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Home , Claude Nicollier, Maurizio Cheli

Mission update Vol. 35, No. 4 March 1, 1996 Spaceport News America's gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to planet Earth and beyond. John F. Kennedy Space Center

Civil servants offered new retirement options

Kennedy Space Center is of- itants. The pay structure for the time until the annual limit on Mission: Polar expendable vehicle fering a program to eligible civil full-time positions will essen- hours is reached. launch on a McDonnell Douglas service employees that will en- tially make up the difference Program participation is Delta II rocket. able them to sample retirement between the worker’s retire- strictly voluntary and only those while giving the center the ben- ment income and the step sal- civil servants who are eligible for Launch date, time: Feb. 24, efit of utilizing their years of ary at the time of retirement. 6:24 a.m. (EST) from Space early or optional retirement can Launch Complex-2, Vandenberg experience. For part-time positions that dif- participate. Air Force Base, CA. The Careers Plus program ferential will be divided and Positions the rehired retirees offers employees two new op- paid per hours worked. fill will be consistent with the Mission synopsis: Polar is one of tions for retirement. The first The second option will allow retiree’s previous grade and two spacecraft in NASA's Global will allow a worker to “try out” participants to retire and imme- qualifications and will involve Geospace Science mission. Polar retirement for 12-18 months at diately be rehired. Employees work that is needed to accom- and sister spacecraft, Wind, will which time they may choose to may work up to 1,040 hours a plish the agency’s mission. Work perform simultaneous, coordinated be rehired, either full time or year for up to two years. Work will be either inside or outside measurements of key regions of part time, as reemployed annu- may be either part time or full Earth's space environment. (See RETIRE, Page 4) 'Beautiful' launch draws big crowd

The STS-75 launch drew a near-capacity crowd of specta- tors, featured a new viewing site, and increased the number of and cosmonauts working in space to a dozen. “It was a beautiful countdown and it turned out to be a beauti- ful day,” Launch Integration Manager Loren Shriver said in a post-launch briefing Feb. 22. Mission: STS-76 on Atlantis. The Columbia lifted off on time from Kennedy Launch date, time: March 21, Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B 3:35 a.m. from Launch Pad at 3:18 p.m. 39B. Although the primary pay- load on the mission, the Teth- Synopsis: The third docking ered Satellite System (TSS-1R) between the U.S. and the unexpectedly separated just as Russian Space Station will the satellite was nearing the full be highlighted by several extent of its deployment from activities: a crew transfer, an the Shuttle at about 8:30 p.m. (EVA), on Feb. 25, science activities on logistics operations and the mission resulted in the col- scientific research. lection of about five hours of ex- A SMOOTH COUNTDOWN culminates in an on-time liftoff as the Space Shuttle Columbia tensive data on the performance climbs skyward after its launch at 3:18 p.m. Feb. 22. Aboard for Mission STS-75 is an international crew headed by Mission Commander Andrew Allen; Pilot Scott "Doc" of the satellite and tether dy- Landing date, time: March 30, Horowitz; Payload Commander Franklin Chang-Diaz; and Mission Specialsts Jeffrey namics and electrodynamics. Hoffman, and . Cheli, from Italy, and Nicollier, from 8:05 a.m. at Kennedy Space NASA is forming an indepen- Switzerland, both represent the . Assigned as Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. is Italian , who represents the . (See LAUNCH, Page 4) Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS March 1, 1996 African-American History Month celebrates culture, contributions

THROUGHOUT the month of February the contributions of Kennedy Space Center's African-American employees were highlighted during activities planned to commemorate African-American History Month. In the photo at left, Fred Gregory, associate administrator of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters, speaks at the Training Auditorium Feb. 2 on the month's theme "Building for Tomorrow on the Foundation of Our Past." Prior to accepting his current position in 1992, Gregory logged 455 hours in space as a pilot on STS-51-B, and spacecraft commander on STS-33 and STS-44. In the photo below, Kimberley Jenkins, chairperson of the Black Employee Strategy Team, presents a plaque to Amanda Harris, deputy director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall Space Flight Center. Harris spoke at the BEST breakfast, Feb. 14.

KSC employees enjoy an array of food offered during the African-American breakfast held at the Space Station Processing Facility. The breakfast, which was held in place of the traditional luncheon, attracted a sellout crowd of 224 people. Torch bearers to carry Olympic spirit through Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center will be well Olympics officials told where exactly they will carry the flame. represented when the Olympic flame the United Way that a The relay begins April 27 in Los Angeles passes through Brevard County and the number of the positions after the flame is delivered from Greece. It space center on its way to the 1996 Olympic would be allotted to KSC is scheduled to arrive in Atlanta July 19. Games in Atlanta. At least 22 KSC employ- employees to carry the Torch bearers were selected on the basis ees will be among those carrying the flame flame through the center. of outstanding contributions to the commu- through Central Florida after it begins its Application forms were nity. Kennedy Space Center employees journey in Los Angeles. distributed to all KSC selected include: The number of KSC employees selected employees, who were NASA employees Robert Nagy Jr., Lee surprised even the organizers of the event. encouraged to nominate Davies, Joanne Maceo, Jill Burkard, Jane “We had a disproportionate number themselves or others for Hodges and Loren Shriver; EG&G selected from Brevard,” said Judy McGinty, the positions. employees Thomas Arceneaux, Kathleen director of Community Initiative and Fund Marty Winkel, a Lockheed Martin Space Weaver and Maria Emmick; Lockheed Raising for the United Way of Brevard Operations Company employee who assists Martin Space Operations Company County. The United Way agency was used with KSC’s intercenter runs and coordinates employees Michael Phillips, Claude nationwide as the local coordinating group running events for the Space Coast Run- Overfelt, Robin Seymour, Mike for the torch teams. ners organization, said he was pleasantly Chappell, Marty Winkel, Sara Delmonte, McGinty said the selection process was surprised to learn he had been selected for Tom Grimm and Michael McCulley; complicated by the fact that candidates from the relay. McDonnell Douglas Space and Defense Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Lake “I knew my wife had put my name in but I Systems employees Donna Hoven and counties were all chosen by a team of 24 guess a couple other people did too,” he Thomas Anderson; Rockwell Interna- judges at a central judging site in Orlando. said. tional Corp. employees Theresa Clifton Two-thirds of the more than 400 nomina- Team members have been given T-shirts and Richard Unrue and Analysis & tions received at that location were sent in and hats with the Olympic emblem but won’t Technology Inc. employee Deborah from Brevard County, McGinty said. be told until a few weeks before the event Prongue. March 1, 1996 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Hattaway named procurement director STS-72 crew return James Hattaway has been Institute of appointed director of the Technology in Kennedy Space Center Procure- 1979. ment Office. He had served as H a t t a w a y deputy director since 1994 and entered federal assumed the duties of acting di- service in 1974 rector of the organization in as a contract 1995. negotiator for He said he was honored by HATTAWAY the U.S. Air the appointment and excited Force at Warner Robins Air about working with the procure- Force Base, Georgia. ment staff on new challenges. He joined NASA at KSC in Hattaway attended Middle 1977 as a contracts specialist. Georgia College and the Univer- In 1984, he advanced to the po- sity of Georgia until 1970, when sition of chief, contract place- he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He ment section. Prior to serving as was ultimately assigned to deputy director, Hattaway was from the Japanese Space Agency signs autographs for United States Readiness Com- chief of the Operations Con- Kennedy Space Center employees during a crew return ceremony for members of that mission Feb. 12 in the Training Auditorium. The mission featured the mand at MacDill Air Force Base, tracts Office. retrieval of the Japanese Space Flyer Unit. Tampa. Throughout his career Upon completion of his mili- Hattaway has received numer- tary service, Hattaway earned ous honors and awards, includ- a bachelor’s degree in business ing certificates of commendation Employees eligible for Disney discounts administration from the Univer- from the KSC center director in sity of Tampa in 1973, and a 1988 and 1994, and the NASA Special arrangements have Parking is not included in the master’s degree in acquisition Exceptional Service Medal in been made for KSC employees ticket price. management from the Florida 1990. to purchase one-day Disney And children under age 2 are park tickets at reduced rates admitted free. during the months of March, Effective dates for the spe- Watson appointed OP deputy director April and May. cials and ticket availability are Ann Watson has been ap- the Acquisition Management KSC employees can take as follows: pointed deputy director of the Office. Watson has been cited for advantage of the offer at three March 1 - 17 — (Ticket sales Procurement Office. Watson has achievements in leadership and Disney theme parks — The Feb. 26 - March 15) been with KSC since 1971 and professionalism and was Magic Kingdom, EPCOT or April 19 - May 5 — (Ticket has extensive experience in the awarded the KSC Director's Disney-MGM Studios. sales April 15 - May 3) procurement and contract man- Award in 1994. She will con- Ticket purchases will also May 17 - June 16 — (Ticket agement field. Her most recent tinue to serve as KSC's small include a discount coupon for sales May 13 - June 14) assignment has been as chief of business specialist. Pleasure Island. The effective dates are The single ticket price during printed on the tickets and will KSC Disney days is $24 which is only be valid for those dates. a savings of $15.22 per person Tickets are available at all Scholarship fund taking applications over the regular admission price. NASA Exchange retail stores. Applications are being winning author James A. taken through March 29 for Michener. Women's History Month event planned scholarships offered by the Continued success of the NASA Scholarship Fund. program comes from private The Federal Women’s Pro- come, first-served due to limited Five scholarships of $2,000 donations, as well as NASA gram Working Group (FWPWG) seating in the cafeteria. each are being offered for the employee deductions via the will host a celebration in honor The theme of the month is 1996-97 school year. Combined Federal Cam- of Women’s History Month on "See History in a New Way" and Applicants must be depen- paign. Thursday, March 14 from 2- 4 is meant to illustrate women's dents of NASA employees or Applicants will be notified p.m. in the Space Station Pro- lives and accomplishments as retirees and must be pursuing of the results in May. cessing Facility cafeteria. Guest part of our national history. an undergraduate science or The program is managed speakers will be Ann Montgom- The FWPWG invites KSC engineering degree at an ac- by the NASA/KSC Exchange ery, deputy director of logistics employees to view posters that credited college or university Council. operations, and Bev Merrilees, will be on display across the cen- in the United States. Applications are available personnel officer. ter throughout the month. The The scholarship fund was from Diane Holden in room Free refreshments will be posters feature 12 hand-tinted established through a sub- 1645, KSC Headquarters, served. historical photographs as- stantial gift by Pulitzer Prize- 867-4957. Seating for the forum is first- sembled into a collage. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS March 1, 1996

Teacher resource center opens in Puerto Rico Brown named Engineer of the Year By Joe Green Rico — RTRC’s bring NASA James T. Directorate at Johnson Space In late February KSC accom- educational resources closer to Brown, branch Center from 1984 to 1987. plished a long-sought goal — the home. chief of the Lo- Brown holds a Ph.D. in in- establishment of a Regional “We are delighted to have a gistics Opera- dustrial engineering from the Teacher Resource Center permanent NASA presence in tions Direc- University of Central Florida, (RTRC) in Puerto Rico. The first Puerto Rico,” said Maria torate’s Logis- a master’s degree in engineer- KSC-sponsored RTRC, in Schwarz, who will help operate tics Services ing management from the Marietta, GA, opened in 1993. the new facility at the Univer- Branch, has Florida Institute of Technol- “Teacher groups in Puerto sity of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez. BROWN been named en- ogy, and a bachelor’s degree in Rico who can get Air National “The teachers in our local gineer of the year by the electrical engineering from Guard transportation have been schools are very interested in Canaveral Council of Techni- Tennessee State University. flying to KSC for years,” accord- the space program, but trans- cal Societies and Florida En- He has served as an adjunct ing to Education Services Chief portation costs are too high to gineering Society. faculty member at the Florida Steve Dutczak. “And we send visit the states very often. Now The award was presented at Institute of Technology in our two Spacemobile lecturer/ we can supply NASA publica- the council’s engineering ban- Melbourne since 1994. demonstrators there as often as tions, videos and slides to teach- quet Feb. 24 at the Cocoa Other honors Brown has re- we can. But Puerto Rico has a ers at very little expense. We Beach Holiday Inn Resort. ceived include the NASA Cer- population of almost 3.5 million, think this will create a much Prior to his appointment as tificate of Commendation, the and more than 2,500 schools. stronger interest in science and branch chief in 1995, Brown Society of Logistics Engineers With numbers like those, we math in the school systems served as a technical staff as- Specialty Award and the needed a local facility that was here.” sistant for the Logistics Direc- NASA Special Achievement available to a much larger num- Plans are already underway torate from 1993 to 1995; as an Award. Additionally Brown ber of teachers.” to open a subsidiary RTRC in aerospace engineer at the and Robert Armacost of the All NASA centers, as well as Jayuya, an isolated mountain- Johnson Space Center Resi- University of Central Florida the Jet Propulsion Laboratory ous province in central Puerto dent Office at Kennedy Space (UCF) have developed a new and the Wallops Flight Facility, Rico. Other subsidiaries are Center from 1987 to 1993; and project scheduling algorithm offer teacher resource centers to being considered for the future. as an electronics engineer for for which UCF has applied for serve educators in their region. “We can help open the door NASA’s Mission Operations patent protection. But where a region is large and to good careers for the young diverse — KSC serves the Vir- people of Puerto Rico,” said gin Islands in addition to Dutczak. “And that’s what edu- Italian Space Agency, drew more Florida, Georgia and Puerto cation is all about.” Launch. . . than 24,000 people to KSC for federally mandated downsizing (Continued from Page 1) the launch. Retire . . targets. An estimated 30 percent dent panel to review the loss of Approximately 1,000 employ- (Continued from Page 1) of the KSC workforce is eligible the satellite, said Wil Trafton, ees and their families watched of the retiree’s previous organi- for early or optional retirement. acting associate administrator the launch from a new viewing zation or functional area. The program is effective im- for the Office of Space Flight. site located at the LC-39 Barge The program has been devel- mediately. The window of oppor- The team will be chaired by Turn Basin. NASA and contrac- oped by NASA to take advan- tunity for the "trial" and Kenneth Szalai, director of the tor employees deserving of spe- tage of the expertise offered by "phased" retirement expires Dryden Flight Research Center, cial recognition received vehicle employees eligible for retire- Sept. 30. For more information, Edwards, CA. A preliminary passes for the site. Plans are to ment while at the same time contact the KSC personnel office report with recommendations is use the site again for the STS- saving salary costs and meeting at 867-2514. due to Trafton by mid-May. 76 launch scheduled for March Experiments continued, 21. meanwhile, with the United The successful launch of STS- States Microgravity Payload, 75’s seven-member crew was John F. Kennedy Space Center which is advancing research ef- preceded by the Feb. 21 liftoff forts into development of new of the Russian Mir 21 crew, materials and processes that Commander Yuri Onufrienko Spaceport News could lead to a new generation and Engineer Yuri Usachev, to of computers, electronics and the space station to relieve as- The Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space metals. tronaut of the Center and is published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office At press time, Columbia was European Space Agency and in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. scheduled to land at KSC’s Russian cosmonauts Yuri Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks be- fore publication to the Media Services Branch, PA-MSB. E-mail submis- Shuttle Landing Facility at Gidzenko and Sergei Avdeyev, sions can be sent to [email protected] about 7:32 a.m. on March 7. who were scheduled to depart Managing editor...... Lisa Malone The combination of unseason- the space station this week. Mis- Editor...... Barb Compton ably warm weather, the recent sion Specialist Shannon Lucid, Editorial support provided by Sherikon Space Systems Inc. writers group. President’s Day holiday and the who trained in Russia, will join strong European interest in the that crew when she launches USGPO: 733-096/20016 TSS joint experiment with the aboard STS-76 this month.