May 1, 2000 on-line at: [Link]

gov/dx/

Ames hosts Congressional Subcommittee hearing

-- NASA's Venneri testifies at first-of-its-kind agency event
Imagine you worked for an organiza- con Valley, Bay Area, and other experts on the first to give testimony. Venneri postu-
tion that was considered so well positioned the topic of “Emerging Technologies: lated that, in every century since the Re-
in the cutting-edge-technology arena -- Where is the Federal Government on the naissance, “great advances in science and
both geographically and in research terms High Tech Curve?”

Chairman Stephen Horn reflects on testimony

being given during the field hearing.

Witnesses are sworn in prior to giving testimony technology have brought about dramatic
before the subcommittee of the U.S. House of changes in our lives.” And so it will be in the
Representatives on Government Management, 21st century, he argued.
Information and Technology. “Three key emerging, interrelated tech-
nologies will provide NASA -- and the coun-
-- that it was chosen by an important sub- try -- with a new pathway to revolutionize
committee of the U.S. House of Represen- our missions and the scientific and engi-
tatives to host a field hearing on the topic of neering systems that enable them: bio-
emerging technologies. Sam Venneri, Associate Administrator for Aero- technology, nanotechnology and informa-
If you work at Ames Research Center, Space Technology and Chief Technologist at tion technology,” Venneri said.
you do! NASA Headquarters, responds to questionning “Over the past decade, there have been
On Monday April 24, just such a hearing by the Congressional panel. tremendous scientific breakthroughs in the
was held at Ames in the Moffett Training understanding of these technologies. And,
and Conference Center ballroom. The As Congressman Horn expressed it, “we it is only fitting that we discuss these tech-
venue was transformed for the occasion to are here today to take a glimpse into the nologies here since so much of it originated
resemble the court-room-like settings that future, to recognize that while the United and prospers in California,” he observed.
we have all come to expect on C-SPAN and States remains at the cutting edge of scien- Venneri went on to provide an over-
similar channels. But this wasn’t Washing- tific research, other countries are advanc- view of how NASA plans to develop and
ton, it was right in our own back yard. And ing technologically. Still, it remains vital to employ these technologies in our missions.
CNN, KCBS and other news media services the nation’s economy and social fabric that The secret, he argued, is not to be found in
were on hand to report the proceedings to [we] retain that lead,” he said. Nine wit- “chipping away atom by atom,” but by
a national audience. nesses and a period of spirited questioning proceeding in an entirely new direction
Stephen Horn, Chairman of the Sub- served to cast considerable light on the that takes its cue from biology and lets us
committee on Government Management, issues the subcommittee were investigat- build, “atom by atom,” cost-effective and
Information, and Technology in the 106th ing. reliable new devices.” To build them, in
Congress, called the meeting to order Samuel Venneri, Associate Administra- Venneri’s words, “conceptually, analytically
promptly at 11:45 a.m. The subcommittee's tor for Aero-Space Technology and Chief and physically, from the atomic scale to the
objective was to hear testimony from Sili- Technologist at NASA Headquarters, was continued on page 3

May 1, 2000 Communication for the information technology

Theage
Ames Astrogram — 1
 Awards & Events
Airships land at Ames for maintenance
Recently, Moffett Field hosted a number for extended amounts of time, making them 165 feet in length, 55 feet in height and 46
of non-rigid airships in Hangar II. These useful for extended missions, including test- feet in width. The volume of helium con-
lighter-than-air crafts use a proprietary en- ing and tracking atmospheric conditions. tained in the envelope is approximately
Per FAA regulations, 150,000 cubic feet, and ship runs twin
these airships must re- variable pitch reversible propellers.
ceive maintenance ev- The second and third airships in Hangar
ery six months along II are owned and operated by The Lightship
with testing of the in- Group, a subsidiary of Virgin Atlantic. The
tegrity of the “envelope” [Link] airship is an A-60; 132 feet
on a regular basis. Be- long, 44 feet high and 37 feet wide with a
cause of their size re- cubic volume of 70,000 feet. “Monster”
quirements, the use of received a full maintenance along with re-
Hangar II for these ac- decaling, a new logo graphic on the enve-
tivities is ideal, since this lope and fins. SANYO is an A-150. It
is only one of two han- received a full maintenance and installation
gars available on the of newly designed rudder fins while here at
West coast, the other Moffett Field.
being in Oregon. The next airship to undergo mainte-
The first airship to nance at Hangar II will be the Goodyear
arrive here was an A- “Eagle” airship in May. This ship is approxi-
150 owned and oper- mately 202,240 cubic feet in volume and is
photo by Mary Kenny ated by Airship Opera- currently based in Southern California.
Airships undergo maintenance inside Hangar II at Ames. tions, Inc. , and licensed Special thanks go out to the folks at
to the Tommy Hilfiger Airfield Operations, Code Q and the fire
velope design made of modern synthetic group. While they remained in Hangar II for marshal for their tireless activities in making
materials and are aerodynamically shaped. two weeks, they changed their logo to this a successful relationship with a new
These are filled with helium gas, which is a represent their new client, [Link]. client.
natural fire extinguisher, and held at a very They also did minor maintenance work.
low pressure, about 1/15 psi. Once air- The A-150 is the newer and larger of the BY MARY KENNY
borne, airships can remain nearly stationary airships currently in operation, spanning

Acquisition awards presented to SOFIA team

On March 16, Deputy Center Director significant accomplishments. This procure- ity of the electronic proposals, allowed the
William E. Berry officiated at an Acquisition ment was the first midrange contract pro- team to make selection without discus-
Improvement awards ceremony. NASA's cessed using NASA's innovative electronic sions; to make award based upon the Initial
Associate Administrator for Procurement procurement (EPRO) process. The team Evaluation.
(Code H) had recognized the Ames Strato-
spheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
(SOFIA) mirror coating system procurement
team for an "Acquisition Improvement
Award." The team received a certificate and
monetary award. This was one of only
seven awards that Code H made during this
six-month cycle.
The procurement contract was awarded
on December 15, 1999 for $829,000. It’s
purpose was for the design, fabrication,
installation, and testing of the mirror coat-
ing system for the primary mirror on SOFIA.
It is significant because the mirror coating
system is integral to the operation of SOFIA,
an airborne observatory consisting of a tele-
scope carried by a specially configured
Boeing 747-SP aircraft. SOFIA is a multi-
national program involving NASA and the
DLR, Germany's Space Agency. The mirror photo by Dominic Hart
coating system is used to re-coat the Acquisition Improvement award recipients (from left to right): Dr. Thomas L. Roellig; Dr. Diane H.
telescope's mirror after removal from the Wooden; Raymond F. Schuler; Rachel R. Khattab; and William E. Berry, Deputy Center Director.
aircraft, an occurrence estimated to hap- Not pictured Curtis Laughlin, the NASA representative at the SOFIA Aircraft Modification Facility in
pen approximately four times per year for Waco, Texas.
25 years. The procurement team members
are Rachel Khattab, Code JA; Curtis Laughlin, used one of the EPRO tools (Entrust Digital They completed the evaluation and se-
Code SFD; Raymond Schuler, Code FEF; Signature/Security) to allow proposal evalu- lection in 29 days, from proposal receipt to
Diane Wooden, Code SST; and Thomas ations to be performed at an off-site loca- award, no protests filed.
Roellig, Code SSA. tion. The team's clearly defined evaluation
The team was recognized for several value characteristics, coupled with the qual- BY GENE MOSES

2 — The Ames Astrogram May 1, 2000

 News from Ames & Around the Agency
NASA-sponsored local student Ames hosts
teams win national robot games Congressional
Two San Francisco Bay Area student
robot teams joined with a New Jersey team
and additional funding from the school
district, he explained. “The dozen kids on Subcommittee
to win the FIRST national robotic games
championship held Saturday, April 8 at
Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center, Or-
the team are mostly Mexican and Asian in
heritage. A dedicated team of three engi- hearing
continued from front page
lando, FL. The competition involved 268 macro scale.”
robots from high schools across the nation. “Over the next decade,” Venneri ar-
Student-made robots formed "alliances" gued, “we need to move aggressively to
to lift large balls and put them into a con- develop this technology vision for the 21st
tainer during the competition, the ninth century and stimulate a new industrial
annual event of its kind. The winning teams base.” And there is a precedent for the
from Foothill High School, San José, CA, Federal Government playing a major role in
and Vintage High School, Napa, CA, both such activity, he pointed out. “This mirrors
sponsored by Ames, joined with North the emergence of the microelectronics
Brunswick Township High School, North industry of the 1970s and the internet and
Brunswick, NJ, to win FIRST's annual con- e-commerce industry of the 1990s -- both
test. of which began as government R&D invest-
“This victory marks an exceptional ments,” Venneri concluded.
achievement in that no team west of the Gilman Louie, President of In-Q-Tel, Inc.,
Mississippi has won this national event up a Central Intelligence Agency non-profit
until now,” said Mark León of Ames. “The corporation, addressed his company's ef-
most remarkable point of this accomplish- forts to ensure “that the CIA is able to take
ment is that the team from Foothill High First-place medal for the National
Robot Championship games presented advantage of emerging technologies to
School is composed of youths at risk,” he achieve its vital mission.” He said they are
said. to two Ames-sponsored school teams.
focusing on four problem areas in particu-
NASA worked cooperatively with a non- lar: safe and secure use of the internet,
profit group, "For Inspiration and Recogni- neers, two from FROG Design, Sunnyvale, information security, distributed architec-
tion of Science and Technology," (FIRST), of CA, and one from NASA (Raytheon) were tures, and knowledge management.
Manchester, NH, which organizes the con- assisted by three super teachers,” Federman “We are using the engine of venture
tests. noted. capital in order to identify technology with
“I almost fainted when we won,” said “The robot was assembled totally in a great promise for the Agency,” he further
Alan Federman, an engineer who works at classroom,” said Federman. “The only ma- stated. Finally, he said that it is essential to
Ames, and who is a mentor for the San José chine shop tool on campus is a drill press. take risks. “If we are not prepared to be
team. “In the finals we were battered in the Some off-site work was done at FROG De- bold, we will never meet the critical
first match, losing 7 to 11. Our allies took sign where aluminum plate for wheels and information technology needs of our na-
it to the competition, shutting their scoring the extruded aluminum members for the tion.”
down due to incredible engineering by the chassis were cut to size.” Other witnesses included Dr. Charles
New Brunswick students. Their robots’ arm “This is beyond our wildest dreams,” Shank, Director of the Lawrence Berkeley
guarded or stole balls from our opponents,” said Federman. “We were about 192nd in National Laboratory at the University of
Federman reported. last year's nationals; we were the number California; Dr. Steven Popper, Associate
Organizers say the overall goal of the ten seed in this year's competition,” he Director of the Science and Technology
robot games is to allow students to interact explained. Policy Institute at the RAND Institute; Dr.
with engineers so that youths can see the “This year NASA is proud that we spon- Richard Williams, College of Engineering,
connection between classroom instruction sored 108 teams nationwide,” said León. California State University at Long Beach;
and the real world. Each year FIRST devel- “The endeavors in which the students en- Richard H. Davies, President and Chairman
ops the competition and supplies “a prob- gaged for this competition were truly im- of the Western Disaster Center; the Honor-
lem” and a kit of parts to teams of students. pressive, and we expect that in the future able Pat Vorreiter, Mayor of the City of
“It all came together with an extreme some of these students will be the engi- Sunnyvale; Dr. Susanne Huttner, Executive
amount of teamwork from the three teams neers and designers of our robotic plan- Director of the Industry-University Coop-
that formed our alliance,” said science etary exploration program,” he stated. erative Research Program at the University
teacher Dave Lockhart, an advisor to the FIRST was started in 1989 by inventor of California; and Dr. Lea Rudee, Director of
Napa team. “It was a phenomenal experi- Dean Kamen to persuade American youth the Fellows Program for the California
ence; good strategy and engineering played that engineering and technology are excit- Council on Science and Technology, Uni-
a big part,” he said. ing fields. Tom Dyson, ext. 4-6601 and versity of California, Riverside. All spoke
“It was incredibly exciting,” said Jeff Joseph Hering, ext. 4-2008, both of Ames, with great passion about their own indi-
Ota, a former NASA engineer and a school have more information about the robotics vidual visions of this nation's technology
board member of the East Side Union High games. needs for the 21st century.
School District that encompasses Foothill Additional information can also be ob- Besides media coverage, the event was
High School. Youths and their advisors de- tained at these Web sites: also webcast to students and other inter-
signed and constructed their remote-con- [Link] ested parties with the help of the Ames’
trol robots in six weeks. Advisors are often [Link] and Learning Technologies program. A video-
professional engineers from private indus- [Link] tape of the entire proceedings has been
try, government and universities. provided to NASA Television for rebroad-
“Foothill is a continuation school with BY JOHN BLUCK cast at a later date.
limited resources,” Federman said. The
BY DAVID MORSE
school received $6,000 from NASA Ames

May 1, 2000 The Ames Astrogram — 3

 Activities & Events
Project ASTRO seeks NASA volunteers
--help hook students on science!
Project ASTRO is currently seeking ama- NASA employees Allan Meyer, George Representatives from the project will
teur or professional astronomers to work Tucker, Yvonne Pendelton, Scott Sandford, join Voyages Through Time, and Project
with science teachers in grades 4 to 9 Alan Dunn and Joe Jordan are among the SOFIA from Ames at the May 11 talk en-
during the 2000-2001 school year. many traveling astronomers from Ames titled: "Projects to Improve Science Teach-
Project ASTRO is an innovative educa- sparking excitement in science classrooms. ing in Our Schools and What You Can Do
tion program that brings astronomers to The occupations of Project ASTRO vol- To Help (without spending so much time
4th through 9th grade science classrooms unteers range from pilot to electronic tech- that you can't do your real work)."
in the Bay Area. nician to astrophysicist. If you are concerned about your
Jill Anderson, third grade science teacher Researcher Scott Sandford, in the fifth children's classrooms and would like to see
at Springer School, applied to be a Project year of his partnership explains, "I find that what roles you can play, be sure to attend
ASTRO teacher in 1997. She trained at the the students' enthusiasm frequently gets this seminar on May 11, 12 noon to 1 p.m.,
Project ASTRO astronomy workshop and me 'pumped up' myself and I subsequently Building 245, Rm 215.
was partnered with Ames researcher Dr. return to my work reenergized." Project ASTRO application forms are
Duane Carbon, who has been making visits Another veteran ASTRO volunteer, available from:
to her class ever since. She raves: "Duane Yvonne Pendelton adds, "My primary job is Project ASTRO
has been a fantastic resource for me, and a to be a NASA scientist, and I just don't have 390 Ashton Avenue
thrill for my students. I have really been able enough time or energy to devote to setting San Francisco, CA 94112;
to 'hook' my students through this partner- up programs like this. The good news is Phone: (415) 337-1100 ext. 101;
ship." that you don't have to! All you have to do Email: astro@[Link]
It seems that lots of ‘thrilling’ and ‘hook- is step up to the challenge.” Forms can also be downloaded from:
ing’ has been going on in nearby schools, as “The rewards awaiting you will keep [Link]/astro/[Link].
Duane is just one of the Ames employees you young at heart, and you will know that
visiting schools through Project ASTRO. you are doing the right thing," she added. BY ERICA HOWSON

Ames researchers study how fungi

affects forest types/regrowth
Tiny fungi that make forests possible are cause, without them, trees could not get categorize Yellowstone microbes.
significantly affected by clear-cutting tree nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus "We measure biodiversity; and one way
stands, perhaps altering forests and plant from the soil," he said. "The fungi get to do it is to measure the species that are
types that re-grow, according to a recent carbon from tree roots in exchange for present in the soil," Cullings said. "My
paper in the Canadian Journal of Botany. providing nitrogen and phosphorus to the group is counting microorganisms and what
The paper reports on ecological fungi trees." kinds live in Yellowstone's soil. We're look-
research by NASA at Yellowstone National If a tree does not have nitrogen, it ing at how clear-cutting, forest fires and
Park, WY, where scientists used a police cannot survive. Most plants on Earth, other disturbances are affecting the mi-
technique, "DNA finger printing," to inves- including trees in the tropical rainforests, crobe populations."
tigate biodiversity and the importance of form associations with fungi. "The things "We have found there is a big difference
human changes to ecosystems. An ecosys- we are learning in Yellowstone can apply to between how clear-cutting a forest affects
tem is the combination of living things and ecosystems across the world," said Cullings. microbes and how fires affect those popu-
raw materials, such as water, gases and The paper reports that the research lations," he said. "After a fire, or clearing of
minerals, that life uses in the environment. team took soil cores at both undisturbed timber in a given area, the number of
Clear-cutting refers to the practice of cut- and clear-cut forest sites. Researchers found microbe species may be the same, but
ting a stand of trees in its entirety. 48 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi in clear- different kinds survive a fire versus survive
"If the fungi in ecosystems change in cut areas, and 70 species in undisturbed clear-cutting."
large areas of the world, then the kind of Yellowstone forests. The research team Because some types of fungi may help
plant life could also change," said Dr. Ken also found 9 of the 14 most common certain tree varieties to survive, but not
Cullings, a scientist at Ames, who co- "clear-cut" species in the undisturbed sites, others, the kind of forest in the area may
authored the paper with team member but at a much lower abundance. change after a fire or a clear-cut. The
Kristin Byrd. "These fungal changes in the "We're using DNA finger printing to historic cycle of forest recovery may also
soil may begin to explain why it is more identify these different kinds of microbes," change. During decades or even hundreds
difficult for certain species of trees to re- he said. "We work with a root hair the size of years, many Yellowstone and Rocky
grow. Our results identied the need for of a pin head.” Mountain forests change from lodge pole
further research to understand how fungi “Just like forensic detectives, we am- pines, to firs and spruce. Human-made
remained after clear-cutting," Cullings said. plify the DNA by taking a gene, and we put disturbances, such as acid rain and changes
"The fungi we study are related to the it in a machine with the chemical building in atmospheric gases (including carbon
big mushrooms you see when walking blocks of DNA.” dioxide levels or damage to Earth's ozone
through the forests," he said. "If you go to Scientists use an enzyme, first discov- layer), can also alter the repeating cycle of
the market, you'll also see them; they are ered in a Yellowstone hot springs bacte- tree growth, Cullings' study suggests.
chanterelles and king bolete, expensive rium in the 1960s, to make several billion The Cullings paper appeared in the
mushrooms that are also mycorrhizal fungi." copies of each gene under study. Cullings Canadian Journal of Botany, February 2000,
"Mycorrhizal fungi are important be- was the first scientist to use this process to Vol. 78, No. 2.
BY JOHN BLUCK

4 — The Ames Astrogram May 1, 2000

 National Employee Health & Fitness Week
Ames celebrates National Employee
Health and Fitness week
Safety, Health and Medical Services and Contact Nancy Dunagan at ext. 4-5804 for ences Library. Drop by the Health Sciences
the Health Sciences Library are pleased to additional information. Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a free
announce the planned activities for Na- On Wednesday, May 17, at 12 p.m., screening and valuable information on
tional Employee Health and Fitness week Ames will kick-off a skin
May 15 to 19. Programs include the follow- cancer prevention
ing: rogram as one more
On Monday, May 15, Stefanie S. Jeffrey, health facet to reduce
M.D., Chief of Breast Surgery, Stanford employee illnesses and
University School of Medicine will discuss the damaging effects re-
“Breast Cancer Treatment in the New lated to skin cancer. A
Millenium” from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the film will be shown featur-
main auditorium, Building N201. ing NASA Astronaut Cap-
On Tuesday, May 16, The annual tain Jeffrey Ashby. Infor-
“Spring Fun Run and Walk" will take place. mation from many dif-
The course will cover 2 miles. Walk it, ferent resources will be
waddle it, roll it, stroll it or run it. Just have available for all attend-
fun doing it! The walk/run begins at 12 ees. Representatives
noon on DeFrance near Warner Road. Rib- from the Ames Health
bons, refreshments and prizes will be handed Unit will be available to
photo by Dominic Hart
out at the finish line near the Ames Café. answer questions and
Dr. Stefanie Jeffrey, M.D., Chief of Breast Surgery at Stanford
Certificates will be given to winners in both provide literature. Please University School of Medicine, will speak on breast cancer treatment on
walking and running categories. Registra- join us in the main audi- May 15, at 2 p.m. in the main auditorium, Building N201.
tion is $2 and t-shirts may be purchased torium, Building N201on
prior to the run at the Fitness Center. You Wednesday, May 17 at 12 noon. blood pressure and keeping your number
may pre-register with any of the event “Is Your Number Up?” will be featured in range.
coordinators or at the Fitness Center. Reg- on Thursday, May 18. Free blood pressure Contact the Health Unit at ext. 4-5287,
istration will also take place at the starting screenings will be given by the Health Unit Bldg. 215 if you have any questions.
line on race day. No rollerblades please. staff in conjunction with the Health Sci- BY LIESEL SHORT

Skin cancer prevention program kick-off at Ames

On Wednesday, May 17 at 12 p.m., employees increased risk of excessive and times. Vigilance against skin cancer de-
Ames will kick off a Skin Cancer Prevention prolonged sun exposure due to the loca- pends on what dermatologists call the
program as one more health facet to reduce tion of many NASA centers in the Sunbelt. ABCD's of skin spots: assymetrical shapes,
The “Solar Safe” campaign focuses on boundaries that are irregular, colors that
reducing risks, early detection and health vary and a diameter of 6 millimeters or
education about skin cancer. It will include greater. The most important element in
program components, such as personal UV skin safety is regular self-examination using
cards to quantify exposure, screenings, the “ABCD” guide described. Because
educational material and appropriate pro- melanoma is fatal if not caught early, even
tective measures. an annual examination by a doctor might
A film will be shown featuring NASA not catch a problem in time.
astronaut Captain Jeffrey Ashby, who lost Representatives from the Ames Health
his wife to skin cancer and made a special Unit will be available to answer questions
guest appearance and presentation re- and provide literature. The film will be
cently at KSC. Dermatologists represent- shown as part of Ames celebration of “Na-
ing the American Academy of Dermatol- tional Employee Health and Fitness Week”.
ogy, Dr. Richard Granstein; Cornell Univer- Join us in main auditorium, Building N201
sity Medical Center, Dr. Shelly Sekula; Baylor on Wednesday, May 17 at 12 noon for this
Astronaut Captain Jeffrey Ashby, pictured here, College of Medicine, and Eliza Perry, RN, informational kick-off event and learn how
will be featured in a film presentation on skin Chairman of the Board for the American you can protect yourself from this very
cancer prevention to be shown on May 17 at 12 Cancer Society are also guest speakers. preventable disease.
noon in the main auditorium, Building N201. Topics covered will include risk factors, BY LIESEL SHORT
pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and pre-
employee illnesses and the damaging ef- vention. Information from many different
fects related to skin cancer. This initiative, resources will be available for all attendees.
begun by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, One in five Americans will develop
was created in response to his concern for some form of skin cancer during their life-

May 1, 2000 The Ames Astrogram — 5

 On-site Events & Classes
Earth Day event is informative Exchange pool
Ames employees turned out for the Earth tion does pay. Ames saves approximately
Day Symposium and Exposition on April 20.
The goal of the event was to encourage the
$1 million through the innovative tech-
nologies in use here.
goes to summer
use of renewable forms of energy to power
our homes, to inform Ames employees of
Many people found the exhibits infor-
mative. Most people enjoyed seeing the
schedule
electric vehicles. Many people even took The Ames Exchange swimming pool is
scheduling summer recreational swim-
ming, beginning Saturday, May 27.
The pool has many programs to offer
this year. The NASA Master's Swim Club
meets Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to
8 a.m. Lap Swimming is from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. Open recreational swimming is
from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days a
week.
Swimming passes are sold at the swim-
ming pool, building 109 located on the
corner of Wescoat and Bailey Roads.
Charging rather than fueling. A Chevy Beginning June 19, the Exchange is
Blazer that was converted from gas to offering the following American Red Cross
electric. swimming lessons: stroke refinement,
stroke development, stroke readiness, pri-
recycled content products that are available mary skills and water exploration. Each
through GSA, and to promote use of non- class lasts two weeks, running Monday
polluting transportation technology. through Thursday, and costs $45.
Many people felt that the morning ses- For more information, call Brandy Bell
sion "New Energy for a New Era" was very at ext. 3-8025.
informative. The speakers were knowl-
edgeable and were very excited about en-
ergy deregulation. They provided useful
General Motors' second-generation
information from a consumer standpoint.
Several session attendees became convinced electric vehicle has an improved battery
which enhances range.
Ames offers
theater tickets
to change to a green-energy provider. At-
tendees found it helpful having the energy
providers there who were able to answer the opportunity to ride an electric bike. It is
questions about the differences in billing
structures.
surprising how easy they are to operate.
Thirty persons made a connection with
for sale
Center personnel who attended "Tech- the Rides for Bay Area Commuters. Hope- The Ames Exchange will be offering
nologies for a Better World" walked away fully, their commutes will be more enjoy- tickets for the following shows:
with the knowledge that pollution preven- able in the future. • WIT, Starring Judith Light, Friday, May
Two hundred and twenty-three persons 19, The Curran Theater, at 8 p.m.
participated in the bike giveaway by using Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer prize
some form of alternative transportation the for drama, this is an intelligent, funny, heart-
week prior to the event. Jeanette Johnston, breaking study of the human spirit. It may
Code JIL, won the bike donated by the well be one of the most gratifying theatrical
Ames Exchange. Johnston uses mass transit
experiences of a lifetime. Mezzanine seat-
to get to work.
A pilot project to make electricity from ing, $37.50 each
the sun was announced. Steve Frankel, an • Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Thurs-
engineer spearheading the project, flicked day, June 8, The Orpheum Theater, at 8
on a light switch powered by a photovoltaic p.m.
cell. The demonstration solar-electric plant A prince and his entire housefold exist
at Ames is to be completed by late summer; under a spell until the true power of love
the plant will be on the roof of Bldg. 245. releases them. Disney imagination teams
"This solar-electric system will reduce glo- with Broadway special-effects genius in a
bal warming by reducing green-house-gas way that leaves audiences breathless.
emission in the local area," Frankel said.
The Ames Environmental Services Office Mezzanine seating, $42 each
will host brown bag lunches throughout Tickets are available on a first-come, first
the year as a continuation to this year's -serve basis, at the Tickets and Tours office,
Strive to Sustain - Earth Day 2000 event. Building 19, Rm. 1011, Monday to Friday,
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are available only
BY LINDA VRABEL for the date and show time listed. For more
The ETC, a foldable bike with a information, call Jodi Neal at ext. 4-0818 or
battery pack, is taken for a ride. Ticket and Tours at ext. 4-6873.

6 — The Ames Astrogram May 1, 2000

 Calendar & Classifieds
Ames Sailing Club Mtg, May 11, 11:30 a.m. to 1
Event Calendar
Ames Child Care Center Board of Directors Mtg,
Every other Thursday (check Web site for meeting dates), p.m., N-262/Rm. 100. POC: Stan Phillips, ext. 4-3530.
12 noon to 2 p.m. , N269, Rm. 201. POC: David Korsmeyer,
Professional Administrative Council (PAC) Mtg.,
Model HO/HOn3 Railroad Train Club at Moffett ext. 4-3114. Web site: [Link]
May 11, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Bldg 233A, Rm. 172. POC:
Field invites train buffs to visit & join the club in Bldg. 126, Ames Contractor Council Mtg, May 3, 11 a.m., Leslie Jacob, ext. 4-5059.
across from the south end of Hangar One. Work nights are N-200 Comm. Rm. POC: David Lawrence at ext. 4-6434.
usually on Friday nights from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Play NFFE Local 997 Union General Mtg, May 17, noon
time is Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, call Environmental, Health and Safety Monthly to 1 p.m., Bldg. 19/Rm. 2017. Guests welcome. POC:
John Donovan at (408) 735-4954 (W) or (408) 281-2899 Information Forum, May 4, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Marianne Mosher at ext. 4-4055.
(H). Bldg. 19/Rm 1078. POC: Linda Vrabel at ext. 4-0924.
Ames Multicultural Leadership Council Mtg, May
Hispanic Advisory Committee for Employees, 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Galileo Rm/Ames Café. POC:
Jetstream Toastmasters, Mondays, 12 noon to
May 4, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., N-241/Rm 237. Sheila Johnson, ext. 4-5054 or David Morse, ext. 4-4724.
1 p.m., N-269/Rm. 179. Guests welcome. POC: Samson
POC: Mary R. Valdez, at ext. 4-5819.
Cheung at ext. 4-2875 or Lich Tran at ext. 4-5997. Ames Amateur Radio Club, May 18, 12 noon, N-
Ames African American Advisory Group Mtg, May 4, 260/Conf. Rm. POC: Mike Herrick, K6EAA at ext. 4-5477.
Ames Ballroom Dance Club, Ames Ballroom Dance
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. POC: Robert Finnie at ext. 4-5230.
Club. Tuesdays: Rumba 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, Salsa 4/25, 5/2, Ames Asian American Pacific Islander Advisory
Contact Robert for meeting place.
5/9, Samba 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6. 3 levels of classes, from Group Mtg, May 18, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., N-237/Rm.
Beg. to Int., 5:15 - 6:45pm. Moffett Training and Nat’l Association of Retired Federal Employees, 101. POC: Daryl Wong, ext. 4-6889 or Margaret Salas, ext.
Conference Center, Bldg. 3/Showroom. Women dancers (NARFE), San Jose Chapter #50, Mtg, May 5, at Harry's 4-6755.
are especially encouraged to join. POC: Helen Hwang, Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Av., S.J., Prog. and bus. mtg. follow
hwang@[Link]. lunch at 11 a.m. POC: Mr. Rod Perry (650) 967-9418 or Native American Advisory Committee Mtg, May 23,
NARFE 1-800-627-3394. 12 noon to 1 p.m., Ames Café. POC: Mike Liu at ext. 4-
1132.

Ames Classifieds
Ads for the next issue should be sent to
‘89 Suzuki Savage 650cc, cruiser, bought out of
crate 1990 - great starter bike, dk blu, belt-driven, 1-
Sega game gear w/3 games and carrying case. $75.
Eilene (408) 979-9107.
lunger, ca. 2K mi, clean/never dumped. asking $2,000 or
astrogram@[Link] by the Monday follow- Sailboat, 14’ fiberglas “Force 5,” single 91 sqft. sail.
B/O. Spartan leathers (midnight/cobalt/white) tailored to
ing publication of the present issue and must be women's size 3 - worn maybe 5 times. Matching boots,
Basically a Cadillac Laser. Good condition. $800 includes
resubmitted for each issue. Ads must involve personal trailer. Warren (408) 246-3627 or email at:
needs or items; (no commercial/third-party ads) and gloves, helmet. All cost ca. $800, asking $500 or B/O.
NASAPLT@[Link]
will run on space-available basis only. First-time ads are Upgrading everything. Therese (925) 570-0057 cell.
given priority. Ads must include home phone num- Baby furniture: Fisher-Price high chair; Even flo
‘92 Mercury Sable station wagon; Excellent
bers; Ames extensions and email addresses will be Happy Camper travel crib and playyard; Fisher Price car
condition, fully loaded, 69K mls, seats 8 and very well
accepted for carpool and lost & found ads only. Due seat. All in excellent condition. $35 eaor $90 for all 3.
maintained. $5,700. Harry Swenson (650) 368-8979.
to the volume of material received, we are unable to Sydney or Minot. Call (650) 728-5219 after 5 p.m.
verify the accuracy of the statements made in the ads. ‘93 Honda Accord EX, green exterior/tan Interior, 4
Housing door, automatic, cruise control, AM/FM stereo cassette, Ames radio information
power sun roof, power windows, newer brakes/tires. All
For sale by owner: $549K, small horse ranch near
major records, faithfully maintained, no major scratches/
for employees
Watsonville. Royal oaks, California/scenic area. 3 acres w/ 1700KHz AM radio--information radio
dents. No interior damage, non-smoker. 93K mls.
trees & lots of open space. 3 bd/2 ba home/family rm w/ announcements for Ames employees during emergencies.
$9,700. Call (408) 263-2109.
fireplace. Front/rear decks w/hot tub rm. 2 car garage
w/laundry rm & storage rm. Barn, tack rm, corrals, ‘98 Taurus 4-dr sedan, automatic, A/C, power Vacation rental
workshop/electricity. Property fenced & outside lighting. windows, alarm/lock, $13K. Great condition with Less
than 16K miles! Larry or Teri, (408) 266-2535, or email Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley twnhouse, 3bd/2ba, view of
Ron (408) 736-2150. Lv msg or call (831) 722-0130.
piercepack@[Link] slopes, close to lifts. Wkend $470, midwk $175 night.
Housemate wanted to rent room in San Jose- Includes linens, firewood. Call (650) 968-4155 or email:
Berryessa area home, two miles from Great Mall. Full Miscellaneous DBMcKellar@[Link]
privileges. Tenant should be clean/orderly, N/S, no
Dog needs a home: A homeless dog is available for
pets. $500/mo plus 1/2 utilities. Owen (408) 945-8864.
adoption. Lab and Ridgeback mix, 3 years old, spayed
Carpool
Sunnyvale condo for sale by owner. Spacious 1bd/ female, 50 pounds, short tan hair, very healthy, has all Looking for carpool partners to share driving/riding
1ba w/den/bonus room. Walk-in storage room, large shots. Call (831) 461-9223. from East Bay (Oakland-Hayward area) to Moffett Field. If
indoor laundry w/full size W/D. Attached, enclosed interested, email me at mzirkle-yoshida@[Link]
Scuba Gear for sale: 3000 psi Aluminum Tank,
garage. Small yard. Beautiful quiet complex. Easy H101
access, 7 mins to Ames. Central A/C, fireplace, pool. 3
Scubapro Regulator, Octopus, gages, buoyancy
compensater, bare 7mm wet suit size large, fins,
Lost & Found
years old. Open house May 13/14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Moffett Field Lost and Found may be reached at ext.
underwater camera box. Offer. George (408) 245-8740
$260K. Call (408) 732-8605. 4-5416 at any time. Residents and employees at Ames
or e-mail at gdgr@[Link]
may also use Internet browser at: [Link]
For rent: 2 bd/2 ba condominium in sunnyvale, 3
Moving sale: Solid oak furniture - Twin bed with 3 codejp/pages/[Link] to view a list of found
miles from Ames. $1,950/mo. Call (408) 773-1726.
large drawers underneath (includes matress) $150; Large property and obtain specific instructions for reporting lost
Housing needed: Researcher from Brazil working at chest of drawers w/5 lingerie drawers on side $275; Two or found property and how to recover found property.
Ames for a year needs housing. Apartment, townhouse, large wall units $100 each; and small apartment-size Call Moffett Field security police investigations section at
or house with 2+ bd for family of 4, May 1, 2000 freezer (almost new) $100. Will accept best offer. Call ext. 4-1359 or email at: mfine@[Link].
through April 30, 2001. Call (650) 960-9787. (408) 371-9680 after 6 p.m. or leave message.

Baseball Fans--
Housing needed: College professor visiting Ames Happy Mothers Day! Mahogany Ranch mink coat.
for summer research needs temporary lodging. I. Magnin's. Appr. + insured for $7,500. Sell $1,200 or
Apartment, townhouse, or house with 2+ BR for family of B/O. Call (650) 968-8650.
3, June 1 to approx. August 20. Willing to pay rent while
housesitting, will happily take care of plants, pets, yard.
Call (650) 903-0925.
Apple Performa PowerMac 6200 CD, 40MB RAM,
1GB Hard Drive, CD, Internal modem, 15" color monitor.
mark your
Housing needed: Female scientist visiting Ames for
summer research needs temporary lodging. Furnished
Price reduced: $500. Ron (925) 606-0515 or
Pepperron@[Link].
Child's removable bicycle seat and rack. Two year
calendars!
room or apartment from May 15 to the end of August.
old "Rhode Gear" removable child's seat in excellent
The Ames Exchange is hosting a day at
Phone: +49 172 9950132 or email: [Link]@[Link]
condition. Seat has three point seatbelt and cross bar the ballpark! Come watch the big rivalry
and comes with rack that mounts on rear of mountain game between the Oakland A's and the
bike. Pd $90 new. Will sell for $40. Jeff (707)427-3819. San Francisco Giants.
Transportation Wanted: one Kitten; Sunnyvale, California; Looking The game is Saturday June 3 at 1:05
‘70 Ford Econoline Deluxe camper van pop-up top for a new kitten to join our family of three adult humans p.m. at the Oakland stadium. The Ames
with screens. New tires, brakes, front end linkage,
heater core. Propane stove, water/electrical hookups, CB
and two (very friendly) adult cats. We prefer a female. We Exchange will be sponsoring a tailgate party
prefer some short hair variety, esp. Tabby. No ferals with hot dogs, chips and sodas before the
radio, potty. 79,000 orig. mls, runs excellent. $4,250. please. Email: danielc@[Link]
Patrick (831) 462-1184. game, starting at 11:00 a.m.
2 rear fenders for ’73 - ’74 VW Super Beetle $70 for Tickets for the game and tailgate are
‘72 VW Bug, 65K, runs good, blue paint. Asking both or B/O. Call (408) 260-1180.
$850. Call (408) 873-5706. only $5 and are available at the Tickets and
’83 Suzuki Katana 650, runs great, current
Pair of 49er tickets, sec. 62, $50 each: 9/10 Tours Office. Building 19, Rm. 1011. For
Carolina, 10/1 Ariz., 10/8 Raiders ($70 each), 10/15 GB( more information, call ext. 4-6873 or Jodi
registration, $600. Call (408) 260-1180. $60 each) 10/29 St Louis, 11/12 KC, 11/19 Atl, 12/10
NO, 12/17 Chicago. Jon (408) 985-7323 H. Neal at ext. 4-0818.

May 1, 2000 The Ames Astrogram — 7

 Events & Miscellaneous
Speakers Bureau National Day Computer
needs your of Prayer museum center
expertise! Observance unveiling, May 3
The NASA Speakers Bureau Program Chronicling the rise of technology, the
schedules volunteer employees from Ames On May 4, at 11:30 a.m. to noon, Ames Computer Museum History Center will un-
to give lectures and presentations at educa- staff are invited to gather at the field east of veil its new look and direction on May 3.
tional institutions, business organizations, Building N245, Pioneer Avenue and N. With a glance back at the building blocks
service clubs and professional and technical
Warehouse Road. Come and pray together of computer science and a firm grip on the
societies. The program has been successful
in reaching out to the Silicon Valley com- for our community, our nation and our developing future, this event embraces the
munity and other states, informing the world. POC: Don Durston, ext. 4-1515. history that defines Silicon Valley. You
public of NASA’s contributions to research, won't want to miss it.
technology development and science.
As our valley continues to develop, re- Exchange offers Join us in the collection space, Building
126, at Moffett Field at 6:00 p.m. on
quests are coming in weekly for NASA em-
ployees to inform the community of NASA’s NASA night with Wednesday, May 3.
More details to come soon, but you'll
contributions to the nation.
The Speakers Bureau Program is look-
ing for NASA employees and/or contractors
the San José want to be sure to save the date!

to be a part of the program. If you enjoy

speaking to people about your career and
SaberCats Astrogram deadlines
The Ames Exchange is proud to offer
would love to share your expertise, call the
tickets for this May 12, 7:30 p.m. event at All Ames employees are invited to submit
Speakers Bureau program and volunteer.
Contact Sheila Johnson at ext. 4-5054 or the San José Arena. Come watch the San articles relating to Ames projects and activities for
contact the author at ext. 4-4034. José SaberCats battle the Oklahoma Wran- publication in the Astrogram. When submitting

BY VALONNE FINNIE
glers in the 50-yard indoor war called Arena stories or ads for publication, submit your mate-
League Football. rial, along with any questions, in MS word by e-
This exciting game of football is played mail to: astrogram@[Link] on or be-
Tickets on sale indoors with lots of fireworks, music, fan fore the deadline.

The Ames Exchange is selling tickets participation and half-time shows. Deadline Publication
for the following amusement parks: Tickets are limited, on a first-come-first- Tues, May 2 Mon, May 15
Disneyland, Universal Studios, Magic serve. Tickets can be purchased at Tickets Tues, May 16 Mon, May 29
Mountain , Six Flags Marine World, Knott’s & Tours, Building 19, Room 1011. Hours Tues, May 30 Mon, Jun 12
Berry Farm, Monterey Bay Aquariam and are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday. Tues, Jun 13 Mon, Jun 26
Paramount’s Great America. Call Tickets Call ext. 4-6873 or ext. 4-0818 for more Tues, Jun 27 Mon, Jul 10
& Tours at ext. 4-6873, or ext. 4-0818 for information. Tues, Jul 11 Mon, Jul 24
more information.

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Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, California 94035-1000
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use, $300

The Ames ASTROGRAM is an official

publication of the Ames Research Center,
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
Managing Editor........David Morse
Editor..........................Astrid Terlep
We can be reached via email at:
astrogram@[Link] or by phone
PLEASE RECYCLE
Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based ink.
(650) 604-3347

8 — The Ames Astrogram May 1, 2000