Status Report

Minutes of Senior Staff and Center Directors’ Meeting 2 October 2000

By SpaceRef Editor
October 2, 2000
Filed under

The following documents the discussions addressed at the Senior Staff and
Center Directors’ Meeting on October 2, 2000. Mr. Goldin did not attend
the meeting. Action assignments have been placed in brackets [ ] for
easy identification.

1. AA Reports

P/Cleggett: Ms. Cleggett reported on the following items: 1)
Congratulations to two GRC employees who received awards at the Women of
Color in Technology: Dr. Jih-Fen Lei for Technical Innovation in
Government and Ms. Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria for Career Achievement. 2)
CBS Sunday Morning featured a piece on the Philadelphia Orchestra/NASA
collaboration on Sunday, October 1. 3) At the STS-92 Administrator’s
briefing, the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform 2001 Space Odyssey on
video. Live, Patti Labelle will sing “America the Beautiful” at the
briefing.

I/Cline: Ms. Cline reported on the following items: 1) The
Administrator is in Brazil October 2-3. He will meet with Brazilian
Science and Technology Minister Sardenberg today. Tomorrow, he will give
a keynote speech and participate in press events at the International
Astronautical Federation’s annual Congress in Rio de Janeiro. 2)
October 4-10 has been declared “World Space Week” by the United Nations
(UN), and events to celebrate the value of space activities are being
conducted around the world in the coming week. NASA is participating in
an event at the UN on October 4 and conducting a variety of Web chats.

W/Gross: Ms. Gross reported on the following items: 1) On September
29, the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) presented
its annual awards for outstanding accomplishments within the Federal
Inspector General community. The ceremony recognized achievements in
promoting economy and efficiency in Government programs and fighting
fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal operations. Joseph R. Gutheinz,
former Special Agent with NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office
of Criminal Investigations, received a Career Achievement award from the
PCIE for sustained outstanding performance throughout his career and
saving and recovering millions of dollars in NASA funds through his
investigative efforts. Elaine M. Slaugh, former auditor with NASA OIG,
Office of Audits, received an Individual Accomplishment award for her
outstanding efforts and significant achievements as the Executive
Director of the Federal Audit Executive Council. Diane M. Frazier,
Yolande B. Harden, and Joseph F. Kroener, procurement analysts with the
NASA OIG, Office of Inspections & Assessments, received a group Award for
Excellence for their outstanding contributions to the PCIE’s outreach and
education efforts and the team’s special contribution to improving OIG
products dealing with Federal acquisitions. On September 26, 2000, two
employees of ACS Environmental, Inc., Chesapeake, VA, a NASA contractor,
were arrested for felony violations of Virginia State Code 18.2 – 168,
Uttering a Forged Public Record. NASA contracted with ACS to provide
asbestos abatement services at LaRC. The individuals were arrested after
presenting NASA security officials with allegedly fraudulent resident
alien cards.

F/Novak: Ms. Novak reported that the Office of Biological and Physical
Research (OBPR) is now official and NASA’s fifth Enterprise. The OBPR
replaces the Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications.

R/Reck: Mr. Reck reported that Carl Ray of the Office of Aerospace
Technology won an award from the Small Business Administration for his
support of the Small Business Innovation Research program.

Q/Gregory: Mr. Gregory reported on the following items: 1) The Office
of Safety and Mission Assurance has reviewed the High Energy Transient
Explorer-2 (HETE-2) launch and found no safety problems. The probability
of a successful HETE-2 launch is medium because of the type of
spacecraft. 2) The OSMA has reviewed STS-92 and found no safety issues.
STS-92 should be a successful launch.

K/Thomas: Mr. Thomas thanked everyone for the successful annual Minority
Business and Advocates Awards ceremony. He mentioned that Congressman
Bud Cramer (D-AL) attended the ceremony. (Dr. Mulville interjected that
he attended the ceremony and thought that it was an excellent program.)

L/Kerwin: Ms. Kerwin reported on the following items: 1) NASA is in a
continuing resolution for FY 2001 until October 6. 2) Talks on the
VA-HUD-IA appropriations bill are still continuing.

C/Christensen: Mr. Christensen reported on the following items: 1) He
appreciated the support of everyone during the Combined Federal Campaign
kick-off. 2) The Code A suite will be permanently locked. HQ-badged
employees can enter by using their badges during normal business hours.
Any other time, only a small number of HQ employees will be able to enter
without assistance. 3) He, along with Roberta Gross and Al Diaz, are
looking for volunteers to help sponsor a chili cook-off.

AC/Armstrong: Gen. Armstrong reported on the following items: 1) A
university initiative will be held on October 19 in NASA’s auditorium.
Over 600 individuals will participate through attendance here at HQ or
via NASA-TV and the Internet. The purpose of the initiative is for NASA
Associate Administrators to discuss what NASA is doing in collaboration
with the Nation’s universities.

2. AI/Dr. Mulville

Dr. Mulville reported on the following items: 1) The next Senior
Management Council meeting is on October 20 here at HQ. 2) Due to the
Columbus Day holiday, the next telecon will be held on October 10. Dr.
Mulville will be out of the office. 3) Dr. Mulville again reminded
senior management to provide materials to Denise Stewart for the
Administrator’s briefing book 2 days

prior to the meeting.

3. Center Reports

ARC/McDonald: Dr. McDonald reported that on September 28, the SHARP-B2
Future-

X Pathfinder Flight Experiment was successfully launched from a Minuteman
III at

Vandenberg Air Force Base. The mission was ARC’s second flight test of
Ultra High

Temperature Ceramics–TPS material capable of surviving over 5000
degrees, farenheit–

potentially enabling new hypersonic vehicle designs incorporating sharp
leading edges.

GRC/Campbell: Mr. Campbell reported on the following items: 1) He
thanked Paula

Cleggett for acknowledging the GRC awardees. 2) In a joint effort
between GRC, Pratt and Whitney, and United Technologies Research Center,
active control of combustion instability was demonstrated on a single
nozzle combustor rig. A closed-loop control scheme, which uses
combustion pressure feedback coupled with an instability frequency
observer and a phase shifting controller, resulted in measurable
reduction in the thermoacoustic-driven combustor pressure oscillations.
3) Internationally renowned experts will soon reside at the GRC to
perform cutting-edge engine system aeroacoustics research in the
AeroAcoustics Research Consortium. The collaboration — the first ever
of its kind at GRC — will address difficult, technical barrier issues
and develop innovative ideas, methods, and concepts. It is an extremely
visible, cost effective, strategic national asset for NASA, industry,
other governmental agencies, and universities. 4) The 20th anniversary
issue of Discover Magazine highlights 20 young scientists to watch in the
next 20 years. Ms. Diane Linne of the Turbomachinery and Propulsion
Systems Division was one of the scientists profiled for this story. She
was selected from a review of almost 1,000 researchers under the age of
40 in the United States. Her work on in-situ resource utilization for
Mars exploration was the emphasis of the article.

JSC/Abbey: Mr. Abbey reported on the following items: 1) The STS-92
crew have left for the Cape. The weather is a concern. 2) The
International Space Station (ISS) is doing well on-orbit. 3) ISS is
troubleshooting problem with Service Module Battery #4.

KSC/Bridges: Mr. Bridges reported that KSC is preparing for the STS-92
and HETE-2 launches. We are watching the weather.

LaRC/Creedon: Dr. Creedon reported on the following items: 1)
Langley’s Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator also won the Editors’ choice
award at the R&D 100 Awards Ceremony in Chicago on September 27. Three
innovations were selected from the 100 award winners for this special
award. Out of the three winners, NASA received two (LaRC and GRC). 2)
The Women in Aerospace 15th Annual Awards Reception, honoring the
achievements of seven outstanding women, was held September 26 at the
Russell Senate Office Building. Dr. Arlene S. Levine, from LaRC,
received the Aerospace Educator Award.

MSFC/Griner: Ms. Griner reported on the following items: 1) Art
Stephenson is on

his way to KSC. 2) All MSFC elements are ready to support the launch of
STS-92.

NOTE: ACTION ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE TRANSMITTED UNDER SEPARATE COVER AND
TRACKED BY THE HEADQUARTERS CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE. SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS MAY BE ADDRESSED TO BRIDGET FENNER AT (202) 358-0909.

SpaceRef staff editor.