Nov.

16, 2012

Vol. 52, No. 23

Spaceport News
John F. Kennedy Space Center - Americas gateway to the universe

Partnership paves way for modernization

By Rebecca Regan Spaceport News facility full of platforms that once fit NASAs space shuttles like a glove is transitioning to make room for a new fleet of low-Earth orbit bound spacecraft. Now called the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF), the former Orbiter Processing Facilty-3 (OPF-3) at Kennedy Space Center is not only going through major renovations to support the manufacturing of The Boeing Companys CST-100 spacecraft. Its also receiving international recognition as

an innovative approach for converting excess government buildings into nextgeneration commercial facilities. The agreement that we put in place to get OPF-3 turned over to Space Florida so that they could make it available to Boeing really set the stage for a model that can be used time and time again, said Bob Cabana, Kennedys center director. It just makes sense that if

we have facilities that we have absolutely no use for in NASAs Space Launch System or Orion programs, we ought to be able to find a way to bring other work into those facilities. That land-use agreement is what garnered international attention from organizations such as CoreNet Global and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Within the past few months, both organizations,

made up of site selection consultants, real estate developers and property managers, gave Space Florida top honors for innovation in economic development. The agreement was honored with CoreNets 13th Annual H. Bruce Russell Global Innovators Award and the IEDCs Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award for the Igniting Innovation Capital Acceleration Showcase in the category of

Special Event for Communities with Populations of 500,000 or more. What we did together collaboratively with NASA was come up with a template that works well, said Frank DiBello, Space Florida president. It cut a lot of new ground in terms of how to transfer excess NASA property to the private sector and we became an agent for
See C3PF, Page 2

In the last edition of Spaceport News, we highlighted the handover of space shuttle Atlantis from NASA to the Kennedy Space Center Vistior Complex. In this edition, learn about the work that NASA and Kennedy Space Center are doing to keep the spirit of human space exploration rolling. Page 5

Human Spaceflight

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Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

This artist conception is what The Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft processing is expected to look like in Space Florida's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at Kennedy Space Center with work stations on a clean floor.

Astrobotics

Inside this issue...

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Space energy

The future of LEO

Rocket U NEO

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Page 5

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SPACEPORT NEWS

Nov. 16, 2012

Robotic explorers may usher in lunar 'water rush'

By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News he American space program stands at the cusp of a "water rush" to the moon by several companies developing robotic prospectors for launch in the near future, according to a NASA scientist considering how to acquire and use water ice believed to be at the poles of the moon. "This is like the gold rush that led to the settlement of California," said Phil Metzger, a physicist who leads the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab, part of Kennedy's Surface Systems Office. "This is the water rush." Collecting the water, or at least showing it can be collected, is where the Pittsburghbased Astrobotic Technology comes in. The small company signed on in April for the third phase of a Small Business Innovative Research deal that continues research work to develop technologies NASA may need to harvest space resources in the future. The company already is far along in its development of a rover that will work on its own. There already is a deal in place with SpaceX to launch a lander and rover on a Falcon 9 rocket in October 2015. Astrobotic is competing against several other companies for the Google Lunar X-Prize, an award worth up to $30 million funded by the Internet search engine company. "Our intent is to land on the surface of the moon in October 2015 and find water," said John Thornton, president of Astrobotic. Water already on asteroids, the moon or MarFrom C3PF, Page 1

NASA image

Astrobotic Technology is developing a rover that operates on solar energy provided with side-facing panels. The solar panels are set vertically because the rover will operate at the lunar poles where the sun appears closer to the horizon.

tian moons represents a potential bonanza to NASA's exploration plans because the resource can be put to use in so many critical ways for astronauts venturing into deep space. Water, made of hydrogen and oxygen molecules, can be turned into everything from breathing air to rocket fuel, not to mention the chance to filter it clean and drink it. "Using these resources is the key to making space travel and habitation affordable and sustainable we are starting to learn how to live

on another planetary surface," said Rob Mueller, a senior technologist in Kennedys Surface Systems Office. "It's a really interesting resource when you start to think about how to explore beyond Earth and to use the resources that are already in our solar system," Thornton said. "This is the first step toward harnessing the resources in the solar system for exploration and sustained
See ASTROBOTIC, Page 6

Well have defined factory positions to support different phases of the accomplishing that change. spacecraft being built. Before Boeings CST-100 will Boeing is one of three companies take up residency inside C3PF and working with NASAs Commercial the adjacent Space Shuttle Main Crew Program during the ComEngine Facility in the summer of mercial Crew Integrated Capability 2013, both will undergo demolition (CCiCap) phase to develop inteand modernization phases. For the grated spacecraft and launch vehicle past month and a half, workers with systems that could be called on to fly Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Americans to and from low-Earth Orlando, Fla., have been busy careorbit in the future. The CST-100 is fully bringing down the shuttles old designed to launch atop a United processing stands to make way for a Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V clean-floor factory-like concept. rocket from Cape Canaveral Air With the removal of legacy Space Force Stations Launch Complex 41, Shuttle Program infrastructure, the a little more than 7 miles away from building will be transformed into C3PF. a clean factory system layout for If you can be building your spacecraft production and refurspacecraft close to the point of bishment, said Chuck Hardison, launch, you gain significant advanBoeings manager of CST-100 tage in the marketplace, DiBello Production and Ground Systems. said.

Hardison said the CST-100 will be covered by a protective container and transported to the launch pad atop a KMAG transporter, much like NASAs critical satellites are taken to their launch vehicles prior to launch. Besides being based near the launch site, DiBello said theres another reason the Space Coast was a natural choice for Boeing to locate its commercial spaceflight operations at Kennedy. The company anticipates putting about 550 uniquely skilled engineers and technicians here back to work. We expect it to be a very bustling place at full operations, Hardison said. When were in the full operational services phase, we expect to see a large increase in the number of people working here. While work to house Boeings spacecraft is ongoing, the com-

pany is busy developing the support equipment, tooling and control systems that will be needed for the production and manufacturing phases. The Processing Control Center (PCC) also will be readied to support CST-100 ground and mission operations and a program office for Boeing. Meanwhile, Kennedy is continuing to work with Space Florida to attract more companies to lease excess facilities and equipment at the center. We believe in the next decade, apart from support of NASAs space exploration program, that there will be an era of increasing commercial activity in space, DiBello said. The kind of work thats going on here in support of commercial crew will enable other commercial players to get into low-Earth orbit operations.

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Kennedy's potential bright for energy research

LETF to analyze support the center, too, including a Kennedy under development are seeing we have capahost of engineers who are to house a diverse collection bilities well outside of just equipment for rockets, but a processing spacecrafts and experts at running tests on of private companies. company could rent the area ennedy Space Cenpayloads, Hubbard said. machines and components Kennedy also is home to test equipment destined ters future is not Hubbard said researchwithout destroying them. to two solar farms built by for use in the ocean. limited to space ers at Kennedy are eager Areas commonly conFlorida Power & Light that Aller said the energy conthanks to a technical, to share their expertise sidered for technological have established a path for sortium already has heard engineering and scientific with companies and help research at Kennedy tend future partnerships to folfrom large and small busiinfrastructure that could them through evaluation to focus on energy-related low. nesses, along with compaserve a variety of industries ideas, such as bio-fuels, and testing, assistance with Also, an engineer who nies that fall in between. at the same time the center developing new devices, advanced batteries, hydroworked for United Space Tim Franta, project goes about its traditional and design and handling gen storage, solar arrays and Alliance at Kennedy, Jim spaceflight work. manager for the Space Coast techniques. panels, super-conducting Fletcher, developed a Theres a lot of potential magnets and turbines for Energy Consortium, said When asked about how portable solar panel that for Kennedy and the workgenerating power from unfolds on a trailer to create the Kennedy research com- that if they can get compaforce to be engaged with nies to come in for one test the wind or other natural electricity in remote areas or munity feels on enabling commercial partnerships, commercial partnerships, it may entice them to come sources. after storms that knock out said Robert Hubbard, The energy industry has power. Fletcher is perfecting I think the words theyd back for additional testing in Partnership Development probably use are we are ex- the future. a real need for integrated the design now with an eye manager at Kennedy. We engineering expertise, which on putting it into production. cited about this direction, Within my office, the have a lot of great technolo- Kennedy has a lot of, said Hubbard said. It gives them Center Planning and DeHubbard said he hears gies developed in-house that Mike Aller, president of the roughly three proposals a chance to see the technolo- velopment Directorate, we can be used to help advance Space Coast Energy Cona month for clean energy gies theyre developing with are pushing the envelope partner technologies. This is sortium. partnerships, though some space application in mind, and doing things that have great news to many, because are farther along than others. used outside NASA. For example, Cella never been done at Kenthis means that we now have Energy already signed an He said Kennedy is best Mandernack pointed to the opportunity, more so equipped to help a company the machinery at the Launch nedy before, Hubbard said. agreement to continue the Industry is starting to see than before, to make availmove its technology from Equipment Test Facility, or development of its hydrowe can operate outside of able our lab capabilities, early concept levels to a LETF, which is capable of gen storage material and the mode weve operated our expertise and licenses to systems at Kennedy. Cella point where it can be demputting huge devices under under for many years and utilize our technologies." onstrated effectively. the weight of hundreds of is currently working out of foster an environment that is I think it is great that Officials at the energy tons to see how they would Exploration Park, a comcommercial friendly. hold up. NASA uses the consortium say Kennedy has mercial development area at people outside of the gates dozens of unique features that make it ideal for research work, along with the technical workforce and cutting-edge researchers needed. Kennedy has thought of itself as an aerospacefocused place, but those skills have a broad applicability for other things, said David Mandernack, project director at Space Coast Energy Consortium. For example, Kennedys work preparing rockets and spacecraft for flight includes handling super-cold propellants, such as hydrogen and oxygen safely, along with hypergolic chemicals that are toxic and call for special accommodations. The center also has an extensive testing apparatus and a stable of unique liftCLICK ON PHOTO NASA file 2010 ing equipment. There are a Kennedy Space Center offers many unique features for trying out ideas for energy production. A solar farm built on Kennedy property has provided clean energy since 2010. number of laboratories at By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News

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SPACEPORT NEWS

Nov. 16, 2012

Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center

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NASA/Tim Jacobs

The first stage of the Atlas V rocket that will carry the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-K (TDRS-K) into orbit arrives Nov. 6 at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center hanger at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to begin processing. Launch of the TDRS-K aboard an Atlas V rocket is planned for 2013 from Space Launch Complex 41. The TDRS-K spacecraft is part of the next-generation series in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services for spacecraft and expendable launch vehicles including the International Space Station and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

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NASA/Ben Smegelsky

The Black Employee Strategy Team (BEST) host a KSC BEST Bake Sale Fundraiser on Nov. 14 to raise money for a scholarship in memory of Evelyn Johnson, a founding member of BEST and former deputy director of the KSC Equal Opportunity Office. Desserts included homemade contributions from senior managers.

NASA Employees of the Month: November

NASA

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NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Crawler-transporter 2 picks up a shuttle-era mobile launcher platform at Launch Pad 39A on Nov. 6. Moving up and down the ramp to the pad's surface, the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy Space Center is testing how well the systems work while carrying a load.

Employees for the month of November are, from left, Sonia S. Miller, Center Operations; Susan M. Barth, Ground Processing Directorate; Arun Arora, Engineering Directorate; Elisa A. Artusa, Engineering Directorate; and Joy Squires (EOQ), Information Technology and Communications Services. Not pictured are Jeannie Ruiz, Ground Systems Development and Operations; Joyce C. McDowell, Procurement Office; Ronald B. Driggers; Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate; Bryan G. Onate, ISS Ground Processing and Research Project Office; and Leah Y. Gibson, Launch Services Program.

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Humanity's desire to explore keeps rolling

for a test flight in 2017. The heavy-lift rocket and spacecraft will take the agencys astronauts deeper into space than ever before. By Rebecca Regan Hill said SLS is designed here in the South. Spaceport News Were planning for the to be an evolvable system, future, were flying every going from a 70-metriche spirit to live and day up on station and makton to a 130-metric-ton lift work in low-Earth ing a lot of good progress, capability. orbit and explore said Bill Hill, assistant What were finding is well beyond where weve deputy associate administra- there are only a handful ventured before is alive as tor of NASAs Exploration of missions that we can NASA forges ahead with Systems Development in conceive that well need the three major human spaceWashington, D.C. 130-metric-ton and thats flight endeavors that will Some of that progress is continue to build off the primarily going to Mars, coming from the commersuccesses of their predeceswhich is our ultimate desticial rocket and spacecraft sors. nation, Hill said. providers who are working Space agency leaders NASA still is working through partnership phases talked about NASAs vibrant out the details of when with NASA to pick up future in the days leading and where Orion and its where the shuttles left off, up to the handover of space crew will travel first, Hill with plans to launch Amerishuttle Atlantis from the can astronauts to the station said, but Mars is a logical place it called home for from U.S. soil in mid-2017. destination for the future, more than 30 years to its We really have two especially with the ongonew exhibition facility next goals, said Ed Mango, ing success of the Curiosity door at the Kennedy Space manager of NASAs Comrover currently exploring the Center Visitor Complex. mercial Crew Program. Red Planet. We have not been standOne is a public purpose in Until a human has set ing still for the last year, which were trying to help foot somewhere, you really said Bob Cabana, director industry create a capability havent been there, Cabana of Kennedy Space Center. so that they can go anysaid. You know, thats Weve gotten commercial where in low-Earth orbit exploration, thats in our cargo to the International with a United States-led DNA, our drive to explore Space Station and we have capability. The second is and to go beyond what we focused on what it takes to a NASA purpose in which know. explore beyond our home we safely fly our scientists, planet once again. To support the myriad of astronauts and engineers to The move of Atlantis anticipated customers and and from the space station came a little more than one missions, NASAs Ground as often as possible. year after its final launch Systems Development and Through the programs to the space station. Now, Operations Program is busy newest phase, called the like its fellow space-flown upgrading and modifying Commercial Crew Inteorbiters, Endeavour on the grated Capability initiative, Kennedys existing infraWest Coast and Discovery three American companies structure, including the in the Northeast, Atlantis are working to bring their Vehicle Assembly Building, is destined to motivate and integrated transportation Launch Pad 39B, the mobile inspire a new generation systems one step closer to launcher and crawler-transmanufacturing and flying. porters. "What was once Competition is helping Were preparing Kenscience fiction, we're to keep all of our partners nedy facilities to truly be now making a reality wanting to meet our requirethat multiuser spaceport of for both ments, wanting to transport the future, Cabana said. NASA crew and wanting to commercial crew We have the real estate, the do it for the least amount of and cargo and facilities and the technical cost, Mango said. All of government crew the analysis that weve done expertise. What was once and cargo science fiction, were now indicates that having one to low-Earth orbit contractor would cost about making a reality for both and beyond. commercial crew and cargo twice the price. and government crew and NASAs Space Launch Bob Cabana, cargo to low-Earth orbit and System (SLS) and Orion Center Director beyond. spacecraft also are on track

Meet the new faces of NASA's low-Earth orbit programs

Ed Mango NASA Commercial Crew Program "For the next two years our three partners, Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corp., are going to be designing and testing their integrated systems. By 2016 or so we're going to be starting to fly test missions to orbit, checking out these systems and making sure these vehicles are going to work as planned. And by 2017, we'll have at least one company that will be ready to go take crew to the International Space Station." Mark Sirangelo Sierra Nevada Corp.

"We believe that the shuttle has finished its mission and finished it proudly. Like the shuttle, our Dream Chaser is a piloted runway lander and in many ways is its natural continuation. Through our ongoing partnership with NASA we hope to see the amazing spirit and energy of the shuttle program now moving over to help our spacecraft become one of the vehicles to bring the U.S. back to human orbital flight." Pete McGrath Boeing

"Our basis is on Gemini, Mercury, Apollo, all the way through shuttle, Skylab, space station. We've basically worked on every human spaceflight system with NASA. So, with that we draw a lot of heritage and knowledge of what it takes to really certify and build systems for humans." Tim Hughes SpaceX "SpaceX will be working closely with NASA to ensure that what we're doing will satisfy all NASA safety requirements. We recognize the criticality of being 100 percent right, 100 percent of the time as we move to manned spaceflight."

Josie Burnett NASA ISS Ground Processing and Research "Commercial crew will enable us to bring up a seventh crew member to the International Space Station, and with that extra crew member we'll be able to expand the ability to do more research on the station, which is what its intended purpose is."

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Nov. 16, 2012

Celebration honors 40th anniversary of Apollo 17

By Bob Granath Spaceport News n Nov. 3, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation hosted a dinner at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 17. The gala featured spacecraft commander Eugene Cernan who, along with lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt and the late Ronald Evans, flew the mission that concluded NASA's Apollo moon landing program. Apollo 17 began on Dec. 7, 1972, with the first night launch in the history of America's human spaceflight program. A Saturn V rocket carrying Cernan, Schmitt and Evans lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center lighting up the Florida skies en route to the moon. Four days later, Cernan and Schmitt touched down in the moon's Taurus-Littrow highlands. Cernan, along with other astroFrom ASTROBOTIC, Page 3

nauts in attendance, reminisced about the mission. Schmitt was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. "If Apollo 17 was looked at as a success, don't look at me, look at these guys," Cernan said pointing to 10 Apollo astronauts on the stage with him and to former and current space program employees in the audience. "We built upon everything they did." NASA Administrator Charles Bolden also had high praise for the achievements of the Apollo astronauts and those who supported the program. We built on your legacy and we continue to learn from it, he said. Your exploits inspire and shape the future of exploration. Were striving to do the things today to inspire and motivate the new generation of explorers who all want to step up and follow in your footsteps. A geologist, Schmitt was the first

American scientist-astronaut to fly in space. He helped train earlier Apollo crews in prospecting for lunar soil and rock samples. At the conclusion of the third and final moonwalk, Cernan looked back on three years of lunar exploration and expressed hope for the future. "I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow," he said. "As we leave the moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." During the trip back to Earth, on Dec. 17, Evans performed a spacewalk that lasted one hour and six minutes to retrieve panoramic and mapping camera film cassettes from the SIM bay. Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 19, with the crew of the USS Ticonderoga recovering the astronauts and spacecraft.

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NASA/Kim Shiflett

Eugene Cernan speaks to guests gathered for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's dinner on Nov. 3 celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 17. Listening at left is Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, the first moon landing mission.

A veteran of Gemini 9 and Apollo 10 and 17, Cernan believes his last spaceflight opened the way for future exploration. "Apollo 17 was not the end," he said during the ceremony. "Apollo 17 was just the beginning of a whole new era in the history of this country and the history of spaceflight." mapping where the biggest water deposits are, along with other helpful chemicals, and then use the information to develop ways to extract the materials from the moon and put them to use. There are no plans to return water or other lunar samples to the Earth, Thornton said. "The beauty of sending a robot is they don't demand a return ticket," Thornton said. "Once we know where the water is and what form it is in, we can develop systems to produce it in useable quantities. Water is a critical resource because you can drink it, breathe it and use it for rocket fuel." There are a great many questions to answer before astronauts can count on the moon, an asteroid or Martian moons as fuel and air depots, but Metzger and Thornton said the answers are within reach. "That's the reason to go, because we don't know the answer," Thornton said.

no signs of water ice as they walked on the surface of the moon near presence beyond Earth." the equator from 1969 to Not having to launch those resources from Earth 1972, nor were there any would dramatically cut the signs in the soil and rock samples they brought back price tag for exploration, to Earth. However, several plus lower the risks involved for the crews as they probes within the last 15 years found one indication venture into deep space on after another that frozen missions to an asteroid or water not only exists on the Mars. "There have been studies moon, but is abundant. "None of these have that have shown you can been ground-proofed yet," reduce the mass of a misMetzger said. "We really sion to Mars by a factor need to get vehicles on of somewhere between the surface of the moon three and five if you get prospecting to characterize propellants from the space those deposits, like how do environment rather than they vary spatially, how do launching them all from they vary with depth?" Earth," Metzger said. A big question now is Thornton said the fact that a number of companies whether water ice on the moon is a powder akin to are developing plans and what skiers experience building machines to go to on a mountainside or is it the moon shows that the completely solid like an potential is real. "If we were doing some- ice cube, or did water seep thing really big and no one down between granules of soil and freeze to produce else was trying to do it, rocks as hard as granite. then it might not be that It wouldn't surprise lunar big," Thornton said. researchers to find cases of Apollo astronauts found

all three as robotic prospectors explore the surface. "Our best guess is it's going to be the ice," Thornton said. "Probably small little pieces of ice mixed in with the regolith." Of course, there's more to exploration than knowing what questions to ask. There's also the issue of inventing technology that allows a robotic landing cheaply enough that a private company can pay for it, developing a rover heavy enough to drill or dig into the moon's surface without lifting itself off the ground in the low gravity, not to mention the matter of keeping the rover warm and powered in areas of the moon that are shadowed and surviving the lunar night. Metzger has been pleased with what he has seen from the company so far. "They're doing excellent work, their excavator is progressing well," Metzger said. Thornton said exchang-

ing a modular digging element on the rover for a drill and instruments was not particularly difficult, and is an option for prospecting on the moon. "The excavation chassis is a perfect fit for a mission to the moon in terms of scale, mass and power. We took out the excavation part and dropped in a drill and instruments," Thornton said. Astrobotic will test its rover and tools in the bin of simulated lunar soil that Kennedy uses for its annual Lunabotics Mining competition to prove the vehicle is up to the challenges of operating on the moon. "You have to be able to go to the moon with some confidence that your vehicle's going to be able to get around and to dig in the soil," Thornton said. While NASA is excited about the chances to use a new resource for deep space exploration, Astrobotic wants to use the robotic prospector to start

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By Linda Herridge Spaceport News

Society of Physics Students tours operations labs

nside the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory in the Engineering Development Laboratory (EDL) at Kennedy Space Center, research physicist Dr. Phil Metzger described lunar excavators and soil processing technologies to a small group of Society of Physics students Nov. 8. Meanwhile, in a labora-

tory in the Operations and Checkout Building, chemical engineer Dr. Mary Coan and aerospace engineer Katherine Brewer explained components of the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) rover to another group of physics students. These students were among the 800 graduate and undergraduate members of the Sigma Pi Sigma

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NASA/Cory Huston

Research chemist Mary Coan describes components of the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) rover to a group of Society of Physics students inside a laboratory in the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 8.

Physics Honor Society who descended upon the center for a drive-by tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Complex 39, Shuttle Landing Facility and the Industrial Area. The students were very engaged and many were actually taking notes as we talked, Metzger said. I kept asking them questions that they could figure out on their own, and I was pleased at how often they got the correct answers just by reasoning it out. Brewer said she had fun watching the college students look at the RESOLVE hardware and understand the magnitude of what this mission is working to achieve on the moon. Hopefully, we passed on our excitement about working at Kennedy and inspired them to believe that they could be the physicists of tomorrow working on future NASA research and devel-

opment projects, Brewer said. Justin Provance, a physics student in his senior year at Marquette University in Wisconsin enjoyed the tour. It was very cool to see the development in progress rather than just reading about it, Provance said. Maria Russert, from Georgia State University said, Its pretty awesome. In the Applied Physics Laboratory, lead physicist Dr. Bob Youngquist demonstrated some of the unusual technologies that were developed for the Space Shuttle Program. Included in his presentation were an orbiter window inspection technique, an ultrasonic leak detector device and an orbiter tile drying system. These inventions caught the attention of physics graduate student Samuel Sekwao from the University of Illinois at Urbana and

Champagne. Sekwao, who currently is working on his doctorate, said he was enjoying everything he had seen so far. There are some interesting things here, Sekwao said of the technologies. Inside the Electrostatic and Surface Physics Laboratory at the EDL, senior research scientist Dr. Carlos Calle and members of his team presented four technologies: dust mitigation, regolith derived heat shields, Differential Electrostatic Spectrometer for Mars rovers, and an LED-based lighting system for long-duration human missions. The students were keenly interested in all of the projects that we described to them, Calle said. We showed them some of the regolith heat shield coupons that we made, and tested and demonstrated the dust mitigation technology.

Cryogenics testbeds training Rocket U students

By Linda Herridge Spaceport News eritage propellant technology and hardware from NASAs Space Shuttle Program are helping a group of engineers at Kennedy Space Center develop engine design and system test requirements experience for the Project Neo Liquid Propellant Testbed of the Engineering Directorates Rocket University (Rocket U). At the testbed in the Flight Vehicle Support Building near the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), engineers Kyle Dixon and Evelyn OrozcoSmith recently checked the buildup of the Neo test fixture and an Injector 71 engine that uses super-cooled propellants, liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Dixon and Orozco-Smith are systems engineers and Neo project leads in the Rocket U. They and about seven other cryogenics, avionics, electrical and ground processing engineers have been working on the design and assembly of the Neo testbed as part of Rocket Us training program. According to Dixon, Neo is in the design review process and systems engineering phase.

NASA/Frankie Martin

Engineers and Rocket University project leads Kyle Dixon and Evelyn Orozco-Smith check the buildup of the Neo test fixture and an Injector 71 engine that uses super-cooled propellants at the Neo Liquid Propellant Testbed inside a facility near Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility.

Weve been writing the systems engineering requirements and building on our expertise to design a test fixture, Dixon said. The phase one goal is to fire an engine with about 3,000 pounds of thrust. To build the test stand, Orozco-Smith said the team repurposed hardware from the Space Shuttle Program. These included tools, personal protective equipment, control panels from orbiter processing facilities and monitors.

A control trailer is being retrofitted to accommodate Neo systems requirements. Nondestructive evaluation of the engine has been completed, and the engine hot fire analysis is in work. Orozco-Smith said that two 1,000 liter Dewars, one for liquid oxygen and the other for liquid methane, have been received. Design of engine attachment components, plumbing, electrical systems and avionics software are under development. Dixon said the first Systems Requirement Review was completed, and the next step is a Preliminary Design Review. Phase one testing of the engine will be accomplished at the SLF midfield on the concrete pad previously used for cameras recording the Shuttle landings. After we accomplish the goals of phase one, the next goal, or phase two, is to eventually integrate the engine to a flight vehicle, Dixon said. For now, Dixon and Orozco-Smith look forward to their first engine hot fire in late January 2013, collaborating with other centers to hot fire other articles next spring and continuing to expand the teams horizons.

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SPACEPORT NEWS

Nov. 16, 2012

Myers receives SWE's Emerging Leader Award

since 1998, when I was a collegiate member at the University of Central Florida, Myers said. I became at armony Myers, branch chief lifelong member of SWE in 2001. of Safety Engineering and The Emerging Leader Award is Assurance in the Program given by SWE to honor a woman Development and Operations actively engaged in an engineering Division of the Safety and Mission or technology profession, who has Assurance Directorate, at Kennedy Space Center, received the Emerging demonstrated outstanding technical excellence and significant acLeader award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) on Nov. 9 complishments in her career as an engineer. In order to become eligible in Houston. She was nominated by the Central Florida Section of SWE for the award, recipients must have had 10 to 15 years of engineering for meeting difficult technical chalexperience. lenges in space safety, dedication As a member, Myers participates to SWE leadership and education in outreach for the organization by outreach to youth. I was very excited and honored to conducting hands-on experiments in science, technology, engineering receive this award, Myers said. and mathematics (STEM) fields to The SWE is a nonprofit educaencourage youth, specifically girls, to tional organization whose mission take interest in those fields. is to stimulate women to achieve Ive led these workshops at full potential in careers as engineers Girl Scout events, the Sally Ride and leaders, expand the image of the Festival, and many other outreach engineering profession as a positive events, Myers said. Ive also been force in improving the quality of responsible for leading the team that life, and demonstrate the value of organized and hosts these events. diversity. I have been involved with SWE Myers started her career in 2000 By Brittney Longley Spaceport News

In celebration of Kennedy Space Center's 50th anniversary, enjoy this vintage photo . . .

FROM THE VAULT

Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. Maynette Smith, chief of the Payload Development and Processing Division, was Myers supervisor at Kennedy. In her tenure with NASA, Harmony has made significant contributions both at the center and agency levels," Smith said. "She represents the future of NASA. Harmony has tireless dedication and talent." Myers is currently on a detail at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the executive director of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP). As the executive director, Myers manages the operations of NASA the panel, which advises the NASA Harmony Myers, branch chief of Safety administrator on the overall safety of Engineering and Assurance at Kennedy Space the agency. Center, received the Emerging Leader Award, from the Society of Women Engineers on Nov. 9 Myers has won several awards for in Houston. her leadership, including the NASA Spaceflight Awareness Leadership at Kennedy as a reliability engineer Award, Central Florida Engineers for NASA contractor United Space Week Leadership Excellence Award Alliance (USA). While at USA, Myand NASA's Most Effective Mentor ers performed various reliability and Award, all in 2011. She also received safety analyses on ground support the University of Central Florida equipment for the Space Shuttle ProRising Star Award from the Colgram. She also helped with design lege of Engineering and Computer modification activities and operaScience in 2010, the SWE Distintional process changes for all of the guished New Engineer in 2006, the Space Shuttle Program requirements. SWE Regional Award for OutstandIn 2005, Myers became a civil ser- ing SWE Counselor in 2005, and vant for NASA. Now, as the branch the Central Florida Engineers Week chief of Safety Engineering and Young Engineer of the Year Award Assurance, Myers is responsible for in 2003. all activities that include safety and Ive always looked at the big reliability analyses of ground support picture and enjoyed making a difequipment and safety operations for ference," Myers said, "and that has future programs of NASA, including always been a key driver to successthe Space Launch System and Orion fully leading the organization."

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Spaceport News
Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published online on alternate Fridays by Public Affairs in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted three weeks before publication to Public Affairs, IMCS-440. Email submissions can be sent to [email protected]

Managing editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Candrea Thomas Assistant managing editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Covey Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Ochoa-Gonzales Copy editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kay Grinter
CLICK ON PHOTO NASA file/1969

Exactly 50 years ago, the Saturn I (SA-3) flight lifted off Nov. 16, 1962, from Launch Complex 34 on Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex. It was the third launch of a Saturn launch vehicle.

Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp. Writers Group.

NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www.nasa.gov/kennedy

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