Greenbelt, MD – July 2023
GAMA-1 Technologies, Josh Brady, Eddie Gamarra, and the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) Communications and Outreach Team received a coveted Robert H. Goddard award recognized for exceptional communications and outreach during the JPSS-2 launch year.
The JPSS-2 Launch Communications and Outreach Team is deserving of a Robert H. Goddard Award for innovative products to educate the public about JPSS and the extensive opportunities they created for the public to engage with its workforce and partners.
Josh Brady, GAMA-1’s Senior Graphic Designer, proudly stated, “It was a very busy year leading up to the launch of JPSS-2, and it’s great to be recognized. Our team worked to develop new, exciting ideas and methods, starting with developing the JPSS-2 logo in 2020. We constantly strived to think outside the box to create outreach materials, activities, and events that draw interest to JPSS and the launch. We also partnered with some really wonderful people at LSP, ULA, and LOFTID, as well as vendors in Lompoc, CA, to promote our messaging clearly and organized.”
This is the second Robert H. Goddard Award received by the team. Josh was also recognized individually for his JPSS-2 logo design, which was displayed on the Atlas 5 – JPSS-2 rocket seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3a2ohkOyYA
GAMA-1’s President, Gus Gamarra, responded, “Who can say that their art is flying over 500 miles above the earth at approximately 17,000 mph? We are so proud of Josh and the whole JPSS-2 Communications and Outreach Team.”
We are honored to have supported the JPSS program for 15 years. In fact, GAMA-1 is celebrating our 15th Anniversary, and JPSS played a huge part in our success.
Read the full nomination and learn more about the JPSS-2 Communications and Outreach project.
Justification:
The Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) Launch Communications and Outreach Team delivered a comprehensive communications and outreach campaign for the JPSS-2 launch that included written and multimedia products, STEM engagement outreach activities and products, a collaborative social media campaign, outreach events, and speaker panels. The JPSS-2 satellite, a joint mission between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, is a critical national asset for severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring. The team developed products to serve multiple purposes that will be evergreen through the JPSS-3 and -4 launches to maximize resources. The team organized media training preparing subject matter experts (SMEs) for interviews, outreach events, and speaker panels, including a Goddard Engage session and an outreach event at the Goddard Visitor Center. Multimedia products to generate excitement and increase awareness for the November 2022 launch included an interactive launch web page, an iPhone and Android WeatherSats app, 2 public contests, and 5 videos highlighting launch preparations and JPSS employees. The JPSS Place You Love contest featured over 500 entries and included a collaboration with a celebrity singer-song writer for the video. At the start of the launch year, the team had to migrate all standalone JPSS website content onto NOAA’s new content management system as part of NOAA’s efforts to streamline its web presence. The team refreshed all existing content while developing launch page content and graphics, including an interactive spinning Earth and JPSS-2 satellite model explaining how JPSS instruments work to provide climate and weather data. A content migration alone takes significant time, so the team strategically planned content additions to sync with launch milestones, drawing the public to the page regularly. The team developed a mission branding package with JPSS-2 satellite and instrument animations and beauty shots that were featured prominently throughout the campaign. The team worked closely with NOAA, the NASA Launch Services Program (LSP), vendor companies, the United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Langley’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) rideshare to drive consistent, clear messaging and images across all communications channels while highlighting the joint NASA/NOAA mission and partnerships involved in the launch. The campaign celebrated milestones such as LSP’s 100th launch and ULA’s last Atlas V launch from Vandenburg Space Force Base (VSFB). The team focused its STEM engagement outreach on reaching a range of ages and communities. Products such as the JP the Super Seal children’s activity book, a paper JPSS-2 spacecraft model, 7 JPSS recipe cards, and temperature chart activity sheets were released through the website, social media, and a NASA virtual social. For the days leading into the launch at VSFB, the team partnered with the Lompoc, CA community to host 10 events paired with JPSS STEM engagement activities. At the Farmer’s Market, the team’s recipe cards helped explain JPSS science as it applies to agriculture. At the Space Craft and Craft Brews event, people built paper JPSS-2 models with JPSS engineers and enjoyed the brewery’s Joint Polar Porter. At the library, an SME gave a presentation in Spanish while another demonstrated the recipes. SMEs spoke at a winery’s hybrid speaker series decorated with pumpkins carved with mission and Agency logos. JPSS added 8 caches to the Earth Science geotour developed for Landsat 9, with 200 people competing to complete the tour after a kickoff event at the Senior Center with the JPSS Program Director. The team led its water cycle activities at the Lompoc Aquatic Center and had a tent at the Lompoc High football tailgate and Old Town Halloween events, where people posed in JPSS-2 selfie frames, enjoyed stickers, temporary tattoos, and played cornhole while talking with SMEs. The JPSS-2 Launch Communications and Outreach Team is deserving of a Robert H. Goddard Award for innovative products to educate the public about JPSS and the extensive opportunities they created for the public to engage with its workforce and partners.
The Robert H. Goddard Award recognizes exceptional contributions for:
- Providing innovative products, science, technology, and services to the public, educational institutions, or others who are potential beneficiaries of the expansion of knowledge resulting from NASA/GSFC’s mission;
- Developing and/or expanding opportunities that result in the increased involvement of universities, industry, and others in the performance of NASA/GSFC’s mission activities; and/or,
- Increasing the participation of socially- or economically-disadvantaged businesses or minority educational institutions.
Contact:
Stan Coachman, Contracts Manager – 301-982-4262, [email protected]
