Martian of the Month
NOVEMBER MARTIAN OF THE MONTH - Lynn Lowry
Lynn is the Mars Surveyor Program Technologist and the Spacecraft Manager
for 2001-2005 missions. She prepared a technology "investment strategy"
and worked with Lockheed Martin to design a program of progressive technology
insertion into the spacecraft "product line" so that the program
requirements can be met for two launches per opportunity and cooperation
with the Europeans despite the extremely limited funding. This is a whole
new approach to doing business.
DECEMBER MARTIAN OF THE MONTH - Ann Mauritz
Ann Mauritz is the Cognizant Engineer
and Contract Technical Manager of the Mars Pathfinder parachute decelerator
system. Ann's skillful management and technical coordination has enabled
the development of a new disk-gap-band parachute configuration for Pathfinder
in under 9 months and within budget. This effort has been an outstanding
example of the better, faster, cheaper approach. Ann also managed the Entry,
Descent, and Landing multibody system drop tests. This challenging test
program was successfully completed within severe budget and schedule constraints
and was yet another example of better, faster, cheaper.
JANUARY MARTIAN OF THE MONTH - Steve Alfery
Steve Alfery was outstanding in negotiating
a $100-million Phase C/D development contract with Lockheed Martin for the
Mars Surveyor '98 spacecraft. Fact-finding, negotiations, and approval of
the contract were executed so that there was not a single day of procurement
processing lead time on the critical path to spacecraft development. The
contract was effective on the same day as authorization to proceed from
NASA. This performance is unprecedented, and at least a year of procurement
processing time has been eliminated.
Ann Mauritz is the Cognizant Engineer
and Contract Technical Manager of the Mars Pathfinder parachute decelerator
system. Ann's skillful management and technical coordination has enabled
the development of a new disk-gap-band parachute configuration for Pathfinder
in under 9 months and within budget. This effort has been an outstanding
example of the better, faster, cheaper approach. Ann also managed the Entry,
Descent, and Landing multibody system drop tests. This challenging test
program was successfully completed within severe budget and schedule constraints
and was yet another example of better, faster, cheaper. 
Steve Alfery was outstanding in negotiating
a $100-million Phase C/D development contract with Lockheed Martin for the
Mars Surveyor '98 spacecraft. Fact-finding, negotiations, and approval of
the contract were executed so that there was not a single day of procurement
processing lead time on the critical path to spacecraft development. The
contract was effective on the same day as authorization to proceed from
NASA. This performance is unprecedented, and at least a year of procurement
processing time has been eliminated.