Minutes of Senior Staff and Center Directors’ Meeting 5 March 2001
The following documents the discussions addressed at the Senior Staff and
Center Directors’ Meeting on March 5, 2001. Mr. Goldin did not attend
the meeting. Action assignments have been placed in brackets [ ] for
easy identification.
1. AA Reports
AA/Stadd: 1) Mr. Stadd urged the senior managers to keep the momentum
going and continue to pursue the initiatives that came out of the last
Senior Management Council (SMC) meeting. 2) NASA’s issues on hiring
controls are being reviewed at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
P/Cleggett: 1) Quota memos for STS-100 were distributed this week
requesting nominations to the launch by March 13. 2) The launch is
scheduled for April 7. 3) The NASA Art Program and the Kronos Quartet
Commission was the subject of a segment for the Charles Osgood File which
aired this week on CBS Radio. The Osgood File attracts about 12 million
listeners. The Kronos Quartet and composer Terry Riley are collaborating
on a piece of music based on the sounds of the Voyager Probe.
S/Withbroe: The Near Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft was shut down
on February 28. The Gamma-Ray Experiment (GRE) obtained excellent data
on the composition of Eros after the soft landing. He praised the NEAR
team for a highly successful mission.
I/Schumacher: The Department of State issued the USG Mir De-orbit
Inter-Agency Working Group’s press release on Friday, March 2, 2001. It
is also posted on the Dept. of State’s press release web site:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/index.cfm?docid=1035
K/Thomas: Mr. Thomas thanked all those who supported the NASA/JPL Small
Business Conference held at JPL. About 1500 people attended the
Conference. GRC/Julian Earls was one of the keynote speakers.
L/Kerwin: On Friday, March 2, Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) visited Baylor University to be briefed on the
National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) program. We have
been informed that the House Science Committee intends to hold a hearing
concerning the International Space Station for later this month; a
possible, though unconfirmed, date is March 21. The Committee will
request that Mr. Rothenberg testify at this hearing.
B/Varholy: NASA’s FY 2000 Accountability Report was delivered to OMB.
Mr. Varholy thanked the Centers and the Inspector General for their
support.
Y/Asrar: NASA begins the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the
Pacific (TRACE-P) experiments this week. TRACE-P will examine the chemical
composition of the lower atmosphere–which scientists say is critical for
understanding the climate in general and life on the planet. Four
missions will be conducted–with the first starting on Wednesday, March
7–to study how dust storms, forest fires, and human activities change
the composition of the air. Dr. Asrar thanked the Centers for their
support of the experiment.
Q/Gregory: The certification of flight readiness for Space Shuttle
flight STS-102 has been signed.
2. Dr. Mulville
1) The next SMC meeting will be held on Thursday, March 29. 2) On
March 6, an Independent Annual Review on the Space Infrared Telescope
Facility will be presented to the Program Management Council. 3) On
March 12, the Capital Investment Council will meet to discuss budget
issues and critical NASA infrastructure needs. 4) The midterm
performance reviews have been scheduled for the Direct Reports to the
Administrator.
3. Center Directors
GSFC/Townsend: Tonight, Jim Hansen will receive the Heinz Award for his
research on global warming.
JSC/Estess: Both orbiters are on the move. JSC is looking forward to a
Thursday morning liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery Flight STS-102.
KSC/Bridges: The countdown for STS-102 has started.
MSFC/Kennedy: MSFC’s new Payload Operations Center will be open around
the clock beginning March 8, 2001. The first mission is in support of
STS-102.
SSC/Craig: Mr. Craig advised of the ongoing test activities at Stennis
Space Center, i.e., this week’s 200 second test of the Space Shuttle Main
Engine Pratt & Whitney fuel pump.
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.
