Ready on Pad; Mars Steps
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Backto abase Goodprospects National Aeronautics and Concepts for a lunar base are discussed in A group of local engineers and scientists are Space Administration excerpts from a new Advanced Programs working on a private unmanned Lunar Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Office report. Story on Page 3. Propector mission. Story on Page 4. Houston,Texas Vol. 28Sp_aceNewsAugust 4, 1989 Roulldup No. 31 Craig task group Columbia sits will detail , ready on pad; Mars steps ,,. ByAKellytask grouHumphriesp of NASA and contrac- tor experts will begin a detailed prepared for missions, vehicles and technologies needed to meet President Bush's new examinationlunar and Marsthisexplorationmonth at JSCgoals.of the The agencywide technical study launch Tuesday group, under the direction of Frank By Kyle Herring existsinany areasof the threeliquid- Martin, associate administratorfor Final preparationsare in work on fueledengines. exploration,will involvetwo phases. Space ShuttleColumbiaat Kennedy The orbiter's aerosurfaces were The first,a 90-day effortto provide Space Center'slaunchcomplex39B cycledWednesdayand preparations immediateinformationto Vice Pres- for its planned launch Tuesday on wereunderwaytoperformleakchecks ident Dan Quayle and the National missionSTS-28--adedicated Depart- ofsealsaroundtheenginevalves.Later Space Council,will involve80 to 85 mentof Defenseflight. Wednesday,checksoftherangesafety people from JSC and other NASA The crew for the mission,Corn- systemwereconducted. centers.The second phasewill be a mander Brewster Shaw, Pilot Dick Workerscontinuedcloseoutopera- longer effort to further define the Richards and tions in the orbi- vneededehicles,equipmentwith anandeyetechntowardologies mistisDaveLeesssionsspecialtma,- l ter'scompartment.aft engine procurement. Jim Adamson STS 28 Also thisweek, all MarkCraig,manageroftheLunar andMarkBrown,_ ordnancewasin- andMars ExplorationOffice,will direct is scheduled to stalledontheveh- thetask group'seffortsat JSC. arrive at the A crew return cere- icle's SRBs and "We'll be look- launch site a- molly is planned at extemaltank.This ingatthe mission boardT-38 train- work is always descriptions, ingaircrafttomor- Ellington Field about done in a "pad hardware and row afternoon, seven ]hoursafter clear" mode technology in JSCP,=o_B_,=yB,_.-_The crew wilt meaning only terms of launch HurricaneChantal's deluge rains down on JSC Tuesday as her 75- make its final Columbia landsat essential person- vehicles, space mile-an-hour winds buffet trees and buildings. This photo shows practice simula- nelare allowedin stationand trans- -the floodingnear Bldg. 3. Note the neaHysubmersedcampusbench tionsintheShuttle Edwards Air Force the launch cem- fervehiclesneed- at left. MissionSimulator Base. All JSC plex during this solto fulfillPresi- withtheflightcon- time. trol team in the employees and their Sniffchecksof JSC Director Mission Control familit, are invited to the orbital ma- Aaron Cohen Center before neuveringsystem MarkK. Craig f0enrom his officet'at.oa,Chantals,"saidleak report: departingJSC. NASA Hangar 990. fuel motorvalves NASAleadingHtheeadquaagency'srters,rewheresponseheto theis neOdyn,ceShaatwKenand- For landing and _nois wsyeekstesmhleakoweds President'sexplorationchallenge. 'too many to count' Richardswillcon- ceremony details_ call and no residual "This is a long-termagencywide By LindaCopley damagetothecenter,sincethewind duct practice fuel inthe propel- program,"Cohen added. "What were Twice in as many monthsis a bit was much stronger." flightsinthe Shut- the EmployeeInfor- lantlines. doingnowisnotjustforJSC,although moreoftenthan Plant Engineering McQuary'sserf-maderainguage tie Training Air- mation Seryice_ Other launch JSC will play an importantpart in it, DivisionChiefKeithMcQuarycares recordedabout 17 inchesof rainat craftmakingland- countdownprep- butit isforthe totalagency." to put the center's hurricanedrill JSC over a two-dayperiodduring ingapproachesto X36765. arations were Cohen saidmany of the concepts trainingintopractice,but so far this Allison."Accordingto my calcula- the ShuttleLand- under way this and technologiesthe task groupwill year,naturehashadotherideas, tions,the totalrainfallat the center ingFacilityjustwestofthelaunchpad week, includingwash down of the look at already have been lookedat Havingjustfinishedrepairingthe fromChantalwas over15 inchesof whereColumbia, attachedto itssolid mobilelaunchplatform,flametrench indetail.Butthisstudywill puttogether 71 leaksfoundin43on-sitebuildings raininlessthan24 hours,"hesaid. rocketboostersandexternalfueltank, and pad surfaceto ensureno debris those separate studies in a more bytropicalstormAllisononJune26, The major roof damage was waitsto makeitsfirstflightintospace existsthat coulddamage the orbiter consolidated,succinctfashion. McQuaryfindshiscrewscurryingto locatedinBldgs.49, 9B,32 and 44. since January 1986 when it flew and stack during the initial engine In selectingthe peoplefor the task takecareofthe damageinflictedby In those instances,the wind had missionSTS-61C. ignitionsequence. group,Cohen said, special care will hurricaneChantarsunwelcomevisit pulledthefastersloosefromtheroof, Launch remains scheduled for Countdownfor the missionis sche- be taken to choose those whose lastTuesday. or actually peeled up the roof, Tuesdaymorningbetween6:30 and duled to begin at 11:01 p.m. CDT absencewill notdisturbthe agency's "1 consider the leak reportfor accordingto MechanicaOpl erations 10:30a.m.CDT.Actuallaunchtimewill Friday. abilityto meet its space shuttleand Chantalto be a TMTC," McQuary Branch Chief Garlan Moreland's not be revealed untilthe countdown Ifthe scheduleremainsunchanged, spacestationcommitments, said."Too manyto count" report, picks up after the final plannedhold ShuttlemanagerswilltraveltoKennedy "Our number one job is stillto fly McQuary and his staffdefinitely "We were vacuumingwateruntil atT-9 minutes, on Sunday morningfor the L-2 and theshutUeandflyit safely,"he said. noteddifferencesbetweenthe two 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. last night," Workthisweekincludedcompletion L-1 day meetings to assess final Craig said NASA's assignmentis storms."Allisonwas onlya _opical McQuarysaid.McQuaryestimated of the _'aditionalfrequencyresponse readinessofColumbiaforlaunch. to researchthe resourcesand timer- storm,and all it broughtwas rain, the damageand cleanupcostsfrom test of the spacecraftmain engine Meanwhile,the movementsof Hum- ablefor makingSpace StationFree- which was spread out overa few Chantal will run into "several hydraulicactuatorsand valvesTues- cane Dean, locatedThursdayin the dora operational,establishinga lunar days,"he said."Chantal,a category hundredthousanddollars."On the day night Also completedwas the we.stemAtlanticnearingPuertoRico, base, making robotic explorations one hurricane,inflictedmuchmore PleaseseeCHANTAL,Page4 "blowdown" of the engine helium werebeingtrackedforpossibleeffects PleaseseeTASK, Page4 systemto makesurenocontamination onweabheratbheCape. Voyager finds more Neptune moons [ Three newlydiscoveredmoons may shepherdring arcs The far-encounter phase of includes the closest approach to the same face to Neptune, just as the Voyager 2's appointment with the moon Nereid at 3:12 p.m., JSC time, Moon always displays the same planet Neptune will not begin until followedby an inbound crossing of a hemisphereto Earth. Sunday, but informationfrom the 12- planetaryring-planeat6:03,_e closest Findingso many moons when the 'h year-old spacecraft already is yielding approach to Neptune at 7 and the spacecraft was more than 22 million surprises. Images have revealed three outbound ring-plane crossing at 8:29. miles away from Neptune may mean additionalnew moons in orbit around A few hours later the spacecraftwill there are many more to be found in scientistsannounced Thursday. tune's largest known moon, Triton, at scientists. NeTheptunediscovery, Voyagerbringimsagitongsixteamthe m12:14akea.m.,its closestAug. 25a.pTrproitonachistoroughlyNep- coThemingthreeweeksnewest, accordNeptunianingto Voysatel-ager _I, number of moons known to exist the size Earth's Moon, and is remar- lites,temporarilydesignated1989 N2, aroundthe blue planet,includingone, kable for being the only large moon 1989 N3 and 1989 N4, were tracked 1989N1,discoveredbyVoyager21ast in the solar system with a retrograde as candidate moons in images month. The spacecraft,launched in orbit(ittravelsinthe directionopposite returned by the spacecrattover a 5- ._c_,o_o 1977,has exploredJupiter,Satumand the planet's rotation). The moon day period. When the objects were Uranus and will come within 3,(X)0 completes one rotation on its axis found to follow predicted orbits, TRAINING FORTASTE--MembersoftheSTS-28¢rewtesttheirexpertlse miles of Neptune on Thursday, every 5.88 days -- the same amount Voyager imaging scientistswere able with the shuttle's oulinary tools dudng a training session In the Crew Aug.24. of time Triton takes to circle Neptune. to confirmthemas moonsoftheplanet. Compartment Trainer. From left are Brewster Shaw, Mark Brown, Jim The timing of events on that day Therefore Triton always shows the PleaseseeVOYAGER,Page4 Adamson, Dick Rlchardsand Dave Leestma. Page 2 Space News Roundup August 4, 1989 _JSC: .JS<= Ticket Window Dates & Data The following discount tickets are available for purchase in the Today marize her seminar on "Elements be from 7:15-8:15 a.m. August 16 Bldg. 11 Exchange Gift Store from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. Cafeteria menu--Special: fried on Professionalism." Dinnertickets in the Building 3 Cafeteria.