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Spaceport News America’S Gateway to the Universe June 2, 2000 Vol. 39, No. 11 Spaceport News America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/snews/snewstoc.htm John F. Kennedy Space Center Mission update KSC’s on the move KSC unveils STS-106 and STS-92 Weekend activities “We thoroughly prepared for the winners of STS-106 is scheduled to complete process move to make it as painless as Honor Awards launch no earlier than Aug. possible,” said Bill Holden, deputy of the KSC 2000 move project 19. The mission will The KSC reorganization shifted Kennedy Space Center team. “But it’s inevitable with a complete the work begun by into high gear over Memorial Day held its annual Honor Awards move of this scale that some the crew of STS-101. weekend when about 600 workers ceremony on May 25 at the workers will be inconvenienced. Mission managers decided were moved to new locations at Visitor Complex. More than We hope that everyone will have earlier in the year to the center during the KSC 2000 200 individual employees patience and remember how distribute between the two Major Move. and work teams were important this move is to achieving flights the duties originally The big round-the-clock move, honored for contributions the Center’s goals.” planned for one mission. conducted by about 200 permanent they made to the KSC Most of the moves affected Astronauts on the STS-106 and 150 temporary workers, was mission during 1999. NASA employees in Headquarters. mission will complete used to group employees in A complete listing of About 140 workers were service module support tasks realigned directorates. The effort is award winners from the on orbit, transfer supplies part of positioning KSC as the ceremony begins on Page 3. and outfit ISS for the first Spaceport Technology Center. (See Move, Page 7) long-duration crew. Following STS-101, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will Station make a fast turnaround for the flight of STS-106. The crew consists of gets boost Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt, making his fourth flight; Pilot Scott D. Altman from crew (second flight); American On the fourth attempt, the Mission Specialists Daniel weather was perfect. C. Burbank (first flight), Space Shuttle Atlantis pierced Edward T. Lu (second flight) the pre-dawn dimness on May 19, and Richard A. Mastracchio carrying a crew of seven on a (first flight); and Russian course to the International Space Mission Specialists Yury Station. Ivanovich Malenchenko Atlantis docked with the station, (second flight) and Boris V. and two astronauts completed a Morukov (first flight). space walk of nearly seven hours, The STS-92 mission is making repairs and attaching scheduled to launch no supplies. The mission will prepare earlier than Sept. 21. the Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July Spaceport News 2000. It was the first rendevous with editorial change the Space Station since STS-96, about a year earlier. Beginning with the next issue, Before undocking, the crew used Spaceport News has a new editor. the Shuttle’s thrusters to lift the Any submissions or stories or station into a higher orbit. The 98th photos should be directed to Kathy Space Shuttle mission concluded Hagood at katharine.hagood- The Space Shuttle Atlantis soars into the predawn sky on May 19, with the with a landing at Kennedy Space [email protected]. She can be exhaust from the solid rocket boosters providing illumination. After three Center early on the morning of reached at 867-2468. previous weather scrubs, conditions were ideal for a launch. May 29. Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS June 2, 2000 Proximity Flag gets is danger salute on for cranes launch day Flags generally spend their Employees urged entire lives flying in one location, but the banner waving near the to keep distance countdown clock for the launch of STS-101 was a well-traveled piece The bald eagles nesting along of fabric. Kennedy Parkway lately have had The flag made an appearance on competition for the attention of the shore of the turn basin near the KSC employees. And while the KSC Press Site as part of the “Old desire for a closer look is natural, Glory Travels America’s Freedom workers need to keep some Road Tour.” Since June 13, 1999, distance from the Center’s the flag has been transported to 11 feathered trio. states and taken part in 59 events A family of sandhill cranes — at such sites as schools, govern- two adults and a chick — have A sandhill crane and its chick search for bugs in the grass around the Vehicle ment centers, national parks and become residents in the Vehicle Assembly Building. A family of two adults and their fledgling have been seen military installations. Assembly Building area. The large often in the area lately. The tour is operated by Century birds, distinguished by a bright red Link America, an organization patch on their foreheads, have them. If they lose their fear of and suspected human feeding as based in Valley Forge, Pa. Dave shown the ability to stop traffic as humans, that often leads to their the cause. Pawlewicz, the project developer, they cross Kennedy Parkway. deaths.” Whitmore said sandhill cranes said the tour will end when the The cranes’ choice of territory Feeding could cause the birds to were first seen on the refuge only flag and materials associated with puts them at risk from more than become a nuisance, in which case two or three years ago. He it are inducted into the Smith- just fast-moving cars. Dorn rangers would have to remove estimates about six cranes now live sonian Institution next year. Whitmore, a ranger at Merritt them. on the refuge, and the chick is “The idea was to take the same Island National Wildlife Refuge, As evidence of those dangers, believed to be the first born on the flag and travel all around the urges KSC employees to resist the Whitmore said that rangers were 140,000-acre preserve. country with it, to historical sites temptation to approach or feed the forced to capture another adult There are two varieties of and schools, wherever we can birds. sandhill crane near the Space sandhill cranes – one that lives honor the history of the country “People think it’s good for the Station Processing Facility on May year-round in Florida and a larger and its spirit,” Pawlewicz said. “At birds, but it’s not,” Whitmore said. 17. KSC employees had called the sub-species that migrates from each stop we try to get people “The birds are wild, and they need Refuge to report the bird hanging Northern states. Whitmore said the involved and try to capture the to be left to feed on grasshoppers, around near the facility and acting family living near the VAB appears spirit of what they do.” bugs, frogs and lizards. They learn strangely. to be the Florida strain. The appearance at KSC for the (if fed) to associate humans with Joanna Taylor, another ranger at Whitmore added that the refuge launch on May 19 marked the food and they bond with people the Refuge, said the bird was taken may place signs along Kennedy flag’s second brush with the space and then they’re always going to be to a local wildlife care agency. She Parkway warning drivers about the program. It had previously flown around, and that’s not healthy for said the crane appeared to be ill cranes. at Johnson Space Center during a ceremony for the return of the STS-93 crew featuring commander Another stage Eileen Collins. The flag also flew at the Astro- is set for TDRS naut Memorial Foundation in late April and was at the Press Site for At Hangar J, Cape Canaveral Air the three previous launch attempts Force Station (CCAFS), work is of STS-101. begun on the Centaur upper stage that will be used with an The flag tour’s planned future Atlas IIA rocket to launch the events include stops at Normandy latest Tracking and Data Relay American Cemetery in France, a Satellite (TDRS) June 29 from Pacific Fleet ceremony at Midway CCAFS. The Atlas/Centaur launch Island, the Republican National vehicle is manufactured and Convention in Philadelphia, the operated by Lockheed Martin. Democratic National Convention Atlas IIA is capable of lifting in Los Angeles and the 2000 payload systems to geosyn- Olympic Games in Sydney, chronous transfer orbit. Australia. June 2, 2000 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 1999 Kennedy Space Center Honor Awards The Kennedy Space Center Honor Awards ceremony was held KSC Director’s Award May 25 in the Visitor Complex’s IMAX II Theater. More than 200 The Director’s Award is the highest award that the center confers on employees were recognized for an employee. The award honors an employee who has exemplified their efforts in 1999 that contrib- through personal effort and innovation the highest standards and uted significantly to helping commitment to the application of continual improvement principles advance the center’s mission. and practices or for the accomplishment of a job-related task of such Among the honors presented were magnitude and merit as to deserve special center recognition. the KSC Director’s Award, the The award is given to Stephen C. Robling for leadership in develop- Equal Opportunity Award and ing a world-class metric-based Shuttle surveillance process and Medal, two Presidential Rank implementation of metrics to evaluate KSC’s implementation of Awards, the Secretary of the Year NASA’s strategic goals.
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