November 2006

www.nasa.gov

Page 3 - University students help 

 NASA with GeneSat

Page 4 - NASA, SETI explorers seek

 planetary evolution clues on Earth

Page 4 - ‘Mythbusters’ conduct test at Ames

Page 5 - Local students engage in Sally 

 Ride Workshop at Ames

Page 8 - Ames Ongoing Events

Page 9 - Classifieds

On the Inside . . .

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin 

has called for the agency to change the 

way it does business when working 

with the commercial space industry 

to implement the Vision for Space 

Exploration.

“A little over a year ago, I unveiled to the Congress and the public 

NASA’s architecture for returning to 

the moon,” Griffin remarked during 

an Oct. 19 address to the X Prize Cup 

Summit held in Las Cruces, N. M. “It 

is a conservative plan, designed to accomplish the stated mission with minimum cost, maximum cost confidence, 

and as much use of existing systems as 

we could reasonably achieve,” Griffin 

added. 

“But having combed through the 

design trades, associated costs and 

projected budget for the agency, it 

is apparent that NASA will need to 

leverage commercial and internaOrganic haze in the atmosphere 

of Saturn’s moon, Titan, is similar to 

tional partners to the maximum if we 

are to sustain this long journey, with 

footholds first on the International 

Space Station, then on the moon and 

from there onward to Mars. It is out 

of necessity for, not charity toward, 

commercial space endeavors that we at 

NASA must change our way of doing 

business.”

Study shows Titan and early Earth atmospheres are similar

NASA Administrator urges innovation with 

commercial space industry partners, praises Ames

continued on page 2

haze in early Earth’s air -- haze that 

may have helped nourish life on our 

planet-- according to a NASA Astrobiology Institute study released in 

November.

Study scientists simulated both the 

atmospheric conditions of early Earth 

and those of present-day Titan. Their 

study, ‘Organic Haze on Titan and the 

Early Earth,’ describing the scientists’ 

work, appears in Proceedings of the 

National Academy of Sciences. The 

principal author is Melissa Trainer, a 

NASA Astrobiology Institute postdoctoral fellow at the University of 

Colorado, Boulder. 

“It’s exciting to see that the early 

Earth experiments produced so much 

organic matter,” said Carl Pilcher, 

director of the NASA Astrobiology 

Institute, at NASA Ames. “An organic 

haze produced this way on early Earth 

could have contributed to the formation and sustenance of life.”

According to the study’s researchers, their experiments help scientists 

interpret observations of Titan’s 

atmosphere from NASA’s Cassini mission, while also showing how a major 

source of organics could have been continued on page 8

The photochemistry of CH4 and CO2 may have 

produced an organic haze layer on the early 

Earth. This image is an illustrative composite 

prepared by Melissa G. Trainer using images of 

Titan and Earth; courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech.

More than 20 teams 

recently competed in the 

X Prize games, consisting of a lunar lander 

challenge, a vertical 

rocket challenge and 

space elevator games, 

for approximately $2.5 

million in prize money. 

Seen here are the

X Prize judges and a 

launch vehicle at the 

October X Prize Cup 

Summit held in Las 

Cruces, N.M. 
 Astrogram November 2006

Ames’ Dr. Patricia Cowings has 

earned the 2006 National Women of 

Color Technology Award for Research 

Leadership. She received the award in 

Atlanta, Ga. in October. 

The National Women of Color 

Technology Awards recognize the significant accomplishments of minority 

women in the digital world.

Cowings is a research psychologist 

and is the lead of the Psychophysiological Research Lab in the Human 

Systems Integration Division. For 

more than 20 years, she has been 

responsible for planning and conducting research into space-induced 

physiological changes and developing 

One example of the way NASA is 

changing the way it works with the 

commercial space industry cited by 

Griffin is Ames Research Center and 

its director, S. Pete Worden, whom 

Griffin praised for his leadership.

“I want to congratulate Pete Worden and his team at Ames for working with Bigelow Aerospace to secure 

a piggyback ride for their GeneBox 

experiment on Bigelow’s Genesis inflatable space habitat demonstration,” 

Griffin said. “I believe that this is one 

of many innovative, short-turnaround 

ideas that we’ll be seeing from Pete 

over the next several years,” Griffin 

ventured.

“He is turning Ames Research 

Center in Silicon Valley into a ‘Mecca’ 

for space entrepreneurs, where among 

other things, we are hosting the Red 

Planet Venture Capital Fund, similar 

in some ways to the CIA’s In-Q-Tel 

operation, to leverage innovators and 

investors who have not typically done 

business with NASA,” Griffin said.

An estimated 10,000 people, 

including representatives from NASA 

Ames, attended the two-day event 

held in southern New Mexico Oct. 

20 to 21 and featuring competition 

designed to foster innovation in space 

technology. More than 20 teams vied 

for approximately $2.5 million in prize 

money, competing in a lunar lander 

challenge, a vertical rocket challenge 

and space elevator games. 

During his remarks, Griffin noted 

that NASA’s new Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) 

demonstrations being conducted 

under the framework of NASA Space 

Act Agreements are the agency’s most 

significant investment to date in attempting to spur development of the 

commercial space industry. 

 However, Griffin said that NASA 

can do even better in partnering 

with the commercial space industry 

to implement the nation’s Vision for 

Space Exploration.

 “While I think that the $500 

million we’re investing in the COTS 

demonstrations is a sizeable first step, 

there’s more gold to be mined in other 

fields of commercial endeavor as 

well,” Griffin observed.

“It is important for the future that 

NASA’s investments productively 

leverage the engine of the American 

economy, a GDP valued at over $13 

trillion per year, to help us carry out 

our mission of space exploration,” 

Griffin said.

Griffin noted that NASA is actively 

seeking partners who would like to 

use the International Space Station to 

conduct commercial experiments and 

is open to novel concepts designed to 

enhance the utility of the facility.

In another new way of doing business concerning microgravity research, 

Griffin said NASA is considering 

purchasing seats aboard commercial 

aircraft on future suborbital flights 

to conduct various experiments and 

possibly even astronaut candidacy 

proficiency tests. Although NASA has 

its own microgravity research aircraft 

based at the Johnson Space Center, 

Griffin said it might be cheaper to utilize microgravity flight services from 

the commercial sector.

As the agency pursues these 

new ways of doing business, Griffin stressed the need for a “healthy, 

pragmatic dialogue between NASA 

and the commercial and entrepreneurial space community” when exploring 

possible joint endeavors, and he said 

that it’s important not to over-promise 

or over-commit.

“There must be healthy competition of ideas and resources,” Griffin 

said. “Before making commitments, 

we must carefully consider and ensure 

that joint endeavors are properly 

aligned with NASA’s mission, are of 

sufficiently high priority and can be 

done within the resources provided to 

NASA,” he added.

“It is one thing to begin an endeavor, but it is an even greater accomplishment to complete it,” Griffin 

observed. “Too many exciting endeavors at NASA have failed to meet this 

standard in recent years. We must 

re-establish NASA’s reputation for 

finishing what we start.”

by Michael Mewhinney

NASA Administrator urges innovation, praises Ames

continued from front page

Cowings receives National Women of Color Technology Award

non-medical countermeasures. 

Cowings is perhaps best known 

for her Autogenic Feedback Training 

Exercise that is used to train people 

to monitor and voluntarily control 

a range of their own physiological responses to reduce symptoms 

of motion sickness and to improve 

orthostatic tolerance. The training 

has facilitated adaptation to space and 

re-adaptation to Earth for astronauts 

and cosmonauts, and has improved 

Coast Guard pilot performance in C130 aircraft and multi-crew helicopters 

during search-and-rescue missions. Patricia Cowings, a research psychologist and leader 

of the Psychophysiological Research Lab in the Human 

Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames, recently 

received the 2006 National W omen of Color Technology 

Award for her leadership in research. 

NASA photo by JT Heineck
 Astrogram November 2006

Associate Administrator Program Analysis 

and Evaluation Scott Pace, presents Lisa 

Lockyer, acting deputy director, Partnerships 

Office, with the NASA ‘superior accomplishment award’ for her leadership in the 

implementation and management of NASA’s 

venture capital project, Red Planet Capital. 

Red Planet Capital invests in companies 

developing technologies with a likelihood of 

meeting both commercial and NASA mission 

needs. To learn more, visit: www.redplanetcapital.com

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System turns 30

by Michael Mewhinney

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

Lockyer receives NASA’s Superior 

Accomplishment Award

NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting 

System (ASRS), the confidential reporting system widely used by pilots 

and other airline employees to identify potential safety hazards, recently 

marked its 30-year anniversary.

Established under a memorandum 

of agreement between NASA and 

the Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA), the ASRS began collecting, analyzing and responding to voluntarily 

submitted aviation safety incident 

reports in 1976. These confidential 

reports are used to identify deficiencies and discrepancies in the National 

Aviation System and provide safety 

information to government and industry to help improve safety and reduce 

accidents. 

“Since the implementation of the 

Aviation Safety Reporting System, 

more than 715,000 reports have been 

submitted by pilots, mechanics, air 

traffic controllers, flight attendants 

and other airline personnel in both 

commercial and general aviation,” 

said Linda Connell, director of the 

ASRS, located at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 

“Many of those reports have had a 

direct impact on making the nation’s 

airways safer, and we’re extremely 

proud of our continuing contributions 

to safety.”

“ASRS is an excellent tool that has 

helped us spot rare and infrequent 

emerging threats and hazards,” said 

FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Nicholas A. Sabatini. “To 

continue putting downward pressure 

on the accident rate, we need this kind 

of information about trends, about 

precursors, and about what is going 

on every day in the aviation system.”

Over the past 30 years, the ASRS 

has issued more than 4,000 safety 

alerts to the FAA and the commercial 

and private aviation community. Approximately 42 percent of the ASRS 

alert recipients have taken action to 

correct the hazardous condition and 

improve safety. 

Recent ASRS safety alerts address 

a wide range of safety issues, including air traffic departure procedures, 

aircraft equipment problems, airport 

signage and marking issues, similarsounding navigation fixes, and aeronautical chart deficiencies, which may 

involve significant human factor and 

system performance contributions.

An example of a safety alert issued by ASRS, involved failure of an 

aircraft’s cockpit seat locks. ASRS documented cases in which failure of the 

seat locking mechanism resulted in the 

captain’s or first officer’s seat sliding 

back during takeoff or other critical 

flight maneuvers. The FAA responded 

to the ASRS alert and subsequently issued an Airworthiness Directive.

“The ASRS is the largest repository 

of aviation human factors incidents in 

the world,” Connell noted, “and has 

conducted more than 7,100 database 

searches for government agencies, 

industry groups, research organizations, aircraft manufacturers, aviation 

students, and a wide variety of other 

organizations.”

In addition to safety alerts and 

database searches, ASRS research 

findings have also been influential. 

An early ASRS study on cockpit 

distractions led the FAA to enact the 

“sterile cockpit rule” which prohibits 

crewmembers from performing nonessential duties and activities during 

all flight operations that occur below 

10,000 feet. Another ASRS data finding addressed the content and format 

of aviation checklists and manuals for 

flight crews that were incorporated 

into an FAA Advisory Circular. 

Other significant ASRS accomplishments include identification of 

issues regarding increased separation 

standards behind Boeing 757 aircraft 

to reduce wake turbulence, safety 

guidance governing the use of passenger electronic devices to reduce their 

impact on aircraft communication and 

navigation systems and improvements 

in runway warning lights and markers.

The ASRS has become a model for 

safety reporting systems worldwide 

and is a charter member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety 

Systems, a group of 12 nations, which 

operate aviation safety reporting 

systems similar to ASRS. The ASRS 

also has been recognized for its safety 

contributions in other industries, 

including medicine, in which NASA’s 

ASRS is collaborating with the Department of Veteran Affairs to operate the 

NASA/VA Patient Safety Reporting 

System (PSRS).

The ASRS provides a wide range 

of safety products, including safety 

alerts, publications, database search 

requests, quick response reports in 

support of accident investigation or 

safety topics and research products for 

government and industry. Significant 

developments in 2006 include two 

new automated services: Database 

Online and Electronic Report Submission that can be accessed directly from 

the ASRS Website.
 Astrogram November 2006

To go where few people have gone 

before, a team of expert scientists, 

mountain-climbers, and divers will 

explore the ecosystems of three highaltitude summit lakes to understand 

microbial life’s adaptation to these 

challenging environments.

Exploring new frontiers 

on Earth, the 15-member 

team will climb three giant 

volcanoes of the Andes and 

their summit lakes: Licancabur at 19,813 feet (6004 m), 

Poquentica at 19,192 feet 

(5850 m), and Aguas Calientes at 19,635 feet (5950 m), in 

Bolivia and Chile. They will 

be going where the atmosphere is thin, ultraviolet 

radiation intense, and the 

temperatures cold, which 

make these environmental 

conditions potential analogs 

to ancient martian lakes. The 

High Lakes Project, funded 

by a grant from the NASA 

Astrobiology Institute to 

the SETI Institute, Mountain View, is a collaborative effort to 

investigate extreme lakes at the summit of high volcanoes and collect new 

knowledge about the biosphere of our 

own planet, the evolution of life and 

its adaptation to climate changes. The 

expedition started late October and 

runs through early December.

“What is critical for life is how 

environmental extremes interact with 

each other through time, and the time 

they give life to adapt,” said Nathalie 

Cabrol, the expedition’s lead and principal investigator at the SETI Institute 

who works at Ames. “Time may be 

just what is needed for life to survive 

environmental changes. This is true on 

Earth and could have been true as well 

on Mars, and beyond.”

In the past four years, the team has 

investigated the geophysical environment of the summit lakes of the 

Licancabur and Poquentica volcanoes, 

as well as lower lakes such as Laguna 

Verde and Laguna Blanca at 14,520 

feet (4,400 m), and Laguna Colorada 

at 14,850 feet (4,500 m). Some of these 

lakes in the Bolivian Andes are poorly 

known. They are located in rugged 

environments and host unique ecosystems.

NASA, SETI explorers seek planetary evolution clues on Earth

by Ruth Marlai

“Our earlier expeditions have 

helped us identify the presence of a 

unique ecosystem at the summit of 

Licancabur,” said Cabrol. “Preliminary 

results on microbial organisms both 

in bottom sediments near shore and 

zooplankton confirmed that species 

are adapting to this unique environment. We also know now from these 

results that the potential to discover 

new species is very high.”

This year, the team will dive to the 

bottom of these high-altitude lakes for 

the first time using compact oxygen 

diving equipment, called rebreathers. These are bags that divers carry 

on their chests (like a third lung) that 

capture carbon dioxide and allow the 

divers to breathe pure oxygen, thereby 

preventing expelled carbon dioxide 

from contaminating the lakes.

“The advantage of the rebreathers 

is that they will allow divers enough 

time to explore the ecosystem at the 

bottom of the Licancabur lake in great 

detail, to capture the complexities of 

its biology, and to fully photoand video-document it,” said 

Cabrol. “We are testing new 

exploration techniques that are 

pushing the limits of human 

exploration of high-altitude 

aquatic environments. While 

standard scuba was used by 

archeological teams back in 

the 80s and 90s at Licancabur, 

it presented risks that oxygen 

rebreathers mitigate,” Cabrol 

said.

Previous expeditions to the 

4-mile-high volcanic lake in 

the Andes have led to significant scientific findings about 

the potential for life on other 

planets and helped prepare 

for future planetary missions 

to Mars and beyond. “This 

expedition represents potentially an 

immense source of knowledge,” Cabrol said. “We might learn more about 

microbial adaptation to extreme environments on Earth that could lead to a 

better understanding of how microbial 

organisms might have survived on 

ancient Mars.”

Visit http://highlakes.seti.org to 

view the field logs for daily descriptions of the team’s exploration and 

stunning photographs.

The High Lakes Project team in the stromatolite field near Laguna Blanca, 

in the Bolivian Andes. The team of expert scientists, mountain-climbers, 

and divers explored the ecosystems of three high-altitude summit lakes to 

understand microbial life’s adaptation to these challenging environments.

Photo by Henry Bortman

In November, a team from the Discovery Channel’s 

TV show Mythbusters visited Ames to conduct an 

experiment in Hangar 2. The myth they attempted 

to bust is that a piece of paper can be folded in half 

no more than eight times. They taped together 

strips from a huge roll of paper to make a piece 

170-feet-by-280-feet -- in the same proportions as 

an ordinary 8.5-inch-by-11-inch sheet but nearly 

equal in area to a football field. Folding began with 

the aid of numerous bystanders, eventually requiring a steam roller and a forklift. To compare predictions made ahead of time by an Ames scientist 

with the actual outcome, and to find out whether 

the myth was busted, watch for the segment early 

in 2007 on the Discovery Channel.

‘Mythbusters’ conduct test at Ames

NASA photo by Dominic Hart
 Astrogram November 2006

Astronaut Janice Voss gave an 

inspiring talk at the recent Sally Ride 

Science Festival held at Ames. Science 

workshops were given by local veterinarians, astronomers, microbiologists 

and more. Workshops for parents and 

teachers were also held as a means to 

Local students engage in Sally Ride Workshop at Ames

NASA photos by Dominic Hart

Astronaut Janice Voss speaks to girls attending the recent Sally Ride Science Festival held 

at Ames in late October. The festival is held to 

help keep girls interested in the subjects of math 

and science and to inspire them to think about 

their futures, so that they are better prepared to 

pursue a wide range of exciting opportunities in 

high school, college and beyond.

Girls attending the Sally Ride Science Festival at Ames participate in a hands-on science experiment.

support girls’ interests in science. 

 In 4th grade, the number of girls 

and boys who like math and science 

is about the same. But by 8th grade, 

twice as many boys as girls show an 

interest in these subjects. Sally Ride 

Science would like to change that, 

helping to keep girls interested in 

these subjects. For more information 

about the festivals, visit: www.SallyRideScience.com

Fall is upon us and a new calender year is just around the corner. 

There is change in the air, but one 

thing that never changes is the 

institution of the Combined Federal 

Campaign. As long as there is a 

need, Ames has traditionally been 

at the forefront of the campaign and 

this year is no different.

The 2007 Combined Federal 

Campaign officially runs from Oct. 

26 to Nov. 30. Ames had its campaign kick-off in late October, and 

an ice cream social recently. 

As a reminder, if you have not 

made a donation there is still time. 

For civil servants, your donation 

site is WebTads, and for contractors 

it is the paper donation forms. The 

list of charities is downloadable 

by Ronald Fong, CFC deputy ch

from WebTads and there are booklets 

available from your key workers or 

visit the CFC Web site at: www.cfc.

arc.nasa.gov. You can also contact 

this year’s CFC chair, Betty Christensen, at bchristensen@mail.arc.

The 2006 Ames Combined Federal Campaign 

(CFC) kick-off meeting was held Oct. 26 in the 

main auditorium. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘The Needs of the Many Met Through 

Your Kindness and Generosity.’ The 2006 CFC 

film was shown, and speakers from local charities 

discussed how they use CFC donations for the 

benefit of those around us in need. From left to 

right: CFC loaned executive Jeff Cross; CFC 

chair Betty Christensen; deputy chair Ronald 

Fong and board member Don Durston. 

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

Combined Federal Campaign - helping us help others 

nasa.gov for more information.

As always, your generosity is 

greatly appreciated, and thank you 

all for caring.
 Astrogram November 2006

Members and guests of the San 

Francisco Section of the American 

Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), including many employees from Ames, marked Veterans’ Day 

with a special dinner banquet on Nov. 

9 at the Shoreline Golf Club in Mountain View.

 The banquet featured Colonel 

Richard Graham (ret.), a former SR-71 

pilot and commander of the SR-71 and 

AIAA observes Veterans’ Day with SR-71 pilot Graham

U-2 wing at Beale Air Force Base, and 

also a decorated veteran of the war in 

Vietnam. Graham’s talk focused on 

the many technical and engineering innovations embodied 

in the SR-71, still the 

world’s fastest airplane.

“Gary Powers’ U-2 

was shot down over 

the Soviet Union in 

May 1960. The very 

next month, the U.S. 

Congress funded Kelly 

Johnson and Lockheed 

to begin development 

of the SR-71. That team 

produced the first 

SR-71 aircraft in just 

22 months. When you 

consider that the aircraft 

required an all-new 

design, all new materials, all new tooling,... 

it was an astonishing 

accomplishment,” said 

Graham.

Almost 100 people 

packed the banquet hall, 

including 11 veterans of 

the U.S. armed forces. 

In a special segment of the program, the veterans were asked 

to stand and were recognized with 

extended applause for their service 

and sacrifice in the name of preserving 

the freedoms we enjoy today. Graham stayed after the program to speak with guests and sign copies 

of his two books: SR-71 Revealed: The 

Inside Story and SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales, and Legends. All royalties 

were donated to the AIAA-SF Scholarship Fund and to the Smithsonian 

National Air and Space Museum’s J.T. 

Vida Memorial Fund that maintains 

and supports the SR-71 exhibit at the 

Udvar-Hazy Center adjacent to Dulles 

International Airport.

The AIAA’s local San Francisco 

Section sponsors banquets and events 

several times a year to promote 

interaction and community among 

aerospace professionals in an informal 

setting. Recent speakers have included 

U.S. Congressman Mike Honda; 

structural engineer and analyst of the 

World Trade Center impact Robert 

Bocchieri; and Ames’ own Astrobiology Institute senior scientist David 

Morrison. 

The events are organized and produced entirely by volunteers from the 

local section. AIAA members in the 

Ames community who would like to 

assist the small-but-energetic group of 

volunteers who are planning the next 

banquet should contact Todd Farley at 

chair@aiaa-sf.org.

At the conclusion of the banquet, 

the AIAA presented Graham with an 

American flag. The flag had flown 

over the U.S. capitol earlier this year 

and was provided by local Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA ) San 

Francisco chairman Todd Farley (far left) recognized U.S. veterans in 

attendance at the Nov. 9 banquet held at Michael’s in Mountain View. 

Featured speaker Col. Richard Graham is fifth from left. The group, 

along with many Ames employees, met to observe Veteran’s Day and 

also to recognize some of the attending veteran’s for their dedicated 

service to their country.

by members of

San Francisc AIAA s

Cosmologist Joel Primack and writer/philosopher 

Nancy Abrams, together with Seth Shostak of 

the SETI Institute, spoke to a capacity crowd at 

the popular NASA Research Park Exploration 

Lecture Series in a talk entitled ‘The View From 

the Center of the Universe.’ Primack and Abrams 

are co-authors of a best seller book by the same 

title, which they both signed after the talk. They 

discussed recent advances in astronomy, showed 

spectacular new videos and framed a compelling 

theory for understanding the universe and our 

role in it. The event was held, in conjunction 

with an afternoon director’s colloquium in B245, 

in Bldg. 943 in late October. The colloquium 

presented several spectacular simulations of 

cosmological events such as colliding galaxies 

based on computations and simulations done on 

Project Columbia. 

Cosmological events depicted in colloquium/NRP talk NASA photo by Tom Trower
 Astrogram November 2006

NASA recently announced an 

opportunity for university students 

to work with NASA engineers to 

conceive, design, fabricate and test 

a radio-controlled aircraft capable of 

taking off and landing while carrying 

a maximum load of cargo.

Students will develop their aircraft and compete for the new NASA 

Systems Engineering Award as part 

of the Aero Design competition, 

made possible through a partnership between NASA’s Aeronautics 

Research Mission Directorate and 

SAE International. Students competing for the award will receive e-mail 

feedback from NASA engineers who 

will review the students’ work at two 

critical points during the design and 

development of their aircraft. 

“The purpose of this new award 

is to engage students in the systems 

engineering process,” explained 

Deborah Bazar, a project manager 

in the Education Division at NASA 

Ames. “NASA wants to expose more 

of today’s engineering students to 

systems engineering concepts and 

practice, which are integral to indus- try and research in today’s world,” 

she added.

NASA announces new systems engineering award competition

Each year, hundreds of engineering students compete for cash 

awards during SAE International’s 

two North American Aero Design 

competitions - one on the East Coast 

and one on the West Coast. The next 

Aero Design East will be held May 

4-6, 2007 in Fort Worth, Texas. The 

next Aero Design West will be held 

March 23-25, 2007 in San Fernando, 

Calif. 

Systems engineering is a logical set of grouped processes performed 

by multidisciplinary teams to engineer and integrate systems to ensure 

products meet customer needs. A 

systems engineering plan implements a core set of common technical 

processes and requirements needed 

to define, develop and integrate 

products created for an organization.

Systems engineering processes 

build upon and apply best practices 

and lessons learned from NASA, as 

well as other government agencies, 

academia, trade associations and industry, to clearly delineate a successful model to complete comprehensive technical work, reduce program 

and technical risk and improve 

mission success.

With this competition, NASA 

continues its tradition of investing 

in the nation’s education programs. 

The competition directly ties into 

the agency’s major education goal of 

strengthening NASA and the nation’s 

future workforce. Through this and 

the agency’s other college and uni- versity programs, NASA will identify 

and develop the critical skills and 

capabilities needed to support its 

long-term aeronautics requirements. SAE International has more than 

90,000 members who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility 

systems used in designing, building, 

maintaining, and operating self-propelled vehicles for use on land or sea, 

in air or space.

For more information about the 

new NASA Systems Engineering 

Award, visit: http://students.sae.

org/competitions/aerodesign/nasaaward.htm For more information 

about SAE International’s education 

programs, visit: http://students.sae.

org/

by Michael Mewhinney

Professor Hans-Peter Roeser 

recently presented a director’s colloquium entitled ‘SOFIA and the Small 

Satellite Program at the University 

of Stuttgart.’ Since 2002, Roeser has 

been a professor at the University of 

Stuttgart and managing director of the 

Institute of Space Systems. His main 

interest is the development and application of remote sensing instruments 

in the visible and infrared wavelength 

range for airborne and space-borne 

programs.

 During the colloquium, Roeser 

discussed the activities and research 

in the German SOFIA Institute, 

which include the management of the 

German engineering and scientific 

contributions to the SOFIA operations phase. Then, he outlined the 

University of Stuttgart’s small satellite 

program which consists of a series of 

four satellites, starting with the ‘Flying 

Laptop,’ to be launched in early 2008 

into low Earth orbit.

Roeser discusses German SOFIA Institute research

NASA photo by Dominic Hart

Professor Hans-Peter Roeser at the recent colloquium at Ames where he discussed the latest 

research and activities of the German SOFIA Institute and the University of Stuttgart’s small 

satellite program.
 Astrogram November 2006

Ames Ongoing Monthly Events Calendar

 Safety Data 

 NASA-Ames Occupational

 Illness-Injury Data for 

 Calendar Year-to-Date 2006

 Jan. 1, 2006 – Oct. 31, 2006

 Civil Contractors

 Servants

 

 First aid cases 12 19

 Lost Workday cases 0 5

 Recordable cases 3 9

 Restricted duty days 0 0

 Above data are as of 10/31/06. May 

 be subject to slight adjustment in the 

 event of a new case or new inform-

 ation regarding an existing case. 

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, Every 3rd Wednesday 

of the month. The meeting location is Building 19, Conference Room 1083 and the meeting 

time is 12 noon - 1 p.m. Contact Julie Nottage 

at jnottage@mail.arc.nasa.gov, ext. 4-3711. Bylaws of Ames Bicycling Club can be found at 

http://zen.arc.nasa.gov; the link is right under 

the picture.

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 Tuesday in N-229/Rm 117 

from 12 - 1:30 p.m. POC: Julie Schonfeld, ext. 

4-6504.

Ames Contractor Council Mtg, first Wednesday each month, 11 a.m., N-200, Comm. Rm. 

POC: Doreen Cohen, ext. 4-5203.

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/email 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 radio-controlled 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 every 

other month, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Bldg. 

218/2nd floor training room. URL: http://q/

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: Miwa Hayashi at 

ext. 4-1397, mhayashi@mail.arc.nasa.gov, Web: 

http://jetstream.freetoasthost.com

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.

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 July 2006 is shown below.

Protective Services 

monthly activity

continued from front page

by John Bluc

produced on Earth billions of years 

ago.

The researchers reported that the 

aerosols produced in the laboratory 

could serve as analogs for the observed haze in Titan’s atmosphere. The 

scientists also estimated that aerosol 

production on early Earth could have 

served as a primary source of organic 

material to the surface. 

“This paper shows one of the ways 

in which the study of other worlds can 

help us understand Earth,” said Chris 

McKay, a scientist at NASA Ames and 

one of the study’s co-authors. “Titan 

has a thick organic haze layer, and this 

work started out to understand the 

chemistry of that alien organic haze. 

Then we realized that we could apply 

the same approach to the organic haze 

on early Earth.”

“We hope to determine how the 

organics were made and their chemical nature,” McKay observed. The 

scientists reported that when sunlight 

hits an atmosphere of methane and 

nitrogen, like the atmosphere of Titan 

today, aerosol particles form. When an 

atmosphere also contains carbon dioxide, as in the atmosphere of ancient 

Earth, different kinds of aerosols form.

The scientists used a special ultraviolet-light lamp to produce particles 

in the simulated atmospheres, and 

measured the chemical composition, 

size and shape of the resulting particles.

“It’s somewhat similar to the smog 

in Los Angeles,” Trainer explained. 

“Today’s haze on Earth is also created photochemically, which means 

sunlight powers chemical reactions in 

the atmosphere. However, the early atmosphere of Earth had different gases 

present, so chemical composition of 

the early haze is very different than 

the haze we have today. There also 

would have been a lot more of it.”

Study shows Titan and early Earth atmospheres are similar
 Astrogram November 2006

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 4:00 p.m. and Sat 12 p.m. to 4 

p.m.) ext. 4-5412

NASA logo merchandise, souvenirs, toys, gifts and 

educational items. 

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, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) ext. 4-5412 and Beyond 

Galileo (4-6873)

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

Housing

Miscellaneous

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.

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

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

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! 

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.

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

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.

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 

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).

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

Maui luxury oceanfront resort one-bedroom condo 

available one week. Rents for $345/night now, 

$495/night in the summer. We will rent to an Ames 

family for $1,750 for the week. See the condo at 

http://www.starwoodvo.com/resorts/villafeatures.

jsp?resortID=12 Call (650) 572-8877 for availabilty 

and questions.

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.

Automotive

RV Lots Available Call to reserve a 

space at (650) 603-7100/01.

 Civilian/Contrators, $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.

Unfurnished room in house in San Jose, close to 

light rail and Caltrain. $525 incl utils and WiFi. 

Available to quiet, mature, non-smoking female 

student or professional. E-mail: mbualat@stanfordalumni.org or call (408) 578-9580.

‘03 Honda CRV EX sports utility, 42K miles

leather, new brakes, 80K Goodyear tires, cargo 

equipment, just had 40K service, dealer maintained, all records, two sets mats dark tan paint, 

unused cloth interior $17.6K. Under Blue Book 

private party $ 18.65K. Jim (408) 257-3930.

‘04 Toyota Corolla, silver, automatic, 40K miles, 

e-mail: winnie.ling@gmail.com or call (650) 580 

0708.

‘05 Honda Civic, silver, automatic, 17K miles, 

$13,990, e-mail: winnie.ling@gmail.com, or call 

(650) 580 0708.

Temporary housing needed for relocating NASA 

employee beginning mid-December or January 

through May. Non-smoker. Contact Ann Clarke 

at (202) 285-2150.
10 Astrogram November 2006

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration

PLEASE RECYCLE

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

FIRST-CLASS

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 85

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

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 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/centers/ames/news/astrogram/2006/06astrograms.

html

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

University students are helping NASA with GeneSat

Dozens of university students are helping NASA to prepare, 

monitor and analyze the science 

from a ‘nano’ satellite scheduled to 

launch in December.

NASA’s GeneSat-1 satellite is 

scheduled to ride aboard an Air 

Force rocket being launched into 

Earth orbit on Dec. 11, 2006. The 

small satellite will carry bacteria 

that researchers will analyze to de- termine the effects of space flight 

on microscopic living things. 

News media were recently invited to view the small satellite 

facility at Ames. They also saw 

the GeneSat satellite being tested, 

and were able to interview students from Santa Clara University, 

Ames’ John Hines, GeneSat project 

manager, and Bruce Yost, GeneSat 

mission manager. The 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) satellite will be a ‘secondary 

payload’ on an Air Force Mino- taur rocket, derived from a Minby John Bluc

Ames GeneSat project manager John 

Hines, right, describes the GeneSat mission to a reporter during a recent media 

day, which showcased the small satellite 

facility at Ames. The GeneSat-1 satellite, to be launched Dec. 11, will carry 

bacteria that researchers will analyze to 

determine the effects of space flight on 

microscopie living things.

NASA photo by Tom Trower

uteman missile and modified to 

launch payloads into orbit. The 

main purpose of the launch from 

the NASA Wallops Flight Facility 

in Virginia is to loft an Air Force TacSat 2 satellite into orbit. 

NASA’s separate GeneSat1 will carry bacteria inside 

a miniature laboratory to 

study how the microbes 

may change genetically 

during spaceflight. The micro-laboratory includes sensors and opti- cal systems that can detect 

proteins and specific ge- netic activity. The studentoperated GeneSat commu- nications system, located 

in the Stanford foothills, 

will receive data via radio 

from the satellite’s onboard 

micro-laboratory after it has 

completed its observations 

and tests of the bacteria 

carried on the spacecraft. 

This data will be relayed 

through the Internet to the 

GeneSat mission operations center at Ames.

Santa Clara University students will control the spacecraft from the 

mission operations center at Ames. 

The students developed software 

that will send commands to the 

satellite, analyze spacecraft health 

and calibrate biological data.