Spring 2013 - A Quarterly Publication

www.nasa.gov

NASA's Kepler Mission finds abundance of new planet candidates

by Michelle Johnson

NASA's Kepler mission recently 

announced the discovery of 461 new 

planet candidates. Four of the potential new planets are less than twice the 

size of Earth and orbit in their sun's 

"habitable zone," the region in the 

planetary system where liquid water 

might exist on the surface of a planet.

One of the four newly identified 

super Earth-size planet candidates, 

KOI-172.02, orbits in the habitable 

zone of a star similar to our sun. The 

possible planet is approximately 1.5 

times the radius of Earth and orbits its 

host star every 242 days. Additional 

follow-up analysis will be required to 

confirm the candidate as a planet.

Based on observations conducted 

from May 2009 to March 2011, the 

findings show a steady increase in the 

number of smaller-size planet candidates observed and the number of 

stars with more than one candidate.

"There is no better way to kick off 

the start of the Kepler extended mission than to discover more possible 

outposts on the frontier of potentially 

life-bearing worlds," said Christopher 

Burke, Kepler scientist at the SETI 

Institute in Mountain View, who is leading the analysis.

Since the last Kepler catalog 

was released in February 2012, the 

number of candidates discovered in 

the Kepler data has increased by 20 

percent and now totals 2,740 potential planets orbiting 2,036 stars. The 

most dramatic increases are seen in 

the number of Earth-size and super 

Earth-size candidates discovered, 

which grew by 43 and 21 percent, 

respectively.

The new data increases the number of stars discovered to have more 

than one planet candidate from 365 

to 467. Today, 43 percent of Kepler's 

planet candidates are observed to 

have neighbor planets.

"The large number of multi-candidate systems being found by Kepler 

implies that a substantial fraction of 

exoplanets reside in flat multi-planet 

systems," said Jack Lissauer, planetary scientist at NASA Ames. "This is 

continued on page 2

Size of Kepler planet candidates: Since the last Kepler catalog was released in February 2012, 

the number of candidates discovered in the Kepler data has increased by 20 percent and now 

totals 2,740 potential planets orbiting 2,036 stars. Based on observations conducted from May 

2009 to March 2011, the most dramatic increases are seen in the number of Earth-size and super 

Earth-size candidates discovered, which grew by 43 and 21 percent, respectively. Scientists analyzed more than 13,000 transit-like signals called 'threshold-crossing events' to eliminate known 

spacecraft instrumentation and astrophysical false positives, phenomena that masquerade as 

planetary candidates, to identify the potential new planets. 

NASA photo

NASA photos by Eric James

Ames demolishes vacuum spheres

Impressive landmarks for visitors and 

Ames employees for 55 years, the four 

large vacuum spheres behind Building N229 

are being demolished.

 The spheres formed part of the 3.5-foot 

hypersonic wind tunnel, in which high pressure (3,000 psi) air was heated to 3,000°F, 

passed through one of three nozzles (Mach 

5, 7, or 10) to the test section, and then 

exhausted through an aftercooler to the 

spheres. In its day, the wind tunnel was a 

workhorse hypersonic facility; much of the 

atmospheric reentry testing of the space 

shuttle and its progenitors was done in the 

3.5-foot tunnel.

 Time and thousands of runs in which 

air was heated above the melting point of 

steel took their toll, and 20 years ago the 

facility was closed. The spheres and associated equipment are being demolished to 

make way for a new arc-jet complex, which 

is currently in the planning phase.
2

Astrogram Spring 2013 

NASA Kepler scientist honored by National Academy of Sciences

William Borucki, science principal 

investigator for NASA's Kepler mission 

at Ames, is the recipient of the 2013 

Henry Draper Medal awarded by the 

National Academy of Sciences.

Borucki is being honored for 

his founding concept and visionary 

leadership during the development of 

Kepler, which uses transit photometry 

to determine the frequency and kinds 

of planets around other stars.

"This is a commendable recognition for Bill Borucki and the Kepler 

by Michelle Johnson

consistent with what we know about 

our own planetary neighborhood."

The Kepler space telescope identifies planet candidates by repeatedly 

measuring the change in brightness of 

more than 150,000 stars in search of 

planets that pass in front, or "transit," 

their host star. At least three transits 

are required to verify a signal as a 

potential planet.

Scientists analyzed more than 

13,000 transit-like signals to eliminate 

known spacecraft instrumentation and 

astrophysical false positives, phenomena that masquerade as planetary 

candidates, to identify the potential 

new planets.

Candidates require additional 

follow-up observations and analyses 

to be confirmed as planets. At the beginning of 2012, 33 candidates in the 

Kepler data had been confirmed as 

NASA’s Kepler Mission finds abundance of planet candidates

continued from front page

planets. Today, there are 105.

"The analysis of increasingly 

longer time periods of Kepler data 

uncovers smaller planets in longer 

period orbits -- orbital periods similar 

to Earth's," said Steve Howell, Kepler 

mission project scientist at Ames. "It is 

no longer a question of will we find a 

true Earth analogue, but a question of 

when."

The complete list of Kepler planet 

candidates is available in an interactive table at the NASA Exoplanet 

Archive. The archive is funded by 

NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program to collect and make public data 

to support the search for, and characterization of, exoplanets and their host 

stars.

Ames manages Kepler's ground 

system development, mission operations and science data analysis. 

mission," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "It is well deserved 

and a tribute both to Bill's dedication 

and persistence and the fantastic and 

exciting results from Kepler."

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 surface of 

an orbiting planet. Kepler is detecting 

planets and possible candidates with a 

wide range of sizes and orbital distances to help scientists better understand our place in the galaxy.

"It has been a privilege to participate in the initial steps in the search 

for life in our galaxy. I would like to 

thank all who have worked with me to 

make this possible," said Borucki.

Borucki earned a master of science degree in physics from the 

University of Wisconsin at Madison 

in 1962 and joined Ames as a space 

scientist that same year. The results of 

Borucki's early work developing spectroscopic instrumentation to determine 

the plasma properties of hypervelocity 

shock waves was used in the design 

of the heat shields for the Apollo mission. In June, Borucki celebrated 50 

years of service at NASA.

The Henry Draper Medal is awarded every four years for an outstanding, 

recently published contribution to astrophysical research and carries with it 

an award of $15,000.

The award will be presented at a 

ceremony April 28, 2013, during the 

National Academy of Sciences' 150th 

annual meeting in Washington.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

(JPL) 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 JPL at 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. 

Kepler is NASA's 10th Discovery Mission and is funded by NASA's Science 

Mission Directorate at the agency's 

headquarters in Washington, D.C.

JPL manages NASA's Exoplanet 

Exploration Program. The NASA Exoplanet Archive is hosted at the Infrared 

Processing and Analysis Center at the 

California Institute of Technology. 
3

Astrogram Spring 2013

Ames employees honored the astronauts and brave members of the NASA 

family who gave their lives in the pursuit 

of space exploration and service to our 

nation during a Day of Remembrance 

Ceremony in the Ames Exploration Center on Feb. 1, 2013. 

 The Exploration Center unveiled an 

exhibit to pay tribute to NASA Astronaut 

and STS-107 space shuttle Columbia 

Mission Specialist, Kalpana Chawla, a 

friend and colleague to the Ames community during her tenure as an astronaut 

candidate. 

 Ames employees heard remarks 

from Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden, saw a presentation about Chawla 

by former Ames colleagues, saw a video 

featuring Columbia and observed a moment of silence. 

Across the country, flags at NASA 

Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and 

the NASA field centers were flown at 

half-mast in memory of the colleagues 

lost in the cause of exploration.

 The Columbia memorabilia exhibit 

features Chawla's personal belongings, 

items and awards associated with her 

career at NASA. It will be open to the 

public through March 25, 2013. 

 A decade has passed since the loss 

of the crew of space shuttle Columbia on 

Ames honors fallen heroes, unveils Columbia memorabilia

Feb. 1, 2003, just minutes before landing. 

More than 40 years ago, on Jan. 27, 1967, 

the crew of Apollo 1 perished in a terrible 

fire. And nearly 30 years ago, on Jan. 28, 

1986, the crew of space shuttle Challenger 

died less than two minutes after launch.

Employees and invited guests 

look at the new exhibit unveiled 

on Feb. 1, 2013, in the Ames 

Exploration Center during the 

remembrance ceremony held 

to honor fallen NASA’s fallen 

heroes.

The Ames Exploration Center unveiled an exhibit on Feb. 1, 2013 to pay tribute to NASA 

astronaut and STS-107 space shuttle Columbia Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla.

A wreath-laying ceremony at the 

Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy 

Space Center Visitor Complex, hosted 

by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, 

was broadcast live on NASA Television 

Feb. 1, 2013.

NASA photos by Eric James
4

Astrogram Spring 2013 

NASA's first mobile applica- tion is sharing NASA's 2012 

Software of the Year award. 

The award recognizes innova- tive software technologies that 

significantly improve the agen- cy's exploration of space and 

maximize scientific discovery on 

Earth. 

Software engineers at NASA 

Ames developed the NASA App, 

which is available for mobile de- vices including the iPhone, iPod 

touch, iPad and Android phones 

and tablets. The NASA App 

currently has more than 10.8 

million user installations and 

receives more than three million 

hits per day on average. 

The NASA App gathers the 

agency's online content, break- ing news, image and video 

collections, news and image 

feeds, social media accounts, 

and more in one easy-to-use 

location that aids public access 

to science, technology and en- gineering discoveries. The app's 

creators are program manager 

Jerry Colen, software engineer 

John Freitas and new media 

specialist Charles Du. 

QuakeSim, which shares 

the 2012 award, was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., 

First mobile NASA App shares Agency’s 2012 software award

by Jessica Culle

 A view of the NASA App home page screen

and is software that models the 

behavior of earthquake faults to 

improve earthquake forecasting 

and our understanding of earth- quake processes. 

A NASA software advisory 

panel reviews Software of the 

Year entries and recommends 

winners to NASA's Inventions 

and Contributions Board for 

confirmation. 

Ames previously won 

the award in 1998 for Center 

TRACON Automation System 

(CTAS); in 1999 for Remote 

Agent: Autonomous Reason- ing and Control for Spacecraft 

and Other Complex Systems; 

in 2002 for Cart3D; in 2006 

for FACET—Future Air Traffic 

Management (ATM) Concepts 

Evaluation Tool; in 2007 for 

The Data-Parallel Line Relax- ation (DPLR); in 2009 for NASA 

World Wind Java (WWj) Soft- ware Development Kit (SDK) 

and Web Mapping Services 

(WMS) Server; and in 2010 

for Kepler Science Operations 

Center Science Pipeline (Release 6.0). 

Students from schools across 

North America recently participated in 

a real NASA Mars mission, called Ice- breaker. They remotely operated from 

their classrooms a robotic arm that 

transferred specimen samples into a 

hopper on a Phoenix-sized mockup 

spacecraft located in the Antarctic. 

Designed and built at NASA Ames, 

the robotic arm and its automation and 

control software are being tested as 

part of a mission that drills into the icy 

subsurface of Mars. 

NASA has an education goal to inspire and engage students in Science, 

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) content. To meet that 

goal, scientists from Ames brought the 

virtual experience of science exploration into the classroom from the 

McMurdo Research Station in the Dry 

Valleys of the Antarctic. 

North American students become virtual explorers on NASA Mars mission

"Involving students is a great way 

to test our drill. If anyone can break 

this drill, it’s enthusiastic kids operating 

the controls. There is additional benefit 

that we might also be inspiring the 

next generation of space explorers,” 

said Chris McKay, an Ames planetary 

research scientist and the principal 

by Sahar Leaupepe and Ruth Dasso Marl

continued on page 6

investigator of the Icebreaker mission.

Scientists temporarily residing 

in one of the most frigid regions on 

Earth talked to students in classrooms 

through a live video feed. Discussions 

included project descriptions and activity briefings followed by a question 

and answer session. 

Team members try 

to stay warm during 

drill automation testing at the University 

Valley Mars-analog 

site.

Photo by Brian Glass
5

Astrogram Spring 2013

In recognition of the leadership and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King, the 

Ames African American Advisory Group invited Ames employees to participate in an event at the center on Jan.16, 2013. Guest speakers this year 

included (left to right), Reverend Sheila Robinson, Samuel L. Brown and the 

Honorable Shelyna V. Brown. They participated in a panel discussion about 

Dr. King and how he influenced their lives. King was a person of service who 

supported not only African Americans, but all races and cultures. He was a 

drum major for peace and a strong advocate for diversity.

Ames celebrates legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King

NASA photos by Dominic Hart

Stofan engages students at Ames Exploration Encounter NASA photos by Astrid Terlep

Above photo: NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Program Integration James Stofan (standing right) paid a visit recently to the NASA Ames 

Exploration Encounter (AEE). During his visit, Stofan reminded the 5th 

grade class of Ben Painter Elementary (San Jose, Calif.) that education 

is the gateway to success. Upper right photo: Institutional Engagement 

lead Brenden Sanborn (center) and education specialist Cara Dodge (left) 

showcase the installation of Ames’ new ‘Science on a Sphere’ to James 

Stofan (right) soon to open at the NASA Ames Visitors Center. Lower right 

photo: Ames volunteer docent Shareen Singh (center standing), James 

Stofan (center) and Daniel Likins, Ames Exploration Encounter Operations 

Manager (far right), oversee student research activities (student sitting at 

console) in the AEE’s model International Space Station module.
6

Astrogram Spring 2013 

Ames leads agency in ‘Black Engineer of the Year’ awards

IceBreaker is a rotary-percussive 

drill that rotates and hammers on its 

target to deliver samples to the surface 

for scientific analysis. As part of the 

2010 Discovery proposal, scientists 

thought it was capable of drilling as 

deep as three feet into ice 

and frozen soil. However, 

test demonstrations show 

it is capable of penetrating 

up to 15 feet. Once samples 

have been elevated to the 

surface by the drilling, the 

robotic arm transfers the drill 

specimens to the instrument 

inlet hoppers on the spacecraft.

The robotic arm and 

its automation and control 

software is being tested by 

NASA Ames for a possible 

Mars mission in 2018 or 

2020. Because Antartica and 

Mars share similar environmental conditions, such as 

dryness and freezing temperatures, it is an ideal testing location 

for the Icebreaker drill.

North American students become virtual explorers on NASA Mars mission

continued from page 4

Participating schools included California’s Jeanne Meadows Elementary 

School, San Jose; Donlon Elementary 

School and Valley View Elementary 

School, Pleasanton; Pathways Charter School, Rohnert Park; Jackson 

Elementary and Eliot Middle School, 

Pasadena; Arizona’s Verde Valley 

High School, Flagstaff; ClarkdaleJerome Jr. High School; Archimedes 

Academy, New York, N.Y; and Canada’s Colleges Jean-Eudes, Montreal 

and La Citadelle, Cornwall.

The science activity in early January provided an opportunity for the 

students, their teachers, and school 

volunteers to learn about sustaining 

life on Mars. Students were enthusiastic and awe-inspired by the sophisticated technology. 

"It was awesome," said Carlos 

Granades, a student from Jackson Elementary, Pasadena, Calif. "It makes 

me feel proud." 

Students from Meadows Elementary, San Jose, Calif. 

participated in the demonstration.

Photo by Brian Glass

Of the 10 distinguished NASA 

employees who were recognized in 

this year’s Black Engineer of the Year 

Awards (BEYA), a staggering eight 

of them were from Ames Research 

Center. The recipients received their 

awards during a three-day conference 

Feb. 7-9, 2013 in Washington, D.C. 

 The Black Engineer of the Year 

Awards 2013 was hosted by the 

Aisha Bowe, aerospace engineer in the Aviation 

System Division at Ames, received the Special 

Recognition award at the BEYAs. She is seen 

here with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. 

NASA photo

Council of Engineering Deans at His- torically Black Colleges and Universi- ties, Lockheed Martin Corporation, US 

Black Engineer & Information Technol- ogy magazine and was sponsored 

by Aerotek. The awards recognize 

the achievements of African 

Americans in Science, Technology, 

Engineering and Math (STEM) and 

encourage young black Americans 

to pursue careers in STEM fields. 

 “At Ames we pride ourselves 

on our diverse workforce and our 

inclusive atmosphere,” said Center 

Director S. Pete Worden. “We 

recognize that diversification is an 

ongoing process, but it is encour- aging to see such a high number 

of NASA employees winning these 

significant awards.” 

 The Ames recipients of 2013 

Black Engineer of the Year Awards 

include:

 - Diversity Leadership in 

Government award: Barbara E. 

Miller, who was recognized for her 

work as the Director of the Ames 

Office of Diversity and Equal Op- portunity. 

- Senior Investigator Award: 

John W. Hines, former Center 

Chief Technologist (now retired), who 

designed, developed, tested and 

evaluated space systems and man- aged advanced technology develop- ment programs and projects during an 

exceptional career at NASA. 

- Special Recognition Award: Aisha 

R. Bowe, aerospace engineer, whose 

work in Next Generation Air Transpor- tation focuses on developing methods 

to maintain safe separation of air 

traffic and optimize fuel consumption 

within an automated system.

Trailblazer awards: 

 - Ken Freeman, a project engi- neer, who successfully implemented 

information technologies across NASA 

in varied IT fields for more than 20 

years.

- Kevin L. Jones, a computer engi- neer and NASA IPv6 transition man- ager, who has been a pioneer in the 

field of networking at Ames, managed 

several IT projects for various orga- nizations and is leading NASA's IPv6 

implementation efforts.

Modern-day Technology Leaders 

awards: 

- Ousmane N. Diallo, an aerospace 

research engineer, who focuses on the 

development of algorithms in support 

of advanced flight control and air traffic 

automation. 

- Gilena A. Monroe is the Log 

Aggregation Tool Lead and Agency 

Vulnerability Assessment and Reme- diation (AVAR) project manager for 

the NASA Security Operations Center 

where she helps meet cyber security 

needs in the protection of NASA’s 

by James Schalkwyk

continued from page 9
7

Astrogram Spring 2013

Dec. 11, 2012 marked the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) as a national test facility. 

The anniversary was observed by NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army with a re-dedication ceremony, group photo and open house tours 

of the 40-foot-by-80-foot wind tunnel test section, the 80-foot-by-120-foot wind tunnel test section, the tiltrotor test rig preparation area in the Building N-246 High Bay B and static aircraft displays of an Army UH-60 Blackhawk and a Marine MV-22 Osprey. Ames employees were invited to 

participate in the events. In partnership with the California Department of Veteran Affairs, Northern California Veterans Cemetery, Ames decorated 

the center and the facilities/building associated with the NFAC 25 celebration with more than 1,000 American flags. 

Ames celebrates 25th anniversary of landmark wind tunnel

NASA photo by Eric James

NASA photo by Eric James

NASA photo by Paul Langston

NASA photo by Paul Langston

NASA photo by Paul Langston
8

Astrogram Spring 2013 

Richard E. Young, planetary 

scientist at NASA Ames, passed 

away unexpectedly on Jan. 16, 

2013 while walking near his country 

home in the Sierra foothills at Dunlap, Calif. He was 69. 

Rich had a long and productive 

career in planetary science. After 

graduating from UC Berkeley, he 

came to Ames to work on advanced 

planetary mission concepts, which 

inspired him to seek and earn a 

Ph.D. from UCLA, working with 

Prof. Gerald (Jerry) Schubert, in 

1972. 

After a short post-doc at the 

National Center for Atmospheric 

Research (NCAR), Rich returned to 

Ames to work on the Venus atmo- sphere research project with Jim 

Pollack, and joined the Theoretical 

Studies Branch of the Space Sci- ence Division in 1976.

During his career, Rich conduct- ed research into a broad variety of 

topics ranging from interior struc- tural and thermal models of the 

moon, Mercury, Mars, Uranus and 

In Memoriam

After a long and adventurous life, 

Virginia Hall Stalder, resident of Palo 

Alto, Calif., passed away peacefully in 

her sleep Nov. 25, 2012 near her Eng- lish holly farm in Beavercreek, Ore. at 

the age of 87.

Born Jan. 20, 1925 in Salisbury, 

N.C. to Hallie Shaver and John Floyd 

Hall, she grew up in Salisbury and 

Woodleaf, attending Salisbury and 

Woodleaf public schools and Catawba 

College, where she graduated with a 

degree in physics.

 Upon graduation from Catawba, 

she was employed by NACA, the 

predecessor of NASA, at Langley 

Field, Va. Shortly thereafter, seeking 

adventure, she transferred to Ames 

Research Lab at Moffett Field. She 

advanced to the position of “head 

computer” before the advent of calcu- lators and main frame computers.

 At Ames, she met and married 

Jackson R. Stalder, an aeronautical 

research engineer.

She continued to work for various 

firms on the San Francisco Peninsula, 

an unusual achievement for women in 

the 1950s, while raising three children. 

 In 1964, Virginia and Jackson purchased an English holly farm in Beavercreek, Ore. Jackson passed away 

in 1968, and Virginia managed and 

developed Beavercreek Farms – purveyors of fine English holly seasonal 

gifts – for 48 years. When asked why 

she was once again making the annual trek to Beavercreek at the age of 

87, she replied “to make a few people 

happy.” She deeply appreciated her 

holly customers and treasured providing jobs for her loyal and talented 

seasonal workers.

 Although an accomplished career 

woman and business owner, Virginia 

described herself as a “country girl at 

heart.” Nothing pleased her more than 

a long, slow Sunday drive on back 

roads. She enjoyed three cross-country road trips with her children and 

grandchildren during her last years.

 She is survived by her three 

children: Suellen Stalder (James Corrie) of Berkeley, Calif., Barbara Allen 

(Judson Allen, deceased) of Palo Alto, 

Calif., and Kenneth R. Stalder (Patricia Nassos) of Redwood City, Calif.; 

three grandchildren: Suzanne Allen of 

Portland, Ore., Katherine Stalder of 

Menlo Park, Calif., and Julia Stalder of 

Pasadena, Calif.; two nieces: Donna 

Schulken of Santa Nella, Calif., and 

Virginia Hall Stalder

Richard E. Young

Lisa Simmons of San Mateo, Calif. 

Additionally, she is survived by numerous loving Shaver and Hall cousins in 

North Carolina.

 Private services were conducted 

at Beavercreek Farms Nov. 29, 2012.

Planetary scientist Richard E. Young passes on

Neptune, to 3D atmospheric dynamics, to free and forced planetary-scale 

waves and zonally averaged flows, 

and the radiative properties of terrestrial volcanic hazes.

He was among the first to develop 

general circulation models for Venus 

to try to explain its four-day superrotation – perhaps the most challenging 

goal for understanding deep planetary 

atmospheres. He participated in three 

major planetary missions, including 

Pioneer Venus, the Venus Vega mission, and the Galileo Jupiter mission 

for which he served as the entry probe 

chief scientist. 

Later in his career, Rich managed the Planetary Systems Branch 

for five years. He retired in 2006, but 

remained active in science by educat- ing the public about the reality and 

challenge of climate change on Earth. 

As a human being, Rich was the best. 

His hearty laugh often echoed around 

the halls at Ames, and he never had a 

bad word for anyone. He was an en- thusiastic tennis player, poker player 

and backpacker. He had a soft spot in 

his heart for animals of all kinds, and 

in his retirement he volunteered at an 

animal rescue shelter near his home. 

He is survived by his wife Cindy, her 

daughters and grandchildren.

Former Ames employee Virginia Stalder passes away
9

Astrogram Spring 2013

Edward M. Cain passed away 

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, of heart failure. He died as he "had hoped he 

would go," in his beautiful home in 

Los Gatos, attended by loved ones 

and gently in his sleep. 

Ed was born in Bethlehem, Pa., 

in 1937, to Herb and Lilly (Morgen- stern) Smith. He was raised by Lilly 

and Ed Cain in San Rafael Calif., 

and attended Drake High School. 

Ed created a stunning ca- reer as an electrical engineer in 

civil service, earning a Presidential 

commendation for his remarkable 

achievements. He lived in six dif- ferent countries serving his governEdward M. Cain

ment and finished his career 

as a director at NASA Ames. 

He will be terribly missed 

and lovingly remembered by 

his daughter, Christine Cain 

Weidner and her three girls, 

Grace, Claire and Kate, as 

well as his constant com- panions Barbara Eads and 

Pamela Davoren. 

A service was held Jan. 

18, 2013, at The Little Chapel 

by the Sea in Pacific Grove, 

Calif., with interment at El 

Carmelo Cemetery. 

Ames’ AJAX project supports airborne Earth science campaign

Earth science researchers at 

NASA Ames are supporting the 

DISCOVER-AQ mission currently taking place over the San Joaquin Valley, 

Calif. 

Flights are exploring the lower 

portion of the atmosphere to gather 

atmospheric data to validate satellite 

sensor readings that could dramatically improve the understanding of 

climate change and air pollution.

The NASA Ames AJAX (Alpha Jet 

Atmospheric eXperiment) project is 

flying several flights to complement 

the measurements made by NASA's 

Lockheed P-3B and Beechcraft 200 

King Air as part of the DISCOVER-AQ 

campaign. 

The Alpha Jet is focusing on the 

northern portion of the San Joaquin 

Valley, while the two other aircraft 

are flying over the southern reaches 

of the Valley. Its measurements of 

by Ruth Dasso Marlaire ozone, carbon dioxide

and methane will extend 

the measurements being 

taken by the two other 

aircraft. 

One flight was flown 

Feb. 3, 2013 in the San 

Francisco Bay Area, 

which also included data 

collecting for the Bay 

Area Air Quality Management District.

“DISCOVER-AQ will 

help scientists collect the 

data needed to improve 

air-quality observations 

from space. We are 

pleased to help extend 

this work into the northern portion of the Central Valley,” said Laura 

Iraci, project manager 

for AJAX and research 

scientist at Ames.

NASA photo by Eric James

The NASA Ames AJAX (Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment) 

project flew several flights for the DISCOVER-AQ campaign in 

February. Earth science researchers at Ames are supporting the 

mission currently taking place over the San Joaquin Valley, Calif. 

Former associate Code J director remembered

technologies and information.

- Ray T. Gilstrap, whose work 

involves identifying and evaluating 

emerging computer network technologies for use in NASA missions and scientific research. Now, as acting Chief 

Technology Officer of IT, he identifies, 

evaluates and advocates for new 

technologies that can benefit NASA 

missions, projects and users. 

“Encouragement of minorities in 

STEM fields is vital to the creation 

of a diverse and globally competitive 

workforce,” said Aisha Bowe.

“Our recognition as thought leaders at the Black Engineer of the Year 

awards is not only an incredible honor, 

it also reinforces NASA and the nation’s commitment to inspiring, exciting and encouraging the leaders of 

tomorrow.” 

BEYA is the nation’s largest 

gathering of STEM professionals and 

leaders committed to increasing the 

percentage of underrepresented communities in the technology workforce. 

Fewer than 700 people have been the 

recipients of these prestigious awards 

and 2013 marks the 27th anniversary 

of officially recognizing black excellence in STEM fields. 

Ames leads agency in ‘Black Engineer of the Year’ awards

continued from page 6
10

Astrogram Spring 2013 

NASA’s Associate Administrator for Science 

Dr. John M. Grunsfeld visited Ames on Dec. 

11, 2012. This was his first visit to Ames since 

he assumed his current duties at NASA Headquarters in January 2012. Before coming to 

Headquarters, Grunsfeld was a member of the 

agency’s astronaut corps, and flew on three 

Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions. 

He performed a total of eight spacewalks 

to service and upgrade the observatory. He 

logged more than 58 days in space on his 

shuttle missions, including 58 hours and 30 

minutes of spacewalk time.Grunsfeld first flew 

to space aboard Endeavour in March 1995 

on a mission that studied the far ultraviolet 

spectra of faint astronomical objects using the 

Astro-2 Observatory. His second flight was 

aboard Atlantis in January 1997. 

NASA photo by Eric James

Water is one of the most crucial 

provisions an astronaut will need to 

live and work in space. Whether orbiting Earth, working at a lunar base, or 

traveling to Mars, astronauts must use 

and recycle water as efficiently as possible. That's why NASA has targeted 

its water recycling technology for rapid 

development.

On the International Space Station, 

each crewmember is allocated about 

two liters of water daily. Such conservation means the crew must stretch the 

ration by collecting, cleaning and reusing wastewater, condensate in the air, 

and even urine. For future deep space 

missions, astronauts will need even 

greater amounts of water.

To help them optimize use of this 

precious commodity, research engineers at Ames are following several 

different but complementary avenues 

to develop dependable ways of recycling water.

"We are very excited about the 

advanced water processor technology 

development work being done at NASA 

Ames," said Steve Gaddis, manager 

for NASA's Game Changing Development Program at the agency's Langley 

Research Center in Hampton, Va. " 

We're anticipating a system capable 

of treating all exploration wastewater 

-- including hygiene and laundry -- at 

a recovery rate of greater than 95 

percent."

The most recent development of 

NASA's water recycling system is the 

Alternative Water Processor currently being developed by NASA's 

Next Generation Life Support Project, 

under the Game Changing Development Program. The water processor 

has a membrane-aerated bioreactor 

to destroy organic contaminate and a 

forward osmosis secondary treatment 

system to remove dissolved solids.

Construction of the first generation 

Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment (FOST) system was recently 

completed at NASA Ames. The system was shipped to NASA's Johnson 

Space Center in Houston to undergo 

integrated testing with the membraneaerated bioreactor, designed by Texas 

Tech University, Lubbock and constructed by NASA Johnson.

New design concepts continue to 

drive the evolution of this important 

technology. Thanks to an agency 

initiative called "Replacement by 

Renovation," NASA Ames was able to 

construct Sustainability Base, one of 

the greenest buildings in the federal 

government.

As part of Sustainability Base's 

design, NASA researchers installed a 

new forward osmosis water recovery 

system in the building, this time for 

use here on Earth. This system, in 

combination with other water-saving 

technologies integrated into the building, is reducing water consumption in 

Sustainability Base by more than 90 

percent.

The recently delivered to JSC forward osmosis system is a smaller version of the one in Sustainability Base. 

It is sized to support a crew of four on 

a long-duration space flight mission.

The forward osmosis is NASA's 

next generation water recycling technology. It will help reduce the cost of 

human space flight, as it increases its 

own reliability. This evolving technology also is starting to drive innovation 

and advancements in the state-of-theart terrestrial water recycling.

"Inside the water recovery system 

is an evolving set of technologies with 

great promise," said Michael Flynn, a 

research engineer at NASA Ames. "Ultimately, these systems will continue to 

evolve and become increasingly more 

complex, integrated and smaller."

by Ruth Dasso Marlai

NASA targets water recycling system for rapid development

Water is a critically 

important and limited 

resource, especially 

fo astronauts on 

space missions. To 

help them optimize 

use of this precious 

commodity, research 

engineers at Ames 

are developing 

dependable ways of 

recycling water.

NASA photo by 

Eric James

Grunsfeld visits Ames
11

Astrogram Spring 2013

The Ames Cat Network needs help finding 

homes for cats trapped at Moffett. They 

range from feral to abandoned/lost pets. 

They are 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., last Tuesday of each month, 12 - 1 p.m., 

Bldg. N255 Rm 101C. POC: Rose King, ext. 

4-3442. 

Moffett Aikido Club, Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:30 p.m., Bldg. 944. 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

Ames Amateur Radio Club, third Thurs., of 

each month, 12 noon, N-T28 (across from 

N-255). POC: George Tucker, at ext. 4-2200. 

Ames Bluegrass Club, every Tuesday from 

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bldg. 944. Players of all 

instruments and all levels are welcome, but we 

are particularly interested in experienced players willing to help improve the group’s musical 

skills. POC: Bob Haberle at ext: 4-5494 or 

email: robert.m.haberle@nasa.gov

Ames Bocce Ball Club, Ames’ newest Exchange-sponsored club is seeking members. 

POC: Mike Lindsay email: michael.c.lindsay@

nasa.gov

Ames Bowling League, Homestead Lanes 

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

4-4884.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg., first Weds. 

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

Room. POC: Herb Finger at ext. 4-6598.

Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) 

Mtg, third Wednesday each month, noon. 

Bldg. N-204, Rm. 101. Guests welcome. 

Check for occasional schedule changes at: 

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

4-5916.

Ames Golf Club, Members have the opportunity to play approximately 13 tournaments per 

year at a variety of 18-hole golf courses in the 

Bay and Monterey Area. POC: Barry Sullivan: 

Barry.T.Sullivan@nasa.gov.

Ames Green Team (formerly the Green Ames 

Working Group) meetings are held the first 

Tuesday of each month in N237, Room

101, from 10-11 a.m. For information, call 

Roger Ashbaugh, Ames Environmental 

Management Division, ext. 4-5660.

http://environmentalmanagement.arc.nasa.

gov/reports/eo-13514.html

The Hispanic Advisory Committee for 

Excellence (HACE) Mtg., first Thursday of 

each month, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Bldg. 

N-255, Rm. 101C. POC: Jeanette Zamora, 

jeanette.zamora-ortega-1@nasa.gov.

Ames Jazz Band Club, Bldg. 944, 5:30 

p.m. - 7 p.m., POC: Ralph Bach, email: 

ralph.e.bach@nasa.gov

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 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 Roller Hockey Club, meets daily 

from noon to 1 p.m. at rink on north end of 

the 80-foot-by-120-foot wind tunnel, Players 

should have experience skating and must 

wear protective equipment. 

Ames Safety Committee, third Thursday of 

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

Rm. 200. POC: John Livacich, jlivacich@

mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext. 4-3243.

Women’s Influence Network (WIN), first 

Wednesday of each month, Bldg. 241 room 

237, 11:30 - 12:30 p.m., POC: Elena Serna, 

elena.serna@nasa.gov

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

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

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

Barcelona Café Bldg. 3, 6:30 a.m. to 

2 p.m., ext. 4-4948/Catering ext. 4-4948

See daily menus at: http://exchange.arc.

nasa.gov/cafe/menu.html 

Visitor Center Gift Shop (Exploration 

Center), Tues-Fri, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat. - 

Sun, 12 - 4 p.m., ext. 4--5412

Remember to purchase your baby shower, birthday 

and holiday gifts at Ames’ two gift shops!

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

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

NASA Lodge (N-19) (650) 603-7100

The swimming pool is now open. Hours of operation 

are as follows:

Lap swim only:

MWF 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

MWF 3 p.m.-6 p.m.

TTH 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

TTH 4 p.m.-7 p.m. The pool is heated year round. 

The pool normally is available for lap swim, pool 

parties and special events. POC: Ryan Storms, 

Pool Manager (650) 603-8025. Memberships: 

single memberships: $60/yr. Family memberships: 

$80/yr. After purchasing a membership, there is an 

entrance fee: daily entrance fee - $3/day or lap pass 

fee - $50 for 20 uses. Platinum membership - $380/

yr. (no daily fee). Special events: include military 

training, swim team events, kayak role practice, etc. 

The cost for special events is $75/hr, or $50/hr for 

military.

Exchange Basketball Gym is now open, Bldg. 2

(650) 603-9717

Hours of operation:

M-F 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

M-F 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

Ames Swim Center (N-109) (650) 603-8025

RV Lots available. Call to reserve a space 

at (650) 254-1808.

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

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

19 (43 rooms), rate: $65/night ($5 ea add’l adult); 

Bldg. 583 A&B (150 rooms), rate: $55/night ($5 ea. 

add’l adult); B547 rate $60/night (for large groups)

Moffett Field Golf Club with ‘Tee minus 

One’ Grill and Sports Bar. Catering available. Call (650) 603-8026. Extended Happy 

Hour Thursdays, $5 and $6 pitchers of beer 

starting at 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

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

Chase Park reservations, call ext. 4-4948

NACA Park reservations, call ext. 4-4948

Orphanage Without Borders Mtg., 

Mondays, Buiding 211, Room 205, 11:30 

a.m.-12:30 p.m. The mission of Orphanage 

Without Borders (OWB) is to improve the 

lives of children living in orphanages and 

abandoned children. Our goal is to create a 

network of organizations that work together to 

provide children worldwide with the acceptable standards of life such as education, 

health, hygiene, discipline, affection, responsibility, hope of future, shelter, nutrition, clean 

water, joy and safety. We aim to apply these 

standards universally, meaning that they will 

be independent of the nationality, religion, 

culture, race, political opinion or social class 

of the children or orphanage location. For 

additional information contact Miguel at 

mvcharcos@orphanagewithoutborders.org or 

mcharcos@sofia.usra.edu. 

Ames’ annual 100 percent wall-to-wall physical 

inventory for NASA tagged, bar-coded property 

is proceeding as scheduled. As a reminder, all 

controlled equipment documented on a NASA 

Form 892 “Employee Property Pass/Loan 

Agreement and Removal Permit” must have 

their NF 892 up to date. Employees are encouraged to bring in that property for scanning. 

Property passes are assigned to those people 

authorized to carry government equipment on 

and off Ames Research Center. If you have 

questions, contact Nelson Japlit at ext. 4-3428. 

Physical Inventory Underway
12

Astrogram Spring 2013 

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 Terlep

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

PAID

PERMIT NO. 85

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

A statistical summary of activities of the Protective Service Division’s Security/Law Enforcement 

and Fire Protection Services units for the month of 

January 2013 is shown below.

Protective Services 

monthly activity

Security/Law Enforcement Activity

Fire Protection Activity

Astrogram NP-2013-02-01-ARC

Engineers at Ames have 

completed all of the mechanical tests of NASA's Lunar 

Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) 

spacecraft. 

Engineers will next complete preparations to transport 

the spacecraft back to Ames 

from the National Technical 

Systems mechanical testing 

facility in Santa Clarita, Calif.

LADEE is a robotic mission that will orbit the moon 

to gather detailed information 

about the lunar atmosphere, 

conditions near the surface, 

and environmental influences 

on lunar dust.

The mechanical-testing 

phase simulates the loud shaking conditions LADEE will face 

during its launch, and includes 

acoustic, vibration, and shock 

tests. During the acoustic 

testing, which took place first, 

a large horn blasted intense 

sound at the observatory to 

simulate the roar of the rocket 

at launch. 

The second test involved 

shaking the observatory at 

different frequencies and accelerations on a large platform 

to simulate the vibration of the 

rocket as it climbs to space. 

The third test simulated the 

shock that will occur when 

LADEE separates from the 

upper stage of the rocket and 

begins its journey to the moon.

After returning to Ames, 

LADEE was placed back in 

a cleanroom. Engineers then 

replaced some components 

used during mechanical testing, including mass models of 

the transponder and two of the 

Lunar Laser Communication 

Demonstration modules. 

Most of the accelerometers 

used to record data during 

the mechanical testing were 

replaced with temperature 

sensors to be used during the 

thermal-vacuum tests, the next 

major test phase scheduled in 

the spring.

During thermal-vacuum 

testing, the spacecraft will be 

placed inside a heater cage 

inside a chamber. The atmosphere will be pumped down 

to create a vacuum and cooled 

to simulate the environment 

of space. The heater cage is 

turned on and off during the 

testing to simulate the heating 

of the sun and moon during different phases of the mission. 

by Butler Hine LADEE project

Ames completes LADEE testing