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Discovery's Final Launch Feb. 25, 2011 Vol. 51, No. 4 INSIDE . 9/11 Flag makes stop in Florida Bottom left, space shuttle Discovery lifts off on its final scheduled mission, STS-133, from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 4:53 p.m. EST on Feb. 24. Above: Discovery launches on its maiden voyage, STS-41D, Page 2 on Aug. 30, 1984. Bolden, Cabana lead All-Hands Page 3 ‘Catch an Environmentalist’ Page 6 Final Print Issue of Spaceport News Due to the CMO shortfall that impacts center services, Discovery’s Final Launch Spaceport News no longer will be printed. The publication will continue to be published every other Friday online at: http://www. nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/ Pages 4 and 5 snews/spnews_toc.html Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Feb. 25, 2011 Kennedy adds Florida touch to National 9/11 Flag By Rebecca Regan try to make this whole.’” Spaceport News The flags of Kennedy join other rich pieces of history, he contributions of including parts of the flag NASA and Ken- that President Abraham nedy Space Center T Lincoln was laid on in 1865 were stitched into the fabric after he was shot at Ford’s of one of the nation’s most recognizable symbols Theatre in Washington, D.C. Feb. 18 when flags from “I kind of think of Florida’s Spaceport were America as this magnifi- sewn into an American cent mosaic,” Dowdy said. flag recovered near ground “It’s composed of all these zero following the Sept. 11, various events, various 2001, attacks. places that make us a very “The National 9/11 special country. So there’s Flag” is on a cross-country this wonderful parallel about journey to be restored to its what this flag represents and original 13-stripe design what we represent here at using pieces of fabric from Kennedy.” American flags destined for The star-spangled banner, retirement in all 50 states. NASA/Kim Shiflett which brings new meaning The Kennedy Space Center “The National 9/11 Flag” was raised in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex after Florida heroes to national collaboration, stitched pieces of history to the star spangled banner. Visitor Complex was the later stood proud amongst official stop for the state of Hawk Down.” the flag to the organization the few things still stand- rockets and capsules from Florida on Feb. 18. Craig Carson, an agent so it could make a new mark ing.” NASA’s Mercury, Gemini “For our site to be chosen, with the Brevard County in American history. Earlier this year, “The Na- and Apollo days at the you know, on one hand I Sheriff’s Office who was LeRoy Haynes was a tional 9/11 Flag” became a visitor complex’s Rocket believe is all together fitting nominated to take part in supervising fire marshal and symbol of healing at the fu- Garden. Including hundreds and proper because what we the ceremony, spent eight commander of the Bronx/ neral of 9-year-old Christina of people at Kennedy, “The do at Kennedy Space Center to nine months helping with Queens Fire Department and Taylor Green. Born Sept. 11, National 9/11 Flag” is esti- 2001, Green was killed at is dare mighty things on be- the recovery effort in New was on the corner of New mated to have touched more an event held by Congress- half of the American people York City. York City’s Church and than 100 million lives. woman Gabrielle Giffords in and all of humankind,” said “It was miraculous,” Vesey streets, headed to the Once complete, “The Joe Dowdy, special opera- Carson said. “It seemed like emergency command center Tucson, Arizona, on Jan. 8. National 9/11 Flag” will tions manager at Kennedy. the whole world showed up at the World Trade Center Giffords is the wife of become part of a permanent “Some of that involves to New York City that day to with co-workers when the STS-134 Commander Mark collection of the National sacrifice and certainly this help. It was amazing.” first tower began to crumble. Kelly. September 11 Memorial flag is an incredible demon- The flag has become one “We all ran and that big “We realize that there are Museum being built at the stration of what free people of the most enduring sym- cloud of dust and smoke so many things that will World Trade Center site. sometimes have to be called bols of the recovery from started to come at me,” never be made whole again, upon to do, to sacrifice even the attack. Haynes recalled. “That but this flag can be made There, America’s flag can their own lives.” “A few days after the cloud was coming faster whole again,” Parness said. evoke a sense of pride, unity The Brevard Police and collapse of the World Trade than I could run, the wind “There’s this cathartic ele- and hunger to keep achiev- Fire Pipes and Drums kicked Center this flag was hang- blew my helmet off and at ment of ‘Well, I can finally ing greatness, just as the na- off the stitching ceremony, ing on a scaffolding at 90 that point in time all I could do something. I can hold tion’s space program has for followed by the U.S. Air West Street, which was a do was dive under a car.” this needle and thread and more than half a decade. Force 45th Space Wing building directly south of Haynes survived and Honor Guard stationed at the World Trade Center that gathered all the strength and nearby Patrick Air Force was heavily damaged when spirit he could to help set up Base and more than a dozen the south tower collapsed,” a triage center on Broadway 9/11 first responders. said Jeff Parness, director, later that day. Haynes said A host of Floridians were founder and chairman of the he remembered seeing the invited to take part in the “New York Says Thank You flag in the aftermath of the stitching ceremony, includ- Foundation.” attack. ing Danny McKnight, the Charlie Vitchers, the con- “The flag was a mess. retired Army Colonel who struction superintendant for It was full of holes, parts led the ground convoy in the cleanup of ground zero, were burned, singed, and it 1993’s battle of Mogadi- sent a crew up to rescue the looked like it had been in a NASA/Kim Shiflett shu, Somalia, the combat flag, Parness said. Seven war,” Haynes said. “It was “The National 9/11 Flag” is folded in the Rocket Garden of the Kennedy Space depicted in the film “Black years later, Vitchers donated amazing that it was one of Center Visitor Complex. Feb. 25, 2011 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 2012 budget outlines NASA’s future goals NASA looks at By Rebecca Regan ties. While NASA’s Marshall Space commercial launch companies to Spaceport News Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will the center and enable the launch of March 4 for continue to design and build launch NASA’s future heavy-lift vehicle. rotecting Earth, uncovering vehicles, and Johnson Space Center Also, included in Kennedy’s Glory launch distant worlds, and expanding in Houston will handle the develop- budget is $281 million for science, the frontiers of technology P ment of multi-purpose crew explo- which will be used to purchase ex- As of press time, the launch of NASA’s and science are the goals President ration vehicles, Cabana reassured pendable rockets for NASA’s Launch Glory spacecraft from Vandenberg Air Barack Obama outlined for NASA Force Base in California is planned for workers that Kennedy will remain Services Program (LSP) based at the in his Fiscal Year 2012 budget. no earlier than Friday, March 4, at the hub for ground operations, pro- center. LSP currently is targeting the 5:09 a.m. EST. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden cessing, and launching. launch of six science missions this The launch of the Orbital Sciences and Kennedy Center Director Bob “Our core capabilities are not year, including three Earth-surveying Taurus XL rocket was suspended Feb. 24. Cabana shared with workers what On Feb. 23, a false indication was changing,” Cabana said. “We are the missions called Glory, Aquarius, and that means for Kennedy during an received about the rocket’s status after experts in processing, launch, and the National Polar-orbiting Opera- commands were sent about 15 minutes All-Hands meeting at the center’s recovery of spacecraft and we’re go- tional Environmental Satellite Sys- before launch to activate the Taurus. Training Auditorium on Feb. 17. ing to continue to do that.” tem Preparatory Project (NPP). The The following day, managers decided to In all, the budget calls for investigate possible launch opportunities in “This is the home of human space- program also will send spacecraft $18.7 billion for the agency to sup- early to mid-March. flight for the nation and essentially beyond our atmosphere -- the Juno “The Glory spacecraft is doing fine,”said port programs in human spaceflight, the headquarters for human space- mission to Jupiter, the Grail mission Bryan Fafaul, Glory project manager from science, aeronautics, space technol- NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in flight in the world and we intend to to the moon, and the Mars Science ogy, and education. Greenbelt, Md. “We are continuing to slow keep it that way,” Bolden added. Laboratory rover, called Curiosity, to “This is $2.1 billion coming to charge the battery.” Kennedy is set to receive the Red Planet. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect the Kennedy Space Center,” Cabana $352 million for Space Operations, “Launch Services is a very stable, data on the properties of aerosols and said.
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