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Spaceport News 'HF 9RO1R 6SDFHSRUW 1HZV -RKQ).HQQHG\6SDFH&HQWHU$PHULFD¶VJDWHZD\WRWKHXQLYHUVH 2012 reshaped vision for space Contracts By Rebecca Regan next step in Spaceport News crewed ISS n 2012, Kennedy Space Center celebrated its 50th year and contin- missions I By Rebecca Regan ued transitioning from a historically government- Spaceport News only launch facility to an ASA announced affordable and sustainable Dec. 10 the next multiuser spaceport of the step in its plan to future. N launch American astronauts Kennedy teams were from U.S. soil, selecting involved in launching four three companies to conduct missions this year: two on activities under contracts expendable launch vehicles that will enable future and two commercial flights certification of commercial to the International Space spacecraft as safe to carry Station. The center also pre- humans to the International pared and then transported Space Station. three space shuttles to their Advances made by these final display sites, estab- CLICK ON PHOTO NASA American companies dur- lished strategic partnerships In this time-lapse image, the lights of Orbital Sciences' L-1011 "Stargazer" streak across the night sky as the aircraft takes off ing the first contract phase, and began the refurbish- from the runway at Kwajalein Atoll with the company's Pegasus rocket to launch NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array on June 13. known as the certification ment of existing infrastruc- products contracts (CPC), ture for future uses. troscopic Telescope Array through two extreme and Space Station on May 25 will begin the process of The Launch Services (NuSTAR) began its two- dynamic regions of space after launching three days ensuring integrated crew Program (LSP) launched year mission aboard an Or- that surround Earth. The earlier atop a Falcon 9 transportation systems will its first mission of the year bital Sciences’ Pegasus XL pair now is providing un- rocket from Space Launch meet agency safety require- June 13. The Nuclear Spec- rocket launched from the precedented details about Complex 40 at Cape Canav- ments and standards to Kwajalein Atoll in the Mar- the Van Allen region, which eral Air Force Station. As launch American astronauts shall Islands. Now operating can affect Earth’s communi- the company’s second dem- to the International Space in a low-Earth equatorial cations systems and electric onstration mission for the Station from the United orbit, NuSTAR is studying power grids. Commercial Orbital Trans- States, ending the agency’s high-energy X-ray light to Kennedy LSP workers portation Services program, reveal black holes lurking in also marched toward three the flight opened the door See CPC, Page 3 our Milky Way galaxy and launches planned for 2013, for regularly transporting those hidden in the hearts of one from Florida and two critical cargo and research faraway galaxies. from California’s Vanden- to and from the station. Kennedy On Aug. 30, the Ra- berg Air Force Base. A few months later, Infrastructure diation Belt Storm Probes Work to open a new SpaceX transitioned to the Reviewed mission began with a thun- frontier in space and to in- Commercial Resupply Ser- The Ground Systems dering early morning liftoff vest in the American com- vices phase, launching its Development and Operations aboard a United Launch Al- mercial aerospace industry first of 12 contracted resup- Program recently completed an liance Atlas V rocket from also began to pay off this ply missions to the station. important System Requirements Cape Canaveral Air Force year. Lifting off on Oct. 7, the Review/System Definition Review CLICK ON PHOTO NASA milestone in planning for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Station. Now called the The Space Exploration Dragon spacecraft em- future operations at Dragon capsule lift off Oct. 7 from Van Allen Probes, the two Technologies (SpaceX) barked on a journey to de- Kennedy Space Center. Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape identical spacecraft loaded Dragon capsule became the liver about 1,000 pounds of Canaveral Air Force Station for the first See Page 4 for details . Commercial Resupply Services mission with scientific instruments first commercial spacecraft See , Page 2 to the International Space Station. are following each other to berth to the International 2012 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Dec. 14, 2012 CLICK ON PHOTOS NASA images In 2012, Kennedy Space Center employees prepared NASA's space shuttles for their display sites across the country. Discovery, left, headed to Virginia first on April 17, followed by Endeavour, center, to Califor- nia on Sept. 21, and Atlantis, right, to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Nov. 2. From 2012, Page 1 The agency’s first space-bound Shuttle Discovery was the first machines into space. Orion spacecraft arrived at Kenne- to depart Kennedy when it took In September, Kennedy hosted supplies to the orbiting laboratory. dy on June 28. It now is being pro- off atop the agency’s Shuttle Car- its first Innovation Expo to high- It also carried with it critical ma- cessed and tested for flight in the rier Aircraft (SCA) on April 17. light employee innovations and terials to support about 170 inves- Operations and Checkout Building The ferry flight to the Washington spur collaboration for future center tigations, some of which stemmed high bay. The first uncrewed mis- Dulles International Airport in and agency endeavors. from Kennedy’s Engineering and sion of Orion, called Exploration Virginia took about four hours. The Many organizations across Flight Test-1, is targeted to launch agency’s most-flown shuttle then Technology Directorate and the Kennedy collaborated to host a International Space Station Ground atop a Delta IV rocket in 2014. was transported to its new home at record-turnout year for its high- Processing and Research Director- NASA also is designing a heavy-lift the Smithsonian’s National Air and energy Lunabotics Mining Com- ate. rocket called the Space Launch Sys- Space Museum Steven F. Udvar- These commercial cargo flights tem that will launch future Orion Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. petition. Thirty-eight U.S. and 17 provide a glimpse of what com- spacecraft and astronauts farther On Sept. 21, Endeavour made international college and university mercial crew services to low-Earth into space than ever before from a three-day cross-country trek to teams spent months designing and orbit might look like in the future. Kennedy. Los Angeles with flyovers above building their versions of remote- Working with seven commercial To position the center as a pre- NASA’s Michoud Assembly Fa- controlled or autonomous excava- partners during the Commercial mier launch site for both govern- cility near New Orleans, Stennis tors, called lunabots, before head- Crew Development Round 2 phase, ment and commercial spaceflight Space Center in Mississippi, several ing to Kennedy to test them out in NASA’s Commercial Crew Pro- missions, the Ground Systems De- points around Houston and numer- a large sandbox filled with lunar gram (CCP) continued to move velopment and Operations Program ous California landmarks. The regolith simulant. promising spacecraft and launch is developing multipurpose ground agency’s youngest shuttle then was Another lunar terrain-focused vehicles concepts forward. systems and upgrading infrastruc- honored with a two-day, 12-mile project met with success in 2012. The program then signed new ture and facilities. parade as it traveled to the Califor- NASA’s Regolith and Environment This year, the program re- nia Science Center. agreements in August with three Science and Oxygen and Lunar companies for the Commercial moved hundreds of miles of cables NASA gave its final shuttle a Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) Crew Integrated Capability initia- replacing it with state-of-the-art grand sendoff as it moved Atlan- payload was installed on the Cana- tive. Until mid-2014, CCP will work command, control and communi- tis from the VAB to the Kennedy with SpaceX, Sierra Nevada Corp. cation systems in the Vehicle As- Space Center Visitor Complex dian Space Agency rover, dubbed (SNC) and The Boeing Company sembly Building (VAB) and at pad on Nov. 2. Shuttle-era astronauts Artemis Jr., at Kennedy. The duo as they complete their integrated 39B. Workers also removed space and members of the workforce and a team of center engineers then spacecraft and launch vehicle shuttle-era work platforms from the who readied the shuttles for 30 traveled to Hilo, Hawaii, where the designs, test their hardware, and VAB to make room for a more flex- years cheered as Atlantis made a terrain is similar to the moon’s to showcase how they would operate ible concept and began to upgrade final daylong 10-mile trip through test how their tools and equipment and manage missions from launch a legacy crawler-transporter to sup- Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39, would drill for resources. through orbit and landing. port the SLS. Industrial Area and Exploration Partnering with commercial CCP also awarded the first While preparing for the fu- Park. A fireworks display that night customers has been a key focus of phase of contracts in certification ture, Kennedy workers closed welcomed Atlantis to its new home, the Center Planning and Develop- efforts for crewed missions to the out a historical chapter in human which is set to open to the public ment Office as Kennedy becomes space station. The Certification spaceflight. The team methodically next summer. less program-centric and more Products Contracts will allow processed space shuttles Discov- Celebrating the many accom- capability-centric. NASA and industry to iron out how ery, Endeavour and Atlantis for plishments of Kennedy and its As the United States embarks systems in development could meet their new missions to educate and workforce was a recurring theme on a new era of spaceflight through all of the agency’s safety and per- inspire America’s next generation throughout the year.
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