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April17 2009 Vol. 49, No. 8
Spaceport News
John F. Kennedy Space Center America's gateway to the universe
www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnewstoc.html /
INSIDE...
Hubble payload
processing
Page 2
GOES-O readied
for launch
-TA--,
Page 3
Endeavour
rolls over
Page 6
Heritage:
Administrative
Professionals Day
is April 22
Page 7
Orion mockup
makes splash
at Trident Basin
By Linda Herridge
Spaceport News
The adage, "history
sometimes repeats
itself," rings true
today for NASA's space
program. The agency's
Constellation Program took
a giant plunge forward at
Kennedy Space Center dur-
ing crew module water re-
covery tests, last performed
during the Apollo Program
more than 40 years ago.
On April 8, a full-size
mock-up of NASA's Orion
spacecraft was lifted by
crane and placed in the Tri-
dent Turning Basin at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station,
towed away from shore and
allowed to drift in the water
for several minutes.
Then, U.S. Air Force
Reserve pararescuemen
from the 920th Rescue
Wing at nearby Patrick Air
Force Base approached in
a Zodiac boat and attached
a sea anchor to Orion to
help keep it stationary. The
pararescuemen inflated and
attached a flotation collar
around Orion as a means
to stabilize and access the
spacecraft, then climbed on
to access and open the side
hatch.
Later in the week,
Orion was tested in the
Atlantic Ocean for several
days. The spacecraft was
towed to gradually increas-
ing distances from shore so
More online
For more information about
the Orion crew exploration
vehicle, visit: http://www.
nasa.gov/orion.
that data from a variety of
conditions, such as higher
waves, could be collected.
These activities are part
of NASA's water landing
test, called the Post-land-
ing Orion Recovery Test,
or PORT, to determine the
proposed capsule's "sea
keeping" capability, what
kind of motion astronauts
can expect after splashdown
and how well recovery
teams can rescue astronauts
in rough sea conditions.
Don Pearson is the
NASA PORT project
manager at Johnson Space
Center in Houston, Texas.
He said testing in real
conditions is very important
and the engineering data
collected will be sent to the
capsule designers.
"Early next year, we
will be conducting these
tests with astronauts inside
Orion," Pearson said.
The Orion mock-up,
built by the U.S. Navy for
NASA, weighs 18,000
pounds and measures about
15 feet in diameter. It is
equipped with several
See ORION, Page 6
NASA/Dimitn Gerondidakis
A crane lowers the mock-up Orion crew exploration vehicle into the water of the
Trident Turning Basin at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for testing April 8 The
goal of the operation, dubbed the Post-landing Orion Recovery Test, or PORT, is
to determine what kind of motion astronauts can expect after landing, as well as
outside conditions for recovery teams
April 17, 2009
Vol. 49, No. 8
Clean rises to the top for Hubble payload
Surgical operating
rooms and process-
ing facilities for
NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope share a common
characteristic -- they are
"ultra-clean" rooms that
avoid the introduction of
contaminants, which could
fog a camera lens or harm
delicate electronics.
Processing Hubble
components for launch in
such an environment is just
one of the many challenges
engineers and technicians
face as they prepare space
shuttle Atlantis for NASA's
final shuttle Hubble ser-
vicing mission targeted to
launch May 12.
"This is probably the
most challenging payload
that I have worked on," said
David Thompson, Boeing
payload lead engineer.
Thompson has worked
with NASA on the types
of power, cooling and data
interfaces needed for the
Hubble mission. As the
primary payload integrator,
Boeing provides the engi-
neering analysis and support
for this complex payload.
"Before the payload
even arrived, we worked
closely with NASA and
arranged for the require-
ments that they would need,
from facility cleanliness
to required support stands,
cranes and forklifts," said
Ed Baglioni, Boeing Hubble
flow manager.
One of the first chal-
lenges that Boeing engineers
took on was planning for
the electrical, mechanical
and data interfaces between
the shuttle and payload. In-
terfaces are the lifeblood of
the mission and will enable
astronauts to upgrade tele-
scope components during
five spacewalks.
"Those lines have to
be verified for communica-
tions downlinks, software
and telemetry commands,
because once they get on
NASA/Dimitn Gerondidakis
Technicians help with the installation of the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit, or SIC&DH, on the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment Carrier, or
MULE, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center The SIC&DH will be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope during space shuttle
Atlantis' STS-125 mission This unit will replace the one that suffered a failure aboard the orbiting telescope Sept 27, 2008 Atlantis is targeted for launch May 12
orbit and the Hubble is
mated to shuttle then all
the transmissions between
the Hubble and ground are
done through the orbiter,"
Baglioni said.
Imagine installing elec-
trical wires snaking through-
out your home, but leaving
enough room to make sure
you don't trip. Boeing
engineers who integrated
Hubble's payload faced a
similar challenge.
"In the case of this
unique flight, we do not
use the same wiring as on
a station mission. It all had
to come out," said Charlene
Miller, Boeing STS-125
lead engineer. "It presented
a new host of problems for
the technicians in getting
everything routed properly."
Hubble's payload con-
sists of four major elements
vital to prolonging the
service life of the telescope,
including a rate sensor unit,
or RSU, and fine guidance
sensor that will keep Hubble
pointed in the right direc-
tion.
Technicians are set to
load those elements into At-
lantis' payload bay April 18.
But before doing so, Glen
Glassford, Boeing cargo
structural design engineer,
ensured Hubble's hardware
would have sufficient clear-
ance and would not contact
any shuttle surfaces during
ascent.
Chip Everhart, Boeing
Materials and Processes
engineer, continues to moni-
tor operations around the
rest of Kennedy, including
restrictions on local con-
trolled burns and insecticide
spraying.
"Our goal is to protect
and maintain the integrity of
the Hubble flight hardware
from airborne contamina-
tion," said Everhart.
Another step to ensure
a clean environment for
Hubble's payload involved
installing new liners in
Atlantis.
An inspection of the
liners using ultraviolet lights
is performed several times
before and after the shuttle's
rollout to Launch Pad 39A.
Besides keeping
everything clean, engineers
have kept Hubble's replace-
ment batteries charged and
conditioned.
It's an ongoing intricate
process supporting NASA
and scientists around the
world trying to unlock some
of the mysteries of our
universe.
"Hubble has had such
a profound impact on the
scientific community that
it is neat to be a part of,"
Thompson said.
Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4
Hardware processing has These activities include: imposed last June will con-
resumed at Kennedy Space Controlled burns tinue until July 14.
Center's Payload Hazardous Asphalt, concrete work Restrictions relative to
Servicing Facility. Lawn maintenance Launch Complex 39A run until
As in previous Hubble Exterior paint spraying the STS-125 launch.
servicing missions, the SM4 Welding Restrictions relative to
Diesel generators
payload is highly sensitive Soil excavation or transfer Orbital Processing Facility-1
to contamination in all forms Insecticide, fungicide and begin on launch day and last
that can be generated during herbicide until nine days after Atlantis
nominal area activities. Industrial Area restrictions returns to Kennedy.
SPACEPORT NEWS
April 17, 2009
Page 2
GOES-O to keep watchful eye on hurricanes
By Linda Herridge
Spaceport News
We often see lo-
cal meteorolo-
gists pointing to
an image of Florida with
streams of red, yellow and
green moving across the
television screen, indicating
severe weather. The series
of satellites that provide
those images is about to get
a much-needed addition with
the launch of Geostationary
Operational Environmental
Satellite-O, or GOES-O, no
earlier than May 12.
The satellite will ride
aboard a Delta IV expendable
launch vehicle from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station,
and provide the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, or NOAA,
with enhanced coverage of
Earth's western hemisphere.
"After launch and
checkout, GOES-O will be
available to be moved to
either the east or west posi-
tion, as needed," said Marty
Davis, who is the senior advi-
sor to the GOES-O project
at NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Md. "GOES satellites are
crucial, especially to those
living in Florida and along
the coast, because they
provide advance warning of
hurricanes."
GOES-O arrived at Ken-
nedy Space Center on March
3, after a 2,500-mile journey
across the country, and was
then transferred to the Astro-
tech facility in Titusville, Fla.
Since then, a team of NASA,
Boeing and United Launch
Alliance technicians and
managers has been working
nonstop to process the satel-
lite for launch.
GOES-O is one of a
series of three satellites
that includes GOES-N and
GOES-P.
Charlie Maloney is the
GOES N-P program man-
ager with Boeing Space and
Intelligence Systems. He said
NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
The first half of the payload fairing is moved around the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-O, or GOES-O,
in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside
surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent
GOES-0 is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex-37 no earlier than May 12, aboard a
United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle
the Boeing launch team has a
total of 55 members working
on the satellite.
"Of that group, there are
anywhere from three to 35
team members on-site at any
time," Maloney said. "There
are also as many as 30 ULA
technicians and managers
on-site working on the launch
vehicle adapter and fairing."
Processing activities
to ready GOES-O for its
mission included a complete
spacecraft functional test to
ensure that it arrived safely
at Kennedy, a fit check of
the spacecraft to the pay-
load adapter, and loading of
propellants into the spacecraft
fuel tanks. Boeing and ULA
technicians worked to mount
the spacecraft onto the pay-
load adapter and encapsulate
the assembly into the launch
vehicle fairing.
According to Maloney,
the GOES N-P satellite series
represents the most advanced
weather satellites ever built,
with significant improve-
ments over earlier environ-
mental systems.
The most important
improvement is in the Image
Navigation and Registration
system. This system will
enhance accuracy and repeat-
ability of the images taken
by the spacecraft's primary
instruments: an imager that
produces visible and infrared
images of Earth's surface,
ocean, cloud cover and severe
storm developments; and a
multispectral solar X-ray im-
ager that monitors the sun's
X-rays for early detection of
solar flares. The GOES-O
spacecraft will not be affected
by the normal thermal varia-
tions that occur in space.
After the satellite
achieves orbit it will be
renamed GOES-14. When it
becomes operational in 2010,
GOES-14 together with
the on-orbit GOES-13 will
provide improved weather
monitoring, as well as earlier
and more accurate predic-
tions of severe weather.
April 17, 2009
SPACEPORT NEWS
Page 3
SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5
Scenes around Kennedy Space Center
STS-125 crew members review procedures for entry into space shuttle Atlantis with a trainer inside the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center From left are, Pilot Gregory C Johnson, Mission Specialist Megan
McArthur, Commander Scott Altman, and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel and Mike Massimino Not seen clearly are, Mission Specialists Michael Good, left, and John Grunsfeld, right Atlantis' 11-day flight is targeted for launch
May 12, and will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade NASA's Hubble Space Telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments
Corn Hybrid Polymer
Blast Media Demo
The NASA Technology Evaluation for
Environmental Risk Mitigation, or TEERM,
held an environmentally preferable corn-
based media blasting event at the Space
Station Processing Facility on April 2 Corn
Hybrid Polymer is an environmentally friendly
media blast being evaluated by NASA as a
viable "drop in" replacement to current media
blasting being use to de-coast and strip
delicate substrates
Photos by NASA/Jack Pfaller
Mike Williams of Midvale Technologies, shows Kennedy Space Center workers the ability of
Corn Hybrid Polymer to quickly de-coat this sample piece of aluminum 6061-T6
NASA/Dimitn Gerondidakis
Alessandro DeCamargo puts a spacesuit glove on Raul Batista during the "Overview of USA and
Russian EVA Space Suits," as Jose "Joey" Marmolejo watches via tele-conference from Johnson Space
Center, on April 9 The event at the Operation and Support Building II compared past, present and
future spacesuits of the United States and Russian space agencies
Spaceport News wants to know
about your special talent
If you have a hidden talent or an interesting hobby,
Spaceport News would like to share it.
Send your information to
KSC-Spaceport-News@mail.nasa.gov
or mail it to Spaceport News at:
IMCS-440, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32988.
Members of the general public and organized groups picked up trash during the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge s
Clean Up Day on March 27 For more information on future clean-up days, call (321) 861-5601
I NASA/Ben Smegelsky
A Great Blue Heron takes to the air as it leaves the shallow water behind the NASA News Center at Kennedy
4 Space Center A frequent sight around Kennedy, this large heron inhabits lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes
from Alaska south to Mexico and the West Indies It frequently is found standing at the edge of a pond or pool,
watching for fish or frogs, its principal food
A worker decoats a sample of aluminum 6061-T6, coated with epoxy primer with a white urethane
topcoat, which is typical of materials used on ground support equipment, with Corn Hybrid
Polymer, which is an environmentally preferred blast media currently being evaluated by NASA
Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS
April 17, 2009 ApriI17,2009
Endeavour rolls over April 10, rolls out April 17
From ORION, Page 1
sensors, including a Global
Positioning Satellite, or
GPS, and an inertial mea-
surement unit that measures
movement and wobbling.
Alan Rhodes, deputy
lead for PORT, said it's im-
portant to learn everything
there is to know about Orion
spacecraft landings and
learn it early.
"I'm excited about
testing Orion in the open
water and building on what
we learned from previous
tests," Rhodes said.
Chris Seinkner, one of
the pararescuemen, said it's
important to use caution and
make sure recovery is done
safely.
"We're training in
rough conditions so we're
ready for the real thing,"
Seinkner said.
The spacecraft mock-
up was initially tested in a
pool at the Naval Surface
Warfare Center's Carderock
Division in Bethesda, Md.,
then transported and placed
on display at the Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Com-
plex before the PORT tests.
Rhodes and astronaut
Dan Burbank were on hand
to meet visitors and answer
questions about Orion.
"The data we're get-
ting from these tests are a
vital part of the design,"
Burbank said. "Being able
to recover Orion quickly
after landing is crucial. I'm
delighted that Orion
is being tested in real wa-
ters this early."
According to Mike
General, Kennedy's PORT
test director, the goal is
to learn how to get astro-
nauts out of the capsule as
quickly as possible.
General was re-
sponsible for integrating
the PORT test plans with
NASA, the U.S. Air Force,
the U.S. Navy and United
Space Alliance.
NASA awarded Lock-
heed Martin the contract to
design, develop and build
Orion, and the spacecraft
will be processed inside
Kennedy's Operations and
Checkout Building.
Orion, along with the
Ares I and V rockets and
the Altair lunar lander, is
part of NASA's Constella-
tion Program.
The Orion spacecraft
will carry up to six astro-
nauts to the International
Space Station beginning
as soon as 2015, and four
astronauts to the moon by
2020.
SPACEPORT NEWS
Page 6
April 17, 2009
Remembering Our Heritage
Apollo-era secretaries pushed boundaries of change
As America salutes its
administrative professionals
on April 22, Spaceport News
pays tribute to the secretaries
of the Apollo Program
By Kay Grinter
Reference Librarian
Today, NASA's Sue
Gross supports Ken-
nedy Space Center's
associate director for Busi-
ness Operations in her ca-
pacity as an executive infor-
mation specialist. However,
she served as a secretary
from 1962 until after the
Apollo 11 mission. She re-
signed when she was eight-
months pregnant in August
1969 to raise a family.
She returned to Kenne-
dy's work force nearly 20
years later.
"The culture was con-
siderably more formal then,
especially in Headquarters
Building," Gross said. "The
way a secretary dressed was
extremely important. I wore
flats into the office one day,
and my supervisor sent me
home on my own time to get
my high heels."
NASA alumna Zoa
Dodd entered Kennedy's
work force as a secretary in
1964.
"When we moved
into the new facilities, the
Headquarters Building had a
pond in front with a resident
alligator where we could
take our breaks," Dodd said.
"It was the fashion to wear
these wiglettes anchored to
our hair with a comb to add
height and curls. Once, a
confused blue jay landed on
my head and started pecking
my hair. I grew to appreciate
that the space center coexists
with a wildlife preserve."
Pat Lowry, now also
retired from NASA, began
as a secretary in 1966.
"Women weren't al-
lowed to wear pants, but I
was a bit of a rebel," Lowry
NASA fle/1976
Apollo-era secretary Pat Lowry receives the Member of the YearAward for 1976 from the local chapter of the Federally Employed Women From left are, Walter Kapryan,
director of Launch Operations for the Apollo Program, and secretaries Claudia Kowal, Lowry, Betty Hudick and Zoa Dodd Inset photos are Lowry (left) and Dodd, today
said. "One day I wore a
pantsuit to work. They
didn't send me home, but I
got a few looks."
The smaller Apollo
astronaut crews inter-
acted more regularly with
the support staff than the
larger crews of today's space
shuttle missions.
"We were closer to the
astronauts then," Dodd said.
"We were so proud and felt
we were part of their mis-
sion."
Lowry remembered
testing the boundaries of
the established practices:
"A luncheon was held in
the O&C (Operations and
Checkout Building) with
the Apollo crews after they
returned. It was understood
that only men were invited.
I contacted Public Affairs
to ask if I could go and was
told, 'Well, Pat, we've never
had a woman attend, but
NASA file/1969
Sue Gross earns a Special
Achievement Award in August 1969
Today, Gross (inset) works in Kennedy
Space Center's Business Operations
we guess you can.' At first,
I was totally ignored. I was
the lone female in this batch
of men. It took a while for
anyone to talk to me."
Lowry also recalled that
achieving equal opportunity
in the workplace was not
easy: "There were some
rough times, but the NASA
people were good to me. I
started my college degree
during the Apollo days
through a brown-bag lunch
program and earned my
bachelor's degree in profes-
sional studies."
Dodd also completed a
bachelor's degree by attend-
ing night classes at Patrick
Air Force Base.
Apollo-era secretaries
were required to type fast
and to take shorthand.
"One night, I was
working late," Dodd said.
"The directors were hav-
ing a meeting and asked me
to take transcription. My
shorthand was rusty, and un-
derstanding (Albert) Zeiler
and (Dr. Kurt) Debus with
their German accents was a
challenge."
Shorthand no longer is
required, and office equip-
ment has changed signifi-
cantly in the past 40 years.
"We had telephones
with dials," Gross said. "We
learned to dial the numbers
using some sort of imple-
ment, like a pencil or dowel,
to protect our nails. There
were also no answering ma-
chines, and most offices had
a requirement that all calls
must be answered.
"The secretaries had to
cover for each other during
breaks or lunch."
Today, the average
office at Kennedy is replete
with personal computers, fax
machines, photocopiers and
e-mail accounts.
"During Apollo, every-
thing had to be done manu-
ally," Gross said. No\,
we have the immediacy of
online communications. It's
funny to think that, some-
how, we got to the moon
without all that."
SPACEPORT NEWS
April 17, 2009
Page 7
Page 8SPACEPORT NEWS April 17 2009
Make plans for Earth Day 2009
Kennedy Space Center will celebrate Earth Day on April 22, from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. in the Operations and Checkout Building's Mission Briefing Room
(Room 1144), and April 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Multi-Functional Facility
cafeteria. The theme for this year is 'You Can Make a Difference from Earth
to Space." Kennedy will participate in this nationwide event by hosting about
20 vendors, including local and county government personnel, to showcase
environmental activities. The celebration will include information about natural
resources, energy conservation, recycling and environmental stewardship,
including alternative fuel vehicles and environmentally friendly products. Kennedy
wildlife tours also will be offered daily to a limited number of personnel. For more
information, call Alice Smith at (321) 867-8454.
It's About Ability! event April 30
Listen to the inspiring story of a mother and innovator who possesses the
courage, capability and desire to break barriers. Rachel Coleman of Signing
Time!, will share her story and how, through innovation and love for her children,
built a bridge to communicate with those who cannot hear. The event is
April 30, 2009, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Kennedy Space Center Training
Auditorium. For more information, call Bonni McClure, office of Diversity and
Equal Opportunity, at (321) 867-2569.
Looking up and ahead
No earlier than May 5
No earlier than May 12
Targeted for May 12
Targeted for May 23
June
No earlier than June 2
Targeted for June 13
No earlier than July 8
Target July 11
No earlier than July 29
Target Aug 6
No earlier than Aug 14
No earlier than Sept 29
No earlier than Oct 1
No earlier than Oct 14
No earlier than Nov 1
Target Nov 12
No earlier than Nov 12
December
Target Dec 10
Target Feb 11, 2010
Target April 8, 2010
Target May 31, 2010
No earlier than 2011
LaunchNAFB Delta II, STSS-ATRR, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Delta IV, GOES-O, 6 24 p m
Launch/KSC Atlantis, STS-125, 1 31 p m
Landing/KSC Shuttle Landing Facility 9 55 a m
Launch/CCAFS Falcon 9, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Atlas V, LRO/LCROSS, 5 32 p m
Launch/KSC Endeavour, STS-127, 7 19 am
Launch/CCAFS Delta IV, WGS SV-3, TBD
Launch/KSC Ares I-X flight test/Launch Pad 39B, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Delta II, STSS Demo, TBD
Launch/KSC Atlantis, STS-128, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Delta II, GPS IIR-21, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Delta IV, GPS IIF-1, TBD
LaunchNAFB Taurus, Glory, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Atlas V, SDO, TBD
Launch/CCAFS WISE, TBD
Launch/KSC Discovery, STS-129, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Delta IV, GOES-P, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Atlas V, Commercial Payload, TBD
Launch/KSC Endeavour, STS-130, TBD
Launch/KSC Atlantis, STS-131, TBD
Launch/KSC Discovery, STS-132, TBD
Launch/KSC Endeavour, STS-133, TBD
Launch/CCAFS Atlas V, Mars Science Laboratory, TBD
WORDTHESTREET
What do you think your family is most interested in seeing
during the KSC/CCAFS 2009 Family Day?
* "They want to see everything, but they really are
looking forward to the two shuttles on display."
Wes Reynolds,
with NASA
"The two shuttles on the launch pads. They've
seen them on TV, but never in person."
Kris Nelson,
with Analex Corp.
"My brother's in construction and he's looking
forward to the mobile launcher platforms."
Gordy Degear,
with NASA
"My kids equate where I work with the shuttle, so
they're really looking forward to seeing them."
Jennifer Bixby,
with REDE Critique Inc.
"My family is really excited to finally see all the
items related to the Constellation Program.
Beau Charvet,
with NASA
John F Kennedy Space Center
Spaceport News
Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and
is published on alternate Fridays by External Relations in the interest of KSC civil
service and contractor employees.
Contributions are welcome and should be submitted threeweeks before publication
to the Media Services Branch, IMCS-440. E-mail submissions can be sent to
KSC-Spaceport-News@mail.nasa.gov
Managing editor . . . . .......................... Candrea Thomas
Editor . . . . .............................. Frank Ochoa-Gonzales
Copy editor . . . . .............................. Rebecca Sprague
Editorial support provided by Abacus Technology Corp Writers Group
NASA at KSC is on the Internet at www nasa gov/kennedy
USGPO 733-049/600142
SPACEPORT NEWS
Page 8
April 17, 2009
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