Sept. 30 , 2011 Vol. 51, No. 19 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe Inside . Small business’ role as important as ever Agreement gives By Steven Siceloff big boost Spaceport News mall businesses have a role to play in NASA’s Sfuture as inventors and producers, the agency’s acting Chief Technologist told an audience at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 23. Page 2 “Every day, people are helped by NASA Launch Pad 39B technology,” Joe Parrish deconstruction done said. “We serve a crew of six billion.” Parrish, the deputy Chief Technologist, currently is NASA file/2010 leading the Office of the There are opportunities for innovation in ground support equipment as Kennedy Space Center outfits its facilities to host Chief Technologist. several different kinds of rockets. New designs are evaluated at Kennedy Launch Equipment Test Facility which recently He said the Small Business underwent a major upgrade. Innovative Research, or designs. Parminder Ghuman SBIR, and Small Business of NASA’s Goddard Technology Transfer, or “Every day, people are helped by NASA Space Flight Center also Page 3 STTR, Programs provide technology. We serve a crew of six billion.” an opportunity for small, pointed to high altitude STS-135 crew balloons and sounding returns to Kennedy high technology companies and research institutions to Joe Parrish, rockets as platforms for participate in government- NASA’s small-scale innovators. sponsored research and Acting Chief Technologist Dr. Tony Strazisar, Senior development efforts in key Technical Advisor for the Aeronautics Research technology areas that would technologies it would like on the station and technology Mission Directorate, stressed be useful to NASA, or to to see developed, SBIR that can be incorporated the importance of the commercialize existing ideas and STTR are set up to into the CubeSat studies. SBIR Program as a viable that can be sold to the public. award contracts in phases The program also is on the Each of NASA’s Mission for feasibility studies, lookout for advances in laser source for their Technology Page 6 Directorates provide chances then prototypes and full optical communications, Portfolio and that about for innovation, said NASA’s development. Leshner Stegeman said. 30 percent of the proposals Payload canisters Rich Leshner, the SBIR and said the ultimate payoff Each mission directorate that recently arrived in decommissioned STTR program executive for the program is when has research areas where response to this year’s at NASA Headquarters. a technology is used for a they are soliciting new solicitation were directly For example, new rockets flight, mission or instrument. innovative approaches. The linked to Aeronautics and spacecraft are expected The International Space agency’s Science Mission Research. to need different ground Station is a particularly Directorate, for instance, is Parrish said that combined support equipment at fertile ground for looking for improvements with the technology Kennedy. innovation since it is a in mirror technology and developments the agency About two-thirds of the national laboratory, said spacecraft subsystems, things is conducting itself, small small businesses involved in Jim Stegeman of Glenn that can be built into a probe businesses are contributors the NASA programs employ of the advances that will HERITAGE: Page 7 Research Center in Ohio. to aid in navigation and fewer than 25 people. The agency is looking for guidance using machinery make future science and As NASA identifies innovations that aid research that is lighter than current exploration successful. Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Sept. 30, 2011 Development of alternate ground launch systems gets boost By Linda Herridge site option for consideration Spaceport News in the company’s future business planning,” Mellor non-reimbursable said. “The RSLV is unique Umbrella Space Act Agreement in that it is designed to lever- A age manufacturing econo- (SAA), signed recently between Kennedy Space mies of scale not often seen Center Director Bob Cabana in the space launch business, and KT Engineering in therefore minimizing costs.” Madison, Ala., will help the Mellor further noted, agency acquire the knowl- unlike the space shuttle, the edge necessary to develop RSLV is an unmanned sys- a multi-user ground system tem and will be integrated architecture for launching and transported horizontally nontraditional, low-cost to the launch pad, much like vehicles. The agreement is the Russian systems. valid for five years. Several Kennedy direc- Photo courtesy of KT Engineering/Media Fusion “Kennedy Space Cen- torates and offices, including An artist’s rendering of the launch of a Radially Segmented Launch Vehicle from Kennedy Space Center. ter’s role as a traditional Engineering, 21st Century Ground Systems Program, one-system launch complex concept design. This also in- One of these low-cost hicles and develop a multi- and Ground Processing, is transforming to become cludes information related to vehicles possibly being de- user architecture through will provide engineering a true spaceport support- the company’s development veloped is the RSLV that has the 21st Century Ground ing multiple users,” Cabana of the Radially Segmented the potential to be processed Systems Program managed support to deliver a Con- said. “And we are moving Launch Vehicle (RSLV) and launched from Kennedy, here at Kennedy.” cept of Operations and also forward, changing the ways Processing Data and Multi- according to KT Engineer- Mellor said this SAA provide conceptual design we do business with com- User Ground Architecture ing’s Chief Operating Of- takes a critical step forward and capability specifications mercial space customers.” Concept of Operations ficer Bob Mellor. in enabling them to tap into for universal vehicle-to-pad Technical Integration Development. “It’s an exciting time Kennedy’s vast knowledge interfaces. Manager Cliff Hausmann, Partnership Development because RSLV is a different and unparalleled expertise “The efforts put into this with Kennedy’s Center Manager Robyn Mitchell, type of vehicle that offers in ground processing and agreement will validate the Planning and Development also with Kennedy’s Center a low-cost, modular design launch operations, while center’s ability to effectively Office, said within the first Planning and Development that could significantly providing NASA, the accommodate a wide variety year of SAA’s implementa- Office, explained non- reduce the cost for trans- Department of Defense of commercial launch tion, KT Engineering is reimbursable agreements porting payloads to orbit,” and commercial users with vehicle provider needs tasked with sharing informa- are more about knowledge Hausmann said. “Under this a revolutionary, low cost, which further supports the tion related to launch system and information sharing and agreement the center will be launch option. transformation of Kennedy design, ground processing concept development, with able to expand its support to “We believe that Ken- into a multi-user spaceport,” flow and universal umbilical no payback obligations. a wider range of launch ve- nedy offers a viable launch Mitchell said. Tour de KSC kicks off 2011 Combined Federal Campaign icycling enthusi- Tickets are $25 ($15 of asts may tour the which is be considered BKennedy Space a one-time, charitable Center on their bikes Oct. donation to the Combined 15 to kick off this year’s Federal Campaign (CFC). annual Combined Federal It includes a T-shirt, food, Campaign. and refreshments. Regis- This year’s signature tration begins at event will include a stop 7 a.m. and the ride is at the Vehicle Assembly from at 8 a.m. to noon. Building (VAB) with an Badged employees may opportunity to walk into purchase tickets for up to the VAB and view space five guests. CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Jim Grossmann shuttle Endeavor, tem- For more information, Chairman for 2011 Combined Federal Campaign Yves Lamothe, between Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro porarily stored in High go to http://tourdeksc. and Center Director Bob Cabana, poses for a photograph with the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign cabinet members on Bay 4. ksc.nasa.gov/index.htm Sept. 19. For more on the 2011 Tour de KSC, click on the photo. Sept. 30, 2011 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Launch Pad 39B ready for next generation By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News aunch Pad 39B at NASA’s Ken- Lnedy Space Center in Florida recently made way for a new generation of rockets when workers took down the gantry that stood in support of space shuttles for 30 years and replaced it with, well, not much really. But that was the idea. Whatever rocket heads out to the pad in the future, it’s going to bring its support structure with it. With that in mind, Pad B will provide all the fluids, electrical, and CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Jim Grossmann communications services to The deconstruction of Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center is complete. Still remaining is the flame trench. Launch Pad 39A can be seen in the distance. In 2009, the launch platform. the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. For information on NASA’s future plans, click “This is progress,” said on the photo. Regina Spellman, deputy to the pad, and the MLP. The structures, there is a consid- “We are also going to 10 and on the Apollo-Soyuz project manager for the MLP will be used for any erable amount of refurbish- spend a large amount of Test Project mission before pad’s makeover. commercial rocket that will ment under way inside the funds upgrading the existing it hosted space shuttle NASA decided to use the be interested to fly from the launch pad perimeter. infrastructure” said Regina. liftoffs and then the Ares I-X Mobile Launcher (ML), to Pad B. A million feet of cables Chipped and damaged flight test on Oct.