G.R.A.A.

Goddard Retirees and Alumni Association

P.O. Box 163, Lanham, MD 20703-0163

AUGUST 2008 http://graa.gsfc.nasa.gov 24th Year of Publication

IMPORTANT DATES:

August 12 September 9 Late October or early November December 11

Mark your calendar for the GRAA Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required, so please call Alberta Moran at 301-937-7762 no later than noon on Friday, August 8^th. Mark your calendar for the GRAA Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Although details have not been finalized, Alberta Moran is working up a tour of the Antietam battlefield to be directed by John Baniszewski, registered battlefield guide and GRAA member. The trip will include a tasty meal at a restaurant along the way. We will include details of the trip in the September newsletter. Mark your calendar for the annual “Magic of a Musical Christmas” trip to Lancaster, PA. Included in the trip will be opportunities for holiday shopping at the more than 100 outlets at Rockvale Square, the 2008 Christmas Show (first and second row seating) at the American Music Theatre, and the delicious Prime Rib Buffet at Arthur’s Restaurant. Tickets are only $99 per person, payable at the time of reservation. Only 40 tickets will be available. Contact Alberta Moran at 301-937-7762 for reservations.

COMMENTS FROM RON BROWNING, GRAA PRESIDENT: NASA Goddard Academy interns were our guests at July’s GRAA Luncheon, and it is always a pleasure to meet and talk with them. We learn about the new research and operational programs they are working on and they learn how our experiences might relate. They enthusiastically described their research projects at Goddard and their academic pursuits in science and engineering disciplines. The Academy this year is comprised of sixteen interns from the United States, two from France, and one PhD candidate from Japan. In addition to their individual research projects, for their ten-week stint at Goddard they selected as a group project to study the role of space commercialization in lunar landings, working at the International Space Station, and sending people into space. They are assessing the feasibility of using industry partnerships and government-sponsored prizes to gain wider participation and financial support.

We also learned from Goddard Academy Program Director Dave Rosage that NASA on average has 15 percent of former Academy interns employed at various NASA centers.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Bob Wigand reports that tax-deductible contributions were received from the following: Ron Bierwagen, Wes Bodin, Ed Carberry, Ken Dolan, Dave Douds, Dave Harris, Jerre Hartman, John (“Jack”) Hodge, Henry Hoffman, Jean Hubbard, Sallylee Hunter, Tom Keating, Vern Krueger, Tom Long, Ed Lowe, Marie Marr, Hugh O’Donnell, Earl Quirey, Ed and Phyllis Radovich, Carl Roberts, Jim Shiue, John South, and the estate of Wanda Wigand. The latter, a bequest of $10,000, was given in the hope that some GRAA members or their spouses would be encouraged to bequeath similar amounts to GRAA. If 100 of 2,500 members were to do so, GRAA would be able to operate from an endowment, free of further reductions in Goddard support caused by budget cuts.

RECENT RETIREES: William H. Browne, Dr. Jan M. Hollis, Harold E. Mitchell, and Terry M. Potterton.

COPIES OF “READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR!” STILL AVAILABLE: We still have a few copies of the Story of NASA’s Spaceflight Tracking and Data network available. If you would like to be sent a copy, send us a

check for $5.00 (to cover postage) to our Lanham address. If you want to pick up a copy at the August luncheon, send us a note to that effect or e-mail Strat Laios (stratlaios@verizon.net) and ask him to reserve a copy for you.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: My idea for housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

GRAA MAILINGS: If you no longer wish to receive GRAA mailings, please send a note to our Lanham address or an e-mail to Dave Moulton at davidlmoulton@comcast.net. If you have moved or want to make corrections to the address on your mailing label, write us or send an e-mail to Strat Laios at stratlaios@verizon.net. If you already receive your newsletter via e-mail, please let Strat know when your e-mail address changes. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter by e-mail, simply notify Strat.

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES – IT HAPPENED IN AUGUST: On August 2, 1991, Space Shuttle Atlantis/STS-43 deployed the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-E (TDRS-E, and TDRS-5 after activation) about six hours after being launched from Kennedy Space Center, FL. At the time, TDRS-5 became the spare for the TDRS System.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

§ Keith F. Fellerman, of Hunt Valley, MD, passed away on July 6^th.

§ Felipe Flores-Amaya, of Greenbelt, MD, passed away on July 2^nd.

§ Victor R. Simas, of Lanham, MD, passed away on June 18^th. He was in charge of the Receiver Section at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) while working on the Vanguard Project and then transferred to Goddard at its inception. His receivers at NRL became the basis of the old Minitrack Network and he worked principally in the Tracking and Data Network during his career with NASA. In his spare time at NRL and Goddard he organized a dance band and played at many local clubs.

NEW GODDARD CENTER DIRECTOR NAMED: NASA Administrator Michael Griffin recently announced that Robert D. Strain will be Goddard’s next Center Director. Mr. Strain is currently the head of the Space Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD. He will assume the duties of Center Director on August 4^th.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AT GODDARD’S LAUNCHFEST EVENT: Goddard’s Office of Public Affairs is seeking volunteers from the GRAA family to help out during the Center’s LaunchFest event on Saturday, September 13^th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. LaunchFest is a community event, and Goddard is excited to host this event because it has not opened its doors to the public since 2004. LaunchFest will celebrate Goddard’s several upcoming missions and also give the public an inside look at the facilities and culture of the Center. The day will include a variety of activities, demonstrations, tours, live entertainment, and much more. Volunteers are essential to the success of any event, and the hope is that GRAA members will be willing to provide day-of volunteer support. The Center is currently developing a perk package for volunteers, with perhaps the best incentive being that volunteers need only help out for half the day. If you are interested in signing up, please contact Leslee Cork, Volunteer Coordinator, at 301-286-0676 or via e-mail at Leslee.M.Cork@nasa.gov.

ANOTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE: Dr. Jeffrey N. Shaumeyer, President of Ars Hermeneutica, Limited, of Bowie, MD, is seeking a Goddard retiree to help get his non-profit science and education corporation off the ground. Check out http://www.arshermeneutica.org/position.php to read the position description. For additional information about this opportunity, contact Dr. Shaumeyer at 301-742-3236.