Ernie J. Shannon Jan. 31, 1996 Goddard Space Flight Center (301) 286-6256 or 286-0697 RELEASE NO: 96-007 GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 1995 IN REVIEW Unseasonably warm weather with temperatures in the 50's greeted 1995, a year that brought many changes at the Goddard Space Flight Center along with a host of achievements in the fields of space exploration and Earth science. Most significantly, as the new year dawned, NASA announced that the Goddard-managed Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) provided convincing evidence that man-made chlorine in the stratosphere is the cause of the Antarctic Ozone hole. The discovery was the culmination of years of research and theory development by researchers around the world. Early on, to augment the center's resource development and maintenance, Nancy A. Abell became deputy comptroller in the Office of the Comptroller, a newly created position. Abell served as the resources management officer in the Space Science Directorate. Also, early in 1995, Goddard received the PaceSetter Award for the center's effort to raise more than $400,000 for the 1994 Combined Federal Campaign. The recognition came from the National Capital Area of the Combined Federal Campaign. Topping off the month of January, NASA Headquarters announced the selection of a proposed scientific investigation which includes the development of a new camera for the Goddard-managed Hubble Space Telescope. The successful performance of two Goddard-managed projects on board STS- 63 relieved the chill of February. The Spartan-204 and the Hitchhiker met project managers' goals during the historic mission which included the first rendezvous of the Space Shuttle and the Russian Space Station Mir. NASA discontinued Operations of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer aboard the Russian Meteor-3 spacecraft. This Goddard instrument exceeded its expected life by more than two years delivering important data used to develop maps of ozone levels in the atmosphere. As February ended, Goddard hosted an interactive network presentation called, JASON Project Voyage VI: Island Earth. -more- -2- This expedition electronically transported students to Hawaiian volcanoes and fields of flowing lava. About 2,400 students and 130 teachers participated in the event. (The 1996 expedition will take students and teachers to the Continental Shelf and the Florida Keys.) As the first thaws of winter began in early March, the center's Deputy Director Tom Huber announced his retirement. After nearly 30 years of hands-on engineering, Huber closed out his distinguished career in Goddard's number two position. In related news, 272 employees applied for buy-out incentives offered by the agency in an attempt to bring employee levels down by the year 2000 to meet White House- mandated restructuring. In space, the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope distinguished itself on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour during STS-67. Goddard's Dr. Ron Parise joined the STS-67 crew as an astronomer for the mission. This was Parise's second Shuttle flight. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope continued to deliver new images and information. This month, the telescope identified the presence of an extremely tenuous atmosphere of molecular oxygen around Jupiter's second moon, Europa. The rebirth of spring in April brought significant changes to the Goddard Space Flight Center. Center Director Dr. John Klineberg retired from the agency after 25 years. He served as Goddard's Director for nearly five years. Joseph Rothenberg, who, for several years, worked as Associate Director for Flight Projects for the Hubble Space Telescope, was named Deputy Center Director, then Acting Director by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. Also in April, the center joined other institutions around the country in celebrating Earth Day. Goddard recognized Earth Day with tree- planting ceremonies, colloquiums, lunch-time seminars and an Earth Science Fair sponsored by the Earth Science Directorate. This year's event marked the 25th year of Earth Day. In May, the Goddard-managed GOES-J spacecraft successfully launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida. GOES-I and J provide vastly improved weather data to forecasters including stunning shots of hurricanes during the 1995 hurricane season. The 1995 season was the most active one in more than 50 years with more than a dozen named hurricanes crossing the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the first suborbital space payload built and managed by junior and senior high school students was launched on a NASA Sounding Rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. And, final launch preparations began for two major Goddard projects: the TDRS-G satellite and the X-ray Timing Explorer. In June, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin directed Goddard to study alternatives to the Orbital Science Corporation's Pegasus XL. The research looked at a number of launch vehicles from the United States and around the world in a comprehensive effort to broaden the agency's launch alternatives in the years ahead. The Goddard Wallops Flight Facility celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house, tours and other events for the surrounding communities. -more--3- In July Acting Center Director Joseph Rothenberg was named Director by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. Several employees including Dr. Piers Sellers, Earth Science Directorate, who received the Arthur S. Fleming award, and Carol Bleile, and Rex Elliott, both Goddard Procurement employees, who received National Contract Management awards, were recognized during respective presentation ceremonies off- center. The astronauts who will perform space-walking duties for the Goddard- managed second Hubble servicing mission were selected. And the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope provided images of the starburst galaxy, NGC4736. Despite a hot and humid August, the pace of activity increased at the center. The Goddard Public Affairs Office launched a new World-Wide-Web Homepage (http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc.html) on the Internet, making the story of Goddard readily available to the general public. Preparations continued for the second Hubble Servicing Mission in 1997. Goddard engineers performed inspections of the replacement Fine Guidance System Radial Bay Module and sent it to Hughes Danbury Optical Systems for "bake out." Although an ambitious in-house effort, this process is more efficient and cost-effective than performing the task elsewhere. Goddard technology helped save the lives of eight people during a hurricane this month. The Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking or SARSAT instrument, received a signal from an activated beacon aboard a casino cruise ship that was stranded and sinking in bad weather. The U. S. Coast Guard responded and saved the lives. In September, Goddard began implementing a standards-based electronic mail infrastructure. The Information Resource Oversight committee agreed to provide a solution to standardize e-mail on an open systems based upon research and recommendations from around the center. The Goddard community outreach efforts received a boost with the Goddard Fall Community Day at the Visitor Center. Preston Burch of the Flight Projects Directorate gave a special demonstration on Hubble Space Telescope operations. More than 4,000 people attended this semi-annual event. On Oct. 1, Goddard transferred control of the International Ultraviolet Explorer to a partnership of the European Space Agency and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council of the United Kingdom. Goddard provided nearly two decades of continuous operations support. Managers of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite announced that, for the first time, American satellite data was relayed to a foreign satellite, the Japanese Engineering Test Satellite. The effort was successful and, as a result, managers plan similar transfers of data in the future. November proved to be a very busy month starting with the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on a second docking mission with the Space Station Mir. During the mission, Atlantis carried the Goddard-managed Hitchhiker payload in its cargo bay. NASA selected the center's Pistol Grip Tool to be the extravehicular activity power tool provider for International Space Station Alpha. Goddard engineers developed the tool for the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Speaking of the Hubble Space Telescope, images titled "Star -more- -4- Birth in the Eagle Nebula" proved to be the most dramatic pictures yet taken by the Telescope. And the first "snapshot" of the spiral structure of the solar system's magnetic field was generated by the Ulysses spacecraft. Finally, Dr. Robert Price became Associate Director of Goddard for Mission to Planet Earth. This appointment made Price the senior Goddard official responsible for developing and placing into operation an Earth Observing System. In December, NASA launched the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). SOHO is a mission of international cooperation with the European Space Agency and will address the mysteries of energy transport from the solar interior to the solar wind. In addition, the X-ray Timing Explorer launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta rocket. Closing out the year, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin visited in mid-December and had praise for the Center's science and engineering endeavors. In other activities that lasted throughout 1995, the advancement and application of new Goddard technologies became a center priority. While meeting mission goals, technologies developed at Goddard have placed the center at the forefront of technological innovation. Last year, Goddard led the world in development and advancement of technology within cryogenics, fiber optics, detectors, data compression, spacecraft communications and ground systems. In December, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin visited various Goddard facilities and expressed "amazement and delight" with the technological achievements by Goddard scientists, engineers and technicians. Significant changes are occurring in Goddard's culture and management structure with the completion and implementation of the Zero-Base Review results. Based on these, Goddard is restructuring by reducing its infrastructure and looking for more efficient ways to do business. The goal is to cut infrastructure costs without impacting programs. The outcome leaves a Goddard Space Flight Center with its current programs intact, new initiatives on the horizon such as the New Millennium Earth System Science Probes programs, and better enabling science research and development. Finally, as a fitting wrap-up of 1995, Goddard Center Director Joe Rothenberg appointed Dot Zukor, who serves as the deputy director in the Earth Sciences Directorate, to head a strategic planning team. During the first of this new year, Zukor's team will lead the center as employees and managers examine what Goddard's "road map" for the future should be. The key issues that will be resolved are the values that will guide the center, the mission that Goddard will accomplish, and the strategies that will guide the decisions. The process will be an active one that involves all levels of the center. -30-