anomaly Recovery Team

NASA Glenn Research Center Small Business 

Innovation Research (SBIR) Team

Conformal Lightweight Antenna Structures

for Aeronautical Communications 

Technologies (CLAS—ACT) Team

Glenn Research Center NEXT—C Protoflight 

Vibration Test Team

Glenn Research Center Fleet Management 

and Transportation Team

GROUP ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Hurwitz Kohout Miller
Heineke Hah Calhoun Schilling

Fujikawa Slywczak Madej

Berger

Valenti Pal Ragiel-Smith

9

JANUARY 2021

STEVEN V. SZABO ENGINEERING

EXCELLENCE AWARD

Crew and Service Module Structures and

Mechanisms Team

CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARDS

Manufacturing Technologies—Individual

Timothy J. Heineke

Manufacturing Technologies—Group

NASA H71M—PM Low-Power Hall-Effect 

Thruster Team

DISTINGUISHED PUBLICATION AWARD

Chunill Hah 

The Inner Workings of Axial Casing Grooves in 

a One and a Half Stage Axial Compressor With 

a Large Rotor Tip Gap: Changes in Stall Margin 

and Efficiency

DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARD

Cynthia C. Calhoun

Herbert W. Schilling

SAFETY AWARD

Gordon M. Berger 

Sandra H. Valenti

Building 309 Hazmat

Exercise Team

SUPERVISOR AWARD

Gene Fujikawa

Richard A. Slywczak

ALCYON TECHNICAL SERVICES (ATS) 

EXCEPTIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE/CLERICAL 

PERFORMANCE AWARD

Barbara H. Madej

Paula M. Pal

Justyna Ragiel-Smith

Center Awards
Robertson

Dr. Okojie

Dr. Pérez-Davis

Cleveland Magazine has recognized Center Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis with two prestigious 

honors in its January 2021 issue. She was selected as one of the 30 Most Interesting People—

an annual list of people who have captured the city’s attention. She also was selected for the 

Community Leader’s first annual Cleveland 500—a list of the most powerful and influential 

people in Northeast Ohio. Cleveland Magazine is available at newsstands in grocery, convenience, 

specialty, and bookstores throughout the city.

Cleveland Magazine Recognizes

Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis

RETIREMENTS

Glenn Intern Selected 

Okojie Inducted Into Astronaut Scholar

Inventors Hall of Fame Brianna Robertson, a Louisiana State 

University Honors College student and 

spring 2020 NASA Intern in Glenn’s 

Cognitive Signal Processing Branch, has 

been named a 2020 Astronaut Scholar. 

Robertson, a senior physics and computer engineering major, 

came to Glenn to enhance her knowledge of artificial intelligence 

applied to cognitive communications applications and advance her 

long-term goal to become an astronaut. Glenn mentor Aaron Smith 

introduced Robertson to some smarter algorithms for his research 

in intelligent communication systems, which Robertson not only 

absorbed, but also helped to advance. 

Dr. Robert Okojie, a research 

electronics engineer in NASA Glenn’s 

Smart Sensing and Electronics 

Systems Branch, has been inducted 

into NASA’s Inventors Hall of Fame. 

He is a world-renowned expert on silicon-carbide-based 

microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) used in extreme 

environments. Since joining Glenn’s silicon carbide research 

group in 1999, Okojie has earned 21 U.S. patents with two 

additional patents on the way. 

Les Farkas, Integration Office, Office of Chief Information Officer, 

retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 36 years of service.

Cleve Horn, Aviation Test Branch, Aeronautics Directorate, retired 

Dec. 30, 2020, with 41 years of service.

Mark D. Klem, Chemical and Thermal Propulsion Systems 

Branch, Propulsion Division, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 37 years 

of federal service, including 33 with NASA.

Kelly J. McEntire, Mechanisms and Tribology Branch, Materials 

and Structures Division, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 38 years of 

service.

Melissa (Missy) Merrill, Exploration Systems Branch, 

Procurements Division, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 35 years

of service. 

Farkas Klem Otero Rivera Weismantel

Noel Nemeth, Multiscale and Multiphysics Modeling Branch, 

Materials and Structures Division, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 30 

years of service. 

Suzanne (Sue) Otero, Technical Excellence Office, NASA Safety 

Center, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 28 years of service.

Ricky N. Rivera, Wind Tunnel Branch, Facilities, Test and 

Manufacturing Division, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 31 years 

of service.

Dennis L. Weismantel, Wind Tunnel Branch, Facilities, Test and 

Manufacturing Division, retired Dec. 31, 2020, with 32 years of 

service.

More retirements to come in the February AeroSpace Frontiers.
JANUARY 2021

11

The Emergency Management Office 

staff will conduct a mass notification 

voice test at bldg. 6 on Wednesday, 

Feb. 3, at Lewis Field. An audible siren 

test on the “severe thunderstorm” tone 

on Saturday, Feb. 6. 

POC: Allen Turner, 3–6826

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement 

(OSTEM) is seeking mentors for the 

2021 Virtual Volunteer High School 

Internship Project. Mentors will be 

paired with high school students who 

are excited to explore STEM career 

opportunities as well as professional 

business fields at NASA. Internships 

will take place in May 2021 for a 

duration of 4 weeks. POCs: Vanessa 

Webbs at vanessa.r.webbs@nasa.gov

or Eric Hayes at eric.w.hayes@nasa.gov.

OSTEM SEEKING VIRTUAL MENTORS

NASA will hold its 2021 Day of 

Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 28, 

to honor members of the NASA family 

who lost their lives while furthering 

the cause of exploration. This includes 

the crews of Apollo 1, Space Shuttle 

Challenger, and Space Shuttle Columbia.

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Upcoming Center Events

Urgent: CFC Needs Your Help

Join Glenn’s Library for their new monthly series

Information Café

The Library will host mini lessons about Glenn and 

Library-related topics. Here are the first 4 months.

NASA Glenn Employees: For more calendar information, visit https://wing.grc.nasa.gov/event-calendar/.

Deadline for next calendar section is Jan. 20, noon. News and feature stories require additional time.

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) needs your help. CFC 

donations are at a record low. If you plan to give, but you are waiting 

until you have time, the time is now. Please go to https://cfcgiving.

opm.gov/ to make your donation. If you have any questions, see 

your keyworker. The CFC Committee thanks you in advance for your 

consideration and wishes you a prosperous new year. The campaign 

ends on Jan. 15, 2021.

Stay tuned to Today@Glenn 

for updates on these activities

Jan. 20: NASA Tech Standards (IHS/TechStreet)

Feb. 17: Virtual tour of the library site/resources/services

March 17: Publishing at Glenn

April 21: Filing your NTR (new technology report) with Tech Transfer

All meetings will be held from

11 to 11:45 a.m. in Microsoft Teams.

Check Today@Glenn or email

grc-library@mail.nasa.gov for the link!
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center 

Lewis Field

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Plum Brook Station

3597 E. Scheid Road

Sandusky, Ohio 44870

www.nasa.gov

Read AeroSpace Frontiers online at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/news/AF/index.html.

Emergency and Inclement Weather Lines 

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT) 

Plum Brook Station: 419–621–3333

Connect With Glenn

On Jan. 23, 1941, local authorities, military 

representatives, and National Advisory Committee 

for Aeronautics (NACA) officials came together 

to celebrate the selection of a new engine lab in 

Cleveland. This engine lab, called the NACA Aircraft 

Engine Research Laboratory, would later become 

the NASA Glenn Research Center. 

Throughout 2021, the anniversary planning team 

invites you to celebrate this historic milestone by 

participating in virtual activities and events that are 

being planned. Watch Today@Glenn for details! 80th 

Anniversary co-leads: Anne Mills and Zachary Lucas

the direction and mission of the center, whose 

work at the center has generated fundamental 

advancements in their field, and/or serve as an 

inspiration to employees through their character and 

embodiment of the NASA spirit. You can learn more 

about past inductees at https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/

glenn-history/hall-of-fame/.

Current employees will be invited to nominate 

potential new members for this induction class. 

Watch Today@Glenn for further information on the 

nomination process, which will kick off in late January.

As a part of the center’s 80th Anniversary 

celebration, a third class of inductees will be 

inaugurated into the Glenn Hall of Fame later in 

2021. The first classes were chosen in honor of the 

NACA Centennial and Glenn 75th Anniversaries in 

2015 and 2016. The Glenn Hall of Fame reminds us 

that our success is built on the work of those who 

have come before us and serve to inspire current 

and future employees. 

Inductees are selected based on their contributions 

having a sustained and far-reaching influence on 

Happy 80th Anniversary, NASA Glenn!

Call for 80th Anniversary Hall of Fame

Class Nominations

Image by Dan Frydl