Dr. David G. Simpson NASA/GSFC, Code 582.0 Greenbelt, MD 20771 Phone: (301) 286-1306 Fax: (301) 286-1433 Email: David.G.Simpson.1@gsfc.nasa.gov

Physicist
NASA/GSFC
Code 582/612.2 - Heliospheric Physics

B.S., Physics, 1984
(Minor in Mathematics; Cooperative Education Certificate)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia

M.S., Applied Physics, 1990
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

M.S., Applied Mathematics, 1993
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Ph.D., Applied Physics, 2000
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland

(Thesis: Analysis of Low-Energy Electron Diffraction IV Spectra Using Artificial Neural Networks)

January 2001 - Present
Physicist
NASA/GSFC
Code 582/692 - Interplanetary Physics

As a Civil Service scientist working in the Interplanetary Physics Branch of the Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics (LEP) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, I have been working on the instrument team for the Low-Energy Neutral Atom (LENA) experiment aboard the IMAGE spacecraft. My research interest has centered on data analysis and computer modeling of LENA neutral atom signals, particularly those originating from interstellar neutral atoms.

September 1991 - Present
Adjunct Professor of Physics
Prince George's Community College
Largo, Maryland

I am currently an adjunct professor of physics at Prince George's Community College, where I teach a three-semester sequence of calculus-based general physics courses to science and engineering majors, including lectures, laboratory, and recitation sections. I have also taught an algebra-based course in technical physics to engineering technology majors.

March 1991 - December 2000
Flight Software Senior Designer and Project Manager
NASA/GSFC
Code 582 - Flight Software

While serving as project manager for the Hubble Space Telescope's on-board DF-224 computer flight software task, I was responsible for designing, testing, and implementing changes to the Space Telescope's DF-224 on-board computer flight software, and responding to real-time spacecraft emergencies. I supported Hubble Servicing Missions 1 (1993), 2 (1997), and 3A (1999). I served as the flight software team lead for the final two years of the DF-224 computer project, and as orbit team lead for Servicing Mission 3A.

I later served as the flight software development team lead for the Hubble Space Telescope's 486 Advanced Computer, and authored the Advanced Computer flight software used to calculate solar, lunar, and spacecraft ephemerides, along with the on-board geomagnetic field model.

March 1985 - March 1991
Technical Manager
OAO Corporation
Greenbelt, Maryland

While at OAO Corporation, I was responsible for flight software development and maintenace for three NASA missions:

• International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), for which I developed flight software changes to support astronomical observations and to compensate for the failure of on-board gyroscopes. I also responded to real-time spacecraft emergencies as needed.
• Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), for which I worked with solar astronomers to greatly enhance the on-board FLARE software, making possible more versatile observations of solar flares. I also made flight software modifications to allow SMM tracking and observations of Comet Halley in 1986, and regularly responded to real-time spacecraft emergencies.
• Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE), for which I authored several of the flight software programs, including the payload support software and the UTC clock program.

June 1980 - February 1985
Member of Technical Staff;
Cooperative Education student
COMSAT Laboratories
Clarksburg, Maryland

While at COMSAT Laboratories, I worked in the Spacecraft Laboratory of the Electric Power Department, where my work focused on computer modeling of spacecraft electric power systems for the INTELSAT V, MARISAT, and SBS spacecraft. I also authored a series of optical ray-tracing programs to study the effectiveness of using solar array concentrators on communications satellites, and developed a series of minicomputer programs to automate solar cell testing at the Laboratories.

1. Simpson, David G. and Philip Rous, "LEED Surface Structure Determination Using Artificial Neural Networks," Surf. Sci. Lett. (in preparation).
2. Simpson, David G., "An Alternative Lunar Ephemeris Model for On-Board Flight Software Use," Proceedings of the 1999 NASA Goddard Flight Mechanics Symposium. (Won runner-up best published paper award in the Informations Systems Center for 1999.)
3. Simpson, David G., "Spacecraft Attitude Determination Using the Earth's Magnetic Field," Proceedings of the 1989 NASA Goddard Flight Mechanics / Estimation Theory Symposium.

• NASA Special Act Award for work on the Hubble Space Telescope SSM flight software (2001).
• NASA Group Achievement Award for work on the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 3A (2000).
• NASA Performance Award for exceptional service in performance of official duties (2000).
• NASA Time Off Award for work on the Hubble Space Telescope gyro failure and Servicing Mission 3A (2000).
• NASA Special Act Award for work on the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 3A (2000).
• Academic honor society Phi Kappa Phi (1999).
• NASA Special Act Award for runner-up best published paper for the Information Systems Center, "An Alternative Lunar Ephemeris Model for On-Board Flight Software Use" (1999).
• NASA Performance Award for exceptional service in performance of official duties (1999).
• NASA Special Act Award for flight software leadership (1999).
• NASA Group Achievement Award Center of Excellence Award for work on the Hubble Space Telescope Second Servicing Mission (1999).
• NASA Performance Award for exceptional service in performance of official duties (1997).
• NASA Special Act Award for customer service excellence (1997).
• NASA Group Achievement Award for support of HST observations of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact with Jupiter (1996).
• NASA Special Act Group Award for work on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite recovery team (1995).
• NASA Group Achievement Award for work on the Hubble Space Telescope during the First Servicing Mission (1994).
• NASA Group Achievement Award for work on the 80386 computer anomaly during the Hubble Space Telescope First Servicing Mission (1994).
• NASA Special Act Group Award for work on developing code for the 80386 computer of the Hubble Space Telescope (1993).
• NASA Special Act Group Award for work on the zero-gyro safemode law for the DF-224 computer of the Hubble Space Telescope (1992).
• NASA Group Achievement Award for work on the IUE spacecraft (1988).
• Physics honor society Sigma Pi Sigma (1983).
• National Honor Society (1978).
• First place winner (United States and Canada), NASA/Current Science Space Essay Contest (1976). Award was a Moon rock display and lectures given at the South Charleston (W.Va.) Junior High School by Dr. Michael B. Duke, NASA Lunar Sample Curator.

• American Physical Society, 1985-Present
• American Association of Physics Teachers, 1987-Present
• American Astronomical Society, 1999-Present
• American Geophysical Union, 2000-Present
• Amateur Radio Operator, Amateur Extra class (KE3XN)
• Second Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate
• Certified Maryland Emergency First Responder