June 2010 - A Quarterly Publication

www.nasa.gov

The Stratospheric Observatory 

for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, 

achieved a major milestone May 26, 

with its first in-flight night observations. 

Astronomers call this event for a new 

observatory “first light.”

The highly modified Boeing 747SP 

jetliner fitted with a 100-inch diameter 

reflecting telescope took off from its 

home base at the Aircraft Operations 

Facility in Palmdale, Calif., of NASA's 

Dryden Flight Research Center. The 

in-flight personnel consisted of an 

international crew from NASA, the 

Universities Space Research Association in Columbia, Md., Cornell University and the German SOFIA Institute 

(DSI) in Stuttgart. During the six-hour 

flight, at altitudes up to 35,000 feet, 

the crew of 10 scientists, astronomers, 

engineers and technicians gathered 

telescope performance data at consoles in the aircraft's main cabin.

 "Wind tunnel tests and supercomputer calculations made at the start 

of the SOFIA program predicted we 

would have sharp enough images for 

front-line astronomical research," said 

SOFIA project scientist Pam Marcum 

of Ames. "A preliminary look at the first 

light data indicates we indeed accomplished that."

by Cathy Weselby

 The stability and precise pointing of the German-built telescope met 

or exceeded the expectations of the 

engineers and astronomers who put it 

through its paces during the flight. 

 "The crowning accomplishment 

of the night came when scientists on 

board SOFIA recorded images of Jupiter," said USRA SOFIA senior science 

advisor Eric Becklin. "The composite image from SOFIA shows heat, 

SOFIA successfully completes its ‘first light’ flight

By popular demand, the Astrogram is resuming publication this 

month as a quarterly newsletter. It 

will be available online and in hardcopy format and mailed to onsite 

mailstops and Ames retirees. The 

Astrogram will be published every 

three months. The Astrogram will be 

available online at http://www.nasa.

gov/centers/ames/news/astrogram/

index.html 

Ames Public Affairs is soliciting 

short articles (600 word maximum) 

with photos and captions for the 

Astrogram, which need to be submitted to Astrid Olson at A.Olson@

nasa.gov. Articles should be Ames 

related and also may include human interest stories. Photos may 

be submitted and will be evaluated 

based on quality and suitability for 

publication.

Obituaries and ongoing club 

announcements also will be accepted. Classifieds will continue to 

be posted on InsideAmes at: http://

insideames.arc.nasa.gov/life.php 

We’re back!

continued on page 14

Its primary mirror covered by a protective sun shade, the German-built infrared telescope 

nestled in the rear fuselage of NASA's SOFIA flying observatory is easily visible in this closeup image taken during a recent test flight.

NASA photo by Jim Ross

This composite infrared image of Jupiter was made by Cornell University’s FORCAST camera 

during the SOFIA observatory’s "first light" flight. A recent visual-wavelength picture of approximately the same side of Jupiter is shown for comparison. 

 Visible image Anthony Wesley/IR image NASA/SOFIA/FORCAST Team
2

Astrogram June 2010

by Ruth Dasso Marlai

“Artist conception of asteroid 24 Themis 

and two small fragments of this dynamical family, which resulted from a large 

impact more than one billion years ago. 

Note that one of the small fragments 

is inert (as most asteroids are) and the 

other has a comet-like tail, produced 

by the sublimation of water ice from its 

surface.” Figure credit: “Gabriel Pérez, 

Servicio MultiMedia, Instituto de 

Astrofisica de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.”

Scientists, using NASA's Infrared 

Telescope Facility (IRTF) at the obser- vatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, have 

detected water-ice and carbon-based 

organic compounds on the surface of 

an asteroid. The discovery of the frozen water on one of the asteroid belt's 

largest occupants, called Asteroid 24 

Themis, suggests that some asteroids, 

as well as comets, were the water carriers for a primordial Earth. 

The research paper titled, "Water 

ice and organics on the surface of the 

asteroid 24 Themis," was published 

April 29, 2010 in the journal Nature.

For the first time, infrared measurements showed characteristics of 

frozen water on Themis. 

"We calculated a synthetic spectrum using water ice and other materials we thought could be present on the 

asteroid," said Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, 

a research scientist at NASA Ames 

and co-author on the Nature paper. 

"Through a process of elimination and 

repeated calculations, we confirmed 

the presence not only of frozen water, 

but of complex organic materials as 

well." 

While scientists generally agree 

that asteroids and comets probably 

brought some water to Earth, and 

even the carbon-based materials 

thought to be necessary for the origin 

of life on our planet, finding clear 

examples has proven difficult. When 

these materials and water arrive on 

the warm Earth, the conditions for the 

formation of living organisms some 

four billion years ago were met.

"Finding widespread water ice on 

NASA scientist confirms water ice on asteroid

an asteroid so close to the sun was 

a completely surprising result. We 

expect ice to evaporate quickly into 

space from the surfaces of asteroids," 

said Pinilla-Alonso. 

Other scientists have been scour- ing the solar system for other worlds 

where ice and organic materials occur, 

including the moons of Saturn and 

Jupiter. Dale Cruikshank, a research 

scientist at NASA Ames experienced 

in these studies, and a colleague of 

Pinilla-Alonso, noted that "Dr. PinillaAlonso is one of a small band of 

planetary scientists pushing the limits 

of our knowledge of the tiny rocks and 

icy lumps in the solar system. These 

small objects are of growing importance in our understanding of the current state of all the planets, including 

our own planet Earth.”

Pinilla-Alonso is featured in this 

issue of the Astrogram’s Science Q&A 

section, appearing on page 3.

Have you ever wished you could 

find out more about the work of scientists at NASA Ames and the SETI 

Institute? Well now you can. The 

SETI (Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence) Institute runs a weekly talk 

series of cutting edge scientists from 

around the Bay Area and films the 

talks and puts them up on YouTube.

Speakers are from NASA Ames, 

SETI Institute, Stanford, University 

of California Berkeley, University of 

California Santa Cruz and other Bay 

Area institutions. Topics include the 

LCROSS Mission, SETI, the Allen 

by Adrian

SETI Institute Science Series offers 

opportunity to learn about space

Telescope Array, the Kepler Mission, climate change and a variety of 

Mars, moon and outer planets.

 Videos are available at:

http://youtube.com/setiinstitute. The 

SETI archives of the talks are available at: http://seti.org/colloquium

If you are in the Bay Area and 

want to hear to the talks in person, 

they are presented at noon at the 

SETI offices at 515 N. Whisman 

Road, Mountain View. Visit the Web 

site at http://www.seti.org/csc/lectures for more information.

Although conditions in asteroids are not favorable for life, primitive asteroids may have 

been “fertilizers,” creating conditions for early life on Earth, and possibly other planets 

(artist conception, NASA).
3

Astrogram June 2010

Interview by Ruth Dasso Mar

 It’s a match! It really is water ice on 

that asteroid!

Noemi Pinilla-Alonso grew up in a 

city called Oviedo, in northern Spain, 

and specialized in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. 

As a graduate student, she worked at 

El Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias 

and the International Observatory of El 

Roque de los Muchachos also in the 

Canary Islands. In 2009, she won a 

NASA post doctoral fellowship. 

Question: You are the co-author 

of a research paper titled, "Water 

ice and organics on the surface 

of asteroid 24 Themis," recently 

published in the British-American 

scientific journal Nature. What was 

the discovery, and why was it so 

important?

This was an amazing discovery. 

We thought asteroid 24 Themis was 

orbiting the sun too closely (~3.1 AU) 

to keep ice on the surface. We really 

expected ice to evaporate quickly into 

space from the surfaces of asteroids. 

We were looking for traces of water, 

such as hydrated silicates, which have 

been found on other asteroids. 

What we found was a paper-thin 

layer of water ice, covering the entire 

asteroid. This discovery means there 

must be a mechanism replenishing the 

water. 

Question: Is it possible to estimate 

how much water is in the asteroid?

It is not possible from our observations to estimate the size of the 

reservoir. We can only see the coating 

on the surface, which is microns thick. 

We are not sure of the mechanism that 

is replenishing it, although we make 

suggestions in the paper. This will be a 

goal of future studies.

Science Q&A with Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, NASA astrophysics researcher

Question: Since water and organics 

were found on the asteroid, could it 

support simple life-forms? 

Possibly. It is widely accepted 

that asteroids and comets may have 

brought the building blocks of life to 

Earth. The conditions in asteroids 

are not favorable for life; however, 

studying primitive asteroids as "fertilizers" for life, may become an area of 

greater interest to astrobiologists.

Question: What type of laboratory 

experiment did you perform to 

make your discovery? 

My doctoral thesis was on icy 

objects in the solar system. I used 

models containing mixtures of icy 

materials to study their surface compositions. My contribution to this paper 

was modeling and interpretation; I am 

the group’s modeling expert.

In the case of 24 Themis, we 

produced a synthetic spectrum with 

a band around 3.1, which was similar 

to the observed spectrum. We were 

surprised to find our synthetic and 

observed spectra matched the spectra 

for water ice, and even more surprised 

to find our spectra matched a residue 

that could be complex organic material: this is an amazing result! 

Question: What inspired you to 

work for NASA?

I received a NASA postdoctoral 

fellowship to study the nature of organic materials in the solar system. 

At NASA, I work with a small group of 

planetary scientists who study minor 

bodies in the solar system, such as 

asteroids, trans-neptunian objects, 

dwarf planets and icy satellites. These 

objects are growing in importance 

to our understanding of the origin 

and evolutionary history of the solar 

system.

From Spain, working for NASA 

was a dream too big to think it could 

come true. NASA is known all across 

the world as a reference for astrophysical research. I was inspired by 

NASA’s high-level scientists, and the 

opportunity to broaden my knowledge 

by talking and working with them.

Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, NASA astrophysics researcher at NASA Ames.

NASA photo by Eric James
4

Astrogram June 2010

by Ruth Dasso Marlai

Jeff Cuzzi wins prestigious 2010 Gerard P. Kuiper Prize

Jeff Cuzzi, a planetary scientist at 

NASA Ames, is the winner of the 2010 

Gerard P. Kuiper Prize, the most prestigious individual award in planetary 

sciences. 

The Kuiper Prize is presented by 

the American Astronomical Society’s 

Division of Planetary Sciences (DPS). 

The annual award honors outstanding lifetime contributions to planetary 

sciences, regardless of nationality or 

DPS membership. 

Previous winners 

include Carl Sagan, 

Eugene Shoemaker and James van 

Allen. 

“In the 27-

year history of the 

Kuiper Prize, the 

award has been 

won by three NASA 

Ames researchers: 

Jim Pollack (1989), 

Dale Cruikshank 

(2006) and Jeff 

Cuzzi (2010). No 

institution, within 

government or academia, has more 

Kuiper Prize winners,” said S. Pete 

Worden, director of 

NASA Ames.

Cuzzi is being 

honored because 

of his many pioneering contributions to our understanding of the 

formation and evolution of planetary 

rings and small planets. Spanning 

four decades, his work includes early 

observational and theoretical work on 

rings, participation in NASA’s Voyager 

and Cassini missions, and his most 

recent state-of-the art fluid dynamicmodeling efforts that will help solve the 

mysteries of planet formation. During 

this long search, he has mastered 

several disciplines, including (but not 

limited to) radiative transfer, nebular dynamics, and cosmochemistry, 

and often crossed into other fields of 

research, such as astrophysics and 

meteoritics. Cuzzi also is an expert 

observational astronomer, planetary 

theoretician, and planetary modeler – 

a rare combination indeed.

Cuzzi works in NASA Ames’ 

Planetary Systems Branch. “He is 

one of the most respected, admired, 

and sought after individuals in our 

field. And, of course, Jeff’s long list 

of awards, clearly signify exceptional 

scientific achievement,” said Robert 

Haberle, Planetary Systems Branch 

chief at NASA Ames.

After receiving a bachelor of science degree in engineering physics 

from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 

he studied planetary science at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., receiving his Ph.D. in1972. 

Trained as a radio astronomer, with 

an initial focus on thermal emissions 

from Mars and Mercury, he observed 

Saturn from the U.S. National Radio 

Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), using its radar interferometer in 1973. 

Inspired by the excitement of new 

discovery, he became increasingly motivated to learn all aspects of Saturn’s 

mysterious rings, and ultimately rings 

around other planets as well.

During his early years at Ames, 

Cuzzi served as study scientist for the 

first engineering studies of a Titan entry probe, and also worked on the first 

ultra-narrowband Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) research 

using Mark I Very Long Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) technology. Invited 

to join the Voyager Imaging team in 

1978, he led the team’s rings subgroup through planning of all Saturn, 

Uranus, and Neptune ring encounter 

observations. In 1989, he was selected as Interdisciplinary Scientist for 

Rings on the NASA-European Space 

Agency (ESA) Cassini-Huygens mission. His current ring focus is on the 

composition of the rings and their evolution with time, and 

the possibly chaotic 

dynamics of the F 

ring region. 

Recognized 

for his outstanding achievements 

on planetary rings, 

Cuzzi received the 

American Institute 

of Aeronautics and 

Astronautics’ Lawrence Sperry Award, 

and two NASA 

Exceptional Scientific Achievement 

medals. 

In the early 

1990s, Cuzzi 

started studying 

fluid dynamics and 

turbulence in the 

early protoplanetary nebula, using 

three dimensional 

turbulence models 

on NASA’s largest 

computers. For this early nebula research, Cuzzi received another NASA 

Exceptional Scientific Achievement 

medal, and was elected Fellow of the 

American Geophysical Union in 2002. 

He served as chief of the Planetary 

Systems Branch of Ames’ Space Science Division from 1992-1996.

“His election as a Kuiper Prize 

winner is a richly deserved external 

acknowledgement of this legacy of 

groundbreaking contributions -- a 

legacy, which continues today,” said 

Haberle.

Jeff Cuzzi, recent winner of the 2010 Gerard P. Kuiper Prize, the most prestigious individual 

award in planetary sciences.

NASA photo by Dominic Hart
5

Astrogram June 2010

A 13 year-old student from St. 

Andrews School in Saratoga was 

invited by NASA to be a panel member of a Masters Invitational Technical 

Forum with four other teenagers. 

Zachary Hovey, grandson of Mr. 

and Mrs. John Boyd of Saratoga, and 

son of Carol and Gary Hovey of San 

Jose, participated in a forum in Florida 

at the same time as the space shuttle 

Atlantis’ last launch on May 14, 2010. 

The panel was held so that the young 

Masters Invitational Technical Forum Panel members, with Zachary Hovey, second from left.

Zachary Hovey at the space shuttle Atlantis 

launch site, May 14, 2010. He attended the 

Masters Invitational Technical Forum which 

was held the same time as the launch.

Future space explorers attend Masters Forum in Florida

participants could tell NASA what they 

thought the space agency should do 

in the future. They spoke to a group of 

senior NASA managers before viewing 

the space shuttle launch. Later they 

toured Kennedy Space Center. 

“I had a great time and learned a 

lot about NASA,” said Zachary Hovey. 

“It was fun talking to the NASA officials. The shuttle launch was seriously 

cool.”

The Silicon Valley Education 

Foundation and the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley have embarked 

on a journey to collaborate with NASA 

that is a perfect marriage between the 

three organizations. 

 All three organizations are striving 

to achieve the same thing – stimulating students with an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and 

Math (STEM). 

 To celebrate this collaboration, a 

group of young 20 Hispanic students 

from ACE Charter School, San José, 

Calif. attended an event in the Ames 

Exploration Encounter on June 1, 

2010. This school is uniquely qualified to participate in the collaboration 

because its mission is to help middle 

school students with a history of poor 

grades change their academic path 

towards success. 

 At the event, Ron Gonzales, 

chief executive officer of the Hispanic 

Foundation of Silicon Valley, talked 

about his parents driving by NASA 

Ames every day and how he always 

was fascinated by NASA. “Today is the 

first day that I have been able to visit 

Ames. The students here today are 

very lucky to have the opportunity to 

NASA ‘Smart Skies’ software sparks students’ interest in science, math 

visit this center,” smiled Gonzales. 

 Lew Braxton, Ames deputy center 

director, marveled at the “Smart Skies” 

software, which is at the core of this 

collaboration. “This is a great NASA 

product and by collaborating with 

these two wonderful foundations we 

are getting it into the hands of the 

students who will benefit from it,” said 

by Karen Jenve

continued on page 11 photo by Lewis Peach

photo by Jack Boyd

NASA photo by Eric James

Ames Deputy Center Director Lewis Braxton lll (far right) and Jonas Dino of the Ames Education 

Office (second from right) assist students from the ACE Academy, San José, Calif. to solve air 

traffic management problems using NASA’s Smart Skies software. 
6

Astrogram June 2010

The Spaceward Bound Expedition to the Namib Desert in April 2010 

brought together scientists from the 

United States, Australia, South Africa, 

Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom 

as well as teachers from the United 

States, Australia, South Africa, and 

Namibia. 

The scientific goal of the expedition was to investigate the role of fog 

in supporting microbial ecosystems in 

extreme deserts. In most places on 

Earth, life on land lives on water from 

rain. Previous Spaceward Bound 

expeditions in the Atacama Desert 

of Chile investigated life in the driest 

desert on Earth – where the rain averages, less than 1 mm a year and often there are many consecutive years 

with no rain. For comparison, the rain 

in the dry core of the Atacama is 50 

times less than in Death Valley, Calif. 

– another site studied by Spaceward 

Bound expeditions.

 While Earth is a planet of rain, 

Mars is not. On Mars, life may survive 

on non-rain sources of water such as 

melting ice, fog, and dew. The Namib 

Desert is possibly the best location in 

the world to study the relative effects 

of fog versus rain in supporting desert 

life.

Our study site in the Namib Desert 

is located about 23oS on the western coast of Africa. This is similar to 

the arid core of the Atacama, which 

is at this same latitude on the west- ern coast of South America. In both 

coastal areas there is little rain, but 

a marine fog comes in from the cold 

ocean. However, in the Atacama high 

coastal mountains block the fog within 

a few kilometers from the coast. In 

the Namib, the lands slopes gradu- ally from the coast up to 1,800 meters 

elevation near the capital, Windhoek, 

300 km inland. The fog rolls up this 

slope, diminishing gradually with dis- tance and elevation.

 As a result of the different ge- ographies between the two deserts, 

fog is absent from the interior of the 

Atacama, but is present in the interior 

of the Namib. Our scientific goal is 

to compare the resulting potential for 

life. The organisms of primary interest 

to us are simple one-celled photosyn- thetic organisms that are found living 

under translucent 

stones in arid des- erts. The stone 

holds moisture 

and if translucent, 

allows some light 

to penetrate. 

In the Ata- cama, we found 

that the coloniza- tion of stones 

dropped off to 

essentially zero 

in the arid core. 

We expected that 

in the Namib the 

stones would be 

colonized near the 

coast as a result 

of the fog and far inland as a result of 

the rain but there would be a zone of 

no colonization in between. 

To our surprise, we found that the 

colonization remained high across the 

desert. 

 Our team of scientists and teachers stayed at the Gobebeb Desert Re- search station. This was our base of 

operations for the entire trip. We had 

shared cabins, a common dining and 

kitchen area, and science labs. Each 

morning and evening the team would 

assemble to go over plans and results. 

 Our primary task was to cross 

the desert and inspect the translucent 

stones to determine colonization rate. 

To do this, we had a team of about 10 

people – both scientists and teachers 

fan out in groups of three and find, 

charaterize, and count the translucent 

quartz stones and the colonization 

of organisms beneath the stone. A 

typical colonized stone is shown in the 

photo above.

In addition to mapping out the 

colonization of quartz stone, the 

team also investigated salt deposits 

associated with groundwater flows, 

moisture gradients in the subsurface, 

and clays in the sand sea to the south 

of the Station. Michael Wing, a high 

school teacher from the United States 

brought some artificial quartz stones 

which he placed on the desert floor. 

Over the next few years, we will moni- tor these stones to see if they become 

colonized. Wing has a website that 

shows his experiments, http://drake.

marin.k12.ca.us/staff/wing/index.htm

 During the week, several of the 

scientists traveled to a school in Windhoek and to a school in Walvis Bay to 

present lectures about the work being 

conducted and the relevance to Mars 

exploration. One of the teachers from 

the school in Walvis Bay was with the 

expedition during the entire week and 

his students were particularly inter- ested in what we were doing and why 

we had come to Namibia. 

 More information on Spaceward 

Bound can be found at http://quest.

nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/

by Chris McK

Spaceward Bound scientists study fog in African Desert

The team of Spaceward Bound scientists and teachers who investigated the role of fog in supporting microbial ecosystems in extreme deserts in the Namib Desert in April 2010.

Populated quartz rock, a typical colonized stone.

NASA photos by Matthew Reyes
7

Astrogram June 2010

NASA photo by Eric james

NASA photo by Paul Langston

NASA photo by Eric James

NASA Ames hosted a mega 

Yuri’s Night celebration April 9 and 

April 10, 2010. A 40-foot futuristic 

rocket ship, air show and top music acts, including Common and 

N.E.R.D. were among the highlights. 

On Friday, April 9, 2010, an estimated 6,000 students from all over 

the Bay Area gathered for Education 

Day. (See photos this page.) During 

this free event, students between 

grades 4-12 engaged in handson learning activities that included 

interactive exhibits, workshops and 

presentations by leading scientists, 

engineers and technology experts. 

Students made and launched 

rockets, drove a Mars Rover replica, 

learned how an infrared camera 

works and created music with various sound effects in an immersive 

environment. Guest speakers included musician DJ Q-Bert, who led 

a workshop on vinyl record scratches and science, video game artist 

Android Jones demonstrated digital 

painting, and Apple co-founder Steve 

Wozniak, who talked about the secrets to his success. 

On Saturday, April 10, 2010, an 

estimated 6,000 space enthusiasts 

came to celebrate Yuri’s Night at 

NASA’s Ames. The celebration – one 

of the largest of 210 held around the 

world – commemorated the anniverThousands turn out for Yuri’s Night celebration

sary of the first human space launch 

by Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and the first 

space shuttle mission in 1981. 

Musical acts performed on large 

two stages, including N.E.R.D, The 

Black Keys, Les Claypool, Common, 

The Glitch Mob, Hamsa Lila and DJ 

Qbert. 

The celebration had more than 

120 exhibits, including groups as 

diverse as Google Earth, Zero Gravity 

Arts Consortium, California Academy 

of Sciences, the Russian Consulate, 

Loco Bloco, Wonderfest, Aerospace 

Education Specialists and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Please see the following two 

pages for additional Yuri event 

photo coverage.

by Cathy Weselby

The Ames Bicycle Club hosted an 

energizer station during the morning of 

Bike to Work Day, May 13, 2010. 

 During the morning, 115 people 

joined thousands of other bike commuters around the Bay Area. In Santa 

Clara County, participation was up by 

12.5 percent since last year. Most of 

the bike commuters at Ames stopped 

by to chat and pick up some refreshments and prizes.

People rode in from all over. 

Vince Chan and Richard Kolyer each 

rode 30 miles. James Snow had the 

shortest ride at two miles. The average bike commute was 13 miles. The 

mental and physical health benefits 

of biking to work were evident in the 

riders. People talked about their rideseven the bikers who plowed through 

swarms of insects on the Bay Trailhad a good time. 

This is the fifth year that the Ames 

Bike Club has hosted a Bike to Work 

station and the ninth year that Julie 

Nottage has coordinated or helped 

with the event. This year, she was 

assisted by her husband, Richard 

Nottage, John Scarboro, Crystal Lee, 

Ames’ Bike to Work Day pedals its way to success

by John Scar

and Maureen Cruzen of ISSi and Luke 

Metz and Armando Jimenez of SAIC.

If you would like more information on biking at Ames, see the Ames 

Bicycle Club page at http://ames.

clubexpress.com/. For more information about biking to work and Bike to 

Work Day, see http://www.youcanbikethere.com/.

NASA photo
8

Astrogram June 2010

Yuri’s Night 2010 draws thousands to NASA Ames NASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by Eric James

NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

NASA photo by John SchultzNASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by John Schultz
9

Astrogram June 2010

NASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by Jon-Pierre Wiens

NASA photo by Eric James

NASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

NASA photo by Jon-Pierre Wiens
10

Astrogram June 2010

“The NASA Ames 8th Annual Hispanic Heritage Golf Tournament was a 

Great Success!” 

That was the expression of Eric 

Kristich, chairperson of the Ames 

Hispanic Advisory Committee for 

Employees (HACE), which hosted the 

event at the Ames Golf Course May 7, 

2010. Kristich said this event is part of 

HACE’s continuing goals of formally 

recognizing the Hispanic youths for 

achieving academic excellence in their 

schools. 

 The students’ recognition comprised of presenting them with five 

awards in the form of stipends, four of 

which went to students from the National Hispanic University (NHU). 

Every year, HACE, in collaboration with NHU, selects students who 

continued to demonstrate academic 

excellence from the Computer Science 

or Mathematics and Science departments. The prerequisite for the awards 

was to be enrolled in the aforementioned departments, with a minimum 

GPA of over 3.0, and be selected for 

the best essay addressing the topic on 

“Latinos in Science and Mathematics.” 

This year’s award recipients were 

Ruth Castro, Beatriz Ayala, Miguel 

Ortega, and Diego Candia. The fifth 

stipend was awarded to Principal Antonio Fuentes on behalf of the Latino 

College Preparatory Academy (LCPA). 

Fuentes accepted this award, which 

will assist in purchasing much-needed 

math books for the students. 

 Kristich also conveyed how proud 

he felt to be able to contribute towards 

the education of the future leaders 

of the world. His contribution parallels HACE’s vision to reach out to the 

younger generation of Hispanics and 

to raise awareness about the value of 

Science, Technology, and Mathematics. 

 Overall, the event drew more than 

100 golf players and a good public 

turnout who enjoyed a variety of foods 

and snacks. Music was performed and 

dancing was accompanied by professional DJs. The event was made possible by significant efforts by members 

of HACE, Ames management led by 

Lew Braxton III., Ames staff volunteers 

and contributors that supported this 

event.

For additional information relating to the HACE’s mission statement, 

Ames holds annual Hispanic Heritage Golf Tournament

From left to right: Miguel Ortega, Dr. Yazmin Rosa-Bauza (Chairperson of the NHU Mathematics and Science Department), Beatriz Ayala, Ruth Castro, and Diego Candia. The students 

were recognized for achieving academic excellence in their schools.

NASA photos by Dominic Hart

by Herman Santos, Gerald De

and Jeanette Zam

Eric Kristich (left) and Lewis Braxton III (second from left) congratulate the award recipients.

please visit the HACE Web page at: 

http://eo.arc.nasa.gov/hace/hace.htm.
11

Astrogram June 2010

Braxton. 

 Braxton isn’t the only fan of Smart 

Skies. 

 “NASA’s ‘Smart Skies’ software is 

a fun and challenging way to get kids 

to learn how math and science can 

help them pursue their dreams,” said 

Gonzales. 

 Is it fun for the students? You bet. 

Just ask Teodolinda Aguirre, one of 

the students from ACE Charter School 

continued from page 5

NASA ‘Smart Skies’ software sparks students’ interest in science, math 

who attended the event. “I want to play 

that game again,” she said enthusiastically peering towards the computers. 

 The software will be featured 

in SVEF’s “Stepping Up to Algebra” 

program. 

 “The Silicon Valley Education 

Foundation strives to prepare students 

for high school algebra. Software 

such as NASA’s Smart Skies, which 

we are proud to include in our ‘StepDr. Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for the 

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, held 

an all-hands address on Tuesday, June 8, in 

the Ames Main Auditorium. Shin discussed the 

exciting developments within NASA’s Aeronautics 

programs. 

Aeronautics Associate Administrator visits Ames

Ames Director’s Colloquium 2010 Summer Series begins NASA photo by Dominic Hart

NASA Ames has launched the 

Director’s Colloquium 2010 Summer 

Series.

All colloquiums will be from 2 - 3 

p.m. in the Main Auditorium (N201). 

A punch and cookies reception will 

immediately follow each colloquium. 

Each colloquium lasts 60 minutes 

including a question-and-answer session. 

• Tuesday, July 6, Ramakrishna 

Nemani will discuss, “Earth Science 

Collaborative for Ecological Forcasting”

• Tuesday, July 13, Ames Center 

Director S. Pete Worden will discuss, 

“Protecting the Earth from Asteroids”

• Tuesday, July 20, Laura Kushner will discuss, “Experimentation in 

Aerodynamics”

• Tuesday, July 27, Tori Hoehler 

will discuss, “A ‘Follow the Energy’ 

Approach in Astrobiology”

• Tuesday, Aug. 3, Andrew 

Watson will discuss,” Vision Science 

and Visual Technology

• Tuesday, Aug. 10, Stuart 

Rogers will discuss, “Aerodynamics 

and Debris Transport for the Space 

Shuttle Launch Vehicle

ping Up to Algebra program, is an excellent example of how to

 get students 

excited about science, technology, 

engineering and math,” said Muhammaed Chaudhry, chief executive officer 

of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. 
12

Astrogram June 2010

2010 Presidental Rank awards presented at Ames

The 2010 Presidential Rank and 

NASA Honor Awards Ceremony for 

Ames was held June 9, 2010, in 

the Main Auditorium (N201). Ames 

management presented Presidential 

Rank and NASA Honor Awards to 48 

employees who were selected for individual awards, and to 31 groups which 

were selected for the NASA Group 

Achievement Award. The names of the 

honorees are listed below. 

 

2010 PRESIDENTIAL RANK AND 

NASA HONOR AWARDEES

 

Presidential Rank of Distinguished 

Senior Professional 

Mark B. Tischler 

 

Presidential Rank of Meritorious 

Senior Professional

David Morrison 

 

Presidential Rank of Meritorious 

Senior Executive

Eugene L. Tu

 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Medal

Eric A. Kristich 

 

Exceptional Achievement Medal

Khaled Galal

Michael R. Haas

David R. Hunt

David G. Koch

Benton H. Lau

Natalie R. Lemar

Millie G. Lo

Patti P. Powell

Cheryl M. Quinn

John E. Robinson

Michael M. Rogers

Yvonne Simonsen

George C. Tung 

 

Exceptional Administrative Achievement Medal

Susan C. Nelson 

 

Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal

Robin A. Beck

 

Exceptional Public Service Medal

William G. Bousman

Christopher Youngquist

 

Exceptional Scientific Achievement 

Medal

David W. Schwenke

Aaron Zent 

 

Exceptional Service Medal

Bryan A. Biegel

Kenneth R. Hamm

Ronald M. Hovland

Michael R. Landis

Marjorie J. Pierre

Terrence K. Rager

Vivian Torres 

 

Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal

Jon Jenkins

Wayne R. Johnson 

 

Outstanding Leadership Medal

Daniel R. Andrews

William J. Borucki

Daniel M. Bufton

Anthony Colaprete

James P. Connolly

Charles W. Duff

Roger Hunter

Kelly J. James

Francis J. Kmak

Parimal H. Kopardekar

Mary E. Livingston

B. D. McNally

Piyush Mehrotra

Ethiraj Venkatapathy

William G. Warmbrodt

Steven F. Zornetzer 

 

Group Achievement Award

Advanced Aircraft Hardware 

 Development Team 

Ames Environmental Sustainability

 Report 2009 

Ames Facility Study Team 

Ames HSPD-12 Team 

Ames Negotiation Team for UA

 Lease 

CASIE Team 

CEV Orion Launch Abort Motor

 Test Measurement Team 

CEV TPS Advanced Development

 Project 

ESMD HEC Prioritization Team 

Human Vibration Team 

International Space University

 Project Team 

Jules Verne Team 

Kepler Launch and Commissioning

 Team 

Kepler Science Office 

Kepler Science Operations Center

Kepler Science Team 

LAX North Airfield Safety Study

 Simulation Team 

LCROSS Science and Payload

 Team 

Lunar Regolith Excavation 

 Challenge 

OCAMS Design, Develop, Test,

 and Eval Team 

Orion Re-entry Handling Qualities

 Simulation Team 

PharmaSat Team 

Pleiades Supercomputer Team 

Robotic Recon Experiment Team 

Scheduling, Training Admin and

 Records (STAR) Team 

Simulation Assisted Risk 

 Assessment (SARA) Team 

Solar Array Constraint Engine

 (SACE) Team 

TPS Model Processing and 

 Fabrication Team 

UH-60A Individual Blade Control

 Project Team 

VMS Space Shuttle Visual 

 Database Development Team 

XSearch Design, Development,

 Test & Eval Team

The Astrogram will 

return in September

The Astrogram staff hopes you 

all enjoy this issue of the current 

newsletter in its new quarterly 

publication format. Our next issue 

will be published in September 

2010. If you want to submit a story 

and/or photo for consideration, 

please email them to Astrid Olson 

at A.Olson@nasa.gov by Aug. 15, 

2010. In the meantime, have a 

great summer!
13

Astrogram June 2010

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: Mike Liu at ext. 

4-1132. 

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: Estelle 

Dodson, ext. 4-4145, estelle.dodson@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. N-241/Rm 237. POC: 

Rosalyn Jung, knitfan2@yahoo.com or Diane 

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

nasa.gov

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 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 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 June 2010

trapped since the formation of the 

planet, pouring out of Jupiter's interior 

through holes in its clouds."

 The highly sensitive Faint Object infraRed CAmera for the SOFIA 

Telescope (FORCAST) captures in 

minutes images that would require 

many hour-long exposures by groundbased observatories blocked from 

a clear infrared view by water vapor 

in the Earth's atmosphere. SOFIA's 

operational altitude, which is above 

more than 99 percent of that water 

vapor, allows it to receive 80 percent 

or more of the infrared light accessible 

to space observatories.

 SOFIA is a joint program by NASA 

and the German Aerospace Center. 

The SOFIA program is managed at 

Dryden and Ames manages the SOFIA science and mission operations in 

cooperation with USRA and DSI. 

continued from front page

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

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PAID

PERMIT NO. 85

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 May 2010 is show below.

Security/Law Enforcement Activity

Fire Protection Activity

SOFIA ‘first light’ flight