May 14, 2010 Vol. 50, No. 10 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html INSIDE . STS-132 payload has international flair Explorer School By Linda Herridge Symposium Spaceport News oeing’s STS-132 payload flow man- Bager, Eve Stavros, and NASA Mission Man- ager Robert Ashley, will be stationed on console in Fir- ing Room 2 of Kennedy’s Launch Control Center, Page 2 watching with anticipation as space shuttle Atlantis STS-130 crew soars into the sky from returns Launch Pad 39A. Stavros and Boeing’s Checkout Assembly and NASA/Gianni Woods Payload Processing Ser- Technicians prepare to lift the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1, or MRM-1, out of its transportation container in Kennedy’s vices, or CAPPS, team were Space Station Processing Facility for its move to the payload canister and transportation to Launch Pad 39A. instrumental in helping to prepare the Russian-built Processing Facility, about environmental testing at Stavros drew on previ- Mini Research Module-1, or five weeks before the sched- the launch pad. Boeing also ous international experi- MRM-1, and an Integrated uled launch, for transfer coordinated delivery and ence from her work on life Cargo Carrier for delivery to the launch pad and final setup of ground support sciences payloads for the orbiter integration activi- equipment at the launch pad European Space Agency in Page 3 to the International Space Station. ties,” Ashley said. “The for testing operations and the Netherlands. NASA alums According to Stavros, processing team met or beat served as the main inter- “Working with RSC lay foundation planning and coordination every schedule milestone face with the shuttle team Energia was an exercise in to process the two major despite the relatively small to ensure payload schedule payloads began more than a size of the NASA and Boe- compatibility. See STS-132, Page 3 year ago. ing CAPPS teams working “This was a unique situ- the mission, and the com- ation that required CAPPS, munication and logistical NASA, Johnson Space Cen- challenges.” ter in Houston, Rocket and The MRM-1 and as- Space Corporation Energia, sociated hardware were or RSC Energia, from Rus- transported from Russia Page 6 sia, and the European Aero- aboard an Antonov Rus- nautic Defense and Space sian aircraft and arrived at Heritage: Delta IV Co., or EADS Astrium, to Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing provides durability work together to prepare the Facility in December 2009. payloads for flight,” Stavros The payload and equipment said. were offloaded from the Ashley said another aircraft and transported to unique aspect of the mis- Astrotech’s facility at Port NASA/Kim Shiflett sion is the fact that both Canaveral. of the primary payloads, For the MRM-1, Boe- STS-132 crew arrives at Kennedy the MRM-1 and the cargo ing assisted with ground STS-132 Commander Ken Ham is greeted by Shuttle Launch Director Mike carrier, were processed off- safety issues, provided Leinbach upon his arrival at the Space Shuttle Landing Facility. The six veteran astronauts for space shuttle Atlantis’ final planned mission arrived center for the most part. critical operations training aboard four NASA T-38 jets by 7 p.m. May 10 to begin final prelaunch Page 7 “They arrived late in for RSC Energia workers preparations. the flow to the Space Station and prepared for stand-alone Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS May 14, 2010 NASA Explorer Schools students present projects By Linda Herridge three-day event, May 5 to 8. Spaceport News Center Director Bob Ca- bana welcomed the students pendulum swing- and their teachers to the ing beneath a clock symposium at the Doubletree inspired fifth-grade A Hotel in Cocoa Beach, Fla. students Shareena Dormevil Cabana told the students and Yamilka Leon Lopez, they should be very proud of from Robert L. Ford Middle themselves for being selected School in Lynn, Mass., to to participate in the sympo- test how a pendulum’s mass, sium and hoped they would angle of release and length enjoy their time at Kennedy. NASA/Kim Shiflett of string would be affected “Ask questions and in a reduced or hyper gravity At Kennedy’s Educator Resource Center, students participate in a cleaning water activity during the NASA Explorer Schools learn. Do your best and don’t 2010 Student Symposium. From left, are fifth-graders Samantha Escalon and Thiffany Yeupell from Dr. H. Rodriguez environment. give up,” Cabana said. Elementary School in Harlingen, Texas, and Evan Gabriel from John B. Cary Elementary School in Richmond, Va. Lopez said they weren’t Jo Ann Charleston, nervous as they presented NASA chief of the Educa- Valley, Calif., brought students toured Kennedy, the their project. tional Programs Office at fourth-grade students Josiah U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, More online “We knew the data, and Glenn Research Center in Wallace and Nathan Thorn- and participated in several For more information the other students were learn- Cleveland, Ohio, commend- ton to the symposium. They educational activities and about NASA Explorer ing something new as well,” ed the students for working presented their class research a career panel that featured Schools and other NASA Lopez said. diligently on their research project, “How T.O.Y.S. work Kennedy representatives education programs, visit: They were among 70 projects. in Microgravity.” from education, regional http://explorerschools. third- through ninth-grade “It is awesome that stu- “We have had tremen- weather forecasting, various nasa.gov and www. students from 35 NASA dents in middle school can dous opportunities because fields of engineering, analyti- nasa.gov/education. Explorer Schools around the be so involved and interested of NASA that we normally cal chemistry, navigational country who presented their in NASA’s research projects. would not have,” Groty said. aids, gas and fluids engineer- The Pendulums and ing, and writing. research projects to their This will help to mold you ers Association and NASA T.O.Y.S experiments were “I liked the tour of Ken- peers, NASA engineers, and prepare you for your education project special- among several projects that nedy and getting to ask engi- scientists and education destiny,” Charleston said. ists from Oklahoma State were tested on NASA’s Zero- neers questions about space specialists during the NASA “We want you to be part of University. G plane, either by the teach- travel,” Dormevil said. Explorer Schools 2010 Stu- our NASA family.” Each year in the spring, ers, an astronaut or research The symposium also dent Symposium. Kennedy Charlotte Groty, a more than 1,000 students specialist in order to gather offered educator professional Space Center’s Education teacher from North Ridge complete research investi- Division hosted the Magnet School in Moreno research data. development opportunities Eighth-grade students for the teachers. gations focused on NASA Kelson Mills and Alex At the closing event, missions or research interests Ramirez, from Key Pen- Acting Deputy Associate and present their projects on insula Middle School in Administrator for the Office NASA’s Digital Learning Lakebay, Wash., tested creek of Education Gregg Buck- Network. From these entries, water for their “Lunar Water ingham, and Charleston, the top school projects are Purification System” project. recognized the teachers and competitively selected by They and their classmates students with certificates and their peers to participate in were challenged to design medals. the symposium. and build an efficient water “Teamwork is impor- Priscilla Moore, an recycling system that would tant,” Buckingham said to education specialist at work on a lunar base. the students. “It takes a team Kennedy, said, “NASA’s “We were able to take of people to do what we do Explorer Schools Program promotes and supports NASA/Kim Shiflett contaminated water and here at Kennedy.” Students participate in a heavy-lift activity using balloons, paper clips, paper return it to its original form,” The agency has 200 the agency’s content and cups and tape during the NASA Explorer Schools 2010 Student Symposium at Mills said during the presen- NASA Explorer Schools programs into science, Kennedy’s Educator Resource Center. From left, are sixth-graders Christopher tation. “We drank the water with 10 project coordinators technology and mathematics Hayward from Phenix City Intermediate School in Alabama, and Jaycob Wade after it was filtered. We had and four project assistants. curricula in fourth- through from Johnson Magnet School for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in San Diego, Calif., and third-grader Zachary Lopez from Vintage Magnet School in faith in our system.” They are supported by the ninth-grade classrooms Sepulveda, Calif. During the event, the National Science Teach- across the country.” May 14, 2010 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Crew shares ‘phenomenal view’ of STS-130 mission By Rebecca Sprague The crew members then Spaceport News described their impressive mission, from their predawn pace shuttle Endeav- launch to nighttime landing. our’s STS-130 crew They paid special attention Smembers supplied the to the international col- International Space Station laboration between three with a spectacular sight of space agencies -- NASA, the the universe. On April 28, Japan Aerospace Explora- they provided insight into tion Agency, or JAXA, and their 13-day mission with the Russian Federal Space the Kennedy Space Center Agency, or Roscomos -- to team that prepared their ve- accomplish all of their tasks. hicle and hardware for flight. “We had 11 people Center Director Bob up there, all from different Cabana kicked off the crew parts of the world,” Virts return event by introducing said. “It was wonderful to Commander George Zamka, all get together and re- Pilot Terry Virts, and Mis- ally kind of celebrate the sion Specialists Kathryn international aspect of the Hire, Stephen Robinson, International Space Station.