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April 15, 2011 Vol. 51, No. 7 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html Atlantis 30 years to call of shuttle Kennedy launches By Kay Grinter home Reference Librarian hen Columbia By Rebecca Regan lifted off on the Spaceport News Wfirst space shuttle ith the help of mission at 7 a.m. EST April shuttle Atlan- 12, 1981, cosmonaut Yuri tis, the Ken- Gagarin’s momentous flight W on the same date in 1961 nedy Space Center Visitor Complex will share NASA’s CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Bill Ingalls already was “space history.” remarkable feat of voyag- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announces April 12 that shuttle Atlantis will remain at Kennedy Space Center on During the 20 years af- ing out beyond the reaches permanent exhibition at the visitor complex. Seated on stage, from left, are Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana, astronaut ter Vostok I carried the first Janet Kavandi, United Space Alliance’s Endeavour Flow Manager Mike Parrish and STS-1 Pilot and former Kennedy Center of Earth’s gravity in the Director Bob Crippen. To view a video of the announcement and Atlantis’ conceptual display design, click on the photo. human into space to orbit world’s first reusable space- the Earth, NASA’s Mercury, craft. is still a great rarity -- an for with the announcement Called a super-charged, Gemini, Apollo and Skylab “Not only will the actual flown space vehicle.” that a shuttle will join space shuttle-themed science programs were taken from workers who sent it into After hearing the news, rockets, capsules and center, the plan is to make their conception, to the space so many times have Kennedy Center Director artifacts from the Mercury, Atlantis the focal point of a drawing board, through their a chance to still see it,” Bob Cabana said to Bolden, Gemini and Apollo eras. brand new 65,000-square- paces and to their successful NASA Administrator “Thank you so much for “This is like a really, foot facility in the heart of conclusions. Charlie Bolden said to trusting us with the care of really big artifact that will the complex’s Space Shuttle The space shuttle was cheers and applause while Atlantis. I promise you, we’ll really bring the legacy of Plaza, which is visible from the next logical step, the standing in front of Atlantis take good care of her.” what Kennedy has meant to State Road 405 as guests and space transportation system outside Kennedy’s Orbiter On the day that people locally and around workers approach the space of the future. Processing Facility-1, “the NASA celebrated the 30th the world,” said Bill Moore, center. Inside, interactive As NASA’s first winged millions of visitors who anniversary of the first space chief operating officer of exhibits would engage, human spaceship, the shuttle come here every year to shuttle launch -- Columbia’s the visitor complex. “I think entertain and inspire even was designed to carry large learn more about space STS-1 mission on April 12, it ties in just absolutely the world’s most tech-savvy crews and heavy payloads and to be a part of the 1981 -- the space agency and perfectly to what the history audience. And while these into orbit. excitement of exploration its design partners received of the visitor complex will be able to see what the “go” they’ve been hoping means. See ATLANTIS, Page 4 See SHUTTLE, Page 2 Inside this issue . Cryo Team Earns Award Scenes Around Kennedy Aquarius gets ready KSC All-American Picnic Page 3 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS April 15, 2011 From SHUTTLE, Page 1 to have Bob Crippen with in the cockpit seats. me because he knew all the Other aspects of the The agency’s larg- software end to end,” Young flight were probably a little est crew throughout the said. more back to basics than preceding 20 years had been Crippen grew up a Young and Crippen would three. Only two astronauts member of the same genera- have preferred. “The potty made up the shuttle crew on tion as Gagarin, just three -- or the waste management its first test flight: veteran and a half years younger. facility -- went belly up on spacefarer John Young and Though living a world the second day,” Crippen first-time flyer Robert “Bob” apart, they each enlisted in recalled, “but John and I Crippen. their respective countries’ dealt with it.” The decision to put military programs and both Columbia’s first test Young in the commander’s developed the right stuff. flight concluded on a dry seat was an easy one. He Crippen was selected to join lake bed in the Mojave was a veteran of four mis- NASA’s astronaut corps in Desert at Edwards Air Force sions piloting three types of 1969, the year following Base in California at spacecraft and had the sea- Gagarin’s death in the crash 1:21 p.m. EST April 14 soned skill and confidence of a MiG 15 training jet he before a crowd that included to handle Columbia on its was piloting. 20,000 VIPs and about maiden flight. “If you want Chosen as a member 250,000 spectators who to go into space for the first of the support crew for the had camped out all night to time on a new vehicle that’s Apollo-Soyuz Project, Crip- watch Columbia glide to a never been flown, you want pen had the opportunity to stop. It was NASA’s first to go with a pro,” Crippen travel to Russia and served land-based end of space said. as a capcom for the mission. mission. Crippen’s mastery of “I found out . a pilot’s “The 1970s had been a Columbia’s sophisticated a pilot the world over. We pretty low point for Ameri- got along very well. Still ca,” Crippen recalled. “We’d computer systems earned NASA/Kim Shiflett (have) some friends that we had the Vietnam War, and Young’s appreciation, as “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro shows off his space shuttle tribute cake to the Ken- well. “I was really lucky interact with there.” the assassinations of Martin nedy Space Center work force and guests at the Space Shuttle Program’s 30th The STS-1 crew spent Luther King Jr. and Robert anniversary celebration at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on April 12. two days in space putting Kennedy were still strong in Columbia through its paces. our memory. More recently, rected on subsequent mis- ness to engage in mutually In the few spare moments 52 Americans had spent 444 sions by the suppression at beneficial cooperation in the the astronauts weren’t busy, days as hostages in Iran. the launch pad of the sound exploration of the universe Young and Crippen delight- And just two weeks before waves created by the solid around Earth. At the time ed in the unique freedom we lifted off, John Hinckley rocket boosters. the space shuttle retires later and spectacular views that Jr. shot President (Ronald) During the next 30 this year, there will have flying in orbit offers. Reagan. The country was years, the five shuttles been 135 shuttle missions, While Columbia looking for something to -- Columbia, Challenger, typically made up of inter- featured the latest in rocket be proud of, and I think the Discovery, Atlantis, and national teams of six, seven technology, spending a shuttle gave them that.” Endeavour -- carried or even eight members. couple of days within the The space shuttle had 362 people into orbit from NASA could not be sparsely outfitted crew given the country something 15 countries, traveling more reaching for new heights cabin did require the pair to to celebrate. than 530 million miles in the and developing the next “rough it.” Inspection of the process. generation of capabili- “Living inside the shuttle shuttle’s exterior following Although a symbol of ties without the techno- at the time was a little landing revealed 48 ther- American pride, the space logical breakthroughs of the like camping out,” Crippen mal protection system tiles shuttle also is a well-rec- shuttle and the many lessons said. Turning in for missing and another 148 ognized ambassador to the learned that will carry the night meant sleeping damaged, a problem cor- world of American willing- forward. CLICK ON PHOTO NASA file/1981 Thirty years ago this week, a new era CLICK ON PHOTO NASA file/1981 in spaceflight began, when on April 12, Shuttle Columbia became NASA’s first spacecraft to end 1981, space shuttle Columbia launched CLICK ON PHOTO NASA file/1981 a mission on land on April 14, 1981, at Edwards Air Force on the program’s first mission. To view The STS-1 space shuttle team celebrates a successful liftoff of space shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Base, Calif. To watch a video narrated by William Shatner the launch, click on the photo. Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A. To view footage of the STS-1 mission, click on the photo. about the Space Shuttle Program, click on the photo. April 15, 2011 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Salt-seeking Aquarius/SAC-D mission a global endeavor By Linda Herridge Spaceport News o say that NASA’s cooperative Earth Tscience project, the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas) observatory, is the product of collaboration between several countries would be an understatement. The agency’s Aquarius science instrument is the primary instrument on the SAC-D service platform, which was built by Argentina’s space agency, Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE).