JPL and Caltech Unite with Los Angeles on Moon Landing Anniversary
By Pasadena Independent
Published: Monday, July 20th, 2009
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepts a gift from JPL Director Charles Elachi Monday morning after signing an agreement between the two and DWP. - Photo by Terry Miller
40 Years After Apollo 11, NASA to help Los Angeles Conserve Energy
On the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo moon landing, the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and its administrative establishment, the California Institute of Technology, have announced today a new and innovative partnership between the bodies that will make Los Angeles a model of water and power conservation, at JPL’s Pasadena headquarters. Through this partnership, JPL will directly assist the DWP to decrease water usage and green house gas emissions, which would, in turn, increase green-collar job expansion.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles DWP General Manager David Nahai, and JPL Director Charles Elachi made the announcement at a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at JPL on Monday, July 20, 2009, which also marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
“The City of Los Angeles, JPL and DWP are standing at the forefront of the clean technology revolution that will drive the 21st century economy,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “This partnership will harness Los Angeles’ unparalleled creative capital and entrepreneurial spirit to develop clean and green technologies that will spur job growth across the board from research, development, construction and finance.”
The purpose of this new, three-year agreement is to unite Caltech, one of the world’s leading academic institutions of science and technology with JPL, NASA’s leading division in advanced robot technology and space exploration, in an effort to fulfill the City of Los Angeles’ commitment to future water and energy demand in a reliable, sustainable and economical way.
JPL and Caltech will apply their extensive expertise in climate change science, remote sensing, environmental engineering and systems design to assist the city and the DWP in developing, maturing and deploying innovative technologies to improve energy efficiency, increase the use of renewable energy sources, conserve water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As the largest municipal utility in the United States, the DWP provides safe, reliable drinking water and electricity to more than 3.8 million residents and businesses, helping to sustain life, the environment and the city’s economic prosperity.
“We are proud that JPL technology and expertise will be part of this collaboration to help improve energy efficiency and protect our water supply — one of our most precious natural resources,” said JPL Director Charles Elachi.
Last week, JPL held a special event commemorating the Apollo landing, on Wednesday, July 15, 2009. KPCC’s Larry Mantle joined a panel of experts for a lecture in which they discussed the history of the Apollo program and look at NASA’s plans to the return to the moon. Speakers included John Casani, Special Assistant to Director Charles Elachi, Mike Sanders, manager of JPL’s Exploration Systems and Technology Office, Scott Horowitz, retired NASA astronaut, and Louis Friedman, Executive Director of the Planetary Society.
But most of Apollo’s anniversary commemorations are taking place not here in Pasadena, but in Washington, D.C. President Obama welcomed Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, the crew from the 1969 NASA space mission which put the first human beings on the moon, in a special Oval Office ceremony today.
“Very rarely do I have such an extraordinary pleasure as I have today to welcome three iconic figures, three genuine American heroes,” President Obama said. “It’s because of the heroism, the calm under pressure, the grace with which these three gentlemen operated, but also the entire NASA family that was able to, at great risk oftentimes, and with great danger, was somehow able to lift our sights, not just here in the United States but around the world.”
A special news conference at NASA’s headquarters was also held today, where astronauts from the Apollo program discussed the moon landing and answered questions.
Also tonight, there will be a special Apollo 40th Anniversary Celebratory Reception at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. 2,000 guests have been invited, including current and former NASA employees. The event will posthumously honoring President John F. Kennedy with the Ambassador of Exploration award. Guests will include Apollo 11 crew and the rest of the Apollo astronauts, the STS-125 space shuttle crew, and former Apollo employees.
The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the moon. July 20 marks the day astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon.
By Kyle Khandikian
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