Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Fwd: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: NASA News and JSC Today - Wednesday, May 13, 2015



Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: May 13, 2015 at 7:07:09 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: NASA News and JSC Today - Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Reply-To: larry.j.moon@nasa.gov

JSC Today - Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Brace for more rain yall.   Many of us were threatened with possible flooding from the heavy rains yesterday and all during the night.   Even the Bellaire and West U areas around the Texas Medical Center were sweating the night out.   Braes Bayou and many other bayous around the area are very very full.  

 

Stay home if at all possible today….many roads and feeders are under water ---be safe everyone.    Send this rain to California where they need it more than us.

 

LEADING THE NEWS

• Progress Failure Results In Reshuffling Of ISS Spacecraft Schedules.

NASA NEWS

• NASA Not Making "Big Talk" About Future Mars Plans.

• NASA Releases Draft Technology Roadmaps.

• Wallops To Look Into Environmental Impact Of Landing Reusable And Manned Rockets.

• Space News: House Bill Does Not Balance NASA's Budget.

• House To Consider Four Commercial Spaceflight Bills Today.

• NASA Positively Highlighted In Report On Federal Government's Cloud Computing Efforts.

• Clooney, Astronauts Celebrate Apollo 13 Anniversary.---were you there Fred Haise?

• Former NASA Engineer Visits Le Mars Community High School.—Norm Chaffee

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• PepsiCo Partners With UrtheCast, Usher To Produce Film With Snapshots From Space, Earth.

• Mark Kelly Defeated By Aaron Rodgers On Celebrity Jeopardy.

• Griffon Aerospace To Test Subscale Version Of SLS Propellant Tank.

• Space Florida Now Has NASA's Plans For Taking Over Shuttle Runway Operations.

• Scheuermann: Louisiana Has Helped With NASA's Recent "Landmark Progress."

• Colorado High School Students To Send Experiment To ISS.

• Witherspoon To Star In "Pale Blue Dot."

• Wilmore: Time At ISS Was "Fantastic."

• Kennedy Space Center Set For Record Number Of Launches In 2015.

Progress Failure Results In Reshuffling Of ISS Spacecraft Schedules.

The AP (5/13) reports that as a result of the recent Progress cargo spacecraft launch failure, the three ISS astronauts scheduled to return to Earth this week will remain aboard the station until "early June." According to the article, officials are using the time to identify exactly what happened in order to make sure it will not be repeated because the Soyuz spacecraft used to deliver the crew and the Progress spacecraft use the same Soyuz rocket during launches. The article notes that Vladimir Solovyov, "the head of the station's Russian segment," said that there should be no more delays "beyond the summer."

        The New York Times (5/13, Fleur, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the astronauts should experience few problems because of their extended stay. Stephanie Schierholz said, "We keep plenty of supplies on the space station so we can have the flexibility to do something like this." Meanwhile, the next set of astronauts set to launch to the ISS will now launch in late July, and Schierholz stated that another Progress cargo mission will head to the station in July instead of August.

        TIME (5/13, Kluger, 19.57M) similarly noted that Schierholz wrote in an email to the publication, "The ISS partners prefer to keep crew handovers, or the time when only three crew are onboard, short so we can maximize the important science and research we're conducting on the orbiting laboratory." However, according to the article, the wording in NASA's press release on the situation implied that there could be "troubling" news to come that could impact future missions. No new news is expected before May 22. The article notes that despite those indications, there is nothing approaching "an emergency" because the ISS is well provisioned.

        The ABC News (5/12, Newcomb, 3.69M) website notes that officials determined that there was "a leak in the Soyuz rocket" that launched the Progress, which led to the decision to delay the crew's return.

        The CBS News (5/12, Harwood, 8.2M) website reports that while the crew could have returned, managers decided that it was better to keep the ISS staffed at six people "to ease the near-term workload and to shorten the gap between their departure and the arrival of their replacements."

        Reuters (5/13, Stubbs, Stolyarov) reports that according to Igor Komarov, the head of Roscosmons, the preliminary investigation determined that the Soyuz spacecraft launching the Progress separated too early.

        SPACE (5/12, Wall, 241K) reports that NASA stressed the crew was in "no danger."

        Russia's ITAR-TASS News Agency (5/13, 5K) reports that according to a Baikonur spaceport source, the next Soyuz spacecraft carrying crew to the ISS will launch on July 24. Versus May 26th.

      

        Blog Coverage. Nick Schwartz at the USA Today (5/12, 5.01M) "For The Win" blog writes that Virts is "an absolute must-follow on Twitter."

        Amanda Kooser at CNET News (5/12, 917K) writes that Cristoforetti's photo is part of what makes the present "a golden age for space photos." According to Kooser, the image demonstrates that observing the Earth can be "as fascinating as peering out deep into space."

NASA Not Making "Big Talk" About Future Mars Plans.

Aviation Week (5/13, Morring, 2K), in an article titled "Planners Considering What Humans Will Do On Mars," reports that because of the "evolvable Mars" framework, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is not making "big talk" when he said that NASA is "closer to putting humans on Mars than in the history of human civilization."

        Satire Piece Claims NASA's Goal Is To Exist In 2045. In a very satirical piece, The Onion (5/12, 1.15M) claims that NASA released "the Fortuna Program," a "bold new plan" where NASA still exists in 2045. According to the satirical piece, officials believe the plan "would test the very limits of their skill and ingenuity."

NASA Releases Draft Technology Roadmaps.

NextGov (5/12, Golden, 2K) reports that NASA released "a new series of draft 2015 Technology Roadmaps" on Monday, providing "a detailed examination of the agency's anticipated missions and technological advancements over the next two decades." According to the plan, "NASA believes sharing this document with the broader community will increase awareness, generate innovative solutions to provide the capabilities for space exploration and scientific discovery and inspire others to get involved in America's space program." The article notes that NASA's budget raises question about the feasibility of these roadmaps, especially when the 2016 proposed budget has "significant cuts to both planetary science and aeronautics – two areas that play an important role in the tech roadmaps." NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told a House hearing last month, "I had to decide where we could pick up the most with money that we had, and aeronautics was once again an area that I had to take some funds from."

        The Network World (5/12, Cooney, 35K) reports that the roadmaps include "six high-risk high-reward technologies" that even NASA is not sure yet how to develop.

        The ZDNet (5/12, Dignan, 232K) and Geek Snack (5/12, Elifritz) also cover the story.

        Jurczyk: Directorate Needs To Align With Mission Requirements. Space News (5/12, Leone, Subscription Publication, 481) interviews Steve Jurczyk, NASA associate administrator for Space Technology. Jurczyk said that to avoid criticism that his directorate is only "playing in the sandbox" and not developing useful technology, "we really need to look at driving technology to align with future mission requirements, at some level, so that the technologies we do develop do have an infusion path to a NASA mission. And hopefully also, many of the technologies will have commercial applications, or be used outside NASA." When asked if the work could be done without the Space Technology Mission Directorate, Jurczyk argued that it is tough for "for a mission organization or an operations organization to balance its operations with technology development and infusion." As for Congress' opposition to funding the directorate at the level requested by the Administration, Jurczyk wanted to highlight "our successes and the things we're going to do."

Wallops To Look Into Environmental Impact Of Landing Reusable And Manned Rockets.

The Delmarva (MD) Daily Times (5/12, Cox, 2K) reports that the Wallops Flight Facility is looking into the environmental impacts "of landing reusable booster rockets and manned spacecraft." The article notes that some commercial companies have "expressed interest in landing craft there," which is why Maryland state Del. Chris Adams and state Sen. Jim Mathias sponsored bills in the state legislature. State Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and state House Speaker Michael Busch also wrote a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden late month, "We respectfully urge the preparation of the requested EIS (environmental impact statement) to foster the opportunity of sustaining and growing the economic prosperity the NASA WFF (Wallops Flight Facility) can bring within Maryland and Virginia." Meanwhile, according to the article, Bruce Underwood, Wallops' deputy director, said that there are "a host of theoretical hurdles" to investigate, including the impact on "sensitive lands on the Eastern Shore of Virginia's coast" and potential threats to residents.

Space News: House Bill Does Not Balance NASA's Budget.

Space News (5/12, Subscription Publication, 481) editorializes that the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's "misguided" NASA authorization bill demonstrates how important Sen. Barbara Mikulski is in the budget process. Mikulski is "a guardian angel" for NASA's Earth Science program, which the House bill would cut. The editors argue that unlike what the House members claim, the bill will in no way bring "balance" to NASA's budgets because it shifts funding to the Space Launch System and Orion programs, "a pair of already massive programs for which there are no approved — or realistically affordable — missions beyond two test flights." The editors believe the "pain" to Earth Science and other programs cut vastly outweigh any modest gain to the SLS and Orion.

        Blog Coverage. At the NPR (5/12, 1.52M) "13/7" blog, Adam Frank writes that those supporting "climate denialism" have a hard time matching up against the "insanely capable" NASA, whose "heroism and accuracy" make its claim that climate change is real difficult to counter. Frank thinks that it is "pretty clear" who is the more trusted source about climate science, which is why the House is attempting to remove Earth Science from NASA's portfolio through budget cuts.

        Bob Siegel at TriplePundit (5/13, 2K) writes that the attacks on NASA's Earth Science program are part of a Republican "war on science." Siegel comments that what the House is doing is a "blatant dereliction of duty."

House To Consider Four Commercial Spaceflight Bills Today.

Space News (5/12, Foust, Subscription Publication, 481) reports that the House Science Committee will consider four commercial space bills today, including extending "the existing restrictions on the Federal Aviation Administration's ability to impose commercial human spaceflight safety regulations" to 2023. The article considers that measure to be the "most controversial provision" in the Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship (SPACE) Act. Other bills include the Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act, the Commercial Remote Sensing Act of 2015, and the Office of Space Commerce Act.

        Space Policy Online (5/12, Smith) notes that when considering the bills, the draft Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) bill has tasked the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) to do more work and endorsed its "willingness to leverage its existing launch licensing authority to encourage private sector investment in lunar systems that will work in tandem with SLS and Orion," but has refused to increase the department's budget as requested. Meanwhile, another Space Policy Online (5/12, Smith) notes that the Senate has proposed the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, which would extend the ban on FAA commercial spaceflight regulations to 2020. This act is "quite different" from the House measures being considered today. The article notes that the Senate bill would also extend the ISS to 2024 as the Administration wants.

        Parabolic Arc (5/12, Messier) also covers the story.

NASA Positively Highlighted In Report On Federal Government's Cloud Computing Efforts.

FierceGovernmentIT (5/12, Sarkar, 277) report that a report by "an advisory group to the Congressional Cloud Computing Caucus" reviewed the state of cloud computing in the Federal government. While "most agencies lack resources, leadership and even a vision to move ahead," some agencies were positively highlighted, like NASA, which was called one of the "cloud pioneers." Tom Soderstrom, chief technology officer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said that when NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars, the cloud infrastructure "was 100 times more cost effective with 100 times more data delivered."

Clooney, Astronauts Celebrate Apollo 13 Anniversary.

The AP (5/13) reports that actor George Clooney celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission on Tuesday in a Sugar Land airport Hangar with astronauts Jim Lovell, Tom Stafford, and Eugene Cernan.

        The Daily Mail (UK) (5/13, McDonagh, 5.37M) notes that the cast of the "Astronaut Wives Club" were also in attendance.

Former NASA Engineer Visits Le Mars Community High School.

The LeMars (IA) Daily Sentinel (5/13, Harrington, 9K) profiles former NASA engineer Norman Chaffee. Chaffee started working for NASA in 1962, "and although he retired in 1998, he still works as a contractor consultant and volunteer for education outreach programs." on Tuesday, he traveled to Le Mars Community High School "from his home in Texas, to speak with students about his experiences with the American space program."

PepsiCo Partners With UrtheCast, Usher To Produce Film With Snapshots From Space, Earth.

BrandChannel (5/12, Shayon, 1K) reports on PepsiCo's latest installment in its long-running Pepsi Challenge. The company announced Tuesday "it's producing a short film with footage from UrtheCast—the world's first, full-color ultra-high-definition video system, which happens to be located on the International Space Station (ISS)." Usher will be responsible for directing "the film's creative mash-up of earth and space locations designed to unite and inspire generations around the world." Until June 2, consumers are encouraged to submit "photos that inspire a fresh perspective" to PepsiChallenge.com for the chance to see their photos featured in the film and appear on set during the upcoming shoot.

        Yahoo! News (5/12, Johnson, 6.18M) also covers the story.

Mark Kelly Defeated By Aaron Rodgers On Celebrity Jeopardy.

The USA Today (5/12, Peters, 5.01M) "For The Win" blog reports that Aaron Rodgers defeated astronaut Mark Kelly to win $50,000 for his charity, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, on Celebrity Jeopardy.

        The Houston Chronicle (5/13, 2.29M) notes that Kelly did win $10,000 for the Memorial Hermann Foundation.

        collectSPACE (5/13, Pearlman) reports that Kelly came in second overall.

        Mashable (5/12, Kramer, 2.3M) and GeekWire (5/12, Brown, 32K) preview the match, noting how Kelly is participating in NASA research while his twin bother Scott is at the ISS.

Griffon Aerospace To Test Subscale Version Of SLS Propellant Tank.

Aviation Week (5/13, Morring, 2K), in an article titled "Testing Nears On Cost-Conscious Cryotank For SLS," reports that Griffon Aerospace, will soon "test a subscale composite liquid-propellant tank," which should help reduce costs on the Space Launch System's "advanced strap-on boosters."

        Blog Coverage. Mike Killian at AmericaSpace (5/12) writes that NASA and Orbital ATK recently released the initial findings from March's Qualification Motor-1 (QM-1) test fire. Charlie Precourt, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK's Propulsion Systems Division, said that the preliminary findings show that the test was "a resounding success." Killian notes that Orbital ATK is already at work on the boosters for a second test next year.

Space Florida Now Has NASA's Plans For Taking Over Shuttle Runway Operations.

Florida Today (5/13, Dean, 168K) reports that Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana said that "after nearly two years of negotiations," the center has delivered plan to Space Florida for the takeover of the former shuttle runway. Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello will now present the document to his board for approval. Cabana told the National Space Club Florida Committee, "The ball is in his court." Speaking to the publication, Cabana added, "The real future of the Shuttle Landing Facility is developing it for a new class of users, because right now it is only a landing facility. ... The future is to make it the flagship for the U.S., as far as I'm concerned, horizontal takeoff and landing, special purpose aviation spaceport." The article notes that XCOR , the Air Force, Sierra Nevada, Stratolaunch Systems, and Virgin Galatic are all potential users of the facility.

Scheuermann: Louisiana Has Helped With NASA's Recent "Landmark Progress."

In an op-ed for the Baton Rouge (LA) Advocate (5/13, 34K), Marshall Space Flight Center Director Patrick Scheuermann writes about the "landmark progress" NASA has made in its efforts to go beyond low-Earth orbit and reach Mars with the work on the Space Launch System and Orion at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Touting the ways Michoud and the state of Louisiana have contributed to these project, Scheuermann notes that NASA will host Louisiana Aerospace Day in Baton Rouge on Thursday "to recognize the space agency's enduring partnerships in the state." Scheuermann comments that NASA is "proud and thankful" for the state's involvement.

Colorado High School Students To Send Experiment To ISS.

The Denver (CO) Post (5/13, Vaccarelli, 894K) reports that Chatfield High School engineering students will send an experiment on biofuel-producing algae to the International Space Station with the help of a National Design Challenge grant from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space. The engineering class worked with partners at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.

Witherspoon To Star In "Pale Blue Dot."

The Variety (5/12, Kroll, 451K) reports that Reese Witherspoon will produce and star in the Fox Searchlight production of the "original spec script 'Pale Blue Dot.'" The script involves a "successful female astronaut" who begins to "unravel" after returning to Earth on a long mission.

        According to the Hollywood Reporter (5/12, Kit, 758K), the story was based on "a true-life astronaut love triangle in which a female mission specialist tried to kidnap a rival in 2007."

        The Guardian (UK) (5/13, Lee, 2.93M) also covers the story.

Wilmore: Time At ISS Was "Fantastic."

The WBIR-TV Knoxville, TN (5/12, Haynes, 56K) website interviews astronaut Barry Wilmore, who recently completed a mission at the ISS. Wilmore said, "It was absolutely fantastic! If you're going to have the opportunity to spend six months in space, it should be the most professionally rewarding experience of your life." Wilmore added that while he would like to go back into space, "I don't make those decisions. Other people make those decisions about who goes into space. However, it would be nice to command a launch vehicle one day."

Kennedy Space Center Set For Record Number Of Launches In 2015.

Orlando (FL) Magazine (5/13, Audette) reports that "now is a perfect time to catch a rocket launch" from the Kennedy Space Center as 2015 is set to be a "record year for launches, with 24 scheduled." The article notes the dates of upcoming launches, which "are always subject to change," and recommends how to "make the most of your visit to the Space Coast" regardless of whether the rocket launch goes off as planned.

 

 

 

 

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   Headlines

  1. ISS Partners Adjust Spacecraft Schedule

NASA and its international partners agreed Tuesday to set a new schedule for spacecraft traffic to and from the International Space Station (ISS).  

The partner agencies agreed to adjust the schedule after hearing the Russian Federal Space Agency's (Roscosmos) preliminary findings on the recent loss of the Progress 59 cargo craft. The exact dates have not yet been established, but will be announced in the coming weeks. Roscosmos expects to provide an update about the Progress 59 investigation on May 22. 

The return to Earth for NASA's Terry Virts, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov now is targeted for early June. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka will remain aboard the station to begin Expedition 44.  

The next Russian cargo craft, Progress 60, will launch in early July to deliver several tons of food, fuel and supplies. The space station has sufficient supplies to support crews until the fall of 2015. 

The Soyuz spacecraft carrying Expedition 44's Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will launch in late July from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.  

The date of SpaceX's seventh resupply flight under its commercial resupply services contract with NASA still is under review, but remains targeted for no earlier than June 19.  

Additional 2015 space station-related launch dates also are under review.  

NASA will continue to update the launch schedule online.

JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111

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  1. Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the JSC Clinic 2.0

The Center Operations Directorate invites all employees to the ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house of the NEW JSC Clinic located in Building 45N (north of Building 45) on May 20 at 10:30 a.m. The former technical library has been completely rebuilt to become a modern healthcare facility that will house the combined Flight and Occupational Medicine Clinic, Employee Assistance Program Office and Behavioral Health Office.

Immediately following the ribbon cutting, there will be an open house until 1 p.m., where all employees can visit their clinic. Center Operations and Human Health and Performance Directorate employees will be in and around the building to answer any questions you may have. Please take this opportunity to see JSC's newest green building.

A shuttle bus will run from Building 1 to the clinic from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and from the Building 300/400 area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015   Event Start Time:10:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: New JSC Clinic

Add to Calendar

Lisa Gurgos x48133

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  1. ACES Services Unavailable During B46 Shutdown

During the JSC Building 46 shutdown from May 15 to 17, the following ACES services will be unavailable:

    • ACES SharePoint portal
    • ACES website
    • Antivirus updates via Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)
    • ArcSight logging connection to the Security Operations Center (SOC)
    • Backup/restore services via Mobile Information Protection (MIP) Connected Backup
    • New computer familiarization via Automated User Orientation (AUO)
    • New enrollment requests for Data-At-Rest (DAR) encryption software
    • NCAD services (scan-to-email and Domain Resource Administrator - DRA)
    • Print services
    • Software Refresh Portal (SRP) access
    • Software updates via Client Automation Enterprise (CAE)
    • Vulnerability scans via Retina

For technical assistance with ACES services, contact the Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) at 1-877-677-2123 (1-877-NSSC123), option 2.

A full list of impacts to JSC users is located at "Full Shutdown." For information on the Building 46 maintenance activity, please contact Bob Brasher.

JSC IRD Outreach x36465 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/Lists/wIReD%20in%20The%20Latest%20IRD%20News/Lat...

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  1. New Icon to Appear During CAE Activity May 19

Beginning Tuesday, May 19, an update will be applied to Windows computers and virtual machines during the Tuesday night patching window (from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. CDT) to enable you to see when Client Automation Enterprise (CAE) is working in the background. During the daily CAE checks and during any subsequent software installations or patch updates, a blue icon with a pulsing white circle will appear in your computer's system tray—the row of icons next to the clock in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

You can double-click the icon to see more information about the activity being performed by CAE.

On the evening of May 19, prepare for Tuesday night updates as normal.

For technical assistance, contact the Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) at 1-877-677-2123, option 2.

JSC IRD Outreach x34883, Opt 2, Opt 2 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/Lists/wIReD%20in%20The%20Latest%20IRD%20News/Lat...

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  1. Great Balls of Fire!

You already know that a droplet of ignited fuel forms a sphere in microgravity, but do you know what two droplets look like? The FLEX-2 investigation is finding out!

Liz Warren x35548

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  1. JSC Security Police SWAT Training

The JSC Special Operations SWAT team will be conducting training in Building 4N from 6 to 10 p.m.

Cpl. Samuel Green 281-636-1605

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   Organizations/Social

  1. Out & Allied ERG Pride Celebration/Meeting May 13

All JSC team members (government, contractor, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender [LGBT] and non-LGBT allies) are invited to the Out & Allied @ JSC Employee Resource Group (ERG) Pride Celebration meeting today, May 13, from noon to 2 p.m. in Building 30A's Collaboration Center Einstein Room. The primary order of business for this month's meeting is to hold a special election for the position of ERG secretary. Then, we will have pizza and discuss the plans for next month's activities. Please join us to help, meet others and network! For more information about our group, including how to become involved, contact any listed Out & Allied member on our SharePoint site.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2015   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:2:00 PM
Event Location: Building 30A Collaboration Center Einstein Room

Add to Calendar

Leslie Hammond x30348 http://collaboration.jsc.nasa.gov/iierg/LGBTA/SitePages/Home.aspx

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  1. 'Controlling Risk – in a Dangerous World'

Please join us for an enlightening JSC National Management Association (NMA) chapter luncheon featuring Jim Wetherbee as he speaks about "Controlling Risk - in a Dangerous World."

You don't want to miss this presentation, as well as the lunch!

Members: FREE

    • Grilled breast of chicken Vera Cruz, topped with capers, olives, tomato and onions
    • Lasagna de carnival—choice of cheese or meat and cheese
    • Vegetable napoleon, grilled fresh vegetables stacked over a portabella mushroom

Dessert: banana pudding with vanilla wafers

All luncheon entrées served with choice of pre-plated salad, dessert, seasonal accompaniments, fresh rolls, butter, ice water and ice tea.

RSVP by 3 p.m. May 22 with your meal selection.

For technical issues, contact Leslie N. Smith at x46752 or via email.

Event Date: Thursday, May 28, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Gilruth - Alamo Ballroom

Add to Calendar

Leslie N. Smith x46752

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  1. JSC NMA: 'First, Break All the Rules' - Lon Miller

What does breaking all the rules have to do with doing the right things?

Come and find out! The JSC National Management Association (NMA) presents Lon Miller, an active leader of the JSC team who previously served as the co-chair of Joint Leadership Team and currently serves as the president of JSC's NMA. He began his career in the aerospace industry in 1979 and today is the Jacobs' senior vice president and general manager of the Clear Lake group. Prior to that, Miller served as the associate center director of NASA's Stennis Space Center. He has managed multiple projects in the aerospace industry and is a member of several boards/committees. Miller has received numerous awards, including the NASA Silver Snoopy, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Public Service Medal and two NASA George M. Low awards. He enjoys flying and driving race cars. You don't want to miss this opportunity to meet Miller and hear his dynamic talk! Bring your lunch.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: B1/966

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Bridget M. Niese x32335

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  1. NSBE Information Display: Building 11 Café

The Houston Space Professionals Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will provide an information display in the Building 11 café today, May 13. Drop by for a few minutes and learn about exciting space research and development projects the NSBE is conducting, upcoming conferences and outreach initiatives to inspire the next generation. NSBE operates six spacecraft engineering projects, three space-related conferences and a space-related student outreach program targeting elementary through graduate student levels. The display will be available between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2015   Event Start Time:11:00 AM   Event End Time:2:00 PM
Event Location: Building 11 Cafeteria

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Robert Howard x41007 http://www.nsbe-hsp.org

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  1. Diversity Panel Discussion – May 27

In observance of Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, the JSC ASIA Employee Resource Group (ERG) welcomes the JSC community to a Diversity Panel Discussion. This event amplifies the AAPI theme of "Many cultures, one voice, promote equality and inclusion," and will focus on short- and long-term approaches to leveraging diversity and inclusion as tools to better achieve the JSC mission. We are partnering with other JSC ERGs to reach out to employees who attended recent diversity leadership conferences and are collecting lessons learned and practical applications for the JSC work environment. JSC Deputy Director Kirk Shireman will provide opening remarks.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: B1 Conf Room 871

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Joreen Lee x36210 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/ASIA/

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  1. Dealing with Early Stage Memory Loss

One in three seniors suffers from Alzheimer's, or another form of dementia, and half of all caregivers are providing care to a loved one with memory loss. Being an educated caregiver with understanding of the disease is both important and helpful.

Join Daisy Wei, MSSW, LCSW, with the JSC Employee Assistance Program, and guest speaker Sally Davis, RN, MSN, for a presentation from the caregiving and elder-care series: "Dealing with Early Stage Memory Loss." Davis will share the early warning signs of dementia, how memory loss can impact mental health and educate on memory-care resources for your loved one. Davis is the Health Services director of Amazing Place—an agency whose mission is to teach the community about dementia and brain health, provide care and wellness to adults with memory loss and give support to their families.

Event Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM
Event Location: Building 30 Auditorium

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Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program, Occupational Health Branch x36130

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  1. JSC Lunarfins SCUBA Club Meeting

World-class diving in the Red Sea! Beata Lerman, member of the Houston Underwater Photographic Society, will present a slideshow and talk about her adventures diving the southern coast of Israel in the Gulf of Eilat (also known as the Gulf of Aquaba). This large gulf sits at the northern tip of the Red Sea, east of the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Arabian mainland. Its coastline is divided between Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It provides world-class diving and a unique ecosystem. Lerman learned to dive there 10 years ago, and returned last year for an incredible dive vacation. Her group ran into a pod of dolphins and, of course, she had a camera to record the encounter. Lerman's multimedia presentation will cover Eilat scenery above and below the water and the dolphin encounter. Join us for this exciting presentation!

Event Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2015   Event Start Time:7:00 PM   Event End Time:8:30 PM
Event Location: Clear Lake Park Recreation Center

Add to Calendar

Barbara Corbin x36215 http://www.lunarfins.com

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  1. Teach a Creative Learning Class at Starport

Do you have a proficient knowledge of videography, photography, arts and crafts, country and western dance or some other interest that you want to share with the JSC community? Starport will soon be introducing a new Creative Learning Program and is looking for instructors to teach these classes. We need your expertise to offer JSC and contractor team members the opportunity to explore new interests and have some fun after work hours. Are these classes not your cup of tea, but you have other skills? We are open to all suggestions. Please send your class ideas or teaching credentials and availability to Cyndi Kibby or Shericka Phillips for consideration. Instructors will be compensated for their time, and instructors with no current connection to JSC are welcome to apply as well!

Cyndi Kibby x35352

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  1. Beginners Ballroom Dance: Early Reg. Ends May 15

Do you feel like you have two left feet? Well, Starport has the perfect program for you: Beginners Ballroom Dance! This eight-week class introduces you to the various types of ballroom dance. Students will learn the secrets of a good lead and following, as well as the ability to identify the beat of the music. This class is easy, and we have fun as we learn. JSC friends and family are welcome.

Discounted Registration:

    • $90 per couple (ends May 15)

Regular Registration:

    • $110 per couple (May 16 to 26)

Two class sessions available:

    • Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. - starting May 26
    • Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. - starting May 28

All classes are taught in the Gilruth Center's dance studio (Group Ex studio).

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/recreation-programs/ballroom-d...

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  1. Parent's Night Out at Starport – May 15

Enjoy a night out on the town while your kids enjoy a night with Starport. We will entertain your children with a night of games, crafts, a bounce house, pizza, a movie, dessert and loads of fun!

When: Friday, May 15, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Where: Gilruth Center

Ages: 5 to 12

Cost: $20/first child and $10/each additional sibling if registered by the Wednesday prior to event. If registered after Wednesday, the fee is $25/first child and $15/additional sibling.

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/familyyouth-programs/parents-n...

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   Jobs and Training

  1. Budget Basics for Technical: What You Need to Know

Break through the common communication barriers between technical and budget-speak with helpful translations of common budget terminology and a straightforward discussion of basic budget concepts. Understand the overall structure and flow of funding within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) and get tips for improving communication with your budget analyst. Your participation in this session will deliver the insight you need to plan and manage NASA financial resources. This session is recommended for technical project managers responsible for a project budget who would like to learn how government financial management differs from managing a personal bank account.

As part of the OCFO Subject-Matter Expert course series, Kim Steele and Erica Ternes will lead this two-hour session on Thursday, June 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Building 1, Room 421E. Please register in SATERN via the link below or by searching the catalog for the course title.

Gina Clenney x39851 https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHED...

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  1. JSC Risk Management Overview - May 28

JSC Risk Management Overview (JSC-NA-SAIC-RISK) is a two-and-a-half-hour class that includes risk-management concepts, topics regarding the application of risk management at JSC and a demonstration of the risk database. Class participants include personnel interested in understanding the basics of risk management.

Event Date: Thursday, May 28, 2015   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:11:30 AM
Event Location: Building 12/Room 144

Add to Calendar

Russell Hartlieb 281-335-2443

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  1. APPEL - Introduction to Green Engineering

This course provides an introduction to the topic of green engineering, a tool for reducing the environmental impact of products, processes and systems and making them more sustainable. From a NASA perspective, green engineering is an engineering best practice that considers environmental impacts as another design risk for mission success.

This course is designed as graduate-level seminar for engineers, scientists, project managers and others who design products, processes or systems and want to understand, quantify and reduce the associated environmental impacts.

This course is available for self-registration until Tuesday, May 26, and is open to civil servants and contractors.

Dates: Tuesday through Thursday, June 2 to 4

Location: Building 12, Room 146

Zeeaa Quadri x39723 https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHED...

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   Community

  1. Deadline Extended for HAS Mentors

It's not too late to sign up to pass on your love of spaceflight to the next generation by mentoring High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) students. The series of week-long summer experiences allow us to connect our NASA workforce with Texas students participating in hands-on engineering challenges. You can advise and work alongside them as they plan a mission to Mars. There are three weeks left to choose from, and the commitment requires about 20 hours.

o Week 1: June 15 to 19

o Week 2: June 22 to 26

o Week 3: July 6 to 10

If interested, please:

1. Complete the mentor application here.

2. Create a V-CORPs account.

3. Review mentor responsibilities.

4. Apply by June 8.

Brandi Dean x41403 http://has.aerospacescholars.org/mentors

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  1. Family Space Day This Saturday

The Expedition Center at the George Observatory is holding a Family Space Day on Saturday, May 16, from about 3 to 8 p.m.

For purchase are tickets to complete a 45-minute Expedition Center mission to the moon! Expedition Center mission tickets may be purchased for $10 a person online.

After enjoying a trip to space, stay for the evening and look at the night sky through our telescopes. Telescope tickets can be purchased at the observatory gift shop.

George Observatory is located in the heart of Brazos Bend State Park. Admission to the park is $7 for adults; kids under 12 are free.

Megan Hashier 281-226-4179 http://www.hmns.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=404&Ite...

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JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles.

Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters.

 

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