NOVEMBER 2002

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STAR SAFETY ................................. 6Glenn continues its pursuit of VPPStar Certification

PLUM BROOK REUNION ........... 7Plum Brook Station alumni returnto renew and reminisce

SUPPORTING VETERANS ........... 9Employee group chartered tocoordinate observances

STS–112 expands ISS science and structureBY S. JENISE VERIS

Volume 4 Issue 11 November 2002

Continued on page 3

t was onward and upward for NASAtelevision viewers who got a spectacularview as if hitchhikers aboard the STS–112 Atlantis shuttle launch on October 7.A color video camera mounted atopAtlantis' external tank enabled viewers totake a virtual ride aboard the shuttle as itreached near-orbital speed, about 56 milesabove the Earth.

Cuyahoga County and surrounding areaham radio operators stayed tuned to all

the launcha c t i v i t i e sc o m p l i -ments ofthe GlennA m a t e u rRadio Club,w h i c h

made air-to-ground programming avail-able on launch day. For Glenn engineersit was another opportunity to take pridein their contributions to the InternationalSpace Station development through theStarboard One (S1) truss and the In-SPACE (Investigating the Structure ofParamagnetic Aggregates of ColloidalEmulsions) glovebox experiment samplesthat were delivered aboard Atlantis.

One of many home improvements de-signed for the station, the 30,000-poundaluminum S1 truss was attached tothe central truss as additional supportfor radiator panels that are part ofthe station's central thermal control(cooling) system. These radiators werevalidated in Glenn's Space Power Facilityat Plum Brook Station.

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lenn's Carl Silski was one of threerecipients of a NASA Exceptional Achieve-ment medal for outstanding advocacy,contributions, and innovative approachesto utilizing minority and women-ownedbusinesses. NASA Administrator SeanO'Keefe presented the awards duringthe Agency's annual Minority Businessand Advocates Award ceremony onSeptember 24.

Silski, who has served as the smallbusiness officer in the ProcurementDivision for the past 5 1/2 years, waslauded for several initiatives and innova-tions including the improvement of the

NASA honors minority contract supportSmall Disadvantaged Business(SDB) Forums at the Center andfor creativity in designing con-tract set-asides and sub-contracting goals to championthe cause of small, SDB, andwomen-owned businesses.Mark Stiles and Arthur Gold-man, both from Marshall SpaceFlight Center, were the othermedal recipients.

The personal effort and diligenceof Silski may have also played a

Also housed within the truss are commu-nications systems, attachment points forexternal experiments, and othersubsystems including Glenn-designedelectrical power system components—

Continued on page 3NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe presents theExceptional Achievement award to Carl Silski.

Photo by NASA/Renee Bouchard

NASA namesnews chief

Headquarters release

he White House recently honored NASA for its successful completion of aprogram to ensure the security of Federal e-government initiatives at a cross-certification ceremony sponsored by the Federal Public Key Infrastructure BridgeCertification Authority.

By "cross certifying," NASA and three other agencies—the Department of Agriculture'sNational Finance Center, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department ofDefense — will be able to send and receive secure e-mail across organizations. SecureGovernment-wide information systems, and the secure exchange of informationwithin the Government, are essential elements of homeland security, said PaulStrassmann, NASA's acting chief information officer.

The cross-certification is one part of the Administration's eAuthentication Initiative,which in turn is part of the Electronic Government Initiatives of the President's 2002Management Agenda. The eAuthentication Initiative provides authentication servicesto the other 24 initiatives, which are designed to better link the Federal Governmentto citizens, businesses, and State and local governments, as well as improve theFederal Government's internal efficiency. �

Mirelson

obert Mirelson,former deputybureau chief forConsumer Affairswith the FederalCommunicationsCommission (FCC),was selected thenew chief of Newsand Information atNASA Headquartersin Washington. He succeeds Bob Jacobs,who was named Media Services directorearlier this summer.

While at the FCC, Mirelson helpeddevelop and implement national mediaand consumer information and educationprograms and improved public Internetaccess to the commission.

Prior to a senior position with Booz Allen& Hamilton, he served in several areasduring his 29-year career in the U.S. Armyincluding Pentagon spokesman, com-mander of the American Forces radio andtelevision network in Korea, publisherof the European edition of the Stars &Stripes newspaper, and director of Corpo-rate Communications for the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers in Washington. �

RHeadquarters release

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NASA honored for e-government securityNASA exploresHollywood

ASA presented future adventures andlong-range plans for advancing thefrontiers of flight, space, and knowledgeduring the first symposium before a groupof Hollywood's most influential film-makers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratoryin September.

Robert Shapiro, nine-time AcademyAward-winning coproducer and thecreative consultant hired for thesymposium, said that he was confidentHollywood will be successful in re-igniting the American people's passionfor the exploration of the unknown. �

Studies aim to reduce airplane fuel flammability

Glenn Research Center awarded four contracts totaling $400,000 in support of NASA'sAviation Safety Program to develop technology that will help prevent airliner fuel tankfires and reduce the chance for explosions. Under Phase I of the contract, the fourcompanies—Creare Engineering, Inc., Hanover, NH; Essex Cryogenics, Inc., St. Louis,MO; Honeywell Environmental Controls Systems, Torrance, CA; and Valcor Engineering,Springfield, NJ—will study and perform feasibility of replacing oxygen with a gas that willnot support combustion. This research is in response to the National Safety TransportationSafety Board's recommendations, resulting from recent fatalities caused by center wingfuel tank explosions, which are located under the passenger cabin inside the wings.Actual hardware fabrication and testing is the ultimate goal of the program, whichwould occur during Phase II.

Jet Propulsion Lab release

NASA scientist recognized for simulation of submicroscopic parts

"Growing" atomic-scale 3–D computer circuits that may lead to human-like sensorysystems is the latest simulation effort of Deepak Srivastava, a senior scientist at NASAAmes. Using NASA supercomputers to simulate molecular carbon nanotubes, so smallthey cannot be seen with a conventional microscope, is the work for which he recentlyearned the prestigious Eric Reissner Medal during the International Conference on

Computational Engineering and Sciences. The carbonnanotube is a new form of carbon, only a few atomswide but extremely strong, that someday could be themajor material from which scientists make futureartificial brains, as well as tiny machines that may helpwith tasks as diverse as planetary exploration andcuring disease. Additional technical informationabout Srivastava's carbon nanotube work is on theWeb at http://www.ipt.arc.nasa.gov/srivastava.html.

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NOVEMBER 2002

Minority contractor awards

STS-112 payload

he Education Division, Office ofHuman Resources and Education at NASAHeadquarters, awarded a total of $3.56million to 45 consortia in the NationalSpace Grant College and Fellowship Pro-gram based on their proposals for aero-space workforce development.

The consortia were selected based on acompetitive evaluation of their plans toenlarge and to enhance the "pipeline" orresource pool of higher education gradu-ates and faculty who will become involvedwith NASA and stay connected as em-ployees, contractors, or principal investi-gators. Consortia awards ranged from$20,000 to $100,000.

The National Space Grant Program, man-dated by Congress in 1987, consists of 52state consortia in the 50 states, the Dis-trict of Columbia, and the Commonwealthof Puerto Rico. All carry out programs ineducation, research, and public service.This program will increase the numberand diversity of highly qualified individu-als knowledgeable of and experiencedin NASA's research mission. �

NASA commits todeveloping workforce

dc/dc converter units and another set ofremote power control modules that pro-vide grounding and voltage regulation.

Delivery of the InSPACE samples willenable the Expedition 6 crew to beginconducting research using its hardwaredelivered earlier aboard the STS-111 mis-sion. InSPACE is designed to obtain fun-damental data of the complex propertiesof magnetorheological fluids, a new classof smart materials capable of providingrapid rheological response that can beused to advance such items as brakesystems, seat suspensions, robotics,clutches, airplane landing gear, anddamper systems. Glenn MicrogravityDivision engineers Juan Agui and JackLekan are the In-SPACE project scientistand project manager, respectively. �

Continued from page 1

iccardo Giacconi, the "father of x-ray astronomy," received theNobel Prize in physics for "pioneering contributions to astrophys-ics," that have lead to the discovery of cosmic x-ray sources.

Giaconni, president of the Associated Universities, Inc., in Washington, and researchprofessor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, discoveredthe first x-ray stars and the x-ray background. He conceived and led implementation ofthe Uhuru and High Energy Astronomy Observatory-2 (HEAO–2) x-ray observatories,and with funding from NASA, also detected sources of x-rays that most astronomersnow consider to contain black holes.

In 1976, Giacconi along with Harvey Tananbaum of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centerfor Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA, submitted another proposal to NASA initiating thestudy and design of a large x-ray telescope, which led to work on what was thenknown as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility and since renamed the ChandraX-ray Observatory.

Giacconi currently serves as principal investigator for the ultradeep survey withChandra that has already obtained the deepest x-ray exposures to date with a million-second observation. He was also the first director of the Hubble Space TelescopeScience Institute in Baltimore. �

Astronomer wins Nobel Prizefor NASA-funded research

RGiacconi

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Headquarters release

Headquarters release

role in the Center's repeat performanceto earn recognition for meeting or ex-ceeding all negotiated socio-economicbusiness goals in fiscal year 2001. Glennwas one of five field centers recognized,along with Dryden, Langley, Ames, andthe Jet Propulsion Lab.

NASA named QSS Group, Inc., head-quartered in Lanham, MD, as its MinorityContractor of the Year. Nominated byboth Glenn and Ames, the company wasrecognized as a prime contractor at Amesfor a broad range of research and devel-opment provided to its ComputationalScience Division. This research anddevelopment covered areas such as

artificial intelligence, knowledge-basedsystems, autonomy and robotics,neuroengineering and flight control,automated software engineering, andcollaborative and assistant systems.To Glenn, the company provides engi-neering and scientific support coveringall disciplines to ongoing programand projects including basic andspecialized research.

The Minority Subcontractor of the Yearaward went to GB Tech, Inc., of Houston,a strategic partner with the Boeing Com-pany on the International Space Stationprogram for hardware and software qual-ity assurance and software- developmentintegration-laboratory operational sup-port. The Women-Owned Business of theYear award went to Tech Trans Interna-tional, Inc., also headquartered in Hous-ton. Tech Trans, as a prime contractor atJohnson, supports the U.S.–Russian spaceprograms, providing translation, interpre-tation, language training, and logisticssupport services in the United Statesand Russia. �

Continued from page 1

Glenn was one of fivefield centers recognized,

along with Dryden,Langley, Ames, and the

Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Warm reception for cool book

CFC 2002 kickoff Shoe fund

Healthy options

One of Cleveland's historic landmarksand a world-premier facility is Glenn'sIcing Research Tunnel (IRT). "We Freezeto Please," the slogan for the IRT, is nowalso the title of a new book, We Freezeto Please: A History of NASA's IcingResearch Tunnel and the Quest forSafety. The book tells the story of thisunique facility that has made unparal-leled contributions to a specializedarea of aeronautics research. OnOctober 3, the author of the book, Dr.William M. Leary, visited Glenn as theguest of honor at a book signing cer-emony. Leary, professor of history atthe University of Georgia in Athens,GA, talked about the book's impor-tance and his experiences interviewing

those involved with the IRT. "This is one of the most enjoyable projects of my writingcareer," Leary shared. "I hope you enjoy the product." Pictured are author Leary(seated) autographing books for Al Dagliesh (left) and William Sexton, retirees fromthe Icing Research Branch.

Glenn's Safety Office and Medical Services hosted the second annual Health Fair atOAI on September 20. More than 40 exhibitors provided a wide variety of healthscreening and educational opportunities to approximately 1200 employees whoattended. The Lab bus shuttled employees to and from the event where theyenjoyed healthy food samples, fitness demonstrations, safety checks, giveaways,and drawings for 35 health-and safety-related prizes. Pictured, left to right, are BobbiWells (0160) talking with Melissa Turner and Amanda Strauss, students from theCuyahoga Valley Career Center Dental Assisting Program.

Glenn's Shoe Fund 2002 contribu-tion to Shoes and Clothes for Kidscontinues a long tradition of reach-ing out to needy children inCuyahoga, Lorain, and adjoiningcounties. On October 9, CenterDirector Donald Campbell pre-sented a check for $1,200 on be-half of Glenn employees to Shoesand Clothes for Kids ExecutiveDirector Valerie McCormack (left).A nonprofit organization, Shoesand Clothes for Kids (previouslyknown as Shoes for Kids) providesnew shoes, school clothing, and other basic clothing to children fromlow-income families. Glenn's recent contribution will provide shoes forapproximately 120 children.

Photo by Doreen Zudell

Glenn employees who gathered for the2002 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)Kickoff on September 19 received wordsof inspiration from distinguished gueststhat included keynote speaker FOX8Meteorologist Dick Goddard (picturedabove left with George Saad, Glenn's CFCchair). Reading from an essay publishedin his almanac, Goddard expressed theimportance of everyone trying to relievethe pain and suffering of others as muchas possible while traveling life's often tryingjourney. Citing how CFC played animportant role in helping those whosuffered losses from 9/11, Admiral RonSilva, commander of the Coast Guard's9th District and chairman for the NortheastOhio CFC, commended Glenn on its rolein last year's successful campaign. Henoted, however, that the need in theCleveland area is still great, and urgedGlenn keyworkers to set out earlier on afaster pace to meet or exceed the Center'sgoal of $357,000 for this year's campaign.

Photo by Marvin SmithC-2002-1863Photo by Doreen Zudell

Photo by Marvin SmithC-2002-1876

NOVEMBER 2002

Continuing Resolution: ameasure to continue our work

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AFGE MEETING: AFGE Local 2182 willhold its monthly membership meeting at4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, atthe Clifton American Legion Post onBrookpark Rd. and W. 220th St. Allmembers are encouraged to attend.

ENTREPRENEURIAL PERSPECTIVES:Glenn's Commercial Technology Officeand Enterprise Development, Inc., invitesemployees to explore their potential tostart a company by attending the Entrepre-neurial Perspectives series, November 7,15, and 18. Questions answered in theseries include: How do I protect my idea?How do I get funding? How do I useNASA tech transfer resources? To reviewthe topics, speakers, and reservation infor-mation, visit http://cto/eps/eps.asp.

LESA MEETING: LESA/IFPTE Local 28 willhold its monthly membership meeting on

� Peterson's holiday nut sale: Peterson's freshly roasted cashews, pistachios, andmixed nuts will be on sale in the Main Cafeteria on November 13 and 14 from11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

� Books Are Fun book fair: The book fair will be held November 19 to 20 inthe upper section of the Main Cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

� Annual Thanksgiving dinner special: Dinner will be served in the Main and DEBCafeterias on November 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

With the goal of recruiting and retain-ing a diverse, well-qualified workforcefocused on results for the Americanpublic, President Bush believes theFederal Government must increaseemployment opportunities forpeople with disabilities. Toward thateffort, the Office of PersonnelManagement worked closely withagencies with disability employmentresponsibilities to develop a newWeb site, www.opm.gov/disability.NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefeencourages all Agency employees tovisit the site and share it with others.

Disability employmentWeb site

Wednesday, November 13, at noon inBldg. 15, Rm. 101.

DISABILITY OBSERVANCE: Glenn's Dis-ability Awareness Month Observance isNovember 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the AdBldg. Auditorium. Zoe Koplowitz, award-winning author of The Winning Spirit—LifeLessons Learned in Last Place and NelsonLaver, a.k.a. the American Story Teller, arethe keynote speakers.

GLENN PRAYER BREAKFAST: Mark yourcalendar and plan to join the NASA GlennPrayer Group for the 8th Annual PrayerBreakfast on November 14 from 7:00to 8:30 a.m. in the Small Dining Room,Bldg. 15. The guest speaker will be BobDevine, a former WCRF radio morningshow host. For more information, contactKevin Melcher at kevin.melcher@grc.nasa.gov or 216–433–3743.

Exchange Corner

he Federal Government's budgetcalendar runs from October 1 throughSeptember 30 of each year. During thefiscal year, all the Federal departments,agencies, and programs are authorizedto spend congressionally specifiedamounts of money. That money cannot

be spent, however, unless it is explicitlyappropriated for a given purpose.

Each year, the Congress must pass, andthe President must sign, 13 separateAppropriation Bills by October 1 tofund all of the Federal Government's

departments, agencies, and programs thefollowing year. If Congress and the Presi-dent fail to pass all of the AppropriationBills, there will be some Governmententities that do not have money appropri-ated to them. Simply stated, there willbe no money to spend on some FederalGovernment functions until the relevantAppropriation Bill is passed and signed.

In most instances, Congress and the Presi-dent will agree to a Continuing Resolu-tion (CR), which temporarily funds thedepartments, agencies, and programs forwhich Appropriation Bills have not beenpassed. A CR must be passed by bothhouses of Congress and signed by thePresident. In general, a CR is intended tofund agencies or programs for a shortperiod of time at the same funding levelas the previous year. The main purpose ofa CR is to keep the Government operat-ing long enough for Congress and thePresident to work out an agreement onall 13 Appropriation Bills.

Fiscal year 2003 started with a CR as theCongress had passed none of the Appro-priation Bills, including the Housing andUrban Development and IndependentAgencies Appropriation that funds NASA.While this situation may present difficul-ties for us as an Agency, please beassured that we will make every effort toeffectively carry out the work of theCenter and the mission of the Agency. �

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Glenn continues its pursuit of VPP certification

Glenn technology garners Space Act awardsT

he Glenn Safety Office (GSO) contin-ues to lead the Center in the pursuit of theOhio Safety Hazard Association Volun-tary Protection Program's (VPP) StarCertification, with a target date of FY03.

"To ensure that the Center meets thatdate, we have commissioned ADSI, Inc.,to perform a 'gap' analysis to validate thatour efforts over the past 2 years were ontrack," explained Manuel Dominguez,GSO chief. "However, the task is notyet completed. The ADSI report, aswell as the DuPont assessment that was

T completed last year, reveal that there areseveral areas that need attention if Glennis to meet the VPP requirements."

These include the following items:1. Increase management implementa-

tion and accountability for safetyprograms.

2. Mandate safety training to ensure thatemployees understand and participatein issues related to their responsibili-ties.

3. Include risk management and safetyand environmental safeguards as partof the design process in all programs.

4. Improve GSO's efforts to review andupgrade the safety program, get themessage out to employees, and re-spond to questions regarding the VPPprocess.

The Executive Safety Board has requestedthat the VPP implementation plan be

updated to ensure that these areas arecorrected as soon as possible. ACenterwide team will be commissionedto lead the certification effort.

The primary source for information re-lated to the Center's effort is located onthe VPP Web page. It can be accessed athttp://gso.grc.nasa.gov/vpp/default.asp.

"We encourage all employees to reviewthe Web page and provide feedback,"Dominguez urged. "Now is the time tofully and personally involve each em-ployee in the quest for VPP certification."

During the next several weeks,Dominguez will present specific ways bywhich each employee can assist the Cen-ter in achieving this worthwhile goal. Thekey to success rests squarely with every-one at this Center. �

hree Glenn-developed technologieswere recently selected for Space ActAwards. Each honoree received a signedcertificate from the NASA Administratorand a proportionate share of the$144,500 awarded to Glenn for FY02.The awards cover four areas, whichinclude software release, publication andNASA Tech Briefs, Patent applications,and Board Action awards.

Hydroformed Ion Optics and Spall-Resis-tant Woven Screen Surfaces for IonThrusters technology developed by BruceBanks, chief of the Electro-Physics Branch,prevents the formation of large flakes ofmetal generated by internal parts thatcould inhibit high-performance operationor shorten the life of a thruster.

A team from Glenn's Microgravity Envi-ronment and Telescience Branch devel-oped the Microgravity Analysis SoftwareSystem (MASS), which assures accurateand timely measurement of vibrationsthat might affect or threaten the outcomeof microgravity research conductedon the space station. MASS was the

runnerup for NASA Software of theYear. MASS team members includeKevin McPherson and Dr. Ted Wright(NASA), and Ken Hrovat, Eric Kelly,Gene Liberman, Nissim Lugasy, and TimReckart (ZINT).

Rafat Ansari, Microgravity Fluid PhysicsBranch, was recognized for his non-invasive diagnostic tool that can detectearly changes in the eye associated withinfection, allergic reactions, autoimmunediseases, glaucoma, cata-racts, age-related maculardegeneration, and diabeticretinopathy.

More information onNASA's Space Act AwardProgram is available athttp://icb.nasa.gov. �

Dr. Ansari Banks

MASS team membersstanding, left to right: EricKelly, Kevin McPherson,Gene Liberman, Ken Hrovat,and Nissim Lugasy. Sitting,left to right: Ted Wright andTim Reckart.

Photo by Quentin Schwinn

NOVEMBER 2002

7

Plum Brook alumni gather

hey came—they saw—and bolstered by a brief presentation from Robert Kozar, chiefof the Plum Brook Management Office, Plum Brook alumni were assured that thereputation they helped establish 40 years ago—a high caliber of expertise performingtests in world-class facilities—is still being upheld by today's generation.

About 250 guests, including 170 alumni, attended the third Plum Brook Station Reunion,which was postponed for a year due to restricted access to Plum Brook after the tragedyof September 11. The honored guest was David Silverstein, son of Dr. Abe Silversteinconsidered the visionary for the construction of Plum Brook. Other notables in atten-dance included Harold Friedman, Jim Blue, and H. Brock Barkley.

Following a brief presentation and luncheon in the Administration Engineering Building,alumni were encouraged to mingle and leisurely visit several areas throughout thebuilding where activities were set up for their enjoyment. An Exchange Store was set upto give alumni the opportunity to purchase NASA-related gifts. In a separate room,alumni were encouraged to view test facility artifacts and help identify personnel and/or activities related to the Reactor Facility in photographs for Glenn archives.

"The current historic preservation effort on Plum Brook Station, centered on the reactorand led by Glenn History Officer Kevin Coleman, contributed significantly to thereunion," said William Brown, committee chairman. "The team from InDyne, Inc.,contracted for the project, conducted about 50 interviews during the reunion and intothe following week."

Three of the four major facilities were also available for self-tours including the SpacePower Facility, Spacecraft Propulsion Facility, and the Hypersonic Tunnel Facility.

Compliments for a job well done were voiced throughout the day to committeemembers Earl Boitel, Tom Brink, William Brown, Jack Crooks, Ruth Hasse, Jim Hurst,Jim Martz, Harry McCune, Bill Pack, Bob Puzak, Dick Schuh, Starr Truscott, and Daveand Betty Willinger. The committee was encouraged to begin plans for a fourthreunion in 2006. �

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Photos by Marvin Smith

BY S. JENISE VERIS

Plum Brook tests concept forpollution-free electricity

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ith the expanded testing capabilitiesof the new Thrust Bearing Test Rigin Building 5, Glenn's Oil-Free Turbo-machinery Research Team will lead theway toward the development of aircraftturbine engines that do not require an oillubrication system.

Graphic by Terry Condrich

Facility enhances turbomachinery researchW NASA is partnering with industry to dem-

onstrate oil-free turbomachinery technol-ogy in a small business jet engine, theEJ–22, which Williams Internationalproduced and developed under NASA'sGeneral Aviation Propulsion Program.The concept combines the most advancedfoil (air) bearings from industry with

NASA-developed high-temperaturesolid lubricant technology toeliminate the need for an oil-lubrication system in high-temperature, high-speed rotatingmachinery. Eliminating the oilsystem in this engine will makeit simpler, lighter, more reliable, andless costly to purchase and maintain.

"Propulsion gas turbines will place highdemands on the foil bearings, especiallythe thrust bearings," explained Dr. Chris-topher Dellacorte, technical lead for theOil-Free Turbomachinery Program in theTribology and Surface Science Branch."Up until now, the oil-free team only hadthe ability to test radial, journal bearingsthat only support radial shaft loads. Thisnew rig allows us to specifically test oil-free thrust bearings that currently lag indevelopment behind the radial bearings,and are vital for the design of the oil-freeturbine engine."

This unique test facility was designed andmanufactured by Mohawk InnovativeTechnology of Albany, NY, under a SmallBusiness Innovative Research Phase IIIcontract. It is capable of testing thrust foilbearings to 80,000 rpm under loads ashigh as 3500 N (700 lb) and at tempera-tures to 650 °C (1200 °F). This rig alsoallows NASA scientists and engineers todevelop and test solid lubricants that areapplied to the bearing foils or runner andcan enhance bearing performance andlife. To find out more about this research,visit the Web site at http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/Oilfree. �

lenn's Hypersonic Tunnel Facility(HTF), located at Plum Brook Station,recently completed initial testing ofa novel combustion concept that couldlead to a method for generatingpollution-free electricity.

The power generation concept uses di-luted oxygen-methane fuel combustionto produce a mixture of steam and CO2that can be used to drive multiple stagesof steam turbines. Upon exiting the finalturbine stage, the steam is condensed toliquid water, leaving a nearly pure streamof CO2, which can be captured for com-mercial applications. The testing at PlumBrook involved the demonstration of afull-scale version of a component calledthe "reheat" combustor. Its purpose is

to boost the temperature of steambetween turbine stages to increasesystem efficiency.

Project Manager Mark Woikeexplained that the testing is beingconducted under an InteragencyAgreement with the Departmentof Energy (DOE), which is partner-ing with Clean Energy Systems, Inc.,Sacramento, CA. The tests requirea costly oxygen infrastructure notavailable at any of the DOE testsites, but in place at Plum Brook.

"We completed the first phase of testingin August," Woike said. "The test rig iscurrently being reconfigured for addi-tional testing before the end of theyear."�

Photo by Marvin Smith

Project Manager Mark Woike (left) briefsDirector of Engineering and TechnicalServices Randall Furnas on the DOEcombustion installation in the HTF. Thenovel combustion concept could lead to amethod for generating pollution-freeelectricity.

Pictured is the Thrust BearingTest Rig with a thrust bearing atbottom right.

C-2002-1692

NOVEMBER 2002

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Committee chartered to recognize veteransBY DOREEN B. ZUDELL

n 1921, an American soldier—his nameknown only to God—was buried on aVirginia hillside overlooking the PotomacRiver and the city of Washington. TheArlington National Cemetery burial siteof this unknown World War I soldier be-came the personification of dignity andreverence for America's veterans and agathering place for recognition and me-morial observances.

The tradition of acknowledging the sacri-fices of men and women who served inthe armed forces gained added impor-tance at Glenn when Center DirectorDonald Campbell signed a document tocharter the Veterans Awareness Commit-tee (VAC) in July 2002.

Comprising nine (civil servant and sup-port service contractor) employees, theVAC develops and coordinates activitiesheld at the Center in support and recog-nition of local and national veteran obser-vances. The committee also supports otherFederal agencies and participates in appro-priate observances in the local community.

"The VAC evolved through the efforts ofa handful of employees who organizedthe Center's parade and other activitiesto welcome home employees who servedin Desert Storm in 1991," explained VACChairperson Jim Giomini, Research andTechnology Directorate. "Over the past10 years, the core group continued tohost Center events to honor veterans."

The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action(POW/MIA) Recognition Ceremony,established in 1999, is a prime example ofa significant observance that continuestoday under the VAC. To highlight thefirst event, Chapter 1 and 6 members ofRolling Thunder, an organization ofveterans and non-veterans whose goalis a full and fair accounting of thoseunaccounted for, donated a POW/MIAflag to the Center.

"Last year we invited several guests andspeakers from outside of the Center tohelp us recognize POW/MIA day, butrestrictions on visitors after September11, 2001, redirected our efforts to

include more participation fromemployees," explained VAC memberLinda McMillen, Information Manage-ment Systems (formerly ComputerServices Division).

That ceremony, perhaps the mostpoignant one to date, included ColorGuard, singers, musicians, and speakers,all from Glenn's rank and file.

Last year also marked the first time thatkindergartners from the onsite day carecenter, Lewis Little Folks, participated inthe Veterans' Recognition Day Ceremony.

"Having the Lewis Little Folks studentsjoin us changed the complexion of ourobservances," Giomini affirmed. "It madeus realize that the future is not ours togive, but rather it is loaned to us by ourchildren for nurturing and protection."

As the years go by and the children andgrandchildren of Glenn veterans (about15 percent of the civil servant workforce)enter the military, VAC events will con-tinue to hold special relevance at Glenn.About half of the VAC members havechildren who are serving or preparing toserve in the armed forces.

This year at the September 20 POW/MIARecognition Ceremony four-year-oldAndrea and Jessica, twin daughters ofVAC member Rhonda Billick (IDI),Office of Human Resources andWorkforce Planning, carried thePOW/MIA flag.

With an official charter, the com-mittee is dedicated to continuingthe tradition of acknowledging thecontributions of fellow Americans,including those at Glenn, whoserved to ensure the peace andfreedom of this country.

VAC member Claudette Wlasuk, Officeof Human Resources and WorkforcePlanning, added, "When we see theparticipation and heartfelt response ofemployees who attend the veteran ob-servances, we are rejuvenated in ourbelief that we would not be here if itwere not for those who serve." �

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2002Veterans' Day Observance

Thursday, November 141 to 2 p.m., Ad. Bldg.

Auditorium

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We would like to thank employees fromaround the Center who provided assis-tance for the National POW/MIARecognition observance on September20, 2002.

—Veterans Awareness Committee

Many, many thanks to all of you for mak-ing my recent retirement from Glenn asexciting as my starting there was 37 yearsago. I had a wonderful career, and I willmiss you very much. I wish each of yougood health and a wonderful future.

—Leroy McCreary

lenn's NASA Softball League recentlyended another exciting season.

The Sidewinders are the 2002 "A" Divi-sion Post Season Tournament champi-ons, defeating the Aces in two highlycompetitive games. The Sidewinders arealso the 2002 "A" Division Regular Sea-son champions with a 19-win and 1-lossrecord. In the past 3 out of 4 years, theSidewinders have won the "A" Division

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League names tournament champs

Regular Season and the Post SeasonTournament, with an overall regular sea-son record of 70 wins and 7 losses.

The Blasters are the "B" Division PostSeason Tournament champions,defeating Froggy's, the "B" DivisionRegular Season champions, by ascore of 12–9.

Robert Bowman, 67, who retired fromGlenn in 1996 with 35 years of service,recently died. He was an engineer andserved as chief of the Space FlightOperations Branch.

Helen Hauck, 91, who tracked downscientific data for scientists in 1954 untilshe became the science and technologychief of the Cleveland Public Library in1960, recently died.

Carl Liebert, 76, who retired from Glennin 1997, recently died. An electronicsengineer, Liebert held patents for invent-ing thermal barrier coatings, whichare used to protect space shuttleengine parts from corrosion and tem-perature changes, and gauges thatmeasure heat flux. Liebert was therecipient of a Manned Space FlightAwareness award and I–R 100 award.

Josie Sweisthall, 91, who retired fromGlenn in 1974 with 16 years of service,recently died. Sweisthall was an officemachine operator in the Mechanical En-gineering Division.

DEADLINES: News items and brief announcementsfor publication in the December issue must be re-ceived by noon, Thursday, November 7. The deadlinefor the January issue is noon, Wednesday, December11. Submit contributions to the editor via e-mail atdoreen.zudell@grc.nasa.gov, fax 216–433–8143,phone 216–433–5317 or 216–433–2888, or send toMS 3–11. Ideas for news stories are welcome andwill be published as space allows.

Editor..................................................Doreen B. Zudell InDyne, Inc.

Assistant Editor......................................S. Jenise Veris InDyne, Inc.

Managing Editor....................................Lori J. Rachul

AeroSpace Frontiers is an official publication of GlennResearch Center, National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration. It is published the first Friday of eachmonth by the Community and Media Relations Officein the interest of the Glenn workforce, retirees, gov-ernment officials, business leaders, and the generalpublic. Its circulation is approximately 6700.

The Sidewinders. Standing, left to right:Lenny Bellisario, Dave Gantose, JohnThomas, Jack Kowalewski, Mark Lasky,and Bill Hockman. Kneeling, left to right:Paul Rickey, Barry Piendl, John Lucero,and Dale Martin. Not pictured: ScottPanko, Dean Kocan, Andy Kiel, AlexOppenheim, Andy Provenza, and BobMraz.

The Blasters. Standing, left to right: BobHawersaat, Tim Schifle, Matt Kennedy, ToddZak, Peter Struk, and Amy Young. Kneeling,left to right: Bob Purgason, Ricky Rodriguez(coach), and Charles Maynard. Not pictured:Dan Watson, Dan Bell, Drew Schifle, DaveChernitsky, and Dave Noren.

The Blasters were this year's Cinderellastory after placing last in their division inthe 2001 season. They were the fourthseed in this year's tournament. Afterlosing their first game in the doubleelimination tournament, they had towin 6 games in a row to win thechampionship.

The NASA Softball League was foundedin the mid 1950s, and at its high point inthe late 1980s there were 26 teams thatplayed in the league. With 11 teams thisseason, the league is hoping to add moremale and female players in the 2003 sea-son. Games are played Monday throughFriday on two softball fields in the WestArea starting at 5:15 p.m. with a secondset of games usually starting at 6:30 p.m.For more information about the NASASoftball League, contact Kevin Radil(0300) at 216–433–5047 or John Zuzek(6140) at 216–433–3469. �

11

a closer look at our colleagues

Luis BeltranJob Assignment: I work with the Facilities ManagementOffice as a facility manager providing testing servicessupporting aircraft engine research in acoustics andcombustion.Time at Glenn: I completed 17 years in June 2002.Hometown: I was born in the Bronx, NY, and currentlyreside in Olmsted Falls.Describe your family: I'm blessed with a wonderful family—my wife Ana, my daughter, Elisa, and my son, Daniel. Ana

and I met in 1985, shortly after I arrived in the Cleveland area. We got marriedin 1987. Ana is a wonderful wife and companion, and I praise God for bringingher into my life. Elisa, 13, is in eighth grade and Daniel, 10, is in the fifth grade.Our children are treasures from God. They keep Ana and me very busy as mostchildren do, and we're grateful for the family times we can share together.Career alternative: My dream was always to be a military aircraft pilot.Favorite music: I love easy listening Spanish music; the Spanish language is bothpowerful and very poetic in music.Favorite book or magazine: My favorite book is the Bible, God's living andprecious Word to us. Napoleon said, "The Bible is no mere book, but a livingcreature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it."Favorite movie or play: One of my favorite movies is still Raiders of the Lost Arkand other Indiana Jones movies.Person you most admire: I was fortunate to be raised by my grandmother,Angelina Maldonado Soto, in Puerto Rico from the age of 2 to 6. Even thoughshe has moved on to a much better place, her impact in my life is everlasting.She was like an angel, as her name implies. She was always loving, caring, andhumble, providing faith and strength for our family when things seemed hopeless.Abraham Lincoln said, "Everything I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."I would slightly modify that to say my angel grandmother.

Dr. OkojieCharleston

Bitler

Technical achievers

Jo Ann Charleston, Office of EducationalPrograms, received the Education Tech-nology Think Tank Technology Cham-pion award in recognition of vision,planning, and implementation of science,mathematics, and engineering programsfor minority youth. Charleston alsoreceived the 2002 National TechnicalAssociation (NTA) Technical Achieveraward in the Educational category.

Dr. Robert Okojie, Sensors and Electron-ics Technology Branch, received the NTATechnical Achiever award in the Scien-tific category for his exceptional accom-plishments in advancing the state of theart of microelectromechanical systems.

Gail Wright, GLTC,received the NTATechnical Achieveraward in the cat-egory of TechnicalE n t r e p r e n e u r .Wright heads upthe Garrett MorganCommercializationInitiative.

Dean Bitler, Commercial TechnologyOffice, received a letter of appreciationand a medal by the Korean Governmentfor his sacrifice andservice. He andother Korean Warveterans were pre-sented the formalc o m m e n d a t i o nduring a ceremonyat the LakewoodCivic Auditoriumon September 28.

Commendation

Karen Arcuri retired from the Office ofHuman Resources and Workforce Plan-ning on November 3, 2002, with 12 yearsof NASA service.

William Jones retired from the Structuresand Acoustics Division on September 21,2002, with 37 years of NASA service.

John Johnson retired from the Test Instal-lations Division on September 27, 2002,with 21 years of NASA service.

Hugh Pierce, Jr., retired from the Officeof Human Resources and WorkforcePlanning on November 2, 2002, with 12years of NASA service.

Frederick Rakes retired from the TestInstallations Division on July 13, 2002,with 25 years of NASA service.

Michael Seaver retired from the FacilitiesTest Engineering Division on October 3,2002, with 39 years of NASA service.

Jones Seaver

Wright

12

Volume 4 Issue 11 November 2002

AeroSpace Frontiersis recyclable!

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

John H. Glenn Research CenterLewis Field21000 Brookpark RoadCleveland, Ohio 44135

Native American Indian Heritage Month

BY DOREEN B. ZUDELL

W

Employees raise cultural awareness

hile few of us will ever know what ittruly means to be an American Indian,becoming aware of the history, customs,and challenges of indigenous people arekey to breaking down barriers andbuilding respect.

Avis Hudson, a member of Glenn'sOffice of Equal Opportunity Programs(OEOP) and Native American Programmanager, explained that many Americansstereotype indigenous people, not realiz-ing that each tribe has its own language,customs, and structure.

"What's important to know is that indig-enous people share the same traditionsin respect to spirituality. This is demon-strated through respect of elders andchildren, symbolism in ceremonies andcelebrations (which today are commonlyreferred to as powwows), and caring forthe Earth," explained Hudson, a memberof the Dakota Sioux and Navajo tribes.

To eliminate stereotypes and address theconcerns of American Indians, Hudsonand others at Glenn work throughavenues such as the American Indian

Science and Engineering Society, NASAHeadquarter's Native American Program,and Glenn's Native American AdvisoryCouncil (NAAC).

NAAC member Dr. Kelly Carney, Struc-tural Mechanics and Dynamics Branch—an avid student and reader of nonfictionbooks on the Native American culture formany years—has come to know and re-spect these cultures.

"Ohio was the scene of one of thelongest and largest Indian wars, whichlasted almost continuously between theRevolutionary War and the War of 1812,"said Carney. "After the Indians' defeat,most of the Ohio-area tribes weremoved to west of the Mississippi, and soIndian presence was almost absent untilthe relocation program in the 1950s."

The relocation program, an effort by theFederal Government to assimilate NativeAmericans into mainstream culture bymoving them from their reservations tothe cities, was often a difficult andunfruitful experience for the tribes.

NAAC believes it can play a role in rectify-ing injustices of the past by providing

opportunities for indigenous people toexcel and fulfill their potential. Towardthis goal, the NAAC is undertaking aneducation initiative to break down barri-ers on a local level. It is their hope thatthrough this initiative NAAC will attractNative Americans to the fields of scienceand engineering.

"NAAC and Glenn's OEOP will continueto work to eliminate the misconceptionsthat Native Americans aren't around anymore and that enough has been doneto help them," Hudson affirmed. "Amore basic necessity facing AmericanIndians today is perhaps best expressedin Chief Sitting Bull's wise words, 'Let'sput our heads together to think of thefuture of our children.'" �

Dr. Kelly Carney (left) and Avis Hudsonwork to raise cultural awareness.

Photo by D

oreen Zudell