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

IMPORTANT DATES

COMMENTS FROM RON BROWNING, GRAA PRESIDENT: Members of the GRAA Board of Directors (BOD) elected for the next two years are: Dick Baker, Charlie Boyle, Ron Browning, Barbara Hamilton, John Hrastar, Strat Laios, and Bob Wigand. John, our new member, served in many prominent positions during his career at Goddard, including Director of the Systems, Technology, and Advanced Concepts Directorate, Acting Director of the Earth Science Systems Program Office, and Deputy Director of the Space Sciences Directorate. He joins the BOD to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Dave Moulton, to whom we extend thanks for his dedicated service and his agreement to continue editing the GRAA Newsletter and other duties as assigned.

A celebration was held on May 26^th to decommission the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1 or A) after more than 25 years of service. It has been recently boosted into a 370 kilometer higher orbit by using remaining fuel in a manner similar to how it was recovered initially from too low an orbit. TDRS-1 was the first of the National Asset satellites and not only provided critical NASA services, but for the past ten years it relayed National Science Foundation research and medical data from Antarctica. Several event speakers noted the history of TDRS-1, including early difficulties in achieving geosynchronous orbit, its many productive milestones, and how robust the entire TDRS System has proven to be.

Instead of a featured speaker, we had an open mic session at the June luncheon during which attendees shared extemporaneous remarks about their exciting career experiences and challenges while at Goddard. Everyone seemed to appreciate hearing about the experiences shared by their former colleagues. It was truly a reminiscent event!

Several members have expressed an interest in attending one of the two remaining Space Shuttle launches. They are tentatively scheduled for mid-September and February 2011. [Note: launch delays are not uncommon]. There are numerous viewing sites available near Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Tony Pierro, GRAA member and living now in Cocoa Beach, FL, is a volunteer docent at KSC who suggests petitioning for NASA approval to use an official viewing site along the Banana Creek. A trip to KSC could conceivably also include taking a three- or four-day cruise departing from Port Canaveral. Also, KARS Park Camp-N-View offers science-themed activities for children as well as camping with a view of the launch. If you are interested in helping put together a viewing site request, or are otherwise interested in such a trip, please drop me a note to the above address or e-mail me at arkabee@verizon.net.

SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE EVENT AT NEWSEUM: A special event is planned at the Newseum in Washington, DC, on September 10^th (9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) to commemorate the International Sun/Earth Explorer-3/International Cometary Explorer (ISEE-3/ICE) spacecraft encounter on September 11, 1985, with the Giacobini-Zinner comet. As part of this event, GRAA member Bob Farquhar will present a talk on the subject of “Teaching an Old Spacecraft New Tricks.” We will publish additional information about this event in the August issue.

RECENT RETIREES Robert G. Baker, Dedra S. Billings, Elaine M. Shell, and Stanley M. Wojnar.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way.

TREASURER'S REPORT Bob Wigand reports that tax-deductible contributions were received from Wayne Boswell, Stan Corwin (in memory of his beloved wife, Judy), Dorothy Crotty, Ron Felice, Marlene Forster, Bill Hawkins, Ann Hovis, Larry Hull, Bill and Doris Keathley, Bob Langley, Bob and Sara Lynn, Steve Maran, Paul Marcotte, Chuck Mason, John Martin, Andy Mazurick, Tom Page, Don Phipps, Abe Piltch, George Roach, Joe Rothenberg, Ray Saxton, Chris Scherer, Ewald and Elfried Schmidt, Ralph Shapiro, Bill Struthers, Aaron Temkin, Otto Thiele, Anne Thompson, Mary Trainor, Margaret Wells, Don Wilson, and Chuck Woodyard. [NOTE: Ye Ed sends out a mea culpa for unintentionally giving three contributors new first names in the June newsletter. Deepest apologies are extended to George (vice John) Anikis, Robert (vice Bill) Halli, and Frances (vice Francis) Seiders. Ye Ed acknowledges that a flagon of a particularly good vintage of wine was sitting close by him during the editing process, so it must have been the vapors].

FROM THE GODDARD ARCHIVES - IT HAPPENED IN JULY: On July 13, 1995, Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-70) launched TDRS-G (aka: TDRS-7), becoming the sixth TDRS to be placed in operational use and the replacement for TDRS-B (aka: TDRS-2), which was lost in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Discovery was originally slated for liftoff on June 22, 1995; however, the launch of STS-71 had to be postponed from late May to late June due to Russian space program scheduling delays and prompted mission managers to flip-flop the STS-70 and 71 launch dates. STS-70 was rescheduled to launch no earlier than June 8^th, but the launch was again affected when technicians discovered that Northern Flicker Woodpeckers had poked about 200 holes (ranging from 4 inches to single pecks and claw marks) in the foam insulation of Discovery's external tank. The damage could not be repaired on the launch pad, so on June 8^th Discovery was rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building and a new launch date established for July 13^th. Except for a few minor glitches, the remainder of the STS-70 mission went smoothly.

REMEMBERING OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES

•  William (Bill) Pruett, of Lanham, MD, passed away on May 12^th at age 87 after developing pneumonia while in a rehabilitation facility following hip replacement surgery. He retired from Goddard as an Engineer at the Magnetic Test Site. Bill was a long-time member of the Music and Drama Club who was actively involved with stage productions until just three years ago.

•  Ernest W. Mielke, of Siloam Springs, AR, passed away on May 10^th. In 1962, he transferred to Goddard from the David Taylor Model Basin and served as an Electronic Development Technician in the Communications Branch. In 1967, Ernest was promoted to a position as a Physicist with the Material Research and Materials Branch and retired in 1989 in the position of Supervisory Materials Engineer – Structural Materials. He received numerous awards throughout his career for his contributions to NASA's aerospace programs and was selected as a “Launch Honoree” to witness the launch on October 5, 1984, of Space Shuttle Challenger for the STS-41G mission.

NASA SATELLITES KEEP EYE ON OIL SPILL: NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites are helping NOAA keep tabs on the ongoing oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. To check out the images, go to http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oilspill/index.html.