June 15, 2012 Vol. 52, No. 12 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe

Inside . . . NuSTAR reaches intended orbit Spreading the space station word 41st Pegasus rocket launch begins mission without a hitch

By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News Page 2 he Nuclear Spectro- scopic Telescope Revamped firing Array, known as room takes shape T NuSTAR, is going through early mission preparations in orbit following a flawless launch June 13, aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket. The scientific spacecraft soared into space from Kwa- jalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands at noon Eastern time NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB Page 3 to start a mission that is ex- This Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket carrying NASA’s NuSTAR spacecraft was launched at noon June 13, drop- pected to show astronomers ping away from the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft and racing into space. Pegasus was released at an altitude of 39,000 feet, ISU opens with 117 nautical miles south of the Kwajalein Atoll at a latitude of 6.75 degrees north of the equator. NuSTAR spacecraft separa- international flair more details about black tion from the rocket occured 13 minutes, 14 seconds after deployment from the L-1011. For more on the NuSTAR mission, holes and other structures in click on the photo. the universe. network. The spacecraft Launch Alliance Atlas V Fifty-five members of the "The performance will deploy its 32-foot-long rocket from Cape Canaveral KSC-based Launch Services of the Pegasus boom about a week after Air Force Station. The flight Program, or LSP, joined launch vehicle was launch. Observations will will see twin probes survey the Orbital launch team right on the money." begin following checkouts the radiation belts around on a flight to Kwajalein in and calibrations of the op- Earth. the western Pacific Ocean Tim Dunn, tics that will focus on high- After that, another Pega- to oversee the Pegasus/ NuSTAR assistant energy X-rays. sus is set to loft the Interface Page 5 NuSTAR flight. A team at launch director Once operational and Region Imaging Spectro- Kennedy also played a part making observations, the graph, or Iris, spacecraft Research draws in the operation. NuSTAR spacecraft is into orbit to study the sun's students to labs time and then separating "It was a terrific day expected to reveal details of processes and solar wind. for the Launch Services from NuSTAR. black holes and exploded That launch is targeted for Program," said Tim Dunn, "The performance of the stars previously obscured by Dec. 1 from Vandenberg Air assistant launch director. Pegasus launch vehicle was dust or other objects. Force Base in California. "We're ready to get into right on the money," Dunn The launch was the first of The team then will turn the science portion of the said. the year for LSP and begins its attention to an Atlas V NuSTAR mission." The spacecraft's solar a cycle that is expected to due to deliver NASA's latest The air-launched Pegasus array unfurled minutes include three more flights Tracking and Data Relay performed well during the after reaching orbit, and it this year. The next up is Satellite, known as TDRS- launch, from dropping away communicated with ground Page 6 the Radiation Belt Storm K, to orbit. That launch from its L-1011 aircraft, to controllers through NASA's Probes, or RSBP, targeted to also will take place at Cape igniting its three stages on space communications launch Aug. 23 on a United Canaveral Air Force Station. Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS June 15, 2012 Training program emphasizes space station utilization By Anna Heiney pointed out that science Spaceport News doesn't work at the same pace as engineering: It takes pace enthusiasts and NASA employees two to five years for new are accustomed to findings to be peer-reviewed S and ready for publication. hearing questions and con- cerns from people who are "Usually, with a discov- unfamiliar with the scien- ery, you don't know what tific and economic benefits economic benefit that's go- of the International Space ing to generate right away," Station. Robinson said, adding that Dr. Julie Robinson, ISS over time many discoveries program scientist at Johnson lead to valuable new infor- Space Center in Houston, mation, or products, services hears them, too. To bet- and other economic benefits ter help agency employees right here on Earth. spread the word about bene- Research results are find- fits already realized from the ings that stem from specific assembly of the Internation- studies in which scientists al Space Station, Robinson designed an investigation NASA developed the "ISS Ambas- seeking specific knowledge. This picture, recorded by one of the Expedition 31 crew members aboard the International Space Station, features Aurora sador" training program. On A spinoff, on the other June 4 and 5, she shared her Australis with star streaks while the vehicle was over the South Pacific Ocean. For more on space station research and technology, click on the photo. hand, is a technology that knowledge and enthusiasm starts out as a solution to a with employees at Kennedy ing research facility is an hardware fit-checks on the construction phase was not problem or need in space Space Center. engineering marvel, home ground. easy, though. exploration, but is then "Often, in a social setting, to the only U.S. National The five official partner "We were basically trying I meet someone who knows Laboratory in a micrograv- agencies involved in the sta- to do surgery while someone adapted and applied for use I work for NASA, and they ity environment. With six tion are the Canadian Space was building the operating on Earth. say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry to hear resident crew members Agency (CSA), European room," Robinson recalled. Rather than competing about NASA. What are you representing a variety of na- Space Agency (ESA), Japan By fall 2011, the orbit- for priority, research and going to do now?' " Robin- tions, ground teams around Aerospace Exploration ing laboratory already had exploration really are two son said. When asked if any- the globe stand ready to sup- Agency (JAXA), NASA and served about 1,300 scientists sides of the same human one else in port station activities on a the Russian Federal Space by hosting more than 1,200 advancement that drives our the room daily basis. Agency (Roscosmos). experiments conducted by economy, Robinson said. had had "The 24/7 ongoing hu- "The ISS partnership, by researchers in more than 60 "Over the next decade, a similar man space operations are being international in scope, countries. that's our goal: to get the experi- really the great engineer- is the first time that, instead Scientific and technologi- most research, new knowl- ence, most ing achievement of the last of a nation doing explora- cal advancements discov- edge, new applications of those decade," Robinson said. tion all by itself for its own ered or developed aboard for exploration, and new seated in Until the development of economic gain, humans the space station serve as an benefits back here on Earth, Robinson the audito- the space station, humans have banded together to economic engine. Robinson out of that laboratory." rium raised had never undertaken a do something even bigger their hands. project like it. The facility that no one nation could do "That is an amazing far surpasses previous space alone," Robinson said. opportunity," Robinson stations in both size and "And that's exciting be- explained, "because the next scope. cause the endeavor is com- thing you can say is, 'I've Never before had mul- mitted to the advancement got a lot to do, and it's really tiple nations collaborated of all humankind, not just a exciting, and here's why.' " so closely on such an effort, single nation." After a full decade of con- bridging language barriers These achievements serve struction, the outpost was and engineering cultures for as a model for future coop- completed in 2011, kicking a common goal. eration in the development off the "utilization era," a One by one, components of exploration missions, and period in which science and built around the world the utilization era that's just technology research have were lofted into space and beginning holds the promise become the primary focus of successfully added to the of scientific discovery and NASA station activities. station, proving it was pos- economic benefits for the Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank, left, uses the Health Maintenance Sys- Flying more than 200 sible to coordinate such a entire world. tem Tonometry payload to perform an intraocular pressure test on Flight Engineer Don Pettit in the International Space Station's Destiny Laboratory on April 6. The miles above Earth's surface, massive, global engineering Trying to carry out activity was supervised via live Ku-band video by medical ground personnel. To the 357-foot-long orbit- project without requiring research during the station's follow "A Lab Aloft," the station blog, click on the photo. June 15, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Spaceport goals take shape in revamped firing room By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News he firing room of the future isn’t confined Tto the future any- more. An extensive renova- tion of everything from the consoles in the Young- Crippen Firing Room to the computer servers in the Launch Control Center and Launch Pad 39B and all the cables and networks con- necting them will produce a nerve center for rockets and spacecraft befitting a national spaceport. The room will be as plugged-in to the status and preparations of vehicles in facilities of Kennedy Space Center as it was for space NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis shuttles, but the infrastruc- Curtis Williams, a design engineer, details some of the upgrades to consoles in Kennedy Space Center's Young-Crippen Firing Room on May 31. For more on the ture making the connections Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, click on the photo. is decades more advanced. Data Systems Division. yond cosmetic appearances. commercial markets in our launch pad to the control "We're building upon "For many people, they The additions have at their computer usage," Clements room. what was there for shuttle had not seen the new Fir- heart the goal of provid- said. Similar innovations can and taking it to the next ing Room 1 equipment ing options for the control Cables and other ele- be found throughout the level," said Stephen Cox, and command and control center. Instead of a given ments of the antiquated upgrade, including at the fa- the element operations capabilities for several seat being suited for only infrastructure have been cilities at Launch Pad 39B, manager for command and years," Clements said. "For one task, whoever sits down pulled and replaced with where rooms built about 45 control. others, it had been a year or at the computer will be new materials that, in many years ago look brand-new. The renovations in the two. Many of the comments able to call up the appropri- cases, provide substantially At this point, there are firing room that are part of centered on the fact that the ate data set for the work improved performance. a number of new rocket the Spaceport Command attendees and stakeholders they are doing. On launch The improvements and Control System, or better understand that we day, that could mean every include pulling a bundle designs in different stages SCCS, are proceeding at are working on a capabil- available console is staffed of wiring that transmit- of development that could the same time the Ground ity that is different from with people dedicated to the ted images from a single call the revamped Kennedy Systems Development and Constellation, and they are liftoff. But afterward, when camera to make way for a facilities home. The point Operations Program makes looking forward to seeing another vehicle or two is tiny fiber-optic cable that of the renovations is to be similarly grand upgrades at additional progress over the being processed for launch, carries the signals of more ready to process and launch Launch Pad 39B and in the next several months." the same consoles can be than 570 cameras from the any of them. Vehicle Assembly Building. One of the good things split to oversee the different The goal is to install the is that all of the facili- operations. devices and infrastructure ties needed to process and "The new concept that we for a launch center that can launch already are in place, are working on is that all host several kinds of rock- so it's a matter of retrofit- services are at that console. ets at the same time. That is ting networks and support They can use that glass a revolutionary undertaking equipment, not building real estate the best way since previously all pro- whole new structures. they see fit," said Michael cessing and launch systems With small-screen moni- Van Houten, SCCS deputy were custom-fit to a specific tors inside blue metal boxes project manager. vehicle, such as the space replaced by contempo- The workstations are off- shuttle. rary cabinets and modern the-shelf machines similar Officials leading the ef- computers and monitors, to the computers people forts opened the doors on the firing room bears little have at home. The servers the new facilities recently resemblance to the original are the same ones found in to center employees. The control room that oversaw many banks and commer- feedback was very positive, launch processing and lift- cial data centers. NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis said Greg Clements, chief off operations for shuttles. "We very much take Improvements were made in the control rooms at Launch Pad 39B to host a of Kennedy’s Control and The changes go far be- advantage of the prevailing variety of different rockets and spacecraft, employees learned May 31. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS June 15, 2012 Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center

NASA A team from Kennedy Space Center successfully tested the Mobile Launch Control System at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to show it would work with the Orion spacecraft systems under devel- opment. The evaluation met all the test objectives along with additional objectives. The situations covered in the test included ascent and high-speed re-entry. Orion's first test flight, which will not include any astronauts, is to launch in 2014. For more on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, click on the photo.

CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis United Space Alliance forward spacecraft operator Bill Powers locks the hatch of space shuttle Endeav- our’s airlock for the final time during processing for the shuttle’s retirement in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at Kennedy Space Center on June 12. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. For more information, click on the photo.

NASA/Cory Huston The NASA payload is installed on the prototype rover Artemis Jr. for NASA’s Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction, or RESOLVE, project in a test facility behind the Op- erations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center on June 11. The cylindrical structure at left is the drill. The drill and rover were provided to NASA by the Canadian Space Agency. The NASA payload is designed to prospect for water, ice and other lunar resources. RESOLVE also will demonstrate how For NASA future explorers can take advantage of resources at potential landing sites by manufacturing oxygen NASA General Counsel Michael C. Wholley, right, presented NASA's 2012 Attorney of the Year Award from soil. NASA will conduct field tests in July outside of Hilo, Hawaii, with equipment and concept to Kennedy Space Center's Joe Batey during a ceremony May 23 in Cambridge, Md. Two other vehicles that demonstrate how explorers might prospect for resources and make their own oxygen for members of the legal team at Kennedy -- Tracy Lee Belford and Penny Chambers -- were part of the survival while on other planetary bodies. For more information, click on the photo. multi-center team winning the 2012 NASA Legal Team Award. June 15, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 ISU encourages cooperation with international flair By Stephanie Covey Spaceport News hat makes a strong program? WIs it diversity of thought, talent and back- grounds -- or a strong network that can solve problems with ease? A suc- cessful program is all of this and more, and that is why Kennedy Space Center is excited to co-host the Inter- national Space University’s 25th Annual Space Studies Program (SSP). “NASA supports the uni- versity's mission and goals of SSP to globally collabo- rate on space initiatives,” said Dicksy Hansen, chief of the NASA Pubic Services Office and Kennedy core team lead for ISU. “SSP en- hances Kennedy’s standing as a leader in the interna- CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Kim Shiflett tional space community and Entertainment during the opening ceremonies June 4 for the International Space University's 25th annual Space Studies Program session at the Florida Institute of promotes our future direc- Technology in Melbourne, Fla., was provided by Jim Sawgrass and the Deep Forest Native American Indian Program dancers. The nine-week intensive course is tion, existing capabilities designed for post-graduate university students and professionals during the summer. The program is hosted by a different country each year, providing a unique educa- tional experience for participants from around the globe. Kennedy Space Center and Florida Tech are co-hosting this year's event, which runs through Aug. 3. This year, and talented work force.” there are about 125 participants representing 31 countries. For more information, click on the photo. This year, Kennedy and the Florida Institute of dent from Montenegro, said knowledge and experiences nedy this summer include an at Kennedy, which he calls Technology are co-hosting her passion for space pro- to solve complex prob- international astronaut panel “the birthplace of the U.S. 125 post-graduate univer- grams stems from watching lems in the space industry. at the visitor complex, tours space program.” Labriet is sity students, experts and videos of NASA missions Throughout the nine-week of the center with subject a technical project manager professionals in the space as a child. Even though her program, lectures from matter experts, and access working with software and industry from 31 countries country does not have a veteran Kennedy employees to Launch Complex 39A for is hoping to transition into to encourage international space program, she always will encourage international the Student Rocket Launch. an aerospace career through cooperation on space-related dreamed of working with a space efforts and promote Marc Labriet, a U.S. the program. projects. space agency like NASA. future partnerships and participant, has always “The Space Studies The countries include The program encourages cooperative agreements. been interested in space Program will give me the Canada, Israel, South Af- participants to share their Events taking place at Ken- and is very excited to learn opportunity to work with rica, Greece and the United engineers from all over Kingdom. the world who are as NASA Deputy Admin- passionate about space as I istrator Lori Garver was am,” Labriet said. the keynote speaker of the Ames is the only other opening ceremony June 4. NASA center to host the Garver was followed by event, which created chal- Center Director Bob Cabana lenges unique to a govern- who officially welcomed the participants on behalf of ment facility. Kennedy. By partnering with Flor- The participants have a ida Tech, students receive variety of expertise ranging long-stay housing accom- from art, education, social modations on a univer- networking and engineering, sity campus, while visiting but their love of space and NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis world-class space facilities, Professor Angie Bukley, dean and vice president for Academic Affairs, International Space University, addresses the audience and learning from subject science continues to bring during opening ceremonies for the university's 25th annual Space Studies Program session at the Florida Institute of Technology them together. in Melbourne, Fla., on June 4. Seated from left are Anthony J. Catanese, president of Florida Tech; Kennedy Space Center matter experts drawing from Sanja Scepanovic, a stu- Director Bob Cabana; Bukley; and Dr. Guy A. Boy, chair of the Space Studies Program’s local organizing committee. 50 years of experience. Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS June 15, 2012 Research leads students to Kennedy's high-tech labs By Cheryl Mansfield Spaceport News hile the Kennedy Space Center Wis recognized worldwide as NASA's launch center, a group of high school students recently learned that there's more to the center than just launching rockets. Twenty- six honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit some high-tech labs at Kennedy as part of an ef- fort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM. "In addition to our launch NASA/Jim Grossmann and landing operations, Dr. Phil Metzger demonstrates an experiment to study the physics of granular materials to students in the Granular Physics and Regolith Operations Lab at the Space we also do research and Life Sciences Lab facility on May 14. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy development, engineering Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The 10th- and 11th-grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as development, science and part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. technology," said NASA materials engineer Dr. and even spacesuits free of inside the Kennedy gates to students' visit to the facility help introduce the country's LaNetra C. Tate during her dust when exploring dusty the Operations and Check- encompassed demonstra- students to careers in the welcome address to the surfaces like those found on out Building. Known as the tions in the applied physics STEM fields. "We believe group. the moon or Mars. While O&C, the building con- and cryogenics labs, as well we can make a stronger The tenth- and eleventh- in the Granular Physics and tinues to play an integral as a walk-through of the impact and inspire students grade students from Terry Regolith Operations Lab, part in present and future prototype lab. by involving them in activi- Parker High School in Dr. Phil Metzger explained space exploration as it has The group's visit was ties as an extension of their Jacksonville, Fla., visited a their work, including how since the 1960s, housing hosted by the Kennedy classroom," said Beth B. number of vastly different they use simulants to many facilities over the Education Office as part of Smith, informal education labs during their one-day replicate lunar dust in their years including the astro- a nationwide effort by the specialist. tour. First stop was the experiments. naut crew quarters. The National Lab Network to Space Life Sciences Lab During the students' tour facility where they visited of the Life Support and labs specializing in granu- Habitation Systems Lab, lar physics and regolith Metzger demonstrated operations, electrostatic and some research for long- surface physics, and life duration space travel. "One support and habitat sys- of the approaches we've tems. Located in Explora- been looking at is growing tion Park just outside the plants," he said, explaining Kennedy gates, the Space that plants are not just for Life Sciences Lab was food, but that they also use developed in a coopera- carbon dioxide and produce tive effort between NASA, oxygen -- a process that Space Florida and the state could be beneficial inside of Florida. Experiments a spacecraft. "We also look from these labs have flown at waste recycling, both aboard the space shuttle for solid and wastewater and the International Space systems, because you're Station. going to have to recycle Inside the Electrostatics all those things. You have and Surface Physics Lab, to think about living in a

Dr. Carlos Calle demon- very tightly closed environ- NASA/Jim Grossmann strated a process for keep- ment," he added. Students and their teachers get some hands-on experience inside the applied physics lab in the Operations and Checkout ing spacecraft, equipment The students then moved Building on May 14. June 15, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7

Wheeler to present to American Society for Horticultural Science By Linda Herridge crops or to preserve and scientific papers, and he Spaceport News enhance natural beauty of has presented more than 60 landscape plants,” Kaplan times since 1989. He is the r. Ray Wheeler, the said. recipient of a NASA Excep- lead for advanced Kennedy’s Chief Tech- tional Scientific Achieve- life support activi- nologist Karen Thompson D ment Medal. ties in the Surface Systems said Wheeler is acclaimed He holds or has held Division of Kennedy Space throughout NASA as the adjunct or courtesy ap- Center’s Engineering top scientist for plant physi- pointments at the Florida Directorate, was selected ology. Institute of Technology, as the 2012 Benjamin Y. “Wheeler also is recog- the University of Florida, Morrison Memorial Award nized worldwide for his Lecturer by the Agriculture expertise,” Thompson said. the University of Central NASA file/1992 Department’s Agricultural “This award is yet another Florida, Utah State Uni- Dr. Ray Wheeler checks on hydroponically grown lettuce in the Biomass Produc- versity, Cornell University, Research Service (ARS). tion Chamber at Hangar L in 1992, prior to the move to the Space Life Sciences testament to his accom- “This year’s notice was a Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center. plishments and is truly a Texas A&M University and real surprise and I’m hon- high honor.” the University of Arizona. er’s selection for this award Y. Morrison (1891-1966). ored to receive the nomina- For his lecture, Wheeler Wheeler also serves as a is further indication of his Morrison was the first will receive an honorarium, vice chairman for the Life tion,” Wheeler said. excellence in the discipline director of the U.S.D.A.’s Sciences Commission on Wheeler will present his and Kennedy’s unique National Arboretum in a medallion and a plaque. the International Commit- lecture during the American place in the area of space Washington, D.C., and a Wheeler began his career tee on Space Research, or Society for Horticultural life sciences and plant pioneer in horticulture. with NASA at Kennedy COSPAR. Science annual meeting physiology. According to ARS lecture in 1988. His work at the July 31 to Aug. 3 in Miami. “He’s worked hard to coordinator Kim Kaplan, Space Life Sciences Lab Wheeler said, “During He will speak to his peers establish this capability in the lecture award recogniz- focuses on lighting and car- my presentation, I hope to in the industry with a pre- the space industry for Ken- es scientists who have made bon dioxide concentration point out the commonalities sentation titled “Controlled nedy, and we all applaud outstanding contributions effects on plant growth and between using crops for life Environment Research: A this great accomplishment,” to horticulture and other development, and the use of support systems in space Forgotten Discipline with Simpkins said. environmental scientists. hydroponic techniques for and emerging terrestrial Emerging Opportunities.” The ARS established the “Or for encouraging the production systems. interests in controlled en- Director of Engineering lecture in 1968 to honor use of these sciences for the Wheeler is the author or vironment agriculture and Pat Simpkins said Wheel- the memory of Benjamin production of horticultural co-author of more than 200 vertical farming concepts." Complex problems solved in Technical Interchange Meetings By Rebecca Regan ties, most recently held a TIM on would experience during launch Tenbusch said these meetings are Spaceport News the software that controls all the compared to ATK's Ares I rocket nothing new to the spaceflight indus- avionics components, commanding design, which has a similar architec- try. In fact, while Tenbusch worked ASA’s Commercial Crew them to work together to control the ture to Liberty. with the space shuttle's external fuel Program is turning to a launch vehicle. "It's kind of like trying to deter- tank and solid rocket boosters as number of strategies to N “A TIM is really just an oppor- mine why your car might be getting an operations manager he partici- work through the complex challeng- tunity to fill in any holes associated 20 miles of gasoline per gallon pated in dozens of TIMs. The major es of engineering a new generation with a review of these systems,” said difference, he said, is the wealth of of rockets and spacecraft. Technical instead of 30," said James Burnum, information that's being shared. Interchange Meetings, for example, Ken Tenbusch, the NASA partner NASA's deputy partner manager "During shuttle, both sides of the are providing program leaders an manager working with ATK. “We working with ATK. "It may take house already knew the answers and opportunity to gain a comprehen- might see something and both teams four or five experts to pull together sive understanding for the vehicles kind of recognize, hey, maybe we the full story, someone who knows we would just get together to make that private industry are designing just need to talk this out and vet it about the engine, someone who sure we fully understood how we got and developing on their own before out a little bit further with some of knows about the fuel, someone who to those answers," Tenbusch said. the agency's astronauts will climb our technical teams. So, what it does knows about tires." "With commercial crew, we’ve gone aboard. is it just opens up that line of com- Typically the meetings take place a little bit further, we’ve learned a Called TIMs for short, the meet- munication back and forth.” in an informal setting with a range little bit more about the company's ings bring together a rather small The software TIM was the latest of 15 to 30 experts. On the NASA systems and subsystems because group of experts to do just what its in a series for ATK under CCDev2. side, the program is able to pull they're bringing more information to namesake calls for, exchange techni- Earlier TIMs involved the compa- from a wide range of talent, includ- the table." cal information. Alliant Techsystems ny's planned approach to certifying ing safety and integration engineers All of NASA's CCDev2 partners Inc., or ATK, which is developing the rocket's launch abort system and or teams working on the Space are giving the agency an in-depth its Liberty launch vehicle under providing analysis of thrust oscil- Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket look at their vehicles during the NASA's Commercial Crew Devel- lation to show the company could designed to expand human presence opment Round 2 (CCDev2) activi- reduce the acceleration astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. See TIM, Page 8 Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS June 15, 2012

In celebration of Kennedy Space Center's 50th anniversary, enjoy this vintage photo . . . Looking up and ahead . . . * All times are Eastern FROM THE VAULT 2012 Targeted for June 18 Launch/CCAFS (SLC-41): Atlas V (AV-203), NROL-38 Launch window: Classified

June 28 Launch/CCAFS (SLC-37B): Delta IV-Heavy, NROL-15 Launch window: 5:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Aug. 2 Launch/VAFB (SLC-3E): Atlas V (AV-033), NROL-36 Launch window: TBD

Third Quarter Launch/Wallops Flight Facility (Launch Pad 0A): Orbital Sciences Antares test flight Launch time: TBD

NASA file/1970 Aug. 23 Launch/CCAFS (SLC-41): Atlas V-401,

This view of personnel sitting at consoles that controlled the lunar module training simulator Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) located in the Flight Crew Training Building was taken July 22, 1970. Launch window: 4:08 to 4:28 a.m.

No earlier than Sept. 20 Launch/CCAFS (SLC-37B): Delta 4, GPS 2F-3 Former engineering development Launch window: TBD director receives alumnus award From TIM, Page 7 and humidity and carbon dioxide By Brittney Longley removal systems Spaceport News joint venture of establishing routine Tenbusch said the companies access to and from the International ormer NASA Kennedy Space also are welcoming the constructive Center Engineering Space Station in a few years. feedback NASA provides at these Development Director Walter This week, for instance, Space meetings based on its decades of hu- F Exploration Technologies, known as man spaceflight experience and the T. Murphy received a Distinguished Alumnus Award on SpaceX, hosted a TIM at its head- tough lessons it has learned about April 21, after being nominated quarters in Hawthorne, Calif., to talk keeping crews safe. by his classmates from Hendrix about the current design state of the "These companies want to be College in Conway, Ark. crewed version of its Dragon cap- safe," Tenbusch said. "They want The Distinguished Alumnus sule. Future interchange meetings to be successful. They have to be Award is given by the Alumni could focus on topics such as abort successful, and there's been a lot of Association of Hendrix College aerodynamic loads and performance, ground gained from these TIMs." to former graduates who have NASA file/1990 distinguished themselves in their Walter T. Murphy, shown here in 1990, won a vocations, service to humanity and Distinguished Alumnus Award on April 21. Murphy John F. Kennedy Space Center service to the college. was nominated by his classmates at Hendrix Col- lege in Conway, Ark. Murphy, who worked for NASA for 34 years, was chosen by his with a bachelor of Science in Spaceport News peers and selected by the Hendrix physics in 1961. Alumni Board. “This is a very prestigious Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is “Walt was selected because of award to be honored with.” published online on alternate Fridays by Public Affairs in the interest of KSC civil his lifetime achievements,” said service and contractor employees. After retiring from NASA in Contributions are welcome and should be submitted three weeks before Pamela Owen, member of the 1997, Murphy continued working publication to Public Affairs, IMCS-440. Email submissions can be sent to alumni group. at Kennedy for 10 years as a KSC-Spaceport-News@mail.nasa.gov Murphy spent eight years at contractor for The Boeing Company Managing editor ...... Candrea Thomas NASA’s Johnson Space Center and United Space Alliance. Editor ...... Frank Ochoa-Gonzales in Houston before transferring to “I was blessed with math and Copy editor ...... Kay Grinter Kennedy in 1973. engineering,” Murphy said. “Having Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp. Writers Group. “I was totally surprised to a background in physics helped NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www.nasa.gov/kennedy receive this,” said Murphy, who and being at NASA made all the SP-2012-06-109-KSC graduated from Hendrix College difference.”