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Spaceport News John F April 29, 2011 Vol. 51, No. 8 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe Emotions NASA galvanize awards Firing CCDev2 Room 4 contracts By Steven Siceloff By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News Spaceport News he realities of ex- ASA awarded acting, hard work approximately Trequired to launch a N$270 million to four space shuttle and the sensa- commercial companies tion of anticipation meet in April 18 to continue devel- the firing rooms on launch opment of commercial rock- day. ets and spacecraft capable of “It’s electric,” said safely flying astronauts into Charlie Blackwell Thomp- orbit and to the International son, chief of the NASA Test Space Station. The award Director’s Office. “You see was the second phase of the all kinds of emotions when agency’s Commercial Crew you’re in the room.” Development effort, known With Endeavour’s as CCDev2. STS-134 mission about to “We’re committed to get under way, the launch safely transporting U.S. team assembled in Firing astronauts on American- Room 4 at the Launch made spacecraft and ending Control Center on the outsourcing of this work April 26 and began with the to foreign governments,” countdown. However, on NASA Administrator launch morning, engineers Charlie Bolden said. “These detected a failure in one of agreements are significant two heater circuits associ- CLICK ON PHOTO NASA ated with Auxiliary Power milestones in NASA’s Space shuttle Endeavour sits on Launch Pad 39A after the rotating service structure (RSS) is moved away April 28. The Unit 1. The engineers at plans to take advantage of structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS “rollback,” as it’s called, American ingenuity to get to Kennedy set out on an began at 11:58 p.m. EST and wrapped up at 12:32 a.m. April 29. Launch is planned for no earlier than May 2 at 2:33 p.m. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and Express Logistics See , Page 2 See , Page 3 FIRING ROOM Carrier-3 to the International Space Station. To follow the countdown, click on the photo or go to www.nasa.gov/ntv. CONTRACTS STS-133 crew returns Portable solar power Weather Subsystem Freedom 7 launch Inside this issue... Page 2 Page 4 Page 6 Page 7 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS April 29, 2011 STS-133 crew reflects on mission, unique shuttle program By Rebecca Regan “No,” Stott replied to a laughing Spaceport News audience. STS-133 also delivered the ppreciating space shuttle station’s first humanoid astronaut Discovery and its many helper called Robonaut 2, or R2. accomplishments was a A Even though they didn’t assist R2 common theme during the vehicle’s out of its container, they did feel an final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew odd sense of camaraderie with the members said during a crew return machine. event at Kennedy Space Center on “We had a running joke that April 18. you’d wake up at night and Ro- “Think about how miraculous it is that you can bring a vehicle back bonaut might be behind you getting on its 39th mission after nearly 30 ready to get you,” Boe joked. years of operation, land it on the “Hopefully a lot of us will get an- runway, and there be absolutely other opportunity to go up in space nothing wrong with it,” STS-133 and see him at work.” Commander Steve Lindsey said to “He’s waiting for you, Eric,” Kennedy workers gathered in the CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Kim Shiflett Stott jokingly added. Training Auditorium. “I mean, that The STS-133 crew members sign autographs and talk to workers April 18 in the Training Auditorium at Toward the end of the event, a is just a testimony to the work that Kennedy Space Center. From left, are Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen and worker asked the crew what it felt Michael Barratt, Pilot Eric Boe and Commander Steve Lindsey. For more photos of the crew return like to take Discovery on such a his- you all do.” event or the milestones leading up to the STS-133 launch at Kennedy, click on the photo. “I can’t thank you enough from toric flight, which not only marked the bottom of my heart for Discov- deliver Express Logistics Carrier-4, ally well today . as I boss them its final but also a full year in space. ery and all you’ve done for us . or ELC-4, and the Permanent Mul- around.” “Discovery leaves an incredible when we launch off that launch pad, tipurpose Module, or PMM, packed Stott, being quite the instructor, legacy . the challenges for the we launch with no worries because with equipment, experiments and even taught Kennedy’s Center Di- next ship that takes that name, it’s we know you’ve poured everything supplies. rector Bob Cabana, veteran of four going to have a tough act to follow,” you have into it,” Lindsey added. Stott, who used to work for the shuttle flights, something years ago. Barratt said. “It better go far and Lindsey and his five crewmates shuttle program at Kennedy, talked “Nicole taught me how to land just do an incredible job.” -- Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Spe- the lead spacewalkers through their the space shuttle when she was a Following the event at Kennedy, cialists Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott, tasks outside the station and told flight engineer on the Shuttle Train- about 350 employees, and their Steve Bowen and Michael Barratt -- mission control in Houston, “We’re ing Aircraft,” Cabana said. friends and families, mingled with flew Discovery on a 13-day mission doing really well. They’ve been “And that was no easy task, the crew members at a local restau- to the International Space Station to following instructions exception- right?” rant in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The six veteran astronauts of STS-134, led by The team is as large as it is because the shuttle From FIRING ROOM, Page 1 Commander Mark Kelly, have worked with the systems are enormously complex, and fixing one exhaustive process to try to find the problem and launch team several times on previous launch problem has a potential to cause other problems. fix it during the countdown. days and during countless training sessions. “I don’t think you can have one expert,” The flight team in Houston also lent their Greg H. Johnson is the pilot for the mission, Wyrick said. “I don’t think you can have some- brainpower to the situation, but the system is while Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Drew one who has all the knowledge.” critical for controlling the shuttle at landing and Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut The people who oversee the countdown the teams wanted to make sure they knew what Roberto Vittori are mission specialists. generally come out of the ranks of the special- caused the problem and how to fix it before going The firing rooms are the control center for the ists. Blackwell Thompson worked with payload ahead with the countdown. launch team from the time a shuttle lands through systems before becoming a NASA test director, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach called its processing for flight and into its next count- or NTD, and Wyrick worked with the ground off the April 29 attempt at 12:16 p.m., a few min- down and launch. Even when a shuttle is months launch sequencer, which is the computer soft- utes before the astronauts would start strapping away from its next mission, there still is a group ware system that controls the last 45 minutes of into Endeavour’s flight deck. in one of the firing rooms overseeing its progress. the countdown and launch. The system that failed is important because “You’re not going to find this anywhere else in After launch, many of the controllers remain at heaters are required to keep the APUs’ hydrazine the world,” said Roberta Wyrick, an orbiter test their consoles to begin the critical steps to make from freezing on orbit. The problem might be as- conductor for United Space Alliance whose first the launch pad safe. sociated with a Load Control Assembly, which is mission in that role came in 1981 on STS-2, the “If you’re the one in charge of the launch, a switchbox, located in the aft end of Endeavour, second shuttle flight. there are still things to do,” Wyrick said. “It’s not or an electrical short in the wires leading into or Although those involved are well-rehearsed for like it’s over.” out of the switchbox. the countdown, launch day does not feel like a Controllers say they never get complacent Liftoff is planned for no earlier than May 2 at final exam, but game day, Blackwell Thompson about a launch or countdown or just work to get 2:33 p.m. said. through them. That may be why so many of them Endeavour will carry the Alpha Magnetic “It doesn’t matter what launch it is, nine have worked in the firing rooms for decades. Spectrometer to the International Space Station minutes and counting, my heart’s beating faster,” Blackwell Thompson said, “For many of us, during the two-week flight. Wyrick said. this is our life’s work.” April 29, 2011 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Kennedy showcases current, future work By Linda Herridge continuing value to Amer- He said shuttle and Spaceport News ica’s space initiatives and Apollo era cables were NASA’s mission.
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