Nov. 5, 2012 Vol. 52, No. 22 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe

Spirit of Atlantis motivates, inspires Children from the Kennedy Space Center Child Development Center wave flags as space shuttleAtlantis makes its way home to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Nov. 2. Story on page 2; Photo by NASA/ Tony Gray Photos on pages 5-6

Platforms removed Next CCP phase starts Rocket U testing Cybersecurity vital Inside this issue...

Page 2 Page 3 Page 8 Page 9 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 5, 2012 Atlantis trek keeps spirit of exploration alive By Steven Siceloff tis moved down the wide Spaceport News roadway between the three orbiter processing facility ASA gave space hangars that served as the shuttle Atlantis a shuttle fleet's home before grand sendoff N being turned around at sun- Nov. 2 moving the orbiter rise to take Kennedy's main 10 miles from its workplace roadway south. The trip of almost 30 years to a new, concluded about custom-built museum exhi- 11 1/2 hours later with bition at the Kennedy Space Atlantis reaching the new Center Visitor Complex exhibit area. The shuttle that is to be equipped with Atlantis made two ceremo- some of the most high-tech nial stops along the way so displays imagined. center employees and then "Godspeed, Atlantis, the public could pay tribute. on your next mission of Fireworks punctuated the inspiration and motivation," evening at the visitor com- said NASA Administra- plex as Atlantis halted out- tor Charles Bolden shortly side the 90,000-square-foot before signing over the NASA/Jim Grossmann exhibit hall being built to retired shuttle for permanent Space shuttle Atlantis arrives at its new home, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, on Nov. 2. Atlantis completed its 10-mile journey from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building with stops during the day for a transfer ceremony in Kennedy's In- house the venerable shuttle. display. "Atlantis' final mis- dustrial Area and public viewing in Space Florida's Exploration Park. As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle The next morning, crews sion may have closed out the Program, Atlantis will be displayed in a new exhibit hall at the visitor complex beginning in the summer of 2013. carefully inched the retired space shuttle program, but orbiter inside the walls. With the spirit that created that before sunrise to see Atlantis the last mission of Atlantis, story of how it was all made a 78-foot-wide wingspan and program and built her is very off. STS-135, which was also and how it was all done. a tail that reaches more than much alive." "I think that the shuttle the final flight of the shuttle This is good." five stories, the spacecraft Shuttle-era astronauts was a great book, it really program. "You know, if it's The move began at about was too big to be rolled into and members of the work- was, and this little part is a bad book, you don't read 6:30 a.m. with the shuttle a completed museum wing, force who readied the space like the epilogue," said Chris the epilogue. This is a good backing out of the Vehicle shuttles for 30 years came in Ferguson, who commanded book, and this is kind of the Assembly Building. Atlan- See ATLANTIS, Pages 5-6 VAB mods to support multiple launch vehicles By Bob Granath and spacecraft to take astronauts Spaceport News to low-Earth orbit and the Interna- tional Space Station. SLS will be an he Vehicle Assembly Build- advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle ing (VAB) at Kennedy Space providing a new capability for hu- Center is undergoing renova- T man exploration beyond Earth orbit. tions to accommodate future launch “After more than 45 years of use, vehicles. A project of Ground Sys- it was time to clear out and update tems Development and Operations the garage,” said Jose Lopez, VAB (GSDO), space shuttle-era work senior project manager in the Vehi- platforms have been removed from cle Integration and Launch Support the VAB's High Bay 3 and accom- Branch of GSDO. “What makes this modations are being made to sup- project such a major undertaking is port a variety of future spacecraft, the size.” including NASA's Space Launch NASA/Jim Grossmann The VAB is 526 feet tall, 716 feet System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket. The As part of Ground Systems Development and Operations Program work at Kennedy Space Center, long and 518 feet wide. It covers changes are part of a centerwide space shuttle-era work platforms are removed from high bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building on eight acres and encloses more than modernization and refurbishment Oct. 24. All platforms were removed two days later. 129 million cubic feet of space. The initiative in preparation for the next took American astronauts to the Plans now call for the VAB to building was constructed to with- generation of human spaceflight. moon. In the late 1970s, the facility be able to support multiple types stand hurricanes and tropical storms One of the largest buildings in the was refurbished to accommodate of space vehicles, including the with a foundation consisting of world, the VAB was constructed in the space shuttle. Following three SLS, Orion spacecraft and com- 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and the mid-1960s to support stacking decades of flight, the space shuttle mercial rockets. NASA is partnering of the Apollo Saturn V rockets that was retired in 2011. with private industry on rockets See VAB, Page 9 Nov. 5, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Third Commercial Crew Development phase kicks off By Rebecca Regan nauts to and from the International space station needs. performance milestones at its head- Spaceport News Space Station.” “The ISR established a firm base- quarters in Hawthorne, Calif., which The Boeing Company, Space Ex- line configuration that will allow our included technical reviews of the hree American companies ploration Technologies (SpaceX) and team to push forward with the final Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 rocket with three very different Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) spent vehicle design,” said John Mulhol- and future plans for ground opera- spacecraft and rocket com- T the last two months kicking off the land, Boeing vice president and tions in support of crewed flights. binations are off and running on the agency’s Commercial Crew Inte- program manager for Commercial SpaceX also presented the tech- next design and development phase niques it will use to design, build and for NASA’s Commercial Crew Pro- grated Capability (CCiCap) phase, Programs. “We hope the rigor of our test its integrated system, including a gram (CCP). Working with different completing their first few perfor- design and development process, pad abort test and in-flight abort test capsule and spaceplane specifica- mance milestones. and our outstanding team of suppli- from Space Launch Complex 40 at tions, the companies have set about During its integrated systems ers will help position the CST-100 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in proving their systems will meet the review (ISR) in Houston, Boeing as one of the next crew transporta- Florida. demands of launching and sustaining presented the latest designs of its tion vehicles to the space station and This transition for SpaceX into humans in space. CST-100 spacecraft, United Launch other low-Earth orbit destinations.” NASA’s CCiCap phase comes on “All of our industry partners are Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket At the review, Boeing also pre- the heels of completing its CCDev2 now pushing their human space- launch system, and ground and sented results from numerous tests partnership with NASA. During flight technologies further than ever mission operations. These designs that were conducted as part of its CCDev2, the company made prog- before so America can have its own will serve as the baseline for further earlier Commercial Crew Develop- ress designing, developing and crew transportation system around development work to be accom- ment Round 2 (CCDev2) Space Act initially testing components of a the middle of the decade,” said Ed plished during CCiCap. Boeing also Agreement with NASA. These tests launch abort system (LAS), one Mango, CCP’s program manager. “In discussed its plans for safety and included parachute and air bag drops, of the most challenging aspects of the future, NASA could be certifying mission assurance, which ultimately abort engine firings and wind tunnel building a system safe enough to that these and other systems are safe could contribute to achieving certi- tests. enough to begin ferrying our astro- fication of the system for NASA’s SpaceX completed its first three See CCP, Page 8 's pusher escape system rockets full-scale crew capsule

By Rebecca Regan and other customers. ing 1,630 feet away. ferent from NASA's previous Spaceport News More online "The progress Blue Origin The pusher escape system launch escape systems that For more information about has made on its suborbital was designed and developed would pull a spacecraft away ASA's Commercial NASA's Commercial Crew and orbital capabilities really by Blue Origin to allow crew from its rocket before reach- Crew Program Program, visit: www..gov/ is encouraging for the overall (CCP) partner Blue escape in the event of an ing orbit. N commercialcrew or join the future of human spaceflight," emergency during any phase "The use of a pusher con- Origin conducted a success- conversation on ful pad escape test Oct. 19 said Ed Mango, manager of ascent for its suborbital figuration marks a significant Facebook and Twitter. at the company's West Texas of CCP, which is primarily system. As departure from the traditional launch site in Van Horn, based at Kennedy Space part of an incremental towed-tractor escape tower firing its pusher escape Commercial Crew Develop- Center. "It was awesome development program, the concepts of Mercury and motor and launching a full- ment Round 2 (CCDev2). to see a spacecraft NASA results of this test will shape Apollo," said Rob Meyerson, scale suborbital crew capsule CCDev2 continues to bring played a role in developing the design of the escape president and program man- from a simulated propulsion spacecraft and launch vehicle take flight." system for the company's ager of Blue Origin. "Provid- module. designs forward to develop a The suborbital crew cap- orbital biconic-shaped Space ing crew escape without the The test was part of Blue U.S. commercial crew space sule traveled to an altitude of Vehicle. need to jettison the unused Origin's work supporting its transportation capability that 2,307 feet during the flight The system is expected to escape system gets us closer funded Space Act Agree- ultimately could become test before descending safely enable full reusability of the to our goal of safe and af- ment with NASA during available for the government by parachute to a soft land- launch vehicle, which is dif- fordable human spaceflight."

CLICK ON PHOTOS Photos courtesy of Blue Origin Blue Origin conducts a pad escape test at the company's West Texas launch site Oct. 19, firing its pusher escape motor and launching a full-scale suborbital crew capsule from a simulated propulsion module. Blue Origin's suborbital crew capsule traveled to an altitude of 2,307 feet during the flight test (left) before descending safely by parachute (center) to a soft landing 1,630 feet away (right). Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 5, 2012 Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center

NASA/Frankie Martin Space Florida was recognized with a Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award for its Boeing/Kennedy Space Center commercial partnership project in the category of “Public- Private Partnerships for communities with populations of 500,000 or more” from the Interna- tional Economic Development Council (IEDC). President Frank DiBello, left, in turn presented Kennedy Director Bob Cabana with a symbol of appreciation for his support.

NASA/Ben Smegelsky Early on Oct. 30, a full moon is seen above the water tower in Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39.

NASA/Rick Wetherington More than 28 mentors interacted with students and job seekers on Disability Mentoring Day around Kennedy Space Center. The Oct. 22 event was sponsored by the Disability Awareness and Action Working Group (DAAWG), in partnership with the Education Office. Here, Connor NASA/Ben Smegelsky Botsford of Winter Park High in Orlando, is guided by Henry Collier of the Chief Financial Office. A pair of raccoons inside a Kennedy Space Center dumpster were surprised by a photographer earlier this year. Child Development Center hosts costume parade The Kennedy Space Center Child Development Center hosted its annual Fall Festival on Oct. 26. Activities included a costume parade and pumpkin patch pho- tographs. Parents and younger children, who dressed up as well, watched as the preshoolers marched around the center in costumes.

Photos by NASA/Jim Grossmann Nov. 5, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 5, 2012 Atlantis: The final space shuttle journey

NASA/Tony Gray NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, left, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana hold the just-signed document transferring the title of space shuttle Atlantis to the center as Atlantis pauses dur- ing its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for a ceremony to commemorate CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Tony Gray the transfer. Participating in the ceremony, from the left, are Chris Ferguson, who commanded Atlantis' Led by the Merritt Island High School Color Guard and the Titusville High School band, space shuttle final mission; Bolden; Cabana; Karol Bobko, commander of Atlantis' first mission; and Delaware North Atlantis is transported along NASA Causeway at Kennedy Space Center on its 10-mile journey to the Companies Parks and Resorts Chief Operating Officer Bill Moore. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Nov. 2.

CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Frank Michaux NASA/Kim Shiflett CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Kim Shiflett Space shuttle crossing signs were set up around Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 2 to highlight Atlantis' A fireworks show frames space shuttle Atlantis as it enters the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Space shuttle Atlantis moves out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 2 or its 10-mile trip to where it will be put on public display. As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is 10-mile trip to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Above, a mock-up Orion capsule is shown in on Nov. 2 following a 10-mile move from the Vehicle Assembly Building. to be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. During the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions. the background at Space Florida's Exploration Park.

From ATLANTIS, Page 2 For some, seeing Atlantis move into nedy's low-slung, 76-wheel vehicle and other facilities before taking a turn who lives near Kennedy. probe to Jupiter, both in bol of cooperation in 1995 of retirement, has been on Atlantis Move its final home was worth a special trip known as the orbiter transfer system. and passing by the Space Life Sci- Atlantis made its first trip 1989. when the shuttle docked display in the National Air By The Numbers so the last wall will be erected be- of their own. Gayle Dye of Albu- A parade including a marching band ences Laboratory, a research facility into orbit in October 1985, "Both of those were stun- with the Russian space sta- and Space Museum's hind it during the next few weeks. querque, N.M., made trips to Florida and a phalanx of shuttle workers and whose work includes developing and when it flew a classified ning scientific successes," tion Mir. Udvar-Hazy Center outside 1 – High voltage line removed The spacecraft will be covered in to see several shuttle launches and astronauts accompanied the shuttle to implementing scientific experiments mission for the Depart- said Roger Launius, curator "The Mir missions are Washington, D.C., since 23 – Traffic signals moved some 16,000 square feet of shrink drove to White Sands Space Harbor a ceremony to sign over the artifact for the International Space Station. ment of Defense. It made at the Smithsonian's Nation- essentially the dry run for April. 56 – Traffic signs moved wrap to protect it while workers fin- in her home state to see Endeavour fly for display. The shuttle convoy paused at its second trip into space a al Air and Space Museum the cooperative effort for "They are being given 120 – Light poles moved ish the inside of the exhibit hall and over on the back of the modified 747 "Atlantis now takes on a mission Exploration Park for a few hours month later and by the time and NASA's former chief the International Space Sta- honorable retirements," 16,000 – Square footage of shrink wrap to cover Atlantis during finishing of exhibit Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. of inspiration for future exploration," where visitors could see the gigantic it retired in 2011, Atlantis historian. "It's hard to un- tion," Launius said. Launius said. "This is a then stand Atlantis on a 36-foot-high area pedestal where it will be seen as it "I've kind of done the whole gamut said shuttle astronaut Bob Cabana, spacecraft up-close, have their pic- had completed 33 success- derestimate the importance Atlantis is the third and permanent accomplishment 90,000 – Square footage of Atlantis' flew in space with cargo bay doors now, from launch to the 747 and now director of Kennedy. tures taken with it and participate in a ful missions. of those flagship missions." final shuttle of NASA's of the American people and exhibit hall now under construction open, landing gear retracted and the to seeing it in person," Dye said. "I Following a signing ceremony, festival of space-related displays and Atlantis' mission log Having started its space- former operational fleet to it's important that we robotic arm deployed. just got hooked on launches. It's the Atlantis was taken on a route through activities. includes launching the flight career flying Cold be moved into a museum. understand this chapter of Source: NASA/ Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex The museum is slated to open in adventure of space." Kennedy's Industrial Area where it "It would've been weird not to Magellan spacecraft to War missions, Atlantis Discovery, the oldest not just space history, but July 2013. Atlantis made the trip atop Ken- passed by the center's headquarters come out here," said Kim Siems, map Venus and the Galileo became a high-profile sym- active shuttle at its time American history." Nov. 5, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7 NASA's Scenes Around The Nation

CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Charisse Nahser CLICK ON PHOTO NASA A Centaur stage is offloaded from the United Launch Alliance barge Delta Mariner that arrived at Port Canaveral, Fla., Engineers at Orbital Sciences Corp. in Gilbert, Ariz., mechanically integrate the Opera- Oct. 20. The Centaur will be part of a launch vehicle that will boost the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-K, or TDRS-K, tional Land Imager (OLI) onto the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) spacecraft into Earth orbit atop an Atlas V rocket. The TDRS-K spacecraft is the first of the next-generation series in the Tracking on Oct. 18. The integration took three days. This photo shows the OLI wrapped in and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking data and blankets that provide a barrier to contamination. LDCM is scheduled to launch Feb. 11 telemetry with high-bandwidth capability for the International Space Station and spacecraft in Earth orbit. from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

CLICK ON PHOTO Photo courtesy of SpaceX A Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 28, a few hundred miles west of Baja California, Mexico. The splashdown successfully ended NASA's first contracted cargo delivery flight to resupply the International Space Station. Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 5, 2012 Rocket U engineers push aerial boundaries By Steven Siceloff "Just the fact that a UAS have governed scores of Spaceport News went through the process missions. to be certified to execute a That doesn't mean the ngineers at Kennedy mission out here and to go task is a grind through Space Center con- execute that mission, that's bureaucratic checklists, tinue to stretch their E going to be new ground for participants said. intellectual legs with proj- Beyond the challenges ects outside their special- Kennedy," Dupuis said. The of building an aircraft and ties. A team of participants adjustment is more than letting it fly on its own, the in Rocket University academic since Kennedy is Rocket U participants rou- (Rocket U) is building going to play a larger role in tinely turn their education a fuel cell-powered un- certifying rockets and space- into inspiration. Engineers manned aerial vehicle and craft for flight in the future visit classrooms to show support systems to perform as the spaceflight business Photo courtesy of Rocket University middle- and high-school stu- missions such as wildlife expands into non-traditional Participants in Rocket University conducted a test in October of the video system dents the delight of learning, surveillance around the areas. that will be used in the program's unmanned aerial vehicle project. then using math and science expansive space center. Rocket U is far from to build cool things. "One of the goals is to get marks such as the Vehicle must account for all the simply presenting technical "The earlier you can get people exposure to some Assembly Building and things that go into operating challenges to overcome. It is somebody excited about sci- of the more contemporary launch pads. it, planning its flights and as much about learning how ence, technology, engineer- technologies," said Michael It will run on a fuel cell collecting information from to move a team of engineers ing and math (STEM educa- Dupuis, who is leading the that uses hydrogen and col- the mission. It is in this through a series of steps, tion), the better," unmanned aerial systems lects oxygen from the air to network, called the UAS including peer reviews, to Dupuis said. group. Dupuis worked on produce electricity. with "systems" replacing complete a mission us- ing the space shuttles' fuel The aircraft will carry a "vehicle," that Dupuis said NASA practices that cell systems, including the small camera and be able to real advances can be made power reactant storage and capture precise images and in the project. distribution system (PRSD). statistics on the wildlife that Consider, for example, Basically, the goal is to live inside the 140,000-acre that no build a 9-foot-wide airplane wildlife refuge at Kennedy. unmanned with a narrow fuselage that Apart from developing aircraft has can pilot itself over the an aircraft, known as an ever flown Photo courtesy of Rocket University iconic Kennedy landscape Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Kennedy The design of the Rocket University unmanned aerial vehicle calls for a 9-foot wingspan and without jeopardizing land- (UAV), the project also airspace. 6-inch-wide fuselage.

“This sharing of experience benefit- retire significant subsystem develop- CCDev2 partnership, the company From CCP, Page 3 ted both NASA and the company and ment risk so that they are ready to established a technical foundation carry humans into space. is creating a more dependable system have the integrated Critical Design for certifying its rocket for NASA “Our NASA team brought years at an accelerated pace.” Review and ready to go into manu- crews launching to the International of experience to the table and shared During a program implementa- facturing of the space vehicle,” said Space Station. ULA also developed with SpaceX what components, tion plan review in Louisville, Cheryl McPhillips, NASA partner the design criteria for the Atlas V’s systems, techniques and processes Colo., SNC outlined for NASA the manager. emergency detection system, estab- have worked for the agency’s hu- steps it plans to take while it readies While Boeing and SNC continue lished requirements for the rocket’s man space transportation systems in its Dream Chaser spacecraft for a to advance their spacecraft designs, dual-engine Centaur configuration the past and why they’ve worked,” crewed orbital demonstration flight their chosen launcher, the Atlas V, and selected the design approaches said Jon Cowart, the NASA partner atop ULA’s Atlas V rocket. is moving forward to support initial for accommodating humans and their manager of SpaceX during CCDev2. “During CCiCap, they hope to test launches. During its unfunded spacecraft at its launch site.

Print Your Own CCP Posters

To download your Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) posters, click on the poster images at right. Nov. 5, 2012 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 9 Digital age makes cybersecurity ultra important By Brittney Longley avoid using hotel computers while traveling, be aware Spaceport News and network services while that the Wi-Fi connec- traveling. tion is not secure and can ASA celebrated “I recommend against be hacked. If you are on the ninth annual using hotel computers if National Cyberse- government travel, be sure N possible,” said Yu. to establish a Virtual Private curity Awareness month by With no way of know- implementing several out- Network (VPN) connection ing if there is malware back to the center before reach events to educate the on the computers, there making an online transac- workforce about securing is a possibility that your tion. themselves on- and offline. credentials can be tracked, While the Internet has Held in October and captured and later used by become more prominent in sponsored by the Depart- hackers when you log into ment of Homeland Security, NASA/Jim Grossmann a site. our everyday lives, the risk the theme was designed Kennedy Space Center’s IT Security Office team members dress as pirates Oct. IT suggests that if you and dangers of using it have to remind everyone of the 23 to grab the attention of employees to explain the importance of cybersecurity increased, making aware- during National Cybersecurity month. must use a hotel computer importance of online secu- that you use a secure web- ness of cybersecurity im- rity awareness in an effort team members dressed of cybersecurity, the videos site and change your pass- perative to anyone who uses to reach the goals of the as pirates and educated also teach employees how word as soon as possible the Web. “In this digital age, agency. employees on cybersecurity, to become more aware when when you return home. cybersafety is more impor- “We wanted to increase with an online scavenger traveling with computers, When using a laptop tant than ever,” Yu said. awareness,” said Henry Yu, hunt that asked employees and how to protect them- chief information security questions about cybersecu- selves and their belongings. More information online officer at Kennedy Space rity. Data at Rest (DAR) Heads Up: Stop. Think. Connect. Center. “We wanted to help NASA IT Security implementation is another http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec19.pdf remind people to protect posted informational videos major NASA chief informa- Living Life Online themselves while online.” on the KSC portal and tion officer (CIO) initiative http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec15.pdf The Information Tech- to help increase cyber- YouTube to share the best Laptop Security Tips Bookmark nology and Communica- security measures. The DAR practices that should be used http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/bookmarks/bmk08.pdf tions Services Directorate to safeguard themselves software encrypts the hard Identity Theft: What To Know, What To Do (IT) set up booths across the when using computers on drive, an additional layer of http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt01.pdf center in a different building a day-to-day basis. While protection to sensitive data Your Access to Free Credit Reports each Tuesday throughout ensuring that all employees stored on the laptops. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.pdf October. IT Security Office are becoming more aware Employees also should

From VAB, Page 2 the work platforms,” said Lopez. said Lopez. “Once checkout was ments to the VAB. Some of the Ivey's Construction Inc. of Merritt complete, the platforms were moved utilities and systems slated for 4,225 steel pilings driven 160 feet Island, Fla., began the task in early outside on a transporter where Ivey's replacement have been used since into bedrock. September. Working closely with Construction crews demolished the the VAB was completed in 1966. The first step in the plan was NASA and other Kennedy contrac- structures so the debris could be This initial work will be required to to remove space shuttle-era work tors such as United Space Alliance safely hauled away.” support any launch vehicle operated platforms, a project that presented and URS, as well as an on-call archi- The effort also required a great from Launch Complex 39 and will numerous challenges. tectural and engineering firm BRPH, deal of coordination to ensure the allow NASA to begin modernizing "Imagine having to use a crane to they helped ensure all systems in the project was completed safely. the facilities while vehicle- safely lower to the ground a struc- VAB were disconnected from the ture the size of a large home," Lopez "There are several renovation specific requirements are said. “That provides perspective on platforms. projects going on in the VAB right being developed. what it was like to remove the old “There were several key factors to now," Lopez said. "Tour guests from “Our plans for 2014 include shuttle work platforms.” consider in order for platforms to be the Kennedy visitor complex were awarding the constitutional contract There were eight box-like support safely lowered to the floor, such as coming through, so we made sure for the new access platforms, includ- structures surrounding the shuttles determining the center of gravity in to coordinate the work so it could ing related structures and systems during stacking in the VAB. One each box platform section,” Lopez be completed with safety being our required for the SLS,” Lopez said. box platform structure had been re- said. number one priority." Some of the current work has moved in 2009 in preparation for the He noted that a few of the plat- The next major project will be included removal of over 150 miles launch of the Ares I-X test vehicle in forms were the size of a three-story to install a new fire suppression of obsolete Apollo- and shuttle-era October 2009. Each platform struc- building and weighed between system. cabling. This will make room for in- ture had work stands, connections 300,000 and 325,000 pounds. “This will modernize the fire stallation of more efficient, state-of- for electricity, water, pneumatics and “The effort to lower each plat- suppression water supply system the-art command, communication, other commodities. form took place over several hours and bring it up to modern codes,” control and power systems needed “For this undertaking, we selected to ensure full control of the sus- he said. to perform testing and verification an experienced construction contrac- pended load. They were then set Other major renovation includes prior to the SLS and other rockets tor to help us remove and demolish on stanchions on the VAB floor,” code upgrades and safety improve- being rolled out to the launch pad. Page 10 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 5, 2012 High-powered rocketry labs hone flight skills By Anna Heiney bear those skills required to by Vega according to each Spaceport News analyze, evaluate and certify team's needs. All four teams any system that decides to are designing their own ngineers at Kennedy pursue that goal for NASA, flight computers, using com- Space Center are the nation, or commercially." mercially available flight gaining critical flight E Rocket U engineers from computers as a reference. skills as they design, build a variety of disciplines take "I gave them a project plan and launch high-powered part in small-scale labs to with primary and second- rockets at the spaceport's gain hands-on experience as ary mission objectives, and Rocket University. they develop flight skills. Rocket U provides an op- an outline structure of how The rocketry course they needed to organize their portunity to collaborate with began in spring 2012. First, other NASA centers, such team: who's doing what, how an introduction to high- are you going to mitigate as in powered rocketry exposed risk, what analysis are you Houston, Marshall Space the engineers to the rocket's going to do, and so forth," Flight Center in Huntsville, appearance and operations. Vega said. Ala., and Wallops Flight After building and launching Gradually, the require- Facility in Virginia. a vehicle of their own, they ments are refined and the "A large portion of our moved on to the week-long engineering workforce was Advanced Rocket Workshop design is analyzed as each dedicated to manned space- presented at Kennedy by team's work passes through flight operations (during Marshall Space Flight Center official reviews. This se- the Space Shuttle Program Chief Engineer Pat Lampton. quence is a tailored version Photo courtesy of Kevin D. Vega era)," said Kevin Vega, as- Then the group was di- of the standard review pro- Rocket University teammates prepare to launch their rocket July 14 from a launch site in Bunnell, Fla. sistant chief engineer for the vided into four small teams. cess for launch vehicles. agency's Commercial Crew Each was tasked with de- All four rockets are potentially carrying a pay- develop," Vega explained. Program (CCP) and the signing, building and flying expected to fly by the end load of a few experiments. "They'll be able to bring Rocket University rocketry its own rocket. of November. In the final "Four different teams all their lessons learned and lab lead. "Since CCP is a These are high-powered phase of the program, the with four different ideas, all ideas from that flight com- manned spaceflight systems rockets generating 300 to teams will merge to develop flying on these smaller-scale puter design for each one of program established and run 900 pounds of thrust. Rocket a supersized, three-stage rockets, will then funnel into those teams to create the one out of Kennedy Space Cen- components are off-the-shelf system capable of flying to this large-scale rocket that main flight computer on this ter, we should be bringing to hardware but were ordered an altitude of 150,000 feet, will take us about a year to bigger rocket."

In celebration of Kennedy Space Center's 50th anniversary, enjoy this vintage photo . . . Looking up and ahead . . . No Earlier Than Nov. 27 USAF Launch/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (SLC-41): Atlas V, FROM THE VAULT Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) Launch window: 11:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. EST

John F. Kennedy Space Center Spaceport News

Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published online on alternate Fridays by Public Affairs in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted three weeks before publication to Public Affairs, IMCS-440. Email submissions can be sent to [email protected] NASA file/1972 Managing editor ...... Candrea Thomas Apollo 17 astronauts, from left, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Command Module Pilot Ron Assistant managing editor ...... Stephanie Covey Evans, and Commander Gene Cernan, pose during the rollout of the Saturn V rocket Editor ...... Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Aug. 28, 1972. The trio launched Dec. 7, 1972, en route to the moon. Six days later, Cernan Copy editor ...... Kay Grinter became the 12th and final man to set foot on the lunar surface and is the final person to step off of it as well. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is hosting an Apollo 17 40th Anniversary Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp. Writers Group. and Apollo Program Celebration Dinner on Nov. 3 at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www.nasa.gov/kennedy Canaveral, Fla. SP-2012-09-231-KSC