November 15, 2018
Vantage Employees Receive NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal
The NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal is one of the highest awards in the Agency and represents acknowledgement of significant contributions to NASA's mission and purpose. This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to non-Government individuals for sustained performance that embodies multiple contributions on NASA projects, programs, or initiatives.
Joseph Ogonek, Vantage Partners (VPL) employee and Program Director of the GESS-3 contract at the NASA Glenn Research Center, received the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal at the NASA Honors Awards Ceremony on September 24, 2018. Mr. Ogonek received this medal for his exceptional public service in managing the NASA Glenn Engineering and Science Support (GESS-3) contract for the benefit of NASA Glenn, the Agency, and Ohio.
Pictured above is Joseph Ogonek (center) with David D. McBride, Director of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and Dr. Janet Kavandi, Director of NASA Glenn Research Center.
Douglas Doza, Vantage Partners employee, also received the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal at the NASA Honors Awards Ceremony on September 24, 2018. Mr. Doza received this medal for exceptional public service managing the specialized materials laboratory resulting in significant advancements that have led to improvements of NASA deliverables.
Pictured above is Douglas Doza (center) with David D. McBride, Director of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and Dr. Janet Kavandi, Director of NASA Glenn Research Center.
In addition to those receiving the Exceptional Public Service Medals, Vantage Partners was extremely well represented at the NASA Honors Awards Ceremony on September 24th by the following employees:
Silver Achievement Group Medals
Magnetic Materials Development Team
Grant E. Feichter
Joseph Huth
Vladimir Keylin
SCaN Testbed Experiments and Operations Team
Neil S. Adams
David E. Brooks
Marilyn D. Groff
Nicholas S. Tollis
Solar Electric Propulsion Testbed Team
Arthur G. Birchenough
Ryan A. Crawford
Lawrence G. Edwards
Wesley A. Miller
Paul A. Newman
Richard T. Powis
David H. Sicking
Laura C. Spayd
Gregory S. Tollis
Turbulent Heat Flux (THX) Test and Analysis Team
David S. Hervol
Randy J. Locke
John J. Mayer
Kathleen J. Sukel
Group Achievement Awards
Combustion Science Team
Michael D. Cuy
Douglas O. Doza
DGEN380 Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan Team
James L. Buckley
Raymond L. Kaliszewski
Kilopower Project Team
Nissim Lugasy
James L. Sanzi
NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) Team
Ying C. Cha
Curisha M. Drafton
Lawrence A. Kren
Scott R. Lawyer
John P. McLaughlin
Scott L. Metzger
Harry H. Olar
Malcolm G. Robbie
Greeta J. Thaikattil
Maciej G. Zborowski
Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) Team
Vincent R. Graziano
Kraig J. Hartley
Paul R. Lesiak
Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Team
Timothy A. Beach
Paul W. Giel
Mary J. Moran
Center Honor Awards
Safety Award
Aerospace Communications Facility (ACF) Hazards Analysis Team
Kevin M. Lambert
June 18, 2018
Back to His Roots for Vantage President & CEO
For the sixth consecutive year Vantage President and CEO Joe Polk and Vantage Systems contributed to Virginia’s Pittsylvania County School System’s Graduate of Merit (GOM) Program by supporting Polk’s alma mater, Chatham High School in Chatham, Virginia. To fulfill his passion to give back to the community where he received his secondary school education Polk and Vantage Systems sponsors two GOM students each year.
The county’s Graduate of Merit Program is a community partnership which recognizes outstanding high school graduates who exemplify attributes of achievement, proficiency, character and social development demonstrated through commitment to excellence in education. The GOM program is a great school and community partnership that has received acknowledgement from the Governor of Virginia. The students are honored during a public ceremony/banquet attended by parents, sponsors, and school and county officials.
Pictured below are the 2018 Vantage sponsored recipients Destinee Carter and Devin Calloway being presented their awards by Mr. Polk.
January 5, 2018
Vantage Systems Honored by Prince George's County
During the recent Prince George’s County (PGC) “Business Appreciation Week” Vantage Systems, Inc. (Vantage) was selected as one of the top performing companies in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Vantage was recognized by the Office of the County Executive, Rushern Baker III, for its longstanding commitment to PGC. Vantage is a 25-year resident of PGC. Vantage was acknowledged for the important role it plays in the PGC community by providing jobs and revenue that help to improve the quality of life for PGC residents and businesses. The award was presented by the PGC Economic Development Corporation and accepted by Vantage President and CEO Joe Polk (center below).
August 1, 2017
Vantage Employees recognized by NASA Invention of the Year Awards
Hall Effect Thruster (HET) Life Extension
NASA Glenn Research Center’s Hall Effect Thruster (HET) Life Extension Invention received Honorable Mention for the NASA Invention of the Year. Invented by Vantage Partners (VPL) employee Dr. Peter Peterson and four of his colleagues, this technology greatly prolongs the operational lifetime of the HET space propulsion engine. The novel design uses magnetic shielding to prevent the ionized xenon plasma that propels the HET from damaging the walls of the ceramic discharge channel where the plasma is accelerated. With this innovation, NASA can take advantage of the energy savings that come from the HET’s solar electric propulsion system (which offers ten times the fuel efficiency of chemical systems) to undertake such ambitious missions as the Journey to Mars.
Please refer to the following link for additional information on the HET Life Extension invention: https://technology.grc.nasa.gov/featurestory/ioy-2017
HET Team: Robert Jankovsky(GRC), David Manzella (GRC), David Jacobson (GRC), and Peter Peterson (VPL). Not pictured: Richard Hofer (JPL)
Schottky Diode Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor
Also receiving the NASA Glenn Research Center Invention of the Year Honorable Mention is the Schottky Diode Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor Team. Their sensor can measure hydrogen and hydrocarbon species with high sensitivity and selectivity, while operating effectively even at very high temperatures (up to 600 degrees C). NASA Glenn innovators Gary Hunter (GRC), Dorothy Lukco (Vantage Partners), and Jennifer Xu (GRC) have combined newly developed silicon carbide (SiC) materials with Schottky diode sensing technology to create a sensor that directly measures the presence of targeted gases, rather than using a combination of pattern recognition and different cross-sensitive sensors. This ability to measure chemical species directly gives the SiC Schottky diode sensor uniquely high sensitivity and selectivity compared to other sensors. Furthermore, the sensor’s minimal power consumption as well as its small size and weight make it easy to implement in existing systems without requiring significant adaptations. All of these advantages make this technology extraordinarily useful, not only for space-related applications such as atmospheric characterization on Venus and the detection of launch pad fuel leaks, but also for more commercial uses such as monitoring cabin air quality aboard aircraft, enhancing industrial sensing systems, and providing real-time methane detection for firefighters and other first responders.
More information is available at Tech Briefs: http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/ntb/tech-briefs/physical-sciences/20676
Schottky Diode Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor Team: Jennifer Xu (GRC), Gary Hunter (GRC), and Dorothy Lukco (VPL).
August 31, 2016
Vantage Employee Receives Prestigious NASA Medal
Vantage employee, Dr. William Wright, received the NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal at the NASA Honors Awards Ceremony on August 31, 2016. Dr. Wright received this medal for his sustained leadership and successful development of the LEWICE2D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code and technology transfer to external organizations. The LEWICE code is used by NASA, DoD, and industry to enhance aviation safety by predicting ice formation on aircraft surfaces. The NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal is one of the highest awards in the Agency and represents acknowledgement of significant contributions to NASA's mission and purpose.
Pictured above is Dr. William Wright (center) with Dr. Janet Kavandi, Director of NASA Glenn Research Center and Captain Michael Coats, Retired Director of Johnson Space Center and Former NASA Astronaut.