NASA Staff Meeting Minutes 1 July 1996

Subject: Minutes of Senior Staff and Date: Tuesday, July 02, 1996 8:54AM
Subject: Time: 8:48 AM OFFICE MEMO Minutes of Senior Staff and Center… Date: 7/2/96
Minutes of Senior Staff and Center Director’s Meeting July 1, 1996
The following documents the discussions addressed at the Senior Staff and Center Director’s Meeting on July 1, 1996. Mr. Goldin was not in attendance. Action assignments have been placed in brackets [ ] for easy identification.

1. AA Reports
S/Huntress: Galileo’s encounter with Ganymede went very well, with the closest encounter occurring on June 27, 1996. Pictures from that encounter are anticipated on July 10, 1996.
U/Nicogossian: Dr. Nicogossian stated that the STS-78 has been extended to 17 days. It has been an excellent mission. The scientists are very excited about the data that have been collected to date and are especially pleased with this extension. Dr. Nicogossian thanked JSC and MSFC for their ongoing efforts to support the mission.
F/Armstrong: General Armstrong stated that last week he signed the memo enacting the new performance appraisal system, effective July 1, 1996. The wording of the letter allows each Center to enact the new policy at a time that would best support its current circumstances, to include the completion of the current reporting cycles.
Z/Ladwig: The Strategic Management System Handbook has been distributed for review. It is hoped that everyone will have adequate time to review the document prior to the beginning of the Strategic Management meeting, in which it will be a source of discussion. The NASA History office has released a new book that discusses the history of planetary radar astronomy called “To See the Unseen,” by Andrew J. Butrica. A book signing will be coordinated for later this summer. On July 2, 1996, Vice President Gore will announce the company that will build the X-33. The announcement will be made at approximately 1:15 p.m. (PST) at JPL. The Administrator and Gary Payton will participate in a press conference during the event. All of the Centers’ Directors and the HQ OIC’s will be notified prior to the announcement.
P/Vincent: The X-33 contract announcement ceremony will be covered on NASA Select. On July 3, 1996, the STS-78 crew and Dr. Lucid will be speaking with the Olympic Committee. The inflight special event will be carried live on NASA Select at 11:10 a.m.
I/Schumacher: Preparations for the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission (GCC) are underway. The Commission will meet on July 15-16, 1996, in Moscow. Mr. Goldin will be departing on July 13 and returning on July 16.
Y/Mann: The Advanced Earth Observing System (ADEOS) launch is scheduled for August 17, 1996, from Tanegashima, Japan. Communications problems between the satellite and a ground station have delayed the launch of NASA’s latest Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS). The launch is currently scheduled for July 2, 1996, at 3:30 a.m. (EST).
2. AD/Dailey
A meeting with all of the AA’s is scheduled for Tuesday, July 2, 1996, at 10:30 a.m. to noon in ARC-2. The meeting will address the final recommendations for HQ staffing targets and will provide a forum for the participants to agree on the issues and to form the presentation for the Administrator.
The Strategic Management Meeting will be held on July 16 and a half day on July 17, 1996. On July 24 and 25, 1996, the NASA Advisory Council will meet.
April 18, 1997, is the 12th NASA Continual Improvement and Reinvention Conference. This advanced planning is to ensure that Senior NASA Management will be able to attend the pre-conference reception scheduled for the evening of the April 17, 1997.
3. Center Director Reports
ARC/Rossen: Dr. McDonald is on the East Coast and will return later in the week.
DFRC/Szalai: Theseus, a remotely piloted aircraft, whose mission is to collect atmospheric conditions and to verify information collected by space-based platforms, conducted a successful 90-minute mission last week.
JPL/Stone: JPL is busy preparing for the Vice President’s visit and is eagerly waiting for the images from Galileo’s June 27 encounter with Ganymede.
JSC/Abbey: STS-78 is doing very well, and the landing is scheduled for the July 7, 1996. STS-79 will roll out to the pad on July 1, 1996. Dr. Lucid is expected to participate in the STS-78 interview with the Olympic Committee.
KSC/Thomas: STS-79 rolled out to the pad during the morning of July 1, 1996. Discovery returned to KSC from Palmdale, California, on June 30, 1996. The Titan IV launch, previously scheduled for June 30, 1996, has slipped to July 2, 1996.
LeRC/Campbell: Three representatives from Applied Coatings, Inc., visited LeRC on June 26, 1996, to investigate LeRC’s thin film sensor program. Applied Coatings is a small, 12- employee company in Columbus, Ohio, which specializes in industrial thermal spray and thin film coatings. The company has been working in low-temperature, thin film thermocouples and was hoping to learn more of the technology from NASA. We discussed the transfer of some of our technology and the possibility of their becoming a senior supplier to the engine community.
MSFC/Griner: Dr. Littles is speaking at the Joint Propulsion Conference. STS-78 is proceeding very well, especially SpaceLab and the space systems that are on the time line. Ms. Griner thanked everyone for their support. The International Space Station exhibits that MSFC is providing to the Olympic Gateway open today.
NOTE: ACTION ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE TRANSMITTED UNDER SEPARATE COVER AND TRACKED BY THE HEADQUARTERS CORRESPONDENCE OFFICE. SPECIFIC QUESTIONS MAY BE ADDRESSED TO LORIE PESONEN AT 358-4525.
Distribution Officials-in-Charge of Headquarters Offices: B/Mr. Holz C/Mr. Christensen E/Mr. Reese (Acting) F/Gen. Armstrong G/Mr. Frankle H/Ms. Lee I/Mr. Schumacher J/Ms. Cooper K/Mr. Thomas L/Mr. Lawrence M/Mr. Trafton O/Dr. Lundy (Acting) P/Ms. Boeder Q/Mr. Gregory R/Dr. Whitehead S/Dr. Huntress U/Dr. Nicogossian (Acting) W/Ms. Gross X/Dr. Mansfield Y/Mr. Townsend (Acting) Z/Mr. Ladwig
Directors, NASA Field Installations: ARC/Dr. McDonald DFRC/Mr. Szalai GSFC/Mr. Rothenberg JSC/Mr. Abbey KSC/Mr. Honeycutt LaRC/Mr. Holloway LeRC/Mr. Campbell MSFC/Dr. Littles SSC/Mr. Estess
Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Dr. Stone
cc: A/Ms. Wilcoxen AB/Ms. Saldana AD/Ms. Shaeffer AE/Ms. Moore AI/Ms. McClung AO/Ms. Wissinger AS/Ms. Magnotto AT/Ms. Doss CMC/Analysts C-3/Ms. Soper