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

February 2006

www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/astrogram/2005/05astrograms.html

On the Inside . . .

Page 2 - Ames-Google seminar held

Page 3 - Hubbard receives

 honorary degree from Spain

Page 9 -Thousands of students visit

 Ames for Jason event

Page 10 - Obituaries

Page 12 - Ongoing event calendar

Page 13 - Classifieds NASA photo by Tom Trower

NASA Ames Research Center’s Acting Center Director Marvin ‘Chris’

Christensen answers questions at the Feb. 16 all-hands NASA

budget briefing at Ames.

Although Ames is not out of the

financial woods yet, the center has a

good chance to overcome its budget crisis in the near future.

That was the message delivered by

Ames Acting Center Director Marvin

“Chris” Christensen during

an all-hands meeting held

Feb. 16 to discuss the impacts

of severe budget cuts to Ames

for Fiscal Year 2007.

“If we are reasonably successful in our strategic and

programmatic actions, we can

solve our unfunded problems

going into FY07,” Christensen

ventured. “The downward

trend we have experienced in

budget and manpower since

the end of FY04 will finally be

abated. We see the light at the

end of the tunnel.”

Noting that Ames has

“managed our way through

an extremely difficult period,” Christensen said the

center is fundamentally

sound. However, he warned

that much work still needs to

be done and that if the center isn't successful, there could be employee layoffs

next year.

“If we can't solve our problems, then

we won't do well and could face a RIF in

March 2007,” Christensen declared.

Christensen, who worked for 11 years at

Lockheed Martin before joining Ames

last September, is serving as the interim

center director until a new director is

named to succeed G. Scott Hubbard.

“My job is to keep the ship stable

and trim...until a new skipper comes

onboard,” Christensen quipped. He said

he expects an announcement to be made

by NASA Headquarters sometime in

mid-March.

During his presentation in the main

auditorium, Christensen said the center's

budget has seen a downward spiral over

the past few years.

Since FY 2004, Ames has seen its

budget shrink by some $200 million. In

FY04, Ames budget was $865 million; in

FY 05, it dropped to $723 million, a loss

of $133 million and in FY 06, the center's

Ames has good chance to overcome FY 07 budget problems

budget was $657 million, a loss of $66

million.

Ames has also seen its workforce

grow smaller over the past two years. In

FY04, there was a total of 1,458 full-time

civil servants and 1,475 contractors employed at the center. In FY06, the number of full-time civil servants had

dropped to 1,237 and the number of

contractors to 851. He said unless additional funding is secured this year, some

288 employees could face a RIF next

year.

In addition to potential downsizing

of its workforce, the center also faces

major cuts in several key science programs, particularly the Stratospheric

Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

(SOFIA), and astrobiology.

“SOFIA is in jeopardy,” Christensen

declared, noting that the current budget

proposal provides reduced funding this

year and no funding next year for the

aerial observatory. “We certainly

haven't given up on SOFIA, but it's going to be a hard fight,” he observed.

Astrobiology faces major budget

reductions this year and next. Funding

for astrobiology has been slashed by 40

percent this year and potentially by 50

percent in FY07. Aeronautics also faces

significant budget challenges, including the center's flight simulation facilities and also in human factors research.

To avoid the RIF, Christensen said

center management has undertaken a

series of strategic actions designed to

improve the center's financial outlook.

First and foremost, said

Christensen, is 'the return of

the Phoenix,” Ames historian

Jack Boyd, to the administration building to work closely

with senior management on

the new strategic plan.

Christensen said Ames needs

to demonstrate its ability to

provide strong leadership in

project and program management in order to succeed.

Christensen said a new

business council is being

formed to coordinate all marketing and sales activities. He

said the center also is forming a strategic management

and integration function for

center management that may

include relocating the

center's chief information officer and chief engineer to

Building N-200 so they, too, can work

closely with senior management.

Christensen said Ames will aggressively pursue the launching of new initiatives for the development of micro or

small satellites for future space exploration. He said Bldg. N-240 may be converted into a small satellite center called

the Center for Innovative Engineering

that would utilize a “Skunk Works concept” to develop micro satellites.

continued on page 2
Astrogram February 2006 2

Amit Singhal, a Google distinguished engineer,

presents the first Joint Ames-Google research

seminar at Ames on Feb. 8 about the topic of

‘Challenges in running a commercial search

engine.’

High-end computing was the inaugural topic in the recently established

NASA Ames - Google Joint Research

Seminar Series. The first lecture was

Ames - Google seminar series discusses high-end computing

presented at the Google campus on Jan.

25 by Ames' Rupak Biswas and Christopher Henze, who described ‘High-end

computing with Columbia and scientific visualization in the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division.’

Approximately 75 people attended,

including a broad representation of

Ames personnel, and a question-andanswer session followed the formal presentations.

The second seminar, entitled ‘Challenges in running a commercial search

engine,’ was given at Ames on Feb. 8 by

Amit Singhal, a Google distinguished

engineer. More than 100 members of the

Ames community attended, representing nearly all directorates and the NASA

Research Park.

This seminar series was initiated by

Steven Zornetzer, Ames’ deputy director for research and acting deputy center director, and Peter Norvig, Google's

director of research and former chief of

the Computational Sciences Division at

Ames (1998 -2001).

The next seminar will focus on Earth

science and is tentatively scheduled for

early March at Ames.

This seminar series provides a focal

point for potential research collaborations between Ames scientists and engineers and their counterparts at Google.

Meaningful research collaborations

must begin at the ‘grassroots’ level,

among researchers themselves. Management from both Google and Ames is

eager to facilitate these research collaborations and supports them in whatever

ways make the most sense.

If you have ideas for additional topics that might be of interest to explore

with Google and for more information,

check the ‘seminars’ section of the Ames

New Business Office Web site at http:/

/newbusiness.arc.nasa.gov or contact

Laura.T.Iraci@nasa.gov or at ext. 4-0129.

BY LAURA IRACI

Employees recognized for their

Stardust mission support NASA photo by Jon-Pierre Wiens

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

Ames astrophysicist Scott Sandford (above), a member of the Stardust mission science team, at a

reception given by former Ames Center Director G. Scott Hubbard to recognize Ames staff members

and management for their innovative “can-do” spirit, support and dedication to the Stardust

mission, and congratulate them at a reception on Feb. 7 for a job well done. Sandford holds a

photograph of himself holding the samples of the comet particles collected during the mission.

“Stardust Sample Return is a great example of Ames' ability to confront the most difficult technical

challenges, develop innovative technologies and enable an important success for the science

community and for the agency,” said Hubbard.

“It's a tremendous niche and we

want to capitalize on it,” Christensen

said.

He also said Ames has a good shot

at winning one or more contracts for a

secondary payload for the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter managed by

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Finally, Christensen said Ames is striving to become the agency's lead center

for commercial technology.

Christensen said the fact that NASA

Administrator Michael Griffin has made

a commitment to maintain 10 healthy

field centers also bodes well for Ames.

Included in that commitment is a pledge

to direct work from the space flight centers to Ames and the other research centers. He said more than 100 jobs may

come to Ames as a result.

“We still have a good 13 months

before the RIF to solve our problems,”

Christensen said. “If that happens, we

will be successful.

Ames 06 budget

continued from front page

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY
3 Astrogram February 2006

Hubbard awarded honorary doctorate by University of Madrid

Former Ames Center Director G. Scott Hubbard

wearing the academic robe he wore when he

received an honorary doctorate from the

Polytechnic University of Madrid in January.

It's Doctor Hubbard now. Former

NASA Ames Center Director G. Scott

Hubbard has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain's largest engineering university.

Hubbard received the 'Doctor Honoris Causa' during a ceremony held Jan.

27 at the prestigious, 46,000-student

university. Presentation of the honorary degree capped an elaborate graduation ceremony that lasted approximately

three hours. Hubbard said he was deeply

honored to receive the degree.

“It was presented as a lifetime

achievement award,” Hubbard said.

“This huge school only gives one Honoris Causa a year, so for them to give it

to me as a foreigner is exceptional.”

Hubbard received his honorary doctorate from Javier Uceda Antolin, president of the university, before an audience of several hundred students and

university faculty members.

“The doctorate is steeped in tradition,” Hubbard said. “In addition to the

academic robes that have their roots in

medieval times, the department chair

who sponsored my nomination read a

‘laudation,’ which was a long narrative

of all the accomplishments during my

career.” In addition to receiving a diploma, Hubbard said he also received

“a ring of office, gloves of purity and a

book of wisdom” from the university

president.

After he received his honorary degree, Hubbard thanked the university

for having conferred the honor on him.

He then addressed the large audience of

several hundred doctoral students and

faculty members, tracing the highlights

of his professional career that led to his

receiving the honorary doctorate.

“I have loved the notion of space

exploration all my life,” Hubbard informed his audience. “I first glimpsed

Mars through a two-inch refractor telescope and dreamed of sending spaceships there some day. I followed the

Apollo program with amazement. And

when I watched the first missions of

Sputnik, Explorer and Echo 1, I knew I

had found my life's work: space exploration.”

Hubbard, who began his career at

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in 1974

working with germanium crystal

gamma ray detectors for ground and

space applications and went on to found

a small high-tech startup company in

1980, joined Ames in 1987.

During his career, Hubbard served

as the NASA manager for the Lunar

Prospector mission to the moon, a $63

million mission that had a development

time of only 26 months.

“We looked for evidence of water,

using radiation detection methods that

had begun my career and we found

strong evidence of water ice at both

poles,” Hubbard recalled. “If it was

brought there over time through

cometary impacts, as we believe, it may

well provide a record of the history of

the solar system.”

Hubbard also was instrumental in

creating the field of astrobiology, and

formed the NASA Astrobiology Institute, where he served as its first director.

The institute's first international partner

was the Centro de Astrobiologia in Spain.

In 1999, Hubbard was called to

NASA Headquarters to successfully restructure the Mars Exploration Program

and, and in 2003, he served as the sole

NASA representative on the Columbia

Accident Investigation Board. Hubbard

served as the director of NASA Ames

from 2002 to February of this year, when

he announced that he had accepted a

new position as the Carl Sagan Chair for

the Study of Life in the Universe at the

SETI Institute.

“Throughout my career, I have balanced two seemingly opposite goals - be

creative and innovative and at the same

time, be organized and follow established principles and methods,”

Hubbard ventured. “In fact, I have come

to believe that these two opposite approaches provide the perfect combination, the perfect balance needed to

achieve great things. We need to be creative, to innovate, to think 'out of the

box' in order to accomplish new things,

explore new pathways, seek new

worlds.”

In closing, Hubbard congratulated

his audience for “having taken on the

challenge of careers in science and engineering. I hope it gives you as much

satisfaction as it has me, and I would like

to thank you again for giving me the title

of 'Honoris Causa' from the Universidad

Politecnica de Madrid. It is a great honor

for me.” BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

President of Estonia visits Ames

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

President of Estonia

Arnold Rüütel visited

the NASA Ames

Exploration Center

Jan. 18.
Astrogram February 2006 4

‘Rocketman’ author presents at Ames

On Jan. 31, Nancy Conrad spoke at Ames at a lecture hosted by the NASA Research Park. Conrad

is the wife of the late moonwalking astronaut Pete Conrad. During the lecture, she discussed

Conrad's vision of Moon-Mars exploration and how it dovetails with NASA's current plans to land

humans on the moon by 2018. Her lecture was filled with anecdotes about Pete Conrad's moon

landing and space exploration in the 1970s. Conrad's talk covered the highlights of the GeminiApollo era, the commercialization of space and NASA's 21st century return to the moon and Mars.

The Digital Learning Network

(DLN) studio is Ames’ newest way to

connect NASA with students and teachers and introduces them to NASA's exploration mission. By using readily available teleconferencing equipment, DLN

coordinator Greg Pitzer (Oklahoma State

University) aims to involve teachers and

classes from across the country as directly as possible in NASA research and

missions.

“The DLN will provide schools

around the country an avenue by which

to experience the work NASA performs

at Ames Research Center. Students and

teachers will be able to interact directly

with researchers in their workplace,

whether it be in a conference room, laboratory, out in the field at national parks,

or even international sites. Ames Research Center also will support these

schools via the DLN in the form of teacher

workshops, career nights and school

challenges,” Pitzer said.

The DLN was initiated to provide

support to NASA Explorer Schools

(NES)that are encouraged to participate

by having special opportunities for highlevel involvement. In addition to teachers participating directly in professional

New Digital Learning Network connects teachers with NASA

development activities, NES students

submit ideas to specially designed

NASA challenges, and aerospace eduAmes researcher Jennifer Heldman (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) speaks to NASA Explorer

School teachers about Mars analog field research and how this effort supports NASA's

exploration mission. The teachers are participating in a week-long educators workshop at

Yellowstone National Park called 'The Story of Winter.'

NASA photo by Jon-Pierre Wiens

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

cation specialists regularly visit the

schools to support them in their efforts

to incorporate NASA in their day-today curricula.

The DLN will add a significant component in bringing these schools - many

of them located in rural and remote

areas - to have more direct contact with

NASA. Of the new DLN, Ames education chief (detailed) Mark Leon said,

“It's Ames intent to become the long

arm on the DLN. Ames has demonstrated the capability to connect NASA

research - wherever it takes place, even

the Arctic or Antarctic - directly to the

education community. If NASA is doing field research in some locale, however distant, we want to connect the

activity to students in ways that make

sense. We want students and teachers

across America to become deeply and

thoroughly committed to excel in science and math and believe that a closer

connection between NASA and our

nation’s education system is crucially

important.”

BY TOM CLAUSEN
5 Astrogram February 2006

At any given time, there can be as

many as 7,000 aircraft flying in the skies

above the United States. In the next 20

years, that number is predicted to

double, putting a strain on the National

Airspace System.

Fortunately, a visionary scientist at

NASA is working on the solution. 'Visionary' is a strong adjective but it fits

NASA senior scientist Dr. Heinz

Erzberger.

Long before Congress passed legislation to create the Next Generation Air

Transportation System by 2025,

Erzberger was quietly building a research base and developing

groundbreaking technologies designed

to transform air traffic control operations and increase aircraft safety and

efficiency.

After joining NASA Ames in 1965,

he provided the fundamental vision for

advancing the science of air traffic control. Using the increasing power and

sophistication of computers, Erzberger

began to create the center terminal radar

approach control automation system, a

growing suite of decision-support tools.

These tools are designed to help air traffic controllers manage traffic flow, by

providing them timely information

about aircraft in the system, including

predictions and advice on sequencing

aircraft and avoiding conflicts.

The automation tools include the

Traffic Management Advisor that aids

in managing aircraft approaching their

destinations. Tools such as Direct-to and

Conflict Detection help with the routing

of aircraft to their destinations. These

tools are designed to automate certain

functions that controllers had to previously estimate manually. The automation gives controllers increased options

that allow aircraft to fly the most efficient routes and to prevent traffic congestion around airports.

Various automation tools have been

adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration and installed at some of the

nation's busiest airports. At Dallas/Fort

Worth International Airport, for example, operational data have shown up

to a 25 percent reduction in reported

delays. National deployment of the Traffic Management Advisor will soon be

complete. Another tool, Direct-To, in

trial deployments has demonstrated potential flight-time saving of 1,000 minutes per day in the Fort Worth airspace.

Saving a few minutes from a single

flight or reducing taxi times at the airport may seem minor, but multiplied by

the thousands of flights per year, the

economic benefits are substantial.

NASA engineer helps nation's air traffic flow smoothly

It is estimated that full implementation of the decision-support tools developed under Erzberger's leadership can

save several hundred million dollars in

fuel savings, aircraft wear and tear and

reduced delays for airline passengers

annually.

Not surprisingly, Erzberger is a recognized leader in the field, garnering an

international reputation for scientific and

engineering excellence and outstanding

technical leadership. He is a much BY JONAS DINO

sought-out speaker at technical and industry events and has been recognized

by NASA and technical organizations,

such as the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers with

numerous awards and honors.

Recently, Erzberger received the

2005 Distinguished Presidential Rank

Award. Each year, the president of the

United States honors a small group of

federal employees for their exceptional

long-term accomplishments. Award

winners are chosen through a rigorous

selection process. They are nominated

by their government agency, evaluated

by boards of private citizens and approved by the president. The evaluation

criteria focus on leadership and results.

Although Erzberger is retiring from

NASA after 41 years of service, he plans

to continue his research to develop cutting-edge technologies to improve the

safety and efficiency of air travel for

Americans as an Ames Associate. Because of Erzberger's work, NASA is recognized as a world leader in air traffic

management technology.

Dr. Heinz Erzberger

Renowned Ames researcher Christopher P. McKay is among a group of 45

scientists recently elected Fellows of the

American Geophysical Union (AGU).

The AGU bestowed the honor on two

other NASA scientists, Melvyn

Goldstein and Michael King, both from

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Each year, no more than 0.1 percent

of the AGU membership is named as

Fellows. Based in Washington, the AGU

is an international scientific society dedicated to the advancement of geophysics

and a greater understanding of the Earth

and space sciences.

"I appreciate most that several of

my colleagues spent their time writing

McKay named Fellow of AGU

letters of support without me even knowing it. Their nomination is more meaningful to me than the award itself,”

McKay said.

As a noted planetary scientist,

McKay is recognized as a leading expert

on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons

and the focus of the joint NASA/European Space Agency mission, the CassiniHuygens Probe, conducted in 2004 and

2005. McKay served as a co-investigator

on one of the experiments that probed

Titan's thick atmosphere, the only other

atmosphere in the solar system besides

Earth to be rich in nitrogen.

McKay's other scientific research

delves into the relationship between the

chemical and physical evolution of the

solar system and the origin of life. To

conduct research in Mars analog environments, McKay has traveled to the

world's extreme climate spots, such as

Siberia, Chile's Atacama Desert and regions in the Arctic and Antarctic. McKay

also serves as the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program (RLEP) scientist.

According to Butler Hine, deputy

manager of the RLEP, McKay's selection

as an AGU Fellow will be well received

within the planetary science community and will be helpful in implementing NASA's visionary plans for future

space exploration

BY TERRY PAGADUAN

Chris McKay
Astrogram February 2006 6

National Disability Employment

Awareness Month puts the spotlight on

employment of people with disabilities

every October and has become an important annual tradition. It gives us an

opportunity to reflect on the progress

we have made in recruiting a talented,

skilled and diverse pool of employees.

People with disabilities bring a unique

and underrepresented perspective of

diversity to NASA. Secretary of Labor

Elaine L. Chao announced the official

theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2005 :‘Workers

with disabilities: ready for tomorrow's

jobs today.’

In recognition of this past October

2005, Disability Employment Awareness

Month, the Ames Employees with Disabilities Advisory Group hosted a disability awareness event on Jan. 17. Sarah Reinertsen, the first woman amputee to conquer the Ironman Triathlon

spoke at Ames about her unique athletic

competition experiences. Reinertsen was

born with her left leg deformed by a

condition called proximal femoral focal

On Feb. 13, Dr. Bernard Foing, chief

scientist of the European Space Agency,

gave a director's colloquium entitled

‘SMART-1 mission results and future

lunar exploration.’

The European Space Agency's

SMART missions- Small Missions for

Advanced Research and Technology -

are designed to test new spacecraft technology while visiting various places in

the solar system.

SMART-1 is now at the moon, mapping the surface mineralogy. Foing disFirst woman amputee to conquer Ironman visits Ames

deficiency. She wore a stiff, cumbersome leg brace until she was seven. At

that point, the decision was made to

amputate.

Life changed for Reinertsen when,

at age 11, she competed in her first track

meet for the disabled. She lined up next

to other girls missing limbs. When the

gun went off for the 100 meter dash, she

ran hard and finished first. For the first

time, she experienced the thrill of competition and of winning and her life

would never be the same.

Today, Reinertsen focuses on

triathlons, where she has broken new

ground and gone where no amputee

woman has attempted before. The

Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-

mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.

Reinertsen became the first woman to

finish this grueling test on an artificial

leg, finishing in a remarkable 15 hours 5

minutes.

Employees with Disabilities Advisory Group meets on a monthly basis

and anyone who wishes to support the

group is welcome to attend. E-mail

dbolles@mail.arc.nasa.gov for more information and/or to be placed on the

group mailing list.

European Space Agency’s chief scientist presents at Ames

cussed the results of the mission and the

implications for future lunar exploration. Foing participates in the SMART1 mission as project scientist and is also

a co-investigator in the Mars Express

project and acts as executive director of

the International Lunar Exploration

Working Group. His research interests

include lunar exploration, solar-terrestrial relations, solar system history and

spectroscopy.

NASA begins e-training project - SATERN

The e-training team is pleased to

introduce SATERN (System for Administration, Training and Educational

Resources at NASA) and is currently

on track for ‘go-live’ on May 8, 2006.

 The new SATERN will replace and

consolidate SOLAR and AdminSTAR

and provides Ames a significant improvement in automated training services:

• Web-based course catalogs

 for Ames and NASA training;

• On-line course registration

 for Ames civil servants and

 contractors;

• On-line review approval

 process for supervisors;

• Employee training history

 reports for supervisors and

 managers;

• On-line, Web-based

 learning courses (replaces

 SOLAR); and

• On-line course evaluations

 and tests

Under this e-government initiative,

SATERN supports the President’s Management Agenda for improving the

government’s responsiveness to citizens and efficiency of operations.

SATERN is provided by a COTS

vendor - Plateau LMS.

For more information, visit http:/

/plateau.com/

 The Ames acting e-training team

lead is Janet Jarmann at ext. 4-5607 and

the deputy lead is Beverly Norris at ext.

4-4224. The functional sponsor is Gail

James, Ames training officer.

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

NASA photo by Tom T rower

Sarah Reinertsen, first woman amputee to

conquer the Ironman Triathlon, speaks

during her recent talk at Ames.

Dr. Bernard Foing responds to a query

from the audience during his recent

director’s colloquium at Ames.

BY DANA BOLLES
7 Astrogram February 2006

On Jan. 24, Professor Daniel

Kammen from the University of California at Berkeley gave a talk at Ames

entitled ‘After oil: the transition to a

clean energy economy.’ Addressing a

packed room of 125 attendees, energy

science professor Kammen spoke about

the theory of peaking world oil supply

and gave evidence for the technical and

financial viability of a cleaner energy

future.

Books and magazine cover articles

published over the past few years have

addressed the concern that the world oil

supply is currently cresting and will

soon start falling. Geologist Kenneth

Deffeyes predicted that world oil supply would peak on Thanksgiving Day

2005. That means the world would have

consumed half of all known oil reserves

in the world on that day.

Many wonder if peaking oil supply

and high oil prices will usher in an era of

renewable power. Kammen proposed

that high oil prices will beget more oil

exploration but not necessarily cause a

wholesale change over to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, alternative biomass and smallscale hydroelectric. According to

Kammen, if we want a future of cleaner,

lower-carbon energy, we need to invest

in research and development of renewable energy, incentivize commercialization of low-cost renewable energy and

encourage demand through rebates. A

recent California Public Utilities Commission initiative and an upcoming California ballot initiative could provide the

level of funding to help renewable energy reach a more cost-effective level.

Citing concerns about global climate

change, Kammen asserted that we are

running out of places to put carbon from

combusted fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas and coal) faster than we are running out of fossil fuels. The amount of

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

jumped from 270 parts per million (ppm)

in pre-industrial times to where it is

now at 380 ppm. The United Nations’

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change predicts that if we continue business as usual, our atmosphere will contain 750 ppm of carbon dioxide by the

year 2100. This could tragically affect

Clean energy discussed during recent colloquium

people living in low-lying coastal areas

and species that will lose habitat. But a

changing climate may have an ironic

upside such as the increased availability

of oil that is currently buried under arctic ice.

With only 5 percent of the world's

population, the U.S. consumes 25 percent of the world's energy. We spend $1

billion/day on fuel and 60 percent of

that fuel is imported. Kammen asserted

that “We live like energy hunter-gatherers, not energy farmers,” implying that

we have an opportunity to cultivate renewable energy resources.

According to Kammen, the benefits

of investing in renewable energy include

not just energy independence and reduced contribution to climate change

but job creation as well. Three to five

times more jobs would be created per

dollar invested in the renewable energy

industry than in the petroleum industry. This is based on 13 job creation

studies that explain how small, growing

industries will build more infrastructure than larger, more established industries. One caveat Kammen mentioned was that only the countries that

invest early in these types of industries

will reap the job creation benefits.

Kammen encouraged members of

the audience who envision a future of

renewable energy to consider the unique

capabilities each renewable energy option offers. Where and when is each

option abundant? When is there a good

match between renewable energy supply and energy demand?

As NASA Ames debates its role in a

clean energy future, each procurement

offers an opportunity to choose an environmentally friendly option. Renewable energy is part of NASA's history, as

evidenced by solar panels on the International Space Station. Building on this

pioneering spirit, hopefully energy conservation and renewable energy will

play even larger roles in our lower-carbon future. BY JUSTINE BURT

On Jan. 25, astronomer Michael Brown, professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute

of Technology and the co-discoverer of the '10th planet,' spoke at a lecture at Foothill College entitled

‘Beyond Pluto: The Discovery of the 10th Planet.’ The lecture was presented by the Silicon Valley

Astronomy Lecture Series and was co-sponsored by the American Astronomical Society, NASA Ames,

the Foothill College Astronomy Program and the SETI Institute. Brown discussed how he and his

coworkers recently found an object larger than the planet Pluto and with an orbit at least twice as

large. He filled the audience in on the latest thoughts about whether this new object (and Pluto) are

planets or not. And he explained how astronomers are continuing to find larger (and smaller) bodies

in the outskirts of our solar system.

Co-discoverer of ‘tenth planet’

speaks at Foothill College

NASA photo by Dominic Hart
Astrogram February 2006 8

A new product using a NASA-based

technology might make winter just a

little easier to endure for those living in

parts of the U.S. where snow and ice are

common.

'Ice Free' is a spray for automobile

windshields that can provide protection up to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit,

according to its producers, WorldSource

Inc. Applied prior to inclement weather,

it prevents ice or snow from bonding on

windshield surfaces.

“As we continue to explore the universe, we are proud that NASA's pioneering efforts keep fueling American

creativity, innovation and technology

development,” said David Morse, acting chief, Technology Partnerships Division at NASA Ames. “This new product is yet another example of the additional dividends Americans reap from

their investment in space exploration.”

The technology that led to the creation of Ice Free is based on an anti-icing

fluid developed by a three-engineer team

at Ames. The team designed a non-toxic

fluid to keep ice from building up on

airplanes. At the time, the anti-icing

fluid was hailed for making flying safer,

without introducing dangerous chemicals into the environment.

In fact, the fluid was biodegradable

and so environmentally safe that it was

referred to as ‘food grade,’ because the

ingredients used in its creation were

approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food.

When the invention was announced

NASA technology featured in new anti-icing windshield spray

BY MICHAEL MEWHINNEY

in 1997 by co-inventors Leonard Haslim,

John Zuk and Robert Lockyer of Ames,

the fluid was said to be able to prevent

ice build-up on airplane wings and also

on automobile windshields, a feature

retained in the new product.

“A commuter is much more likely

to start his drive without having to spend

the time scraping ice and snow off the

car windows. We feel it is a great product and we thank NASA for the opportunity to market Ice Free,” said Brian

Jue, chief executive officer, WorldSource

Inc., which is currently marketing Ice

Free on the Internet and in television

advertisements.

 “I often heard how advancements

due to NASA research and development help mankind enormously and, if

you live in an icy part of the U.S., this is

further proof of the accuracy of that

statement,” said Bob Harrick, president

of WorldSource. “NASA technology

played a key role in the development of

this very useful product.”

WorldSource is a developer and distributor of products for the consumer

marketplace. It has established an experienced management team with considerable expertise in the development,

manufacturing, marketing and distribution of consumer products.

For information about Ice Free,

please visit: http://www.ice-free.com

‘Ice Free’

spray - the

latest in

technology,

using NASAbased

technology,

now used for

automobile

windwhields

to prevent

ice or snow

from

bonding on

windshield

surfaces.

e4Xchange Corp., partners with Ames

in research and commercialization

Sam Addala, CEO of e4Xchange Corporation

(left), in product review session with Ashwin

Agate, solution architect.

e4Xchange Corp.’s mission is to research, innovate and commercialize

technology and science applications that

help improve the quality of life and human advancement.

Founded by Sam Addala in 2000,

e4Xchange Corp. provides custom software development, systems integration

and contract personal services.

"My passion is to build e4Xchange

as an innovative company that brings

the convergence of information

technology, nanotechnology and

biotechnology,”said Addala. Having

over 25 of years of industry experience,

Addala also is an adjunct mentor at

Carnegie Mellon-West.

e4Xchange successfully researched

and developed Web-based Factorial

Survey and Statistical Analysis (FESA)

software for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under the SBIR

Phase I/II programs. e4Xchange is currently commercializing this product with

government, academia and corporate

organizations to support local and global survey design, data collection and

statistical analysis.

Potential benefactors include aviation safety, patient safety reporting,

Earth sciences and others conducting

data collection and analysis survey experiments. e4xchange also is working

on the application of nano particles in

the inkjet printing technology.

Addala says that NASA Ames is the

best place for research and innovation.

e4Xchange is a small business with unlimited Silicon Valley potential (surrounded by world-renowned NASA scientists). “The NRP address on my business card gives me extra courage to think

BIG,” laughed Addala.

He applauded the NRP Division for

making NRP partners more visible -

fostering collaborations. He's confident

that being located in the NRP helps realize his passion of multi-disciplinary research. "Simply put, Ames is ideal!"

Addala hopes for a preferred vendor relationship with NASA and a close

working relationship with Ames scientists and NRP industry partners. “Helping each other with the best research -

bringing the fruits of the research to the

general public, is what I strive to do,"

said Addala.

For collaboration opportunities with

e4Xchange Corp., contact Addala at (650)

868-0836 sam@e4xchange.com or visit

the Web at www.e4xchange.com.

COMPILED BY ANTOINETTE PRICE
9 Astrogram February 2006

Students learned the basics of robotics by

using remote-control VEX robots sponsored

by the NASA Robotics Alliance Project

During the week of Jan. 31, 2006 to

Feb. 4, 2006, NASA Ames Research Center hosted 7,200 students from 163

schools at the 17th annual JASON Expedition, a program established by world

famous oceanographer Dr. Robert

Ballard (the discoverer of the Titanic).

Attendance at JASON broke previous

records by more than 1,000 visitors.

 Using satellite broadcasts and

Internet technology, JASON scientists

were linked to classrooms and educational institutions across the country for

students to interact with JASON reThe next generation of explorers discovers JASON at Ames

BY KAREN HANNER

searchers in real time and see how they

worked in the field. "The expedition

engages students by having them learn

directly from

the scientists,"

said Caleb M.

Schutz, president of the JASON Project.

"We're trying

to change the

way science is

taught by stepping out of the

textbooks and

making students a part of

the research.

We aim to create moments when the light bulb goes

off in a student's head, and he or she is

moved to jump in the game of science.

It's important not only for future generations, but for

our entire country as we move

into a more scientific and technologically literate

society."

The event at

Ames took place

mainly in the auditorium and in

JASON City. JASON City was

filled with handson activities for

the students.

Special guests at

the event were

NASA astronaut Janice Voss; JASON

student argonaut Lauren Dunec-Castillja

High School, Palo Alto; Amy Jo Fisher,

outreach coordinator, Inland Northwest

Space Alliance; John Bradley, director,

SF Bay Wildlife Refuge and Dr. Mac

Liebman, superindendent of Berryessa

USD. Organizations that participated

in this year's JASON City at Ames were

NASA SOFIA, Astrobiology, the Ames

Robotics Alliance Project team, the Peninsula Astronomical Society, San Jose

State University Department of GeolA student from Wagner Ranch at the

recent JASON event held at Ames.

NASA photo by Karen Hanner

Some 350 of the over 7,200 JASON visitors enjoying the live broadcast

from the N201 Auditorium at Ames.

NASA photo by Tom Trower

JASON middle-school students studying a leopard gecko from the Happy

Hollow Zoo.

ogy, University of California Santa Cruz,

Spaceward Foundation, Santa Clara

Valley Water District, Happy Hollow

Zoo (San Jose), San Jose Beautiful, Don

Edwards National Wildlife Refuse,

Alviso and the Ames Exchange.

"The students that are learning about

Mars through this expedition are understanding the tools and technology to ask

the right questions and get the right

answers," said Jim Garvin, Ph.D., chief

scientist for NASA Goddard Spaceflight

Center. "They're the ones who will be

traveling to Mars and making the great

discoveries. They'll do the fun stuff."

NASA photo by Tom Trower

NASA photo by Tom Trower
Astrogram February 2006 10

Ames research pilot Ronald M.

Gerdes passed away Feb. 1, 2006. Born

in Oakland in 1928, Gerdes graduated

from Alameda High School in 1946.

Entering the Navy V-5 program (as an

aviation midshipman) at UC Berkeley,

he completed his naval aviator training

at NAS Pensacola and served in the

Korean War, flying an F9F Panther with

VF-111.

His Navy flying also included F2H

Banshees and A-4 Skyhawks. He completed his engineering degree at Cal in

1957, including summer work at Ames.

Initially working in the Ames Flight and

Systems Simulation Branch, he transferred into Flight Operations as a research pilot in 1961.

During his NASA flying career,

Gerdes made significant contributions

to vertical flight aircraft, including the

XV-5 Fan-In-Wing, X-14 Deflected Jet,

UH-1 V/STOLAND, and XV-15 Tiltrotor

aircraft.

He performed a key role with the

NASA/DARPA/USMC AV-8 V/STOL

Systems Research Aircraft Program.

Gerdes also flew and participated in

airborne astronomy missions aboard the

Lear 24 and Kuiper C-141.

Following his NASA retirement in

1988, Gerdes continued to make significant contributions to aeronautical science as a contract employee in the Ames

simulation laboratories.

Gerdes was a great pilot, an aviation enthusiast, loving husband and father, a true gentleman and friend. Aviation and the Ames community will miss

Ronald Gerdes him. BY BILL DECKER

In Memory of...

Ronald Gerdes

A valued member and long-time

employee of the Logistics Branch at

NASA Ames, Wayne Wiley, 74, passed

away on Dec. 18, 2005, from brain cancer. Wiley was born on June 11, 1931 in

Alvord, Texas.

He served 26 years with the U.S. Air

Force in Japan, Korea, Vietnam and

Thailand and retired as a master sergeant. Wiley was then hired at Ames in

December 1974, and was the center's

transportation officer and mail manager

when he retired 24 years later. After his

retirement, he enjoyed returning to

Ames to visit his friends and former coworkers.

Wiley is survived by his wife of 54

years, Utako Wiley; his daughters, Janis

Cruce and Linda Hurst; his grandchildren, Micah Cruce, Melanie Hurst and

Kara Hurst; and his brothers and sisters.

He was a kind, gentle man who loved

people and loved God. He will be greatly

missed and remembered by all of his

family, friends and co-workers at Ames.

On Dec. 28, 2005, he was buried

with full military honors at the San

Joaquin National Cemetery in Gustine,

Calif.

BY VIVIAN TORRES

Joseph Frank died peacefully in

his home on Dec. 14, 2005. He was

born Nov. 1, 1919, in Spring Valley,

Ill. He served during World War II in

the U.S. Army as a staff sargeant in

the western U.S. and the pacific. He

then attended Stanford University,

graduating with a mechanical engineering degree in 1948.

Frank then worked at Ames for

32 years, first working in the wind

tunnels, and then for the greater part

of his career, as an engineer on the

Pioneer series, sending spacecraft past

the sun, to Jupiter and to Saturn. He

always felt fortunate to have been

part of the space program with a team

of close friends at Ames.

In 1950, Frank married his wife,

Carolyn, to whom he was married for

55 years. They lived in Los Altos, in a

house he designed and helped build,

and had two daughters, Laura and

Dana. He loved the ocean, so in 1984

he and Carolyn moved to Los Osos,

where he could look out to the sea

and fish to his heart's content.

He read widely, loved classical

music, and traveled with his wife to

Mexico, Central America, Europe and

throughout the Pacific northwest. He

had a wonderful sense of humor.

Those who wish may make donations to the charity of their choice.

Joseph Frank

Wayne Wiley

Wayne Wiley
11 Astrogram February 2006

The Plant Engineering Branch (PFP)

is dedicated to the preservation of the

environment. The latest example comes

in the form of honeybee preservation.

 PFP received a trouble call reporting a bee problem at the building N239

penthouse. Upon investigation, it was

discovered that a European honeybee

colony was present in the penthouse

wall.

“Our policy is to preserve beneficial

species like honeybees. We designed

our pest control contract to fulfill this

objective,” said Al Lyon of Code PFP.

Lyon is responsible for overseeing the

pest control services under contract with

IAP World Services and A-Pro Pest Control, sub-contractor to IAP.

“Since honeybees are so valuable

for their pollination of crops and our

native honeybee populations have been

dwindling so dramatically in recent

years, PFP is dedicated to initiating rescue activities whenever a honeybee

colony is found on the center.”

 The colony in building N239 was

constructed inside a wall, in the space

between the 2-foot-by-4-foot wall studs.

This location provided a protected, clean,

NASA Ames received two

awards in the recently completed 2005

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

Don Durston, Ames' representative

for the CFC Bay Area board, accepted

the Civilian Sector Chair Award from

the Greater San Francisco Bay Area

CFC for Ames' outstanding 2005 campaign. Larry Lasher, Ames' CFC chairperson, was selected coordinator of

the year.

Left to right: Deputy Director (acting) Steve Zornetzer; Ames' representative for the CFC Bay

Area board Don Durston; Ames' campaign chairperson Larry Lasher; and loaned executive to

the CFC office Dennis Romano.

Honeybee colony removed in building N239

warm and dry environment for the

colony. The hive was 5-feet high by 14-

inches wide and about an inch thick. It

ís estimated that the hive was constructed in less than 6 months, possibly

within three or four months and contained one healthy queen bee and an

estimated 40 to 60 thousand worker bees.

 A-Pro Pest Control called upon the

services of Dave Williams, aka Dave the

Bee Man, a professional bee handler to

safely remove the hive.

A-Pro technicians Jason Fritz and

Juan Limon were on hand and Williams

and his associate, Ray Hicks, arrived on

Friday, Jan. 13 to remove the bees. Before the bees could be removed, IAP

technicians Carman Morey and Lee

Bradford, dressed in protective tyvek

suits, removed the drywall between the

wall studs.

 Bee professionals then carefully

disassembled the hive from the bottom

up, removing an estimated 60 to 70

pounds of hive with approximately 30

to 40 pounds of raw honey. Williams

described the colony as active, strong

and healthy.

 So what became of the bees? The

colony was relocated to a new home in

the Los Altos hills, where they have a

beekeeper to look after them.

BY STEVE FRANKEL

NASA Ames receives CFC awards

NASA photo by Tom Trower

Approximately 40 - 60 thousand honeybees that

were removed from the colony that they had

cleverly built inside one of the walls of N239.
Astrogram February 2006 12

Security/Law Enforcement Activity Fire Protection Activity

A statistical summary of activi- ties of the Protective Services

Division's Security/Law EnforceProtective Services monthly activity

Events Calendar

Ames Amateur Radio Club, third Thursday of each

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 Inaugural meeting on Jan. 18,

2006 in Bldg. 245, Room 215, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Thereafter every 3rd Wednesday of the month 11:00 a.m.

to12:00 p.m. in Building 245 auditorium. POC: Julie

Nottage at jnottage@mail.arc.nasa.gov or ext. 4-3711.

By-laws of Ames Bicycling Club can be found at: http://

zen.arc.nasa.gov, the link is under the picture.

Ames Bowling League, Palo Alto Bowl on Tuesday

nights. Seeking full-time bowlers and substitutes.

Questions to sign up: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Mtg,

every other Thursday (check Web site for meeting dates:

http://accc.arc.nasa.gov), 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., N-210,

Rm. 205. POC: Cheryl Quinn, ext 4-5793.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg, first Wednesday

each month, 11 a.m., N-200, Comm. Rm. POC: Linda

McCahon, ext. 4-1891.

Ames Diabetics (AAD), 1st & 3rd Weds, 12

noon to 1 p.m., at Ames Mega Bites, Sun room.

Support group discusses news affecting diabetics.

POC: Bob Mohlenhoff, ext. 4-2523/e-mail at:

bmohlenhoff@mail.arc.nasa.gov.

Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU) Mtg,

third Wednesday of ea. month, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.,

Bldg. 221, Rm 104. Guests welcome. Info at: http://

www.afeu.org. POC: Marianne Mosher, ext. 4-4055.

Ames Mac Support Group Mtg, third Tuesday of

ea. month, 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m., Bldg. N262, Rm 180.

POC: Tony ext. 4-0340.

Ames Model Aircraft Club, flying radiocontrolled aircraft at the north end of Parsons Ave. on

weekend mornings. POC: Mark Sumich, ext. 4-6193.

Ames Sailing Club Mtg, second Thursday of ea.

month (Feb through Nov), from 12:00 p.m. -1:00

p.m. in Bldg. N-262, Rm 100. URL: http://

sail.arc.nasa.gov/. POC: Becky Hooey, ext. 4-2399.

Environmental Forum, first Thursday of each

month, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Bldg. 221/Rm 155.

URL: http://q.arc.nasa.gov/qe/events/EHSseries/

POC: Stacy St. Louis at ext. 4-6810.

The Hispanic Advisory Committee for

Excellence (HACE) Mtg, first Thurs of month in

N255 room 101C from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

POC: Eric Kristich at ext. 4-5137 and Mark Leon at

ext. 4-6498.

Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 p.m. to 1

p.m., N-269/Rm.179. POC: Bob Hilton at ext. 4-

2909, bhilton@mail.arc.nasa.gov.

National Association of Retired Federal

Employees, (NARFE). Former and current federal

employees. Your only contact with Congress. Join to

protect your federal retirement. Chptr #50 will then

meet on the first Fri. of each month at HomeTown

Buffet, 2670 El Camino (at Kiely), S. Clara, 11 a.m.

lunch. POC Earl Keener (408) 241-4459 or NARFE 1-

800-627-3394.

Native American Advisory Committee Mtg,

fourth Tues each month, 12 noon to 1 p.m., Bldg. 19,

Rm 1096. POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-1132.

Safety Data

 Civil Contractors

 Servants

First aid cases 0 1

Lost-time cases 0 0

Recordable cases 0 1

Lost workdays 0 0

Restricted duty days 0 0

Above data is as of 1/31/06. May

be subject to slight adjustment in the

event of a new case or new information regarding an existing case.

 NASA-Ames Occupational

 Illness-Injury Data for Calendar

 Year-to-Date 2006

 Jan. 1, 2006 – Jan. 31, 2006

Education Associates poster

session scheduled for March 15

ment and Fire Protection Services units

for the month of January 2006 is shown

below.

The Education Associates program will hold a poster presentation

in Ames Café on March 15 between

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This poster presentation includes work from education associates at varied academic levels from

undergraduates thorough post-docs

in organization codes A through Y.

Come see the work these education associates are doing. They look

forward to discussing their projects

with you.

Date: March 15

Time: 11:30 a.m - 1 p.m.

Location: Ames Café (sun room)

Information Web site:

 http://edassoc.arc.nasa.gov
13 Astrogram February 2006

Ames Classifieds

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!

Exchange Information

Beyond Galileo N-235 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

ext. 4-6873

Ask about NASA customized gifts for special

occasions.

Mega Bites Mega Bites N-235 (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

ext. 4-5969

Visitor Center Gift Shop N-943

(10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) ext. 4-5412

NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, gifts and

educational items.

Open 7 days a week, 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Rates

from $40 - $50.

Vacation Opportunities

Check web site for discounts to local attractions,

http://exchange.arc.nasa.gov and click on tickets.

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... Tickets, etc...(N-235, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

ext. 4-6873

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

Housing

Miscellaneous

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.

Moving sale. Various items: wood entertainment

center, rocking chair, big oak desk, small desk, small XL100 TV, chest of drawers, Dell computer (runs Windows 98)

- nothing more than $20 - some $10. Make offer. Barry

Cunningham (510) 793-4457, EZrdrdad@comcast.net

Waterbed - King size, Universal, canopy, pedestal with

drawers - beautiful, large, wood frame waterbed, with

newish wave free mattress. Moving sale. $800 or B/O.

Barry Cunningham (510) 793-4457,

EZrdrdad@comcast.net

Piano for sale. Upright white maple Wurlitzer in

excellent condition. You arrange pick up from San Jose.

$800 or B/O. Marilyn (408) 629-7889.

Ames emergency

announcements

To hear the centerwide status

recording, call (650) 604-9999 for information announcements and emergency instructions for Ames employees. You can also listen to 1700 KHz

AM radio for the same information.

Ames Swim Center, 25 meter swimming pool open

and heated year round. (80-82 degrees) Lap swim: Mon,

Weds, Fri, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3-6 Tues to Thurs 10

a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Seasonal recreation

swim; swim lessons. Locker rooms w/sauna and shower

facility. Open to all civil servants and contractors.

Location: Bldg. 109 across the street from the tennis

courts. Fees vary depending on activity. POC: Tana

Windhorst, ext. 3-8025; e-mail: tw4lsb@aol.com

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

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 the weekend or holiday,

then the following business day becomes the deadline.

For Astrogram questions, contact Astrid Terlep at the aforementioned e-mail address or ext. 4-3347.

Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley Townhouse, 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

South Lake Tahoe cottage w/wood fireplace, hot

tub. Rates $50 to $130 per night. Call (650) 967-7659.

Vacation rental, Bass Lake, 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.

Tahoe Donner vacation home, 2 bd/2ba. trees,

deck. Access to pools, spa, golf, horseback riding, $280

wkend, $650 week. Call (408) 739-9134.

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.

Disneyland area vacation rental home, 2 bd/1ba.

Nearing completion completely remodeled w/new

furniture. Sleeps 6 (queen bed, bunk beds, sleeper

sofa). Air hockey and football tables. Introductory rate

$600/wk, once completed rate will be $1000/wk.

Security deposit and $100 cleaning fee required. Call

(925) 846-2781.

New York, 5th Ave. One fully furnished bedroom in

24 hour security bldg. overlooking Washington Square

Park, $1,000/wk or $3,000/mo. negotiable. Call (650)

349-0238.

Paris/France: Fully furnished studio, 5th Arr, Latin

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

negotiable. Call (650) 349-0238.

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).

West Maui vacation at Kahana Falls, across street

from beach. Thanksgiving week 19-26 Nov 05, $630/

wk. 1bd/2 ba, w/d, fk. For 2 adults, 0 to 2 kids. Call

(650) 962-1314 after Aug 7.

San Francisco, Donatello Hotel, small, deluxe hotel,

one block from Union Square, 5 nights available to be

scheduled either together or individually, $125 per

night. Call Barry Cunningham (510) 793-4457 or email EZrdrdad@comcast.net

Vacation rental. Ferndale - The Victorian Village.

Victorian home on Main Street a short stroll to the

Village which has been designated as a state historical

landmark. Enjoy the many holiday activities which

include a Christmas parade and lighting of America's

tallest living Christmas tree. Four bedrooms (sleeps

approx. six), two full baths, large kitchen, dining room,

parlor w/fireplace, enclosed desk w/hot tub. For info call

(707) 983-9514.

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. $500/wkend, $200/addl night, including

cleaning by the maid service when you depart. Call

(408) 252-7260.

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.

Automotive

Room available for rent in house in mid town Palo

Alto, with kitchen, laundry and pool. $500 plus $50

toward utils, for a quiet, neat, stable and conscientious

person or couple. E-mail jims@eos.arc.nasa.gov; ham call

wb6yoy.

2bd/1.5 ba, 2 story spacious townhome. In Fremont's

Ardenwood District, 1,056 sq. ft. of living area w/gate

enclosed spacious front patio, laundry room w/full size W/

D. New bathrms, new carpeting, flooring, fresh interior

paint. Large master bdrm w/mirrored closets. Large dining

area w/view of enclosed front lawn. Kitchen w/granite

countertops, new appliances, carport. Attached exterior

storage unit that stores trash cans. Easy access to H880,

84-Dumbarton Bridge, nearby shopping, dining,

entertainment. Close to parks, creek side walking/biking

trail that spans across Fremont. $1,400/mo./deposit-only

$800. John (510) 209-1311.

‘92 Harley Davidson Softail Custom - $8,500 or B/O.

Barry Cunningham (510) 793-4457 EZrdrdad@comcast.net

‘04 Ford Expedition, Eddie Bauer, clean, loaded, exc.

cond., extended warranty, leather, 6 CD, DVD, 30,000

mls. Joe (650) 369-0578.

Bicycling club

presents . . .

Join us as Al Painter shows us the best

training for our bodies to perform the

movements essential to daily living and regular

activities.

Date: March 15

Time: 11 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Place: Bldg 245 auditorium

POC: Julie Nottage at

jnottage@mail.arc.nasa.gov or ext. 4-3711.
Astrogram February 2006 14

National Aeronautics and Space

Administration

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

PLEASE RECYCLE

Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based ink.

FIRST-CLASS

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 85

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

The Ames Astrogram is an official publication of

Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and

Space Administration.

Editor-in-Chief.............................. Laura Lewis

Managing Editor..........................Ann Sullivan

Editor, Layout and Design...........Astrid Terlep

You can reach the Astrogram Office at:

astrogram@mail.arc.nasa.gov or by phone at

(650) 604-3347.

The NASA Shared Services Center

(NSSC)is set to open March 1 on the

grounds of Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. NSSC provides customer-focused service by working collaboratively

with each NASA center through a customer contact center (CCC) and through

NSSC center liaisons (located at each

center).

 NSSC is accessible through the CCC

and each center's NSSC liaison. The

CCC is the primary point of contact for

all issues that the NSSC will resolve.

Support hours are from 8 a.m. (EST) to 8

p.m (EST), Monday through Friday and

each center liaison is available during

normal working hours. NSSC may also

be contacted through its Web site located at www.nssc.nasa.gov and also

through the customer contact center at

1-877-NSSC123 (1-877-677-2123).

Starting in March, a variety of activities previously performed by your

center will be done at the NSSC and each

of these transitions may affect NASA

employees differently. Many of the transitions will be transparent to the general

NASA employee, such as drug testing

administration and the 1102 Procurement Training Program; however, others may take slight NASA employee

adaptations, such as the voucher authorization process for foreign travel and

permanent change of station (PCS).

 Previously, the Centralized Travel Office (CTO) at Johnson Space Center

processed foreign travel vouchers and

change of station (COS) transactions.

On March 1, the NSSCwill assume reNASA Shared Services Center to open in March

sponsibility for both processes. For COS

travel, the CTO processed transactions

received on or before Feb. 16. For foreign travel, the CTO processed vouchers received on or before Feb. 24. Transactions received after these dates have

been forwarded to the NSSC for processing starting March 1.

 Drug testing administration was

previously performed independently at

each NASA center through a drug program coordinator; however, on March

1, drug testing administration will be

performed by the NSSC. NSSC will

provide the administrative support necessary to generate random selections.

NSSC also has reporting capabilities with

respect to the drug test program. NASA

employees being tested should notice

little, if any difference in the process.

Previously, the HQ 1102 training

program manager and center training

coordinators were responsible for logistical and operational matters concerning the 1102 training program. Beginning March 1, the NSSC will assume

center operational and logistical activities and coordinates with NASA Headquarters on the 1102 Procurement Training Program. NASA procurement employees should notice little, if any process transition since each center will

retain its center training POC.

 Check out on the Web site at:

www.nssc.nasa.gov or contact the NSSC

by dialing 1-877-NSSC123 (1-877-667-

2123). BY THE NSSC TEAM

Live pain free - stand up straight!

Let CitySports magazine's 2005 Best

Bay Area personal trainer Al Painter

show you the best way to achieve better

living through standing up straight. He

will talk about the benefits of functional

training to improve your posture and

eliminate joint pain, how to fight losses

of flexibility brought about by sitting for

prolonged periods of time and how to fit

exercise into a busy schedule.

Painter is a member of the National

Academy of Sports Medicine, USA Cycling and a graduate of Santa Clara University with over 10 years experience as

a personal trainer. His clients range

from elite level road bicycle racers and

collegiate athletes to 'every day athletes'

in need of more strength to pick up their

kids and those wanting to spend a pain

free day working in their yards.

He specializes in the elimination of

joint pain, correcting muscle imbalances

and improving the way the body performs on a daily basis.

Join the Ames bicycle club as Painter

shows us the best training to functionally strengthen our bodies to better perform the types of movements essential

to both daily living and regular activities.

Date: March 15

Time: 11 a.m.

Place: N245 second floor

 auditorium (Room 276)