At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, innovation is fueling projects to explore new horizons and establish a multi-user spaceport for both government and industry. A group of space center employees recently was honored for outstanding achievements in developing innovative technologies for the agency’s future.
During a ceremony on Oct. 21, 2014, Dr. Jay Falker, Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) program executive for the Center Innovation Fund (CIF) and NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Programs, awarded NASA Agency Silver Achievement Medals to 66 scientists and engineers and Kennedy Group Achievement Awards to 16 project support staff for their contributions to the CIF program. Their efforts resulted in Kennedy ranking best of all ten centers from the NASA Headquarters assessment of the CIF annual report.
“The Center Innovation Fund provided through STMD is important for NASA because it encourages employees to take the initiative in developing innovative technological concepts to help meet the needs of future NASA missions,” said Kennedy’s Chief Technologist Karen Thompson. “We strongly encourage employees to work with collaborative partners from other NASA centers, other government agencies, industry and academia for proposals submitted for CIF.”
For many years, the Florida spaceport has emphasized partnerships in research and technology programs and has been recognized throughout NASA and externally for excellent collaborations. For the past two fiscal years Kennedy has more than doubled the amount of CIF-provided funding through leveraged partnerships with external collaborators as well as from other NASA programs that recognized the potential of the proposed innovative technologies, if successful, in enabling future missions.
Working with external partners allows employees from Kennedy and the partner organizations to learn from one another and to develop technologies that can be infused into NASA missions as well as providing other benefits, including commercial applications.
The results of efforts to develop new technologies were compiled in an annual report and delivered to the CIF Program during December 2013. The report documented the 14 CIF Projects technical merit, innovation, relevance and value to NASA and the nation. These efforts executed during fiscal year 2013, were praised for their collaborations, partnerships and technology advancement.
The reports from all 10 centers were assessed by a diverse NASA headquarters management review team. Specific feedback regarding the report and impressions of Kennedy’s CIF program were provided in May 2014.
“Our reviewers unanimously agreed that the fiscal year 2013 Kennedy report documented the best CIF program management and results across all ten NASA Centers,” Falker said. “Your report was well-written, clearly organized, appropriately detailed and truly inspiring to read. In short, this report describes a terrific program that embodies the spirit of CIF innovation.”
The Center Innovation Fund was established to encourage creativity and innovation within the NASA workforce in addressing the technology needs of the agency and the nation. Funds are distributed to each NASA center to support emerging technologies and creative initiatives that take advantage of center talent and capabilities.
“The NASA Headquarters recognition for Kennedy’s CIF program is due to the team contributions of the scientists, engineers and project support staff who execute the projects to develop truly innovative technologies,” said Carolyn Mizell, Kennedy’s deputy chief technologist and manager of the Research and Technology Management Office.
Thompson and Nancy Zeitlin, STMD Technology Integration manager, accepted on behalf of the center a framed replica of the NASA Silver Achievement Medal certificate.
NASA Silver Achievement Medal recipients included:
- David Bush, Robert Cummings, Barry Slack and David Tipton from NASA Center Operations.
- Carlos Calle, Otis Deal, James Fesmire, Paul Hintze, Michael Hogue, Philip Howard, Curtis Ihlefeld, Michael Johansen, Thomas Lippitt, Victoria Long, Lawrence Ludwig, Paul Mackey, James Mantovani, Peter Marciniak, Robert Mueller, Mark Nurge, Jacqueline Quinn, Stanley Starr, Adam Swanger, Jamie Szafran, Emilio Valencia. Raymond Wheeler, Martha Williams and Robert Youngquist from NASA Engineering and Technology.
- Philip Metzger, formerly of NASA Engineering and Technology and now with the University of Central Florida.
- Janelle Coutts, Robert Cox, LaShelle Spencer and Ivan Townsend from Craig Technologies.
- John Lane, Brian Larson, Oscar Monje, Steven Parks, Jason Schuler, Laurent Sibille and Kyle Weis from Enterprise Advisory Services Inc.
- Berta Cohen, Kenneth Cohen, Catherine DiBiase, Robert Friedman and Daniel Woodard from InoMedic Health Applications Inc.
- Jason Menzies from Nelson Engineering Co.
- Lilliana Fitzpatrick, Wayne Heckle, Johnny Kerce, Christina Khodadad, Andrew Nick, Matthew Nugent, Jan Surma and Steven Trigwell from Sierra Lobo Inc.
- Janicce Caro, Scott Jolley, Lanfang Levine (posthumously) and Jeffrey Richards from Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT).
- James Captain, Robert DeVor, Jesus Dominguez, Joshua Duncan, Tracy Gibson and Mary Hummerick from Vencore.
Group Achievement Award recipients included:
- Meredith Chandler, Wanda Henderson, David Makufka and Michael Lester from NASA Center Planning and Development.
- Michelle Ford from the NASA Chief Counsel’s Office.
- Irma Granell and Debbie Lapinski from the office of the NASA Chief Financial Officer.
- Melanie Clegg, Dionne Jackson, Teresa Lawhorn, Anna Maria Ruby, Luke Setzer and Avis Upton from NASA Engineering and Technology.
- Michele Birmele from Sierra Lobo Inc.
- Yvette Oliva-Buisson from Vencore.
- Sherri King from Wichita Tribal Enterprises.