May 27, 2011 Vol. 51, No. 10 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe INSIDE . Aquarius seeks Atlantis leaves OPF for final time By Rebecca Regan platforms within a maximum salt in the seas Spaceport News distance of 6 to 8 inches, but a minimum of 4 inches.” f home is where the heart Bingham began working is, then the heart and soul at Kennedy in the late 70s Iof NASA’s space shuttle to prepare shuttle Columbia fleet reside in three custom- for its first flight, STS-1, built, 29,000-square-foot and said the day-to-day facilities at Kennedy Space operations in an OPF are like Center. They’re called orbiter CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Jack Pfaller working in a garage. During processing facilities, OPFs, the first couple of days tech- Page 3 Shuttle Atlantis makes its final planned move from Orbiter Processing Facility-1 to bays, or hangars, and inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Atlantis will roll out next nicians perform hazardous Lunabotics event highly experienced techni- week. To find out more about roll outs, click on the photo. commodity offloads, dry the cians perform two-thirds of in full swing short, yet historic, journey. operation began in May 2010 engines and open the door the work to prepare a shuttle “It was my first time when, fresh off the black- panels to gain access. Then, for space. seeing an orbiter roll out of top of Kennedy’s Shuttle they remove the previous On May 17, those the OPF, so it was an incred- Landing Facility and back mission’s payload. Next, it’s technicians said farewell ible experience to see it from the STS-132 mission, on to about three month’s as shuttle Atlantis ventured pulled away from the struc- it was towed to OPF-1. Once worth of work to check the out of its home in Orbiter tures and to see the whole inside, technicians jacked- heat shield tiles, change the Processing Facility-1 for orbiter up close and without and-leveled the shuttle to space shuttle main engines, its last rollover move to the the scaffolding around it,” maintenance height where or SSMEs, and assess the Vehicle Assembly Building. said STS-135 Mission Spe- platforms surrounded the vehicle’s structural, mechani- Page 4 Most agreed it felt like send- cialist Rex Walheim. spacecraft like a glove. cal and electrical integrity. ing their son or daughter off Joining Walheim on the “Each bay has a Dan Johnson, Atlantis’ Starfighters to college. Hundreds of other STS-135 mission will be footprint of the orbiter, and senior vehicle engineer with fleet grows space center workers and Commander Chris Fergu- when it rolls in, it has to fit to USA, said sometimes they even the crew that will fly son, Pilot Doug Hurley and that footprint,” said Wayne even have to troubleshoot the shuttle to the Internation- Mission Specialist Sandy Bingham, a United Space issues or replace crucial sys- al Space Station this summer Magnus. Alliance, or USA, flow See ROLLOVER, Page 2 stopped by to witness the Atlantis’ turnaround manager. “We try to keep the T-38s intregal part of successful shuttle landing By Steven Siceloff Endeavour will perform the make pilots and mission you can get hurt or break Page 6 Spaceport News same technique June 1 with specialists think quickly in something or run out of gas. Commander Mark Kelly and changing situations, mental There are a lot of things that Heritage: ‘Moon ears before the happen real-world in a T-38 Speech’ turns 50 space shuttle would Pilot Greg H. Johnson at the experiences the astronauts that don’t happen in the glide home to a controls. The first landing say are critical to practicing Y opportunity for STS-134 for the rigors of spaceflight. simulator.” safe touchdown on runways “You’re in a different in California and Florida, comes at 2:32 a.m. EDT. “It’s actually our most world, a dynamic world, it astronauts pitched the noses Like astronauts important training that we doesn’t matter whether it’s a of T-38 jet trainers toward throughout NASA’s history, do as astronauts,” said Terry shuttle or a T-38,” said Story the same runways to find out they kept up their flying Virts, who flew as the pilot Musgrave, a six-time shuttle what it would look like to skills in the cockpit of of STS-130 aboard shuttle flier who posted thousands land a shuttle in such a way. T-38s. Endeavour. “It’s the one More than 30 years The T-38 remains a place where we’re not in of hours in the T-38 and Page 7 after that first T-38 fixture for astronaut training a simulator. It’s real flying approach, space shuttle because the sleek, white jets and if you make a mistake, See LANDING, Page 3 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS May 27, 2011 Students to design tiny satellite for future LSP mission By Linda Herridge during the launch, which is one of Spaceport News LSP’s goals. The data will be trans- mitted wirelessly to the university group of 12 students from satellite also on the mission, and Merritt Island High School then from there to Earth. Aare participating in Kennedy “This is potentially the begin- Space Center’s Creating Under- ning of a series of missions that standing and Broadening Education could support that effort,” Johnson through Satellite (CUBES) pilot said. “It’s also a way to show that project. One day soon they may see high school students can design and the tiny satellite they design, called a build a small satellite.” CubeSat, fly as a secondary payload George said that LSP require- with a university satellite on one of CLICK ON PHOTO For NASA ments need to be changed in order NASA’s expendable launch vehicle NASA and industry representatives listen as students from Merritt Island High School present a mission to allow the CubeSat to be powered missions. concept review and preliminary systems requirements review for Kennedy Space Center’s Creating on during launch for data transmis- The CUBES project, developed Understanding and Broadening Education through Satellite (CUBES) pilot project last month. To find out sion. Normally, secondary payloads more about the Cubesat Launch Inniative, click on the photo. and implemented by Kennedy’s must be powered off so they don’t Foundations of Leadership Team, is the project through the school’s milestones, which were delivering a interfere with the primary satellite spearheaded by the center’s Educa- engineering club, as did many of mission concept review and prelimi- during launch. tion Programs Office. The Launch the other students who signed up. nary systems requirements review to According to Alison Fertig, a Services Program (LSP) is sponsor- McCaskey readied the preliminary NASA and industry personnel in late physics teacher and project advi- ing the project and providing the system requirements for review. April, the students received approval sor, the students will meet during CubeSat kits and additional support “I really wanted to get to continue on to the design phase. the summer to redefine require- material. involved because it seemed like George said the reviews includ- ments and work on their trades. She Merritt Island is only the second something unique and different than ed an overview of the mission and hopes the students will be able to high school in the country, and the anything else at the school,” McCas- how the team plans to achieve it. She travel to Utah State University at the first in Florida, to design and build a key said. “I knew it would be a great and other students talked about each beginning of August for the Small CubeSat. learning experience.” subsystem, including power, com- Satellite Conference and a CubeSat Danielle George, an incoming Kennedy mentor Shaun Daly munication, command and data and workshop facilitated by California senior and CUBES project manager, from the Engineering Director- the requirements needed for each. Polytechnic University. said she heard about the project ate, is the programmatic manager “The CubeSat is a tool to Daly and several other mentors through the school’s science club and liaison to the LSP. He said the educate,” said Garrett Skrobot, who are exceptionally proud of the work and wanted to get involved because mentors are equally excited about is the LSP PPOD/CubeSat mission the students already accomplished it was truly an opportunity of a the potential to be involved in the manager. “It is a way to encourage and also are impressed with the in- lifetime. development of a CubeSat. high school students to get excited novative solutions they developed to “I’ve lived next to the space “We hold ourselves to a promise about science, technology, engi- meet tough engineering challenges center my entire life so it is a dream that the students run this project,” neering and mathematics (STEM) in the beginning design phase of the come true to be able to partner with Daly said. “We will continue to en- careers.” project. engineers to design, construct and able learning while giving guidance Grace Johnson, the CUBES “There is much to come,” Daly launch a satellite,” George said. where needed, but the students make education project manager, said that said. “We expect great things from Erin McCaskey, also an incom- the end decisions.” the tiny satellite’s primary mission the students and I am sure they will ing senior said she heard about After completing the first major will be to collect vibration data deliver in a big way.” gether, resolved the issue and oriented and so meticulous think you’re crazy.