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EXPLORATION GROUND SYSTEMS HIGHLIGHTS

APRIL 2018

FIRST TANKING SIMULATION COMPLETED FOR EM-1 EGS MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS

Simulated countdown another step toward EGS’ Kiriwas takes home prestigious 3 Exploration Mission-1 4 RNASA Stellar Award

5 EGS hosts media outreach events 7 Chilling out during liquid oxygen tank test NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson follows operations at her console in Firing Room 1 at ’s during a countdown simulation for Exploration Mission-1 on March 29, 2018. It was the agency’s first simulation of a portion of the countdown for the first launch of a rocket and spacecraft that will eventually take beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the and Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston SIMULATED COUNTDOWN ANOTHER STEP TOWARD EXPLORATION MISSION-1 “NTD you are GO to proceed with the count.” countdown processes and procedures.” With words such as these, NASA Launch Director Charlie A veteran engineer who has worked at Kennedy since 1988, Blackwell-Thompson will authorize the NASA Test Director, whose Blackwell-Thompson will lead the launch team for the first flight call sign is NTD, to proceed with launching the agency’s Space test of this next-generation launch system. As launch director, Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on Exploration she will make the final “go/no-go” decision prior to liftoff. The NTD Mission-1 (EM-1), the first integrated test of the new vehicles. is the leader of the SLS test team and is responsible for directing SLS and Orion are part of NASA’s deep space exploration and integrating all flight and ground support testing throughout systems designed to send humans to distant destinations, such the countdown. as the Moon and Mars. An important step in preparation for For EM-1, the countdown is expected to take about 45 hours that first flight took place on March 29 with a demonstration of and 40 minutes beginning two days prior to liftoff. During that a portion of the countdown focused on fueling the new launch time, the SLS core stage and upper stage will require about six vehicle. hours to load 730,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and “This demonstration is important because we are getting an early liquid oxygen to fuel the four core stage and single upper stage feel for our tanking operations, the timelines for this work and the engines. kinds of issues that can arise,” said Blackwell-Thompson. “We’ve During the recent simulation, the launch team became already started writing our launch countdown procedures for acquainted with new consoles, improved software and the SLS and having an to run through those operations procedures for the SLS. is extremely beneficial. What we learn from this demonstration Read the complete story at https://go.nasa.gov/2qX5q2t. and other simulations to come will be rolled into our launch

April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 3 Anton Kiriwas, an operations project engineer within the Systems Engineering Division of Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center, earned a Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Stellar Award. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

EGS’ KIRIWAS TAKES HOME PRESTIGIOUS RNASA STELLAR AWARD When Anton Kiriwas learned he was nominated for a Rotary “Anton is an excellent engineer with strong leadership and National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Stellar Award, communications skills,” said Kiriwas’ supervisor, Hung Nguyen. he researched the history and soon discovered its significance. “He brings a broad experience base to any team he leads or He was particularly impressed by the list of those who had supports, and he’s very passionate about our mission of Human received it, including colleagues and mentors he looks up to at Space Exploration.” NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the group of 2018 RNASA nominees, Kiriwas was “I didn’t have any expectation of winning, especially after hearing honored during a black-tie banquet at the Houston Hyatt all of the amazing nominations during the RNASA luncheon,” Regency hotel on April 27. That included a handshake with said Kiriwas, an operations project engineer within the Systems Peggy Whitson, which he said made him feel Engineering Division of Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) at “incredibly honored.” Kennedy. “When I did hear my name, it almost didn’t click that I had won. My wife had to poke me and tell me to get up and walk Stellar Awards nominations are reviewed by an evaluation up to the stage.” panel of distinguished scientists, engineers, managers, and academicians. Winners are chosen based on whose Kiriwas, who has been with NASA for nine years, was a winner accomplishments hold the greatest promise for furthering future in the early career category. He received the award for his activities in space. outstanding EGS Ground & Flight Software Applications technical integration. He also was recognized for exceptional leadership contributing to the success of the Nation’s Deep Space Exploration mission.

April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 4 EGS HOSTS MEDIA OUTREACH EVENTS

Several members of the Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center participated recently in media outreach activities. Members of the media from various outlets were given access to many of the sites that have been refurbished to support Exploration Mission-1 and the center as a multi-user spaceport. Representatives from EGS provided tours of facilities and answered questions.

Jeremy Graeber, chief NASA Test Director with Exploration Ground Systems, explains the history of the Launch Control Center during a NASA Social event.

Jose Perez Morales explains the upgrades happening in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building during a recent interview with members of the media.

April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 5 Regina Spellman, project manager for Launch Complex 39B, speaks with social media participants during a NASA Social event at Pad B.

NASA Social members gather for a group photograph on the surface of Launch Pad 39B.

April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 6 The liquid oxygen tank at Launch Complex 39B underwent a tank pressurization test. Photo credit: NASA/Derrick Matthews

CHILLING OUT DURING LIQUID OXYGEN TANK TEST

Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) chilled out recently with a can hold up to 900,000 gallons of liquid oxygen; during the test it pressurization test of the liquid oxygen (LO2) tank at Launch Pad only contained 590,000 gallons of the super-cooled propellant. 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida – Pad 39B, recently upgraded by the EGS team for the agency’s new Space The test was monitored by engineers and technicians inside Launch System rocket. Firing Room 1 at the Launch Control Center, a heritage KSC facility also upgraded by the EGS team in preparation for the The six-hour test of the giant sphere checked for leaks in the upcoming mission. Results of the test confirmed that the fill rise cryogenic pipes leading from the tank to the block valves, the rate was acceptable, the tank pressurization sequence works and liquid oxygen sensing cabinet, and new vaporizers recently that only one of the two vaporizers was needed to accomplish installed on the tank. pressurization.

The SLS will use both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. During Another system is “go” for the first integrated launch of SLS and tanking, some of the liquid oxygen, stored at minus 297 degrees the Orion spacecraft! Fahrenheit, boils off and vapor or mist is visible. While the tank

April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 7 Faces of EGS - Ken Ford

Kenneth Ford is the Pad Element Operations manager with the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. His main responsibilities include providing operations leadership and guidance within the Pad Element; integrating, facilitating and overseeing execution of daily operations; and ensuring that critical-path work, program-interest items and KSC Integrated Control Schedule (KICS) scheduled events are worked. “What I really do is work to create an environment where the folks really C E S performing the work can accomplish their tasks as successfully as possible,” F A O F Ford said. Ford says his accomplishments are a bit of a misnomer, since the engineers EX E PLO G and technicians at Launch Pad 39B do the hands-on work. With that in mind, R S his biggest recent accomplishment was the completion of the Liquid Hydrogen AT IO Scrub Turnaround Trial Run. The team brought a wave of five liquid hydrogen N tankers from Praxair, offloaded them at Pad B and sent them over to United G Launch Alliance (ULA) at Space Launch Complex 37B, where they were R reloaded, then sent back to Kennedy and offloaded again. His involvement O was in the planning and coordination of the event prior to the execution. U “The real heroes of the day are the engineers and technicians on the N Test and Operations Support Contract, the Kennedy Propellants and D Life Support Services Contract, Spaceport Integration commodity

S management personnel, the ULA engineers and technicians, and the

Y Praxair personnel who made it all happen,” Ford said.

S Ford wanted to work in EGS because, along with the institutional

T organizations that support them, EGS has the most difficult task

E facing NASA: building the infrastructure, the operations philosophy

M and processes to get the biggest rocket in the history of the world S into space, and eventually into deep space. He enjoys the challenge.

Ford first started working at Kennedy in 1986 as an auxiliary power unit/hydraulics engineer for the . He left NASA in 1999 to work as a consultant, then pursued other areas of interest outside the space industry. He returned to NASA in 2007, working in the Ground Systems Project Office. One of the biggest highlights of his career was in the late 1990s. He was Construction of Facilities manager for the Shuttle Launch and Landing Element when they identified the need and worked to get funding for the Shuttle Landing Facility Midfield Park Site facilities and for the Operations Support Building II. “I don’t ever remember not being interested in space. My father was transferred to Kennedy from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, when I was five years old. I grew up locally as the space program was growing up,” Ford said. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1981, and a Master’s in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando in 1993. The advice he would give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in a field similar to his would be to get an engineering degree in the field that most interests them from the best college or university that they can. “When they start working, they should learn as much as they can from the senior engineers and technicians they are working with -- especially the technicians. They are the people who live with the equipment and systems on a daily basis,” Ford said. Ford and his wife, Tina, have been married for 13 years. They have a blended family, including two sons and three daughters, and two grandchildren. Also a member of the family is a beagle named Daisy. His first car was a 1972 green and white GMC pickup truck. Ford’s hobbies include reading science, engineering, history and archaeology books, home improvement and remodeling. April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 8 SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM FLIGHT HARDWARE TOUCHES DOWN AT KENNEDY

The Orion Stage Adapter (OSA) arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 3, 2018, and was transported to the Space Station Processing Facility on April 4. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

The second piece of flight-hardware for NASA’s new exploration- On its first launch, the OSA will double as a secondary payload class rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), arrived at Kennedy carrier, delivering 13 mini ships on as many deep space Space Center in Florida, on April 3. The Orion Stage Adapter missions. These small but mighty scientific investigations (OSA) traveled to Kennedy aboard NASA’s Super Guppy aircraft include 10 satellites from U.S. industry, government, and from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, commercial partners, as well as the three CubeSats being built by Alabama, where it was built. international partners.

The stage adapter will connect the Orion spacecraft to the upper Both the OSA and ICPS are being stored for processing in part of the SLS rocket known as the interim cryogenic propulsion Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility in preparation for stage, or ICPS. The ICPS is a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen- Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated launch of the SLS based upper space stage that will give the spacecraft the push rocket and Orion spacecraft. needed to go to deep space.

April 2018 Highlights Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) | 9 A new service platform for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) arrived at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 17, 2018. It was transported from fabricator Met-Con Inc. in Cocoa, Florida. The Core Engine Service Platform is a large work platform that is designed to provide unrestricted access to the RS-25 engines on the SLS core stage from the mobile launcher. It will be stored in the VAB and used for processing and checkout. Exploration Mission-1 will launch an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to a stable orbit beyond the Moon and bring it back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

View the EGS 2017 Year in Review at https://go.nasa.gov/2C9twKC.

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