Feb. 24, 2012 Vol. 52, No. 4 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe NASA, Proposed budget Glenn for 2013 positive mark By Linda Herridge get,” Bolden said. “We went Spaceport News from $18.4 billion in fiscal year 2011 to an operating 50 years he news was positive estimate of $17.8 billion in as NASA Adminis- fiscal year 2012.” trator Charles Bolden By Steven Siceloff T Bolden said the three and Kennedy Space Center Spaceport News NASA priorities agreed NASA/Cory Huston Director Bob Cabana shared upon by the president and he Beatles were eight Mercury astronaut Sen. John Glenn and NASA Kennedy Space Center Director the agency’s proposed Congress are the Space months away from Bob Cabana sit in the flight deck of space shuttle Discovery in Orbiter Processing fiscal year 2013 NASA Facility-1 on Feb. 18. Both flew on Discovery in the 1990s. Launch System heavy-lift Treleasing their first budget with the center’s rocket and Multi-Purpose single, "Love Me Do," when Fifty years after the Glenn orbited as a pivotal civil servant and contractor Crew Vehicle with techno- John Glenn rocketed into Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, time in world and American employees Feb. 17, during logical development to sup- space on Feb. 20, 1962, to Glenn, 90, still draws a history. The year he flew, an All-Hands meeting. port it; prolonged, enhanced, become the first American capacity crowd. He returned 1962, would also witness Bolden presented the operation of the Internation- to orbit Earth. to NASA’s Kennedy Space the Cuban Missile Crisis, a agency’s $17.7 billion bud- al Space Station, supported The flight set NASA on Center on Feb. 17 to begin see-who-blinks-first standoff get request. A large percent- by viable commercial crew course to meet ever-more a weekend of events between American and So- age of that amount, and cargo programs; and the ambitious goals. Glenn’s celebrating the milestone. viet leaders that threatened 45 percent, would fund Hu- James Webb Space Tele- three orbits in five hours was The events come a few nuclear war. man Exploration and Opera- scope, scheduled to launch eclipsed on the next flight days before the 50th an- The American commu- tions programs, which make in 2018, as the premier sci- and each one afterward niversary, but that did not nity was also substantially up the majority of programs entific future achievement steadily pushed Americans diminish the excitement of smaller then, with the na- Kennedy supports. for the nation and the world. further out from the cradle those on hand to see Glenn. tion’s population stand- “We’re an organization Bolden also added, “The of Earth, ultimately leading Fellow Mercury astronaut ing at 186 million people of people, not machines,” thing that is most important to a series of landings on the Scott Carpenter, who served compared with some 300 Bolden said. “Our budget or relevant to people on moon from 1969 to 1972. as CapCom during Glenn's million people today. An continues to be what we Earth is what’s happening to "The whole program mission before flying his average family made $6,000 consider an aggressive port- the planet. We have a robust shifted rapidly from, 'Can own mission three months a year, according to the U.S. folio for exploration.” portfolio of Earth science we do this?' to basic re- later, also made the trip to Census Bureau, a little more Bolden said the 2013 bud- missions.” search," Glenn told a packed Florida to celebrate NASA's than $4,000 per year for get would seem amazingly Cabana gave an overview press conference conducted first orbital missions. families living in Florida or similar in many respects of how the proposed budget among the displays and "It is a special pleasure to other parts of the South. to the 2012 budget, under affects Kennedy Space consoles that made up Cape go back to where the times On the other hand, things which the agency is now Center. Canaveral's Mercury control were so magical," Carpenter operating. center. said. See 50TH, Page 2 “It’s a very stable bud- See BUDGET, Page 5 PM Challenges New CCP Initiative NASA Hoops It Up Engine Removal Inside this issue... Page 2 Page3 Page 3 Page 5 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Feb. 24, 2012 PM Challenges inspire employees, middle-school students By Brittney Longley days,” said Kennedy student During the PM Challenge, Spaceport News employee DeAntae Cooper. many leaders were rewarded Four Orlando-area middle for their hard work and dedi- ASA employees and schools -- Lockhart, South- cation to the agency. Central Florida west, Meadowbrook, and NASA presented its Qual- middle school stu- N Meadow Woods -- par- ity and Safety Achievement dents took part in a two-day ticipated in the students' PM Recognition, or QASAR, session in Orlando as part of Challenge. award for 2011 during the the agency's Project Man- Speakers included Heather PM Challenge. Recipients agement (PM) Challenge. Paul, a mechanical engineer from Kennedy were Hum- The event was conducted from Johnson Space Center berto "Bert" T. Garrido, in two parts, one for manag- in Houston, and Ledlyne Joseph B. Hamilton and ers and one for students to Heriscar, an electrical engi- Francis "Frank" Merceret. promote science, technology, neer from Kennedy. Hands- NASA’s QASAR award NASA/Jim Grossmann engineering and mathemat- on activities were included recognizes individual ics careers, an initiative A Project Management (PM) Challenge Feb. 22-23 at the Caribe Royal Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, aimed to teach NASA workers and contractors the to excite the students in government and contrac- called "STEM." basics of managing projects. learning more about STEM tor employees who have "Leaders are born with a careers. demonstrated exemplary backbone, they must grow a forward as a premier space Washington took part in dis- “I didn’t know what it performance in contributing wishbone and a funny bone," agency. cussion panels, case studies, was I wanted to do, but this to the quality or safety of said Robert Lightfoot, The lessons come as and presentations. Speakers makes me want to learn products, services, process- the Marshall Space Flight NASA stands at a crossroad included Mark Langley, more about math and sci- es, or management programs Center director who was just after retiring the space shut- president and chief executive ence,” said a seventh-grade and activities. promoted to NASA associate tles and readying a network officer of the Project Man- student from Meadowbrook administrator in Washington. of commercial spacecraft agement Institute, and Dr. Middle School. A wishbone for the vision- builders, moving ahead with Patrick Simpkins, director of The students were ex- ary you want to see for your plans to build and launch a Kennedy’s Engineering and posed to different fields and team and a funny bone for a new heavy-lift rocket and Technology Directorate. learned about what some of sense of humor. completion of two flagship Choosing among ses- the jobs at NASA entail. The challenge’s organizers missions, the Curiosity rover sions ranging from words of “We chose really inspi- focused the sessions around now on its way to Mars and wisdom to risk, safety and rational speakers, people NASA/Jim Grossmann the event's theme, "Evolve the Hubble Space Telescope mission assurance, partici- who could not only inspire A Project Management (PM) Challenge and Excel." Managers of all successor, the James Webb pants could focus on areas of the kids but could interact Feb. 22-23 at the Caribe Royal Hotel levels showcased examples Space Telescope. their particular interest. with them and keep them and Convention Center in Orlando, of the agency's determina- Employees from each of “I learned a lot about engaged,” Kennedy’s Pro- for middle school students promoted the importance of pursuing careers in tion and the strength to NASA's field centers and leadership, management, gram Education Specialist Science, Technology, Engineering and embrace change and move NASA Headquarters in and NASA in the past two Priscilla Moore said. Mathematics (STEM). From 50TH, Page 2 people to get him safely up there Glenn also dealt with a heat Ohio and make a run for the White and back." shield indicator that showed it might House. didn’t cost as much as they do At that point, two American as- have come loose during the flight. While it seemed for decades that now. A gallon of gas ran 31 cents tronauts made short trips into space, The heat shield remained in place Glenn’s space experience was lim- in 1962, and a house cost less than but did not reach orbit. They flew and Glenn splashed down safely in ited to those three orbits in 1962, the $19,000. The whole federal budget on the Redstone, a rocket that was the Atlantic Ocean and picked up by astronaut was enlisted to fly again in totaled $106 billion and the Dow extremely reliable, but not strong the destroyer USS Noa. 1998, this time aboard space shuttle Jones Industrials, the stock market, enough to send a person into orbit. Although the Soviets had already Discovery. While the Mercury cap- stood at slightly more than 700 That was the job of the Atlas, a put two of their own cosmonauts in sule was snug with just one person points. missile whose strength was without orbit by the time Glenn was cata- inside, the shuttle was comfortable Kennedy Space Center didn't question, but whose reliability left pulted into orbit, the American was with seven people inside.