National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland/Wallops Island, Virginia

December 15, 2000

The Goddard News is published weekly by the Office of Public Affairs, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Table of Contents

EO-1/SAC-C Satellites Performing Well

All EO-1 systems and instruments have been turned on and are working fine. EO-1 will be in formation with Landsat 7 on December 15. EO-1 did not use as much fuel as anticipated to get into formation, therefore this allows EO-1 to remain in formation with Landsat 7 for five years.

EO-1, the first of three New Millennium Program Earth-orbiting missions, is an advanced land-imaging mission that will demonstrate new instruments and spacecraft systems.

EO-1's primary focus is to develop and test a set of advanced technology land imaging instruments. However, many other key instruments and technologies that will have wide ranging applications for future satellite development are also part of the mission.

Future NASA spacecraft are expected to be smaller, lighter and less expensive than current versions, and the EO-1 mission will provide the on-orbit demonstration and validation of several subsystem technologies to enable this transition.

Over the past three weeks the SAC-C spacecraft has been orienting itself and turning on instruments. Normal operations began the weekend of Dec. 8. To date, eight of the 11 instruments have been activated. All satellite subsystems are working properly.

SAC-C is an international mission to study the structure and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere, ionosphere and geomagnetic field. SAC-C also will seek to measure the space radiation in the environment and its influence on advanced electronic components and determine the migration route of the Franca whale. Another objective of the payload is to verify autonomous methods of attitude and orbit determination. The SAC-C mission is a collaboration between the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, France and Italy.

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Goddard Scientists to Highlight New Earth Science Insights at 2000 Fall AGU Meeting

New Earth science insights by scientists at Goddard will be reported at the 2000 American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco this week. TRMM will be prominently featured at the Upcoming AGU Meeting in California. There is a Special Session on TRMM and TRMM Field Campaigns being held at the AGU Meeting. Additionally, there is a press briefing scheduled for Monday, Dec. 18th at 9:00 am. Three TRMM scientist including Project Scientist, Dr. Robert Adler, Dr. Danny Rosenfeld, and Dr. Edward Zipser will present new finding from the Field Campaigns related to Amazonian Rainfall, Effects of Burning and Pollution on Rainfall, and Monthly Rainfall and Rainfall Anomalyproducts

Lower Dust Absorption of Sunlight - The ability of dust to absorb solar radiation and heat the atmosphere is one of the main uncertainties in climate modeling and the prediction of climate change. Dust absorption is not well known due to limitations of in situ measurements. Two new independent remote sensing techniques are discussed that assess the impact of dust on climate. Yoram Kaufman will present the results of his findings on Friday, December 15 at 1:30 p.m. in Room MC 123.

What Controls the Arctic Lower Stratosphere Temperature?

Stratospheric temperature determines springtime ozone loss. This talk demonstrates for the first time how lower atmospheric weather and climate can change the temperature of the polar stratospheric regions. Paul Newman will present the results of his findings on Saturday, December 16 at 4:20 p.m. in Room MC 125.

Measurements and Predictions of Atmospheric Influences from the Very Large July 14-16, 2000, Solar Proton Event

A large solar flare with an associated coronal mass ejection occurred in mid-July and caused a very large solar proton event at the earth between July 14-16, 2000. So far this is the largest solar storm of solar cycle 23. The solar proton fluxes were measured by instruments aboard the GOES-10 satellite and used in our proton energy deposition model to help quantify the energy input to the middle atmosphere during this large solar event. The measured and modeled impacts of this solar event will be compared and discussed in this paper. Charles Jackman will present the results of his findings on Monday, December 18 at 4:15 p.m. in Room MC 135.

Results from Terra, NASA's Earth Observing System

NASA’s Terra spacecraft, launched on December 18, 1999, marked a new phase in climate and global change research. Terra is the flagship observatory for the NASA's Earth Observing System and has scientific instruments to gain information about the Earth's land, oceans and atmospheres and their relation to climate change with unprecedented accuracy. John Ranson will present biospheric results at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 19 in Room MC 301 and Yoram Kaufman will present the atmospheric results on the same day at 1:30 p.m. in Room MC 131.

What Causes the Break Up of Antarctic Ice Shelves?

The dramatic disintegration of sections of the Antarctic ice shelves in recent years has been attributed to a rise in mean annual temperatures over the past half century, although no specific mechanism has been found linking the two. New findings identify the culprit: summertime surface meltwater fills small crevasses and drives them open, weakening the ice shelf and making it vulnerable to breakup by winds and tides. Christina Hulbe will present the new findings on Friday, December 15 at 11:05 a.m. in Room MC 104.

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Illinois Students to Make First ham Radio Contact with Space Station

On December 19, 2000 at 3:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, students at the Burbank School in Burbank, Illinois, will close their textbooks, put on radio headsets, and use amateur radios to communicate with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Located in a Chicago suburb, the Burbank K-8 school will be the first school to use a ham radio to contact the Expediton1 crew aboard the ISS. That crew -- Soyuz Commander Yuri Gidzenko, Expedition 1 Commander Bill Shepherd and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev - were launched, Oct. 31, 2000, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and are the first residents to live on board the space station.

Rita Wright, a teacher at the Burbank school and the project coordinator, has been teaching science and math for thirty-one years in the southwest Chicago suburb school district. "If you walked into our school today and wandered down the halls, you would be surprised at the variety of topics, activities, and displays of work all centered around the ISS mission," Wright proudly states. "Our school is vibrating with excitement and activity."

For the complete article, go to: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp/pub/PAO/Releases/2000/00-145.htm

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Eyewitness Account of NASA History Published

A compilation of engrossing first-hand accounts and almost 200 spectacular photos from agency archives comprise a riveting history of NASA's space flight endeavors in the recently published volume, The Infinite Journey: Eyewitness Accounts of NASA and the Age of Space.

The collaborative project of NASA and Discovery Books began with a concept of the NASA Millennium Committee and highlights 30 missions, both human and robotic, spanning more than 40 years of space exploration. More than 100 astronauts, NASA engineers and scientists, and eyewitnesses recall in vivid detail their personal experiences of events involved in this unprecedented era in human history.

Journalist and space-historian William E. Burrows provides an introduction to the book describing the early roots of space exploration and the creation of NASA. His subsequent chapter overviews and mission essays furnish background information and context for the individual stories that follow.

The volume closes with an epilogue on the future of space flight, with contributions by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, Ray Bradbury, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, the late Carl Sagan and Homer Hickam Jr.  As Goldin remarks in the jacket notes, "Our nation's space program is strong, it is relevant and it is vital to every American. Our mission, to explore the frontiers of space and to enrich life here on Earth is simply too exciting, too inspiring, too important to do anything else."

For purchasing go to:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563319241/qid%3D977154687/107-4751851-9490910 or http://shopping.discovery.com/genre/1114-1480-1.html

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Norden Huang to Present at Today's Scientific Colloquium

Norden Huang is today’s Scientific Colloquium speaker. His topic is entitled "Applications of the Hilbert-Huang Transform". He will discuss a new method, the Hilbert-Huang Transform, which has been developed for analyzing nonlinear and nonstationary data. The key part of the method is the Empirical Mode Decomposition with which any complicated data set can be decomposed into a finite and often small number of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF).

The colloquium is at 3:30 p.m. in the Building 3 auditorium. For information about the scientific colloquia go to: http://scicolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov/

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NASA Robotics May Soon Help Spinal Cord Patients Take First Steps

NASA engineers and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), neurophysiologists are creating a robot-like device that could help rehabilitate thousands of Americans with spinal cord injuries.

"We are developing a prototype robotic stepper device that when complete will be used as part of rehabilitation that can potentially help some people now wheelchair-bound take their first steps," said Jim Weiss, program manager for collaborative neural repair at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA. "This system can do the work of four therapists and help monitor a patient's progress in a controlled manner."

The device, still in the development phase, will look like a treadmill with robotic arms, and will be fitted with a harness to support the patient's weight. The arms resemble knee braces that attach to the patient's leg, guiding the legs properly on the moving treadmill.

For more information, go to: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-194.txt

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"Tis the Season - To Be On the Alert For Holiday Computer Attack"

Excerpted from a Bulletin issued by NASA's Incident Response Center (NASIRC), 12/7/2000

We would like to heighten your awareness to the number of incidents that normally occur this time of year. NASIRC historical statistics show that there is always an increase in IT related security incidents agency wide throughout the next couple of months. This increase can be attributed to a number of variables including:

1) High School and College winter breaks,

2) the lack of system and network monitoring because of staff holiday vacations,

3) the growth in low-cost, high-speed Internet connections,

4) the addition of new systems connecting to the Internet after the holiday.

As a precautionary measure during this holiday period, NASIRC recommends and the Goddard center director and chief information officer agree that all employees should turn off their computers and any unneeded systems at night, over the weekends, and if they are taking extended leave during the holiday season. Also ensure that your machines have the latest patches and virus protection software to prevent any compromises or system related problems. These measures are by no means full proof but will prevent the spreading of viruses and improve resistance to hacking.

BACKGROUND

NASIRC has already received numerous reports pertaining to impending cyberattacks during Christmas and The New Year. During the past holiday seasons there have been stories of hackers who are planning some type of online attack-fest. Normally during the holiday season many agencies have employees on leave and the remaining staff are in a relaxed posture. This is the main reason many people have been caught with their guard down making themselves vulnerable to serious hack attacks. Last year may have been an exception with everyone geared up for the challenges of the new millennium.

This year may be different. Lately, hackers have been successful in launching numerous distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to include some major Internet companies like e-Bay and Yahoo. NASIRC has published several reports, warning of upcoming attacks by hackers using various tools and DDoS applications known as Trinity, Trinoo, Tribal Flood Network (TFN), TFN2K, Stacheldraht, and Shaft.

https://www-nasirc.nasa.gov/alerts/H-00-07.Trinity_MyServer_DDoS_Agents.html

https://www-nasirc.nasa.gov/alerts/A-00-269.Trinity_MyServer_DDoS_Agents.html

https://www-nasirc.nasa.gov/alerts/A-00-269-A.Trinity_MyServer_DDoS_Agents.html

https://www-nasirc.nasa.gov/alerts/A-00-269-B.Trinity_Entitee_Variant.html

ftp://ftp-nasirc.nasa.gov/bulletins/B-00-23.New_Analysis_of_DDOS_Tools

ftp://ftp-nasirc.nasa.gov/bulletins/B-00-21.DDOS_Reminder

Address questions you may have to NASIRC, the Goddard IT Security Manager (Hank Middleton), or the GSFC Deputy Chief Information Officer (Mark Walther).

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In the Safety Corner

As we build the safety program through the Goddard Safety Initiative, the Safety Home page is where you'll find out how we're doing. Metrics about training, assessments, and other proactive actions, as well as accident rates and other information will be posted on the Safety Program Metrics page.

Goddard had 1 OSHA Recordable Case involving a civil servant in the month of October. It was categorized as Struck By. Seven Close Calls/Hazards were received during the month. They were categorized as: 2 Electrical, 1 Facilities, 2 Human Factors, and 2 Other. To view the complete metrics report for the FY2001 go to http://safety1st/metrics.shtml For further information, contact the Safety and Environmental Branch, Lisa Cutler, 6-7409.

Avoiding Weather Related Trips, Slips and Falls

Now that winter weather is rapidly approaching we need to rehearse safety precautions relating to slips, trips, and falls. The National Safety Council has reported that falls account for approximately 16.9% of all workplace accidents that result in injuries or illness that require time away from work. Nearly 25% of all injuries that happen in the home are a result of falls. We can help eliminate slips, trips, and falls at work and at home if we identify and remove hazards associated with these types of accidents. We can help reduce accidents by promptly cleaning up spills, keeping walkways clear and free of clutter, never replacing ladders with chairs or other items, only carry loads you can safely handle, and make sure you have adequate lighting. During inclement winter weather, walking safely on icy surfaces can pose a real challenge. We can reduce the risk of slips in icy conditions by wearing appropriate footwear, avoiding routes that have not been cleared or appear to be glazed over, and by refraining from carrying large objects that may obstruct your view and make you loose your balance. Remember to take your time and be safe.

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Congratulations to Honor Award Recipients

Honor awards were given in the following categories to the following recipients:

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Goddard in the News

Technology: Computer World News featured an article about how the engineers at Goddard uploaded standard internet software to an orbiting satellite, then received data via the Web. OMNI project manager, James Rash is quoted on the security measures that are available for the operation.

UFO: A strange fireball touched down in Salisbury, NH that was probably not a meteorite, according to experts. Phil Plait, Code 688 is quoted in the Foster Daily Democrat article explaining why the object was not a meteorite, but something more of a mundane object.

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Counting Down to December 17, 2003

Quick - without looking it up - what's significant about December 17, 2003? If your immediate answer isn't that it's the 100th anniversary of powered flight as first demonstrated by the Wright Brothers, hopefully that will change. Just check out: http://www.centennialofflight.gov

The US Centennial of Flight Commission has launched this Web site to get the word out on the history and future of powered flight and keep track of events planned to celebrate the upcoming anniversary. The site also features a section dedicated to educational activities and programs related to the past, present and future of flight.

For more information go to: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-196.txt

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The Crew of STS-97 Returns from Successful Mission

Space Shuttle Endeavour and five-member STS-97 crew landed safely at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to end a successful mission to the International Space Station. Touchdown occurred at 5:03 p.m. CST (23:03 GMT). While at the station, the astronauts installed the first set of U.S. solar arrays, performed three space walks, delivered supplies and equipment and became the first shuttle crew to visit the station’s first resident crew. The work performed by the STS-97 crew sets the stage for installation of the station’s next major component, the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, in early 2001.

For more information, go to: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/sts97/STS-97-23.html

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Engineering Advisors Needed

The Goddard Educational Programs has received a request for engineering advisors for the McArthur Middle School Science Odyssey of The Mind Club (OM), which meets every Wednesday at 5:30 pm. The advisors are asked to guide the 6th grade club in the designing and building of a robot as well as the technical mechanics of operation. If you are interested in volunteering or for more information, please contact Linda Griffith at 410-799-8986 at McArthur Middle School or email at: arg3670@erols.com

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Building 1, Employee Services Area, Under Construction

Effective December 6, the Employee Services Area in the Office of Human Resources, Bldg. 1, Room 160, will be temporarily relocated to Bldg. 1, Room 139, due to construction work. Job applications may still be dropped in the door slot in Room 160. If you would like to review your Official Personnel File, please call x6-8757 to make an appointment. If you have any questions, please call x67918.

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***UPCOMING EVENTS AT GODDARD***

Introduction to XML:  Heard a lot of hype about XML, but don't know what it means? Come to the next GSFC Webmasters meeting, where Ken Sall will give an overview of XML (eXtensible Markup Language). The meeting will be Tuesday, December 19, from 10 am - 11:30 am in the Building 3 Auditorium. See http://webmaster.gsfc.nasa.gov/ for more information.

Scientific Colloquium

Holiday Break Until Jan 5

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 Upcoming Launches

If you would like to make comments or ask questions concerning Goddard News for this week please address your email comment to:  Trusilla.Y.Steele.1@gsfc.nasa.gov