June 11, 1999 Vol. 38, No. 12 Spaceport News America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. John F. Kennedy Space Center Safety and health our top priorities On June 17, Kennedy Space Center will for the second time dedicate an entire day to safety and health. All normal work activities, with the exception of mandatory services — such as fire, security, cafeterias and buses — will be suspended to allow all possible personnel to attend Super Safety KSC Director and Health Day activities. Roy Bridges The theme of the day, “Safety “Liftoff at the Kennedy and Health Go Hand in Hand,” Space Center!” calls to our attention that safety and We recently heard these health are united — as are we in words for the first time this our ongoing commitment to place year for a Shuttle mission, the safety and health of the public, and they were inspirational. astronauts, employees and space- STS-96 is now a part of related resources first and foremost. history, having landed safely This issue of Spaceport News early last Sunday morning. includes a listing of awards, The crew gracefully docked panelists, vendor locations and with our new International other safety-related information. Space Station and did a great Use the issue to plan activities on job supplying, outfitting and Super Safety and Health Day that making repairs on the station. will benefit you and your organiza- They made it look easy, but tion the most. Dennis Fitch, a ‘volunteer crew provide a brief commentary on it takes months of hard work Events at the KSC Training member’ on United Airlines Flight safety or health as it concerns his or to achieve that perception of Auditorium on June 17 will be 232 on July 19, 1989 (see story, her area and KSC’s mission as a effortlessness. carried to all locations on KSC via page 5). whole. We all know it begins with internal KSC TV. Events on that All morning activities will be Then a question-and-answer a great ship. KSC gave the day will open at 8 a.m. with broadcast centerwide on NASA TV. period will follow, where crew a spaceship that worked introductory remarks by KSC After Fitch’s address, there will be employees will have their questions well from the beginning of Director Roy Bridges, who will a 10-minute break before the panel (See Safety, Page 5) the countdown to an on-time introduce keynote speaker Captain session begins. Each panelist will launch to wheel stop on the runway. Like the crew, you Launch manifest changes for STS-93 and ELVs also put in a lot of time and Due to recent anomalies Laboratory aboard a Titan II rocket Also at press time, the STS-93 hard work to assure that our involving expendable vehicles not from Vandenberg Air Force Base in launch was targeted for the third first mission after a long associated with NASA launches, California is now scheduled for week of July. break would be trouble-free. there is a schedule impact on the June 18 with a launch window of These dates should be considered A lot of people have thanked near-term NASA manifest. 7:15 to 7:25 p.m. PDT. for planning purposes until firm me for KSC’s efforts, and I NASA is a participant in the The launch of FUSE for NASA launch dates are established. want you to know they failure investigations and is and Johns Hopkins University from KSC is the lead center for appreciate your skill and reviewing the readiness of its Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air acquisition and management of dedication, as well as the missions based on an Station (CCAS) is now scheduled Expendable Launch Vehicle launch results of your work. understanding of the failures and for no earlier than June 23 between services. The Expendable Launch As we prepare for our the proposed corrective actions. 11:39 a.m. and 12:56 p.m. EDT. Vehicle Program Office at Kennedy upcoming Super Safety and The following is a list of As of press time, the launch of Space Center provides NASA and Health Day on June 17, we upcoming NASA flights with their GOES-L for NASA and the its customers early mission feasi- can take a few lessons from currently planned launch National Oceanic and Atmospheric bility studies/analysis, spacecraft to timeframes. Administration (NOAA) aboard an launch vehicle integration services, (See Principles, Page 7) The launch of QuikSCAT for Atlas IIA rocket from Pad 36-A at flight assurance and management NASA and the Jet Propulsion CCAS was to be determined. of the launch. Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS June 11, 1999 NASA Accident Prevention Awards Chandra booster arrives at KSC for processing On June 1, the presented at KSC Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster for the As part of Super Safety and Health Day, Chandra X-ray NASA will present Accident Prevention Awards Observatory arrived for the second time to 23 government and at Kennedy Space contractor organizations in recognition of Center’s Vertical exemplary safety and health performance at Processing Facility KSC. The following groups will be honored (VPF), where it was with special recognition, plaques and certificates installed into the acknowledging their safety records: VPF west test cell. For exemplary safety records for no lost time The next day, accidents for fiscal years 1996, 1997 and Chandra was hoisted 1998: from its location in front of the east test • Lockheed Martin Michoud cell and mated onto Space Systems, last lost time the two-stage IUS. case 01/81 On June 3, • Dynamac Corporation, no lost electrical connec- time cases tions between • Creative Management Chandra and the Technology, last lost time case IUS were established 01/93 and the Cargo • Wang Government Services, last lost time Integrated Test case 04/89 Equipment, an • Rocketdyne Division, the Boeing orbiter avionics Company, last lost time case, 03/95 simulator, was • Thiokol Propulsion, Space Operations, connected to the KSC-LSS, last lost time case 04/94 payload stack. • Government Services Administration, no By week’s end, the lost time cases two-day interface • KSC Executive Staff, no lost time cases verification test was • Public Affairs Office, no lost time cases commenced, • Chief Counsel Office, no lost time cases validating the IUS/ The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster was moved toward a workstand • Payload Processing Directorate, no lost Chandra connections in Kennedy Space Center's Vertical Processing Facility. The IUS was time cases then mated with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and underwent testing and checking the to validate the IUS/Chandra connections and check the orbiter avionics • Biomedical Office, no lost time cases orbiter avionics interfaces.With the world's most powerful X-ray telescope, Chandra will • Administration Office, no lost time cases interfaces. allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black • Florida East Coast Railroad, last lost time On Monday, June 7, holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the case 07/95 potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our the end-to-end test universe. Chandra is scheduled for launch during the third week of July • Shuttle Processing Directorate, last lost was conducted, aboard Shuttle Columbia on STS-93. time case 08/95 verifying the communi- • Allied Signal Technical Services, no lost cations path to Chandra — commanding separation ordnance are to be installed time cases it as if it were in space. and payload closeouts will be performed Participating in the test was Chandra’s in preparation for making the transition For exemplary safety records for no lost time operations control center located in to Launch Pad 39B. accidents: Cambridge, Mass.; Mission Control at The Chandra/IUS combination is the Johnson Space Center in Houston; scheduled to be hoisted into the payload • Checkout and Launch Control System and the communications assets of both canister on June 18 and transported to Office, fiscal years 1997 and 1998 the Deep Space Network and the the pad’s payload changeout room on • Space Station Hardware Integration Tracking and Data Relay Satellite June 19. Office, fiscal years 1997 and 1998 system. Chandra is currently planned to be • Troutman Technical Services, no lost time During Chandra’s recent dwell period installed into Columbia’s payload bay on cases fiscal years 1997 and 1998 in the VPF, while awaiting the arrival of June 24. • Beacon Automotive Parts, no lost time the IUS, the command paths to be used The STS-93 launch is currently cases fiscal year 1998 during these upcoming activities were targeted for the third week in July. • Bionetics Corporation, no lost time cases established and thoroughly tested. STS-93 will be the first Shuttle fiscal year 1998 Upon successfully completing all of mission commanded by a woman, • EG&G Florida, last lost time case fiscal these tests, the IUS/Chandra payload Eileen Collins. year 1998 • Wiltech, no lost time cases fiscal year ‘98 June 11, 1999 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 Dynacs Digital Media Lab wins award Robotic arm arrives The Dynacs Digital Media Lab captured the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association (FMPTA) regional Crystal Reel Award for Best Corporate Video. The winning video, Technol- ogy Transfer at KSC: Success Stories ‘98, showcases companies that have successfully commercialized technologies developed in partnership with Kennedy Space Center. Now in its 25th year, FMPTA is dedicated to promoting the motion picture, television and recording industries in Florida. FMPTA hosts the annual Crystal Reel Awards both at the regional and state levels to honor outstanding achievement in the Florida market.