VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2020

Celebrating Earth 

Day’s 50th!

Page 4

 Glenn-Industry 

Fight COVID-19

Page 5

Glenn Joins

“At Home” Science 

Festival

Page 8

Thruster Withstands

Extreme Environments

Pages 2–3
2

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

Safely Returning 

to On-Site Work 

As agency and center leadership 

develop return to on-site work plans 

to accomplish our mission critical 

priorities, I want to assure you the 

health and safety of our workforce will 

continue to be my top priority. As I 

shared during our virtual town hall 

last month, the plan will be flexible 

and informed by agency guidance and 

state and local conditions. Our goal 

is to create the safest environment 

possible while methodically and 

gradually transitioning our workforce 

back on-site. 

Please continue to monitor Today@

Glenn, the NASA People website and 

communicate with your supervisor for 

the latest information.

DIRECTOR’S

SAFETY CORNER

Through a series of performance and environmental tests, 

Glenn engineers have proven that NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon 

Thruster—Commercial (NEXT–C) could withstand the extreme 

launch vibrations and temperatures of spaceflight. 

NEXT–C is a powerful next-generation solar electric propulsion 

system that could propel future long-duration science missions. 

Glenn developed the technology, and Aerojet Rocketdyne along 

with subcontractor ZIN Technologies, designed and built the 

flight hardware. 

Prior to moving into the Stage 4 Response Framework in March, 

the team put the thruster through vibration, thermal vacuum and 

performance tests in Glenn’s Vacuum Facility 6 (VF–6) as well as 

the Structural Dynamics Laboratory. They then integrated it with 

its power processing unit, which had also undergone similar 

unit-level testing both at Glenn and off-site. 

”The NEXT-C technology has been in development for many 

years, and the team is very excited to be able to deliver this 

hardware and finally see the technology fly on a mission,” said 

Product Lead Engineer Rohit Shastry, Electric Propulsion 

Systems Branch. “The team has worked very hard to get to this 

point, but knowing that this technology will enable challenging 

NASA missions makes it all worth it.” 

On the Cover: Alyssa Brigeman, left, and Jim 

Bontempo, ZINT/ISS and Human Health Office, 

remove the NEXT–C flight power processing unit 

from Vacuum Facility 18 after successful testing. 

The work was performed in February.

Glenn Prepares 

Powerful Thruster for 

Demonstration Mission 

to Asteroid

GRC-2020-00768 

Photo by Bridget Caswell
3

JUNE 2020

GRC-2020-C-00741

Senior Facility Operator John Lauerhahs monitors the health of VF–6 during 

testing of the DART flight thruster.

NEXT–C is being prepared for the Double 

Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission, 

which will launch next year. DART will be the 

first space mission to demonstrate asteroid 

deflection by kinetic impact, a technique 

that could prevent a hazardous asteroid from 

impacting Earth by changing the motion of the 

asteroid in space. NEXT–C’s propulsion system 

will be tested on that mission, along with 

several other technologies.

When the propulsion system is successfully 

demonstrated on DART, NEXT–C will be 

considered on a variety of 10- to 15-year-long, 

uncrewed missions. These missions could 

include going to other asteroids, comets or 

planets such as Venus.

The test campaign was successfully completed 

in January. The NEXT–C team is now preparing 

to formally accept the flight hardware and 

deliver it to the John Hopkins Applied Physics 

Laboratory for integration onto the DART 

spacecraft.

GRC-2020-C-00805 Photos by Bridget Caswell

Thruster Lead Engineer George Soulas prepares to check plasma probe alignment with the DART flight thruster.
Welcome 2020 Summer

Interns and Faculty! 

This summer’s Lewis’ Educational and Research Collaborative Internship Project (LERCIP) interns come aboard on 

June 15, and work through Aug. 21. The NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program; NASA (Graduate) Fellowships 

Program; NASA Internship Project; the Vermont, Michigan, Indiana, Idaho, Oregon and Arizona Space Grant Consortia; 

and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) all welcomed summer staff on June 8.

Summer interns and faculty will work virtually this year.

4

 April 22 marked the 50th anniversary 

 of the first Earth Day, which has become 

 a worldwide event to celebrate, honor and 

protect the planet. NASA Glenn joined the agency in virtual 

activities throughout the month.

As part of the celebration, Glenn’s Sustainability Outreach Team 

shared various Earth-friendly links via the Glenn Research 

Center Sustainability webpage, https://www.grc.nasa.gov/f/fe/

sustainability, and on Today@Glenn each week in April leading up 

to the big day. The sites featured virtual tours, events and everyday 

actions that employees can take to help protect the planet. 

On Earth Day, Glenn’s Sustainability Officer Dr. Joel Kearns, director 

of Glenn’s Facilities, Test and Manufacturing Directorate, provided 

a virtual Earth Day presentation. He shared how he has gained a 

better perspective on Earth Day activities and the importance of each 

individual becoming a better steward of the environment.

“It [Earth Day] is about what we as citizens can do every day of the 

year to make Earth—the only planet we know of, today, that can 

support life and our only home—healthier every day and into the 

future.” 

Kearns provided examples of historical events, legislation and current 

initiatives across five decades that affected change and brought a 

greater focus on environmental issues. He also included an overview 

of NASA sustainability goals and Glenn’s 10-year Sustainability Plan 

for protecting the Earth. 

The presentation concluded with a challenge to employees to 

expand their knowledge and search for ideas on how to reduce their 

environmental footprint starting from the comfort of their homes. 

He also promoted participation in additional activities available via 

NASA’s #EarthDayAtHome and https://nasa.gov/content/earthday-2020@NASAEarth

By S. Jenise Veris

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded 

NASA Glenn the Silver Level Award in the Encouraging 

Environmental Excellence (E3) Program. 

This award recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship 

efforts pursued in:

• Constructing and operating LEED-certified buildings

• Reducing energy use and water consumption for institutional 

 buildings

• Maintaining a significant recycling rate and recycling hundreds 

 of tons of material

• Implementing a well-developed environmental purchasing 

 program.

The E3 award also took into consideration Glenn’s progress 

in environmental initiatives. These include management 

commitment; employee involvement (outreach and awareness 

events); innovation (Glenn’s research contributions toward 

the Advanced Air Vehicles Program and harmful algal bloom 

monitoring); and overall continuous improvement.

Dr. Joel Kearns, Glenn’s Center Sustainability Officer, said center 

employees—especially all the members of Glenn’s crossorganizational Sustainability Working Group—have worked hard 

to meet NASA’s sustainability goals and achievements.

The Glenn Sustainability Working Group would like to say thank 

you to all Glenn employees. “Because of the work you do, you 

make a positive impact on the environment and allow Glenn to 

be recognized for this effort!”

Earth Day: Protecting the 

Earth Today, for Tomorrow

EPA Awards Environmental 

Stewardship
Glenn-Industry Team to Advance 

Device for COVID-19 Sterilization

The Worm Is Back!

The retro red NASA design that graced agency clothing 

from the 1970s to the early 1990s is back to mark the 

next era of human space exploration. This design was 

featured on the side of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 when the 

agency launched astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert 

Behnken to the International Space Station as part 

of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA still is 

assessing how and where the NASA “worm” will be used 

beyond the Demo-2 test flight. The “meatball” remains 

NASA’s primary insignia.

Commercial technology developed in Northeast Ohio to keep 

frontline emergency medical technicians (EMTs) safe is now 

joining the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Through NASA’s technology transfer efforts in 2015, NASA Glenn 

partnered with Emergency Products + Research (EP+R) based in 

Kent, Ohio, to guide the development and production of a small, 

portable and economical device. The fogging system, called 

AMBUstat, is currently used to reliably clean spaces such as 

ambulances, police cars and other areas. A disinfectant liquid is 

aerosolized into tiny droplets, which when land on surfaces, kill 

bacteria and viruses in less than an hour and at a fraction of the 

cost of other systems. 

Dr. Sharon Miller, Environmental Effects and Coatings Branch, 

consulted with EP+R on technical challenges they were 

experiencing in the design and application of their technology. 

Many of the employees are former EMTs with field 

experience but do not have engineering or research 

backgrounds. With Glenn’s assistance, the company 

developed an effective product called AMBUstat, which it 

has been selling for several years. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EP+R updated their 

design, and received additional support from NASA. Dr. 

Marit Meyer, Low-Gravity Exploration Technology Branch, is 

leading research to maximize the effectiveness of the nextgeneration AMBUstat device, dubbed “G2.” 

Meyer said the existing product works on surfaces, after 

they are cleaned and wiped down, by depositing droplets of 

rapidly evaporating sterilant. The new product that is under 

design aims to also kill bioaerosols (airborne pathogens), like 

the coronavirus, which may be attached to particles that 

float in the air.

“If you were able to disperse the sterilant and have the right 

sized droplets in your fog, then you could kill these airborne 

pathogens,” said Meyer. “Another objective is to keep the 

cost really low so they could make the technology available 

to underserved communities and entities, such as school 

districts, that can’t afford to spend a lot of money on new 

technologies.”

Meyer said Glenn is contributing its expertise and lab 

testing capability to help EP+R understand the droplet size 

distributions at different flow settings. The research is also 

examining the dispersion of the liquid sterilant into spaces 

such as the crevices in a police car, versus larger ones like 

classrooms or dining areas. Another goal is to minimize the 

amount of sterilant the device uses to reduce costs without 

sacrificing effectiveness.

5

JUNE 2020

GRC-2020-C-01637

GRC-2020-CN-00019

Official White House Photo: Shealah Craighead

Photo: Space X

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, right, briefs President Donald 

Trump on NASA research related to COVID-19, including Glenn’s work 

with AMBUstat.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket displays NASA’s worm logo.
of Orion’s European Service Module with the European 

Space Agency, Airbus and Lockheed Martin. Elliot 

Schmidt, Structural Mechanics Branch, led the stress 

analysis team tasked with making sure Orion is prepared 

to safely fly. L. Nicole Smith, Exploration Systems Office, 

managed the operations and logistics of bringing Orion to 

Plum Brook Station and led the successful completion of 

Artemis I testing. Jim Withrow, European Service Module 

Integration Office, managed the Propulsion Qualification 

Module tests for Orion and led the White Sands Test 

Facility support test team.

6

NASA’s Human Exploration and 

Operations Mission Directorate 

recently recognized four Glenn 

employees with HEO HErO awards. 

These awards acknowledge an 

employee’s outstanding contributions 

or achievements towards helping NASA 

and the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) program 

move forward towards putting the first woman and next 

man on the lunar surface of the Moon by 2024. 

Kathryn Oriti, European Service Module Integration 

Office, led a Glenn team through comprehensive reviews 

Oriti Smith Withrow

Dr. Neudeck

Schmidt

Employees Earn HEO HErO Awards

IEEE Award

The national Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Board of 

Directors selected Dr. Philip Neudeck the winner of the 2019 IEEE-USA Harry 

Diamond Memorial Award that honors individuals in U.S. Government service for 

their distinguished technical contributions in the field of electrotechnology. Neudeck 

was recognized for his pioneering work in developing silicon carbide

(SiC) semiconductor electronics.

Annie Glenn, beloved wife of former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn, 

died on May 19 at the age of 100. Nearly inseparable throughout their 

73-year marriage, Annie accompanied John during his multiple visits to the 

center, where she warmly greeted employees and participated in tours and 

other activities. Most memorable of these visits was the May 1999 center 

renaming ceremony and parade, pictured, in John’s honor. Additionally, 

during the March 2012 celebration of John’s 50th anniversary of becoming 

the first American to orbit Earth, Annie received a standing ovation. Glenn 

Research Center will miss Annie. To read more about Annie’s life and 

accomplishments, visit http://johnglennhome.org/about/annie-glenn/.

Glenn Mourns Annie Glenn

GRC-1999-C-01164 Photo by Christopher Lynch
7

JUNE 2020

PROMOTIONS

RETIREMENTS

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

TELEMEDICINE CONSULTATIONS

Employees can have confidence 

that they are on the right path to 

better health outcomes with Glenn’s 

Telemedicine Consult Service. Glenn’s 

Medical Services Clinic staff is 

available to provide telephonic medical 

consultations for all Glenn employees 

during the current center telework 

stage. Contact their staff for a consult 

today by sending an email to grcmedicalservices@mail.nasa.org.

Stay tuned to Today@Glenn for 

updates on these activities.

Deadline for the next calendar

section is June 17, noon.

News and feature stories require 

additional time.

AEROSPACE TOASTMASTERS MEET

Improve communications and 

leadership skills through Aerospace 

Toastmasters. The group meets on 

Microsoft Teams on Thursdays from 

12:05 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Contact 

john.wang-1@nasa.gov, extension 

3-3613, for more information. https://

aerospace.toastmastersclubs.org/.

The Emergency Management Office 

staff will conduct a mass notification 

“voice” test at bldg. 3 on Wednesday, 

July 1 at Lewis Field. They will 

conduct an audible siren test on the 

“Area Evacuation” tone on Saturday, 

July 4.

POC: Allen Turner, 3–6826

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

L. Nicole Smith has been selected chief of the 

Exploration Systems Project Office within the Human 

Exploration and Space Operations Project Office, Space 

Flight Systems Directorate. Smith most recently served as 

project manager for Orion environmental testing at Plum 

Brook Station. 

Gayle C. Thiessen, Data and 

Systems Branch, Testing Division, 

retired May 29, 2020, with 36 years 

of service.

Vernon L. Mays, 87, a 1982 retiree with 30 years of NASA 

service, died April 28. Mays was a U.S. Army veteran and 

a 1958 Lewis Apprentice Program graduate certified as 

a stationary engineer to operate/troubleshoot industrial, 

energy-producing machinery. He initially worked on 

drive motors in the 10-by-10 Operations Section before 

transferring to the Materials and Rockets Branch in the 

Facilities Operations Division. Mays retired from the Basic 

Materials Laboratory where he operated the Dynamitron 

accelerator for the Cyclotron Facility.

Dr. James Sutter, 63, a 2015 retiree with 31 years of NASA service, died April 12. Sutter was a 

highly accomplished researcher in advanced propulsion composite materials. He served primarily 

in the Ceramics and Polymers Branch working on erosion-resistant composite coatings and hightemperature polymer matrix composites. Sutter earned several significant NASA awards, including 

a 1998 Exceptional Service Medal; 2010 Space Flight Awareness Award; 2014 Silver Snoopy; and 

2013 Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering fellow distinction.

MORE THAN A MEMORY

Smith

Thiessen

Mays

Sutter

Mays

Dr. Povinelli

Dr. Louis A. Povinelli, senior 

scientist, Aerospace Propulsion in the 

Propulsion Division, Research and 

Engineering Directorate, retired May 1,

2020, with 60 years of service.
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

The 2020 COSI (Center of Science and Industry)

Science Festival went digital this year with fun and 

engaging virtual experiences, May 6 to 9. Several

NASA Glenn researchers and scientists participated

in the festival through COSI’s Facebook Live app. 

Additionally, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joined 

COSI CEO Dr. Frederic Bertley in the live videostream 

conversation, “Get Ready–We’re Going to the Moon and 

Mars!” Center Director Dr. Pérez-Davis participated in 

the event by sharing Glenn contributions. She introduced 

astronaut Doug Wheelock, who talked about life as a 

NASA astronaut and what the future of space travel may 

look like. 

GRC-2020-CN-00017

GRC-2020-CN-00018

Glenn Joins Big “At Home”

Science Celebration!

Center Director Dr. Pérez-Davis and astronaut Wheelock talk with Dr. Bertley during the virtual event.

Dr. Jamesa Stokes talks about her journey to becoming a material 

scientist at Glenn and encourages others to pursue STEM careers.