October 2016 Vol. 3 No. 10 National Aeronautics and Space Administration KENNEDY SPACE CENTER’S magazine Prepping for Orion Water Recovery Test Earth Solar Aeronautics Mars Technology Right ISS System & Research Now Beyond National Aeronautics and Space Administration KENNEDY SPACE CENTER’S NASA’S SPACEPORT MAGAZINE LAUNCH CONTENTS SCHEDULE Date: Nov. 15, 4:05 p.m. EDT 5 ...................Divers practice Orion water recovery techniques Mission: Expedition 50 Launch Description: NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and 14 ................Kennedy’s chief technologist talks innovation European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet will launch to the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft from the 16 ................Trainers prep for the next era of human spaceflight Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Target Date: Nov. 16 DAVID RAMSEY Mission: Geostationary Operational 22 ................CASIS thrives in support role for lab on station Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) I am the chief of Flight Operations for NASA’s Kennedy Description: The advanced spacecraft and Space Center. As such, I am the senior line manager over instrument technology used on the GOES-R flight activities operated or controlled at Kennedy and ................Students plant seeds to help NASA farm in space series will result in more timely and accurate 24 forecasts and warnings. directly responsible to Center Director Bob Cabana for the http://go.nasa.gov/1YubP2g safe and effective conduct of those activities. 26 ................Third lettuce crop begins growing aboard station Date: Dec. 1 Mission: Progress 65 Launch I am also an aircraft commander of Kennedy’s Bell Huey Description: The Russian Progress 65 II helicopters which have the primary responsibilities of cargo craft will launch to the International providing program support to security, environmental 27 ................Sustainable, efficient data center takes the silver Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a two-day research, contingency operations, launch security, and nu- trip to the International Space Station, merous other center-supporting roles. 30 ................NASA manager advises Peruvians: collaboration is key delivering food, fuel and supplies. http://go.nasa.gov/2eSngvM Additionally, my office oversees the use of small Unmanned Date: Dec. 9, 8:26 a.m. EST Aircraft Systems at Kennedy. These systems are taking an 32 ................NASA hopes to share breathing apparatus technology Mission: HTV-6 Cargo Craft ever-increasing role in providing data during emergency or Description: Launch of the Japan contingency operations, during natural disaster events, and Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) H-II in the surveying of the infrastructure required to perform ................Gemini XII crew masters the challenges of spacewalks Transfer Vehicle (HTV) unmanned cargo 37 transfer spacecraft from Tanegashima, our mission here at Kennedy. Japan. HTV-6 “KOUNOTORI6” will deliver Cover: U.S. Navy divers are training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Navy divers, Air supplies to the International Space Station. I am a recently retired, 21-year Army veteran who relocated Force pararescuemen and Coast Guard rescue swimmers practice Orion underway recovery techniques using a test version of the Orion http://go.nasa.gov/2eSn3IP spacecraft. Training will help the team prepare for Underway Recovery Test 5 for Exploration Mission 1 aboard the USS San Diego in the from Washington, D.C., to Central Florida for the oppor- Pacific Ocean off the coast of California in October. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, along with the U.S. Navy Date: Dec. 12 tunity to work at NASA. Leaving the comradery of the are preparing the recovery team, hardware and operations to support EM-1 recovery. Photo credit: NASA/James Blair Mission: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite military was a difficult decision, but after six months here System (CYGNSS) at Kennedy, I can now say that it was a great decision. The Description: Launching from Cape To get the latest Kennedy Space Center updates, follow us on our Blog, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on a teamwork and enthusiasm for the work being accomplished Pegasus XL rocket, the CYGNSS mission will here is reminiscent of my military days and I’m proud to probe the inner core of hurricanes to learn be a part of the team! Go Army, beat Navy . (if you say it KSC about their rapid intensification. often enough, perhaps it will happen . someday) BLOG http://www.nasa.gov/cygnss Want to see a launch? All expendable vehicles launched in Central THE SPACEPORT MAGAZINE TEAM Florida begin their journeys on the launch pads of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Editorial Writers Group Creative Group next door to Kennedy Space Center. Launch Transportation Tickets are available for some, Editor ............................ Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Anna Heiney Bob Granath Richard Beard Amy Lombardo but not all, of these launches. Assistant Editor ............. Linda Herridge Kay Grinter Linda Herridge Lynda Brammer Matthew Young Call the KSC Visitor Complex at Copy Editor ................... Kay Grinter Steven Siceloff Greg Lee (321) 449-4444 for information on purchasing tickets. www.nasa.gov SPACEPORT Magazine 3 PREPARING FOR Divers practice Orion water recovery UNDERWATER techniques in giant pool RECOVERY BY LINDA HERRIDGE group of U.S. Navy divers, Air Force A pararescuemen and Coast Guard rescue swimmers practiced Orion open water recovery techniques Sept. 20-22 in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), the largest indoor pool in TEST 5 the U.S., at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. They were preparing for the first test flight of an uncrewed Orion spacecraft with the agency’s Space Launch System rocket, known as Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). When Orion returns from deep space missions and lands in the Pacific Ocean, a team of military and NASA personnel will be responsible for safely returning the capsule back to land. The team is evaluating tools and procedures they will use to tow the spacecraft into the well deck of a U.S. Navy ship. Construction began on the 6.2-million-gallon NBL in 1995 and was operational in 1996. It was built specifically for International Space Station size mockups. Its predecessor, the Weightless Environment Training Facility, was built in the 1960s for testing procedures, developing hardware and training astronauts. The current facility is primarily used to train astronauts for spacewalks aboard the International Space Station, but also has been used to help prepare for Orion recovery operations. During the evaluations, a test version of the Orion spacecraft was lowered into the water in the NBL. Divers used inflatable zodiac boats to easily steer to the test spacecraft. The team trained on how to inflate and secure the stabilization collar around the crew module. For a crewed mission, the collar will serve as a place to stand on to recover astronauts and assist them out of the capsule. U.S. Navy master diver Michael Hunt served as the technical expert for the team and was U.S. Navy divers, Air Force pararescuemen and Coast Guard rescue swimmers responsible for overall safety during training. practiced Orion recovery techniques Sept. He has been a diver for 23 years and is with 21 at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the agency’s Johnson Space the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 3 in Center in Houston. The recovery team the Mobile Diving Salvage Co. stationed at the used a test version of the Orion crew Coronado Naval Amphibious Base in California. module. Training helped the team prepare for Underway Recovery Test 5 for “Everyone on the team goes out of their way Exploration Mission 1 aboard the USS San Diego in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California beginning in late October. Photo 4 SPACEPORT Magazine credit: NASA/James Blair SPACEPORT Magazine 5 Orion Service Module Umbilical Testing Wraps Up at Launch Equipment Test Facility Testing of the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) is complete at the Launch Equipment Test Facility at Kennedy Space Center. A series of tests, called regressions tests, were performed on the umbilical’s design modifications to validate it for installation on the mobile launcher. The tests were conducted by Kennedy’s Engineering Directorate for the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program. During the tests, the OSMU was connected to the facility’s Vehicle Motion Simulator 1 and the umbilical’s release mechanism that will connect to the service module was tested to confirm it is functioning properly. The OSMU will connect from the mobile launcher tower to the Orion service module at about the 280-foot level of the mobile launcher tower. Prior to launch, the umbilical will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the environmental control system to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. The OSMU also will provide purge air and gaseous nitrogen for environmental control to the Launch Abort System located atop the spacecraft. The OSMU will release and tilt back, away from the service module, before launch. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) will launch with the Orion spacecraft atop for its first flight in 2018. The SLS is the rocket that will carry Orion to deep space destinations, including the agency’s Journey to Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky