April 2, 2010 Vol. 50, No. 7 Spaceport News John F. - America’s gateway to the universe

www..gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html STS-131 to test water filtration for use in IVs By Steven Siceloff can deplete the stock Spaceport News quickly, especially if more than one astronaut is sick or echnology for a wa- injured. ter filtration system At more than two initially developed T pounds of weight per liter, at Kennedy is going to get a IV fluids are very costly to major test during the STS-131 mission. It will take into space. They also be called on to create water take up a lot of volume, clean enough to be used and due to their need for intravenously, commonly sterility, IV fluids have a known as an IV. limited shelf life. If it works, the system “On board or ‘in- could prove critical to situ’ production of IV future astronauts if they fluids needed for medical have a medical emergency treatments, could greatly while traveling far from reduce these costs and Earth. It also could find storage limitations, and earthbound uses by the would give NASA much military, in remote locations more flexibility in how it or in humanitarian relief can use the water it already efforts. Photo courtesy of Philip Scarpa/NASA has on the spacecraft,” Dr. Philip Scarpa’s Kennedy’s Philip Scarpa, left, worked with DeVon Griffin from Glenn Research Center in Ohio to develop the IVGEN machine Scarpa said. that will be tested on the International Space Station. The filtration device is designed to produce water clean enough to inject Prior to partnering team at Kennedy partnered intravenously. with NASA’s Glenn with Glenn in 2007, Scarpa Research Center in Ohio to Kennedy’s medical International Space Station with 30 liters needed in the teamed up with researchers develop a device that filters operations manager, Scarpa Patient Condition Database first three days. One recent from the United Kingdom microscopic contaminants, helps provide medical identified 115 medical NASA study reported that a and Canada to develop including heavy metals and support to the astronauts conditions that could occur mission to Mars may need the technology. Called toxins, out of drinking water before they launch into on the space station and as much as 248 liters of IV “Project Clearwater,” the to produce fluid as sterile as space and after they land. would require IV fluids to fluids on board. Currently, team started its research any made on Earth. On Earth, several be administered. there are only 12 liters of in 2005 with a grant from “On every space medical conditions require For example, an fluid stored on the station. the Florida Space Research mission, there’s a potential IV fluids, usually for astronaut with severe burns Even less severe Institute. of getting sick or getting rehydration or for delivering can require about 100 liters conditions, such as broken hurt,” Scarpa said. As medications. The NASA of IV fluids for weeks, bones or motion sickness, See FILTER, Page 2

Beach mice survey Heritage: Atlantis Inside this issue . . . arrives 25 years ago Russian module FIRST competition

Page 3 Page 3 Page 6 Page 7 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS April 2, 2010 Garver’s first LAUNCH forum focuses on water ennedy recently hosted a over-irrigation of plants. testing the quality of drinking water, diverse group of entrepre- More info online According to Dr. Marc Van which could prove critical for long neurs, venture capitalists, Iersel, agriculture is responsible for trips to space. K To learn more about the innovators and scientists, media, and government their proposed solutions, and for a list of 70 percent of freshwater use world- “The things that you carry to and business leaders who all have a the LAUNCH council members, visit wide, and there currently isn’t a space are absolutely critical. Weight common goal: a sustainable future www.launch.org precise indicator to determine when is very important and the recycling on Earth and in space. and for how long plants should be water has so been a very, very large The LAUNCH initiative, as Garver said. “NASA’s going to watered. goal for us that we’ve made a lot it’s called, gives these innovators continue to do that right here from So, Van Iersel and other faculty of technological innovation in that a chance to participate in solu- members from the University of we hope then could be helpful to the Cape in new ways and investing tion-driven discussions with their Georgia are developing affordable society at large,” Garver said. in technology.” peers about air, water, food, energy, soil moisture sensors to save water, Garver is confident that the NASA is a founding partner of mobility and even cities. NASA’s increase efficiency and reduce the Kennedy team will play an impor- Deputy Administrator Lori Garver the initiative, along with the U.S. environmental impacts of plant pro- tant role in the future of sustain- hosted the first LAUNCH forum, Agency for International Develop- duction, while maximizing potential ability. which focused on water, March ment, the U.S. State Department growth. They are working closely Garver said, “People love to 16-18. and Nike. with growers to guide development work here. They do a fabulous job. “I believe that in government For this forum, 10 entre- of the system, and preliminary find- They work tirelessly at it because most people do go into govern- preneurs from around the world ings have revealed water savings of they believe they’re contributing to ment to serve the people and to find brought their water ideas to the up to 83 percent. the broader good and to these long- ways that we can advance society,” table. One such idea focused on Another technology focuses on term goals.”

From FILTER, Page 1 Devising a workable drinking and dirty water, filter system for space also producing ultra-pure sterile “When we started presents more hurdles than water that meets all U.S. looking into this, we just removing contaminants Pharmacopeia standards. thought we would quickly successfully. Based on that initial find out that someone had Without gravity, water success, the team from done this already,” Scarpa can channel by adherence Kennedy and Glenn said. “After our background to its container and bypass developed a flight-ready research, we were a filter entirely. Mixing of system. Dubbed “IVGEN” surprised that no one had the final salt water solution for IntraVenous Fluid also could be incomplete, Generation, it will seek to been successful with this and launch vibrations could produce IV-grade water before. It’s not easy. The cause the device to release from available space station requirements for medical- small particulates into the drinking water. grade water for injection are lines. Also, without gravity, In the station’s very strict and difficult to the air in the system doesn’t Microgravity Sciences meet without large factory- separate out from the fluid. Glovebox, astronauts will based processes.” This may form bubbles run the device several times in critical areas, such as beginning in early May, and “A perfect result blocking off filters. If the two bags of sterile saline filters are blocked, the solution will be frozen and would be to have water will not be screened. returned to Earth on STS- Photo courtesy of Philip Scarpa/NASA output water “Bubbles are probably 132 for testing. The “Project Clearwater” device was built by Philip Scarpa’s team at Kennedy to the biggest concern,” “A perfect result would create IV-grade water out of drinking water. The suitcase-sized filter device was that satisfies the tested extensively and used as a basis for the IVGEN filtration system going to the Scarpa said. “Bubbles in IV be to have output water that International Space Station. strict standards fluids are dangerous for a satisfies the strict standards for water for patient as well. If entered for water for injection longer stays and farther on Earth, so he has been into the veins, they could without any failures or destinations with little developing a small, injection without cause a stroke by blocking performance issues,” Scarpa chance for immediate return handheld unit that could any failures or the brain’s blood flow.” said. or resupply from Earth. be used by the military in performance Scarpa’s team devised He is optimistic the Producing medical-grade IV remote field operations, in the use of micron-sized device will work because solutions is key to mission submarines and on ships, issues.” filters to trap and squeeze the system was extensively success. and in medical relief efforts. out the bubbles from the tested on the ground and in In addition to Scarpa said, “IV Dr. Philip Scarpa, system. the Zero-G aircraft. spaceflight, Scarpa realizes fluid production anytime, Kennedy’s Medical By 2006, the team had As NASA ventures the great potential benefit anywhere, has great medical Operations Manager developed a suitcase-sized out farther into space, of this technology for benefit on the ground as device that filtered both astronauts will require applications right here well as in space.” April 2, 2010 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 ‘Dawn’ of new space era emerges as Russia shares view of Rassvet s Atlantis embarks on its Robby Ashley, STS-132 payload manager. final scheduled flight, the STS-132 mis- “There’s a lot of excitement about it, but at the Asion, it will mark the first time Russian same time we know after this we’ll be doing other cargo will fly from Kennedy to the International things.” Space Station. The MRM-1 will be used for scientific That cargo, the Mini-Research Module, or research and cargo storage, and will provide an MRM-1, was displayed for the news media dur- additional docking port for a or ing an event hosted by NASA and the Russian spacecraft. Federal Space Agency, known as , at Mikhail Kashitsyn is the deputy techni- the Astrotech payload processing facility at Port cal manager and head of the MRM-1 prelaunch

Canaveral, Fla. processing for the design bureau division of RSC NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis The MRM-1 also is known as Rassvet, which , the prime contractor to Roscosmos. A media event was hosted by NASA and the Russian Federal translates to “dawn.” Once aboard the station, it Kashitsyn said, “The MRM -1 will be the Space Agency, Roscosmos, to showcase the Russian-built Mini- will be attached to the Earth-facing port of the largest piece of Russian space hardware ever to Research Module-1, or MRM-1, in the Astrotech payload processing facility at Port Canaveral, Fla. Supplies and other cargo have Russian-built control module, the station’s launch on an American .” already been installed into the MRM-1. The module is on display first module. Atlantis and the STS-132 crew are targeted to for the media before its transport to the Space Station Processing “I would describe it as bittersweet,” said launch with MRM-1 on May 14 at 2:28 p.m. EDT. Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Brevard students strive for FIRST at competition By Linda Herridge botics,” Bayside’s “Bionic Pink Team won an Imagery to work well is very Spaceport News Bears” and Melbourne’s Award and placed in the satisfying,” Benson said. WORD ON THE STREET “Team Voltage.” top eight teams during the During the regional “The FIRST competition was amily and friends Marion Passmore, a semifinal competition. competition in Denver, the held last month at cheered and oc- math and robotics teacher Bionic Tigers’ mentor 15-member Bionic Tigers the University of Central Fcasionally broke at Rockledge High started Bill Benson is an engineer team won the Industrial Florida in Orlando. into a frenzied version of a FIRST team in 1999, with NASA’s Launch Ser- Design Award and competed What tasks would you “the wave,” while sev- and continued it as stu- vices Program at Kennedy. in the semifinals. want your robot to do if eral Brevard County school dent interest expanded to He said he enjoys working Lisa Valencia, an edu- you owned one?” teams competed in the For other schools. Now, the Pink with students and passing cation project specialist is Page 8 Inspiration and Recognition Team includes 45 students on his knowledge to help Kennedy’s FIRST coordina- of Science and Technol- from three high schools. them seek fulfilling careers tor. She said the competition is,” Valencia said. “The ogy Robotics, or FIRST, “The FIRST competi- in the science, technology, helps get students excited students work with mentors competition. tion is more than learning engineering and math, or about STEM careers. who are engineers, scientists Inside the University of how to build a robot. It’s STEM, fields. “They apply what they Central Florida’s giant arena and technicians.” about inspiring kids,” Pass- “The competitions learn in the classroom to This year, Kennedy in Orlando on March 12 and more said. are an absolute blast, and design a robot to overcome co-sponsored the Florida 13, student teams checked At the regional com- helping the students build a challenge and also learn regional competition and and rechecked their robot petition in Los Angeles, the something and getting it how important teamwork creations before sending provided live Web casts dur- them into a ring for a varia- ing the competition. tion of a three-on-three soc- FIRST was founded in cer match. The competition 1989 by inventor and en- was the culmination of six trepreneur Dean Kamen to weeks’ worth of work with inspire the interest and par- mentors who helped design ticipation of young people and build the robots. in science and technology. Kennedy civil servant Nationwide, more than and contractor workers were 60,000 volunteers make among several mentors for FIRST happen, supported the local high school teams, by a network of more than including the Rockledge, 2,000 individuals, corpora- Cocoa Beach and Viera NASA/Jim Grossmann tions, and educational and team called the“Pink Team,” The “Bionic Tigers” FIRST team prepares their robot for the next match during the FIRST regional competition at the professional institutions. University of Central Florida arena in Orlando. From left, are, Bill Benson, mentor and Kennedy’s Launch Services Program Cocoa’s “Bionic Tigers,” engineer; Cocoa High School student Amy Adams; John Bauschlicher, mentor and LSP engineer; and Roger Anderson, a There are about 1,300 Palm Bay’s “Pira Tech Ro- United Space Alliance mentor. FIRST teams worldwide. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS April 2, 2010 April 2, 2010 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 Scenes Around Kennedy

Photo courtesy of Terry Moody, Space Gateway Support Members of Space Gateway Support Protective Services team practice aircraft rescue fire fighting tactics at the midfield park site adjacent to the Shuttle Landing Facility on March 10. Instructors from Kellogg Community College manipulate situations so firefighters can sharpen their skills and adapt to perform the training objectives effectively. Firefighters participate in several evolutions and take on different roles each time they respond to an incident. For NASA A student gets to put on a spacesuit, or extravehicular mobility unit, during Florida Space Day 2010 in Tallahassee. Representatives from Florida’s space industry met with legislators and government officials in an effort to ensure Florida remains at the forefront of the nation’s space program.

NASA/Amanda Diller NASA/Jim Grossmann The payload canister containing the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, standing vertically on a NASA file /Kim Shiflett Workers demolish the Vertical Processing Facility, or VPF, on March 15. The demolition, which started transporter, arrives at Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy on March 19. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver The Operations and Checkout Building renovation effort was awarded the Association of General Contractors Aon NASA file /Kim Shiflett in February and is about half done, is scheduled to be finished by July. About 90 percent of the debris Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks, to the International Space Station. STS-131 will be Build America Award on March 19. The award is one of 11 nationally with this category being Heavy Renovation, Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana, left, and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, discuss spaceflight during a will be recycled. the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall. Launch is scheduled for April 5. Federal. The event at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Fla., and was attended by more than 600 people. forum at Brevard Community College in Cocoa, Fla., on March 19. Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS April 2, 2010 Study to reveal beach mouse habitats along coastline By Linda Herridge extensive amounts of habitat for the ample opportunities to climb in, eat Spaceport News southeastern beach mouse,” Stolen the sunflower seed bait and leave said. “Our group is studying the their footprints on the papers. ccording to Eric Stolen, potential impacts to this and other By making repeated attempts to a wildlife ecologist with threatened and endangered species.” detect the mice at each site, Stolen AInnovative Health Applica- Stolen said the purpose of the said information can be gathered tions LLC, one thing is certain -- the annual survey is to understand the about how often they miss them and southeastern beach mice population factors that influence the distribu- use that to adjust naïve occupancy is dwindling along the east coast of tion of the beach mouse on Ken- estimates. Florida. nedy and surrounding federal lands. “When trying to measure To determine how much, IHA is the center’s medical and habitat occupancy, a big problem is Kennedy Space Center, the Canav- environmental support contractor that when you visit a site and don’t eral National Seashore, the Merritt and leads the study. record the species there are two pos- Island National Wildlife Refuge, or In February, wildlife biologists sible explanations: either the site is MINWR, and Cape Canaveral Air placed special tracking tubes con- not occupied, or the site is occupied but we missed it,” Stolen said. Force Station recently conducted taining tracking papers at sites about Photo courtesy of Russ Lowers, a habitat occupancy survey of this one-third of a mile apart, from the MINWR Supervisory Wildlife Innovative Health Applications threatened species. north end of the Canaveral National Biologist Mike Legare said the Innovative Health Applications Wildlife Biologist “The projected acceleration Seashore in Volusia County, south refuge is part of the U.S. Fish and Becky Bolt retrieves a beach mouse survey tube. Wildlife Service, which is respon- in sea-level rise that may occur to the jetty at Port Canaveral. The Historically, the southeastern sible for endangered species. at Kennedy due to global climate tubes remained out for three nights, “Our role in this survey was beach mouse habitat ranged from change may result in the loss of giving the tiny nocturnal mice to coordinate and facilitate the Ponce Inlet in Volusia County, research efforts,” Legare said. to Hollywood Beach in Broward The refuge coordinated the County. Currently, the species is logistics of the study and provided mostly restricted to the survey several all-terrain vehicles so work- range, though Oddy said there are ers could travel easily from one site remnant populations at New Smyrna to the next. Dunes, Sebastian River State Park, Canaveral National Seashore and Pelican Island and Archie Carr Resource Management Specialist national wildlife refuges. John Stiner said the survey was in Legare said the presence of the direct support of the organization’s beach mice and other species along primary mission to preserve and the coast is another example of the protect the outstanding natural, benefit of the federal conserva- scientific and ecologic values con- tion partnerships between NASA, tained within its boundaries. MINWR, the Canaveral National “This includes 13 federally Seashore and Cape Canaveral Air protected animal species, includ- Force Station. ing the beach mouse,” Stiner said. “In order to effectively protect the beach mouse and its key habitats, we have to know where they are within the park.” During a pilot study in De- cember 2008, along six miles of Kennedy’s beaches, the team re- corded mice at 32 of 100 sites, and gathered 500 tracking papers, 58 of which contained footprints. Stolen said based on occupancy modeling, they predicted about 42 percent of the habitat was occupied. IHA Wildlife Ecologist Donna Oddy has studied southeastern beach mice for about 20 years and helped coordinate this year’s survey. Oddy said Kennedy and Photo courtesy of Donna Oddy, surrounding federal lands are the Innovative Health Applications last stronghold for this subspecies Photo courtesy of Russ Lowers/Innovative Health Applications A southeastern beach mouse, which can be found Carlton Hall, the IHA supervisor of ecological programs, retrieves a beach mouse survey tube and whose range has declined by in the scrub near the coastline of Cape Canaveral inspects the tracking paper for mouse footprints. 79 percent during that time. Air Force Station, chews on a sunflower seed. April 2, 2010 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7 Remembering Our Heritage

NASA file/1985 arrives at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility on April 13, 1985. Atlantis lifted off on its maiden voyage Oct. 3, 1985, on mission 51-J, the second dedicated Department of Defense flight. Later missions included the launch of the Galileo interplanetary probe to Jupiter on STS-34 in October 1989, and STS-37, with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory as its primary payload, in April 1991. Atlantis is named after a two-mast sailing ship that was operated for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute from 1930 to 1966. Atlantis arrived at spaceport 25 years ago By Kay Grinter to 1966. In the day-to-day world 12. The cross-country ferry flight docking system was installed in the Reference Librarian of shuttle operations, however, was completed in two days, stop- forward end of Atlantis’ payload bay, shuttles are known by a more prosaic ping overnight at Ellington Air Force its next adventure between 1995 and t has been 25 years and 31 designation. Atlantis is commonly Base in Texas. 1997 was to make the first seven missions since space shuttle referred to as OV-104, for Orbiter Processing of Atlantis began shuttle dockings with the Russian IAtlantis arrived at Kennedy atop Vehicle-104. immediately upon its arrival at Ken- space station, paving the way for a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on April The experience gained dur- nedy and went smoothly. Atlantis dockings to the yet unassembled 13, 1985. ing the assembly of the first three lifted off on its maiden voyage from International Space Station. Delivery of Atlantis, the fourth shuttles enabled Atlantis, essentially Launch Pad 39A six months later on Even after a quarter of a century, and last planned orbiter in NASA’s a twin of Discovery, to be completed Oct. 3, 1985, on the STS 51-J mis- the vehicle still serves its crews well. shuttle fleet, followed the deliv- with a 49.5 percent reduction in sion, the second dedicated Depart- “It’s truly an amazing vehicle,” ery of Columbia, Challenger and man-hours compared to the time ment of Defense flight. STS-129 Commander Charlie Ho- Discovery, in succession. Although spent assembling Columbia, the first As NASA’s launch commenta- baugh said of Atlantis after landing the manufacture of a fifth shuttle shuttle off the assembly line. A rather tor said, “Liftoff of Atlantis, a new at Kennedy on Nov. 27, 2009. had been discussed, none had been significant part of the decrease may orbiter joins the shuttle fleet and it Atlantis’ next mission is planned authorized for NASA’s Space have been due to the greater use of has cleared the tower,” clapping and to be its last. Processing is well Transportation System, as the Space thermal protection blankets, which cheers erupted in the Launch Control under way for the STS-132 mission, Shuttle Program originally was required less manpower to install Center. targeted to launch May 14. called. than heat tiles. Atlantis carried on the spirit of The six-member crew will Following the 1986 Challanger Atlantis’ rollout from the Rock- the two-mast ship after which it was deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier accident, shuttle Endeavour was well manufacturing plant in Palm- named, initiating several important and the Russian-built Mini-Research authorized to be built. dale, Calif., was on March 6. voyages itself with the deployment Module-1, known as Rassvet, to the Atlantis’ namesake was the Atlantis’ departure from Ed- of the Galileo planetary probe in International Space Station. STS- primary oceanographic research wards Air Force Base was put on 1989 and the Compton Gamma Ray 132 will be the 34th mission to the vessel operated for the Woods Hole standby until Discovery lifted off Observatory in 1991. station and the 132nd shuttle mission Oceanographic Institute from 1930 on the STS 51-D mission on April After the first Mir orbiter overall. Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS April 2, 2010

NASA Employees of the Month: April ON WORD THE STREET The FIRST competition was held last month at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. What tasks would you want your robot to do if you owned one?

“Get some guitar lessons. The robot would be able to repeat itself and not get angry.” Frank Caldwell, with United Space Alliance

“Take the trash out to the road on garbage days. I think I’d even share my robot to do that for the neighbors.” Larry Hersey, with URS Corp.

“Cook. I eat out a lot and I’d rather have some good home-cooked meals more often,” Allan Villorin, NASA/ Tom Farrar with NASA Employees of the month for April are, from left: Michael Ciannilli, Processing Directorate; Barry Connock, Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate; Mark Nurge, Engineering Directorate; James Fesmire, Engineering Directorate; Chad Moeller, Center Operations; and Julee Chamberlain, Chief Financial Office. Not pictured are, Mark Page, Information Technology and Communications Services; Clark “Skip” Owens, Launch Services Program; and Deborah Cole, “I’d have my robot go out and make me some money Constellation Space Transportation Planning Office, employee of the quarter. . . . maybe do my job a couple of days a week.” Horace Elmore, Looking up and ahead . . . with Star Base Development Co.

April 5 Launch/KSC: Discovery, STS-131; 6:21 a.m. EDT

Targeted for April 12 Launch/CCAFS: Falcon 9/Dragon; Window 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT “Clean my garage. Maybe have it take my wife to the Planned for April 18 Landing/KSC: Discovery, STS-131; 8:38 a.m. EDT store . . . a chauffeur sure would be nice.” Don Shrum, April 19 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, OTV; 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. EDT with United Space Alliance Targeted for May 14 Launch/KSC: Atlantis, STS-132; 2:28 p.m. EDT

May 17 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, GPS IIF-1; 3:19 to 3:37 a.m. EDT

No earlier than July 21 Launch/CCAFS: Falcon 9/Dragon, NASA COTS - Demo 1; TBD

Targeted for July 29 Launch/KSC: Endeavour, STS-134; 7:51 a.m. EDT John F. Kennedy Space Center

Targeted for Sept. 16 Launch/KSC: Discovery, STS-133; 11:57 a.m. EDT

Targeted for Nov. 17 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, GPS IIF-2; TBD Spaceport News

No earlier than Nov. 22 Launch/VAFB: Taurus, Glory; TBD Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published on alternate Fridays by External Relations in the interest of KSC civil Aug. 5, 2011 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, Juno; TBD service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted three weeks before publication Aug.15, 2011 Launch/Reagan Test Site: Pegasus, NuSTAR; TBD to the Media Services Branch, IMCS-440. E-mail submissions can be sent to [email protected] Sept. 8, 2011 Launch/CCAFS: Delta II Heavy, GRAIL; TBD Managing editor ...... Candrea Thomas To Be Determined Launch/VAFB: Delta II, Aquarius / SAC-D Satellite; TBD Editor ...... Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Copy editor ...... Rebecca Sprague To Be Determined Launch/VAFS: Delta II, NPP; TBD Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp. Writers Group. No Earlier Than Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, Mars Science Laboratory; TBD NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www.nasa.gov/kennedy Oct. 14, 2011 USGPO: 733-049/600142