Conference 7.286::space

648.0. "NASA announces 1990 SPIP awards" by 4347::GRIFFIN (Dave Griffin) Wed Aug 08 1990 20:22

From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                     August 6, 1990
(Phone:  202/453-8536)


Release:  90-109

NASA ANNOUNCES 1990 SPIP AWARDS


     NASA has announced the 1990 Solid Propulsion Integrity 
Program (SPIP) awards for outstanding contributions toward 
improving the nation's engineering capability for solid rocket 
motors.  These awards recognize SPIP contractors, subcontractors 
or individuals that have made significant accomplishments toward 
achieving the program's objectives.

     This year's awardees:  Hercules Aerospace Corporation, 
Magna, Utah;  PDA Engineering, Costa Mesa, Calif.; Southern 
Research Institute, Birmingham, Ala.;  and United Technologies 
Chemical Systems Division, San Jose, Calif.

     The Solid Propulsion Integrity Program originated from joint 
NASA-Department of Defense-industry studies in 1984 which 
identified critical shortfalls in the U.S. engineering technology 
base for solid-fueled rocket motors.  The objective of the 
program is to provide U.S. engineers with the techniques, 
engineering tools and computer programs to be able to better 
design, build and verify solid rocket motors.

     The Hercules team, under the leadership of Richard M. 
Herman, performed with outstanding proficiency in the 
organization of the necessary inter-company infrastructure and 
implementation and execution of their prime contractor role.  
They earned an award fee of $52,000.

     The PDA team, led by Greg Crose, demonstrated exceptionally 
innovative approaches to understanding nozzle thermal responses, 
showing that smaller, less expensive motors can be used to verify 
full size motor responses.  PDA, as a result, was given the 
freedom to conduct a special research task of their own selection 
in this area of responsibility, valued at $100,000.

     The Southern Research Institute team, led by John R. Koenig, 
was recognized for their innovative approaches and highly 
significant findings that allow measurement of material 
properties never before demonstrated in laboratory tests.  This 
effort earned them a special research task, also of their own 
selection, valued at $85,000.

     The United Technologies team activities, led by Al Holzman, 
was recognized for outstanding proficiency, implementation and 
execution of work leading to improved engineering test tools for 
motor validation.  United Technologies earned a special research 
task of their own selection, valued at $75,000, to continue their 
work.

     Nominations for SPIP awards are made by participating 
contractors and government task managers.  Final selection and 
approval is made by a NASA/Army/USAF award committee.

FWIW, PDA got a big push (maybe even its star) in around 1979 with the Patran
Finite Element display program.  They were one of Digital's early "third parties"
/CMP/whatever-they-are-called-now.  We lent them a 780 (or 2) to do Patran
development on.  They in turn sold it exclusively on VAXes for some number of
years.

Burns (formerly of the Engineering Systems Group who
        set up this arrangement)