VOLUME 24 • ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2022

Embracing

Responsibility for

One Another

Page 3

Technologies

Touch Down

on Earth 

Page 4

 Building Helps Meet 

Future Needs 

Page 9

Pushing Boundaries 

at the City Club

Page 2
Center Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis addressed The City Club 

of Cleveland on Jan. 28 to share how NASA Glenn continues 

to push the boundaries of innovation in space and aeronautics 

research. President and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center Dr. 

Kirsten Ellenbogen moderated the event, which touched on Glenn’s 

technology, economic impact, partnerships, diversity, and STEM 

careers. Pérez-Davis addressed questions from audience members, 

including students who were eager to gain more insight into STEM 

careers. The Ohio Aerospace Institute sponsored the forum, which 

was part of the City Club’s Local Heroes series. To view the forum, 

visit https://go.nasa.gov/3GxG0wQ.

AeroSpace Frontiers

is an offcial publication of Glenn Research 

Center, National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration. It is published the second 

Friday of each month by the Offce of 

Communications in the interest of the 

Glenn workforce, retirees, government 

offcials, 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: Adam Schabel, ATS, 

 216–433–2888

Design: Rhys Sampson, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Safe Return: Stay Alert

Welcome back to all who have been away 

fom the center!

In our HEROICS 7 Expected Behaviors, 

the “S” stands for Safety, in which we 

demonstrate a vigilant commitment 

to a safe work environment through 

good situational awareness and 

communication. To be situationally 

aware is to be alert. As we increase 

occupancy and return to more on-site 

work, we need to be alert at the work 

site. Practical tips include the following: 

take your time to assess the work site 

before starting activities; review current 

COVID–19 safety protocols; review the 

work environment for any hazards 

including slips, trips, and falls; and 

carefully consider how to safely restart 

idle equipment. Let’s continue our 

vigilant commitment to a safe return

at Glenn.

DIRECTOR’S

SAFETY CORNER Dr. Pérez-Davis Featured

at City Club Forum

Dr. Ellenbogen, left, facilitates a lively discussion with Dr. Pérez-Davis during 

The City Club of Cleveland event.

A diverse audience, including students and business professionals, listen to the event.

GRC-2022-CN-00014 

GRC-2022-CN-00016

Photos courtesy of Michaelangelo’s Photography
During NASA’s Day of Remembrance on Jan. 27, the 

agency paused to acknowledge the legacies of those 

who gave their lives in pursuit of exploration and 

discovery, notably the fallen heroes of the Apollo 1, 

Challenger, and Columbia missions. This year also 

marks 55 years since the Apollo 1 tragedy, which 

occurred on Jan. 27, 1967.

Virtual presentations hosted by Glenn and NASA 

Headquarters centered on the inherent risks of space 

fight and our responsibility in ensuring that we fully 

understand those risks before we take them. 

During the NASA Glenn virtual program, Center Director 

Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis and NASA Associate Administrator 

for Space Operations Kathy Lueders refected on the 

contributions made by our predecessors and discussed 

how their sacrifces infuence our work today. Lueders 

stressed the value of working through the processes 

and how this is necessary to ensure that we are making 

the best decisions possible to keep our NASA family 

members safe. She emphasized the importance of 

acknowledging what we do not know and listening 

to input from various perspectives to become better 

informed risk takers. 

Earlier in the day, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson led an 

observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. 

This included a traditional wreath-laying ceremony 

at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by 

observances for the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia 

crews.

Later that afternoon, Nelson joined NASA Deputy 

Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator 

Bob Cabana, and NASA Chief of Safety and Mission 

Assurance Russ DeLoach for the headquarters virtual 

program. Nelson moderated a discussion on the topic 

of safety and lessons learned from the agency’s 

tragedies. Each panel member shared candid, personal 

experiences and lessons learned from these tragedies. 

Like Lueders, they stressed the value of diversity and 

inclusion in decision processes related to risk. 

In conclusion, Nelson acknowledged the signifcance 

of those who gave their lives in pursuit of discovery 

by taking the next giant leap and meeting challenges 

head-on. “In doing so,” he said, “we must never forget 

the lessons learned from each tragedy and embrace our 

core value of safety.”

By Doreen B. Zudell

MARCH 2022

3

NASA Day of Remembrance

Observances Embrace Core Value of Safety

On the Cover: 

Center Director Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis addressed The City Club of Cleveland 

on Jan. 28 to share how NASA Glenn continues to push the boundaries of 

innovation in space and aeronautics research.

Photo courtesy of Michaelangelo’s Photography

Nelson (back) and Melroy (front) participate in a wreath-laying ceremony 

at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. 

GRC-2022-CN-00003

GRC-2022-CN-00007 Photo by Elizabeth Fraser
4

Glenn continues to conduct research and develop new 

technology for the beneft of all, as evidenced by its presence 

in NASA’s Spinoff 2022, which was released in January. The 

publication tells the stories of companies, startups, and 

entrepreneurs who transform NASA innovations into cuttingedge products and services that boost the economy, protect 

the planet, and save lives.

Several Glenn technologies appear in the publication, 

including polyimide aerogel, a temperature-sensitive coating, 

and an additive manufacturing system producing composite 

parts that can withstand high temperatures. Here is more 

information about each one:

• Polyimide aerogel is a strong material that provides heat 

resistance and blocks ultraviolet light while allowing radio 

signals to pass through. The greatest beneft will be stronger, 

more reliable connections for mobile devices and longerlasting batteries due to more effcient operation.

• Temperature-sensitive coating is painted onto 

surfaces and changes from a reddish-brown color at room 

temperature to black-gray at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The coating can be used in the aerospace and automotive 

industries, and in industrial and residential ovens and 

furnaces, among other applications. 

• Additive manufacturing system produces composite 

parts that can withstand high temperatures. This invention 

will enable aerospace companies to produce parts with 

complex geometry for engine components facing high 

temperatures. It also has other potential applications, 

including printing legacy parts for military aircraft and 

producing components for high-performance electric cars.

To view the NASA Spinoffs 2022 publication, visit https://

spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff-2022-release. 

By Adam Schabel

The temperature-sensitive coating has applications in aerospace with 

high-speed aircraft fight testing, along with industrial and residential 

ovens and furnaces—among other applications.

GRC-2022-CN-00010 Photos by NASA

Below: Dr. Kathy Chuang checks on research relating to the additive manufacturing system. 

GRC-2022-CN-00011

Glenn Highlighted in Spinoff 2022
5

NASA’s Artemis program plans to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar 

surface and validate systems and operations to prepare for exploration of Mars and 

beyond. Glenn is helping lead a public prize competition to assist in meeting 

these needs. 

NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge is supported by the Space Technology Mission 

Directorate and offers up to $5 million in prizes to design, build, and demonstrate 

prototype systems to address technology gaps in lunar surface power transmission and 

energy storage.

The Watts on the Moon Challenge awarded a total of $500,000 to seven Phase 1 

winning teams in May 2021. The Challenge announced a Phase 2 competition on Feb. 23. In Phase 2, participants are required 

to build prototype hardware for competitive testing in a NASA lunar environmental simulation facility. NASA welcomes domestic 

teams to compete for up to $4.5 million in Phase 2 prizes whether or not they entered Phase 1. 

Phase 2 will last approximately 30 months and will take place in three levels of competition. In each level, documents or hardware 

submitted by eligible teams will be evaluated by a panel of judges. Seven winners from level one will advance to level two and 

four winners from level two will advance to the competitive environmental testing at level three. Two teams will be recognized as 

fnal winners after competition level three. NASA Glenn is partnering with the Ohio Aerospace Institute, which will encourage Ohio 

industry and universities to participate in this challenge.

For more information on the challenge, visit https://nasa.gov/wattson.

MARCH 2022

NASA’s Watts on the Moon

Challenge Welcomes Teams

NASA engineers are hoping to lift the ban on commercial 

supersonic fight over land by replacing the piercing sonic 

boom with a quieter sonic “thump.” 

This colorized schlieren image is of a small-scale model 

of NASA’s X–59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) 

airplane taken inside Glenn’s 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic 

Wind Tunnel during a recent boom test. The multiple-week 

campaign produced datasets and shockwave visuals 

that engineers from the agency’s Commercial Supersonic 

Technology project will use to validate boom-reducing 

technologies and sonic-boom-predicting capabilities. For 

more information on the testing, visit https://go.nasa.

gov/3fV3pgT. 

Schlieren photography is a visual 

process used for photographing the 

flow of fluids of varying density.

BOOM...Thump

GRC-2022-CN-00004

Photo by Quentin Schwinn
6

Most Americans take access to reliable, fast 

wireless internet (Wi-Fi) for granted. Yet, in 

underserved communities, reliable internet 

access can be as elusive as it is on the Moon. 

NASA is working to solve both challenges.

Digital inequality or inadequate internet access 

is a socioeconomic concern across the United 

States, and the pandemic has worsened the 

divide. In Cleveland, a study by the National 

Digital Inclusion Alliance found that about 31% 

of the city’s households have no broadband 

access. 

Following the study, the Greater Cleveland 

Partnership (GCP), an economic development 

organization, reached out to NASA Glenn for 

assistance in examining the technical barriers 

of digital inequality—the way only a space 

agency can—by using the Moon to solve an 

earthly problem.

“This presented a great opportunity to develop 

solutions to the challenges we face sending 

astronauts to the Moon under Artemis while 

also addressing a growing societal issue in 

our hometown,” said Mary Lobo, director of 

Technology Incubation and Innovation at Glenn. 

“We were pleased to establish a mutually 

benefcial study partnership with the GCP.”

NASA’s Compass Lab at Glenn, which 

specializes in abstract spacecraft and mission 

design, applied lunar network approaches 

to address technical challenges to Wi-Fi 

connectivity in the local community. Comparing 

a lunar surface area to an area around 

Cleveland produced interesting results.

The study found that attaching Wi-Fi routers to 

approximately 20,000 lampposts or other utility 

poles would help solve Cleveland’s connectivity 

issues. By spacing routers no more than 100 

yards apart, this approach would provide 

around 7.5 megabits per second (Mbps) 

download speed in a four-person home.

“That connectivity is good enough to complete 

schoolwork, participate in virtual calls, and 

other internet-based activities, but it isn’t high 

enough to allow for 4K streaming,” said Steve 

Oleson, Compass team lead at NASA Glenn. “If 

we move the routers a little closer, 50 to 75 

yards apart, that greatly improves bandwidth.”

Each router would provide connections to 

outdoor and indoor users within a 50-yard 

radius from its host pole. Though, Wi-Fi 

repeaters would most likely be required to 

help older, low-performing devices connect 

indoors.

“This technological examination will 

help inform key aspects of the 

collaborative strategy to solve 

the digital divide in Greater 

Cleveland,” said Marty 

McGann, GCP executive vice 

president of advocacy and 

strategy. “Addressing this will 

have lasting impacts on the growth 

of our economy for years to come 

and is a major step to creating a much 

more equitable, inclusive economy.”

Building on the effort, Cuyahoga County, 

where Cleveland is located, released a request 

Using the Moon to Address 

Earth’s Digital Inequality 

6
MARCH 2022

7

for proposals (RFP), asking companies for 

affordable internet access solutions throughout 

the county. 

“NASA’s work helps set the stage for 

evaluation of the RFP responses to determine 

the most effective plan for connecting our 

neighborhoods,” said Catherine Tkachyk, 

Cuyahoga County’s chief innovation and 

performance offcer.

The lunar portion of the study assumed a 

basecamp at Malapert Massif, a large impact 

crater near the Moon’s South Pole. This area 

meets NASA’s requirements for sun exposure 

and line-of-sight communications with the 

Deep Space Network, and it is a prime spot for 

in situ resource utilization. 

Surface exploration will require high-rate 

communications between astronauts and 

various elements like Gateway, landers, 

habitats, rovers, and more. However, there 

are many unknowns when it comes to Wi-Fi 

connectivity on the Moon.

“While the Moon doesn’t have the level of 

interference found in a neighborhood full of 

houses and trees, it also does not have the 

advantage of an existing infrastructure of 

power, back feeds, and even a lunar internet, 

all of which need to be supplied,” said Oleson.

Using the same pole-based approach, the team 

recommends mounting routers on multiple 

24-foot poles attached to habitats, landers, or 

other large hardware. In contrast to a single, 

large tower, this approach would provide 

astronauts in habitats network stability while 

mobile explorers could roam between routers.

This lunar Wi-Fi framework is still very 

conceptual, but the team hopes the Wi-Fi 

study will help inform future Artemis plans. In 

the meantime, the analysis will help American 

cities bring underserved communities vital 

internet access and the many benefts of the 

digital age.

By Jimi Russell

A crew member aboard the International 

Space Station captured this night 

view of Cleveland from an altitude of 

approximately 240 miles.

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MARCH 2022

7

A view of the Moon from Earth.

iss059e027725

Photos by NASA/JSC
8

NEWS AND EVENTS

This year’s National Black History Month theme 

recognized not only the history, culture, and 

contributions of Black Americans, but also the 

importance of issues relating to health and wellness. 

NASA’s African American employee resource groups, 

including Glenn’s African Heritage Advisory Group, 

(AHAG), coordinated four agencywide events in 

support of this year’s Black History Month theme 

“Black Health and Wellness.” During the month 

of February, weekly virtual sessions centered on 

different health and wellness topics. This included a 

kickoff followed by sessions on mental health/suicide 

awareness, nutritional health, and physical health. A 

variety of NASA and outside speakers spoke during 

live events open to all civil servants, support service 

contractors, students, and interns. All sessions provided 

time for questions between speakers and attendees. 

Glenn’s Eunice Adams-Sipp, AHAG chair, and one of the 

members of the Mental Health and Suicide Awareness 

team that organized the Feb. 9 program, introduced 

speaker Lisa McCraney. Author and leading expert in 

the mental health feld, McCraney discussed the value 

of reaching out to friends and loved ones about suicide, 

the importance of self-care, and resources for a full and 

productive life.

In case you missed any of these presentations, they 

will be sent via an agency email with links to the events 

in March.

NASA Glenn and the Cleveland 

Foundation participated in Great 

Lakes Science Center’s (GLSC) Martin 

Luther King Jr. celebration day on 

Jan. 17. Glenn’s Mary Lobo, director of 

Technology Incubation and Innovation; 

and Cleveland Foundation’s Leon 

Wilson, chief of Digital Innovation and 

chief information offcer, served as 

panelists for a virtual presentation. 

They discussed efforts to bridge the 

digital divide in Cleveland, and how the 

knowledge gained from this endeavor 

may someday bring Wi-Fi to the Moon. Lobo, left, and Wilson, below right, answer questions from moderator 

JonDarr Bradshaw, STEM Learning Coordinator with GLSC.

GRC-2022-CN-00006 Photo by Chris Hartenstine

MLK Ob s e r va n c e

Bridging Cleveland’s Digital Divide

Observance 

Series Takes 

A Holistic 

Approach
MARCH 2022

9

NASA Glenn recently completed construction on the 

Research Support Building (RSB) located at Lewis Field. 

This innovative building was designed to provide a fexible, 

inclusive, and collaborative workplace to meet future 

mission needs.

The RSB contains offce space for approximately 164 

Glenn civil servants and support service contractors who 

will gradually move in over the next few months. It also 

will serve as a campus center with a cafeteria, “hoteling 

spaces” for part-time teleworkers, exchange store, credit 

union, ATM, 16 conference rooms, training rooms, and 

multiple gathering spaces.

Concurrent engineering rooms allow multiple teams to 

work simultaneously on different phases of a technology 

or project. Several collaborative spaces throughout the 

building offer alternate work environments with a variety 

of seating types to facilitate collaboration.. 

For more information and to view additional photographs, 

visit https://go.nasa.gov/3IdI2Ua.

As NASA’s missions evolve and the

boundaries of exploration expand,

the agency’s infrastructure and

workforce must adapt with them.

GRC-2021-C-01802 

Photo by Jef Janis

GRC-2021-C-01857

Photo by Jef Janis

GRC-2021-C-01765

Photo by Jef Janis

GRC-2021-C-01825 

Photo by Marvin Smith

New Building Offers

Collaborative

Workspace

9
10

Dozier Sr. Levinson

Retirements

Leon R. Dozier Sr., Reliability and System Safety 

Engineering Branch, Program and Project Assurance 

Division, Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, 

retired Feb. 26, 2022, with 38 1⁄2 years of NASA 

service. 

Laurie H. Levinson, Multiscale and Multiphysics 

Modeling Branch, Materials and Structures Division, 

Research and Engineering Directorate, retired Feb. 

26, 2022, with 38 years of NASA service. 

Mary Jo W. Shalkhauser, Avionics Systems, Power 

Division, Research and Engineering Directorate, 

retired Feb. 28, 2022, with 24 1⁄2 years of NASA 

service

Jansen Mullins

Promotions

Susan Jansen has been selected chief, Thermal Systems 

and Transport Processes Branch, Propulsion Division for 

the Research and Engineering Directorate. She has served 

as acting chief of the branch since October 2021. Prior to 

her detail, Jansen served as the deputy Thermal Control 

System manager for the Power and Propulsion Element 

spacecraft. 

James A. Mullins has been selected chief, Operational 

Safety Branch for the Safety and Health Division. He 

previously served as the facility manager in the Test 

Facility Management Branch of the Management 

Integration Division. Prior to that position, Mullins worked 

as a test engineer.

In November 2021, the latest test rover visited SLOPE to 

complete the next iteration of mobility testing, a critical step 

toward ensuring the rover is ready for its 2023 mission to 

the Moon’s South Pole to get a close-up view of the location 

and concentration of ice and other resources. 

The latest prototype of the rover, known as Moon Gravitation 

Representative Unit 3 (MGRU3) has the same wheel design 

and base size as the rover that will go to the Moon. It also 

has the fight design motors, gearboxes and joints, as well 

as the newest version of the fight software.

For more information on this testing, visit https://go.nasa.

gov/3rVgoES.

The test version of NASA’s Volatiles Investigating 

Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) kicks up high 

sinkage sand-like material while transiting Glenn’s 

Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory (SLOPE) bed.

VIPER Prototype Traverses

Through the Sand 

GRC-2021-C-04813 Photo by Jef Janis
MARCH 2022

11

For more information on upcoming events, visit https://nasa.sharepoint.com/sites/grc/SitePages/calendar.aspx

Deadline for the next calendar

section is Wednesday, March 16,

noon. News and feature stories 

require additional time.

Each month the Glenn Library hosts 

Information Café, a forum to highlight 

a library or information resource. Join 

them on the third Wednesday of 

each month from 11–11:45 a.m. The 

March 16 discussion will focus on the 

process to obtain copyright and reuse 

permissions for authors. Check Inside 

Glenn for the link. 

POC: robin.n.pertz@nasa.gov

INFORMATION CAFÉ

Emergency Management Offce 

staff will conduct an audible siren 

test on the “emergency condition” 

tone on Saturday, April 2, at Lewis 

Field. A mass notifcation voice test 

will be conducted at building 39 on 

Wednesday, April 6. 

POC: allen.r.turner@nasa.gov

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

Do You Know This Person?

Glenn’s Logistics and Technical Information Division needs your 

help identifying people, places, and research from archived 

images. If you recognize a photo placed here, email GRC-ITC@

mail.nasa.gov.

To ensure your email reaches the right individuals, please enter 

“DYKTP” into the subject line. Although we cannot respond to 

individual emails, please know your participation is appreciated!

GRC–1996–C–03869

GRC–1990–C–08580

Attention Employees and Retirees!

Inside Glenn Tips

How can I fnd links for SATERN and ESD?

Agencywide website links—including SATERN 

and ESD—are located under the Employee 

Tools pull down bar at the top of the Inside 

Glenn page. 
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center 

Lewis Field

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility

3597 E. Scheid Road

Sandusky, Ohio 44870

www.nasa.gov

Read AeroSpace Frontiers online at https://www.nasa.gov/glenn/aerospacefrontiers.

Emergency and Inclement Weather Lines 

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT) 

Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility: 419–621–3333

Connect With Glenn

From the onset of the pandemic, NASA Glenn’s janitorial staff at 

Lewis Field (Creative Management Technology, Inc. or CMTI) has 

been on-site, keeping the center clean and sanitized. 

When COVID–19 frst began spreading in the United States, it 

was unclear how signifcantly the virus would spread through 

contaminated surface contact. This meant that the cleaning staff 

would need to go above and beyond the requirements of day-today cleaning. 

To determine the best approach for keeping the center 

sanitized, CMTI joined forces with the Logistics and Technical 

Information Division and the Safety and Health Division. The 

team methodically researched, tested, and utilized electrostatic 

sprayers to mitigate the risk of exposure through surface contact. 

They devised a process for regular sanitization of occupied areas 

that met the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control 

and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

As a result of this collaborative effort, Glenn led the way for the 

agency in the development of an operating procedure used by all 

NASA centers in incidences of COVID–19 exposure. This includes 

Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.

Now that the center is slowly transitioning into larger employee 

occupancy, the janitorial staff has, again, adapted to updated 

cleaning guidance and increased work demands. This is in 

addition to addressing annual cleaning requirements such as 

window washing, foor stripping and waxing, and carpet cleaning. 

If you happen to be at Lewis Field and see a CMTI professional in 

a blue polo shirt, take a moment to thank them for their efforts in 

keeping Glenn safe and clean.

Keeping the Center Moving Forward

While many employees transitioned to 

telework due to the pandemic, others 

remained on-site to ensure a safe and 

secure environment at the center. This 

column will highlight these services. 

Maggie Lester, CMTI, cleans and sanitizes tables in the Research 

Support Building lobby.

GRC-2022-C-00105

Photo by Bridget Caswell