Right Around the Corner
A Publication for the Baltimore/Washington Area
from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
February 2002

New NASA Administrator Mr. Sean O'Keefe visited Goddard on January 22. Mr. O'Keefe addressed Goddard employees at an All Hand's Meeting, expressing his humility at taking such a position in a agency which he said continues to reflect the spirit of America, and "the capacity to explore." Mr. O'Keefe touched on the three points for creating a great organization: professionalism, resources to perform duties, and recognition of successes and failures.

Mr. O'Keefe's visit also included a keynote address to the Center's resources community, and lunch with a group of Presidential Management Interns (the Administrator was a member of the first class of PMIs). Joined by members of Maryland's Congressional delegation, Senator Sarbanes, Senator Mikulski, Congressman Cardin and Gilchrest, the Administrator toured the Detector Development Laboratory, the Scientific Visualization Studio and portions of the 7/10/29 facility complex before participating in a media event with the Congressional members. His visit ended with a reception at the Visitors Center attended by a number of community, academic and business leaders.

To view photos from the Administrator's visit go to:http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/okeefepics.htm

Upcoming Goddard Missions/HESSI and HST

Exploring the Most Powerful Explosions in the Solar System

A new NASA spacecraft will soon be studying gigantic explosions in the atmosphere of the Sun with a unique kind of X-ray vision, producing the first high-fidelity color movies of solar flares in their highest energy emissions. NASA's High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on February 5 from a Stargazer L-1011 aircraft. The Stargazer cradles HESSI under its belly, stored inside a Pegasus rocket.

HESSI will study the dynamics of solar flares. Solar flares, the solar systems mightiest explosions in the atmosphere of the Sun, are packed with as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT.

"The Sun has a trick that nobody totally understands," said Dr. Richard Fisher, Chief of the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics at Goddard Space Flight Center. "It can take magnetic energy and turn it into a stunningly powerful blast of heat, light and radiation. HESSI will finally unlock the secrets of the initiation and onset of flares."

The launch of HESSI is timed to coincide around the peak in the Sun's 11-year magnetic activity cycle.
Data produced by HESSI will provide scientists will the finest images and spectra ever made using the gamma rays and the highest energy X-rays emitted by such flares.

For more information on the HESSI mission visit: http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/hessi/index.html

Hubble Servicing Mission Set for February 28

New and Improved - that's the condition of the telescope after each servicing mission. With more than 11 years of historically astounding science already accomplished, Hubble looks to the next servicing mission to enhance its capabilities for even more exciting new discoveries.

The next 360-mile high service call, Shuttle Mission STS-109, scheduled for February 28, 2002, will add a camera that will increase the imaging capability of Hubble ten times over its current capabilities. Astronauts also will fit Hubble with a smaller, more powerful set of solar arrays, a fresh power control unit, a refurbished reaction wheel assembly, and an experimental cooling system to reinvigorate Hubble's infrared vision.

For more information on the launch and mission visit: http://hubble.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Virginia Firm Wins $82 Million Contract

ManTech Systems Engineering Corporation of Fairfax, Va., has won a $82.3 million contract to provide engineering and technician mechanical support at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Goddard builds instruments and satellites that monitor the Earth's vital signs, study the Sun and its influence on our planet and peer into the deepest reaches of space for answers to fundamental questions about the origin and fate of the Universe. Sub-contractors include two Maryland firms, Jackson and Tull, Seabrook, Md. and Swales Aerospace, Beltsville, Md.

To accomplish this task, Goddard operates the Environmental Test and Integration Facility to assemble the instruments and satellites and verify their ability to withstand the rigors of launch and the extremes of space. The contractor will provide engineering and technical services for the operation, maintenance and modernization of the facility. This facility is one of the most complete and comprehensive within the United States government for environmental test and qualification of space flight hardware. The cost-plus-award-fee contract begins on May 1, 2002.

NASA Balloon Makes Record-Breaking Flight

Larger than a football field and flying near the edge of space, a NASA scientific balloon has set a new flight record of almost 32 days after completing two orbits around the South Pole. The record-breaking balloon carried the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (Tiger) experiment, designed to search for the origin of cosmic rays, atomic particles that travel through the galaxy at near light-speeds and shower the Earth constantly.

The pilotless, helium-filled scientific balloon was launched from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, at 6:30 a.m. EST on Dec. 20, 2001. The balloon traveled approximately 8,800 miles (about 14,000 kilometers) before landing about 31 days, 20 hours later at 3:03 a.m. EST, Jan. 21, 284 miles (458 kilometers) from the McMurdo Station.

"We are excited with the duration of this flight, which allowed the scientists to get ample science to perform their studies," said Steve Smith, Chief of the Balloon Program Office at Wallops Flight Facility. "We routinely have long-duration balloons that float for up to two weeks, but to have one flight last for over 31 days is very rewarding."

For the complete article on the scientific balloon, go to: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2002/h02-13.htm

Nine Small Business Projects Selected for Further Development

NASA has selected nine research proposals for negotiation of Phase 2 contract awards for its 2000 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. Phase 2 continues development of the most promising previously selected Phase 1 projects. Selection criteria include scientific and technical merit, future importance and eventual value of the innovation to NASA, company capabilities, and commercial potential. Funding for Phase 2 contracts may be up to $500,000 for a two-year performance period.

The goals of the STTR program are to stimulate technological innovation; increase the use of small business, including women-owned and disadvantaged firms, in meeting federal research and development needs; and increase private sector commercialization of federally funded research results. Two of the nine companies announced are disadvantaged firms.

The NASA STTR Program Management Office is located at the Goddard Space Flight Center, with executive oversight by NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology. Individual STTR projects are managed by NASA's field centers. A listing of the selected companies can be found on the Internet at: http://sbir.nasa.gov

EUVE Spacecraft Re-Enters Earth's Atmosphere

NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) re-entered the Earth's atmosphere at approximately 11:15 p.m. EST January 31, 2002. According to calculations made by the United States Space Command Space Control Center, EUVE re-entered the atmosphere over central Egypt.

"The actual location of EUVE's re-entry was within the predicted orbit track," said Scott Hull, spacecraft engineering lead for space science mission operations, at Goddard Space Flight Center. "We expected EUVE could come in at a number of points along the ground track."
This range included areas as far north as Orlando, Fla., and as far south as Brisbane, Australia.

Additional background information about EUVE is available on the Internet at: http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/euve/euve.html

Engineers Week: February 18 - 22

So you wanted to be an engineer or technician. Why not encourage others as someone did for you? Join us for Engineers Week activities this year, February 18-22, 2002. Review the NEW Engineers Week web-site:http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/eweek/engineers/ for registration, resources and assistance. You were encouraged. How about encouraging others!

Tips for Official Business Visits to Goddard -
Goddard is continuing to operate under heightened security procedures, which include 100% escorting of visitors.

· Visitors on official business must sign in at the Main Gatehouse and be escorted during their entire visit.
· Be prepared to show photo identification.
· Be prepared for random vehicle inspections.

Thank you for your patience and support of Goddard's security policies and personnel.