RELEASE
:
09-048
NASA's Marshall Center Recognizes Select Team Members for Making Key Contributions to Spaceflight, Science, New Era of Exploration
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., today honored select team members from its civil service and contractor work force -- all of whom have made vital contributions to the U.S. space program and NASA's continuing mission of exploration and discovery.
Bryan O’Connor, chief of NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters in Washington, and Marshall Center Associate Director Robin Henderson presented awards in recognition of those achievements.
Winners of the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive award were John Chapman, manager of the External Tank Project in the Marshall Center’s Shuttle Propulsion Office; Raymond G. Clinton, acting manager of Marshall’s Science & Mission Systems Office; and Carl Preston Jones, manager of the Spacecraft & Vehicle Systems Department in Marshall’s Engineering Directorate. The Presidential Rank awards honor senior federal employees who demonstrate integrity, strength and commitment in the execution of their government duty. Each recipient is nominated by the NASA administrator, evaluated by a panel of private citizens and ultimately selected by the president of the United States.
Garry Lyles, associate director for technical management in Marshall’s Engineering Directorate, was honored with NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal. Lyles received the award for his key role in advancing NASA’s space exploration mission -- developing the new space transportation architecture that led to the Ares I rocket. Ares I will launch a new generation of explorers to the moon and beyond in years to come. Lyles was awarded the medal in April at a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, reflecting exemplary guidance and management of NASA technical or administrative programs, were presented to Stephen F. Cash, manager of the Shuttle Propulsion Office; Christopher E. Singer, deputy director of the Engineering Directorate; Lisa W. Griffin, supervisor of the Engineering Directorate’s Propulsion Delivery Fluids Branch; James J. Lomas, technical lead in the Engineering Directorate’s Stage Systems Engineering & Integration Division; and aerospace engineer Warren T. Peters of the Engineering Directorate’s Combustion Devices Branch.
NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medals, awarded for significant engineering-based contributions to NASA’s mission, were presented to engineer Shawn P. Breeding of the Engineering Directorate’s Space Systems Department; engineer Chad B. Bryant, of the Shuttle Propulsion Office’s External Tank Project; engineer Sandra K. Elam of the Engineering Directorate’s Combustion Devices Branch; engineer Jonathan E. Jones of the Engineering Directorate’s Solid Propulsion Systems Division; and Thomas C. Williams of Jacobs Technologies Inc. senior engineer supporting the Engineering Directorate’s Systems Development, Integration & Test Division.
Nicola A. Duncombe, a management support assistant in the Office of Human Capital, was awarded NASA's Exceptional Administrative Achievement Medal for exemplary performance in a broad range of office administration, clerical and resource management duties.
Don R. Krupp, a branch chief in the Engineering Directorate’s Spacecraft & Vehicle Systems Department, received the NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal, which honors outstanding contributions to the agency’s equal employment opportunity goals, reflecting diversity in government, community organizations or groups.
NASA engineers Michael L. Book, Thomas C. Bryan and Richard T. Howard, all of the Engineering Directorate, received the Marshall Center’s Invention of the Year Award for their “Control Method for a Video Guidance Sensor System” -- a hardware/software approach to synchronizing control data and signals for an automated rendezvous and docking system, used to remotely link two orbiting vehicles or satellites in space for transfer of fuel, cargo or other activities.
The Marshall Center’s Software of the Year Award was presented to three employees of AI Signal Research Inc. of Huntsville: Dr. Jen-Yi Jong, chairman of the board; Thein A. Maung, senior analyst; and Jess H. Jones, senior staff engineer. The company developed new data analysis software to assist in monitoring the health of engine and machine components -- diagnostic programs that have been used to study lifecycle health and vibration in the space shuttle main engines, and to review and analyze engine health data from space shuttle missions.
Additional awards presented to Marshall employees and contractors included 20 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals, 19 NASA Exceptional Service Medals, five NASA Exceptional Public Service Medals, 40 Marshall Center Director's Commendation Honor Awards, 27 NASA Group Achievement Awards and 25 Marshall Center Group Achievement Awards.
A complete list of award recipients is available in the June 18 edition of "The Marshall Star," the Marshall Center's weekly newsletter:
http://marshallstar.msfc.nasa.gov/6-18-09.pdf
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