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

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM TONY COMBERIATE, GRAA PRESIDENT: At our April luncheon we celebrated the 35^th anniversary of the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1) launch with a presentation from the current TDRS Project Manager, Dave Littmann, along with a panel which included previous TDRS Project Managers Ron Browning, Tony Comberiate, as well as Ed Habib, the originator of the TDRS concept. Ed, who worked at Goddard from 1959 to 1974 on the first Minitrack system and the Applications Technology Satellite (ATS), talked about the early decision on 3-axis vs. spin stabilization and shared photos of the early antenna designs that evolved into the TDRS single access antennas that track low Earth orbit users from a geosynchronous position in sight of the White Sands Ground Terminal in New Mexico. Ron Browning, who managed the project in the early years, then discussed the trials and tribulations of the original fixed-price services contract with Western Union and the tumultuous first launch on the Space Shuttle. TDRS-1, originally thought to be lost due to an inertial Upper Stage anomaly, used its small on-board thrusters to miraculously recover the mission over a two and a half-month period. Ron brought an original spare thruster (less than 3 inches long) to demonstrate how the ingenious project team used a set of these small thrusters, designed for attitude adjustments, to raise the spacecraft’s orbit to compensate for the over 9 thousand mile shortfall. Dave Littmann’s presentation told the TDRS history through a slide show that included amazing photos and videos of some of the launches and deployments in space. Videos, taken from space showing fairing deployment and spacecraft separation, were particularly impressive. Tony Comberiate added stories along the way about the post-Challenger period, the firm fixed-price contract for the second-generation series of spacecraft, and the spring-back antenna development to fit the Atlas nose fairing. There are now ten operating TDRS spacecraft on orbit supporting scientific spacecraft, the International Space Station, the launch vehicles that put them (including TDRS-L and M) into orbit, and other data relay functions. Dave Littmann personally cited the efforts of a number of members from the audience, which included TDRS alumni from both the spacecraft project and the ground network, who have supported the storied TDRS project over the last several decades. Dave ended his presentation with a view toward the future. The plan for the next generation of NASA communications satellites is to use optical communication links, which will allow much higher volumes of data at higher data rates and more rapid response times. The fourth generation system is currently planned for the 2025 timeframe.

56^th ROBERT H. GODDARD MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM: Member Mike Calabrese provided information about the 56^th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium, sponsored by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and supported by NASA Goddard staff members, was held March 13 - 15 at the Greenbelt Marriott in Greenbelt, MD. The title and theme of the symposium was entitled “Exploration, Science and Technology: Partnerships for the Next Decade” and featured speakers Robert Lightfoot, Acting NASA Administrator, and Chris Van Hollen, Senator (D-MD). Livestream videos captured at the symposium can be viewed on the AAS website under Events at http://www.astronautical.org. Also, a summary of symposium highlights is scheduled to be included in the March/April issue of the “Goddard View” magazine which we are assured will be available prior to the end of this month. The link for the “Goddard View” website can be accessed at https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard-view-magazine.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Treasurer Jackie Gasch received tax-deductible donations from: Thomas LaVigna, William Mack, Jane Marquart, Christopher Scherer, William Struthers, Thomas Underwood, Roberta Valonis, Richard Weiss, Ralph Welsh, Charles E. White, and Robert Wigand.

THOUGHT FOR MAY: We are obviously a year older on every birthday, but that doesn’t mean we have to be boring and act our age!

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES – IT HAPPENED IN MAY: On May 7, 1975, a Scout rocket launched the Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-C), also known as Explorer 53 and SAS-3, from the San Marco launch platform off the coast of Kenya, into a low-Earth, nearly equatorial orbit. It was the third in a series of small astronomy space telescopes, the primary objectives of which were to survey the celestial sphere for sources radiating in the X-ray, UV, and other spectral regions; determine bright X-ray source locations; study selected sources over a specified energy range; and continuously search the sky for X-ray novae, flares, and other transient phenomena. SAS-C degraded in April 1979. SAS-C was managed by Dr. James Kupperian (Project Manager); Dr. Carl Fichtel (Project Scientist); and Dr. Nancy Roman (Program Scientist).

DR. JAMES (JIM) GREEN NAMED NASA CHIEF SCIENTIST: Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot recently named Dr. James (Jim) Green, who has been serving since 2006 as the Science Mission Directorate’s Planetary Science Division Director, as the NASA Chief Scientist, effective May 1^st. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1979, Jim began his NASA career in 1980 in the Magnetospheric Physics Branch at the Marshall Space Flight Center. He then developed and managed the Space Physics Analysis Network until he was reassigned to Goddard in 1985. From 1985 to 1992 he was Head of the National Space Science Data Center and then became Chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office until 2005, when he became Chief of the Science Proposal Support Office. In 2006 he moved to NASA Headquarters where he became Director of the Planetary Science Division. He is to be congratulated and applauded for being named to his new role as NASA Chief Scientist.

GRAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD) ELECTION RESULTS: Members attending the April luncheon voted to approve the current members of the BOD for another two-year term. Members if the BOD then decided amongst themselves to keep their roles the same as the past two years as follows: Tony Comberiate, President; Arlin Krueger, Vice President; Jackie Gasch, Treasurer; Barbara Hamilton, Secretary; and Jan Kalshoven, Strat Laios and Ron Muller, Directors at Large.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

• Florence D. Kenny, of Laurel, MD, passed away on April 7^th. She came to Goddard as a Budget Analyst in 1963 and was assigned to the Budget Branch of the Financial Management Division in the Office of Administration (the title of which was changed later in the ’60s to the Administration & Management Directorate). In the late ’70s, she moved to support budget analysis activities in the Network Resources Management Office of the Networks Directorate and later to the Networks Division of the Mission Operations & Data Systems Directorate prior to retiring in the mid-’80s.
• Paul L. Spadin, of Fulton, MD, passed away on March 30^th. He came to Goddard as a Laser Technician after NASA was created and Goddard started being developed. One of his first assignments in the early ’60s was in the Tracking Systems Division (which later changed its title to the Advanced Development Division) of the Office of Tracking & Data Systems. In the early ’70s he moved to the Advanced Data Systems Division of the Mission & Data Operations Division and then in the mid-’70s to the Mission Technology Division of the Engineering Directorate. In the early ’80s he moved again to the Instrument Division of the Engineering Directorate, where he remained until retiring in 1991.
• Gerald (Gerry) R. Youse, of Gambrills, MD, passed away on April 14^th. He was a Quality Assurance Engineer who came to Goddard in the early ’70s and was assigned to the Quality Assurance Division of the Systems Reliability Directorate and later to the Product Assurance Division when the directorate’s title was changed to the Office of Flight Assurance in the mid-’80s. He continued to work in the Office of Flight Assurance until retiring in the mid-’90s.