G.R.A.A.
Goddard Retirees and Alumni Association
P.O. Box 163, Lanham, MD 20703-0163

 

HOLIDAY ISSUE – DEC 08/JAN 09     http://graa.gsfc.nasa.gov                               24th Year of Publication


IMPORTANT DATES: 

December

December 11

(Thursday)

 

 

 

January 13

 

 

 

 

February 10                            

There will be no GRAA Luncheon due to December’s many holiday-related events.

Mark your calendar for the annual “Magic of a Musical Christmas” trip to Lancaster, PA.  There 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 a delicious Prime Rib Buffet at Arthur’s Restaurant.  Tickets are only $99 per person, so don’t wait another minute.  Sign up now or obtain additional details about the trip by contacting Alberta Moran at 301-890-0544 (or on her cell phone at 301-910-0177).

Mark your calendar for the GRAA Luncheon at 11:30 a.m.  Andre Dress, Deputy Project Manager for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) Project, will be our guest speaker.  He will emphasize the extraordinary improvements that have been made in the current series of GOES missions over the previous series.  Reservations are required, so please call Alberta at 301-890-0544 no later than noon on Friday, January 9th.

Mark your calendar for the GRAA Luncheon at 11:30 a.m.

 

COMMENTS FROM RON BROWNING, GRAA PRESIDENT:  I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers and financial donors for making GRAA a great success in 2008.  This was our first full year of covering all costs of mailing newsletters and compiling, printing and mailing the 2008 Membership Directory.  While expenses were more than any previous year, we are still in the black.  Our volunteer team compiles, edits, labels, sorts, and mails the newsletter; maintains and continually updates our membership databases; works luncheon reservations, coordinates security gate clearance actions and ticket sales; and schedules interesting speakers.  Thanks to all volunteers, and thanks to donors for the generous tax-deductible contributions.  The end of 2008 is rapidly approaching, so please consider sending GRAA and deducting it on your 2008 income taxes.

 

Goddard’s 50th Anniversary will make 2009 a busy and exciting year for Goddard’s extended family.  Several events are scheduled from February through September.  Thanks for the suggestions I have received for topics to be considered for inclusion in the celebratory activities.  Keep sending your ideas to me at our Lanham address or via e-mail at arkabee@verizon.net, and I will report periodically on the planning process.

 

Rob Lilly, Deputy Project Manager for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provided an enlightening overview of the upcoming mission, its development history, and some of the challenges faced vis-à-vis communications, radiation/heat, and testing.  SDO is a GSFC in-house effort and the first space weather mission in NASA’s Living With a Star program.  It is a five-year mission designed to provide an eye on the Sun and deliver solar images with resolution 10 times better than HDTV.  A dedicated ground terminal at White Sands, NM, will capture 1.5 terabytes of data per day from the SDO in geosynchronous orbit.  Launch is scheduled for early 2009 using an Atlas V rocket.  Further information can be found on the SDO web sites at http://www.nasa.gov/sdo or http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT:  Bob Wigand reports that tax-deductible contributions were received from the following members:  Gus Alicea, Charles Boyle, John Davis, Dave Douds, Jim Gavura, Gene Humphrey, Bill Mack, Paul Marcotte, Virgil True, and Vaughn Turner.

 

RECENT RETIREES:  Richard P. Fahey, Wanamaker Lawrence, Allen J. Levine, Stanley D. Rubin, and Deborah C. Walls.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH:  When did my wild oats turn to prunes and bran?

 

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES – IT HAPPENED IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY: 

December 21, 1964:  A Delta rocket launched Explorer 26, a spin-stabilized, solar-cell-powered spacecraft instrumented to measure trapped particles and the geomagnetic field.

January 21, 1964:  A Delta rocket launched Relay 2, an experimental communications spacecraft that engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communications.

 

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES:

§         Earl H. Dilley, of Elkton, VA, passed away on October 27th.  He worked at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory and later at Goddard as an Electronics Technician on the Apollo missions, retiring in 1973.

§         Robert R. Hohl, Sr., of Laurel, MD, passed away on November 3rd.  He was a Systems Analyst at GSFC and retired in 1984.

§         Alfred C. Holland, of Winter Park, FL, passed away on November 6th.  He worked at Wallops on sounding rockets and was heavily involved with measuring the ozone, applied optics, and photonics.

§         James L. Michael, of Romney, WV, passed away on October 17th.  He was a Senior Engineer and Manager during his 25-year career at Goddard, retiring in 1989.

§         Elaine C. Montgomery, of Mitchellville, MD, passed away on October 28th.  She was an extraordinary Secretary and a friend to all at Goddard before retiring in 1987.  She became an active GRAA volunteer, wrote the newsletter for many years, helped stuff and label the newsletters for mailing, and performed multiple other tasks.

§         Vicki L. Oxenham, of Crofton, MD, passed away on November 11th after a lengthy illness.  Still employed at Goddard at the time of her passing, she served in a number of capacities at Goddard for more than 30 years.  Most recently, Vicki was assigned to the Electrical Engineering Division and served as a Technologist to both the Space Communications Network and the Earth Science Technology Office.

 

STEVE MARAN’S PROLIFIC WRITING CAREER CONTINUES:  The title of Steve Maran’s 11th book, to be published in early 2009 to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s telescope, is “Galileo’s New Universe – The Revolution in Our Understanding of the Cosmos,” written with Laurence A. Marschall.  They are also collaborating on “Pluto Confidential:  An Insider Account of the Ongoing Battles over the Status of Pluto,” scheduled for publication in 2010.  Steve’s earlier book, “Astronomy for Dummies,” has been translated into six languages, and a seventh translation, in Polish, will be published next year.

 

COPIES OF “READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR!” STILL AVAILABLE:  We have received more copies of the Story of NASA’s Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network.  If you want to be sent a copy, send a check for $5.00 (to cover postage) to our Lanham address.  If you want to pick up a copy at the January luncheon, send us a note or e-mail Strat Laios (stratlaios@verizon.net) and ask him to reserve a copy for you.     

     

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 are interested in receiving the newsletter by e-mail, simply notify Strat