America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond. Jan. 5, 2001 John F. Kennedy Space Center Spaceport News http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/snews/snewstoc.htm Vol. 40, No. 1 Page 3 – MarsPort 2001 competition spawns ideas. Page 7 – Integrated Truss Structure S3 delivered to KSC. Page 4-5 – KSC team members attend the KSC Christmas Coffee. Page 2 – JPMO Chairman Brig. Gen. Pettit shares his vision. (See 2001, Page 7) Page 6 – Scenes from the Traditional Holiday Dinner. KSC 2001: the year ahead STS-98 to deliver Destiny (See STS-98, Page 3) Inside By Roy Bridges As we begin the real first year of the new millennium for our civiliza- tion, all of us at the Kennedy Space Center continue to hold the future of NASA and our space exploration and development mission in our hands. We have incredibly important responsibilities in protecting the safety of our astronauts, our robotic spacecraft, our unique facilities and the people who operate them, and the public who live and work near our reservation or beneath the path of one of our launch vehicles and its spacecraft. We plan to launch eight Space Shuttle and eleven Expendable Launch Vehicle missions this calendar year. We will integrate and test additional major elements of the International Space Station such as the Airlock module. We will also begin the second series of the major integrated tests for the station called Multiple Element Integrated Test II. This series will focus on the trusses that will form the long wings of the Station to provide additional power and thermal control. We also have recognition for another mission for the Center. Recognizing our capabilities for technology development, the Agency recently amended our mission statement. It now reads Space Launch Operations and Spaceport and Range Technologies. We have won a significant role in managing the Operations and Range Project for Marshall Space Flight Center’s new Space Launch Initiative. The role fits our new mission well and helps us see progress in achieving our vision of evolving to be NASA’s Spaceport Technology Center. We will be working together with partners at other centers, academia and industry to develop and test the technologies to enable second and third generation Reusable Launch Vehicles that will be safer and less costly by orders of magnitude. Also, working with the Air Force and other range operators, we will tackle some problems on the ranges to enable much needed flexibility and capacity by developing and prototyping capabilities such as those to allow a space-based range to become a reality. There are exciting new construc- tion projects nearing ground breaking, such as the new Space Experiments Research and Process- ing Laboratory (SERPL). It will provide 100,000 square feet of world-class laboratory space to support researchers doing biotech- nology experiments on the Space “We are very blessed to be engaged in such important work for our nation and civili- zation. Your passion for the success of our significant responsibilities will continue to be a driving force in our progress as a spacefaring people.” Roy Bridges KSC Director Workers and the STS-98 crew gathered in the Space Station Processing Facility for a ceremony that turned over the “key” for the U.S. Lab Destiny to NASA. STS-98, the 23rd flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis, will launch the second of the U.S. pressurized modules, the Destiny Laboratory. At press time, the launch from Kennedy Space Center was set for Jan. 18 at 2:44 EST, but was under review. Managers expected a delay of up to a few days. The U.S. Lab will be attached to the Unity node on orbit using the Shuttle's robotic arm. Atlantis and her crew of five will spend six days docked to the Space Station while the attachment is undertaken. Three extravehicular activities will be conducted to complete its assembly. The addition of the Destiny module will expand the Station's power, life support and attitude control capabilities. At 28 feet in length and 14 feet in diameter, and weighing more than 32,000 pounds, the U.S. Lab is about the size of a large business jet's fuselage. It will be equipped with five of its 11 system's racks when it is carried into orbit during the STS-98 mission. Six additional racks will follow on a subsequent Shuttle mission and will be delivered in one of three Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules
Transcript
America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond.
Page 2 – JPMO Chairman Brig.Gen. Pettit shares his vision.
(See 2001, Page 7)
Page 6 – Scenes from theTraditional Holiday Dinner.
KSC 2001: the year ahead
STS-98 to deliver Destiny
(See STS-98, Page 3)
Inside
By Roy BridgesAs we begin the real first year of
the new millennium for our civiliza-tion, all of us at the Kennedy SpaceCenter continue to hold the futureof NASA and our space explorationand development mission in ourhands.
We have incredibly importantresponsibilities in protecting thesafety of our astronauts, ourrobotic spacecraft, our uniquefacilities and the people whooperate them, and the public wholive and work near our reservationor beneath the path of one of ourlaunch vehicles and its spacecraft.
We plan to launch eight SpaceShuttle and eleven ExpendableLaunch Vehicle missions thiscalendar year.
We will integrate and testadditional major elements of theInternational Space Station such asthe Airlock module.
We will also begin the secondseries of the major integrated testsfor the station called Multiple
Element Integrated Test II. Thisseries will focus on the trusses thatwill form the long wings of theStation to provide additional powerand thermal control.
We also have recognition foranother mission for the Center.
It now reads Space LaunchOperations and Spaceport andRange Technologies.
We have won a significant role inmanaging the Operations andRange Project for Marshall SpaceFlight Center’s new Space LaunchInitiative. The role fits our newmission well and helps us seeprogress in achieving our vision ofevolving to be NASA’s SpaceportTechnology Center.
We will be working together withpartners at other centers, academiaand industry to develop and testthe technologies to enable secondand third generation Reusable
Launch Vehicles that will be saferand less costly by orders ofmagnitude.
Also, working with the Air Forceand other range operators, we willtackle some problems on the rangesto enable much needed flexibilityand capacity by developing andprototyping capabilities such asthose to allow a space-based rangeto become a reality.
There are exciting new construc-tion projects nearing groundbreaking, such as the new SpaceExperiments Research and Process-ing Laboratory (SERPL). It willprovide 100,000 square feet ofworld-class laboratory space tosupport researchers doing biotech-nology experiments on the Space
“We are very blessed to beengaged in such importantwork for our nation and civili-zation. Your passion for thesuccess of our significantresponsibilities will continueto be a driving force in ourprogress as a spacefaringpeople.”Roy BridgesKSC Director
Workers and the STS-98 crewgathered in the Space StationProcessing Facility for a ceremonythat turned over the “key” for theU.S. Lab Destiny to NASA.
STS-98, the 23rd flight of SpaceShuttle Atlantis, will launch thesecond of the U.S. pressurizedmodules, the Destiny Laboratory.
At press time, the launch fromKennedy Space Center was set forJan. 18 at 2:44 EST, but was underreview. Managers expected a delayof up to a few days.
The U.S. Lab will be attached tothe Unity node on orbit using theShuttle's robotic arm. Atlantis andher crew of five will spend six daysdocked to the Space Station whilethe attachment is undertaken.
Three extravehicular activitieswill be conducted to complete itsassembly.
The addition of the Destinymodule will expand the Station'spower, life support and attitudecontrol capabilities.
At 28 feet in length and 14 feet indiameter, and weighing more than32,000 pounds, the U.S. Lab isabout the size of a large businessjet's fuselage.
It will be equipped with five of its11 system's racks when it is carriedinto orbit during the STS-98mission.
Six additional racks will follow ona subsequent Shuttle mission andwill be delivered in one of threeMulti-Purpose Logistics Modules
SPACEPORT NEWS Jan. 5, 2001Page 2
New JPMO chairman: Gen. PettitKennedy Space Center and the 45th Space
Wing are partners in the management of theJoint Base Operations and Support Contract (J-BOSC), which is now in its third year.
The contract provides a single set of baseoperations and support services requirementsfor KSC, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station(CCAFS) and Patrick Air Force Base (PAFB).The Joint Performance Management Office(JPMO) manages the contract.
During the first two years of the partnership,KSC Director Roy Bridges was the Chairman ofthe Board for the JPMO and Brig. Gen. DonaldPettit, Commander of the 45th Space Wing, wasVice Chairman. Now those responsibilities havebeen rotated and Pettit will be Chairman for thenext two years.
Spaceport News asked Pettit to give KSC teammembers an update on the JPMO and J-BOSCand to share his vision for the partnershipbetween KSC and the 45th Space Wing.
Q. What do you consider to be the greatestaccomplishments of the JPMO and J-BOSC inthe past two years?
A. The answer to that is simple. The JPMOand J-BOSC successfully proved that“jointness” was the right path for the future. Theformal joining of government entities andconsolidation of contract requirements was abold and innovative step necessary to build anational Spaceport here at Cape Canaveral.
The partnering of the 45th Space Wing andKennedy Space Center through the creation of aJPMO and J-BOSC was a means to go beyondthe traditional cooperative arrangements. I amconvinced that future Spaceport generations willlook back and say what a big difference we madefor them by choosing to go down this new path.
Think about what was done in the last twoyears. A new joint government organization,JPMO, was formed that merged employees fromdifferent cultures – 45th Space Wing military andcivilian and KSC civilian to work together in onelocation managing a new joint contract.
The JPMO literally had to develop organiza-tional and business systems that would work forboth the Air Force and NASA. This includeddeveloping procedures for daily operations suchas personnel and financial management, as wellas, processes for contractor surveillance andstrategic planning that were supportive ofguidance from both Agencies.
Like JPMO, the J-BOSC also involved themerging of cultures from the employees who hadworked on the previous contract. The majorfocus during its first two years has been tostreamline base operations between KSC andCCAFS – to take advantage of geographiccloseness and truly bridge the “river gap.”
I’m sure you’ve noticed that the J-BOSC
merged security forces and fire protectionservices. They also combined emergency 911capabilities and developed integrated workcontrol and financial management system withlots of automated on-line reporting capabilityfor customers and users. They were committedto making their customer’s life simpler with aone-stop phone number easily remembered(476-HELP).
Finally, the best part of the J-BOSC accom-plishments is that the government has savedmoney and smartly re-invested a portion ofthese savings, nearly $10 million, into Spaceportinstallation improvement projects such as newfire trucks, a mobile command post vehicle,electrical meters and expanded fire alarmcommunication architecture.
Q. What further accomplishments do youexpect in the near term?
A. The great part about being new is thatthere is always plenty to do and the JPMO/J-BOSC team will continue to build on theirsuccesses in several different ways.
First, they will complete the transition of theplanned PAFB base services into the contract.
The contract was intended to cover all threegeographic areas, but the PAFB work wasscheduled to begin primarily in year three with asmall amount in year four.
The major transition of PAFB services,including maintenance of military familyhousing, took place in October, but the com-plete implementation and cultural adaptationwill require concentrated JPMO/J-BOSC effortin the upcoming months.
A far-reaching initiative involving the JPMO/J-BOSC team will be the validation phase for therecently delivered contractor “catalog ofservices.” Successful validation results willpave the way for implementation of fixed-priceservices for Spaceport customers.
In the past, our efforts have been limited to“launch support” services. This catalog ofservices will expand the scope to include avariety of base services that will be required bySpaceport customers.
I believe JPMO in conjunction with the newlyformed Joint Planning and Customer ServiceOffice will make great strides in developingbetter business practices to support new ideasas we expand beyond the current governmentand heritage commercial programs.
The Spaceport needs to provide an environ-ment that will encourage the contractor to seekadditional commercial opportunities to provideand grow spacelift capability without theinfusion of government dollars.
Q. What are your goals for the JPMO duringyour two-year tenure as Chairman?
A. The JPMO has provided a successful testcase for inter-Agency partnering. My goal forJPMO is to continue to “push the envelope” tothe next level. It’s time during the next two yearsto tackle some of the high-hanging fruit thatwas put on the back burner during the initialtransformation period.
It’s time to look at our consolidated govern-ment and contractor functions to determine theimpact of different Agency possibilities,regulation, instructions and guidance.
For example, we have successfully consoli-dated functions but in many cases they areperformed differently for each Agency based ontheir governing directives.
I want JPMO/JBOSC to bring forward areaswhere these differences don’t make good sensefrom a business or operational perspective.
Q. What opportunities for future cooperationwith KSC do you see in addition to the JPMO?
Brig. Gen. Donald PettitCommander of the 45th Space Wing
“I foresee, someday, thatours will be only one of manyspaceports around the world.Technology will improve tomake spacelift much moreaffordable and accessible notonly for the military, NASA,commercial industry, but alsothe private citizen.”
(See PETTIT, Page 8)
SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3Jan. 5, 2001
MarsPort 2001 competition spawns ideasAlthough it may be years before humans are
sent to land again on the Moon or for the firsttime on an asteroid, Mars or another planet,NASA is already considering what technologieswill be needed to get astronauts to thosedestinations and back safely.
Various scenarios for transport, landing andreturn are being explored by planners, scientistsand engineers.
To help spur creative solutions to specifictechnology challenges in one such scenario,Kennedy Space Center is partnering withFlorida Space Grant Consortium and TexasSpace Grant Consortium to sponsorthe MarsPort 2001 design competition.
Universities across the nation were asked tosubmit their conceptual design for a propellantand life support production system to beused on the surface of Mars.
Such a system would be sent to Mars aheadof the first manned mission so that theconsumables would be produced, stored andmade ready for use to assist astronauts duringtheir stay and return from Mars.
The conceptual designs of six universityteams were recently selected by a group ofjudges, engineers from KSC and Johnson SpaceCenter.
The chosen student and faculty teamsrepresent Embry-Riddle AeronauticalUniversity, Cornell University, University ofWisconsin at Madison, Georgia Instituteof Technology, University of Tennessee atKnoxville and George Washington University.
Now those teams are working on an engineer-ing analysis and detailed designs of theirconcepts.
The final designs will be judged formerit in May.
“We received some extremely creative entriesand we’re looking forward to seeing how theuniversity teams work out the details,” saidMike O’Neal, NASA exploration lead fromKSC’s Spaceport Technology Business Devel-
An artist’s conception of the MarsPort of the future. In one exploration scenario being considered byNASA, a propellant and life support production system would be sent to the surface of Mars to beginproduction before the first humans arrive. To help spur innovative designs for such a system,Kennedy Space Center is partnering with Florida Space Grant Consortium and Texas Space GrantConsortium to sponsor the MarsPort 2001 design competition.
opment Office. “We’re looking for innovativeideas and out-of-the-box thinking. Thesestudent and faculty teams have access to ideasabout emerging technologies and they canincorporate those into their designs.”
The competition was created to generateideas that can benefit the space program bothnow and in the future.
“At Kennedy Space Center in particular, weare always looking for new ways to improve ourprocesses in the liquefaction, storage anddistribution of propellants, so looking at whatwould be required for such a system on Mars isan analogy KSC can leverage its skills on,”
O’Neal said.Another purpose of MarsPort 2001 is to
introduce students to the space program and itscareer potential, said Sam Durrance, director ofthe Florida Space Grant Consortium.
“This is an invaluable experience for studentsto do some hands-on design work on a real-lifeengineering challenge,” Durrance said.
In addition to designing the system, the teamsare required to publicize their projects to helpeducate others.
Representatives of the teams will visit KSC inMay to tour the Center and to participate in afinal defense of their system’s design.
STS-98 ...(Continued from Page 1)
supplied to NASA by the Italian Space Agency.Thirteen of Destiny's racks are specifically
designed to initially support experiments inmicrogravity and life sciences.
Eleven will house the systems and resourcesrequired for supporting the Lab, such as power,cooling water, temperature and humidity control,communications and tracking equipment, and airrevitilization for removal of carbon dioxide andreplenishment of oxygen.
One of the racks will be used specifically forhealth maintenance of the crew and the control
racks will be used for Canada's mobile servicingsystem.
The U.S. Lab's first science facilities include• the Human Research Facility – where scien-tists will assess crew health and how the humanbody responds and adapts to microgravity;• the Fluids and Combustion Facility – whereexperiments will be conducted to study the usesof microgravity for improvements in productionof semiconductor crystals, glass fiber andenergy;• the Biotechnology Facility – where researchwill be conducted for improved engineering andtechnology on protein crystal growth inmicrogravity for the development of more
effective medications;• the Materials Science Facility – wherescientists will study the atomic and molecularstructures of materials in microgravity;• and the Optical Window Rack Facility – wherecrews will utilize the highest quality opticalglass ever used for testing in space through theuse of cameras, sensors and other devicesemployed in the identification of pollutionsources and monitoring of environmentalconditions.
Members of the crew are Commander KennethCockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and MissionSpecialists Robert Curbeam, Thomas Jones andMarsha Ivins.
Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Jan. 5, 2001
KSC Christm
Kennedy Space Center team members gathered at the KSC Visitor ComplexSpace Education Building on Dec. 12 for the annual KSC Christmas Coffee. event was well-attended by KSC employees and retirees.
Page 5SPACEPORT NEWSJan. 5, 2001
mas Coffee
x’s EarlyThe
Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS Jan. 5, 2001
Traditional Holiday Dinner
NASA’s TraditionalHoliday dinner washeld at KARS Park I onDec. 13. The event,held for NASA civilservice personnel, wassponsored by theCombined FederalCampaign VictoryCommittee and theChange LeadersNetwork. The NASAExchange councilfunded the event. It wascatered by DelawareNorth Park Services.
Jan. 5, 2001 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 7
2001 ...(Continued from Page 1)
Station. This facility also movesour partnership with the State ofFlorida into high gear.
Working with the Florida SpaceResearch Institute and its leaduniversity, the University ofFlorida, we will do much ground-based research in this new facilityand elsewhere on KSC.
Another significant ground
breaking will be an OperationalSupport Building II in the LC-39area to provide housing for ourworkforce and eliminate trailerparks that are long past theirretirement age.
Along with several smallerprojects in various phasesof design and construction, thisfacility will reduce our trailerpopulation from nearly 400,000 toless than 50,000 square feet.
With your help, we will makemajor strides in achieving certifica-tion in OSHA’s Voluntary Protec-tion Program (VPP) this year.
Everyone will need to beengaged in our safety and healthprogram to achieve it.
By doing the hard work involved,we will make KSC a much safer andhealthier place to work in keepingwith our Guiding Principle of Safetyand Health First.
I wish each of you and yourloved ones much success, healthand happiness in this New Year. Wehave a lot of exciting things to do.
We are very blessed to beengaged in such important work forour nation and civilization.
Your passion for the success ofour significant responsibilities willcontinue to be a driving force inour progress as a spacefaringpeople.
The Integrated Truss Structure S3 is offloaded from the SuperGuppy aircraft that brought it to KSC from Tulsa, Okla. The S3 wasbuilt by The Boeing Co. The truss was transported to theOperations and Checkout Building. The second starboard trusssegment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss isscheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003.
Editorial support provided by InDyne Inc. Writers Group.NASA at KSC is located on the Internet at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov
USGPO: 533-128/00048
Spaceport News
Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center andis published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office in the interest ofKSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks beforepublication to the Media Services Branch, XAE-1. E-mail submissions can besent to [email protected]
Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS Jan. 5, 2001
January Employees of the Month
January employees of the month are pictured from left to right: Jim Herndon, ELV and Payload CarriersProgram; Carol Scott, Shuttle Processing Directorate; Cathy Deane, Safety, Health and IndependentAssessment Directorate; Christa Casleton, Chief Financial Office; Dave Wilson, Workforce and DiversityManagement Office. Employees of the month not pictured are James Belote, Spaceport ServicesDirectorate; and Tommy Mack, Spaceport Engineering and Technology Directorate.
PETTIT ...(Continued from Page 2)
A. We are already movingtowards a stronger and largerpartnership with KSC. Last June,Mr. Bridges and I signed anagreement that established theJoint Planning and CustomerService Office.
Like the JPMO, this new office isstaffed with both Air Force andNASA civil servants. Soon, wehope to formally add the State ofFlorida to the office. One of themajor responsibilities of this newjoint office is to help us collectivelyplan for the future Spaceport.
We are already working on a joint50-year comprehensive Spaceportmaster plan that integrates theneeds of all major stakeholders, notjust the Air Force. This new officewill be working to streamlinebusiness processes between ourtwo agencies from strategicplanning, customer support,policies and even changing somelaws. I would not be surprised ifthis new concept spins off morejoint AF/NASA offices.
Q. What is your vision for thefuture of the Spaceport?
A. I foresee, someday, that ourswill be only one of many space-ports around the world. Technol-ogy will improve to make spaceliftmuch more affordable and acces-sible not only for the military,NASA and commercial industry,but also the private citizen.
We will be able to travel onbusiness or recreation anywhere inthe world within two hours. Ourgrandchildren will go to CapeCanaveral Spaceport to board ashuttle cruiser to low-earth orbit fortheir honeymoon.
We have the opportunity here toprototype the future spaceport. Ibelieve it will be modern, economi-cal and user-friendly, conductingseveral spacelift operations everyday. Above all, we will be thepremier spaceport in the world.
Q. How will KSC and the 45th
Space Wing work with its otherpartners to make that a reality?
A. We are already going in thatdirection with the establishment ofour Joint Planning and Customer
Service Office. A principal missionof this joint Air Force/NASA/Stateoffice is to facilitate and integratedevelopment of our future Space-port. They are working hard to planfor our future and to streamline orreengineer, if necessary, ourbusiness processes to bring ouragencies’ business operationscloser together.
The new forum that we will useto do this began about a year agowhen Mr. Bridges and I establisheda joint board known as the CapeCanaveral Spaceport Board ofDirectors. The Board has a broadscope that includes providingleadership oversight to our twojoint offices, the JPMO and theJPCSO.
The Board’s membershipincludes advisors from the Space-port Florida Authority, EnterpriseFlorida, a new industry-lead groupcalled the Florida Space CommerceBoard, and a State-sponsoredacademia and the Florida SpaceResearch Institute.
As you can see we have a broadstructure set up to addresscustomer issues, joint planning andjoint base support operation.
The Board also oversees anothernew customer advocacy forumknown as the Customer FocusTeam. The mission of the CustomerFocus Team is to partner with
commercial industry and the Stateof Florida to enable safe, world-class launch processing, payloadprocessing, test, launch, andtechnology development andsupport services.
The Team’s Customer Advocatesseek out customer input andfeedback to focus the Spaceport onthose areas of concerns that meanthe most to our customers. TheTeam’s Process Owner championsare partnering with the CustomerAdvocates and the customersthemselves to design and imple-ment improvements across theSpaceport. The teams have onlyrecently begun their work on five
high priority areas of interest to ourcustomers.
Another forum that we are usingto partner with KSC and Florida isour annual Cape CanaveralSpaceport Symposium. We justheld our sixth symposium on Nov.14 and 15. The symposium focuseson two-way communicationbetween all Spaceport stakeholderson areas of interest to them.
Overall, I was very impressed bythe stimulating discussions fromthe panels and guest speakers. Wehave come a long way in the lasttwo years and this great team spiritwill guarantee an exciting future forthe Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
