G.R.A.A.
Goddard Retirees and Alumni Association
P.O. Box 163, Lanham, MD 20703-0163

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM RON BROWNING, GRAA PRESIDENT: Our speaker for the March GRAA Luncheon was Mike Comberiate, who provided a lively presentation and keenly demonstrated his passion for bringing the best and brightest college students to Goddard. He captures their interest, imagination and enthusiasm by providing an environment in which technical challenges prevail, but failure is tolerated. Upwards of 52 college interns at a time work on electrical, mechanical and software engineering applications to develop robotic devices that are field-tested in such diverse global locations as Antarctica. The students are also able to enhance their resumes by making YouTube videos of their project contributions. Mike has always been an original thinker who applies his systems engineering and scientific abilities in creative ways to exciting projects using minimal resources. He demonstrated a rover-type robot built from scrounged parts and software his group has developed. The robot can be programmed to maneuver around obstacles and does spatial recognition using laser ranging techniques. After 42 years at Goddard, “NASAMike” still exhibits amazing energy and drive directed toward making Goddard an exciting place to work.

I would greatly appreciate your suggestions about launches, major events, discoveries, or other special activities you would like to see recognized in our FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES section of the GRAA Newsletter. Please send them to me at arkabee@verizon.net or call me at 301-927-1209.

COPIES OF “READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR!” AGAIN AVAILABLE: For members who did not request a copy earlier, we have secured a limited number of copies of the “Story of NASA’s Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network.” If you would like to be sent a copy, send a check to GRAA for $5.00 (for postal charges) to our Lanham address. If you want to pick up a free copy at our April or May luncheon, send a note to our Lanham address or e-mail to Strat Laios (stratlaios@verizon.net) and ask him to reserve a copy for you.

EXPLORE@NASA GODDARD OPEN HOUSE : On Saturday, May 14^th (from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), Goddard will open its gates for a community day event of fun-filled activities, hands-on demonstrations, entertainment, and food. Explore@NASA Goddard will showcase the work and people of NASA and Goddard with a focus on science, engineering, and technology. This year’s theme is “Understanding our Changing Planet” and attendees will learn about Goddard’s research in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, and more. You can be part of the action, as Goddard management is seeking GRAA members to be part of the event staff by helping with guided tours of the Center and other assignments. If interested in volunteering for a four-hour shift, please contact Maria Acevedo-Rivera (301-286-4449 or maria.e.acevedo-rivera@nasa.gov) or Christina Coleman (301-286-1046 or christina.a.coleman@nasa.gov) to either sign up as a volunteer or request additional information.

RECENT RETIREES : Dolphas A. Ragland and Dorothy J. Tiffany.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH : There are three kinds of men - those who learn by reading; the few who learn by observation; and all the rest who choose to urinate on the electric fence and find out for themselves.

TREASURER'S REPORT : Bob Wigand reports tax-deductible contributions were received from the following members: Ed Danko, Jim Gray, Glenn Harris, Jim Mentall, John Millman, Dave Pfenning, Ed and Phyllis Radovich, Jim Robinson, John Sudey, Barbara Sweeney (in memory of Charles Vanek), and Mary Trainor.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

•  Hans O. Bremer, of Chevy Chase, MD (and more recently of Gaithersburg, MD), passed away on March 13^th. A Goddard pioneer, he helped support science research through the acquisition and operation of the Center’s first sets of Scientific Supercomputers. His early contributions were in operations research, the complex problems of using computers in helping managerial decision making and managing work flow, money, and time.

•  Dorothy L. Crotty, of Bowie, MD, passed away on February 15^th following a prolonged illness. During her Goddard career, she worked principally as a Secretary in the Management Services and Supply Division.

•  Harold (Hal) L. Hoff, of North Myrtle Beach, SC, passed away on February 27^th. Prior to joining NASA, he was instrumental in designing the Naval Research Laboratory’s Minitrack network for retrieving data from the Vanguard satellite. As a Goddard pioneer, he rose to Chief of the Space Tracking and Data Acquisition Network and was later elevated to the position of Assistant Associate Director of Operations at NASA Headquarters.

•  Jeremiah (Jerry) J. Madden, of Washington, DC, passed away on February 19^th. As a Goddard pioneer, he was an Engineer who served in many capacities, including Project Manager for numerous satellite missions. His last project was the Earth Observing System and he retired in 1995 as Associate Director of the Flight Projects Directorate.

•  William (Bill) P. Olden, of Bowie, MD, passed away on February 18^th. As an Applied Physicist at Goddard, he represented the Nimbus Operations Control Center and was tireless in engaging managers in an effort to increase the allocation of Goddard’s supercomputer resources for Nimbus. Before retiring, he was an Information Security Specialist in the Security Branch of the Management Operations Directorate for a few years.

•  Charles (Charlie) S. Vanek, of Ellicott City, MD, passed away on March 8^th of complications from cancer treatment. He was an Electrical Engineer who held numerous assignments in the Engineering Directorate prior to joining the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Project and rising over time to become TDRS Project Manager. He later became Associate Director of the Flight Projects Directorate, Director of the Office of Systems Safety and Mission Assurance, and the Center’s Assistant Director for Safety and Security.

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES - IT HAPPENED IN APRIL:
On April 26, 1962, a Thor-Delta rocket launched Ariel I, the first international cooperative satellite. Ariel I was named for the spirit of the air who was released by Prospero in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Ariel I was designed and built at Goddard and carried six British experiments to study the ionosphere and its complex relationship to solar radiation.

LEARN AND TEACH ABOUT SPACE SCIENCE : GRAA members wanting to learn or teach about space science will find extensive material at http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sstern.htm, the educational web pages of GRAA member David P. Stern. His separate tutorials are entitled: The Exploration of the Earth’s Magnetosphere; From Stargazers to Starships; The Great Magnet, the Earth; and All Things Electric and Magnetic. They are all free and can be downloaded to zip archives for your use. For details, check out http://www.phy6.org/readfirst.htm. Dr. Stern will gratefully accept comments and suggested improvements to his web pages via e-mail at david@phy6.org.