Page 6 - Aerotech News and Review 3-18-16

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NASA takes part in annual California Aerospace Days
NASA photograph by Lisa LockyearFrom left: Armstrong center director David McBride, Governor
Jerry Brown, Ames center director Eugene Tu, JPL deputy center director Larry James and Ames
deputy center director Tom Edwards.
Team Edwards at state capitol for Aerospace Days
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Edwards AFB, Calif.
A three-man team from Edwards
Air Force Base, Calif., took a trip
to the state capitol Feb. 29-March
1 to tell the story of Edwards at the
fifth annual California Aerospace
Days.
That team was Dr. David Smith,
412th Test Wing Installation Sup-
port director, Humberto Blanco,
412th Plans and Programs deputy
director, and Ken Neitzle, U.S. Air
Force Plant 42 airfield manager.
The two-day conference for
legislators at the California State
Capitol brought together state law-
makers and their staff to learn more
about the importance of aerospace
to California. Panelists discussed
the many great things being done in
the aerospace sector throughout the
state and also addressed any con-
cerns or challenges in the current
economic and political climate.
The purpose of the trip for Ed-
wards AFB was two-fold, to em-
phasize the huge impact of the
aerospace industry in California
6
NASA photograph by Dominic Hart
Steve Howell, Kepler and K2 mission project scientist shows a Kepler display to California State
Senator Fuller.
Three NASA centers located in California Safe Autonomous Systems Operations project
NASA photograph by Lisa Lockyear participated in the American Institute of Aero- and principal investigator of NASA’s unmanned
nautics and Astronautics 5th Annual California aircraft systems traffic management efforts
Aerospace Days in Sacramento, Calif., Feb. briefed the legislature on the challenges of in-
29-March 1, 2016. tegrating UAS in the national airspace
The event featured panels, exhibits, hearings NASA representatives from Ames, Armstrong
and discussions highlighting the importance and JPL engaged approximately 1,000 visitors
of aerospace. Eugene Tu, director of NASA’s from area schools and the state legislature. The
Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Lt. public viewed displays of aeronautics, satellites
Gen. Larry James, deputy director of NASA’s and solar system exploration on the grounds of
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, and the State Capitol. Ames highlighted next gen-
David McBride, director of NASA’s Armstrong HUDWLRQDLUWUDI¿FPDQDJHPHQWLQLWLDWLYH$7'
Flight Research Center in Edwards met with DQGWKH870GURQHWUDI¿FPDQDJHPHQWV\VWHP
Governor Jerry Brown to discuss the agency and as well as several small satellites and robotics
its wide range of aerospace work in California. projects, including SPHERES.
Parimal Kopardekar, manager of NASA’s
to state political leadership, and to invited to come in and talk to the cuts and realignments,” concluded gives to the nation as well as the
share the Edwards mission with the aerospace companies represented. Smith. “We need our state represen- people of California. We want to be
general public. Among them were NASA, the Air tatives to help us shape the story good neighbors and appreciated as
According to Blanco, the first day Force Research Laboratory, Aerojet of the consistent value Edwards the same.”
was spent in briefings. They heard and many other large and small pri-
presentations from women in Sci- vate companies.
ence, Technology, Engineering and “I really appreciate the fact that
Mathematics (STEM) along with they invited us out because it gives
astronauts and engineers. While Ed- us the opportunity to show the work
wards did not present, Blanco found that we do here. We should take ad-
it educational to listen to the other vantage of all those opportunities to
participants. tell our story and I think it was told
“We also went to the senate floor well,” said Blanco.
and we experienced how some of The next day Neitzle and Blanco
the decisions are made,” he recalled. shared their story from the Edwards
“The trip was a wonderful op- booth titled, “What’s up at Ed-
portunity to highlight issues, con- wards?” on the capitol building’s
cerns and emphasize the need for lawn while Smith talked with state
regular and persistent state inter- politicians.
face with our mission at Edwards,” Blanco and Neitzle passed out
said Smith. “The opportunity to in- maps to show where Edwards and
terface with Senators [Jean] Fuller the R-2508 Restricted Airspace are
and [Sharon] Runner, as well as As- located. They also handed out fly-
semblyman [Tom] Lackey, among ers summarizing some of Edwards Courtesy photograph
others, insured the Edwards story, AFB’s capabilities, the impact on
and economic and military value, the community and small posters A three-man team from Edwards AFB took a trip to the state capitol Feb.
was well understood.” with pictures of aircraft that have 0DUFK WR WHOO WKH VWRU\ RI (GZDUGV DW WKH ¿IWK DQQXDO &DOLIRUQLD
been tested at Edwards. Aerospace Days. The two-day conference for legislators at the California State
The first morning was dedicated Capitol brought together state lawmakers and their staff to learn more about
solely to local politicians, but in the “No base or mission is com- the importance of aerospace to California.
afternoon the general public was pletely safe from possible future
Aerotech News and Review March 18, 2016
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