National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

April 2008

www.nasa.gov

by Kelly Humphries, Delia Santia

 and Kathleen Bur

continued on page 8

The largest Yuri’s Night celebration on the planet drew an estimated 

7,000 people to the tarmac at NASA’s 

Ames on Saturday, April 12, 2008, 

as young-minded people celebrated 

space exploration with music, dance, 

technology and art.

The celebration - the largest of 178 

held around the world - commemorated the anniversary of the first human 

space launch by Yuri Gagarin, the first 

space shuttle mission and NASA’s 

golden anniversary. Ames co-hosted 

the event with the Space Generation 

Advisory Council.

“When humans go into space, we 

take with us not just our science and 

Yuri’s Night Bay Area 2008 wows all

technology but our hopes, our dreams, 

our art and our personal interactions,” 

said Ames Center Director S. Pete 

Worden. “At Yuri’s Night 2008, we 

celebrated all of these, and the enthusiasm of our guests was gratifying and 

reinvigorating.”

A standing-room-only crowd 

squeezed into the Ames main auditorium on April 1, 2008, to hear Ames 

Center Director S. Pete Worden deliver 

a center update bubbling over with 

optimism. Worden began his presentation by coyly setting a bottle of champagne on the podium and saying, “I 

think we’re on our way to opening 

this.” 

Worden’s wide-ranging all-hands 

meeting outlined where Ames stood 

two years ago, what Ames has accomplished since then and what his 

near-term goals are for the center.

 

Looking back

Worden began by briefly looking 

back at the challenges Ames has overcome since he became center director 

in April 2006. “Ames was labeled a 

‘Research Center,’” Worden reflected, 

“and it seemed that NASA was going 

to be cutting back a lot of aspects of 

research.” 

Citing NASA’s goals and missions, 

Worden noted the 2006 curtailment 

of life science efforts, cuts in astrobiology funding, and how Ames has 

Worden marks progress, envisions bright future for Ames

withstood a reduction of 800 full-time 

employees.

Worden reminded the audience 

that he had become captain of what 

some considered a sinking ship. 

“There was widespread conjecture 

that Ames was going to be closed – 

not a good thing,” Worden said shaking his head. A lot has changed since 

then. 

 

Why the champagne?

 “I think we’ve made great progress,” Worden said proudly.

He explained how Ames fulfilled 

its 2006 goals to advance the Vision for 

Space Exploration and to direct Ames’ 

expertise in Information Technology, 

Thermal Protection Systems and life 

science to support the Constellation 

program. The shift in focus was a strategic priority at a time when Ames was 

considered tangential to the agency’s 

goals,” Worden said.

"Now we are the agency lead for 

small spacecraft and direct the world 

in Thermal Protection Systems for all 

the missions the agency does," Worden 

declared.

He also noted that Ames is successfully “expanding public and private 

partnerships which offer a potential 

for growth,” and currently has six 

Ames employees working at NASA 

headquarters, which he said will make 

by Rachel Pru

continued on page 7

Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden responds 

to audience questions during the recent all-hands 

meeting held at Ames.

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

From left to right, James Green, 

director of the Planetary Science 

Division at NASA Headquarters; 

U.S. Rep. Michael Honda, D-Calif 

15th District; Apollo 11 astronaut 

Buzz Aldrin; Ames Center Director 

S. Pete Worden; and David Morrison, 

interim director of the NASA Lunar 

Science Institute are shown here 

cutting the ribbon for the dedication 

of the new NASA Lunar Science 

Institute at Ames on April 11, 2008. 

For full story, see page 2.

Ames Lunar Science Institute opens

Page 2 - Ames dedicates NASA Lunar 

 Science Institute

Page 2 - Ames, UCSC sign historic 

 agreement

Page 3 - NASA launches Arctic study

Page 8 - 9 - Yuri’s Night photographs

Page 14 - Ongoing monthly events

Page 15 - Classifieds

On the Inside . . .
2 Astrogram April 2008

Thirty-eight years ago, NASA 

launched the Apollo 13 mission to the 

moon. On April 11, NASA launched 

the new Lunar Science Institute to lead 

the agency’s research activities for 

future missions to the moon related to 

NASA’s exploration goals.

 Managed by NASA’s Ames, the 

NASA Lunar Science Institute is 

modeled after the successful NASA 

Astrobiology Institute, also managed 

by Ames, and features teams of scientists across the country collaborating in lunar science and future lunar 

exploration.

 “This is an exciting day for NASA 

as we unveil our new Lunar Science 

Institute,” said Ames Research Center Director S. Pete Worden. “This 

dynamic virtual institute is now the 

center for lunar science, not only for 

the United States, but also for the 

world and will bring together some of 

the best and brightest scientists to help 

lead NASA’s future missions to the 

moon.” 

The new institute is supported by 

the NASA Science Mission Directorate 

and the Exploration Systems Mission 

Directorate at NASA Headquarters 

and will be funded by the Lunar 

Science Project. Initially, NASA will 

select four or five research teams for 

grants of $1 million to $2 million each 

for four year terms. By the end of this 

year, NASA officials say as many as 50 

scientists could be working in collaboration with the new institute.

 “In addition to basic lunar science, these new research teams will 

be conducting investigations in 

biology, astronomy, solar and Earth 

science that could be performed on the 

moon,” said David Morrison, interim 

director of the NASA Lunar Science 

Institute. “Teams will focus on one or 

more aspects of lunar science, including investigations of the moon, from 

the moon and on the moon.”

 For the investigations of the 

moon, scientists will study the nature 

and history of the moon, including 

research on lunar samples, to learn 

about the moon and gain insights into 

the evolution of the solar system.

 Research teams focused on science 

to be conducted on the moon will 

study the lunar environment of terrestrial life and the equipment needed 

to support lunar habitats. 

Scientists conducting investigaby Michael Mewhin

NASA’s Lunar Science Institute opened at Moffett in Building 17 on April 11. The institute will 

feature teams of scientists across the U.S. who will be collaborating in lunar science and future lunar 

exploration. NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

Ames, UCSC sign historic agreement

Photo at right: University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) 

Chancellor George Blumenthal (left, seated) pens his name to 

the Letter of Intent among NASA Ames, UCSC and its academic associates to formally initiate joint planning and evaluation efforts toward establishing a world-class, integrated 

research, education and innovation community in NASA 

Research Park in support of NASA’s missions and to advance 

higher education and economic development throughout the 

region and the nation. UCSC-Ames University Affiliated 

Research Center’s Director William Berry (standing) and 

Steve Zornetzer, Ames’ associate director for Institutions and 

Research (right, seated) look on approvingly. 

From left to right: Martha Kanter, chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District; Jim Morris, 

dean, Carnegie Mellon University, West Coast Campus; George Blumenthal, chancellor, University of 

California, Santa Cruz; Steve Zornetzer, associate director for Institutions and Research, NASA Ames; 

and Father Paul Locatelli, president, Santa Clara University pose together after signing an agreement on 

March 24 to collaboratively plan and evaluate opportunities to create a new major research and education 

center in the Ames-based NASA Research Park.

NASA photos by Eric James

Ames dedicates NASA Lunar Science Institute

tions from the moon will learn how to 

use the moon as a platform for performing scientific investigations. They 

will also consider how observations 

of the Earth and other celestial phenomena can be accomplished from the 

lunar surface.

 A national search for a director of 

the new institute is underway. Since it 

will be a virtual institute, most of the 

research will be conducted elsewhere, 

including other NASA centers, universities and non-profit research groups, 

throughout the nation and around the 

world.

 For information about the NASA 

Lunar Science Institute, visit: http://

lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/
3 Astrogram April 2008

 This month, NASA began the 

most extensive field campaign ever 

to investigate the chemistry of the 

Arctic's lower atmosphere.

The mission is poised to help 

scientists identify how air pollution 

contributes to climate changes in the 

Arctic.

Managed by Ames’ Earth Science 

Project Office (ESPO), the experiment 

-- the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft 

and Satellites (ARCTAS) campaign -- 

will use aircraft and NASA satellites to 

probe the arctic atmosphere, sampling 

gaseous and particulate pollution to 

understand its origin and influences 

on climate across the region.

"We haven't looked at pollution 

transport in a comprehensive fashion," said Hanwant Singh, an ARCTAS project scientist at Ames. "We 

can see Arctic haze coming in but we 

don’t know its composition or how it 

got there. One goal of ARCTAS is to 

provide a comprehensive understanding of the aerosol composition, chemistry and climate effects in the Arctic 

region."

The recent decline of sea ice is one 

indication the Arctic is undergoing 

significant environmental changes 

related to climate warming. NASA 

and its partners plan to investigate 

the atmosphere's role in this climatesensitive region.

by Deborah Robin Croft "It's important that we go to t

Arctic to understand the atmosphericcontribution to warming in a place 

that's rapidly changing," said Jim 

Crawford, manager of the Tropospheric Chemistry Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We are in a 

position to provide the most complete 

characterization to date for a region 

that is seldom observed but critical to 

understanding climate change."

The campaign began this month in 

Fairbanks, Alaska. NASA's DC-8, P-3 

and B-200 aircraft served as airborne 

laboratories for three weeks, carrying 

instruments to measure air pollution 

gases and aerosols and solar radiation. 

Of particular interest is the formation 

of the springtime "arctic haze." The 

return of sunlight to the Arctic in the 

spring fuels chemical reactions of pollutants that have accumulated over the 

winter after travelling long distances 

from lower latitudes.

"The Arctic is a poster child of 

global change and we don't understand the processes that are driving 

that rapid change," said Daniel Jacob, 

an ARCTAS project scientist at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 

"We need to understand it better and 

that's why we're going."

ARCTAS is NASA's contribution 

to an international series of Arctic 

field experiments that is part of the 

International Polar Year. The National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Energy 

also sponsored research flights from 

Fairbanks this month in collaboration 

with NASA.

The wealth of data collected also 

will improve computer models used 

to study global atmospheric chemistry and climate. This ultimately will 

provide scientists with a better idea of 

how pollutants are transported to and 

around the Arctic and their impact on 

the environment and climate.

The new aircraft observations also 

will help researchers interpret data 

from NASA satellites orbiting over the 

Arctic, such as Aura, Terra, and CloudAerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder 

Satellite Observation (CALIPSO).

Interpreting satellite data can 

be difficult in the Arctic because of 

extensive cloud cover, bright reflective 

surfaces from snow and ice, and cold 

surface temperatures. For example, 

it's difficult for researchers to look at 

satellite data and distinguish between 

light reflected by clouds and light 

NASA launches airborne study of Arctic temperature, pollution

reflected from white ice cover.

"NASA has invested a lot of 

resources in satellites that can be of 

value for diagnosing effects of climate 

change,” Jacob said. "Satellites orbit 

over poles with good coverage and 

good opportunity, but you really need 

to have aircraft observations supporting those to make good interpretations 

of what satellites are telling you."

 The new airborne view of the Arctic atmosphere combined with satellite 

data will provide scientists with a better understanding of the atmospheric 

side of the climate question.

"We're interested in data that will 

help models better characterize the 

current state of the atmosphere, to set 

a benchmark for them so we can gain 

confidence in their ability to predict 

future warming in the Arctic," Crawford said.

A second phase of the ARCTAS 

campaign takes place this summer 

from Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada, 

where flights will focus on measurements of emissions from forest fires. 

Researchers want to know how the 

impact of naturally occurring fires 

in the region compares to the pollution associated with human activity 

at lower latitudes. Understanding the 

relative influence of each is important 

to predictions of the Arctic's future 

climate.

For more information about the 

ARCTAS field campaign, visit the 

project Web site: http://www.nasa.

gov/mission_pages/arctas You can 

also visit the ESPO Web site: http://

cloud1.arc.nasa.gov/

Low-altitude pass over the Bering Sea shows the 

shadow of the DC-8 during a flight April 12 during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the 

Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites ARCTAS 

mission. 

NASA photo by Eric James
4 Astrogram April 2008

begin the process of settling the solar 

system."

LADEE is a cooperative effort with 

NASA's Ames, Goddard Space Flight 

Center in Greenbelt, Md., and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The total cost of the spaceNASA sets sights on lunar dust exploration mission

The Ames Ombuds Office is available to all civil servants, contractors 

and students at the center. The office 

provides a supplemental, confidential 

and informal channel of communication to raise significant issues and concerns that you perceive could impact 

safety, organizational performance or 

mission success. 

The Ombuds Office is accountable 

for conducting informal inquiries, 

raising issues of concern to appropriate officials and redirecting matters not 

under the Ombuds' office’s jurisdiction 

to the appropriate office or organization with an existing administrative 

system, such as the Inspector General, 

the Office of Equal Opportunity and 

Diversity, Ames Federal Employees 

Union, Procurement Ombuds, Chief 

Counsel and Human Resources. 

The Ombuds’ power rests on its 

reputation for confidentiality, fairness, 

objectivity, tact and respectful concern 

for the welfare of all individuals of the 

NASA community and for the wellbeing of the agency.

 John Boyd continues to serve as 

Ames Ombuds and Geoffrey Briggs 

continues to serve as the alternate 

Ames Ombuds. 

The Ombuds Office is located in 

Building 200, Room 216, Mail Stop 

200-1A. Boyd can be reached at ext. 

4-5222 or John.W.Boyd@nasa.gov, and 

John Boyd, Ames Ombuds Geoffrey Briggs, alternate Ames Ombuds. NASA photos

Ombuds Office services available to Ames personnel

Briggs can be reached at ext. 4-0218 or 

Geoffrey.A.Briggs@nasa.gov. 

The Ombuds web site is http://

insideames.arc.nasa.gov/life-ombudsoffice.php

craft is expected to be approximately 

$80 million.

Ames will manage the mission, 

build the spacecraft and perform mission operations. Goddard will perform 

environmental testing and launch 

by Jack B

by Deborah Robin Cr

NASA is preparing to send a 

small spacecraft to the moon in 2011 

to assess the lunar atmosphere and 

the nature of dust lofted above the 

surface.

Called the Lunar Atmosphere and 

Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), 

the mission will launch before the 

agency's moon exploration activities 

accelerate during the next decade. 

LADEE will gather detailed information about conditions near the surface 

and environmental influences on lunar 

dust. A thorough understanding of 

these influences will help researchers 

understand how future exploration 

may shape the lunar environment 

and how the environment may affect 

future explorers.

"LADEE represents a low-cost 

approach to science missions, enabling faster science return and more 

frequent missions," said Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden. "These 

measurements will provide scientific 

insight into the lunar environment, 

and give our explorers a clearer understanding of what they'll be up against 

as they set up the first outpost and 

continued on page 12

Dr. Jaiwon Shin held an all-hands meeting April 2 at the 

center. This was an opportunity to hear directly from 

the associate administrator about the state of aeronautics 

within NASA, and to gain perspective on his priorities 

for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. As 

associate administrator, Shin is responsible for managing 

the agency’s aeronautics research portfolio and guiding 

its strategic direction. This portfolio includes research in 

the fundamental aeronautics of flight, aviation safety and 

the nation’s airspace system. 

Aeronautics chief visits Ames

NASA photo by Eric James
5 Astrogram April 2008

Students, teachers and scientists discover similarities between 

the Mojave desert and the planet Mars by Rachel Pru

In early April, NASA hosted the 

Spaceward Bound expedition at the 

California State University Desert 

Research Station in Zzyzx, Calif. This 

year’s team trekked into the Mojave 

Desert and set up camp for a five-day 

science research expedition aimed at 

studying how the Mojave is similar to 

Mars and the moon and search for life 

in extreme environments.

The expedition offered teachers 

and students an opportunity to collaborate with scientists, help conduct scientific fieldwork, study the 

Mojave’s unique geologic formations, 

and learn more about the extremophiles, or supremely adapted microbes, 

which live there.

Spaceward Bound was developed 

by the Education Branch at Ames and 

is funded by the Exploration Systems 

Mission Directorate at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington. The project is 

tied directly to NASA’s goal of engaging Americans in its missions through 

participatory educational activities 

This year’s Mojave program was in 

partnership with the California State 

University Chancellor’s Office, San 

Francisco State University and the 

California State University Desert 

Research Station. 

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

From left to right: Jonathan Trent, GREEN Team, NASA Ames; Bill Collins, head of the Climate Science Department at the Lawrence Berkeley 

National Laboratory; Steve Hipskind, chief of the Earth Science Division, NASA Ames; James Boyd, visiting professor at Stanford University; 

and Patrick Hogan, NASA World Wind project manager, NASA Ames.

For information about the NASA 

Spaceward Bound Project and this 

year’s Mojave participants, visit: 

http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/

spacewardbound

NASA Ames’ fifth Google-sponsored GREEN Seminar took place 

on Thursday, April 17 and featured 

four Earth science experts discussing new ways of “Monitoring and 

Modeling the Life Support Systems 

of Planet Earth.” The presenters’ 

ideas ranged from designing a virtual 

“Dashboard” -- like the one on our 

computers--to relay real-time data 

about our environment and then 

New ways of looking at ‘Mother Earth’ discussed

be able to predict events like famine, 

floods, earthquakes, etc., to developing economic tools that can measure 

intangible aspects of nature, like the 

value of a beautiful view or a swim in 

a mountain lake.

 Ames Center Director S. Pete 

Worden gave the opening remarks 

for the seminar by announcing how 

important Ames’ collaboration with 

Google is and that this particular 

colloquium addressed serious quesby Deborah Robin Croft tions about Human stewardship 

the environment on Earth and how 

to apply that knowledge and lessons 

learned to establishing sustainable 

human life support systems on other 

planets as we “settle the solar system.” Worden added that, “in an election year, whoever wins, we’ll see a 

lot of attention to climate change and 

what NASA can do to help.” 

photos by Rachel Prucey

Ames’Chris McKay gathers crust samples in the 

dry Silverlake bed during the science expedition 

in Zzyzx, Calif.

Scientists Jay Nadeau (left) and Henry Sun 

(right) examine the crust characteristics of the 

Mojave desert during the Spaceward Bound 

expedition in Zzyzx, Calif. 
6 Astrogram April 2008

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 began like any other school night, but 

turned into an evening of adventure, 

learning and science, when Ed Harris Middle School, Elk Grove, Calif., 

opened its doors to its students, their 

tiny kid-brothers and big older sisters, curious parents and even their 

smiling grandparents.

 Nearly 300 participants crowded 

around tables decorated with 

signs that boasted, “Playing 

with Polymers,” “Crystal 

Growing,” and “UV Radiation” and squeezed onto 

benches eager to see what 

each activity had to offer.

 Those seated at “Baggy 

Chemistry” donned bright 

green goggles to protect 

their eyes from plastic 

sealable lunch bags that 

would pop as they shook 

together calcium chloride, 

sodium bicarbonate (baking 

soda) and phenol red (a pH 

indicator). “Playing with 

Polymers” gave people a chance to 

stir white craft glue died green with 

food coloring in paper cups with 

wooden craft sticks until it turned 

into a sticky “goop.” “A Glimpse of 

Distant History” provided future 

paleontologists an opportunity to 

walk through the mechanics of fossil 

records and allowed their curious 

hands to explore the textures of 

common minerals. “Jazzy Sounds” 

had kids giggling as 

they built miniature 

twanging guitars out 

of rubber bands and 

wooden sticks. “UV 

Radiation” featured a 

demonstration of ultraviolet light using a black 

light and glowing neon 

beads that the young 

students strung around 

their wrists, necks, and 

in some cases, their 

ponytails.

Discovery night transforms middle school into science playground

by Rachel Pru

-- UV radiation, polymers and astronaut food – oh, my! 

 Event volunteers gently coaxed 

nervous children to taste strawberryflavored Astronaut ice cream for the 

first time, as elder brothers circled 

around for seconds and thirds. Parents’ eyes widened when told they 

were allowed to touch the astronaut 

suit on display. They flicked the 

switches, turned the dials on the 

control pack and wiggled their fingers as they tried on the astronaut’s 

space suit gloves.

 A few nearby classrooms 

featured instructor-led activities, 

such as “Rockets 101” with NASA’s 

Ames, Calif., education specialist, 

Tony Leavitt, in which he quickly 

guided attendees to make a paper 

rocket out of a piece of white paper, 

a small circle of pink construction 

paper and a few strips of adhesive 

tape. Leavitt ended the class with a 

boisterous “Baddabingbaddaboom!” 

then helped launch his young students’ rockets nearly 50 yards to the 

sound of their enthusiastic shouts, 

“NASA rocks!”

NASA photos by Eric James
7 Astrogram April 2008

it easier to “sell ourselves and show 

ourselves.” 

 

Aim for the moon

Worden then turned to his upcoming goals, such as restoring Ames to a 

spaceflight center. “NASA leadership 

wants to get Ames centrally involved,” 

he said. 

He proudly pointed out the onbudget and on-schedule Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), slated to launch this 

October as part of a NASA Exploration 

Mission Directorate project in search of 

water on the moon’s south pole, as the 

first such mission assigned to Ames, 

noting that “with this mission, Ames is 

back into spacecraft missions in a big 

way.”

Worden mentioned that Ames 

and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will co-manage the Lunar 

Atmosphere and Dust Environment 

Explorer (LADEE) mission, scheduled 

to launch in 2010. Worden explained 

LADEE will “skim a few kilometers 

over the surface of the moon to measure residual atmosphere” and lunar 

dust. He noted that Ames’ part in this 

mission is “a direct result of a lot of 

impressive work.”

Worden also highlighted the new 

NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), 

which will focus on science “of the 

moon” - its history and characteristics; 

“on the moon” - its significance to human exploration; and “from the moon” 

- as an “observational platform.” 

“Understanding the Earth better, leads 

to us understanding other planets,” 

Worden said. He predicted the NLSI 

will “make Ames the focal point for 

lunar science in the world,” and will 

lead NASA’s research activities related 

to lunar science and exploration. 

 

Shoot for the stars

Worden shifted his focus to a 

“fantasy” mission concept, which 

would use a “featherweight” orbiter to 

rendezvous with a Near Earth Object. 

“Asteroids are a significant target for 

our future efforts,” Worden said. He 

noted that Ames has developed concepts for human missions to asteroids 

utilizing the Ares family of rockets. 

“This is an area of significant interest 

and human concern,” Worden said, 

“It’s pretty exciting we have the ability 

to send people and hardware.”

Worden lauded GeneSat-1, part of 

the “cube” satellite family, for successfully completing its biology experiment and for “continuing to perform 

flawlessly.” “GeneSat demonstrates 

that Ames can do biological science...

We are planning to launch quite a 

few nano-satellites, so stay tuned,” he 

intimated.

Worden explained how the Amesdeveloped “modular bus architecture” plays a part in making Ames 

a spaceflight center by allowing 

quick missions with flexible, multiuse components. As an example, he 

mentioned CheaptSat, that permits 

low-cost, expedited prototyping and 

the use of ‘off-the-shelf’ parts. “Why 

pay JPL prices when you can get them 

at Costco?” Worden joked. He then 

emphasized that “off-the-shelf parts 

will revolutionize space access, if we 

can make it work.” 

Worden said Ames was awarded 

responsibility for the Mars Science Lab 

(MSL) cache box, slated for launch 

in 2009, which will gather and store 

samples until a future mission, in approximately 2020, can bring them to 

Earth for analysis. 

 

Think bigger

“Ames is the IT center; we’re 

damn good at operational software,” 

Worden said, glowing over Ames’ part 

in the Solar Array Constraint Engine, 

which will determine the safety of 

International Space Station (ISS) solar 

panel configurations and the Orbital 

Communications Adapter Mirroring 

System, which can automate some ISS 

work.

When Ames and its partners won 

a competition in 2007 to host the Army 

High-Performance Computing Research Center, “Ames’ supercomputing resources doubled,” Worden said. 

“Our high-end computing remains 

among the top dozen in the world and 

we intend to keep it so,” he declared. 

 In addition, the National FullScale Aerodynamics Complex returned to operation earlier this year, 

allowing Ames “to help the rest of the 

agency design and build” technologies that focus on entering planetary 

atmospheres, Worden explained. 

Worden said the NanoSail-D will 

launch this June and demonstrate, for 

the first time ever, solar sail propellant-less propulsion technology. He 

said “Ames is working with Marshall 

on this project; it is a very positive 

partnership, I want to keep emphasizing positive partnerships with other 

NASA centers.”

 

Crossing the finish line

Worden then focused on completing current science projects, such as 

the Kepler mission, the first to search 

the universe for habitable, Earth-like 

planets. Worden emphasized that 

Ames, JPL and Ball Aerospace worked 

together to get Kepler back on schedule and on budget. 

Another example of positive 

cooperation with other NASA centers Worden cited is the partnership 

with Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., which restored 

“one of the great observatories,” the 

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared 

Astronomy (SOFIA). Now that the 

telescope is installed, the SOFIA team 

expects to start science operations in 

2009. Worden explained SOFIA will 

enable us “look back in time” and 

study “star formation processes not 

accessible on the ground.” 

 

New Ventures

Worden described several new 

upcoming flight mission opportunities, such as the “Small Explorers,” 12 

of which Ames is a participant. Five 

would be Ames-led and semi-finalists 

will be selected later this year.

New Earth science campaigns have 

been formed, such as the 2007 TC-4 

mission to monitor tropical cloud and 

climate composition, and the 2008 

Arctic Research of the Composition 

of the Troposphere from Aircraft and 

Satellites mission to study pollution 

specific to polar regions.

“New thrusts in biological sciences, aligned with the agency’s 

strategic interests in advanced life 

support, radiation technologies, lunar 

dust and biofuels,” offer increased 

opportunities for reimbursable uses of 

Ames’ Earth science expertise Worden 

asserted. 

 

Ames Culture 

Worden concluded his presentation by briefly discussing Ames’ 

workplace culture. “We need to 

expand the workforce skills,” he said. 

Worden said center management will 

re-examine how Ames operates “to 

optimize infrastructure,” prioritize 

continued from front page

continued on page 11 

Worden marks progress, envisions bright future for Ames
8 Astrogram April 2008

More than 20 speakers, including Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, 

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and 

SimCity game creator Will Wright, 

addressed participants and demonstrated cutting edge technologies. 

Musical acts including Telstar, a new 

trio led by former Grateful Dead 

basist Phil Lesh and DJ phenomenon 

Amon Tobin of Montreal performed 

on four stages. A trio of American 

and Soviet-era aircraft demonstrated 

aerobatics over Moffett Field, and 

San Francisco’s interdisciplinary 

dance company Capacitor displayed 

human acrobatics.

All 12 hours of the celebration 

were webcast live on the Ames 

web site. For more information and 

images from Yuri’s Night Bay Area 

2008, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/

YNBA/

Six NASA Research Park (NRP) 

partners contributed to the event. 

The NRP Exploration Lecture at 

Yuri’s Night was delivered by Unimodal, a company currently negotiating with NASA to build a demonstration track to test SKYTRAN, a 

next-generation, sustainable “people 

mover.” 

NRP tenant Photozig hosted an 

exhibit and Chief Executive Officer 

(CEO) Bruno Kajiyama’s team produced a real-time internet slideshow 

montage of Yuri’s Night images.

Ecliptic Enterprises Corp’s CEO 

Rex Ridenoure presented a video 

compilation of “RocketCam’s Greatest Hits,” which showed a sampling 

of onboard “launch-to-orbit” video 

footage from 30 space projects (including NASA shuttle launches).

Mars Institute CEO Pascal Lee 

and three scientists from the Haughton Mars Project team -- Brian Glass, 

Hans Utz and Darlene Lim, all of 

Ames -- discussed how to prepare for 

the future of Mars exploration here 

on Earth. 

Inform Art/Gary Air presented 

“Share a Ride and Sustain the Earth,” 

whose centerpiece was a Cessna single-engine piston airplane outfitted 

with state-of-the-art air taxi avionics, 

allowing ride sharing by air. 

NRP tenant Makani Power provided a model of its wind-powered 

hydrofoil boat, developed by founder Don Montague. 

Yuri’s Night Bay Area 2008 wows all at huge celebration

NASA photo by Paul Langston NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

NASA photo by Paul Langston

NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

NASA photo by Paul Langston
9 Astrogram April 2008

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin shown speaking at 

Yuri’s Night Bay Area 2008.

NASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by Paul Langston

NASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by John Schultz NASA photo by John Schultz

NASA photo by Kyle Cavallaro

NASA photo by Paul Langston

NASA photo by Paul Langston

Chief Information Officer 

Chris Kemp (left) with 

Center Director S. Pete 

Worden during Yuri’s 

Night Bay Area 2008.
10 Astrogram April 2008

The Ames Contractor Council 

(ACC) is a non-profit (501)(c)(4) organization whose membership consists 

of representatives from the contractor 

companies performing work at NASA 

Ames. The council strives to improve 

the productivity and enhance the quality of contractors' services and products for the overall success of Ames 

Research Center. 

 Any company with an active 

contract at Ames is invited to send its 

representative to the monthly ACC 

meetings, which are held the first 

Wednesday of the month, 11 a.m. - 12 

noon, in Bldg. 200, in the Committee 

Room.

The deputy center director or his 

representative is always first on the 

agenda with an update about center 

and agency activities. This update is 

followed by presentations from various guest speakers, including topics 

such as HSPD-12, security, safety, 

environmental concerns and NASA 

procurement. 

 In addition to leveraging contractor management talent, the ACC also 

has numerous active committees that 

Ames Contractor Council introduces 2008 officers

benefit the Ames community. For example, through successful fundraising 

activities (e.g., golf tournament and 

historic calendar sales) the organization contributes to education outreach 

and other worthy programs.

 To learn more about the ACC and 

how it actively supports the Ames 

community, visit its web site at: www.

Ames co-hosted along with NASA 

Langley Research Center the Software 

Release Authority (SRA) workshop 

held at the NASA Ames Conference 

Center. This workshop brought together representatives agency-wide as 

well as others who support software 

release. The workshop’s goal was to 

share lessons learned and best practices in the current responsibilities of 

the SRA. This collaboration provided 

the opportunity to share valuable 

feedback to each of the SRAs.

 Software release begins with an 

inventor requesting authorization to 

release software and ends with the 

center SRA’s approval or rejection of 

the request for the software release. 

Since NASA technology is a valuable 

asset to the agency overall, it is the 

responsibility of the SRA to assess the 

software and determine its proper 

release.

 The center’s SRA manages and 

directs the software release process. In 

making the final decision on software 

release requests, the SRA ensures that 

the proper steps are taken to maximize 

Software Release representatives meet at Ames workshop by Julie River

The new Ames Contractor Council 2008 officers, from left to right: John Reiss, secretary 

(Perot Systems); Herb Finger, treasurer (Unisys); Kathleen Starmer, president (SAIC); and 

Mike Weiss, vice president (Jacobs Technology).

photo by Karol “Bo” Bobko

by Doreen Coh

amescontractorcouncil.org. If you are 

eligible for membership in the ACC, 

you are also eligible to be included in 

the online list of companies under the 

“About” section of the web site. This 

list links directly to each company’s 

web site, where company information 

and job opportunities may be found.

Software Release Authority Workshop participants, left to right, front row: Stuart Pendleton, LaRC; 

Martha Del Alto, Ames; Kathy Kerrigan, GRC; Kaprice Harris, GRC; Robin Orans, Ames; Jane Fox, JSC; 

Sandra Gerlach, GRC; and Evelyn Hill, MSFC. Left to right, back row: Jason Hanna, GRC; Kathy Acuna, 

JSC; Mary Dickerson, JSC; Kim Chrestenson, Ames; John Lansaw, SSC; and Laura A. Schoppe, Fuentek/

NASA Headquarters.

the benefit both to NASA and to the 

taxpayer. Especially, since NASA’s 

investment in Software Technology 

Transfer is meant to achieve greater, 

“balanced” returns on investment 

(ROI). 

 Their vision aims to improve the 

effectiveness of existing collaborations 

and leveraging in the government release process in general. Overall, this 

workshop was highly successful from 

an exchange and participatory point 

of view. 

For more information on Software 

Release, visit http://software.arc.nasa.

gov/release.

photo by Shirley Fauth
11 Astrogram April 2008

employee support, make promotions 

transparent and pursue diversity. He 

also said he had assembled a “special 

team” to conduct a NASA employee 

culture study. He promised to build 

employees’ trust in NASA leadership. 

“You have my commitment to doing 

this,” Worden emphasized.

In closing, Worden composed a 

short “poem” describing his management style that underscored his idea 

for a “new way of doing business” 

centered around information sharing 

with a “can do” attitude. “You ain’t 

seen nothin’ yet,” Worden concluded.

 A luncheon/social event provided 

by the Ames Exchange immediately 

followed the all-hands meeting.

continued from page 7

In December 2008, NASA Ames 

will induct a new class of honorees 

into its Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will mark the end of 

NASA's 50th anniversary year, and the 

start of NASA Ames' 70th anniversary 

year.

It has been a decade since the first 

class of 12 was inducted. The Hall will 

recognize those people whose contributions have had the most sustained 

and far-reaching influence on the 

direction and mission of NASA Ames, 

and/or whose work at NASA Ames 

has generated fundamental advancements in either a scientific or engineering field.

Nominations being accepted for NASA Ames Hall of Fame

Nominees may be anyone who has 

worked at NASA Ames, and is now retired or resigned. Included are former 

civil servants, contractors and IPAs. 

Also included are those now working 

in emeritus or Ames Associate positions. Nominators must be somehow 

affiliated with NASA Ames, either as a 

civil servant, contractor or retiree.

Nominations consist of two documents. First, a nomination form available as a Word document will establish 

the eligibility of nominee and nominator. Second, nominators should 

write a short narrative (about two 

pages) that summarizes the nominee's 

career and why their contributions are 

worth honoring. Nominations must be 

received by July 1, 2008, for consideration by aselection committee.

The nomination form, information on the nomination process, and 

biographies of the current members 

of the Hall of Fame can be found 

at: http://history.arc.nasa.gov/

ames_hall_of_fame.htm Nominations 

or questions should be sent to Glenn 

Bugos, NASA Ames History Office 

at MailStop:207-1 or Glenn.E.Bugos@

nasa.gov, or contact him at ext. 4-6436.

NASA photos by Dominic Hart

NASA employees enjoy a free 

hotdog luncheon provided by the 

Ames Exchange outside the Mega 

Bites Cafeteria after the all-hands 

on April 1, 2008.

Worden marks progress, envisions bright future for Ames

Chris McKay of Ames, shown speaking at the recent 24th annual CONTACT conference at Ames.

The 24th annual CONTACT conference and workshop held in April 

and was an interdisciplinary gathering 

of scientists, artists and writers. 

For more than 20 years, it has 

explored human futures in fact and 

fiction. CONTACT’s program featured 

a fascinating line up of speakers and 

a broad spectrum of symposia and 

activities. 

The keynote speaker at the banquet was scientist and artist Carlo 

Sequin from University of California 

at Berkeley. His subject was “Modeling our Universe and Other Things.” 

In addition to Sequin, this year’s 

Scientists, artists and writers gather at CONTACT 2008 conference NASA photo by Dominic Hart

presenters also included musician 

Phillip Aaberg, artist Darrel Anderson, researchers Chris McKay, Carol 

Stoker, Bill Clancey, Penny Boston, 

Michael Bolte, Michael Sims and 

SETI scientist Seth Shostak. 

CONTACT is highly interdisciplinary and includes anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists, 

historians, philosophers, teachers, 

writers, artists, filmmakers and musicians in the program.For additional 

background and details about this 

and past CONTACT conferences, see 

the web site at: http://www.contactconference.org.
12 Astrogram April 2008

continued from page 3

NASA sets sights on lunar dust exploration mission

STS-125 Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Greg Johnson and Flight Engineer 

Megan McArthur practice landings in the Vertical Motion Simulator during 

a training visit to Ames on April 23. Drew Feustel (not pictured) joined the 

trio of astronauts using the simulator’s unique capabilities to get ready for the 

fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Astronauts Michael Good, 

John Grunsfeld and Michael Massimino round out the Atlantis crew . The 

mission is targeted for launch Aug. 28, 2008.

Astronauts experience ups, downs before Hubble missionNASA photo by Eric James

NASA photos by John Schultz

Ames, students make building robots ‘a piece of cake’

The "Space Cookies," a team of Bay Area high school girls scouts and the "Cheesy Poofs," an all-boys team from Bellarmine Preparatory School, 

San Jose, Calif., competed in this year's 16th annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition, 

which took place March 13 to 15, 2008, at San Jose State University. The Cheesy Poofs won the “General Motors Industrial Design Award,” the 

Silicon Valley Regional and also walked away Division Finalists at the FIRST Championship, held April 17 - 19, 2008, in Atlanta, Ga. 

vehicle integration. The mission will 

be established within Marshall's newly 

created Lunar Science Program Office. 

Marshall will draw upon experience 

gained from managing a larger suite 

of low-cost, small satellite missions 

through NASA's Discovery and New 

Frontiers Program. 

LADEE will fly to the moon as a 

secondary payload on the Discovery 

mission called Gravity Recovery and 

Interior Laboratory (GRAIL), which is 

designed to take ultra-precise gravity field measurements of the moon. 

Current plans call for the GRAIL and 

LADEE spacecraft to launch together 

on a Delta II rocket and separate after 

they are on a lunar trajectory. LADEE 

will take approximately four months 

to travel to the moon, then undergo a 

month-long checkout phase and begin 

100 days of science operations.

LADEE is one of many activities to 

support lunar exploration planned by 

NASA's Science Mission Directorate 

in Washington. Last year, NASA also 

established a lunar science institute 

at Ames. Research teams will address 

current topics in basic lunar science 

and possible astronomical, solar and 

Earth science investigations that 

could be performed from the moon. 

In addition, NASA is preparing for 

scientific investigations following the 

planned launch later this year of the 

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). 

After a 30-year hiatus, LRO represents 

NASA's first step toward returning 

humans to the moon. 
13 Astrogram April 2008

Above photo: Paul Espinosa (left) and Stan 

Phillips (right) on board the 40-foot racing 

yacht, the “Malachite” (photo on right), which 

they raced on in the Heineken Ragatta in the 

Caribbean March 6 - 9, 2008, finishing in 

fourth place. 

Ames Sailing Club members participate in Caribbean Regatta by Paul Espino

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

In celebration of National Library Week, the Ames Library sponsored a talk 

by Google Search Quality and User Happiness researcher Dr. Daniel M. 

Russell on April 16 at Ames, seen here speaking during the event. Russell 

demonstrated advanced features of the Google search engine that facilitates 

searching for scientific literature. The audience learned tips and techniques 

to search more effectively to improve their Google search experience. Russell 

is a research scientist at Google, where he works in the area of search quality, 

with a focus on understanding what makes Google users happy in their use of 

web search. He studies how people do their searches, trying to understand the 

most common traps and pathways to successful Google use.

Ames employees learn how to Google like an expert

In March, two NASA Ames Sailing 

Club members, Stan Phillips and Paul 

Espinosa, participated in the Heineken 

Regatta, an international sailing race 

held on the Caribbean island of Saint 

Martin. Sailing against top-level 

competitors in the spinnaker racing 

class, Phillips and Espinosa sailed on a 

chartered 40-foot racing yacht named 

“Malachite.” An account of their adventure will be presented at the May 

meeting of the NASA Ames Sailing 

Club. 

The club provides a forum for all 

Ames employees interested in the art 

and sport of sailing. Meetings are held 

on the second Thursday of the month, 

from March through November, from 

12 noon to 1 p.m., in Bldg N-260, 

Room 113.

To prepare for the race, Phillips 

and Espinosa participated in many 

of the Ames Sailing Club-sponsored 

races during 2007. They also practiced 

almost every week with their team 

for four months prior to the regatta. 

Through a lucky connection made 

at an Ames Sailing Club meeting, 

they were able to get Dawn Riley, an 

America’s Cup skipper and around 

the world Whitbread race veteran, to 

coach the team. She organized practice sessions in the Bay Area and in 

Saint Martin.

Each race day, crew members 

had work assignments to prepare or 

improve the boat. At the “anchor 

up” deadline, the crew was on board, 

ready to race. On the way to the start 

line, they discussed boat modifications, crew positions, plan of the day, 

race course description, plus weather 

prediction and race strategy. Then 

they raced.

 There were multiple races each 

day. Each race was an exciting, 

highly-competitive challenge. Shorter 

races were only a little over an hour 

long, while the longest, all the way 

around the island for a total of 37 nautical miles, took more that four hours 

to complete. Results demonstrated 

the benefits of coaching and practice. 

Their best race was on the last day. 

They finished the final race in fourth 

place, even beating last year’s class 

winner. Both Phillips and Espinosa 

look forward to a return for an exciting challenge in the 2010 Heineken 

Regatta. 

More information about the Ames 

Sailing Club can be found at http://

sail.arc.nasa.gov/faq/index.html.
14 Astrogram April 2008

Ames emergency 

announcements

To hear the centerwide status record- ing, call (650) 604-9999 for informa- tion announcements and emergency 

instructions for Ames employees. You 

can also listen to 1700 KHz AM radio 

for the same information.

Ames Ongoing Monthly Events Calendar

Security/Law Enforcement Activity

Fire Protection Activity

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

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

of March 2008 is shown below.

Protective Services monthly activity

 Safety Data 

 NASA-Ames Occupational

 Illness-Injury Data for 

 Calendar Year-to-Date 2008

 Jan. 1, 2008 - March 31, 2008

 Civil Contractors

 Servants

 

 First aid cases 6 2

 Lost Workday cases 1 0

 Recordable cases 0 3

 Restricted duty days 0 2

 Above data are as of March 31, 2008. 

 May be subject to slight adjustment in

 the event of a new case or new informa- 

 tion regarding an existing case.

Ames Amateur Radio Club, third Thurs., of 

ea. month, 12 noon, N-T28 (across from N-255). 

POC: Michael Wright, KG6BFK, at ext. 4-6262. 

Ames Ballroom Dance Club, Classes on 

Tuesdays. Beginning classes meet at 5:15 p.m. 

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

Bldg. 944, the Rec. Center. POC: Helen Hwang 

at helen.hwang@nasa.gov, ext. 4-1368.

Ames Bicycling Club, every third Wednesday 

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

Auditorium. POC: Julie Nottage at jnottage@

mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext. 4-3711. 

Ames Bowling League, Homestead Lanes on 

Thursday nights at 6:20 p.m. Seeking substitute 

bowlers. Questions to sign up: Mike Liu at ext. 

4-1132. 

Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors 

Mtg., every other Monday, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Bldg. 

N-262/Rm 180. POC: Sally Miller, ext. 4-5411.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg., first Wednesday of ea. month, 11 a.m., Bldg. N-200, Committee Room. POC: Kathleen Starmer, ext. 4-6959

Environmental Forum, first Thursday every 

other month, 9 a.m. - 10 a.m., T20-G conference 

Rm. 129. URL: http://q/qe/events/EHSseries/ POC: Stacy St. Louis, ext. 4-6810.

Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) Mtg, 

First Wednesday of November (7th), noon. 

First Wednesday of December (5th), noon. 

Bldg. N-247, Rm. 109. Beginning 2008, third 

Wednesday each month, same location. Guests 

welcome. Info at: http://www.afeu.org. POC: 

Paul K. Davis, ext. 4-5916. 

The Hispanic Advisory Committee for 

Excellence (HACE) Mtg., first Thursday of each 

month, 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Bldg. N-255, Rm. 

101C. POC: Eric Kristich, ext. 4-5137 and Mark 

Leon, ext. 4-6498.

Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 p.m. 

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

Hayashi, ext. 4-1397, mhayashi@mail.arc.nasa.

gov. Web: http://jetstream.freetoasthost.com

Ames Mac Support Group Mtg., third Tuesday 

of each month, 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m., Bldg. N-262, 

Rm 180. POC: Tony ext. 4-0340.

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

on weekend mornings. POC: Mark Sumich, 

ext. 4-6193.

Native American Advisory Committee Mtg., 

fourth Tuesday each month, 12 noon - 1 p.m., 

Bldg. 19, Rm 1096. POC: Mike Liu, ext. 4-1132.

Ames Nimble Knitters Club, every Tuesday 

at 11:30 a.m., Bldg. N-241/Rm 237. POC: 

Rosalyn Jung, knitfan2@yahoo.com or Diane 

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

nasa.gov

Ames Safety Committee, third Thursday of 

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

Rm. 201. POC: John Livacich, jlivacich@mail.

arc.nasa.gov, ext. 4-3243 or Terry Reichert, 

treichert@mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext.-4-0375.

Ames Sailing Club Mtg., second Thursday of 

each month (March through November), from 

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

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

ext. 4-4571.
15 Astrogram April 2008

The Ames Cat Network needs help finding 

homes for cats trapped at Moffett. They 

range from feral to abandoned/lost pets. 

Tested, altered and inoculated. Call Iris at 

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

interested in fostering or adopting a cat.

Ames Cat Network

Researcher with family of three looking for 

housing for six months near NASA Ames. 

Contact Ram ram@prl.res.in

2bd/1 ba downstairs apartment in Sunnyvale 

(duplex), remodeled. Includes new: cabinets, tile 

counter tops, stove, refrigerator, microwv, storage area and back yard. Located a few blocks 

from downtown. No pets, N/S. $1,650. Available June 1, 2008. Mike (408) 736-5900. 

Looking for car pool possibilities from Half 

Moon Bay area. Trying to save some fuel! Contact Jeff (910) 297-3651 (cell), ext. 4-1608 (work) 

or jeffrey.p.berlin@nasa.gov

Free Saab 900 cover. E-mail john_h_luu@yahoo.

com

Chihuahua/Terrier mix puppies for sale.

Call (408) 772-4142; (408) 578-2291.

Ames Classifieds Exchange Information

Beyond Galileo Gift Shop N-235 in 

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

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

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

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

Visitor Center Gift Shop N-943 

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

NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, gifts and 

educational items. 

Ongoing Vacation Opportunities

Information about products, services and opportunities provided to the employee and contractor 

community by the Ames Exchange Council. Visit 

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

NASA Lodge (N-19) 603-7100

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

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

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

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

The pool is heated year round! The pool is currently available for lap swim, pool parties and 

special events. POC -Chana Langley, Pool Manager 

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

purchasing a membership, there is an entrance fee: 

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

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

fee). Special events: include military training, swim 

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

special events is $50/hr.

Ames Swim Center (N-109) 603-8025

Ads for the next issue should be sent to astrogram@

mail.arc.nasa.gov and must be resubmitted for each 

issue. Ads must involve personal needs or items; (no 

commercial/third-party ads) and will run on a spaceavailable basis only. First-time ads are given priority. 

Ads must include home phone numbers; Ames extensions and email addresses will be accepted for carpool 

and lost and found ads only. Due to the volume of 

material received, we are unable to verify the accuracy 

of the statements made in the ads. Caveat emptor! 

RV Lots Available Call to reserve a 

space at (650) 603-7100/01.

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

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

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

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

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

adult) 

Moffett Field Golf Club with ‘Tee minus 

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

Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley Townhse, 3bd/2ba, 

View of slopes, close to lifts. Per night: $250, plus 

$145 cleaning fee. Two night minimum. Includes 

linens, propane fireplace, fully equipped. Call (650) 

968-4155, DBMcKellar@aol.com.

Bass Lake vacation rental, 4 mls south of Yosemite. 

3bd/1.5 ba, TV, VCR, MW, frplc, BBQ, priv. boat 

dock. Sleeps 8. $1,050/wk. Call (559) 642-3600 or 

(650) 390-9668.

Big Sur vacation rental, secluded 4bd/2ba house 

in canyon setting. Fully eqpd kitchen. Access to 

priv. beach. Tub in patio gdn. Halfway between 

Carmel and Big Sur. $175/night for 2; $225 for 4 

and $250 for more, plus $150 cleaning dep. Call 

(650) 328-4427.

Pine Mountain Lake vacation home. Access to golf, 

tennis, lake, swimming, horseback riding, walk 

to beach. Three bedrooms/sleeps 10. $100/night. 

Call (408) 799-4052 or (831) 623-4054.

Incline Village, Forest Pines, Lake Tahoe condo, 3 

bdrms/2 ba, sleeps 8, fireplace, TVs/VCR/DVD, 

stereo w/CD player, microwv, W/D, jacuzzi, 

sauna, outdoor pool. Walk to lake. Close to ski 

areas. Visit web site for pictures: http://www.

ACruiseStore.com $135/night spring and fall, 

$173/night summer and winter (holidays higher) 

plus $125 cleaning fee and 12 percent Nevada 

room tax. Charlie (650) 743-8990.

New York, 5th Ave., one fully furnished bedroom 

apt. in 24 hour security fbldg. overlooking

Washington Square Park, $1,000/week or

3,000/month, negotiable. Call (650) 430-6977.

Paris/France: Fully furnished studio. 5th arr, Latin 

Quarter, Notre Dame and Lie-St. Louis, $1,400/

week, negotiable.Call (650) 430-697

Santa Cruz townhouse, 2 bedrooms plus study, 

2 baths, decks, totally furnished, 3 blocks from 

beach, available July, August, September; $1,600 

per month. Call (831) 423-5777 (H) or (831) 277-

8476 (C).

Lake Tahoe cabin rental in Agate Bay, North Shore. 

4bd/3ba tri-level, AEK, cable TVs, fireplace, BBQ, 

deck, sleeps 10. Closest skiing is Northstar, Alpine 

and Squaw. Rates are $375 a weekend, $1,000 a 

week. Call (408) 867-4656.

Florida west coast vacation in St. Petersburg, 

beautiful 2bd/2ba condo, fully equipped kitchen 

and furnished, sunset views, 1/4 mile from St. Pete 

Beach, monthly or 2 week minimum rentals only. 

Call (703) 299-8889 or e-mail: jdgoehler@aol.com

Monterey Bay vacation rental at Pajaro Dunes, 20 

miles south of Santa Cruz, 3bd/2ba beach house 

with distinctive architecture. Beautiful ocean and 

valley views, only 150 ft from the beach, first-class 

tennis courts. $700/wkend, $2,100/wk including 

cleaning by the maid service when you depart. 

Call (408) 252-7260.

South Lake Tahoe large cabin surrounded by 

protected forest, 8 miles from Stateline Sleeps 12 

comfortably, 4 bd/3ba. Hot tub/pool table/65” TV 

Matt (408) 482-5286

South Lake Tahoe cozy home backs up to large 

open meadow, 1 mile from Heavenly Valley. Sleeps 

11, 3 bd/2.5 ba. Large deck with hot tub. Matt (408) 

482-5286.

‘06 Lincoln Towncar, light French silk clear coat, 

4 dr, back-up sensors, 6 cd changer, 5,900 miles. 

Orig. $45,000. Like new. Asking $31,000. John 

(408) 245-6926 . 

Transportation

Car Pool

Looking for car pool from Newman (or Los 

Banos) 2 - 3 days a week. Call (408)

394-5606 (cell) or ext. 4-4773 (work).

Housing

‘86 Porsche 944, maroon red exterior, 4 door, 

5-speed manual transmission. 155,000 miles, 

good cond., well-maintained, fun to drive, gives 

22mpg. Has recent smog certificate and maintenance records since 1998 when we bought it 

from the original owner. Asking $1,550. Anupa 

(650) 862-2869.

Miscellaneous
16 Astrogram April 2008

When a high bay door in the Building N-243 

Rotunda broke and crashed last year in front of 

Shirley Burek, it took nearly a year to fabricate a 

new roll-up door. Finally complete, the new door 

needed a paint job. So with a little negotiation 

between the people involved, it was decided a 

NASA meatball would be painted on the outside 

of the 16-foot high door. Painted by contractor 

Tom Rodrigues in three days, its addition will

stimulate group photos and greet flights on the 

nearby tarmac. Come view the completed and 

newest meatball on campus in years!

photo by Shirley Burek

The Ames Astrogram is an official publication of 

Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration.

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

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

You can reach the Astrogram Office at: astrogram@

mail.arc.nasa.gov or by phone at (650) 604-3347. 

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

ames/astrogram.

Astrogram deadlines

Please submit articles, calendar 

and classified advertisements to 

astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov no later 

than the 10th of each month. If this 

falls on a weekend or holiday, then the 

following business day becomes the 

deadline. For Astrogram questions, 

contact Astrid Olson at the aforementioned e-mail address or ext. 4-3347. 

What’s on InsideNASA . . .

NASA Deputy Administrator 

Shana Dale’s corner on InsideNASA 

this month features an article entitled, "Climate Science.”

This feature describes NASA’s 

Earth sciences activities. NASA 

drives innovation, creating real 

benefits for a modest investment of 

less than six-tenths of one percent of 

the overall federal budget. NASA’s 

Earth Science Program, with $1.37 

billion requested for FY 2009, is 

the world’s largest, interdisciplinary Earth science research program 

advancing scientific understanding 

of the causes and effects of climate 

change. 

To learn more about what 

NASA’s wide-ranging and balanced 

Earth science activities include, visit: 

http://insidenasa.nasa.gov/nasa_

stories/April_Climate_Science.html

Effective on June 1, 2008, the new 

2007 California Building Code, CCR 

Title 24 building codes will be enforced for all permitted construction at 

Ames. Projects started prior to June 1, 

2008 and are not issued an approved 

building permit by that date, may 

be allowed to follow the previously 

enforced code. 

Each case will be evaluated to determine if, by following the new 2007 

CBC codes, the project’s completion 

will be delayed beyond the required 

date or that a budget increase may 

jeopardize the project. Effective immediately, there will be an additional 

stipulation added to the building 

permit form as follows:

“Permit is valid for the duration of 

this project, provided construction begins within 180 calendar days from the 

date the permit is issued and, upon 

Ames implements California building code

On March 27, the Aeronautics Technical Seminar, 

“Analyzing Future Concepts for Managing Air 

Traffic with the Airspace Concept Evaluation System,” was presented at Ames by Robert Windhorst 

(shown above). The Airspace Concept Evaluation 

System (ACES) is a computer program designed to 

perform fast-time, gate-to-gate simulations of the 

United States air transportation system. ACES is 

used for developing new concepts and technologies 

and analyzing their contributions toward the goals 

of accommodating future growth of operations, 

reducing flight transit times, increasing predictability of arrival times and minimizing the impact of 

weather and other disruptions. Windhorst presented 

the program design, validation study and concept 

analyses for ACES.

commencement, is diligently and 

continuously prosecuted in a safe and 

code-compliant manner to completion. 

If the construction of this project does 

not commence within that 180 day 

period after permit issuance, then this 

permit shall automatically terminate. 

Before any construction on this project 

Airspace Concept 

Evaluation System 

discussed at Ames

NASA photo by Eric James

can begin, again, project plans must go 

through the Ames‚ permit review process and new permits must be issued.” 

Contact the Ames Chief Building Officer Peter Chan for any questions or 

clarifications of these directives. Chan 

can be reached at ext. 4-6180 or at 

mailto:Peter.H.Chan@nasa.gov.

There’s a new meatball in town!