VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 7 • JULY 2020

Achieving

Work-Life Balance

Page 4-5

Unique Material

for Aircraft

Page 6

 Commerical Crew 

Program Success! 

Page 9

Tires That Could...

Go to Mars

Pages 2-3
AeroSpace Frontiers

is an official publication of Glenn Research

Center, National Aeronautics and Space

Administration. It is published the second

Friday of each month by the Office of 

Communications in the interest of the 

Glenn workforce, retirees, government 

officials, business leaders and the general 

public. 

Submit short articles and calendar items

to the editor at doreen.b.zudell@nasa.gov. 

Editor: Doreen B. Zudell, ATS, 

 216–433–5317

Assistant Editor: S. Jenise Veris, ATS

Design: Rhys Sampson, ATS

Managing Editor: Kelly R. DiFrancesco

Circulation: Angela Williams, ATS, 

 216–433–8921

Safety Culture 

Survey Results

I want to express my sincere thanks to 

the 2,500 members of the Glenn Research 

Center community who responded with 

valuable feedback to the recent survey. 

Glenn’s Safety Culture scores have been 

trending upward since we started this 

assessment in 2010. The highest number 

of comments were attributed to the question, “What is the strength of the Glenn 

Safety Culture?” Yet, opportunities for 

improvement in areas such as flexibility, 

communication and engagement were 

identified. We will take actions, such as 

increasing employee opportunities for 

involvement in safety activities, as we 

develop an overall action plan to respond 

to your important feedback.

A strong safety culture is vital to our 

mission success.

GRC-2020-CN-00022 Photos by Colin Creager

The Little Tires 

that Could...

Go to Mars

On the Cover: 

Left to right: Pathway Interns Kaiser Aguirre and 

Jack Stewart, assist John Breckenridge and 

Richard Manco to assemble a prototype Mars 

Spring Tire. Research and assembly photos 

were taken in February.

GRC-2020-CN-00021
It’s rocky. It’s sandy. It’s flat. It’s 

cratered. It’s cold. The surface of Mars 

is a challenging and inhospitable place, 

especially for rovers. As future missions

to Mars become more complex, NASA’s 

robotic wanderers will need new technologies to look deeper into the history of the 

Red Planet.

One of those technologies is an innovative 

new tire in development at NASA Glenn 

using innovative shape memory alloys 

(SMAs).

Tires made from these shape-shifting 

materials offer unmatched durability 

because they flex with the terrain unlike 

current rigid wheels. They can actually 

envelop rocks without the risk of puncture. 

And they can be designed to provide a 

smoother ride—almost like adding shock 

absorbers—to minimize potential damage 

to systems on the rover.

“Glenn began working with the U.S. tire 

industry years ago to develop a better nonpneumatic, or airless, tire for the Moon,” 

said Vivake Asnani, lead tire engineer, 

Rotating and Drive Systems Branch.

“This led to an advanced tire known as 

the Spring Tire, constructed using a 

network of steel springs, that adapted 

and contoured to terrain like a traditional 

rubber tire.”

Glenn engineers have since replaced the 

conventional steel with springs made 

of SMA to improve a rover’s ability to 

operate in extremely rocky terrain and 

at the cold temperatures of Mars. This is 

appealing to mission planners for future 

use on Mars because of its lighter weight, 

traction performance and durability.

Engineers are now refining SMA materials 

processing, working designs and 

completing environmental testing on a new 

Mars tire at Glenn’s Simulated Lunar Lab. 

“We’re developing a Mars-grade material 

that greatly improves SMA capability and 

makes reversible material deformations 

possible in the harsh Martian environment 

without sacrificing performance,” said 

Dr. Santo Padula, lead SMA materials and 

design engineer, High Temperature and 

Smart Alloys Branch.

JULY 2020

3

GRC-2020-CN-00023

Testing has proven the tire’s superior grip 

meets or exceeds all traction performance 

demands and will give rover drivers the 

ability to cross varying terrains. The more 

capable tires also allow for a rover design 

using four tires as opposed to the past sixtire configurations. So, in the case of future 

human exploration or robotic missions, 

these tires can provide valuable flexibility in 

the vehicle and spacecraft design. 

The next of NASA’s Mars exploration 

missions, Mars 2020 and its Perseverance 

rover, is scheduled to launch this month.

Meanwhile, engineers at Glenn will continue 

to mature SMA technologies for applications 

on Mars and here on Earth, including 

passenger vehicle, military and aircraft 

tires. A concept SMA passenger tire has 

been tested, and could eventually replace 

conventional air-filled tires, eliminating the 

risk of punctures and driving under-inflated, 

while improving fuel efficiency and safety. 

By Jimi Russell
4

How Do You Balance Work, Health and Family?

The AeroSpace Frontiers staff asked employees how they are achieving work-life balance in this “new 

normal” telework environment. Several shared examples of how they are adjusting their daily routines to 

successfully balance work, health and family.

Compiled by Doreen B. Zudell

Matt Haberbusch, Data and Systems Branch, says it’s all life, so let it mix. Get 

messy! Experiment! Try working on the floor for a bit! If it’s helping you, it’s 

probably helping the NASA mission.

Nikki Welch, Office of Communications, created impressive box 

gardens in her backyard that bring her great peace and joy. 

Yu Hin “Billy” Hau, far right, Diagnostics and Electromagnetics 

Branch, said mandatory telework opened up an opportunity to set 

up his office at his childhood home. There he balances work and 

encourages his parents to stay active.

Dr. Howard Pearlman, Low-Gravity Exploration Technology Branch, and his wife 

have been spending more time with their daughter, including time homeschooling. 

Here, Pearlman and his daughter, Kallie, play “Marble Run,” a kids version of a 

Rube Goldberg machine.

GRC-2020-CN-00028

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5

Lisa Greeney, LTID Publishing Services, transformed her deck into a 

(safe) tropical paradise—her 2020 Quarantine Getaway. She enjoys 

this with her buddy, Boston Terrier, Mario.”

Tina Schirmer, Thermal Energy 

Conversion Branch, finds getting 

dressed as if she’s going into the office, 

and then changing into casual clothes at 

the end of her workday, helps separate 

work from the rest of life. Even when her 

physical environment doesn’t change. 

Robin Pertz, Library, History and Records 

supervisor, finds joy tending her family garden and 

exercising on the deck her husband recently built.

Mary Wadel, Aeronautics Directorate 

deputy, took two online art courses to 

help relieve stress. One of the classes 

was the art of Zentangle. This is a 

picture from her first lesson.

GRC-2020-CN-00031

GRC-2020-CN-00029 GRC-2020-CN-00025

GRC-2020-CN-00034

GRC-2020-CN-00035

Jennifer Thomas, right, Environmental Management Office, relieves stress and spends

time with her kids through Glenn’s Fitness Center Family Class hosted by fitness instructor 

Heather Mueller, left.

JULY 2020
NASA Develops Unique Materials for the 

Next Generation of Aircraft

Engineers and researchers at Glenn developed a state-of-the-art 

process for reinforcing the SiC fibers. This technique improves 

performance and makes the fibers tougher. It also gives engineers 

expanded design flexibility because the fibers can be shaped 

for specific applications. These enhancements can be applied to 

single fibers, multi-fibers or even preform molds without any loss 

in durability.

“Novel materials such as SiC/SiC CMCs have to be manufacturable 

and usable to find utility in industry,” said Hiltabidel. “Our 

materials researchers understand this and employ conventional 

manufacturing techniques when designing new materials making 

transition to industry easier.”

After extensive process improvement and testing, NASA opened 

SiC fibers up for licensing through its Technology Transfer 

Program. When a company licenses with NASA, the relationship 

extends far beyond the agency’s brand recognition, it provides U.S. 

industry with a vast network of subject matter experts, testing 

facilities and other partners.

“ NASA’s SiC technology caught my eye and it was a no-brainer,” 

said Andrei Evulet, chief technology officer at Jetoptera, an 

unmanned aerial system (UAS) startup based in Seattle. “I was 

curious about various enabling technologies that we could license 

rather than develop ourselves, and frankly, CMCs are really 

capital-intensive.”

Jetoptera is looking to create a UAS that can augment commerce, 

deliver humanitarian aid, advance agricultural maintenance 

systems, replace manned medevacs and more.

Application of this SiC fiber technology extends far beyond 

aeronautics. It can also be used in land-based gas turbine engines, 

furnaces and heat exchangers, thermal/fire protection systems, 

rocket nozzles and even nuclear reactors.

To find out more about how to license available NASA technologies, 

including Glenn inventions, visit https://technology.nasa.gov.

By Lauren Simmers and Jimi Russell

As NASA looks to the future of flight, the agency is investing 

in technologies aimed at changing the aviation industry as we 

know it. These developments vary from basic materials to fullscale experimental aircraft, all designed to increase efficiency 

and reliability, while decreasing weight and cost. One of these 

materials is silicon carbide (SiC) fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic 

matrix composites (SiC/SiC CMCs). 

Glenn is known for its materials research and development 

capabilities, and is currently working to bring this SiC fiber 

material to the commercial aviation market. This lightweight and 

reusable fiber material is ideal for high-performance machinery, 

like aircraft engines, operating for extended periods of time 

in punishing conditions. SiC fibers can withstand up to 2,700 

degrees Fahrenheit and are strong enough to last months, or even 

years, between maintenance cycles.

“Glenn’s materials research is pushing boundaries—creating 

materials that can withstand intense environments like what is 

found in advanced gas turbine engines while reducing the weight 

of these materials,” said Amy Hiltabidel, technology licensing 

manager at Glenn. “These developments create unique market 

opportunities, especially for those seeking robust, lightweight 

structures that can be manufactured using SiC/SiC CMCs.”

Jetoptera’s J-55 Unmanned Aerial System uses parts created with

NASA Glenn’s silicon carbide materials

A turbine engine guide vane made with advanced silicon GRC-2020-CN-00020 Photo by Jetoptera, Seattle,Washington

carbide materials.

GRC-2020-CN-00021 Photo by NASA

6
Step Back in Time

OSTEM Specialists Host Virtual 

“Make it NASA” Activity

On the morning of May 30, 1985, two studentcrewed space shuttle vehicles, (actually 

reconfigured school buses) embarked on a 

4-hour mission that included experiments, data

gathering, a vehicle rendezvous and a visit to

another planet. The Simulated Shuttle event,

sponsored by NASA Lewis (now Glenn), was a

tremendous success and an unforgettable day

for not only scores of participating students but

also the NASA employees and teachers who

planned the mission. Learn more about this

event, as well as other historic center activities,

through Glenn’s history features. Step through

the portal at https://www.nasa.gov/centers/

glenn/about/history/index.html.

Twenty-nine formal/informal educators trained to be facilitators 

of an exciting new STEM making activity during Glenn’s Office of 

STEM Engagement (OSTEM) first virtual “Make it NASA” workshop, 

held May 27 and 28. An OSTEM team of education specialists, 

led by Gerald Voltz, demonstrated the level of rigor and support 

that facilitators should employ to aid students in the NASA design 

activity. 

Dr. Jerry Myers, a project scientist working with Glenn’s Human 

Research Program Cross-Cutting Computational Modeling Project, 

inspired the activity based on his work. In the activity, titled “Save 

Your Breath,” students build and test a data-collection system 

consisting of a sensor, microcontroller, and transmitter that could 

be used during lunar exploration. They employ computational 

thinking practices to modify their system to detect carbon dioxide 

in simulated spacesuit helmets and signal an alert if CO2

 exceeds 

acceptable levels.

Participants were selected based on proposals for a solicitation 

that included the identical activity kits used during the workshop 

in advance of engaging students at their respective organizations. 

Based on feedback, the workshop goals were met. “I’m not 

technical at all,” confessed Rebecca Rak, a workshop participant 

representing Lodi Family Center in Lodi, Ohio, “but I enjoyed the 

challenge and felt very empowered to be able to work with my 

kids. I’m already trying to raise money for a mock clean room and 

additional kits to expose more than the 20 students I projected in 

my initial proposal.”

 By S. Jenise Veris

Students line up to board a bus converted into a space shuttle vehicle.

A visual of wiring the sensor as 

participants observe.

Workshop participants join in an online discussion.

GRC-1985-C-04538

GRC-2020-C-01785

GRC-2020-C-01652

JULY 2020

7

Photos by Jef Janis
8

NEWS AND EVENTS

As part of The Cleveland Leadership Center’s 

“The Way Forward Leader Lunch Breaks,” Glenn’s 

Director of Facilities, Test and Manufacturing 

Directorate Dr. Joel Kearns engaged virtual viewers 

in NASA’s plans to return to the Moon in 2024. The 

Way Forward Leader Lunch Breaks are a series

of virtual (via Zoom) discussion workshops on 

topics to help you move forward in our new and 

uncertain world.

Dr. Kearns Conducts Virtual 

Presentation for Leaders

Feeling Homesick for Glenn?

Visit Through Virtual Tours

While the need for social distancing 

has resulted in closures of businesses, 

museums and attractions throughout 

the country, many of Glenn’s research 

facilities are still open—virtually. 

Thanks to the efforts of Glenn’s Digital 

Communications and Imaging Technology 

Center teams, employees and the public 

can stay connected to Glenn. A total of 

11 facilities—at Lewis Field and Plum 

Brook Station—can be visited through 

360-degree visual tours. Enter through

https://www.nasa.gov/glennvirtualtours. Take a seat in the NASA’s T–34 plane in Glenn’s hangar. 

GRC-2019-C-06135 Photo by Jordan Salkin

GRC-2020-CN-00036 

Photo by Antoine Moss
9

JULY 2020

Glenn Celebrates Role in Return to 

Spaceflight From American Soil

The success of Demo-2 serves as a precursor to fully 

operational crew rotation missions under NASA’s Commercial 

Crew Program and the anticipated growth of America’s 

commercial space industry. NASA Glenn stands ready to 

support in any way possible.

On May 30, people across the globe viewed the launch of 

SpaceX Crew Dragon Demonstration Mission 2 (Demo-2), the 

first crewed mission of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. 

NASA Glenn test facilities and workforce expertise contributed 

to the successful performance of a commercially built and 

operated spacecraft launched from American soil, after nearly 

a decade hiatus.

In 2018, SpaceX representatives completed thermal vacuum 

and acoustic tests at Plum Brook Station on its Crew Dragon 

spacecraft for Demo-1, an uncrewed test flight in March 2019 

to the International Space Station. 

Plum Brook’s one-of-a-kind, multifaceted capabilities for 

testing hardware under simulated launch and spaceflight 

conditions have made it a destination for NASA and 

commercial partners alike. 

Crew Dragon underwent analysis in two different testing 

arenas. First, in the In-Space Propulsion (ISP) Facility, the 

world’s only facility capable of testing a full-scale upperstage launch vehicle, to determine if it could withstand the 

extreme temperatures and vacuum of space during its trip to 

the space station. The spacecraft then moved to the Space 

Environments Complex to determine the acoustics effects of 

launch. 

Glenn also worked with a number of local partners (University 

of Akron, University of Toledo, the Ohio Aerospace Institute, 

Vantage Partners and Parker Hannifin) to develop spacecraft 

docking seals for the NASA Docking System (NDS). Many of 

the NDS components, including the Glenn-developed seals, 

are used on Crew Dragon to help it connect to the space 

station, keeping breathable oxygen inside so the astronauts 

can safely transfer themselves and cargo. 

Crew Dragon docking seal developed by Glenn

GRC-2019-CN-00041 Photo by Bruce Steinetz

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in the ISP

GRC-2018-CN-00040 Photo by Space X
PROMOTIONS

Marc Abadie has been selected deputy program manager 

in the Radioisotope Power Systems Program Office, Space 

Flight Systems Directorate. Abadie formerly served as 

the Orion Propulsion Functional Area manager and, more 

recently, acting chief of the directorate’s Exploration 

Systems Office. 

Abadie

Calvin Robinson has been selected data system architect 

in the Office for the Data Architect position within the 

Information and Applications Office, Office of Chief 

Information Officer. Robinson most recently led the 

Data and Information Management Solutions project and 

supported the Scientific Computing and Visualization Team.

Robinson

Taylor K. Varouh has been selected facility management 

engineer in the Test Facility Management Branch of the 

Management Integration Division, Facilities, Test and 

Manufacturing Directorate. She previously served in the 

Space Environments Test Branch as lead mechanical test 

engineer for the Vacuum Facility 5. 

Varouh

MORE THAN A MEMORY

Poppy Kalis, 88, a 1992 retiree with 21 years of federal 

service, died May 28. Kalis joined the NASA workforce 

in 1981 providing clerical/administrative assistance in 

the Library. She transitioned to the Space Propulsion 

Technology Division in 1983, where she remained 

throughout her career supporting various branches of 

the organization. Kalis earned a 1987 Lewis Secretarial 

Award and a 1991 NASA Group Achievement Award for 

support to the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment. 

Her husband, Leo, is also a 1992 NASA retiree. Kalis

Trending with Tech Transfer

Enabling Weight 

Control

Glenn’s Technology Transfer Office has 

signed a nonexclusive evaluation license

with Breathefit, LCC, in Palm Desert, 

California. Breathefit will investigate the use 

of LEW–17945–1, Portable Unit for Metabolic 

Analysis (PUMA), for a new concept in 

weight-loss management. The PUMA 

technology is a perfect fit for Breathefit’s 

device, which will measure the amount of 

carbon exhaled at rest and while exercising, 

and combine those numbers in an app to 

determine personal carbon exhaustion as it 

relates to total daily weight loss in pounds. 

This will aid in enabling weight control, 

thus reducing obesity and other diseases 

caused by weight issues. The device would 

be marketed to sporting goods retailers, 

medical/rehab/physical fitness facilities and 

weight loss manufacturers.

For more information on NASA Glenn’s 

technologies available for licensing, visit 

https://technology.grc.nasa.gov.

Coming on Tuesday, Aug. 18

GRC’s Virtual Center Picnic!

Watch Today@Glenn for more details on when and how to virtually experience this year’s event.

Retirees—for details on how to participate, contact Dorothy Viancourt at 216–433–2532 or 

dorothy.e.viancourt@nasa.gov.
JULY 2020

11

Improve communications and 

leadership skills through Aerospace 

Toastmasters. The group meets on 

Microsoft Teams on Thursdays from 

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

wang-1@nasa.gov, extension 3–3613, 

for more information. https://aerospace.

toastmastersclubs.org/. 

AEROSPACE TOASTMASTERS MEET

The Emergency Management Office 

staff will conduct an audible siren test 

on the “lockdown” tone on Saturday, 

Aug.1 at Lewis Field. They will conduct 

a mass notification noise test at bldg. 6 

on Wednesday, Aug. 5. 

POC: Allen Turner, 3–6826 

OUTDOOR SIREN TESTING

Salkin Zunt

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

Deadline for next calendar section 

is July 24, noon. News and feature 

stories require additional time.

Stay tuned to Today@Glenn for 

updates on these activities

NASA Recognizes Glenn’s 

Photography, Videography 

Excellence

Two Alcyon Technical Services employees in Glenn’s Imaging Technology Center earned top 

honors during NASA’s 2019 Photographer and Videographer of the Year competition. 

Jordan Salkin’s photo of Timothy Bencic from her “Inventor Portrait Series” took first place for 

outstanding achievement in the Portrait category. View the series on Glenn’s Flickr site at https://

www.flickr.com/photos/nasaglenn/albums.

Jim Zunt’s videography of Tonya Mitchell for the NASA’s “Women’s History Month” series 

took second place in the Production category. View the video at https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=cZqKWXu1Yyw.

The NASA Imaging Experts Group conducts an annual program that recognizes the Photographer 

and Videographer of the Year via submissions from all NASA centers. Submissions for 

Photography were categorized as Documentation, Portrait, People or Places. Submissions for 

Videography were categorized as Documentation or Production. A panel of judges selected a 

first, second, and third place winner for each category. The awards were given during a virtual 

agency livestream event in June.

Salkin’s first-place photograph featuring Tim 

Bencic and his technology.

Zunt’s second-place videography entry featuring 

Tonya Mitchell.

GRC-2019-C-13323 Photo by Jim Zunt

Correction

The AeroSpace Frontiers unintentionally omitted 

the title “Dr.” in front of Dr. Jamesa Stokes’ name 

in the caption on page 8 of the June issue. The 

error has been corrected on the online version.

GRC-2019-C-01079 Photo by Jordan Salkin
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research Center 

Lewis Field

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Plum Brook Station

3597 E. Scheid Road

Sandusky, Ohio 44870

www.nasa.gov

Read AeroSpace Frontiers online at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/news/AF/index.html.

Emergency and Inclement Weather Lines 

Lewis Field: 216–433–9328 (WEAT) 

Plum Brook Station: 419–621–3333

Connect With Glenn

The Flame of Discovery Grows as Saffire 

Sets New Fires in Space

“We want to take what we learned from the first three Saffire 

experiments and see how flames spread and grow in other 

spacecraft conditions,” said Saffire Program Manager, Gary 

Ruff, Exploration Systems Office. “We also loaded Saffire IV 

with more diagnostic equipment to see how effectively we 

can detect fires, measure combustion products and evaluate 

future fire response and clean up technologies.”

Saffire, built by Zin Technologies Inc. in Cleveland, is equipped 

with numerous sensors that detect oxygen and carbon dioxide 

levels, smoke concentration and diameter, and temperatures 

at different places in the Cygnus vehicle. Four cameras were 

mounted inside to show the size and spread of the flame.

The first three Saffire experiments had limited-sized fires and 

examined ignition and spread over similar materials. Results 

showed that flames spread quickly and achieved a steady 

size and burn rate, unlike here on Earth where flames tend to 

continue to grow. Scientists also learned that the size of the 

spacecraft had more effect on the fire than anticipated.

Saffire’s most important goal is to understand fire behavior 

in space so safety measures can be developed to deal with 

fire emergencies, when astronauts do not have the option to 

exit spacecraft or quickly return to Earth. Imagery and data 

returned from the Saffire investigations will be important for 

Artemis missions to the Moon and future missions to Mars.

Two additional Saffire experiments are scheduled for October 

and March of 2021, as NASA continues to develop safer ways 

to operate future crewed exploration missions.

By Nancy Smith Kilkenny

In May, NASA ignited another set of space fire experiments 

when Saffire IV lit a number of longer, stronger flames inside 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft. Saffire, 

NASA’s Spacecraft Fire Safety Demonstration Project, is a 

series of six experiments that investigate how fires grow and 

spread in space, especially aboard future spacecraft bound for 

the Moon and Mars.

Just like Saffires I, II and III, the researchers began the 

experiment in Cygnus after it completed its primary 

International Space Station resupply mission and departed to 

a safe distance away from the station. 

One of the unique features of Saffire IV is that after two 

material burns, a carbon dioxide scrubber and smoke eater 

were used to remove particulate and carbon monoxide. The 

instrument to monitor combustion gases and the smoke 

eater filter are prototypes of what will be used on the Orion 

spacecraft.

An edge-on view of spacecraft material set on fire in space as part of 

NASA’s Saffire IV experiment. 

GRC-2020-CN-00042 Photo by NASA