www.nasa.gov www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 1

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A publication of NASA Research Park Spring 2009

NRP Post

UA continued on page 9

Artist's concept for planned sustainable research and education campus

L to R: Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden, U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, FoothillDe Anza Chancellor Martha Kanter, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, 

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Santa Clara University President Michael Engh, SJ , 

U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, Carnegie Mellon University President Jared L. Cohon

NASA, Universities Unveil Plans to Build New 

Campus at NASA Research Park

by Michael Marlaire, Director, NASA Research Park

On March 13, 2009, the University of California Santa Cruz, 

(UCSC) and Foothill-De Anza Community College District 

announced a dynamic new partnership with NASA Ames to 

establish a sustainable community for education and research 

at the NASA Research Park (NRP). UCSC and Foothill-De 

Anza formed University Associates-Silicon Valley LLC (UA), 

which signed a land lease with NASA in December 2008 for 

approximately 75 acres in the NRP. 

UA leaders, including UCSC Chancellor Blumenthal and FoothillDeAnza Chancellor Kanter; political leaders, including U.S. 

Reps. Eshoo, Lofgren and Honda; and Center Director Worden 

attended on March 13 a 200 VIP event to highlight this agreement. Carl Guardino, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley 

Leadership Group, was master of ceremonies. Having completed 

the complicated processes of the long-term lease and the new UA 

LLC, the leaders’ excitement at the event was palpable.

The idea of a unique university collaborative organization at NRP 

was the brainchild of UCSC’s George Blumenthal and Ames’ Pete 

Worden. UCSC had planned a large-scale campus at NRP since 

the beginning of NRP development. In 2007, these two PhDs in 

Astrophysics developed the concept that a number of universities 

could develop into a new organization, a meta-university.

“This announcement marks the launch of an exciting new collaboration 

that brings together some of the world’s leading educators and scientists to 

create a world-class community for future research and development,” said 

S. Pete Worden, Director of NASA Ames Research Center. 

“The goal is to create a prototype for an environmentally sustainable 

community and contribute to the economic vitality of the region, while 

providing a unique collaborative environment in which to deliver innovative 

education and research. Our vision is to seed innovation, entrepreneurship, 

and sustainability through the creative reuse of an important public asset 

for regional benefit . We aim to establish world-class programs and facilities dedicated to preparing the workforce of the future and to conducting 

research at the forefront of science and technology,” said UCSC Chancellor 

George Blumenthal.

“Being part of this unique education and research community would give 

Foothill-De Anza students new opportunities to learn in a world-class 

research environment. It opens up exciting possibilities for preparing our 

students to join Silicon Valley’s clean-tech green-tech workforce or pursue 

advanced study in science, technology, engineering, and emerging career 

fields,” said Martha Kanter, Chancellor of Foothill-De Anza.

In early 2008 NASA Ames signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UCSC, Foothill-DeAnza, Carnegie Mellon 

University and Santa Clara University to create a new organization to develop a major section of NRP. These universities were 

already in NRP conducting R&D and educational programs. 

The goal of the new organization is to advance NRP’s goal 

of a world-class, integrated research and education community 

through a public-private partnership with NASA Ames and 

leading academic institutions. UCSC now leads this effort to 

benefit NASA’s mission, and advance higher education and 

economic development throughout the region and the nation.

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

Courtesy of UA LLC
NRP Post

2 www.nasa.gov

NRP Welcomes New Tenants

Advanced Maglev

Building 19, February 1

Millennium Engineering & Integration Company (MEI)

Building 19, January 16

RMV Technology

Building 19, February 1

Singularity University (SU)

Building 19, February 2

Tesla Motors

Building 19, December 1, 2008

RMV Brings Electrostatic Mitigation Expertise 

to NRP by Bob Vermillion and Renee Mitchell

RMV Technology Group, LLC, an industry leader in the specialized field of electrostatic mitigation, has recently opened an 

office and ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) laboratory at NASA 

Research Park. Bob Vermillion, founder, has developed an 

ESD materials technology approved by NASA.

RMV is actively engaged in the space technology arena, performing electrostatic testing and evaluation of advanced and 

engineered materials, thin films, coatings, powders and flexible 

tubing, including ESD mapping of carbon nanotube polymers 

(CNT) for scientific research and development. Engineering 

services include Class Zero Device training for troubleshooting satellite systems, robotics and robust circuit board design; 

cable assembly troubleshooting for satellite manufacturing; 

and ESD compliant material integrity for mitigation of triboelectrification at low RH. 

RMV serves customers in the semiconductor, disk drive, 

aerospace, biometrics, medical device and telecommunications 

sectors. Systems 

and design 

projects include 

semiconductor 

design and verification, Lightwave 

t r a n s m i s s i o n 

equipment, wireless equipment 

including cellular 

phones and base 

station equipment, information 

technology equipment, telephone 

switching systems, 

RMV continued on page 11

“Current” through pacemaker circuit card vacuum 

formed carrier to identify hot spots with thermal 

imaging, with validation by resistance and contact 

voltage measurements

Looking for Water on the Moon

Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) 

is an Ames led mission to search for presence or absence of 

water ice in a permanently shadowed crater in the Moon’s polar 

regions. Identifying water is important to the future of human 

activities on the Moon. The LCROSS spacecraft will guide a 

spent Centaur upper stage to impact a permanently-shadowed 

lunar polar crater, and analyze the resulting ejecta cloud contents 

for the presence of water using imagers, spectrometers and a 

photometer. The spacecraft will be launched as a secondary 

payload with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) on an 

Atlas V 401 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. LRO/

LCROSS will launch no earlier than June 2. NRP partner SGT 

is providing flight operations and ground system support for 

this mission, via the NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Research 

and Development 

Services contract. SGT 

employees 

are part of 

the overall 

flight operations team 

that includes 

NASA and 

JPL employees, and 

contractors 

from the 

spacecraft developer, Northrop Grumman. This team will 

control the spacecraft during its mission right up to the impact 

on the Moon’s surface.

SGT employee, Paul Tompkins, is Lead Flight Director for LCROSS. 

“As Flight Team Lead, I am responsible for the operational plan, readying 

the mission operations team for flight and representing flight team interests 

in the design and buildup of Ames Multi-Mission Operations Center and 

the Ground Data System. I will be responsible for nominal operational 

decision making for LCROSS. I get to sit in the Mission Operations 

Control Room for critical events, leading the team through procedures to 

accomplish objectives while keeping the spacecraft safe,” Tompkins said.

The team has detailed procedures for nominal and contingency 

operations, and is performing training exercises on a ground 

based simulator to ensure that the operations procedures are 

correct and the team is well prepared to support the mission.

“I enjoy being involved in the mission on so many levels - our team is small, 

and our schedule is fast. The mission is very exciting - a discovery of 

water ice at the lunar poles will improve our understanding of early solar 

system history and may pave the way for resource development in support 

of future sustained human missions to the Moon,” Tompkins said.

Did you know? The distance from Earth is 225,745mi and it would take 

135 days to drive by car @70 mph to the Moon. More info about our 

Moon is at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonfacts.html

Visit LCROSS: http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/, LRO: http://lunar.gsfc.

nasa.gov, SGT: http://sgt-inc.com

LCROSS-SGT team members (L to R) Paul Tompkins, 

Masoud Mansouri-Samani and Khanh Trinh in the Mission 

Operations Control Room at Ames Research Center

Photo courtesy of RMV
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 3

KleenSpeed Technologies, Inc. -- a Mission to 

Develop Scalable Electric Propulsion Systems 

for the Transportation Industry

by Diane Farrar

KleenSpeed was founded early in 2008 by Chairman Timothy 

Collins and CEO Jerry Kroll. On March 23, 2009, KleenSpeed 

met with Ames’ Prognostics Center of Excellence to discuss 

‘Prognostics and Health Management’ research and other areas of potential collaboration. Following is an interview with 

KleenSpeed’s Cofounder and Chairman Timothy Collins.

KleenSpeed has been in business a little more than a year. Our initial goal 

was to source “best of breed” components and develop total electric power 

systems to be tested in racecars. We want to create new classes of E Race 

Cars, as well as convert existing cars.

 

Racing is the extreme test, and brings a REAL opportunity for KleenSpeed 

to act as a technology incubator for leading edge products. We are pushing EV 

(electric vehicle) technology. We want all our electric propulsion products to be 

on the leading edge, at the extremes, the way NASA is on the leading edge. 

We are designing a battery solution for 30 minutes because races last 30 

minutes. Our goal is full throttle and maximum distance-- with 150 KW 

engines, over 200 horsepower. The end value is that we can scale back our 

technology for broad applications in the auto industry.

 

We have a brand new car from West Racecars in Atlanta, GA, that we 

want to run in the American Le Mans IMSA Lite series, as well as SCCA 

events. We are making continual progress with this Black Thruxar test car, 

and are testing the A123 battery pack as well as K2 packs (Lithium 

Ferrous Phosphate). 

The West WX-10 Thruxar is close to testing with full data capture and 

safety systems – soon completed for its first racetrack appearance. We are also 

testing a Rare Earth Magnet motor technology in a Spec Racer, which has 

ramifications for cars that need only about 100 horsepower. 

We are developing technology for battery control and assessing battery health 

(current, temperature, voltage) while running. We have recently acquired 

new controller technology that might be a breakthrough product. We are also 

assessing battery configuration for extended operating time and distance. 

At the end of 2008 KleenSpeed applied for a Department of Energy loan 

that would be used to speed development and production of our electronic 

control unit and battery management system technology. We are investigating R & D collaboration potential with NASA in product areas where 

NASA has the greatest interest.

All my life I have looked for paradigm shifts in industrial trends such as the 

EV industry. The real commercial opportunity right now is in hybrids, but 

anything we develop for total electric can be used for hybrids.

I started my first investment bank when I was twenty five. I invested first in 

the nuclear industry and later in gold. Working in the mining business, on 

reclamation of mined land, I became critically informed about the Earth’s 

crust, it’s preservation and reclamation. Oil is a luxury and a pollutant as 

a fuel, but useful in the petrochemical product area. My commitment to clean 

energy for transportation comes from this deep understanding.

The EV transportation industry is going to be huge, with a big market even 

for retrofitting passenger cars, and especially RVs, trucks and buses - the 

great fuel consumers.

Collins, 68, a former private and aerobatics pilot, is still an investment banker in his day job and a racecar driver on weekends.

Editor’s Note: Thirty percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (40% 

in CA) come from the transportation sector. Fourteen million of the 21 

million barrels of oil daily consumed by the U.S. goes to cars, trains, 

planes, trucks and buses.

West WX-10T converted by KleenSpeed with Thruxar Electric 

Power system designed by KleenSpeed

L to R: Jerry Chan CFO, Andrew Gillis COO, Timothy Collins 

cofounder, all of KleenSpeed, S. Jaffer Hussein of Ames Entrepreneurial Initiatives Division

Photo by Diane Farrar

Photo by Teresa Gillis, Gillis Motor Sports
NRP Post

4 www.nasa.gov

Driving Across Northwest Passage to Make 

Polar History 

by Sheila Calder and Lindsay Marett

Vancouver, B.C. – March 13, 2009 – An international team of 

scientists has launched an expedition to drive the Northwest 

Passage on sea-ice this spring, marking the first time the Passage has ever been traveled in a road vehicle. The team, led 

by Mars Institute scientist Dr. Pascal Lee, has a dual goal of 

studying climate change on Earth and advancing the human 

exploration of the Moon and Mars. 

The mission is an integral part of the Haughton-Mars Project 

(HMP) on Devon Island, High Arctic, where research in space 

science and exploration is being conducted by the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

The 2,000 kilometer trek will be undertaken in the Mars Institute’s new Moon-1 Humvee Rover, an all-terrain exploration 

rover derived from the vehicle commonly used in the military. 

The team will be measuring the thickness of sea-ice along the 

entire length of the Northwest Passage. The unique set of 

measurements will be key to understanding current and future 

effects of climate change throughout the Arctic. 

“If we’re successful, this will be the first, and possibly the last, time the 

Northwest Passage is driven in a road vehicle,” says Lee. “Current trends 

in climate change on a planetary scale have resulted in thinner and less 

durable ice in the Arctic, possibly ending opportunities to do similar drives 

for much longer. We want to use this window in time to better understand 

the changes affecting the Arctic and Earth as a planet.”

The Mars Institute team will be traveling west to east across 

the Arctic for two to three weeks, ending at their established 

research base, the HMP Research Station on Devon Island.

In addition to studying climate change, the team will use the 

traverse to look at how a variety of terrestrial ice and snow 

features, with potential counterparts on other planets, are 

formed. They will also research how to effectively plan and 

execute future long-range pressurized rover excursions on the 

Moon and Mars. 

The Northwest Passage is an infamous, ice-choked seaway connecting the Atlantic to Asia. Finding the passage eluded explorers 

for centuries and was only achieved at a great cost in lives. 

“This will be an exciting voyage,” says Lee. “We hope the journey will 

help everyone understand Earth better and also provide guidance on how 

to explore other worlds together in the future. Although these are difficult 

economic times, exploration remains an essential part of what we need to 

do to create a stronger future for humanity and our planet.”

The Mars Institute leads pioneering field research with NASA 

and the SETI Institute on the use of pressurized rovers for 

human planetary exploration. It has successfully operated the 

Mars-1 Humvee Rover at the Haughton-Mars Project research 

station since 2003. It is adding the Moon-1 Humvee Rover to 

its fleet to conduct dual-rover exploration studies on Devon 

Island in the future. 

For info: www.marsinstitute.info or www.marsonearth.org or 

contact: Sheila Calder / Lindsay Marett, Peak Communicators, 

scalder@peakco.com / lmarett@peakco.com 604-689-5559

Dr. Pascal Lee, Mars Institute, pascal.lee@marsinstitute.net, 

408-687-7103

Editor’s Note: The rate of climate change is accelerating, the trends occurring much faster than predicted. Glaciers in Antarctica are melting faster 

and across a much wider area than previously thought, a development that 

threatens to raise sea levels worldwide and force millions of people to flee 

low-lying areas--Colin Summerhayes, Executive Director of the Britain 

based Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. 

95% of Earth’s glaciers outside Antarctica are deflating (thinning) and 

retreating. There are thousands of huge melt lakes on the Greenland ice 

sheet formed by melting glaciers. Some rivers from these lakes are flowing 

with as much water as goes over Niagara Falls in 2 hours-- James Balog, 

Director/Founder, Extreme Ice Survey 

Dr. Pascal Lee, CEO, Mars Institute and his dog Ping Pong with Moon-1 

Humvee Rover prior to Northwest Passage departure

Field work at Haughton-Mars Project on Devon Island in Canadian NW

Photo by Christine Nolasco

Photo courtesy of Mars Institute
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 5

Tibion Corporation - Redefining Mobility 

Tibion Corporation, located at NASA Research 

Park prior to 2004, was founded six years ago by 

Kern Bhugra and Bob Horst. Originally leasing 

approximately 200 sf for 3 engineers and R&D 

parts, “Tibion’s team of expert staff, directors, and 

advisors is now more than 20 people and the company 

occupies almost 5000 sf,” said CEO Bhugra. 

Tibion is a medical device company leading the development of bionic devices for 

the mobility impaired. Tibion’s mission 

is to develop smart medical devices and 

therapies that address the needs of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular deficiencies.

The company’s PK100 Bionic Leg Orthosis 

(PowerKnee) is a wearable bionic device to 

enhance rehabilitation and help patients 

improve muscle strength and function as 

well as to provide assistance with activities 

of daily living.

Tibion’s R & D team has earned 

much public recognition for design innovations across many 

disciplines. Tibion’s products are enabled by patented innovations in orthotics, biomechanics, embedded control systems, 

and electrical, mechanical, computer and materials engineering. 

The team is as diverse as the disciplines and has generated the 

critical mass necessary to develop a complex product that 

enhances the quality of life for those with impaired mobility. 

Tibion began collaboration with Stanford University’s Biomedical Engineering Group in early 2008, and a Stanford graduate 

student team has worked to develop future applications of 

Tibion’s bionic technologies.

Tibion has grown under the inspired leadership of CEO Kern 

Bhugra who, prior to Tibion, has held senior management and 

executive roles within operations and technology development 

at large corporations as well as within the startup environment. 

During his more than 10 years with IBM, he led international 

teams in the consolidation of business-line operations from 

the U.S., Germany, Japan and Singapore. He also led strategic 

initiatives, lecturing at top universities in India, China, and Singapore to identify and hire key development teams to establish 

an advanced technology center in the U.S. and Singapore.

In December 2008 Tibion’s PowerKnee won Silicon Valley’s 

Emerging Technology Award for Medical Devices, and ABC-7 

evening news featured Tibion’s amazing PowerKnee.

NRP Partner Tibion, Winner of Emerging Medical 

Device Award, Featured on ABC 7 News

Robotic Knee Can Reprogram Brain

by Richard Hart, ABC 7 News

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (KGO) -- For patients with MS or 

Parkinson’s, and anyone undergoing knee or brain surgery, it is 

a struggle just to walk. Now, a laboratory in Mountain View is 

about to release a robotic knee that can reprogram the brain 

while providing physical therapy.

After a stroke, Vikki Harrigan’s walk was so bad it destroyed her 

knees and hip. Now, she wears a device that enables her to walk 

without a cane for the first time in years.

Harrigan’s therapist is Professor Nancy Byl, Chair of the Physical Therapy 

Department at UCSF. “Notice she makes a very stable turn, which she did 

not use to do before,” said Byl describing Harrigan’s new walk to ABC7.

Harrigan explained, “What it’s doing is giving me the correct feedback that 

I need to make the correct step.” “Because the device actually helps her get 

her knee fully straight,” added Professor Byl. “And, encourages her with that 

feedback that she needs to get her weight fully over her leg.”

The device called “PowerKnee,” is a new technology from a 

Mountain View company called Tibion. It is designed for patients 

dealing with a stroke, MS or neurosurgery. The Tibion device is not 

designed to walk for its users. It provides resistance so they do not 

plop or fall. That resistance is also good for therapy and provides 

assistance in ambulation so people can relearn how to walk. 

Cofounder and CEO of Tibion Kern Bhugra says, “I think you can see this 

device and other devices like it certainly being part of everyone’s daily lives. 

I think the things that will get enhanced as we go forward is how the user 

interacts with the device. Is it through myoelectric signals? Is it through brain 

waves? Is it through biomechanics, as it is in our case?”

The PowerKnee packs a lot of force in a lightweight package. 

Sensors in the shoe send instant feedback to a computer in the 

smart knee. But, it is simple enough for anyone to use at home.

Tracy Halmos is one certified trainer and MPT using the 

Tibion device with patients at her clinic Individualized Physical 

Therapy in Morgan Hill. One patient had lost proprioception, 

the sensation telling her the position of her knees.

“It was so exciting to watch her develop through using it,” says Helmos. 

“We put it on her and she learned. She got that proprioception back and 

she kept it. She kept it. It was huge. As far as rehab goes, that’s what you’re 

looking for.”

For more info on Tibion PowerKnee: www.tibion.com/

UCSF, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, 

http://ptrehab.medschool.ucsf.edu/

Individualized Physical Therapy, 18525 Sutter Blvd Ste 170

Morgan Hill, CA 95037, (408) 778-6800, 

(Copyright ©2009 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Tibion employee, Hannah Stein, 

wearing the PowerKnee

Photo courtesy of Tibion
NRP Post

6 www.nasa.gov

NASA Research Park Home to Newly Launched 

Singularity University

by Rachel Prucey, NASA Ames Research Center

Denise Vardakas, Singularity University, Moffett Field, CA

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- Technology experts and 

entrepreneurs with a passion for solving humanity’s grand 

challenges will soon have a new place to exchange ideas 

and facilitate the use of rapidly developing technologies.

NASA Ames 

R e s e a r c h 

Center ann o u n c e d 

Feb. 3, 2009, 

an agreement 

with Singularity University (SU) to 

house a new 

a c a d e m i c 

p r o g r a m 

at Ames’ 

NASA Research Park. 

The university will open its doors this June and begin offering a nine-week 

graduate studies program, as well as three-day chief executive 

officer-level and 10-day management-level programs. 

The SU curriculum provides a broad, interdisciplinary exposure 

to ten fields of study: future studies and forecasting; networks 

and computing systems; biotechnology and bioinformatics; 

nanotechnology; medicine, neuroscience and human enhancement; artificial intelligence, robotics, and cognitive computing; 

energy and ecological systems; space and physical sciences; 

policy, law and ethics; and finance and entrepreneurship.

“The NASA Ames campus has a proud history of supporting groundbreaking innovation, and Singularity University fits into this tradition,” 

said S. Pete Worden, Ames Center Director. “We’re proud to help launch 

this unique graduate university program and are looking forward to the 

new ideas, technologies and social applications that result.”

NASA Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden hosted SU’s 

Founders Conference on Sept. 20, 2008 at Ames. On NASA’s 

behalf he and other Ames personnel provided input to SU’s 

founders and encouraged the scientific and technical discussions. 

Singularity University was founded Sept. 20, 2008, by a group 

of leaders including: Ray Kurzweil, author and futurist; Peter 

Diamandis, space entrepreneur and chairman of the X PRIZE 

Foundation; Robert Richards, cofounder of the International 

Space University; Michael Simpson, president of the International Space University; and a group of SU associate founders 

who have contributed time and capital.

“With its strong focus on interdisciplinary learning, Singularity University is poised to foster the leaders who will create a uniquely creative and 

productive future world,” said Kurzweil.

As with other educational institutions, NASA employees 

may support educational activities of SU through lectures, 

discussions and interactions with students and staff. NASA 

and NRP employees may also attend SU as students.

“Students enrolled in NRP’s new Singularity University will embark on 

an ambitious pilot program to study interdisciplinary and rapidly advancing technologies. Singularity has received more than 1500 applications 

for 40 slots,” said Ames’ ISU Project Manager Donald James, who is 

integrating SU and ISU programs this summer.

For more information about Singularity University, visit:

http://singularityu.org/

ISU continued on page 7

ISU Countdown - International Space University 

Space Studies Program 2009

NASA Research Park at Ames Research Center will open its 

doors on June 29, 2009, to International Space University (ISU) 

students and staff from many countries around the world. Singularity University’s first academic program will be conducted 

concurrently with the ISU program this summer, according to 

Donald James, ISU Project Manager. 

“For the first time in ISU’s 20 + years, summer sessions will be hosted by 

a NASA center. ISU is receiving a record number of applications for the 

120 student positions because students want to connect with NASA scientists 

and Silicon Valley,” said James. 

ISU offers graduate-level training to future leaders of the emerging global space community through three Masters programs at 

its Central Campus in Strasbourg, France. The nine-week Space 

Studies Program is held at locations at around the world based 

on a global competition.

In ISU’s two-month Space Studies Program and the one-year 

Masters programs, students are offered a core curriculum covering all disciplines related to space programs and enterprises 

– space science, space engineering, systems engineering, space 

L to R, all from Singularity University: VP for University 

Relations Bruce Klein, Executive Director Salim Ismail, 

Chancellor and Futurist Ray Kurzweil, Chief of Staff Susan Fonseca-Klein, Vice-Chancellor and X-Prize Founder 

Peter Diamondis 

Photo courtesy of Singularity University
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 7

Western Disaster Center Local Facilitator of ISU 

Summer Session Team Project by Rich Davies

Rich Davies, of NRP’s Western Disaster Center, is going 

to be the Local Facilitator for the Disaster Risk Management Team Project at the ISU 2009 Summer Session.

The team leader is George Dyke, an aerospace consultant and 

ISU graduate who currently lives in Australia. The Disaster 

Risk Management Team Project is 1 of 3 team projects during 

the 2009 ISU Summer Session. 

Between 1980 and 2006, natural disasters killed more than 2 million people worldwide and reported damages totaled $ 1.2 trillion 

(US). There were more than 5,000 disasters worldwide between 

1991 and 2005, affecting virtually every corner of the globe. 

The team project asks: how can the increasing availability of 

Earth observation data in combination with the information 

revolution - powered in part by Silicon Valley - change the way 

we deal with disaster risk management? How can we better 

connect rich and voluminous Earth observation data sources with 

disaster risk management information users?

Disaster Risk Management

The relatively new field of disaster risk management takes a 

structured approach to managing uncertainty related to the 

threat of disasters. This includes risk assessment and developing strategies to mitigate disaster risk using managerial 

resources. This project will look at a combination of current, 

planned and potential space-based Earth observation activities, WDC continued on page 11

ISU continued from page 6

the emergence of powerful new Internet based data management tools, and how this combination can support the emerging field of disaster risk management. 

Disaster risk management is distinct from disaster response

Disaster response provides support on a real-time, tactical, 

operational level, while disaster risk management looks at strategic investments and development decisions made to mitigate 

potential disaster risk before an incident. Disaster response is 

an important topic, but is not the focus of this project.

International Context - The World Bank and CAPRA

This project is supported by The World Bank’s Comprehensive Approach to Probabilistic Risk Assessment 

(CAPRA). The CAPRA leadership team will provide active 

support to the project team and should be considered one 

of the main customers of this project. The involvement 

of The World Bank and CAPRA provides direct contact 

and input into an active program operating across many 

countries and organizations in Central America to better 

manage disaster risk. CAPRA’s work in Central America is 

intended to serve as a test bed for the development of technologies that will be applied in other regions around the world.

The CAPRA program combines hazard identification with 

asset vulnerability to create risk and loss models for hazards 

triggered by disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, intense 

rainstorms and volcanoes. The information generated by 

CAPRA is then used to inform risk management decisions. 

The objectives of CAPRA are: to develop a Disaster Risk 

Information Platform for decision making using a common 

methodology and tools for evaluating and expressing disaster 

risk; to become the nucleus of a regional strategy that is local, versatile, and effective; and to advance risk evaluation and 

risk management decision making. One core principle of the 

CAPRA program is to implement solutions using open source 

methodologies and tools, and to take advantage of current enabling and transformational advances in the field of information 

technology that allow the development of online communities 

policy and law, business and management, and space and society. Both programs involve an intense student research Team 

Project providing international graduate students and young 

space professionals the opportunity to solve complex problems 

by working together in an intercultural environment.

Since its founding in 1987, ISU has graduated more than 2700 

students from 100 countries. Together with hundreds of ISU 

faculty and lecturers from around the world, ISU alumni comprise an effective network of space professionals and leaders 

that actively facilitates individual career growth, professional 

activities and international space cooperation.

One of ISU’s academic facilities at NRP will be Bldg. 476, 

the former Navy Exchange Retail Store, at 335 Wescoat. ISU 

classes will also be held in Bldg. 3, the NASA Ames Conference Center. Students will lodge in Bldgs. 583a & b and staff in 

the NASA Lodge. Each of these buildings will be temporarily 

renamed for the duration of the summer program.

For info about ISU: www.isunet.edu
NRP Post

8 www.nasa.gov

NRP’s UNCFSP-NSTI Information Technology and 

Emerging Technology (UNITE) Research Cluster 

arrives at NASA Ames Research Center

The NASA Science and Technology Institute for Minority 

Institutions (NSTI) Project, administered by the United Negro College Fund Special Programs (UNCFSP), is pleased to 

announce the UNCFSP/NSTI Information Technology and 

Emerging Technology (UNITE) Cluster. The UNITE cluster 

team will conduct research that address pressing challenges in 

the areas of Supercomputing, Networking and Intelligent Systems. This research collaborative brings together researchers 

from five minority serving institutions and NASA engineers 

to advance research findings for projects that support thermal 

protection systems, as well as, human exploration of space. 

The five member institutions of the UNITE cluster are: 

• San Francisco State University

• Texas Southern University

• California State University Fullerton

• Southern University

• Tuskegee University

The NSTI project was established in 2006 to provide leadingedge research opportunities for faculty and students from MIs 

that complement NASA’s research programs and make original 

contributions to NASA in astrobiology, biotechnology, information technology, emerging technologies, energy, environment 

research. The NSTI brings together the talent and expertise 

of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), 

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and Other Minority Institutions (OMIs), to 

provide the opportunity for all Minority Institutions (MIs) to 

communicate, connect, and collaborate with government, the 

private sector, one another, and other majority institutions and 

research and technical associations and organizations through 

the establishment of R&D collaborations and partnerships. 

Exciting New Program for Faculty from 

Minority Institutions Comes to NASA Ames 

Faculty from Minority Institutions are readily sought to obtain 

great research experiences at the NASA Centers. The benefits are vast, yet specific to the individual’s research interest. 

Nevertheless, the opportunity to conduct hands-on research at 

NASA positively influences their performance in conducting 

research, writing grants, and advancing their careers. 

The United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation (UNCFSP), an NRP Partner, is pleased to announce a new 

program through the NASA Science and Technology Institute 

NASA and NRP Partner Google Launch Virtual 

Exploration of Mars by Michael Mewhinney

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA and Google announced 

Feb. 2 the release of a new Mars mode in Google Earth that 

brings to everyone’s desktop a high-resolution, three-dimensional view of the Red Planet.

Besides providing a rich, immersive 3D view of Mars that 

will aid public understanding of Mars science, the new mode, 

Google Mars 3D, also gives researchers a platform for sharing 

data similar to what Google Earth provides for Earth scientists.

The mode enables users to fly virtually through enormous 

canyons and scale huge mountains on Mars that are much 

larger than any found on Earth. Users also can explore the Red 

Planet through the eyes of the Mars rovers and other Mars 

missions, providing a unique perspective of the entire planet.

Users can see some of the latest satellite imagery from NASA’s 

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and other probes orbiting the 

Red Planet. Viewers can learn about new discoveries and explore indexes of available Mars imagery. The new Mars mode 

also allows users to add their own 3D content to the Mars map 

to share with the world.

This announcement is the latest benefit from a Space Act 

Agreement NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, 

Calif., signed with Google in November 2006. Under its terms, 

NASA and Google agreed to collaborate to make NASA’s data 

sets available to the world. NASA Ames and Google signed an 

Enhanced Use Lease agreement in May 2008.

NASA Ames, along with its partners at Google, Carnegie Mellon University, SETI, and other institutions, helped produce 

the data to make this possible.

Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of 

people around the world with information every day. Google 

is headquartered close to Ames in Silicon Valley with offices 

throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Image from Google Earth in Mars mode

UNCFSP continued on page 9
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 9

for Minority Institutions (NSTI) Project that will begin Summer 

2009. The NSTI Summer Faculty Fellowship (SFF) program 

targets full-time, early career, STEM faculty from Minority 

Institutions (MI) in the United States. SFF Fellows will engage 

in a 10-week research experience with scientists and engineers 

at the NASA Ames. 

Additionally, the 

fellowship recipients 

will receive professional development 

training, and a 

stipend to cover 

housing, travel and 

living expenses. 

This fellowship program will provide 

science and engineering faculty members 

with an opportunity to increase their professional knowledge 

and contribute to NASA research projects. Thus, a primary 

goal of the SFF program is to strengthen the relationship 

between the NASA and the minority higher education community. Likewise, the fellowship opportunities will strengthen 

the relationship between the agency and the academic community. The SFF program participants will arrive at NASA Ames 

Research Center to start their experience on June 8, 2009.

UA continued from page 1

UA continued on page 16

UNCFSP continued from page 8

The programmatic R&D and education relationship with the 

new organization was developed between the parties, led by 

UCSC’s William Berry, Director of Silicon Valley Initiatives 

and newly named UA President, and Ames Associate Director 

Dr. Steven Zornetzer:

• Development of new technologies emerging from the 

convergence of bio-info-nano scientific research 

• Autonomous systems and advanced robotics 

• Highly efficient and renewable energy sources 

• Technologies for long-term sustainability of human life 

• Educating and developing the work force of the future 

• Managing innovation in the emerging world 

• Associated academic public policy centers 

During 2008 the potential university members continued negotiations to establish the new organization while NRP and UCSC 

leaders began negotiations for a large-scale lease, the largest in 

NRP. The Ames negotiating team was led by NRP Deputy Director Trish Morrissey, attorney Mark Beskind, and NRP Office 

members Mejghan Haider and Geoff Lee, and NRP consultants 

NSTI seeks minority faculty for NASA experience

DMJM Larry Singer and Bay Area Economics David Shiver. 

Patty Ponzini led the UCSC team, with UC attorney Lloyd 

Lee, and consultants James Musbach of Economic &Planning 

Systems, Inc., attorney Jay Paxton of Ellman Burke, Hoffman 

& Johnson and Andrew Barnes of Barnes and Company.

The UA entity was established and the draft lease sent to NASA 

HQ and UC leadership for approval, following months of negotiations. Both parties approved, and the lease of approximately 

75 acres with a federal environmental entitlement of nearly 3 

million square feet of new construction was signed on Dec. 12, 

2008, by the now established UA and NASA Ames. UCSC, a 

California state entity, must conduct an environmental entitlement process under the California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA), before construction may commence. Thus the leased 

acreage (and a number of buildings located there) will continue 

to be utilized by a variety of NRP partners during the UA land 

use planning and environmental process period, the Predevelopment Period in the lease, for up to five years. During this period, 

UA will complete their CEQA (within the federal Environmental Impact Statement entitlements completed by Ames in 2002), 

select a master developer and achieve an approved development 

plan from NASA Ames.

This vision includes an integrated community featuring state-ofthe-art research and teaching laboratories, shared classrooms, 

rental housing, accommodation for industrial partners, and 

modern infrastructure. Joint academic initiatives are planned 

in science, engineering, and management to keep Silicon 

Valley, NASA and the nation at the forefront of innovation 

and technology leadership. The community will be designed 

to have a minimal carbon footprint and will serve as a model 

site to deploy and validate new renewable energy and resource 

conservation systems. As a real world setting for studying and 

testing potential solutions, it will provide an invaluable resource 

for faculty engaged in sustainability research and teaching programs at UCSC and other partner institutions.

“Carnegie Mellon University, Santa Clara University and San Jose State 

University have also been involved in the planning and may eventually 

join the UA,” said Joseph Miller, UCSC’s vice provost for Silicon Valley 

Initiatives. “We expect other academic institutions, including representatives of the California State University system, will join the UA to take 

advantage of this unique opportunity,” Miller said. “We have secured 

a long-term lease agreement on a choice location in the heart of Silicon 

Valley, at NASA Ames and adjacent to the most innovative companies 

in the world. We will be creating a new green community and working 

together to tackle some of the most pressing problems facing our society.”

The project supports NASA’s goal to establish the NASA 

Research Park as a world-class shared-use R&D and education campus for collaboration among government, industry, 

academia and non-profit organizations in support of NASA’s 

mission. More than 50 industry, university and non-profit 
NRP Post

10 www.nasa.gov

NASA Ames and Airship Ventures Increase 

Cooperation

by Gus Holweger, Airship Ventures

Much has happened since Alex Hall, Airship Ventures’ CEO, 

met with 

N A S A 

Ames Center Director 

Dr. S. Pete 

W o r d e n 

in 2007 to 

discuss the 

return of 

“Lighterthan-Air” 

airships to 

M o f f e t t 

Field. At 

that time 

Dr. Worden saw “an obvious partnership, a wonderful historic 

reuse and exactly the kind of project he would like to see at 

NASA Ames.” This proved to be a fateful meeting. On Nov. 

21, 2008, Ames and Airship Ventures celebrated Moffett Field’s 

75th Diamond Jubilee and the naming of the newly arrived 

Airship, the ‘Eureka’. 

Since then ‘Eureka’, now moored at Hangar 2, has become a 

familiar sight as it soars over Silicon Valley, San Francisco and 

Monterey Bay. Including its transfer flight from Beaumont, 

TX, Eureka has been in the air in the United States for 328:55 

hours. Almost 2000 happy passengers have experienced ‘flight 

seeing’ on the airship, and 800 holders of gift certificates 

and reservations are eagerly waiting their turn. On February 

12 ‘Eureka’ took airship veterans and aficionados on a ‘USS 

Macon’ tribute flight over Point Sur and the Monterey Bay!

Airship Ventures established its headquarters in historic Bldg. 

20, renovating the former Bachelor Officers Quarters. The 

facility now provides office space for Airship Ventures staff 

and a reception/briefing area for passengers. Airship Ventures’ 

Message Center and Guest Services Staff are taking reservations for regular flights departing from Moffett Field, Oakland 

and Monterey. Passenger flight operations are conducted 7 

days a week, weather permitting. For flight schedules, you may 

access the web at http://www.airshipventures.com/calendar/

month.php

Airship Ventures and NASA Ames Research Center are working on mutually beneficial projects, and collaborative efforts are 

under way. 

Scientific Projects

The ‘Zeppelin Ocean Color Mission’ led by NASA Ames’ 

Steve Dunagan, Research Scientist in Biospheric Research, 

Ames’ Earth Sciences Division, has a twofold mission: 

1. Obtain color and texture imagery over South Bay marshlands 

and coastal waters of northeast Monterey Bay. 

2. Discuss data acquisition and science mission potential with 

center management and airborne science collaborators. 

This project will require installation of two instruments (‘imagers’) mounted to a flat section in the nose of the airship’s 

gondola, looking through plexiglass windows beneath the 

co-pilot’s seat onto the marshland or littoral.

Airship Ventures’ “Good Neighbor” Program

Effective immediately through June 2009, Airship Ventures 

offers last minute flight specials. They are for Moffett Field 

flights only and must be taken the same day they are booked. 

Here are the particulars:

1. $199 plus tax for a one-hour flight.

2. This offer is for NASA Research Park (NRP) partners, all 

federal employees, military personnel, contractors, and interns 

who have valid NASA Ames badges (Hangar badges for NRP 

partners). Federal or military personnel must have valid federal 

or military badges. Badges must be presented at check-in and 

there can be no exceptions.

3. To book a flight, call Airship Ventures Guest Services reservation line at (650) 969-8100 ext. 111. For more information 

about Airship Ventures visit: www.airshipventures.com 

“Eureka” being moored in Hangar Two

AV continued on page 11

“Eureka” gondola with Hangar One in background

Photo by Janet Beegle

Photo by Wilco Films
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 11

AV thanks Jack Boyd!

Airship Ventures thanks John W. (Jack) Boyd, Senior Advisor to 

the Center Director for presenting to Airship Ventures’ management and staff the History of Moffett Field, featuring the many 

fascinating and history-making projects conducted over the years 

at the 50 research facilities at NASA Ames Research Center. 

AV continued from page 10

“Eureka” flying over Silicon Valley

medical equipment, network file servers and air traffic control 

equipment. RMV consults on circuit board design verification 

and problems at the system, circuit and device level, as well as 

EMC protection immunity. With specialized knowledge and 

measurement technology, RMV solves ongoing and unyielding 

field problems utilizing advanced ESD control engineering 

methods of investigation.

RMV has an extensive background in the evaluation of electrostatic integrity with Inherently conductive polymers (ICP), 

CNT and other advanced polymers. Space bound materials 

requiring mitigation of electrostatic discharge and attraction 

can include space suit material types, improving robustness of 

circuit designs to better survive space weather and lightning, and 

preventing charge attraction to mitigate cross-contamination 

during soil sampling on a Lunar or Mars surface. 

Partnering with California Polytechnic University, San Luis 

Obispo, Vermillion conducts training sessions with live 

demonstrations to give students a better understanding of 

the detrimental effects of electrostatic discharge on materials 

and equipment in the factory, field, clean room and laboratory. 

Due to unprecedented growth in counterfeiting in the electronics and defense communities, RMV now offers training 

to detect, inspect and validate 

incoming parts, materials and 

packaging for the space agency 

and aerospace communities. 

Customers include Fortune 

1000 companies, the Medical Device, Biotechnology, 

Pharmaceutical, Aerospace/

Defense, Fiberoptics, Space 

Technology and Semiconductor/Disk Drive sectors.

For info Renee Mitchell: 650.964.4792 or: renee@esdrmv.

com. Please see www.esdrmv.com for current training classes, 

upcoming events and links to recent publications. 

RMV continued from page 3

Bob Vermillion and Renee Mitchell at 

Symposium Dinner

WDC continued from page 7 

and collaboration. One Ames capability of particular interest is 

the NASA World Wind open source visualization application.

Program Context - Operational Earth observation and GEO

For many years, support for civilian space-based Earth observation missions has been secured largely on an ad hoc research and 

development basis. The notable exception has been operational 

meteorology. There has been a recent move towards providing space-based Earth observations on an operational basis for 

other applications. Europe’s GMES program is one example of 

the move to “operational Earth observation”, and the emergence of additional operational programs in North America and 

Asia will provide a strong basis for future policy development.

In combination with the move towards operational civilian 

Earth observation the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) 

was formed and began the formulation of the Global Earth 

Observing System of Systems (GEOSS). GEO was launched 

in response to calls for action by the 2002 World Summit on 

Sustainable Development and by the G8, and is designed to 

provide a framework within which partners can develop new 

projects and coordinate strategies. One of the key task areas for 

the GEOSS is to secure the data and information required to 

reduce the loss of life and property from disasters. The project 

team should explore these trends as part of the context for the 

development of the CAPRA program.

For more info: www.westerndisastercenter.org

Admission Fees:

Adults: $5

Children 13-17: $2

Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons: $3

Children 12 and under: Free

Currently serving Military members: Free

MFHS members and guests: Free

Group rates available on request

Hours of operation:

Wednesday thru Saturday; 10am to 2pm

Contact info:

MFHS, P.O.Box 16, Moffett Field, CA 94035

Phone:650 964-4024

Fax:650 964-4028

http://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/

Admission Fees: Adults: $5; Children 13-17: $2; Senior Citizens and 

Disabled Persons: $3; Children 12 and under, currently serving military 

members, MFHS members and guests; Free, Group rates available on 

request

Hours: Wed.- Sat. 10am to 2pm

Contact: MFHS, P.O.Box 16, Moffett Field, CA 94035

Phone: 650 964-4024, Fax: 650 964-4028

http://www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/

Photo by Roger Cain
NRP Post

12 www.nasa.gov

Andrew continued on page 13

Sensor Andrew - Carnegie Mellon Silicon 

Valley’s ‘Smartest’ Project 

by Nichole Dwyer, Manager of Web Communications, 

Carnegie Mellon CyLab and Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley

Imagine if you will a smart building -- a building that collaborates with your personal mobile device to seamlessly help in 

daily tasks, remember people’s names, call repair people when 

things break and keep 

your appointments. 

Imagine a building 

that adjusts the environment to maintain 

occupants’ comfort, 

while reducing energy 

costs in unoccupied parts of the 

building. These are the goals of the 

Sensor Andrew project currently 

deployed in the Carnegie Mellon 

Silicon Valley campus.

The Sensor Andrew project began 

in 2006 at the Center for Sensed 

Critical Infrastructure Research 

(CenSCIR), a multi-disciplinary 

research center drawing on faculty and students from nine departments at four different schools 

at Carnegie Mellon University. A 

problem-driven center, the CenSCIR team aims to research the 

many systems-oriented issues related to condition and usage 

of critical infrastructure systems. For applied research, the 

team began building a “living-laboratory” test bed that became 

the Sensor Andrew project. 

The Sensor Andrew project follows a long line of historical accomplishments at Carnegie Mellon. In the early 1980s Carnegie 

Mellon undertook a project called "Andrew" and transformed 

Carnegie Mellon into the most wired campus of its time. In the 

mid 1990s, the "Wireless Andrew" project made Carnegie Mellon the largest wireless campus. Following the success of these 

projects, Sensor Andrew aims to transform Carnegie Mellon 

into the most sensed campus in the world. 

Being part of the "living test bed" of sensors will enable the 

dense instrumentation of the whole of Carnegie Mellon’s campuses as a living laboratory for real-world challenges. Currently 

30 sensing nodes are deployed in Bldg. 23 at the Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley campus, making it the densest deployment 

of Sensor Andrew anywhere. The dense deployment allows 

researchers a better understanding of context than can be inferred from our environment. Each Sensor Andrew node can 

sample ambient light, temperature, vibration and noise levels 

every few minutes. 

This system will enhance other research projects by providing 

additional context information. Based on research needs, the 

plan is to increase the number to more than 100 nodes in the 

near future.

More info on Sensor Andrew can be found on the CenSCIR 

website: http://www.ices.cmu.edu/censcir/sensor-andrew/ 

or by contacting Dr. Pei Zhang 

(pei.zhang@sv.cmu.edu or http://

www.cmu.edu/silicon-valley/

faculty-staff/zhang-pei.html), who 

is overseeing the Sensor Andrew 

project at Carnegie Mellon Silicon 

Valley. 

For information about Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley: http://

sv.cmu.edu. 

Sensor Andrew is a multi-disciplinary 

campus-wide scalable sensor network that 

is designed to host a wide range of sensor, 

actuator and low-power applications. 

The goals of Sensor Andrew are to support ubiquitous large-scale monitoring, 

operation and control of infrastructure 

in a way that is extensible, easy to use, and secure while maintaining 

privacy. Target applications currently being developed as part of Sensor 

Andrew include building emergency, first-responder support, quality of 

life for the disabled, monitoring and optimization of water distribution 

systems, building power monitoring and control, social networking, and 

biometric sensors for campus security. Sensing devices that are used range 

from cameras and battery-operated sensor nodes to energy-monitoring 

devices wired into building power supplies. Some of these sensing devices 

may also be mobile and require hand-off between different networked 

regions. Supporting multiple applications and heterogeneous devices 

requires a standardized communication medium capable of scaling to tens 

of thousands of sources.

Sensor Andrew is a large-scale effort to widely deploy sensing devices 

across Carnegie Mellon University. We envision a broad set of applications ranging from: infrastructure monitoring, first-responder support, 

quality of life for the disabled, water distribution monitoring, building 

power monitoring and control, social networking and biometric systems 

Dr. Pei Zhang, CMU Silicon Valley Project Manager of Sensor Andrew
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 13

Andrew continued from page 12

An Evolving Campus 

Constructing Facilities of the Future 

by Sylvia Leong, Director of Admissions, 

Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley

If you’ve been in Bldg. 23 recently, you may have noticed a 

number of new rooms and features. We’re pleased to announce that the main campus of Carnegie Mellon University 

has invested heavily in our growth, and with the addition of 

several new programs on campus, wanted to improve our 

facilities and classrooms. 

Room 118, known as “the big room” or the “presentation 

room”, is now completely interactive. This allows students at 

the Pittsburgh campus to take Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley 

courses with a live video feed of the professor. This room also 

New conference room

opens up the Pittsburgh course catalog for our students. Behind 

the scenes, the room establishes a connection over IP (internet 

protocol). Each student seat is equipped with a microphone. 

When a student activates their microphone, cameras in the 

room turn and zoom to the student’s seat. 

To make this possible, the room has TV grade lighting, an 

impressive audio grid and a pile of computing that manages 

the microphones and does audio cancellation. If a speaker is 

sitting on one side of the room, their audio is played only on 

the other side of the room, so that students far away can hear 

them clearly. The room does wonders for our part time student 

experience. Now every student in the room has a microphone 

in front of them. People on the phone bridge can clearly hear 

what is going on in the room. People in the room can clearly 

hear the phone bridge as there are speakers spread across the 

ceiling. 

We’ve created new lounge areas for our students and faculty. 

The former side lobby outside Room 118 is now a cozy student 

lounge with bistro tables and chairs, perfect for grabbing a bite 

to eat or meeting in one-on-one's before class.

We’ve also revamped our Open Space, and converted the back 

wings into two new conference rooms to be used for team 

meetings, coaching meetings and general use. The Open Space 

remains our multi-use room for special events and speakers, 

but most of the time is considered our “Student Living Room” 

-- complete with ping-pong table, foosball table generously 

donated by Yahoo!, and Rock Band. 

Come by any Friday at 4pm and “rock out” with our students 

during “Rock Bank Fridays.” Don’t worry about the noise, we 

have installed glass panes in the arch ways for privacy and noise 

reduction from the stairwell!

The upstairs open cubicle space, known as Room 229, has been 

completely reconfigured to accommodate 48 new workstations. 

These study carrels give our full-time grad students a place to 

call their own, to dig into research, meet with their teams, and 

keep their materials. Student mailboxes and a library are set 

up in this area for their use. You’ll often find any number of 

students milling about here, always ready for a quick ping-pong 

game or a discussion on software practices!

Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley offers graduate degrees in software engineering, software management, information technology, innovation management, and software mobility. For more 

information about Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley, visit our 

website http://sv.cmu.edu or contact Sylvia Leong, Director 

of Admissions at sylvia.leong@sv.cmu.edu or 650-335-2808.

for campus security. Researchers of other institutions have already successfully built other sensor networking applications, but they are typically 

isolated, small-scale and short-lived experiments. One of the primary 

goals of Sensor Andrew is to have a permanent living laboratory where 

applications can be rapidly prototyped at scale. Our architecture focuses on 

supporting practical deployments with direct community uses. Imagine an 

infrastructure monitoring system that could immediately alert the campus 

facilities personnel in the event of broken water pipes or power outages. 

We see great potential in development not only at the sensor networking 

level, but also with applications operating at a higher level of abstraction. 

Application developers should be able to directly utilize physical data 

from the environment without having to re-invent lower-level interfaces. 

A variety of social networking applications are possible given support for 

mobility. Students can carry low-powered mobile devices that communicate 

seamlessly with the infrastructure and one another.
NRP Post

14 www.nasa.gov

Changene Lab Granted Australian Patent

NASA Research Park partner Changene Lab was granted patent AU 2002361467 on Jan. 30, 2009, by the Australian Patent 

Office, for the discovery of nacrein from Pinctada margaritifera, 

a black pearl oyster found in the South Pacific Ocean. 

As with Changene 

Lab’s earlier patent 

US 7,163,795, the 

Australian patent 

broadly claims 

nacrein and its fragments in peptide and 

nucleotide sequences, 

antibody applications 

and gene chip applications.

Nacrein is a naturally 

occurring biological 

molecule that regulates calcium crystals 

during pearl formation. The mechanism of building biominerals in shells is similar to bone formation in humans.

According to Changene CEO Frank Chang, studies show 

that nacreous substances extracted from Pinctada species 

demonstrate significant osteogenic (bone forming) activities in 

mammalian models.

“Changene is investigating nacrein for space missions as a countermeasure 

for bone mass loss in the microgravity environment,” said Chang. “In 

space many bones that aid movement on Earth are not subjected to the 

same stresses as on Earth. Over time, calcium normally stored in the bones 

breaks down and is released into the bloodstream, causing a decrease in 

bone density, or bone mass,” he continued.

This bone loss begins in the first few days in space, at an average 

rate of 1.6 percent per month. On Mir studies extended stays 

have resulted in as much as 20% of bone mass loss. This drop 

in density, known as disuse osteoporosis, leaves bones weak 

and less able to support the body’s weight and movement upon 

return to Earth. After astronauts return to Earth, they regain 

most, but not all, of their bone mass -- putting the astronaut at 

a higher risk of fracture.

Osteoporosis and low bone density are also major health concerns for the world’s aging population. Datamonitor, a leading 

consulting firm in London, forecasts osteoporosis market sales 

would reach $10.4 billion for consumers in 2010.

It is common in biotech fields that research and development 

processes take many years; however, with full utilization of 

computation, Changene scientists are able to speed up R&D 

processes. Changene collaborated with NASA Ames Research 

Center’s Advanced Supercomputing Division to apply molecular dynamic simulation on the nacrein molecule and deciphered 

its 3D structure. With the known 3D structure, Changene 

scientists are able to apply combinatorial chemistry to generate 

compound libraries, conduct virtual drug screens, and subsequent in silico ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism 

and Excretion) modeling. The final handful of compounds will 

be candidates for preclinical testing.

UAV Collaborative Seeks FAA Approval for UAVs

Working in cooperation with the 

Range Safety Office 

at NASA Ames, Stanley Herwitz, Ph.D., 

Director, UAV Collaborative, is actively 

involved in obtaining 

approval from the 

FAA to fly UAVs at specific clearly-defined localities in the 

National Airspace System. The objective is to conduct UAV 

demonstration flights in support of research, development 

and commercialization of UAV technology. Examples of the 

UAV Collaborative’s recent partnerships include the following 

companies and their respective UAVs: MLB Company’s Bat-4 

UAV; Honeywell International’s Micro Air Vehicle UAV; and 

Xtreme Aerial Concepts’ Vision UAV.

Bat 4 UAV

Micro Air Vehicle 

Vision UAV

L to R: NRP Account Manager Bob Lopez, 

Frank Chang, CEO Changene, with Ames Chief 

Scientist Stephanie Langhoff

Photo by Courtney Hook
NRP Post

www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov 15

send it to your phone as a text message, or display it as a message in your chat program, or you can check it online. These to 

do items also show up in your Outlook task list.

You also get a daily summary, a beautifully formatted agenda 

and to do list for the day (and the next few days), sent by email. It looks like something a fancy executive secretary may 

have waiting on your desk each morning.

There are free reQall programs for the iPhone and BlackBerry. 

They make it simple to dictate new items and reminders -- you 

just tap to record, instead of making a phone call. They continually display your up-to-date shopping lists and to do lists, too.

Finally, the amazing new feature of reQall -- location-based 

reminders. If your iPhone or BlackBerry has GPS, the reQall 

program displays at the top of the reminder list items near 

your current location.

Your phone knows that you’re at the mall, so it displays the errands you’re supposed to take care of there. Or, you could be

reminded to visit a client when you’re in the neighborhood, 

or hand in a form to the teacher when you’re picking up your 

offspring after school.

This feature could be an astonishing time and money saver. In

practice it involves a fair amount of upfront work. First you 

define the Places in question, like Mall, Downtown, School, 

etc. Then you manually assign each to do item to one of these 

Places. Finally, the Reqall program must be open and running 

on your smart phone.

So why does the new reQall represent positive economic news? 

Because it gives you so much utility at so low a price.

E-mail: pogue@nytimes.com

NY Times video about reQall: http://video.nytimes.com/

video/playlist/technology/david-pogue/1194811622273/

index.html#1194839114959

The Latest in Technology from the NY Times 

-- NRP’s reQall Adds Location Based Reminders

by David Pogue, New York Times 

Mar. 25, 2009, Pogue's Posts

Yes, amid the smoking ruins of the financial system, some 

green shoots are popping forth. And one of them is called 

reQall. The service has been around for a while, but has just 

reintroduced with new features and a Pro version.

reQall is an effortless personal reminder system. You speeddial its toll-free number (888-9REQALL) and dictate whatever 

you want to remember. “Meeting with Jacobs Monday at 5 

o’clock.” “Buy frozen grape juice.” “Remind Shannon to pick 

up the kids early tomorrow.” “Anniversary present every Sept. 

15.” “Idea for Act 2: Henderson turns out to be an android.”

You can also create reminders by e-mail by typing them into a

Firefox plug-in, or by typing them into an instant-message program once you’ve set up reQall as a buddy. But unless you live 

at your computer, using the cell phone is the real killer app.

That’s it -- you go through your life, dictating these little tidbits 

that would ordinarily be relegated to scraps of paper or the 

back of your mind and therefore probably lost. reQall transcribes your utterances into text and collates them at reQall.

com. You can also have them sent to you by e-mail or as text 

messages to your cell phone. If your reminder included a date 

or time, reQall recognizes it as a calendar event. It can shoot a 

reminder to your cell phone 30 minutes in advance.

Or, it can add these appointments to your Google calendar, 

your calendar in Microsoft Outlook, or any calendar program 

that can subscribe to Web calendars (like Apple’s iCal or Now 

Up-to-Date).

There’s more. If your utterance contains the word “buy” 

reQall adds the transcript to a master shopping list. The Help 

screen wryly urges you to be careful. “I don’t buy your argument” also lands on the shopping list. At any time, you can call 

in to hear your shopping list read back to you, or request to 

have it text-messaged to your cell phone, a great feature when 

you’re out on errands.

If your utterance begins with “remind” “tell” or “ask”, reQall 

can send the transcription to other people’s e-mail addresses or 

(if they’re reQall members) cell phones.

Almost everything else you dictate winds up on a general to do 

list. At any time, reQall can play back your list over the phone, Newborn Vidya with proud father, Dr. Sunil Vemuri, reQall CPO
16 www.nasa.gov www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov

NRP Post

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diane Farrar

Layout and Design . . . . . . . . . .Christine Nolasco

NRP Post deadlines

Please submit articles to Diane.Farrar-1@nasa.gov on 

or before July 10, 2009 for the next issue.

Phone: (650) 604-2NRP

Email: arc-dl-researchpark@mail.nasa.gov

Website: www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov

TopQuadrant Offers Webinars "Using SPARQL 

for Dynamic Business Applications” 

Learn from industry experts as they show how the semantic 

web query language SPARQL can be used as a powerful tool 

to explore, find, process and manage data within semantic 

models and applications. On April 1 TopQuadrant’s Webinar 

offered “SPARQL for Business Rules and Constraint Checking: 

Introducing SPIN”. The next Webinar is May 6: Rapid Assembly 

of Semantic Business Applications. 

For info: http://www.topquadrant.com/training.html

International Space University Space Studies 

Program 2009: NASA Research Park 

NASA Ames Research Center

June 29 - August 28, 2009

2nd Annual Lunar Science Forum July 21–23, 2009

The 2nd Annual NLSI Lunar Science Forum will be held July 

21–23, 2009, at the NASA Ames Conference Center, at NASA 

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. To celebrate 

the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing, Ames and 

NLSI are hosting a series of public events on Monday, July 20. 

www.nasa.gov

Exploration and Sustainability Expo

NASA Research Park and Ames Research Center

The Technology Showcase is a great opportunity to network with Ames and Silicon Valley communities. 

NASA and NRP partners will exhibit their technologies and discuss collaborations.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Building 943 

9am to 4pm

Open to the public

FREE

Additional Info:

Co-Sponsored by NASA Ames Innovative Partnerships Program www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

NRP Presents “Exploration and Sustainability” EXPO

NASA Research Park (NRP) will present the Exploration and 

Sustainability EXPO April 21, Bldg 943, 9 am-4 pm. The event 

is cosponsored by the Ames Innovative Partnerships Program 

(IPP). Approximately 40 exhibits and renowned speakers will 

highlight exploration and sustainability research, underscoring 

NASA’s vision of leveraging technology for a cleaner, greener 

Earth. For more info: www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov

UA continued from page 9

organizations are now located in the NRP, advancing NASA’s 

research leadership, facilitating science and technology education, and creating a unique community of researchers, students 

and educators. Students attending the new campus will provide 

a source of future employees to strengthen NASA’s workforce 

and support NASA’s exploration objectives. UCSC led the 

planning for the UA innovative collaboration. 

The Google lease of 42 acres and entitlement of nearly 1.2M 

square feet of new facilities was also completed in 2008.

Local Congress members, including U.S. Reps. Anna Eshoo, 

Mike Honda, and Zoe Lofgren, provided valuable support 

for the partnership with NASA and long-term support for the 

NRP. They expressed positive views on the major impacts on 

R&D and education expected from the partnership, including 

new businesses, jobs and more science, technology, engineering 

and math (STEM) graduates. Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein, although not in attendance at the event, 

have been essential to the progress of the NRP. 

Development of the site will be undertaken through a publicprivate partnership. UA plans to select and oversee a “master 

developer,” who will attract the external capital investment required to complete the project, which is expected to cost more 

than $1 billion. The property will remain in federal ownership, 

with UA and the master developer responsible for managing 

and developing the site, with NASA working closely with the 

UA and approving all plans for development. The timeline for 

the development depends on multiple factors, including CEQA 

studies, the financial climate, market demands, and potential 

partnerships with industry. Work on the site could begin as early 

as 2013, with initial occupancy as early as 2015.

Visit: http://researchpark.arc.nasa.gov/and http://www.nasa.gov

For a short video on the UA partnership: http://ails.arc.nasa.gov/

public/mission_earth/mission_earth.html