May 14, 1999 Vol. 38, No. 10 Fortieth Anniversary Spaceport News Pioneering the Future America's gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. John F. Kennedy Space Center Preparing GOES to go Packing up for a trip to the space station Packing li ght isn't an option for the seven-member crew of STS-96, scheduled to lift off to the Inter­ national Space Station (ISS) on May 20 from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B. The 10-day flight will take about two tons of supplies - including laptop computers, a printer, cameras, maintenance tools, spare parts and clothing- to the orbiting space station in the SPACEHAB double module. Discovery will be the first orbiter to dock with the fledgling station since the crew of Endeavour departed the outpost in December 1998. At Astrotech in Titusville, STS-96 will also be the first Fla., the GOES-L weather logistics flight to the new station. satellite was encapsulated in Discovery will spend five days its fairing before transfer to linked to the ISS, transferring and Launch Pad 36B at Cape installing gear that could not be Canaveral Air Station. The fourth of a new (See STS-96, Page 5) advanced series of geo­ At left, In the payload changeout room at stationary weather satellites Launch Pad 39B, technicians moved the for the National Oceanic and SPACEHAB double module from the payload canister on April 28 and placed it Atmospheric Administration in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay (NOAA), GOES-Lis a three­ for STS-96. The second flight for axis inertially stabilized construction of the International Space spacecraft that will provide Station, STS-96 is a logistics and supply mission. Liftoff is scheduled for May 20 at pictures and peiform atmos­ 9:32 a.m. EDT. pheric sounding at the same time. After launch, the satellite Readying the station to break new groun_d will undergo checkout and When the International Space (officially named Destiny) in space, the ISS's SA flight. then provide backup capa­ Station (ISS) is inhabited by its where orbiting crews and Earth­ Functioning as it would in space bilities for existing, aging first crew early next year, con­ bound researchers will conduct means simulating a human pre­ operational satellites. tinuous, long-term microgravity their experiments, a team of NASA sence operating inside the labora­ Once in orbit, the satellite research will commence aboard the and Boeing engineers and tech­ tory. "We introduced heat into the will become GOES-11- Earth-orbiting outpost. nicians are now hard at work on the cabin, as well as moisture and joining GOES-8, GOES-9 That research will undoubtedly ground. carbon dioxide to simulate the and GOES-10 in space. provide unexpected results in the Almost one year before launch of presence of the crew," Galloway GOES will be launched fields of material science, bio­ Destiny on STS-98, the team has noted. "This way, we can assure aboard a Lockheed Martin technology, fluid physics, and been gathering and analyzing data that proper life support systems Atlas II rocket. combustion and life sciences. from the laboratory's first closed­ will function as required for actual KSC is the lead center for While such unanticipated hatch qualification test. crew members on orbit." acquisition and management findings are exciting to scientists "We've run all environmental Four major systems were of Expendable Launch and researchers, unforeseen occur­ control and life support systems on qualified fit for orbital operation Vehicle (ELY) launch rences in space are an engineer's the ground to qualify that the during the eight-day test of Destiny, services. nightmare. systems will functi on as we expect which had its hatch closed for the To assure optimum performance them to in space," said Randy of the ISS 's U.S. Laboratory Galloway, NASA technical lead for (See Destiny, Page 2) Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS May 14, 1999 atmosphere revitalization system to Laboratory ... check how its trace contaminant (Continued from Page 1) control system is operating," Sendral continued. "This system test's duration on April 29. checks for and removes undesirable "One of the systems we needed elements in the air." to qualify was the lab's atmosphere Another system checked in the revitalization system, which assures eight-day trial was the atmosphere that carbon dioxide will be control supply system. removed as expected," said Boeing "This system primarily simulates Senior Test Engineer Emile the atmosphere on the ground," Sendral. stated NASA's lead engineer on the "This same test will also check closed-hatch test, Gary Wentz. the major constituent analyzer, or "This system provides partial MCA. That essentially samples and pressure of oxygen and nitrogen." analyzes atmospheric conditions The third test run on the lab was not only for the U.S. Laboratory, qualifying the functionality of the but also for conditions throughout temperature humidity control the station," Sendral noted. system. Since the laboratory is not "Basically, this system monitors physically attached right now to the and controls the lower and upper ISS, the test of conditions temperatures in the lab, much like throughout the station was achieved your thermostat at home," noted through laboratory interfaces. Wentz. "We've also run a test of the And finally, the thermal control Gary Wentz, left, and Emile Sendral work together on Destiny's closed-hatch test. system was checked during the space, the ISS community will week-long qualifying test. expand here on Earth as researchers "The thermal control system use the technologies of "tele­ removes heat from the electronics science" to control and manipulate to allow them to function experiments from the ground. optimally," said Sendral. Advancing communications and "It also supports humidity information technologies will allow control, like the evaporator coil in Earth-bound investigators to enjoy an air conditioning unit on Earth. a "virtual presence" on board the During the test, we demonstrated ISS as they take their place in a its ability to collect the condensa­ world community that will use and tion in the lab and dump it over­ benefit from an orbiting laboratory. board." The ISS will execute concurrent All of these systems are vital to roles as: supporting scientists, engineers and • an advanced testbed for entrepreneurs on an unprecedented technology and human exploration; platform on which to pelform • a world-class research facility; complex, long-duration and and replicable experiments in the • a commercial platform for space unique environment of space. research and development. The microgravity of space has Since the Skylab space station in become an important tool for 1973 and through the Space Shuttle scientists developing highly and Spacelab missions, NASA has sophisticated materials and sponsored a long line of micro­ processes for use now and in the gravity materials research. 21st century. It will continue in the 21st Before Destiny's hatch was closed on April 29 for an eight-day qualification test, this inside view of the "floor" racks was taken. The "floor" refers to its on-orbit orientation The station will maximize its century as the International Space (for human factors considerations, a floor/ceiling relationship is maintained) . In this particular assets -prolonged Station is assembled and becomes a picture, the racks are "on the wall," as evident by the step ladders (at left) in the picture. exposure to microgravity and the major research facility, including The condensing heat exchanger that removes the water from the atmosphere is presence of human experimenters the U.S. Laboratory Module, with positioned (far right in the photo) so that the heat exchanger is "on its back" to allow the water to drain into a separator in 1 g. On orbit, this process uses airflow and suction to in the research process. facilities for research in biotech­ work properly. The condensing heat exchanger and water separator are very similar to As an international crew of nology, fluid physics, combustion the hardware used on the Space Shuttle today. astronauts live and work together in and life sciences. Page 3 SPACEPORT NEWS May 14, 1999 Roe named manager, Space Shuttle Vehicle Joint Communications Control Engineering Office Center Becomes Operational The Joint Conununications and a credit to all the men and Research Planning, Inc. (an Control Center (JCCC) women who contributed to the SGS subcontractor), controls a located at KSC, with an team effort. myriad of functions for alternate site at Cape The primary center is located in hundreds of buildings at both Canaveral Air Station Room 1Pl0 ofKSC's Latmch locations. (CCAS), formally began Conh·ol Complex, with an alternate These functions include operations April 6 following a center located at Building 49750 at closed circuit television ribbon-cutting ceremony. Cape Canaveral Air Station. cameras, two-way radio The JCCC combines the The Joint Cmmnunications networks, infrared detection communications control Control Center is staffed 24 hours a systems, motion detectors, mission of CCAS with the day, seven days a week. intrusion alarm signals, fiber­ same operation at KSC. The center provides continuous optic motion sensors, comput­ The latest technological communication support for Fire/ erized response and dispatch advances in electronic EMS and Security personnel; systems and electronic access cmmnunications monitoring electronic assessment of fire and control systems. and dispatch systems are now security alarm systems; 911 A protection systems team integrated into one center. emergency call responses, includ­ of 25 electronics experts Also taking part in this ing telephone devices for the deaf; maintains these devices. Ralph Roe event were approximately 100 aural public address; and adverse The Joint Conununications Ralph R. Roe Jr. has been named individuals who participated weather warning systems. Control Center fulfills the manager, Space Shuttle Vehicle in the successful completion There are more than 98,000 concept of the J-BOSC by Engineering Office in the Space of this project.