March 22, 2013 Vol. 53, No. 6 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe NASA, energy group team to pursue space, energy opportunities By Bob Granath positive impact this agreement will Spaceport News have,” said Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. fficials with NASA and the Mike Aller, executive director of Space Coast Energy Con- the consortium, joined Cabana in sortium recently signed O signing the agreement at Kennedy a five-year Space Act Agreement on March 11. to help transition the Kennedy A major goal of the agreement Space Center from a historically is to jointly develop the Space and NASA/Frankie Martin government-only launch facility Energy Regional Innovation Center Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana visits with a team of high school students taking part to a multiuser spaceport. The part- in the FIRST Robotics Competition's 2013 Orlando Regional on March 8 in the University of Central (RIC) that will sponsor, support Florida arena. nership defines how Kennedy will and accelerate the commercializa- serve government and commercial tion of emerging energy products. renewable energy initiatives. RIC also hopes to leverage Ken- The Cape Canaveral-based con- nedy's technical expertise and FIRST robotic teams sortium is an industry-led nonprofit facilities to develop sustainable association founded to identify and energy products and services. create innovative energy oppor- “The Kennedy Space Center is a overcome accident tunities for the Space Coast and world-class institution for mak- By Steven Siceloff taken months to build the originals, the state. The organization was ing complex technologies work Spaceport News rebuilt the pieces into a pair of new formed by community and industry reliably under extreme conditions,” robots. leaders to assist with the post- Aller said. “The skills necessary he road to this year's FIRST "Some of the students and one space shuttle transition by building to maintain and launch a high- robotics competition proved of the mentors stayed up all night," networks among local businesses pressure turbo pump used on unusually rough for a pair of said mentor Paul Remmel. "(They) with resources across the country. rocket engines are skills similar T teams when their robots were cobbled together two robots out of The objective is to help Florida to those necessary for developing severely damaged in a car accident those parts and built other parts we diversify its economy with energy- and testing new turbine systems for on the way to the University of didn't have." related engineering, manufacturing energy.” Central Florida arena. The squads, called Horsepower and service activities. Scott Lewit, chairman of the The high school students and their and Bionic Tigers, competed in all “The Kennedy Space Center consortium’s board, continued with engineering mentors spent overnight their scheduled matches, using the appreciates our relationship with that theme. hours salvaging usable pieces and the Space Coast Energy Consor- the working components of the bro- tium and looks forward to the To SAA, Page 5 ken machines. The teams that had To FIRST, Page 4 Intern research Blast media Launch Abort System KSC Run Inside this issue... Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Pages 6-7 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS March 22, 2013 Interns research ecology along Space Coast By Bob Granath National Wetlands Condi- Spaceport News tion Assessment Project. The interns are studying group of interns mangrove trees and salt from NASA's God- marsh leaf areas to validate Adard Space Flight data received from NASA's Center in Maryland recently STS-99 Shuttle Radar To- visited Florida to conduct pography Mission, Landsat environmental research as 5 and Earth Observing-1 part of the agency's DE- Mission satellites, as well as VELOP Program. The effort NASA/U.S. Geological Survey the Japan Aerospace Explo- is sponsored by NASA's ration Agency's Advanced Applied Sciences Program As part of NASA's DEVELOP program, the agency interns used imagery such Land Observing spacecraft. and is designed to foster as this photograph taken by Landsat 7 Melanie Rosenberg, a interdisciplinary research on Nov. 10, 2011, to study environmen- student at the University tal changes. opportunities for young pro- of Maryland, noted that fessionals. They work under to students from the high imagery from space, such as the guidance of NASA and infrared photography, shows partner science advisors on school level up to Ph.D. candidates." that mangrove forests in research projects focusing on Florida are moving north- the practical applications of Since its establishment in 1998 at NASA's Langley ward, something that is not Earth observations. common for these trees. The Goddard team Research Center in Virginia, "We believe our studies conducted its fieldwork in the DEVELOP Program has here on the coast will help the Merritt Island National grown to include 13 loca- us understand why this is Wildlife Refuge, the Thou- tions in North America and happening," she said. "Since sand Islands area of Cocoa supported over 2,400 intern- climate change continues Beach and the Pine Island ship opportunities across to contribute to increases Conservation Area on the nation. in temperatures and other Merritt Island. The team is On March 14, the group factors, mangrove forests in collecting ground-level data discussed its work in Florida are a great place to to compare with imagery re- ecological forecasting with study these impacts." turned from Earth-orbiting Kennedy Space Center Mangrove forests only NASA spacecraft. employees in a presentation grow at tropical and sub- NASA DEVELOP program interns Melissa Oguamanam, left, and Katrina Laygo "DEVELOP allows at the center's Headquar- tropical latitudes near the record data during their research at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on interns to lead research ters building. The team is equator because they cannot March 12. projects that focus on using working in partnership with withstand freezing tempera- tion north may continue," the trees to handle the daily NASA Earth observa- the Smithsonian Environ- tures. There are about 80 said Brock Blevins, also rise and fall of tides, which tions to study community mental Research Center, the different species of man- studying at the University means that most mangroves concerns and issues," said U.S. Geological Survey's grove trees all growing in of Maryland. are flooded at least twice Katrina Laygo, a student at National Wetlands Research areas with low-oxygen soil, Findings in this study per day. The roots also George Washington Univer- Center and the Environ- where slow-moving waters could assist local land man- slow the movement of tidal sity. "The program is open mental Protection Agency's allow fine sediments to ac- agers in future decision- waters, causing sediments cumulate. making and policy devel- to settle out of the water and The DEVELOP team's opment. Mangrove forests build up the fertile muddy fieldwork consisted of are important because they bottom. obtaining photographic stabilize the coastline, re- Other students participat- samples, as well as soil and ducing erosion from storm ing on the DEVELOP team water salinity measure- surges, currents, waves are Melissa Oguamanam ments, to be compared and tides. The intricate and Kristopher Lasko, both with satellite imagery. The root system of mangroves students at the University data collected can then be also makes these forests of Maryland. Serving as incorporated into mangrove attractive to fish and other advisors to the team are ecological forecasting mod- organisms seeking food and Dr. Lola Fatoyinbo of els to contrast with climate shelter from predators. Goddard's Earth Sciences variables associated with Mangrove forests can Remote Sensing Directorate mangrove and salt marsh be recognized by their and Frederick Policelli of NASA/Jim Grossmann migration northward. dense tangle of roots that Goddard's Office of Applied A group of NASA interns from the Goddard Space Flight Center visited Florida in "It's our hope that this re- make the trees appear to Sciences, as well as Dr. early March to conduct environmental research as part of the agency's DEVELOP program. They are, left to right, Melanie Rosenberg, Kristopher Lasko, Katrina search will help us forecast be standing on stilts above Beth Middleton of the U.S. Laygo, Brock Blevins and Melissa Oguamanam. how the mangrove migra- the water. The roots allow Geological Survey. March 22, 2013 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Sandblast debris finds concrete purpose NASA/Kim Shiflett Workers pour a concrete mix that utilizes spent material from sandblasting projects at Kennedy Space Center on March 14. The experimental formula is being tested at the Propellants North facility at Kennedy and will undergo structural and other evaluations as part of a pilot project. Spent blast media (SBM) makes up much of the debris deposited at the center's landfill. Engineers are trying to develop ways to put the material to use in other ways instead. By Steven Siceloff with the powdered sand, the media Spaceport News includes a tiny amount -- less than 1 percent -- of the paint chips or other onstruction engineers at material cleaned by the blasting. So Kennedy Space Center only blast media deemed non-haz- mixed a small amount of C ardous was used in these concrete used sandblasting material into con- mixes. crete to find out whether the debris The amount of sandblasting resi- can go into driveways and sidewalks instead of the landfill. due created at Kennedy varies each Workers mixed almost three year, Barth said. tons of the sandblasting material, The process has been used by the known in the industry as spent blast NASA/Kim Shiflett Defense Department and by some A concrete mix that utilizes spent material from sandblasting projects at Kennedy Space Center is state departments of transportation, media, into the concrete and used it poured to create a ramp as part of a pilot project March 14.