A.C.R. 26


Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 26--Committee on 
    Elections
                  and Procedures

                  April 27, 1995
                 _____________

                 Read and adopted


SUMMARY--Congratulates Dr. Charles Elachi for being 
          selected as recipient of Nevada Medal given 
          by Desert Research Institute and sponsored 
          by Nevada Bell. (BDR R-1836)



EXPLANATION--Matter in italics is new; matter in bra
ckets [ ] is material to be omitted.

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION--Congratulating Dr. Charles Elachi for 
        being selected as the recipient of the Nevada Medal given by 
        the Desert Research Institute and sponsored by Nevada Bell.


  WHEREAS, Scientists have made extraordinary 
advances in understanding the earth's environment largely 
because of the breakthroughs in radar technology which 
allow scientists to view the Earth from space; and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Charles Elachi has been a 
dominant figure in the development of the remote sensing 
technologies that have made these important breakthroughs 
possible; and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Elachi began his advanced 
education in Grenoble, France, where he earned his 
Bachelor's Degrees in physics and engineering; and
  WHEREAS, After receiving Master's Degrees in 
electrical science, geology and business administration, Dr. 
Elachi received his Doctorate in electrical sciences from 
the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 1971; 
and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Elachi has continued to work for 
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute 
of Technology in Pasadena and is the Assistant Laboratory 
Director for Space Science and Instruments; and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Elachi is a member of the 
National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the 
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, holds 
four patents for his work and is the author of more than 200 
publications, including six books; and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Elachi's design and development 
of the Shuttle Imaging Radar-A, known widely by the acronym 
SIR-A, was carried on the second test flight of the space 
shuttle Columbia in November 1981; and
  WHEREAS, Features of the Earth's surface were 
delineated in great detail by SIR-A, and in the extremely 
dry areas of the eastern Sahara Desert, the radar system 
penetrated the surface sand sheets to a depth of several 
meters revealing rock, alluvial deposits and drainage 
structures, all quite undetectable from surface indication 
or from more conventional imaging; and
  WHEREAS, SIR-B, an imaging radar system of yet 
greater capability, provided surface images at a variety of 
incidence angles and illumination geometries, making 
possible the construction of stereoscopic images from the 
data; and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Elachi has recently been selected 
as the Radar Team Leader for the Cassini mission to Saturn 
and he is the principal investigator on the development of 
the SIR-C, an even more capable system; and
  WHEREAS, Dr. Elachi's achievements and 
continuing contributions in this advanced technology have 
been recognized and he is being honored this year as the 
recipient of the Nevada Medal, which includes a $5,000 
prize; and
  WHEREAS, The Nevada Medal is an honor 
conferred by the Desert Research Institute of the 
University and Community College System of Nevada in 
recognition of outstanding scientific, engineering and 
technical achievements; and
  WHEREAS, The Nevada Medal is sponsored by 
Nevada Bell, a member of the Pacific Telesis group and 
provider of a variety of telecommunication services to 
northern Nevada; now, therefore, be it
  RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, THE 
SENATE CONCURRING, That the members of the 68th 
session of the Nevada Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. 
Charles Elachi for being named the recipient of the 1995 
Nevada Medal given by the Desert Research Institute; and be 
it further
  RESOLVED, That Nevada Bell is hereby commended 
for their continued sponsorship of this medal, which offers 
well-deserved recognition to persons who have demonstrated 
outstanding scientific, engineering and technical 
achievements; and be it further
  RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly 
prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to Dr. 
Charles Elachi.

                     -30-