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

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM TONY COMBERIATE AND ARLIN KRUEGER:

Our February luncheon speaker was Dr. James Irons, Director of the Earth Sciences Division until he retired at the end of 2021. His talk, titled “Earth Science at GSFC,” reviewed Goddard’s robust program in Earth Science observations, analysis, and modeling. He also summarized the future directions of Code 610 research.

NASA’s Earth Science priorities are guided by National Academy of Science Decadal Surveys. The last Survey, entitled “Thriving on a Changing Planet,” designated five areas for new missions; aerosols, cloud convection and precipitation, mass change, surface deformation change, and surface biology and geology. NASA’s new program is called the Earth System Observatory. Goddard is leading a $1.6 B satellite effort to observe aerosols and cloud convection and precipitation, while JPL leads smaller efforts in the remaining areas. The Observatory also includes smaller Earth Explorer Missions. Enhanced open access to data and models is also a new HQ and GSFC priority. This largest-ever Earth Science budget ($2.25B) is now before Congress.

Goddard has thirteen Earth Science Labs and Offices, composed of 200 civil servants and over 1100 contractors, post docs, interns, and co-ops, with a budget of $241M. This is a culmination of over 50 years of atmospheric and surface observations from Goddard’s satellites, beginning with Nimbus and Landsat missions. That, combined with traditional surface data that began a century ago, allows evaluation on climate-change time scales associated with human-induced global warming. Jim showed a visualization of global surface temperatures over the past 100 years, showing significant warming for the entire globe, but especially in the Arctic regions in the last decade. He also showed carbon dioxide emissions and transport from the Goddard Global Modelling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model that assimilates data from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite. Lower concentrations appear during the summer months due to vegetation absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, while higher levels are seen in the winter due to the use of more fossil fuels. Most of the greenhouse heating is absorbed by the oceans, resulting in more hurricanes, higher winds, and more flood damage. Arctic sea ice has decreased to the point where we now have a summer Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia. Melting of reflective snow and ice results in ocean warming and more loss of sea ice, while melting of land ice on Greenland and Antarctica has resulted in an over 100mm rise in sea level since 1990.

In biosphere observations, Landsat 9 was launched last September and has recently been turned over to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for operations. Also, a new Laser Altimeter on the Space Station measures height and density of vegetation. Climate change predictions affecting agriculture show a significant reduction in corn in the future, but not as bad an impact on wheat. However, not all changes are due to climate change. Conversion of tropical rain forests to agriculture has also impacted climate change.

Goddard is known internationally for its images of a growing Antarctic ozone hole in the 1980s. Global ozone monitoring is now in its third generation of advanced sensors following the original Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on Nimbus 7. The TOMS images led to an unprecedented agreement between all nations to cease the production of the fluorocarbons that destroy ozone. New data show that the ozone hole is beginning to recover, giving us some hope that the nations of the world are capable of mitigating future threats to climate change.

There are now 23 Earth Science flight projects in operation, many of which were developed by Goddard, which is now known as the nation’s trusted authority in the Earth Sciences.

As Dr Irons leaves GSFC and joins GRAA, his priorities for his successors are: to continue to advance Earth Science to characterize and predict climate change and accurately observe and predict weather; transfer research to operations for societal benefit; lead NASA development of the Earth Information System; deliver the future flight projects; and to communicate Goddard’s Earth Science to NASA policy makers, educators and students, and the public.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

Frank Aloysius Shelton, 85, passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 and was survived by his devoted wife of fifty-seven years, Carol. Frank worked in the Network Simulations Section for many years before retiring from Goddard in 1995.

Mary L. Rhodes (Mary Lew) of Westminster, MD, passed away on January 11, 2021. She was a graduate of Calvert High School and went to work at the FBI, then NRL, moving with the group that became NASA, Goddard. She spent the rest of her career at the Goddard Space Flight Center; first as a secretary and then as a contract specialist. She loved working with the aeronautical group that helped put man into space. She was an avid reader, loved skiing, and playing duplicate bridge. Having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, she particularly loved swimming, boating, and fishing with her children and grandchildren. As an adult, Deep Creek Lake and the Maine Coast were favorite places to spend time. She loved her family and friends dearly, and some of her final words were, “Tell everyone I love them.” She was predeceased by her husband Robert W. Rhodes, also a Goddard employee, who died August 25, 2019.

David L. Moulton, 74, of Scarborough, Maine and recently of Gettysburg, PA passed away peacefully on Jan. 26, 2022 after several years of declining health. He was born on September 7, 1947 in Portland, ME. While David did not remain in Maine, it continued to be a passion for him. He became a collector of anything Maine, including: shirts, paintings, prints, stamps, and even a tie tack made from moose poop. Dave received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland in December of 1976 and a Master of Arts degree in Management and Supervision from Central Michigan University in August of 1979. Dave served in the U.S. Army from 1968 until 1980, and spent some time as an Intelligence Advisor in Vietnam. As a captain, he was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland as Chief / Commander of the Investigations Processing Detachment. In 1983, he began working as a Security Specialist at Goddard, from which he later retired as the Goddard Security Director. After his retirement he moved to Gettysburg, PA and volunteered for GRAA for many years. He was instrumental in editing the monthly newsletter and the Membership Directory and getting them sent to over 2,400 members. He was especially adept at researching the Goddard careers of our recently deceased members. In 1990, when David was president of the Maine State Society, he was presented with their Big “M” award at a large ceremonial dinner. He made many close friends among the people he met while at NASA and other places he worked over the years.

Michael Micciolo, 60, passed away on January 28, 2022. He was born on April 15, 1961 in Philadelphia, PA to Michael and Dolly Micciolo. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1979 and worked in the automotive industry until 1996. At that time he left to work for Lockheed Martin in New Jersey, followed by a stint as a Locomotive Engineer for the railroad in Philadelphia. He fully transitioned back to the aerospace industry in 1999 when he moved to Maryland to work at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He was an Engineering Technician in the Thermal/Vacuum Operations Group, and major projects he was involved in were the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and its recent replacement, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Mike was adventurous and loved his cars and riding his motorcycle. He worked hard and played hard, enjoyed indulging in the finer things in life, and traveled extensively through the United States and the world.

Judith Jones, 75, passed away on January 30, 2022 at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, MD after a battle with cancer. Judith was born in Washington, D.C. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and worked as a contract officer at the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense before joining NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in 1986. In 2000, she moved to Ocean Pines, MD and transferred her job to the Wallops Flight Facility from which she retired in 2003. After retirement, she worked at the Worcester County Library System. She loved to organize parties and to bake.

Dr. Michael C. McCumber (Mike), 73, of Gambrills, Maryland, passed away on January 30, 2022. Born on August 2, 1948 in Troy, New York, Mike spent his formative years in Scotia, NY. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oswego, Master’s degree from SUNY Albany and PhD from the University of Virginia (UVA). He also taught at UVA. Mike proudly served his country as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force reserves from 1971 until his honorable discharge in 1985. Dr. McCumber spent his career with NASA at Goddard. At the time of his retirement in 2013, Mike served as Goddard’s Deputy Project Manager for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Science Data and Information System. This joint mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other international partners worked to measure global surface precipitation, derived from satellite data, which assisted researchers and scientists around the world. In his early years at Goddard, he worked to improve computer models of the earth’s atmosphere and he contributed to numerous scientific publications. In retirement, he always had a keen eye on current and upcoming weather forecasts and would routinely e-mail any updates of the weather forecasts to his family and friends.

James Charles Elliott, 78, passed away in the hospital on February 1, 2022 in Annapolis, Maryland after struggling with a number of health issues over the past several years. Jim was born in Newport, Rhode Island on December 13, 1943. Jim fulfilled his long-time wish to become a member of the Coast Guard where he was a radioman serving on the Coast Guard Buoy Tender Plaintree out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as well as senior radioman at the Coast Guard Radio Washington facility in Alexandria, VA. After ten years of service Jim left the Coast Guard and returned to his hometown of Newport and worked as an on-air radio personality and news presenter on WADK where his signature sign-off at the end of each day's show was "So-long Sunshine." In the late 1970's Jim moved to the Washington, D.C. area where he began a 35 year career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at The Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland retiring in 2013 as a Director of Space Flight Operations. His retirement left him with more time to devote to his lifelong avocation as a 'ham' radio operator. The term 'ham' radio operator was originally used by professional landline telegraphers to refer to amateur operators who they believed possessed inferior skills. Jim's radio skills could never be described as inferior to anyone. His speed on a Morse Code keyer, especially combined with a 'paddle,' was unrivaled. Jim communicated on a daily basis with other ham radio operators around the world by voice as well as by code and established many long time international relationships that he meticulously recorded in a large number of log books.

Alberta Moran, 95, passed peacefully at home on February 17, 2022. Alberta had a long, impressive career of which she was very proud. In 1943, a few weeks before she graduated from high school, Alberta began her federal career as a WWII “Government Girl” at the Post Office Department in Washington, DC. She later served the Eisenhower Administration at the White House before moving to the newly formed NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 1959. She helped establish Goddard and was a fixture there for more than 23 years (see a NASA profile on Alberta - https://youtu.be/dPm6cDJB5WU). In addition to her formal positions at NASA, she was actively involved in the Goddard Employees Welfare Association and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, and GRAA, which she continued to support until her death. She was part of the group which started GRAA along with Al Franta, Roland Van Allen and George Pieper. She was a grand and remarkable lady who could be both demanding and gracious. After her retirement in 1984, she started her own travel business and then returned in 2007 to Goddard as a volunteer at the Visitors’ Center. Prior to the COVID pandemic, she was also the oldest volunteer at the ReStore Store in Silver Spring. She was active in her community and a natural leader who brought people together. She also loved to travel, and took her final trip last year, which was a cruise with her family in the beautiful Puget Sound – at the age of 95! She was a bright star, a mischievous troublemaker, and a force to be reckoned with. She will be missed by many and especially by attendees of our monthly luncheons, which she coordinated for many years. May her smile remain in everyone’s hearts.

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES — IT HAPPENED IN MARCH:

Sixty years ago, on March 1, 1962 Thor-Delta launched Orbiting Solar Observatory, OSO-I, first in a series to study the Sun over an 11- year cycle. A total of eight missions were launched (seven were successful) and operated from March, 1962 to October, 1978. These satellites provided data from UV, X-ray and gamma rays sources.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Treasurer Jackie Gasch received tax-deductible donations from: Carmie Peavler in memory of Bob Peavler, Frank Ottens and Joann Clarke.