March 20, 2009 Vol. 49, No. 6 News John F. - America’s gateway to the universe

www..gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html STS-119 takes final US arrays to orbiting lab

By Linda Herridge Spaceport News MMT Lead ili Villarreal, a Learn more about NASA mission op- Launch Integration Lerations engineer Manager for NASA’s in the International Space Program Station and Mike Moses, Page 2. Processing Directorate, watched with co-workers as space shuttle Discovery in December 2002. lofted into orbit atop a bil- Villarreal, a former lowy plume of smoke just as Boeing Co. employee, sup- dusk set in along the Space ported the S6 truss team Coast at 7:43 p.m. EDT with Boeing during most of March 15. the assembly operations. The Kennedy Space “We are all excited Center Space Station to see that picture of the Processing Facility payload station when the shuttle processing team watched departs the ISS,” Villar- its hard work pay off when real said. “To see the truss Discovery lifted off Launch components together and to Pad 39A carrying the S6 see all of the beautiful solar truss to the International arrays deployed is some- Space Station. thing we have all worked so The team was caretaker hard to achieve.” of the fourth and final truss On flight day 5 of the segment and solar arrays, NASA/Rusty Backer-George Roberts which arrived at the center See STS-119, Page 2 Space shuttle Discovery takes off March 15, at 7:43 p.m. EDT from 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

All-American Picnic Heritage: Women’s Inside this issue . . . History Month Kepler launches

Meet Mike Moses

Page 2 Page 3 Pages 4-5 Page 7 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS March 20, 2009 Obstacles no match for management lead

By Linda Herridge the group lead for the Shuttle Spaceport News “It’s a whole Electrical Systems Group. ichael Moses’ He was selected to be a first time as Mis- lot sweeter flight director in February sion Management being here 2005, and participated in five M shuttle missions as a shuttle Team lead came with a few tonight.” challenges. orbit flight director. He was The launch integration the shuttle lead flight director manager for NASA’s Space Mike Moses, for the STS-123 mission Shuttle Program was in his Launch Integration in February 2008, prior to office at Kennedy Space Manager appointment to his current Center when Discovery’s position. launch was scrubbed due to a “I didn’t know that leak during tanking flight control was my calling clude Program Requirements until I started working in that on March 11, at Control Board meetings, 2:36 p.m. EDT. position,” Moses said. major milestone reviews Moses received an He has a Bachelor of and facilitating program and update from Launch Director Science in physics from Pur- agency Flight Readiness Mike Leinbach at the Launch due University in Indiana, a Reviews. Moses also serves Control Center, or LCC, and Master of Science in space as the program’s interface to then got busy assembling his sciences from the the 45th Space Wing range team to assess the problem Institute of Technology in operations. and decide how to proceed. Melbourne, and a Master “I want to bring to the Moses began his career of Science in aerospace at as position a fair and balanced NASA/Kim Shiflett from Purdue a flight controller in the Mis- integration of the shuttle Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses is all smiles after the successful launch University. program elements, ultimately of Discovery, beginning the STS-119 mission. In Firing Room 4 at the Launch sion Operations Directorate He is a recipient of making the decisions and Control Center, Moses undergoes the traditional tie-cutting ceremony. in August 1995. He worked the NASA Exceptional risk trades to make sure for United Space Alliance Leadership Medal, Johnson issue giving way to a flaw- activities. He reports directly we’re flying safely,” Moses as a flight controller in the Director’s Commendation less liftoff. to said. Space Shuttle Propulsion and several NASA Group On March 13, crews re- As Moses sat at the ops Manager John Shannon, and Systems Group from August Achievement Awards. placed the seven-inch quick position in the LCC during assists with overall manage- 1995 to August 1998. From Moses and his wife, disconnect and two seals, Discovery’s launch March ment, integration and opera- there, he became a NASA Beth, reside in Cape Ca- one on the external tank 15, at 7:43 p.m. EDT, he tions of the program. He sits employee, continuing to naveral, Fla. They have two side and one on the ground- said, “It’s a whole lot sweeter at the operations manager work in the propulsion sys- daughters, Sarah, 4, and Lau- equipment side. being here tonight.” position in the LCC, and pro- tems group and supporting ren, 1. Beth is a private pilot Then on launch day, a Moses is responsible vides shuttle program author- 29 shuttle missions. and also works for NASA crew was sent to Launch Pad for shuttle landing, recov- ity to proceed for launch. In November 2003, in the EVA Project Office at 39A to fix a helium pressure ery, processing and launch Daily responsibilities in- Moses transferred to become Johnson.

From STS-119, Page 1 tor on the S6 truss. ments over a 10-year period.” station,” Ashley said. Villarreal said the S6 truss was Dave Cormack, the Boeing S6 Two Boeing mechanical engi- STS-119 mission, and from inside processed by a group of about flow manager, and Ashley were in neers and one electrical engineer will the orbiting laboratory, Mission 30 people called the outboard truss Firing Room 2 at the Launch Control monitor mission activities from the Specialists John Phillips and Koichi team. Final assembly and integra- Center during Discovery’s launch. mission evaluation room at Johnson Wakata will use the station’s robotic tion of the truss long spacer and “There’s a sense of satisfaction Space Center in . arm to put the S6 truss segment into Integrated Equipment Assembly was seeing the S6 truss segment and so- “Our core team will follow mis- performed by Boeing. lar arrays finally launch,” Cormack position. sion activities on the station,” Ashley Spacewalkers Steve Swanson Robby Ashley is NASA’s mis- said. “It will be exciting to see the said. and Richard Arnold will assist with sion manager for S6 and also serves solar arrays deployed on the station.” After 13 days of hard work, the installation of the S6 and unstow as deputy to the station directorate’s Ashley said the team’s goal is to the solar array blanket boxes on the Project Integration Division. He get the payloads processed, out the Discovery and crew are to return array structure. helped process the S0, P1 and P4 door and launched. home March 28, at 1:43 p.m. EDT. The arrays will be delicately de- truss segments as well. “But the true satisfaction comes That hard work will pay off ployed on flight day 6 or 8 depend- “It’s exciting, but at the same once they’re on orbit, activated and when the nation and its international ing on whether a focused inspection time it’s a little bittersweet. It’s the fulfilling their intended mission, and partners see the space station’s su- is required, and the also end of an era,” Ashley said. “We’ve we can see the fruits of all our labor perstructure complete and operating will deploy a heat dissipating radia- processed the station’s truss seg- being realized up there on the space at full power to support full science. March 20, 2009 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Kepler launches, seeks -like planets

s there anybody out WORD ON THE STREET there? For many gen- erations, humans have “What do you think I Kepler will find wondered if there was a during its mission?” planet similar to Earth out in space somewhere. Page 8 NASA’s journey to find out began when its Kepler Calif. Borucki has worked spacecraft took off from on the mission for 17 years. “Everyone is very excited Air as our dream becomes a re- Force Station on top of a ality. We are on the verge of Delta II March 6, learning if other are at 10:49 p.m. EST. ubiquitous in the galaxy.” “It was a stunning While the spacecraft launch,” said Kepler Project is in its initial setup mode, Manager Dr. James Fanson NASA scientists and en- of NASA’s Jet Propulsion gineers will be in contact Laboratory in Pasadena, with it 24 hours a day. Calif. “Our team is thrilled When it moves into to be a part of something so scientific mode, NASA will meaningful to the human be in communication with race -- Kepler will help us Kepler every four days, and understand if our Earth is once a month the ground unique or if others like it will turn the spacecraft so are out there.” its antenna points toward NASA’s Launch Ser- Earth and data can be trans- vices Program at Kennedy mitted down. Space Center managed “We expect the first processing and launch, in- downloads of data to come cluding payload integration in about May and June, by and certifying the Delta II July we’ll have processed for NASA’s enough of it to look for use. stars that actually dim,” “Very smooth count- said Dr. Geoff Marcy of the down . . . we did work an University of California at item at the end having to Berkeley. “Then it’ll be the do with data that was a job of ground-based tele- little bit out of family,” said scopes to verify the Earths NASA Launch Manager that Kepler has found and Omar Baez. “We quickly measure their masses. came to resolution on that “And the beauty is that and were able to proceed if you can measure the mass -- and hit the window right of an Earth by the Doppler- at the beginning.” shift wobble of the star, About an hour after a and Kepler can measure the successful launch, applause diameter of the Earths, the erupted in the Mission mass divided by the volume Director’s Center when tells you the density. If we Steve Agid, launch vehicle NASA/Regina Mitchell-Ryall, Tom Farrar find planets the density of telemetry manager, gave ’s Delta II rocket carrying NASA’s Kepler spacecraft rises through the exhaust cloud created by the rock of which, of course, this confirmation: firing of the rocket’s engines on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on March 6, at 10:49 p.m. EST. the Earth, Venus and Mars Kepler is a telescope designed to search the nearby region of our galaxy for Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zone “Delta flight com- of stars like our sun. Kepler will survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy. are made, you know you’ve mentary at 64 minutes, got a rocky planet close kin 30 seconds into the flight, miles per year and is mov- and a half years in an orbit perfect place to watch more to our Earth.” we’ve just received word of ing at a rate of five miles around the sun, where it than 100,000 stars for signs “Even if we find no a positive confirmation of per second. will count planets by look- of planets,” said William planets like Earth, that by spacecraft separation.” While it took Kepler ing for the tiny blips in Borucki, the mission’s sci- itself would be profound. The spacecraft is about three days to get starlight caused by planets ence principal investigator It would indicate that we expected to drift away from past the ’s orbit, it eclipsing their suns. at NASA’s Ames Research are probably alone in the Earth at a rate of 10 million will spend the next three “Kepler now has the Center at Moffett Field, galaxy,” Borucki said. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS March 20, 2009 March 20, 2009 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 2009 Kennedy All-American Picnic

NASA Ken Ham signed autographs and posed for photographs at the picnic. The human joust was a popular attraction at the picnic. Friends dueled it out in an inflatable arena.The event was part of the Generation XYZ games, which were for individuals ages 14 and older. Other games included cornhole, Guitar Hero and money booth madness.

Face painting was a favorite of the kids attending the picnic. The facial art themes included tigers, butterflies, fairies and clowns. Other children events included two large inflatable slides, two jumping tents, fingerprinting provided by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and free cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones.

More than 5,000 people attended the 30th annual Kennedy Space Center All-American Picnic. This year’s picnic featured exciting entertainment for the entire family -- classic children’s games, a chili cook-off, face painting, rock climbing (background) and a car show.

The annual Chili Cook-Off was once again a big hit as chili makers vied for titles in three competitions: Official Chili, won by the Constellation Chili team; People’s Choice Chili, won by Shamrock Saloon & Eatery team; and Best Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana walked around the Automobile and Motorcyle Exhibition admiring the hard Store Front, won by Moonshine Chili team. Proceeds totaling $1,638 from the People’s Choice Chili competition went to the March of Dimes, a charity chosen by the Shamrock Saloon & Eatery team. NASA photos work Kennedy employees put into their “rides.” There were 23 categories vehicle enthusiasts could enter. Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS March 20, 2009 Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center

NASA/Jack Pfaller Media gather in the Assembly and Refurbishment Facility at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, to see the aft skirt for the Ares I-X flight test, targeted for launch in July 2009. The Ares I-X flight will provide NASA an early to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with Ares I, part of the to return humans to the moon and beyond.

NASA/Kim Shiflett The top of the shipping container is moved away from the Geostationary Operational Environmental -O, or GOES-O, wrapped in a protective cover in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The is undergoing final testing of the imaging system, instrumentation, communications and power systems.

From left: Lillian, Jordan, 4, and Eric Jacoby meet with the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Space Man during KSC Space Day at Space Coast NASA/Jack Pfaller Stadium in An overhead crane lowers NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, at Astrotech Viera, Fla. in Titusville, Fla. The orbiter will be rotated on the table to provide proper access for NASA/ processing. Launch of LRO is targeted for May 20. Kim Shiflett

Spaceport News wants to know about your special talent If you have a hidden talent or an interesting hobby, Spaceport News would like to share it. Send your information to [email protected] or mail it to Spaceport News at: IMCS-440, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32988. March 20, 2009 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7 Remembering Our Heritage: Celebrating Women’s History Month Chosen few Apollo trailblazers wore high heels

By Kay Grinter work for NASA. Reference Librarian “Miniskirts were in fashion so they shortened my hemline, and o land a man on the moon I wore ruffles. They were totally before 1970 was not NASA’s fooled,” Sullivan recalled. “I won only mission in the Apollo T $500 and had a great time seeing heyday. Affirmative action was in New York City.” Today, she has its infancy, and NASA scoured the a successful acting and modeling country for women with the “right career. stuff” to succeed in technical ca- Ann Montgomery, a math reers. major, joined the Apollo team in NASA recruiters courted 1968 as a crew systems engineer. female college graduates with Known then as Ann Lavender, she degrees in math or science, as well had oversight for all the equipment as engineering disciplines. “Aero- and supplies stowed in the lunar and space technologist” was the job title command modules. Testing and fit NASA assigned its engineers. checks were performed on every- Mathematics major JoAnn thing making the trip into orbit or Morgan worked for NASA four to the moon, whether it was lunar summers during her college studies and her potential was apparent to tools, books, clothing or Kleenex. NASA before the employee search Women engineers were rare. began. She was offered a position “I had to fight to get out on the as an instrumentation controller in launch pad. The guard had been 1963 before she finished her degree. reprimanded for letting a secretary Her work with computers took NASA 1969/2009 through, so he wouldn’t let me in. I her into the blockhouses on Cape Judy Sullivan, a math and science teacher, joined NASA in 1966 as the first woman engineer in spent 45 minutes trying to convince Spacecraft Operations, working closely with the astronauts. She was lead engineer for the biomedical him when he finally realized I had Canaveral, as well as into the firing system for the mission. Today, Sullivan is a successful model and actress. rooms at Kennedy Space Center. the right access number on my The blockhouses used for the Shanaberger, was a math and sci- Shortly after the launch of badge,” Montgomery said. “At that early tests of the Saturn I and IB ence teacher who joined NASA in Apollo 11, Sullivan represented time, there was no ladies’ room on had only one restroom -- a 1966 as the first woman engineer NASA on the television game show, Pad 39B.” men’s room. Morgan recalled the in Spacecraft Operations, working “To Tell the Truth.” A panel of A professional dress code for first time she was sent into the field: closely with the astronauts. She was celebrities tried to chose the “real” men and women was followed for “One of the launch officials asked lead engineer for the biomedical biomedical space engineer by ask- meetings. “Flat, closed-toe shoes me to leave, explaining ‘we don’t system for the Apollo 11 mission. ing job-related questions of a group See HERITAGE, Page 8 have women in the blockhouse.’ My Most of her duties were carried out of three women, all claiming to boss had given me a headset, so I in the Manned Spacecraft Op- called him. ‘What should I do?’ He erations Building, or MSOB, now told me to plug in my headset, run called the Operations and Checkout the tests, participate in the integrat- Building. ed test and send him the results.” Sullivan was in the suit lab as Just carrying out orders set the stage dressed for his his- for change. toric launch. During the countdown, By the time Apollo 11 launched she monitored the data returned by in 1969, Morgan had five years of the astronauts’ biomedical sensors experience. “I worked in the firing from the and commu- room during the countdown of nicated with the pad regarding crew several missions, but Apollo 11 was readiness. She was the only woman the first time I was in the room at in the room and wore a headset. liftoff,” Morgan said. “Men were careful not to use Morgan not only was the first questionable language over the loop woman in the firing room for a when they knew a woman was lis- launch, but also the first woman to tening,” Sullivan recalled. “People be appointed to the Senior Execu- asked me what it was like to work tive Service and to be awarded a with all those men, but my college NASA 1972/2009 NASA medal during her 45-year experience had prepared me. Few Ruth Ann Strunk was one of a small group of women engineers hired by NASA during the . She was an aerospace technologist working with computers in the Manned Spacecraft career at Kennedy. women were registered in math and Operations Building in 1972. She returned to Kennedy Space Center in 1998 and is employed in the Judy Sullivan, formerly Judy science classes.” energy and management office by EG&G Technical Services today. Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS March 20, 2009

From HERITAGE, Page 7 modules on , 16 and 17 by the command module pilots. ON and pants were worn in the field, When asked what it was like THE but dresses and high heels were working in a man’s world, Strunk WORD STREET expected at meetings, so I changed reported, “I felt I was an accepted clothes a lot -- sometimes four, team member. It was a great experi- What do you think Kepler ence and a unique opportunity.” five, six times a day,” Montgomery will find during its mission ? laughed. “If you had a sense of hu- Strunk left NASA’s employ in 1973 but returned to Kennedy in mor and stuck with it, most people 1998 after working 25 years in the “I hope it finds other Earth-like planets. were great.” private and government contracting That’s what it’s all about.” Montgomery earned a master’s sectors. In the intervening years, she George Jacobs, degree in engineering while work- earned a Master of Business Admin- with NASA ing for NASA and was in the Senior istration degree from Stetson Univer- Executive Service when she retired. sity and currently works in EG&G’s Ruth Ann Strunk, a math major, energy and water management office also was hired in 1968, but as an overseeing the Automated Utility “Anything is possible. Who knows acceptance checkout equipment, Data Reporting and Information what’s out there? We have to explore.” or ACE, software engineer. She System under development. Jael Lamothe, monitored the work of contractors “I am proud of the advance- with NASA in the MSOB who wrote the com- ment and the number of women puter programs designed to check who are working and enjoy working out the command module, lunar here,” Strunk said. “It was a won- module and the Apollo J mission derful opportunity NASA afforded experiments. These experiments me during Apollo that I have been “I don’t know what we’ll find. But I do know we’re were conducted aboard the service able to use ever since.” taking a giant step in answering the question.” Jose De La Cruz, Looking up and ahead with Deltha-Critique No earlier than March 17 Launch/CCAFS: , WGS SV-2; 9:24 p.m.

No earlier than March 24 Launch/CCAFS: Delta II, GPS IIR-20; 4:34 a.m. “I think they will find Earth-like planets . . . Tentatively targeted March 28 Landing/KSC: Discovery, STS-119; 1:43 p.m. just not sure they will find other life.”

No earlier than April 28 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, GOES-O; 6:24 p.m. Leslie Kelley, with NASA No earlier than May 5 Launch/VAFB: Delta II, STSS-ATRR; TBD

Target May 12 Launch/KSC: Atlantis, STS-125; 1:11 p.m.

No earlier than May 20 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, LRO/LCROSS; TBD “With all that’s out there, they should find June Launch/CCAFS: Falcon 9; TBD something. We can’t be the only ones here.” Target mid-June Launch/KSC: Endeavour, STS-127; TBD Patrick Smith, with NASA No earlier than June 16 Launch/CCAFS: Delta II, STSS Demo; TBD

No earlier than July 8 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, WGS SV-3; TBD

Target July 11 Launch/KSC: Ares I-X flight test/Launch Pad 39B; TBD

Target Aug. 6 Launch/KSC: Atlantis, STS-128; TBD John F. Kennedy Space Center No earlier than Aug. 14 Launch/CCAFS: Delta II, GPS IIR-21; TBD No earlier than Sept. 29 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, GPS IIF-1; TBD Spaceport News No earlier than Oct. 1 Launch/VAFB: Taurus, Glory; TBD

No earlier than Oct. 8 Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, SDO; TBD Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published on alternate Fridays by External Relations in the interest of KSC civil Target November Launch/CCAFS: WISE; TBD service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted three weeks before publication Target Nov. 12 Launch/KSC: Discovery, STS-129; TBD to the Media Services Branch, IMCS-440. E-mail submissions can be sent to [email protected] No earlier than Nov. 12 Launch/CCAFS: Delta IV, GOES-P; TBD Managing editor ...... Candrea Thomas December Launch/CCAFS: Atlas V, Commercial Payload; TBD Editor ...... Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Target Dec. 10 Launch/KSC: Endeavour, STS-130; TBD Copy editor ...... Rebecca Sprague

Target Feb. 11, 2010 Launch/KSC: Atlantis, STS-131; TBD Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp. Writers Group. NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www.nasa.gov/kennedy Target April 8, 2010 Launch/KSC: Discovery, STS-132; TBD USGPO: 733-049/600142