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Home , Centennial challenges, Shuttle Landing Facility, Steve Fossett, Timothy Kopra

Nov. 27, 2009 Vol. 49, No. 24 News John F. - America’s gateway to the universe

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Stott returns on final station, shuttle rotation

By Cheryl Mansfield shuttles launch while I was Spaceport News at university, I got a job at Kennedy Space Center hen the wheels in shuttle operations,” of Stott said. “I mean, what Atlantis touch W cooler place could you be down to end the STS-129 working? And every step mission, Nicole of the way there, I was just Stott will complete a first thrilled with the jobs I had.” and a last. She began her 10-year Kennedy Space Center career at Kennedy in 1988, will welcome her home as working in the shuttle its first former employee to program as an operations live and work aboard the engineer in an orbiter NASA/Jim Grossmann International . processing facility. She Center Director Bob Cabana, left, Sunpower Program Office Senior Manager Roderick Roche, and FPL Vice President and Stott’s return also will mark subsequently worked as Chief Development Officer Eric Silagy, flip the switch, marking the addition of 5 acres of solar panels to the Kennedy Solar another significant event convoy commander, leading Energy Center. -- the last time a station the group of specialized crew member will travel vehicles that meet and to or from the orbiting “safe” each shuttle upon Future brighter as Kennedy laboratory aboard a space landing. She also served as shuttle. Upcoming crews shuttle Endeavour’s flow will launch from and return director, seeing that the welcomes new solar facility to Earth aboard Russian shuttle was processed and By Steven Siceloff “We are taking help show the way for . ready for launch. Spaceport News a leadership role in electricity generation. Stott joined the space Stott described her supporting an important Built in the center’s station’s six-person crew career at Kennedy with ennedy Space national goal and that’s Industrial Area south of when she launched aboard enthusiasm. Center turned a to increase America’s the Vertical Integration shuttle Discovery in August “I’m working on a Kshade greener energy independence while Facility, the solar farm is during the STS-128 mission. Nov. 19 with the addition of protecting the climate,” large enough to create one Trading places with See STOTT, Page 4 5 acres of electricity- said Center Director Bob megawatt of electricity, astronaut Timothy Kopra, producing solar panels to Cabana. or enough to power 110 she became the Expedition the spaceport’s power grid. A ceremony homes. For Kennedy, the 20 flight engineer as she The Kennedy Solar commissioning the first power output equates to began her three-month stint Energy Center is the first of two power plants about 1 percent of the aboard the station. of two new power facilities also offered a glimpse at center’s electricity uses. Her launch came more being built at Kennedy that future projects that could A second, much larger, than two decades after she use solar panels to convert include a permanent solar energy complex is began her NASA career at sunlight into electricity. The renewable energy research under construction in a Kennedy -- a career that process creates no carbon and development facility former citrus grove at the brought her high-level emissions and requires no proposed for Kennedy. A south end of the center. That experience with both the fuel, such as oil or natural plan to build solar panels location will produce shuttle and the station. gas, to generate power. on up to 500 acres of fallow 10 megawatts of electricity Before heading to space It is the first large-scale agricultural land is under and is scheduled to be this summer, the Clearwater, NASA/Kim Shiflett power plant of its kind at consideration depending finished in April 2010. Fla., native talked about her is the first former Kennedy a NASA center, and part on the environmental and It will be plugged time at Kennedy. employee to live aboard the Interna- of a small but growing economic feasibility. tional Space Station. She is the final into FPL’s network and “After growing up station crew member to fly to or from solar infrastructure under For now, the solar in and seeing the station aboard a space shuttle. development in Florida. farms under construction See SOLAR, Page 6 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 27, 2009 Cabana: Safety, patience will pay off here is no crystal ball ences Lab is more accessible to predict the exact to researchers from indus- Editor’s note Tfuture of Kennedy tries and universities across Space Center, but during an the country and around the The research and de- Employee Update on world. velopment facility proposed Nov. 13, Center Director While it appears the for Exploration Park, an- Bob Cabana was sure about Orion spacecraft is the cap- nounced at the Nov. 19 one thing -- NASA manage- sule of choice for NASA’s solar power event (see ment is working hard to future exploration and Ken- Page 1) could result in at make sure the right work is nedy is the prime launch site, least 50 high-salary science headed to Florida’s Space the vehicle that will be pro- and engineering positions Coast. NASA/Kim Shiflett cessed and lift off from the Center Director Bob Cabana discusses the future of Kennedy Space Center at an permanently established at Cabana said the key to Employee Update on Nov. 13 in the Training Auditorium. center is under discussion. Kennedy by SunPower and ushering in a new Those vehicles include Ares other Florida Power & Light program is to safely carry the Review of U.S. Human with the space station. , a shuttle-derived partners. Space Flight Plans Com- “If we can get our Ex- out the remaining space vehicle and even commercial It also has the potential shuttle missions. mittee, better known as the ploration Park going and that vehicles. to bring with it, a nearby “I know that’s a chal- Augustine Commission, becomes a research facility “Although we don’t solar panel manufacturing lenge for the team to know regarding NASA’s future and an engineering develop- know a lot, I think what we facility, and as many as that a lot of us are going budget, exploring beyond ment facility, we can have do know is good and we’re 1,000 new construction to be without jobs when low Earth orbit, supporting payloads processed or de- preparing for it,” Cabana jobs. the shuttle ends,” Cabana commercial veloped out there,” Cabana said. “I want you to know said. “Yet, it still requires and extending the life of the said. “We’re working with that the team here at KSC FPL and Kennedy have an unbelievable amount of International Space Station. the state of Florida to help is doing an outstanding job. initiated environmental attention to detail and focus Perhaps the most excit- make that happen.” You can see it in all that studies and a plan to to continue to fly safely up ing new endeavor for the He also discussed mov- we’ve accomplished this last support the project, which until that point.” center would be the develop- ing the center’s perimeter year, and all the progress that could be initiated before the Cabana talked about the ment of an Exploration Park gate after the shuttle retires, we’ve made in the last year end of 2010. recommendations made by that would work in tandem so that the Space Life Sci- preparing for the future.”

No Boundaries winning team tours Spaceport ometimes when high school 500 students. Their winning research Doubek, who composed all the hope to get into a college soon. Xin seniors team up to do a proj- project on astrobiology included the music for the Web site, didn’t make wants to get into MIT or the Univer- Sect, one person does all the creation of a Web site, http://web. the trek down to Kennedy. Instead, sity of Chicago; Iuliano has applied work while the others sit back and prairieschool.net/ she used her share of the prize for enrollment at the University of enjoy the easy grade. That’s not the astrobiology/. money to buy some music composi- Dayton and St. Louis University; case with the winning team of the Xin came up with the idea of a tion software. and Barry hopes to get into Vander- 2009 No Boundaries competition. Web site and knew from the begin- The team members who did bilt University or the University of In fact, team members Julie ning that it needed to be relevant to make it told Spaceport News they Wisconsin-Madison. Iuliano, Jean Xin, Tatiana Barry and teenagers. Kaitlyn Doubek consider each other “We based it on a DNA theme,” best of friends and did their individu- Xin said. “Our topic just seemed so al best to not let their team down. promising and interesting.” “The way it all came together The top award carried with it a was really nice,” Barry said. “We all $2,000 prize. Their ultimate reward took care of our own little part and it came in the form of a VIP tour came together really well.” Nov. 10-12 of Kennedy Space Cen- NASA collaborated with USA ter facilities, including TODAY on the education initiative 39A where was to encourage students to explore awaiting liftoff and the Space Station careers in science, , Processing Facility where station engineering and math, while learning components are prepared for launch. about NASA. The team and its sponsoring

The group from Prairie School teacher, Dr. Jean Weaver, also had an NASA/Jack Pfaller in Racine, Wis., topped a field of opportunity to present their award- The winners of the 2009 No Boundaries competition, from left, are: Dr. Jean Weaver, Julie Iuliano, Jean 151 entries representing more than winning project to NASA staff. Xin, Tatiana Barry, and not pictured, Kaitlyn Doubek. Nov. 27, 2009 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Teamwork key to Tranquility transfer By Cheryl Mansfield of all of us as partners,” said Bob Spaceport News Cabana, Kennedy’s director and a former astronaut who commanded he last major component set the first space station construction to be added to the Interna- mission. “All those different cul- Ttional Space Station, the tures coming together and working Node 3 module known as Tranquili- together as one for the betterment of ty, was officially transferred from the not just our own countries, but our European Space Agency to NASA world, and preparing us to go beyond during a ceremony Nov. 20. low Earth orbit to explore in space.” Inside the cavernous Space The pressurized node will Station Processing Facility, of- provide additional room for crew ficials from the two cooperating members and many of the space space agencies took the opportunity station’s life support and environ- to reflect on the nearly completed mental control systems already on station and its role in future space board. These systems include air exploration. revitalization, generation and water recycling. “Station is truly a phenomenal A waste and hygiene compart- NASA/Kim Shiflett engineering accomplishment, but as Bernardo Patti, head of the European Space Agency’s space station program, left, and Michael Suf- important as all that hardware is on fredini, NASA’s program manager for the International Space Station, shake hands after signing the orbit, what it really is, it’s the unity See NODE 3, Page 6 Node 3 Transfer of Ownership on Nov. 20.

Inventors’ new astronaut glove designs garner applause By Anna Heiney to the test during NASA’s is to improve the de- test operators from ILC Both Homer and Spaceport News 2009 Astronaut Glove Chal- sign, resulting in a stronger Dover sealed and pressurized Southern began working on lenge, held Nov. 19 at the and more flexible glove that each glove to 4.3 pounds per the project in spring 2006 wo independent Astronaut Hall of Fame in will reduce the hand fatigue square inch of internal pres- and competed in the first inventors answered Titusville, Fla., near Ken- experienced by sure, then tugged it through Astronaut Glove Challenge. NASA’s call for in- T nedy Space Center. working in space. its full range of motion Homer took home $200,000 novative new designs for the For the first Astronaut while measuring the amount next generation of astronaut Homer, an engineer after winning that event. gloves. Today’s spacewalk- from Southwest Harbor, Glove Challenge held in of each movement After the 2007 challenge, ers have to contend with Maine, was awarded 2007, competitors supplied required. Southern teamed up with bulky gloves that stiffen $250,000 after placing first. only the inner -re- Finally, the gloves’ former competitor Nikolay when pressurized, making it Southern, a sculpture major straining layer. The outer lay- strength capabilities were Moiseev. tough to grip and flex while at New York’s Pratt Institute, er, which provides protection measured in the burst test. Prior to the challenge, completing tasks in the earned second place and against extreme Test operators sealed the competitors were in the dark vacuum of space. $100,000. and micrometeoroids, was an glove and filled it with water, about who else would par- Peter Homer and Ted The ultimate goal of the added requirement this year. slowly increasing the pres- ticipate or what their designs Southern put their prototypes Astronaut Glove Challenge Representatives from NASA sure. Competitors, judges might be. and the agency’s spacesuit and other spectators leaned “You’re sort of develop- contractor, ILC Dover, ob- forward, watching the glove ing in the vacuum of your served and noted the gloves’ for signs of weakness or own little world,” Homer performances in a series of rupture. said. “You’re hoping that three tests. The event was spon- you’re going far enough with The competitor inserted sored by Secor Strategies your design. And then there’s his gloved arm and hand into LLC of Titusville, Fla., and the aspect of, ‘Who am I go- a depressurized glove box non-profit Volanz Aerospace ing to be going up against?’ for the dexterity and flexibil- of Owings, Md., managed I didn’t know Ted was ity test, completing cycles of the event for NASA. competing until we walked movements and tasks, such “Both of you did better in and saw each other.” as gripping a handle, using than the (current) Phase The Astronaut Glove tools, flexing the hand and VI glove, and you both get Challenge is one of six wrist, and touching the tip of applause for that,” said Alan Centennial Challenges prize NASA/Kim Shiflett the thumb to the tip of each Hayes, Volanz Aerospace competitions managed by This newly designed glove is one of the entries in the 2009 Astronaut Glove Chal- lenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program, at the Astronaut Hall of finger. chairman. “The test results NASA’s Innovative Partner- Fame near Kennedy. In the joint force test, were incredibly close.” ships Program. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 27, 2009 First-time shuttle launch spectators all atwitter t’s probably a vivid ers” shared with the world ed 150,000 followers. life! The vibration goes Headquarters began plan- memory etched in your of social-networking dur- Catherine Qualtrough through your body, engulfs ning for the Tweeps arrival. Ibrain... your first space ing space shuttle Atlantis’ from North Carolina, who you & you feel like part of “I’m really proud of shuttle launch as a Kennedy launch on its STS-129 mis- goes by @CatherineQ on the shuttle.” the team who has been Space Center employee. The sion Nov. 16. Twitter, typed, “FEELING After the adrenaline of working on the Tweet up,” ground rumbles, car alarms The “Tweet up” event the launch was amazing. launch slowed down, some said NASA Headquarters screech, and for a few mo- allowed NASA to share Sound wave strong and you Tweeters took the time to Public Affairs Officer John ments everyone around you the excitement of a shuttle feel it in your chest.” respond to questions from Yembrick, who moderated is silent until clapping and launch with a whole new Louis Suarato from New their loyal followers. the event. “We didn’t hire whistling erupts in unison. audience -- Tweeters came York, also known as “Yes, it was LOUD. The anyone new for this; every- It’s a once-and-a-lifetime from 21 states and four @LouisS, typed, “The most shockwaves shook my body one who has contributed has experience that 101 “Tweet- countries -- with an estimat- amazing experience of my for 8-10 seconds or more done so in addition to their from 500 feet to about 5,000 already busy schedules. feet,” typed Chris Floyd, We’ve had support from IT, @cmfloyd, from California. NASA TV, NASA photo, Others even described security and more.” the emotional aspect of the The dedicated team event. provided the launch enthusi- “Saw more than a few asts with wireless Internet, a teary eyes after the launch cozy tent outside the NASA before it got too blurry to News Center, a tour of Ken- see,” typed Chris Bridges, nedy facilities, and a chance @cabridges, from Orange to talk with shuttle techni- City, Fla. cians, engineers, astronauts NASA opened registra- and managers, as well as tion for the event Oct. 16 on plenty of goodies to take the Web and had an over- home. whelming response. The “Souvenirs galore to 100 slots available, plus an bring home. NASA gave additional 50 backup slots, us a press kit with lots of were scooped up in less than stuff. Videos, emblems, pins NASA/Jim Grossmann 20 minutes. From there, a etc. Most honored 2 get Astronaut addresses the participants of Kennedy’s first Tweet up, which was held to share the excitement of a space shuttle launch with a new audience. Kelly, slated to command the International Space Station next year, has a Twitter team of about 30 people the STS129 patch,” typed account (@StationCDRKelly) and is sharing his perspective with the Twitter community as he trains around the world. from Kennedy and NASA Floyd.

From STOTT, Page 1 Boeing facility. their colleagues ready to fly Having experience -- it became more real to Nicole Stott’s Space Station Blog with both shuttle and station space shuttle. I’m on the me,” Stott said. “And then hardware preparation, Launch: “2 words: hours working outside of for landing . . . I’m having people encourage me NASA selected Stott as an Woo Hoo!! These words the comfortable protection in the control center where was, I think, the big step to astronaut in July 2000. were exclaimed by me of our space station.” we’re launching the shuttle. actually getting here.” (maybe multiple times) I mean, it didn’t seem like Nine years later, While other employees through the ginormous Earth: “I have never it could get any cooler she reflected on her own from Kennedy have gone smile on my face as we been able to look at a than that,” Stott said. “And launch aboard a shuttle on to become astronauts left the pad. And oh by picture of the Earth from and residency on the space the way, you don’t just space and not feel a fortunately, I had people too, Stott’s time living and station. leave the pad. You get sense of awe. Well let me that I considered to be working aboard the station, “Up until the point of kicked off the pad! The just say that this is another mentors that I worked with coupled with her shuttle engines light and you feel case of the picture not starting work at Kennedy there.” and station processing the rumble, 6 seconds doing the reality justice. Space Center with NASA, It was during her final work, makes her experience later the solid The Earth, our planet, is two years at Kennedy that it never crossed my mind boosters light and you indescribably beautiful unique. she joined the Space Station that being an astronaut was are literally kicked off the . . . Every time I look out As the STS-129 mission Hardware Integration a possibility. And once I pad and you have no one of our windows I am Office. started working there and ends and the landing convoy doubt that you are going surprised by some new someplace fast! “ and beautiful discovery.” That position took meeting the people that she once commanded surrounds Atlantis on the her to Huntington Beach, worked there, and seeing Spacewalking: “I Read more of Stott’s Calif., where she worked as astronauts come through and runway, Stott’s journey will still can’t believe I had reflections from space at: the NASA project lead for seeing what they did when have come full circle, from the opportunity to step http://blogs.nasa.gov/ space station truss elements they were there -- working Kennedy to space, and back outside and spend 6 cm/blog/1831 under construction at a with the hardware or getting home again. Nov. 27, 2009 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 Shuttle Landing Facility team ready for anything By Steven Siceloff potential emergency airliner landing, Spaceport News though none have taken place. Follow the shuttle landing blog online Intruders on the runway are not ASA’s Shuttle Landing Fa- As of presstime, space shuttle Atlantis was scheduled always human, either. cility, or SLF, was built for Since the SLF is inside the Nthe space shuttle, but it also to land Nov. 27 at 9:44 a.m. EST. As the crew of STS-129 Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, has hosted an international assort- embarks on their journey home to the Shuttle Landing animals of all sorts routinely make ment of gigantic transport aircraft, Facility, Kennedy’s Web team will be blogging from the air their way onto the runway and have fighter jets, race cars and even off- traffic c ontrol tower for the first time. to be chased off. Alligators, snakes course skydivers. and turtles may not seem particularly Follow along with all the exciting landing milestones at: Someone watching from the menacing to a multimillion-dollar control tower might in one day see www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/landing_blog.html. aircraft, but hitting one of the astronauts diving at the runway in creatures during a takeoff or landing a Shuttle Training Aircraft, NASA is split between a NASA-focused wealth of procedures and resources could easily destroy the landing gear security helicopters sweeping the controller and one who works for the to call on in case someone breaks on an astronaut’s T-38 jet. area, or a mosquito aircraft spraying Air Force. the cardinal rules of the airspace, So if a controller spots an near the launch pad perimeter. The controllers oversee particularly on launch day. animal on the tarmac, a van or truck They also can find themselves rectangles of airspace running For instance, a private aircraft is dispatched to scare them away. making room on the runway for the far north of Kennedy down to flew near the space center during a A truck approaching an alligator occasional stray private pilot. Port Canaveral. If something is shuttle countdown in 2005 and had from behind is normally enough Such is life as an air traffic flying inside any of the areas, the to be escorted to a landing by Air encouragement to send the creature controller at one of the world’s controllers want to know what it is. Force fighters. into the neighboring grass or a canal. longest runways. “You’ll have all these small When there is not a shuttle Lately, the vehicles on the “You never know what’s going little aircraft that are in here and have on the pad or landing, there still is runway have taken on unusual to happen next,” said Ron Feile, who official business, but you need to plenty to see and do at the SLF. For shapes as the space agency has oversees the air traffic control and know who they are, where they are instance, a skydiver and his tandem cleared the way for more commercial operations at the SLF for EG&G. and what they’re doing,” Hooks said. jumping partner were blown off uses of the facility when the shuttles Built a few miles west of the The assortment of aircraft picks course one day by a storm. They aren’t using it. shuttle launch pads at Kennedy up greatly for launches and landings, landed on a grass strip between the Starfighters Inc., a company that Space Center, the landing strip was Feile said. That is when the Kennedy SLF runway and the canal flies supersonic F-104 aircraft, has built for such a unique mission that helicopters patrolling the launch pads -- a point 12 miles from their begun using the SLF for commercial it may be hard to think of it as an are joined by Air Force H-60 search- intended landing zone. spaceflight training and related . But that’s what it is, just ask and-rescue helicopters from Patrick There also was a pilot from the missions. the folks who man the control tower Air Force Base and several NASA Midwest ferrying an airplane who While cutting-edge aircraft and 100 feet above the 3-mile-long, aircraft. Also, astronauts not on the mistook the 15,000-foot-long shuttle spacecraft are part of the regular concrete runway. flight crew for launch fly T-38s and runway for the much smaller landing scenery at the SLF, vehicles that “You’re always vigilant, you’re Gulfstream II aircraft on weather strip at to the never leave the ground are becoming always on your toes,” said Ken reconnaissance missions around the south. more common at the runway. Hooks, who has been working as an launch site. In such cases, the uninvited NASCAR and Formula 1 racing air traffic controller since 1968. The controllers also scan the pilots or skydivers are questioned teams have been wringing out their The control tower at the SLF is area for weather concerns and by Kennedy’s security before road rockets on the runway to tweak relatively new and offers some of the monitor the shuttle servicing convoy they are allowed to leave. The designs. Tractor-trailers also are best views around of the spaceport. and security forces so they can move Federal Aviation Administration also trying new aerodynamic profiles in Standing inside the glass enclosure at around the area safely. The tower can get involved depending on the search ways to save fuel and money. the top of the tower, controllers have typically goes into launch or landing circumstances. As one of the SLF workers who the same gear that other mode two days before a liftoff or the The runway is large enough handles operations at the runway, use to monitor and regulate aircraft end of a mission. to host any airplane in the world, Goldy McKnight says, “We’re very moving around the area. The space The tower controllers have a so it occasionally is called on for a diverse out here.”

Helicopters with medical personnel arrive rolls past the air The Virgin Atlantic Airways GlobalFlyer The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels rehearse at the Shuttle Landing Facility before traffic control tower, which is about aircraft, piloted by Steve Fossett, touches before the 2008 KSC Visitor Complex ’s landing. 100 feet above the 3-mile-long runway. down at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Space and Air Show. Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 27, 2009 Engineer who helped send Glenn into space remembered

By Steven Siceloff conversion That was the first time thier lives in 1967. Oct. 15, 1915, in Montclair, Spaceport News of the Atlas an American orbited the The redesigned N.J. missile into Earth. command module made its He graduated from homas O’Malley, a rocket Later, North American first flight safely in October the Newark College of a legendary engi- safe enough Aviation called on O’Malley 1968. Engineering in 1936 with Tneer responsible for for the first to help get the company’s O’Malley also was a bachelor’s in mechanical launching the first American astronauts. Apollo command module instrumental in launch engineering. into orbit, died of pneumo- Thomas O’Malley O’Malley launch operations back operations for , He was married for nia Nov. 6 in Cocoa Beach, is perhaps on track following the Apollo-Soyuz and the 65 years to the former Anne Fla., at age 94. best known as the man who Apollo 1 fire where space shuttle as a vice Arneth and had two sons, Working for General pushed the button to launch astronauts Command Pilot president at North Thomas Jr. and James; Dynamics’ Convair the Atlas rocket that carried Virgil “Gus” Grissom, American, which became daughter Kathleen; three division, O’Malley astronaut John Glenn into Senior Pilot Ed White and Rockwell International. grandchildren and two played major roles in the orbit on Feb. 20, 1962. Pilot Roger Chaffee lost O’Malley was born great-grandchildren.

From NODE 3, Page 3 new component will provide an additional docking point for space shuttles and other crew vehicles ment and the COLBERT treadmill visiting the station. Attached to also will be relocated from other Tranquility will be Cupola, a unique areas of the station. work module with six windows on “ISS is the first necessary step the sides and one on top. in human’s exploration beyond low Tranquility and Cupola are set Earth orbit,” echoed Michael Suf- for delivery to the station early next fredini, NASA’s program manager year during space shuttle Endeav- for the International Space Station. our’s STS-130 mission. Tranquility was built for NASA by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, under contract to the European Space Agency. The module was part of ESA’s barter agreement, in return for NASA delivering the Columbus laboratory to the station. “The goal of tomorrow is to use this station, this beautiful achieve- ment, to the maximum extent,” said NASA/Jim Grossmann Bernardo Patti, head of the European NASA’s first large-scale solar power generation facility is ready for operation at Kennedy. The facility is Space Agency’s space station pro- the first element of a major renewable energy project currently under construction. gram. “Now the ISS is becoming a full development program and it will From SOLAR, Page 1 are expected to be quite small, said Roderick Roche, senior manager in be used as a platform to support an distributed to utility customers. SunPower’s program office. exploration program. We have all the “The fuel for this is always The panels are tilted 20 degrees ingredients to make that a success. free,” said Eric Silagy, FPL vice facing south. Their greatest energy We have the talent, we have the ex- president and chief development producing time will be in April, perience, and we have all the passion officer. “Solar power is ready from 11 a.m. to noon. Predictably, and the ideas.” to take center stage here in the January conditions are the least Spanning about 22 feet in length sunshine state.” favorable for power generation, and 14 feet in diameter, the node SunPower Corp. designed but that won’t stop the panels from arrived at Kennedy aboard an Airbus and built the facility by mounting working even in the winter. “Beluga” aircraft in May 2009, and 3,344 panels atop 1,183 piers. The Jim Ball, program manager for has been undergoing processing at structures are designed to withstand Center Development at Kennedy, Kennedy ever since. 130 mph winds. said it would take a tremendous “It’s been an outstanding team Compared with a conven- amount of new solar facilities to collaboration between Thales Alenia tionally fueled power plant, the fulfill all of the center’s electricity Space, NASA and ESA,” said Sonia solar energy center is relatively requirements, but that may become Ferrer, ESA’s Node 3-Cupola Prod- NASA/Kim Shiflett simple. All the panels have to do possible as the technology improves uct Assurance and Safety manager. STS-130 Mission Specialist Kathryn “Kay” Hire, is let the sun hit them to produce and new efficiencies develop. Tranquility’s connection point middle, and Pilot Terry Virts Jr., right, check out Cupola, which will be attached to Tranquility, current. It can be monitored “We’re in the right place at the on the station will be on the Earth- during their Crew Equipment Interface Test on remotely and its maintenance needs right time,” Ball said. facing side of the Unity node. The Nov. 5 in the Space Station Processing Facility. Nov. 27, 2009 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7 Remembering Our Heritage Aerospace archaeologists ‘dig’ Spaceport’s past By Kay Grinter Reference Librarian homas Penders, the cultural resource manager for the TU. S. Air Force 45th Space Wing’s Civil Engineer Squadron, is not afraid to get his hands dirty. The archaeologist for the squadron, Penders is one of about only 20 professional archaeologists in the burgeoning field of aerospace archaeology. The responsibilities of the cul- tural resource manager encompass all the historic launch complexes, cemeteries, and launch-related buildings on Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and their related areas, such as the Malabar Training Annex. He shares information with Kennedy Space Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Center’s Historic Preservation Of- From left, Dale Hawkins, Timothy Kozusko and Elaine Williams sift through dirt and stones for artifacts at the Little Midden archeological site at Cape Canaveral earlier this year. ficer Barbara Naylor. Penders also is the facility Almost all the fragments identi- shards of pottery, stone tools, and suggests the site could be one mile manager of the Cape Canaveral fied are from the lower and middle even shark’s teeth and vertebrae. long. This midden site promises to Lighthouse and has oversight of all interior areas of the missile. “There are numerous middens be an important site and identifying World War II facilities and Cold In a more traditional archaeo- at Cape Canaveral, but not many its significance and boundaries is War buildings at Patrick. logical excavation, Penders and a with the number of atypical artifacts under way. An aerospace archaeologist’s group of volunteers from the Indian as we are seeing here from our The artifacts found so far pursuit is to find, document, recover River Anthropological Society, a excavations to date,” Penders said. include check-stamped pottery, an and preserve sites important in local chapter of the Florida An- “The animal bones suggest the site indication that the site dates to the Malabar II Period, from AD 750 to aerospace history. Although primar- thropological Society, have been may have been used for a temporary seasonal camp, but the artifacts 1565, as well as animal bones, shell ily missile crash sites, structures and working a site on Cape Canaveral called Little Midden, found in 2006. suggest there may have been a more tools, and a ship’s spike that may facilities used in the space program Named after the heaps of earth and permanent settlement here at one date to a time of early European also are included. artifacts that were left by ancient time.” contact. One such site that Penders has dwellers, Little Midden is a 7,500- All artifacts discovered at the A small percussion cap from been studying on Cape Canaveral square-foot patch of soil one-and-a- Little Midden site will be kept at a black powder rifle also found is is a crater left by a missile half-feet deep. Cape Canaveral. Once the current direct evidence of the mid-19th accident more than 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the site was excavation is finished, a report will century homestead known to have partially destroyed during the 1960s be sent to the Florida State Historic existed there. when the area was used to process Preservation Office. The Air Force “We have a lot more testing to meteorological rockets. Remnants then will be allowed to develop the do before we can make any final of their infrastructure are still vis- property if needed. assumptions about the site,” Penders ible among the undergrowth. Another rather unique site said. “It appears that the rocket under evaluation is the Sarah site, In the meantime, Penders is processing facility destroyed part named for the woman who identi- working on a paper on the Jupi- of the site,” Penders said. “Some of fied it in 2008 during the annual ter missile site, which he will be the midden material was removed scrub jay census. Sarah had attended presenting at a conference of the and used to stabilize some unpaved a presentation Penders made at the Society for Historical Archaeology roads nearby. We are left with a Space Coast Birding Festival. in January. small snapshot of what was once a Located near the north bound- significantly larger site.” ary of Cape Canaveral Air Force With much of the history al- Station, the Sarah site is a large site More online ready lost, the goal now is to extract that has not been impacted by devel- For more information on the Indian

Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force as much remaining information as opment or previous investigations. River Anthropological Society and Thomas Penders of the Space Wing’s 45th Civil possible by painstakingly filtering At first, the site was thought to be its projects, visit http://www.nbbd. Engineer Squadron holds a piece of ancient pot- shovelfuls of dirt, shells and roots a relatively small scatter of prehis- com//archaeology-iras/. tery uncovered at the Little Midden site. to recover the 500 to 1,000-year-old toric artifacts, but recent analysis Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 27, 2009

ON WORD THE STREET Where do you see America’s space program in five years?

“It depends what the folks in Washington do. I’d like NASA to get back to the .” Gavin Oglesby, with BAE Systems

“It depends on what the president tells us based on his decision . . . pending the Augustine report.” Grady McCoy, with NASA

NASA/Jim Cain Guest speaker, Rita Willcoxon, director of Processing, addresses employees during the Senior Secretarial Team Fall Social on Nov. 19 in the Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission “Hopefully we’ll be up and going with space Briefing Room. The annual event is a networking, team-building activity open to all civil servant and exploration and a new space vehicle.” contractor secretaries and their supervisors. Tom Nguyen, with NASA

Launching Leaders, Space Club host networking event Kennedy Space Center Launching Leaders and the National Space Club of Florida are joining for a networking event Dec. 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Fish Lips’ upper deck in Port Canaveral. The event “Hopefully it still will be progressing and is open to the public but RSVPs must be received by Nov. 30. Admission is $5. To sign up for the Constellation will be doing well.” networking event, e-mail [email protected] or call 321-383-6135. Admission includes food, drinks and surprises. For more information on the NSC, visit www.nscfl.org. Alexandra Gavakis, with KSC Credit Union

Looking up and ahead . . . “It depends a lot on our relationship with China . . . hopefully we can have a working relationship.” Planned for Nov. 27 STS-129 landing/KSC Shuttle Landing Facility: 9:44 a.m. EST Michael Farrell, Targeted for Dec. 2 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, WGS SV-3; Window 7:21 to 8:41 p.m. EST with BAE Systems

Dec. 9 Launch/VAFB: WISE; Window: 9:10 to 9:23 a.m. EST

Targeted for Feb. 2 Launch/CCAFS: Falcon 9, Window 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST

No earlier than Feb. 3 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, SDO; 10:53 to 11:53 a.m. EST John F. Kennedy Space Center Targeted for Feb. 4 Launch/KSC: Endeavour, STS-130; 5:52 a.m. EST No earlier than Feb. 25 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, GOES-P; TBD Spaceport News Targeted for March 18 Launch/KSC: Discovery, STS-131; 1:34 p.m. EDT Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and Targeted for May Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, GPS IIF-1; TBD is published on alternate Fridays by External Relations in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. Targeted for May 14 Launch/KSC: Atlantis, STS-132; 2:28 p.m. EDT Contributions are welcome and should be submitted three weeks before publication to the Media Services Branch, IMCS-440. E-mail submissions can be sent to Targeted for May 23 Launch/VAFB: Delta II, Aquarius / SAC-D ; TBD [email protected] Targeted for July 29 Launch/KSC: Endeavour, STS-134; 7:51 a.m. EDT Managing editor ...... Candrea Thomas Editor ...... Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Targeted for Sept. 16 Launch/KSC: Discovery, STS-133; 11:57 a.m. EDT Copy editor ...... Rebecca Sprague No earlier than Oct. 1 Launch/VAFB: Taurus, Glory; TBD Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp. Writers Group. NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www.nasa.gov/kennedy Targeted for Fall 2011 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, Science Laboratory; TBD USGPO: 733-049/600142