Five Employees Receive Silver Snoopy Awards

Five Employees Receive Silver Snoopy Awards

By ELAINE GAUSE
Langley Research Center

Astronaut Robert Curbeam Jr., a veteran of two Space Shuttle flights, visited Langley Research Center on Nov. 10 to honor five employees with Silver Snoopy awards for significant contributions to the space program.

Silver Snoopys recognize outstanding performance contributing to flight safety and mission success. Fewer than one percent of the space program workforce receive the award annually. Each awardee is presented a sterling silver Snoopy lapel pin that has flown on a Space Shuttle mission, plus a certificate of appreciation and commendation letter, both signed by the astronaut.

Karen L. Bibb, aerospace engineer in the Research & Technology Directorate, along with fellow aerothermodynamicists, planned, implemented, and performed comprehensive, unique, ultra fast-paced experimental/computational studies to provide critical path hypersonic aerodynamic/aeroheating information essential for determination of the causes of failure immediately following the loss of Columbia (STS-107).
Edwin L. Fasanella, aerospace engineer in the Research & Technology Directorate, led Langley’s team conducting studies of foam impact into the Shuttle Orbiter wing as part of the Agency’s Return to Flight Program. Fasanella used LS-DYNA to predict 0.2-lb. foam impact damage on various locations of the Shuttle wing leading edge, reinforced-carbon-carbon panel 9 and validated the performance of an improved foam, which is a candidate for retrofitting on the orbiter external tank.
Thomas J. Horvath, aerospace engineer in the Research & Technology Directorate, planned, implemented and performed, in a comprehensive ultra fast-paced manner, all experimental ground-based hypersonic aeroheating studies for the Columbia accident investigation. The huge volumes of essential information he provided were paramount to the success of the investigation.
Thomas R. Levin, engineering technician in the Systems Engineering Directorate, played an exceptional role in the development and thermal-vacuum environmental qualification testing of numerous Langley spaceflight experiments, including: Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE); Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE); Mid-deck Active Control Experiment (MACE) system components, the Gas Permeable Polymer Materials (GPPM) C-RIM and related electronics; Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS-on-Mir) experiment and thermal control system; Evaluation of Space Environment and Effects on Materials (ESEM); and Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE).
Karen H. Lyle, aerospace engineer in the Research & Technology Directorate, provided technical guidance, results, and information about the response of the Shuttle wing leading edge to debris impacts directly impacting the Shuttle return-to-flight schedule.

Curbeam also visited the Virginia Air & Space Center on Nov. 10 to share stories about his journeys to space with students from Gloucester, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Elaine Gause works in the Public Outreach Office at Langley Research Center.

Silver Snoopy Awardees (left to right) Thomas Horvath, Research & Technology Directorate; Karen Lyle, Research & Technology Directorate; Thomas Levin, Systems Engineering Directorate; Karen Bibb, Research & Technology Directorate; and Edwin Fasanella, Research & Technology Directorate received their awards from Astronaut Robert Curbeam after a presentation on his two Space Shuttle flights.

Photo by Jeff Caplan