KHR-9 

June, 1985 

Chronology of KSC and 

KSC Related Events for 1984 

1 

\ 

National Aeronautlcs and 

Space Administf ation 

John F. Kennedy Space Center 

KSC FORM IO-IP (REV. aim 
CHRONOLOGY OF 

KSC AND KSC-HELATCD 

EVENTS FOR 

1984 

SELECTED 

By Ken Nail, Jr. 

New World Services, Inc. 

ARCHIVIST 
FOREvlORD 

Irt hi 

ti ASA 

The P 

s third Sta 

'resident a1 

Lc, develop 

te of' the Union address, Prosident Reagan told 

a perelanent manned space station in 10 years. 

so ordered the Department of Tl'ansuurtation to 

htly private firms launch rockets, thus introducing the commercialization of space. There were five spane shuttle and 

six expendable vehicle launches in 1984. 

Haterials for this chronology were selected from a number of 

published sources. The document records KSC events of 

interest to historians and other researchers. Arrangement is 

by month; items are by date of the published sources. Actual 

date of the event may be indicated in parenthesis, when the 

article itself does not make that information explicit. 

Fiateridls were researched and prepared for publication by 

Historian-Archivist Ken Nail, Jr., with the assistance of 

Elaine Liston, both of New World Services, Inc., ECLC subcontractor for library dperations. 

Contmect on the chronology should be directed to the John F. 

Kennedy Space Center, SI-SAT-52, Kennedy Space Center, 

flor idp, !;.'899. !! I 

i 

9 

H. Konjevictr 

Information Services 
Contents 

Page 

January .......................................... 1 

Illustration ................................ 7 

.e.ruary ......................................... 8 

Illustration ................................ 13 

March ............................................ 19 

A~ril ............................................ 24 

May .............................................. 34 

June ............................................. 40 

July ............................................. 51 

Illustration ................................ 59 

AuyUst ........................................... 62 

.e.tember ....................................... ~7~ 

Illustration ................................ 74 

October .......................................... 7. 

Novem.er ......................................... 87 

.cember ....................................... *.93 

Appendix A ....................................... 97 

Appendix B ....................................... 98 
JANUARY 1984 

January 4: NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center awarded EGG, 

C'lorida, Inc. (Cocoa, Florida) a $81,242,495 contract to 

begin its second year as Base Operations Contractor at KSC. 

This award is the first of two priced, one-year options on 

the initial contract, awarded in December 1982. The costplus-incentive/award contract covers the period from January 

I, 1984, throuyh December 31, 1984. (Tucker. NASA/KSC NEWS 

RELEASE No. 2-84, Jan. 4, 1984.1 

January 6: The space shuttle Challenger was moved from its 

processing facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building between 

Y:13 aria 9:bl p.m. EST. The 3UU yard journey followed a 

check ot its center ot yravity and a determination that its 

weiyht was 187,UOU pounds. ["Challenger Travels 300 Yards 

to VAB," I'UDAY, p. 12A, Jan. 7, 1984.1 

January 9: NASA announced it had reached a preliminary 

agreement with Transyace Carriers Inc. (Greenbelt, Maryland) 

to be the exclusive marketers of the Delta rocket. TCI 

will then arrange tor the rocket launch services and pay 

NASA to use its facilities at Kennedy Space Center or 

Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. [Mecham. TODAY, 

pp. 1A & 14A, Jan. lU, 1984.1 

January 10: Aerospace yisnts McDonriell Douglas Corp. an6 

Lockheed Corp. contirmed their plans to bid on the 

multimillion dollar solid rocket booster assembly and 

retut-bishiny contract held by United Technologies Corp. 

[Stein. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. D-1 & D-2, Jan. 11, 

1984.1 

<> NASA officials first decided to place protective blankets 

over portions of the Space Shuttle Challenger's thermal 

tiles and later rejected the plan. The new material -- 

called Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation or 

Ak'kSI -- was introducted as an update on earlier protective 

blankets, but has come loose and frayed dur1r.y flight. The 

material is used extensively on Discovery, the newest 

Shuttle. 

-1- 
Kennedy Space Center ofticials delayed moving to the launch 

pad the three sztellites that are to fly aboard Challenger 

on February 3. Xollout to the pad of the entire shuttle was 

expected to take place at midniyht January 12. 

Discovery was towed back to an Orbiter processing hangar 

trom storaye in the VAB; it showed siyns of being 

cannabalized tor spare parts that were transplanted into 

Challenyer. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 20A, Jan. 11, 1984.1 

January 12: Still on target tor February 3 launch, space 

shuttle Challenyer was removed from its giant assembly 

building January 12 and sent on its way to its seaside 

Launch pad. Challenger was strapped atop a land crawler 

that beyan its five-hour, 3 1/2-mile journey at 4:3U p.m. 

["Challenyer Taken Out to Launch Pad," THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, 

p. t4-2, Jan. 13, 1984.1 

January 13: NASA now believes that the fuel leaks in the 

Auxiliary Power Units that caused two mall fires in the 

!@ace Shuttle Columbia after its landing last month were the 

result of cracks in fuel injector tubes in the APU turbine 

system and that the seal problem which had been blamed was 

the result of the Leaks.. ..Percy baynes, director of the 

Space Shuttle Orbiter program in NASA's office of Shuttle 

operations, said the cracks were caused by aye and 

corrosion.. . .He said that enyineers believe that three new 

APUs installed on the Shuttle Challenyer will prevent a 

similar problem during the upcominy tenth Shuttle mission. 

["NAbA Attributes APU Leaks to Aye/Corrosion," DEYENSE 

DAILY, p. 63, Jan. 13, 1984.1 

January 16: The only major problem connected with the mock 

tinal countdown to the next Shuttle launch was the dense foy 

which socked in the Cape Canaveral launch site. The foy 

would have hindered a KSC emergency landiny, meaning the 

launch would have been scrubbea. 

Atter the countdown simulation, the shuttle astronauts - 

Vance Brand, Robert Gibson, Bruce McCandiess, Hon McNair, 

and Bob Stewart - reviewed procedures they would have to 

follow to save their lives shouid something yo drastically 

wrong prior to liftoff. 
Shuttle giiloc Robert "iioot" Gibson's main concern was the 

shuttle's brakes, sone of which have locked up and 

aisinte;rated following several recent missions.. . ."We don't 

tiav? the oottom line on the brakes. They're not meetinc. aur 

rcust? criteria," Gibson said. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A u 

IZA, Jan. 17, 1984.1 

January 19: Senator lrilliam Proxmire (U-Wis. ) yave his monthly 

"C;olden Fleece" award tor wasting the taxpayers money to 

NASA tor syenaing $;78O,UOO on free trips for 2,288 "special 

c_liiests" to Kennedy Space Center to watch space Thuttle 

launches. Proxmire called the trips "a lobbyiny campaiyn 

far NASA." The agency said that most of the people involved 

were yovernment officials respmsible for the space 

yro.Jram. ["NASA tiets 'Golden Fleece' For VIP Trips to KSC," 

DEFENSE DAILY, p. 96, Jan. 19, 1984.1 

January 23: Technicians successfully completed a modification 

to crucial auxiliary power unics aboard the Space Shuttle 

Challenyer, NASA officials said. The February 3 launch 

schedule tor the tenth shuttle mission remained firm. The 

moaitication was prescribed to head off the possibility of 

another tire likd3 the small blaze that struck during the 

latest tliyht of Colunibi3. Followinr; the modification, 

workers beyan three clays of loadiny hydrazine aboard the 

shuttic in preparation tor a "hotfire" test of the power 

iinits. The test was rescheduled from January 24 to January 

Zb. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. llA, Jan. 24, 1984.1 

January 25: President Keayan, in his third State of the Union 

adaress, told NASA to develop a permanent manned space 

station in 10 years. He also called for easing constraints 

on private-sector investment in space. He said he would 

invite some friendly nations to participate in the space 

program "so we can strenythen peace.. .'I [Wright. THE 

OHLANLK, SENTINEL, p. A-1. Jan. 26, 1984.1 

\> Kobt.r't H. Gray, the head of KSC's Space Station and Advance6 

Projects Office, called Heayan's announcement "super." "It 

caiw ott just the way we wanted it....It's the yood and the 

right thing to do." tiray said his office's activities would 

continuz planning on the station. At least in the 

beqinning, he said, any additional stafting of the space 

station project would probably come from transfers within 

the spaceport's current workforce. Any major jump in Jobs 

-3- 
would probably come in the 199Os, and would be coming from 

c.ipport activities or activities associated with space 

station spin-offs, tiray said. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 16A, 

Jan. 26, 1984.1 

<.'> President Reagan's long-awaited statement supyortiny 

development of a permanent, manned space station drew swift 

and strony praise on the Space Coast. 

"1 feel pretty yood tonight," said Kennedy space Center 

Director Richard ti. Smith. "I'm exceedingly pleased. It 

was a right and yood decision to make." 

Smith said the president's aecision to back a space station, 

which would cost at least $8 billion to develop during the 

next decade, indicated White House confidence in NASA's 

work. 

"It was a bold step to take, particularly when the budget 

still faces problems," Smith said. 

8 

The spaceport's chief called the orbital station ''a key" to 

further private expenditures in space, and said a plan to 

have the teclera 1 Department of Transportation monitor 

commercializat inn ot space launch services bore NASA's 

complete support. 

Smith said KSC's role in the project -- beyond launching 

station components aboard the space shuttle -- still must be 

determined. 

Hut lie predicted the space station proyram will have little 

initial impact on ernsloyment levels at KSC and that longrange project activities in the 1990s will determine job 

growth at the center...."The space shuttle is still our No. 

1 priority," Smith said. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. la & 16A, 

Jan. 26, 1984.1 

i 

January 25: The united States is a decade ahead ot the Soviet 

Union in space arid President Keayan's commitment to a manned 

orbiting tactory-laboratory will Keep it ';hat way, said NASA 

Administrator James M. Beyys. "The President's program 

leaves no aoubt that the United states means business in 

- 4- 
expanding our presence in space," Beygs said at a Washington 

gress conterence. "The bold and imaginative program will 

marntain U.S. leadership in space well into the 21st 

century." In his State of the Union speech, Heayan granted 

NASA's most tervent rish when hc? directea the ayency to 

dcvc?lop h mdnned station within ten years. [Jean. THE 

0KLANI)O SENTINEL, pp. A-1 & A-7, Jan. 27, 1984.1 

January 28: President Keayan said that the manned orbiting 

space station he has proposed would open opportunities for 

greater commerce, and he encourayed international 

gzrticipation in the project. The president wrote to 

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone to ask Japan to 

participate in the space station work, a Japanese foreign 

ministry ofticial said. In his weekly radio address to the 

nation, Heayan shid that Itby reachiny for exciting goals in 

space, we'll serve the cause of peace and create a better 

lite for all of us here on earth." ["Reagan Praises Space 

station," ToDAY, p. 18A, Jan. 29, 1984.1 

January 30: The 15 members of the U.S. Air Force Aerospace 

Rescue and Recovery team took part in a fifteen-minute 

traininy exercise at the turniny basin near the shuttle 

launch site. The team was lead by Syt. Mark Judy and Master 

syt. Tony McFarr, both of Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. 

[Shealy. TODAY, pp. 1B & 3B, Jan. 31, 1984.1 

<> The odds favor acceptable weather for Challenger's launch 

and landing at KSC, according to Major Don Greene, 

meteorological expert at Patrick Air Force Base. 

"Climatologically speaking, we have a 66 percent chance of 

good weather at launch and landing." rhe long-range 

forecast includes the possibility of another cloud-bearing 

frontal system arriving on the Space Coast either February 

3d, launch day, or February 4. [Stanley. TODAY, p. lA, 

Jan. 31, 1984.1 

<> space ayency officials reported all systems "GO" for the 

scheduled February 3 Lit'totf of the Space shuttle 

Challenger; barriny rnechanical or meteorological glitches, 

launch is set tor 8:OO a.m. EST. KSC spokesman Mark Hess 

said shuttle workers over the past two days finished 

installing the small explosive charyes used to release 

various vehicle components in flight, Countdown was 

expected to pick up at 2:OU a.m. EST on February 1. 

[Yacenda. TODAY, p. lA, Jan. 31, 1984.1 
January 31: The tive-man crew of the shuttle Challenger arrived 

at Ltie Kennedy space Center as preparations continued 

smoothly tor its ldUnCh at 8:OO a.m. EST February 3. Vance 

Isrand, Bruce McCandless, Robert Stewart, Robert Gibson, and 

t{on,ild McNdit- drrived in tour jets after a tour-hour, 40- 

minute t'light twin HOUS~O~, landiny on the 3-mile runway at 

the Kennedy Space Canter whsre they hope to land the 

Challenyer at dawn on February 11. "We're hopiny the 

weather will cooperate real well, and we will have the honor 

of being the first to land at KSC," said mission cG.nmander 

Vance Brand, who commanded an earlier shuttle flight and is 

the only veteran of space travel on the crew. After 

arriviny at the space center and greeting onlookers, Brand 

and pilot Robert tiibson practiced landing on the runway in 

a ]et modified to mimic handliny of the shuttle. [Jean. 

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. B-1, Yeb. 1, 1984.1 

-6- 

YEBRUARY 1984 

February 1: A crowd ot 250,000 was predicted tor shuttle 

mission 41-H -- the tenth in the yroyram -- accordiny to 

Hrevard County Sheritt 's ljepartment spokesman, Ron Clark. 

Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Margaret 

Waldie said her office has been taking an average of 25 

calls a day for the past two weeks from people trying to 

make hotel reservations. [Keefer. THE TRIBUNE, p. lA, 

Feb. 1, 1984.) 

<> NASA Administrator James Beggs was quoted as saying there 

may be a couple of months slip in the opening of the 

Vandenbery Shuttle base. ["Begys Sees Possible Slip in 

Vandenbery," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 182, Feb. 2, 1964.1 

February 2: President Heayan approved a $7.491 billion PY'85 

budyet for NASA, an increase of $274 million or 3.9 percent 

over FY'U4, includiny $1SO million to initiate development 

of an $8 billion permanently manned space station, expected 

to be in orbit by 1992. Siynificantly, the President's 

five-year budget projections include a real growth in the 

NASA budget of 1 percent a year over the FYo86-FY'8Y period, 

NASA Administrator James Beygs announced. [NASA Budyet 

Hoosted 3.9% to 87.491 billion in PY'85," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 

179, k'eb. 2, 1984.1 

<> The conyressional Office of Technology Assessment (UTA), 

claiming impartiality on the President's space station 

initiative, delivered an ostensibly devastating attack on 

the way NASA is yoiny about planning and development of the 

skate station and asserting that a station able to meet all 

identified needs can be built for $2 billion compared to 

NASA's $8 billion station, which it added could cost $25 to 

S3U billion "by the end of this century." ["UTA Charges 

Space Stat.ion Flawed Without Space Coals," DEFENSE DAILY, 

p. 201, Feb. 6, 1984.1 

<> 'l'he U.b. Crane Certification mreau Inc. ("aft, Florida) a 

private tirm, was fined $12,000 for billing NASA for 911 

hours of work it never performed. In December, the company 

pleaded guilty to two fraud charges. Assistant U.S. 

-a- 
Attorney Stephen Calvacca said he will recommend that the 

company be barred from receiving any NASA or government 

contracts because of the conviction. ["Company Fined 

$12,000 for Lyiny About NASA Work," THE OHLANW SENTINEL, 

p. B-6, Feb. 3, 1984.1 

<> Challenger's astronaut crew of Vance Brand, Robert Gibson, 

Kobert Stewart, Konald McNair, and Bruce McCandless were 

described as looking forward to haviny a good time on their 

eiyht-day flight. "They've been in training for some time 

for this flight," said shuttle proyram manager Glynn 

Lunney. "They tee1 comfortable witn it." Brand and Gibson 

made more practice landings at the Kennedy Space Center's 

huge landiny strip where they are scheduled to briny 

Challenyer home February 11. They later loined mission 

specialists for T-38 jet aircraft acrobatics, another daily 

regimen of prelaunch activities. McCandless and McNair 

spent much of their day reviewing the flight plan for the 

lUth shuttle mission and the first of 10 this year. 

Engineers pronounced the Challenyer in ideal condition on 

its seaside launch pad 39A. [Jean. THE ORLANDU SENTINEL, 

pp. A-1 & A-11, Feb. 3, 1984.1 

February 3: Koberta hryrick, 29-year-old Rockwell employee, 

became the first woman ever to serve as a test conductor 

duriny a U.S. syace shot. Wyrick, a resident of Cocoa, was 

in touch with the Challenger's crew from the moment they 

boarded the orbiter. She was responsible for relaying 

information from the shuttle to project engineers and to the 

NASA test director in charye of the operation. "Once 

you're 1nitiatk-d you get to do it again," said Wyrick, who 

has served as test conductor before for Shuttle landings at 

Edwards Air Force Base in Calitornia. She was also assigned 

to act as test conductor during prior missions to handle any 

Return-to-Launch Site landing. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 3A, 

C'eb. 3, 1984.1 

<> NASA plans to name an associate administrator to head up a 

space station development management off ice within the next 

six months. The ayency saya all eight centers will play a 

role in syace station development efforts and it plans to 

designate a lead center within a few months, Administrator 

James Heyys, testi'ying before a House panel, said that it 

"will undoubtedly be Johnson." ["Space Station Manyement,' 

AEROSPACE DAILY, p. 2U2, Feb. 3, 1984.1 

-9- 
<> Poilowiny the launch of 41-8, Hartin Marietta paid out more 

than 84U0,OOO in accrued vacation, final salary and 

severance pay to hundreds of its former workers who had 

processed external fuel tanks on all previous shuttle 

tlights. As prt of the changeover in shuttle processing 

operations at KSC, a continyent of top manayement from the 

Hichoud Division ot Martin Marietta finalized its affairs 

here. of the 317 persons Martin Marietta employed at KSC, 

more than ZOU elecced to join SPC winner Lockheed Space 

werations Co. Others took voluntary retirement or accepted 

company traaisfers. Company officials claimed very few found 

themselves jobless. [Stanley. TODAY, p. 2B, Feb. 5, 1984.1 

<> Flint and Lorraine Dille, grandchildren of Buck Rogers 

creator John Flint Dille, were on hand for the launch of the 

Challenger mission which features the first use of NASA's 

ESMU's (Manned Maneuvering Units). The MMU's are roughly 

similar to those first used in the original Buck Rogers 

comic strip. "It was spectacular, " Lorraine Dille said. 

"You can watch it a hundred times on TV, but thc- feel of the 

power and the crackling noises made it really amazing. It 

took the tantasy and turned it into a reality." [Seel. 

'rODAY, pp. 1A d 20A, r'eb. 4, 1984.1 

_- 

0 - 

<> Dr. P. Yankalbe, minister of public health from the African 

country of Chad, a skectator at the Challenger's fourth 

launch, applauded American know-hob. "It was spectacular. 

I'm very happy to be able to observe the success of Ame-ican 

technology," Dr. Yankalbe said. "We've always watched it on 

television, and I never thouyht I'd be so lucky to see it in 

person," Yankalbe said through an interpreter. He said he 

was much impressed that the launch took place exactly at 

8:OO a.m. as planned. He had arrived at the site just an 

hour before and said he was surprised it took only moments 

before the event was over. [Skolnick. TODAY, p. 2A, Feb. 

4, 1984.1 

February 4: The final major changeover of the massive Job of 

poreparing the space shuttle for fliyht was completed at 

8:UU a.m. EST, 24 hours after the successful launcil of 41-8, 

the 10th shuttle nission. The last segments of shuttle 

processing work were turned over to Lockheed Space 

operations Co. trom former processiny contractors Hwkwell 

International, Unlted Space Yoosters Inc., and Martin 

Marietta. The switchover involved 2SOU workers primarily 

engaged in orbiter processiny, the bigyest single chunk in 

the SPC switch. All told, about 67U0 KSC contractor 

-10- 
employees were affected by the change from 15 former 

incumbent companies to the Lockheed team. NASA shuttle 

management and operations chief Tom Utsman praised the job 

done by employees of the outgoing shuttle processinu 

contractors. "I wish he had said those things a couple of 

months ago," commented one Rockwell official. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, p. 2B, Feb. 5, 1984.1 

<> SHB recovery ships Freedom and Liberty returned to Port 

Canaveral a little after 11:OO a.m. EST, each twiny a 

booster. The recovery effort was the first conducted by 

r-lorton Thiokol under the new shuttle processing contract. 

'rhiokol replaced United Technologies' United Space Boosters 

Inc. All regular crew members of the two ships had formerly 

performed the same work for USBL. (Yacenda. TODAY, p. 20A, 

r'eb. 5, 1984.1 

February 5: The $30 million Westar VI satellite was found 

nealthy but in the wrong crbit and useless as problems 

continued to plague the space Shuttle's 10th mission. In . addition a metallic balloon to be used as an in-space 

rendezvous taryet exploded as it was being inflated. NASA 

was forced to cancel the two-day exercise in which 

Challenyer was to attempt a series of orbital meetings with 

the free-flying balloon from as far away as 140 miles. 

Mission officials planned to yo ahead with the February b 

Palapa LI-2 Indonesian satellite despite the Westar VI 

setback. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A 6 10A, Feb. 6, 1984.1 

<> Thirteen years ayo, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and 

Eagar Mitchell landed on the moon. [Jarrett. A SUMMARY OF 

I3AJWK NASA LAUNCHES, KSC HH-1, p. H-28, Jul. 1980.1 

February 6: Everything went smoothly for the first official 

workday of about 2500 workers at the company now handling 

Shuttle processing. Stuart Shadbolt, spokesman for Lockheed 

Space Operations Co., said the day proyressed '%e-y well, 

very quietly." ["First Day Smooth for Lockheed Staff," 

TwDAY, p. 28, t'eb. 7, 1984.1 

February 7: Jim Lhibay, president and general manager of EG&G 

Florida Inc. -- the company that operates Kennedy Space 

Center -- "has agreed to snave off his full beard for a 

-11- 
S5,OOO pledge" to the Brevard Health Telethon on February - 

9 \ 

12, said Ed Knadle. EGSG is one of several sponsors for 

Hrcvard County's tirst heart telethon which will be 

televised on TV channel 43, WOU. [Salamon. TOUAY, p. le, 

Yet). 7, 1984.1 

<> "This may be one small step for Neil, but it's a heck of a 

big leap for me," said Astronaut Bruce WcCandless, first to 

use the manned maneuvering unit in an untethered spacewalk. 

The reference was to Neil Armstrony's words upon becoming 

the tirst man to step on the surface of the moon on July 20, 

19b9. [Jean. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. A-1, Feb. 8, l984.J 

February 9: Kennedy space Center prepared for the February 11 

landing of Challenger at the spaceport by readying hundreds 

of workers, a fleet of high-tech vehicles and an Air Force 

rescue and recovery team. [Stanley. TODAY, p. 8A, Peb. 9, 

1984. J 

<> Air Force meteoroloyists said the prospects tor the 

Challenyer's Feb. 11 landing at KSC were improviny, since a 

trouyh of low pressure gassing through east Texas and 

Arkansas during the niyht had weakened considerably and 

stalled. The system probably won't reach Florida until 

after the shuttle landing. They forecast generally 

acceptable COnditAmS, with just a 20 percent chance of rain 

at landing time. Fliyht managers have the option 3f 

brinying the shuttle down at 7:lO a.m. Feb, 12 at KSC or 

shirting the landing site to Edwards Air Force Base in 

California. ["Forecast Looks Go for Landiny Here," TODAY, 

p. lA, Feb. 10, 1984.1 

February 10: A Philadelphia couple on their honeymoon became 

Kennedy Space Center Tours' 20 millionth bus boarders, and 

received several prizes including special passes to view the 

shuttle's first landing at KSC's three-mile-lony landing 

tacility. Joseyn Yawko and Marybeth Daley of Philadelphia 

were married February 4 and arrived in Florida the next 

day. un the 10th they were surprised by George Meguiar, 

manager of the tours, who announced their achievement to 

them as they purchased tickets tor the bus tour. [Kimura. 

'I'oDAY, p. IB, Feb. 11, 1984.1 

-12- 

February 11: "Welcome to Kennedy Space Center,'' the long, - 

crimson carpet said to the five shuttle astronauts as they 

stepped trom their craft 39 minutes after touchdown, back on 

Florida yround following eiyht days in space. Challenger's 

tirst KSC landing came at 7:16:06 a.m. EST. "uK, Houston, 

wheels are stopped," was missiorr commander Vance Brand's 

brief comment on landing. "Royer that, Challenyer, welcome 

home. Fantastic Job," replied John Blaha at Mission Control 

in Houston. Descent to KSC beyan an hour before and half a 

world away with tne firing of Challenger's re-entry rockets 

over the Indian Ocean. 

i) 

Challenyer's nosewheel ylided down within 2 1/2 inches of 

the centerline running the length of KSC's concrete shuttle 

lapding strip, put there with precision by Brand. The 

craft's noseyear touched down on time as planned, literally 

to the second. The craft's sseed at touchdown was 218 mph - 

about 30 mph slower than in the rarified air of the high 

California desert where the shuttle usually has landed until 

now. The Challenyer used 10,700 feet of the 

15,000-foot-long runway before coming to a stop - a 

comfortable margin, NASA officials said. 

The unpowered cratt escorted by a small "-38 jet, swept wide 

to the north out over the Atlantic. As it did, Challenyer 

turn silver in the sunliyht. Challenger then straiyhtened 

its course, approachiny KSC's Runway 15 from the northwest, 

descending steeply as if riding a bannister to the ground. 

As the DC-9 sized Challenger settled onto the runway, twin 

plumes of white vapor formed at the craft's winytips, 

sweeping back like a wake around a ship. The plumes were 

the result of turbulence coming off the craft's wingtips as 

they cut through the early morning fog. [Yacenda. TODAY, 

pp. 1A & 20A, Feb. 12, 1984.1 

exposed its broad underside of black tiles which seemed to 'i 

February 12: Ken Coffey, KSC shuttle mechanical systems 

officer, said the Challenger would be ready for launch in a 

record S3 days, thanks to its first-ever Cape landing, which 

will shave about a week trom the turnaround time. Thei-e was 

less damaye to the orbiter from re-entry heatiny than had 

been expected, he said, but 31 thermal tiles nevertheless 

will have to be replaced. They were damayed mostly by 

flyiny debris at launch and landing. Both right-hand brakes 

malfunctioned after landing, as on all earlier fliyhts. one 

brake will have to be replaced and the other repaired, 

Coffey said. The only other problems were hazy windows and 

tires that were scraped when they hit the concrete runway. f 

- 

-14- 
6' 

,u 

The orbiter is very clean, in better shape than any of the 

others," Coffey said. No problems were encountered with the 

shuttle's three asixiliary power units, which control the 

ship's hydraulic system. The Columbia had problems with two 

of its hydraulic units when it landed in December. [Jean. 

THE UHLANW SEN'I'INEL, y. A-12, Yeb. 138 1984.1 

February 13: Engineers checking the launch platforms in the 

cargo bay of the space shuttle Challenger said they found no 

clues to the tailures of two communications satellites to 

reach their groper orbits after their deployment as part of 

the shuttle mission 4143. ["Scrubbed Cargo Jeopardizes July 

Shuttle P'liyht," TODAY, p. 1A, Feb. 14, 1984.1 

<> A secret military payload set for launch on the space 

shuttle in July was cancelled, and the mission will be 

scrubbed without it, Air Force and NASA officials said. Air 

Force Lt. Col. Sam Martin, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a 

telephone interview that the secret payload will not be 

flown on the July mission, but he declined to identify the 

payload or say when it would be flown. ["Scrubbed Cargo 

Jeopardizes July shuttle k'liyht,'' TODAY8 p. 1A8 Feb. 14, 

1Y84. J 

<> NASA Administrator James Begys said that he believes the 

space shuttle will be able to return its operating costs by 

the 1988-89 period. Beygs said he expects the shuttle to 

earn about $675 million in FY'85 up from $270 million in 

FY't34, but operating costs will be about $1.7 - $1.8 

billion. ["Beygs Sees Shuttle Break Even Point By End of 

Decade,'' DEFENSE DAILY, Po 242, Feb. 13, 1984.1 

<> One of three recovery parachutes on each of the shuttle's 

two solid rocket boosters failed to open following 

Challenger's launch February 3. The malfunction resulted ir; 

the boosters droppiny into the Atlantic at 75 mph, compared 

With the 60 myli planned impact velocity. Initial inspection 

ot the boosters' aft skirts showed minimal damage occurred 

during splashdown. ["Parachute Problem Damages Boosters," 

AVIATIUN WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, PO 18, Feb. 13, 1984.1 

-15- 
February 20: uti the twenty-second anniversary of his becominy 

the first American to orbit the Earth, Senator John Glenn 

(D-Uhio) came in titth in the 1984 presidential caucuses in 

Iowa. [Groer. THE UliLANDO SEN'I'INEL, p. A-1, k'eb. 22, 

1~4. I 

February 21: NASA oft icials decided to replace Challenger's 

robot arm. Installation of the spare arm was expected to be 

completed by the end of the week without interruptiny 

preparations for the next mission. During the last mission, 

astronauts had to cancel a test simulating the movements of 

the Solar Max Satellite when the robot arm would not move 

properly to the left and to the right, said KSC spokesman 

Jim ball. He said the replacement had performed 

satistactorily when checked out on the ground. Technicians 

were unable to duplicate the trouble experienced by the 

robot arm on the 41-8 mission. 

A "round the clock" investiyation by McDonnell Douglas 

failed so far to disclose why the company's satellite 

booster rockets malfur.ctioned, marooning two comunications 

satellites in uselessly low orbits. [Fisher. THE ORLANDO 

SENTINEL, p. A-9, tzeb. 22, 1984.1 

<> Commander Vance Brand, speakiny in a press conference at 

Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, said the first 

shuttle landing in k'lorida went so well he would have no 

hesitation landing at the space center in daylight or in 

darkness. He said the only problem was that the shuttle ran 

through a flock of small birds as it approached the 15,000- 

toot runway and one was smashed. The astronaut said 

Eeathe ; were found imbedded in tiles coatiny the skin of 

the spacecraft. During the landing four small airplanes 

violated space center airspace, AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE 

TECHNOLOGY reported, Crompting NASA and the Federal Aviation 

Administration to beyin reviewing security procedures €or 

launches and landings. One of the planes, a single engine 

Cessna, flew directly over Challenger after it landed 

February 11, the magazine reported. Two FAA aircraft 

assignod to patrol the space center airspace intercepted all 

but the Cessna. All the intercepted aircraft were believed 

to be on siyhtseeiny or photoyraphy fliyhts. Hut NASA and 

the FAA are concerned about the possibility ot a terrorist 

attack trom a liyht aircraft. "Our security people are 

concerr~ed because we have responsi bi 1 i ty for the shuttle . It's a national resource," saia Mark Hess, a space center 

spokesman. "It's our responsibility to protect it." 

[Fisher. THE UHLANW SENTINEL, p. A-9, Feb. 22, 1984.1 

-16- 
February 23: NASA announced a two-day delay in the launch of 

space shuttle Challenger due to orbital logistics. "We've 

been targeting April 4th, knowing all along that the folks 

at the Johnson Space Center (in Houstxj would have to 

coordinate the launch with the configuration of the Solar 

Maximum Satellite," Hess said. After running data about the 

repair mission and the position of the orbiting satellite 

throuyh a computer, NASA officials decided the orbiter would 

have a better chance of tracking down the satellite if 

launch occurred on April 6, Hess said. [Stanley. TODAY, 

pp. 1A h 20A, Feb. 24, 1984.1 

February 24: President Heayan ordered the Department of 

Transportation to help private t irms launch rockets that 

will compete Kith the space shuttle for business. Heayan 

enthusiastically described space as a -new world" offering 

rich business opportunities in communications, geological 

exploration and manufacturing. Transportation Secretary 

Elizabeth Dole said non-government throwaway rockets - the 

industry calls them "expendable launch vehicles" - still 

have "enormous commercial possibilities," despite the 

development of the shuttle. She said DOT will attempt to 

reduce the red tape confronting companies interested in 

gettiny into the launching business. .. . [Mecham. USA TODAY, 

pp. 1A & lbA, Feb. 25, 1984.1 

February 29: The Kennedy Space Center Exchange Council released 

a request tor proposals for concessionaire operations of a 

commercial service station on the Center. The request for 

proposal provides tor submission of sealed offers by April 

20, 1984. The concessionaire contract will cover the period 

from July 1, 1984, throuyh June 30, 1989. Co-op Oil Co. 

(St. Petersburg, Florida) has operated the service station 

since 1978. The Exchange Council is a non-appropriated fund 

activity operated for the welfare and morale of KSC 

employees. (NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 50-84, Feb. 29, 

1984.1 

<> NASA confirmed that the maiden flight of the space shuttle 

Discovery would be delayed at least two weeks because the 

craft had been cannabilized of an important component -- a 

pod which contains one of two orbital steering rockets -- 

for use aboard its sistership Challenger. Discovery had 

been scheduled for launch June 4, but work schedules have 

been yearod now tor a June 19 launch and sources said that 

date could slip even further. Several other key components 

had also been taken from Discovery for use aboard 

-17- 
Challenger, including a main engine and all three auxiliary 

power units used to drive flight surfaces during launch and 

landing. But NASA and contractor sources said the piece 

likely to delay the launch is a pod, located near the tail 

of the craft, which contains the Shuttle's left orbital 

maneuvering system rocket. [Yacenda. TODAY, py. 1A & 16A, 

Mar. 1, 1984.1 

-18- 
WCH 1984 

Ha?ch 5: 'l'tic tlawless launch of a 2-ton satellite by the 

:t.:uropean-bui it Ariatie rocket had Old World space officials 

sipping champagne and demandiny an end to the U.S. 

jovernriient subsidy which they say makes the space shuttle 

untair campetition in the commercial space 

race.. . ["Europeans Want U.S. to End Shuttle Subsidy," TODAY, 

LJ~. IA & lZA, Mar. 6, 1984.1 

Uarch 6: Center Director Richard G. Smith designated March as 

Safety Belt Month at KSC. [Memorandum to all KSC employees 

from H.G. Smith, Mar. 6, 1984.1 

Warch 14: The shuttle Challenger, headiny toward a projected 

April 6 launch date, retraced its tracks from a Kennedy 

Space Center orbiter processing hanyar to the VAB. It was 

the fifth time this shuttle has made the 300-yard trek as 

the tirst step on its way to the launch pad, 39-A. Workers 

beyan towiny the 75-ton Challenyer from its hangar shortly 

atter 1O:UU p.m. EST and completed the trip forty minutes 

later, accordiny tq XSC spokesman Mark Hess. Rollover had 

been delayed a tew hours due to lenythly weiyhiny and 

balancing activities which took longer than planned. KSC 

spokesman Jim Ball said that ofticials expected to have the 

orbiter "soft-mated" to the rest of the shuttle launch 

vehicle by early Thursday (March 15), after which electrical 

and mechanical connections would be made to complete a "hard 

mate" of Challenyer. Rollout to the pad was anticipated to 

beyin at about rnidday on Sunday (March 18). [Yacenda. 

TUDAY, p. 8A, Mar. 15, 1984.1 

.. 

March 15: Scratches on the exhaust nozzle of a booster roc!;et 

scheduled to send a satellite to hiyh orbit from the shuttle 

forced enyineers to return the booster to the factory. Jane 

Loyan, spokeswoman for Telesat Canada (Ottawa), confirmed 

tnat the periyee kick motor portion of the PAMs (Payload 

Assist Modules) had been returned to the booster 

manutacturer, McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. (Huntington 

Beach, California). But Loyan said her company had until 

April 26 to come up with a flight-ready PAM before being 

forced to postpone its June 19 launch. Logan said Telesat 

Canada engineers discovered the scratches - termed "surface 

anomalies," or obnormalities - on the PAM nozzle while 

-19- 
examining the spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center. McDonnell 

huylas spokesman Jetf Fister said investigators were unable 

to determine if "random" scratches tound on the Anik YAM 

bore any relationshit) to the nozzle failures that almost 

certainly struck PAMs attached to Western Union's Westar VI 

and Indonesia's Palapa B-2 during shuttle mission 10 

(41-t3). "In tact, the evidence says it doesn't," Pister 

said ot the Anik problem. Fister said the scratches, 

discovered in February but never made public, were o~ly "a 

few thousandths of an inch" deep and may be productionrelated flaws. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 8A, Mar. 16, 1984.1 

!larch 19: Challenger began its 3-mile rollout to launch pad 39A 

just before 1 a.m. EST# NASA officials said. The rollout, 

originally scheduled for 8:30 p.m. March 18, was forced back 

after engineers discovered several loose connectors during 

weekend tests. Maintenance managers delayed the rollout so 

erryineers could conduct additional interface tests, 

accordiny to Kennedy Space Center spokesman, Jim Ball. 

Engineers discovered the problems March 17 during a routine, 

prc-rollout probe of crucial electrical and mechanical 

connections between Challenger and its external tank and 

solid rocket boosters. The 4 l/Z-hour delay for the rollout 

will push back the Challenger's pre-flight schedule by 

"roughly" the same time interval, Ball said. Workers had 

scheduled a "hot-firing" test today of the Orbiter's 

auxiliary power units. Ball said that test would be delayed 

about six or seven hours. ["Shuttle Rollout Starts Late," 

TODAY, p. lUA, Mar. 19, 1984.1 

<> KbC spokesman Rocky Raab said a seven-minute "hot-fire" test 

of Challenger's three auxiliary power units was successful. 

Those units drive the hydraulics that operate the shuttle's 

fliyht control surfaces, landiny year and other key flight 

components during launch and landiny. Kaab called the test 

"standard procedure,' because all three APU's have been 

replaced since Challenyer's last mission in early February. 

[Yacenda. TODAY, p. lA, Mar. 20, 1984.1 

<> NASA reconfirmed an April 6 launch for the Challenger after 

yiving thouynt to a delay of several days for the six-day 

mission. The space ayency had considered a three-day delay 

to expand its launch window and increase the probability of 

trackiny the spacecraft's 154-foot external fuel tank as it 

lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii Island. 

But NASA Administrator Janes Beyys and Shuttle Director Lt. 

- 20- 
tien. James Abrahamson decided to stick to the original 

schedule, which calls tor liftoff at 9 a.m. EST, a NASA 

spokesman said. [Mecham. TODAY, g. 4A, Mar. 20, 1984.1 

March 21: "NO difticulties were encountered" during 

Challenger's countdown demonstration test at KSC, accordiny 

to spokeswoman Weida Tucker Brewinyton. All five crewman 

tor the 41-C mission - commander Bob Crippen, pilot Dick 

Scobee and mission specialists Terry Hart, George Nelson and 

James van Hotten - were aboard Challenger for the test. 

Crippen said, "The Kennedy launch team continues to 

demonstrate the professional ism they are known for. We are 

lookiny torward to doing it ayain on the 6th" of April. The 

thirteenth shuttle mission will be the third such flight for 

Commander Crippen. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 16A, Mar. 22, 

1984.1 

<> An ll-by-14-inch painting by a Cambridge (Mass.) artist, the 

late Tom U'Hara, may be among the cargo of the Challenger, 

scheduled for launch April 6. O'Eara, who died January IC), 

1984, "always wanted to fly in space," said a friend and 

fellow artist, Richard Newton of Champaiyn, Ill. O'Hara 

participated in a NASA art proyram and did several paintinys 

depictiny scenes trom space shuttle missions. NASA 

ofticials are consideriny a request by Newton that one 

paintiny - on loan trom the O'Hara family - be aboard the 

Challenyer in April, on O'Hara's birthday...O'Hara's 

yaintiny, an untitled abstract, shows two forms floatiny in 

zero gravity. ["Space Booster's Painting Could be Shuttle 

Caryo," USA 'l?oDAY, p. SA, Mar. 21, 1984.1 

<> Nine Egyptian government officials and trade union 

representatives toured Kennedy Space Center. The Egyptians ' 

visit to Florida was sponsored by the Communication Wdrkers 

of America. ["Rocket Shot," (photograph by Michael R. 

Brown), TODAY, p. 38, Mar. 23, 1984.1 

March 26: The space shuttle's main engines, designed to fly 55 

missions withaut an Overhaul, have failed to hold up under 

repeated use - the hallmark of shuttle transportation - a 

published report said March 25. Senior enyineers with the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration said their 

doubts over the enyines' invincibility will not jeopardize 

the scheduled April 6 mission of the space shuttle 

Challenyer. But they said engine wear is such a severe and 

chronic problem that a complete redesiyn of major components 

-21- 
may be necessary and could cost up to $1 billion over the 

next 10 years. Rocketdyne, a division of Rockwell 

International, the engines' builders, "simply did not 

anticipate all the problems that they encountered," said 

enyineer Michael Billett, who completed a $125,000 study for 

NASA on engine erosion. Records maintained by Kennedy Space 

Center show that extra work associated with the engine 

problems have doubled or tripled engine maintenance - 

costing NASA millions of dollars. [UPI, "Shuttle's Engines 

Are Weariny Out Past," THE OKLANLX) SENTINEL, p. lC, Mar. 26, 

1984. I 

Uarch 27: Lt. en. James A. Abrahamson, director of the space 

shuttle program for NASA, was chosen by Defense Secretary 

Casyar Weinberger to head a $26 Sillion search for a 

hiyh-tech missile defense system. ASrahamson's appointment, 

effective April 15, "won't have any effect on the day-to-day 

operations" at Kennedy Space Center, NASA spokesman Mark 

He: 3 said. Abrahamson, he said, "was the kind of 

administrator who personally got involved" with KSC 

operations. "He came down here when we were haviny problems 

with leaks in the engines before the sixth mission. He also 

went out on the SHB recovery boats one time to yet a firsthand look at what that operation was about." ["Pentagon 

Picks Shuttle Chief to Pilot 'Star Wars' Deferise," TODAY, I 

pp. 1~ & 14A, Mar. 28, 1984.1 

Uarch 28: A recent study for NASA indicat-ed that a coal 

yasitication plant at KSC would save $75U,OOO to $1 million 

per shuttle launch, according to Peter Minderman, director 

of enyineering development at Kennedy Space Center. The 

plant would enable the space center to produce all its own 

electricity and the liquid hydrogen needed to fuel the 

shuttle main engines. Two concepts for coal gasification 

were studied and each would cost approximately $150 million, 

according to Gary Gutkowski of Merritt Island, who is the 

project engineer. ["Proposed KSC Plant Could Save $1 

Million Per Shuttle,'' THE THIBUNE, p. SA, Mar. 28, 1984.1 

<> NASA, The Cyprus Corp. and its subsidiary Astrotech beyan 

discussions about the corporation financing a fifth space 

shuttle. Astrotech, which will officially open its 

satellite-processing facility on April 5, would process the 

payloads locally if an ayreement is reached on the private 

ownership of a shuttle according to Robert J. GOSS, 

president of Astrotech. The current NASA estimate for the 

purchase of a shuttle is approximately $2 billion. The 
'Iitusville Astrotech facility - at 1515 Chaffee Drive - is 

the nation's first privately owned facility for payload 

processing. [Zeorlin. THE TRIBUNE, p. SA, Mar. 28, 1984.1 

Narch 29: Wind yusts clocked at 60 myh forced Kennedy Space 

Center officials to remove dozens of technicians from the 

oceanside launch pad 39A where they were working on the 

orbiter Challenger. The midnight to 8 a.m. shift was not 

allowed on the pad, NASA spokesman Mark Hess said. Workers 

resumed most normal operations at 10 a.m., he ssid. "It was 

a precautionary measure to protect people working at heiyhts 

and trying to move around large structures,'' Hess said. The 

shuttle was not damaged, he said, and the work stoppage 

won't delay the 8:59 a.m. April 6 launch date. [Stewart and 

stanley. TWAY, p. lA, Mar. 30, 1984.1 

-23- 
APRIL 1984 

April 2: Work continued on schedule for launch as the official 

countdown begins at 3:OO a.m. EST on April 4. "h'e're in 

good shape," said NASA spokesman Mark Hess. Access to 

Playalinda Beach closed at 6:30 p.m. EST and was expected to 

reoiJen an hour after Challenyer lands on April 11. 

[Fisher. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. B-1 & €3-6, Apr. 3, 

1984.1 

<> Three days before the launch <;f shuttle mission 41-C, NASA 

spokesman Mark HeSS spoke hopefully -5 the expectatiom for 

a landing at KSC. "We're basically cloiny the same things we 

aid betore. The weather or some significant problem with 

the orbiter would be the only reasons why we'd go to 

California." Edwards Air Force Base in California 1s the 

backu2 landing site. [Stanley. TODAY, p. IA, Apr. 3, 

1984. I 

April 3: Challenger's five-member crew for mission 41-C arrive;' t 

at KSC for their April 6 launch. Skies were cloudy on their 

arrival but yood weather was predicted for the 8:59 a.m. EST 

Friaay liftoff. "I'm real excited. We've been looking 

torward to this for some time," said mission specialist 

Terry Hart afier the crew arrived from JSC in three T-38 

Jets. 

Flisht Commander ob Crippen, 46, is making his third 

shuttle flight. The other crew members are rookies - pilot 

Lick ScoDee, 44, and mission specialists James "Yx" van 

Hoften, 39; George "Pinky" Nelson, 33; and Hart, 37. 

[Fisner. THE UILANUO SENTINEL, pp. B-1 6 8-5, Apr. 4, 

1984. I 

April 4: Two West tiermans in Titusville for the launch April 6 

of the shuttle Challenyer were serimsly injured in a 

head-on collision north ot Kennedy Space Center, where they 

had hoped to get a look at the shuttle on its launch pad. 

Autnorities identified the couple as Helmut W. and 

Barbursula Seebach of Hamburg, West Germany. A Holiday Inn 

employee said the West German couple was touring Florida and 

had been in Titusville only a few hours. Tney apparently heard about the scheduled launch and wanted tc\ see it s? 1 

-24- 
they drove to Titusville from Jacksonville. Just atter 

checking in, the couple left in their rented car to get a 

look at the shdttle. The accident occdrred a short time 

later on state Road 402 near the space center. ["West 

Germans Hurt On Way to See shuttle," THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, 

p. C-10, Apr. 5, 1984.1 

April 5: boeing Services International Inc. has received a S2.8 

million contract extension from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, 

Florida, to provide support for shuttle cargo operations. 

The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract extension covers the period 

from April 1 through September 30, 1985, and brings the 

total value of the award to S4.8 million. The company will 

continue to provide technician support to aid in the 

installation and checkout of pagloads to be installed in the 

shuttle orbiter, including all Spacelab payloads. It will 

also be responsible for any modifications made to the racks 

and pallets on which spacelab experiments are loaded before 

being placed in the orbiter and for maintenance and 

modifications made to ground support equipment for the 

experiments. ["Shuttle Cargo Support Contract Extension 

tiws to tmeins Unit," AEKuSPACE DAILY, p. 206, Ayr. 5, 

1984.1 

(> Mission sixcialist James van Hoften nearly flew into trousl2 

about 8:30 a.m. EST when one engine of his T-38; jet shut 

uown wring takeoft after apparently colliding with a bira. 

Van H0fte:l nDticed a tlock of birds as he raced down the 

15,uuO-foot runway at 161miles an hour, and an instant 

later the right enyine in the twin-engine jet flamed out. 

He braked and safely stopped about a third of the way down 

the runway, where Cnallenger will land at 8:lO a.m. EST on 

April 12. bird remains were found on the nose landing gear, 

anc tecnnicians planned to remove the engine to check for 

damaye, said NASA spokesman Rocky Raab. [Pisher. THE 

OHLANM) SENTINEL, vp. A-1 6 A-8, Apr. 6, 1984.1 

<> Astrotech International Inc. opened the nation's first 

commercial space payload service at a Titusville industrial 

park where the firm will prepare satellites for flight 

aboard the shuttle. Astrotech President Robert Goss told an 

afternoon press conference he expects plenty of demand for 

the service that hASA has provided at Kennedy Space Center 

until now. "ke're confident that these facilities, and our 

expertise yained through prior participation in the U.S. 

space program, will make us an integral part of many future 

satellite launches," said A1 Hockwell, chairman and Chief 

-25- 
executive of Cyprus Corp., Astrotech's parent comGany. 

During the meeting Astrotech sigwd a formal agreement with 

NASA that calls for the space agency to provide certain 

equipment, facilities and services to Astrotech, who will 

reimburse NASA for them. Rockwell said the support and 

guidance from NASA and KSC officials was an important part 

in the project's success thus far. [Hodges. lUDAY, p. 165, 

Apr. 6, 1984.1 

<> Air Fcrce torecasters said the weather should co.>perate for 

the 8:58 a.m. EST launch of the space shuttle Chzllenger, 

although they monitored potentially troublesome winds in the 

upper atmosphere that were expected to disperse by launch 

day. Air Force forecaster Major Donald Greene predicted 

scattered clouds and yood visibility at the space center, 

but added that he is keeping close watch on the upper 

atmospheric winds that could damage the shuttle. The winds, 

measured at 70 mph at 758900 feet by weather balloons have 

been diminishing since April 4, he said. "Things are going 

well. (The weather situation) is not unusual or out of the 

ordinary," Greene said. [Fisher. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, y. 

A-1, Apr. 6, 1984.1 

4 April 6: The space shuttle Challenger made its steepest ascent 

into orbit yet with only one firing of its orbital 

maneuvering system engines and reached its highest ever 

altitude of 305 miles. The "direct insertion" of mission 

41-C launch was conducted to save fuel needed for extensive 

rendezvous and deorbit rocket firings later in the mission. 

[Jean. THE UHLANDL) SENTINEL, p. A-8, Apr. 6, 1984.1 

i> History's first satellite rescue mission 141-C) got off to a 

spectacular start as the space shuttle Challenger shct 

through cloualess blue skies and into orbit. Launch from 

Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A came exactly on time at 8:58 

a.m. EST, and followed a countdown marred only by a few 

last-minute-but minor glitches with some electronic gear 

aboard the orbiter. Some 50,001) people packed North Brevara 

to watch Challenger start its fifth space mission. Some 

slow-moving traffic was reported before and after the launch 

but no major problems occurred, accordiny to Maude LaPlante 

of the Brevard County Sheriff's kpartment. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, pp. 1A 6 14A, Apr. 7, 1984.1 

-26- 
.') Tne twin solid-fuel rockets that helped boost the space 

(L - I shuttle Cnallenger into orbit parachuted into the Atlantic 

ircean 150 miles east of Cage Canaveral and were recovered. 

NASA reported the two 19-toot rocket casinys, jettisoned 

from the shuttle after two minutes of flight, landed in the 

water within siyht ot the two waitiny recovery ships Liberty 

arid Freedom. The ships attached lines to the boosters arid 

began towing them back to Port Canaveral far refurbishment 

and use on a subsequent flight. ["Twin Boosters Are 

Recovered From Atlantic," TODAY, p. 2A, Apr. 7, 1984.1 

April 10: The space shuttle Challenger astronauts retrieved the 

orbitiny Solar Max satellite 307 miles out in space and 

returned the malfunctioning satellite to the cargo bay, 

where they regaired it on April 11. Challenyer commander 

Robert Crippen maneuvered the Challenger near the orbiting 

satellite where astronaut Terry :'art used the ship's 

50-foot-long Kemote Manipulator System to reach out and grat, 

it. The encounter marks the first retrieval of a satellite 

in sgace and opened up the possibility of widespread 

satellite retrieval missions in the future, with significant 

potential cost savings. ["Solar Max Retrieved by Shuttle ir; 

Historic Encounter," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 237, Apr. 11, 1984.1 

<) NASA spokesman said that the timing of Challenger's 

return to KSC depended on the success or failure of repair 

eftorts on the recovered Solar Max now in the orbiter's 

carso bay. If SUCC~SS~U~, Challenger would return at 8:lQ 

a.m. EST, April 13. If repair efforts fail, Challenger's 

return could be at 7:58 a.m. EST on April 12 or 13. 

(Lafferty. THE T'HIHUNE, pp. 1A & 4A, Apr. 11, 1984.1 

April 13: Veteran astronaut Robert Crippen set the Challenyer 

aown safely at Edwards Air Force Base, California, at 8:38 

a.m. EST, after Lhe landing was diverted from Kennedy due to 

poor weather. The next flight in the shuttle program, its 

twelfth, was scheduled for June 4 but was delayed two weeks 

to June 19 because of cannibalization of Discovery's 

components for Challenyer's just completed flight. 

Discovery's June launch will mark its debut as the third 

orbiter in the shuttle fleet. ["Challenger Down 

Successfully/Next Shuttle Flight June 19," DEFENSE DAILY, 

p. 258, Apr. 168 1984.1 

-27- 
April 14: The Challenger returned to Earth in better shape than 

after any previous nission following !ts race to catch and 

repair an ailing satellite, space agency officials said. 

"It's in real fine shape," ground operations manager Fritz 

Widick said at a news conference at Edwards Air Force base, 

California, as crews prepared the 98-ton shuttle for its 

return to Kennedy Space Center. "If all goes well, we plan 

to fly out Tuesday morning and no later than Wednesday." 

[TODAY Wire Services, TODAY, pp. 1A 6 20A, Apr. 15, 1984.1 

April 18: Kennedy Space Center awarded Railroad Track 

Construction Cory. (St. Augustine, Florida) a $1,224,653 

contract to maintain the space center's railroad system. 

The contract made Railroad Track Construction Cory. 

responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement ot 

the siynals, switches, rails and ties that constitute the 

Space Center's 42 miles of railroads which are operated by 

EG6ti. Kail transport is used to relocate the solid rocket 

booster seyments as well as other shuttle and industry 

relatec hardware. The cost plus fixed fee award formalizes 

a letter contract initiated in the fall of 1983 and covers 

the period from October 10, 1983, to October 9, 19154, ana 

includes an option for a one-year extension. [Varnes. 

NASA/KSC NEWS HELEASE No: 86-84, Apr. 18, 1984.1 

<> Challenger returned to Kennedy Space Center strapped to its 

747 carrier jet, five days after bad weather forcea it to 

land in California rather than Florida. The piggyback sair 

idbided at 10:09 a.m. EST after a 3-hour and 20-minute fliyht 

from Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where they 

stayed overnight. The cross-country flight began April 17 

at Eawards Air Force base in California. NASA officials 

said that the loss of time miyht delay the orbiter 

Discovery's June 1Y maiden flight by only two or three days 

rather than five or six as oriGinally estimated. No 

official rescheduling was announced. An orbital maneuvering 

system pod must be removed from Challenyer ana installed on 

Discovery. The pod was borrowed from Discovery to replace 

one that was damaged during Challenger's mission in 

February. ("Challenger Returns by Piggyback to KSC," THE 

ORLANDO SENTINEL, y. C-2, Apr. 19, 1984.1 

April 23: tuASA officials are ccnsiaering endiny as many as the 

next 11 shuttle missions at Edwards Air Force Base in 

California so the space agency can devise safer lancrinj 

methods at Kennedy Space Center. The frequency of bad 

-28- 
weatner at LSC is a main reason behind the possible switch. 

"he review these things before every mission, just to see it 

there is anything unusual" that would prohibit a KSC 

landiny, said Ron tirave, deputy manager for shuttle 

operations integration at Johnson Space Center. "It is not 

unusual for us to reconsider this type of thing." (Fisher. 

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. A-1 & A-7, Apr. 24, 1984.1 

<> Eight old launch sites at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, 

usea during the 1960s, have been designated national 

historic landmarks. The eight launcn pads - includiny 

Complex 14 where astronaut John Glenn started the first 

orbital fliyht by an American - were named landmarks by the 

Department of the Interior last week, U.S. Rep. Bill Nelson 

announced at a press conference. As national historic 

landmarks, the launch sites cannot be torn down, said Ted 

Moorehead, an aide to the Melbourne congressman. Moorehead 

said federal dollars would be provided for the pads' 

upkeep. The launch sites are: 

* Complexes S and 6, where the two manned Mercury-Hedstone 

f licjhts Se;;an. 

* Complex 26, which is part of the Air Force Museum. 

* Complex 13, where Atlas-Ayenas launched deep space 

probes. 

* Complex 14, where manned Eiercury-Altas flights 

or i .; i n a t e d . * Complex 19, where manned Gemini flights were launched. 

* Comslex 34, where Apollo-Saturn 1 and Apollo-Saturn l~ 

Earth-orbit test flights were launched. 

* And the old Mercuri mission control buildiny. 

Among those sold tor scrap were the towers at Complex 19, 

where 20 men were placed into orbit; Complex 14: and Complex 

34. The remains of Complex 26, where America's first 

satellite was launched, are in danger of rusting away. The 

push to preserve the old gantries dates back to the early 

1980s when a TODAY editorial campaign uryed they be 

designated historic sites. The last Apollo launch tower at 

Kennedy Space Center was to be sold as scrap, according to 

initial plans. Instead, a battle that lasted more than a 

year resulted in it being dismantled and stored for 

sreservation. lne Interior Department first stucliea the 

possibility of designating the entire Air Force Station a 

-29- 
national historic landmark, but chose not to because some 

parts of the station were still in user Moorehead said. 

"')Lou can't very well tunction out of a museum," he said. 

Several of the launch pads now are open to the public. 

Because parts of the Air Force Station are restricted, 

military otficials still are considering whether they can 

ogen the other launch complexes for public tours. [Thomas. 

TODAY, p. lB, Apr. 25, 1984.1 

<> Kennedy Space Center announced that it had awarded Fairchild 

weston systems, Incogs Data Systems Division (Sarasota, 

Florida) a $4,311,000 contract for the Launch Equipment 

Integration System (LEIS) to be used at Vandenberg Air Force 

Base, Calitornia. The contract calls for Fairchild Weston 

to design, assemble, install and checkout tne LEIS to be 

used in the launch control center. The LEIS consists of a 

remote control 400-channel programmable signal conditioning 

ana pulse-code modulation data acquisition system. This 

system will provide real time data to test controllers in 

the firing room. The information received will indicate the 

amount of accoustical and environmental stress occurring to 

the space shuttle, flight hardware and pad structures in 

relation to current operations at the launch pad. The LUIS 

will also provide support during shuttle quick-response 

testing solid-rocket booster stackiny operations, ana other 

launch related activities. The firm fixed price contract 

was awarded March 12, 1984, and calls for all work to be 

completed by May 1385. The equipment will be built in 

Sarasota, and aeliverea and tested by Fairchild Weston at 

Vandenberg AFB. [Varnes. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 87-84, 

Apr. 23, 1984.1 

April 24: A proposal made by manayers at Johnson Space Center 

in tiouston could aivert as many as five missions this year 

from the Kennedy Space Center, sending them to landings at 

Edwards Air Force Base in California. Eugene Kranz, 

director of shuttle mission operations at Johnson, said 

"several open issues'' need to be resolved before manayers 

feel comfortable landing the syaceplane at KSC. Those 

issues primarily revolve around KSC's notoriously unreliable 

weather. Spokesman Jim Kukowski at NASA headcjuarters in 

hashinyton cited the following as specific concerns Johnson 

enyineers say they want satisfied before pr0ceedir.g with kSC 

landings: 

* Demonstration of a satisfactory crosswind landing 

capability. The strongest crosswind the shuttle has ever 

landea in is 10 mpn, and engineers woula like to see how the 

shuttle lands in crosswinds as stronj as 18 mph. 

-30- 
* Correction of nosewheel steering deficiencies, to further 

check the shuttle's lateral control under less than ideal 

landing conditims. 

* Lemonstration of automatic landiny capability, which 

could assist in brinyiny down the spaceplane in less than 

ideal ccmdit ions. The "auto-land" system is scheduled for 

its tirst test in August at Edwards. 

* Upyradiny of weather forecasting at KSC. 

Engineers say they peter to clear up unknown landiny 

variables on the extra-long dry lakebed runways at Edwards 

rather than in the tighter confines of KSC's swampsurrounded concrete strip. KSC spokespersons said they were 

unaware of the changes beiny considered at Johnson. "Our 

principal concern is our inability to forecast the weather 

there (KSC) in our de-.orbit time," Kranz told TODAY. But he 

called manayers' proposal to re-route the next several 

flights to Edwards "a judgmental thing." Kranz also said 

that if proyram contingencies, such as a tight post-flight 

turnaround timetable, demand a KSC landing, "then we have to 

step up and accept some of those risks" entailed in a KSC 

touchdown. Landing at Edwards adds about a week to NASA's 

orbiter turnaround schedule, and costs somethiny over a 

half-million dollars extra. Modifications are being 

implemented jointly by NASA and Air Force weather watchers 

in the meteoroloyical forecasting procedures used at the 

spaceport, Kranz said. Those improvements include better 

displays tor tracking storms, a network of small reporting 

stations scattered around Kennedy to keep track of local 

weather conditions, and improved communication between KSC 

and Mission Control in Houston. As tor testiny the 

Orbiter's crosswind landing capability, Kranz said mission 

manayers will simply watch the weather at Edwards and briny 

the orbiter down on a runway experiencing the right 

conditions. "1 want to get a crosswind landing as soon as I 

can," he said. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 20A, Apr. 25, 

1984.1 

April 25: U.S. Rep. Bill Nelson charged that the Defense 

Department should help pay for a space station or a fifth 

shuttle if it expects to back out of an agreement to launch 

its payloads exclusively from the shuttle. An Air Force 

request to buy at least 10 redesiyned unmanned rockets for 

inore than $1 billion beginning in 1988 veers from U.S. 

policy that makes the shuttle the government's only launch 

vehicle after 1986, the Melbourne [Florida] Democrat said. 

The chanye would aftect financiny of the shuttle program and 

the Air Force should be forced to chip in elsewhere to make 

-31- 
29 for the loss of business, Nelson told military and space 

industry otticials at the 21st Space Conyress in Cocoa 

wach, Florida. [Fisher. THE OHLANLJO SENTINEL, pp. H-1 & 

B-8, Apr. 25, 1984.1 

(> NASA is already teeliny the pressure of increased 

competition in space and unless its operations &re 

streamlined "we're not goiny to survive," Gerald Griffin, 

director of Johnson Space Center in Houston said Wednesday 

in Cocoa Beach. The private aerospace industry in the 

United States also must become more daring if it expects to 

keep up with competition from companies and governments 

elsewhere in the world, said Dick Smith, Director of Kennedy 

space Center. Griffin, Smith and several other officials 

outlined plans for improving the shuttle program and making 

the U.s space effort more efficient during a panel 

aiscmsion at the 21st annual Space Congress. The three-day 

symposium in Cocoa Beach ends today. [Fisher. THE ORLANDO 

SENTINEL, pp. C-1 & C-5, Apr. 26, 1984.1 

April 26: NASA's dreamers want to plan a space station so 

tlexible and adaptable that its desjyn could later evolve 

into such greater wonders as a moon base, space industrial 

park or a hotel for space tourists. The design for the 

permanently manned space station also will have to be simple 

enouyh that the orbiting structure can be used by a variety 

ot businesses and several foreiyn countries, and be easily 

improved with technological advances. NASA officials, who 

have asked tor $150 million next year to start planning the 

station, shared their ideas and dreams at the last session 

of the 2lst annual Space Conyress in Cocoa Beach, Flo ida. 

They said the design work should take three years and the 

station, to be assembled in modules like "tinker toys," is 

planned for operatian by 1994. [Fisher. THE ORLANDO 

SENTINEL, pp. B-1 & B-7, Apr. 27, 1984.1 

<> Kennedy Space Center will continue to serve as the primary 

landiny site for routine shuttle missions, said U.S. Rep. 

Hill Nelson (D-Melbourne, Florida) at a news conference 

called to dispel rumors that Edwards Air Force Base, 

California, would replace KSC as the shuttle's designated 

landiny site. Nelson said he received the personal 

assurances of Jesse Moore, NASA's acting associate 

administrator for skacetlight, and Hans Mark, deputy 

administrator of NASA, that the shuttle schedule would 

remain unchanyed. "The story is untrue," Nelson said of 

reports that the next 11 fliyhts would oe scheduled for 

-32- 
\ 

Calitornia landings. "NOW there is a basic reason for 

latrdiny at KSC," Nelson said later, "and that is cost." 

Designating California as the prime landing site might 

entail dispersing part ot KSC's work force to Edwards. In 

addition ferrying the shuttle from Edwards to KSC lenythens 

the time between missions and delays the program's yoal of 

becoming economically self-sufficient. Officials at Johnson 

Space Center said earlier this week that they had proposed 

switching from KSC to Edwards until a better weather 

forecasting system was developed for K!iC and until shuttle 

landing equipment was improved. 

The NASA prass office in Washinyton repeated its earlier 

statement that it has yet to receive the request from 

Johmon. Nelson said that Edwards will be used as the 

primary landing site for experimental shuttle missions but 

thdt routine flights will continue to be scheduled for 

Kennedy landings. [ Keidy. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. A-3, 

Ayr. 27, 1984.1 

-33- 
Nay 2: The space shuttle Discovery won't land here after its 

week-lony inaugural flight in June because a dry lake bed in 

California allows more room for error for the untested 

spaceship, NASA officials said. The space agency also 

announced that the two satellites lost in February may be 

rescued during a November mission if agreements between the 

owners and insurance companies can be worked @\!to NASA 

spokesman Jim Kukowski said, ''1 don't know why" the 

Discovery landing had been oriyinally scheduled at KSC. "I 

know it sort of surprised a lot of us when KSC popped up." 

[Fisher. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. C-1, May 3, 1984.J 

Hay 3: NASA officials are negotiating to shift some space 

shuttle planniny and control work to Kennedy Space Center 

trom Johnson Space Center in Houston yradually during the 

next decade as the proyram matures. KSC Director Dick Smith 

said that details should be announced within a few months 

but the chanyes won't mean many more jobs at the space 

center. All mission control, planning and support 

operations won't be moved to KSC for "quite some time, if 

ever" because of the large amount of facilities and 

personnel involved. NASA Administrator James Beggs called 

the movcs "a change in the center of gravity of shuttle 

operations" that will take place over the next five to ten 

years. The idea has been discussed for a decade, but the 

neyotiations began recently because the shuttle proyram has 

become operational instead of experimental. More launches - 

up to 24 a year - mean a yreater focus on KSC, Smith said. 

Johnson Space Center's recent designation as headquarters 

tor development of proposed $8 billion space station is 

another factor. 

smith compared the generally increased focus on KSC to the 

haadliny of a new commercial aircraft. A desiyner or 

manufacturer such as Boeing remains heavily involved in the 

operation of a new plane during the first few years, but 

yradually the airline takes over full operation. "The 

shuttle droyram is maturing" into its own operational phase, 

Smith said. That requires streamlining operations and 

holdiny down costs and personnel to keep NASA competitive 

for payload deliveries, Smith said. "I would hope if there 

is any growth (because of the changes) it would be very 

minor," he said. Smith said officials from both centers 

still disagree on some areas but negotiations are "open and 

friendly. Cool heads prevail," he said. Griffin, who spent 

-34- 
four years until 1981 at KSC as deputy director, agreed that 

negotiations are going "pretty smoothly." Smith expects no 

dramatic changes at KSC in the next 10 years, but "it will 

be uyyraded and modernized.. .and more efficient ,I1 he said. 

"A rapid change would carry with it a substantial risk I 

think would not be prudent to take." [Fisher. THE OKLANDO 

SI-;rJ'l'INt.:L, pp. A-1 b A-10, May 4, 19841 

Hay 5: Air Force Lt. Jim Hamsey and members of the 655th 

Aerospace Test tirouy launched a model rocket at 9:34 a.m. 

ElYr to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of Alan Shepard's 

"Freedom 7" launch on May 5, 1961. The model launch 

occurred near Complex 5-6 at the Air Force Space Museum. 

"\le were thrilled to have been able to do that," Cayt. John 

London of the 6S5th said the next day. "AS our yuys were 

leaving, they were talking up a 25th anniversary and of 

doing it BIG. They'd like to yet Shepard here, and build a 

biyyer, better model - one that would go hiyher and go up 

slower." The builder of the model was Lt. Ramsey who was a 

month and half old when shepard's launch took place. The 

firiny button in the oriyinal blockhouse was used to ignite 

the model rocket motor. Captain Jim Tippins of the 655th 

ran wire from the "launch pad" through the original cable 

tray riyht up to the button on the blockhouse console 

control panel. May 1961 launch team members who were there, 

and their Jobs then include : 

Frank Childers (calibration lab), Hay Clark (ranye liaison 

otticer), Paul Donnelly (spacecraft test conducter), Hay 

Godtrey (Pan Am ranye support), Norris Gray (Pan Am fire 

chief), Walt Kapryan (spacecraft project engineer), Bob 

Murkshe (KA ranyo support), Ike Rigel1 (chief of electrical 

networks), and firing button pusher Karl Sendler (chief of 

electronics). [Salamon. TODAY, p. lB, May 8, 1984.1 

Hay 8: Minor problems in processing the new orbiter Discovery 

delayed the ShLlttle's move to the Vehicle Assembly Building 

for a few days, NASA spokesmen said. Discovery will be 

moved to the VAB May 12 to begin P' tachiny the external fuel 

tank and twin rocket boosters, NASA spokesman Dick Young 

said. A maltunctioniny yround support syslem that had to be 

replaced added to the delay in processing, Young said: he 

also said that NASA should have an FHF test date to announce 

later in the week. Depending on a successful test of the 

engines, the date for Discovery's maiden voyage will be 

confirmed; the tentative date is June 19. ["Discovery's 

Move to VAB is Postponed," TODAY, p. 4A, May 9, 1984.1 

-35- 
Hay 12: The shuttle Discovery was moved to i.ts new nest in the 

Vehicle Assembly Building after a delay of 12 1/2 hours. 

KSC workers now will begin attaching the external fuel tank 

and twin rocket boosters to the orbiter. Discovery's maiden 

voyage remains scheduled 'or a June 19 launch date - 

dependiny on a successful engine test. ["Discovery in VAB," 

TODAY, p. 20A, May 13, 1984.1 

Hay 13: Workers ran into more delays getting the new space 

shuttle Discovery ready for its maiden flight next month 

when they fell behind schedule processiny the orbiter in the 

Vehicle Asseicbly Buildiny. After its arrival in the VAB 

late on May 12, technicians were expected to beyin attachiny 

the reusable rocket plane to its tall external fuel tank and 

twin solid rocket boosters. NASA spokesman Hugh Harris said 

problems getting the shuttle's landing year firmly locked in 

place threw the schedule off ayain. [UPI, "Work on 

Discovery Meets With More Delays," THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. 

B-6, May 14, 19&4.] 

Hay 14: Weekend delays in preparing the new space shuttle 

Discovery for its maiden flight June 19 forced Kennedy Space 

Center otficials to revamp their processiny schedule, a KSC 

spokesman said. "In a practical sense, it (the rollout, from 

the VAB) won't be Thursday (May 17)," said Rocky Haab, KSC 

spoke sma n . D i sco ve ry ' s e le c t ron i c and me c ha n i c a 1 sy s t ems 

are scheduled to be tested at 7:30 a.m. EDT today, officials 

said. Afterward, three remaining tests will be rescheduled, 

Haab said. A countdown dress rehearsal with the shuttle 

crew must be squeezed into the astronauts' final traininy, 

Kaab said. A fliyht readiness firlny of the shuttle's 

engines will add to the schedlile since this is the orbiter's 

tirst flight. And the shuttle's onboard propellant tank and 

tuel storaye propellant must be put on the orbiter. The 

six-person crew scheduled to take part in the initial voyage 

are: Henry Hartsf ield, Michael Coats, Judith Resnick, 

St-:.en Hawley, Richard Mullane, and Charles Walker. ["Space 

ShLttle's Move to Launch Pad Changed Due to Orbiter Delays," 

'IWAY, p. 4A, May 15, 1984.1 

<> Air Force Undersecretary Edward C. Aldridge, Jr., smashing a 

bottle of California wine, dedicated the USA's second 

launching site for space shuttle rliyhts at Vandenbery Air 

Force Base, California. [Marshall. USA TODAY, p. 3A, May 

IS, 1984.1 

-36- 
Hay 16: The $8.5 million addition to t5e Kennedy Space Center's 

Visitors Center continued on its construction schedule and 

most of it should be ready for its opening on June 1, said 

Public Relations Manager George Meyuiar. The new complex 

houses two theaters, a second restaurant, a ticket center 

,.tiid 10,000 syuarc teet of additional exhibit space. "We had 

dusk .i tew normal colisLruction problems ,*' Meyuiar said. 

lie s,rid the center has 110 immediare plans for turther 

construction to accmmodate the almost 2 million people who 

visit the center each year. Kennedy Space Center is the 

kourth most popular tourist attraction in Florida behind 

Disney World, BLtsch Gardens and Sea World. TWA Services 

lnc. operates the Visitors Center and the bus tours. 

[Shiyley. THE THIbUNE, p. 2A, May 16, 1984.1 

Way 17: Electrical testiny problems 3n the space shuttle 

Discovery forced NASA officials to delay the new orbiter s 

rollout to the launch pad until 3:30 a.m. EDT on May 19th. 

"We have had some difficulty in the last several days with 

pins in electrical connections," said NASA spokesman Rocky 

Haab. Those elecLrica1 parts play a crucial role in 

transmitting siynals t'rom the shuttle to ground stations, he 

said. 'l'echnicians had resolved most of the problems, 

accordiny to NASA Spokesman Jim call, but more tests were 

continuing to insure Discovery's electriccl system was 

working properly. Meanwhile, a caryo proccssiny team 

prepared a communications satellite scheduled to be deployed 

from Discovery's caryo bay on the second dzy of its sevenday mission. [Minyle. TODAY, p. lA, May 18, 1984.1 

Hay 23: NASA is consideriny test-firing the Discovery's three 

main engines one day early on June 1, launch officials 

said. Crews Loadiny fuel into Discovery are workiny six to 

eiyht hours ahead of schedule. They may complete their task 

on the 24th, making it possible to move up the test-firing, 

NASA spokeswoman Leslie Vock said. The final date for the 

20-second test-firiny will be set later, Vock said. "It all 

depends on how the rest of the operation goes." Workers 

loaded propellants into reaction control system tanks and 

the orbital maneuveriny system tanks, she said. NASA 

technicians also completed final checks of Discovery's 

payloads in preparation for loading them into the cargo bay 

the day after the test-firiny. [Williams. TODAY, I>. lA, 

May 24, 1984. J 

Hay 24: Astrotech Int.ernationa1 Corp., which recently opened P 

plant in Brevard County, authorized McDonnell Douglas Cor2. 

to beyin work on the desiyn and development of the Delta 

-37- 
Transfer Staye, a new upper staye for the space shuttle, the 

company announced. Astrotech allocated an initial $1 

million to Mchnnell Douglas for the project. The two firms 

are entering into final contract negotiations and expect to 

reach a definitive ayreement within 90 days for a total 

budyet of $50 million. [Hodyes. TODAY, y. 16C8 May 25, 

1984.1 

Hay 2s: Martin Marietta Aerospace Cory. (Denver, Colorado) 

was awarded a $3.7 million NASA contract for a new 

communications system ;inking the space shuttle's Launch 

Complex 39's facilities. Additionally, the company received 

a $2.7 million contract to extend the new system to the 

industrial area at Kennedy Space Center. [Kassak. TODAY, 

p. 18C, May 26, 1984.1 

Uay 29: Businessland Corp. (Merritt Island, Florida) won a 

$147.786 NASA contract to sugply small computers for Various 

work stations at Kennedy Space Center. The computers will 

help to reduce the enyineering workload of KSC's main 

computer by shifting some of the job to desktop units. The 

small Computers will allow local transmission of text and 

data, which can either be processed by them or relayed to a 

main-frame computer. [Kassak. TODAY, y. 14C, May 30, 

1984.1 

<> Kennedy Space Center workers directed the space shuttle 

Liiscovery throuyh a rehearsal ot engine tests in preparation 

tor a real exam later this week to determine the orbiter's 

launch date. The 2:4Y p.m. EDT simulation went "fine" and 

was completed without incident, said NASA's Rocky Raab. The 

Flight Readiness Test is designed to detect flaws that could 

hinder a launch, NASA officials said. "If there are any 

buys in the system, it gives you a charice to work them out," 

said NASA spokesman Jim Ball, adding the flight test is 

basically a "confidence run." [Mingle. TODAY, p. 6A, May 

30, 1984.1 

Hay 31: Citing equipment problems, NASA postponed two 1984 

shuttle fliyhts until early 1985, leaviny five missions for 

this year. The schedule will be further adjusted after a 

test-firiny of Discovery's engines on June 2, when the space 

ayency will set a final date for the orbiter's first fliyht 

in late June. NASA postponed the second fliyht of spacelab 

from November to January, and the launch of the second 

-38- 
'l'rsckiny and Data Kelay Satellite from December to 

February. The latest delays were mainly due to malfunctions 

in two types of booster enyines that send satellites into 

hiyher orbit atter they are released froin the shuttle, said 

NASA spokesinan bavc Garrett froin Washinyton. Problems with 

thc8 boosters, cal Led liwrtial Upper Stayes and Payload 

Assist Modules, "really played havoc with some ot our 

scheduliny," Garrett said. The new schedule shows that 

paylaads have been reshuffled to work around the 

availability of booster engines and various time 

constraints. Garrett played down the financial impact of 

the changes. "I don't think it's a big setback for us. We 

have (just) done some juggling around with our schedule." 

[Fisher. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p3. A-1 & A-7, June 1, 

1~4 . 1 

-39- 
JUNE 1981 

June I: Fairchild Weston Systems Inc. (Sarasota, Florida) won a 

$3.8 million NASA contract for the delivery, installation, 

checkout and test ot a permanent measurement data 

acyuisition system for Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy 

Space Center. The new system is a replacement of the 

current acoustic system used duriny the Apollo launches. 

(Kassak. TODAY, p. 16C, Jun. 2, 1984.1 

June 2: The test-firing of Discovery's three main enyines was 

declared the most successtul of any shuttle, although an 

analysis of test results were not expected to be completed 

before June 4th. The 18-second test at launch pad 39-A took 

place at 11:Ol a.m. Em. Restrained by hold-down posts, the 

shuttle lifted slightly off the pad before dropping back in 

place. When the enyines were cut, the Discovery rocked for 

about a minute, settling at a northward tilt of about 1 

foot, said Launch Manager Robert Sieck. The tilt - known as 

the "twany effect" - normally follows initial engine thrust, 

and corrects itself, Sieck said. NASA spokesman Rocky Haab 

said launch managers planned to set a firm date for 

Discovery's maiden fliyht by the morning of June 5th. 

Thomas Utsman, director of shuttle management and 

operations, said preliminary data showed no leaks or 

equipment failures, and that, the test countdown went 

smoothly. "I think it shows the maturity of the hardware," 

Lie said. [Shimabukuro. TODAY, pp. 1A & 2UA, Jun. 3, 1984.) 

June 4: National Park Service officials said they will switch 

alignments of State Road 402 and a nearby railroad track to 

keep Playalinda Beach open 75 percent of the time despite 

stepped-up space shuttle launches. But unless alternative 

fundiny is found, the chanye cannot be completed before 

1991. 

The beach, part of the Canaveral National Seashore, is on 

NASA property. S.K. 402 reaches the beach in the middle of 

NASA's 3-mile security zone around the shuttle launch pad. 

A NASA announcement earlier this year that the beach may be 

closed premanently to the public by 198M as space shuttle 

launches increase was yreeted by public outcry. 

[McLaughlin. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. B-1, Jun. 5, 1984.1 

-40- 
ib PJASA officials pushed back this week's planned launch of an 

.;\tlas Centaur expendable rocket. They also hedged on 

setting a firm date tor the maiden liftoff of the Discovery 

later in June. Sources at NASA Headquarters in Washinyton 

said, however, that June 21 or June 22 were likely dates for 

Discovery's departure, with June 22 the more probable launch 

date. officials now have set departure of the expendable 

Atlas Centaur and its payload from Cape Canaveral Air Force 

Station's pad 368 tor 7:03 p.m. EDT June 9. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, p. lA, Jun. 5, 1984.1 

June 5: Although some technical buys have yet to be worked out, 

NASA officials said the space shuttle Discovery sill debut 

with a Kennedy Space Center launch at 8:43 a.m. EST Friday, 

June 22. The shuttle is scheduled to land Friday, June 29, 

at 6:35 a.m. PDT at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 

But NASA officials also said the launch date would be 

reassessed in about a week, when the full r-sults of June 

2's flight readiness test have been analyzed. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, p. lA, Jun. 6, 1984.1 

June 6: Kennedy Space Center Tours, known for years by millions 

o€ visitors to Am;:rica's best-known space center, is no 

more. The oryanization - owned and operated by TW Services 

Inc. (also known as TWA Services) - goes on, but under a new 

name: NASA Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA. 

[Yacenda. TODAY, p. 2B, Jun. 7, 1984.1 

June 8: Replacement of one of three main engines fcrced NASA 

officials to delay Discovery's inaugural flight by at least 

three days. Ayency officials announced the mission would 

depart from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than June 25, 

pushed back trom the June 22 date announced June 5. Shuttle 

managers decided this morning to replace the No. 1 engine 

after a heat shield attached to a preburner device on the 

enyine was found to be partially debonded. Officials said 

work began right away to change out the engine and will 

continue night and day throughout the weekend. Officials, 

do not plan to ccnduct another test firing of Discovery's 

main enyines prior to launch. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A 6 

16A, Jun. 9, iY84.1 

June 9: The $30 million INTELSAT V satellite was lost in space 

following a perfect launch atop an Atlas-Centaur rocket from 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASA officials were 

-41- 
unable to pinpoint the cause of the failure that sent the 

IkTELSAT V-P9 spacecraft into a severe tumble prior to 

restart of the second stage Centaur engine. Initial 

indications pointed to restart of the second stage Centaur 

engine. Allan McCaskill, IMTELSAT launch vehicle program 

mariayer, said there was nothiny that could be done to save 

the satellite, which never separated from the Centaur stage 

and wound up tumbling in a useless orbit of 32 miles by 765 

miles in altitude. 'We're disappointed, not crippled,' 

McCaskill said about the affect of the satellite's loss on 

INTELSAT's international telephone and television 

broadcasting operations. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 20A, 

Jun. 10, 1984.1 

June 10: Investigations into why a $3U million international 

communications satellite tumbled out of control focused on a 

new control system flown for the first time. The system 

consists of 14 small jets intended to keep the upper staye 

of the Ptlas-Centaur booster rocket flying straight. Launch 

conductor Skip Mackey said that fuel filter in one ot the 

jet thrusters may have become clogged, causing the Centaur 

and the attached Intelsat 5 satellite to spin out of control 

23 minutes atter it was launched the night of June 9. Allan 

McCaskill of the International Satellite Communications 

Organization said "nothing can be done to salvage" the 

satellite. It was the first satellite launch tailure since 

September 1977 when another Atlas-Centaur malfunctioned. 

[Associated Press. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. 8-4, Jun. 11, 

1984. J 

June 11: NASA officials, pleased with the weekend transfer of a 

new main engine to the shuttle Discovery, began testiT.9 Lhe 

mechanical and electrical connections for the three main 

engines. The "new" main engine came to Discovery from its 

sister ship Challenger . 

Technicians also completed testing of mechanical and 

electrical connections between the shuttle and two of its 

major cargoes, a Navy SynCom 4 satellite and a pallet 

carrying a solar panel that will be extended to 105 feet in 

length in space. KSC spokesman Mark Hess said managers 

planned to close Discovery's yavload doors for the last time 

before flight early June 12. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 4A, June 

12, 1984.1 

-42- 
June 12: Kennedy Space Center expanded its existing contract 

with the PRC Systems Services Co. (Cocoa Beach, Florida) by 

engineering support for the Directorate of Enyineering 

Development tor tuture shuttle programs, Centaur programs, 

and multi-programs that include drafting and illustration, 

cost estimation and special studies associated with mission 

spaco developments. The contract expansion provides 56 

additional man-years of services in support of the 

Department of Defense's operating requirements at Vandenberg 

Air Force Base in California, Kennedy Space Center, and the 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The new award brings the 

aggregate value of the overall contract to $40,806,682. The 

basic contract period extends from October 1, 1983, through 

September 30, 1984. [Peebles. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 

117-84, Jun. 12, 1984.1 

7 -./ $3,114,227. Under the basic contract, YRC provides 

June 13: A communications satellite, a solar panel and a large 

camera were secured in space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay 

as the crew prepared for a practice countdown. The 

rehearsal is scheduled for a practice on June 14. Commander 

Henry Hartsfield and pilot Michael Coats practiced landings 

in a jet outfitted to handle like the shuttle. The other 

crew members, mission specialists Judy Resnik, Steve Hawley 

and Richard Mullane and payload specialist Charles Walker, 

reviewed flight plans for the mission, scheduled for June 

25.. [Associated Press. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. C-5, Jun. 

14, 1984.1 

June 14: A dress rehearsal countdown test with Discovery's sixperson crew aboard went off with only minor problems. Mock 

main engine ignition came three minutes late when a software 

glitch temporarily shut down the count at about T-4 

minutes. "1 think we're very fortunate. We have a great 

crew. We had a good time training. And we're ready to yo," 

commented mission specialist Judith Resnik whose fliyht will 

make her the second Amercian wanan to yo into space. Hank 

Hartsfield, commander for this 12th shuttie mission (Flight 

41-D) had some strorig remarks to make about the designated 

landiny site at Edwards Air Force Base, California. "That's 

where I wanted to land for the first flight of all new 

vehicles." 

Passing ligntning storms delayed the astronauts meeting with 

media representatives at the foot of launch pad 39A where 

Discovery stands. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 17A, Jun. 15, 1984.1 

-43- 
June IS: NASA has named a Failure Review Board to investigate 

the Atlas-Centaur 62 launch that failed to place an Intelsat 

communications satellite into the proper orbit on Jutie 98 

1984. Dr. Milton A. Silveira, NASA's Chief Engineer, NASA 

Headyuarters, will head the investiyative board. J. Robert 

Lany , head of Hyperyol ic Systems Sect ion, Fluid Systems 

Division at KSC was named to the FRB. Named to the 

Contractor's Investigation Team was James L. Womackr who has 

responsibi 1 i ty for controlling Data/Facil it ies at Kennedy : 

he is Chief of Centaur Operations Division. [Kukowski and 

Yeto. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 84-79, Jun. 15, 1984.1 

June 18: Discovery will make its maiden flight on June 258 NASA 

officials decided during an all-day meeting. Launch time 

tor the fliyht is set for 8:43 a.m. EDT from KSC's pad 3YA. 

"There was no change. It still looks good for the 25thr" 

KSC chief spokesman Hugh €!arris said. "Everyone looks ready 

to support a launch date on the 25th." Mark Hess, another 

spokesman, reported that preparations were proceeding onschedule for the planned liftoff. Under the current 

schedule, the terminal countdown should pick up at 3 a.m. 

EDT on the 23rd with the call to stations for the six-member 

launch team. ["Discovery to Launch as Scheduled," TODAY, 

p. lA, Jun. 19, 1984.) 

June 20: The Martin Marietta Aerospace Michoud Division in New 

Orleans earned a superior performance rating by NASA for its 

space shuttle launch processing work which includes 

srocessing the shuttle's external tanks and operating the 

propellant tacilities at Kennedy Space Center. NASA also 

recoynized Martin Marietta for its effective administration 

and business systems. [Kassak. TODAY, p. 14c8 Jun. 20, 

1984.1 

<> "Space," the movie based on James Michener's bestsellinq 

novel, will be filmed on location at Kennedy Space Ceriter 

next month. Paramount Network Television Productions has 

reserved rooms at the Holiday Inn in Cocoa Beach from July 

24 for 25 production crew and cast members, who will be 

filminy scenes for the upcoming movie "Space," starring 

James Garner. Directed by Lee Philips and Joseph Sargent, 

the $35 million made-tor-television movie will be aired on 

CHS in early 1985, said Gillian Reef, Paramount Pictures 

pubt icist. The tive-part mini-series is an adaptation of 

Clicherier's novel detailing the lives of fictional people 

involved in the American space program from World War I1 to 

1973, Reef sai *. [Smith. THE TRIBUNE, pp. 1A & SA, Jun. 

20, 1984.1 

-44- 
June 21: Forecasters predicted that the weather for the maiden 

launch of Discovery will be yood on June 25. Technicians 

loaded the last ordnance, or small explosives needed for 

tlight safety and vehicle separation tanks on Discovery. 

The launch pad sound-suyyression system, which dumps 300,000 

yallons ot water atop the launch pad just prior to enyine 

iynition, also was readied. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 5A, Jun. 

22, 1984.1 

<> Manpower makes up a larye portion of the space center's 

budyet, and 90 percent of KSC's budget goes to the local 

economy, Center Director Richard Smith, told local business 

leaders at a community breakfast recently at the KSC 

Visitors Center. Smith briefed the business representatives 

on space shuttle operations, the Expendable Vehicles 

Program, and the role that KSC would play in the development 

of the Space Station. ["KSC Budget Benefits Area," STAR 

GAZER, p. 6, Jun. 21, 1984.1 

June 22: Four of the five men and the one woman scheduled to 

fly aboard Discovery on the 25th arrived at KSC at 4:05 

p.m. EDT Friday, completing a three-hour flight from 

Houston's Ellinyton Air Force Base in their T-38 jet 

trainers. The sixth member of the crew, payiny passenyer 

Charles Walker, had flown in about two hours earlier aboard 

a laryer Gulfstream I1 Shuttle Training Aircraft. "AS far 

as I know, everything is going well with the flight," said 

mission commander Henry Hartsfield, Jr., immediately after 

touching down at KSC's shuttle runway. "Last I heard, the 

bird was in yood shape," he said. ''1 can tell you one 

thiny. The crew's ready to go. They've been nipping at my 

heels for the last year. Now they're seeiny the end in 

siyht. And they're really ready to go." Hartsfield said 

the crew "fought the thunder storms" for awhile on the way 

from Houston. "But we manayed to stave our way through," he 

added. 

All other elements preceding start of the terminal countdown 

were advanciny smoothly, after engineers encountered and 

resolved difficulties with Discovery's two on-board mass 

memory computer units. One of the critically important 

units had to be replaced with a spare wh?n tests revealed it 

had a hardware problem. The replacement unit checked out 

fine, but then the orbiter's second memory unit began 

performing inconsisteitly. Enyineers said they understand 

the problem sufficiently well to know that it poses no 

tliyht hazard. Program managers decided to fly with the 

unit as it is, officials said. Other final preparations 

-4 5- 
prior to picking up the count included purging reactants 

from Discovery 's electricity-producing fuel cells, and 

installation of tlight doors on the forward skirt sections 

of the shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters. Final 

preparations were also performed on two of Discovery's major 

cargoes. Technicians charged the batteries on the Navy 

telecommunications satellite that the shuttle is scheduled 

to terry into space. And a device that will process 

biological materials during the mission was flushed out. 

Walker will operate that device, called a Continuous Flow 

Electrophoresis System, for McDonnell Douglas during his 

stay aboard the Discovery. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 12A, 

Jun. 23, 1984.1 

June 23: Computer Specialties Inc. (Melbourne, Florida) won a 

NASA maintenance contract for the IBM Personal Computers 

which will be installed at various locations at Kennedy 

Space Center. [Kassak. TODAY, p. 8C, Jun. 23, 1984.1 

June 24: Shuttle program managers said they are looking at two, 

and possibly more, alternative shuttle landing sites in 

Florida, and tliyht yroyrams could be developed to use them 

by February. Shuttle Operations Manager Glytin Lunney said 

otficials were looking at Cecil Naval Air Station in 

Jacksonville, about 160 miles north of Kennedy Space Center, 

as the primary backup site. Also under consideration is 

Homestead Air Force Base near Homestead, south of Miami, 

about 250 miles from the spaceport. Other alternatives, 

including MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Orlando 

International Airport, and Miami International, were looked 

at, but probably would be rejected because of iocation or 

conflict with civilian air traffic. Shuttle Proyram 

Operations Manager Jay Honeycutt said alternative flight 

plans could be developed and put into fliyht comyuter 

programs as early as C'ebruary. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 

8A, Jun. 25, 1984.1 

<> A private plane tlew into the restricted area at the pad 

where Discovery stood ready for launch. It was intercepted 

by a NASA security helicopter and trailed until it was out 

ot the vicinity of Kennedy Space Ceiiter. The plane, a blue 

and white Cessna 140, was seen at 9 a.m. EUT flyiny up the 

Atlantic Ocean beach from south to north, only 10 to 20 feet 

above the water - a technique used by drug runners to evade 

radar, spokesman Hugh Harris said. The helicopter flew 

within ZU0 feet of the intruder to get an accurate 

-46- 
identification, and followed it to a point north of Daytona 

Beach. Law enforcement authorities were notified. [AP. 

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. A-4, Jun. 25, 1984.1 

June 2s: NASA officials carefully monitored chanyiny weather 

patterns on the 24th but predicted clear skies for today's 

8:43 a.m. EUT debut ot Discovery. "Things look quite well" 

at the pad, said Jesse Moore, actiig chiet of the shuttle 

proyram. "The processing is going great. The crew is 

ready, the cargo is ready and the only concern is with the 

weather." A front moving into the Cape Canaveral area from 

the west on the niyht before launch was expected to bring 

dry weather and a few clouds, said Air Force forecaster 

Capt. Art Thomas. HOWeVer, if it rained during the night it 

could have left enouyh moisture in the air :o trigger early 

morniny fog, he said. Weather at contingency landing sites 

around the world indictated no problems, said Thomas. 

[Fisher. THE UHLANOO SENTINEL, py. A-1 ti A-4, Jun. 25, 

1984. I 

<> The debut of the shuttle Discovery was scrubbed just nine 

minutes before liftoEt: and technicians worked into the niyht 

to prepare it €or launch on the 26th. NASA officials 

reschedulad the mission to start at 8:43 a.m. EDT but warned 

that meetiny the timetable would depend on the weather and 

an analysis of why the backup computer malfunctioned. The 

computer was replaced with one pulled from the Challenger, 

which was in a space center hangar undergoing preparations 

for a mission in November. 

NASA officials estimate that each day's delay costs from 

$l.S million to $2 million. The launch-day problem arose 

with a glitch that was detected with 32 minutes left in the 

countdown. When a more serious failure came 10 minutes 

later, officials realized the problem was major. NASA 

officials decided they couldn't pinpoint the problem and fix 

it within the 43-minute launch window and called it quits. 

"It was pretty much unanimous," said rom Utsman, director of 

shuttle operations and management. "1 don't know of anybody 

who would have felt comfortable flying today." [Fisher. 

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. A-1 & A-6, Jun. 26, 1984.1 

June 26: With two of Discovery's three enyines already ignited, 

a computer system sensed engine trouble and stopped the 

spaceplane's first launch just four seconds from liftoff. 

Hydrogen fumes beneath the untried orbiter then ignited in 

-47- 
three short bursts but the flames were doused quickly by an 

automatic water spray. The five men and one woman in the 

"not in any danyer," NASA officials said. Commander Henry 

Hartstield said, "There was never any yreat apprehension or 

concern among the crew," althouyh they "were prepared to 

bail out" and slide down a 1,200-foot escape wire in 

baskets. 

crew, strapped on thtir backs 140 feet above the fire, were ., 

"The crew was very quiet" duriny the action, said 

Hartstield, SO, who piloted the fourth mission. "We kdre 

all just listening to the communications loop and the launch 

team kept us very much aware of what was happening. There 

was never any yreat apprehension or concern." Hartsfield 

said the crew was "very interested in the conversations 

concerning the fire. We were prepared to bail out if 

necessary." Utsman said the ground launch crew "acted with 

dispatch in a cool and professional manner. I think the 

crew was not in any danyer" that had not been planned for, 

Utsman said. If the emergency systems had not been in place 

and working "it could have been a very dangerous situation 

for the crew." Mission planners said their monitors 

indicated the danyer at the pad wasn't serious enough to 

evacuate the crew using the emeryency baskets. They are 

desiyned to take astronauts from the top of the launch tower 

to the safety of a concrete bunker. Crew members were 

released tor the weekend while technicians sorted out the 

problems. But early afternoon Judy Resnik, 35, and Steve 

Hawley, 32, were on a plane for Houston. 

NASA ofticials said they aren't sure what malfunctioned and 

whether it was a problem with the fuel valve or the first 

computer channel. Workers will probably have to remove the 

enyine heat shield, make the necessary repairs, check and 

fix any water or other damaye, reattach the shield and yo through another 2 1/2-day countdown, NASA officials said. 

Utsman said he didn't think the failure reflected badly on 

the shuttle because it was the first orbiter-related problem 

since the enyine leaks early last year postponed the debut 

of Challenger for two months. "We have launched six in a 

row, I believe, without a hitch," he said. "I would hope 

that our customers would realize again that as in any new 

venture we're going to have failed components." [Fisher. 

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. A-1 & A-6, Jun. 27, 1984.1 

> Preliminary work to yet Discovery ready for another launch 

a t Le mp t began a 1 most immediate ly fo 1 low i ny the shut t le ' s 

aborted Liftoff. Hut most of the early work had to do with r 

-48- 
what is termed "safiny" operations - makiny the pad secure 

tot- turthcr work, scheduled to begin on the 27th. Shortly 

dtter the Launch was stopped, workers drained the shuttle's 

external tank of halt a million gallons ot super-cold liquid 

hydroyen and liquid oxygen. Residual propellants in the 

tank were allowed to boil off overniyht. At 4 porn., the 

rotating stlrvice structure, which rolls forward to surround 

and protect the orbiter on the pad, was put back in place. 

[Yacenda. TODAY, p. 12A, Jun. 27, 1984.1 

<, 1'WA Services Inc. opened the 440-seat IMAX theater in the 

Visitors Center at Kennedy Space Center. Stottler, Stagg 6 

Associates (Cape Canaveral, Florida) designed both the IMAX 

theater and the center's 500-seat Galaxy theater which is 

scheduled to open in October. Both theaters will be used 

for multi-media presentations, press conferences and film 

demonstrations of actual launches. The project represents a 

portion of the center's $8.5 million expansion program. 

[Kassak. TODAY, p. 14C, Jun. 27, 1984.1 

June 27: When the space shuttle Discovery deploys its solar 

panel duriny the course of its 41-D mission, the panel will 

join some 5,261 other man-made objects in space: 

De sc r i p t ion Number 

Urbi t iny debris 3,799 

Deep-space probes 59 

Deep-space debris 56 

Orbiting satellites 1,347 

[Loeb. USA TODAY, p. lA, May 29, 1984.1 

<> NASA officials now believe the Discovery won't be taking its 

tirst trip into space before July 16. The delay, forced by 

the aborted launch on the 26th, also means Discovery's 

second mission will be postponed, officials said. 

Technicians continued tests to determine what halted the 

launch. Technicians tested the No. 3 engine's main fuel 

valve, although enyineers still don't know if the problem 

was with the valve or - considered more likely - a computer 

command to the valve. Additional checks for water and heat 

darnaye to the craft were also proceeding, although NASA said 

there appeared to be little damaye done to the vehicle by 

the aborted launch or the brief but intense pad fire that 

followed. officials decided to open the cargo bay doors to 

check for water. KSC spokesman Hugh Harris said that (on 

the 29th) main fuel valve checks would continue and all 

-49- 
three enyine heat shields would be removed to inspect 

thermal blankets for water and to test enyine components. 

[Yaconda. TODAY, p. 14A, Jun. 29, 1984.1 
JULY 1984 

July 2: Failure to launch Discovery on its maiden mission 

(41-D) marked the first turnaround following a scrub eftet. 

main engine iynition. The yeneric scrub/turnaround plan 

calls for a 14-day interval before another launch is 

attempted, but that plan can be adapted to specific 

missions. As of late last week, it was undetermined if the 

valve failure was caused by a software oroyram or a hardware 

fault, ard NASA had not rescheduled a lau,ich date. 

[Kolcurn. AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, p. 16, Jul. 2, 

1984.1 

<> Engineers located a problem that may have b?en responsible 

tor the June 26 aborted launch of Discovery. The probler, 

uncovered by troubleshooting activities in the past few 

days, concerns a small area of loose insulation found on a 

sutjer-cold liquid hydrogen fuel line leading to the No. 3 

main engine, officials said. Engineers believed that inert 

yaseous nitrogen pumped into the enyine compartment prior to 

launch to prevent fire may have condensed to a liquid state 

due to contact with the bare line. The liquified nitroyen 

then could have dripped down onto a hydraulic device - 

called an actuator - that opens the nain fuel valve leading 

to the No. 3 engine, freezing it into place. The loosened 

insulation was found on the flange of the engine's lowLJressure tuel pump, which handles liquid hydrogen at a 

temperature of minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit. Testing at a 

contractor tacility, Hydraulic Research, Textron in 

Valencia, California, indicated that the loose insulation 

could have been a factor in the aborted launch. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, p. lA, Jul. 3, 1984.1 

July 3: Kennedy Space Center workers installed a replacerent enyine wh le technicians discovered a leaky hydraulic pump 

tittiny on Jne of the craft's three auxiliary power units. 

The pump on the No. 3 auxiliary power unit dill be replaced 

toward the end of the week, and sk,ould not further hinder 

Discovery's already delayed first launch, said KSC spokesman 

Jim Hall. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 10A, Jul. 4, 1984.1 

- 51- 
July 4: officials at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 

Air Force Station will help launch the upcoming television 

mini-series "Space" in mid-July. James Garner and other 

stars of the $35 million yroducLion of "Space" are scheduled 

to film portions of the movie July 22-31 at the Mercury 

Control Center at KsC and at the Air Force Space Musecm on 

Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, officials 

said. Based on the novel by James Michener and produced by 

Parsmount Network Television Productions, the five-part 

13-hour television movie will give a fictional account of 

the American space program from post-World War I1 through 

19738 said Gillian Hees, Paramount publicist. Ed Harrison, 

a NASA public relatims officer, said arranyements have been 

made to allow Paramount crews to film inside the Mercury 

Control Center, last used duriny the actual launch for the 

Gemini IV mission in 1964. [Smith. THE TRIBUNE, p. 2A, 

JUl. 4, 1984.) 

July 5: KSC workers completed the installation of the No. 3 

enyine and began testing it immediately thereafter said 

KSC spokeswoman Weida Tucker-Brewinyton. Amony the first 

checks planned for the new engine include proyramming the 

shuttle's mass memory computer to instruct the No. 3 enyine 

control computer to open the motor's main fuel valve. The 

failure of that valve during the June 26 launch attempt 

forced a fliyht computer to shut down all three main enyines 

just as they were beginning to ignite. Results of that test 

could be a major factor ir, provram managers' selection of a 

target launch date. Additional electrical and mechanical 

tests, as well as critical leak checks, will follow. The 

checks will further certify the new engine's flightreadiness, NASA said. 

Inspections inside and outside Discovery so far have 

revealed no evidence of water damage as a result of attempts 

to extinyuish the hydrogen fires that broke out under 

Discovery following the aborted liftoff, Tucker-Brewington 

said [Yacenda. TUDAY, I>. 13A, Jul. 6, 1984.1 

July 6: Kennedy Space Center spokesman Jim Ball said sork crews 

have been instructed to prepare for a possible rollback of 

tfie shuttle from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly 

Building. Such a rollback might be required to ready the 

craft for a different mission than it was to begin last 

week. 

-52- 
"There has been no decision as far as I know," KSC chief 

spokesman Hugh Harris said. "We do a lot of advance 

planning that says, 'what do we do this way or another...' 

LJhenever you have several options, you take your pick and 

dtbcide which way it will yo." Harris said a rollback would 

''not necessarily" bc required it a major switch is made in 

Che shuttle's cargo. That may be possible to do on launch 

pad 39A, where Discovery now sits, Ha-ris said. [Yacenda. 

I'ODAY, p. SA, JUl. 7, 1984.1 

<> -About '200 aerospace wwkers walked off the job earlier this 

week at Cape Canavrral Air Force Station in a strike against 

a lA5A contractor, General Dynamics, and Kennedy Space 

Center ofticinls said the strike would have no immediate 

effect on any NASA projects. The strike began when 4,400 

Gzneral Dynamics employees - who are represented by the 

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace 

Workers - voted to reject a company proposal to replace a 

contract which expired April 29. Negotiations began March 

!L. It is the first strike against Convair since 1960. 

[Williams. TODAY, p. 14C, Jul. 6, 1984.1 

July 7: A microscopic, broken wire in a backup computer forced 

NASA to scrub the tirst launch of Discovery on June 26, a 

spokesman for the computer's manufacturer said. The broken 

wire was an inteyrated circuit within one of the Discovery's 

five identical computers, which control all the ship's 

tunctions, includiny communications, naviyation and 

guidance, said Joe Militano, Spokesman for International 

rusiness Machines. "Engineers isolated the problem to ail 

opening in an inteyrated circuit in a memory core unit in 

the computer's input-output processor," Militano said. 

Jim Ball, a spokesman for Kennedy Space Center, said knowing 

what caused the delayed launch is interesting - but it will 

not have any impact on the shuttle's next liftoff date, 

which is scheduled to be announced on July 9. "We were 

hopeful we would yet an explanation for what happened," Ball 

said. "But it doesn't have a lot of impact an us." ["Bad 

Computer Wire Forced Discovery's First Liftoff Setback," 

TODAY, p- 1A, JUl. 8, 1984.1 

July 9: Workers continued goiny throuyh the motions of 

preparing the yet-to-fly Discovery for its first launch, but 

NASA officials declined to set a new launch date for the 

craft. Indications point toward a late-August launch, with 

-53- 
a mission combining cargo from what was to be the June 

officials said Discovery would not be launched before July 

16. 

flight and a second fliyht slated for August 29. Earlier, # 

One of the customers for the second mission, Satellite 

Business Systems lnc. said NASA has asked how early their 

satellite could be ready and were told August 20. SBS 

officials said they had no idea what NASA would decide, but 

a company informational handout said: "NASA is currently 

planning to combine the first and second Discovery fliyhts 

tor a mission on August 20, 21, 22 or 23." Meanwhile, 

workers beyan a daylong series of tests checking Discovery's 

three main enyines tor leaks. (Yacenda. TOUAY, p. lA, 

Jul. 10, 1984.1 

<> NASA's Kennedy Space Center plans to issue RFP's this month 

to McDonnell Douglas Technical Services Co. for Spacelab 

launch site operations and for planning, developing and 

operating Space Shuttle Cargo Integration Test Equipment 

(CITE). The former work will include operating and 

processing the Spacelab enGineering wde1 and fli~ht 

hardware and overall project management of the Spacelab 

project at KSC. ["McDonnell to tiet RFPs for Spacelab 

Operations/CITE," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 30, Jul. 9, 1984.1 

July 10: The Internat imal Brotherhood of Teamsters formally 

launched its camyaiyn to represent the 600 tcj 700 employees 

ot Lockheed Space Operations Co., the prime contractor at 

Kennedy Space Center. Culminating a five-month effort, 

Teamsters Local 385 in Orlando filed a petition with the 

National Labor Relations mard asking it to conduct an 

election among Lockheed employees, who process space shuttle 

orbiters for reuse by NASA. 

The organizational effort is aimed at electrical and 

mechanical technicians and quality-control workers employed 

by Lockheed when the company replaced Rockwell as prime 

shuttle processing contractor iast October. [Michael. THE 

URLANW SENTINEL, pp. D-1 & D-2, Jul. 11, 1984.1 

July 12: Hughes Aircraft Co. officials confirmed they are 

cxk)anding their glans for their Titusville, Florida, 

satellite assembly plant, doubliny the anticipated iiui,iber of 

employees to 1600. The company last year announced plans to 

-54- 
build a 360,000-square-foot satellite testing and assembly 

complex on 370 acres it owns on the northeast corner of 

U.S. 1 and SR 405. The need for about 800 employees was 

estimated once the company beyan operations. There miyht be 

i~ delay in the anticipated 1986 start-up for the facility 

accordiny to division President Dr. Albert "Hud" Wheelon. 

(Williams. WOAY, 16Ct JUl, 13, 1YS4.J 

<> Uiscovery will stay yrounded until at least Auyust 248 when 

it is scheduled to fly Garryiny caryo merged from two 

separate missions, NASA officials said. Acting Shuttle 

proyram chief Jesse W. Moore said the new fliyht plan should 

preserve NASA's launch schedule for the rest of the year. 

"We believe we have a solution here that maximizes customer 

requirements,' Moore said in Washington, D.C. "This plan 

puts the yroyram back on schedule by October 1," Moore said. 

Beginning October 1, the agency has plans to launch one 

shuttle mission each month. 

NASA wniild have announced a combined mission earlier, but a 

key satellite booster rocket made by Mcbnnell Uouylas 

failed a test July 9, casting doubts on two potential 

payloads. 

But Mcbnnell Douglas spokeswoman Susan Flowers said the 

test of the rocket's nozz;e went "well beyond" the length of 

maximum stress in actual usaye and the erosion seen was 

"we11 within" normal limits, The test results, therefore, 

"were not expected" to affect planned satellite deployments, 

Flowers said. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. lA, Jul. 13, 1984.1 

July 13: Kenned) Space Center workers completed the first step 

for removing the space shuttle Discovery from launch pad 

39A. KSC spokesman Jim Ball said technicians completed 

disconnecting the major cargoes that were supposed to fly on 

Discovery in late June and planned to transfer those 

payloads to the change-out room within the pad's rotating 

service structure in the evening. Rollback to the VAE3 was 

expected to beyin at 6 a.m., July 14th. [Yacenda. TODAY, 

p. 5.1, Jul. 14, 1984.1 

-55- 
<> An ayreement was reached that could end tke ll-day strike by 

4,200 General Dynamics' Convair Division workers involved in 

the nation's cruise missile proyrams, union and company 

officials said. About 200 aerospace workers walked off the 

job at Cape Canaveral Air Force StatLcn. &ut both General 

lynamics and Kennedy Space Center officials said at that 

time the strike would have no immediate effect on any NASA 

krojects. The 200 local Convair employees work on Atlas 

Centaur rockets, but the walkout had no eft'ect on the 

already-delayed launching of the space shuttle Discovery, 

said NASA spokesman Huyh Harris. ["Convair Division's 

ll-Day Walkout Nearing Solution," TODAY, p. 8C, Jul. 14, 

1984 . 1 

July 14: Discovery beyan its 3 1/2-mile trip from its launch 

pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building aboard the crawler 

transyorter at 5:35 a.m. EDT. The six-hour trip from pad 

39A to the VAB at Kennedy Space Center marked the second 

time NASA has had a shuttle rollback. Columbia had to be 

taken off the launch pad before the ninth mission in 

Wtober, 1983, for replacement of a section of a booster 

rocket nozzle lining. [Hall. TODAY, p. lA, Jul. 15, 1984.1 

July 15: striking Convair Division machinists voted 

overwhelmingly on the 15th to accept a new contract, endiny 

their 13-day old work stoppaye, union and company officials 

said. William Hauch, IAM chief negotiator and Rockledge 

resident, said 70 percent of the union's 200 Brevard workers 

voted for the latest offer. ["Convair, Union Settle 13-Day 

Machinist Strike,' TODAY, p. 12C, Jul. 16, 1984.1 

Jul 16: The lamch Monday of a scaled-down replica of Apollo 

11 at Kennedy Space Center marked the beginning of a 

week-long celebration of the 15th anniversary of the first 

lunar landing and other U.S. space exploration successes. 

Hore than 100 KSC workers viewed the launch to 500 feet of 

the 3 1/2-foot Saturn V rocket above a field near the KSC 

yress site. It parachuted undamayed into a nearby parking 

lot. 

The rocket - 1/1000th the size of a real Saturn V - was 

built duriny the last two months by Harris Corp. employee 

tirey Wintt?r and Air Force Lt. Jim Ramsey, who works with 

sp,qw shuttle payloads. Just prior to liftoff, a recordiny 

was L)layt?d over the outdoor speakers of President Kennedy's 

-56- 
May 1961 speech, which set the goal of placing a man on the 

moon before 1970, and the countdom was timed to match that 

of the actual Apollo 11 mission. 

Meanwhile, more than 150 tourists attended the cutting of a 

4-foot-long cake inside Spaceport USA, the KSC visitors 

center. Those yathered recalled their memories of the first 

lunar landiny. "I got up at 3 a.m. to watch the astronauts 

land on the moon," said George Bogler of Chicago. Ilja 

Belick of Zurich, Switzerland, said the lunar landing 

occurred at 2 a.m. Swiss time. "It was very fantastic. The 

whole €amily woke up and watched it on TV," he said. "It 

was a big dream for everyone, and it had become reality." 

[Dickerson. 'I'ODAY, pp. 1B & 3H, Jul. 17, 1984.1 

<> Workers disconnected Discovery from the cylindrical external 

tank portion of the space shuttle launch vehicle, in 

preparation for lowering the craft onto its own wheels. On 

July 17, the craft was expected to be towed to a processing 

hangar from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Once back in the 

hangar, workers would begin preparing Discovery's cargo bay 

to accept its new caryo, NASA said. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 

9At Jul. 17, 1984.1 

July 17: George Low? tormer head of the nation's mai-ined space 

pro~~rain and president ot Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 

died at his home in Troy, New York, at the aye of 58. 

["Former Apollo Developer Dies at 58," TOUAY, p. llA, Jul. 

18, 1984.1 

July 18: The NASA Group Achievement Award was presented to 

seventeen Lockheed personnel by Kennedy Space Center 

Director Richard Smith. The honorees, Orbiter Processing 

Facility technicians and inspectors, were cited for 

completing modification to the orbiters Challenyer and 

Discovery ahead of schedule and without overtime. Those 

recognized were: Richard Benziyer, group supervisor, 

Chester Barber, Robert Barrett, Ronald Cochran, Chico Crowe, 

David Ely, Uaryl Fite, Scott Gillespie, Jack Harper, Robert 

Kelly, Robert McCandless, Richard Melloh, Douglas Olds, Paul 

Seiffert, Brady Smith, Neil Warren and David Young. ["OPF 

Personnel Recognized for Orbiter 'Mods'," STAR GAZER, pp. 1 

& 6, Aug. 2, 1984.1 

-57- 
July 19: A joint Air Force and NASA research effort to study 

the effects of liyhtning strikes on flying craft is being 

conducted at KSC using French-developed techniques to 

"triyyer" liyhtning events. Knowledge gained from the 

research will be directly applicable to winyed spacecraft 

like the space shuttle, which has electronic flight control 

systems, and to the design of lightniny protection systems 

for KSC facilities. KSC's Technology Projects Office, the 

focal point for meterological research activities at KSC, is 

fundiny the center's participation with the Air Force's 

Wriyht Aeronautical Laboratories. The KSC-hosted lightning 

project will complement other research proyrams being 

conducted by other NASA centers, the Air Force and other 

oryanizations. [Ball. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 135-84, 

Jul. 19, 1984.1 

<> Four of seven crew members scheduled to fly aboard 

Challenyer next April when the shuttle carries Spacelab 2 

rehearsed experiments at Kennedy Space Center as part of a 

;nission sequence test. "This simulates what they are going 

to do in orbit," said NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone. Tony 

Enyland, who will work as a mission specialist, said the 

majority of the 13 experiments will deal with astrophysics. 

"We will study the entire sun, stars, deep space and the 

environment around Challenger,' England said during a news 

conference. [AP. "Challenger Crsw Simulates Tests for 

Spacelab 2 Mission," TODAY, g, 13A, Jul. 20, 1984.1 

July 20: 1i-1 a white House ceremony, President Reagan celebrated 

with the Apollo astronauts the 15th anniversary of the first 

moon landiny and declared July 20 as "Space Exploration 

Day." Commander Neil A, Armstrong, lunar module pilot Edwin 

E. 55tju~z" Aldrin and command module pilot Michael Collins 

Joined Reagan in an East Room ccremony commemorating the 

landiny of the "Eayle" on the moon, a quarter-inillion miles 

trom Earth, on July 20, 1969. "The footprints on the moon 

showed us that America's future can be determined by our 

dreams and our visions," Reagan said. "The shuttle and our 

space station will help make those dreams zome true." 

[ "Heay an Leads Ceremony Honor iny Moon Landing of Apol lo 11 

Astronauts,'' TODAY, p. 10A, Jul. 21, 1969.1 

July 23: The space shuttle's cargo bay was electrically and 

mechanically reconfigured in the Orbiter Processing Facility 

following the orbiter's return to the Vehicle Assembly 

Huildiny from the launch pad July 14. The orbiter was 

destacked trom the external tank and solid rocket boosters 
ORiGINA’,. !ai” :: 

8& POOR QUALITY 

Paramount tilrning 01: the CBS miniseries ”Space” by James 

Michener was telecast in mid-April 1985 and starred James 

Garner, Michael York ana Bruce Dern. I 

-59- 
in the VAB early last week, and payload bay doors were 

opened after it was moved to the processing facility. By 

midweek, access stands had been erected around Discovery, 

which was prepared for a new cargo manifest following the 

June 26 abort. ["Cargo bay of Discovery king 

Heconf igured, " AVIAI'ION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, p. 20, 

Jul. 23, 1984.J 

July 25: Filming on the Space Coast ended for the television 

miniseries "Space," which is based on James Michener's novel 

of the same name. The motion picture industry and 

television have not been strangers to Brevard County and the 

space center. In 1967, Don Knotts and Arthur O'Connell 

starred in a space-oriented farce called 'The Reluctant 

Astronaut' which was shot in part at Kennedy Space Center. 

The biyyest movie ever filmed at KSC was "Marooned," 

teaturing Greyory Peck, David Jansen, Gene Hackman, and 

James Yranciscus, was made in 1969 at the Titan Launch 

Complex and used several dozen local residents as extras. 

Two other movies, which used space as the central theme were 

"One Night in Heaven" and "Stowaway to the Moon." Eioth were 

filmed by 20th Century Fox during the late 1960s and also 

included area residents in bit parts. The movie version of 

Tom wolfe's best-seller The Right Stuff was not filmed in 

Brevard County in part because it creators decided that the 

county had changed too drastically in its appearance since 

the early 1960s. [See the 1983 KSC Chronology for further 

details. 1 

several television series have utilized the Space Coast 

either on film or in an episode's story line; among these 

have been "Lassie;" "I Dream of Jeannie;" "Star Trek;" and 

"Six Million Dollar Plan." [Lancaster. TODAY, p. lB, Jul. 

26, 1Y84.1 

July 30: Space Center officials scheduled Discovery's 

"rollover" to the Vehicle Assembly Building for about 8 

a.m., August 2. "Everything is going swimmingly," said KSC 

spokesman Dick Young. NASA officially says Discovery's 

inaugural launch will occur no earlier than August 24; 

contractor sources say Auyust 29 is the current target 

date. Discovery's cargo bay doors were to close on the 31st 

in anticipation of the rollover two days later. 

-60- 
Meanwhile, pre-installation testing of two satellites - 

Hughes Comrlrnications' Leasat I and AT&T's Telstar 3-C - 

that will fly aboard Discovery was completed successfully 

last week. A third satellite, Satellite Business System's 

SHS-4, was moved into KSC's Vertical Processing Facility and 

iristallcd in a support rack. Checkout of the craft is set tt, beyin on the 31st, KSC spokeswoman Lisa Malone said. All 

ttirw satellites will be placed into the large cargo 

transport canister Auyust 4 and taken to LC 39A on the 5th 

for installation on the 10th. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 12A, 

Jul. 31, 1984.! 

July 31: The head of the nation's space agency test if ied th;; 

eacn launch of the space shuttle costs SlSO million to $200 

million, while the most that each flight can earn back is 

$71 million. "The $80 million difference is in fact a 

subsidy?" asked Rep. Robert S. Walker, &Pa. ''1 would 

prefer to phrase it differently," said James M. tieggs, the 

administrator ot' NASA. "It's not a subsidy, it's a 

continuation of our philosophy to recover our costs over a 

time period." [AP. TWAY, p. 12A, Aug. 1, 1984.1 

(> KSC Director Richard Smith has told employees to expect 

chanyes in the center's organization. 'Increased etticiency 

in manayement of shuttle processiny and base operations 

contracts, additional support of Vandenbery Air Force Base 

qJerations (expected to launch shuttles from late 1985), 

demands of the STS-Centaur schedule and the space station 

will have a bearing on the KSC organizational structure," he 

said. Smith pointed out that KSC had greater engineering 

expertise in some specialized areas than cther NASA centers, 

which will hc: important to space station development. "We 

will need to provide increasing support for design of 

facilities and yround support equipment," he added. Smith 

believes his center may have to accept more responsibility 

for shuttle mission functions currently performed by the 

Johnson Space Center to relieve JSC so that it can 

concentrate on the space station. [Harris. SPACEFLIGHT, 

p. 301, July/August 1984.1 

-61- 
AUGUST 1984 

August 2: Seven major Shuttle Processing Contract and NASA 

Logistics activities currently located at five separate KSC 

locations will be housed under one roof in the fall of 

1985. NASA approved the design and concept for an entirely 

new logistics facility to be built on Contractor Road south 

of the Launch Equipment Shop. ["Logistics to Get New Home,'' 

STAR GAZER, p. 8, Auy. 2, 1~84.1 

<> Discovery was towed by an aircraft tractor from the Orbiter 

Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building at 

12:30 a.m. EDT. NASA initially planned the rollover for 

late on the morning of August 2, but later moved up their 

estimate to about 4 p.m. August 1. However, problems in 

veighing and balanciny Discovery held up the move and 

officials finally settled on the 12:30 a.m. EDT schedule. 

[Yacenda. TODAY, p. 10A, Auy. 2, 1984.1 

August 7: Former astronaut Jack Lousma won biichigan's 

Republican Senate primary Tuesday, defeating former Rep. Jim 

Ihnn by a wide margin, and said he had "launched" his 

campaiyn "into orbit" against Democratic incumbent Carl 

Levin. With 1,251 of Michiyan's 6,630 precincts reporting, 

Lousma, who flew on Skylab and piloted the third space 

shuttle mission, had 77,508 votes or 66 percent, while Dunn 

had 39,430 votes or 34 percent. ["Former Astronaut Wins 

Michigan Senate Primary," TODAY, p. 12A, Auy. 8, 1984.1 

August 8: NASA, whose tastest turnaround of the shuttle has 

been two months [shuttle 10-111, is working to cut the 

near-term shuttle launch processing turnarouna capability to 

35 workdays, NASA space fliyht chief Jesse Moore told 

Conyress last week....["NASA Working Towards 35-Day 

Turnaround for Shuttle," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 205, Aug. 8, 

1984.1 

i> NASA announced that the space shuttle Discovery will make 

its tirst spacefliyht on August 29, carrying payloads from 

two missions that were combined after earlier attempts to 

launch were aborted. Launch time is set for 8:35 a.m. EDT, 

-62- 
and the flight will end six days later at Edwards Air Force 

Base in California. Rollout to pad 39A was expected to 

uccut- iri the early morning hours of August 9. [Fisher. THE 

(JHLANUU SENTINEL, p. A-9, AUCJ. 9, 1984. J 

Auyust 9: The launch of a three-nation package of satellite 

snoopers was scrubbed by problems with a computer in West 

Germany and rescheduled for 10:42 a.m. EDT, August 11. 

NASA spokesman Dick Young said it would take at least 30 

hours to resolve a problem with a computer disc drive at the 

German Space Operations Center at Oberpfaffenhofen near 

Munich. The computer is needed to determine the precise 

initial orbit of the rttached British and German spacecraft 

and the precise time to fire an onboard rocket that kicks 

them into their final trajectories. The U.S. craft 

separates earlier. [Jean. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. lB, 

AUJ. 10, 1984.) 

(> NASA officials pronounced the space shuttle vehicle 

Discovery "hard down" on pad 39A at 6:43 a.m. EDT at the 

conclusion of its return journey from the Vehicle Assembly 

Buildiny. That trip started a half-hour earlier than 

expected at 11:36 p.m. August 8. The rollout went smoothly 

and technicians immediately began making various electrical, 

fluid, pneumatic and mechanical connections between the 

shuttle and the pad. Shuttle main engine checks, using 

pressurized, inert helium to ferret leaks, also beyan and 

should run through August 11. Launch is scheduled now for 

8:35 a.m. EDT on August 29. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 13A, Aug. 

lU, 1984.1 

August 10: Measurements taken after Discovery's return to Pad 

39A showed that the shuttle and the mobile launch platform 

it rests atop were three inches from where they should have 

been. So it was up and out again, with a crawlertransporter lifting the. shuttle and mobile launch platform 

and shifting them to the correct spot. "They just rolled it 

out one MLS (Mobile Launch Platform) lenyth and rolled it 

back," said KSC spokesman Kocky Raab. All the measurements 

taken tollowiny the Auyust 9 move indicated the shuttle's 

location was within normal tolerances, he said. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, p. lA, Auy. 11, 19M4.1 

-63- 
August 11s A leak in an air-conditioning hose postponed the 

launch of a Delta rocket carrying a three-nation scientific 

satellite packaye from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. 

Workers were scheduled Aug. 12 to beyin cleaning the 

contamination on the spacecraft from the leak and hope to 

have the craft ready for launch Aug. 15, said NASA spokesman 

Jim Ball. The Delta mission was set to launch Auy. 9, but 

was postponed by a computer hardware problem at a tracking 

station in West Germany. ["Leak in Hose Delays 3-Pack of 

Satellites,' TODAY, p. 20A, Aug. 12, 1984.1 

August 13: A triggered liyhtning research project is under way 

at KSC in an attempt to better understand the lightning 

environiilent and to develop protection for aircraft and 

avionics. William Jafferis of Kennedy, 3 project manager, 

said results also may help in the design of caye-like 

structures that could protect such operational areas as fuel 

farms at the space shuttle launch site. Shuttle mission 

rules currently call for clearing the launch pad if there is 

liyhtning within five miles. Shuttle orbiters have been 

desiyned to withstand a 200-kiloamp stroke for a duration of 

two milliseconds. ["NASA Studies Ways to Prevent Damage 

from Lightning Strikes," AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, 

p. 66, Auj. 13, 1984.1 

August 15: Discovery moved closer to an Auyust 29 launch with a 

successf.~l countdown rehearsal, while NASA prepared for 

another satellite rescue mission in November. officials 

said in Washington that the space agency houes to sign an 

ayreement with insurance underwriters by Auyust 16 for the 

retrieval of an Indonesian satellite, one of two put into 

wrony orbits last February when their booster enyines 

malfunctioned. 

The countdown demonstration test was marred by problems that 

postponed the crew's participation for three hours. The 

computer glitch in the No. 1 enyine was corrected, and the 

countdown concluded with a simulated engine firing at 2 

p.m. "We had a yood run today," Cmdr. Henry Hartsfield told 

reporters. "We're Qleased with the way everything went. I 

hope that's our last practice.'' 

The mock countdown began at 6:lO p.m. EDT August 14, and the 

ylitch occurred before midnight whin a computer system in 

the No. 1 engine, called a controller, did not program 

properly. The countdown continued off and on, and by early 

on the afternoon of the 15th, the computer had accepted a 

-64- 
different set of software. NASA spokesman Rocky Raab seid 

he did not know if the same problem would have occurred 

duriny a real countdown because the launch software Ls 

diEterent. [Fisher. THE OHLANIX) SENTINEL, p. B-1, Auy. 16, 

1984. J 

Acgust 16: A week and six minutes late, an international trio 

of scientific satellites successfully lifted off from Cape 

Canaveral atop a klta rocket at 10:48 a.m. EDT. The 

laljnch, tirst ever of three satellites from as many 

countries aboard a single rocket, provided a spectacular 

beyinning to a complex mission that will study.how cosmic 

particles enter and interact with Earth's magnetic field. 

Liftoff of the three Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer 

Explorers was six minutes after the appointed time of 10:42 

a.m. The latest delay in launching the three craft was 

caused by a ship entering the restricted offshore test 

range, and by a faulty inetrument reading. Both problems, 

which cropped up late in the countdown, were quickly 

resolved allowing the shot to yet off just four ninutes 

before the dal's brief launch opportunity ran out at 10:SZ 

a.m. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. iA, Aug. 17, 1984.1 

<> Insurance underwriters have signed ayreements with NASA for 

a space shuttle crew to retrieve an Indonesian satellite 

that was put into the wrong orbit in February of this year. 

"We're going to have the first used-satellite sale," James 

ijarrett of International Technology Underwriters said. 

[TODAY-GNS. TODAY, p. 7A, AUJ. 17, 1984.1 

Auyust 17: United Space Boosters Inc. wan the competition for 

the contract to process space shuttle twin sclid rocket 

boosters, NASA announced. The new five-year contract calls 

for USBI to assemble, refurbish and perform limited 

manufacture of 84 sets of the reusable boosters. USBI's 

estimate for the cost-plus-incentive fee contract is 

approximately $274 million. 

Two potential, unpriced 2-1/2-year contract extensicns woLld 

call for the coml'my to process another 120 booster sets. 

Under a separate $21 million contract, USBI also will build 

a new booster assembly plant on Kennedy Space Center 

property, NASA said. The company, part of United 

-65- 
Technologies Norden Systems Division, has performed booster 

work for NASA since 1977, the s;art of the shuttle program. 

It currently employs about 700 workers at KSC. 

Ueteated in their bids tor the 10-year booster assembly and 

refurbishment contract worth a potential total of about $1 

bi ion, were two competing teams headed by McDonnell 

Douylas Booster Assembly Co. of Cocoa &-ach, and the 

Lockheed Corp. of Burbank, California. NASA's Marshall 

S;>ace Flight Center in Huntsvill-e will continue to 

administer the booster work pertormed by USBI, but NASA said 

the company will move all booster-related aperations to KSC, 

keepiny only management in Huntsville. USBI officials said 

it is unclear how many jobs may be opened up at KSC as a 

result 9f the contract award. The number will depend on how 

many job transfers will. be made during the move. [Yacenda 

and Hodyes. TODAY, pp. 1A ti 16A, Auy. 18, 1984.1 

August 19: A dozen security guards were treated for exposure to 

a toxic gas leak near the Solid Motor Assembly Building at 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. An Air Force spokesman 

said the workers were exposed to the fumes when the wind 

shifted to the north sometime after 8:lO p.m. The origin of 

the leak or the nature of the chemical fumes that seeped 

into the air were not known early on Augilst 20th. The Air 

Force spokesman did say the chemical was an oxidizer - an 

odorless, colorless gas which is used in rockets. 

Seven of the yuards were transported to Wuesthoff Memorial 

Hospital in Hocklcdye between 11 and 11:20 porn., said 

hospital spokesman Fred Pike. The other five workers - who 

a hospital spokeswoman said were Pan Am World Services 

security guards - were taken to Jess Parrish Memorial 

Hospital in Titusville and were in satisfactory condition 

early on the 20th. The yuards taken to wuesthoff were being 

treated tor exposure and were under observation for poscible 

coqlications said Pike. 

Hospital oft'icials said none of the 12 exhibited external 

burns or injuries. Some of the seven at Wuesthoff also were 

Pan Am guards. The others worked for McDonnell Douglas 

Technical Services Corp. Gay Rhodes, administrative 

supervisor at Jess Parrish, said the five guards were 

brought to that hospital about 10 p.m. They vSere suffering 

from respiratory troubles, apparently ca\.L,sd by inhaling 

fumes, she said. [Feibus. TODAY, 3. 1A, Aug. 20, 1984.1 

-66- 
August 20: Enyineers working during the weekend succeeded in 

duplicating a problem that delayed a pretenc? countdown last 

week involving the yet-to-tly shuttle Discovery. Launch 

officials said the ylitch, which held up a simulated 

countdown for three hours on the lSth, stenunea from computer 

software programmed for the engine control computer on 

Discovery's No. 1 main enyine. 

Enyineers have been less successful in replicating a problem 

that aborted Discovery's liftoft June 26. It was the second 

launch cancellation in two days. NASA Launch Director Bob 

sieck said officials were ready to fly Discovery on August 

29 even though engineers are unable to duplicate the problem 

that delayed the opening of a main fuel valve on the 

shuttle's No. 3 engine. [Yacenda. TODAY, 9. lOA, Aug. 21, 

1984.1 

<> Air Force investigators concluded that "pinhole corrosion" 

in a safety feature caused a poison gas leak at Cape 

Cariaveral Air Force Station on the niyht ot Auyust 19 that 

sent 12 civilian security yuards to the hospital. Two of 

those injured were hospitalized in serious condition, 

althouyh that condition had improved to satisfactory by the 

eveniny of the 20th. 

Lt. Col. J.W. Jamba, the Patrick Air korce Base safety 

officer assigned to study the incident, concluded that the 

nitroyen tetroxide came from a corrosion-caused pifihole in a 

safety lieature in the pipe, called a "burst disk." 

[Yacenda. TODAY, pp. It3 6 3t3, Aug. 21, 1984.1 

Auyust 21: Southern Comfort Builders Inc. (Merritt Island, 

Florida) has won two NASA contract? totaling $757,233. Thz 

contracts include the modifying and installing of new air 

conditioning units in four buildings at Cape Canaveral Air 

Force Station and installation of a new liyhting system atop 

the S Building at the Air Force Station. [Kassak. TODAY, 

p. 14C, Au~. 22, 1984.1 

August 26: After failing twice in June to yet the shuttle 

Discovery off the yround, NASA officials believe they have 

done everything po.;sible ,o prevent another failure when the 

liftotf occurs at 8:35 a.m. EST on the 29th. The six-member 

crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center from Houston, Texas, at 

-67- 
4:35 p.m. in three T-38 jets and a Gulfstream jet. 

Playalinda Beach closed at 8 p.m. in advance of the 43-hour 

countdown expected to begin at 11 p.m. The beach was 

expected to be reopened two hours after launch. 

"We fully intend to yo," said Cmdr. Henry Hartsfield, a 

veteran of the fourth shuttle flight. "We're anxious to get 

going." [Fisher. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. B-1 & B-5, 

Aug. 27, 1984.1 

August 27: With the prelaunch countdown proceeding smoothly, 

all siyns pointed towxd an oc-time liftoff of the space 

shuttle Discovery irom Kennedy Space Center at 8:35 a.m. EDT 

on Auyust 29th. Air Force weather watchers predicted a 

positive forecast for ths launch. Mission commander Henry 

Hartsfield and shuttle pilot Michael Coats, spent part of 

the day flying practice approaches to the spaceport's 

3-mile-long shuttle runway in a shuttle training aircraft. 

The rest of the crew - mission specialists Judy Resnik, 

Steve Hawley, and Richard Mullane, along with commercial 

payload specialist Charlie Walker - viewed material they 

must be ramiliar with during their flight. 

Beginning at 3 p.m., the area around the spaceport's oceanside gad 3YA was cleared so that super-cold, super-volatile 

liquid oxygen and liquid hydroyen could be loaded into 

Discovery's onboard tanks, which supply the craft's 

electricity-producing fuel cells. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. lA, 

Auy. 29, 1984.1 

August 28: A computer timing problem delayed asain the first 

f liyht of the shuttle Discovery. Liftoft was rescheduled 

for 8:35 a.m. Thursday (Auy. 30), 24 hours after it had been 

set to go up on the 29th. The delay this time was brought 

on by a problem in the electronic system that jettisons the 

ship's booster rockets and fuel tank when they are empty. 

twsA otticials said the problem occurred because the 

computer software dnd the events controllers are both new. 

[Fisher. 1tiE OHLANUU SENTINEL, pp. A-1 & A-11, Aug. 29, 

1984.1 

-68- 
August 30: Discovery finally lifted off at 8:41 a.m. EDT, six 

minutes later than planned for its inaugural flight. After 

a one-day delay in launch, three minor computer failures 

occurred. Then three private planes flew so close to the 

launch site that NASA delayed the countdown till the planes 

had been chased away. 

"We are happy," ssid shuttle operations director Tom Utsman, 

"that the crew has finally left town.' [Gyllenhaal. THE 

CIIAEII HEKALD, pp. 1A & 2Ap AUy. 31, 198S.J 

<> Discovery is scheduled to land at Edwards Air Force Base in 

California at 9:34 a.m. EDT on September 5. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, pp. 1A & 20A, AUy. 30, 1984.1 

-69- 
SBPTEIWBR 1985 

September 5: Technicolor Government Services Inc. won the 

photoyraphic and optical services contract from the Air 

Force and NASA tor work at the Eastern Space and Missile 

Center and Kennedy Space Center. The incumbent contractor, 

Technicolor beyins its new contract October 1. The basic 

award is for fiscal year 1985 with two options extending the 

work through fiscal year 1987. The combined value af the 

contract and options is $17 million. Technicolor Government 

Services is based in North Hollywood, California. [Kassak. 

TODAY, p. 14C, Sept. 5, 1984.1 

<> At one point, shuttle mission 41-D officials discussed 

landing Discovery at Kennedy Space Center because of an 

apparent oxygen leak, but that was "strictly contingency," 

said space center spokesman Dick Young. Kennedy Space 

Center officials notified the landing and recovery director, 

who presides over a skeleton crew that remains at the space 

center for such continyencies, but the problem was resolved 

before any crew members were called out. Discovery made an 

on-time landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 

9:38 a.m. Em. [Fisher. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. A-1 & 

A-9, Sept. 6, 1984.1 

September 6: A last-minute decision to insert yap filler 

betreen belly tiles on the space shuttle Challenger may 

further delay preparations (for a few days to a week) of the 

veteran sgaceplane for its scheduled October 1 flight, NASA 

said. The decision to insert the gap fillers was made by 

program manayers at Johnson Space Center in Houston late on 

the 5th and made for the third postponement this week in 

moving Challenger from a processing hangar to the Vehicle 

Assembly Buildiny. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A 6 16A, Sept. 7, 

1984.1 

September 10: The Boeing 747 jumbo jet carrying the 74-ton 

Discovery landed on the spaceport's 3-mile-long-runway at 

11:38 a.m. EDT, Monday, September 10. Just as the 747 set 

its main landing gear down, a gust of wind caught the 

aircraft and lifted its left wing and landing gear several 

feet off the yround. Reacting quickly, the plane's pilot 

was able to hold a straiyht course through the wind. The 

landing proceeded without further incident. 

-70- 
Meanwhile, work continued on Discovery's sister ship, 

Challenyer. That craft, set to fly NASA's next mission in 

early October, was towed from a processing hangar into the 

VAB over the weekend. The rollover came a week-and-a-half 

late. KSC spokesman Rocky Raab said work has begun to 

remove one of Challenyer's three main enyines. The craft's 

No. 3 liyuid-fired powerplant is being pulled because it 

contains power-enhanciny turbopumps with blades believed to 

be susceptible to premature deterioration, Raab said. "It's 

a matter of convenience to do it in the VAB," he said, 

explaining why the job had not been done sooner. Once 

inside the VAk, Challenyer was hoisted into a vertical 

position by a powerful crane and attached to the rest of the 

shuttle launch vehicle. 

Technicians also replaced two crucial on-board relay boxes, 

swapping them tor newer versions. The boxes, called master 

events controllers, carry out such important functions as 

exploding launch pcd hold-down bolts and separatiny the 

shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters and external tank. 

Problems in gettiny the new controllers to relate properly 

to tliyht computer proyramming led to a one-day postponement 

of Discovery's liftoff on August 29. That problem is 

sii:)posed to be corrected, &ab said. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 

1A & lZA, Seyt. 11, 1984.1 

September 12: Workers at Kennedy Space Center continued 

preparing Challenger for its next flight, now set for early 

October. The Shuttle Interface Test, which checks 

electrical and mechanical connections between the various 

shuttle cmponents, revealed what officials termed a 

"discrepC;,'cy'' with a cable leading to one of the craft's 

twin solid rocket boosters. But NASA said the problem would 

not delay rolling the shuttle out to pad 39A, September 13, 

beginning at about 9:3O a.m. EDT. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A 

& 12A, Sept. 13, 1984.1 

September 13: Challenyer returned to launch pad 3YA minus its 

No. 3 engine; it made the 3-1/2 mile trip in just under 

seven hours, arriving at 5:lO p.m. EDT, according to KSC 

spokesman George Diller. The engine was removed earlier in 

the week so technicians could replace potentially defective 

blades in two high-pressure turbopumps. Since additional 

testing remains on one of the pumps, KSC engineers chose to 

reinstall the engine on the pad. 

-71- 
Once on the pad, workers began attaching ground-to-ship 

cables and conduits, and preparing the craft for a 

test-firing of its on-boarJ hydraulics-driving auxiliary 

power units early on the morning of the 14th, followed by a 

test countdown and an enyine ignition test scheduled for the 

15th. [Yacenda. 'I'ODAY, pp. 1A & 20A, Sept. 14, 1984.1 

September 15: Shuttle flight and ground teams successfully 

completed a mock launch countdown, clearing the way for the 

impending departure of Challenger in early October. Mock 

iynition of Challenger's main engines came on time at 11 

a.m. EDT. 

The test came just two days after the shuttle was brought to 

launch pad 39A. That's the shortest interval yet between 

rolling the shuttle to the pad and staging the countdown 

simulation. The mission, labeled Fliyht 41-G by NASA, is 

Challenger's sixth and 13th in the shuttle program. 

Asked at a padside press conference if he knew when 

Challenger would yo, Crippen replied, "It'll be ready when 

the launch team tells us it's ready. But whenever it is, 

we'll be ready to yo." Joining Crippen on the October 

fliyht [his fourth] will be mission specialist Sally Ride, 

the first American woman in space. Hide and Crippen flew 

together aboard Challenger in June 1983, and the upcoming 

flight marks the first time two experienced shuttle fliers 

are to make a second fliyht together. [Yacenda. TODAY, 

pp. 1A & 2OA, Sept. 16, 1984.1 

September 17: NASA set October 5 as the launch date for the 

next shuttle mission, 41-G, an eight-day flight in wh1t.h 

Challenyer will carry a record seven astronauts. 

[Associated Press. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. B-3, Sept. 18, 

1984.1 

<> Kennedy Space Center renewed its contract with Jess Parrish 

Memorial Hospital; under the agreement, astronauts, ground 

support personnel and KSC visitors would be flown directly 

to Titusville's hospital helipad and treated by a szecial 

emeryency room trauma team in case of a launch or lac-iiny 

accident. Dr. Luis Quintero, emergency room medical 

director, said preparation for space disasters largely 

consists of studying the characteristics of chemicals used 

at KSC. 

-72- 
In the 3-1/2 years the hospital has served as KSC's primary 

medical facility, disaster drills have been held prior to 

every shuttle launch. The drills will continue in the two 

years for which the agreement has been renewed, Quintero 

said. [Heller. TODAY, p. 2B, Sept. 18, 1984.1 

September 19: Jeff Tuttle, an employee of Thiokol Inc., was 

bruised September 15 by falling equipment after a device 

used to put tension on tie-down posts that hold the boosters 

in place came apart, NASA and contractor officials said. 

Tuttle, who normally is based at the West Coast shuttle 

launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Californi~, had 

been undergoing several weeks of training at Kennedy Space 

Center when the accident occurred. He was examined and 

released from an area hospital, officials said, the same day 

he was struck on his right leg by the metal head on the 

hydraulic eyuipment. The tool - estimated to weight about 

50 to 70 pounds - toppled when the tensioner came apart, 

said Lockheed Space Operations Co. spokesman Stuart 

Shadbolt. "No one was struck by any of the high-speed 

projectiles that came out of the bolt," he said. 

Examination of the machinery that disintegrated revealed a 

bolt within the device - known as a stud-tensioner - broke 

due to a form of corrosion. Work continued on stacking the 

left-hand booster rocket, although hold-down stud-tensioning 

work was halted altogether until a cause for the problem was 

determined. Troubleshooting of the tensioning tools 

revealed two safe devices and one with a weak bolt similar 

to the device that failed on the 15th, NASA officials said. 

Stacking work on the right hand booster resumed on the 18th 

when engineers determined that it was safe to finish the 

job, NASA said. Tuttle returned to work on the 17th, his 

next shift, officials said. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 3B8 sept. 

20, 1984.1 

<> The Air Force Inspector General said a review of allegations 

of quality control problems at the Vandenberg space shuttle 

launch complex found that the safety of the site had not 

been compromised and neither the number nor the significance 

ot the discrepancies "are inordinate for the size and 

complexity of this project". A summary of the Inspector 

General's report said the allegations were "extracted 

directly" from management reports "used by the Air Force to 

identify and track the correction of problems." Further, 

the report explained, "there was a lack of yood 

communication between the proyram inanayement and a 

-73- 

significant portion of the quality assurance work force." 

["Air Force Says Vandenberg Shuttle Site Safety Not 

Compromised," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 91, Sept. 20, 1984.1 

September 21: The last commercial payload scheduled to be 

launched atop a Delta rocket successfully lift2J off Erom 

Cape Canaverai Air Force Station's pad 17U, heralding the 

approaching end of NASA's long-lived Delta prayram. Hughes 

Communications' Galaxy I11 satellite went off \.xactly on 

time at 6:18 p.m. EDT. This laurxh was the 170th liftoff in 

the 24-year history of the Delta, which is built by 

McDonnell Douylas Aeronautics Co. of Hungtington Beach, 

California. Better than 94 percent of those launches have 

been successful, including the last 42 missions, since 1977, 

making the klta the most reliable multistaged rocket ever 

built. 

NASA recently decided to turn the rocket over to commercial 

operation, leaving just five Deltas in the agency's 

stockpile. One NATO military payload, to be launched from 

Cape Canaveral on October 18, and two yovernment weather 

satellites remain scheduled, leaving two other Deltas 

available for new payloads before Transpace Inc. of 

Greenbelt, Maryland, takes over. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 20A, 

sept. 22, 1984.1 

September 23: Workers at Kennedy Space Center completed the 

changeout of a leaky liquid oxygen seal on Challenger in 

preparation for the planned October 5 launch of shuttle 

mission 414. The work was performed at launch pad 39-A and 

involved a seal that is connected to the line used to 

transfer liquid oxygen from the orbiter's external tank into 

the shuttle vehicle. The seal was subsequently retested and 

engineers have verified that it is working properly, a KSC 

spokesman said. ["Workers Chanye Liquid Oxygen Seal on 

Orbiter Challenger," AEHUSPACE DAILY, p. 125, Segt. 25, 

1984. J 

September 24: Lockheed Space Operations Co. (Titusville, 

Florida) defeated a union oryanizing challenge, winning an 

winnivy an election in which more than 72 percent of the 

eligible workers voted against all four unions on the 

ballot. The result was a loss for the International 

Brotherhood of Teamsters, which spent seven months trying to 

organize about SO0 of Lockheed's 5,000 employees in Brevard 

-7 5- 
County. Lockheed Space operations, a subsidiary of Burbank, 

California-based Lockheed Corp., services NASA's space 

shuttles, processing the craft for reuse. 

Teamsters officials were unavailable far comment. 

[Kilsheimer. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. lD, Seyt. 25, 1984.1 

September 25: Donald Engen of the Federal Aviation 

Administration met with U.S. Rep. Bill Nelson (Melbourne 

Dem. ) and U.S. Rep. Norman Mineta (Calif. Dem.), head of the 

House Aviation Committee, to discuss additional penalties 

for pilots who stray into restricted areas surrounding 

Kennedy space Center during shuttle operations. According 

to Nelson, Enyen has agreed to a "vastly expanded" restricted area around the launch and landing site, and to 

the issuance of Notices to Airmen, setting out specific 

restrictions prior to each shuttle operation. [Yacenda. 

TODAY, p. le, Sept. 26, 1984.1 

September 26: Top space agency officials met and formally 

cleared the shuttle Challenger and its record seven-member 

crew for launch October 5 on the most ambitious Earth 

observation mission in 10 years. Charles Hedmond, a 

spokesman for NASA, said a fliyht readiness review turned up 

no problems that would affect the planned launch. ["NASA 

Says Challenyer Crew Ready for Launch," THE ORLANDO 

SENTINEL, Sept. 27, 1984.1 

<> An arbitrator awarded $780,000 in disputed severance pay to 

106 Kennedy Space Center workers who were forme': employees 

ot contractor McGregor-Werner Inc. New York arbitrator 

Leonard Irsay found the employees were improperly denied 

severance pay called for in union contracts with McGreyorWerner when work the company was performing for NASA was 

turned over to replacement KSC yrmnd services contractor 

EG&G last summer. [Yacenda. TUDAY, pp. 1B & 3B, Sept. 27, 

1'384.1 

September 27: NASA donated a 4-acre site east of the visitors 

information center (also known as Spaceport USA) for the 

last remaining Apollo-era launch tower and a model Saturn S 

rocket, announced U.S. Rep. Bill Nelson (D-Mel.) at a 1 

p.m. news conference. With a home for the tower secured, 

-76- 
area historic societies are gearing up to raise trle 

estimated $15 million needed for a monument for the tower 

that helped send men to the moon. 

Preliminary plans for the site call for an area under a mock 

mobile launch platform for exhibits. An elevator is planned 

to take visitors to the top of the launch tower. 1Hall. 

TODAY, p. 28, Sept. 28, 1984.1 

-77- 
OCTOBER 1984 

October 1: NASA officials said preparations for the launch of 

Challenger mission 41-G on October 5 were proceeding on 

schedule. The terminal prelaunch countdown is set to pick 

up at 1 a.m. EDT Wtober 3 with the traditional call to 

stations for launch teams. The shuttle crew of Robert 

Crippen, Jon McBride, Sally Ride, Kathryn Sullivan, David 

Leetsma, Marc Garneau and Paul Scully-Power were scheduled 

to arrive at KSC on the afternoon of October 2. The flight 

of the Challenger is expected to conclude with the second 

scheduled KSC shuttle landing. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. lA, 

Oct. 2, 1984.1 

October 2: Incomplete paperwork nearly formed NASA officials to 

postpone the Glanned October 5 launch of the space shuttle 

Challenyer. but proyram manayers decided they could catch 

up with a backlog in shuttle ena'ieering documentation by 

liftoff - 7:03 a.m. EDT - cleariny the way for the 

yre-launch countdown to pick up on time at 1 a.m. EDT on 

October 3. 

"We're proceeding as planned," said Kennedy Space Center 

chief spokesman Huyh Harris. "Nothing really happened 

except that a lot of work needed to be done." while the 

paperwork problem was beiny worked, the seven crew members 

of 41-ti flew into KSC from Houston, Texas. 

Durrny a press conference, missior, commander Robert Crippen 

thanked KSC workers "for yettiny Challenger ready in record 

time." Crippen is about to make a record fourth shuttle 

flight. The second shuttle veteran, mission specialist 

Sally Ride, was greeted with a kiss from her astronaut 

husband, Steve Hawley. "I now know that we are currently 

operational because I've been coming down here quite a bit 

lately," said Ride. "1 came down to see Steve take off five 

weeks ago, and now he's here to see me yo." Hawley flew 

aboard Discovery on August 30. [Yacenda. TODAY, yp. 1A 6 

IlcA, OCt. 3, 1984.1 

October 5: Challenyer's launch at 7:03 a.m. EDT from KSC's pad 

39A was visible in Jacksonville ill the north and Miami to 

the south. Some people on the Space Coast saw the shuttle's 

twin solid rocket boosters drop from 44 miles up. 

-78- 
"All in all, we feel very yood. And we think probably this 

is a harbinger for the future on how well thinys can yol'' 

said shuttle management director Tom Utsman. "Things went 

very smoothly, especially compared with the last one," said 

launch director Bob Sieck, referring to the trouble-Flagued 

inauylrral launch of shuttle Discovery. "We think we're off 

and running on our proyress toward once a month (launches)." 

[Yacenda. TODAY, p,~. 18 61 20A, Oct. 6, 1984.1 

<> Among those witnessiny Challenger's liftoff was tennis 

player Billie Jean King, who was invited by astronaut Sally 

Ride - America's first woman in space, dho embarked on her 

second voyage. Judy Kesnik, America's second female space 

traveler, was also on hand. Others yathered in the predawn 

air were Canadian Minister of Science and Technology Thomas 

E. Siddon; Sir Godfrey and Landy Nancy Agnew of London; 

Ambassador and Mrs. AJlen E. Gotlieb of Canada; Col. Gilbert 

Raye of the National Security Council; and U.S. Rep. Nick 

Hahall, D-W.Va. ["Billie Jean Watches With Few Other VIPs," 

3A, OCt. 6, 1984.) 

<> Canada's newly named Minister of Science a Id Technology, 

reflecting the conservative tone of the f,ountry's recently 

elected Tory yovernment, called for increased cooi-:ntion 

between Canada and the United States in the space program. 

''1 think we've always been able to get slong in a 

cooperative way," said Minister Tom Siddon during an 

imyromytu news conference at KSC. "We have to trust our 

neighbors a little bit more." 

But Siddon, at KSC to see off Marc Garneau, the first 

Canadian to yo into space, noted that Canada continues to 

advocate "the peaceful uses of space." Siddon wouldn't 

predict the level of future fundiny for Canada's small, 

2s-year-old space yroyram. "Today is a day for 

celebration," said Siddon in regard to Garneau's historic 

ride on the space shuttle Challenyer. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 

3A, cJct. 6, 1984.1 

October 6: The retrieval operation for missicn 41-GIs solid 

rocket boosters was one of the smoothest and fastest ever, 

according to Anker Rasmussen, manager of Marine Operations 

for Morton Thiokol. "This has to be one of our three 

fastest operations to date. We fon't keep precise records 

-79- 
on past times, but when you consider the northern launch 

inclination (most shuttle missions are launched in a IiI0i-L 

eastern direction), this was a great time." 

Followiny separation of the SRBs, just over two minutes into 

the mission, they parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean 

approximately 140 miles due east of Jacksonville, Florida. 

"It took us about half an hour to reach the SRBs," Rasmussen 

said. "We were about seven miles from one and nine miles 

from the other....Yrom the time we began work on the SHBs 

until we had them in tow was about four hours." 

The Freedom Star and Liberty Star entered Port Canaveral 

just before sunrise, at 6:40 a.m. EDT, on October 6. 

Arrival was timed so that it would take place with benefit 

of dayliyht. "We had to keep our speed down so that we 

wouldn't get there before the sun came up," Rasmussen 

stated. "We returned to HanGar AF (at Cape Canaveral Air 

Fcrce Station) seven hours earlier than I had originally 

expected." [Granath. STAR GAZER, p. 1, Oct. 18, 1984.1 

October 9: Construction continued on new headquarters for the 

Lockheed Space Operations Company, winner of NASA's shuttle 

Launch Qrocessing Contract. According to Lockheed, "the 

buildiiry will feature a special aluicinum clad facade over a 

structural steel frame...and will include paved parking for 

250 cars." Some 180 Lockheed employees will wori, in the new 

facility in Titusville, Florida. ["$3.3 Million Lockheed 

Shuttle Facility," SPACETIME, p. 14, Oct. 9, 1984.1 

Oct-'; 12: Kennedy Space Center plans to issue space station 

ground operations RFPs October 31. Separate RFPs will be 

issued tor an overall analysis of the ground operations and 

system test activities associated with the elements of the 

space station system and of the approaches for proprietary 

operations associated with commercial customer activities, 

and tor an analysis of space station mission requirements at 

KSC. 

The former study will include definition of requirements for 

new Eacilities, modifications to existing facilities, 

support eql1;pment and services, imp..ct to on-going launch 

site actiqities, manpower and ccst estimates. The mission 

requirements study will support the Mission Assessment 

Function €or KSC, and will include: determining the ground 

-80- 
processing requirements; developing a computer simulation 

model of the overall KSC operations activities fo- the 

station project; and developing a ground operations 

database. ["Kennedy to Analyze Ground Operations 

Requirements for Station," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 214, Oct. 12, 

1984.1 

October 13: Mission Commander Rcbert Crippen brouyht the 

unpowered shuttle Challenger down on Kennedy Space Center's 

concrete runway just eight seconds late, at 12:26:37 p,m. 

EUT, completing history's second round-trip space flight. 

"The third time is the charm," Crippen radioed to Mission 

Control in Houston as Challenger began its unpowered drop 

from space nearly an hour before touchdown. His two 

previous KSC landing attempts were aborted because of bad 

weather, sendiny Crippen and his crew to Edwards Air Force 

Base in California. 

Evidence of heavy braking, in the form of smoke coming from 

the shutle's main iandiny gear, could be seen as the craft 

rolled down the 15,900-foot runway past NASA guests and 

reporters. 

Challenger's seven-person crew, which included Crippen's 

co-pilot, Jon McBride, mission specialists Sally Ride, 

Kathryn Sullivan and David Leetsma, and payload specialists 

Marc Ciarneau and Paul Scully-Power, emerged from the craft 

33 minutes after landing. Greetiny the crew was the Florida 

spaceport's red welcoming carpet, used only once before, in 

February, bearing the words, "Welcome to KSC." KSC 

officials added a little extra touch to this welcome, with a 

yellow siyn that read: "The grass is always greener at KSC 

than it is on the Nest Coast." Several patches of green sod 

were placed at the foot of the gangway descending from 

Challenger to emphasize the point. 

Crew members looked fit, cheerful and steady on their feet 

as they came down the gangway to solid ground. Among those 

on hand to greet Challenger's returning voyagers was Steve 

Hawley, who had turned out to welcome home his wife and 

fellow astronaut, Sally Ride. 

Challenger traced a path south above the Indian River from 

New Smyrna Beach, where the ship crossed over the coast from 

out over the Atlantic Ocean. The first view of Challenger 

from the spaceport came with the craf' still heading south 

at 50,000 feet. Several bursts of white smoke, telltale 

-81- 
. 

signs that the crew was using the ship's steering rockets to 

trim its trajectory, revealed the shuttle's preseilce. 

Challenger disappeared in an invisible haze as it completed 

its final approach loop over central Merritt Island. When 

the craft suddenly reappeared, it was dropping like a dive 

bomber straight for the southeast end of the 300-foot-wide 

runway . 

"Hey, you did good. Way to gc3," Capsule Communicator 

Hichard Richards told Crippen from Houston after landing. 

"It was a yreat, yreat flight," said payload specialist 

Scully-Power, an Australian-born, naturalized American 

aceanographer. "It was the most fantastic fliyht. Given a 

few hours and a couple of beers, I could probably describe 

it,' he said. Garneau, who made history by becoming the 

first Canadian to fly in space, called his experience a 

"voyage extraordinalre," speaking in his native French 

languase. *It's everything you could ever imagine it to 

be," he said. 

Ride, who made her first space trip in June 1983 with 

Criggen as commander on that flight as well, said her leader 

was riyht. The second time, she said, turned out to be as 

fantastic as the first. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 20A, 

Oct. 14, 1984.1 

October 15: A scorched pod housing and one of the Challenger's 

steering rockets represented the only significant. damage to 

the shuttle duriny its recent eight-day mission, NASA 

officials said. The orbital Maneuveriny System pod was 

damaged by the heat of re-entry to Earth's atmosphere on 

Uctober 13, when the seven astronauts aboard made the second 

shuttle landing ever at Kennedy Space Center. 

The damaye occurred where a 3-foot strip of protective 

thermal blanket was ripped off Challenger's right-hand 

maneuvering rocket pod during launch October 5. "With the 

excei>tion of the OMS pod, this orbiter iras in the best 

ccndition of any to date," Challenger Flow Director James 

Harrington said. Other damage included about three dozen 

heat tiles that must be replaced, and an equal number tnat 

sustained repairable damage. Brake damage, which has 

occurred during virtually every landing so far, was 

characterized by officials as "normal minor damage" in the 

torm of cracked pads and washers. 

-82- 
3 

As tor Challenger's brakes, ott icials trom manutacturer 

B.Y. Goodrich said enyineers tound "three or four" of the 

shuttle's main landing year brakes damayed by the touchdown, 

with that damaye conforming to the patterns observed after 

prior touchdowns. Goodrich Product Engineer John Warren 

said several difterent factors may be responsible, but that 

deflection of the shuttle's wheel axles is believed to be 

the culprit. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 12A, Oct. 16, 

1984.1 

October 16: EGG Florida in Cocoa won an addition to 

its base operations contract by NASA at the Kennedy Space 

Center to plan and design new logistics concepts in support 

ot' the planned space station. The contract includes a sixmonth study of techniques in advanced data collection for 

inventory management on a manned space station planned to be 

operational in the early 1990s. EGCG will also 

concektualize an overall, highly advan ed systex to be 

considered for the supply, maintenance and loyi- tic support 

activities needed tor future manned space stati- 1'. 

[Kassak. TODAY, p. 14C, Oct. 17, 1984.1 

October 17: News that Saturn V moon rocket designer Arthur L. 

i. Rudolph had renounced his citizenship and returned to 

Germany following accusations linking him with Nazi wartime 

atrocities was greeted with surprise by those who worked 

with him. "I can only tell you one thing. He was an 

eagineer. He had nothing to do with political prisoners," 

said Karl Sendler of Cocoa beach, Florida, one of those who 

knew Rudolph at the main V-2 research center at Peenemunde 

in Germany and later in this country. 

But Sendler said he didn't know Rudolph while he was 

assigned to direct V-2 rocket production at the Mittelwerk 

(Central Works) underground factory in central Germany, 

where the atrocities are said to have taken place. "I was 

in Mittelwerk once. It was the first time in my life that I 

saw someone in a concentration camp uniform. But I was told 

that the security measures were strictly done by security 

forces," Sendler said. 

Sendler, an electronics and tracking expert, said he had 

little direct contact with Rudolph, a rocket engineer, even 

atter the scientists were brought to this country following 

World \Jar 11. But Sendler recalled Rudolph - who wa: based 

at the Army's Kedstone Arsenal and afterwards at NASA's 

-83- 
Marshall Space h'liyht Center, both in Huntsville, Alabama - 

as a dedicated worker. "I would even say that he was a 

nut. He didn't know when to stop," Sendler said, noting 

that Rudolph never yave the impression ot being "a 

politician." [Yacenda. TollAY, p. 6A, Oct. 18, 1984.1 

October 18: The space shuttle Discovery was towed from its 

orbiter processing hanyar at Kennedy Space Center to the 

nearby Vehicle Assembly Huilding early this morning. The 

300-yard tow took an estimated half nour to complete, 

according to KSC spokeswoman Weida Tucker-Brewinyton. 

["shuttle Towed to Building for Assembly," TODAY, p. 7A, 

Oct. 18, 1984.1 

October 23: Just after ridnight, the space shuttle Discovery 

began its 6-1/2-hour, 3-mile rollout to Pad 39A from the 

Vehicle Assembly Building. The trip concluded just before 7 

a.m. EDT, according to KSC spokeswoman Weida TuckerBrewington. Discovery's second journey into space is set 

for November 7, at 8:le a.m. EST. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A 

6 14A, oct. 23, 1984.1 

October 24: NASA's Kennedy Space Center plans to issue Requests 

For Proposals (RFPs) November 15 for analysis of Space 

Station maintenance activities for processes which might be 

accomplished in-flight, and of overall maintenance concepts 

so that "an overall apyr3ach for inaintainability/maintenance 

can be established'' for the Space Station proyram. 

Proposals will be due January 8, 1985. ["KSC opens Study of 

Space Station Maintenance Activities," DEFENSE DAILY, p. 

278, oct. 2', 1984.1 

<> Kennedy Space Center awarded Computer Sciences Corporation 

(Falls Church, Virginia) a $2,111,098 contract extension 

which brought the total value of the existing contract to 

$4,264,300. The cost-plus-award-fee contract began October 

1 and extends through September 30, 1985. CSC will provide 

instrumentation and computation services used in support of 

tests and launches of the Delta, Atlas/Ce,itaur, and Shuttle/ 

Centaur vehicles conducted at NASA facilities at Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station. [Malone. NASA/KSC NEWS 

RELEASE NO. 183-84, Uct. 24, 1984.1 

-84- 
October 25: NASA's Kennedy Space Center awarded Doster 

I Construction Company, Inc. (Birmingham, Alabama) a 

$7,49)b,lJUO contract tor the desiyn and construction ot a 

Ilazdrdous Cargo servicing Facility. Under the terms of the 

fixed-price contract, Uoster Construction Company is 

responsible tor completiny all work on the facility within 

421) days after notification to Froceed with operations. The 

Hazardous Caryo Servicing Facility will be located in the 

space center's industrial area and will be manned by both 

NASA and contractor employees. The facility will include an 

airlock, a high bay and a clean room-type section. The 

structure will bc used to process those space shuttle 

payloads, which due to their hazardous nature, are incapable 

of being processed in usual facilities. [Varneo. NASA/KSC 

NEWS RELEASE NO. 184-84, Oct. 25, 1984.j 

<> With a "superb" practice countdown for the November 7 launch 

of the space shuttle Discovery now out of the way, mission 

specialist Joe Allen said he has one concern: deploying the 

correct pair of satellites and retrieving two ailing 

counterparts. "I hope we don't yet them confused," joked 

Allen followiny the test countdown, adding that he hopes the 

crew comes home "with the right two." 

The tour-man, me-woman crew was pleased with the countdown, 

which endec' just as Discovei-y's engines would have been 

ignited in a real launch. "We really enjoyed working with 

tne launch team," '-0mmander Rick Hauck said. "We're ready. 

They're ready." The crew also includes pilot David Walker 

and mission specialists Anna Fisher, Dale Gardner and 

Allen. [Ha;;. TODA", p. 17A, Oct. 26, 1984.1 

October 30: The launch of the fourth and final NATO I11 series 

aboard a Delta rocket has been rescheduled until no earlier 

than November 13 tc provide time for final resolution of a 

problem with the traveling wave tube amplifiers {TWTAs) 

aboard the spacecrart. [Malone. NASA/KSC NE'WS RELEASE No. 

196-84, Wt. 30, 1984.1 

(? President Reagan sic;ned legislation that streamLines the 

government approval process for pricate launches of space 

satellites. The bill puts the Trans .ortation Department in 

charge of a "one-stop shop" for the needed approvals. The 

secretary must make a determinatim on applications within 

six twnths. In a written statement, the president said the 

-85- 
bill will "signal to private launch operators that this 

administration stands behir3 their efforts to open up this 

new area of space exylorat :-.n." He said that the new law 

"is a milestone in our eff, ,-_ :to address the need of 

private comyanics inter€ 1.-d An launching payloads to have 

ready access to space." ..,,csociat.ed Press. TODAY, p. 6A, 

Oct. 31, 19\14.] 

October 31: "We're 'yo' for the seventh," Kennedy Space Center 

spokesman Dick Young said following a high-level management 

review of pre-flight preparations. One late-breaking doubt 

clouding the launch date was cleared away when engineers 

veritied that Discovery's system of thermal-protection tiles 

was free of deterioration recently discovered on the older 

syaceylane Cha 1 le nye r . 

Engineers ordered three of Discovery's delicate ceramic 

tiles pulled to see if any softening of a bump-smoothing 

compound beneath the tiles had occurred, as was seen a few 

days earlier on Challenyer. Their investiyations revealed 

the rubber-like compound, called "screed," was in proper 

CGndltiGn, Young said. 

Technicians also conducted several testing operations aboard 

Discovery, including check-ou: of the $1.2 million space 

suits that two astronauts will wear during two separate 

spacewalks planned. Workers also tested the tightness of 

Discovery's three maj n liquid-fueled engines using 

pressurized, inert helium yzs, and beyan charging the 

batteries on the duyhes Communication Leasat-1 satellite and 

the Canadian Anik C-3 spacecraft. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 11A, 

NOV. I, 1984.1 

-86- 
November S: While preparations for the launch [November 7) ot 

the space shuttle Discovery continued smoothly, a secret 

military mission assiyned to Challenger was postponed 

several weeks because of insulation problems. NASA said 

technicians will remove as many as 2,800 black heatprotective tiles from Challenger's underside because a 

smoothiny substance underneath them has weakened and must be 

replaced. Challenger's problem was discovered when tiles 

came off too easily when they were removed as part of 

reyblar testing after the shuttle's last flight in early 

October. 

Workers found softness in a substance called screed, a 

smoothing material comparable to auto body putty that is put 

on rouyh places on the shuttle's aluminum skin. Workers 

believe the weakening was caused by repeated uses of a tile 

waterproofing substance and the thermal stress of six 

spaceflights. Three tiles on Discovery were checked last 

week and no problems were found. The only hitch in the 

countdown for Discovery's launch was an on-board computer 

mass memory unit, which was ordered replaced after it did 

not respond properly during testing. The replacement work 

was not expected to affect the launch schedule. [Fisher. 

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, pp. C-1 & (2-5, NOV. 6, 1984.1 

dovember 6: Kennedy Space Center was buzzing with the prospect 

that 1;dp superstar Michael Jackson might top the list of 

VIPs attending today's launch of the space shuttle 

Discovery. The secretive singer and members of his 

entouraye "have expressed an interest in viewing the 

launch," said Darlene Hunt, a KSC protocol officer. She 

s;.id a representative for the Jacksons' touring group called 

November S and requested space for 1s people at the VIP 

viewing site for today's 8:23 a.m. EST launch. 

The caller said "there could be a group of 15 and that 

Michael Jackson could be among them. They wouldn't say 

definitely whether or not he's coming," Hunt said and she 

refused to identify the caller, but she said she was told 

the Jacksons would have to travel from Miami, their last 

concert date. [Ash. TODAY, p. 13A, Nov. 7, 1984.1 

-87- 
November 7% SRif ting high-altitude winds accompanyiiig a Central 

Florida cold front caused shuttle management to delay the 

planned second fliyht of Discovery. 

'L'hc (kcision to scrlit) the November 7 launch came at 7:52 

a.m. EST, just 31 minutes before Discovery and its five 

member crew were due to launch. Engineers at Johnson Space 

Center in Houston calculated that the winds above the Cape 

Canaveral launch site were behaving far too erratically for 

the shuttle to pass through safely. Computer models 

indicated the shearing force of the winds as they changed 

direction could have inflicted permanent structural damage 

on the vehicle. "Because of the rapid change in that 

direction, the maximum roll rate was unacceptable. Wind 

speeds were not the problem," said Captain Art Thomas, chief 

Air Force weather forecaster for the shuttle program. 

[Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 20A, Nov. 8, 1984.1 

<> Early in the morning of November 7 - moments before 

unpredictable winds torced NASA officials to postpone 

Discovery's launch until the next day - a spokesman for the 

Jacksons called and canceled the yroup's reservations, said 

Arnold Richman, NASA's chief of visitor services. "I can 

very definitely say he's not coming now," Richman said. 

[Ash. TODAY, 17A, NOVO 8, 1984.1 

November 8: Facing moderatiny high-level winds, the sgace 

shuttle Discovery lifted off at 7:15 a.m. EST, just 7/100ths 

ut a second late. "We're looking good," missicn commander 

Hick Hauck radioed to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, 

just after launchiny. Shuttle Management Director Tom 

Uts,.ian termed the launch "very, very successful, 

spectacular." 

The only significant problem cropped up during a hold in the 

countdown 20 minutes prior :o liftoff. A key console that 

monitors total vehicle inteyrity went down unexpectedly in 

KSC's Launch Cont.31 Center, forcing teams to quickly switch 

to alternate systems. It was a problem similar to one that 

threatened to scrub Disc?very's first launch on August 30, 

but which had not recurred during subsequent testing. 

"The team handled that very well with no impacr," said 

Launch Director Bob Sieck, who describ. d Discovery 3s an 

"absolutely, 1OU percent pcrfect vchicle at lift off." 

-88- 
officials reported none of the troublesome private aircraft 

intrusions into the flight safety zone that havt Lreated 

problems for several earlier launches. An of f-shore 

sailboat was encountered by a machine gun-totiny patrol 

holicopter, but Utsman said the boat was outside the danyer 

zone and was not bothered. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A 61 20A, 

Nov. 9, 1984.1 

CJ 

November 12: A Cocoa Beach company, under federal scrutiny for 

possible overbilling of work hours at NASA, has agreed out 

of court to repay the space agency $105,000. YRC Systems 

Services Co., the prime design engineering contractor for 

the space shuttle and yround support facilities at the 

Kennedy Space Center, reached the agreement this month after 

neyotiations with the U.Y. attorney's office in Orlando, 

Florida. The company had been under investigation since 

1979. 

U.S. Attorney Robert Merkle said an investiyation by PHC and 

the FBI showed that several employees submitted falsified 

time cards and billed NASA f?r $24,000 of work performed on 

other yovernment contracts. Nerkle said the company fired 

and reprimanded the employees involved in the scheme and 

formed new guidelines to ensure accurate time reporting. He 

said the $105,000 paid to NASA settled all claims and 

interest owed to the space agency. ["Contractor to repay 

1984. J 

NASA $105,000," TdE ORLANDO SENTINEL, p. C-4, NOVO 13, 

November 13: The Bionetics Corp. (Hampton, Virginia) won a $2 

million NASA contract extension for laboratory support 

services at Kennedy Space Center's hiocIedica1 Directorate. 

Bionetics will continue operating KSC's physiological stress 

laboratory and provide support for the microbiological 

laboratory. Bionetics will be responsible for monitoring 

KSC's natural environment and Lhat of its launch a?d landing 

operations. It will support the life sciences research 

being conducted at Cape Cadaveral Air Force Station's Hanyar 

L. [Kassak. TODAY, p. :4C, Nov. 14, 1'384.1 

<> The 1~s: Delta rocket to be launched from Cape Canaveral 

until mid-198h lifted off on-tiue at 7:34 p.m. EST carrying 

the NATO 3-C celecommdnications satellite. Ubservers on the 

yround could follow tne flight for four minutes. 

-89- 
Built by McDonnell-Douylas Astronautics Co. (Huntington 

Beach, California), the Delta has scored a 95 percent 

success rate in its 24 year career. [Yacerda. TODAY, p. 

6A, NOV. 14, 1984.1 

November 18: Two wayward satellites retrieved from the space 

shuttle cargo bay were described by technicians as being in 

good shape aside from a few nicks. The Palapa I32 and Westar 

6 returned to KSC on November 16 aboard Discovery concludiny 

the first space salvaye mission. A few solar cells were 

nicked when astronauts Joe Allen and Dale Gardner wrestled 

the satellites into the caryo bay during two space walks. 

The satellites were moved to a hangar where they will be 

serviced, including removal of volatile hydrazine fuel used 

in small control rockets. Later this month, they will be 

taken to the Hughes Aircraft plant in El Seyundo, 

California, for renovat ion. ["Rescued Satellites Look 

GOOd," TODAY, p. 1A, NOV. 19, 1984.1 

November 20: Discovery and the two retrieved satellites it 

carried back from orbit aro hardly the worse for wear, NASA 

said. "It (Discovery) really looks very clean," said NASA 

official Jim Harrington. "It's hard to tell that the 

vehicle has even flown two times. It's in excellent shape." 

Harrinyton described Discovery's condition dS "more 

favorable" than that seen following 13 previous shuttle 

flights. 

As workers continued servicing Discovery, which landed at 

KSC on November 16, engineers were able to begin assessing 

the condition of the Palapa LI-2 and Westar 6 spacecraft that 

came back with the shuttle. "They look remarkably well," 

NASA Caryo Integration Chief Jim Weir said. 

Harrinyton said no unusual damage occurred to Discovery's 

thsrmal protection tiles during the latest flight. 

Enyineers were concerned that an underlying material may 

have deteriorated as it has on the Challenger. They believe 

the deterioration occurred because of repeated ayp1icatior.s 

ot an intrusive waterproofing chemical called xylene. 

Harrington said 3,S88 tiles had been removed from 

Challenger's underside and officials expected that anothei. 

4UO or so tiles would still have to be pulled and replaced 

on the craft. [Yacenda. TODAY, p. 12A, Nov. 21, 1984.1 

-90- 
November 26: Kennedy Space Center awarded Mohawk Construction 

and Erectors, Inc. (Titusville, Florida), a $264,"87 

conLract for refurbishiny Launch Complex 36 Hesdy Room 

ottices at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Under the 

contract's terms, Mohawk will modernize the interior, 

replace the air conditioning system, and modify walls, 

ceilings and floor coverinys at Complex 36. 

The fixed price contract, set aside for award to a small 

business firm, calls for Mohawk to complete all work within 

120 dahs after receipt of notice to proceed with 

operations. [Shea. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 208-84, Nov. 

26, 1984.1 

November 27: Georye F. Paye, recently retired from the post of 

deputy director of Kennedy Space Center, was appointed vice 

Fresident of operations at Transpace Carriers, Inc. 

["George ti. Paye." DEFENSE !?AILY, p. 125, Nov. 27, 1984.1 

November 28: Kennedy Space Center awarded Butler Constructio!i 

Company (Rockledye, Florida) a 8542,900 contract for the 

construction of an Operations Support Facility. Under the 

terms of the contract, 6utler ConstrLction will provide site 

clearing and utilities installations for the Operations 

Support Facility which will be located in the Launch Complex 

39 area at KSC. The facility will be used to scpport 

Department of Defense operations at the center. The fixed 

price contract, one set aside for award to a small business, 

calls for Butler Construction to complete all work on the 

facility by April 11, 1985. [Varnes. NASA/tiSC NEWS RELEASE 

NO. 207-84, NOV. 28, 1984.1 

November 29: Twenty-three years ayo today - on Nov. 29, 1961 - 

Enos, a 39-year-old chimpanzee, made two Earth orbits in a 

nearly 3-1/2-hour flight aboard a Project Mercury capsule. 

He died of a non-space related illness less than a year 

after his historic tliyht. [Salamon. TODAY, p. lB, Nov. 

29, 1984.1 

<> America's first space traveler, a 27-year-old syuirrel 

monkey named Miss Baker, died at a clinic in Huntsville, 

Alabama, where she had been treated for a kidney ailment. 

The one-pound monkey, who made her trip into space 25 years 

ago, became ill November 25 and died at the small-animal 

-91- 
clinic at Auburn University, said Scott Osborne, deputy 

director of the Alabama Space and Rocket Center. ["Monkey 

Dies, 1st American Space Tra~eler,'~ THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, 

A-138 NOV. 301 1984.1 

-92- 
DGCENBBR 1984 

3 

Ikcember 5: Keniiedy Space Center awarded Holloway Corporation 

(Titusvi;le, Florida) a contract valued at $2,306,477 for 

the relocation of existing fire extinyuishing equipment. 

The fixed-price contract was effective November 20, and will 

extend through September 22, 198s. Under the terms of the 

contract, Holloway will remove two pumps from the Pad-B pump 

house, and a one million gallon water tank behind the 

Uprations and Checkout Building. This equipment will be 

installed in the Hypergolic Maintenance Facility area and 

will be used in a new fire extinguishing system. The 

contract ayreement establishes that Holloway is responsible 

for the construction, installation and testi'ig of a complete 

Hyyeryolic Maintenance and Cargo Processing Area fire 

extinguishiny system. [Malone. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 

212-84, Dec. 5, 1984.1 

'Qacer,alber 10: NASA officials said that CostLllo Construction 

L'ompany, Inc. (Merritt Island, Florida) has been awarded a 

$16';,300 contract to build a Classified Material Destruction 

Facility at Kennedy Space Center; the facility will house a 

new 24-Loot-long paper shcedder. The 48-by-30-foot complex 

will be finished in mid-April, and the shredder's first task 

will be the destruction of documents left behind from the 

classif ied space shuttle mission scheduled for approximately 

Uanuary 22, said project enyineer Ken Ford. 

"here will be "quite a bit" to chew after each defense 

launch, Ford said. "It's enough to keep it really going 

full time" fcir weeks. Ground will be broken later this 

month northeas': of the Launch Control Center because "that 

is where the material that is to be destroyed is gsnerated," 

Ford said. [Fisher. THE UHLANDO SENTINEL, p. lB, Dec. 11, 

1984. I 

Dezember 11: Scientists made their 13th unsuccessful attempt in 

a month to launch a weather satellite from Vardenbery Air 

Force Base, and officials said the high winds blamed fx 

mo..t c: the scrubs could hinder future space shuttle 

launches there. [AP. TODAY, p. 11A, Dec 12, 1984.1 

-93- 
. 

<> about 2,200 acres of the Mrritt Island National Wildlife 

Refuge were doused with a napalm-like mixture and put to the 

torch, said Refuge Manager Steve Vehrs. The controlled-burn 

program is meant to make the KSC landing area much less 

attractive to tree swallows who, like their human *snowbird* 

counterparts, enjoy Florida winters, Vehrs said. Vehrs said 

the burning is supervised by KSC firefighters after a 

helicopter sprays precise areas with jellied yasoline. He 

said special care is taken not to burn oak hammocks, pine 

stands or palm hammocks. [Crook. TODAY, p. 11A, Dec. 12, 

1984. I 

Decearber 12: A weather and search-and-rescue satellite was 

boosted fLawlessLy into orbit after more than a nronth of 

problems tbat forced cancellations of 13 launch attempts. 

And official; of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric 

Administration said the satellite showed no evidence of 

tumbling problems that hampered three of four earlier 

satellites after they made it into space. [AP. TODAY, p. 

4A, I)eC. 13, 1984.1 

December 17: Military an3 civilian space ofticials announced 

January 23 will be the date a top-secret defense payload 

will be launched from Kennedy Space Center abcasd the space 

shuttle Discovery. And Air Force officials indicated that 

media speculation about the payload will be subject to 

investigation. [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A & 16A, Dec. 18, 

19'34.1 

December 18: Weida Tucker Brewington, formerly of the Public 

Affairs staff at Kennedy Space Center, joined the staff at 

Ebon Research Systems, a Cocoa Technical Services and 

manayement consulting f inn, as director of marketing 

development and public relations. [Kassak. TODAY, p. 14C, 

D~c. 19, 1984.1 

<> A study to determine the feasibility of developing a 

prototype expert weather forecasting system for Kennedy 

Space Center in support of space shuttle launch and landing 

is Deing opened to competition by the center. The 

contract(-r will recommend plans, schedules and resources for 

development of the prototype, with a possible option for 

follow-on development and test of 'he system. RFP's are 

slated for issuance January 11 with due date of February 

21. ["Expert Weather Forecasting System for KSC 

Considered," DEFENSE UAILY, p. 245, Dec. 18, 1984.1 

-94- 4 
December 20: Continuing problems with the space shuttle 

Challenger's thermal tiles could delay that cr6ft's next 

flight, now set for mid-to-late February, NASA said. 

Meanwhile, additional tile and engine work has postponed a 

move of Discovery from a Kennedy Space Center processiny 

hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building. KSC spokesmen 

Rocky Haab said the 300-yard move was expected to take -)lace 

early on the afternoon of December 21. 

The latest puzzle hampering engineers' efforts to sort out 

Challenger's tile problems centers around a rubberlike 

silicon substance cslled Room Temperature Vulcanizing - or 

RTV - used on the orbitsr's aluminum skin beneath the 

prctective tiles. "There is 3 situation we don't understand 

with the RTV," Kaab said. Asked if that would delay 

Challenger's flight, he said, "There is the potential for 

that." [Yacenda. TODAY, pp. 1A t 20A. Dec. 21, 1984.1 

December 21: NASA recognized Ebon Research Systems' Executive 

Director, Dr. Florence Hicks Alexander, as the Minority 

Business Person of the Year. Ebon, a small business 

contractor at KSC, provides engineering integration and 

support services for processing shuttle payloads and related 

ground support equipment at KSC. NASA's Administrator, 

James M. Beygs, presented the award to Alexander at a recent 

ceremnjl held in kashington during the annual Minority 

Business Enterprise kvelopment Week. Nominations for the 

award vere solicited from all NASA centers. ["NASA Honors 

KSC Contractor," SPPCEPOHT NEWS, p. 4. Dec. 21, 1984.1 

<> Kennedy Space Center awzrded EG&G Florida, Inc. (Cocoa, 

Florida) a one year, $9u,4338613 extension to its existiny 

contract for base operatims services. The extension covers 

the period of January i throuyh December 31, 1985 and brings 

the cumulative cost of the origin21 contract to 

$275,193,168. This is the second one-year extension to the 

Base Operations Contract awarded to EG&G in January 1983. 

[Shea. NASA/KSC NEWS RELEASE No. 224-84, Dec. 21, 1984.1 

<> The Space Division of Hockwe11 International in mid-February 

will open a space shuttle service center in Cape Canaveral. 

a Rockwell spokesman said. NASA in November extended its 

space shuttle production contract with Hockwell to include 

an intermediate and depot-level maintenance support facility 

for shuttle tlights, said Dick Burton, Rockwell public 

relations director. 

-95- 
‘The service center in Cape Canaveral, the latest phase of 

our contract with NASA, will be used to maintain or repair 

space shuttle systems and make minor hardware changes that 

do not require being handled by our division in California,“ 

Burton said. The facility will be located in the now vacant 

International Business Hachines Cory. building at 8600 

Astrcnaut Boulevard in Cape Canaveral. (Smith. THE 

TRIBUNE, p. 1A, IJeC. 27, 1984.1 

Decebr 23: The space shuttles Columbia, Challenyer and 

Discovery were described as the “Nina, Pinta and Smta 

Haria” of the 20th century by A. R. “Ala Schroter, president 

of Lockheed Space Operations Co., in the commencement 

address he yave the yraduating class at Brevard Community 

College. [Herlihy. TODAY, Dec. 24, 1984.1 

-96- 
4 

Q 

C 

0 

4 

U 

4 

c* 

&wl 

OC 

uo 

C-4 

.rcu Q 

uo 

Q-4 

mc 

43 

co 

no 

SI 

* 

U 

L 

v) 

W 

b 

3 

a 

U 

C 

3 

Is 

e 

4 

2 

ci? 

> 

e, 

e 

0 

4 

Q) 

u 

C 

n 

o\ 

P, 

c 

3 

3 

m 

d 

m 

rl 

Lc 

Q) 

E 

8 

n 

9” 

P, 

0 

& 

0 

a 

& 

4 

P 

4 
-116- 

d 

Q) 

o\ 

d 

& 

0 

W 

PD 

a? 

z 

0 

C 

i 

a? 

d 

4J 

kJ 

x 

m 

a? 

0 

a 

v) 

4 

z 

a 

2 

8 

0 

m 

Y 

& 

a? 

P 

C 

a? 

4 

d 

Q 

r 

V 

m 

I 

4 

d 

m 

5, 

& 

Q 

J 

& 

P 

t 

a 

" 

C 

Q 

d 

d 

-5 - 

-0 C 

08 0 

V 

m 

X 

& 

a 

P 

C 

0, 

4 

d 

4 

r 

V 

u 

I 

4 

d 

rD 

rl 

-d 

& 

2 

0 

(rl 

c, 

m 

J 

P 

3 

In 

& 

a? 

0 

JJ 

n 

8 

: 

Q 

E 

Y 

n 

OI 

ad