Vol. 36, No. 20 October 10, 1997 Mission Update STS-87 Spaceport News America's gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. John F. Kennedy Space Center
Columbia Getting ready for the year of space station Launch: Nov. 19, 2:46 p.m. Pad 39B Launch window: 2 hours, 30 min. Modifications will give three orbiters docking capability Milestones: Six-member crew at KSC Oct. 2-3 for Crew Equipment Interface With the first International WORKERS in Test; payload bay door closure, Oct. 14; Space Station assembly flight Orbiter Processing rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building, less than a year away, workers Facility Bay 1 install Oct. 24; rollout to pad, Oct. 29. the Tunnel Adapter in the Shuttle operations world Assembly in the are busy preparing the orbiter orbiter Endeavour. fleet for a new phase in human Spacewalking crew spaceflight. members will be STS-91 able to venture Two of the four orbiters — outside through the Endeavour and Discovery — hatch on top of the are undergoing modifications adapter. to give them the capability to complete the remaining two docking missions between the Shuttle and the Russian Space Station Mir, and to prepare for the International Space Mir and the first to fly an ISS (January and July 1998, Discovery (24th flight) Station (ISS) assembly flights. assembly flight. Right now respectively). Launch: May 28, 1998 Endeavour will have the these two missions, STS-89 Discovery completes the 9th Shuttle-Mir docking double distinction of becoming and STS-88 respectively, are Milestones: OV-103 (above) was rolled over to the Vehicle Asasembly Building the second orbiter to dock with set to occur just months apart (See ORBITERS, Page 6) Oct. 1 for temporary storage to make room in the Orbiter Processing Facility(OPF)for the return of Atlantis. Cassini ready for Discovery will roll back to the OPF in Another flawless flight late October. journey to Saturn and Titan STS-88 The planet Saturn, its famous icy rings, and its enigmatic moon, Titan, are the prime scientific targets of the international Cassini mission, the most ambitious and far- reaching planetary exploration ever mounted. Liftoff is set to occur on Oct. 13 during a window that extends from 4:55 – 7:15 a.m International Space Station Launch: July 9, 1998 EDT. DRAG chute deploys after the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis lands on Runway The mission marks the first Crew: Cabana; Sturckow; Currie; Ross; 15 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the conclusion of the nearly 11- Newman day STS-86 mission. Main gear touchdown occurred at 5:55 p.m. EDT, Oct. 6. time a space probe has Milestones: Second Pressurized Mating On Sunday evening, the Shuttle program reached a milestone: The total flight attempted to land on the moon Adapter (PMA-2) arrived Oct. 3. Shown time of the Shuttle passed the two-year mark. STS-86 Mission Specialist David above is PMA-1, already undergoing of another planet, providing Wolf replaced NASA astronaut and Mir 24 crew member Michael Foale aboard the first direct sampling of the preflight preparation in the Space the Russian Space Station Mir. Foale arrive at the outpost in mid-May. The Station Processing Facility. The PMA other crew members are Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Michael Earth-like atmosphere of Titan serves as an interface between station Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Wendy Lawrence, Scott Parazynski, and the first detailed pictures elements. Vladimir Georgievich Titov of the Russian Space Agency, and Jean-Loup of its previously hidden Chretien of the French Space Agency. Besides the docking and crew exchange, surface. Titan is Saturn’s STS-86 included the transfer of more than three-and-a-half tons of science/ logistical equipment and supplies between the two orbiting spacecraft. (See CASSINI, Page 5) Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS October 10, 1997 Employee team work, cost savings and innovation recognized throughout Quality Month in October As in the past, October has been designated Quality Month. KSC is again planning several activities to reaffirm its commitment to Continual Improvement and quality. Upcoming Quality Month events include: A letter from Center Director Roy Bridges distributed to all employees; the ninth Annual KSC Teams Reception to be held at the Howard Johnsons in Cocoa Beach on Oct. 16th, with Center Director Bridges and motivational speaker Bob Moawad to be the featured speakers; astronaut visits with employees; posters displaying quality quotes and photos of those quoted on display in KSC cafeterias and lobbies; and KSC billboards displaying quality awareness information. Success stories recognizing quality contributions by KSC improvement teams will be presented in Spaceport News in two parts. The first series begins below. Additional stories will be printed in the Oct. 24 edition.
The Dynamac Corp. USBI
Life Sciences Support Contract Thermal Protection System (LSSC) IOP (Internal Operating (TPS) Shop Kaizen Team Procedures) Team Mission: To improve shop layout and streamline hardware flow in the TPS Mission: To provide a more efficient shop processing areas. system to access the most recently Method: A team spent two weeks developed or updated LSSC IOPs. studying layout and hardware flow. Method: A password-protected Web Results: A re-configured shop floor page was created on the internal server. was developed. Several hardware and layout with about 1,500 square feet of Results: This new Web page provides software modifications also were additional available floor space was the capacity for all LSSC personnel to recommended and implemented, thereby created. Over 40 piece of equipment were access, display, and/or print the latest reducing potential points of failure. removed and movement of the booster aft IOPs from their desktop workstation skirts per flow was streamlined. regardless of their hardware platform, EG&G Florida using a Web browser. This new KSC Electronic Documentation Document Closure Kaizen Team capability also will support compliance System (KEDS) Application Mission: To streamline closure and with ISO 9000. Development Team review of documents from work com- pletion through data center processing. LSSC Electronic Approval Mission: The KSC engineering community requested ‘view and print’ Method: A 12-person team worked System Team network access to released engineering full-time for two weeks to study and Mission: A team was assembled to drawings. improve the process. Activities included: create a more efficient method of Method: Released drawings are developing a reference guide, creating a approving, processing, and tracking scanned by Sherikon Micrographics at training package, and initiating a Purchase Requests (PRs) for the LSSC. the rate of 7,000/month and stored on a training plan for technicians to review Method: An Electronic Approval server. The team developed KEDS, an stamp warranty issues. System was developed that allows intranet Web viewer, to provide user- Results: Created a new system which personnel to view the PR as it travels friendly access to these images. requires same-day review and document through the approval loop. Changes and/ Results: Over 150,000 images are forwarding; reduced processing time by or bottlenecks can be identified quickly. now available from any Windows-based 84 percent; created centralized document Results: Time required for approval PC. This first KSC-wide application of pick-up centers; revised forms to provide has been lowered from weeks to days. its kind currently serves 950 users. feedback on errors to operational areas; and developed metrics for error trending. The Dynamac/Bionetics Corp. I-NET Waste Reduction Kaizen Team LSSC Microgravity Plant Nutrient Oxidizer Scrubber Team Mission: To reduce hazardous and Experiment (MPNE) Team Mission: Elimination of the second solid waste, and reduce health and safety Mission: Several areas of largest hazardous waste stream at KSC. risks at Hangar AF. improvement involving scientific Method: The Toxic Vapor Detection Method: A 37-member team worked protocol, software implementation, and Laboratory (TVDL) demonstrated a full-time for one week to study and hardware design were identified for the proposed Nox scrubber that replaces the improve four production processes. MPNE, a Shuttle middeck spaceflight current scrubber liquor. The new Activities included initiating facility hardware functional demonstration. scrubber lowers Nox emissions and changes, ordering safety equipment, and Method: Science and engineering allows the spent solution to be used as a establishing new procedures. teams collaborated on nine complete end- fertilizer, eliminating a hazardous waste Results: Initiated recycling of to-end high fidelity tests of the system’s stream, and reducing operation costs. production materials in all four performance under a variety of Results: The reduction in cost is due processes, eliminating 160,000 pounds operational configurations. to elimination of waste disposal fees annually from the waste streams; saved Results: An improved method for the ($70,600) and a cost avoidance of $28,000 annually in disposal costs; and reliable on-orbit germination of seeds fertilizer approximately $16,300/yr. eliminated safety and health hazards. October 10, 1997 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month The Disability Awareness contacting Wanda Petty on or and Action Working Group before Oct. 17 at 867-2307. (DAAWG) has planned an DAAWG advises the center Assistive/Accommodative Fair director on matters relating to in conjunction with National employees with disabilities Disability Employment and serves as a resource for Awareness Month. the Equal Opportunity The technology-oriented Program Office, the Fair will be held on Oct. 21 in Administration Office and the lobby of Headquarters others. Building and Oct. 22 in the Sterling Walker, Director of CENTER Director Roy Bridges (seated) gets his 1997 CFC pledge card from United Operations Support Building Engineering Development, is Way Director Rob Rains (left). Also ready to complete their cards are Deputy Director lobby from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. the chairman of DAAWG and for Business Operations James Jennings; Associate Director for Advanced Development each day. Leon Wichmann of the and Shuttle Upgrades JoAnn Morgan; Deputy Director for Launch and Payload Some of the vendors Procurement Office is co-chair. Processing Loren Shriver; and KSC CFC Chair Harry Silipo, associate director of Shuttle Processing. participating this year include Center Director Roy Space Coast Center for Bridges, Jr. stated, “I am so Independent Living, Stuart proud of what our Disability Combined Federal Campaign Eye Institute of Jupiter, Fla., Awareness and Action Working and Valencia Community Group has accomplished over under way through Oct. 31 College’s Center for High-Tech the years to make KSC In 1996, Brevard County pressured employees to donate Training for Individuals with accessible for our disabled federal employees donated money, according to a history Disabilities. employees. I invite everyone to more than $400,000 to the of CFC on the Office of The theme for this year’s join with me in recognizing Combined Federal Campaign Personnel Management's Web Disability Employment that people with disabilities (CFC). More than half of that site (http://www.opm.gov/cfc). Awareness Month is Ability have boundless talent, vastly came from KSC pledges. The first real combined Bridge to the Future. All KSC diversified skills, and “We are the number one per campaign was held in 1964. employees are encouraged to abundant abilities for building capita givers in Brevard Contributions have grown visit one of the locations and the bridge to KSC’s future.” County,” Center Director Roy dramatically since then, from learn about the types of In addition to inviting Bridges Jr. told employees $12.9 million in 1964 to $82.9 technology and services employees to visit one of the gathered for the CFC Kickoff million just 15 years later. available to assist persons Fair locations, DAAWG also in the Training Auditorium Payroll deduction is an easy with vision, hearing, and welcomes visitors to their Oct. 1. way to donate to CFC. Last mobility impairments. home page on the Internet for “I love this program — it is year, more than 92 percent of KSC employees’ spouses or all the latest information. The efficient and effective ...,” he all CFC funds raised were family members who are 16 or address is http:// added. “It gives individuals given through payroll older with disabilities may www.ksc.nasa.gov/groups/ the chance to focus their deduction. All civil service attend this year also by daawg. attentions on charities that employees should have are dear to them and, as a received their pledge card and Engineering Support Contract group, affords us the booklet and can contact their opportunity to support a wide key solicitor for more goes to small business Dynacs variety of worthwhile information. organizations.” Dynacs Engineering Co. positive relationship here at This year's theme for the Inc., Clearwater, has been Kennedy Space Center,” KSC fund drive is Combined awarded a contract to said Director Roy Bridges. for Caring and the dollar goal provide engineering support The cost plus award fee is $200,000. Harry Silipo, to KSC’s Engineering contract began Oct. 1, 1997 associate director of Shuttle Development organization. and, including the four one- Processing, is the chairperson, The contractor will provide year options to extend, and also is serving as co-chair high technology and potentially continues through for Brevard County. research services as well as Sept. 30, 2002. CFC was formally engineering design and The incumbent contractor established in 1961. Prior to technician support. I-NET, Inc., Bethesda, Md., that, on-the-job fundraising in FLORIDA Marlins baseball player Chris “This year NASA named is now classified as a large the federal workplace was not Clapinski, the featured speaker, told Dynacs Small Disad- business and was ineligible well regulated. Quotas for kickoff attendees, “I am very impressed vantaged Business for the competition. Thirteen with all of the amazing things that KSC Contractor of the year and companies total submitted agencies and individuals were does,” he said, “and that as a group you set up, and supervisors still have time to be so supportive of our we look forward to a very bids for the contract. youth and other people in need.” Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS October 10, 1997 Small Business Expo set for Oct. 29 at Port Canaveral The eighth annual Business Joint Base Operations and Opportunities Expo will be Support Contract (J-BOSC) held Oct. 29 at Port will be located on the second Canaveral's Cruise Terminal floor of the Cruise Terminal. 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The expo is sponsored by Admission is free. KSC's Small Business Council More than 200 exhibitors along with the 45th Space from across the southeastern Wing and the Canaveral Port United States will display Authority. For more in- Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge their products and services. formation, call the NASA The potential prime con- Central Industry Assistance tractors for the consolidated Office at 867-7353. Celebration set for Oct. 18 at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge AIDS information available Sinewy snakes and demonstrations of wildlife Education, knowledge and all three area medical facilities magnificent birds of prey will management techniques and safe behaviors are keys to the throughout the month of be featured at a celebration activities specially planned for prevent of AIDS. Packets of the October, or by writing to Carol Saturday, Oct. 18, in honor of children. latest information about this Roth, BOC-005. If you have any National Wildlife Refuge The highlight of the day will global problem are available at questions, call 867-2026. Week. be the Discover Your Refuge The event is set for 9 a.m. Tour. Participants in this self- to 3 p.m. at the guided tour will learn Open House is Nov. 8! Merritt Island about manatees, bald National Wildlife eagles, fire and water Look for more information in the Oct. 24 Refuge. management tech- Spaceport News. “This event is an niques, and refuge opportunity for the residents such as song public to learn not and wading birds. only about Merritt At each tour stop, Not just any day Island National Wildlife participants will have their Refuge, but also about the tour map stamped, and each other 500 plus refuges in the person who completes the map system,” said Refuge Ranger will get a prize. For more Barbara Bolt. information, contact the In addition to the Audubon refuge, tel. 861-0667, located Center for Birds of Prey and four miles east of Titusville on Florida snakes, there will be State Road 402. Honoring a job well done
FOR those unfortunate enough to not be “in the know,” the date of Oct. 16, 1997, may not bear much significance. KSC workers who grew up watching the television series Lost in Space know better. It was on this date that the Jupiter 2 rocket carrying the Robinson family lifted off on the first colonization mission to a planet near the star Alpha Centauri, only to become “lost in space.“ The Science Fiction channel plans a Lost in Space marathon to commemorate the fictive anniversary. Lost in Space, the movie, is scheduled to hit movie theatres next April. Above, from left, the original cast from the CBS show that premiered CENTER Director Roy Bridges Jr. presented Saul Barton (second from left) with the in September 1965: Guy Williams, June Lockhart and Billy Mumy; the Robot, 1997 Director's Award on Oct. 1 as Barton's wife Arleen and son Jeff proudly looked on. played by Bob May, with voice by Dick Tufeld; Jonathan Harris; Marta Kristen; Barton, Strategic Planning manager in the KSC Administration Office, was commended Angela Cartwright; and Mark Goddard. for “extremely meritorious service” in the development of KSC's plan for the future and Bridges' presentation of the plan to both NASA Headquarters and KSC employees. October 10, 1997 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 Cassini . . . The launch period for (Continued from Page 1) Cassini’s nearly seven-year journey to Saturn opened on largest moon, nearly the size Oct. 6 and closes Nov. 15. An of Mars and bigger than either Air Force Titan IVB/Centaur, Mercury or Pluto. the most powerful launch Cassini is a cooperative vehicle in the U.S. fleet, will endeavor of NASA, the loft Cassini onto the European Space Agency (ESA) interplanetary trajectory that and the Italian Space Agency, will deliver it to Saturn almost or Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. seven years later on July 1, The mission will send a 2004. The spacecraft's primary sophisticated robotic mission concludes in July spacecraft equipped with 12 2008. scientific experiments to orbit Saturn is the second-largest Saturn for a four-year period planet in the solar system and and study the Saturnian is made up mostly of hydrogen system in detail. The ESA- and helium. Its placid-looking, butterscotch-colored face PLUNGING IN — This artist's rendering shows the Huygens probe parachuting through built Huygens probe that will the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan after being released by the Cassini orbiter. The parachute into Titan’s thick masks a windswept orbiter will serve as a relay station, transmitting back to Earth the data collected by the atmosphere carries another atmosphere where jet streams probe. six scientific instrument blow at 1,100 miles per hour packages. and swirling storms roil just hold clues to how the primitive The mission is named for “With its bright, complex beneath the cloud tops. Earth evolved into a life- two 17th century astronomers: rings, 18 known moons and Saturn’s best known feature bearing planet. Italian-French astronomer magnetic environment, Saturn — its bright rings — consists It has an Earth-like, Jean-Dominique Cassini made is a lot like a solar system in not just of a few rings but of nitrogen-based atmosphere key discoveries about Saturn, miniature form,” said Dr. hundreds of rings and ringlets and a surface that many and Dutch scientist Christian Wesley Huntress, NASA’s broad and thin, composed of scientists believe probably Huygens discovered Titan. associate administrator for ice and rock particles ranging features chilled lakes of Space Science. “Saturn’s in size from grains of sand to ethane and methane. family of rings and moons is a boxcars. “Shepherd moons” Scientists believe that Titan’s Cassini facts one-stop treasure trove, found orbiting near the edges surface is probably coated with • Cassini will travel 2 offering countless clues to the of some of the rings the residue of a sticky brown billion miles to reach Saturn history of planetary and solar gravitationally herd in ring organic rain. and another 1.1 billion system evolution. Cassini and particles that would otherwise On Nov. 6, 2005, Huygens miles while in orbit around the Huygens probe represent spread out into deep space. will descend by parachute into Saturn; our best efforts yet in our Although it is believed to be Titan’s sky, providing the first • Over 300,000 color ongoing exploration of the too cold to support life, haze- direct sampling of Titan’s images of Saturn, the solar system.” covered Titan is thought to atmosphere and the first rings,Titan and the other detailed photos of its hidden moons will be returned to LARGEST surface. interplanetary Earth, including 1,100 spacecraft ever Because of Cassini’s pictures of Titan taken by launched — More challenging mission, the long the Huygens probe; than half of the distance Cassini must travel, • Gravity assists from Cassini/Huygens and the value of its scientific mass of 12,295 two swingbys of Venus and pounds is liquid fuel, return, each component and one of Earth will provide required for braking the system as a whole has the equivalent of 75 tons of into orbit around undergone an unprecedented rocket fuel; Saturn. Here, the program of rigorous testing for payload fairing is • Cassini will reach hoisted in place quality and performance. relative speeds of 18,720 around the spacecraft Because of the very dim miles per hour approaching at Launch Complex sunlight at Saturn’s orbit, Saturn and 30,660 miles 40. Cassini's high- Cassini could not conduct its gain antenna — the per hour flying by Venus — light conical structure mission to Saturn on solar equivalent to flying from — is the upper most power. Los Angeles to Boston in element of the Electrical power is supplied under five minutes; spacecraft. to Cassini by a set of • Ona busy day at radioisotope thermoelectric Saturn, Cassini will transmit generators (RTGs) which up to four gigabits of data convert the heat from the — about a CD-ROM's natural decay of plutonium. worth — back to Earth. RTGs have been used on 23 previous U.S. missions. Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS October 10, 1997 Orbiters . . . fluid and power lines to support spacewalks was Discovery payload bay configuration for (Continued from Page 1) installed. STS-91 (9th Shuttle-Mir docking) currently manifested Shuttle- Discovery's internal airlock Mir docking series, following also has been removed. Its Endeavour to Mir in May on external airlock is positioned STS-91 to pick up the last U.S. farther forward in the payload astronaut from an extended bay than Endeavour's. This stay on the Russian station. position, called bay 2 (note Atlantis, which has flown bay positions on the diagram the first seven Shuttle-Mir at right), is the preferred dockings, began its second docking location for ISS flights Orbiter Maintenance Down and is referred to as the ISS Period (OMDP) upon returning position. interior space in the middeck. flights will be flown with the from STS-86 Oct. 6, and will be Endeavour's airlock is An external airlock, with a docking base in the bay 2 shipped to California in located one position farther docking base on top, will be position,” Brucker said. The November for modifications. aft, at the bay 3 or Mir installed to support ISS TAA will no longer be When Atlantis returns to position. This configuration assembly. required, since spacewalkers KSC late next summer, it will will be used for the docking Another hardware element will venture outside via the complete preparations for the with Mir as well as the first called the Tunnel Adapter external airlock. third ISS assembly flight. two ISS flights. Assembly (TAA) also has an A third item also is Endeavour will fly the second The STS-88 crew requested important role in near-term changing to support the and Discovery the fourth. this because having the dockings. The TAA has a hatch external airlock for ISS (Columbia, the oldest orbiter docking hardware located through which crew members assembly. The Tool Stowage in the fleet, is too heavy to fly farther aft provides better can pass outside for a Assembly (TSA) replaces a either to Mir or to perform the visibility during docking. spacewalk. piece of hardware located on station assembly missions.) Flying Endeavour on a There are two TAAs. One the payload bay wall. Certain elements are Shuttle-Mir docking prior to just flew on Atlantis and it Positioned on the truss required for a Shuttle docking the first ISS flight also will was through this TAA that supports for the external mission. The arrangement of allow checkout of its docking spacewalkers Scott Parazynski airlock, the TSA provides an these elements in the three mechanism, which is shorter and Vladimir Titov made their easily accessible place where orbiters is quite different at the than the one used for Mir way outside. The other TAA is spacewalk tools and present time, and the juggling flights and designed to provide in Endeavour's payload bay. equipment can be stowed. of hardware which mission a softer docking. For the final two Shuttle- Staying on top of the planners must undertake to “The STS-89 Shuttle-Mir Mir flights and the first few different configurations and meet the manifest reflects a docking will provide a good ISS missions, the TAA will not making sure the hardware will program transitioning toward dress rehearsal for the first always be located in the same be available when needed to the future. station assembly flight,” said position in the three orbiters' support a mission requires “It can be very confusing,” OV-105 Payload Project payload bays, necessitating vigilance and sharp planning, observed Jeff Angermeier, Manager Russ Brucker of modifications. but people like Angermeier NASA Multiflow Integration United Space Alliance. The TAA in Endeavour and Brucker take it all in Manager. Take airlocks, for Atlantis is different from already has been modified; stride. They relish being a part example. Originally, all four Endeavour and Discovery. To mods to the TAA flown on of the transition to a new orbiters featured internal dock with Mir, Atlantis was Atlantis will be made over the phase in human spaceflight airlocks in the middeck. The outfitted with an assembly next few months. and welcome the challenge of airlock serves as the transition called the Orbiter Docking “At some point all ISS making it a reality. zone between the pressurized System (ODS), which features cabin and the outside when a both Russian and U.S. spacewalk is performed. hardware. Although the ODS Endeavour's internal airlock looks like an airlock, it's not. John F. Kennedy Space Center was removed during its OMDP, Atlantis still has its internal completed in 1996, and an airlock, which will be removed Spaceport News external airlock equipped with during the OMDP to free up The Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space OV-105 payload bay Center and is published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office configuration for STS- in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. 89 and STS-88, the Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks be- eighth Shuttle-Mir fore publication to the Media Services Branch, PA-MSB. E-mail submis- docking and first sions can be sent to Shawa-1, [email protected] International Space Managing editor...... Bruce Buckingham Station assembly Editor...... Paula Shawa flights, respectively. Editorial support provided by the Sherikon Space Systems Inc. Writers Group.
USGPO: 532-112/20057