GRAA NEWSLETTER
P.O. Box 1184, Greenbelt, MD 20768-1184

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM TONY COMBERIATE, GRAA PRESIDENT: Our July speaker was Dr. Michael J. Mumma, Senior Scientist in Goddard’s Solar System Exploration Division and the founder of the Goddard Center for Astrobiology (and in 1999 the International Astronomical Union named the Asteroid 8340 in his honor). His presentation, entitled “The Search for Life on Mars: Methane as a (possible) Messenger,” was a natural sequel to last month’s talk by Dr. Paul R. Mahaffy, who provided us an up-to-date answer to the question, “Is Mars alive?” Dr. Mumma explained how our understanding of our solar system has changed since the 1990s, when we thought that all the other bodies in our solar system were dead. We now have only eight planets (Pluto is an icy dwarf planet), thousands of structures have been found in the Kuiper Disk, and a class of ocean worlds has been identified, including Earth, Mars, Enceladus (Saturn moon), Europa (Jupiter moon), Triton (Neptune moon), and Pluto/Charon (binary ocean worlds under an ice shelf).

To search for evidence that there once was life on Mars, we first ask the question, “Why is Earth alive and why is life so prolific on Earth?” Life on Earth, in the form of microorganisms, was present 3.8 billion years ago. They produced an oxygen-rich atmosphere over the next 2 billion years, but only after 3.7 billion years did complex life, including humans, develop. The atmospheric signature of a living planet is evident in the simultaneous occurrence of the ‘big four’ gases: water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane, and to a lesser extent ammonia, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, and others. Dr. Mumma traced the history of water on Mars by looking at the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen. Mars was once rich in water, but 87% of it was swept away by the solar wind. Without a magnetic field to protect the atmosphere, Mars has lost an amount of water equal to the Earth’s Arctic Ocean.

Dr. Mumma and colleagues made their first detection of methane on Mars in 2003 using data from NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility at Mauna Kea, HI. The data showed plumes of methane suggesting active sources that could be biological or geological; however, the sources had to be transient because no methane was detected after 2005. The results were questioned because they were near the noise level. More recently, however, a laser on the Curiosity rover, which can measure methane, detected an outburst of methane that lasted 70 days, thus confirming the transient nature. Dr. Mumma showed that there are actually regions on Mars that have an environment that could possibly have supported microbial life surviving on just hydrogen for hundreds of millions of years. This life could still exist in permafrost buried below the surface but released by solar heating of sloped terrain. Mars missions, in the near future, will be able to measure trace gases of methane and water more accurately and give us an even better answer go the question, “Is Mars alive?”

TREASURER’S REPORT: Treasurer Jackie Gasch received tax-deductible donations from the following: Anthony Comberiate, Harry Culver, Archie Fitzkee, Marlene Forster, David Harris, Robert Langley, David Manges, Charles Mason, James Nagy-Bartucz, Roamer Predmore, Christopher Scherer, Barbara Scott, Andrew Smith, Keiji Tasaki, Thomas Underwood, William Witt, and William Worrall.

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES – IT HAPPENED IN AUGUST: On August 21^st, 1996, a Pegasus XL rocket launched the Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST), also known as Explorer 70 and the second spacecraft in the Small Explorer (SMEX-2) program, from the Stargazer launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. FAST was a plasma physics spacecraft designed and built by NASA Goddard. Flight operations were handled by Goddard for the first three years, and thereafter were transferred to the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley. FAST was designed to observe and measure the plasma physics of the auroral phenomena which occur around both of Earth’s poles. Instruments on FAST were the Electrostatic Analyzers to measure electron and ion distribution; the Time-of-flight Energy Angle Mass Spectrograph to measure three-dimensional distribution of major ion species; the Tri-axial Fluxgate and Search-coil Magnetometers to measure magnetic field data; and the Electric Field and Langmuir Probe Experiment to measure electric field data, plasma density, and temperature. While its Electric Field Experiment failed around 2002, all other instruments continued to operate normally until operations ended on May 4, 2009.

THOUGHT FOR AUGUST: The world could potentially run out of wine some day, but even considering such a gruesome thought ever coming to fruition is much too horrifying.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

• Youn Y. Bae, of Rockville, MD, passed away on June 30^th. He was a Computer Scientist at Goddard from 1967 to his retirement in 2011. A listing of his various assignments during the early years of his career was not available; however, his work from ’89 through ’98 included assignments in the Information Processing Division and Mission Operations & Systems Development Division of the Mission Operations & Data Systems Directorate. After ’99 he principally worked for the Information Systems Center of the Applied Engineering & Technology Directorate.
• James A. Cookro, of Pocomoke City, MD, passed away on June 27^th. He came to Goddard in the late ‘60s and was assigned to the Project Support Branch, Program Division of the Administration & Management Directorate. He apparently then transferred to the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) which before then was principally managed by the Langley Research Center. Once management of the WFF transitioned in later years from Langley to Goddard, he was assigned to the Suborbital Resources Management Office of the Suborbital Projects & Operations Directorate until retiring about 1991.
• Wanda L. Simpson, of Lost Creek, WV, passed away on July 2^nd. Coming to Goddard in 1967, she was a Procurement Specialist assigned to the Operations Control Office of the Procurement Division in the Administration & Management Directorate. In about 1972, she moved to the Technical Services Branch of the same division and directorate. Sometime in 1977 she transferred to the newly created Department of Energy in Washington, DC, which was established in the Carter Administration, and even later transferred to the Office of Immigration in Clarksburg, WV, from which she retired.
• John E. (Jack) Thomson, of Easton, MD, passed away on July 8^th. Arriving at Goddard in 1964, he was an Electronics Technician/Specialist who was first assigned to the Data Systems Division in the Office of Tracking & Data Systems. In ’67 he moved to the Information Processing Division of the Tracking & Data Systems Directorate and in ’72 to the same division in the Mission & Data Operations Directorate. In ’83 he moved to the Mission Operations Division of the same directorate and in ’89 moved again to the Information Processing Division in the Mission Operations & Data Systems Directorate. He retired in ’95 as Satellite Operations Manager. It is painful that Ye Ed shares the heartbreaking news that Barbara, Jack’s wife, who worked as a contractor at Goddard from 1969 to 1995, passed away on July 10^th, just two days later.
• Leo J. Veillette, of Richmond, VA (formerly of Studley, VA), passed away on March 17^th. He was an Engineer who started working at Goddard in the early ‘60s and was assigned to the Spacecraft Technology Division of the Office of Space Science & Satellite Applications, which by ’67 had changed its title to the Technology Directorate. In ’72 he was assigned to the Mechanical Division of the Space Applications & Technology Directorate. He apparently either transferred from Goddard or retired prior to 1980.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE TO OCCUR IN AUGUST:: On Monday, August 21^st, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone in the path of totality can see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights - a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely cover the sun and the sun’s tenuous atmosphere - the corona - can be seen, will stretch from Lincoln Beach, OR, to Charleston, SC. Observers outside this 70-mile-wide path will still see a partial solar eclipse where the moon covers only part of the sun. NASA has created a website to provide a guide to this amazing event, so check out https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov for information about events leading up to the eclipse, related science, activities, education, and available resources.

HOW TO VIEW THE 2017 SOLAR ECLIPSE SAFELY:: Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which happens only within the narrow path of totality. The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter. Always supervise children using solar filters. Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar filter before looking at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter – do not remove it while looking at the sun. There are other safety precautions included on the website listed in the previous paragraph, so be sure to review them all before venturing out to view the total or partial eclipse. Don’t be blindsided for an instant!