January 2016 Vol. 3 No. 1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration KENNEDY SPACE CENTER’S magazine Earth Solar Aeronautics Mars Technology Right ISS System & NASA’S Research Now Beyond LAUNCH National Aeronautics and Space Administration KENNEDY SPACE CENTER’S SCHEDULE Date: Jan. 17, 1:42 p.m. EST SPACEPORT MAGAZINE Mission: Jason-3 (NOAA) Description: Jason-3, a mission led by the National Oceanic and CONTENTS Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is the latest in a series of U.S.-European satellite missions 6 �������������������Kennedy firmly established as a 21st century spaceport that have been measuring the height of the ocean surface for 23 10 ����������������GSDO Critical Design Review marks progress years. These data provide critical ocean information that forecasters need to predict devastating 14 ����������������Researchers test prototype spacesuits at Kennedy hurricanes and severe weather before they arrive onshore. PRITAL THAKRAR 16 ����������������Station in North Dakota provides extreme habitat Jason-3 is scheduled for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket I am a mechanical design engineer at the Prototype from Vandenberg Air Force Base Development Laboratory within the Structures and Launch 19 ����������������Future crew boarding area under construction in California. Accessories group. I work with a small, specialized team http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/ that provides design, analysis and fabrication support for 22 ����������������Jason-3 to set sights on ocean circulation, climate jason-3/ everything from quick-turnaround technology projects to large ground support equipment. Date: September 2016 25 ����������������New tracking stations to provide latest technology Mission: OSIRIS-REx My career at Kennedy began with an internship the summer Description: The mission of 2011 in the Structures and Mechanisms Design group. will study Bennu, a near-Earth 28 ����������������Technology improves mission safety, efficiency I then became a co-op student with Safety and Mission asteroid that is about one-third Assurance before moving to the Prototype Lab. The best of a mile across. OSIRIS-REx will part of my job is seeing a project all the way through — 34 ����������������Newly developed methods earn GreenGov award bring a small sample back to from drafting requirements to breaking out a hand drill Earth for study. As planned, the to finish off the final product. I’m very fortunate to work spacecraft will reach its asteroid beside skilled machinists and engineers who help me better target in 2018 and return a understand how to design practically. sample to Earth in 2023. Front Cover: As we roll into 2016, Kennedy Space Center is looking forward to a http://go.nasa.gov/1ItsRkl busy launch year. For more information, go to http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Outside of my everyday job, I’m helping to coordinate the yearly Innovation Expo. I also chair Launching Leaders, an Date: October 2016 early career group in which we connect and train young Mission: Geostationary Operational Environmental professionals on center and in the community. I love Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) meeting new people across the center and learning how To get the latest Kennedy Space Center updates, Description: The advanced we can change the face of the space industry through our follow us on our , , and . spacecraft and instrument words and actions. Blog Flickr Facebook Twitter technology used on the GOES-R series will result in more timely The people I have met out here are incredibly sharp and and accurate forecasts and willing to teach. I can’t wait to see where the exciting work KSC warnings. It will improve support at Kennedy leads me in my career! BLOG for the detection and observations of meteorological phenomena that directly affect public safety, THE SPACEPORT MAGAZINE TEAM protection of property, and ultimately, economic health and development. The launch vehicle Editorial Writers Group Creative Group that will place GOES-R into Managing Editor ........... Amanda Griffin Anna Heiney Bob Granath Richard Beard Amy Lombardo geosynchronous orbit will be an Editor ............................ Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Kay Grinter Linda Herridge Lynda Brammer Matthew Young Atlas V 541 expendable launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Assistant Editor ............. Linda Herridge Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Steven Siceloff Greg Lee Air Force Station in Florida. http://go.nasa.gov/1YubP2g Copy Editor ................... Kay Grinter www�nasa�gov SPACEPORT Magazine 3 GSDO Program Jason 3/Falcon 9 Parachute Arrival of EM-1 CRS 8/Falcon 9 CRS 9/Falcon 9 Orbital ATK CRS-6/ Commercial Crew Completes Critical Jason 3 will make highly Testing Crew Module to The eighth commercial SpaceX will launch Atlas V Hardware In Flow Design Review detailed measurements of Boeing and SpaceX will KSC cargo resupply mission its ninth commercial Launch of the Orbital ATK Boeing and SpaceX are This milestone is the final sea-level on Earth each test the parachutes The Orion Crew Module will carry the Bigelow resupply mission for Cygnus spacecraft aboard building the spacecraft review before moving into to gain insight into that the companies for Exploration Mission-1 Expandable Activity NASA, delivering a United Launch Alliance and rocket hardware that fabrication, installation ocean circulation and plan to use for is scheduled to arrive at Module to the space supplies and equipment Atlas V rocket on a will be used for upcoming and testing of Kennedy’s climate change. Commercial Crew KSC to begin processing station for at least two to the crew aboard the commercial resupply CCP flight tests and ground systems. Program flights to for its flight targeted years of observation space station. services mission to the missions to the station. for 2018. and testing. International Space the International Station. Space Station. First Launch from Falcon Heavy Demo Falcon 9 Heavy Demo 2 CRS-10/Falcon 9 CRS-11/Falcon 9 CST-100 Starliner Pad A First demonstration flight of Second demonstration flight SpaceX will launch its 10th SpaceX will launch its 11th Structural Test SpaceX is preparing to the uncrewed SpaceX Falcon of the uncrewed SpaceX commercial resupply mission, commercial resupply mission, Article Testing launch its Falcon 9 and Heavy rocket. Falcon Heavy rocket. delivering supplies and delivering supplies and Boeing’s Starliner Structural Falcon Heavy rockets equipment to the crew aboard equipment to the crew aboard Test Article will be put from historic Launch Pad the space station. the space station. through months of testing 39A. in specialized chambers that simulate vibration, electromagnetic resistance and temperature changes. Osiris-Rex/Atlas V GOES-R/Atlas V CYGNSS/Pegasus CRS-12/Falcon 9 GSDO Program Uncrewed Flight Test to OSIRIS-REx will travel to a The Geostationary Operational The Cyclone Global Navigation SpaceX will launch its 12th Underway Recovery the Station near-Earth asteroid called Environmental Satellite-R Satellite System will probe commercial resupply mission, Test SpaceX flight test without Bennu by 2018 and bring a is a geostationary weather the inner core of hurricanes delivering supplies and Testing proof of concept crew to the International small sample back to Earth for satellite that will result in to learn about their rapid equipment to the crew aboard for the new crew recovery Space Station to demonstrate study in 2023. more timely and accurate intensification. the space station. methods. its ability to launch and forecasts and warnings. recover a human-rated spacecraft. Mars Defense Manufacturing Center. being modernized by Boeing as the Commercial Crew and Cargo During the past year, NASA signed a 30-year property Processing Facility. There, Boeing plans to prepare its Starliner agreement with Space Florida for the operations and management spacecraft under development. of the Shuttle Landing Facility. Now a variety of commercial and In 2014, NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX for government partners will have access to use the three-mile long the use and operation of Launch Complex 39A where it will launch runway. the Falcon 9 Heavy rocket with its Crew Dragon spacecraft. In September, Blue Origin announced they plan to build rockets These are all tangible steps toward meeting the president’s at Exploration Park on Kennedy property. The company also leased challenge and firmly establishing that Kennedy has become a Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where 21st century, multi-user spaceport regularly launching to low-Earth they plan to launch their orbital launch vehicle. orbit and beyond. While partners from industry and academia are finding new uses Missions beyond low-Earth orbit are already underway, for Kennedy’s unique assets, commercial providers soon will take including the extensive robotic reconnaissance of Mars. In 2011, astronauts to and from the International Space Station. the Kennedy team launched the Mars Science Laboratory with Through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, commercial its Curiosity rover now studying the surface. In 2013, the Mars partners SpaceX and Boeing are developing safe, reliable and Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, spacecraft was cost-effective access to and from low-Earth orbit with American- launched from Cape Canaveral and now is orbiting the Red Planet. A New Era built rockets by the end of 2017. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and “Allowing industry to provide our transportation to low-Earth SpaceX’s Crew Dragon are the next step toward ferrying astronauts orbit means the NASA team can focus on what we do best — Kennedy firmly established as a 21st century spaceport to and from the ISS. exploration,” said Cabana. “We’ve got a lot of work going on here at To prepare for these next steps in crew transportation, Bay Kennedy as we advance the mission to put boots on Mars.” BY BOB GRANATH 3 of the space shuttle era’s Orbiter Processing Facility now is or more than 30 years, Kennedy Space Center was a hub of the goal of building a 21st century space launch complex with This artist concept depicts the Space Launch System rocket rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center.