GRAA NEWSLETTER

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM RON BROWNING, GRAA PRESIDENT: Due to the inopportune timing of the notice received from Center Management that the Barney and Bea Rec Center was closing on January 31st for “renovations,” we were precluded from promptly notifying members by regular mail because the February issue of the newsletter was already printed (although we were able to send a notice to members who receive the email version of the newsletter). Fortunately, Alberta Moran was able to find a quick solution by negotiating with representatives at the Greenbelt American Legion (6900 Greenbelt Road) to hold our luncheons for the foreseeable future at their facility. Some 53 members made the change for our February luncheon to the new venue and enjoyed an interesting presentation, good food, and usual great company. GRAA provided heartfelt thank you gifts to Randy Schum, Rec Center Manager, and his assistant, John Slagle, for their dedicated service during the past 12 years. John Hrastar, GRAA member and former Director of Goddard’s Systems Technology and Advanced Concepts Directorate, presented us details from his book, “Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) in the United States: A History.” His story begins on October 20, 1944, when an LNG tank exploded in his hometown of Cleveland, OH, killing 130 people and devastating a residential area. This was the first LNG storage plant in the US and had been in operation since early 1941. Fifty billion British Thermal Units of energy were released by the explosion, sending LNG into the streets and sewers and causing an inferno in the community of wooden homes. John described NG collection starting with the Chinese in 100 AD and the liquefaction process, first using coal in a plant in Baltimore, MD, and then to liquefying into large storage tanks in Cleveland, where the explosion was the result of steel tanks made from only 3 percent nickel. The explosion set back LNG production some 15 years. John will return to a later luncheon to cover the second half of his book and explain the review of the LNG tank explosion, attendant analyses, and corrective actions.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Treasurer Bob Wigand reports he received tax-deductible contributions from the following members: Richard Baker, David Manges, Robert Stelmaszek, Thomas Underwood, and Charles E. White.

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES – THEY HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH :
-     On February 3, 1965, a Delta rocket launched the Orbital Solar Observatory (OSO) B-2 satellite from Cape Canaveral, FL. The spacecraft performed solar physics experiments and mapped the entire celestial sphere for direction and intensity of UV light and X-ray and gamma radiation. OSO-B2 ceased operating on June 1, 1966.
-     On March 25, 2000, a Delta II rocket launched the IMAGE/Explorer 78 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. It was the first satellite dedicated to studying the global response of the Earth’s magnetosphere to changes in the solar wind. The IMAGE spacecraft ceased operations in December 2005.

ELECTION OF GRAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD) : The election for the GRAA BOD will be held at the luncheon on April 8^th. There is a ballot included at the end of this newsletter to be completed and sent back by mail or via email (to arrive by April 1^st) to davidlmoulton@comcast.net so ballots can be counted and/or other names included on ballots to be passed out at the luncheon. When using email, simply include the names of members for whom you are voting and/or names you want to add.

THOUGHT FOR MARCH: Why do doctors leave examining rooms when we get undressed and then later look us all over anyway?

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

•  Renate S. Bever, of Bethesda, MD, passed away on January 31^st. She was a Physicist and Aeronautical/Electrical Engineer at Goddard in the Space Power Applications Branch of the Space Technology Division and worked on the high voltage supplies for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, Cosmic Background Explorer and other satellites.

•  William T. Burns, of Salisbury, MD, passed away on February 4^th. He spent his career as a Physicist at Goddard and retired in 1995 as Test Director in the Operations Division at Wallops Flight Facility.

•  Frank C. Cole, Jr., of Forest Hill, MD, passed away on January 23^rd. During his 30 years at Goddard he worked in both the Maintenance Branch and the Plant Engineering Branch of the Plant Operations and Maintenance Division.

•  Frank DeMarco, of Annapolis, MD, passed away on February 1^st. He worked at Goddard in the Sheetmetal Branch of the Fabrication Division building components of various spacecraft such as satellites, rockets, and the Space Shuttle.

•  Charles R. Myers, of Upperco, MD, passed away on January 23^rd. He was a Civil Engineer at Goddard and, over time, worked in both the Field Facilities Branch of the Network Engineering and Operations Division and in the Physical Plant Engineering Branch of the Network Facilities and Services Division.

•  Peter J. Salerno, of Beltsville, MD, passed away on January 6^th. He was an Electrical Engineer at Goddard and was, over time, Head of the Electrical Systems & Integration & Test Group of the Special Payloads Division, and later worked in the Electrical Systems Center and the Systems Review Office of the Office of Systems Safety & Mission Assurance.

•  Bernard V. “Bernie” Tomardy, of Stevensville, MD, passed away on February 11^th from a long struggle with esophageal cancer. He worked as a Communications Specialist for the NASA Communications Network (Nascom). Over time he worked in the Nascom Control Center on the Communications Manager console, as Communications Security Custodian, and in numerous other capacities. Later, he became Head of the Information Technology Security Branch of the Information Services Division. A celebration of Bernie’s life will be held on Sunday, March 2^nd, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Kent Island Elks Lodge at 2525 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD.

2014 EDITION OF THE GRAA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY : The 2014 edition of the GRAA Membership Directory is under review for publication in the May timeframe. For contact information (e.g., home address, email address, telephone number) needing to be updated, please send the information to GRAA’s mailing address or via email to Strat Laios at stratlaios@verizon.net.