This Week @ NASA 02-24-09

SHUTTLE UPDATE KSC
The STS-119 crew is set to deliver the final truss segment and its two solar array wings to the International Space Station. Their installation will enable the station to double its resident crew to six this year. Discoverys crew of seven is commanded by Air Force colonel Lee Archambault. The Chicago area native is approaching this mission much differently from his one previous venture into space STS-117. During that mission Archambault was focused on the responsibilities of piloting space shuttle Atlantis.

Lee Archambault - "On this mission, as the commander, I need to take a more global perspective of the whole mission and I need to also allow the other crew members to become the experts on their individual fields. I stand back. Im not really the expert on any one of the fields although I have a little knowledge of all the fields but I need to let them become the individual experts and trust them to take care of their job and leave them alone to do their job the way they know how to do it and it, so its, its trying to just more or less be a chess player, to assign the individual crew members to the right job so that ultimately we can over, accomplish our mission objectives."

OCO LAUNCH HQ
This week, NASAs Orbiting Carbon Observatory is scheduled to begin its mission to collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Mapping the worlds carbon dioxide, or CO2, will help scientists understand the natural processes and human activities regulating this most plentiful of human-produced greenhouse gases.

O.C.O. should shed more light on how more than 30-billion tons of carbon dioxide produced annually by the worlds population may affect our climate.

HISTORIC MILESTONE - MSFC
NASA contractor SAIC -- Science Applications International Corporation, and Oakwood University, a Historically Black College and University in Huntsville, Ala., have signed a Mentor- Protégé Agreement. This mentor-protégé agreement is the first between a NASA prime contractor and an HBCU.

SAIC will provide Oakwood with technical and business assistance in technology enhancement and business administration. With both Oakwood and Marshall calling Huntsville home, the university is considered a potential pipeline of talent to the center. With the establishment of internships and post-graduate placement, all parties believe this MPA signals the beginning of a long and mutually-beneficial relationship.

APOLLO RETIREES DFRC
Six retirees of Rockwell International who were instrumental in developing the Apollo crew capsules back in the 60s visited the Dryden Flight Research Center. There, they got a look at prep work on the Orion crew module. They also were briefed by Drydens Exploration Systems Mission Directorate chief, Brent Cobleigh, on the instrument integration being done on Orion.

(Cobleigh sound bite)

The Rockwell Apollo veterans later shared their collective wisdom on managing a high-technology development effort with Dryden employees during a special town hall presentation.

(Sound bites Dwennon Healy, Charles Bright)

Orions first pad launch abort test will take place at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico later this year.

BIG BUCK$? - GRC

(nat ka-ching!)

Roger Storm, Digital Learning Network Coordinator at the Glenn Research Center, was a recent contestant on the syndicated TV game show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Storm was in the Millionaire hot seat for two tapings of the program hosted by Meredith Vieira. You can see those episodes this week. Check your local listings -- to check out how Roger did.

And that's This Week At NASA!

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Science & Technology

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