LEGO League championship set

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - Elementary and middle school students from Mississippi will gather at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg on Dec. 4 to participate in the Mississippi Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Tournament. Some 400 students and as many as 38 teams from across Mississippi are scheduled to participate in the robotics challenge. FIRST LEGO League is a hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center supports the FIRST LEGO League by providing mentors and training, as well as competition judges and referees, audiovisual staff and other volunteer personnel. (Source: NASA, 11/30/10)

Series speaker scheduled

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - Mel Estrade of the South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center will be guest speaker at the next "Lunch and Learn" series of the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. It will be held Dec. 9 at the Herman C. Glazier Conference Room, Building 1130, Stennis Space Center. Estrade will detail the services available to Mississippi companies through the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program, a program of the Mississippi Development Authority, the chief economic development agency for the state. MPTAP's mission is to enhance national defense and economic development of the state by helping Mississippi businesses in obtaining federal, state, local government and commercial contracts. For more information on the upcoming Lunch and Learn, contact Belinda Gill at MsET by e-mail or by calling 228-688-3144. (Source: MsET, 11/29/10)

Goodrich ships XWB thrust reverser

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Goodrich Corp. has delivered its first thrust reversers for the Airbus A350 XWB twinjet. The thrust reversers will be installed on a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine to be used in the engine ground test program, scheduled to begin later this year. Goodrich shipped the thrust reversers from its facility in Chula Vista, Calif., which was also the site of final assembly. The reversers will be sent to the Rolls-Royce facility in Derby, England, for initial testing before being shipped to a Rolls-Royce ground testing site at John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: Goodrich, 11/23/10) Goodrich's Alabama Service Center is located in Foley, Ala.

November Lagniappe available

The November issue of Lagniappe, a monthly newsletter about NASA activities at Stennis Space Center, is available for download. This issue has a story about Stennis Space Center's Legends Lecture Series, a year-long 50th anniversary series that got underway Nov. 9. Other stories in the newsletter: The delay in the launch of Discovery; a story about the arrival of an A-3 test stand component; a story about the kickoff of a student design challenge and more. (Source: Lagniappe, November 2010)

Sensor newsletter available

Sensor, a newsletter focusing on Mississippi's geospatial industry, is now available for viewing. This is the first one produced by the Stennis Space Center-based Magnolia Business Alliance, a non-profit. Sensor had been produced by the Enterprise for Geospatial Solutions when it was run by the University of Mississippi. But in early August management and support of EIGS was transferred from the university to the private sector. EIGS is now a program of the Magnolia Business Alliance. (Source: Tcp, 11/22/10) Newsletter

Science center gets topped

Five flags were placed atop the roof of Infinity Science Center during a topping out ceremony Wednesday near the Mississippi Welcome Center. The center along Interstate 10 not far from the Mississippi-Louisiana state line is designed to interest visitors in science and engineering and to highlight the work done at NASA's nearby John C. Stennis Space Center. The topping out is a traditional ceremony and marks the highest point of the building. "We're optimistic that this is going to be a scientific Disney World for Louisiana and Mississippi like nothing we've ever seen before," said George Schloegel, chairman of the Infinity board. (Sources: Sun Herald, WLOX-TV, 11/17/10)

NASA teams with high schools

NASA will team with students at 17 high schools in four states, including five in Mississippi, to design and develop hardware and software models and products for America's space program. Students will work with NASA engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Stennis Space Center, Miss., on eight projects identified by the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) initiative. The project was launched at Marshall in 2003 and expanded to include Stennis Space Center last year. One goal of the HUNCH initiative is to inspire high school students to pursue careers in science, technology or engineering fields. The Mississippi schools are Hancock County Vocational Technical School in Kiln, East Central High School in Hurley, Gulfport High School in Gulfport, New Albany High School in New Albany and Petal High School in Petal. The other high schools are in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. (Source: NASA, 11/17/10)

Lockheed gets SSC contract

NASA has awarded the test operations contract at Stennis Space Center, Miss., to Lockheed Martin Services Inc. of Houston. The test operations contract is a performance based, cost-plus-award-fee contract, valued at $95.7 million, with a five-year period of performance consisting of a base period of 30 months and one option period of 30 months. As the test operations contractor, Lockheed Martin will be responsible for providing test operations, core operations and maintenance activities to support test projects at Stennis. (Source: NASA, 11/16/10)

Speakers lined up for Industry Day

Stennis Space Center Director Patrick Scheuermann will be among the speakers Thursday during NASA Stennis Industry Day at Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis. It all begins Wednesday with a training session, early registration and a reception. Thursday's events include opening remarks by Ridge Bourgeois of the Gulf Coast Government Contractors Association, Vic Johnson of the Louisiana Technology Transfer Office and Charlie Beasley of the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. In addition to Scheuermann, other speakers are Glenn Delgado of the NASA Office of Small Business Programs, Richard Arbuthnot of the NASA Shared Services Center, and Susan Dupuis, NASA procurement officer. The lunch speaker is Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, who will discuss the Infinity Science Center project. A golf tournament is scheduled for Friday. For more information, contact Hazel Wiggington, GCGCA events and meeting director. (Source: Tcp, 11/16/10) Final agenda

NASA selects Air Products

NASA chose Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Allentown, Pa., for the follow-on contract for the agency-wide acquisition of liquid hydrogen. It has a one-year base performance period with a one-year option period. The maximum potential value of the contract is about $18 million. Air Products will supply about 10,860,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen to Stennis Space Center, Miss., Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; and Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in support of the agency's Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. (Sources: Examiner, Spaceref, 11/15/10)

November Messenger available

The November issue of Michoud Messenger, a monthly newsletter about activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is available for download. The issue includes a story about the Oct. 20 address by Marshall Space Flight Center Director Robert Lightfoot to several hundred workers at MAF; and an item about a briefing NASA officials gave to the New Orleans city council about potential uses and development opportunities of Michoud; and more. (Source: Michoud Messenger, November 2010)

Slidell gets WorldWinds computer complex

SLIDELL, La. - WorldWinds Inc. has installed one of the most powerful computer clusters in the New Orleans area at Slidell's Gause Boulevard Complex. WorldWinds purchased the system to run storm surge simulations for historical and hypothetical hurricanes, which will be used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop new flood zone maps. The complex, which once was home to a NASA computer complex, also houses Textron Marine and Land Systems. WorldWinds is headquartered at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: WorldWinds, 11/11/10)

AJ26 test fired at Stennis Space Center

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center conducted a successful test firing Wednesday of the liquid-fuel AJ26 engine that will power the first stage of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Taurus II space launch vehicle. Orbital and its engine supplier, Aerojet, test-fired the engine on Stennis' E-1 test stand. The test directly supports NASA's partnerships to enable commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. The initial test, the first in a series of three firings, lasted 10 seconds and served as a short-duration readiness firing to verify AJ26 engine start and shutdown sequences, E-1 test stand operations, and ground-test engine controls. (Source: PRNewswire, NASA, 11/10/10; Business Wire, 11/11/10)

NASA exhibits at supercomputer conference

NEW ORLEANS - NASA will showcase the latest achievements in climate simulation, space exploration, aeronautics engineering, science research and supercomputing technology at the 23rd annual Supercomputing 2010 (SC10) meeting. The international conference on high-performance computing, networking, storage and analysis will be held Nov. 13-19 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. NASA's SC10 exhibit will feature nearly 50 demonstrations, including high-resolution simulations of Hurricane Katrina. (Source: NASA, 11/09/10)

NASA, Esri pact supports GIS work

NASA recently signed an enterprise license agreement with Esri of Redlands, Calif., making ArcGIS software tools available for unlimited use by authorized NASA employees and contractors. "NASA is one of the most innovative users of geographic information system (GIS) technology," said Esri president Jack Dangermond. GIS plays a key role in NASA's efforts to monitor and study the factors of climate change. "GIS increases our understanding of the world around us through the visualization of information," said Stennis Space Center, Miss., environmental GIS lead Kelly Boyd. (Source: Business Wire, 11/08/10)

Microbes to the rescue

More answers are beginning to surface about what happened the oil that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico from the BP well during the spring and summer. Scientists have tracked how nontoxic elements of oil became dinner for microbes, and that in turn became food for plankton. The study focused on the way carbon specific to the oil moved through the food web. William Graham, a plankton expert at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama, said the speed of how the oil components moved through the ecosystem may affect the overall health of the Gulf. Questions still remain on the toxic portion of the oil. The study, released Monday, was funded by the National Science Foundation, Alabama, and BP research funds distributed through the Northern Gulf Institute at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Sources: Mobile Press-Register, AP via Sun Herald, 11/08/10)

Spaced Out Sports challenge launched

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA has launched Spaced Out Sports, a national challenge for students in grades 5-8 to create games that will be played by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. "This is a great opportunity for students to learn fundamentals of science in a hands-on way," said Katie Wallace, director of the Stennis Office of Education, where the curriculum was developed. "Student teams around the nation will have a chance to earn a NASA-sponsored, school-wide celebration and to see their game played by astronauts aboard the space station." Information on Spaced Out Sports. (Source: NASA, 11/08/10)

Evidence of oil on Gulf floor mounts

While the surface signs of this summer's oil spill are harder to find, that's not the case on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Just ask Vernon Asper, a professor of marine science at the University of Southern Mississippi's operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Asper and his colleagues are studying soil samples taken from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. A "multicorer" used to obtain three samples, one 140 nautical miles away from the busted well, one 16 nautical miles away and one intermediate, shows a big difference. The soil the furthest away is all mud, while a sample from the intermediate location has a thin layer of oil. The one near the well is striped with a bottom layer of mud, a layer that appears to be oil and a top layer of slime that may be oil with bacteria feeding on it. What all this means for sea life is still to be determined. (Source: OnEarth magazine, 11/04/10) Federal scientists also have found damage to deep sea corals and other marine life several miles from where the BP well spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. They found dead and dying corals, some coated with a brown substance, seven miles from the BP well. (Source: AP, 11/05/10)

Election topic of meeting

The mid-term election and what it means to businesses will be the topic of discussion at the Knight Non-Profit Center Monday in Gulfport, Miss. It's from 5 to 7 p.m. The panel will be led by the Washington-based public policy management and marketing firm Dutko Worldwide, which since 2007 has been a member of the Coast business community with its office in Gulfport. For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Lori Moran at 228-295-7117. Refreshments will be provided by Stennis Space Center's Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. (Source: Magnolia Business Alliance, 11/05/10)

Former leaders to address SSC workers

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The first of a series of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center Legends Lecture Series for Stennis employees is scheduled for Nov. 9. The series celebrates leadership excellence during the transition between the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. It kicks off the year-long celebration of Stennis Space Center’s 50th anniversary. The three former NASA leaders will offer remembrances about the move from Apollo lunar missions to low-Earth orbit space shuttle missions during the 1970s. Former leaders scheduled to visit are Jerry Hlass, former Stennis Space Center director, George Hopson, former space shuttle main engine project manager, and J.R. Thompson, former NASA deputy administrator. Each former leader will speak during a 1 p.m. session for Stennis employees. (Source: NASA, 11/05/10)

MsET hosts NOPP presentation

The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology is hosting a presentation by the program manager of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program on Nov. 15. NOPP provides funding for collaborative research projects on ocean issues, and participants will learn more about the program and topics scheduled for funding. NOPP is a collaboration of federal agencies that support ocean research partnerships involving academia, government, industry, and non-governmental organizations. NOPP invests in multiple areas, including oceanographic research and exploration, technology development, resource management, and ocean education. Proposals to the program must have government, university, and private industry partners. For more information, contact Belinda Gill at 228-688-3144. To register. (Source: MsET, 11/04/10)

ONR lauded for workforce development

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Office of Naval Research received a bronze award for workforce development at the Program Executive Officers/Systems Command Commanders Conference on Fort Belvoir, Va., Nov. 3. A panel of judges from academia, industry and corporate learning organizations independently conducted the awards evaluation process. Other ONR accolades include leading the Navy agency subcomponents category of the 2010 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government index and being named a 2010 Best Diversity Company. (Source: NNS, 11/03/10) Note: The Naval Research Lab and its detachment as Stennis Space Center, Miss., is part of the Office of Naval Research.

Job fair scheduled

WAVELAND, Miss. - A job fair will be held from 8 a.m. until noon at the Hancock County WIN Job Center Friday. Participants should bring a printed or electronic resume. Laptop computers will be available for 30 minutes, or Wi-Fi is available for those who bring a laptop. The WIN center is at 454 U.S. 90, Suite C, in Waveland. Later this month is Stennis Industry Day at Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis. It's scheduled for Nov. 17-18. (Source: Sun Herald, 11/02/10)

Science center topping out date set

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - A "topping out" ceremony has been scheduled for Nov. 17 for the Infinity Science Center. The ceremony marks a milestone in construction of the multimillion-dollar education center, set to open in 2012. In addition to the placing of a tree at the highest part of the structure, there will be remarks by key officials. Infinity, located near the Mississippi-Louisiana state line and the Mississippi Welcome Center along Interstate 10, is designed to interest young people in science, technology, engineering and math, and to increase the public’s understanding of the work done at NASA's nearby Stennis Space Center. (Source: Tcp, 11/01/10)

Geospatial experts flock to New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - The GeoInt 2010 Symposium, the largest geospatial intelligence event in the United States, is being held this week at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The symposium, which annually attracts more than 3,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors, got under way Monday and ends Thursday. There are keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, breakout sessions and networking opportunities at the symposium. Organizers say it’s the premier event of the year for the defense, intelligence and homeland security communities. (Source: Tcp, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, 11/01/10) Note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., is a key center for geospatial technologies.