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

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM TONY COMBERIATE, GRAA PRESIDENT: Our October luncheon speaker was Dr. Steven Platnick, GSFC’s Earth Science Division’s Deputy Director for Atmospheres and Earth Observing System (EOS) Senior Scientist. His presentation, entitled “Observing our Changing Planet from Space: NASA’s Earth Observing System”, described answers to three pressing questions: 1) How does the Earth work as a system of interconnecting parts? 2) How is the Earth’s environment changing? and 3) How do humans affect the environment and climate and what are the future consequences? To do this Steve gave us a summary of the EOS. EOS technically refers to a program with a particular set of flagship missions beginning in the 1990s, namely Terra (1999), Aqua (2002), and Aura (2004), but it also includes other spacecraft like Landsat 7 (1999), ICESat 1 (2003), SORCE (2003), and others as well as ground and airborne systems. Terra, a land-focused mission, launched almost 20 years ago, is still operational as are Aqua (focusing on the water cycle and the atmosphere) and Aura (focusing on atmospheric chemistry. NASA research instruments continue to be adapted for operational use on NOAA JPSS series spacecraft. There are over 20 operational EOS satellites currently in orbit, all working together to answer these key questions. Steve showed an original TIROS image from 1961 and compared it to a recent MODIS image from Hurricane Dorian taken last month to show the amazing increase in ground resolution. EOS uses a constellation approach to formation flying Earth observing spacecraft, from small Earth Science System Pathfinder missions to large EOS flagship missions for leveraging synergy in observations.

EOS continues NASA’s measurements of the Arctic sea ice area, showing a dramatic decrease over the past 40 years as the pole warms. The recent opening of the Northwest Passage for ship traffic is clear in the MODIS images. The Antarctic sea ice area is undergoing different changes where a slow secular increase was suddenly changed to a net loss between 2014 and 2017.

In land surface observations, MODIS instruments have detected a decrease in the number of fires globally, but an increase in some areas, including the US and the Amazon basin. Aerosol measurements have shown the effect of the enormous amount of dust that travels from the Sahara desert across the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 150 million metric tons of dust coming off the Sahara, about 2/3 goes into the North Atlantic Ocean. One half of the remaining 50 million metric tons eventually ends up in the Amazon basin, depositing 20 million tons of the plant nutrient phosphorous, annually. In supporting aviation safety, the OMI instrument on Aura and the MODIS instruments observed Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption 9 years ago that severely impacted air traffic over Europe.

One of the most important products of EOS atmospheric measurements has been to monitor the Ozone Hole over Antarctica. Nimbus-7 TOMS and ground instruments detected the Ozone Hole during its formation in the early 1980s. EOS instruments measure the constituents responsible for the ozone depletion and observe their change as the 1987 Montreal Protocol, banning CFC’s globally, took effect. The Protocol was an amazing example of how the world’s politicians and industries can work together to really make a difference given compelling graphical evidence of an environmental problem. Without such action, the number of cases of skin cancer, cataracts, tissue damage, immune system problems and crop damage would have drastically increased. GSFC is proud to have played a major role in bringing about this change. An unexpected benefit of the Aura satellite is the measurement of nitrogen dioxide in air pollution (tied to an increase is asthma cases around the world) and how is has decreased in parts of the world that have taken steps to reduce harmful emissions. The EOS program has increased its outreach efforts to get the data out to the public where decisions are made that affect our future climate.

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES – IT HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER: The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was launched from a Delta rocket on November 18, 1989, from Vandenberg AFB, CA. The COBE satellite was developed at GSFC to map the cosmic background radiation field and, by extension, to confirm the validity of the big bang theory of the origin of the universe. Instrument operations ended on December 23, 1994, and as of January 1994, engineering operations were to soon conclude, after which operation of the satellite would be transferred to Wallops for use as a test satellite. The success of this scientific discovery resulted in NASA’s first Nobel Prize winner, Dr. John Mather.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

• Thomas E. Huber, of Mount Pleasant, SC, passed away on September 29^th. He was employed at GSFC in ’64 as an Electrical Engineer and initially assigned to the Spacecraft Systems & Projects Division in the Office of Space Science & Satellite Applications. In ’65 he was transferred to the Systems Division of the Technology Directorate, and in ‘71 the directorate title was changed to the Space Applications & Technology Directorate and in ’72 the division title was changed to the Earth Observations Systems & Systems Engineering Division. In ’74 the directorate was renamed the Engineering Directorate and he was transferred to the Spacecraft Technology Division. In ’76 he became Associate Chief of the Systems Division and in ’81 he was transferred again and became Chief of the Space Technology Division. He became Deputy Director of the Engineering Directorate in ’88, Acting Director in ’91 and Director in ’92 and ’93. He became Deputy Center Director in ’94 and retired in early ’95 after serving 31 years at GSFC.
• Donald C. Lokerson, of New Carrollton, MD, passed away on August 25^th. He came to GSFC in ’63 as an Aerospace Engineer and initially assigned to the Spacecraft Technology Division of the Office of Space Science & Satellite Applications. In ’66 the office title changed to the Technology Directorate. In ’72 the title was changed to the Space Applications & Technology Directorate and his division title became the Electronics Division in ’73. In ’74 he was reassigned to the Spacecraft Technology Division and the directorate title was changed to the Engineering Directorate. In ’80 he was assigned to the Instrument Division for the next decade. In ’91 he was reassigned to the Flight Projects Directorate to work on various projects. In ’98 he transferred to the Systems Division of the Technology, and Advance Concepts (STAAC) Directorate and essentially split his time between STAAC and the Earth Observatory Project. He continued being assigned to various organizations and retired in ’07.
• William M. Peacock, Jr., of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on October 10^th. He was employed by GSFC as an Electrical Engineer in ’63 and initially assigned to the Spacecraft Systems & Projects Division of the Office of Space Science & Satellite Applications. However, he actually worked for the Goddard Launch Operations Branch in Lompoc, CA, and in ’67 returned to GSFC to help better manage the nation’s early meteorological satellite programs. In ’74 he began dividing his time between working in the Engineering Directorate as well as the Projects Directorate. He worked on several different projects through ’91 and then retired in early ’92.
• Adam G. Thompson, of Carrabelle, FL, passed away on September 28^th. He was employed at GSFC in ’61 and initially assigned to the Space Sciences Division of the Office of Space Science & Satellite Applications. In ’67 the division title was changed to the Laboratory for Space Sciences and in ’71 the office title changed to the Space & Earth Sciences Directorate. In ’72 he was reassigned to the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics for a two-year period and then in ’74 he returned to the directorate, the title of which had been reverted back to the Space Sciences Directorate. He remained there until ’85, at which point he retired.
• Robert L. Weitzel, of Sarosota, FL, passed away on September 25^th. He was employed at GSFC in ’62 as an Aerospace Engineer and initially assigned to the Spacecraft Systems & Projects Division of the Office of Space Science & Satellite Applications. In ’66 he was reassigned to the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory Project of the Projects Directorate. In ’74 he was reassigned to the Spacecraft Technology Division of the Engineering Directorate and began dividing his time between it and the Project Management Directorate. In ’80 he was reassigned to the Instrument Division and divided his time with the Space Telescope Project. He retired in early ’84.
• Michael M. Ziegler, of Stephens City, VA, passed away on September 25^th. He was employed in ’69 as an Electronics Technician and initially assigned to the High Energy Astrophysics in the Space Sciences Directorate. In ’71 the titles changed to the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics and the Space & Earth Sciences Directorate; however, references to Earth Science were removed a year or so later. He was reassigned to the Laboratory for Optical Astronomy in ’76, to the Laboratory for Astronomy & Solar Physics in ’78, and elected to retire in ’94.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Treasurer Jackie Gasch received tax-deductible donations from Danny Dalton, Ellen Herring, Larry Hull, Richard Tagler, and Thomas Underwood.

THOUGHT FOR NOVEMBER: Miss Universe pageants began in 1952. Every winner has been from Earth, so all pageants are apparently fixed!