June 29, 2007 Vol. 46, No. 13 Spaceport News John F. - America’s gateway to the universe

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html STS-117 team completes starboard truss assembly New truss segment significantly increases power output

he Atlantis and its crew are home after Tcompleting a 14-day journey of more than 5.8 million miles in space. Atlantis’ STS-117 mission successfully increased the power capability of the Interna- tional Space Station, preparing for the future delivery of European and Japanese laboratories. Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and Mission Specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John “Danny” Olivas and Sunita Williams landed at , Calif., on June 22 at 3:49 p.m. EDT. Weather concerns forced mission managers to shift the landing from the Kennedy Space Center to Edwards after rain clouds were too close to the Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis was RETURNING FROM mission STS-117, Space Shuttle Atlantis approaches touchdown on the runway at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in . This was the 51st landing for the Space (See STS-117, Page 4) Shuttle Program at Edwards.

AT ASTROTECH, NASA’s Dawn mission ready for employees check the attachments of early July launch from Cape the Dawn spacecraft that By Linda Herridge for processing the spacecraft and connect the upper- Staff Writer integrating it with the launch stage booster. vehicle for its mission to the Dawn’s goal is to fter four years of planning asteroid belt between Mars and study the conditions and preparing, NASA’s Jupiter. The processing team and processes of the solar system’s Launch Services Program includes NASA, United Launch A earliest epoch by at Kennedy Space Center sees the Alliance, Analex and AI Solutions investigating in light at the end of the tunnel as it employees and the Orbital detail the largest prepares for the launch of the Sciences Corp. and Jet Propulsion protoplanets that Dawn spacecraft aboard a Delta II Lab team. have remained heavy launch vehicle in early July. Armando Piloto is the NASA intact since their Since the arrival of Dawn at the KSC Dawn mission manager. He formations: asteroid Astrotech facility in Titusville on said spacecraft processing work Vesta and the dwarf April 10, the Launch Services included integrating the solar planet Ceres. Program team has been responsible (See DAWN, Page 2) Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS June 29, 2007

help in providing the most that may go beyond the scope of appropriate information concern- their specific technical work, or ing NASA activities at the center. beyond the range of the agency. Contractor employees should work As NASA Administrator Mike Director’s with their company’s public Griffin said, “Decisions concerning affairs office. the newsworthiness of the numer- Public affairs representatives ous activities within NASA must Awards must be on hand during media be made and carried out in a Update visits to KSC primarily for safety coordinated fashion, but with and security reasons. They also views from all parties considered.” facilitate discussions between We remain committed to the Bill Parsons employees and media, but do not standard of open communication tell employees what to say. across KSC. Center Director The agency’s policy on Those who have questions releasing information guarantees about the policy are invited to s Kennedy Space Center’s culture of openness. Consistent that NASA scientists may share contact KSC’s News Center, or high-profile achievements with NASA’s policy on the release their conclusions with the media, David Mould at NASA Headquar- Acontinue to capture the of information to the media, but requires that they draw a ters in Washington at 202-358- attention of the world, NASA’s available at www..gov/ distinction between professional 1898 or at launch operations center receives communication_policy, employees conclusions and personal views [email protected]. thousands of public information may speak to the press and the requests from the media each year. public about their work. The These range from simple policy explains many ways to offer NASA’s Phoenix processing requests such as interviewing an the best communication in sharing engineer or taking up-close photos NASA’s message with the public. continues for August launch of a space shuttle, to more inten- NASA employees who receive sive requests like gaining escorted a request from a media representa- access to a high-security area. tive should coordinate with KSC’s It’s important that employees News Center at 321-867-2468 so understand that NASA desires a that our public affairs officers can

DAWN . . . solar electric ion propulsion engines. Ion propulsion is the (Continued from Page 1) world’s most advanced and arrays, completing final space- efficient space propulsion craft alignments and a final technology. comprehensive performance test, According to Dr. Christopher and fueling the spacecraft. It Russell, principal investigator at also involved performing a spin- the University of California-Los balance test and final weighing. Angeles, the mission’s primary The spacecraft was mated to the scientific objective is to advance Delta II launch vehicle’s third our understanding of the origin stage at Astrotech and then and evolution of the solar system transported to Launch Pad 17-B by studying asteroid Vesta and at Cape Canaveral Air Force the dwarf planet Ceres, which Station. have remained intact since their “Dawn is a very ambitious formation 4.6 billion years ago. mission,” Piloto said. “For the During the mission, Dawn last four years, the Dawn team will perform three different orbits has done a tremendous job to around each of these protoplan- get us to this point in the flow, ets. According to Russell, Ceres and we continue to work very is the largest, most massive actively and very safely to asteroid in the main asteroid belt, ensure mission success.” while Vesta is smaller and Dawn is the ninth mission in irregularly shaped. NASA’s Discovery Program. The The spacecraft will arrive at ON PAD 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a third solid rocket spacecraft will be the first to Vesta in September 2011 and at booster is raised from its transporter to be lifted into the mobile service orbit two planetary bodies Ceres in February 2015. tower, where two others wait. The boosters will be mated with the Delta II during a single mission and Dawn, built by Orbital first stage. The Delta is the launch vehicle for the Phoenix Mars Lander study two of the largest asteroids Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Va., spacecraft. Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar permanent in the main asteroid belt. This is contains instruments from Italy, ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. Landing on Mars is also NASA’s first purely scien- Germany and the U.S. planned in May 2008 on arctic ground where a mission currently in orbit, tific mission powered by three Mars Odyssey, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil. Phoenix is scheduled to launch Aug. 3. June 29, 2007 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Kennedy is first ‘StormReady’ NASA center

By Jeff Stuckey We’ve worked well together for a Editor long time.” KSC is the first government howing a complete commit- site in and only the eighth ment to employee safety, the in the nation to be recognized as SKennedy Space Center is StormReady. It is also the first now a certified “StormReady” NASA field center to earn this facility. Working together with the certification. National Weather Service, KSC has The StormReady program is developed a proactive hazardous designed to reduce the number of weather action plan. injuries and property damage from As part of the severe weather severe storms through prepared- notification process, there are ness and education. multiple methods to provide Also participating in the warnings to the work force and presentation were Mike Benik, visitors of KSC in the event of director of Kennedy Center approaching hazardous weather. Operations; Steven Cooper, acting “Being certified as director of the National Weather StormReady shows we are proac- Service southern region; Bob tive as hazardous weather ap- Allen, Florida state representative; proaches our operations,” Center Scott Rayder, chief of staff for the Director Bill Parsons said at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric RECOGNIZING KSC as a “StormReady” community were, from left, June 22 recognition presentation. Administration; and Bart Steven Cooper, director of the National Weather Service southern region; “I would also like to recognize the Hagemeyer, meteorologist-in- Scott Rayder, chief of staff for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric partnerships we have with the 45th charge of the National Weather Administration; Bob Allen, Florida state representative; Bart Hagemeyer, Space Wing Weather Squadron Service Forecast Office in chief meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service Forecast and the National Weather Service. Melbourne. Office in Melbourne; and Bill Parsons, KSC director. Spaceport community enjoys the BEST Barbecue By Jason Rhian THE BLACK Employee Summer Intern Strategy Team, or BEST, hosted its annual barbecue ith colorful, creative at KARS Park 1 on June 22 for students, guests and desserts, stacks of ribs workers. The barbecue is a Wand chicken and an chance to promote enthusiastic crowd, the sixth- fellowship among annual BEST Barbecue on June 23 employees, as well as at KARS Park 1 was a success. welcome interns to the Emcee Sonya Plummer center. welcomed guests and the hazy smoke seemed to attract more people until the tables were filled to capacity. The barbecue is hosted annually by the Black Employee Strategy Team to promote fellow- ship among employees, as well as welcome interns to life at Kennedy Space Center. Gateway Support security. MEMBERS OF Although the weather kept The cooks for this year’s the Black barbecue were Tom Cooper, Bruce Employee Atlantis from landing, it did not Strategy Team dampen the spirits of the guests or Lockley, Al Jenkins, Javan Banks, (right), or BEST, hosts as they enjoyed the food and Sena Jones, Brian Turner and serve attendees lively music. Guests had their Joylene Hall. at the 2007 choice of ribs, chicken or a combo “We added the discounted BEST Barbecue. platter with potato salad, baked student tickets and combo plates beans and bread. this year and because of this, we As in the past, the desserts were sold 75 more tickets than last among the most popular features. year,” said Stacie Smith, one of the The winner of the dessert contest event’s organizers. More than 300 was Selina Gaymon of Space people attended this year’s event. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS June 29, 2007 STS-117 crew members deliver S3/S4 truss STS-117 . . . space, ground teams were trouble- shooting a problem with Russian (Continued from Page 1) computers that help control the scheduled to be ferried back to station’s attitude. Russian KSC beginning June 29. specialists worked closely with Atlantis’ crew attached the new teams in the United States to S3/S4 solar array truss segment on recover the computer capabilities. the right side of the station’s NASA and station backbone, deployed a new set of Flight Engineer Clayton Ander- solar arrays and retracted the Port 6 son, who launched with the crew starboard solar array back into its aboard Atlantis, remained on the box. The station has a new look station. He is scheduled to return with two symmetrical solar panels home aboard Space Shuttle mounted on each end of the Discovery on a mission targeted station’s truss. for launch in October. Reilly, Olivas, Swanson and Anderson replaced Williams, Forrester, with the help of their who set a new record for a single, crewmates, made a total of four long-duration spaceflight by a spacewalks to complete the woman with 195 days. construction tasks. They activated Atlantis will be transported BACKDROPPED BY the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon (above), the truss segment and the solar approximately 2,500 miles from the Space Shuttle Atlantis moves away from the International Space Station on June 19. Below is a close-up photograph of the thermal alpha rotary joint, which allows California to Florida on the back blanket on one of Atlantis’ orbital maneuvering system pods before and the new arrays to track the sun, and of a modified 747 jumbo jet. Once after its repair work performed by Mission Specialist Danny Olivas. helped fold the Port 6 array. at Kennedy, Atlantis will be During the third spacewalk, the separated from the aircraft to crew repaired a 4-by-6-inch raised begin immediate processing for corner of a thermal blanket on the its next flight, targeted for port side orbital maneuvering December. system pod. Aerodynamic forces STS-117 was the 21st flight to during Atlantis’ ascent lifted the the station, the 28th flight for blanket. Atlantis and the first of four While the crew worked in missions planned for 2007. Remembering Our Heritage

25 years ago: ’s last development flight

By Kay Grinter formation. Facility for USBI, recalled from his Reference Librarian The cargo for the mission home in Salem, S.C.: “The G-force included a classified Department switches which activated the n June 27, 1982, NASA of Defense payload and the first parachute separation nuts at water launched mission STS-4, commercial payload, the Continu- impact were fluid-dampened. Othe fourth and final ous Flow Electrophoresis System. “This being the shuttle’s first research and development flight of The first Getaway Specials and two summer launch, warmer air the Space Transportation System. Shuttle Student Involvement temperatures lowered the fluid’s Commander Thomas Mattingly Program experiments also flew. viscosity, making the switches and Pilot Henry Hartsfield Jr. made Following launch, the separa- more sensitive to the shock of the up the two-man crew aboard Space tion nuts which release half the ordnance ring blast which sepa- Shuttle Columbia. risers on the two solid rocket rates the frustum and deploys the A hailstorm with pellets “the booster main parachutes prema- main parachutes. size of golf balls” the previous turely fired, causing the parachutes “Inserting a timer into the night almost delayed the launch. A to stream instead of inflate. The circuitry to block the switch’s hardener was applied to strengthen booster casings were severely signal until well after frustum the water-soaked tiles, and liftoff damaged from the high-speed separation solved the problem.” took place as planned. water impact; they sank and were The July 4 landing at Edwards EMPLOYEES INSTALL the Once on orbit, the affected area unrecoverable. Air Force Base of the successful Getaway Special aboard Space was turned toward the sun to dry Bruce Rutledge, former test flight was attended by Presi- Shuttle Columbia for the STS-4 out the tiles and prevent ice manager of KSC’s Parachute dent . mission launched June 27, 1982. June 29, 2007 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 2007 Kennedy Space Center Honor Awards

he Kennedy Space Center Honor Awards Ceremony was held June 26 Tat the KSC Visitors Complex IMAX Theatre II to recognize KSC civil service and contractor employees with other honorary medals given by NASA.

NASA Distinguished Service Medal Group Achievement Awards Douglas Hendriksen Roslyn McKinney Clifton School House Restoration Team NASA Distinguished Public John Stiner, Cheryl Paige, Mario Service Medal Busacca, Barbara Naylor, James Banke, Camille Chidester, Roz Foster Jarl Gustafson, Harvey Mizell, James Orr, Lynda Weatherman Engineering Directorate FAMILY, FRIENDS and co-workers applaud recipients of the 2007 KSC Organizational Development Team Honor Awards in the IMAX Theater at the Visitor Complex on June 26. 2006 Presidential Rank Awards Robert Cannon, Shannon Bartell, Meritorious Executive Barry Braden, Nancy Bray, Wegerif, Mary Whitten, Michael Giles, Daniel Johnson, Edwin New, Michael Benik, NASA director of Benjamin Bryant, Patrick Hanan, Ynclan, Paul Atkins, Mark Berg, Francisco Valdes, Timothy Center Operations Dicksy Hansen, Roselle Hanson, John Blue, Kristina Brink, David Widrick, Michael Woltman John “Tip” Talone, NASA Ruth Harrison, Robert Hubbard, Cornell, Jeffrey Crisafulli, James associate program manager of the Retha Hart, George Hurt, Scott Fesmire, Michael Hartnett, Andrew Node-2 ACBM Closeout Team Constellation Program Kerr, Jennifer Lyons, Phillip Knutson, Jared Sass, Stephen Van Terri Holbert, David Cook, Ronald Meade, Thomas Pentrack, June Genderen, Kevin Cummings, Walls, Ryan Alexander, Tiffaney NASA Outstanding Perez, Pepper Phillips, Stacie Philip D’Andreamatteo, John Alexander, James Alter, Julie Leadership Medal Phillips, Patrick Simpkins, Gates, Walter Hatfield, Arthur Anderson, William Bahr, Robert Richard Cota, Roberta Gnan, Ruth Maynette Smith, Steven Sullivan, Hendren, Patricia Lowery, Douglas Bickley, Thomas Bonifacio, Albert Harrison, Stephanie Stilson, James Thompson, Oscar Toledo, Rewinkel, David Ross, Mark Branson, Clifton Burkett, Richard Steven Sullivan Warren Wiley, Carolyn Yowell, Velasco, Gary Wall Chamberlain, Ronald Constantino, John Zuber Christopher Cox, Beenal Desai, NASA Exceptional KSC NASA/ODIN Migration Calvin Dunn, Clayton Everhart, Achievement Medal Flight Termination System Nomad System Thomas Grant, David Griner, Robert Ashley, Scott Colloredo, Interference Team Carol Valdes, Kimmarie Barrett, Martin Hall, Eric Hanson, Sandra Michael Dalton, James Draus, James Bjornbak, David Hendricks, Dean Bent, Deborah Bledsoe, Harrington, David Haysbrook, Kenneth Hale, Dicksy Hansen, John Isella, Thomas Woodard, Susan Cargile, Peter Clements, Mark Henry, William Hutchinson, Vu Le, Alan Littlefield, Jack Sarah Quach Jeffrey Lane, Clifford Smith, Kevin Jackson, Lance Kinney, Massey, Phillip Meade, Stacie Randall Thurman, Vickie Hall, Patrick Layton, Michael Phillips, Timothy Pugh, Jorge KSC Environmental Point of James Winn Lombardo, William McDaniel, Rivera, Janice Robertson, Compliance Team Timothy McMichael, Gary Meier, Douglas Younger John Shaffer, Laura Hall, Lisa Mars Science Laboratory Launch Charlene Ormsby, Lucy Orozco, Marie Ruffe, Mario Busacca, Service Task Order Team Michael Panopoulos, Raymond NASA Exceptional Bravery Medal Denise Thaller Tammy Harrington, Theodore Reynolds. David Ricouard, Donald Snyder Adams, Robert Athman, David Jennifer Sachs, Brian Scofield, KSC GH2 Vent Line Ice Barber, Warren Bayliss, Stuart Mitchell Sestile, Gregory Smilek, NASA Exceptional Service Medal Suppression Shroud Team Bryant, Thomas Clark, Phillip George Smith, Craig Stanton, William Bartley, Perry Becker, Kenneth Fore, Fred Lockhart, C. Davidson, Armand Gosselin, Donald Stieler, Dennis Testa, Vajid Kathy Bryant, Manuel Cabrera, Arkin, Charles Baker, Christopher Harlan Hannah, Roy Heinl, Fred Vayda, Michael Waugh, James Lisa Colloredo, Ruth Gardner, Collette, Harold Crain, Wayne Hernandez, Gary Hopkins, David Windhausen, Robert Beary, Kevin Randall Greeson, Roger Hall, Crawford, Daniel Davis, David King, Phillip Kocol, Michael Gill, Melanie Gurnavage, Stephen Marlo Krisberg, Jim Medina, Luis Earley, Jeffrey Garrison, Carl Levitt, Jerad Merbitz, Barry Miner, Wilson, Jeffery Beyer, Juan Calero, Moctezuma, Marjorie Nelson, Hallberg, Kenneth Heckle, Brian Kenneth Page, Robert Smithson, Glenn Chin, Gary Craig, Joseph Cheri Wynn Hunter, Darrell March, William Stephen Spath, Gabor Tanacs, Delai, Stephen Ernest, Polly McCartney, Martin McLellan, Thomas Trovillion, Jeffrey Tuttle, Gardiner, Randall Gordon, David NASA Exceptional Public Mark Minich, Michael Minter, Ellen Underwood, Frank Walker, Guibeau, Joseph Hyppolite, Service Medal Martin Moneysmith, Guy Naylor, Ralph Webber, Gary Wozniak, Joanna Johnson, Rachel Robert Castlen, Katherine Gay, Thomas Naylor, Roy Nungesser, James Colvin, Louis D’Amario, Kamenetzky, Douglas Kverek, Terry Greenfield, Mark Laposky, Michael Patrick, Andrew Pysz, Lutha Shaw, David Woerner, Harry Carlos Marin, Kenneth Mathews, Edward Ruth, Stephen Shannon, Geoffrey Rowe, Arthur Shutt, Batey, Jon Bauschlicher, Brian Donald McMahon, Ronald Morris, Kerry Stinson, Ronald Ten Haken, Stephen Sojourner, Stephen Stout, Beaver, James Behling, Jeanne Lisa Pantano, Robert Parks, Randall Thurman Mark Stratton, Sammie Talluto, Burkhart, Lorenzo Chance, Harold Antonio Pego, Gerardo Rivera, Ronald Vangilder, Daniel Coleman, Robert Freeman, John Robert Ruiz, Michael Shoup, (See AWARDS, Page 6) Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS June 29, 2007 2007 Kennedy Space Center Honor Awards

Michelle Franklin, Eric Hanson, WILLIAM BARTLEY AWARDS . . . Gary Hendrickson, Randall (center) receives the (Continued from Page 5) Hitchcock, Kevin Jackson, Karl NASA Exceptional Johnson, Steven Kelly, Ray Service Medal from Edward Stanton, Courtney Stern, Janet Petro, KSC Kindred, Donn Landfried, Thomas David Stewart, Vanessa Stroh, deputy director, and Leblanc, Karen Livengood, Walner Thervil, Robert Wark, Tom Bill Parsons, center Constance Magill, Bret McAfee, Yencso, Robert Crain, Betsy director. Kathleen McQuade, Larry Miller, Ahearn Kelly Moes, Carmen Moore, Michelle Olsen, Bryan Onate, Operations and Checkout Charles Ralph, Luis Ramos, Building Cleanout Team Patricia Rose, Joseph Ross, Patricia Kent Beringer, Tara Miller, Shadrick, Sharon Tolbert, Christo- Anthony Hillman, Francis Beach, pher Short, Bruce Smodell, Donna Smith, Jeffrey Starnes, John Taylor, Meister, Karl Meyer, Christopher Ellen Brown, Douglas Cooley, Spencer, Cesar Villanueva, Ivan Townsend, Steven Trigwell, Milner, Willie Moore, Robert Lisa Cochran, Christopher Cox, William Voigt, William Pedro Vazquez, Rubiela Vinje, Myers, David Parker, Robert Pine, Jim Daniel, Joseph Degano, Wayne Weisenberger, Shelia White, Peter Vokrot, Carlos Zavala, Andrew Powers, Thomas Ranew, Derbyshire, Michael Gisondi, Bernadette Brightman-Merrell, Roger Zoerner Lon Raver, Philip Reno, John Danny Gresham, Kenneth Polly Gardiner, Tracy Gill, Luis Rhode, Robert Rokobauer, Ramiro Hammons, Edward Hardy, John Moctezuma, Lisa Pantano, Renee Boeing/Delta Flight Saldivar, William Schools, Harold Ippolito, Rupert Jordan, Tim King, Sawyer, Theresa Schroeder, Deon Operations Team Shackelford, Robert Schneider, David Kolb, Christine Layne, Hui Williams Michael Taylor, Michael Kennard, Andrew Shepard, Earl Shiflett, Han Liu, Jackie Nichols, Robert Cheree Kiernan, Laura Maginnis Tommy Shinholster, William Reuter, Hubert Ridens, Christopher Payload Rack Checkout Unit Team Slocum, Stephen Spath, James Rose, Nancie Strott, Bart Michael Gardner, David Brink, Crawler Transporter Tread Belt Speigner, Roger Spillers, Gregory Faulkenberry, Deborah Gast, James Vincent Carrubba, Cristine Replacement Team Stanek, Nicole Starke, Warren Kerrigan, Lynnard Woods, James Dundas, Thomas Eichenlaub, Raymond Trapp, Roy Burton, Stratton, Larry Strenth, Edward Boland, Johnny Hovis, Tim King, Tracy Gill, Joseph Hyppolite, Eugene Hajdaj, Edward Allen, Tibbits, John Truscott, Jeffrey Jeffrey Norgren, Kelly Sorey, David Macon, Donald McMahon, Robert Bennett, George Billie, Venable, Michael Watkins, Ralph Michael Stites, Douglas Thom, Lisa Pantano, Matthew Parris, Thomas Braswell, Hiawatha Webber, Edward West, Thomas Jayne Huvar, Robert Acosta, Bruce Shirishbhai Patel, Carlos Brown, Richard Buckingham, Wielepski, John Wiley, Samuel Bjornstad, Charles Mason Rodriguez, Jessica Rodriguez, Eugene Buckner, Frank Caldwell, Zerilli Morgan Simpson, Susan Sitko, Chrisopher Cassidy, Thomas Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Courtney Stern, David Stewart, Chabrak, Erik Cole,Peter Collins, KICS Voice Operations Team Procurement Team Deon Williams, Thomas Yensco, William Couch, David Crossman, Gary Carr, Jonathan Bradley, Roselle Hanson, Steven Bigos, Kevin Zari Richard Davies, Thomas Denman, Benny Douglas, Michael Evolga, David Board, Richard Boyles, Patrick Derosa, George Donall, Gregory Hakanson, Dwight Nancy Bray, Mario Busacca, Debra Space Shuttle Main Engine Seal Samuel Dove, Daniel Drake, Cary Herrman, James Hudson, Era Hunt, Caldwell, Matthew Carroll, Investigation Team Eide, Glenn Ellison, Bradley Timothy Jacobs, Glenn King, Michael Conroy, Suzanne Jeffery Osgood, Enrique Barnes, Fenton, Robert Flewwellin, William Nolan, Jeffery Short, Cunningham, Brian Graf, Henry Kenneth Delaney, Douglas Folkes, Glenn Giordano, Scott Goodwin, Daniel Sirp Harriel, Andrew Haugevik, Rachel Terrence Oshea, Heriberto Soto, Armand Gosselin,Edward Griffith, Kamenetzky, Ira Kight, Ronnie Richard Wilder, Fred Jackson, James Guarino, James LC-39B Lightning Protection Lawson, Roger MacLeod, Pauletta Salvador Lucio, Dave Margrave, Guppenberger, Lewis Hanna, System Design Team McGinnis, Steven Milton, James John Posey, Michele Devane Robert Hemric, Allen Hinton, Carlos Mata, William Angerer, O’Malley, Mary Remley, Ronnie Arnold Honaker, Kevin Hunt, Jamel Bland, Raymond Brewer, Rodriguez, Donald Schiller, ASRC New Technologies Team Stevie Jack, Randall Johnson, Ivan Bush, Edward Carillion, Robert Yaskovic, Leslie Alderman, John Lane, Cristina Berger, Mary Catherine Kammerer, Andrew James Dike, Scott Dornton, Ahmad Joseph Beardall, Robert Whitten, Stanislaw Kenney, Ryan Kiechle, Randy Ekhlassi, Anthony Hilton, Joshua Cunningham, Carl Eastman, Augustynowicz, Robbins Jacobs, Terry Jones, John Laplante, Michael Haddad, Glenn Charles Buhler, Bradley Burns, Louis Lemire, Anthony Marketon, Rhodeside, Philip Weber, Irving Bushnell, James Captain, United Space Alliance External Gonzalo Mendez, Michael Mark Woloshin Robert Cox, Joseph Curran, Joseph Tank Engineering and Shop Ravenscroft, William Richards, Dean, Jesus Dominguez, Tracy Processing Team Jerry Rucker, Paul Sierpinski, Payload Depot Work Authorization Gibson, Carl Hallberg, Christopher Ahmad Ekhlassi, Christopher Robert Williams, Tatiana Bonilla, Document Team Immer, Scott Jolley, Steven Broadaway, Walter King, David Irving Bushnell, Angel Mata, Michael Wall, Annette Miele, Klinko, Mark Kolody, Brian Kobilis, Gregory Krems, Mark Pedro Medelius, Marilyn Ramirez Mary Bullock, Peter Burridge, Kari Larson, Carlos Mata, Pedro Laposky, Michael Lind, Phillip Capatosto, Phillip Chandler, Medelius, David Miller, Barbara Looney, Ronnie Lucas, William NASA Education Exploration Team Thomas Cissell, Beenal Desai, Peterson, Mindy Ritz, Marshall Manley, Robert Marty, William Birdette Brown, Clarence Bostic, Claudia Dorn, Kyle Fears, Scott, Stephen Simmons, Guy Mayhew, Jodi McAmis, John (See AWARDS, Page 7) June 29, 2007 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7 2007 Kennedy Space Center Honor Awards

AWARDS . . . Ronald Phillips, Christopher Bethay, Mark Biesack, Thomas Veneri, Ned Voska, Michele (Continued from Page 6) Solomon, Daniel Wegerif, Caroline Bookhart, Barry Braden, John Whittaker, Mark Wiese, Douglas Zaffery, Charles Zaffery, Branard, Donald Brandl, Tammy Willard, Scott Wilson, Roy Worthy James Gerard, Leslie Gold, Damon David Zeiters Burlein, Henry Bursian, Steven Talley, Barbara Wentworth, Peter Cain, Penny Chambers, Bruce KSC Service Awards - 40 years Abramovs, Laura Baker, Birdette Spaceflight Independent Chesson, Charles Cole, George James Aliberti, Edgar Deane III, Brown, Carol Denicole, Lori Assessment Team Cole, Marilyn Davidson, Michael Douglas Hendriksen, Marlo Desouza, Keely Keyser, Tammie Edward Ruth, Robert Abernathy, Deliz, Carlos Garcia, Michael Krisberg, Milton Riddle, Lamar Lawston, Annette Marshall, Jay Bernard, Alfred Britting, Gardner, Judy Gari, Tracy Gill, Russell, Albert Taff Natalie Marshall, Lina Rosado, Manfred Buechler, Richard Leticia Gomez, Penelope Hale, Thomas Sarko Francis, James Gazur, Richard Donald Hammel, Tammie Hines, Quality And Safety Achievement Gerardi, James Gin, Kerry Hoskins, Nancy Hoffman, Sharolee Huet, Recognition (QASAR) Award Process Improvement Joseph Hough, William Huber, George Jacobs, Janice Justice, Tim Bianchi, Zachary Cline, Engineering Team Daniel Marten, Donald Martin, Rachel Kamenetzky, Kristin, Michael Young Brian Baldwin, Robert Brinsmade, Bruce Mau, Chester Orciuch III, Kelley, Raymond Kotowski, George Caruso, Jessica Defabrizio, Daniel Ortiz, Manfred Peinemann, Dorthea Kuzma, Lisa Langham, Center Director’s Gold Dollar Sean Eidem, William Hudecek, Dennis Pelaccio, Phillip Mark Lewis, Rebecca Lewis, Angel Ace Award David Humphrey, Kirsten James, Plemmons, Martin Ross, Susan Lucena, Lawrence Ludwig, Janet Stanislaw Augustnyowicz Ryan Loporto, Elizabeth Ruth, Stanley Saloff, Edward Mayers, Philip Metzger, Robert Sgammato, David Sheriff, Samuel Schatzman, Robert Seibold, John Mott, Jacklyn Norman, Eric Perritt, KSC Strategic Leadership Award Swanger, Barry Taylor, Philip Skratt, Ralph John, James Taylor, John Porter, Lauren Price, Asha James Ball, Pamela Zeitler Touchberry, Philip Vanaria Margo Wasz, Myra Watts, Reavis, Mary Remley, Joseph David Zelisse Roeder, Mark Ruether, Lisa Marie KSC Equal Opportunity Award Space Launch Complex Team Ruffe, Sarah Schilling, Keith Ronnie Rodriguez, Hortense Burt Peter Gould, Irving Bushnell, KSC Certificate of Commendation Schuh, Wendy Shrewsbury, Robert Ferguson, Warren Lackie, Diana Alicea, Paul Atkins, Rose Charles Smith, Pamela Steel, KSC Director’s Award Rhonda Mitchell, Tibor Nagy, Austin, Rosemary Baize, Janet Donna Stephenson, Michele Darren Bedell Safety award recognizes Bianchi’s awareness By Jennifer Wolfinger loose and unsealed screws that TIM BIANCHI Staff Writer interface with the mechanism for (center) deploying the solar array. receives the ASA recently awarded Tim This discovery prompted QASAR Award from Charles Bianchi with the Quality additional checks on the remain- Scales, NASA Nand Safety Achievement ing mast canisters. If left unad- associate Recognition, or QASAR Award, for dressed, this finding could have deputy his exceptional dedication. prevented mast canister deploy- administrator The award, which was pre- ment and resulted in functional and Shana sented May 10 at NASA Headquar- loss of a solar array wing assembly Dale, NASA ters in Washington, is the agency’s on orbit. deputy highest honor for quality and “His leadership in identifying administrator, safety. Selection is based on a and correcting a significant flight for his actions with the Safety person’s contribution to the hardware problem benefited our and Mission quality and safety of products, ISS counterparts at Johnson Space Assurance services, processes, or management Center. Because of his efforts, the directorate. programs and activities. Bianchi ISS Program is assured a quality received a monetary award and a product throughout the life of the and meetings between NASA and winners chosen from 29 nominees. plaque during the NASA Honor ISS Program,” said Shannon the Air Force. Bianchi also audits Prior to his selection, Bianchi was Awards ceremony. Bartell, Safety and Mission work breakdown structures. unaware of the award, but quickly He was selected for a discovery Assurance director. There are four QASAR award recognized its significance and his he made during processing of the Bianchi is now a program categories, and his award was in teammates’ contribution. International Space Station, or ISS, specialist within the Cape the “NASA employee within “This is a tremendous honor to while serving as the Safety and Canaveral Spaceport Management Safety and Mission Assurance” receive an award of this stature, Mission Assurance directorate’s Office, a joint NASA and U.S. Air category. Nominees were initially and to be sent to D.C. to retrieve it mission lead for quality assurance Force office responsible for nominated by their center director, is humbling,” said Bianchi, who on STS-117 payload processing. managing the JBOSC contract. He and the nominations were evalu- joined NASA in 2004. “I credit my During flight closeouts for the S3/ serves as the integrated product ated and scored by each center’s excellent bosses, co-workers and S4 truss segment’s aft bulkhead team lead for quality and safety, Safety and Mission Assurance processing team support for this canister area, he discovered three managing performance evaluations director. He was one of four award.” Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS June 29, 2007 West Point cadets assist launch analysis team By Jennifer Wolfinger testing SALT products, which Staff Writer support everything from providing launch teams with experience and our U.S. military cadets are methods to make rapid and spending their summer complex decisions, to determining Fhelping Kennedy Space the origin of problems associated Center engineers use computers to with communication, processing, simulate the actions of humans in and personnel job requirements order to transform training and and limitations. evaluations. Lefler, a senior from Kentucky, The Army Research Lab sent is studying electrical engineering the cadets from the U.S. Military with a track in robotics and Academy at West Point in New electronics. Born in Pennsylvania, York to support NASA’s Simula- Millen is a senior on the Army tion and Analysis of Launch football team with a major in Teams effort, known as SALT. management and a minor in SALT began in 2005 to address environmental engineering. the need to simulate humans for Also a senior, Kleinsorget of analysis, training and evaluation Kansas is a systems engineering for NASA’s current and future major and a member of Sandhurst, SEATED FROM left, West Point cadets Theodore Kleinsorget, Tad Lefler launch operations, and to meet a team that competes in military and Sarah Phillips, and NASA co-op student Richard Hoblitzell test a project for the Simulation and Analysis of Launch Teams project. Team other KSC needs. According to skills competitions with the Royal member Luis Bares of ASRC (standing left) and the project’s principal Cary Peaden, the cadet’s mentor Military Academy. Phillips is a investigator, Cary Peaden of NASA, overlook the group’s work. and SALT principal investigator, junior from California majoring in the research is essential for life science. application for the group. technical team performs critical improving future NASA training Richard Hoblitzell, a KSC “The cadets participate in real operations and about governmen- and analysis. co-op student from the University government engineering on a tal and multi-organizational Cadets Tad Lefler, Sarah of Louisville in Kentucky, is also small research project,” said cooperation. Phillips, and Theodore Kleinsorget contributing to the team. Serving Peaden, an Engineering Director- “They also learn how valuable will be at KSC until July 7, while in his third semester with the SALT ate employee who added that the a West Point education is, and the Marcus Millen completed his tasks project, Hoblitzell is one of the partnership also strengthens KSC’s interesting things you can do with June 15. Their work includes prime software developers of the relationship with the academy and an academy degree and leadership gathering data and analysis, and SALT proof-of-concept training lab. “They learn how one large experience.” United Way honors civil servants’ Combined Federal Campaign ASA employees at ment for United Way, 81 percent of connect with the community. of reaching out and helping the Kennedy Space Center NASA employees participated in “Often, the demands on our community. I believe it’s rooted in Nrecently were recognized the monthlong campaign that runs time preclude us from actively the values of our employees to do by the United Way of Brevard for annually in October. Workers gave engaging with our community to the right thing.” their increased generosity and $417,800 to 49 United Way help our fellow man in times of The Combined Federal Cam- support through the agency’s 2006 programs and services. need,” Lugo said. “Last year, KSC paign for 2007 will kick off in Combined Federal Campaign. The Ray Lugo, deputy director of employees continued the tradition early October. civil servants were honored for NASA’s Launch Services Program achieving a new level of at KSC, was the campaign chair- participation. man for 2006. He said the cam- John F. Kennedy Space Center According to Susan McGrath, paign, also known as the CFC, is a vice president of resource develop- good way for KSC employees to Spaceport News

JANET PETRO (left), Kennedy Space Center deputy Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published on alternate Fridays by External Relations in the interest of KSC director, accepts the civil service and contractor employees. United Way Award of Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks before Distinction from publication to the Media Services Branch, IDI-011. E-mail submissions can be Susan McGrath, vice sent to [email protected]. president of resources Managing editor...... Amber Philman Editor...... Jeff Stuckey development for Copy editor ...... Corey Schubert United Way of Brevard. Editorial support provided by InDyne, Inc. Writers Group. NASA at KSC is located on the Internet at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy USGPO: 733-049/600136