Dec. 16, 2013 Vol. 53, No. 23 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe International Space Station 15 years of science and cooperation NASA, SpaceX work toward Launch Complex 39A deal, Pages 2-3 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS Dec. 16, 2013 Dec. 16, 2013 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Negotiations to begin for SpaceX use of LC-39A NASA News Report ASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies Corporation N(SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., to begin negotiations on a lease to use and operate historic Launch Complex (LC) 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Permitting use and operation of this valuable national asset by a private- sector, commercial space partner will ensure its continued viability and allow for its continued use in support of U.S. space activities. The reuse of LC-39A is part of NASA’s work to transform Kennedy into a 21st century launch complex capable of supporting both govern- ment and commercial users. Kennedy is having success attracting signifi- cant private sector interest in its unique facilities. The center is hard at work assembling NASA’s Orion spacecraft and preparing its infrastructure for the Space Launch System rocket, which will launch from LC-39B and take American astronauts into deep space, including to an asteroid and Mars. NASA made the selection decision Dec. 12 after the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied a protest filed against the Agency by Blue Origin LLC on Sept. 13. In its protest, Blue Origin raised concerns about the competitive process NASA was using to try to secure a potential commercial partner or partners to lease and use LC-39A. Blue Origin had argued the language in the Announcement for Proposals (AFP) favored one proposed use of LC-39A over others. The GAO disagreed. While the GAO protest was underway, NASA was prohibited from selecting a commercial partner for LC-39A from among the proposals submitted in response to the agency’s AFP that had been issued on May 23. However, while the GAO considered the protest, NASA continued evaluating the proposals in order to be prepared to make a selection when permitted to do so. After the GAO rendered its decision Thursday in NASA’s favor, the agency completed its evaluation and selection process. NASA notified all proposers on Friday of its selection decision concern- ing LC-39A. Further details about NASA’s decision will be provided to each proposer when NASA furnishes the source selection statement to the proposers. In addition, NASA will offer each the opportunity to meet to discuss NASA’s findings related to the proposer’s individual proposal. NASA will release the source selection statement to the public once each proposer has been consulted to ensure that any proprietary information has been appropriately redacted. NASA will begin working with SpaceX to negotiate the terms of its lease for LC-39A. During those ongoing negotiations, NASA will not be able to discuss details of the pending lease agreement. Since the late 1960s, Kennedy’s launch pads 39 A and B have served as the starting point for America’s most significant human spaceflight endeavors -- Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and all 135 space shuttle missions. LC-39A is the pad where Apollo 11 lifted off from on the first manned moon landing in 1969, as well as launching the first space shuttle mission in 1981 and the last in 2011. More online For more information about Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A and ongoing work to transform the center into a 21st century launch complex, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. For more information about NASA’s missions and programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA file/2006 This aerial view, taken March 1, 2006, during the Space Shuttle Program, shows Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. NASA has selected SpaceX to begin negotiations on the use of the historic launch pad. Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Dec. 16, 2013 Dec. 16, 2013 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5 Space station: 15 years and counting By Bob Granath to capture the Zarya module the final space shuttle mis- Spaceport News even though the view for sion, STS-135, in July 2011. Endeavour’s crew was partially During that time the station he first elements of the In- obscured by the large Unity grew from two modules to ternational Space Station T module. having more livable room than now have been in orbit for 15 “Here’s this 45,000 pound a conventional five-bedroom years. Assembly of the largest mass (Zarya), and you can’t house, with two bathrooms, a spacecraft ever built was a see it out the window because gymnasium and a 360-degree global, cooperative effort and Unity was there,” Cabana said. bay window. began with the STS-88 space “There’s a point where you lose “It is truly incredible when shuttle mission in December sight of it in the overhead win- you think about when Zarya 1998. NASA file/1998 dows and you’re relying on the launched fifteen years ago and The orbiting outpost now Once Unity and Zarya were docked, mission centerline television cameras where it is now,” said current serves as a unique laboratory specialists Jerry Ross, left, and Jim Newman (in the payload bay) and on station resident Mike Hopkins, where teams from around the conducted three spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the two the end of the arm and two TV an Expedition 37/38 flight world are performing scientific station elements. In this image they were monitors to keep us precisely engineer. “It is a testament to NASA file/1998 research only possible in the photographed working together on the third positioned. So when it is about the work of people from all STS-88 commander Bob Cabana, left, and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev prepare to spacewalk Dec. 12, 1998. microgravity environment of three feet from the end of the the participating countries, all move from shuttle Endeavour’s airlock into the U.S.-built node 1, also known as the Unity space. set the tone for the whole space arm, Nancy Currie can move in the crews, all the flights from module Dec. 10, 1998. Soon after, they entered the Russian-built Functional Cargo Block module, also known as Zarya. Kennedy Space Center station assembly.” and grab it.” shuttles to Soyuz to resupply Director Bob Cabana, a former The first module placed in Once Zarya and Unity vehicles.” explorers. station can be a stepping stone space shuttle astronaut, com- orbit was the functional cargo were joined together, mission NASA file/1998 Cabana considers interna- “I want to show and tell in venturing beyond human- manded the flight that began In this large-format IMAX camera view from the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s cargo bay, the crew of STS-88 block, named “Zarya” -- Rus- specialists Ross and Newman began construction of the International Space Station. Mission specialist Nancy Currie used Endeavour’s Can- tional cooperation an essential children on Earth what life in kind’s current reach. one of history’s landmark sian for dawn. It was built by conducted three spacewalks adarm remote manipulator system to grapple Zarya and join it to the U.S.-built Unity node Dec. 6, 1008. element of space exploration space looks like, how space is “We still have a lot to learn engineering achievements. Boeing and the Russian Federal to begin activation of systems going forward. wonderful, how our planet is about human physiology in “STS-88 was a phenomenal station to prepare it for the inhabitants with the ground, the engineers, every- Space Agency and launched by between the two modules. “I believe it’s the model for wonderful,” he said in a pre- extended periods of time in mi- mission,” said Cabana. “It was a Proton rocket from the Bai- “The spacewalks were de- of the first expedition. body,” he said. how we are going to explore flight interview. crogravity, how to protect from just perfect from start to finish. konur Cosmodrome in Kazakh- signed to attach all the electri- After 12 days in space, the STS-88 Permanent occupancy of the space beyond planet Earth,” he said. Krikalev sees the station as radiation,” he said. “We’ve Everything just flowed, and it stan on Nov. 20, 1998. cal and data connectors before crew returned to Kennedy, landing station began with the Expedition 1 “Right now we’ve got the part of a logical progression in been to the moon, we know Two weeks later, on Dec. 4, we went inside,” said Cabana. Dec. 15, 1998. According to Cabana, crew, launched Oct. 31, 2000, estab- United States, Japan, Canada, explorations beyond Earth. 1998, the space shuttle Endeav- “Part of what they did was to teamwork was the key to the highly lishing a continuous human presence Russia, ESA and all its partners “Bringing our efforts to- how to operate in low-Earth our lifted off from Kennedy ensure the pieces could never successful mission. in space that endures today. working together as one up gether to build the International orbit, now let’s go to another with Cabana, pilot Rick Sturck- come apart.” “It went so well because of the While ISS expedition crews came there. When we leave planet Space Station, I would say, is planet. Our ultimate goal is ow, mission specialists Nancy Flight day eight was a histor- team -- the crew working together and went, assembly continued through Earth, we’re not going to leave just the next step to joint explo- to put boots on Mars and, one Currie, Jerry Ross, Jim New- ic milestone as the International as any one nation, we’re going ration of the universe,” he said, day, explore beyond our solar man and Russian cosmonaut Space Station was opened for to leave as the people from Cabana agrees that the space system.” Sergei Krikalev.