Spaceport News America’S Gateway to the Universe

July 31, 1998 Vol. 37, No. 15 Spaceport News America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. John F. Kennedy Space Center Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite that the Soviet Union launched on Oct. 4, 1957, provided the Alan Shepard’s candle continues to burn impetus for the founding of Alan Shepard Jr., America’s the National Aeronautics and first man in space and the fifth Space Administration. Just to walk on the moon, died at over 40 years later, we are age 74 on July 21. building an International After his historic space flight Space Station with the in 1961, amid a period of Cold Russians as partners. War rivalries and uncertainty, Although Cold War Shepard reinvigorated the rivalries prompted many American spirit with his early initiatives, the courage, tenacity and legislation that enabled unflappable, can-do attitude. NASA’s creation called for “Alan Shepard will be the peaceful exploration of remembered, always, for his space for the benefit of all. accomplishments of the past: This pioneering spirit not being one of the original seven only reaches across the Mercury astronauts, for being globe today to unite cultures, the first American to fly in space it also spans generations — and for being one of only 12 uniting both young and old. Americans ever to step on the Within the first few years moon,” said NASA Administra- of NASA’s founding, the tor Daniel Goldin. agency launched its first “He should also be remem- high-profile program bered as someone who, even in involving human space- his final days, never lost sight of flight: Project Mercury. the future.” John Glenn Jr. became the Shepard was born on Nov. 18, first U.S. astronaut to orbit 1923, in East Derry, New the Earth on Feb. 20, 1962, Hampshire, where he studied in aboard a Mercury-Atlas 6 in 1923-1998 a one-room schoolhouse. There, “Friendship 7.” he completed six grades in five Today, Glenn is training Alan Shepard in his space suit inside the Mercury capsule. Waiting in the rocket as with the crew of STS-95 to delays postponed his flight, Shepard instructed the launch team to just “light this candle.” (See Shepard, Page 3) again launch into orbit around the Earth to engage Where there’s smoke, there’s NASA research in research for the benefit of As fires raged through Florida safer environment for people and to pointed out. “Certainly the all. A variety of experiments earlier this month, creating a better manage it for wildlife,” he experience of this summer in sponsored by NASA, the veritable inferno across the said. Florida emphasizes the National Space Develop- sunshine state, a handful of Working in the Ecological importance of controlled burns. ment Agency of Japan students were burning the midnight Program under the auspices of More people today are living in (NASDA) and the European oil at Kennedy Space Center to NASA’s Biomedical Office at KSC, areas of dense vegetation. Regional Space Agency (ESA) during help researchers develop better Schaub has been active in student planning needs dictate that we need STS-95 will focus on life smoke and fire models. outreach programs for years to help to burn with a much higher level of sciences, microgravity “We need to develop better tools develop young minds as well as precision. Our interagency fire and science and advanced to more effectively manage fuels resources to better predict where smoke modeling will allow us to do technology during the flight. that can potentially ravage and how fast fires spread. just that.” Florida’s ecosystem,” said Ron This summer, the Ecological The interagency fire and smoke Schaub, ecologist and remote Program enjoyed the assistance of modeling project was developed to sensing analyst with the Dynamac 10 interns through the Summer create tools to predict the intensity Corporation. Dynamac, under the High School Apprenticeship and spread of wildland fire and Life Sciences Support Contract at Research Program (SHARP) and smoke. The project is sponsored by KSC, conducts environmental the Summer Industrial Fellowship KSC’s Biomedical Office and the monitoring and ecological research. for Teachers (SIFT). Merritt Island National Wildlife “We’re seeking to reduce the risk “We need to develop a new and impact of wildfires to provide a generation of fire models,” Schaub (See Smoke, Page 4) Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS July 31, 1998

KSC stands for safety CPR and you On July 16, Kennedy Space is zero mishaps and zero injuries. KSC’s Biomedical Office is Center employees took a stand for He noted that the safety record of taking a poll to see how many safety — standing down from work DuPont employees off the job is as employees at Kennedy Space for the entire day to focus good as KSC’s record on the job. Center and Cape Canaveral exclusively on safety. The company is known as one of Air Station are interested in For the first time ever, about the world’s safest organizations. training to become certified 14,000 KSC employees, both Senior NASA and contractor by the American Heart NASA civil service and con- managers have participated in Association in adult tractors, departed from normal DuPont safety training, held last cardiopulmonary resuscita- activities, rescheduling Shuttle and year at KSC. During Super Safety tion (CPR). space station work, to participate in Day, Bridges summarized the If you are interested in mail to BOC-005, a panel discussion that was essence of DuPont’s safety receiving CPR training, Occupational Health broadcast centerwide and to train philosophy. please provide your name and Facility. throughout the day on safety- “Unsafe behavior leads to mail code to Janie Marsh via You also can call Marsh at related issues. The afternoon events mishaps and injuries,” Bridges e-mail at janie.marsh- 867- 2027. The deadline is included vendor displays across the said, “and safe behavior comes [email protected], or internal Friday, Aug. 21. center as well as organization from safe thinking.” seminars and training. Model safe behavior, he noted, Also participating in the Super includes knowing our jobs, main- Safety Day activities were taining our workplace, keeping employees from Cape Canaveral physically and mentally fit, being Air Station and Patrick Air Force an active player in safety, being Base. The theme of KSC’s first part of the total team and contri- Super Safety Day was ‘Safety on buting our experiences to benefit the Line.’ others. “This means that each one of us Bridges then introduced keynote accepts responsibility for our own speaker C. Gordon Fullerton, safety, for the safety of our NASA pilot and astronaut. coworkers, our equipment and our Fullerton’s lively and entertaining facilities,” said Center Director opening remarks included the Roy Bridges during opening importance of preparation, practice remarks. “It means that each one of and persistence in the regular tasks us is proactive in creating safe we perform every day. Brief KSC workers working conditions, that each one presentations followed Fullerton’s participated in safety- of us will stop unsafe work talk. Speakers who addressed the related demonstrations practices when we see them audience on subjects ranging from throughout the afternoon. without hesitation, and that each individual responsibility to focus one of us will practice safe and discipline included KSC Air Force Brigadier General JSC Space Shuttle Program Office behavior both on and off-duty.” Deputy Director for Launch and Randall Starbuck; JSC Astronaut Manager Tommy Holloway; KSC’s goal, reminded Bridges, Payload Processing Loren Shriver; Office Chief Kenneth Cockrell; Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Chairman Richard Blomberg and KSC Associate Director for Advanced Development and Shuttle Upgrades JoAnn Morgan. Additional panel members provided insight into safety issues across the board, responding to live questions from the KSC, Cape Canaveral Air Station, and Patrick Air Force Base audience. More than 150 phones calls, faxes and e-mails were sent in to the panel live during the morning session, and 100 questions were sent in prior to Super Safety Day. More than 100 displays around KSC included educational and interactive activities related to fire safety, blood pressure screening, boating and water safety, household Panel moderator Loren Shriver, at podium, assisted in directing live questions to the panel that included, left to right, Roy Bridges, chemicals, defensive driving, Randall Starbuck, Kenneth Cockrell, Tommy Holloway, Richard Blomberg and JoAnn Morgan. and more. July 31, 1998 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3

Shepard ... Distinguished Service Medal. the first person An ear problem later ever to hit golf (Continued from Page 1) grounded Shepard and he was balls on the years. On weekends, he rode put in charge of the astronauts’ moon. He was his bicycle 10 miles to a local office for the next 10 years. But the fifth man to airport, where he cleaned he refused to give up on walk on the hangars and fanned a passion getting back into space, and moon and the for flying sparked by Charles when surgery corrected his ear oldest at the Lindbergh's 1927 landmark problem, he was offered age of 47. flight across the Atlantic. command of the Apollo 14 Shepard Following World War II, moon mission that was retired from Shepard began training as an launched on Jan. 31, 1971. NASA in 1974 aviator and took additional Shepard and Ed Mitchell and started lessons at a civilian flying spent 33 1/2 hours on the Seven Fourteen school in his spare time. moon, much of which was Enterprises All seven of the Project Mercury astronauts share breakfast He later became one of the spent towing, pushing and (for Freedom 7 prior to Astronaut Alan Shepard’s departure to Pad 5 for the Navy’s top test pilots and took even carrying a cumbersome and Apollo 14), first manned suborbital flight on the Mercury Redstone 7. Joining part in high-altitude flying cart bearing tools and compart- which served them for breakfast is Dr. William Douglas, far left. Facing the camera from the left are Astronauts John Glenn, Alan Shepard, tests. ments for geological samples. as an um- Scott Carpenter and Wally Shirra. With their backs to the camera When he was selected to be When the work was finished, brella company are Gordon Cooper, Gus Grissom and Deke Slayton. one of America’s first seven Shepard pulled out two golf for several enter- Mercury astronauts he was balls and unfolded a collap- prises. Foundation. regarded “as a top-notch Navy sible golf club. Despite thick He also served for many “Alan Shepard lived to aviator, tough, quick-witted, gloves and a stiff suit that years as the chairman of the explore the heavens,” Goldin and a leader,” wrote Tom Wolfe forced him to swing the club Mercury 7 Foundation — now said. “On this his final journey, in The Right Stuff. with one hand only, he became the Astronaut Scholarship we wish him Godspeed.” Although his flight on May 5, 1961, was brief, it was a major accomplishment during Training for STS-95 ... that was Glenn; this is now an era when doubts abounded. Listening to a briefing by Chris On April 12, less than a month Jaskolka of Boeing, second from before Shepherd’s scheduled left, inside the SPACEHAB module liftoff, the Soviet Union are STS-95 crew members (from launched a spacecraft called left) Payload Specialist Chiaki Vostok I that carried 27-year- Mukai, with the National Space old cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on Development Agency of Japan one lap around Earth. The feat (NASDA), Mission Specialist not only made Gagarin the first Stephen Robinson and Payload man in space and the first to Specialist John Glenn Jr., U.S. orbit the planet, but also gave senator from Ohio. STS-95 will the Soviets bragging rights in feature a variety of research the Cold War’s space race. payloads, including experiments on Delays pushed Shepard’s space flight and the aging process. launch back three days, and STS-95 is targeted for an Oct. 29 once he’d been strapped into launch aboard the Shuttle Discovery. the tight little Freedom 7 cap- sule perched atop a Redstone rocket, further complications delayed the launch another four hours. Shepard finally was sent booming off into the Florida morning sky at 9:34 a.m. After his 15-minute, 302- mile flight, Freedom 7 decelerated from 5,180 miles an hour to 500 miles an hour in STS-95 crew members recently about 30 seconds, and Shepard reviewed procedures in the was squeezed by a tremendous SPACEHAB Payload Processing pressure about 10 times the Facility in Cape Canaveral. From force of Earth's gravity. left are Payload Specialists Chiaki Shepard splashed down 40 Mukai and John Glenn Jr. and miles from Bermuda, and the Mission Specialists Scott next day, he was in Washing- Parazynski and Pedro Duque with ton, D.C., where President John the European Space Agency. F. Kennedy awarded him the Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS July 31, 1998

Smoke ... partitioned into a Members of the U.S. .Fish and Wildlife Service use a flamethrower to ignite a (Continued from Page 1) defined area and controlled burn at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. harvested in Refuge. layers. Every- The specific goals of wildland fire and smoke thing from the modeling are to more effectively conduct ground up was controlled burns for fuel reduction and habitat then collected management, to more effectively suppress and categorized uncontrolled wildfires in areas where fuels have by species, size accumulated to hazardous levels as a result of and whether or fire exclusion, and to better plan development of not it was dead cultural and industrial resources. or alive (dead In support of the fire and smoke modeling vegetation is effort, Dynamac ecologists are characterizing more flammable). wildland fuels through ‘biomass harvesting’ and Then, Schaub remote sensing using aerial imagery. Biomass and the students harvesting involves the collection of ground dried, weighed vegetation that includes litter, herbs and woody and photographed refuge are managed with prescribed fire. everything, later scanning the samples into a vegetation. This biomass provides a highly To support fire and smoke model computer to create digital images. flammable fuel. development at KSC, test burns are These data are used to generate fuel models, “Basically, fire requires fuel, oxygen and heat. conducted by the Dynamac Corporation in adding to an already extensive“Geographic That’s it,” said Schaub. “And essentially, all collaboration with the Los Alamos National Information System.” With this information, the vegetation above water can burn; it’s all fuel.” Lab, the Los Angeles County Fire Depart- Ecological Program is able to produce high- Fire and smoke model development requires ment, NASA’s Applied Meteorology Unit, resolution computer-assisted modeling over a highly detailed data on fuels, weather and fire the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other behavior. So the students who worked in very specific area for analysis. organizations. Schaub’s office assisted him in collecting “We take aerial imagery and classify it in a The Los Alamos National Lab provides samples of Florida’s abundant ‘fuel’ around KSC way that allows scientists to query the data and supercomputing capabilities to KSC to to build a data model for scientists and learn more about the behavior of wildfire,” said support more precise data modeling. The researchers to better understand the influences on Schaub. Los Angeles County Fire Department is fire behavior. As seen from a photo taken from an airplane at interested in learning more about fire about 15,000 feet, the computer-rendered model behavior and control for the safety and is able to define vegetation down to an individual One twig at a time welfare of its citizens. pine tree. This level of detail should lead to First, an area representative of a particular It is hoped that fire departments can use improved data modeling for high-level predictive vegetation type, or ‘fuel,’ was selected. It was the information to make decisions about and perhaps preventive fire management. where to deploy firefighters and equipment when battling a wildfire. The Applied Going for the burn Meteorology Unit is a tri-agency Controlled burns are an essential part of the cooperative effort located at Cape Canaveral equation. Air Station (CCAS). “Fire is essential in the maintenance of The unit provides weather forecasting, habitat,” Schaub pointed out. As an example, the monitoring, and data collection and Forida scrub jay is a bird that has evolved and archiving. This is important in profiling the can only continue to subsist in a fire-maintained behavior of winds as well as lightning ecosystem. detection. The birds require an environment of scrub Since KSC and CCAS have some of the approximately three to four feet high, otherwise most sophisticated weather forecasting they will not thrive or continue to reproduce, and equipment in the nation, the wildlife refuge eventually the species would perish. was chosen for an experiment earlier this The Florida scrub jay’s population has year to check a computer simulation against declined by at least 50 percent, a loss due the reality of a raging fire. primarily to habitat loss and degradation. The test was of such importance that it “Fires prevent the scrub from becoming too captured the attention of U.S. Secretary of tall and allow for patchy areas of clear land [such Interior Bruce Babbit. as sand] that offer the birds a better view of “I don’t think there’s another place in the predatory threats, such as hawks,” Schaub said. country where you could do this type of In addition to this maintenance of habitat for burn and learn so much,” Babbit said. threatened and endangered species, fire-related It’s a project that could save lives and responsibilities include the protection of KSC billions of dollars in property, he added. employees, residents and visitors and also of the The next controlled burn is scheduled to natural, cultural and industrial resources around take place in late September. Students from NASA’s Space Life Sciences Training the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. KSC’s Biomedical Office participates Program gather vegetation within a nine-square-meter Approximately 95 percent of Kennedy Space each year in three educational outreach fenced-in area to use as part of a Geographic Information System that will help scientists and researchers better Center is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife programs: Space Life Sciences Training understand and manage the influences of fire behavior. Service, and about 63,000 acres of the wildlife Program, SHARP and SIFT. July 31, 1998 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 Space Act Award winners honored It’s still hurricane season A Technology Awards breakfast value to NASA’s space and An uncharacteristically dry summer this year veils the fact that we’re was held July 30 in the Space aeronautic mission, either through in the middle of hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30. Station Processing Facility use at Kennedy Space Center and/ Although El Niño has passed, it has been replaced by its little sister, La cafeteria to recognize NASA and or for having current or potential Niña. La Niña turns the Pacific waters colder than usual and plays the same weather tricks as its older brother, but often in reverse — wet contractor innovators who value in the commercial market- where it was dry and vice versa. The climatological change could mean received Space Act awards during place. All of these types of awards menacing Atlantic hurricanes over the next few months. the past year. A total of $83,000 in were represented at the breakfast. Space Act awards was received by Projects that received recog- 114 KSC workers this past year. nition included electronically The breakfast to honor the active coatings for corrosion innovators was held in con- protection, a tile cavity measure- junction with the center’s second ment system, an environmentally annual Technology Transfer Week, controlled abrasive blasting suit, a July 27 through 31, sponsored by knowledge-based reasoning tool the Technology Programs and for Space Shuttle propellant Commercialization Office. loading, a paperless procedure Space Act Awards include both system for flight hardware and automatic and board action payloads, an ultrasonic bolt cage, awards. the use of ultrasound to improve Automatic awards include those the effectiveness of a permeable for patent application, software treatment wall, a wireless release to the public or for having information network, a particle Keep KSC Hurricane Center numbers handy. The center’s number is a technical article published in the fallout activity sensor, a turbine/ 867-9200 or, for a 24-hour hurricane update, call 861-7900. Also, know NASA Tech Briefs magazine. brush pipe cleaning system, an what the difference is between a hurricane watch and a hurricane Board action awards include orbiter window illumination warning. Watch: Hurricane conditions are possible in the specified awards for projects that have been device, a system for accurate area of the watch, usually within 36 hours. Warning: Hurricane evaluated by the NASA Inventions location of lightning strikes, an conditions are expected in the specified area of the warning, usually and Contributions Board at NASA incremental walking robot for within 24 hours. This view of Hurricane Emilia in the Pacific Ocean was Headquarters in Washington, locomotion and inspection of very taken by the STS-65 crew in 1992 using a hand-held 70mm camera. D.C., and found to have a tangible thin wall ducts, and others. Updates on ODIN Want to know more about the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN )? KSC has been named the Office Food for thought Awardof Space Flight List ODIN by ProjectLead JulyService 23, Center 1998 with responsibility From soup to nuts, uniquely essential to your well- information are available to issue an award for a single nutrients are essential for being, each one functions most throughout the month of contractor to provide ODIN good health, growth, vigor effectively in combination with August at all medical services.PROJECTS KSC intends COMPANY to have the and sustaining life. others. facilities or upon request delivery order issued this fall with But why exactly do we Although present in only to Carol Roth, BOC-005. FTIRthe ODIN Spectrometer contractor in place on need them? What are their minute quantities in the body, She can be reached at Dec. 1. At KSC, the ODIN chief functions in the body? vitamins and minerals act as 867-3414. contractor will provide desktop, catalysts and antioxidants. They Propulsion System Advisor What are good food server and remote communications sources? And what are the also assist in biochemical services. symptoms of deficiency? transformations. They keep Simulated Six meetings areHydrogen scheduled to Fire How do we know if we your body functioning at UltravioletóPortablegive KSC workers opportunities Unitto need to take supplements? optimum levels and ask questions. The meetings are The August packet of help prevent disease. scheduled: Find out more Electronically Active Coatingsinformation available Aug. 3 through KSC’s Health about the impor- 8:30for a.m.,Corrosion LCC 1R29 Protection Education and Wellness tance of vitamins Aug. 4 Program answers all of these and minerals in OMS1 p.m., O&CPod MBR Alignment Tool questions and more. Special your life and MechanicalAug. 11 Version emphasis is placed on what you can 1 p.m., LCC 1R29 antioxidants (vitamins C, E do to improve Aug. 12 and betacarotene) and what the quality of 8:30Real-time a.m., O&C Non-volatile MBR Residuerole they play in fighting life through (NVR)Aug. 17 Monitor cancer and heart disease. better nutrition. 8:30 a.m., While every nutrient is Free packets of LockheedTraining Auditorium Vision Inspection Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS July 31, 1998 NASA Alumni League meets at KSC Scoring big for the future On June 16, 42 members The NASA Alumni League of the NASA Alumni League is made up of more than 180 Eli Alper, a junior at physics and chemistry. (NAL) met with Center Director NASA retiree members and Trinity Prep High School in Winning this award meant Roy Bridges and were provided was created to maintain close Winter Park, Fla., recently a trip to Washington, D.C., with information about the ties with the agency — was honored with winning for Alper along with the current status of center supporting its goals, objectives one of eight regional prizes seven other regional winners programs and insight into and activities. of the NASA Student who presented their future direction of KSC by Any NASA retiree is eligible Involvement Program, a proposals to NASA scientists the spaceport’s top to become a member of the competitive program to and members of Congress. management team. NAL. foster greater scientific As if that wasn’t enough, During the meeting, topics of For more information about literacy among high school Alper also found out in May discussion included the Shuttle the league and how to join, students. that he received a perfect program, expendable launch contact NASA Alumni League To do this, Alper beat out score on his SAT, which vehicles and payloads, the President Norris Gray at (407) hundreds of other students stands for Scholastic International Space Station, 254-2161. who also submitted entries Assessment Test, a standard future launch vehicles, You can also reach Gray by from his region, which measure of a student’s advanced development and writing him at 808 Thomas included 12 states. readiness for and potential Shuttle upgrades, and Public Barbour Drive, Melbourne, Fla. The students had to success in college. Affairs activities. 32935. submit a proposal regarding As an indication of how an experiment that either difficult this is to achieve, could be conducted on Mars of the 327,599 juniors who or on the way to Mars. took the test in 1997, the Alper’s proposal involved average verbal score was determining the evidence of 528 and the average math life through the presence of score was 532. Alper’s amino acids. His proposal perfect scores were 800 in concentrated heavily on each category.

Eli Alper holds his award at KSC’s Saturn V Center.

STS-88 Mission Specialist Jerry Ross removes the cover from the Unity node in KSC’s Space Station Processing Facility so that he and Boeing Technician Doug Adams (left) can inspect it. Training Technician Glenda Laws (right) looks on. The STS-88 crew recently participated in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) at KSC. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity for a hands-on look at the payloads they will be working with on orbit. STS-88, the first Shuttle launch for the International Space Station, is scheduled for liftoff this December.

John F. Kennedy Space Center Spaceport News

Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks before publication to the Media Services Branch, AB-F1. E-mail submissions can be sent to [email protected] Managing editor...... Bruce Buckingham Editor...... Susan Maurer Editorial support provided by Sherikon Space Systems Inc. Writers Group. Photographic support primarily provided by The Bionetics Corp. NASA at KSC is on the Internet at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov

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