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

As part of the Earth System Science Pathfinder small-satellite program, NASA has selected a new space mission proposal, called Aquarius, led by Goddard that will yield fresh insight into how oceans affect and respond to climate change -- knowledge that will help better life here on Earth.

"Aquarius will provide the first-ever global maps of salt concentration on the ocean surface, a key area of scientific uncertainty in the oceans' capacity to store and transport heat, which in turn affects Earth's climate and the water cycle," said Dr. Ghassem Asrar, Associate Administrator for Earth Science at NASA Headquarters.

Principal investigator Dr. Chester J. Koblinsky of Goddard will lead the Aquarius mission. Goddard will build and calibrate the highly accurate radiometers that are crucial for the detection of ocean salinity and will manage the mission after launch and provide the science data center. The project is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Goddard Hosts Community Meeting

Goddard is hosting a Community Meeting on August 6 to provide a status report on the draft Facilities Master Plan that was submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission on July 5.

Submission of the Plan initiates the official review and comment period for the public. Goddard planners will be available to describe potential consequences for the community, roadways, and environment. Discussion will also include how to provide written feedback during the comment period, which ends September 3.

The community meeting will be held Tuesday, August 6 from 7-9 p.m. (doors will open at 6 p.m.) at DuVal High School, Goodluck Road, Lanham, Md.

The Facilities Master Plan and Environmental Assessment documents are available for public review at the following Prince George's County Memorial Libraries: Greenbelt, New Carrollton and Bowie Branches. For more information visit the website at http://gsfc-facilities.gsfc.nasa.gov/

NOAA-17 (M) Environmental Satellite Successfully Launched

The nation's newest polar-orbiting environmental satellite, NOAA-17, was turned over to the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on July 14.

NOAA-17, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on June 24, will improve weather and climate forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world. It is the third in a series of five polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding capabilities that will operate over the next 10 years.

"The NOAA-17 satellite is working beautifully," said Karen Halterman, Goddard's project manager for the polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite program.

"We're extremely pleased with the success of the verification process, and look forward to a successful mission for NOAA-17," said Mike Mignogno, NOAA's polar program manager. "This success is due to the professionalism of a large team of NASA, NOAA and contractor personnel."

For more information about NOAA-17 and the polar orbiting satellites, see the following web sites: http://www.earth.nasa.gov

CONTOUR Spacecraft Launched in July

NASA's Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft - set to provide the closest look yet at the "heart" of a comet - successfully launched July 3 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Goddard scientists Dr. Paul Mahaffy and Dr. Hasso Niemann of the Atmospheric Experiment Branch developed the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) for CONTOUR. This instrument carries out measurements of the chemical and isotopic composition of the neutral gas and ion species near the nucleus of each comet during the fast CONTOUR flybys.

CONTOUR was designed and built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md. "CONTOUR's launch was a spectacular start to an important project," says Dr. Stamatios M. Krimigis, head of the APL Space Department. "CONTOUR is next in the growing lineup of missions to explore small planetary bodies - such as comets and asteroids - and we expect it will add much to what little we know
about these ancient samples of the solar system's original materials." For more details on this mission visit: http://webserver.gsfc.nasa.gov/contour.html

Astrophysicist Honored with Goddard's Highest Space Science Award

Scientific endeavors are rarely associated with the imagination, but for Dr. Floyd Stecker, an astrophysicist at Goddard Space Flight Center, the two have much in common. Stecker, a Silver Spring, Md., resident, was recently awarded Goddard's annual John C. Lindsay Award for Space Science for his innovative series of papers that will help scientists study galaxy evolution in a new way.

"I feel honored to receive this award, not only because it's the highest award that Goddard gives for science, but also because it's hardly ever given to theorists," said Stecker. Stecker's award-winning work provides a technique for scientists to measure infrared-optical-ultraviolet (IR-O-UV) radiation from extragalactic space that is emitted from stars and dust in galaxies.

The John C. Lindsay Award has celebrated this type of cutting-edge thinking since 1966. It was named in honor of Dr. John C. Lindsay who contributed greatly to exploration of the Sun via satellite and rocket-borne experiments and who founded the Orbiting Solar Observatory Project.

NASA Atmospheric Scientist Receives Flemming Award

Dr. Paul A. Newman, an atmospheric physicist in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch at Goddard, recently received the 2002 Arthur S. Flemming Award. Newman is one of 12 recipients of this prestigious award that honors individuals with three to 15 years of government experience for their extraordinary contributions to the federal government.

Newman is a recognized international leader in stratospheric ozone research and is honored for his leadership in stratospheric polar ozone research that has led to a number of remarkable breakthroughs. His work has been a key element to the direction of ozone research activities, and has provided scientific foundation for U.S. government policies on ozone depletion.

NASA Modifies Lockheed Contract to Support Final Hubble Servicing Mission

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company's Missiles and Space Operations, Sunnyvale, Calif., has received a contract modification valued at $123 million from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for work to be performed in support of Servicing Mission 4, the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Servicing Mission 4 is scheduled for February 2004.

The Hubble Space Telescope Program is managed by Goddard for the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington. More information about the Hubble Space Telescope can be found at: http://hubble.nasa.gov

Goddard Employee is "All Star" Recipient of the Women of Color, Government and Defense Technology Awards

The second annual Women of Color Government and Defense Technology Awards Conference was held recently in Washington, D.C. Among the recognized recipients of the "All Star" award was Charlene Malloy, an Information Technology (IT) Management Analyst at Goddard. She works with the Library Information Services Branch and the Applications Development Branch where she is responsible for managing and monitoring the information systems tasks performed by the IT team.

The Conference recognizes the superior achievements and accomplishments of minority women leaders, in the fields of math, science, technology and engineering. In addition, the event identifies exceptional women who are making outstanding contributions in their field.

Come See Us at the State Fair

Goddard is once again exhibiting at the Maryland State Fair held at the Timonium Fairgronds in Baltimore County. Teams of high school students sponsored from around the region will participate in the 2nd Annual NASA/FIRST Competition at the 121st Maryland State Fair. Each team's "champion robot" will be on display from Friday, August 23 through August 30 at the Fair. Beginning on Saturday, August 31 and running through Monday, September 2, from 10:00 a.m. until 5 p.m., the teams will compete in a spirited, no-holds-barred tournament complete with referees, cheerleaders and time clocks. Some 24 teams will compete for ribbons, trophies and scholarships.

The next issue of RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER will appear in October 2002. Please send your comments to: Nina.G.Harris.1@gsfc.nasa.gov
Homepage: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov