Fwd: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: NASA News revamped and JSC Today - Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: May 27, 2015 at 7:15:26 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: NASA News revamped and  JSC Today - Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Reply-To: larry.j.moon@nasa.gov

More rain   and that's all we need L ….be safe and stay home if you don't have to go out.    Brays or Braes Bayou, among others,  is filling up more this morning –raining again around the Texas Med Center.  

 

Whoever is doing spell check at Pao is failing on the job.. 

 

hope some of you saw the Google tributes to the space program yesterday if you happened to be doing some google.com searches.   They were cute. 

 

 

LEADING THE NEWS

JOURNEY TO MARS

• Video Illustrates NASA's Roadmap For Reaching Mars.

• Crusan: Today's Children Are Important Part Of Reaching Mars.

• Ochoa Outlines Her Spaceflight Vision.

• Mars Missions Could Result In Death If Conducted Too Soon.

• Science Fiction Can Help Inspire Future Missions.

• NASA Scientist Thinks Curiosity Rover May Be Source Of Mars' Methane.

• Vehicle Assembly Building Undergoing Upgrades To Handle SLS.

• Siloe Patera Crater May Have Been Created By Collapsing Supervolcano.

ISS

• ISS Reconfiguration Takes Place Today.

• Summer Provides Opportunities To See ISS In The Sky.

• SpaceX Now Cleared For Military Launch Competitions.

• Kelly Tweets Image Of Lambeau Field.

• Kazakh Cosmonaut Ready To Fly To ISS.

• Space Market Experienced Significant Losses This Past Month.

• New Microgravity Journal Accepting Submissions.

SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND

• Scientists Will Use Hubble Telescope To Expand Study Of Remote Galaxies.

• Hubble Captures New Image Of Galaxy With Two Supermassive Black Holes.

•

OTHER NASA NEWS

• NASA Proposes Changes To Rules For Private Security Contractors.

• Employee Credits Education And Professional Network For Landing Her NASA Job.

• Google Releases Video Explaining Story Behind Ride's Google Doodle.

• "Space Oddity" Exhibit Features Work From Space Shuttle Photographer.

• Mystery From Apollo 10 Remains Unsolved.

LEADING THE NEWS

NASA Selects Instruments For Mission To Europa.

AFP (5/27) reports that yesterday, NASA announced the nine instruments, ranging "from cameras to radars to magnetic field gauges," that will be part of a mission to Europa. John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said, "We're excited about the potential of this new mission and these instruments to unravel the mysteries of Europa in our quest to find evidence of life beyond Earth." NASA also said that the Jovian moon "could be the best place in the solar system to look for present day life beyond our home planet." NASA scientist Curt Niebur said that the selection of the instruments, out of the 33 submitted for review, "is a giant step in our search for oases that could support life in our own celestial backyard. ... We're confident that this versatile set of science instruments will produce exciting discoveries on a much-anticipated mission."

        The Boulder (CO) Daily Camera (5/27, Brennan, 167K) notes that with the Surface Dust Mass Analyzer (SUDA) among the selected instruments, the University of Colorado' now has a larger "space footprint." Principal investigator Sascha Kempf said that those involved were "really, really excited" to be part of the mission.

        According to Popular Science (5/27, Grush, 6.78M), at a press conference announcing the selection, Neibur said that it was "clear is we don't have a life detector. ... We don't have consensus in the scientific community what we'd measure to say that this thing you're looking at is alive."

        Mashable (5/26, Kramer, 2.3M) similarly stresses that the mission is about seeing whether Europa is habitable or not. Jim Green, NASA director of Planetary Science, said at the press conference, "Europa is one of those critical areas where we believe that the environment is just perfect for potential development of life. ... This mission will be that step that helps us understand that environment and hopefully give us an indication of how habitable the environment could be." As for the timetable for the mission, according to the article, a House budget would require the mission to launch by 2022 on the Space Launch System, which is "much more ambitious" than what NASA has laid out so far.

        SPACE (5/26, Wall, 241K) reports that so far, the Galileo spacecraft has only mapped 10% of the surface at a resolution of 200 meters. Niebur noted, "If we've seen such amazing things on only 10 percent of the surface, it's hard to even imagine the amazing things we'll see when we look at the rest of Europa at even better resolution." Green added, "It'd be great to think that the results from this particular mission would lead, in the next decade, to some new and exciting concepts about potentially getting underneath the ice shell."

        As for whether NASA could meet the House schedule, Space News (5/26, Foust, Subscription Publication, 481) reports Niebur said that the instruments "could be ready in the early 2020s...but that's also dependent upon how much money is in the budget for us to give them for that work." Green also noted, "We expect it to be launched in the 2020s. ... Whether it's mid, or a little early or a little later, needs to be worked out based on a much firmer cost estimate and a profile that would support it."

        NBC News (5/26, Boyle, 2.54M) website notes that both Green and Niebur said that this mission should "complement" other spacecraft studying the Jovian system, including NASA's Juno and the ESA's upcoming JUICE mission.

        Also covering the story are the KUSA-TV Denver (5/26, Rodriguez, 248K) website, WESH-TV Orlando, FL (5/26, 6:29 p.m. EDT, 88K),KUSA-TV Denver (5/26, 6:09 p.m. MDT, 73K), WPBF-TV West Palm Beach, FL (5/26, 5:09 p.m. EDT, 20K), WAFF-TV Huntsville, AL (5/26, 5:25 p.m. CDT, 71K), Science News (5/26, Crockett, 347K) "Science Ticker" blog, New Scientist (5/26, Rutkin, Grossman, 15K), NASA Space Flight (5/26, Bergin, 305), Sen (5/26, Black), Universe Today (5/26, Kremer, 16K), Discovery News (5/26, Klotz, 774K), Smithsonian (5/26, Jaggard, 301K) website, Daily Mail (UK) (5/26, Prigg, 5.37M), Global News (CAN) (5/26, Mortillaro, 31K), Tech Times (5/26, Maynard, 153K), AmericaSpace (5/26, Anderson), Examiner (5/26, Whittington, 1.2M) blog, and Vox (5/26, Stromberg, 839K).

        Blog Coverage. Mika McKinnon at io9 (5/26, 837K) writes that she and others are "already excited" by the mission, even if it is "a long way off."

JOURNEY TO MARS

Video Illustrates NASA's Roadmap For Reaching Mars.

The NextGov (5/27, 2K) reports that the important issue "on everyone's mind" is the timetable for when NASA will send people to Mars. The article posts a video of NASA's plans for getting astronauts to the planet "sometime in the 2030s." NASA administrator Charles Bolden said, "NASA is here to raise the bar of human achievement. ... We have a responsibility to the future generations of engineers, scientists, technologists, explorers. That's our challenge."

Crusan: Today's Children Ar Important Pat Of Reaching Mars.

The Washington Post (5/26, Kaplan, 5.03M) "Kid Post," as part of series about the people who are working on getting astronauts to Mars, profiles Jason Crusan, director of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems division. Crusan helped developed one of the projects launched with the Orion capsule last December. Crusan said, "Knowing you've got some hardware that's actually on the vehicle, it feels like a part of you is actually there." As for what his team will be working on in the next few decades, Crusan noted, "On our way to Mars we can't send up a supply ship when something goes wrong. ... So we're looking at: 'How can we break that reliance on Earth? How can we have smart- enough systems that live on their own?'" According to the article, Crusan believes that children alive today will be the ones to answer those issues. He added, "To me that's the really exciting part — not just the exploration piece, but where the space program is going to go with these kids. ... As they create the technologies of the future, they will change the course of our way to Mars."

Ochoa Outlines Her Spaceflight Vision.

AL Dia News (5/27, Varela) interviews astronaut Ellen Ochoa, director of the Johnson Space Center, "about her vision for spaceflight." Ochoa spoke about the research now being conducted at the ISS with astronaut Scott Kelly; the work toward sending people to Mars; how the center is changing under her leadership; commercial spaceflight; Latino representation at NASA; and her own experiences as a Latina astronaut. As for what comes between now and when astronauts head toward Mars, Ochoa said, "We are trying to look at what those missions should be to help us build up and demonstrate the capabilities that we need. In the 2020s I expect to see missions that will take astronauts somewhere in the lunar vicinity — It might be to a distant lunar orbit that we are looking at right now for some specific activities. Hopefully, we'll have a series of missions throughout the 2020s to get us ready for Mars."

Mars Missions Could Result In Death If Conducted Too Soon.

Popular Science (5/27, 6.78M), in a 2500-word article, outlines how NASA astronauts or private citizens heading to Mars could die if they conduct the mission "way too soon," because it could be "many years" before the necessary technology is ready for the trip. For instance, spacecraft could crash when landing on Mars. Bret Drake, deputy manager of NASA's exploration missions planning office, said, "How we get down through the atmosphere to the surface is a critical challenge. ... With current landing techniques, we can land only a metric ton on Mars. That's not big enough to get a colony going; we'll need much bigger capabilities." Drake also said that travelers will need "better insulation for the cold environments and a different way of rejecting heat for the hot environments." When outlining each of these potential catastrophic problems, the article details how NASA is addressing them, while noting that SpaceX and Mars One, which have stated their intentions for Mars, have not fully detailed their plans.

        Mitchell: Government And Private Companies Should Work Together On Ways To Reach Mars. In an article for Cheat Sheet (5/26), Anthea Mitchell writes that with the national push toward Mars, a completely private or government-run mission is not the best way forward. Instead, Mitchell advocates for the two sectors to work with each other because "both have strengths to offer." It is "the best sense for a safe and aggressive push toward Mars. "

Science Fiction Can Help Inspire Future Missions.

Business Insider (5/26, Dickerson, 3.36M) reports that science fiction authors are interested in writing about Mars again now that scientific research has shown it may have once harbored life. Geoffrey Landis of the Glenn Research Center, who writes science fiction in his spare time, said that these stories in turn can inspire people to travel to Mars because "one thing science fiction can do is explore the ideas of why someone would want to go to another planet. ... We can make the readers start asking 'why would I want to go to Mars?'" Meanwhile, the article notes that it will take more support from the government if "a NASA-backed plan" will ever take place.

NASA Scientist Thinks Curiosity Rover May Be Source Of Mars' Methane.

The Daily Mirror (UK) (5/26, Hamill, 788K) reports that NASA's Kevin Zahnle said that he is "convinced" that the methane the Curiosity rover detected came from the rover itself. The article notes that when Curiosity first detected the methane levels, scientists were "very excited," but the gas was not subsequently detected. Meanwhile, Chris Webster of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory disagrees with Zahnle's conclusion, noting, "To produce the amount we detected in Mars' atmosphere, you'd need a gas bottle of pure methane leaking from the rover. And we simply don't have it."

        The Science Times (5/26, Wu) notes that Paul Mahaffy, the principle investigator on Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments, also does not think the rover is capable of producing the necessary levels of methane observed. According to the article, researchers "simply do not know" where the methane could be coming from.

        Also covering the story are Design & Trend (5/26, Nunez, 103K), SlashGear (5/26, Davies, 39K), Tech Times (5/26, Maynard, 153K), and State Column (5/26, Catherman, 14K).

Vehicle Assembly Building Undergoing Upgrades To Handle SLS.

Jason Rhian at Spaceflight Insider (5/26) writes that as NASA work on developing the Space Launch System (SLS), it is also upgrading the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). VAB Site Project Manager Edsel Sanchez, who recently conducted an "exclusive tour" of the facility, said that after the shuttle program ended, "when we reviewed the systems that were in the VAB, we realized many would have to be completely replaced." Rhian notes that the VAB is undergoing "many changes" to prepare for its new missions.

Siloe Patera Crater May Have Been Created By Collapsing Supervolcano.

The Christian Science Monitor (5/26, Hamilton, 539K) reports that an analysis of the Siloe Patera crater on Mars suggests that it was created "by a collapsing supervolcano," and not a meteor impact. The article notes that NASA stated that the term "supervolcano" has only recently been adopted by geologists. Previously, the term was mainly used by the media, according to the article.

ISS

ISS Reconfiguration Takes Place Today.

The ABC News (5/26, Newcomb, 3.69M) website continues coverage of how NASA will relocate the ISS' Permanent Multipurpose Module today, transporting it "via a robotic arm to the forward port of the station's Tranquility module." NASA posted an animation of the move, showing what controllers expect will happen. With the move, NASA will make more space for future commercial spacecraft to dock at the ISS.

        The WAAY-TV Huntsville, AL (5/26, Barrett, 3K) "Space Alabama" website and SPACE (5/26, Howell, 241K) explain how the public can watch the operation online.

        Aerospace Technology (5/26), WVEC-TV Hampton Roads, VA (5/26, 4:46 p.m. EDT, 30K), NASA Space Flight (5/26, Harding, 305),and Tech Times (5/26, Algar, 153K) also cover the story.

Summer Provides Opportunities To See ISS In The Sky.

Mel Bondar at the US News & World Report (5/26, 907K) "Frugal Shopper" blog writes about how people can control their expenses while traveling in the summer through outdoor camping, which allows for inexpensive activities like stargazing. Bondar notes how apps can help people with that, highlighting how the free ISS Detector app can give people warning of when the ISS will be overhead.

        Meanwhile, David Dickinson at Universe Today (5/26, 16K) writes about how summer is "the best season" for the public to try to see the ISS in the sky. Dickinson explains how the public can go about doing so, noting that there are even opportunities "for multiple passes a night" starting this week "in mid- to high- northern latitudes."

SpaceX Now Cleared For Military Launch Competitions.

The Los Angeles Times (5/27, Petersen, 4.03M) reports that the Air Force on Tuesday, "after a two-year effort," cleared SpaceX to compete against the Untied Launch Alliance (ULA) for the chance to launch military satellites. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said, "SpaceX's emergence as a viable commercial launch provider provides the opportunity to compete launch services for the first time in almost a decade," as well as the chance to lower launch costs and increase "our military's resiliency." The article focuses on how military launches, under ULA's monopoly, have increased to the point where space missions are "among the nation's most expensive weapons programs."

        The Washington Post (5/26, Davenport, 5.03M) "The Switch" blog notes that this was "the latest in a series of victories for SpaceX," which include obtaining commercial resupply contracts from NASA. According to the article, ULA has already taken steps to prepare for the increased competition, including changing its CEO and unveiling the new Vulcan rocket that should be "more affordable."

        Reuters (5/26, Shalal) similarly notes SpaceX's NASA contracts, which it states are of significant value.

        Also covering the story are Florida Today (5/27, Dean, 168K), AFP (5/27), Bloomberg News (5/26, Hull, Johnsson, 3.81M), Financial Times (5/26, Wright, Subscription Publication, 1.34M), BBC News (5/27, 1.79M), Defense News (5/26, Mehta, 9K), Quartz (5/27, Fernholz, 438K), Space News (5/26, Gruss, Subscription Publication, 481), Popular Mechanics (5/26, Wenz, 8.25M), Flightglobal (5/27, Drew, 2K), Forbes (5/26, Knapp, 6.84M), The Verge (5/26, O'Kane, 913K), AmericaSpace (5/26, Evans), and Tech Times (5/26, Lee, 153K).

        WOFL-TV Orlando, FL (5/26, 11:09 p.m. EDT, 17K) , KERO-TV Bakersfield, CA (5/26, 11:29 p.m. PDT, 3K) and WFTV-TV Orlando, FL (5/26, 11:08 p.m. EDT, 76K) provided additional TV coverage.

        Shotwell Makes Forbes' Most Powerful Women List. Forbes (5/26, Howard, 6.84M) reports on the publication's rankings of 2015's world's most powerful women. The article briefly notes that Gwynne Shotwell, COO of SpaceX, made the list. She is just one of several women Forbes selected who demonstrate that a woman does not need to be the head of a company "to be a Most Powerful."

        Blog Coverage. Colin Clark at Breaking Defense (5/26, 18K) writes about how disruptive SpaceX has been and will continue to be, showing that a company can come "from nothing" and challenge established players like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Kelly Tweets Image Of Lambeau Field.

The FOX Sports (5/26, 2.11M) website reports on a "particularly awesome" image of Lambeau Field tweeted by ISS astronaut Scott Kelly. The image was taken from the station.

        Blog Coverage. Christophe Haubursin at Vox (5/26, 839K) writes that astronaut Scott Kelly is two months into his year-long mission at the ISS. According to Haubursin, the "real test" of the mission may not be what happens physically to Kelly, but what happens psychologically, "with minimal bathing and limited human contact."

Kazakh Cosmonaut Ready To Fly To ISS.

Russia's ITAR-TASS News Agency (5/26, 5K) reports that according to Meirbek Moldabekov, deputy chairman of Kazcosmos, Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov is prepared to fly to the ISS in place of opera singer Sarah Brightman, after she delayed her tourist trip to the ISS. Moldabekov said that "a scientific program" has been developed for Aimbetov, which is now being discussed by Russian officials.

Space Market Experienced Significant Losses This Past Month.

Insurance Insider (UK) (5/26, McNestrie) reports that three recent incidents over the past month, including the failed Progress cargo spacecraft mission to the ISS, has resulted in the space market experiencing financial losses "equivalent to well over half its annual premium base."

New Microgravity Journal Accepting Submissions.

SPACE (5/26, Howell, 241K) reports that Nature Publishing Group and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, "with the support of NASA," is accepting submissions for npj Microgravity, a new online, open-access journal focusing on microgravity research. The article notes that currently, the ISS, "the most consistent microgravity environment used today," has dozens of experiments now underway.

SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND

Scientists Will Use Hubble Telescope To Expand Study Of Remote Galaxies.

Sen (5/26, Sutherland) reports that in research presented at the 2015 meeting of the Canadian Astronomical Society, scientists led by Trystyn Berg showed how a new technique allowed them to examine "the chemical make-up of remote galaxies," even when "the most powerful telescopes" cannot resolve individual stars. Berg's team used the Keck Telescopes for the study, but plans to expand the work utilizing the Hubble telescope.

Hubble Captures New Image Of Galaxy With Two Supermassive Black Holes.

Science World Report (5/26, Griffin, 29K) reports that the Hubble telescope has taken a new image of the "bizarrely shaped" galaxy, NGC 6240, finding that its has an "absolutely tangled" center. That was created by the merger of two galaxies, which resulted in the galaxy having two supermassive black holes at its core. According to the article, the new image provides more information about the process, which in turn could help researchers learn more about galactic evolution.

 

 

OTHER NASA NEWS

NASA Proposes Changes To Rules For Private Security Contractors.

The Hill (5/26, Devaney, 533K) reports that in Wednesday's edition of the Federal Register, NASA, the General Services Administration, and the Department of Defense want "to change the federal acquisition regulations for contractors performing private security functions." The proposed rules are open to public comment.

Employee Credits Education And Professional Network For Landing Her NASA Job.

In an article for Cheat Sheet (5/26), Sheiresa Ngo writes about how Teneka Steed obtained a job with NASA at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. Steed credited her education and "a solid professional network." Her success has led her to give back to others, through the Teneka C. Steed Scholarship Program, which will award its first scholarship this month.

Google Releases Video Explaining Story Behind Ride's Google Doodle.

The Washington Post (5/26, Cavna, 5.03M) "Comic Riffs" blog continues coverage of the late astronaut Sally Ride and the Google Doodle released to celebrate her birthday. The article describes how Google decided to take the added step of releasing a video explaining "how her Doodle was launched."

        Blog Coverage. Phil Edwards at Vox (5/26, 839K) writes that what made Ride so special was "her influential work" inspiring students and her "relentlessness." Edwards thought that Ride was especially notable for her "refreshingly uncertain" answers about how she was chosen to be the first American woman in space.

        Meanwhile, Amanda Taub at Vox (5/26, 839K) writes that Ride had an "extraordinary" and inspiring life, focusing on how she had "burdens" to overcome being the first woman in space. Taub focused on how Ride had to deal with the question of how many tampons she would need on her shuttle mission, especially after NASA engineers asked her whether she would need 100 for her one-week mission. She had "many, many questions" about why male engineers at the time had these "spectacularly wrong expectations."

"Space Oddity" Exhibit Features Work From Space Shuttle Photographer.

The Santa Barbara (CA) Independent (5/26, Donelan, 119K) reports on the four artists featured in the "Space Oddity" exhibit put together by Crista Dix. One of those featured is John A. Chakeres, "NASA's go-to amateur expert" for photographing shuttle launches, who developed techniques that were adopted by major news agencies. According to the article, the Challenger accident so "traumatized" Chakeres that he put much of his work into storage. The article notes that the exhibit features some "ravishing" prints that were developed from those negatives for the first time.

Mystery From Apollo 10 Remains Unsolved.

Joseph Stromberg at Vox (5/26, 839K) writes about the unsolved "great space turd mystery of 1969," which has never been solved. The mystery involves who or what was the source of a floating turd that escaped a fecal bag during the Apollo 10 mission.

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

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JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  EZTV Installation on Macs - June 2 -  Annual IT Security Training -  New NASA@work Challenge - Check it Out Today Organizations/Social -  Today: Diversity Panel Discussion -  WELL Monthly General Body Meeting -  Texas Space Center SWE Lunch Meeting - May 29 -  Are the Kids Alright? -  Test Your Nutrition Knowledge -  Starport Boot Camp - Morning & Evening Classes -  Starport's Father-Daughter Dance 2015 -  NASA Nerdz - Sign Up Today -  Innovation in Lighting Technology Jobs and Training -  Basic COR Training Class -  JSC Risk Management Overview - May 28 -  System Safety Fundamentals: June 8, Building 20 -  Forklift Safety ViTS June 26, 2015 Community -  Graduate Teaching Fellowship Program Opportunity -  Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed

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Headlines EZTV Installation on Macs - June 2 Beginning Tuesday, June 2, EZTV plug-ins will be deployed to enable Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) capabilities on Mac computers that do not have the following plug-in versions already installed. IPTV Monitor plug-in version 5.5.1.3 IPTV Player plug-in version 7.1.0.0 Note: If the above EZTV plug-in versions are already installed on your computer, you will not receive the below prompts and can disregard this message. The update is scheduled for release during the Tuesday night ACES patching window. The first time you access EZTV after the installation, you will receive two prompts. Click Trust when you receive each prompt to enable the plug-ins. For technical assistance, contact the Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) at 1-877-677-2123, option 2. JSC IRD Outreach x34800 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/Lists/wIReD%20in%20The%20Latest%20IRD%20News/Lat... [top] Annual IT Security Training Each and every government employee, and those who work with government equipment, must be made aware of their security responsibilities annually. The deadline is approaching for the Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Information Technology (IT) Security and Privacy Awareness Training requirement for all NASA civil servants and contractors, available through SATERN. This training is also required if you apply for a remote-access token and to remotely access Integrated Enterprise Management Program applications such as eTravel and WebTADS. If you are unable to access SATERN or need assistance with IT Security Training, contact the NASA Shared Services Center. We recommend Mac users use Safari to access SATERN. If you require a SATERN user name and password, follow the instructions listed on the SATERN website. For further assistance, contact the SATERN Help Desk at 1-877-NSSC-123 (1-877-677-2123). JSC-IRD-Outreach x46376 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/ITSecurity/default.aspx [top] New NASA@work Challenge - Check it Out Today A new challenge on the NASA@work platform needs your votes—Voting Challenge: Name that Feature! Be sure to check out the name ideas submitted by our solver community for our new NASA@work feature and submit votes for your favorites. And, don't forget to get in your submissions for our Mars EVA Gap Challenge—it ends this Friday. Kathryn Keeton 281-826-9792 http://nasa.innocentive.com [top]    Organizations/Social Today: Diversity Panel Discussion 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, to 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. Munchies will be provided. Note: The conference room has changed to Building 1, Room 457A. Event Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: B1 Conf Room 457A Add to Calendar Joreen Lee x36210 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/ASIA/ [top] WELL Monthly General Body Meeting The JSC community is invited to join Women Excelling in Life and Leadership (WELL) for their monthly general body meeting today in Building 1, Conference Room 320, at 11:30 a.m. Event Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM Event Location: Building 1, Conference Room 320 Add to Calendar Stacy G. Houston x39649 [top] Texas Space Center SWE Lunch Meeting - May 29 The Texas Space Center section of the Society of Women Engineers lives on! With a good number of volunteers to step up and maintain our charter, let's prepare for Fiscal Year 2016. Join us for a lunch meeting at Don Pico's at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 29. We will enjoy a relaxed lunch, prepare for an election of new officers and enjoy the company of like-minded folks who support women in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Interested parties need not be a woman to participate, volunteer or hold office. Event Date: Friday, May 29, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Don Pico's Add to Calendar Lora Lechago 281-333-6364 [top] Are the Kids Alright? Youth with mental and behavioral health issues may experience challenges such as academic underachievement, criminal justice involvement and even suicide. Clearly, waiting until children are in crisis and need to be hospitalized or arrested is not an economical or effective solution. Participants will engage in activities related to current initiatives schools are employing to implement the recommendations; discuss effective strategies parents of children with mental-health needs can use when connecting with schools; and contribute feedback regarding future plans for improving access and coordination of school-based mental health services. Please join Anika Isaac with the JSC Employee Assistance Program as she hosts Janet Pozmantier with Mental Health America of Greater Houston for "Are the Kids Alright? The School Behavioral Health Initiative." Event Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM Event Location: Building 30 Auditorium Add to Calendar Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program x36130 [top] Test Your Nutrition Knowledge Many of us love the salty awesomeness of bacon or hot dogs. But did you know that some processed and cured meats have been identified as potential cancer-causing foods if eaten every day? Share your knowledge with us in three quick and fun anonymous nutrition polls. Then, join us on June 10 for a live wellness webinar to see the poll answers and learn more about nutrition. Click to participate in the fun food facts polls. There's more! Only have a minute? Register to receive weekly wellness emails and stay connected to your well-being. Join us online for a 10- to 15-minute webinet health break. And, don't miss the June 10 live webinar: Keeping Food Fun and Healthy. Evan Thoman x42769 http://nhy.stratwell.com/ [top] Starport Boot Camp – Morning & Evening Classes Starport's boot camp is back, and registration is open and filling fast. Don't miss a chance to be part of Starport's incredibly popular program. The class will fill up, so register now! Early registration (ends May 29) $90 per person (just $5 per class) Regular registration (May 30 to June 8): $110 per person The workout begins on Monday, June 8. Morning: 6 a.m. Evening: 6 p.m. Are you ready for 18 hours of intense workouts with an amazing personal trainer to get you to your fitness goal? Don't wait—sign up today! Register now online or at the Gilruth Center information desk. Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/recreation-programs/boot-camps [top] Starport's Father-Daughter Dance 2015 Make Father's Day weekend a date your daughter will never forget! Enjoy a night of music, dancing, refreshments, finger foods, dessert, photos and more. Plan to get all dressed up and spend a special evening with the special little lady in your life. The dance is open to girls of all ages, and attire is business casual to semi-formal. A photographer will be on hand to capture this special moment with picture packages for you to purchase. One free 5x7 will be provided. June 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gilruth Center Alamo Ballroom Cost is $45 per couple ($10 per additional child) Register online or at the Gilruth Center information desk. You must register by June 11, and there will be no tickets sold at the door. Event Date: Friday, June 19, 2015   Event Start Time:6:30 PM   Event End Time:8:30 PM Event Location: Gilruth Alamo Ballroom Add to Calendar Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/special-events/father-daughter... [top] NASA Nerdz - Sign Up Today NASA Nerdz at AMF Alpha and will begin on June 11 and run until Aug. 13 on Thursday nights! Bowling starts at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday, with practice beginning at 6:15 p.m. Typically, bowling ends anywhere from 9 to 9:30 p.m. Teams must consist of four people. If you have four people in mind, perfect. If not, email me and I will try and match you up. Team members do not have to work at NASA, for NASA or even work at all—and your kids can be your team members (but we will bowl with no bumpers). Pre-bowling and post bowling are allowed as individuals. The fee for each week of bowling is $13. (Ten weeks = $130 for two-and-a-half to three hours of fun each Thursday night through the summer.) Please email me your team name/members by May 29. Zero words left, Google no-tap! Russell Lala 832-385-5989 [top] Innovation in Lighting Technology The past is a lesson, the present is an exercise and the future is innovation. This ubiquitous ideology can be applied to the lighting technology that "brightens up" our day. For example, the heliostat is a device that was used in the 1700s to illuminate an area of interest by redirecting sunlight using mirrors. This gave rise to the concept of using sunlight to aid man-made lighting for: the improvement of lighting capabilities, energy conservation and human comfort. Daylight redirecting window film, tubular daylighting devices and even roof-installed sunlight-powered "bulbs" made from plastic bottles (as used in impoverished homes of the Philippines) are just a few examples lighting innovation that are rooted in the past. The Lighting Environment Test Facility (LETF) team at JSC is dedicated to innovation in their experimental and lighting analysis work. This article was submitted by JSC's LETF in celebration of 2015—International Year of Light. Toni Clark, P.E. x30857 http://cms.nasa.gov/content/spaceflight-human-factors [top]    Jobs and Training Basic COR Training Class JSC will host the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Basic Training class from Aug. 3 to 7. The scheduled offering ID is #78778. There is a pre-course survey (one question, PROC-COR-BASIC_Exam01) you will need to take in SATERN before signing up. As a reminder for current CORs, this class will not count toward your 40 hours of CLP for recertification. Event Date: Monday, August 3, 2015   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:4:30 PM Event Location: Bldg 12 R. 134 Add to Calendar Keith Hutto x34165 [top] 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 should 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 [top] System Safety Fundamentals: June 8, Building 20 This course instructs the student in the fundamentals of system safety management and hazard analysis of hardware, software and operations. Types and techniques of hazard analysis are addressed in enough detail to give the student a working knowledge of their uses and how they are accomplished. Skills in analytical techniques are developed through the use of in-class practical exercises. This course establishes a foundation for students to pursue more advanced studies of system safety and hazard analysis techniques while allowing students to effectively apply their skills to straightforward analytical assignments. Note: This course is a combination of SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0008 (System Safety Workshop) and SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0015 (System Safety Special Subjects). Students who have taken either of these classes should discuss taking this class with NASA Safety Training Center management staff. Target Audience: Supervisors and technical/non-technical personnel who perform safety analysis and/or manage system safety programs. Use this direct link for registration: https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Shirley Robinson x41284 [top] Forklift Safety ViTS June 26, 2015 The basis for this three-hour course is based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR 1910.178(L). Discussions include the awareness of hazards and how to gain from lessons learned. Other topics include the mechanics of a fork truck, inspections and maintenance, safe driving, pedestrian and traffic rules, special operating rules, stacking and tiering, emergency procedures and refueling. This course provides training to support either an initial certification (three hours duration) or a recertification (two hour duration). Use this direct link for registration: https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Shirley Robinson x41284 [top]    Community Graduate Teaching Fellowship Program Opportunity JSC's Chapter of the NASA Alumni League has partnered with the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) to inform retirees of a special Graduate Teaching Fellowship Program. KIPP is specifically looking for retired, or soon-to-be retired, NASA/aerospace workers for a two-year fellowship. In the first year, the Fellow will work in the classroom with a KIPP Master Teacher. In the second year, the Fellow will work in a classroom with close supervision from a KIPP Master Teacher. During the two-year period, the Fellow will participate in online classes, seminars and other learning opportunities presented by KIPP's Educational Graduate School (fully accredited). At the end of the fellowship, a master's degree is conferred on the Fellow. A stipend of $75,000 is also paid to the Fellow over the two-year period. KIPP is a chain of private schools focusing on minority and underprivileged children, and was founded in Houston more than 20 years ago. The system now has 162 schools in 20 states.  Interested? Attend a presentation by KIPP leadership in the Gilruth Center Discovery Room (front lobby) from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Norman Chaffee of the NASA Alumni League at 713-944-2461. Norman Chaffee 713-944-2461 [top] Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed The NASA/Lockheed Martin/OSS/Jacobs Soup Kitchen Volunteer Group is looking for additional volunteers. Our group consists of several three- or four-person teams that provide labor and salad materials for the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen located downtown near the George R. Brown Convention Center. We currently volunteer at the kitchen three to four Tuesdays per month at lunchtime. A team lead coordinates the group and purchases the salad materials in advance. A typical volunteer will help out once every three months. Tuesday is a good volunteer day, since the kitchen is closed on Monday. In addition, the kitchen has a difficult time finding weekday volunteers. NASA and several contractors support our group and allow us flexibility in our schedule (work requirements permitting) to help out on weekdays when the need is greatest. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ron Diftler at x30931 or via email. Ron Diftler x30931 [top]

 

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.