THOMAS KEATING IS RECIPIENT OF 1998 NASA HONOR AWARD

    Thomas Keating, recently retired from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Flight Projects Directorate, will receive NASA’s 1998 Exceptional Service award for his exceptional contributions to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) team.  He will receive the award on June 16 at the 1998 NASA Honor Awards Ceremony at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    In his position as a TRMM Systems engineer, Keating demonstrated exceptional skill in executing and managing the systems engineering for TRMM. He also spearheaded several system studies analyzing various operations to arrive at the best solutions.

    Of particular significance was his study on accommodations of different instruments which resulted in the addition of Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy Systems instrument and Lightning Imaging Sensor instrument to the TRMM payload.  Keating is also credited for his excellent work as a liaison in working with the Japanese National Space Development Agency.

    “Tom Keating was TRMM study manager from 1986-1991 when TRMM became a project.  TRMM never would have become a reality without his wide knowledge, dedication and ability to work excellently with other people, nationally and internationally.  I have rarely had such a knowledgeable colleague who was also outstanding for his sense of humor and unbelievable memory of every aspect of TRMM,” stated Dr. Joanne Simpson, former TRMM project scientist.

    Keating began his 35 year career at Goddard in 1963 and retired from federal service on May 1, 1998.  He received a B.S in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from Catholic University, Washington, D.C.

    Keating was born in Philadelphia and raised in Hershey, Penn.  He and his wife, Jennie, currently reside in Wheaton, Md.  They have four married sons and six grandchildren.