The next Desk Copy Exchange will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 5 and 6, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on each day.  Extra copies of NASA SPs (Special Publication) from the NASA History Office are also available.

The JPL Library receives returned “desk copies” and occasional book donations from employees.  After adding the appropriate ones to the library’s collection, there are duplicate copies and slightly out-of-scope books remaining.  The “Desk Copy Exchange” is for all JPLers; come take a look and provide a new home to the books so that they are useful again!

There are books on programming languages, MS Office applications, sciences, engineering,and  business management.   The Exchange will be held on March 5 and 6, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, or until all these books find new homes, whichever first.

Anita Sengupta, Supersonic Parachutes on Mars Project Manager, will speak Wednesday, March 13th at 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Hub, 111-104.

Due to the large size of Curiosity and precise landing requirements of the mission, the MSL EDL system required a single 70 ft diameter parachute, deployed at up to two times the speed of sound on Mars. For decades it was a mystery why supersonic parachutes experienced violent oscillations above a certain speed. It was critical to the mission that the super-sized parachute would survive and perform as designed, necessitating an answer to this mystery once and for all. Come learn how supersonic parachutes behave on Mars and the story behind the supersonic parachute qualification for MSL.

For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.

“Strategies for Using IEEE Xplore”, a live session conducted by an IEEE training specialist, will be broadcasted at the Hub (111-104).  This session is specifically designed with JPL users in mind, all examples will feature resources relevant to the Lab. There will be opportunities to ask questions, too.  Everyone is welcome to attend the session, light refreshment will be provided.

If you cannot leave your office or lab, you can also attend the webinar from your office.

Online meeting details

Topic: IEEE Xplore Briefing for JPL Researchers

Date: Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Time: 1:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time

Meeting Number: 636 767 329 

Meeting Password: JPLFeb12 

To join the online meeting (Now from mobile devices!) 

1. Go to https://ieee.webex.com/ieee/j.php?ED=163394832&UID=0&PW=NYWJhZjNmNGVj&RT=MiM0

2. If requested, enter your name and email address.

3. If a password is required, enter the meeting password: JPLFeb12

4. Click “Join”.

To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link:

https://ieee.webex.com/ieee/j.php?ED=163394832&UID=0&PW=NYWJhZjNmNGVj&ORT=MiM0

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To join the audio conference only

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To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the meeting, or call the number below and enter the access code.

Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1-650-429-3300

Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-866-469-3239

Having trouble dialing in? Try these backup numbers:

Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-866-469-3239

Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1-650-429-3300

Global call-in numbers: https://ieee.webex.com/ieee/globalcallin.php?serviceType=MC&ED=163394832&tollFree=1

Toll-free dialing restrictions: https://www.webex.com/pdf/tollfree_restrictions.pdf

Access code:636 767 329

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Audiovisual tips

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The Webinar will be conducted using Cisco WebEx.  This tool supports either telephone or VOIP connectivity for the audio.  When you logon using the above link, the audio conference dialogue box will appear.  You can enter a phone number, and WebEx will call you back.  Or, you can connect via VOIP.  Generally audio quality is better using the phone connection.  In either case, it is recommended that you use a headset to avoid disturbing your neighbors.  Generally VOIP headsets will also include a microphone, so you can ask questions and participate more fully.

Come for a 30-minute tour of the Hub at BEACON Information Commons and the BEACON web site. See the physical space, learn about the electronic journals/books/repositories available to you 24×7, and figure out how you can take advantages of all these resources. No need to sign up, just come and meet at 111-104, near the Reference Desk.

Just in time for the holiday season, the Desk Copy Exchange will take place again on December 18 at the Hub at BEACON Information Commons (111-104).

The JPL Library receives returned “desk copies” and occasional book donations from employees.  After adding the appropriate ones to the library’s collection, there are duplicate copies and slightly out-of-scope books remaining.  The “Desk Copy Exchange” is for all JPLers; come take a look and provide a new home to the books so that they are useful again!

There are books on programming languages, MS Office applications, sciences, engineering,and  business management.   The Exchange will be held on December 18, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, or until all these books find new homes, whichever first.

Rob Manning, MSL Chief Engineer, will speak Wednesday, December 12th at 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Hub, 111-104.

MSL’s Curiosity Rover landed August 5th, 2012 and has slowly, but steadily, begun to achieve the scientific investigation capability that the MSL team endowed it with. Rob will describe his thoughts on why, despite incessant problems and failures, MSL ultimately found itself on the road to success. How rough was this road compared with other missions? What if MSL did not succeed? What is MSL’s prognosis for future success? How did MSL’s success (so far) compare with other recent Mars landed missions? Will we be able to take the best of what we learned on MSL and productively “pay it forward” to future missions?

For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.

Johnathon Smith, Ph.D., Cassini Navigation Orbit Determination Analyst, will speak Wednesday, September 26th at 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Hub, 111-104.

Development of the next-generation deep space navigation package, MONTE Python, kicked-off in 1998. Fourteen years later, Cassini became the last mission at JPL to make the switch to the new software set. This story recounts the ups and downs of the Cassini navigation team’s transition experience which they performed while simultaneously navigating one of the most complicated and aggressive mission profiles ever flown.

For information on the JPL Stories series, contact Teresa Bailey at 4-9233.

George Plosker, IEEE Client Services Manager, will be onsite at JPL on Wednesday August 22nd.

George will be on hand in the Hub at BEACON Information Commons (111-104) from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for information and an  informal Q&A.  IEEE literature and other “goodies” will be available.  Please stop by and bring your IEEE questions.

11:30-12:00  Tech Talk: Insider Tips on what is new with IEEE Xplore, including the recent addition of eBooks and ways to improve your search results.

1:00-1:30 Tech Talk: Insider Tips (repeat of the 11:30 session)

Dr. Charles Elachi, the Lab Director, shared stories about the Lab and our missions to Mars at the TED/Serious Play in 2008. This video was recorded before the landing of Phoenix on Mars; Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) was still on the drawing board at the time. See how far we have come in our exploration of Mars from this fast-paced presentation.

A Mars globe and Mars atlases will be on display at the Hub after the showing.