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FactsNat~onal eronautics andSpace Adminlstratlon

Lyndon 6. Johnson Space Center

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

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This booklet tells you about the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, the heart ofAmerica's manned space flight programs. JSC, as it's called, is homebase for the astronauts.The scene from Mission Cont rol Center of flight controllers monitoring our men and womenin space is a familiar one to television viewers. Besides these visible personnel of the mannedspace flight programs, there are thousands of others dedicated to the space operations,research and engineering, and support segments of the JSC mission.

At JSC, your space center, many of the facilities and operations are unique. For example,astronauts train in simulators designed to give them the experience of func tioning i n zerogravity. Scientists and technicians in special laboratories work o n the precious lunar samples

brought back from the Moon during the Apollo missions.

JSC is one of nine National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) field installations.Currently, we are assigned a major role in the development of the Nation's first permanentlymanned Space Station.

We at JSC take pride in our continu ing cont ributions to America's space explorationprograms. We are enthusiastically committed to the NASA team that is guaranteeing ourNation's preeminence in space.

Aaron CohenDirectorNASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Front Cover

Astronaut Bruce McCandless takes a historic spacewalk d urin gSpace Shuttle mission 41-B, February 7, 1984.

Flight cohtrollers in the flight control room at Johnson SpaceCenter mon ito r extravehicular activity during Space Shuttlemission 41-8.

Aerial view of the Johnson Space Center.

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BACKGROUNDIn May 1961, President John F. Kennedy challengedthe Nation to an ambitio us space program that wouldput a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.NASA's Space Task Grou p at Langley Research Center,Virginia, needed more room to do the ob of turning thedream into reality. By July, NASA had drawn up thecriteria fo r a new space center. The site had to providethese essentials: availability to water transport, aconvenien t milita ry base, a commercial jet airport, anestablished university specializing in science andspace-related research, a major telecommunicationsnetwork, a pool of contractor and industrial support,adequate water and energy supplies, a mild climateyear round, a cultural ly active community, and at leastfour square kilometers to bu ild on.

After an investigation of many prospective locationsaround the United States, a 1620-acre site nearHouston, Texas, was selected. In September 1961, itwas announced that the Manned Spacecraft Centerwould be built on prairie land 25 miles southeast ofdowntown Houston, Texas, near Ellington Air ForceBase, and on the shore of Clear Lake, an inlet ofGalveston Bay. Muc h of th e land had been donated toNASA by Rice University.

Personnel of the Space Task Grou p began moving tothe Houston area where they worked in temporaryfacilities while construction of the new center prog-ressed. On July 4, 1962, Houston threw the biggestparade and barbecue in its h istory to honor the arrivalof th e seven origi nal astronauts. The Manned Space-

craft Center of fici all y opened in September 1963, andwas renamed in ho nor of the late President Lyndon B.Johnson in February 1973.

The facili ties are designed and built t o house the widevariety of technical and scientific disciplines required

for the Center's mission. JSC is organizationally div idedint o several directorates, with each dire ctorate respon-sible fo r a specifi c function-spacecraft development,

astronaut training, or space fli ght plann ing, or example.The system is flexible and thedirectorates are frequentlyrealigned to keep pace with the changing directionsand dimensions of manned space flight. Some of theoriginal JSC directorates have reorganized, merged,or split into separate groups; new directorates arecreated as needed. Directorates are responsib le to th eCenter Director who, jn turn, is responsible to theOffice of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters inWashington, D.C.

Today, more than 80 astronauts are among the 3250Federal employees at JSC. Another 9650 contractor

personnel work at or near JSC to support Centeroperations.

In the winter of 1962, the land donated by Rice University for the Manned Spacecraft Center was still being used for grazing.

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ASTRONAUT SELECTIONAND TRAININGSince 1959, when the names of t he first seven Americanastronauts were known by every school child, ourspace age pioneers have inspired and fascinated manypeople. Every year, the space center receives hundredsof letters from students asking, "How do I become anastronaut?"

NASA reviews annually its expected workload and thesize of the astronaut corps to determine if a newrecruitment program is needed. Current regulationsrequire that United States citizens be given firstpreference for appointment to Astronaut Candidatepositions. NASA anticipates that there will be anadequate source of such qualified citizens for theindefinite future.

In the Space Shuttle era there are three classificationsof space flight crewmembers: pilot s, mission special-ists, and payl oad specialists. The latter are selected by

the payl oad developer who trains them in the technicaland scientific objectives of their mission. Payloadspecialists come to JSC for a short course to makethem familiar with the Space Shuttle vehicle, crewoperations, housekee ping, and emergency proceduresfor their specific flight.

Space flight preparation includes experiencing a brief period ofweightlessness in the K C-135 aircraft.

For pilot and mission specialist astronauts, it's back tothe classroom for courses in mathematics, meteor-

ology, guidance and navigation, astronomy, physics,and computers. They must keep up with currentdesign, development, and modification s of spacecraft,payloads, and launch vehicles, and they attend engi-neering coilferences an d reviews at JSC, other NASAcenters, and at contractor facilities.

Astroilauts train for space flight through simulationactivities. Periods of ~~~eightlessness re simulated fo rup to a half-minute in a modified KC-735 aircraft.Duri ng his zero-gravity, the astronaut practices drink-ing, eating, and using various types of equipment.Longer peri ods of weightlessness are simulated unde r

condition s of "neutral bouyancy" in a speciallydesignedwater tank large enough to hold full-scale rnockups ofspacecraft component s and equipment. Sharp flyingskills are maintained through regular use of high-performance aircraft assigned to JSC.

Astronaut John Creighton trains in the cockpit of the simulator in theShuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory.

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MISSIONAs the focal point for America's manned space flightprograms, the JSC mission includes

design, development, and testing of spacecraftand associated systems for manned space flig hts

a major r ole in the developme nt of a permanentlymanned space station

selection and training of astronauts and missionspecialists and trai ning of payload specialists

participation in the areas of medical, scientific,and engineering experiments

As part of its responsibi lity for the Space Transporta-tion System, JSC operates a Customer IntegrationOffice for managing the integration of the customer'spayl'oad int o the STS. The custom er may be NASA, theDepartment of Defense, or commercial organizations.A payload integration manager is assigned to eachcustomer t o serve as a single poi nt of contact betweenthe customer an d the STS for technical integration.

JSC maintains aircraft at nearby Ellington Field forastronaut training, research programs, and adminis-trative travel. Th e space center also operates the WhiteSands Test Facilities at Las Cruces, New Mexico,where propulsion systems tests are conducted.

The scope of th e Space Shuttle program is a worldwideproject. Hundre ds of contractor and subcontractorfirms th rough out the United States and Canada provideSpace Shutt le hardware and software. Space agenciesin E urope develop certain experiments and equipment.Other NASA centers with Space Shuttle responsibilitiesincl ude the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida

The solid rocket boosters fire and Space Shu ttle Colum bia lifts offfrom Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy s pi ce Center, Florida, on missionSTS-4.

lau rich and recovery and Marshall 'pace This insignia wa s designed for the Spacelab 1 mission TS-9. TheFlight C e n t e r in Alabama f o r m a i n engines, booster flight, which included experiments from many nations, was a jointrockets, and external tank. maneuver of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Commander Vance S. Brand and pilot Robert F. Overmyer o n the flight deck of Spac e Shuttle Columbia du ring mission STS-5.

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FACILITIESOf the 100 build ings that comprise JSC, many containequipment unique to spacecraft and manned spacefligh t programs. The following are usually open to thepublic.

Visitor Center

Actua l a nd replica rockets, spacecraft, space suits, andmemorabilia from every facet of the Nation's spaceprogram fi ll th e Visitor Center where films are showndaily . The Center is open every day of the year, exceptChristmas Day, fro m 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mission Co ntrol Center

From this co ntrol center all manned space flights arecontro lled after l ift-off. T he rows of consoles in theroom are manned by flight controllers, specialists in allphases of manned spacecraft systems. They studydata, monitor progress, and provide information andadvice during a mission. When missions are not inprogress, simulations of mission configurations andevents are run t o train t he controllers and astronautsfor flight conditions.

Visitors view the LTA-8, a trainer version of the L unar Mo dule. D uringthe Apollo Prog ram, the LTA-8 was, in every respect but propulsion,a working Lunar Module.

Lunar Sample Building

The major portio n of the 800 pound s of lunar materialcollected on the Moon during thes ix Apollo missions isstored and tested here. Visitors can view types of lunarsamples gathered and the processing procedures usedat JSC. Several Iunarsamples can beseen in thesteri lecabinets of the laboratory.

Mission Simulation and Training FacilityMockup and Integration Laboratory

Visitors can view the full-scale trainers used byastronauts and engineers to prepare for the threeSkylab missions flown in 1973-74. Featured are thecommand module, Apollo telescope mount, multipledocki ng adapter, airlock, and orbital w orkshop trainers.These are high-fidelity trainers made more realistic

with suited manikins placed throughout. Audio tapesexpla ining the functions of each trainer are located inthe respective areas.

Astronauts use thisfacilityfrequentlyto become familiarwith the flight deck and middeck of the Orbiter. Thehi-fidelity Orbiter forward compartment can be pivotedvertically in to launch position o rcan remain horizontalin the landing po sition. Engineers use this trainer fo r

stowage fit-check and refitting for various missions.The payload bay section is used to fit-check payloadmockups.

The Shuttle Mock upa nd Integra-tion La boratory is a facility fre-quently used by astronauts intraining and by planners of in-space activity. The plywoo d full-scale rnockup of the Orbiter'scabin and cargo bay section,w i t h v e r t i c a l s t a b i l i z e r a n dthruster mockups, is on view tothe public.

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THE FUTUREAs NASA scientists, engineers, and technicians developthe Nation's first permanently manned space station,their vision boldly stretches to new frontiers. In 1986,the National Commission on Space issued a reportproposing a step-by-step effort for America's futurespace activities. The Commission wants the UnitedStates to open the inner solar system for scientific

inquiry, exploration, and enterprise leading to humanoutposts o n the Moon by 2005 and on Mars by 2015.

Dr. Thomas 0 . Paine, former NASA Administrator andCommission Chairman, declared when issuing thereport ". . .the power of technolog y is so great, not onlytoday, but as we see it advancing over the next 20years, that it will be the decision of America, and theleadership that we provide to the rest of the world , thatwill determine what the world of t he 21st century will belike. We're not predicting it, we aresimpl y trying to saywhat we can make happen."

An artist's conce pt of the Space Station.

NASA- JSC