March 18, 2011 Vol. 51, No. 4 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html INSIDE . Firefighter retires EAP offers after 30 years counseling after fall at launch pad By Linda Herridge Spaceport News Page 2 ennedy Space Center’s work force Discovery ready Ksuffered an unex- for transition pected loss on March 14, when one of its own died following a fall at Launch Pad 39A. NASA emergency CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Frankie Martin medical personnel respond- Bathed in xenon lights, space shuttle Endeavour makes its nighttime journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch ed but were unable to revive Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on March 10. Riding atop a crawler-transporter attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, Endeavour’s 3.4-mile trek, known as “rollout,” began at 7:56 p.m. EST. This is the final scheduled rollout for United Space Alliance engi- Endeavour. To watch Endeavour’s final rollout, click the photo. neer James Vanover. Workers were offered counseling and Employee Page 3 Endeavour shines, rolls out Assistant Program services. “Our closeness as a Scenes Around team makes it more pain- Kennedy final time under xenon lights ful when we lose one of our own,” Kennedy Center By Frank Ochoa-Gonzales the Alabama river rock to Endeavour roll out to the Director Bob Cabana said in Spaceport News Launch Pad 39A. launch pad one final time, it a letter to Kennedy employ- “It being the final really is just one step getting ees. “It is our concern for nder a beautifully launch, this is not an easy us closer to launch,” Hutch- each other that enables our bright March 10 time for us,” Hutcherson erson said. “This is where crescent moon, mission to succeed.” U said. “But nonetheless, we we kick it in high gear Cabana urged everyone space shuttle Endeavour are enjoying it.” getting ready for launch and emerged from the Vehicle to take a moment and reflect Riding atop a crawler- our No. 1 mission, which is Assembly Building to the on taking care of themselves transporter for the last time, to fly safely.” Page 6 cheers of hundreds of work- and each other. ers, thousands of onlookers Endeavour and its launch- STS-134 Pilot Greg According to Employee NASA ships and a member of its final ready stack of solid rocket H. Johnson will fly Assistance Counselor Patti retrieve SRBs flight crew. boosters and external fuel aboard Endeavour to the Bell, Kennedy’s Employee But the biggest smile tank moved down the grav- International Space Station Assistance Program (EAP) may have belonged to Dana eled crawlerway at the usual and was on hand to watch offers counseling and a Hutcherson, NASA’s Endea- rollout pace of about 1 mph. the shuttle make the 3.4- variety of other services to vour Flow Director within The ride took about eight mile trek to the seaside all employees at Kennedy the Launch Vehicle Process- hours and left Endeavour launch pad. and Cape Canaveral Air ing Directorate. perched at pad A to lift off “There’s so much Force Station. Bell is with Hutcherson’s third mis- next month on a mission energy here at Kennedy Innovative Health Applica- sion as Endeavour’s flow to the International Space Space Center,” Johnson tions (IHA) on the center’s director is a bittersweet one, Station. said. “It was amazing to Medical Environmental Page 7 because it is the final time “While the team and the shuttle will roll over I are really excited to see See ROLLOUT, Page 4 See EAP, Page 3 Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS March 18, 2011 there were going to be as many as seven astronauts in there,” Hoggard Legendary firefighter said. Hoggard and his team taught the astronauts before each launch how retires after 30 years to drive the yellow M113 armored personnel carriers. The lessons By Steven Siceloff 1980s to prove they were safe. would be critical if there was an Spaceport News Bolden, returning as NASA emergency and the crew had to drive administrator, gave Hoggard a out of harm’s way. eorge Hoggard had an commemorative medallion during extraordinary career by “I tell the astronauts the shuttle his retirement party the day before cockpit’s got over 2,000 switches, most standards, so it wasn’t space shuttle Discovery lifted off on G CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Kim Shiflett this one’s only got two, on and off, easy for him to say goodbye to the its final flight, the STS-133 mission. Outgoing Kennedy Space Center Chief of Fire and it’s easy as it can be,” Hoggard fire department at Kennedy Space Hoggard’s skill and dedication Training George Hoggard received a commemo- said. Center. came across to the astronauts very rative medallion during his retirement party from Hoggard still has a rule, though: “People who don’t know easily and made the firefighter a true NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden on March 9. For the complete story, click the photo. “They said, ‘Is there a pass/fail to anything about the space program legend at Kennedy, Shuttle Launch this driving test,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, cannot imagine how exciting it is Director Mike Leinbach said. his told him about the construction if you hurt the old guy, you’re going to work out here,” Hoggard said. “The astronauts know they can under way on NASA’s Kennedy “The very idea of it lasting 30 years trust him with their lives, and that Space Center. to fail the test, that’s the bottom line, never dawned on me and I never did says an enormous amount about Hoggard’s firefighting career don’t hurt the old guy.’ ” have any retirement plans because his experience, heart and wisdom,” at Kennedy began with a level of Hoggard saw different working out here is so much fun. Leinbach said. excitement that would become the perspectives of NASA when he Quite frankly, I’m thinking, ‘Why It’s a far different existence than norm. conducted training classes at the would I want to leave this?’” Hoggard thought he would have. “I was really new out here and agency’s other field centers. As the chief of fire training, After getting out of the Marines, got to go out to the fire training area “They ask, ‘Have you seen a Hoggard and his crew worked Hoggard thought he’d go into the and they said three astronauts were launch?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I don’t closely with astronauts to teach family business: law enforcement. going to show up and I didn’t know close my eyes,’” he said. “Then they them how to handle emergencies His father and brother were both who they were,” Hoggard said. asked, ‘Well, what’s that like?’ Then on the launch pad or on the ground policemen, and Hoggard joined the “And they left and I had no idea who it dawned on me, there are thousands following a problem. He showed force. He was assigned to the vice they were and six months later they of people who work for NASA and them where to go once they left the squad and during the next year had stepped on the moon . it was the NASA contractors who have never shuttle cockpit, such as when to take some close calls, including getting Apollo 11 crew.” seen a launch and I’ve seen many of the elevator and when to go straight stabbed and shot at. “When the shuttle started up them and that’s just kind of amazing. to the slidewire basket. He and then- Later, working as a firefighter we kind of had to sort of reinvent It’s a shame that everybody can’t astronaut Charlie Bolden took a in southeastern Virginia, Hoggard’s everything because there wasn’t be in the position that I am here at ride in one of the baskets in the late career turned again after a friend of going to be just three astronauts, Kennedy.” NASA selects board to investigate Glory mishap ASA has selected failed to reach orbit after it engineering work force at South Pacific. chair, Johnson Space Center the members of launched from Vandenberg Dryden. He also has served The ex-officio member Safety and Engineering Nthe board that will Air Force Base in Califor- as Dryden’s chief engineer is Christopher Nagy, Safety Review Panel; Air Force investigate the unsuccessful nia. and was responsible for and Mission Assurance Capt. Benjamin Califf, March 4 launch of the Glory According to NASA providing independent manager at Kennedy Space deputy chief, Space Launch spacecraft. Assistant Launch Director technical guidance and Center. The ex-officio Section, Kirtland Air Force Bradley C. Flick, Chuck Dovale, early indica- oversight to flight projects. member assures board Base, Albuquerque, N.M.; director of the Research and tions are the fairing failed to Orbital Sciences also activity conforms to NASA and Barbara Kanki, research Engineering Directorate open and break away from will have a failure board. procedural requirements. psychologist, NASA’s Ames at NASA’s Dryden Flight the rocket’s final stage. No pieces of the The board has six Research Center, Moffett Research Center in We failed to make spacecraft have been found other voting members: Field, Calif. Edwards, Calif., will lead orbit,” said Omar Baez, the and no injuries or property LeRoy E. Cain, deputy The board began its the mishap investigation NASA launch director for damage has been reported manager, Space Shuttle investigation March 9.