January 2011 - A Quarterly Publication

www.nasa.gov

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory 

for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, completed its first science flight on Dec. 1, 

2010. That flight plus two subsequent 

ones demonstrated the aircraft's potential to make discoveries about the 

infrared universe. 

The airborne observatory is an 

international collaboration between 

SOFIA successfully completes initial science flights

by Cathy Weselby NASA and the German Aerospace 

Center, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft 

und Raumfahrt (DLR). SOFIA is a 

heavily modified Boeing 747SP that 

cruises at altitudes between 39,000 

and 45,000 feet. It will allow research- ers to better understand a wide range 

of astronomical phenomena including 

how stars and planets are born, how 

organic substances form in interstellar 

space, and how supermassive black 

holes feed and grow. 

"These initial science flights mark a 

significant milestone in SOFIA’s development and ability to conduct peerreviewed science observations," said 

NASA Astrophysics Division Director 

Jon Morse. "We anticipate a number of 

important discoveries from this unique 

observatory, as well as extended 

investigations of discoveries by other 

space telescopes." 

 The three science flights, phase 

one of SOFIA's early science program, 

employed the Faint Object InfraRed 

Camera for the SOFIA Telescope 

(FORCAST) instrument developed by 

Cornell University and led by principal 

investigator Terry Herter. FORCAST 

observes the mid-infrared spectrum 

from five to 40 microns. 

"The first science flight showed 

that the SOFIA observatory works 

very well," said Alois Himmes, SOFIA project manager at DLR. "It also 

NASA's Kepler mission has confirmed the discovery of its first 

rocky planet, named Kepler-10b. 

Measuring 1.4 times the size of 

Earth, it is the smallest planet 

ever discovered outside our solar 

system. 

The discovery of this so-called 

exoplanet is based on more than 

eight months of data collected by 

the spacecraft from May 2009 to 

early January 2010. 

"All of Kepler's best capabilities have converged to yield the 

first solid evidence of a rocky 

planet orbiting a star other than 

our sun," said Natalie Batalha, 

Kepler's deputy science team 

lead at NASA Ames and primary 

author of a paper on the discovery published by the Astrophysical 

Journal. "The Kepler team made 

a commitment in 2010 about finding the telltale signatures of small 

planets in the data, and it's beginning 

to pay off."

by Rachel Hoover Kepler's ultra-precise photomet

measures the tiny decrease in a star's 

brightness that occurs when a planet 

crosses in front of it. The size of the 

Artist concept of Kepler-10b. Credit: NASA

continued on page 3

NASA’s Kepler Mission discovers its first rocky planet

planet can be derived from these periodic dips in brightness. The distance 

between the planet and the star is 

calculated by measuring the time 

between successive dips as the 

planet orbits the star.

Kepler is the first NASA mission capable of finding Earth-size 

planets in or near the habitable 

zone, the region in a planetary 

system where liquid water can exist on the planet's surface. However, since it orbits once every 0.84 

days, Kepler-10b is more than 20 

times closer to its star than Mercury is to our sun and not in the 

habitable zone.

Kepler-10 was the first star 

identified that could potentially 

harbor a small transiting planet, 

placing it at the top of the list 

for ground-based observations 

with the W.M. Keck Observatory 

10-meter telescope in Hawaii.

Scientists waiting for a signal 

to confirm Kepler-10b as a planet 

continued on page 3

Terry Herter, Cornell University’s principal 

investigator for the Faint Object InfraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope 

(FORCAST), mounted on SOFIA’s infrared telescope, analyzes data during the 

rehearsal Nov. 29 for the observatory’s 

initial science flight. NASA Photo by Tom 

Tschida.
2

Astrogram January 2011

NASA's Kepler Mission Science 

Operations Center software system 

was named winner of the 2010 NASA 

Software of the Year award by the 

NASA Software Advisory Panel.

Designed, developed and operated by the Kepler Science Operations 

Center (SOC) at NASA Ames, the 

SOC software system is used to find 

Earth-size planets using photometric 

data acquired from the Kepler spacecraft.

The SOC software system is a 

suite of 22 custom-designed tools 

for processing, analyzing, and storing transit photometry and engineering data for the Kepler Mission. The 

Kepler Mission is the first NASA 

mission capable of finding Earth-size 

planets in the "habitable zone," the 

region in a planetary system where 

liquid water can exist on the surface of 

the orbiting planet.

Kepler is a space observatory that 

looks for the data signatures of planets 

by measuring tiny decreases in stars’ 

brightness when planets cross in front 

of, or transit, them. The size of the 

planet can be derived from the change 

in the star's brightness.

On June 15, the Kepler Mission 

released data that could double the 

amount of known planets outside 

of the solar system. Of the 165,000 

stars that the Kepler Mission has 

been monitoring for planetary transits, 

approximately 750 of them reveal 

planetary candidates. All of these 

discoveries were made possible by the 

SOC software system and the team 

that developed and manages it.

"Their outstanding work has made 

a significant and lasting contribution 

to Ames' technology development 

portfolio and to NASA's leadership in 

astronomical research,” said Ames 

Center Director S. Pete Worden. “I am 

absolutely delighted that the NASA 

Kepler Science Operations Center has 

been honored with this prestigious 

award. As a center, we have enjoyed 

great success in previous NASA Software of the Year competitions, and this 

award adds to our proud legacy."

Ames has won or been a co-winner of the NASA Software of the Year 

award nine times since it was initiated 

in 1994. For this year's award, there 

were two runner ups – LEWis ICE 

accretion program (LEWICE), Version 

NASA’s Kepler Mission wins 2010 Software of Year Award

by Michael Mewhinney 3.2.2 from NASA’s Glenn Researc

Center in Cleveland and International 

Polar Orbiter Processing Package 

(IPOPP) from NASA’s Goddard Space 

Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

A formal ceremony to present the 

2010 Software of the Year award will 

be held Feb. 9-10, 2011 at the NASA 

Project Management Challenge Conference in Long Beach, Calif.

The Office of Safety and Mission 

Assurance and the Chief Information 

Officer sponsor the NASA Software of 

the Year competition to identify innovative software technologies that significantly improve the agency’s exploration of space and maximize scientific 

discovery on Earth. A NASA Software 

Advisory Panel assesses and ranks 

entries and reports its findings to 

NASA’s Inventions and Contributions 

Board.

Ames is responsible for the ground 

system development, mission operations and science data analysis. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 

Pasadena, Calif., managed the Kepler 

mission development. Ball Aerospace 

and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, 

Colo., developed the Kepler flight system, and supports mission operations 

with the Laboratory for Atmospheric 

and Space Physics at the University 

of Colorado in Boulder. The Space 

Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore archives, hosts and distributes 

the Kepler science data. 

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) awarded the first Lancelot 

M. Berkeley - New York Community 

Trust Prize for Meritorious Work in 

Astronomy to William J. Borucki and 

David G. Koch of NASA Ames.

Borucki serves as principal investigator and Koch as deputy principal investigator of the Kepler Mission, which 

-- in the words of the prize committee's 

citation -- “is discovering new exoplanets while making major advancements 

in the search for terrestrial planets 

Kepler scientists honored by the 

American Astronomical Society

around other stars.” The two scientists 

shared $8,000 in prize money and 

their expenses were covered for travel 

to the 217th AAS meeting in Seattle, 

Washington, where they jointly presented the Lancelot Berkeley Prize 

Lecture on Jan. 13, 2011.

In 1992, the two scientists 

began collaborating on what eventually became known as Kepler. 

The 0.95-meter-aperture (38-inch) 

space telescope was launched into 

Kepler with distant solar system. Artist's rendition of the Kepler spacecraft. Credit: NASA/

Kepler Mission, Wendy Stenzel

continued on next page
3

Astrogram January 2011

were not disappointed. Keck was 

able to measure tiny changes in the 

star's spectrum, called Doppler shifts, 

caused by the telltale tug exerted by 

the orbiting planet on the star. 

"The discovery of Kepler-10b, a 

bona fide rocky world, is a significant 

milestone in the search for planets 

similar to our own," said Douglas 

Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at 

NASA Headquarters in Washington. 

"Although this planet is not in the 

habitable zone, the exciting find showcases the kinds of discoveries made 

possible by the mission and the promise of many more to come," he said. 

"Our knowledge of the planet is 

only as good as the knowledge of the 

star it orbits," said Batalha. Because 

Kepler-10 is one of the brighter stars 

being targeted by Kepler, scientists 

were able to detect high frequency 

variations in the star's brightness 

generated by stellar oscillations, or 

starquakes. "This is the analysis that 

really allowed us to pin down Kepler10b's properties," she added. 

"We have a clear signal in the data 

arising from light waves that travel 

within the interior of the star," said 

Hans Keldsen, an astronomer at the 

Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium at Aarhus University in Denmark. 

Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium scientists use the information 

to better understand the star, just as 

earthquakes are used to learn about 

Earth's interior structure. "As a result 

of this analysis, Kepler-10 is one of the 

most well characterized planet-hosting 

stars in the universe next to our sun," 

Kjeldsen said.

That's good news for the team 

studying Kepler-10b. Accurate stellar properties yield accurate planet 

properties. In the case of Kepler-10b, 

the picture that emerges is of a rocky 

planet with a mass 4.6 times that of 

Earth and with an average density of 

8.8 grams per cubic centimeter -- similar to that of an iron dumbbell.

"This planet is unequivocally rocky, 

with a surface you could stand on," 

commented team member Dimitar 

Sasselov of the Harvard-Smithsonian 

Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge 

and a Kepler co-investigator. 

"All of Kepler’s best capabilities 

continued from front page

NASA’s Kepler Mission discovers its first rocky planet

have converged for this discovery," 

Batalha said, "yielding the first solid 

evidence of a rocky planet orbiting a 

star other than our sun."

Ames manages Kepler's ground 

system development, mission operations and science data analysis. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 

Pasadena, Calif., managed Kepler 

mission development.

Ball Aerospace and Technologies 

Corp. in Boulder, Colo., developed the 

Kepler flight system and supports mission operations with the Laboratory for 

Atmospheric and Space Physics at the 

University of Colorado in Boulder. The 

Space Telescope Science Institute in 

Baltimore archives, hosts and distributes the Kepler science data.

Earth orbit on March 6, 2009, almost 

exactly 400 years after its namesake, 

German astronomer-mathematician 

Johannes Kepler, published the first 

two of his three laws of planetary motion in Astronomia Nova (“The New 

Astronomy.”)

AAS president Debra M. Elmegreen of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, informed Borucki 

and Koch of their selection as winners 

of the 2011 Lancelot Berkeley Prize. 

Borucki recalls, “When I got the call 

from Debra I felt a burst of joy and 

happiness that Dave and I were being 

recognized for developing the Kepler 

mission. It's been a privilege to lead 

the team to determine the frequency 

of Earth-size planets in the habitable zone of other stars. The Kepler 

Mission is a critical step in mankind's 

exploration of the Milky Way,” Borucki 

said.

 “It is a great honor to receive an 

award from the AAS,” said Koch. “It 

has been 18 years since we started 

down the road to an operating Kepler 

mission, with all the hundreds of dedicated scientists, engineers, programmers, and managers, and it has been 

a fantastic journey. Finding habitable 

planets will surely serve as an inspiration for future generations to continue 

to explore the cosmos.”

This prestigious new AAS prize 

was established in 2010 by the New 

York Community Trust, which administers the estate of Lancelot M. Berkeley, a New York lawyer and astronomy 

enthusiast. The Lancelot Berkeley 

Prize will be awarded annually for 

highly meritorious work in advancing 

the science of astronomy published 

in a peer-reviewed journal during 

the previous year. It is given without 

distinction as to nationality. Nominations were evaluated by a committee 

of three AAS vice-presidents and the 

editors in chief of the Astrophysical 

Journal and Astronomical Journal. 

The judges reported a “unanimous, 

wholehearted recommendation” that 

the 2011 Lancelot Berkeley Prize be 

awarded to Borucki and Koch “for the 

discovery of new worlds and for taking 

a major step in determining the extent 

of life in our galaxy.”

Kepler scientists honored by American Astronomical Society

continued from previous page

This infrared image of the heart of the Orion 

star-formation complex was taken from 

SOFIA using the FORCAST mid-infrared 

camera. (NASA/SOFIA/USRA/FORCAST 

Team)

demonstrated the excellent collabora- tion between the U.S. and German 

partners and the intense work of the 

teams during the past weeks." 

In February 2011, the German 

Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz 

Frequencies (GREAT), developed 

by the Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany, will be 

installed in the observatory for three 

additional flights during the second 

phase of the program. 

NASA's Ames manages the SOFIA 

science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space 

Research Association in Columbia, 

Md., and the Deutsches SOFIA Institut 

at the University of Stuttgart, Germany.

SOFIA completes initial science flights

continued from front page
4

Astrogram January 2011

Dr. Andrew Pohorille of Ames 

recently presented the 2010 H. Julian 

Allen award colloquium entitled "The 

Quest for Efficient Methods to Calculate Free Energies: Bridging Statistical 

Mechanics and Molecular Biology." 

Professor Eric Darve of Stanford University and Pohorille were awarded the 

H. Julian Allen Prize for 2010 for their 

paper entitled "Calculating Free Energies Using Average Force," published 

in the Journal of Chemical Physics, 

Vol. 115, pp. 9169-9183 (2010). The 

H. Julian Allen award recognizes the 

best technical paper for a given year. 

In his lecture, Pohorille showed 

how proteins fold into their native 

three-dimensional structures, enzymes 

interact with candidate drugs, proteins 

in muscles stretch in response to 

the applied force, or channels mediate permeation of ions and nutrients 

across cell walls, all depend on a 

common feature, namely how the free 

energy of the system changes during 

the process. The award winning 2010 

paper provided a general solution to 

this problem. 

The initial step involves deriving 

formulas for calculating statistically 

averaged forces acting on the system 

along arbitrary coordinates that describe chemical or biological processes of interest. Then, the paper provided a prescription how these forces 

can be rapidly adjusted in an adaptive 

manner such that, on average, there 

is no force acting on the system along 

the selected reaction coordinates. 

Without sacrifice of theoretical rigor, 

this guarantees uniform sampling of all 

relevant states of the system, which in 

turn implies optimal efficiency of free 

energy calculations. The method is being used by a rapidly increasing number of researchers, always yielding 

significant improvements in efficiency 

and accuracy.

Pohorille received a Ph.D. in 

theoretical physics and structural 

biology from University of Warsaw. 

He did his postdoctoral work at the 

institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique 

in Paris under Prof. Bernard Pullman. 

Since 1992, he has been professor of 

chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California 

by Stephanie Langho

Ames honors 2010 H. Julian Allen award recipients

San Francisco. In 1996, he joined 

the staff of NASA Ames. In 2002, he 

was awarded the NASA Exceptional 

Scientific Achievement Medal. His 

main interests have been focused on 

modeling the origins of life, computer 

simulations of biomolecular systems, 

modeling genetic and metabolic 

networks, and statistical mechanics of 

condensed phases.

Darve received a Ph.D. in applied 

mathematics from Pierre et Marie 

Curie University in Paris under Prof. 

Olivier Pironneau. Between 1999 and 

2001, he held a postdoctoral position 

in the Center of Turbulence Research 

at Stanford and at NASA Ames, working with Pohorille. Since then, he has 

been a faculty member at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at 

Stanford. His research is focused on 

the development of numerical methods for large scale scientific computing with applications in biomolecular 

simulations, fluid and solid mechanics, 

and electromagnetics.

photo by Jeff Cuzzi

Professor Eric Darve (second from right) of Stanford University and Dr. Andrew Pohorille of 

Ames (second from left) were awarded the H. Julian Allen Prize for 2010 for their paper entitled 

“Calculating Free Energies Using Average Force,” during the H. Julian Allen award colloquium. 

Associate Center Director Steven Zornetzer is on the far left and Ames’ Chief Scientist Stephanie Langhoff is on the far right.

An All Hands meeting with Ames 

employees on the status of both the agency 

and Ames was held on Jan. 19 in the Main 

Auditorium. Topics discussed included information from the recent Executive Council 

retreat that focused on Ames’ results in the 

OPM culture survey. Ames’ senior management is taking these results very seriously 

and will discuss the next steps in the plan 

to move forward with the areas of concern. 

The objective is to make NASA Ames a 

great place to work, and also to make it one 

of NASA’s premier centers. To do that, it is 

critical to continue to have information and 

communication flow between all. 

NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Executive retreat and culture survey 

discussed at recent All Hands
5

Astrogram January 2011

NASA satellites soon will provide 

California growers in the San Joaquin 

Valley with important information about 

crop growth, irrigation demands and 

forecasts, as well as imagery of their 

fields throughout the growing season. 

To support irrigation management 

decisions by agricultural producers, 

NASA has launched a project that 

uses the Terrestrial Observation and 

Prediction System (TOPS), a software 

application that processes imagery 

from Earth-observing satellites and 

delivers new sources of information 

to California growers. TOPS combines data from NASA satellites, with 

local weather observations to provide 

information about crop water needs. 

The project is an example of NASA’s 

efforts to address needs outside the 

science community, such as water 

management in California and the 

western United States. 

"Growers have the best understanding of how much water is needed 

for their crops, based on the unique 

conditions associated with each field," 

said Forrest Melton, a project scientist 

at NASA Ames. "Our goal is to provide additional information from NASA 

satellites to help growers get the most 

value out of the water they have available."

 This new version of TOPS builds 

on technologies developed by prior 

NASA-supported research to optimize 

irrigation management and quality 

control in California vineyards. The 

project now is designing new ways 

to link satellite observations with 

measurements from wireless sensor 

networks installed in agricultural fields. 

NASA addresses water needs of California growers

by Ruth Dasso Marlai

By combining these two sources of 

information, scientists will develop a 

highly accurate picture of the water 

balance across each field, providing participating growers with a new 

source of information to manage their 

irrigation systems. The prototype 

system is undergoing beta-testing in 

collaboration with growers in the San 

Joaquin Valley. 

The project uses data from the 

Landsat program, a series of Earthobserving satellites built and launched 

by NASA and managed by the U.S. 

Geological Survey. Landsat satellites 

have taken digital images of Earth’s 

continents and coastal regions for 

more than three decades, broadening 

our understanding of natural processes and human-induced changes in the 

landscape. 

"Satellites like Landsat have a 

resolution of about one quarter of an 

acre, a meaningful scale to growers,” 

said Lee Johnson, a senior research 

scientist at California State University, 

Monterey Bay working on the project. 

“The two Landsat satellites currently 

operating, collect new observations for 

every location approximately once a 

Chris Lund and Forrest Melton, both research scientists at NASA Ames, check data 

from a wireless soil moisture monitoring network. The data will help interpret satellite 

estimates of crop water demand. NASA photo by Forrest Melton.

Image of the city of Salinas (upper left) and the agricultural fields in Salinas Valley 

as seen by the Landsat satellite.

continued on page 7
6

Astrogram January 2011

Fifteen years after its final flight, 

veterans of the Kuiper Airborne 

Observatory, KAO, gathered at NASA 

Ames on Nov. 10, 2010 to witness 

the opening of a time capsule. 

 The KAO is a highly modified 

Lockheed C-141A cargo transport 

fitted with a 36-inch telescope. The 

observatory was based at NASA Ames 

for operations that began in 1974 and 

ended in 1995. 

 Wendy Dolci, associate director 

for operations at NASA Ames’ Astrobiology Institute, served as mission director when the time capsule was assembled in 1995. Dolci wasn’t certain 

what the group would find upon the 

capsule’s opening, but she did remember a pair of mascots: a stuffed kiwi 

and a stuffed koala, given by friends 

from New Zealand and Australia. The 

koala was a constant companion of 

crewmembers, flying four million miles 

on the airborne observatory. 

As the crowd waited, anticipation 

built and when the capsule was finally 

unlatched, it revealed an intact koala 

and kiwi, along with the rest of the 

items, which had been stored in an ice 

chest. A cricket bat signed by friends 

from New Zealand also was among 

the memorabilia.

NASA Kuiper Airborne Observatory’s past unearthed

 Results from observations made 

with the KAO, including images of the 

comet Halley and super nova SN87A, 

were rediscovered. Diane Wooden, an 

Ames astrophysicist, was on board in 

April 1986 when those images were 

taken and recalled “how much fun it 

was.” She flew on KAO missions for 

16 of the 22 years the aircraft was in 

operation.

 More practical items included a 

flight map from the final flight, meeting 

minutes, a guest book and a package 

of Lipton’s Cup of Soup – “a typical 

Kuiper gourmet meal,” recalled one of 

the former crewmembers.

 Items of a less scientific nature included the lyrics to “The Kuiper Blues,” 

along with a harmonica and a poem 

written by Tom Connors, a former 

mechanical engineer. 

 “We had a rich culture with the 

KAO,” quipped Dolci.

 On a humorous note, there was 

a penny-filled jar labeled, “Save the 

KAO Fund;” a “smile” lipstick sticker, 

for “when everything’s wrong and you 

need to be pleasant;” and an alleged 

witch-doctor bone. The artifact had 

been acquired by KAO scientist Jim 

Elliot in Maseru Lesotho, South Africa, 

in 1971, and was used by Elliot and 

fellow scientists Ted Dunham and their 

collaborators to “ward off evil occultation spirits.”

One item that KAO veterans 

recommended be passed on to KAO’s 

successor, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, 

crew was a talisman representing “the 

blame.” Consisting of a simple feather 

bearing a message, it was bequeathed 

to SOFIA staff with the instructions 

that it “is to be used during times when 

things have gone wrong, awry, amok 

(yes, this will happen on SOFIA, too) 

and blame is being randomly cast 

about. Just take the blame and pin it 

on someone (it seems to work best 

when it’s pinned on the person who 

is least to blame). Then, for the rest 

of the day, that person is blamed for 

everything.” The blame talisman was 

one example of how scientists working long hours under pressure vented 

steam with humor.

 That item was among several that 

Dolci brought to the Dryden Aircraft 

Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., 

to present to SOFIA program staff. 

Just after the crew briefing for the 

SOFIA’s first dedicated science flight 

on Nov. 30, 2010, Dolci presented 

SOFIA program manager Bob Meyer 

with the kiwi and koala. Meyer passed 

the items along to Nancy McKown of 

the Universities Space Research Association, mission manager for the first 

series of SOFIA’s science flights, to be 

carried on board the airborne observatory. The mascots, Meyer said, “need 

to go flying.”

 The tiny stuffed mascots brought 

some of the KAO’s charm to SOFIA 

and, scientists hope, some KAO karma that will enable the SOFIA program 

to carry on the important and successful work of its predecessor. 

 The SOFIA team is off to a good 

start, with the help of the artifacts 

inherited from the KAO, three short 

science 1-series flights were completed Dec. 8, 2010 marking “a significant 

milestone in SOFIA’s development and 

ability to conduct peer-reviewed science observations,” said Meyer.

by Cathy Weselby

Wendy Dolci holds up two mascots from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory during the 

KAO time capsule opening ceremony on Nov. 10, 2010. The kiwi and koala were 

given by friends in New Zealand and Australia to the KAO crew members. It’s estimated that the koala mascot flew four million miles on the KAO. 

 NASA photo by Eric James
7

Astrogram January 2011

Scott Sandford grew up in Los Alamos, N.M., which may have fostered 

his early interest in science. “I've been 

surrounded by scientists most of my 

life,” he said. After earning a doctorate 

degree in physics from Washington 

University, St. Louis, Mo., he accepted 

a position in 1986 at NASA Ames. 

Over the years, he has had a diversified career path, including performing 

research in seismology, accelerator 

particle physics, meteoritics, infrared 

astronomy, and laboratory astrochemistry. In 2010, he was awarded a 

Fellowship by the American Planetary 

Society.

Q: You are an internationally recognized and highly respected expert 

on the chemical make-up of extraterrestrial and early solar nebular matter. When a tiny asteroid exploded 

over the Nubian Desert in Sudan on 

October 7, 2008, it left a field of stone 

fragments. Scientists now are reporting on their analyses. What are the 

significant findings of that meteorite, 

now named Almahatta Sitta?

A: Scientists learned quite a few 

things. We found that the meteorite 

belongs to a relatively rare class of 

meteorites called ureilites. Scientists 

generally agree that ureilites look a lot 

like primitive meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites that have been 

significantly heated. But we still don’t 

understand the exact nature of the 

original chondrite material, or the manner in which it is heated.

We also learned that the asteroid 

wasn't made of just one type of material. It also contained at least some 

fragments of other asteroids, suggesting that the original asteroid had 

suffered collisions with other bodies in 

the past.

Q: Meteorites classified as ureilites 

are very rare. This suggests the origin 

of the collected samples is different 

than most meteorites. Are there theories that explain this phenomenon?

A: While ureilites are rare meteorites found on Earth, this does not 

necessarily imply they are derived 

from a rare type of asteroid. There are 

hundreds of thousands of asteroids 

in our solar system, but only a small 

fraction are favorably located so their 

fragments find their way to Earth. So, 

ureilites could be rare because they 

come from a type of asteroid that is 

Science Q&A with Scott Sandford, NASA space scientist

intrinsically uncommon, or they could 

be rare because most of their parent 

asteroids are not ideally located to 

deliver meteorites to Earth.

Q: Considering the violent impacts, 

friction and extreme heat these meteorites endure, how are compounds like 

amino acids and polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons (PAHs), both considered 

building blocks of life, able to survive? 

A: While the collision of two asterby Ruth Dasso Marlai

oids is a fairly violent and energetic 

event, not all of the materials in both 

asteroids see the same degree of 

processing. During a collision, some 

materials, for example, the materials 

at the point of initial contact, may be 

heated enough by the shock to be 

utterly vaporized. However, materials 

further from the collision site, including 

amino acids and PAHs, may be largely 

unaffected. 

Scott Sandford (right) talks to various audiences about the Stardust mission. Here he shows 

a Foothill Community College audience a piece of aerogel, which contained dust samples 

from Comet Wild 2.

week, making the information useful to 

growers in drawing up irrigation schedules, and for water managers tasked 

with ensuring that enough water is 

available to meet the demand from 

agriculture.”

 Processing the vast volume of 

satellite data needed to produce 

information for agricultural producers 

and water managers across millions 

of acres of irrigated land in real time 

is a major challenge. To address this 

challenge, the project is leveraging 

the NASA Earth Exchange, a new 

resource at NASA Ames that brings 

together global Earth observation 

datasets and NASA supercomputing 

resources to support both fundamental 

and applied research. 

 "With the advanced computing 

resources at NASA Ames, we can 

quickly process terabytes of data and 

make it available to growers almost 

immediately," says Rama Nemani, 

a senior research scientist at NASA 

Ames, and lead scientist for the NASA 

Earth Exchange project. 

 As residential, industrial, agricultural, and environmental demands 

compete for limited water supplies, 

new sources of information will help 

consumers, water managers, and 

policy makers manage water supplies 

more effectively. NASA’s computing 

and data management infrastructure 

provides new capabilities to maximize 

the benefit of water supplies throughout California and the western United 

States.

NASA addresses water needs of 

California growers

continued from page 5

NASA photo
8

Astrogram January 2011

The Ames Contractor Council (ACC) recently held its annual 

Contractor Excellence Awards Ceremony in the Main Auditorium. This 

event celebrated and acknowledged 

the contributions that both individuals and teams have made to Ames’ 

activities. 

The event was hosted by Master of Ceremonies Timothy Steiger; 

presentations were made by Elisa 

Taube, ACC president, and Jack 

Boyd, senior advisor to the Ames 

center director. 

A total of 22 individuals and 14 

teams were recognized for their 

outstanding performance during the 

past year. 

 The ACC also presented its 

Safety Excellence Awards at the 

event, recognizing IAP Worldwide 

Services, Inc., for the Team category and Bruce Foutch for his 

individual contributions. 

In recognition of the Martin 

Luther King Holiday, the Ames 

African American Advisory Group 

invited Ames employees to participate in the Martin Luther King 

Celebration in the Main Auditorium 

at Ames on Jan. 12. This year's 

theme is "Why We Celebrate." 

The guest speaker this year was 

Dr. Arlando Smith, assistant professor of Educational Leadership at 

San Jose State University. Smith 

received his B.A. and M.A. in political science from California State 

University at Fullerton, and his 

doctorate in Educational Leadership 

and Organizational Management 

from the University of LaVerne. 

Prior to becoming a college 

instructor, Smith was a high school 

teacher, high school and middle 

Ames hosts Martin Luther King celebration

school principal, and a district office 

administrator. He has served as 

a facilitator at the Stanford School 

Redesign Network and as a consulNASA photo by Dominic Hart

tant with WestEd using best practices 

in school reform in underperforming 

schools and districts.

Dr. Arlando Smith, assistant professor of Educational Leadership at San 

Jose State University, 

was the guest speaker at 

the recent Martin Luther 

King celebration held at 

Ames this month.

ACC holds 2010 Contractor Excellence Awards ceremony

by Kathleen Sta

Left to right: ACC members Terrance Reichert (vice President), Josefina Serrano (secretary), 

Elisa Taubem (president), Timothy Steiger (awards chair), Herb Finger (treasurer) and Christopher Youngquist (awards co-chair).

NASA photo
9

Astrogram January 2011

The Hispanic Advisory Committee 

for Employees (HACE) hosted a visit 

to Ames by Astronaut Jose M. Hernandez. As part of HACE's "Mission to 

Success" educational outreach event, 

Hernandez addressed the Ames community and the 8th grade class from 

East Palo Alto's Ronald McNair Middle 

School at the Main Auditorium in 

October. He also addressed high 

school students at San Jose's Latino 

College Preparatory Academy. 

In May 2004, NASA selected 

Hernandez as an astronaut candidate. 

In July 2008, he became a mission 

specialist for the STS-128 mission 

that launched on Aug. 28, 2009 and 

returned Sept. 11, 2009. 

Hernandez has come a long way 

from his days working in the fields of 

California to becoming one of few Hispanics to participate in a space flight 

mission. His efforts and determination 

to succeed has made Hernandez an 

inspiration to minorities, especially 

within the Hispanic community. 

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

Astronaut Jose M. Hernandez presents “Mission to Success”

HACE is proud to be able to showcase stories of success, like that of 

Hernandez, to the youth of America. 

That's why HACE invited Hernandez 

to lead the "Mission to Success" educational outreach event.

Astronaut Jose M. 

Hernandez (right) 

receives a certificate 

of appreciation from 

Ames Center Director 

S. Pete Worden (left) 

during the Hispanic 

Advisory Committee for Employees 

“Mission to Success” 

educational outreach 

event.

NASA Ames has entered into a 

five-year Non-Reimbursable Space Act 

Agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 

(CAL FIRE) to use NASA technology 

and capabilities to help support the 

management and mitigation of wildfire 

disasters. 

 "The two entities have had an 

ad-hoc partnership for the last 25 

years and this agreement formalizes 

our working relationship and allows 

the two agencies to explore new and 

exciting technology developments and 

capabilities that support the needs of 

the people of California," said Vince 

Ambrosia, NASA Ames' principal 

investigator and senior scientist of the 

collaborative effort. 

 "CAL FIRE is proud to formalize 

its partnership with NASA," said Chief 

Ken Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE. 

"Under this agreement we will coopNASA Collaborates with CAL FIRE for Wildfire Management, mitigation 

by Karen Jenvey eratively explore the use and future

transfer of advanced fire sensing 

technology. This in turn, will benefit the 

public we serve by helping CAL FIRE 

increase situational awareness and 

response efficiency." 

 NASA has developed an innovative visible, infrared and thermal 

sensor called the NASA Autonomous 

Modular Scanner (AMS) at Ames. 

The scanner has operated on both 

NASA’s Predator B Unmanned Aerial 

Vehicle (UAV), named Ikhana, and 

a manned B-200 King Air operated 

by NASA's Dryden Flight Research 

Center at Edwards, Calif. The scanner provides real-time wildfire imaging 

data over large-scale disaster events 

in the western United States and 

particularly in California. The innovations include performing all processing autonomously aboard the aircraft, 

and relaying the information through 

a satellite communications system to 

disaster managers located anywhere 

in the world. 

The system performed flawlessly 

during several major wildfire events in 

southern California in 2007 and during 

the lightning fires in Northern California in 2008. Those missions were 

flown aboard the NASA Ikhana UAV. 

More recently, the team has focused 

on integration and operation of the 

sensor aboard the manned B-200 King 

Air aircraft. 

 "The B-200 has more rapid response capability than the unmanned 

aerial vehicles. The exciting element is 

that we have the ability to use different 

platforms as the mission requirements 

change," Ambrosia said. 

 For more information on the 

Autonomous Modular Scanner and the 

Western States Fire Missions, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/

research/wsfm.html
10

Astrogram January 2011

NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental 

knowledge about what comprises all 

known life on Earth. 

Researchers conducting tests in 

the harsh environment of Mono Lake 

in California have discovered the first 

known microorganism on Earth able 

to thrive and reproduce using the toxic 

chemical arsenic. The microorganism 

substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in 

its cell components. 

"The definition of life has just expanded," said Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for the Science 

Mission Directorate at the agency's 

Headquarters in Washington. "As we 

pursue our efforts to seek signs of life 

in the solar system, we have to think 

more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it."

This finding of an alternative 

biochemistry makeup will alter biology 

textbooks and expand the scope of 

the search for life beyond Earth. The 

research was published in a recent 

edition of Science Express.

 Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, 

oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur are the 

six basic building blocks of all known 

forms of life on Earth. Phosphorus is 

part of the chemical backbone of DNA 

and RNA, the structures that carry 

genetic instructions for life, and is 

NASA-funded research discovers life built with toxic chemical

by Cathy Weselby considered an essential element for all 

living cells.

Phosphorus is a central component of the energy-carrying molecule 

in all cells (adenosine triphosphate) 

and also the phospholipids that form 

all cell membranes. Arsenic, which 

is chemically similar to phosphorus, 

is poisonous for most life on Earth. 

Arsenic disrupts metabolic pathways 

because chemically it behaves similarly to phosphate. 

"We know that some microbes can 

breathe arsenic, but what we've found 

is a microbe doing something new -- 

building parts of itself out of arsenic," 

said Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a NASA 

Astrobiology research fellow in residence at the U.S. Geological Survey 

in Menlo Park, Calif., and the research 

team's lead scientist. "If something 

here on Earth can do something so 

unexpected, what else can life do that 

we haven't seen yet?"

The newly discovered microbe, 

strain GFAJ-1, is a member of a 

common group of bacteria, the Gammaproteobacteria. In the laboratory, 

the researchers successfully grew microbes from the lake on a diet that was 

very lean on phosphorus, but included 

generous helpings of arsenic. When 

researchers removed the phosphorus 

and replaced it with arsenic the microbes continued to grow. Subsequent 

analyses indicated that the arsenic 

was being used to produce the building blocks of new GFAJ-1 cells. 

The key issue the researchers 

investigated was when the microbe 

was grown on arsenic did the arsenic 

actually became incorporated into the 

organisms' vital biochemical machinery, such as DNA, proteins and the 

cell membranes. A variety of sophisticated laboratory techniques was used 

to determine where the arsenic was 

incorporated.

The team chose to explore Mono 

Lake because of its unusual chemistry, 

especially its high salinity, high alkalinity, and high levels of arsenic. This 

chemistry is in part a result of Mono 

Lake's isolation from its sources of 

fresh water for 50 years. 

The results of this study will inform 

ongoing research in many areas, including the study of Earth's evolution, 

organic chemistry, biogeochemical 

cycles, disease mitigation and Earth 

system research. These findings also 

will open up new frontiers in microbiology and other areas of research.

"The idea of alternative biochemistries for life is common in science fiction," said Carl Pilcher, director of the 

NASA Astrobiology Institute at Ames. 

"Until now, a life form using arsenic as 

a building block was only theoretical, 

but now we know such life exists in 

Mono Lake." 

The research team included 

scientists from the U.S. Geological 

Survey, Arizona State University in 

Tempe, Ariz., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., 

Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, 

Penn., and the Stanford Synchroton 

Radiation Lightsource in Menlo Park, 

Calif. 

NASA's Astrobiology Program in 

Washington contributed funding for the 

research through its Exobiology and 

Evolutionary Biology program and the 

NASA Astrobiology Institute. NASA's 

Astrobiology Program supports research into the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth.

Image of GFAJ-1 grown on arsenic. Image credit: Jodi Switzer Blum
11

Astrogram January 2011

The Astrogram 

returns April 2011

The Astrogram staff hopes 

you all enjoy this issue of the 

current newsletter in its quarterly publication format. Our 

next issue will be published in 

April 2011. If you want to submit 

a story and/or photo for consideration, please email them to 

Astrid Olson at A.Olson@nasa.

gov by April 15, 2010.

 Dec. 10, 2010

Editor, Astrogram

I was glad to receive the Sept. issue of the Astrogram. I was employed at NASA from 1969 to 1984 in the 

Chemical Research Projects Office. I only recognize a couple of names in the issue. Of course “Sy” Syvertson 

was director for a while then, and I do remember Jack Boyd.

 The front-page article in the Astrogram, “NASA aims to improve aviation safety” strikes a familiar chord. It 

was the mission of our group then to also improve aviation safety by increasing the fire resistance of aircrafts. 

Our group leader was John Parker. It was our premise that more airplane crashes would be survivable if there 

were not a subsequent fire. We did a lot of good work. We were instrumental in replacing combustible thermoplastic interior panels that would melt and drip burning material onto the highly combustible seats, and thus 

propagate a fire throughout the plane, with more fire-resistant thermosetting plastics. Although we tried to develop fire-resistant foam for the seats, we didn’t succeed in getting a comfortable material, but we greatly improved 

the fire-resistance by encasing the foam with non-combustible Nomex or carbon fiber fabric.

 We also developed intumescent coatings, fire- and laser-resistant windows. And some novel polymers that 

would not burn, even in pure oxygen. Although many papers were written and patents issued, many of our developments never got commercialized, remaining to be rediscovered when the need for these things arises. 

 It is quite gratifying that there have been many recent incidents of plane crashes in which there were quite a 

few survivors. And the Xmas, 2009 bombing attempt by the so-called Underwear Bomber resulted in only a localized fire that did not spread throughout the plane and with no loss of life. Twenty-five years ago, it would have 

been a different story. The seats would have caught fire, then the panels, and then propagated throughout the 

entire plane, with all passengers killed. Our work at NASA probably had a big influence in this aspect of Aviation 

Safety. At least, I hope so.

George M. Fohlen, Ph.D.

Letters to the Editor

James H. Stevenson, a research psychologist in the Human 

Systems Integration Division, passed away on Dec. 15, 2010. 

Stevenson had extensive training and experience in mathematics, psychology and statistics. 

From 1964-1968, Stevenson attended Pomona College in 

southern California for his bachelor’s degrees in psychology and 

mathematics. During 1968-1975, Stevenson studied at Stanford 

University where he obtained a Ph.D. experimental psychology 

followed by post-doctoral research in biostatistics and statistical 

benetics. 

In 1975, he joined the Man-Machine Integration Division (now 

called the Human Systems Integration Division) at NASA Ames. 

In the ensuing years, he worked on a number of projects, including aviation safety, auditory displays, artificial intelligence and 

neural networks. 

With 35 years of experience at Ames, Stevenson was a key 

part of our NASA family, and he will be missed.

In memorium...
12

Astrogram January 2011

In the spring of 2008, I was asked 

by BUILD to help a student named 

Rickey who had been suspended for 

possessing drugs at school. Rickey 

was already dangerously close to 

failing physics and pre-calculus, and 

missing school for a suspension 

wasn’t going to help. My job was to 

help him pass these classes. By that 

time I had been doing academic mentoring at BUILD for almost a year, but 

this was a new situation that presented challenges I hadn’t yet encountered 

in my weekly mentoring at BUILD. 

 Before I met Rickey, I had a certain notion of what an African-American teenager from East Palo Alto who 

was suspended for drug possession 

at school would be like. Rickey did not 

fit this notion. Many students I work 

with at BUILD are mainly interested in 

finishing their assignments; the most 

important part of many mentoring 

sessions involves persuading students 

that learning itself is valuable. This 

was not the case with Rickey, who 

possesses a refreshing intellectual 

curiosity. Rickey has a sharp analytical mind and learns quickly. Even 

when I was too self-absorbed to think 

of asking how Rickey was doing, 

Rickey would start our meetings with a 

genuine “How was your day, Michael?” 

Interacting with Rickey revealed some 

of my biases and helped me overcome 

them.

 After a number of tutoring sessions during and after Rickey’s suspension, Rickey was able to pass his 

pre-calculus class. During his senior 

year, I found myself with Rickey at 

BUILD more and more often, and 

eventually I was picking up Rickey 

for weekend study sessions. Rickey’s 

dysfunctional home life made studying at home nearly impossible, and 

Rickey’s suspension wasn’t the last 

by Michael Bl

Editor’s Note:

Michael Bloem researches air traffic 

management in the Aviation Systems 

Division at Ames and has been volunteering at BUILD, an organization 

that helps disengaged, low-income 

students finish high school and go to 

college,” since 2007. He started tutoring a few years ago at the East Palo 

Alto site of BUILD.

Helping students finish high school and start college

mistake he made. But in his senior 

year, Rickey passed AP calculus and 

physics (the second time around). 

He went to a private college in the 

Midwest in 2009. From time to time I 

still get to see my friend Rickey, and I 

consider myself blessed to have had 

the chance to work with him.

 Not every academic mentoring 

relationship at BUILD is as challenging and rewarding as this one. But 

that isn’t to say that every academic 

mentoring relationship at BUILD isn’t 

as important. BUILD helps students 

go to college instead of dropping out 

of high school, and every student who 

does represents a changed life and a 

tremendous positive impact on a community. Academic mentoring is essential to helping BUILD achieve this goal.

 “BUILD still needs tutors for this 

school year, especially in math and 

science. For more information about 

becoming a tutor at BUILD, contact 

Alexis Bayley, BUILD Academic Program Manager, at abayley@build.org 

or call her at (650) 543-4775.”

Top photo: Class of 2012 BUILD students. Bottom photo: Junior student Roman Magallon;

Tutor David Hattaway and junior student Benjamin Jimenez. BUILD is an organization that helps 

disengaged, low-income students finish high school and go on to college.
13

Astrogram January 2011

The Ames Cat Network needs help finding 

homes for cats trapped at Moffett. They 

range from feral to abandoned/lost pets. 

Tested, altered and inoculated. Call Iris at 

ext. 4-5824 if you or someone you know are 

interested in fostering or adopting a cat.

Ames Cat Network

Ames Ongoing Monthly Events Calendar

African American Advisory Group (AAAG) 

Mtg., every fourth Wednesday of each month, 

12 - 1 p.m., Bldg. N255 Rm 101C. POC: Chair 

- Jim Busby, ext. 4-2792. 

Ames Amateur Radio Club, third Thurs., of 

ea. month, 12 noon, N-T28 (across from 

N-255). POC: Michael Wright, KG6BFK, at 

ext. 4-6262. 

Ames Ballroom Dance Club, Classes on 

Tuesdays. Beginning classes meet at 5:15 

p.m. Higher-level class meets at 5:50 p.m. 

Held in Bldg. 944, the Rec. Center. POC: 

Helen Hwang at helen.hwang@nasa.gov, ext. 

4-1368.

Ames Bicycling Club, every third Wednesday 

of each month, 12 noon - 1 p.m., Bldg. N-245 

Auditorium. For information on the club go 

to the website https://ames.clubexpress.com. 

POC: Julie Nottage at jnottage@mail.arc.

nasa.gov, ext. 4-3711. 

Ames Bowling League, Homestead Lanes 

Thursdays at 6:20 p.m. Need substitute bowlers. Sign up questions: Steve Howard at ext. 

4-4884.

Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Mtg., every other Monday, 1 - 2:30 p.m., 

Bldg. N-262/Rm 180. POC: Sally Miller, ext. 

4-5411.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg., first Weds. of 

ea. month, 11 a.m., Bldg. N-200, Committee 

Room. POC: Elisa Taube (408) 541-2838.

Environmental Forum, first Thursday every 

other month, 9 a.m. - 10 a.m., T20-G conference Rm. 129. URL: http://q/qe/events/EHSseries/ POC: Stacy St. Louis, ext. 4-6810.

Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) 

Mtg, third Wednesday ea. month, noon. Bldg. 

N-247, Rm. 109.. Guests welcome. Info at: 

http://www.afeu.org. POC: Paul K. Davis, ext. 

4-5916. 

The Hispanic Advisory Committee for 

Excellence (HACE) Mtg., first Thursday of 

each month, 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Bldg. 

N-255, Rm. 101C. POC: Eric Kristich, ext. 

4-5137 and Mark Leon, ext. 4-6498.

Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 p.m. 

- 1 p.m., Bldg. N-269/Rm.179. POC: Tim 

Steiger, ext. 4-0195, tim.steiger@nasa.gov. 

Web: http://jetstream.freetoasthost.com

Ames Mac Support Group Mtg., third Tuesday 

of each month, 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m., Bldg. 

N-262, Rm 180. POC: Tony ext. 4-0340.

Ames Model Aircraft Club, flying radio-controlled aircraft at the north end of Parsons Ave. 

on weekend mornings. POC: Mark Sumich, 

ext. 4-6193.

Moffett Aikido Club, Monday and Wednesday 

evenings, 6:30 p.m., Bldg. 944, across from 

former McDonalds. Aikido is a non-competitive, defensive martial art known as the “Way 

of Harmony.” POC: Diane Pereda (650) 575-

9070 or Robert Dean (650) 787-1007, email: 

mfaikido@aol.com

Native American Advisory Committee Mtg., 

fourth Tuesday each month, 12 noon - 1 

p.m., Bldg. 19, Rm 1096. POC: Mike Liu, ext. 

4-1132.

Ames Nimble Knitters Club, every Tuesday 

at 11:30 a.m., Bldg. N210/Rm 141. POC: 

Rosalyn Jung, knitfan2@yahoo.com or Diane 

Alexander at ext. 4-3140. URL: http://knit.arc.

nasa.gov

Ames Green Team (formerly the Green Ames 

Working Group) meetings are held the first 

Thursday of each month in N237, Room

101, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Roger Ashbaugh, Ames

Environmental Management Division, ext. 

4-5602.

http://environmentalmanagement.arc.nasa.

gov/reports/eo-13514.html

Ames Sailing Club Mtg., second Thursday of 

each month (March through November), from 

12 p.m. - 1 p.m., Bldg. N-260, Rm. 113. URL: 

http://sail.arc.nasa.gov/. POC: Clif Horne, ext. 

4-4571.

Ames Safety Committee, third Thursday of 

each month, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m., Bldg. N-237, 

Rm. 201. POC: John Livacich, jlivacich@

mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext. 4-3243 or Terry Reichert, treichert@mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext.-4-0375.

Ames emergency announcements

To hear the centerwide status recording, call (650) 604-9999 for information 

announcements and emergency instructions for Ames employees. You can 

also listen to 1700 KHz AM radio for the same information.

Exchange Information

Beyond Galileo Gift Shop N-235 in the 

cafeteria , 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., ext. 4-6873

Don’t forget to purchase your baby shower, birthday, holiday gifts at Ames’ two gift shops!

Mega Bites Cafeteria N-235, 6 a.m. to 2 

p.m., ext. 4-5969/Catering ext. 4-2161

Visitor Center Gift Shop N-943 

M-F, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., ext. 4-5412

NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, gifts and 

educational items. 

Information about products, services and opportunities provided to the employee and contractor community by the Ames Exchange Council. Visit the 

web site at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov

NASA Lodge (N-19) 603-7100

Tickets, etc... N-943 outside the main gate, 

10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., ext. 4-5412 and Beyond 

Galileo, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ext. 4-6873

See daily menu at: http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov

The pool is heated year round! The pool is currently 

available for lap swim, pool parties and special 

events. POC -Chana Langley, Pool Manager 

(650) 603-8025. Memberships: single memberships: $40/yr. Family memberships: $60/yr. After 

purchasing a membership, there is an entrance fee: 

daily entrance fee - $3/day or lap pass fee - $40 for 

20 uses. Platinum membership - $360/yr. (no daily 

fee). Special events: include military training, swim 

team events, kayak role practice, etc. The cost for 

special events is $50/hr.

Ames Swim Center (N-109) 603-8025

RV Lots Available Call to reserve a space 

at (650) 603-7100/01.

 Civilian/Contractors, $50/mo; military $25/mo

Where to stay when you’re too tired to drive home? 

What about the lodge?! Two types of rooms: Bldg. 

19 (43 rooms), rate: $55/night ($5 ea add’l adult); 

Bldg. 583 (150 rooms), rate: $45/night ($5 ea. add’l 

adult) 

Moffett Field Golf Club with ‘Tee minus 1’ 

Grill and Sports Bar. Call (650) 603-8026.
14

Astrogram January 2011

The Ames Astrogram is an official publication of 

Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration.

Managing Editor......................Michael Mewhinney

Editor, Layout and Design...................Astrid Olson

You can reach the Astrogram Office at: astrogram 

@mail.arc.nasa.gov or by phone at (650) 604- 

3347. Astrogram Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/

ames/astrogram.

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration

PLEASE RECYCLE

Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based ink.

FIRST-CLASS

U.S. POSTAGE

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Protective Services monthly activity

A statistical summary of activities of the Protective Services Division’s 

Security/Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Services units for the month 

of December 2010 is shown below.

Security/Law Enforcement Activity

Fire Protection Activity

NASA will give 100 of its Twitter 

followers an insider look at its planethunting Kepler spacecraft and Ames 

Research Center on Feb. 11. 

For the first time, NASA’s Twitter 

followers are being invited to Ames 

to learn about planetary discoveries 

from Kepler and the science flights of 

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for 

Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft. 

 The Tweeps also will get behindthe-scenes access to NASA Ames. 

Attendees will tour the center and 

speak with NASA officials, managers and scientists. The Tweetup will 

include a “meet and greet” session 

to allow participants to mingle with 

fellow Tweeps and the staff behind 

the tweets on @NASA and @NASA_

Ames. 

 “This Tweetup will give participants and those who follow along online another look at the diverse ways 

NASA is pioneering the future in space 

exploration, scientific discovery and 

aeronautics research,” said Stephanie 

Schierholz, social media manager at 

NASA Headquarters in Washington. 

 For more information about the 

Tweetup and to sign up, visit: http://

www.nasa.gov/tweetup

NASA Ames to 

host Tweetup

by Jessica Cull