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Produced by the NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Chronology of KSC and KSC Related 

Events for 2007 

Elaine E. Liston 

NASA I TM-2008-214739 February 2008 

www.nasa.gov
Chronology of KSC and KSC Related 

Events for 2007 

Elaine E. Lis ton, 

InDyne, Inc., Kennedy Space Center, Florida 

NASA / TM-2008-214739 February 2008
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FOREWORD 

This 2007 Chronology is published to describe and document KSC's role in 

NASA's progress. 

Materials 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 date of occurrence, though the source cited 

may be dated one or more days after the event. 

Materials were researched and compiled for publication by Archivist Elaine E. 

Liston. 

Comment on the Chronology should be directed to the John F. Kennedy Space 

Center, Archives, LIBRARY-E, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 32899. The 

Archivist may also be reached by e-mail at Elaine.Liston-1@ksc.nasa.gov , or 

(321) 867-1515.
CONTENTS 

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

February............................................................16 

March................................................................29 

April...................................................................47 

May....................................................................66 

June....................................................................96 

July...................................................................129 

August.............................................................153 

September.......................................................186 

October...........................................................204 

November.......................................................230 

December.......................................................250 

AppendixA....................................................270
JANUARY 

January 1: News Breaks - Contact with experiments regained 

U.S. Air Force controllers have regained contact with the TacSat-2 orbiting experimental 

package after a faulty ground-segment configuration broke off communications for 2.5 days 

shortly after its Dec. 16 launch. The mission was proceeding as planned late last week. 

Meanwhile, a 10-lb. NASA biology experiment that rode piggyback on the mission was 

performing well and returning data. Both were launched from a new commercial facility on 

Wallops Island, VA., on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur I rocket. ["News Breaks," Aviation 

Week & Space Technology, January 1, 2007, p 18.] 

January 3: Titan 1 rocket lands at Cape for students 

One of the country's earliest intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Titan I quickly became a 

symbol for American military might during the Cold War. The landmark missile was 

displayed in front of Titusville High School from 1971 to 2005. The Kiwanis Club of 

Titusville established the Save the Rocket Foundation to raise money for its restoration, but 

the machine was too far gone to restore. Last September, the' Titan I was transferred from 

the high school to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where it is being used as a training aid 

for students in Brevard Community College's aerospace technology program. ["Titan I 

rocket lands at Cape for students," Florida Today, January 3, 2007, p lB.] 

January 4: Kennedy retires, Parsons takes helm of KSC 

Bill Parsons today assumes the role as the ninth director of KSC. In September, NASA 

Administrator Michael Griffin named Parsons to succeed Jim Kennedy who is retiring from 

the agency. Parsons has served as the center's deputy director since February. "The 

thousands of people who make up the team at Kennedy are the most talented and dedicated 

group of professionals I have had the honor to work with," said Parsons. "I look forward to 

the future and being a part of completing the International Space Station, and launching the 

vehicles that will take us back to the moon." ["Kennedy retires, Parsons takes helm of 

KSC," KSC Countdown, January 4, 2007.] 

NASA braces for possible exploration hit on Capitol Hill 

Amid signs the incoming Democratic leadership plans to pass a full-year continuing 

resolution (CR) for fiscal 2007 and move on to the fiscal 2008 budget request early in the 

year, the space agency's legislative office warns that exploration accounts face deep hits. 

According to an internal legislative affairs memo for senior agency managers, first reported 

by the NASA Watch web site, holding '07 spending to '06 levels under a CR amounts to a 

$520 million cut from the requested amount and "could cause a widening of the current 

four-year gap" in U.S. human spaceflight after the shuttle retires in 2010. Particularly hard 

hit would be the Orion crew exploration vehicle and Ares I crew launch vehicle, which are 

ready to ramp up their spending to meet a 2014 deadline for the first human flight. Even 

so, powerful NASA backers like Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) has yet to weigh in publicly. 

And the Orion project, at least, can hang on for a little while at '06 levels. The new Orion 

prime contract with Lockheed Martin allows full funding through June 2007, says Cans A. 

(Skip) Hatfield, the project manager. Other impacts are still under study, but "we're OK for 

the next few months," Hatfield says. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: CCNASA braces for possible exploration hit on 

Capitol Hill," [Electronic]. Vol. 221, No. 2, [January 4, 2007.].] 

Delta 4 rocket readied for launch at Cape 

After a two-hour delay, workers lifted a United Launch Affiance Delta 4 Heavy rocket to the 

vertical position on the launch pad. When it lifts off in the spring, it will be only the second 

time one of these has ever been launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first 

launch from the Cape was December 2004, but the rocket failed to completely deliver its test 

payload to the desired orbit -- missing one of the test flight's eight objectives. Web posted. 

(2007). [Delta 4 rocket readied for launch at Cape [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoda y.com/ [2007, January 41.] 

January 5: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-010507. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays ; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: No earlier than March 16, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Technicians powered down 

orbiter Atlantis in Orbiter Processing Facility bay I prior to the holidays. Over the holiday 

period, thermal protection system waterproofmg was completed. Final system testing and 

processing continues in preparation for the vehicle's roll over to the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, scheduled for Feb. 7. The external tank scheduled to fly with Atlantis, designated 

ET-124, arrived at Kennedy Space Center from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New 

Orleans prior to the holidays. On Dec. 28, the barge brought the tank to the turn basin in 

the Launch Complex 39 area, and the tank was offloaded into the Vehicle Assembly 

Building. The next day, the tank was lifted into the checkout cell for final processing prior to 

being mated to the solid rocket boosters in high bay 1, scheduled for Jan. 19. Mission: 

STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: No earlier 

than June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, 

Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, and technicians continue 

preparing the vehicle for its first launch in nearly five years. The vehicle has undergone an 

extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety 

modifications added to both Discovery and Atlantis. The payload bay doors were closed for 

the holiday period and were reopened on Thursday. Technicians continue checkout and 

servicing of the water spray boiler system. Auxiliary power unit and main propulsion system 

leak and functional testing is complete. The Ku-band antenna was deployed Thursday. 

Preparations are under way for left-hand orbiter maneuvering system pod installation, 

scheduled for Tuesday. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status 

Report [Online]. Available T\XT\X7 : http: / /wwv.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv /

shutdeoperations/status/2007/index.html [2007, January 5.] 

January 7: Ares I passes review milestone in its development 

NASA has completed the Ares I crew launch vehicle system requirements review -- the first 

such milestone for a U.S. human-rated launch vehicle system in more than 30 years. This 

review brings the agency one step closer to developing a new mode of space transportation 

for astronauts on missions to explore the moon, Mars and other destinations. The system 

2
requirements review confirmed that the Ares I system requirements were complete, validated 

and responsive to mission requirements. It also confirmed that the Ares I architecture and 

design concept can fulfill the mission objectives and that the Ares project is ready to begin 

engineering design activities. The Ares preliminary design review is scheduled for mid-2008. 

Web posted. (2007). [Ares I passes review milestone in its development [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.spaceflightnov.com/ [2007, January 8].] 

Early space probes studied 

Two NASA space probes that visited Mars 30 years ago may have stumbled upon alien 

microbes on the Red Planet and inadvertently killed them, a scientist theorizes in a paper 

released Sunday. The problem was the Viking space probes of 1976-77 were looking for the 

wrong kind of life and didn't recognize it, the researcher said in a paper presented at a 

meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle. This new report, based on a more 

expansive view of where life can take root, may have NASA looking for a different type of 

Martian life form when its next Mars spacecraft is launched. A new NASA Mars mission 

called Phoenix is set for launch this summer, and one of the scientists involved said he is 

eager to test the new theory about life on Mars. ["Early space probes studied, Florida 

Today, January 8, 2007, p IA.] 

J anuaty 8: Lawsuit: KSC cafeteria firm served outdated meat to space 

workers 

A former culinary worker, Carolyn Vargas, who worked at a Kennedy Space Center cafeteria, 

is suing her former employer, Lackmann Culinary Services of Woodbury, N.Y, for using 

weeks-old outdated food, usually disguised in spicy dishes like chili or barbecue. The 

company denies the claim. In court records, Vargas says Lackmann, which operates seven 

different cafeterias at Kennedy Space Center, told her to lie to a health inspector and falsely 

post-date food labels before inspections. Vargas claims in her lawsuit that at least one of the 

three entries served each day by Lackmann would be "spoiled, contaminated, or otherwise 

not fit for human consumption." Not so, said Heath Braunstein, Lackmann's director of 

food safety. He said Lackmann actually does about six times better than average in its 

inspections by the state. Lawsuit: Web posted. (2007). [KSC cafeteria firm served outdated 

meat in dishes for space workers [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com

The Flame Trench blog [2007, January 8].] 

Famous flag, meatball on VAB get facelift 

Working on scaffolding secured high above the ground, painters are freshening up the huge 

American flag and the NASA logo on the south side of Kennedy Space Center's 52-story 

Vehicle Assembly Building. The flag is 209 feet long and 110 feet wide, or about the size of 

a 60-plane hangar bay on an aircraft carrier. The blue field on the flag is the sire of a 

regulation basketball court, and its 50 stars each are six feet wide. Each of the 13 stripes are 

the size of a standard interstate highway lane -- wide enough to accommodate 18-wheelers or 

the tour buses that haul visitors around the spaceport. The NASA logo, affectionately 

known as the "meatball," measures about 132 feet by 110 feet and covers 12,300 square feet. 

The flag and a U.S. bicentennial logo were painted on the side of the building in 1976 in 

celebration of the 200th anniversary of the United States of America. The job required 6,000 

gallons of paint. In 1998, NASA repainted the flag and replaced the bicentennial symbol 

with the NASA logo. The Vehicle Assembly Building was erected in the early 1960s for the 

assembly of the U.S. Saturn 5 rockets that carried American astronauts and their cargoes to 

3
the moon. It now serves as the assembly building for U.S. space shuttles and will be used to 

erect new moon rockets when the U.S. sends astronauts back to the lunar surface around 

2018. Web posted. (2007). [Famous flag, meatball get facelift [Online]. Available W'X'W: 

http://wwiv.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, January 8].] 

January 9: NASA picks finalists for 2011 Mars mission 

NASA has selected two spacecraft as finalists for a 2011 mission to Mars as part of the 

agency's Mars Scout program. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) 

mission would study the planet's upper atmosphere and ionosphere to seek clues about the 

planet's climate and habitability. The Great Escape mission would also study the planet's 

upper atmosphere to understand its dynamics and evolution, as well as look for traces of 

potentially biogenic compounds like methane in the atmosphere. NASA wifi select one of 

the two missions in late 2007 for launch in 2011. The mission will be the second in the Mars 

Scout program of relatively low-cost Mats missions, with a cost cap of $475 million. The 

first Mars Scout mission, the Phoenix Lander, is scheduled for launch this August. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA picks finalists for 2011 Mars mission [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.spacetodav.net/ [2007, January 9].] 

January 10: Shuttle and NASA/ISS Launch Schedules and Manifest 

Shuttle manager Wayne Hale has raffled his troops ahead of the four STS missions in 2007 - 

with the fifth projected as moving to 2008 on the latest manifest - preparing them for "an 

outstanding year." As NASA continue to make major refinements to their shuttle schedule, 

NASA administrator Mike Griffin also emphasized that continuing to learn the safest way to 

approach the final flights of the three orbiters is paramount in the agency's plans. Orbiters 

Atlantis and Endeavour will be tasked with carrying out the 2007 schedule, with four major 

International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. Discovery was set to join in on the 

fifth launch of the year with STS-123 - and that officially remains the case - although that has 

slipped to January. While the manifest reflects the slip of STS-123 to January, such slips 

aren't made official until nearer the launch date. While the manifest is constantly evolving - 

as it has over the life of the shuttle program - it currently reflects the continuation of the 4.5 

flights per year which NASA has been able to achieve since Columbia made her debut on 

STS-1. "I have consistently said that if we could take the time necessary to get things going 

properly that we could get back to our historical operational tempo of 4.5 launches per year 

on the average that we would easily fmish the Station by the time it was necessary to retire 

the Shuttle," Griffin noted. Current FAWG/Shuttle and NASA/ISS Launch Schedules and 

Manifest: 

2007 

January 18 - Progress M-59 (24P) 

March 16 - STS-117 (13A) - Atlantis - S3/S4 (possible launch date is March 15) 

April 9 - Soyuz TMIA-10 (14S) 

May 12 - Progress M-60 (25P) 

Ijune 9 - STS-318 (LON for STS-117) - Endeavour] 

June 28 - STS-118 (13A.1) - Endeavour - S5, Spacehab-SM, ESP3 

July 25 - Jules Verne (ATV-1) 

[August24 - STS-320 (LON for STS-118) - Atlantis] 

September 3 - Progress M-61 (26P) 

September 7 - STS-120 (1OA) - Atlantis - Node 2, PDGF 

[September 28 - STS-322 (LON for STS-120) - Discovery (possible launch date is October 

ru
19)] 

October 6 - Soyuz TMA-11 (15S) 

November - STS-122 (IE) - Discovery - Columbus, ICC-Lite (possible launch dates are 

November 5 or 27) 

November 15 - Progress M-62 (27P) 

[November 24 - STS-323 (LON for STS-122) - Endeavour] 

2008 

January - STS-123 (1J/A) - Endeavour - JEM ELM-PS, SLP-D1 with SPDM Dextre 

(possible launch dates are January 14 or 17) 

January 29 - Progress M-63 (28P) 

[February 15 - STS-324 (LON for STS-123) - Atlantis] 

February 29 - STS-124 (1J) - Atlantis -JEM PM with JEM RMS 

April 8 - Soyuz TMA-12 (16S) 

July 10 - STS-119 (15A) - Endeavour - S6 

September 11 - STS-125 (HST-SM4) - Atlantis 

[September 18 - STS-326 (LON for STS-125 and STS-119) - Discovery] 

October 9 - STS-126 (ULF2) - Discovery - MPLM, LMC 

2009 

January 15 - STS-127 (2J/A) - Endeavour -JEM EF, ELM-ES, SLP-D2 

April 9 - STS-128 (17A) - Discovery - MPLM, LMC 

July 9 - STS-129 (ULF3) - Endeavour - ELCI, ELC2 

July - HTV (HTV-1) 

September 30 - STS-130 (19A) - Discovery - MPLM, LMC 

TBD - MLM (3R) - ERA 

2010 

(January 14 - STS-131 (ULF4/CLF) - Endeavour - ELC3, ELC4] 

April 1 - STS-132 (20A) - Discovery - Node 3 with Cupola 

[July 9 - STS-133 (ULF5/CLF) - Endeavour - ELC5, ELCI] 

Web posted. (2007). [[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.spacefIight.com/ [2007, 

January 10]

Parsons meets the press 

New Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons held an informal round table with 

reporters this morning, six days after taking the reins of America's spaceport. He replaces 

Jim Kennedy, who announced his retirement last year and left the post earlier this month. 

Parsons began his NASA career in shuttle operations at KSC in 1990 and returned in 2006 

as deputy director. His resume includes stints as manager of the shuttle program and director 

of NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Here are the high points from the 

discussion: * Most of the questions to Parsons were related to possible job cuts at KSC as 

NASA moves closer to the shuttle's 2010 retirement date and transitions to the Constellation 

program that eventually will send flights to the moon. There are estimates that ICSC's 

workforce of about 2,100 civil servants and 15,000 contractors could shrink by as many as 

5,000 jobs. While there were no new specifics on the subject, like his predecessor, Parsons 

conceded there would be reductions. The hope is that some of the losses will be offset by 

creating new jobs in different areas and bringing "non-traditional" work to KSC. "I do see 

some changes and I do probably see some reductions from time to time, but there will 

probably be surges in different areas, whether it be construction or whatever," Parsons said. 

"This workforce that we keep talking about, it may not be the same stable workforce that 

5
we've had out here over the life of the space shuttle program, but there will be work being 

done here at the Kennedy Space Center at a level that is very close to the budget we have 

today. How that is spread around again will be differen t. ?! * NASA managers continue to 

study what changes will be made to KSC's existing infrastructure. As the Constellation 

program's needs are further defmed during 2007, decisions will begin to be made about 

modifying and mothballing current shuttle facilities. KSC officials are studying the possibility 

of beginning some work on KSC's Launch Pad 39B. The pad, which saw its last planned 

shuttle launch in December, is expected to host the first Constellation launch currently 

planned for mid-2009. However, the pad still must be available for an emergency shuttle 

flight in late-2008 when NASA sends a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. * 

Parsons doesn't expect to handle his job as KSC director much differently than Kennedy. 

Both spent considerable time in the shuttle program early in their careers. Parsons' work as 

shuttle program manager and Kennedy's deputy gives him lots of experience for his new job. 

?J don't think there is going to be a great deal of difference,?! Parsons said. "There is a 

proven workforce here. We have a lot of confidence in how we set up our processes and 

what we do. Do Jim and I have different styles? We probably do.!? Web posted. (2007). 

[Parsons meets the press [Online]. Available WWW: http://w\v\v.orlandosentinel.com/

[2007, January 10].] 

January 11: NASA Science uses Metrics 

It's official: the moon is on the metric system. NASA is returning to the moon, and the 

agency has decided to use metric units for all future lunar operations. ["NASA Science," 

KSC Countdown, January 11, 2007.] 

January 12: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-011207. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: No earlier than March 16, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Final vehicle closeouts are 

under way in preparation for technicians to move Atlantis to the Vehicle Assembly Building 

on Feb. 7. This week, the payload bay was cleaned and the doors were closed. The doors will 

be cycled one last time and the payload bay doors will be closed for flight next week. The 

external tank scheduled to fly with Atlantis, designated ET-124, is in the checkout cell in the 

Vehicle Assembly Building for final processing prior to being mated to the solid rocket 

boosters in high bay 1. Space Shuttle Program managers will hold a review on Jan. 16 to 

determine the readiness to mate the tank with the boosters. Once the review is complete and 

the "go ahead" has been given, the tank will be attached on Jan. 19. Mission: STS-118 - 

22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour 

(OV-1 05); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: No earlier than June 

28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Wiffiams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldvell 

and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour 

remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, and technicians continue preparing the vehicle 

for its first launch in just over four years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive 

modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades 

added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, technicians installed the left-hand orbiter 

maneuvering system pod on the vehicle and they are now performing interface verification. 

Main propulsion system leak, functional and electrical checkout was successfully completed.
Water spray boiler checkout and servicing began Thursday and will continue today. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /_2007 /index.html [2007, 

January 12.1 

January 17: THEMIS to provide new understanding of substorm life cycle 

NASA's THEMIS, the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during 

Substorms mission, is set to venture into space and help resolve the mystery of what triggers 

geomagnetic substorms. For the first time, scientists will get a comprehensive view of the 

substorm phenomena from Earth's upper atmosphere to far into space, pinpointing where 

and when each substorm begins. Substorms are atmospheric events visible in the northern 

hemisphere as a sudden brightening of the Northern Lights. THEMIS also will provide 

clues about the role of substorms in severe space weather and identify where and when 

substorms begin. THEMIS' five identical probes will be the largest number of scientific 

sateffites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. This unique 

constellation of satellites will line up along the sun-Earth line, collect coordinated 

measurements every four days, and be ready to observe more than 30 substorms during the 

two-year mission. Data collected from the five probes will pinpoint where and when 

substorrns begin, a feat impossible with any previous single-satellite mission. THEMIS is set 

to launch in mid-February aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Complex 17-B at Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station. THEMIS is the fifth medium-class mission under NASA's 

Explorer Program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific 

investigations from space within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. ["THEMIS 

mission to provide new understanding of substorm life cycle," NASA News Release #07-

011, January 17, 2007.] 

January 18: NASA might launch Atlantis a day early 

NASA might move up the March 16 launch of shuttle Atlantis to put more time between the 

International Space Station construction mission and the arrival of a Russian capsule carrying 

new crew members. Delaying the shuttle flight until late April, after the crew rotation 

mission, would make it more difficult to complete station assembly before a 2010 deadline. 

Senior NASA' managers are expected to decide on Jan. 25. A March 15 launch would come 

at 6:42 a.m. ["NASA might launch Atlantis a day early," Florida Today, January 18, 2007, 

p IA & 7A.1 

January 19: Spacehab cuts 36 jobs in Houston, at Cape 

NASA contractor Spacehab, Inc. has restructured and cut about 36 jobs at the company's 

headquarters in Houston and at its payload-processing facility in Cape Canaveral, company 

officials said Friday. Before the job cuts, Spacehab employed about 220 people, representing 

a 16 percent workforce reduction. The company has three facilities - the Houston 

headquarters, a shuttle payload-processing facility in Cape Canaveral and a satellite payloadprocessing facility in Titusville operated by Spacehab subsidiary Astrotech Space Operations. 

The Titusville facility was not affected by the job cuts. ["Spacehab cuts 36 jobs in Houston, 

at Cape," Florida Today, January 20, 2007, p IC & 2C.1 

Ask the Administrator on the InsideNASA Web site 

A new "Ask a Question" feature is now available to NASA employees in the 

"Administrator's Corner" on the InsideNASA Web site at: http://insidenasa.nasa.gov

7
Employees are invited to use the new online feature to submit a question regarding the 

agency and its programs to Administrator Griffin. He will see all questions and make every 

effort to answer as many questions as possible, but time constraints may preclude answering 

every question. Current plans call for posting questions and the administrator 1 s responses at 

a regular interval, depending on the volume of questions asked. The new feature is part of 

an effort to improve dialogue and communications within the agency by allowing individual 

employees across the agency to share their questions and concerns directly with senior 

management. E-mail distribution. (2007). ["Ask the Administrator on the InsideNASA Web 

site," [Electronic]. KSC-NASA-INC-Message-Center [KSC-NASA-INC-Message@mail. 

nasa.gov], anuary 19, 2007.].] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-011907. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for March 16, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Final vehicle closeouts are 

under way in preparation for technicians to move Atlantis to the Vehicle Assembly Building 

on Feb. 7. This week, technicians worked to close out the fonvard reaction control system, 

the midbody and aft areas. The payload bay doors were cycled and closed for flight. The 

payload bay door strongbacks were removed Thursday. Final orbiter power down is 

scheduled for Jan. 25. Today, the external tank scheduled to fly with Atlantis, designated 

ET-124, was moved from the checkout cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building to be mated to 

the solid rocket boosters in high bay 1. Space Shuttle Program managers held a review on 

Tuesday and gave the "go ahead" to mate the tank with the boosters. Mission: STS-118 - 

22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour 

(OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 

2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell 

and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour 

remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 and technicians continue preparing the vehicle 

for its first launch in just over four years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive 

modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades 

added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, technicians completed main propulsion 

system leak, functional and electrical checkouts. Late Thursday, the first of three space 

shuttle main engines. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov /ccnters /kennedv/shuttleoperations / 

status/2007/index.html [2007, January 19.] 

January 24: Pad 39A tested to avoid STS-116 anomaly 

United Space Affiance and NASA engineers have successfully carried out a power outage test 

on Pad 39A, following a large scale power loss that occurred just as shuttle Discovery was 

leaving the Pad 39B on STS-1 16 last December. The test - which was carried out at the 

weekend - was ordered in the wake of the 39B anomaly, which caused a cascade of power 

loss to elements of the pad and Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) at T-0, nearly causing loss of 

power to the Hardware Interface Modules (HIMs). The HIMs relay commands from the 

Firing Room at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to the ground support equipment at the 

pad. The loss of a HIM would not of endangered Discovery, due to fail safe/redundancy 

and the ability to scrub, added to the information pointing to the failure happened at the 

8
exact moment Discovery started to lift off the pad. However, it did lead to a long night for 

the 'pad rats' at KSC. 'One of the power supplies on the MLP failed at T-O and this made 

for a little bit of a long night for the people doing post-launch securing, which is plenty 

hazardous,' noted one source. 'It would've been a bad night indeed (for the facility, at least) 

had they been lost.' Another source also noted it took several hours longer to safe the pad 

due to the power anomaly: 'Some of the HIMs are new and utilized for first time for this 

launch. It was a longer night for the safing teams, approx. 4.5 hours before Engineering 

could get HIMs needed for ordnance safing powered up, and teams on pad for safing 

activities.' Early information on what was the source of the fault points to an electrical fault 

in the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) at the pad, which caused a cascade throughout some 

of the pad and MLP systems. 'The fault was power supply in the PCR (Payload Changeout 

Room), which took a dump, resulting in a cascade to racks in the MLP,' noted source 

information. 'The MLP is now fixed.' The weekend of evaluations on Pad 39A, classed as 

'PAD A Power Outage Testing,' was deemed a success. 39A will carry out the remaining 

shuttle launches, bar 39B's fmal role as the pad that will host LON-326 - the rescue mission 

contingency for the launch of STS-125 to the Hubble Space Telescope in September 2008. 

The pad will then be officially handed over to Constellation for modification work ahead of 

the Ares 1-IR test flight in 2009. The test evaluated the pad's Integrated Network Control 

System (INCS), which is a highly automated network system that sends data and commands 

between the Shuttle Launch Control Center (LCC) and the hardware end items, including 

connectivity with 40,000 end items located within 28 separate ground systems, all dispersed 

to 10 facilities over 16 square miles. 'A complete power outage test was conducted at Pad A 

on Saturday morning,' noted a NASA Ops report. 'The primary purpose of this test is INCS 

validation. Call to stations was scheduled for 0600 hrs, with the outage occurring at daylight, 

approx. 0715 hrs, and lasted approx. 15 minutes. All three medium voltage power feeders 

(518, 612, and 606) were taken down, and then restored sequentially. 'After successful 

completion of the power Out test, an outage was carried out on UPS 10 & IOA and 11 &IIA 

for approximately 10 minutes on each UPS. The purpose of this test is to verify the output 

of the UPS power system in event of a loss of UPS power in support of the INCS 

modification. 'The driver for this test is the power anomaly experienced directly after STS116 launch at Pad B in December.' The results of the tests proved there aren't any 

outstanding issues with Pad 39A, as power was restored successfully, following the 

powerdowns. Web posted. (2007). [Pad 39A tested to avoid STS-1 16 anomaly [Online]. 

Available WWW: http: / /www.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, January 24].] 

Shuttle launch date reset for March 15 

A move to launch shuttle Atlantis a day earlier than planned will give NASA an extra 

opportunity to get its next International Space Station assembly mission off the ground 

before a March 29 deadline, officials said Wednesday. Atlantis and six astronauts now are 

scheduled to blast off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:43 a.m. March 15. Liftoff had been 

slated for March 16. The 11-day flight must launch by March 29 so the astronauts can 

complete their work and depart the station 72 hours before the planned April 9 launch of a 

Russian Soyuz spacecraft with a new station crew. Station project managers prefer a threeday gap between the departure of a shuttle and arrival of a Soyuz. The gap gives the 

onboard station crew time to prepare for the Soyuz arrival. ["Shuttle launch date reset for 

March 15," Florida Today, January 25, 2007, p IA.] 

Heading for the Hall of Fame
Two veterans of Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and an astronaut who now is 

director of Johnson Space Center will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on 

May 5. All three - Michael Coats, Steven Hawley and Jeffrey Hoffman - were members of 

NASA's 1978 astronaut class. ["Heading for the Hall of Fame," Florida Today, January 

24, 2007, p 3B.] 

January 25: Endeavour prepped for return to ifight 

Sidelined since the 2003 Columbia accident, the orbiter Endeavour is being put back 

together and is scheduled to launch on an International Space Station construction mission 

in late June. Veteran astronaut Scott Kelly will command a crew that includes mission 

specialist Barbara Morgan, who will be NASA's first "educator astronaut" to fly in space. 

Morgan served as back-up to Teacher-In-Space Christa McAuliffe, who was killed along with 

six other astronauts in the 1986 Challenger accident. The 21st anniversary of the accident is 

this coming Sunday. Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and mission specialists Richard Mastracchio and 

Dafydd Williams of the Canadian Space Agency round out the crew. Their spaceship is 

being readied for flight in Bay No. 2 of the Kennedy Space Center Orbiter Processing 

Facility, where technicians are bonding heat shield tiles to the underside of the 122-foot-long 

spaceship. Preparations for landing gear tests also are under way. The shuttle's three liquidfueled main engines already have been installed in the orbiter, and one of its two hump-like 

Orbital Maneuvering System pods was delivered to the processing hangar earlier this week. 

The pods house the orbiter's twin maneuvering engines, which are fired to circularize the 

shuttle's orbit after launch into space. With the shuttle flying upside down and bachvard, the 

engines also are ignited to slow the ship enough to drop it out of orbit and onto an 

atmospheric reentry an hour before an end-of-mission landing. Small thrusters used to steer 

the orbiter in space also are housed in the pods, which are made primarily of a graphite 

epoxy composite material and aluminum. Each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at 

its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its fonvard end, with a surface area of approximately 435 

square feet. Built to replace Challenger, the orbiter is scheduled to emerge from its hangar 

on May 18, making a quarter-mile move to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Crane operators 

will hoist the ship atop a mobile launcher platform and then attach it to an external tank 

equipped with twin solid rocket boosters. Endeavour's payload -- a short spacer that will 

provide a bridge between starboard sections of the station's central truss -- will be moved to 

the launch pad 39A on May 22. The fully assembled shuttle is scheduled to roll out to the 

pad on May 25. Kelly and his crew will take part in a practice countdown on June 7. Liftoff 

of NASA's 119th shuttle mission is scheduled forJune 28. Web posted. (2007). [Endeavour 

prepped for return to flight [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The 

Flame Trench [2007, January 25].] 

NASA to Observe Day of Remembrance 

On Monday, Jan. 29, NASA will observe a Day of Remembrance honoring those members 

of the NASA Family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and 

discovery. In their memory, flags across the agency will fly at half-staff. E-mail distribution. 

(2007). ["NASA to Observe Day of Remembrance," [Electronic]. KSC-NASA-INCMessage-Center [KSC-NASA-INC-Message@mail.nasa.gov ], January 25, 2007.].] 

January 26: Get set for lots of launches 

A two-year lull is over, and the tempo of launches at Kennedy Space Center and Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station is about to pick up. Look for NASA to launch four or five 

10
shuttle missions this year as the agency ramps up construction of the International Space 

Station, the assembly of which is supposed to be completed by September 2010. United 

Launch Affiance, a new joint venture that combines the Atlas and Delta rocket families, will 

stage its maiden launch from Cape Canaveral in February. The nascent company aims to 

follow up with a brisk flight rate of more than one launch per month. A total of 20 shuttle 

and rocket missions are on the books for launch this year - double the number that blasted 

off here in 2006 and nearly three times the seven missions launch in 2005. ["Get set for lots 

of launches," Florida Today, January 26, 2007, p IA & 9A.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-012607. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for March 15, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On Wednesday, the Space 

Shuttle Program signed a change request moving the STS-I 17 targeted launch date to March 

15, one day earlier than originally planned. Final vehicle closeouts are under way in 

preparation for technicians to move Atlantis to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Feb. 7. 

Technicians completed the flight deck closeout and are working to finish closing out the 

forward area. The final vehicle power down and main landing gear functional test is 

scheduled for Jan. 29. Aft structural leak test preparations began today, and the test will 

begin early next week. On Jan. 31, technicians will perform the final weight and center-ofgravity measurements on the vehicle and the orbiter transporter system will be brought into 

the bay on Feb. 1. Last week, the external tank scheduled to fly with Atlantis, designated 

ET-I24, was moved from the checkout cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building to be mated to 

the solid rocket boosters in high bay 1. Technicians are completing the final foam 

application and strut closeouts in preparation for attaching the orbiter on Feb. 7. At Pad A, 

technicians performed a payload canister fit check. The canister will be used to transport the 

payload for the mission, the S3/S4 solar arrays, scheduled to go to the pad on Feb. 18. 

Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; 

Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: 

Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, 

Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter ProcessingFacility bay 2, and technicians continue 

preparing the vehicle for its first launch in just over four years. The vehicle has undergone an 

extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety 

upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. Last week, technicians installed 

Endeavour's three space shuttle main engines. On Tuesday, the right-hand orbital 

maneuvering system pod was moved into the bay. Inspections then began in preparation for 

the pod to be installed on the vehicle, scheduled for early next week. Tile installations 

continue around the nose landing gear door to support the upcoming landing gear functional 

test. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available 'X'W: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /

2007/index.html [2007,January 26.] 

January 27: Apollo 1, Lessons Learned from a Tragedy 

Forty years after three Apollo astronauts died in a launch pad training exercise, the tragedy's 

role as a pivotal moment in the Space Age never has been clearer. Some of the 200 family 

11
members, former astronauts and well-wishers who attended the remembrance ceremony 

Saturday emphasized that point while honoring the lives of Gus Grissom, Ed White and 

Roger Chaffee. The event marking the 40th anniversary of the Apollo I fire took place on a 

sun-splashed winter morning in front of the Space Memorial Mirror at the Kennedy Space 

Center Visitor Complex. On January 27, 1967, a fire erupted inside the Apollo spacecraft at 

Launch Complex 34 during a preflight test. All three astronauts died: Virgil I "Gus" 

Grissom, Command Pilot, Edward H. White, II, Senior Pilot and Roger B. Chaffee, Pilot. 

["Apollo 1, Lessons Learned from a Tragedy," Orlando Sentinel, January 28, 2007, p BI & 

B5.

Ceremony remembers fallen U.S. astronauts 

Dr. Patrick Simpkins, director of engineering at Kennedy Space Center, was only 7 years old 

when astronauts Roger Chaffee, Ed White and Gus Grissom lost their lives in the Apollo I 

tragedy. "The crew of Apollo 1 did not know us, but we will always know all of them," 

Simpkins said Saturday during an Astronaut Memorial Ceremony at Sand Point Park in 

Titusville. This year's ceremony highlighted the 40th anniversary of a capsule fire that killed 

the three Apollo I astronauts on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. ["Ceremony remembers 

fallen U.S. astronauts," Florida Today, January 28, 2007, p lB & 5B.J 

Power problem tanks Hubble's top camera 

The Hubble Space Telescope camera that astronomers use most has stopped working. A 

power problem tripped a fuse and forced the Advanced Camera for Surveys offline Saturday. 

Astronauts installed the camera in 2002. It quickly produced the Ultra Deep Field view, a 

mesmerizing image that is the most comprehensive portrait ever of the visible universe. 

Hubble was launched in 1990 and since then has been hailed as he most important scientific 

instrument since Galileo's telescope. The malfunction is not crippling. Astronomers can 

use other Hubble instruments. Next year, NASA plans to launch a shuttle mission to 

Hubble. Astronauts would install new batteries, gyroscopes and thermal blankets. ["Power 

problem tanks Hubble's top camera," Florida Today, January 30, 2007, p 1A.] 

January 29: NASA assigns crew for Japanese Lab and Canadian Robotics 

Mission 

NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-123. The flight will deliver both 

the first component of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo and the new Canadian Dextre 

robotics system to the International Space Station. Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gone will 

command the Space Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-123 mission, targeted for launch in 

December 2007. Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson will serve as the pilot. Mission 

specialists will include NASA astronauts Richard M. Linnehan; Air Force Maj. Robert L. 

Behnken; and Navy Capt. MichaelJ. Foreman. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency 

astronaut Takao Doi also will serve as a mission specialist. The mission will deliver a new 

station crew member to the complex and return another to Earth. Those individuals will be 

announced at a later date. Foreman had been assigned to the STS-120 shuttle mission but 

has been reassigned to STS-123. Astronaut Stephanie Wilson, who flew on last year's STS121 mission, will replace Foreman as a mission specialist on STS-120, targeted for launch in 

September 2007. STS-123 is the first in a series of flights that will launch components to 

complete the Kibo laboratory. The mission also will deliver the Canadian Space Agency's 

Dextre robotic system, a smaller manipulator equipped with two arms and designed to work 

with Canadarm2 to perform finer maintenance tasks that normally would be accomplished 

12
with spacewaiks by astronauts on the International Space Station. The mission will include 

four spacewaiks to install the new hardware. STS-123 will be the fourth spaceflight for 

Gone and Linnehan, the second spaceflight for Doi and the first spaceflight for Johnson, 

Behnken and Foreman. ["NASA assigns crew for Japanese Lab and Canadian Robotics 

Mission," NASA News Release #07-16, January 29, 2007.1 

Money worries loom as NASA plots missions to Mars, moon 

NASA's moon mission is on fmancially safe ground, but a congressional budget crunch 

could mean other parts of the agency will suffer. The anticipated shortfall - at least $500 

million - stems from inaction on Capitol Hill. When Congress adjourned in 2006, 

lawmakers left undone nearly every major spending bill needed for fiscal year 2007. To tie 

up these loose ends, Democratic leaders said they would fund most 2007 spending at 2006 

levels. For NASA, this approach hurts. Without guarantees, NASA officials may have to 

cut money from some projects if it intends to launch new initiatives - including its goal to 

ramp up manned space flight. A budget focus on exploration seems to favor the Kennedy 

Space Center, which has a large stake in ongoing shuttle missions and NASA's new 

generation of human spaceflight. For one, NASA intends to help finish all major work on 

the International Space Station before the shuttle is retired in 2010 and KSC workers are 

needed for cycling shuttles into low-Earth orbit. Plus, KSC was among the sites picked to 

help launch Orion, the new spacecraft for NASA's astronauts. An estimated 300 workers at 

the center would be used for this new project. For both these reasons "it is unlikely the 

funding shortfall will affect Kennedy Space Center in a measureable way" in the short term, 

said Bryan Gulley, a spokesman for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. ["Money 

worries loom as NASA plots missions to Mars, moon," Orlando Sentinel, January 29, 

2007, p Al & A9.] 

January 30: Orion takes its place at KSC 

NASA handed Lockheed Martin the keys Tuesday to a Kennedy Space Center factory where 

workers will assemble Orion spacecraft bound for the moon, Mars or other celestial 

destinations. In a ceremony inside the 1960s-era factory, NASA officials noted that the 

future of the historic facility where Apollo spacecraft were prepared for launch once was in 

question. But a deal between Lockheed Martin and the state of Florida will keep the five 

story facility in operation for years to come. Opened for business in 1964, the building 

served as the spacecraft processing hangar for crew capsules and lunar landers during the 

Apollo moon-landing project. The nation's first space station - Skylab - was readied for 

launch in the building during the 1970s. It was used to process the European-built Spacelab 

pallets and pressurized modules that flew on 20 shuttle mission between 1983 and 1998. A 

few International Space Station components have undergone testing in the building since 

then, but the expansive high bay in the facility has had no real anchor tenant during the past 

several years. The company chose the O&C building for the final assembly and integration 

of Orion spacecraft - a decision made in part by the facility's proximity to the launch pads. 

An equally key factor was the $45 million in incentive money and financial assistance that the 

state offered Lockheed Martin. Some $35 million of that money will be used to upgrade and 

modify the O&C. Additionally, the state anteed up $735,000 to prepare the facility for the 

Orion work. ["Orion takes its place at KSC," Florida Today, January 31, 2007, p 3B.] 

Thunderbird 8 arrival at Kennedy Space Center 

13
A U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16D aircraft landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The 

pilot, Tad Clark, formally announce that Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex wifi host 

the inaugural World Space Expo from Nov. 3 to 11, featuring an aerial salute by the 

Thunderbirds on its opening weekend. The Expo will create one of the largest displays of 

space artifacts, hardware and personalities ever assembled in one location with the objective 

to inspire, educate and engage the public by highlighting the achievements and benefits of 

space exploration. E-mail distribution. (2007). ["Thunderbird 8 arrival at Kennedy Space 

Center," [Electronic]. KSC-NASA-INC-Message-Center [KSC-NASA-INCMessage@mail.nasa.gov], [January 30, 2007.].] 

January 31: NASA broke law during Kerry visit, agency says 

Kennedy Space Center must train workers and contractors to obey political electioneering 

rules after a federal oversight agency announced this week that officials broke the law during 

a John Kerry political rally at the spaceport in 2004. The senator's visit attracted national 

attention, not because of what the Democratic nominee said, but because of what he wore. 

Kerry donned a powder-blue protective bunny suit so he could climb inside one of NASA's 

shuttle orbiters. The standard VIP photographs of him drew jokes from political pundits 

and television comics who thought he looked goofy. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel 

investigated whether federal campaign rules were violated when the space center used 

government resources to broadcast the Kerry rally to employees across the spaceport. They 

found the law was broken. The investigators determined, however, the reason was incorrect 

legal advice. So the only punishment for KSC is expanded training on federal electioneering 

rules as they pertain to government facilities and employees. ["NASA broke law during 

Kerry visit, agency says," Florida Today, January 31, 2007, p IA.] 

NASA to fly historic Jamestown artifact, mementos on Space 

Shuttle 

To honor early American explorers, NASA will fly into space four coins and a nearly 400-

year-old artifact from historic Jamestown. The items will be aboard space shuttle Atlantis 

during mission STS-117, targeted for launch in March. The artifact, a metal cargo tag 

reading "Yames Towne," was unearthed at Jamestown, the site of the first permanent 

English settlement in the Americas in 1607. Upon completion of the flight, it will have 

logged more than 4 million miles during four centuries, traveling from England to 

Jamestown and round trip to the International Space Station. Two sets of Jamestown 

commemorative coins, authorized by Congress and recently issued by the U.S. Mint, also will 

fly aboard Atlantis. The tag, found at the bottom of a well during an archeological dig at the 

site of James Fort on Jamestown Island, most likely is a discarded shipping tag from a crate 

or a trunk arriving from England around 1611. "This artifact clearly marks Jamestown as a 

destination -- our nation's first 'address.' It demonstrates the development of trade patterns 

crucial to the survival of the colony," said William M. Kelso, director of archaeology at the 

Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Each commemorative coin set 

contains a $5 gold piece and a silver dollar with visual references to Jamestown's legacies. 

When returned from space, NASA will present one set to Governor Kaine for display at 

Jamestown Settlement, a 17th century living history museum. The second set will be 

displayed at the National Park Service's Historic Jamestown Visitor Center. NASA will 

return the shipping tag to Historic Jamestown for display in its Archaearium, a new 

archaeological museum showcasing items unearthed during the past 13 years in excavations 

that include the long-lost remains of James Fort. For centuries, the fort was believed to have 

14
eroded into the James River. ["NASA to fly historic Jamestown artifact, mementos on Space 

Shuttle," NASA News Release #07-17, January 31, 2007.] 

During Januaty: Ares IV 

NASA is considering an unmanned reprise of the 1968 Apollo 8 lunar mission to test 

thermal protection and other systems on the Orion crew exploration vehicle, using an 

interim "Ares IV" variant of NASA's planned crew launch vehicle. Scott Horowitz, 

associate administrator for exploration systems, says a full-up test of an unpioted Orion 

vehicle returning from the Moon would give designers a better idea of just how much 

thermal protection the vehicle needs, and some valuable data points on how it would 

perform in the proposed "skip-entry" flight profile that would bring it into the atmosphere, 

then out again, before a fmal plunge to Earth's surface. ["Ares IV," Aviation Week & 

Space Technology, January 29, 2007, p 23.]

15
FEBRUARY 

February 1: NASA to highlight next space station component 

On Tuesday, Feb 6, at 10:30 am. EST, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will 

showcase the next element to be added to the International Space Station. The starboard 3/4 

truss segment will launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-1 17, targeted for 

March 15. The element will be added to the 11-segment integrated truss structure, the 

station's backbone. The integrated truss structure eventually will span more than 300 feet. 

The S3/S4 truss has two large solar arrays and will provide one-fourth of the total power 

generation for the completed station. The S3/S4 truss is expected to be loaded into a 

transportation canister on Wednesday, Feb. 7, in preparation for its targeted journey to the 

launch pad on Feb. 12. ["NASA to highlight next space station component," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-016, February 1, 2007.] 

February 2: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-020207. Mission: STS-117 - 21St International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for March 15, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. During the Space Shuttle 

Program's orbiter rollout milestone review today, managers determined that the vehicle was 

ready to rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building next week on Feb. 7. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay 1, final vehicle closeouts are under way and early this week Atlantis 

was powered down for rollover. Final tire pressure checks for flight have been completed, 

and the landing-gear strut pressurization for ffight is complete. The forward compartment is 

closed out, with the crew hatch closed for rollover. The left and right T-0 umbilical 

disconnects are complete. Aft structural leak tests were successfully completed, and later 

today, technicians will perform the fmal weight and center-of-gravity measurements on the 

vehicle. The orbiter transporter system will be brought into the bay this weekend. In the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians are completing the final closeout operations on the 

external tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for attaching the orbiter on Feb. 7. At 

Pad A, the rotating service structure was successfully rotated from mate to park position, 

and pad system validations are under way. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space 

Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay 2, and technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch in just over four 

years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of 

all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, 

technicians installed the right-hand orbital maneuvering system pod, which provides thrust 

while the vehicle is on orbit. OMS pod verification tests are now under way. With both 

OMS pods on board, all of Endeavour's major flight components are now installed for 

flight. The forward reaction control system heater tests and vernier thruster inspections were 

completed this week, and the air data probe functional test is complete. The payload 

hardware components are being installed in the midbody, which will configure Endeavour to 

receive the S5 truss segment. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status 

16
Report [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy/

shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, February 2.] 

NASA Moon-Impactor mission passes major review 

NASA's drive to return astronauts to the moon and later probe deeper into space achieved a 

key milestone recently when agency officials approved critical elements of a moon impact 

mission scheduled to launch in October 2008. NASA's unmanned Lunar Crater Observation 

and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, will strike the moon near its south pole in January 

2009. It will search for water and other materials that astronauts could use at a future lunar 

outpost. Scott Horowitz, associate administrator of the agency's Exploration Systems 

Mission Directorate, led a confirmation review panel that recently approved the detailed 

plans, instrument suite, budget and risk factor analysis for the satellite. ["NASA MoonImpactor mission passes major review," NASA News Release #07-21, February 2, 2007.] 

NASA's Shuttle Atlantis set for move to Vehicle Assembly 

Building 

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, Atlantis is scheduled to move from the Orbiter Processing Facility at 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Once there, crews will 

attach Atlantis to its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The first motion of 

the shuttle aboard the Crawler-Transporter is expected at 6 aim EST. Atlantis' targeted 

launch window opens March 15. During its 11-day mission to the International Space 

Station, the STS-1 17 crew of six astronauts will deliver a fourth segment for the station's 

backbone. They also will unfurl new solar arrays and fold up an old set of arrays during the 

21st shuttle mission to the station. ["NASA's Shuttle Atlantis set for move to Vehicle 

Assembly Building," NASA Media Advisory #M07-017, February 2, 2007.] 

February 5: Astronaut jailed in attack 

A NASA astronaut is being held without bail after police say she attacked her rival for 

another astronaut's attention at Orlando International Airport on Monday. Lisa Marie 

Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a woman who had 

also been seeing the astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police. Nowak --

who was a mission specialist on a space shuttle Discovery flight last summer -- was wearing a 

trench coarand wig and had a knife, BB pistol and latex gloves in her car, reports show. 

They also found diapers, which Nowak told police she used so she wouldn't have to stop on 

the 1,000-mile drive. Reports show that after U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman's flight 

arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport's Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into 

Shipman's car and then doused her with pepper spray. Nowak, 43, is charged with 

attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery and destruction of 

evidence. Police considered her such a danger that they requested she be held without bail in 

the Orange County Jail, reports show. A married mother of three, Nowak told police she 

was "involved in a relationship with," Bill Oefelein, another NASA astronaut, which she 

categorized as "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," 

according to the charging affidavit. Oefelein, who piloted the most recent shuttle flight in 

December but never flew on the same shuttle mission as Nowak. Nowak found out Oefelein 

was involved with Shipman and planned a trip to Orlando to talk to Shipman about their 

relationships with Oefelein, reports show. She also told police the BB gun "was going to be 

used to entice Ms. Shipman to talk with her." Shipman, an engineer assigned to the 45th 

Launch Support Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base near the Kennedy Space Center, told 

17
police she was flying home from Houston. Shipman told police that after waiting two hours 

to get her luggage, she noticed a woman in a trench coat waiting near the airport taxi stand. 

When Shipman boarded a shuttle bus to long-term parking, the woman followed, according 

to police. When Sbipman got into her car in the Blue Lot on Cargo Road, reports show, she 

heard "running footsteps" coming toward her. Nowak tried to open the car door, then 

claimed she needed a ride, or use of a cell phone. "No. If you need help, I'll send someone 

to help you," Shipman responded, reports show. Nowak claimed she could not hear and 

started to cry. "Ms. Shipman rolled her window down about 2 inches, so Mrs. Nowak could 

hear her. . . Mrs. Nowak sprayed some type of chemical spray into the vehicle, at Ms. 

Sbipman's face," a detective wrote. Shipman sped away to the parking lot's toll booth, where 

she asked a parking employee to call police. The first officer to reach the Blue Lot saw the 

suspect drop something black into a trash can at one of the parking shuttle stops. Within 

minutes, Shipman identified Nowak as her attacker. A steel mallet, several feet of rubber 

tubing and hand-written directions to Shipman's home were recovered from Nowak's car, 

which was parked at a nearby LaQuinta Inn, reports show. Picked up shortly before 4 a.m., 

Nowak was questioned until about 5 p.m., when police took her to the County Jail. Her 

arrest may be the first-ever felony charges filed on an active-duty astronaut, according to the 

space agency. "Her status as an astronaut with NASA is currently unchanged. I cannot 

speculate on what might happen beyond that," said James Hartsfield, a NASA spokesman at 

the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Nowak and Oefelein work. Nowak's 

biography shows she is a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, with a 

degree in aerospace engineering, and a former test pilot who has logged more than 1,500 

hours of flight in at least 30 types of aircraft. She joined the space program in 1996. Three 

members of her astronaut class died in the 2003 shuttle Columbia disaster. A Navy captain, 

Nowak flew aboard last summer's 12-day flight to re-supply the international space station 

and test safety features and repair techniques. "A lot of my training is what you might think 

of as a Flight Engineer on ascent and entry," she said in a pre-flight interview on the NASA 

Web site. "I sit behind and between the pilot and commander and help coordinate things 

and keep the big picture." A Navy commander, Oefelein, 41, is a former test pilot who 

attended Topgun, the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School. The father of two children has 

flown more than 3,000 hours in about 50 types of aircraft. In December, he logged 308 

hours in space. Web posted. (2007). [Astronaut jailed in attack [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.orlandosentinel.com/ [2007, February 6].] 

Statement regarding the status of Lisa Nowak 

The following is a statement from Michael Coats, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center 

in Houston, regarding the status of astronaut Lisa Nowak. "We are deeply saddened by this 

tragic event. The charges against Lisa Nowak are serious ones that must be decided by the 

judicial system. She is officially on 30-day leave and has been removed from flight status and 

all mission-related activities. We will continue to monitor developments in the case." 

["Statement regarding the status of Lisa Nowak," NASA News Release #07-23, February 

6, 2007.]

$17.3 billion NASA request starts shuttle retirement 

Space Shuttle Atlantis may make its fmal flight next year as NASA continues its shift to the 

Orion crew exploration vehicle, but the agency's $17.3 billion FY '08 budget request doesn't 

take into account expected congressional action limiting FY '07 spending to FY '06 levels. 

Although Administrator Michael Griffin has said the agency will try to insulate Orion and its 

18
Ares I launcher from the effects of a continuing resolution working its way through 

Congress that would trim some $545 million from the agency's FY '07 request, he warned 

that the legislation threatens to extend the gap in U.S. human space access beyond the 2010-

2014 period currently on the books. The FY '08 budget top-line Griffin presented Feb. 5 

follows the out-year plan contained in the agency's '07 request. But the House-passed 

continuing resolution also shifts funding levels within those set in FY '06, with the effect of 

cutting human spaceffight by $677 million, of which $577 million would come from 

exploration systems. Near-term, NASA probably can follow through on its plans to start 

the shift to Orion by retiring Atlantis after it flies the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing 

mission late next year. But Griffin and exploration systems officials who briefed reporters 

said it isn't clear that even the Orion/Ares I development can stay on track under the House 

figure. The Senate is set to begin debate on the issue next week, and once President Bush 

signs the ultimate legislation, NASA and other affected agencies will have 30 days to report 

their plans for meeting the lower figures. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's 

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "$17.3 biffion NASA request starts shuttle 

retirement," [Electronic]. Vol. 221, No. 24, [February 6, 2007.].] 

February 7: NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Rolls to Vehicle Assembly Building 

NASA's space shuttle Atlantis completed a milestone to move it one step closer to a targeted 

March launch. Early Wednesday drivers moved Atlantis from the Orbiter Processing Facility 

to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis, 

perched on top of the giant, 76-wheel Crawler-Transporter, began its move at 6:19 a.m. 

EST. It arrived in the Vehicle Assembly Building at 7:24 a.m. In the assembly building, 

technicians will attach Atlantis to its propulsion elements, an external fuel tank and twin 

solid rocket boosters. Following those operations, fmal integration, preparations and 

closeouts will begin in preparation for flight. The next milestone for Atlantis is the 3.4-mile 

trip to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for its 11-day mission, designated STS-1 17, to 

continue construction of the International Space Station. The crew's six astronauts will 

install a new truss segment, retract a set of solar arrays and unfold a new set on the starboard 

side of the station. Lessons learned from two previous missions will provide the astronauts 

with new techniques and tools to perform their duties. First motion of the vehicle out of the 

building is targeted for 7 a.m. ["NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Rolls to Vehicle Assembly 

Building," NASA News Release #07-25, February 7, 2007.] 

February 8: NASA Solicits Ideas for Constellation ground work 

NASA has issued a request for information soliciting ideas on ground processing services for 

its Constellation Program and the next generation of space vehicles. The request seeks input 

from industry to assist NASA in planning for the acquisition of ground processing, 

assembly, integration, test, launch and recovery services at the Kennedy Space Center in 

Florida. These services will support the Orion crew exploration vehicle, the Ares I crew 

launch vehicle and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle beginning with the first Constellation 

Program flight tests and continuing with actual missions to the International Space Station 

and the moon. NASA hopes to issue a draft request for proposals in Spring 2008 and to 

award a contract in Summer 2009. The Constellation family of spacecraft is being developed 

by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. ["NASA Solicits Ideas for 

Constellation ground work," NASA News Release #07-36, February 8, 2007.] 

February 9: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

19
Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-020907. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - 53/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for March 15, 

2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and 

Olivas; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On Wednesday, Atlantis 

rolled from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it was 

lifted into high bay I and mated to the external fuel tank. Orbiter power application is 

scheduled for Sunday. Close-out operations continue on the fuel tank and solid rocket 

boosters, with thermal protection system foam trimming under way. The STS-1 17 payload 

is scheduled to be transferred to Launch Pad 39A on Monday. The shuttle is set to roll out 

to the pad on Feb. 14. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - 

S5 Truss Segment Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 

2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, 

Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, and 

technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch in more than four years. The 

vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the 

return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, 

technicians installed fuel cell No. 3 and completed fuel cell coolant loop servicing. The 

shoulder installation for the orbiter boom sensor system, which is a robotic arm extension, 

was installed and fmal fit checks are complete. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://wvw.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedy /shutdeoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, February 9.] 

February 12: Planetary Scientist selected to lead mission directorate 

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced Monday that Dr. S. Alan Stern will be the 

agency's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, effective April 2. Stern 

succeeds Dr. Mary L. Cleave who announced her retirement. ["Planetary Scientist selected to 

lead mission directorate," NASA News Release #07-38, February 12, 2007.] 

NASA announces three International Space Station crews 

NASA and its international partners have named the crews that will live and work aboard the 

International Space Station for the next two years. The crew members make up three 

expeditions to the station and represent four space agencies. The assignments include the 

first long-duration station flight for a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 

astronaut and the second long-duration station flight for an astronaut from the European 

Space Agency (ESA). The JAXA and ESA astronauts will work on the installation and 

checkout of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo and European Columbus laboratories 

on the station. NASA astronaut and veteran station crew member Peggy A. Whitson will 

command Expedition 16, set to begin in fall 2007. The flight engineers for the mission 

include cosmonaut and Russian Air Force Col. Yuri I. Malenchenko, ESA astronaut and 

French Air Force Brig. Gen. Leopold Eyharts and NASA astronaut Garrett E. Reisman. 

Malenchenko will command the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that will carry him and Whitson to 

the station and return them to Earth in spring 2008. They will join NASA astronaut Daniel 

M. Tam aboard the station. Eyharts will fly to the station on space shuttle mission STS-122, 

which is expected to deliver the Columbus lab this fall. Eyharts will remain on the station to 

oversee activation and checkout of the laboratory, while Tam takes the shuttle home. 

Reisman will fly on shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission to replace Eyharts. Reisman will 

20
remain on the station for about six months and return on shuttle mission STS-1 19, targeted 

for summer 2008. Russian Air Force Lt. Col. Sergei Volkov will command Expedition 17. 

Expedition 17 flight engineers include cosmonaut Oleg D. Kononenko and NASA astronaut 

Sandra H. Magnus. Kononenko will command the Soyuz spacecraft that will carry him and 

Volkov to the station in spring 2008 and bring them home in fall 2008. Magnus will arrive 

on STS-119 and remain aboard the station. Magnus will return on the STS-126 mission 

targeted for summer 2008. NASA astronaut and station veteran Air Force Lt. Col. E. 

Michael Fincke will command Expedition 18. Expedition 18 flight engineers include 

cosmonaut and veteran station crew member Russian Air Force Col. Salizhan S. Sharipov, 

JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and NASA astronaut Gregory E. Chamitoff. Sharipov will 

command the Soyuz that will carry him and Fincke to the station in fall 2008 and back to 

Earth in spring 2009. Wakata will fly to the station on STS-126 to replace Magnus. Magnus 

will return to Earth on STS-126. Chaniitoffwffl fly to the station on the STS-127 mission, 

targeted for winter 2008, the third and final flight for assembly of the Japanese Kibo lab. 

Wakata will return to Earth on STS-127. Chamitoff will return home on a later shuttle or 

Soyuz mission. ["NASA announces three International Space Station crews," NASA News 

Release #07-39, February 12, 2007.] 

Atlantis valve issue delays rollout - STS-120 moving up 

Atlantis' rollout to Launch Pad 39A has been delayed until at least Thursday morning, as 

engineers work an unspecified valve issue ahead of STS-1 17. Meanwhile, NASA managers 

have been discussing moving Atlantis' STS-120 launch date up by about 12 days, in order to 

add lighting opportunities for ET photography, and in mitigation of spacecraft congestion 

on the International Space Station (ISS), caused by the arrival of both Russia's Soyuz and 

Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (AT\7). It is not yet clear as to the specific problem 

with Atlantis - currently stacked to ET-124 and boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly 

Building (VAB) - with further details expected early Tuesday. Web posted. (2007). [STS-107 

Columbia landing journal [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

[2007, February 12].] 

February 14: Delta launch forecast: 80 percent "go" 

NASA and prime contractor United Launch Affiance are pressing ahead with preparations 

for a planned launch Friday of a Delta 2 rocket and five science satellites, and the weather 

forecast looks good. The l2-story rocket and its payload -- a quintet of spacecraft that will 

study the Northern and Southern lights -- are scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 

17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during a window that will extend from 6:08 p.m. to 

6:23 p.m. Friday. Air Force meteorologists say there is an 80 percent chance that the 

weather will be acceptable for launch. The main concern is the possibility of ground winds 

greater than 23 knots during the last four minutes of the countdown. Web posted. (2007). 

[Delta launch forecast: 80 percent "go" [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, February 14].] 

February 15: Shuttle Atlantis moves to pad, crew ready for Countdown Test 

The space shuttle Atlantis arrived at its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 

3:09 p.m. EST on top of the giant vehicle known as the crawler transporter. The next 

milestone for the upcoming mission, STS-1 17, is a full launch dress rehearsal as the sixmember crew prepares to continue building the International Space Station. The crawler 

transporter began carrying Atlantis out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 8:19 a.m. 

21
It traveled just under 1 mph during the 3.4 mile journey. While at the pad, the shuttle will 

undergo final testing, payload installation and a 'hot fire" test of auxiliary power units. When 

testing is completed, the rotating service structure will be moved around the vehicle for 

protection. Atlantis' targeted launch date is March 15. During the 11-day mission, the crew 

will install a new truss segment, retract a set of solar arrays and unfold a new set on the 

starboard side of the station. The launch marks the first liftoff from Pad 39A in four years. 

The astronauts and ground crews for the mission will participate in a launch dress rehearsal, 

known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, Feb. 21 to 23 at Kennedy. The test 

provides the crew of each shuttle mission with an opportunity to participate in various 

simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress 

training. The crew includes Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and mission 

specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson and John "Danny" Olivas. ["Shuttle 

Atlantis moves to pad, crew ready for Countdown Test," NASA Media Advisory #M07-

24, February 15, 2007.]

Alliance takes off with rocket 

A Delta 2 rocket is set to blast off on a satellite-delivery mission that will mark the beginning 

of a new era of launch operations on Florida's Space Coast. Standing 12 stories tall, the 

sporty blue-and-white rocket is scheduled to set sail from launch pad I 7B at Canaveral Air 

Force Station between 6:05 and 6:23 p.m. Friday (February 16). The first will be the first 

from Cape Canaveral for United Launch Affiance, a joint venture of The Boeing Co. and 

Lockheed Martin Corp. that merges the venerable Delta and Atlas rocket families, as well as 

a local work force of 784 people. It also will be an early measure of the melding of oncebitter competitors from two different corporate cultures that have their own long-standing 

traditions and modes of operation. 'We're going about it very cautiously," said Rick 

Navarro, the company's director of Delta launch operations. The 50-50 partnership 

combines Delta and Atlas rocket production, engineering, test and launch operations for 

U.S. government missions. The company's aim is to reduce the cost of launching U.S. 

military and civil government spacecraft. Affiance officials estimate annual savings of $100 

million to $150 million. About 3,800 people work for United Launch Affiance, which is 

headquartered in Denver. The work force at Cape Canaveral includes 559 who work on the 

Delta 2 and Delta 4 rockets developed by Boeing, and 225 who work on the Lockheed 

Martin Atlas 5. ["Affiance takes off with rocket," Florida Today, February 16, 2007, p IC 

&3C.] 

February 16: NASA marks 45th anniversary of Americans in orbit 

NASA commemorates the 45th anniversary of Americans in orbit with a special multimedia 

salute to the original Mercury astronauts and new interviews with Sen. John Glenn, Scott 

Carpenter and Walter Schirra. On Feb. 20, 1962, an Atlas rocket successfully carried Glenn 

and the hopes of an entire nation into orbit aboard Friendship 7, a ffight that ushered in a 

new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of 

the 1960s. "Glenn's achievement came at a time when there were many unknowns about the 

ability of humans to survive in space," said NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale. Glenn 

was soon followed into orbit by colleagues Carpenter, Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their 

fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital 

flights, and Donald "Deke" Slayton was grounded by a medical condition until the ApolloSoyuz Test Project in 1975. NASA remembers the achievements of its first generation of 

explorers through special programming and interviews on NASA Television and an 

22
extraordinary interactive feature on the agency's Internet site, www.nasa.gov . ["NASA 

marks 45tl anniversary of Americans in orbit," NASA News Release #07-45, February 16, 

2007.]

NASA Commercial Space Partners Complete Milestones 

Two companies that are receiving NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services funds 

achieved significant milestones this month in their efforts to develop and demonstrate space 

cargo launch and delivery systems. Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completed a 

preliminary design review for its first orbital demonstration mission. Rocketplane Kistler 

completed a system requirements review for its cargo services system. The two companies 

want to offer commercial delivery services for cargo, and possibly crews, to the International 

Space Station in the future. In August 2006, NASA and the companies signed Space Act 

Agreements that established a series of milestones and criteria for assessing progress toward 

their individual goals. ["NASA Commercial Space Partners Complete Milestones," NASA 

News Release #07-46, February 16, 2007.] 

February 17: NASA moves Apollo 1 capsule to new storage facility 

NASA moved the Apollo I capsule and related materials approximately 90 feet to a newer, 

environmentally-controlled warehouse at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, 

Va., on Saturday, Feb. 17. The move provides better protection for the spacecraft. 

Astronauts Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, Lt. Col. Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee died 

when a flash fire swept through the spacecraft during a launch pad test at Cape Canaveral, 

Fla., on Jan. 27, 1967. Originally known as the AS-204 mission, it was renamed Apollo I in 

honor of the crew. As directed by the Apollo 204 Review Board, the capsule has been 

maintained at Langley. The review board's accident report made recommendations that led 

to design and engineering changes and increased the overall safety for future Apollo 

missions and six successful lunar landings. ["NASA moves Apollo I capsule to new storage 

facility," NASA News Release #07-44, February 17, 2007.] 

NASA's THEMIS mission launches to study geomagnetic 

substorms 

NASA's THEMIS mission successfully launched Saturday, Feb. 17, at 6:01 p.m. EST from 

Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. THEMIS stands for the Time History of 

Events and Macroscale Interactions during substorms. It is NASA's first five-satellite 

mission launched aboard a single rocket. The spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle 

approximately 73 minutes after liftoff. By 8:07 p.m. EST, mission operators at the University 

of California, Berkeley, commanded and received signals from all five spacecraft, confirming 

nominal separation status. The mission vffl help resolve the mystery of what triggers 

geomagnetic substorms. Substorms are atmospheric events visible in the Northern 

Hemisphere as a sudden brightening of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis. The findings 

from the mission may help protect commercial satellites and humans in space from the 

adverse effects of particle radiation. THEMIS' satellite constellation will line up along the 

sun-Earth line, collect coordinated measurements, and observe substorms during the twoyear mission. Data collected from the five identical probes will help pinpoint where and 

when substorms begin, a feat impossible with any previous single-satellite mission. NASA's 

Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center was responsible for the launch of 

THEMIS aboard a Delta II rocket. The United Launch Alliance, Denver, provided launch 

23
service. ["NASA's THEMIS mission launches to study geomagnetic substorms," NASA 

News Release #07-47, February 17, 2007.1 

February 20: NASA looking for new landing zone 

NASA resisted local efforts in the 1960s to borrow its unused land for a wildlife refuge and 

nationals seashore. The fledgling space agency relented but worried it might one day need 

the land for expansion and have a tough time getting it back. Fast forward 40 years. After 

putting men on the moon and an international space station into orbit, NASA needs a place 

to land the next generation of space flight vehicles. So the agency is having "very 

preliminary" talks with officials from the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the 

Canaveral National Seashore to find a location for a landing and recovery zone. The area 

would need to be a cleared circle about 6,000 feet across, said Jim Ball, spaceport 

development manger. The seashore and refuge include 167,000 acres between New Smyrna 

Beach and Titusville, much of that owned by NASA. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

and the National Park Service share management responsibilities for the land and the 

threatened and endangered species that live there. NASA asked the other two agencies to 

help identify the most practical and environmentally suitable location to land reusable 

elements that might be a part of a private, commercial space transportation system. The 

agency wants to encourage development of a reliable, lower cost option for delivering cargo 

and possibly crew to the international space station. NASA sponsored a competition, 

inviting companies to propose a system to demonstrate Commercial Orbital Transportation 

Services or COTS. Two companies were chosen to build demonstration projects, Space 

Exploration Technologies of El Segundo, Calif., and Rocketplane Kistler of Oklahoma City. 

The companies can choose where to base their operations, Ball said. There's no shortage of 

locations interested in the economic benefits of becoming a spaceport, he said, but there's 

"considerable interest" in continuing the traditional use of the Cape as a launch site. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA looking for new landing zone [Online]. Available W'W: 

http: / /www.news-journalonline.com / [2007, February 201.1 

February 21: Shuttle astronauts arrive at KSC 

The Atlantis astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center today and said they are ready for a 

whirlwind three days of training at the nations shuttle homeport. Led by veteran space flier 

Rick Sturckow, the astronauts took off from Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center in 

Houston in two waves, starting around 11 a.m., flying sleek, white-and-blue T-38 training 

jets. The astronauts all had arrived by 1 p.m. and were greeted by NASA Launch Director 

Mike Leinbach, Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer and former astronaut Jerry Ross, now 

a NASA manager. The astronauts will take part in emergency training at launch pad 39A 

Thursday and a practice countdown for their planned March 15 launch on an International 

Space Station assembly mission. On Friday, the shuttle astronauts will suit up in their partial 

pressure launch-and-entry suits and then head out to pad 39A, where they will board shuttle 

Atlantis for the last few hours of the practice cpuntdown. The crew also includes pilot Lee 

Archambault and mission specialists James Reilly, Steven Swanson, Patrick Forrester and 

John "Danny" Olivas. The astronauts are scheduled to deliver a 17.5-ton station truss 

segment equipped with the third of four sets of massive American solar wings. Launch time 

onMarch 15 will be 6:43 a.m. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle astronauts arrive at KSC 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, 

February 21].]

24
Spacehab Dismisses RDM Claim with NASA 

SPACEHAB, Incorporated, a leading provider of commercial space services, today 

announced that the Company has filed for a formal dismissal with prejudice of all litigation 

against NASA relating to losses incurred by SPACEHAB as a result of the 2003 Space 

Shuttle Columbia accident. In January 2004 the Company initiated a formal proceeding 

against NASA in which the Company was seeking damages in the amount of $87.7 million 

for the loss of its Research Double Module (RDM) as a result of the Columbia accident. In 

October 2004, NASA responded to this claim with the determination that its liability was 

$8.2 million, including interest, and paid SPACEHAB this amount. SPACEHAB 

subsequently filed an appeal with the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and over 

the past two years, the two parties have proceeded with preparations for a court hearing 

planned for July 2008. The Company also filed a tort claim in November 2004, seeking 

damages of $79.7 million for the loss of the RDM, to which the court granted a motion in 

June 2006 to stay the case until resolution of the Company's contract claim appeal. Based 

upon the information available to the Company, SPACEHAB believes that the potential 

benefits that may be achieved by dismissing the claim against NASA, who is the Company's 

largest customer, outweigh any potential benefits that may be achieved by continuing the 

litigation of claims against the agency. The company intends to focus its limited resources on 

current market opportunities and new business initiatives. Web posted. (2007). [Spacehab 

Dismisses RDM Claim With NASA [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.spaceref.com

[2007, February 21].] 

February 23: Countdown rehearsal at KSC 

Six astronauts went out to the pad this morning to board shuttle Atlantis for a countdown 

dress rehearsal with the Kennedy Space Center launch team. The drill gave the crew and 

ground support teams a chance to test emergency procedures for evacuating the orbiter if 

something goes wrong during the real countdown next month. The crew is scheduled to 

launch early the morning of March 15 on a construction mission to the International Space 

Station. As of right now, launch processing remains on track for that launch. Web posted. 

(2007). [Countdown rehearsal at KSC [Online] Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatodav.corn Flame Trench blog [2007, February 23].] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-022307. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for March 15, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; 

Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. The STS-117 crew arrived at Kennedy Space 

Center Wednesday to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), 

a launch dress rehearsal. The rehearsal includes emergency egress training at the launch pad 

and a practice run of the final launch countdown, during which the crew climbs aboard 

Atlantis and executes the checklist for the fmal hours of the simulated countdown. Earlier 

in the week, the STS-1 17 payload was installed into Atlantis' cargo bay. In addition, 

technicians continued their preparations for the hypergolic propellant load, scheduled for 

next week. Shuttle interface testing and validation testing of launch pad systems are also 

under way. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss 

Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch 

Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, 

25
Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, and technicians 

continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch in more than four years. The vehicle has 

undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the return-toflight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, technicians 

completed preparations for the mating of the aft orbital maneuvering system pod to the 

reaction control system. Final mate and interface verification is scheduled for the weekend. 

Work is also under way to prepare the orbiter for installation of the orbiter boom sensor 

system, which is a robotic arm extension. Final testing of the orbiter's fuel cells was 

completed this week. Mission: STS-122; Vehicle: Discovery. Processing of Discovery, 

which returned from the STS-1 16 mission on Dec. 22, continues in Orbiter Processing 

Facility bay 3. The right-hand orbital maneuvering system pod was removed this week. 

Technicians are busy working on Discovery's electrical system, preparing for the installation 

of the new station-to-shuttle power transfer system (SSPTS) modification. This system will 

allow the orbiter and International Space Station to share power, which will enable the 

orbiter to remain docked for longer periods of time. Work is also under way to change out 

Discovery's cockpit windows, with the removal and replacement of window No. 8 

completed this week. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedv/shutticoperations/

status/2007/index.htrnl [2007, February 23.] 

February 26: NASA starts shuttle fuel loading 

A hazardous fuel-loading operation is under way at Kennedy Space Center today as NASA 

continues to ready shuttle Atlantis for a planned March 15 launch on an International Space 

Station construction mission. With the 18-story shuttle perched on launch pad 39A, 

engineers are loading toxic rocket propellant into onboard storage tanks that will feed the 

shuttle's twin orbital maneuvering engines and its nose-and-tail steering jets. Housed in 

hump-like pods on either side of the orbiter's tail, the maneuvering engines will help boost 

Atlantis into orbit and also will slow the spaceship so it can reenter the atmosphere at the 

end of its 11-day mission. The steering jets will be used to make smaller course corrections 

in ffight. They will enable mission commander Rick Sturckow to carry out the precision 

piloting required to dock the orbiter at the station when both ships are speeding around 

Earth at 17,500 mph, or five miles a second. Engineers this week also will load propellants 

into the shuttle's three Auxiliary Power Units, which will be used to gimbal Atlantis' three 

main engines and operate valves within them during a nine-minute climb into orbit. The 

turbine-driven units also will provide the hydraulic power needed to control the shuttle's 

wing flaps and rudder-speedbrake; retract 17-inch liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen 

umbilicals within the orbiter at external tank jettison; deploy the main and nose landing gear, 

main landing gear brakes and anti-skid devices; and enable nose wheel steering. The 

hydraulic power units that will be used to gimbal the nozzles on the shuttle's solid rocket 

boosters also will be fueled up this week. Kyle Herring, a spokesman for NASA's Johnson 

Space Center, said launch preparations are continuing without problems. "Everybody is 

pretty happy with the way things are going," he said. The launch will be the first of four or 

five shuttle missions NASA hopes to launch in 2007. The targeted liftoff time for Atlantis 

on March 15 is 6:43 a.m. . Web posted. (2007). [NASA starts shuttle fuel loading [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com The Flame Trench blog [2007, February 

23].]

26
February 27: NASA completes contract award for space program operations 

NASA has completed a modification to convert the letter contract with United Space 

Affiance (USA), LLC, of Houston, to a fully defined contract covering space shuttle and 

International Space Station program operations for a base period from Oct. 1, 2006, through 

Sept. 30, 2010. The contract is valued at $6.34 billion. The contract includes five, one-year 

options, thereafter totaling a potenttal period of performance of nine years to 2015. Efforts 

under the Space Program Operations Contract include work and support for mission design 

and planning; software development and integration; astronaut and flight controller training; 

system integration; flight operations; vehicle processing, launch and recovery; vehicle 

sustaining engineering; and flight crew equipment processing. It is a cost reimbursement 

contract, with provisions for award and performance fees. Work in support of this contract 

is performed at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Kennedy Space Center, Fla., 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., and other subcontractor locations USA 

deems appropriate to complete the work. ["NASA completes contract award for space 

program operations," NASA Contract Release #C07-08, February 27, 2007.] 

Hail damage forces Shuttle Atlantis off launch pad 

NASA decided Tuesday to roll the space shuttle Atlantis off its launch pad and back inside 

the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center. Managers made the decision 

after a hail storm Monday damaged the orbiter's External Tank. A new target launch date 

has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April. 

On Monday, a severe thunderstorm with golf ball-size hail caused what could be 1,000 to 

2,000 divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat 

shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an 

accurate accounting of foam damage and must be done in the Vehicle Assembly Building, 

where the entire tank can be more easily accessed. The shuttle is expected to be moved off 

the pad by early next week. Once an up-close look at the damage is complete, the type of 

repair required and the time needed for that work can be determined. Atlantis' flight, STS117, to the International Space Station will be scheduled sometime after a Russian Soyuz 

spacecraft returns from the station. The Soyuz is delivering new station crew members and 

returning others back to Earth in late April. Adequate time is needed between the Soyuz 

undocking and the shuttle's arrival to the station. STS-1 17 Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot 

Lee Archambault and mission specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson and 

John "Danny" Olivas will continue training at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, as 

they await a new target launch date. During the 11-day mission, the astronauts will work with 

the station crew and ground teams to install a new truss segment, unfold a new set of solar 

arrays and retract one array on the starboard side of the station. Space Shuttle Program 

managers are gathered at the Kennedy Space Center for the traditional Flight Readiness 

Review for the mission. During the two-day meeting, NASA managers and engineers assess 

any risks associated with the mission and determine whether the shuttle's equipment, 

support systems and procedures are ready for flight. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday 

and Wednesday, will continue as planned. ["Hail damage forces Shuttle Atlantis off launch 

pad," NASA News Release #07-60, February 27, 2007.] 

February 28: Griffin: First Manned CEV Flight May Slip To 2015 

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told Senate lawmakers Feb. 28 that the first launch of 

the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CR'!) with astronauts aboard is likely to slip to early 

2015 as a result of the budget cut contained in the recently passed fiscal 2007 continuing 

27
resolution. "I am projecting a four- to six-month slip in our first launch date for the Orion 

and Ares," Griffin told members of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Space, 

Aeronautics and Related Sciences. Any further delay would cause NASA to miss the 2014 

deadline for the Orion's debut mandated by President Bush when he first announced the 

Vision for Space Exploration in January 2004. Bush also set a deadline of 2010 for the space 

shuttle's retirement and 2020 for the return of astronautsto the surface of the moon. Web 

posted. (2007). [Griffm: First Manned CEV Flight May Slip to 2015 [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.aviationweek.com [2007, March 11.1 

Griffin: Don't judge NASA by Nowak 

NASA didn't recognize astronaut Lisa Nowak's mental condition before she allegedly 

attacked a romantic rival in an airport parking lot last month, the space agency's chief said 

Wednesday. During a Senate hearing about NASA's budget, NASA Administrator Mike 

Griffm was asked about the bizarre case. Nowak allegedly donned diapers to avoid 

bathroom stops and took off on a cross-country trip armed with a steel mallet, a four-inch 

knife and a BB pistol. Specifically, U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. and a member of the 

Senate Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences, wanted to know whether 

NASA was looking at the psychological screening performed on applicants for the astronaut 

corps. "The allegations against Capt. Nowak are, of course, very serious, and it's a legal 

matter. It's in the legal system. I just will not address those allegations," Griffm said. "But 

clearly she is in major trouble, and clearly we failed as an institution to recognize that she was 

very troubled." Griffm noted that NASA is forming two separate groups (one with outside 

experts from "high-performance, high-stress" organizations in the military services) to 

examine the agency's screening procedures. He said those studies would be made available 

to Dorgan once they are complete. Griffin, an engineer with three decades of experience in 

the U.S. space program, also said NASA's astronaut corps should not be judged by the 

actions of one. Nowak, who flew as a mission specialist on NASA's second post-Columbia 

test ffight in July, is on a 30-day leave of absence from the agency. The married mother of 

three is charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping and three other crimes. 

["Griffin: Don't judge NASA by Nowak," Florida Today, March 1, 2007, p 7A.] 

During February: Downsizing 

NASA has its share of budget woes, but it won't be able to fix them by retiring space shuttle 

early. The agency has tentatively decided to ground Atlantis following the Hubble servicing 

mission scheduled for late next year, since after that the orbiter is slated for overhaul and 

maintenance that could last almost until the fleet is retired in 2010. Space operations 

managers are studying whether it would make since to fly Atlantis once more after the 

Hubble mission to help finish space station assembly, says Bill Gerstenmaier, associate 

administrator for space ops. But either way, the number of orbiters actually flying is "not a 

big cost driver," since Atlantis will be kept "kind of in a flight-ready configuration" as a 

source of space parts for the life of the program. ["Downsizing," Aviation Week and 

Space Technology, February 12, 2007, p 19.] 

28
MARCH 

March 1: Atlas V cleared for STP-1 launch 

United Launch Alliance (ULA) managers have concluded that there is no risk to their Atlas 

V vehicle for the March 9 launch of STP-1, following investigations into the commonality 

issue between their Lockheed Martin rocket and the failure of Sea Launch's Zenit 3SL 

vehicle carrying NSS-8 on January 30. The ULA launch from Cape Canaveral is a six 

satellite mission to be carried by the Atlas V. The launch - which will also debut ESPA ring 

payload adaptor - has been delayed since its initial launch date back in October. Web posted. 

(2007). [Atlas V cleared for STP-1 launch [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, March 1].] 

Budget cuts to delay Orion, NASA warns 

A cut of half a billion dollars in NASA's exploration program approved by Congress last 

month will push the first manned flight of the agency's new Orion spacecraft into early 2015, 

NASA administrator Mike Griffin warned Congress Wednesday. In a hearing on the 

agency's budget by the space subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee, Griffin 

said that the cut would force the agency to slip development of the Orion spacecraft by four 

to six months, meaning that the first flight would not take place until early 2015. NASA had 

previously planned to meet a deadline set by President Bush when he announced the Vision 

for Space Exploration three years ago to have Orion, previously known as the Crew 

Exploration Vehicle, enter service by the end of 2014. Senators expressed concern about the 

effects of an extended gap between the retirement of the shuttle in 2010 and the 

introduction of Orion, and said they would look into ways to give NASA authority to 

transfer money from other agency programs or other solutions to make up for the shortfall. 

Web posted. (2007). [Budget cuts to delay Orion, NASA warns [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. spacetoday. net/ [2007, March 2].] 

Fuel to be removed from space shuttle 

NASA officials decided to remove propellants from space shuttle Atlantis before returning 

the spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The decision stems from a Monday severe 

thunderstorm that pummeled the shuttle with golf ball-sized hail, producing as many as 

2,000 "divots" in the shuttle's external fuel tank's foam insulation and damaging about 26 

heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

officials at the Kennedy Space Center said the necessity of removing the fuel will delay the 

rollback, now expected to occur Sunday or Monday. NASA said further evaluation of the 

tank must be done in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the entire shuttle can be more 

easily accessed. A new target launch date will be set after the damage is assessed and the 

time needed for repairs can be determined but NASA said teams will focus on preparing 

Atlantis for a late April launch. Web posted. (2007). [Fuel to be removed from space shuttle 

[Online]. Available W'(TW: http://www.upi.com/ [2007, March 1].] 

Stephen Hawking to go weightless at KSC 

Famed physicist Stephen Hawking is going to experience weightlessness on a space tourism 

flight taking off from Kennedy Space Center. Professor Hawking, a best-selling author and 

expert on gravity, is signed up for a weightless flight from the Shuttle Landing Facility on 

April 26, according to Zero Gravity Corporation. The company, which is providing 

parabolic simulated zero-gravity flights to tourists, announced this morning what is likely to
be its highest profile flight yet. In the company's written release, Hawking is quoted as 

saying, "As someone who has studied gravity and black holes all of my life, I am excited to 

experience first hand weightlessness and a zero-gravity environment." Hawking thanked the 

company for making the opportunity available to him personally, and to others who are 

disabled. The company says it arranged the ffight in part to demonstrate its interest in 

making the flights accessible to people with disabilities, but also to benefit charitable 

organizations, including Easter Seals. Two additional slots on the ffight will be auctioned off 

for charity. The experience culminates, following some basic training, with a 90-minute 

excursion over the Atlantic Ocean aboard G-Force One. The modified Boeing 727 jet flies a 

series of parabolic maneuvers. The sharp ascent and descent of the airplane gives 

participants the experience of feeling weightless, simulating what they might feel in a real 

space flight. NASA and the Russians have long used the same kind of process to train 

astronauts for space missions. Web posted. (2007). [Stephen Hawking to go weightless at 

KSC [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog 

[2007, March 1].]

Shuttle rollback pushed back 

Shuttle Atlantis won't roll back to its Kennedy Space Center assembly building until Sunday 

because NASA is draining toxic rocket fuel out of storage tanks aboard the vehicle. The fuel 

off-loading operation is being done just in case the shuttle has to be disassembled to 

complete repairs to the ship's hail-hammered external tank. If that turns out to the case, the 

shuttle's International Space Station assembly mission might be delayed beyond late April. 

And if the tank cannot be repaired at KSC, then the mission likely will be postponed until 

June. The off-loading operation involves draining nitrogen tetroxide and monomethyl 

hydrazine from storage tanks that feed the shuttle's twin maneuvering engines as well as its 

44 nose-and-tail steering jets. The same propellants are being drained from the shuttle's 

three Auxiliary Power Units, which provide the hydraulic power needed to steer the shuttle's 

three engines in flight and control its wing flaps, rudder-speedbrake, landing gear, brakes and 

nosewheel steering system during atmospheric reentry and landing. The Hydraulic Power 

Units that enable the nozzles on the shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters to be gimbaled also 

are being drained. The concern is that toxic rocket fuel could leak if the shuttle is 

disassembled and towed back to its processing facility. NASA now is planning to remove 

the shuttle's payload from the ship's cargo bay early Saturday. The 17.5-ton station truss 

segment will be moved into holding cell at launch pad 39A. The six-hour trip from pad 39A 

to the assembly building is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Sunday. Web posted. (2007). 

[Shuttle rollback pushed back [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/

The Flame Trench blog [2007, March 1].] 

March 2: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-030207. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for April 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Preparations are underway at Launch Pad 39A to roll back 

the STS-1 17 Shuttle stack to the Vehicle Assembly building. Roll back is currently targeted 

for Sunday morning. STS-1 17 is returning to the VAB so that engineers and technicians can 

thoroughly inspect the shuttle for hail damage that resulted from a violent storm on Monday 

evening. Once inspections are complete, a decision will be made on the type of repair
necessary and the time needed for that work. On Thursday, workers at the pad offloaded 

the fuel and oxidizer from the orbiter maneuvermg system tanks. The orbiter's payload bay 

doors are open, and work is underway to remove the payload from the cargo bay today. 

Demating of the shuttle from the pad systems will continue through Saturday, with rotation 

of the pads' rotating service structure scheduled for early Sunday morning. Earlier in the 

week, the Space Shuttle Program managers met for a 2-day STS-117 Flight Readiness 

Review. During this meeting managers and engineers review risks associated with the 

mission and determine whether the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are 

ready for flight. At the conclusion of the FRR, there was a unanimous decision to proceed 

with the STS-1 17 mission, pending resolution of the open work to make necessary repairs to 

the hail damage on the shuttle. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing 

Status Report [Online]. Available W\XTW: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy /

shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, March 2.] 

March 3: Nowak avoids attempted murder charge 

Prosecutors in Florida have charged NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak with attempted 

kidnapping and other crimes after she attacked a romantic rival last month, but will not be 

charged with attempted murder. Nowak will face charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary, 

and misdemeanor battery after attempting to attack Colleen Sbipman in an airport parking 

lot in Orlando in the early morning hours of February 5th. Nowak was arrested immediately 

after the attack and, at that time, prosecutors said they planned to include a more serious 

charge of attempted murder against Nowak. The astronaut, who flew on the STS-121 shuttle 

mission last year, was released on bail several days after the attack and returned home to 

Houston; she was placed on 30-day leave by NASA. A trial date has not been set. If 

convicted, Nowak could face up to life in prison. Web posted. (2007). [Nowak avoids 

attempted murder charge [Online]. Available W"( 1W: http://www.spacetodav.net/ [2007, 

March 3].] 

March 4: Shuttle back inside VAB 

Shuttle Atlantis is back inside th Vehicle Assembly Building after a six-hour-plus rollback 

from its oceanside launch pad for repairs. The shuttle, badly battered by a freak hail storm 

last Monday, will be thoroughly inspected and work will begin soon to repair any damage 

that could pose a threat to the spaceship and crew in flight. The shuttle reached the VAB 

around 2 p.m., and then eased into a bay where it will be surrounded by work platforms. 

Most of the hail damage was done to the insulating foam near the very top of the 15-story 

tall external tank. NASA deemed it impossible to make repairs to those hard-to-reach spots 

at the launch pad. The wind-blown hail dinged, gouged and scratched the insulating foam 

on the tank as well as some of the black heat-shielding tiles on the orbiter's belly. It is not yet 

known what repairs, if any, must be done to the orbiter itself. The uncertainty has left 

NASA without a firm launch date. The agency hopes that KSC workers will be able to 

identify the problems, make the repairs and get the shuttle back out to Pad 39A later this 

month in preparation for a possible April launch. The earliest date would be a few days after 

April 20, when a Russian Soyuz departs the space station. The shuttle could launch anytime 

from late April to late May. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle back inside VAB [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, March 4].] 

Congress to review NASA probe report 

31
White officials have agreed to release a confidential report by April 2 that details a federal 

investigation of NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb, congressional sources said. Cobb, a 

White House political appointee, has been NASA's inspector general since April 2002. 

Investigators from the Department of Housing and Urban Development were told to 

conduct the inquiry and then fonvard their findings to the President's Council on Integrity 

and Efficiency. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin also is reviewing the findings. 

["Congress to review NASA probe report," Orlando Sentinel, March 7, 2007, p A7.] 

March 7: Statement Regarding the Status of Lisa Nowak 

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak's detail as a NASA astronaut has been terminated, effective 

March 8, by mutual agreement between NASA and the U.S. Navy. Nowak, an active duty 

naval officer, began her detail with NASA following selection as a member of the astronaut 

class of 1996. She flew one mission, STS-121 in 2006. NASA requested an end to the detail 

because the agency lacks the administrative means to deal appropriately with the criminal 

charges pending against Nowak. Because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment to NASA, 

rather than a NASA civil servant, she is not subject to administrative action by NASA. 

Nowak will receive her next assignment from the U.S. Navy. NASA's decision to terminate 

Nowak's detail does not reflect any position by NASA on the criminal charges pending in 

Florida. ["Statement Regarding the Status of Lisa Nowak," NASA News Release #07-26, 

March 7, 2007]

NASA Completes Key Review of Orion Spacecraft 

NASA has established a requirements baseline for the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The 

Orion Project completed its system requirements review in cooperation with its prime 

contractor, Lockheed Martin, March 1. The review marked the first major milestone in the 

Orion engineering process and provided the foundation for design, development, 

construction and safe operation of the spacecraft that will carry explorers to Earth orbit, to 

the moon, and eventually to Mars. The detailed requirements established in this review will 

serve as the basis for ongoing design analysis work and systems testing. The Orion review 

followed an overall review of requirements for the Constella'tion Program that was 

completed in November. Similar reviews are planned later this spring for ground and 

mission operations systems that will support Constellation launch systems and space flight 

operations ground infrastructure. Once all project-level reviews are complete, the 

Constellation Program will hold another full review to update baseline requirements. A lunar 

architecture systems review of equipment associated with surface exploration and science 

activities on the moon is expected in the spring of 2009. ["NASA Completes Key Review of 

Orion Spacecraft," NASA News Release #07-58, March 7, 2007.] 

Pad 39B's transition 

NASA managers are continuing to build their roadmap for Pad 39B's transition to Ares, in 

tandem with keeping the pad available to host one final shuttle, a shuttle they hope they'll 

never have to launch. Work will be conducted - including the construction of three giant 

lightning towers - around the pad for Ares, prior to the Hubble mission (STS-125), which 

will launch from 39A with Atlantis, while Discovery is sat on 39B as the rescue shuttle. 

Plans by Constellation for the 600ft high towers that will protect Ares I from lightning 

strikes, and a presentation to NASA's PRCB (Program Requirements Control Board) relating 

to the Hubble LON (Launch On Need) role, show the attention surrounding Pad 39B only 

intensified after its 'final' launch, carried out in December 2006 with STS-1 16. Web posted. 

32
(2007). [Pad 39B's transition [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

[2007, March 7].]

Launch pad damage delays Delta 4 flight 

The planned April 1 launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket and a missile warning satellite is being 

delayed because of damage done at its launch pad during a recent countdown dress 

rehearsal. The United Launch Alliance rocket and its payload -- a Defense Support Program 

spacecraft -- are not expected to fly before mid-April. Officials with Aix Force Space and 

Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles said the satellite-delivery mission was postponed after 

two structural cracks were discovered in the metaffic launch table beneath the rocket at 

Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The cracks were found after a socalled Wet Dress Rehearsal -- a propellant loading test and practice countdown. An 

investigation team is working to determine the root cause of the problem. A new target date 

will be set after the investigation is complete and data from the dress rehearsal has been 

reviewed. Web posted. (2007). [Launch pad damage delays Delta 4 flight [Online]. Available 

W\)VW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, March 7].] 

March 8: Atlas 5 launches satellites 

A prototype robotic service station is speeding around the planet today on a $300 million 

mission to show that spacecraft can be autonomously tuned up and refueled in orbit. 

Mounted atop a 19-story Atlas 5 rocket, the next-generation servicing satellite and a 

companion craft were lofted into orbit after a night launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force 

Station. The Atlas roared off its launch pad at 10:10 p.m. Thursday. Four other spacecraft 

designed to test advanced technologies also were onboard, but the Orbital Express promises 

to be revolutionary. "What we're trying to do here with Orbital Express is refuel satellites, 

repair them and upgrade them," said Air Force Lt. Col. Fred Kennedy, program manager 

with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. If successful, the mission could 

"change the paradigm of how we operate in space," he said. An ability to autonomously 

refuel, repair and upgrade spacecraft would radically change sateffite design. The Orbital 

Express includes two spacecraft. One is a servicing satellite equipped with a robotic arm, a 

tank full of rocket fuel and a spare battery. The other is a spacecraft that is to be fueled in 

orbit. It will be outfitted with the battery, too. Web posted. (2007). [Atlas 5 launches 

satellites [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.f1oridatodav.com/ [2007, March 9].] 

March 9: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-030907. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for April 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On Sunday, Atlantis rolled from Launch 

Pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where employees spent the week positioning 

platforms around the shuttle to allow for inspections and repairs to hail-damaged areas. 

Inspections of the external tank are expected to be completed next week. Some foam 

sanding has begun in the nose cone area of the tank. Inspections are finished for the solid 

rocket boosters and nearly complete for the orbiter, with 20 of 28 hail-damaged areas, all on 

the left side of the vehicle, already repaired. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space 

Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; 

33
Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay 2, and technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch 

in more than four years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, 

including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery 

and Atlantis. This week, technicians successfully completed fuel cell No. 2 coolant loop 

reservicing. The payload premate testing is under way. Checkout and interface verification 

for the orbital maneuvering system and the forward reaction control system was completed. 

Hydraulic system/fight control system checkout has concluded. The thermal barriers of the 

nose landing gear door are being installed prior to the landing gear functional test. Mission: 

STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight (IE) - Columbus Laboratory; Vehicle: 

Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Fall 2007; Launch Pad: ThD; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Waiheim, Love, Melvin, Schiegel and 

Eyharts; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Processing of 

Discovery, which returned from the STS-1 16 mission on Dec. 22, continues in Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay 3. Technicians are busy working on Discovery's electrical system, 

preparing for the installation of the new Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System 

modification. This system will allow the orbiter and International Space Station to share 

power, which will enable the orbiter to remain docked for longer periods of time. Work is 

also under way to replace thermal tile around the main landing gear door and the external 

tank doors with a stronger tile, known as BRI tile. Water spray boiler No. I installation was 

completed, and main propulsion system flow liner inspections are under way. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov /centers /kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.htrnl 

[2007, March 9.]

Nelson: NASA budget requests threaten CEV schedule 

If the Bush administration continues to fund NASA below the levels authorized by 

Congress, by the end of fiscal 2008 the agency will be more than $3 billion short of the 

funding required to keep the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and other programs on 

schedule, according to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). "For the third straight year, the 

administration has not requested the full, authorized amount for NASA specified in the 

NASA Authorization Act of 2005," said Nelson, who chairs the Senate Commerce 

Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences. The authorization act called for 

a total NASA budget of $17.9 billion in FY'07 and $18.7 billion in FY '08. The continuing 

budget resolution gave NASA only $16.2 billion in FY '07 and Bush's request for FY '08 is 

$17.3 billion, yielding a total deficit of $3.1 billion, according to Nelson's office. "If we 

continue on this president's path, we face an extended period when the United States will 

have no human access to space," Nelson said in an update. "This is unacceptable - especially 

at a time when other nations are aggressively developing space technology." In testimony 

before Nelson's subcommittee last week, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin revealed that 

the continuing budget resolution that NASA is operating under for fiscal 2007 - which 

effectively cuts more than half a billion dollars from the agency's topline - is likely to cause 

the Orion to miss the 2014 deadline originally set by Bush for its operational debut and slip 

into early 2015 (DAILY, March 2). Given the space shuttle's 2010 retirement, this would 

leave nearly a five- year gap during which the U.S. will have no indigenous human space 

flight capability. Any further "long delays" to the CEV could lead to job cuts at NASA, 

Nelson said. "Our space program would be dealt a tremendous blow if layoffs at the Cape 

34
precipitated a 'brain drain' like the one NASA experienced in the post-Apollo downturn of 

the late 1970s," he said. Nelson has asked Griffin to calculate how much additional money 

NASA would need to accelerate the CEV's debut to as early as 2012. He plans to "press for 

additional money" for the project this spring, he said. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation 

Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "Nelson: NASA budget requests threaten 

CEV schedule," [Electronic]. Vol. 221, No. 46, [March 9, 2007.].] 

March 10: NASA's AIM spacecraft arrives at Vandenberg for April 25 

launch 

NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft arrived March 10 at 

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in anticipation of its April 25 launch aboard a Pegasus 

XL rocket. The spacecraft features three instruments designed to study polar mesospheric 

clouds located at the edge of space. The mission will help explain why these clouds form and 

what has caused them to become brighter and more numerous, as well as appear at lower 

latitudes, in recent years. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "NASA's AIM spacecraft arrives at Vandenberg for April 25 launch," 

[Electronic]. Vol. 221, No. 48, [March 13, 2007.].] 

March 12: ISS Module from Japan Arrives at NASA 

The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module 

arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Monday, March 12. The Japanese 

Experiment Module is composed of three segments and is known as Kibo, which means 

"hope" in Japanese. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to 

the station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by 

providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. 

The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section will serve as an on-orbit storage area 

for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold up to eight experiment racks and will attach to 

the top of another larger pressurized module. The ship carrying the module departed Feb. 7 

from Yokohama, Japan, for the United States. Kibo's various components will be assembled 

in space during the course of three shuttle missions. The first of those three missions, STS123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section aboard the space shuttle 

Endeavour, targeted for launch in 2007. ["International Space Station Module From Japan 

Arrives at NASA," NASA News Release #07-63, March 12, 2007.] 

Safety analysis needed to clear shuttle's tank repairs 

Amid ongoing inspections of the shuttle Atlantis's hail-damaged external fuel tank, engineers 

are optimistic they can make unprecedented repairs at the Kennedy Space Center, avoiding a 

lengthy launch delay to late June. Until the assessment is complete, NASA officially 

continues to hold out some hope for a launch attempt in late April, after a Russian mission 

to the international space station. But engineers say a flight in early to mid May appears 

much more likely. And that assumes a detailed, yet-to-be-completed analysis shows repaired 

foam high above the shuttle won't come off in flight and, if any does, the timing and 

expected debris size won't pose any significant additi®nal risk of catastrophic impact damage 

to the shuttle's heat shield. "The jury is still out on that," said one NASA manager. That's at 

least in part because some of the damaged insulation up near the tip of the fuel tank needs to 

be repaired by spraying on new foam, a so-called "non-standard" procedure that will require 

test sprays on a mockup before engineers are cleared to attempt repairs on the flight 

hardware. Relatively shallow pits and dings can be repaired by "sand-and-blend" techniques 

35
and in cases of moderate damage, foam can be poured into depressions and then sanded as 

required. NASA managers had hoped to launch Atlantis on the first of five planned 2007 

shuttle missions March 15. But during a freak thunderstorm that moved over pad 39A on 

Feb. 26, the shuttle's external tank was blasted by hail, suffering more than 1,000 pits and 

gouges in its foam insulation. Atlantis, shielded by moveable weather protection panels, was 

relatively unscathed. But NASA managers ultimately decided to move the shuttle back to the 

Vehicle Assembly Building for detailed inspections and, if possible, repairs. After erecting 

access platforms, engineers used a grid system to characterize and pinpoint damage across all 

areas of the tank. NASA managers initially were concerned they might have to move Atlantis 

to a tank slated for use by the shuttle Endeavour this summer, a tank not scheduled for 

delivery until early April. Moving to a new tank would have delayed Atlantis's launch to 

around June 21. NASA's damage assessment is not yet complete, but during meetings late 

last week, engineers said they were much more optimistic about making repairs in the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, with Atlantis still attached, and avoiding a more lengthy delay to 

late June. Web posted. (2007). [Safety analysis needed to clear shuttle's tank repairs [Online]. 

Available WWW: http: / /www. spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, March 12.] 

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa No'vak 

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak will take up duties on the staff of the Naval Air Training 

Command at NAS Corpus Christi, Tex., after her assignment as a NASA astronaut was 

terminated last week. Nowak faces felony charges in Florida stemming from an alleged 

stalking incident at the Orlando airport Feb. 5, and already had been replaced as capcom on 

the upcoming STS-1 17 mission. Nowak's detail was terminated one day after the National 

Air and Space Museum awarded the STS-121 shuttle mission team its 2007 Current 

Achievement Trophy. Nowak flew as a robotic arm operator on that mission. ["News 

breaks, Americas, U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak," Aviation Week & Space Technology, 

March 12, 2007, p 18.] 

March 14: Hubble could last until 2010 without shuttle visit 

The Hubble Space Telescope could survive in orbit without a servicing mission until 2010, 

the year the space shuttles are set to retire, NASA chief Mike Griffin said today. Contrary to 

earlier reports, the window to reach Hubble and repair its ailing batteries and gyroscopes 

does not close after December 2008, Griffin said in response to a question posed during a 

hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. 

NASA originally estimated it could fly a servicing mission to the aging space telescope by 

early 2008, but shifted the flight to September of that year so a second shuttle could be ready 

in case a rescue mission were necessary, Griffin said. Hubbies batteries and gyroscopes are 

being carefully managed by ground controllers to keep the telescope alive while it awaits a 

fourth, and probably final repair mission, said Coileen Hartman, acting associate 

administrator for space science who was at the hearing with Griffin and other agency 

officials. But every month the mission is delayed, costs NASA $10 million to keep the 

servicing mission together, according to Griffin. The agency wants to get the Hubble 

mission completed in September of 2008 as currently scheduled to avoid additional costs, 

Griffin said. A report from the Government Accountability Office, citing NASA estimates, 

set the cost of the Hubble servicing mission at between $1.7 billion and $2.4 billion. Griffin 

did not have an up to date cost estimate and told lawmakers he would provide that 

information later. Web posted. (2007). [Hubble could last until 2010 without shuttle visit 

36
[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, 

March 15.]

NASA estimates $750M needed in FY '09-10 to maintain CEV 

schedule 

NASA will need an additional $350 million in fiscal 2009 and $400 million FY '10 to reverse 

the effect of the FY '07 continuing budget resolution and put the Orion Crew Exploration 

Vehicle (CEV) back on schedule to debut in 2014, Administrator Michael Griffm told House 

appropriators March 13. The continuing resolution, which freezes NASA's budget at FY '06 

levels, amounts to a $545 million cut to the agency's topline compared to its FY '07 request. 

Griffin told lawmakers earlier this month that the appropriations bill further directs a 

reduction to human spaceflight of $677 million, $577 million of which is coming out of 

exploration - primarily the Orion and Ares Crew Launch Vehicle. This will push the Orion's 

manned debut back an estimated six months to 2015. Restoring the funding later to regain 

schedule will cost more than the original amount cut, Griffin said, because "money added 

later always costs more than money taken away now." By March 15 NASA is due to deliver 

to Congress its FY '07 operating plan, which will detail precisely how it proposes to deal 

with the funding cut. The slip to 2015 would mean NASA will miss President Bush's 

originally announced deadline of 2014 for the Orion's manned debut. E-mail distribution. 

(2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "NASA estimates $750M 

needed in FY '09-10 to maintain CEV schedule," [Electronic]. Vol. 221, No. 49, [March 14, 

2007.].] 

March 15: NASA Space Station Module in Perfect "Harmony" 

Ever since it was designed for the International Space Station, it has been known as the 

Node 2 module. Now thanks to students from across the United States, Node 2 also will be 

known as "Harmony." At an event Thursday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., NASA 

announced the new name. Harmony is being prepared at Kennedy for its space shuttle 

Atlantis flight, designated STS-120, targeted for launch in 2007. Members of the STS-120 

crew and managers who are preparing Harmony for launch took part in the naming event. 

The name was chosen from an academic competition involving more than 2,200 

kindergarten through high school students from 32 states. The Node 2 Challenge required 

students to learn about the space station, build a scale model and write an essay explaining 

their proposed name for the module that will serve as a central hub for science labs. 

Harmony was built for NASA in Europe. It is approximately 21 feet long and 14 feet in 

diameter. Harmony joins three other named U.S. modules on the station: the Destiny 

laboratory, the Quest airlock and the Unity node. This is the first U.S. piece of the space 

station named by people outside of NASA. ["NASA Space Station Module in Perfect 

"Harmony" With New Name," NASA News Release #07-65, March 15, 2007.] 

Kodiak Launch Complex pad to get upgrade 

A launch tower at the Kodiak Launch Complex is getting a 1.5 million dollar face lift. A 

contract was awarded this week to Dunkin and Bush Incorporated, an industrial contractor 

based in Redmond, Washington. Pat Ladner with the Alaska Aerospace Development 

Corporation says Dunkin and Bush was the only firm to submit a bid for the project during 

an open, competitive process. The tower stands more than 150 feet high and is one of two 

built for missile launching and testing. It has been used once since its construction was 

completed in 2000. Work on the structure will begin later this month, with completion set 

37
for August. Ladner says the roof and tower will be sandblasted to get rid of accumulated 

rust. Then coats of special paint made to withstand Kodiak's maritime atmospheric 

conditions will be applied. Web posted. (2007). [Kodiak Launch Complex pad to get upgrade 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.ktva.com/a1aska/ [2007, March 15.] 

Delays threaten station timetable 

NASA's task to fix a hail-hammered shuttle fuel tank creates uncertainties about its ability to 

resume International Space Station assembly this spring and launch European and Japanese 

science labs by year's end. A potential three-month delay in the next shuttle flight raises 

questions about agency plans to finish building and outfitting the station by a September 

2010 deadline set by President Bush. But officials hope Atlantis and six astronauts can set 

sail during a launch period from April 22 through May 21. Otherwise, the crew will not fly 

before June 8. A recovery plan for the next shuttle mission should be complete late next 

week. Once the fleet is retired, NASA will have no guaranteed way to launch large spare 

parts ]ike heavy gyroscopes that keep the station flying properly in orbit. The devices have 

proven to be prone to failure, and they are just one example of spare parts needed to keep 

the station flying safely. Also to be hauled up: extra shielding to protect the station from 

micrometeorite or debris strikes that could penetrate the hull, destroying the outpost and 

killing all aboard. NASA studies predict there is a 55 percent chance of a penetrating strike 

over a 10-year period. The chance of a catastrophic strike: nine percent. The extra shielding 

and other measures would reduce those odds to 29 percent and 5 percent, respectively. 

NASA is in a bind. The agency must retire the shuttle on time so it can afford to build a 

replacement. Even at this point, the replacement will not be ready to fly before late 2014. 

Web posted. (2007). [Delays threaten station timetable [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatodav.com / [2007, March 15.1 

March 16: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-03 1607. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for April 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Space Shuttle Atlantis, now parked in high 

bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly Building, continues to undergo inspection for hail 

damage. Special scaffolding and access platforms have been erected to allow for the mapping 

and inspection of the external fuel tank, and repair methods and criteria are being developed. 

Repairs to the orbiter's thermal protection system tiles are nearly complete, and technicians 

are preparing to conduct non-destructive evaluation of the vehicle's reinforced carboncarbon panels on the left wing leading edge using thermography equipment. Shuttle 

program managers plan to meet next week to assess the damage and repair status. Mission: 

STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted 

for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, 

Caldwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. 

Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, and technicians continue preparing 

the vehicle for its first launch in more than four years. The vehicle has undergone an 

extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety 

upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, technicians completed checkout 

of the trajectory control sensor system, and the payload pre-mate testing is nearly fmished.
Preparations are under way for the installation of the orbiter boom sensor system, which is a 

50-foot extension for the shuttle's robotic arm. The waste contamination system checkout is 

complete. Testing of the aerosurface control system has also concluded. This involved 

moving flight control systems such as the elevons, body flap and rudder speed break using 

the hydraulic systems. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight (IE) - 

Columbus Laboratory; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility 

Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Fall 2007; Launch Pad: TBD; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, 

Waiheim, Love, Melvin, Schiegel and Eyharts; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. Processing of Discovery, which returned from the STS-1 16 mission on Dec. 

22, continues in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Work on the installation of the new 

Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System continues in the forward, mid-body and aft 

sections of the vehicle. This system will allow the orbiter and International Space Station to 

share power, which will enable the orbiter to remain docked for longer periods of time. 

Work is also under way to prepare for the installation of fuel cell No. 2. Technicians 

continue replacing thermal tile around the main landing gear door and the external tank 

doors with a stronger tile, known as BRI tile. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /wwiv.nasa.gov /centers / 

kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, March 16.] 

NASA Names Janet Petro Deputy Director of Kennedy Space 

Center 

NASA today selected Janet Petro as the new deputy director of the agency's Kennedy Space 

Center, Fla., effective April 29. Petro succeeds William (Bill) W. Parsons, who assumed the 

position as the director of the center in January. Prior to joining NASA, Petro served in 

various management positions for Science Applications International Corporation, also 

known as SAIC, where she provided extensive program management and technical 

leadership since December 2000. She directly interacted with senior-level government 

customers, and was responsible for overseeing program and project managers and providing 

operational guidance on various technical projects. "I am extremely pleased that Janet has 

decided to join the leadership team at Kennedy," said Parsons. "She brings with her a strong 

technical management background and extensive engineering leadership that is directly 

applicable to the challenging future here at Kennedy." At SAIC, Petro held positions of 

increasing responsibility within the corporation's Satellite Beach Subsurface Engineering and 

Data Center Operations, including division and deputy operations manager. She directed 

technical teams in the design, installation and sustainment support for the Subsurface 

Engineering and Logistics Support contract. In SAIC's St. Petersburg division, she led the 

Cooperative Engagement Capability Pre-Planned Product Improvement Program Team in 

developing supportability products for an upgraded signal data processing assembly. "I am 

honored I was selected to join the talented team of professionals at KSC and feel excited to 

be a part of the tremendously important mission we have been given," said Petro. Earlier in 

her career, Petro held various senior management positions with McDonnell Douglas 

Aerospace, including program manager for overseeing and executing a classified $13-million 

U.S. Department of Defense program at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 

program involved integrating, supporting and coordinating payloads onto various space 

vehicles at U.S. Air Force and NASA facilities. Petro served as a captain in the U.S. Army's 

aviation branch. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the U.S. Military 

Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a Master of Science degree in business administration 

39
from Boston University Metropolitan College. ["NASA Names Janet Petro New Deputy 

Director of Kennedy Space Center," NASA News Release #09-07, March 16, 2007.] 

March 20: Delta 4 rocket to be disassembled at Cape 

A United Launch Affiance Delta 4-Heavy rocket destined to launch a U.S. missile warning 

sateffite will be disassembled so recent launch pad damage can be repaired, officials said 

Tuesday. No new launch date has been set for the 23-story rocket, which still stands at 

Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. But the repairs likely \vffl delay the 

launch until late summer. The Defense Support Program satellite to be launched on the 

rocket is equipped with a powerful infrared telescope and sensors designed to 

instantaneously spot missile launches anywhere in the world. The spacecraft have provided 

missile warning to the president and top military officials since the 1970s. The mishap and 

the resulting delay are the latest in a series of problems for the Delta 4-Heavy vehicle, which 

is designed to haul the nation's heaviest and most critical national security sateffites into 

orbit. Web posted. (2007). [Delta 4 rocket to be disassembled at Cape [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, March 20.] 

March 21: KSC beefs up marketing staff 

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex marketing team has added four employees to 

gear up for the Memorial Day weekend opening of the Shuttle Launch Experience. Among 

them are veterans of Florida attractions Universal Orlando, Gatorland and Cypress Gardens. 

Andrea Farmer, public relations manager for the Visitor Complex, said the thrill ride is in its 

testing phase. "We're going through testing, testing the hydraulics, the braking system," she 

said. "We're looking forward to Memorial Day." 'With these additions, we're fully staffed in 

preparation for the opening of Shuttle Launch Experience," Director of Marketing Tom 

Olson said. Web posted. (2007). [KSC beefs up marketing staff [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /w\vw. floridatoda y.com/ [2007, March 21.1 

Shuttle launch likely delayed until May 

Repairing damage to a space-shuttle fuel tank from a freak hailstorm probably will push the 

next launch of Atlantis from April to mid-May, NASA planning documents show. Managers 

were meeting on Wednesday to assess the repair plan and set a new target launch date for 

Atlantis, which is scheduled to fly to the international space station to deliver and install a 

third set of solar arrays. Planning documents show a targeted launch date of around May 11. 

NASA intended to launch the shuttle on March 15 but the ship had to be returned to a 

processing hangar to repair insulation on Atlantis' fuel tank. The foam was damaged during a 

severe hailstorm that passed over the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 26. The 

shuttle was being prepared for launch at a seaside launch pad when the storm hit. NASA 

has until May 21 to launch the shuttle, or it must wait until June 8 for more launch attempts. 

Between those dates, the sun's position is unsuitable for the shuttle to be docked at the 

station. Shuttle manager Wayne Hale has said the program can withstand the delay without 

a long-term impact on the space-station construction schedule. NASA must finish building 

the $100 billion outpost, a partnership of 16 countries, by 2010, when the shuttles are to be 

retired. The agency needs at least 13 flights to finish the job. Two resupply missions to the 

station and a servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope also are planned. Web posted. 

(2007). [Shuttle launch likely delayed until May [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, March 21.]

40
School at KSC clears 1st hurdle 

Lawmakers with an affinity for Florida's space program are pushing legislation to create a 

new high school residence program tied to Kennedy Space Center. The proposal to create 

the Governor's School for Science and Technology cleared its first House committee on 

Tuesday despite uncertainty about funding. The bill devotes $1 million over two years to 

launch the school in Brevard County. It would operate under the Florida Virtual School 

program and could be housed at Kennedy Space Center or nearby. Theoretically, the school 

would offer advanced courses in math, science and technology. Web posted. (2007). [School 

at KSC clears 1St hurdle [Online}. Available WWW: http://vivv.floridatodav.com/ [2007, 

March 21.]

State lawmakers mark Space Day 

Lawmakers look to the stars today, official Space Day at the Florida Capitol. Space agencies 

and their lobbyists are on hand for the annual event, promoting a greater state investment in 

Florida's aerospace industry. "If we don't start spending more, we'll lose it," said Rep. Dave 

Murzin, R-Pensacola. In the morning, a delegation will meet with Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, 

followed by a House floor introduction by Rep. Bob Allen, R-Merritt Island. Among the 

visiting dignitaries are Thomas Boothiller, vice commander of the 45th Space Wing at 

Patrick Air Force Base, and William Parsons, director of the Kennedy Space Center. Backto-back receptions are scheduled at the Challenger Space Center in Tallahassee. Web posted. 

(2007). [State lawmakers mark Space Day [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatoda y.com / [2007, March 21.1 

Tank repair plan due today 

NASA faces an external tank repair job unprecedented in magnitude, but a history of similar 

repairs makes the agency confident the work can be done without creating the type of debris 

hazard that doomed Columbia and its crew. At a meeting today, NASA managers will 

determine how long the repairs might take. The answer could force NASA to swap the haildamaged tank attached to shuttle Atlantis with a new one, a move that likely would stall 

International Space Station construction untilJune. "The desire is to be able to repair and 

fly the (damaged) tank," said Kyle Herring, a spokesman for NASA's Johnson Space Center 

in Houston. "It probably does put you in the June window if you swap tanks. But obviously, 

we are still hopeful that we don't have to do that." Atlantis and six astronauts had been 

scheduled to launch March 15 on a station construction mission, but its 15-story tank was 

battered by hail during a Feb. 26 storm. NASA moved Atlantis back to its assembly building 

for repairs March 4. Inspectors since have spotted more than 2,500 divots and gouges in 

thermal insulation covering the metal alloy tank, which is filled with supercold propellants 

prior to flight. The foam is designed to prevent ice buildups that could break off in flight, 

damaging shuttle heat shield components. Web posted. (2007). [Tank repair plan due today 

[Online]. Available W"(TW: http: / /www. floridatoda .com! [2007, March 21.1 

March 23: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-032307. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for April 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination! 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, work is under way to repair hail damage to the STS-117 external fuel tank, ET-124. 

41
Special scaffolding and access platformshave been erected to allow access to the tank and 

orbiter for inspections and repairs. Foam repairs on the liquid hydrogen tank, which is 

located on the bottom of the ET, are complete. Repairs to the orbiter thermal protection 

system tiles are complete, and technicians completed non-destructive evaluations of the 

vehicle's reinforced carbon carbon panels on the left wing leading edge, using thermography 

equipment. No damage was detected. Shuttle Program managers met on Wednesday to 

assess the damage and repair status, and decided to continue work on repairing ET-124. 

Managers will meet again in early April to decide whether to use ET-124 or substitute a new 

tank, ET-1 17, which is scheduled to arrive at KSC on April 10. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd 

International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastraccbio, Caldwell and 

Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour remains 

in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, and technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its 

first launch in more than four years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification 

period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both 

Discovery and Atlantis. This week, the orbiter boom sensor system, which is a 50-foot 

extension fof the shuttle's robotic arm, was delivered to OPF No. 2. It is scheduled for 

installation in two weeks. Payload bay configuration and closeout is under way, and the 

orbiter's potable water system has been successfully checked out. The orbiter docking system 

airflow verification testing is complete. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space 

Station Flight (IE) - Columbus Laboratory; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Fall 2007; Launch Pad: TBD; Crew: 

Frick, Poindexter, Walheim, Love, Melvin, Schlegel and Eyharts; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/I 22 nautical miles. Processing of Discovery, which returned from the STS-1 16 

mission on Dec. 22, continues in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Work on the installation 

of the new station to shuttle power transfer system (SSPTS) continues in the forward, midbody and aft section of the vehicle. This system will allow the orbiter and International 

Space Station to share power, which will enable the orbiter to remain docked for longer 

periods of time. Fuel cell No. 2 is being installed today, and technicians continue to replace 

thermal tile around the main landing gear door and the external tank doors with a stronger 

tile, known as BRI tile. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status 

Report [Online]. Available W'W'\X7: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv /

shuttleoperations/status/2007/index.html [2007, March 23.] 

March 26: NASA may change orbiters for manifest solution 

NASA managers have started to evaluate manifest options to mitigate schedule issues, 

following the continuing realignment of STS-1 17's launch date targets due to the ongoing 

repairs to ET-124. Managers are assessing the option of switching orbiters on three 

upcoming missions, STS-120 - to Discovery, STS-122 - to Atlantis, and STS-124 - to 

Discovery, in order to allow the possibility of four 2007 missions, even if STS-117 is delayed 

until June. Currently, two windows are on the table for Atlantis, starting with NET (No 

Earlier Than) May 11 - in a launch window extending through to May 20 - and NET June 

17, should NASA decide next month that they will demate Atlantis and re-stack with ET117. 'SSP (Space Shuttle Program) is still pursuing ET repairs that may support launch in 

the May 11-20 time frame,' noted Shuttle manager Paul Hill - recently selected as the Deputy 

of the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD). Web posted. (2007). [NASA may change 

42
orbiters for manifest solution [Online]. Available W'(TW: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

[2007, March 26.] 

March 28: Space, labor leaders differ on KSC future 

Space industry managers and labor leaders gave starkly contrasting views of Kennedy Space 

Center's future during a Senate hearing Wednesday. The impact of a four- or five-year 

absence of manned launches from Cape Canaveral could be devastating, said Johnny Walker, 

a representative of more than 2,500 union members employed at the space center. 

"Certainly the launch team is nervous," Walker said at Wednesday's hearing of the Space, 

Aeronautics and Related Sciences Subcommittee. "All the folks on the Cape are nervous." 

Walker's anxiety contrasted with assurances offered by William Gerstenmaier, a top NASA 

manager, that the space agency has an orderly transition planned for the end of the shuttle 

era in 2010. "We have as good a plan as we can at this point," said Gerstenmaier, associate 

administrator for space operations. The subconmiittee's chairman, Sen. Bill Nelson, DOrlando, again expressed concern about the gap between retirement of the shuttles and the 

first operational launch of the Orion crew capsule, now expected in 2015. "What we have to 

do is keep this gallant little program that has been such an inspiration to the American 

people on course," Nelson said. A main worry for many on the Space Coast is that an 

extended launch hiatus will repeat the regional downturn seen in the I 970s when the Nixon 

administration and Congress pulled the plug on the Apollo program. NASA and its main 

shuttle contractor, United Space Alliance, have yet to offer solid numbers on how many jobs 

could be lost after the shuttles are retired. In written testimony, Walker observed that 

employment at Kennedy Space Center is projected to drop to about 9,500 from its present 

level of approximately 15,000. Web posted. (2007). [Space, labor leaders differ on KSC 

future [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.fioridatoday.com/ [2007, March 29.] 

NASA workers hustle to repair damaged tank 

Every job on the to-do list for repairing shuttle Atlantis' damaged external tank seems to be 

a custom order. One team engineered and erected made-to-order scaffolding so workers can 

kneel or lie within inches of the hard-to-reach spots at the tip of the 15-story tank. That is 

where most of the divots and gouges caused by last month's freak hailstorm are. Another 

group knelt and laid on the scaffolding to sand a half-inch layer of foam off the pockmarked 

dome of the tank because shuttle engineers determined the hail clings were so close together 

they couldn't be repaired individually as is usually done. Instead, workers toting spray guns 

will stand on suspended platforms and apply a fresh layer of foam over the tank's nose cone, 

a job that requires so much precision that NASA prefers it be done by a robot in the New 

Orleans factory where the tanks are built. The unique and extensive nature of the repair 

work is keeping at least 100 people at the Kennedy Space Center scrambling while shuttle 

engineers and managers across the country assess the fastest way to get shuttle Atlantis back 

out to the launch pad. Repairs to the bottom two-thirds of the giant orange tank are 

complete. So are patches to dozens of heat-shielding tiles on the orbiter's belly. The most 

challenging repairs are just beginning, with down-to-the-wire engineering assessments still 

not finished. A critical decision point comes in a couple of weeks. On April 10, about the 

time a new external tank arrives at KSC from the factory, NASA managers plan to decide 

whether to finish the repairs and launch Atlantis with the current tank or trade it for a new 

one. Shuttle planners also are working on jostling the launch schedule. The repair has to be 

done, regardless of whether the tank attached to Atlantis flies on this mission or not. The 

43
external tank will be used on a future mission, so it must be repaired. ["NASA workers 

hustle to repair damaged tank," Florida Today, March 29, 2007, p 7A.] 

March 29: Boeing unveils Ares 1 team 

The Boeing Co. announced Wednesday its corporate suppliers if it wins a major NASA 

contract to produce components for the next generation of manned spacecraft from 

Kennedy Space Center. If Boeing wins, most of the work will be done at Marshall Space 

Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. 

The company expects some of the work may be done on the Space Coast or benefit 

companies with a presence here. How much and the number of jobs involved is uncertain, 

said Jim Chilton, Boeing's vice president of Exploration Launch Systems. A separate future 

contract for launch preparation is expected to involve much more work on the Space Coast. 

Chilton said the production contract is estimated to be worth $900 million or more. The 

contract involves building the upper-stage for the Ares I rocket. The Ares I will transport the 

Orion crew exploration vehicle to low Earth orbit for NASA's program to return astronauts 

to the moon by 2020. "Our team is composed of industry leaders with experience in their 

Ares I upper stage roles," Chilton said. "We don't want to add risk to NASA's program. Our 

team was built around NASA requirements." Boeing announced the following companies 

will be included on its team of suppliers: Chickasaw Nation Industries; Hamilton 

Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.; Moog Inc.; Northrop Grumman 

Corp.; Orion Propulsion Inc.; SUMMA Technology Inc.; United Space Affiance; and United 

Launch Affiance. Web posted. (2007). [Boeing unveils Ares I team [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.fioridatodav.com/ [2007, March 29.] 

Boeing Florida Operations VP to Retire 

Former NASA astronaut and space shuttle flight engineer Bruce Melnick, vice president of 

Boeing Florida Operations, retires from The Boeing Company on April 1. Melnick led the 

company's Florida team for more than 10 years in providing engineering, facilities and 

maintenance support to NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense for the space shuttle, 

International Space Station (ISS) and Delta rocket programs. "Bruce Melnick has done a 

tremendous job in leading Boeing's Florida Space Coast efforts," said Brewster Shaw, vice 

president and general manager, Boeing Space Exploration. "He has demonstrated strong 

leadership and an unwavering dedication to Space Exploration and a commitment to 

successful program execution." Boeing Space Exploration Vice President and Constellation 

Program Manager John Elbon has been named the acting Florida site senior executive and 

will continue to lead the company's pursuit of NASA's Constellation program elements from 

Houston, Texas. Web posted. (2007). [Boeing unveils Ares I team [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.boeing.com/ [2007, March 29.] 

March 30: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-033007. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for April 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, work is under way to assess and repair hail damage to the STS-I 17 external fuel 

tank, ET-124. Special scaffolding and access platforms have been erected to allow access to 

the tank and orbiter for inspections and repairs. Foam repairs on the liquid hydrogen tank, 

44
which is located on the bottom of the external tank, are complete. The focus is currently on 

repairs to the liquid oxygen tank. Shuttle program managers will meet on or about April 10 

to decide whether to use ET-124 or substitute it with a new tank, ET-117, which is 

scheduled to arrive at KSC in early April. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space 

Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay 2, and technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch in more than four 

years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of 

all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, 

initial nose landing gear door closure was performed. Preparations are under way for the 

installation next week of the orbiter boom sensor system, which is a 50-foot extension for 

the shuttle's robotic arm. Technicians completed testing the audio/visual communications 

systems on the orbiter. The shuttle main engine "eyelids," which are thermal barriers that 

protect the aft compartment, were installed. Preparations are under way for the installation 

of the engine mounted heat shields. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station 

Flight (1E) - Columbus Laboratory; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Fall 2007; Launch Pad: 39-A; Crew: 

Frick, Poindexter, Waiheim, Love, Melvin, Schlegel and Eyharts; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/I 22 nautical miles. Processing of Discovery, which returned from the STS-1 16 

mission on Dec. 22, continues in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. The installation of the 

new station-to-shuttle power transfer system was completed this week. This system will 

allow the orbiter and International Space Station to share power, enabling the orbiter to 

remain docked for longer periods of time. The orbiter power system validation was also 

finished this week. Technicians continue replacing thermal tile around the main landing gear 

door and the external tank doors with a stronger tile, known as BRI tile. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /\vww.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /_status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

March 30.]

NASA managers praise tank repair effort 

As NASA managers head towards the April 10th decision on which External Tank Atlantis 

will fly with on STS-1 17, the ongoing ET repair effort has received heaps of praise from 

both Shuttle manager Wayne Hale and Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for 

space operations. Gerstenmaier also noted the changes to the upcoming launch schedule 

will be clarified around the same time as the tank decision, although that meeting has been 

deferred until April 16. The amount of resources being concentrated on United Space 

Alliance and Lockheed Martin efforts to repair ET-124 back to flight status is epitomized by 

the huge amounts of daily assessment documentation, as engineers continue with the option 

of trying to save the tank from having to be shipped back to the Michoud Assembly Facility 

(MAF). Those efforts were praised by Gerstenmaier, when he was asked for a status update 

by Senator Bill Nelson at Wednesday's 'Transitioning to a Next Generation Human Space 

Flight System' hearing at the US Senate. 'This is one of the best activities I've ever seen in 

the human spaceflight area,' he noted. 'We have Lockheed Martin - who manufactures the 

tank for us, and the United Space Alliance - who do the processing at the Cape. Those two 

contactor organizations are working together better than I've seen two contactor 

organizations work. 'The teaming, the spirit, and the cooperation of the folks working on 

45
this tank is phenomenal. They are passing engineering data back and forth, they are making 

progress every day on repairing the tank and they are doing just a great job. They are actually 

mocking up the spray area in New Orleans, so that technicians can practice what they'll be 

doing back in Florida to finish up and complete.' Those mock tests at MAF relate to the 

'non standard' repair areas of the tank, ensuring the processes and techniques are mapped 

out for the technicians inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The ability to 

successfully repair those areas of the tank is one of the key factors on whether ET-124 will 

fly with Atlantis on STS-1 17. Web posted. (2007). [NASA managers praise tank repair effort 

- clarify flight schedule [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, 

March 30.] 

During March: High Clouds 

Crews at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., will start mating NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the 

Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft to its Pegasus XL launch vehicle early next month in 

preparation for planned Apr. 25 launch date. The spacecraft, NASA's seventh Small 

Explorer misn, will study polar clouds that form in the atmosphere's coldest part, some 

50 miles above the surface. AIM's three instruments - an imager, a solar occultation 

exp0ériment for atmospheric temperature and other cloud-environment measurements, and 

a cosmic dust counter - will investigate why the clouds are changing and their possible 

relation to global climate change. The Center for Atmospheric Sciences at Hampton, Va., 

heads the mission. Orbital Sciences Corp. designed and built AIM. ["High Clouds," 

Aviation Week & Space Technology, March 19/26, 2007, p 31.] 

46
APRIL 

April 2: NASA Nobel Prize Recipient to Lead Chief Scientist Office 

NASA's new Science Mission Directorate Associate Admmistrator Alan Stern has appointed 

NASA scientist and 2006 Nobel Prize recipient John Mather to lead the Office of the Chief 

Scientist at Headquarters in Washington. Mather and his staff in the newly created office will 

be chief advisors to Stern. ["NASA Nobel Prize Recipient to Lead Chief Scientist Office," 

NASA News Release #07-08, April 2, 2007.] 

Lawmakers want NASA inspector removed 

Two congressmen Monday asked President Bush to fire NASA inspector general Robert 

Cobb after an independent investigation determined he verbally abused employees and 

appeared to lack independence. The investigation by the president's Council on Integrity 

and Efficiency found that Cobb berated and cursed at employees and did not report or 

release information about wrongdoing that might embarrass the space agency of its former 

boss, Sean O'Keefe. The investigators probed allegations that Cobb grew too close to thenadministrator O'Keefe and created the appearance that he was not fulfilling the independent 

watchdog role assigned to an inspector general. In particular, investigators took issue with 

Cobb failing to report the theft or loss of national security data from the space agency. They 

also said he acted to prevent the release of a Crime Stoppers segment on the alleged theft of 

a ring from the finger of one of the deceased Columbia astronauts during the recovery effort 

following the Feb. 1, 2003, shuttle disaster. Current NASA Administrator Michael Griffin 

wrote the investigating agency to say he was sending Cobb to training sessions to correct the 

behavior of an abusive work environment. ["Lawmakers want NASA inspector removed," 

Florida Today, April 3, 2007, p 5A.] 

Astronaut to discuss marathon run in April interviews 

NASA astronaut Sum Wiffiams will discuss her upcoming 2007 Boston Marathon run aboard 

the International Space Station during media interviews planned for Wednesday, April 4 at 

1:20 p.m. CDT. Williams, an accomplished marathoner, is an official entrant in the Boston 

Marathon and will run the race on a station treadmill. She qualified for the race, along with 

fellow astronaut Karen Nyberg, as one of the top 100 female finishers in the January 2006 

Houston Marathon. Williams will be the first astronaut to officially run in a marathon from 

space. ["Astronaut to discuss marathon run in April 4 interviews," NASA Media Advisory 

#M07-33, April 2, 2007.] 

April 3: Kibo component weighed in at KSC 

The warehouse wing of a Japanese science laboratory is being weighed in this week at 

Kennedy Space Center in preparation for its launch next year to the International Space 

Station. Known as the Logistics Module, the orbital storage facility will be the first of three 

major components that make up the lab, which is named "Kibo" -- the Japanese word for 

"hope." It ultimately will be positioned atop a long pressurized laboratory module that will 

be berthed to the U.S. Harmony connecting node. The multihatch Harmony node vffl serve 

as the gateway between the U.S., Japanese and European sections of the station. The Kibo 

lab also will feature a "back porch" -- a large external pallet where experiments can be 

exposed to the space environment. A robotic arm will be attached to the outside of the Kibo 

lab so that experiments on the pallet can be manipulated. The Logistics Module arrived at 

47
Kennedy Space Center in March after a three-month trip from Tsukuba Space Center. It was 

uncrated in the KSC Space Station Processing Facility and then lifted onto a scale with an 

overhead crane on Monday. Weight and center-of-gravity tests will be performed before the 

module is moved into a work stand at the facility. The module had been slated to launch in 

December but shuttle schedule delays likely will push the mission back to February 2008. 

Web posted. (2001). [NASA launches satellite to study magnetosphere [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, April 3].] 

April 4: Size-conscious NASA i11 need astmnauts who fit the pn)file 

As early as 2009, applicants to the astronaut corps will face new size limits, including on 

weight and sitting height. That's a result of NASA's plan to retire the space shuttle in 2010 

and switch entirely to smaller vehicles. The exact limits haven't been determined because 

new vehicles are still in development. Since shuttle ffights began in 1981, NASA has 

restricted only height. The last time it recruited a new batch of astronauts, in 2003, the 

minimum height was 4 feet, 10'/2; the maximum was 6 feet, 4 inches. "It would be the wrong 

thing to do to select people who aren't going to fit in your spaceship," says Duane Ross, 

NASA's head of astronaut selection. The shuttle is shaped roughly like an airplane and is 

122 feet long. The vehicles that will take its place are ball-shaped and much smaller: 'The 

cockpit of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft is 7 feet wide and can hold three people. The Soyuz 

already carries a few U.S. astronauts to orbit each year. After the shuttle retires, the Soyuz 

will be astronauts' only ride to space until at least 2015, unless NASA-funded private firms 

succeed in building a new vehicle. The Soyuz's crew must meet a variety of limits. 'The U.S. 

Orion spacecraft, on the drawing board to replace the shuttle, will be 161⁄2 feet wide. It is 

slated to make its first manned flight in 2015 and is supposed to carry astronauts to the 

International Space Station and, in about 2020, to the moon. "The goal is to accommodate 

the largest population possible," says Scott Horowitz, NASA's top official for the new 

spacecraft and moon exploration. Only people under a certain weight can be protected by 

the Orion systems that shield the crew in an emergency landing, he says. That weight is 

unknown. In the 1990s, Americans Wendy Lawrence (who's 5-foot-3) and Scott Parazynski 

(6-foot-2) were barred from Soyuz flights because of their height. The Soyuz was modified, 

but not before the pair became known as "Too Short" and "Too Tall." Web posted. (2007). 

[Size-conscious NASA will need astronauts who fit the prole [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://wwiv.usatoday.com/ [2007, April 4].] 

NASA finishes fresh face on giant meatball 

NASA this week finished repainting the world's largest meatball as storm repairs that stem 

from three hurricanes back in 2004 continue at the nation's primary spaceport. The giant 

American flag on Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building is being repainted, 

too, and that work is nearing completion. Working on scaffolding secured high above the 

ground, painters since early this year have been freshening up the flag and the NASA logo, 

which are on the south side of the 52-story landmark. The building sustained millions of 

dollars of damage when hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne swept through central 

Florida during a nine-week span in August and September 2004. The flag is 209 feet long 

and 110 feet wide, or about the size of a 60-plane hangar bay on an aircraft carrier. The blue 

field on the flag is the size of a regulation basketball court, and its 50 stars each are six feet 

wide. Each of the 13 stripes are the size of a standard interstate highway lane -- wide enough 

to accommodate 18-wheelers or the tour buses that haul visitors around the spaceport. The 

NASA logo, affectionately known as the "meatball," measures about 132 feet by 110 feet and 

48
covers 12,300 square feet. The flag and a U.S. bicentennial logo were painted on the side of 

the building in 1976 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the United States of America. 

The job required 6,000 gallons of paint. In 1998, NASA repainted the flag and replaced the 

bicentennial symbol with the NASA logo in celebration of the agency's 40th anrnversary. 

The Vehicle Assembly Building was erected in the early 1960s for the assembly of the U.S. 

Saturn 5 rockets that carried American astronauts and their cargoes to the moon. It now 

serves as the assembly building for U.S. space shuttles and will be used to erect new moon 

rockets when the U.S. sends astronauts back to the lunar surface around 2018. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA finishes fresh face on giant meatball [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, April 4].] 

NASA ride set to blast off 

Would-be astronauts will get the chance to experience a launch into space starting this 

Memorial Day weekend, NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex announced today. 

Shuttle Launch Experience, a $60 million launch simulation ride that let visitors experience 

the sensations of a space shuttle voyage to Earth's orbit, will open May 25. The ride has 

been three years in the making, the Visitor Complex said. Shuttle Launch Experience was 

designed by BRC Imagination Arts -- the company that designed the Visitor Complex's 

Apollo/Saturn V Center -- in collaboration with other companies. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA ride set to blast off [Online]. Available W\XW: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

[2007, April 4].] 

April 5: Shuttle propulsion system inspections ordered 

With external tank repairs in high gear, NASA managers today ordered removal of the 

shuttle Atlantis's three main engines for inspections to make sure no contamination is 

present in the ship's hydrogen fuel lines. While engineers are hopeful the work can be 

completed under the umbrella of external tank repairs, getting Atlantis off before its May 

launch window closes remains a major challenge. The latest issue involves small bits of 

silicon rubber RepliSet, used to help detect cracks in main propulsion system fuel line flow 

liners that were found in the shuttle Discovery recently, prompting concern about similar 

contamination in Atlantis and Endeavour. The RepliSet technique is used before and after a 

shuttle flight to make exact three-dimensional impressions of the fuel line flow liners to look 

for signs of potentially catastrophic cracks. Engineers apparently missed a small bit of the 

material after impressions were made in Discovery's flow liners between two of its most 

recent flights. NASA managers want to make sure no similar contamination is present in the 

main propulsion systems of the other orbiters. "This was an easy decision to make," said a 

NASA official. "No one wants contamination in the propulsion system." Assuming no 

other problems are found, engineers say Atlantis's main engines can be removed, the 

inspections carried out and the engines reinstalled without impacting when the shuttle will 

eventually take off on a space station assembly mission. The long pole in the tent remains 

the work needed to repair extensive hail damage to the foam insulation on the top of the 

ship's external fuel tank. Senior NASA managers plan to meet April 10 to discuss whether 

to press ahead with tank repairs for a possible May launch or whether to switch Atlantis to 

the external tank slated for use by the shuttle Endeavour for the next flight on the manifest. 

That tank, ET-1 17, is scheduled to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. Switching 

Atlantis to ET-117 would delay launch to mid June. NASA managers want to stick with the 

current tank, ET-124, if at all possible. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle propulsion system 

49
inspections ordered [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.spaceflightnow.corn / [2007, 

April 5].]

Judge to Seal Psychological Files in Trial of Former Astronaut 

A judge said Thursday that he would seal any psychological evaluations of Capt. Lisa M. 

Nowak, the former astronaut accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival. He also ordered 

lawyers in the case not to issue press releases, and he scheduled a hearing for Monday to 

determine whether additional documents should be sealed. The judge, Marc L. Lubet of 

Orange County Circuit Court, warned that continuing con-imunication by lawyers with the 

news media "ivill keep this case stoked up in the press," and he said he would like to keep 

the trial in Orange County "if at all possible." Captain Nowak, of the Navy, was arrested in 

February and later fired by NASA after, according to an arrest affidavit; she confronted a 

rival for the affections of a fellow astronaut in an Orlando airport parking lot and attacked 

her with pepper spray. Web posted. (2007). Judge to Seal Psychological Files in Trial of 

Former Astronaut [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nvdmes.com/ [2007, April ]I 

April 6: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-040607. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for no earlier than May 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, work is under way to assess and repair hail damage to the STS117 external fuel tank, ET-124. Special scaffolding and access platforms have been erected 

to allow access inspections and repairs. Foam repairs on the liquid hydrogen tank, which is 

located on the bottom of the ET, are complete, and the focus is currently on repairs to the 

liquid oxygen tank. Shuttle Program managers will meet on April 10 to decide whether to 

use ET-124 or substitute a new tank, ET-1 17, which arrived at KSC today. Shuttle Program 

managers decided this week to inspect the main propulsion systems on Atlantis and 

Endeavour for contamination after a small amount of material was found during routine 

post-flight inspections in one engine that flew on the STS-1 16 mission of Discovery in 

December 2006 and one engine that flew on the STS-121 mission of Discovery in July 2006. 

The contaminant is a substance called RepliSet, which is a material used to make a mold of 

the flow liner surface. It is used to check for cracks and imperfections. The inspections can 

be accomplished within the timeframe of the hail damage recovery effort, with no impact to 

the launch schedule for STS-117. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station 

Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (0 V-lOS); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for June 28, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastraccbio, Caidwell and Anderson; Indlination/ Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour remains in Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay 2, and technicians continue preparing the vehicle for its first launch in more than four 

years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of 

all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis. This week, 

the orbiter boom sensor system (OBSS) was installed in the vehicle. The OBSS is a 50-foot 

extension for the shuttle's robotic arm. Closeout of the payload bay compartments is under 

way. The wing leading edge instrumentation system flight batteries were installed, and the 

space-to-space orbiter radio system checks are complete and good. Preparations are under 

way for removal of Endeavour's three main engines for contaminant inspection. Mission: 

50
STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight (IE) - Columbus Laboratory; Vehicle: 

Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Fall 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Walheim, Love, Melvin, Schiegel and 

Eyharts; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Processing of 

Discovery, which returned from the STS-1 16 mission on Dec. 22, continues in Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay 3. The orbiter's thermal protection system waterproofing is 90 

percent complete. Leak checks on fuel cells No. I and 3 are complete and good. Servicing of 

the water spray boiler system began this week, and fuel cell coolant servicing continues. Wire 

tray closeouts in the mid-body are ongoing, and cargo bay closeouts are under way. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /_kennedv/shuttleoperations/status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

April 6.]

NASA chief set to cut projects 

To overcome a half-billion-dollar shortfall this year, NASA plans to eliminate a robotic 

mission to the moon, cut educational programs for schoolchildren and delay a new line of 

manned spacecraft. NASA Administrator Michael Griffm has warned Congress for weeks 

that approved cuts of more than $500 million from NASA's $16.8 billion funding request 

would postpone launching the space shuttle's successor beyond a target date of 2014. But a 

new budget blueprint sent from NASA to Congress shows cuts to the space agency would 

affect more than just the Constellation program, which oversees NASA's planned mission 

to carry astronauts to the moon and Mars. A robotic mission to the moon would be 

eliminated to help free up more than $100 million. The agency also aims to cut programs 

that encourage student experiments, cancel the construction of a new education complex 

and reduce funding for an upcoming asteroid-research mission. ["NASA chief set to cut 

projects," Orlando Sentinel, April 6, 2007, p A3.1 

April 7: Fuel tank arrives at KSC 

A new external tank arrived Friday at the Florida launch site, positioning NASA managers 

for a decision that will determine whether shuttle Atlantis is slated to launch in May or June. 

The tank is scheduled to fly with orbiter Endeavour on an International Space Station 

assembly mission later this year. But managers might decide Tuesday to use it to replace 

shuttle Atlantis' tank, which sustained significant damage during a Feb. 26 hail storm. The 

launch of Atlantis then would be delayed until mid-June. The other option is to continue 

repairs to the damaged tank, enabling NASA to try to launch Atlantis by a May 21 deadline. 

"That's certainly not out of the realm of possibility," said Kyle Herring, a spokesman for 

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The desire is to stay on that tank." In any case, 

NASA managers have decided to remove Atlantis' three main engines so engineers can 

inspect propellant lines within the orbiter. Four small pieces of silicon rubber recently were 

found in lines on Discovery, and managers want to make certain there are no contaminants 

in Atlantis' lines. NASA uses the silicon material before and after flights to make 

impressions of any small blemishes or cracks within the propellant lines. Engineers then can 

determine whether any minor defect enlarges. Debris in a propellant line could degrade 

engine performance or even lead to a catastrophic failure in flight. The new tank arrived at 

Port Canaveral after an 850-mile trip from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. 

With the barge trailing about a quarter-mile behind it, the ship then hugged the East Coast 

of Florida, and made its way up the Banana River toward the turn basin just east of the 

Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. NASA had planned to launch Atlantis 

51
and six astronauts on March 15, but its tank was damaged during a violent thunderstorm. 

The agency is facing a May 21 deadline to get the shuttle off the ground. Atlantis can't 

launch between May 21 and June 8 because sun angles will be such that the space station's 

solar wings would not be able to generate enough electricity to support joint operations with 

a visiting shuttle. A switch to the new tank would delay launch until around June 16 or June 

17. Web posted. (2007). [Fuel tank arrives at KSC [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatodav.com/ [2007, April 7].] 

April 9: U.s. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 

Veteran Space Shuttle Astronauts Michael L. Coats, Steven A. Hawley and Jeffrey A. 

Hoffman will join an elite group of American space heroes as they are inducted into the U.S. 

Astronaut Hall of Fame during a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor 

Complex on Saturday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. They will join the ranks of legendary space 

pioneers like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Sally Ride and John Young. This 

is the sixth group of Space Shuttle astronauts named to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. 

Earlier inductees represent the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz 

programs. With the addition of Coats, currently the director of Johnson Space Center; 

Hawley, whose mission helped deploy the Hubble Space Telescope; and Hoffman, the first 

astronaut to log 1,000 hours aboard the space shuttle, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame will 

have honored 66 of America's space explorers. Web posted. (2007). [U.S. Astronaut Hall of 

Fame Induction Ceremony [Online]. Available WWW: ww\v.Hospitalitvlst.com/

PressNews/ [2007, April 9].] 

Takei treks to KSC, promotes diversity 

Actor George Takei played the helmsman of the original USS Enterprise on the classic TV 

series "Star Trek," but he was in awe Monday at Kennedy Space Center when he saw 

engineers and technicians making space travel a reality. "I'm an actor. We just created the 

illusion of space. But here, the real thing is being done," Takei said. "What I see being done 

here is really the launching pad of the future." Takei, 69, is best known for playing Mr. Sulu 

on the cult classic, which aired from 1966 through 1969. He and the fictional crew of the 

Starship Enterprise explored space and defended the United Federation of Planets. He came 

to KSC to talk with workers about the value of diversity in complex team efforts. "Star Trek 

certainly demonstrated that. We had visual diversity -- an African woman, an Asian man, a 

pointy-eared alien. But you also heard the diversity -- the Scottish accent of the engineer, the 

Russian accent of our navigator, the southern drawl of our doctor," he said. Web posted. 

(2007). [Fakei treks to KSC, promotes diversity [Online]. Available WWW: 

www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, April 10].] 

April 10: NASA targets June launch for Space Shuttle Atlantis 

NASA is targeting June 8 as the next possible launch opportunity for space shuttle Atlantis' 

STS-1 17 mission to the International Space Station. Tuesday's decision by agency 

management followed a meeting that reviewed the progress in repairing insulating foam on 

the shuttle's external fuel tank, which was damaged during a sudden hail storm Feb. 26 at 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. That damage required engineers to repair 

approximately 2,660 sites on the tank. The meeting also included an assessment of using the 

repaired external tank for the STS-1 17 mission versus swapping to one that arrived last week 

from the manufacturing plant in New Orleans. Managers decided to finish repairs to 

Atlantis' current tank and use it for STS-1 17. The tank that arrived Friday will be prepared 

52
for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-1 18 mission to the space station and now is targeted for 

launch in August. "The workforce has done an amazing job of assessing and repairing the 

tank so far, but the sheer volume of repairs dictates moving the launch target to June," said 

Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale. June 8 is the opening of the next available 

launch window for Atlantis to go to the station. STS-1 17 Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot 

Lee Archambault and mission specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson and 

John "Danny" Olivas will continue training at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. 

During the 11-day mission, the astronauts will work with the station crew and ground teams 

to install a new, girder-like truss segment, unfold a new set of solar arrays and retract one 

array on the starboard side of the station. ["NASA targets June launch for Space Shuttle 

Atlantis," NASA News Release#07-83, April 10, 2007.] 

Grissom doctors moonlight for NASA 

Two Reserve doctors from Grissom Air Reserve Base have front row seats for space shuttle 

takeoffs and landings to help astronauts in case of emergencies. Lt. Col. (Dr.) Scott Phillips 

or Maj. (Dr.) Greg Pinnell, both from the 434th Aerospace Medicine Squadron here, work 

for NASA as part of a 30-member medical rescue team for NASA. "We're there in case a 

survivable mishap occurs," Colonel Phillips said. "We can be there to rescue and treat the 

astronauts." Even though the team consists of 30 members from throughout the country, 

not everyone is assigned to work a takeoff or a landing. Colonel Phillips has worked 10 

takeoff and landings during his tenure with the program, while Major Pinnell has worked 

seven missions. Participants must have survival training and advanced cardiac and life 

support framing. Both reservists said they hope they never have to use their training, but 

they maintain preparedness. Web posted. (2007). [Grissom doctors moonlight for NASA 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.af.mi1/nevs /_storv.asp?id 123048220 [2007, April 

101.]

Dawn arrives in Florida 

The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., at 9 a.m. 

EDT today. Dawn, NASA's mission into the heart of the asteroid belt, is at the facility for 

fmal processing and launch operations. Dawn's launch period opens June 30. "Dawn only 

has two more trips to make," said Dawn project manager Keyur Pate! of NASA's Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "One will be in mid-June when it makes the 15-

mile journey from the processing facility to the launch pad. The second will be when Dawn 

rises to begin its eight-year, 3.2-billion-mile odyssey into the heart of the asteroid belt." The 

Dawn spacecraft will employ ion propulsion to explore two of the asteroid belt's most 

intriguing and dissimilar occupants: asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. Now that 

Dawn has arrived at Astrotech near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, final prelaunch 

processing will begin. Technicians will install the spacecraft's batteries, check out the control 

thrusters and test the spacecraft's instruments. In late April, Dawn's large solar arrays will be 

attached and then deployed for testing. In early May, a compatibility test will be performed 

with the Deep Space Network used for tracking and communications. Dawn will then be 

loaded with fuel to be used for spacecraft control during the mission. Finally, in mid-May, 

the spacecraft will undergo spin-balance testing. Dawn will then be mated to the upper stage 

booster and installed into a spacecraft transportation canister for the trip to Cape Canaveral 

Air Force Station. This is currently scheduled for June 19, when it will be mated to the Delta 

II rocket at Pad 17-B. Web posted. (2007). [Dawn arrives in Florida [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.spaceflightnow.com [2007, April 11].] 

53
April 11: NASA's historical art exhibit returns to BCC planetarium 

Local residents can see bits of NASA history through new eyes by viewing the "Milestones 

in NASA's History" art exhibit on display at the Brevard Community College Planetarium 

and Observatory on the Cocoa campus. The 11 prints of original artwork were originally 

housed at NASA and have been on a traveling tour, which began at the planetarium, then 

went to the Melbourne Airport, the Government Center in Viera, and finally are back at the 

planetarium where they will be displayed through July. "Each opportunity to engage with 

our space program art, allows all of us to see and feel the real potential for our future in 

space, as we embark on the exciting vision for space exploration," said Luis Berrios, NASA's 

program design specialist, in a press release. "The NASA art collection represents an 

important source of inspiration for the general public that embraces and celebrates the 

glorious achievements of the U.S. Space Program." It is presented in partnership with the 

BCC planetarium Brevard Cultural Affiance Inc., Brevard County's Art in Public Places and 

NASA Kennedy Space Center. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's historical art exhibit returns to 

BCC planetarium [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com [2007, April 

111.1

NASA turns to past for ideas 

NASA's next piloted spaceship probably will parachute to the ground in the western United 

States at the end of its missions, but it also will be capable of landing in the ocean after a 

launch failure. So NASA and the military squadron that will be responsible for rescue 

operations is reaching out to veterans from the Apollo moon-landing project, trying to learn 

everything they can about capsule recovery operations. "We want to get off on the right 

foot and make sure we're going to head down the right path. We want to learn from history 

and push forward and take it to the next level," said Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, commander of 

the Air Force's 45th Space Wing, which coordinates Department of Defense emergency 

support for U.S. human spaceflight missions. "The bottom line is that regardless of the endof-mission landing mode, we must still re-establish and support a water-landing capability. 

That's very important," added Don Hammel, NASA's lead landing and recovery engineer for 

Orion spacecraft. NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft all were designed to 

splash down in an ocean, where water provides enough of a cushion to obviate the need for 

braking rockets like those used on Russian and Chinese spacecraft. On NASA's first two 

Mercury flights, helicopters dropped a cable to the spacecraft so it could be lifted out of the 

ocean and placed on the deck of an awaiting ship. That practice was changed when NASA's 

Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft sank. Its hatch was inadvertently jettisoned after splashdown with 

astronaut Gus Grissom aboard. NASA then began equipping its spacecraft with floatation 

collars. They kept the craft afloat and also provided a platform for recovery and rescue 

divers. The added buoyancy enabled the floating craft to be brought alongside ships, where 

cranes lifted them onto decks. The new Orion spacecraft will be Apollo-style capsules that 

will employ parachutes, airbags and perhaps retrorockets to slow their descent. Small 

rockets atop the capsules will be able to pull the spacecraft and crews away from a launch 

vehicle in the event of an emergency on the launch pad. So NASA and the Air Force are 

caUing on graybeards from the Apollo program to advise those planning Orion recovery 

operations. The first in what is expected to be a series of meetings was held at Patrick Air 

Force Base earlier this month. Web posted. (2007). [NASA turns to past for ideas [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com [2007, April 11].] 

54
Atlantis won't launch until June at earliest 

NASA will continue repairs to a hail-damaged shuttle external tank, but launch of Atlantis 

and the resumption of International Space Station assembly will be delayed until June to 

finish the work, officials said Tuesday. The postponement will keep a U.S. astronaut at the 

outpost for an extra two months, but the rookie flight engineer took the news in stride. "It 

really doesn't matter. I have lots to do up here," said Sunita "Suni" Williams, who was ferried 

up to the station on Discovery in December and will remain there until at least August. 

"There's going to be a lot going on. So, for me, it really won't change the way I operate up 

here." Williams stands to set a U.S. record for the longest space mission. Current station 

skipper Michael Lopez-Alegria will establish a new benchmark -- 214 days -- when he returns 

to Earth on April 20 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Williams will pass that in mid-July. 

Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov set the world record -- 438 days -- in the 1990s. Atlantis 

and six astronauts had been slated to launch March 15 on a mission to deliver a 17.5-ton 

truss segment and new solar wings to the orbiting outpost. But a violent hailstorm Feb. 26 

damaged its 15-story external tank, which is filled with more than half a million gallons of 

propellant before launch. More than 2,600 divots and gouges were found in thermal 

insulation that covers the metal alloy tank. NASA considered replacing the tank with one 

delivered to Kennedy Space Center last Friday. But managers decided that work was going 

well enough to press ahead with repairs to the damaged tank. The earliest potential launch 

date is June 8. Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis won't launch until June at earliest [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com [2007, April 111.1 

April 13: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-041307. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, technicians and engineers continue the repair work on the hail-damaged STS-1 17 

external fuel tank, ET-124, following a decision this week by Space Shuttle Program 

managers to target a launch date of June 8 using the repaired tank. Preparations are under 

way for the removal of Atlantis' three main engines to inspect for flow liner contamination. 

This work can be accomplished within the time frame of the hail damage recovery effort, 

with no impact to the launch schedule for STS-1 17. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (0 V-lOS); Location: 

Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for August 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell and Anderson; 

Inclination/ Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. All three orbiter main engines 

were removed from Endeavour this week to allow for flow liner contaminant inspections. 

The orbiter boom sensor system was removed for mechanical repairs on the boom 

pedestals. The boom is scheduled to be reinstalled next week. The forward external airlock 

hatch functional test was successfully completed, and closeout of the payload bay 

compartments is under way. ET-1 17, the external fuel tank to be used for STS-1 18, arrived 

at KSC April 6 and will be moved next week to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will 

be placed in a checkout cell in high bay No. 2 for processing. Mission: STS-122 - 24th 

International Space Station Flight (1 E) - Columbus Laboratory; Vehicle: Discovery (OV103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Fall 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Waiheim, Love, Melvin, Schiegel and Eyharts; 

55
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Processing of Discovery, which 

returned from the STS-1 16 mission on Dec. 22, continues in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 

3. Mechanical and electrical mates and leak checks of fuel cell No. 2 are done. Coolant 

servicing for fuel cell No. 2 is complete. Water spray boiler system servicing and checkout 

continues. Wire tray closeouts in the midbody are ongoing and cargo bay closeouts are under 

way. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedv/shuttleoperations/status/

2007 /index.htrnl [2007, April 13.] 

April 14: NASA Paid $26.6M to Columbia Families 

NASA paid $26.6 million to the families of seven astronauts who died aboard space shuttle 

Columbia - a settlement that has been kept secret for more than 2 1/2 years. The space 

agency recruited former FBI Director William Webster, also a former federal judge, to act as 

a mediator and adviser in negotiating the out-of-court settlements, according to documents 

released to the Orlando Sentinel through a federal Freedom of Information Act request. 

"The Columbia astronauts were our friends and co-workers," said NASA spokesman illard 

Beutel. "Our concern always has been with the crew's families and their loss, and as a result 

NASA didn't announce details of the settlement in an effort to protect the personal privacy 

of the Columbia families." ["NASA Paid $26.6M to Columbia Families," Orlando 

Sentinel, April 15, 2007, p Al & A8.] 

April 15: NASA updates Shuttle target launch dates 

During a meeting Monday at NASA's Johnson Space Center, agency officials revised the 

target launch dates for space shuttle flights during the next 12 months. The space shuttle and 

International Space Station programs agreed to the changes during a meeting to evaluate 

options following the STS-1 17 mission's delay, which was caused by hail damage to the 

external fuel tank. Flights beyond April 2008 have not been assessed. Both shuttle and 

station program officials will continue to consider options for the remainder of the shuttle 

flights and those target launch dates are subject to change. Upcoming shuttle missions: 

-STS-117 targeted for no earlier than June 8, 2007, on Atlantis 

-STS-118 targeted for no earlier than Aug. 9, 2007, on Endeavour -STS-120 targeted for no 

earlier than Oct. 20, 2007, on Discovery instead of Atlantis 

-STS-122 targeted for no earlier than Dec. 6, 2007, on Atlantis instead of Discovery 

-STS-123 targeted for no earlier than Feb. 14, 2008, on Endeavour 

.-STS-124 targeted for no earlier than April 24, 2008, on Discovery instead of Atlantis 

The shuttles for STS-120, 122 and 124 were exchanged to best meet the demands of the 

missions and to have the least amount of impact on the flight schedule. ["NASA updates 

Shuttle target launch dates," NASA News Release #07-89, April 15, 2007.] 

April 16: Space odyssey: Astronaut runs her Boston Marathon 

NASA astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams completed her version of the Boston Marathon on 

Monday -- more than 210 miles above Earth. "I'm done! Woo hoo!" Williams told Mission 

Control after running 26.2 miles on a treadmill at the international space station. Already 

traveling at 17,500 mph, Williams started the race on time at 10 a.m. ET with race No. 

14,000 taped to the front of the treadmill as the space station passed over the Pacific Ocean. 

She finished, unofficially, 4 hours, 23 minutes and 46 seconds later as the station traveled 

over Russia. Web posted. (2007). [Space odyssey: Astronaut runs her Boston Marathon 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com [2007, April 17.] 

56
April17: No booms are heard, so tests please KSC 

A Cold War-era jet blasted through the sky over the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, 

gathering test data about what kind of noise nuisance frequent space tourism flights from 

here may cause nearby residents. The anecdotal results: the sonic booms created by tests of 

the F-104 fighter jet while out over the Atlantic Ocean could not be heard back on shore at 

the space center. Data from sensors along the coast was not ready immediately, but KSC's 

Jim Ball was all smiles with the audible results. "1 didn't hear a thing here at KSC, which is 

good news,?? said Ball, the manager spearheading NASA's efforts to fmd alternate uses for 

the unique Shuttle Landing Facility and nearby supporting facilities. NASA, KSC and 

Florida officials hope that, perhaps before the end of this decade, private spacecraft are able 

to launch tourist flights into space from the three-mile-long runway where orbiters have 

landed for decades. Part of the process necessary to make such flights possible is 

determining the potential impact on nearby buildings, businesses and residents. One of the 

possible impacts: the startling and ground-shaking sonic booms that such craft might make 

as they zoom out of KSC to the north and east. The thundering noise can shake buildings, 

even rattling pictures off walls, under certain conditions. Computer models could replicate 

the potential impact from sonic booms at a certain location, and a certain altitude, over the 

ocean. But NASA took advantage of a chance to partner with a private company that owns 

an aircraft capable of producing real sonic booms along the flight path. The F-104, a former 

military jet now owned by Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, zoomed out of IKSC on a path 

north and then east over the Atlantic. The jet is capable of simulating the path a 

horizontally-launched space ffight might take out of KSC, as well as the speeds that would 

create the sonic booms at a similar location and altitude. The data gathered is just one piece 

of several layers of data that NASA or private space companies would need to obtain the 

appropriate licenses or approvals for tourist flights. FAA officials were on hand for 

Tuesday's tests. NASA made a deal with Starfighters to share the data from the flights in 

exchange for use of the shuttle runway and support facilities on Tuesday and for some 

future test flights. In some cases, if Starfighters is using the shuttle facilities to gather data for 

itself the company will reimburse some of NASA's costs. The experiment in question is 

being run by Florida Institute of Technology researcher Sam Durrance, a former astronaut 

who has for years been closely involved in space-related economic development in the state. 

Ball and other officials are not discussing specific targets for when commercial space flights 

might launch off the shuttle runway, citing a long list of unresolved issues and factors that 

will affect a timeline. The test work now happening is laying the groundwork, however, 

according to KSC Director Bill Parsons, who observed Tuesday's flights as well. Web 

posted. (2007). [No booms are heard, so tests please KSC [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com [2007, April 18].] 

Japanese lab segment welcomed to KSC 

Kennedy Space Center this morning officially welcomed one of the parts of a Japanese 

science complex soon to be launched and attached to the International Space Station. The 

Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section of the Japanese Experiment Module 

arrived at KSC about one month ago to begin getting ready for launch. A ceremonial 

welcoming event (seen in the image at left) has just begun, around 9 a.m., at the KSC Space 

Station Processing Facility, where the component is awaiting its flight to the station. Japan's 

entire laboratory complex will be flown to the station, aboard space shuttles, on three 

different flights. The science facility is known as Kibo, which means Hope in Japanese. The 

57
pressurized section welcomed to the launch site in the ceremony today is the storage area for 

materials, tools and supplies. As many as eight racks loaded with science experiments can be 

stored inside. The section being welcomed to KSC this morning attaches to another larger 

pressurized module once it arrives in orbit. The launch of the pressurized section is 

currently targeted for February of next year. Web posted. (2007). Japanese lab segment 

welcomed to KSC [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ the flame 

trench blog [2007, April 18].] 

Lobbying for Space Congress 

A group of local aerospace engineers is striving to revive the old Space Congress and plans 

to host a symposium later this month at Florida Solar Energy Center. Once considered the 

world's premier aerospace conference, the space congress debuted in 1962 and was staged 

annually by the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies. Held each April, it consistently 

drew the most influential people in the aerospace industry. Then in 2005, the congress was 

combined with the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Symposium another notable community 

conference. But in 2006, the joint event was moved to Orlando and subsequently canceled. 

That decision left the Space Coast without an annual space conference. Now, volunteers 

from the local council of technical societies plan a three-day Space Visions Congress that will 

open April 26. ["Lobbying for Space Congress," Florida Today, April 18, 2007, p 3B.] 

April 18: Always wanted to know what flying in the space shuttle feels 

like? 

Kennedy Space Center is introducing a new ride that promises to let hundreds of visitors a 

day experience the exhilaration of a space shuttle launch, all in the name of education. The 

$65 million Shuttle Launch Experience sounds a lot like a highly popular thrill ride at a 

certain internationally famous theme park within driving distance of Cape Canaveral. But 

Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex said its new attraction is designed to inform even 

as it entertains. "This is the largest single development in the history of the visitor 

complex," said Daniel LeBlanc, the visitor complex's chief operations officer. "It takes our 

storytelling to a whole new level." The new ride will debut officially on Memorial Day 

weekend, with a soft opening earlier in May. It can accommodate as many as 1,400 people an 

hour, though LeBlanc said the complex isn't expecting that large a volume. Nevertheless, 

the ride is a giant leap for the 40-year-old visitor complex, which until now has offered 

guests passive attractions such as the IMAX movie theater and the Saturn V rocket exhibit. 

"We have a lot of artifacts and history here, but the modern visitor wants more than a static 

display," LeBlanc said. "We wanted to do something motion-based with our storytelling 

here. Visitors really want to learn more about the shuttle program, and they also want to 

experience a launch." The ride is housed in a 44,000-square-foot building, which visitors 

enter through a gantry walkway. Once inside the building, they are seated in any of four 

simulator cabins, each holding as many as 44 people. The cabin faces a large projection and 

plasma television screen held on robotic arms. The ride simulates a launch, replete with 

vibrations and jolts. Once in space, riders get a view of the Earth when a likeness of payloadbay doors opens. Unlike Walt Disney World's Mission: Space ride, the visitor center's 

equipment doesn't spin and won't increase G-force pressure on its occupants. Though the 

space shuttle program will end in several years, LeBlanc said the ride should have much 

greater longevity. "Getting kids excited about the space program is really a key here," 

LeBlanc said. "In fact, it is really the reason for building the Shuttle Launch Experience." 

Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando, said it makes sense 

58
to install a ride in what has been a tribute to the history of the space program, and he said it 

would only enhance the educational mission of the Cape Canaveral complex. "People go to 

the Cape to get an education along with being entertained," Aldrich said. "Museums are 

putting in rides not only to educate but to entertain. After all, it is getting harder and harder 

to get people's attention." Web posted. (2007). [Always wanted to know what flying in the 

space shuttle feels like? Now you can [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com [2007, April 18].] 

Bruce Willis to rock KSC 

Bruce Willis and his band will be rocking the rocket garden at Kennedy Space Center Visitor 

Complex at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2. Tickets will be available to the public at a date to be 

announced later, according to Andrea Farmer, spokeswoman for the Visitor Complex. 

About 5,000 people are expected to attend the show. The blues performance is part of the 

Netflix LIVE! On Location series of concerts and will be followed by an outdoor screening 

of Willis' flick "Armageddon," which features a space mission to save Earth from an 

asteroid. Web posted. (2007). [Bruce Willis to rock KSC [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoda y .com [2007, April 18].] 

April 20: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-042007. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, technicians and engineers continue repairing foam on the hail-damaged STS-117 

external fuel tank, ET-124. The poured foam repairs are nearly complete, and technicians are 

trimming and sanding repair sites. Spray foam repairs are scheduled to begin next week. Due 

to the amount of tank repair work remaining, the rollout of Atlantis to the launch pad is now 

scheduled for May 12. This six-day change should not affect the June 8 target launch date. 

Preparations are complete for the removal of Atlantis' three main engines to inspect for flow 

liner contamination. Engine removal is scheduled to begin next week. This work can be 

accomplished within the time frame of the tank repair. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd 

International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and 

Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Two of the three 

orbiter main engines have been inspected and reinstalled. All three engines were removed 

last week to allow for flow liner contaminant inspections. No RepliSet contamination was 

found in any of the flow liners. The orbiter boom sensor system, which was removed for 

mechanical repairs on the boom pedestals, was reinstalled this week. The system and the 

shuttle arm will be deployed today, and technicians will begin installing the sensor packs in 

the boom. The nose landing gear wheel/tire assembly was installed this week, and the 

steering and brake tests are complete. ET-1 17, the external fuel tank to be used for STS118, is scheduled to be transported from the barge in the turn basin to the Vehicle Assembly 

Building on April 30. The tank will then be lifted into a checkout cell in high bay No. 2 West 

for processing. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (1 OA) - U.S. 

Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch 

Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, 

59
Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, water spray boiler system servicing and 

checkout continues. Wire tray closeouts in the rnidbody are ongoing and cargo bay closeouts 

are under way. The forward reaction control system will be delivered to the facility's bay No. 

3 today and installed next week. Functional testing on all three fuel cells is complete. 

Inspections of the main propulsion system flow liners are fmished. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww'w.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy /_shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

April 20.]

First man on moon returns to Brevard 

The first man to walk on the moon returned to Cocoa Beach on Thursday, inconspicuously 

blending into a group of the nation's foremost aerospace experts. One of only two or three 

U.S. astronauts who are household names, Neil Armstrong was among two dozen people 

meeting to advise NASA on agency aeronautics, science and space exploration programs. 

Armstrong, 76, who commanded the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission in July 1969, now 

serves as chairman of the aeronautics committee of the NASA Advisory Council. Sitting at a 

long rectangular grouping of tables in a hotel ballroom, he and fellow committee members 

briefed council colleagues on an encounter Wednesday with an examiner from the White 

House Office of Management and Budget. "The aeronautics budget is hit about as hard as 

any, I think," Armstrong said. The examiner, J.D. Kundu, was scrutinizing all of NASA's 

aeronautics programs for their relevance within President Bush's overall budget, the quality 

of the projects and the agency's performance on them. The message, according to 

Armstrong: "Aeronautics is important, but we have other things that are very, very 

important." Web posted. (2007). [First man on moon returns to Brevard [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www. floridatodav.com [2007, April 20].] 

April 23: NASA stretches out Orion development by two years 

NASA has added $385 million to Lockheed Martin's development contract for the Orion 

Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), delaying the company's original targeted delivery date for 

the vehicle by two years to synchronize its arrival with other Constellation program 

hardware. The contract modification brings the value of the development portion of the 

contract, known as Schedule A, from $3.9 billion up to $4.3 billion, and extends it through 

2013. The modification also adds two tests of Orion's launch abort system, while dropping 

production of a pressurized cargo carrier for the International Space Station from the design 

phase. The modification was planned in advance and is not the result of program cost 

growth or the fiscal 2007 continuing resolution that slashed NASA's budget and caused the 

Orion's expected operational debut to slip to 2015, according to agency officials. Before 

Lockheed Martin won the Orion prime contract last year, "we asked the contractors to come 

in with the most aggressive date they could deliver an Orion vehicle," said Scott Horowitz, 

associate administrator for exploration systems. Lockheed's target was August 2011, but later 

budget actions dictated that other Constellation hardware - including the Ares I rocket that 

boosts the Orion to orbit - would not be ready at the same time. NASA had always planned 

on "resyncing" the contract, Horowitz said during a teleconference April 20. Lockheed 

Martin's new delivery date for the CEV is 2013. The extra abort tests, set to take place in 

2008, were not deemed necessary by Lockheed Martin in its original proposal, but NASA 

has chosen to insert them, said Skip Hatfield, NASA's Orion project manager. There will be 

a pad abort and high-altitude abort test in 2008, then another pad and high-altitude test in
2009. Delivery of the Orion still must take place well in advance of planned launch dates to 

take into account the development problems that are likely to crop up, Horowitz said. "Ill 

write the contract to deliver the vehicle at the very last minute, there is no schedule or 

reserve for anybody to use when the inevitable happens," Horowitz said. "So the internal 

dates ... must be more aggressive than the guaranteed date that we promise." NASA now 

expects the Orion's operational debut with astronauts to take place in early 2015. The Orion 

will make an unmanned orbital test ffight about six months prior to that flight, according to 

Hatfield. The Orion contract is divided into three sections, known as Schedule A, B and C. 

Schedule A is the development portion of the contract, B is production and C is 

sustainment. The $385 million and two years added to Schedule A will be mostly offset by 

corresponding reductions in Schedules B and C, which should leave the overall prime 

contract value steady at about $8 billion, Hatfield said.' E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation 

Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "NASA studying Titan IIV phaseout as it 

plans shuttle retirement," [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 16, [April 23, 2007.].] 

April 24: NASA finishes flag facelift at KSC 

A crew working at dizzying heights is putting the finishing touches on the giant American 

flag on the south side of the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building, where 

shuttle Atlantis is being readied for a June 8 launch. The red-white-and-blue makeover is 

part of a larger effort to repair more than $100 million in damage done during hurricanes 

Charley, Frances and Jeanne, which swept through the nation's prime launch operations 

center area during a difficult nine-week period in August and September 2004. Working on 

scaffolding secured high above the ground, painters also freshened up the NASA logo on 

the same side of the 52-story building. The flag is 209 feet long and 110 feet wide, or about 

the size of a 60-plane hangar bay on an aircraft carrier. The blue field on the flag is the size 

of a regulation basketball court, and its 50 stars each are six feet wide. Each of the 13 stripes 

are the size of a standard interstate highway lane -- wide enough to accommodate 18-

wheelers or the tour buses that haul visitors around the spaceport. The NASA logo 

measures about 132 feet by 110 feet and covers 12,300 square feet. The flag and a U.S. 

bicentennial logo were painted on the side of the building in 1976 in celebration of the 200th 

anniversary of the United States of America. The job required 6,000 gallons of paint. In 

1998, the flag was repainted and the bicentennial symbol was replaced with the NASA logo 

during a celebration of the agency's 40th anniversary. The Vehicle Assembly Building was 

erected in the early 1960s for the assembly of the U.S. Saturn 5 rockets that carried 

American astronauts and their cargoes to the moon. It now serves as the assembly building 

for U.S. space shuttles and will be used to erect new moon rockets when the U.S. sends 

astronauts back to the lunar surface around 2018. Web posted. (2007). [NASA finishes flag 

facelift at KSC [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com [2007, April 24].] 

NASA's AIM satellite to launch April 25 aboard Pegasus 

Orbital Sciences Corp. and NASA are in the fmal stages of preparation for launching the 

agency's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite aboard an Orbital-built Pegasus 

rocket during a seven-minute launch window opening at 1:23 p.m. Pacific time April 25. 

Orbital also built the AIM spacecraft, which is slated to spend two years studying polar 

mesospheric clouds. The spacecraft program is being overseen by Hampton University of 

Hampton, Va., assisted by the University of Colorado and Virginia Tech University. The 

AIM mission is part of NASA's ongoing series of Small Explorer missions that use small 

satellites for Earth or space science missions. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's 

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Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: CNASAIS AIM satellite to launch April 25 aboard 

Pegasus," [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 18, [April 25, 2007.].] 

April 25: NASA's AIM spacecraft launched aboard Pegasus 

NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft has begun its two-year 

mission to study high-altitude ice clouds following its successful launch aboard a Pegasus XL 

rocket April 25. Orbital Sciences Corp. built both the spacecraft and the Pegasus launch 

vehicle, which was released from its Stargazer L-101 1 carrier aircraft about 100 miles 

offshore vest-southwest of Point Sur, Calif., at 1:26 p.m. Pacific time. About 10 minutes 

later the 440-pound spacecraft separated from its launcher and was delivered into orbit 

approximately 375 miles above the Earth, inclined at 97.77 degrees to the equator. Mission 

controllers will spend the next several days checking out the spacecraft and ensuring all 

systems are working. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "NASA's AIM spacecraft launched aboard Pegasus," [Electronic]. Vol. 

222, No. 20, [April 27, 2007.].] 

April 26: NASA to rotate station astronauts on next shuttle mission 

After several months working aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Sum 

Williams will come back to Earth aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, targeted for launch June 

8. That shuttle mission, STS-1 17, will carry her successor, astronaut Clay Anderson, to the 

station to begin his duty as an Expedition 15 flight engineer. The exchange of Anderson and 

Williams was originally planned for the STS-1 18 mission, now targeted for launch in August. 

However, that ffight, first set to fly in June, had to be postponed after an unexpected hail 

storm damaged Atlantis' external fuel tank and delayed STS-1 17. NASA managers approved 

the crew rotation Thursday morning after a more detailed review determined there would be 

no impact on space station operations or future shuttle mission objectives. Since an earlier 

crew rotation was possible, NASA managers decided it would be prudent to return Williams 

and deliver Anderson sooner rather than later. With the new plan, Williams' mission on the 

station will be approximately the same length as originally anticipated. Williams, a 

Massachusetts native, launched to the station Dec. 9, 2006, aboard the space shuttle 

Discovery as part of the STS-1 16 mission. During her stay, she set a record for spacewaiks 

by a female astronaut by conducting four excursions for a total of 29 hours and 17 minutes. 

Upon Williams' return, she will have accumulated more time in space than any other woman. 

["NASA to rotate station astronauts on next shuttle mission," NASA News Release #07-

93, April 26, 2007.]

SpaceX gets OK to launch at Cape 

A startup firm founded by Internet mogul Elon Musk has won long-awaited approval from 

the U.S. Air Force to launch its Falcon rockets from Cape Canaveral. SpaceX, of El 

Segundo, Calif., says it aims to launch science, military and commercial spacecraft for as little 

as half the cost of competing space vehicles, such as The Boeing Co.'s Delta and Lockheed 

Martin Corp.'s Atlas rockets. So far, SpaceX has test flown its Falcon I rocket twice from an 

island in the Pacific Ocean. The first one blew up on liftoff and the second one failed to 

deliver its payload to the target orbit. But the development effort appears on track to result 

in a viable space launcher. In terms of size, the Falcon I is comparable in class to the Delta 

2 rocket that has launched military satellites and space probes from the Cape for decades. 

SpaceX has plans to offer medium- and heavy-lift versions of its Falcon rocket in the future. 

The Pad 40 facility was appealing to the company because of its capability to support all 

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three sizes of Falcon rockets. For now, Delta and Atlas launchers remain the only two 

rockets currently launching from Cape Canaveral. Both fleets are marketed by United 

Launch Affiance, the Boeing-Lockheed partnership. SpaceX has been vying since its 

founding in 2002 to break the two fleets' hold on the U.S. launch-services market. SpaceX 

got approval Wednesday for a five-year license from Air Force Space Command to operate 

Launch Complex 40, the recently deactivated former home of the retired Titan 4 rocket. 

Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander of Air Force Space Command, said in a written statement 

that the deal was good news for the company, the Air Force and the country. Web posted. 

(2007). [SpaceX gets OK to launch at Cape [Online]. Available W\X/W: 

http://www.floridatoday.com [2007, April 26].] 

April 27: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-042707. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians and engineers continue repairing foam on the haildamaged STS-1 17 external fuel tank, ET-124. Spray foam repairs are scheduled to begin 

Monday. Workers have begun disassembling the special scaffolding built for the foam repair 

work, to allow for the removal next week of Atlantis' three main engines to inspect for flow 

liner contamination. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - 

S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 

2; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, 

Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, and Caidwell; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. All three main engines have been reinstalled after an inspection of the engine 

flow liners showed no contaminant. Engine leak checks are complete. Technicians are now 

in the process of completing the engine interface connections and installing the engine heat 

shields. Nose landing gear door rigging began this week, and preparations are under way for 

installation of the tunnel adapter, which is located in the midbody between the external 

airlock and a container used to transport experiments and cargo. ET-1 17, the external fuel 

tank to be used for STS-118, is scheduled to be transported from the barge in the turn basin 

to the Vehicle Assembly Building on April 30. The next day, the tank will be lifted into a 

checkout cell in high bay No. 2 for processing. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space 

Station Flight (IOA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, 

technicians have installed the orbiter's remote manipulator system, also known as the shuttle 

arm, or RMS. Checkout and servicing of water spray boiler No. I is complete. The forward 

reaction control system was installed this week. . Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space 

Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available W\X/W: http://www.nasa.gov/

centers/kennedy ! shuttleoperations/status/2007/index.html [2007, April 27.] 

Physicist Hawking experiences zero gravity 

Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking floated free in zero gravity Thursday, becoming the first 

person with a disability to have the experience. The zero-gravity flight in a modified jet 

creates the experience of microgravity during 25-second plunges -- called parabolas -- over 

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the Atlantic Ocean. "It was amazing," Hawking, paralyzed by a progressive neurological 

disorder, said aftenvard through an electronic device. "The zero-G part was wonderful and 

the full-G part was no problem. I could have gone on and on. "Space, here I come." 

Hawking, a mathematics professor at the University of Cambridge who has done groundbreaking work on black holes and the origins of the universe, has amyotrophic lateral 

sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He cannot speak or move. He is one of the 

best-known theoretical physicists of his generation and also wrote the book "A Brief History 

of Time." A doctor and three nurses monitored Hawking throughout the Zero Gravity 

Corp. flight. The scientist floated in the air, free of his wheelchair and electronic 

communication gear for the first time in 40 years. Web posted. (2007). [Physicist Hawking 

experiences zero gravity [Online]. Available W'/W: http://wwrw.floridatodav.com [2007, 

April 27].] 

April 29: NASA to test new system at WSMR 

Old-timers at White Sands Missile Range area vffl see a familiar sight in the upcoming years 

when NASA begins testing of the emergency abort system for the new Orion space vehicle 

planned to replace the aging space shuttle. The abort system for the new vehicle will allow 

astronauts to escape from a malfunctioning rocket by activating smaller rocket engines 

mounted on top of the command module, the part of the spacecraft where the astronauts 

ride and control the rocket. When a hazardous situation is detected aboard the rocket, the 

escape system will be activated, starting the escape rockets and pulling the command module 

free and flying it to safety. The way this system operates is based on the systems used in 

early spaceflight during programs like Mercury and Apollo, whose systems were also tested 

on the missile range. The advantage of the new system is that it will have the ability to detach 

the command module and fly it to safety even after the rocket has already launched. The 

system works by firing small rockets on a tower mounted to the command module. The 

rockets fly the module off the main rocket and away from the launch pad, using a 

combination of maneuvering rockets and small fold out wings, called canards, to steer itself 

and get into position to detach the command module. Once the module is detached, it will 

fall clear of the escape tower and deploy parachutes to slow it descent, ultimately firing a set 

of small retro rockets to slow the module even more moments before it hits the ground. 

While the escape tower is technology that NASA has used on previous space vehicles, the 

metro rockets are a new system originally developed by the Army that NASA hasn't used 

before. Testing of the abort system is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008 and continue 

until 2012 if the program stays on schedule. The first tests will be with just a mock-up 

command module designed to have the same dimensions and weight, but no rockets except 

those on the escape system will be used. Web posted. (2007). [NASA to test new system at 

WSMR [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.a1arnogordonews.com/ [2007, April 291.1 

Beachside beacon is back 

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, the landmark tower that has served as a beacon to mariners for 

more than 150 years, came to life - and light - once again Sunday night after more than a 

year of darkness. "We're surprised at how bright it is," said George Diller, treasurer for the 

lighthouse foundation. Diller said the mote than $1 million restoration project was probably 

one fo the most significant lighthouse restoration works since the early days of the U.S. 

Lighthouse Services. The lighthouse on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is the only 

lighthouse in the country operated by the Air Force, which owns the structure and land. 

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The Coast Guard is responsible for the operation of the light. ["Beachside beacon is back," 

Florida Today, April 30, 2007, p 1A & 5A.] 

April 30: Observance of National Day of Prayer 2007 at Kennedy Space 

Center 

A Kennedy Space Center observance of the National Day of Prayer will be held on May 3, 

2007, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Kennedy Space Center Training Auditorium. E-mail 

distribution. (2007). [Parsons, W.W. Re: "Observance of the National Day of Prayer 2007 at 

Kennedy Space Center" [Electronic]. [April 30, 2007.] 

During April: Crews at Kennedy Space Center 

Crews at Kennedy Space Center will pull all three engines on the space shuttle Atlantis to 

ensure a putty-like silicone used to gauge changes in fuel-pipe liners hasn't contaminated the 

propulsion system. Post-flight inspections of engines flying in the No. 3 position on the 

shuttle Discovery found traces of the "RepliSet" material in the preburners. It apparently 

had been left behind, upstream of the engine, when crews used the material to make beforeand-after molds to see if there were changes in the fuel flow liners during ffight. That raised 

concerns about foreign object damage to an engine, and led the shuttle program's weekly 

top-level Program Requirements Control Board to order the inspection on Atlantis and 

Endeavour. The flow liner issue caused a stand-down in shuttle operations in 2002, and 

RepliSet impressions were ordered during the recovery from the unrelated Columbia 

accident the following year. ["Americas - Crews at Kennedy Space Center," Aviation 

Week & Space Technology, April 9, 2007, p 16.] 

65
MAY 

May 1: CRS report questions NASA numbers, shuttle schedule 

It is difficult to assess NASA's true spending plan because of changes in the agency's 

fmancial formula in the years it uses for comparison, according to a recent report by the 

Congressional Research Service (CRS). The CRS's March brief also calls into question the 

space shuttle launching plan in relation to the planned schedule for the International Space 

Station (ISS). For fiscal year 2008, the Bush administration has requested $17.3 billion for 

NASA, an increase of 6.5 percent from the fiscal 2007 appropriation of $16.2 billion. But 

getting hard-and-fast comparisons is no easy task, the CRS reported. Addressing the shuttle 

plans in relation to the new proposed spacecraft, Orion, the report said, "The gap between 

the end of shuttle flights in 2010 and the planned availability of Orion in 2014 raises several 

issues. Some analysts are concerned that placing a fixed termination date on the shuttle may 

create schedule pressure similar to that identified as a contributing factor in the Columbia 

disaster. Some question whether the United States should be dependent on Russia to launch 

U.S. astronauts to the ISS during the gap period. A major concern is how NASA will retain 

its skilled work force during the transition from shuttle to Orion, especially if Orion's 

schedule slips and the gap lengthens." E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's 

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "CRS report questions NASA numbers, shuttle 

schedule," [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 22, [May 1, 2007.].] 

Nelson Calls for 2nd NASA Official to Resign 

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said in a letter on Tuesday there is "dysfunctional" oversight of NASA 

as evidenced by the discovery that the space agency's top lawyer personally destroyed 

internal records. As a result, Nelson said, NASA's general counsel, IVIike Wholley, should 

resign immediately. Previously, Nelson and other lawmakers called on President George W. 

Bush to remove the agency's inspector general, Robert Cobb, who serves as independent 

watchdog over NASA. In an interview last Friday, Wholley admitted to destroying 

recordings of a recent meeting between Griffm, Cobb and Cobb's staff in part because he 

didn't want them to become public under the federal government's Freedom of Information 

Act, according to Nelson's letter to Griffm. In addition to now calling for Wholley's 

resignation, Nelson renewed the call for Cobb's removal. Among other things, Cobb 

allegedly failed to report the loss of an estimated $1.9 billion worth of rocket engine designs. 

A report by the Integrity Committee of the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, 

which oversees the inspectors general at federal agencies, found Cobb "engaged in abuse of 

authority" and created an appearance that he lacked independence over the agency he was 

supposed to oversee through audits and investigations. According to Nelson's letter, 

Wholley largely ignored the Integrity Committee's report in recommending to Griffm that 

corrective action for Cobb include management training. Under the Inspector General Act 

of 1978, the president appoints independent officials to monitor every Cabinet department 

and the larger federal agencies, including NASA. Web posted. (2007). [Nelson calls for 2nd 

NASA official to resign [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.loca16.com/ [2007, May 

1].]

NASA rethinking death in mission to Mars 

How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and 

back? When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious 

oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed
out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight? With NASA planning to land on 

Mars 30 years from now, and with the recent discovery of the most "Earth-like' planet ever 

seen outside the solar system, the space agency has begun to ponder some of the thorny 

practical and ethical questions posed by deep space exploration. Some of these who-getsthrown-from-the-lifeboat questions are outlined in a NASA document on crew health 

obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. NASA 

doctors and scientists, with help from outside bioethicists and medical experts, hope to 

answer many of these questions over the next several years. "As you can imagine, it's a thing 

that people aren't really comfortable talking about," said Dr. Richard Williams, NASA's chief 

health and medical officer. "We're trying to develop the ethical framework to equip 

commanders and mission managers to make some of those difficult decisions should they 

arrive in the future." One topic that is evidently too hot to handle: How do you cope with 

sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long? Sex is not 

mentioned in the document and has long been almost a taboo topic at NASA. Wiffiams said 

the question of sex in space is not a matter of crew health but a behavioral issue that will 

have to be taken up by others at NASA. The agency will have to address the matter sooner 

or later, said Paul Root Wolpe, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania who has 

advised NASA since 2001. "There is a decision that is going to have to be made about 

mixed-sex crews, and there is going to be a lot of debate about it," he said. The document 

does spell out some health policies in detail, such as how much radiation astronauts can be 

exposed to from space travel (No more radiation than the amount that would increase the 

risk of cancer by 3 percent over the astronaut's career) and the number of hours crew 

members should work each week (No more than 48 hours). But on other topics -- such as 

steps for disposing of the dead and cutting off an astronaut's medical care if he or she 

cannot survive -- the document merely says these are issues for which NASA needs a policy. 

Web posted. (2007). [NASA rethinking death in mission to Mars [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, May 1].] 

May 2: Shuttle launch date may slip again 

A scheduled June 8 launch of space shuttle Atlantis on a mission to the International Space 

Station appears increasingly fragile as the vehicle's rollout to Launch Complex 39A has 

slipped a week to about May 12. NASA and United Space Alliance managers had hoped that 

an Atlantis main engine changeout and repair of hail damage to its external tank would allow 

rollout by about May 6. But they have added an extra week for work that remains to be done 

in the Kennedy Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). A June 8 launch is still possible, but there 

is virtually no margin left to make that date if other delays occur. The rollout has been 

delayed to allow more time to complete tank insulation patching using spray techniques 

never before done in the VAB. The engine changeout timing is also affected by the tank 

repair because some scaffolding needed for that job hampers access to the engines. The 

shuttle's engines are being changed due to fears of possible contamination from earlier 

processing. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense 

Report Re: "Shuttle launch date may slip again" [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 23, [May 2, 

2007.].]

External tank repairs enter second phase 

NASA set out Tuesday on a second phase of repairs to shuttle Atlantis' hail-battered external 

tank, work that will determine whether the agency can resume International Space Station 

construction as planned in early June. Normally done with robotics in the factory, the 

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unprecedented work requires technicians to spray an aerodynamically smooth layer of 

thermal insulation on the curved portion near the top of the bullet-shaped tank. Engineers 

built mock-ups and developed step-by-step procedures to prepare for the high-precision 

repairs, and technicians practiced manual sprays. NASA has never flown a tank repaired with 

this technique. "Thr' a lot of confidence that everything is going to go smoothly," said 

June Malone, a spokeswoman for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. 

The work is critical to NASA's plans to launch Atlantis and seven astronauts around June 8 

on a mission to deliver a new 17.5-ton truss segment to the international outpost. The 

launch had been scheduled for March 15 but was postponed when the shuttle's IS-story tank 

sustained serious damage during a Feb. 26 hailstorm. Technicians already have fixed more 

than 2,100 of some 2,600 dents, divots and gouges in foam insulation covering the central 

and lower portions of the tank. NASA also is inspecting the orbiter's main propulsion 

system propellant lines in an effort to spot any contamination that could trigger an engine 

failure in flight. Web posted. (2007). [External tank repairs enter second phase [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, May 2].] 

Japan Prepares Space Station's Largest Laboratory for Flight 

Pieces of the largest laboratory to launch towards the International Space Station (ISS) are 

coming together and Japan couldn't be happier. More than two-thirds of the Japan 

Aerospace Exploration Agency's OAXA) Kibo laboratory awaits NASA shuttle rides to the 

space station early next year at the U.S. agency's Cape Canaveral, Florida spaceport. 

Altogether, engineers are poring over tivo JAXA pressurized modules and a pair of robotic 

arms as they await next year's delivery of external experiment platform to complete Kibo, 

also known as the station's Japanese Experiment Module GEM). "JEM is the first Japanese 

human [spaceflight] facility," said Kichiro Imagawa, JAXA's JEM development project 

manager. "I think it's very important for Japan to develop them and launch them 

successfully." JAXA has spent about $3 billion developing Kibo, whose name means 

'Hope,' Imagava said. The laboratory's total cost, however, is about twice that when 

including the module's planned orbital operations and ground mission control center in the 

Space Station Operations Facility at Tsukuba Space Center, which sits just north of Tokyo in 

Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, he added. The first piece of JAXA's laboratory was slated to 

launch towards the ISS in December of this year, though NASA pushed the flight to 

February 2007 following delays with its next shuttle mission, STS-1 17 aboard Atlantis. "We 

at JAXA have been waiting for JEM's launch for more than 10 years, so two more months 

of delay is not a big problem," Imagawa said. Web posted. (2007). Japan Prepares Space 

Station's Largest Laboratory for Flight [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.usatoday.com/ [2007, May 2].] 

Train carrying shuttle rockets derails 

A train carrying reusable solid rocket booster segments for the space shuttle derailed in 

western Alabama Wednesday, leaving at least two people injured, a NASA spokeswoman 

said. The train was on its way to Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Utah, where the 

rocket booster segments are manufactured, when the accident happened around 10 am. ET 

near Pennington, Alabama, about 100 miles west of Montgomery, spokeswoman Katherine 

Trinidad said. One of the injured was an employee of ATK, the company that makes the 

segments, and the other was a railroad employee, she said. The two were airlifted to Mobile, 

Alabama, said George Torres, a spokesman for ATK. The fuel inside the segments is 

animonium perchlorate, which has the consistency of a rubber eraser. Because it is a solid, 

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nothing has spilled out of the railcars, Trinidad said. The train, which had 16 cars, went off 

the tracks in a forested area after a bridge collapsed, she said. Not all of the cars carrying the 

eight segments derailed. No residents or nearby communities are at risk, and the iuel cannot 

explode unless it is deliberately detonated, Trinidad said by telephone from Washington. 

However, once the fuel is ignited, it cannot be extinguished. NASA considers the situation 

stable, she said. This is the second time this train has derailed on its journey from Utah, 

Trinidad said. On Friday, a few wheels went off the track in Kansas, but no cars turned 

over, she said. The segments will be sent back to Utah for inspection by the manufacturer. 

They had been intended for use in the October 20 launch of the space shuttle Discovery, 

NASA officials said. The derailment is not expected to affect that launch, the officials said, 

because NASA has an ample supply of other segments available. Web posted. (2007). 

rain carrying shuttle rockets derails [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/

[2007, May 2].]

NASA Supports Train-Derailment Recovety in Alabama 

Officials from NASA and ATK Launch Systems, Edina, Minn., are assisting the Federal 

Railroad Administration during its investigation of a train derailment Wednesday morning 

near Pennington, Ala. The train was carrying space shuttle reusable solid rocket motor 

segments from the ATK Launch Systems manufacturing site in Brigham City, Utah, to 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. "Several members of the NASA family were injured in 

this serious accident. Today our prayers are for those who have been injured and their 

families. Our employees work in hazardous jobs every day, and it is our goal to keep them 

safe," said NASA's Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale. The special train carrying 

only solid rocket motor segments and a passenger car to monitor their transportation was 

crossing a bridge or a trestle, which collapsed under the locomotives. Six people were injured 

when the two locomotives and the passenger car dropped about 10 feet and turned on their 

sides. One of the cars carrying a solid rocket motor segment is also on its side. The 

remaining cars containing seven solid rocket motor segments and two aft exit cone segments 

are upright. The hardware was intended for use on shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission in 

October and shuttle Atlantis's STS-122 mission in December. These segments are interchangeable, and ATK Launch Systems has replacement units that could be used for the 

shuttle ffights, if necessary. Each segment weighs approximately 300,000 lbs. and is 

protected by a white or yellow colored fiberglass cover during shipment. The condition of 

the rocket motor segments will be assessed as soon as teams conduct a full inspection. Solid 

Rocket Motor segments have been transported across country by rail for more than 26 years 

with an excellent record of safe transportation. ["NASA Supports Train-Derailment 

Recovery in Alabama," NASA News Release #07-97, May 2, 2007.] 

Ride should reel in dollars 

The Shuttle Launch Experience - Brevard County's first major theme park-style attraction - 

is expected to provide a boost to the Space Coast tourism industry. And, to coincide with 

the May 25 debut of the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor 

Complex, area hotels are offering discounted rooms and packages that include tickets to the 

Visitor Complex. "We package with very few hotels," said Dan LeBlanc, chief operating 

officer of the Visitor Complex. "It's not a major distribution network for the tickets, but it's 

important that we sell the tickets through the hotels. We appreciate the hotels that sell our 

tickets." The $60 million Shuttle Launch Experience id designed to give riders a chance to 

feel what the astronaut feel when they lift off in a space shuttle. It will be one of the major
debuts at a U.S. tourist attraction this year. ["Ride should reel in dollars," Florida Today, 

May 3, 2007, p IC & 2C.] 

May 3: Veteran Astronaut Walter Schirra Dies 

Pioneering astronaut Walter "Wally" Schirra, the only man who flew in all three of America's 

first human space projects - Mercury, Gemini and Apollo - died Wednesday night. He was 

84. Schirra's family reported he died of natural causes. Schirra was one of America's original 

seven astronauts, selected in 1959, and was commander of the first crew to fly into space 

aboard an Apollo capsule, Apollo 7, following the tragic launchpad fire that claimed the lives 

of the crew of Apollo 1. "With the passing of Wally Schirra, we at NASA note with sorrow 

the loss of yet another of the pioneers of human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Michael 

Griffm said. "As a Mercury astronaut, Wally was a member of the first group of astronauts 

to be selected, often referred to as the Original Seven." Schirra's first space flight was 

piloting the fifth Mercury mission on Oct. 3, 1962, orbiting Earth six times in 9 hours and 13 

minutes. During the flight he took hundreds of photos of Earth and space phenomena. 

Schirra's capsule, Sigma 7, splashed down only 5 miles from the recovery carrier. As 

commander of Gemini 6-A, which launched on Dec. 15, 1965, Schirra flew with astronaut 

Tom Stafford on a mission that included the first rendezvous of two manned, maneuverable 

spacecraft. Gemini 6-A and Gemini 7 flew in formation for five hours, as close as one foot 

to one another. During his 11-day Apollo 7 flight, which began Oct. 11, 1968, he and fellow 

crewmembers Walt Cunningham and Donn Eisele tested the Apollo systems and proved 

Apollo was ready to take astronauts to the moon. "We shared a common dream to test the 

limits of man's imagination and daring," Schirra wrote of America's early astronauts. "Those 

early pioneering flights of Mercury, the performances of Gemini and the trips to the moon 

established us once and for all as what I like to call a spacefaring nation. Like England, Spain 

and Portugal crossing the seas in search of their nations' greatness, so we reached for the 

skies and ennobled our nation." Schirra retired from the Navy as a captain and from NASA 

in 1969 and became a commentator with CBS News. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the 

space program coupled with his charismatic on-the-air presence made him an even more 

widely known national and international figure. He complemented CBS anchorman Walter 

Cronkite and the two became a powerful space-coverage team. Schirra worked for CBS from 

1969 to 1975. He also engaged in a range of business activities and in 1979 formed his own 

consultant company, Schirra Enterprises. After leaving NASA, he participated in a number 

of television presentations and films, and served as national spokesman for several 

organizations and companies. He also held numerous directorships for a variety of 

businesses, in addition to his consulting work. He also wrote two books, "We Seven" 

published in 1960 and "Schirra's Space" published in 1988. Schirra's military awards 

included the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, three 

Air Medals, two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal 

and the Philippines Legion of Honor. Schirra lived in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. ["Veteran 

Astronaut Walter Schirra Dies," NASA News Release #07-100, May 3, 2007.] 

Ride should reel in dollars 

The Shuttle Launch Experience -- Brevard County's first major theme park-style attraction --

is expected to provide a boost to the Space Coast tourism industry. And, to coincide with 

the May 25 debut of the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor 

Complex, area hotels are offering discounted rooms and packages that include tickets to the 

Visitor Complex. "We package with very few hotels," said Dan LeBlanc, chief operating 

70
officer of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. "It's not a major distribution network 

for the tickets, but it's important that we sell the tickets through the hotels. We appreciate 

the hotels that sell our tickets." The $60 million Shuttle Launch Experience is designed to 

give riders a chance to feel what the astronauts feel when they lift off in a space shuttle. It 

will be one of the major debuts at a U.S. tourist attraction this year. Web posted. (2007). 

[Ride should reel in dollars [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/

[2007, May 3].]

Questionable cuts take toll at NASA 

Already feeling financially pinched NASA's space science programs are being squeezed even 

more as they move down the agency's priority list behind ongoing space flight programs, a 

panel of scientists told a House committee Tuesday. Between $3 billion and $4 billion has 

been siphoned from science programs to help pay for replacement of the shuttle fleet and 

completion of the International Space Station, said Lennard Fisk, a member of the National 

Research Council's Space Studies Board. "There is no way to remove that much money 

from the budget without causing disruptions in ongoing programs and distortion to the 

balance among programs," he told members of the House Science and Technology 

Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. Future science programs, including basic 

research, student training and new mission planning, are being jeopardized because of 

inadequate funding for NASA, he said. "It is being asked to do too much with too little, and 

as a result, all components of the agency, including science, are sub-optimally funded," he 

told the panel. The chairman of the committee, Colorado Democratic Rep. Mark Udall, 

agreed NASA's science programs face "a significant disruption" if the fmancial squeeze 

continues. Web posted. (2007). [Questionable cuts take toll at NASA [Online]. Available 

W'X/W: http: / /www. floridatodav.com / [2007, May 3].] 

Weldon: Dems will wreck NASA budget 

U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL) today excoriated the Democratic leadership for failing 

to allow a vote on an amendment he proposed that would have kept Congress from raiding 

NASA's budget to fund a 35% increase for the National Science Foundation (NSF). "It's 

increasingly clear that Democratic leaders have our manned space program in their 

crosshairs," said Weldon. Weldon noted that at the hearing to introduce his proposal, Rep. 

Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), who sits on the powerful Rules Conmiittee, said he opposed the 

amendment because he was 'not convinced' of the need for human space exploration. 

Weldon originally introduced the amendment after the Democrats proposed an astounding 

35% percent ($2 billion) funding increase for NSF this year alone. The proposed increase 

was made possible earlier this year when Democrats cut a half-a-billion dollars from NASA 

funding. NASA and NSF are funded through the same budget account and compete for the 

same pot of money. "Democrats are on a glide path to cripple our manned Space program. 

It's time the space community saw this for what it is: an assault on our commitment to build 

the Shuttle rplacement, return to the moon, and maintain our strategic advantage in space. 

It's also an assault on the civilian workers and contractors who are about to have their lives 

disrupted because Democrats can't divert NASA funding fast enough to their other 

priorities." Earlier this month, Weldon joined a bipartisan group of 17 lawmakers in calling 

for a summit with the Bush Administration to discuss the space program's funding 

shortages. Ironically, seven of the lawmakers who signed that letter had just voted for half-abillion in cuts to NASA's budget. Web posted. (2007). [Weldon: Dems will wreck NASA 

71
budget [Online]. Available W\X/W: http://www.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog 

[2007, May 3].]

Female mission commanders tour KSC 

The astronauts destined to be the first female to command the International Space Station 

and the second to command a shuttle mission checked out a new outpost hub during a 

stopover at Kennedy Space Center earlier this month. Peggy Whitson, who served as a flight 

engineer and U.S. science officer aboard the station in 2002, will take the helm of the 

outpost during Expedition 16, a six-month tour that is scheduled to begin in October. 

The expedition is expected to be the first with a quadruple crew rotation. If all goes as 

planned, Whitson and Malenchenko will live and work with U.S. astronauts Clay Anderson, 

Daniel Tam and Garrett Reisman as well as French flyer Leopald Eyharts of the European 

Space Agency. Anderson will be onboard the station when Whitson and Malenchenko 

arrive. Tam will fly up on Discovery in October and be replaced by Eyharts, who will be 

ferried to the outpost aboard Atlantis in December. Reisman is scheduled to launch on 

Endeavour next February, replacing Eyharts. Veteran NASA astronaut Pam Melroy will 

command the shuttle mission aimed at delivering Tam and the U.S. Harmony module to the 

outpost. Set for launch aboard Discovery in October, the multihatch module will serve as a 

gateway between the U.S., European and Japanese segments of he outpost. The European 

Columbus laboratory and the Japanese Kibo science facility will be moored at two of its 

ports. A veteran astronaut who piloted two previous ffights to the station, Meiroy will 

become only the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Former NASA astronaut 

Eileen Collins was the first. She commanded a 1999 mission to deploy the Chandra space 

observatory and NASA first post-Columbia test-flight in 2005. Both Whitson and Meiroy 

were at the KSC Space Station Processing Facility last week to check out the Harmony 

module, which also is known as Node 2. Web posted. (2007). [Female mission commanders 

tour KSC [Online] Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.co.rn/ The Flame Trench 

blog [2007, May 3].] 

May 4: NASA Awards Heat Shield Material Contracts For Orion 

Spacecraft 

NASA has selected The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif., and Textron Systems, 

Wilmington, Mass., to develop alternate heat shield materials for the Orion crew exploration 

spacecraft. The two contracts for Alternate Block 2 Thermal Protection System (TPS) 

Materials and Heat Shield Systems Advanced Development will support development and 

testing of three alternative heat shield materials, designs and manufacturing processes. Under 

the contracts, the companies will work to ensure the technologies are mature enough to 

become viable backups if there are difficulties with the primary material. NASA's 

Constellation Program is developing Orion as America's primary vehicle for future human 

space exploration. Orion will carry astronauts to the International Space Station by 2015, 

with a goal of landing astronauts on the moon no later than 2020. The Orion TPS Advanced 

Development Project, led by Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., was established to 

develop a heat shield to protect Orion during its return from low-Earth orbit or the moon. 

In September 2006, Boeing was awarded a contract to develop the primary heat shield 

material, Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA), manufactured by its subcontractor, 

Fiber Materials, Inc., Biddeford, Maine. The alternate materials will be developed fully only if 

the primary material does not perform to Orion Project specifications. NASA will assess and 

evaluate all of the Alternate Block 2 TPS materials through initial testing and select the most 

72
promising of the materials for further development, if needed. The Alternate Block 2 

contract awarded to Boeing has an approximate value of $10 million, including all options, 

and calls for Boeing to perform early investigation of a proprietary material, the Boeing 

Phenolic Ablator (BPA). The contract awarded to Textron has a value of approximately $24 

million, including all options, and calls for Textron Systems to perform early investigation of 

two proprietary material options, Avcoat (used on Apollo) and Dual Layer. Each contract 

has a 16-month performance period from May 4, 2007, until Aug. 31, 2008. ["NASA 

Awards Heat Shield Material Contracts For Orion Spacecraft," NASA Contract Release 

#C07-23, May 4, 2007.]

Museum schedules GPS Ground Antenna dedication 

The Global Positioning Systems Wing with the 45th and 50th Space Wings has scheduled a 

dedication ceremony for the GPS Transportable Ground Antenna exhibit at the Air Force 

Space and Missile Museum at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., May 24. Web posted. 

(2007). [Museum schedules GPS Transportable Ground Antenna dedication [Online] 

Available WWW: http: //www.afspc.af.mil/news/storv.asp?id=1 23052074 [2007, May 4].] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-050407. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians and engineers continue repairing foam on the haildamaged STS-1 17 external fuel tank, ET-124. Spray foam repairs began this week, and an 

area on the "ogive pencil point" (at the top of the tank) is scheduled to undergo a spray foam 

repair this weekend. Atlantis' three main engines were removed this week for flow liner 

contamination inspections, which are now complete. A small piece of RepliSet found in the 

engine No. 2 flow liner has been removed. The silicon rubber RepliSet is used in making 3-

D impressions that help to detect cracks in the main propulsion system fuel line flow liners. 

Engine No. 3 has been reinstalled, and engineers are reinstalling engines No. I and 2. 

Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; 

Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: 

Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, 

Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. Workers in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 are installing the orbiter engine heat 

shields and have completed the engine interface connections. Technicians are also working 

on modifications to the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor wiring. This work involves rerouting 

new wires and installing new resisters. The crew hatch carrier panel fit check was successfully 

completed this week. Checkout of the orbiter's three inertial measurement units is complete. 

These units are part of the orbiter's navigation system. Nose landing gear door rigging 

continues, and orbiter aft closeout work began this week. ET-1 17, the external fuel tank to 

be used for STS-1 18, was transported Monday from the barge in the turn basin to the 

Vehicle Assembly Building. The next day, the tank was lifted into a checkout cell in high bay 

No. 2 for processing. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (IOA) - 

U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; 

Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, 

Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tani; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

73
degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, workers have 

completed verifying the forward reaction control system interface connections. New, 

stronger tile known as BRI tile is being installed around the main landing gear doors and the 

external tank doors. Checkout of the "station to shuttle power transfer system" is under way. 

Technicians are also working on modifications to the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor wiring. 

This work involves rerouting new wires and installing new resisters. APU lube oil servicing is 

complete, and functional testing of the atmospheric revitalization pressure control system, 

part of the orbiter's life support system, is in progress. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space 

Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/

centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, May 4.] 

May 5: Astronauts enter hail of fame 

Shuttle robot arm operator Steve Hawley was flying along at five miles a second about 380 

miles above Earth with the future of NASA in his mechanical grasp. Looming five stories 

tall with its golden solar wings gleaming against black space, the Hubble Space Telescope 

was in his control, snared at the end of the 50-foot crane, ready to be released into Earth 

orbit. It was a career highlight for Hawley, now director of astromaterials research and 

exploration science at Johnson Space Center in Houston. His next big moment comes today 

when he and two colleagues -- veteran shuttle fliers Michael Coats and Jeffrey Hoffman --

are inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The three make up the hail's "Class of 

2007." They will be honored at a 3 p.m. ceremony at the Apollo-Saturn 5 Center at Kennedy 

Space Center. Anybody who purchases an admission ticket to the KSC Visitor Complex 

today may attend. Web posted. (2007). [Astronauts enter hall of fame [Online] Available 

WWW: http: / /vww. floridatodav.com / [2007, May 5].] 

May 7: Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-.050707. Mission: Dawn; Launch Pad: 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; Launch Date: 

NET June 30, 2007; Launch Time: 5:13:15 p.m. EDT. Comprehensive spacecraft system 

performance testing continues. Instrument final alignment is under way. A test of the 

spacecraft's primary communications antenna is scheduled for May 21. The spacecraft solar 

arrays vffl be attached and deployed May 21 - 24. No spacecraft issues or concerns have 

arisen during testing to date. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle 

Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww1v.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy/

launchingrockets /status /2007 /index.html [2007, May 7.] 

NASA may use Saftan Vuicain rocket engine for Ares stage 

European aerospace interests have been buzzing this spring with the possibility that NASA 

may turn to the Safran Vulcain rocket engine for the upper stage of its Ares I crew launch 

vehicle if it can't develop the Apollo-heritage J2-X for the job. The European LOX/ 

hydrogen engine has comparable performance to what is hoped for the J2-X, a derivative of 

the Saturn V upper stage engine, and while it isn't human-rated, it has a lot more run time 

than what is basically a new Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne development. Officials from the 

U.S. space agency have heard the pitch, but for now they're not buying. "Could we buy 

another engine from another nation," asks Administrator Michael Griffin. "Of course, but 

then what happens to U.S. capability in that arena? It's not my goal to spend U.S. tax dollars 

building up the aerospace establishments of other nations. It's not going to happen under 

me." E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: 

74
"NASA may use Safran Vulcam rocket engine for Ares CLV stage," [Electronic]. Vol. 222, 

No. 26, [May 7, 2007.].] 

May 8: UA's Phoenix Mars Lander sent to Kennedy Space Center 

The University of Arizona's Phoenix Mars Lander arrived safely in Florida after a short flight 

Monday in preparation for its eight-month journey into space. The Phoenix Mars mission 

wifi seek evidence of water and habitable conditions near the planet's northern polar region. 

The lander was moved from Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Litdeton, Cob., Space Systems facility 

to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be integrated with a Delta II launch 

vehicle that will carry it to Mars, said Gary Napier, a Lockheed Martin spokesman. The 

lander, enclosed in an environmentally controlled steel container measuring 13 feet wide by 

17 feet long by 13 feet tall, was loaded Monday morning into the rear of a C-17 transport at 

Buckley Air Force Base for the trip from Colorado to Florida, Napier said. The flight landed 

about 4:35 p.m. on the same runway used by returning NASA space shuttles, Napier said. 

After landing, workers began taking the container off the airplane. Then it was placed in a 

holding center at the Kennedy Space Center. This afternoon the transport container will be 

moved to a clean room where the lander will be unpacked, he said. The next few months will 

be spent preparing the lander and launcher for the Aug. 3 launch. The Phoenix Mars 

Lander is designed, built and operated for NASA by UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in 

partnership with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin and the Canadian Space 

Agency. Web posted. (2007). [hA's Phoenix Mars Lander sent to Kennedy Space Center [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ [2007, May 8.] 

Thunderbirds buzz Kennedy Space Center 

A flock of U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 jets buzzed Kennedy Space Center this week to 

promote a space exposition to be held at NASA's shuttle homeport later this year. The 

KSC Visitor Complex will host the inaugural World Space Expo from Nov. 3 through Nov. 

11, and the Thunderbirds will take part by flying an aerial salute during the opening weekend 

of the event. NASA officials say the exposition is expected to create one of the largest 

displays of space artifacts, hardware and personalities ever assembled into one location. The 

idea is to inspire, educate and engage the public by highlighting the achievements and 

benefits of space exploration. Web posted. (2007). [Thunderbirds buzz Kennedy Space Center 

[Online]. Available W\XTW: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ [2007, May 10.] 

May 9: NASA moves external tank 

NASA took a step toward the planned August launch of shuttle Endeavour earlier this 

month when the external tank for its mission was lifted into a checkout cell in Kennedy 

Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building. Designated ET-1 17, the tank was lifted from a 

transporter on the floor of the 52-story building to a point where it could be moved over a 

crossbeam and into the checkout cell. The lift was performed by a crew of expert crane 

operators employed by United Space Affiance. Delivery inspections and initial processing 

for launch will take place in the checkout cell, which is located on the northwest side of the 

building. Endeavour and a crew of astronauts are scheduled to launch Aug. 9 on a mission 

to deliver the S5 truss segment to the International Space Station. NASA plans to start 

stacking a pair of solid rocket boosters for the mission around May 21. The external tank is 

to be lifted out of the checkout cell and mated to the solid rocket boosters around June 12. 

The orbiter Endeavour is scheduled to be mated to the external tank-booster set around 

June 30, and the fully assembled shuttle is to be rolled out to launch pad 39A around July 9. 

75
Web posted. (2007). NASA moves external tank [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatodav.com / [2007, May 9.] 

Space Shuttle Contingency Training Exercise 

Personnel from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Kennedy Space Center and 

Edwards Air Force Base conducted a training exercise this past weekend that would enable 

them to effectively handle the rescue of a space shuttle crew in the unlikely event of a 

landing mishap at the base. The exercises are held periodically to train Air Force fire/rescue 

and medical crews in aiding the shuttle crew in exiting the shuttle after a simulated landing 

mishap on or near the Edwards runway, escaping from the mishap area, and after triage 

assessment, safely evacuating injured crew members. Although NASA's Kennedy Space 

Center in Florida is the landing site of choice for space shuttle missions, Edwards AFB 

remains the primary alternate landing site in case weather or other situations preclude Florida 

as a landing option. ["Space Shuttle Contingency Training Exercise," NASA News Release 

#07-21, May 9, 2007.] 

May 10: NASA mulling alternate stage separation scheme for Ares I 

NASA is considering an alternate stage separation scheme for its Ares I rocket that would 

use struts driven by compressed gas rather than the modified shuttle hardware in the current 

design, and is asking industry to weigh in. The current design uses Space Shuttle Booster 

Separation Motors (renamed Booster Deceleration Motors, or BDMs) to separate the Ares I 

after the first stage has spent its fuel and prior to upper-stage ignition. The gas strut system 

has been suggested "as a preferable alternative with cost, additional payload mass to orbit, 

reduction in hardware and operations complexity, and safety cited as potential advantages," 

NASA said in a request for information (RFI). The current thinking is that the six-foot struts 

would need to exert a force of about 7,000 pounds, driven by the expansion of compressed 

gas within a cylinder surrounding the strut and its piston. NASA is conducting a trade study 

comparing this process to the baseline BDM design. NASA wants industry to provide 

information on commercially available technology that could support the gas strut design. 

Responses are due May 25. This alternate design effort is part of NASA's responsibilities on 

the Ares I program, and is not duplicating any work that will be performed by the upperstage contractor, according to the agency. "Information provided will be used internal to 

NASA and will not be included in the evaluation process for the Upper Stage RFP [request 

for proposals]," NASA said. Boeing and ATK are leading the teams vying to build the Ares 

I upper stage, and the winner will be chosen by late August or September. The Ares I is 

slated to begin boosting the Orion vehicle and its astronaut crew to orbit starting in 

2015. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: 

"NASA muUing alternate stage separation scheme for Ares I" [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 29, 

[May 10, 2007.1.1

Shuttle crew members shift; another added to STS-118 

Shuttle Update: NASA astronaut and Air Force Col. Benjamin Alvin Drew will join the 

crew of the STS-1 18 space shuttle mission, targeted for launch Aug. 9. Drew will take a seat 

that opened when astronaut Clayton Anderson was moved to shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 

flight, which is targeted to launch June 8. Anderson will begin a long-duration mission on 

the International Space Station, and current station crew member Sum Williams will return 

to Earth aboard Atlantis. Shuttle Endeavour will carry Drew on his first spaceflight. He will 

serve as a mission specialist during STS-1 18, which will deliver another segment to continue 

Li1
building the tation for completion by 2010. ["Shuttle crew members shift; another added to 

STS-118," Countdown, May 10, 2007.] 

May 11: NASA Completes Constellation Ground Operations Review 

NASA has established a requirements baseline for ground systems to be developed in 

support of the Constellation Program. The systems requirements review was conducted at 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 5. "Completion of the systems 

requirements review marks a major milestone in executing the development of ground 

systems, as well as operations strategies to support the next generation of space vehicles," 

said Tip Talone, Constellation's Ground Operations Project manager at Kennedy. The space 

center will be the launch site for future missions to low Earth orbit, the moon and other 

destinations in the solar system. The review was an in-depth look at the basic capabilities 

necessary to support space vehicle integration and ground processing; launch processing 

infrastructure, including the vehicle assembly building, launch pads and launch control 

center; launch vehicle protection systems; launch checkout and control; crew safety and 

emergency egress; and fault tolerance requirements for the systems. Agency and contractor 

engineers from across the country reviewed the requirements. The requirements will be 

applied to all launch, landing and recovery activities for the Orion crew exploration vehicle, 

Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V cargo launch vehicle. The ground operations team 

established plans for ensuring the requirements will be clearly communicated to hardware 

developers so the systems developed will comply with all relevant agency program and 

project requirements. After completion of all project-level reviews, the Constellation 

Program plans an integrated review in late May to update and synchronize all Constellation 

Program baseline requirements. ["NASA Completes Constellation Ground Operations 

Review," NASA News Release #07-112, May 11, 2007.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-051107. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In high bay No. I of the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, repairs to the foam on the hail-damaged external fuel tank ET124 are nearly complete, and technicians and engineers are preparing Atlantis for its rollout 

to Launch Pad 39A, currently scheduled for May 16. Atlantis' three main engines, which 

were removed last week to allow for inspection of the flow liners, have all been reinstalled, 

and fmal checkout and testing are under way. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space 

Station Flight (13A.l) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/I 22 nautical miles. Members of the STS-I 18 crew are in Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 2 today and will be there Saturday for the crew equipment 

interface test. The test provides an opportunity for the crew to review equipment in the crew 

cabin and cargo bay of the orbiter, and to review in-flight maintenance procedures. Earlier 

in the week, technicians installed the tunnel adapter, which is located in the midbody 

between the external airlock and a container used to transport experiments and cargo. 

Completion of the installation signifies closeout of the orbiter's midbody. Technicians 

continued work this week on modifications to the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor wiring. 

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Work also continues on closeout of the orbiter maneuvering system and the orb'iter aft. 

Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (IOA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: 

Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, 

Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 3, workers continue modifications to the orbiter's engine cutoff 

sensor wiring. Functional testing of the atmospheric revitalization pressure control system, 

part of the orbiter's life support system, is under way. Workers are also preparing for 

servicing of the ammonia boiler, which is a heat exchanger that helps cool the hydraulic 

system. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available W'\V: http: / /www.nasa.gov/ centers / kennedy /shutdeoperations /status / 

2007/index.html [2007, May 11.] 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-051 107. Mission: Dawn; Location: 

Astrotech Space Operations Facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; 

Launch Date: NET June 30, 2007; Launch Window: 5:13:15 p.m. - 5:33:15 p.m. EDT. 

Mission system performance testing continues and is planned to finish Friday. A test of the 

spacecraft's primary communications antenna is scheduled for May 21. The spacecraft solar 

arrays will be attached and deployed May 21 - 24. The spacecraft will be moved to 

Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility for fueling on May 26. Mission: Phoenix; 

Location: Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility; Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 

7925; Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 5:35:18 a.m. EDT. Spacecraft spin-balance 

testing is under way. The spacecraft will be powered to begin testing on May 14. The heat 

shield will be installed on May 15, and a separation test will then be performed. The 

spacecraft's electrical power system will undergo a fmal performance test on May 17. The 

flight software will be loaded aboard the spacecraft on May 21. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov /centers /kennedv/launchingrockets /_status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

May11.]

4, 3, 2, 1. . it's almost here 

With two weeks to go in the countdown until the launch of the Kennedy Space Center 

Visitor Complex's shuttle simulator attraction, the $60 million ride is taking final shape. 

From the outside, the Shuttle Launch Experience looks like a big, gray box. But, on the 

inside, visitors are taken to a whole new world - a world where they become astronauts 

preparing for their first shuttle launch. The ride will give visitors a simulated look inside the 

space shuttle - from astronaut training, to the force of 3Gs felt by real astronauts strapped 

into the crew cabin. Contractors and members of construction crews are finishing up the 

attraction, racing to be done in time for its May 25 opening. What sets the Shuttle Launch 

Experience apart from theme-park attractions is that it was designed with the input of 

former space shuttle commander Rick Searfoss, in an effort to recreate an actual shuttle 

liftoff. Educational videos run throughout the attraction, placed in areas of the winding 

passage outside that leads would-be astronauts to the "briefing area" inside, and then inside 

of the crew cabins, where most of the experience takes place. First, four groups of 44 

passengers are briefed in a rotunda on what their mission will entail and what they can 

expect. The ground shakes and smoke billows, as visitors prepare to walk to their crew 

cabin. Once in the crew compartment, astronauts strap into their seats and prepare for 

78
launch. The 44 seats are on a platform set at a 7-degree angle. As the rumbling and shaking 

of liftoff commence - recreating an ascent to the heavens - hydraulics lift the platform an 

additional 62 degrees off the ground. Technology enables the feeling of being pulled deep 

into the seat, as the shuttle takes off away from Earth. After the vehicle reaches its 

simulated "maximum dynamic pressure," or "Max Q," around seven miles away from Earth, 

the effects in the cabin . begin to change. The external tanks fall away, and the simulated 

jettison causes a jolt to the riders. The main engine cutoff occurs, and the cabin pitches 

forward 20 degrees. Then, weightlessness is simulated. The payload doors open above, and 

riders see what Earth looks like from 200 miles above. As the visitors exit the attraction, 

they move through a star-studded black sky to a ramp that circles downward and out of the 

building. Riders must be at least 4 feet tall to go on Shuttle Launch Experience. Final 

touches are being put on the ride. Special cushions are being attached to the seats in the four 

crew cabins. Many other changes have been made to the Visitor Complex, which is 

operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts on behalf of NASA. There is a 

new bus loop, additional walkways, various expansions, and more plants and landscaping. 

There have been upgrades to other attractions at the Visitor Complex, like the Explorer 

shuttle orbiter mock-up, the children's play area and an addition in the form of an area called 

NASA Central, which will open in time for the debut of the Shuttle Launch Experience. 

The Visitor Complex is hoping for an overall 10 percent to 15 percent increase in attendance 

at Brevard County's most popular paid tourist attraction. Web posted. (2007). [4, 3, 2, 1 

it's almost here [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ [2007, May 11.1 

NASA managers confident of fixes 

The finishing touches are being completed on shuttle Atlantis' hail-damaged external tank 

and project managers think the repairs will hold up well in ifight. There's a high degree of 

confidence that they'll remain intact," said Kyle Herring, a spokesman at NASA's Johnson 

Space Center in Houston. Engineering analyses are being done to determine the probability 

of a foam loss from a repaired area of Atlantis' tank and the chance of breakaway foam 

causing severe damage. The results will be examined during a flight readiness review May 30 

to 31 at Kennedy Space Center. A firm launch date will be selected then. NASA also 

repaired hail damage to 26 heat shield tiles on Atlantis' left wing. Extra inspections were 

performed on the orbiter's main propulsion system propellant lines, too. Atlantis and seven 

astronauts are to deliver a new central truss segment to the space station. The 17.5-ton girder 

is equipped with a new set of power-producing solar wings. The mission is the first of four 

station assembly flights scheduled this year. Five were planned before the hail storm. At least 

13 more are required to finish the $100 billion station before a 2010 presidential deadline. 

Web posted. (2007). [NASA managers confident of fixes [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatodav.com/ [2007, May 11.] 

Mannheim Steamroller heads to KSC 

Mannheim Steamroller is scheduled to play a concert at Kennedy Space Center Visitor 

Complex at 8 p.m. May 26. The concert follows the debut of the $60 million Shuttle Launch 

Experience shuttle simulator attraction, which opens May 25 at the visitor complex. The 

instrumental group Mannheim Steamroller is known for its digital-classic-rock style, and 

particularly its Christmas music. Manheim Steamroller recorded sound from the last space 

shuttle liftoff at Kennedy Space Center, and that will be incorporated into its music. Web 

posted. (2007). [Mannheim Steamroller heads to KSC [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, May 11.]
May 12: KSC chief says more tech work needed 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center is facing tough times, and new business will have to be lured 

to keep the work force at its current level when the nation's shuttle fleet is retired in 2010, 

the center's director said Friday. An extended gap between the shuttle's final International 

Space Station construction mission and the first piloted flights of new Apollo-style moon 

capsules also will make it difficult to retain critical skilled workers, he said. The state of 

Florida and local economic-development leaders consequently need to seal more deals like 

one which will bring final integration and assembly of the Orion spacecraft to NASA's prime 

launch operations center. "It's going to take that kind of effort for us to be able to hold 

onto this work force and to keep the work force at a level that we think is an appropriate 

level here at the Kennedy Space Center," Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons told 

200 people at an annual briefing for community leaders. The coastal spaceport now is the 

largest employer in Brevard County, with about 15,000 contractor and civil-service workers. 

The NASA work done there pumps about $3.7 biffion into the state economy each year. 

About $1.6 billion of that is spent in Brevard. Factor in what economists call "the multiplier 

effect" -- jobs created to serve the work force -- and KSC is responsible for 36,750 

paychecks in the county. The number of people working at KSC, however, is expected to 

drop dramatically when NASA shuts down the shuttle program. Fewer people will be 

needed to launch moon rockets and Orion spacecraft, and a five-year hiatus in NASA's 

human spaceflight program is forecast. Potential job loss estimates range from 5,000 to 

8,000, and NASA is trying to avoid the type of exodus of expertise that followed the 

shutdown of the Apollo moon-landing program in the 1970s. The multiplier effect raises the 

number of potential job losses to 12,250 to 19,560. The tough times at KSC will be exciting, 

nonetheless, Parsons said. NASA plans up to 15 more shuttle missions to complete the 

International Space Station and service the agency's flagship Hubble Space Telescope. The 

first four of those flights are scheduled for launches on June 8, Aug. 9, Oct. 20 and Dec. 6. 

The first test-flight of an Ares I rocket -- the vehicle NASA will use to launch Orion space 

capsules -- is scheduled for April 2009. Final assembly of the capsules will be done at a KSC 

processing facility that is being refurbished with $35 million in state money. A new 

commercial launch services company -- SpaceX of El Segundo, Calif. -- is scheduled to start 

launching Falcon 9 rockets on test flights next September. The company has an agreement 

to use Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASA is hoping the 

company will be able to launch cargo -- and potentially astronauts -- to the international 

station after the shuttle is retired. If successful, that would be the type of new business 

needed to help maintain local work-force levels. "We're going to need fewer people (to 

launch moon missions). So it's going to be very important that we try to capture different 

kinds of jobs here at the Kennedy Space Center," Parsons said. "We may not have the exact 

same nufnber of people working here at the Kennedy Space Center, but we need to make it 

just as close as we possibly can. And that's what we're all trying to do, trying to accomplish." 

Web posted. (2007). [KSC chief says more tech work needed [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com/ [2007, May 12.] 

May 14: Damaged Shuttle Booster Segments Returned to ATK 

Four solid-rocket booster segments riding near the front of the freight train that derailed 

May 2 in Alabama are headed back to Utah where their manufacturer, Alliant Techsystems 

(ATK), will either use them for ground tests or thoroughly refurbish them. George Torres, a 

spokesman for Magna, Utah-based ATK Launch Systems Group, said May 9 that NASA 

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and ATK determined over the weekend of May 5-6 that the four booster segments riding 

toward the back of the train are probably still fit for flight and so will continue on to Florida. 

Once the booster segments arrive at Kennedy Space Center, they will undergo extensive 

inspection before NASA approves their use for an upcoming space shuttle mission. NASA 

and ATK officials said the freight train was traveling under 4.7 miles (six kilometers) per 

hour when the raised roadbed it was crossing collapsed, causing the front of the train to go 

off the tracks. The two locomotives fell onto their sides, pulling a passenger car with them, 

injuring six people. Four booster-carrying flatbed cars toward the front of the train also 

derailed, with one falling over onto its side. The other four boosters were on cars toward the 

back of the train and remained upright and on the tracks during the accident, the cause of 

which is still under investigation. June Malone, a spokeswoman for NASA Marshall Space 

Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said data recorders on board the train to monitor ride 

conditions found that only the four boosters near the front of the train were jostled hard 

enough in the accident to disqualify them for flight. "We have accelerometers on those 

cars," Malone said. "The four in the front have acceleration data outside of the guidelines. 

The four in the back were within the guideline." Torres said the four boosters cleared to 

travel on to Florida were back in transit May 9 and were expected to reach Kennedy Space 

Center May 14. Web posted. (2007). [Damaged Shuttle Booster Segments Returned to ATK 

[Onlinel. Available WWW: http://www.space.com/ [2007, May 14.1 

Storms may delay shuttle rollout 

NASA expected to gain an extra day in the launch schedule by rolling Atlantis to the launch 

pad beginning around 4 a.m. today, giving the shuttle team additional time to load a 17-plus 

ton girder into the cargo bay for the planned June 8 liftoff. The earlier-than-planned rollout 

to the pad gives the launch team a fourth contingency day between now and June 8 - backup 

days that would be available to the team to deal with unexpected problems that sometimes 

crop up once the shuttle is at the pad. However, thunderstorms predicted for this morning 

could keep the shuttle in the Vehicle Assembly Building. "Right now, the big factor is 

lightning," Kennedy Space Center spokesman George Duller said Wednesday. Technicians 

were to report at midnight Monday to prepare the shuttle for the six-hour trip to the launch 

pad. The tank shows the speckled repairs of hundreds of patches because the new foam is 

lighter in color than the original coat of insulation. White NASA has flown with similar 

small patches on previous missions, the number of repairs on this tank is far higher than the 

agency has tested in flight. ["Storms may delay shuttle rollout," Florida Today, May 15, 

2007, p lB.] 

May 15: NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Rolls back Out to Launch Pad 

Space shuttle Atlantis is back at its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Teams 

are preparing Atlantis for its mission, STS-1 17, to the International Space Station. Launch is 

targeted for June 8. Atlantis rolled out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 5:02 a.m. 

EDT Tuesday on a massive crawler transporter. Traveling less than 1 mph, the journey 

ended with Atlantis atop the launcher pedestals at Launch Pad 39-A at 11:47 a.m. The total 

trip time was six hours and 45 minutes. Electrical and mechanical connections of Atlantis to 

the launch pad are under way. With the refurbishment of Pad 39-A, this launch will be the 

first from the pad in four years. Atlantis originally was targeted for launch in March, but a 

hail storm damaged foam insulation on the shuttle's external fuel tank and forced managers 

to roll the spacecraft back into the Vehicle Assembly Building to make repairs. Atlantis' 

payload, consisting of the S3/S4 truss, will be installed into the shuttle's payload bay on 

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Wednesday. Beginning May 23, propellants will be loaded into Atlantis' storage tanks. The 

propellant will be used by the orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system to 

move the spacecraft while it is in orbit. The ffight readiness review meeting, where the 

official launch date is scheduled, will be held May 30-31 at Kennedy. For a launch on June 8 

at 7:37 p.m., the 43-hour countdown would begin on June 5. STS-117 Commander Rick 

Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archarnbault and mission specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven 

Swanson, John "Danny" Olivas and Clay Anderson are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on 

June 4. During their 11-day mission, the astronauts will work with the space station crew 

and ground teams to install the girder-like S3/S4 truss segment, unfold a new set of solar 

arrays and retract one array on the starboard side of the station. STS-1 17's terminal 

countdown demonstration test, which is a launch dress rehearsal, was held in February and 

will not need to be repeated. ["NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Rolls Back Out to Launch Pad," 

NASA News Release #07-116, May 15, 2007.] 

Hall Appoints Feeney to Top GOP Position on Space and 

Aeronautics Subcommittee 

Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX) today announced the appointment of Rep. Tom 

Feeney (R-FL) to Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. Feeney 

replaces Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), who recently accepted a position on the House 

Appropriations Committee. "I am very pleased to appoint Congressman Feeney to be the 

new Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics," Hall said. "Feeney 

has a wealth of knowledge about America's space programs, and he will be an articulate and 

effective leader on our subcommittee. I look fonvard to working with him to help ensure 

America's continued leadership in space exploration and research." Upon accepting the new 

position, Feeney made the following statement: "I am honored to lead GOP efforts on the 

Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. I look forward to working with Chairman Mark 

Udall (D-CO) to continue America's space predominance. I will use my new position to 

ensure America retains its preeminence as a spacefaring country and maintain its leadership 

in the aerospace industry. America's space and aviation endeavors must remain second-tonone in order to protect our national security and to sustain economic growth. My top 

priorities are to promote America's Vision for Space Exploration and to sustain the vitality 

of all NASA centers including the Kennedy Space Center. I will fight to continue the 

progress NASA has made in returning the Space Shuttle to regular flight and developing the 

Shuttle's successor -- the Constellation Program. It is my hope to ensure the transition from 

the Shuttle program to Constellation will have minimal impact on the human spaceflight 

workforce." Web posted. (2007). [Hall Appoints Feeney to Top GOP Position on Space and 

Aeronautics Subcommittee [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.spaceref.com/ [2007, 

May 15.]

Shuttle sitting on the launch pad 

The shuttle Atlantis reached the launch pad about 11 a.m., after a 3.5- mile trip from the 

Vehicle Assembly Building. The shuttle left the VAB at 5:02 a.m. today. Despite a threat of 

thunderstorms, NASA officials determined the chance of lightning was minimal and rain did 

not come. Repairs to the hail-damaged external tank are complete. The speckled tip of the 

external fuel tank shows the marks of repairs. NASA officials are confident the repairs will 

withstand the force of the trip to orbit, however, such extensive repairs have never been 

tested in ffight. The early rollout could give NASA a fourth contingency day at the pad as 

workers prepare to load a 17.5-ton truss bound for the International Space Station on the 

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June 8 target launch date. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle sitting on the launch pad [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, May 15.] 

May 16: Promotional campaign to lead up to shuttle attraction kickoff 

It takes more than top mechanical design and vision to launch an attraction. As the Kennedy 

Space Center Visitor Complex prepares to debut the Shuttle Launch Experience to the 

media and to the public, its executives will have to use a lot of imagination. "It's the type of 

attraction with a great story line, and that really helps," said Jerry Aldrich, president of 

Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando. Aldrich has overseen the installation of many 

simulator-based attractions, inside and outside the United States. "They have to have a good 

story to tell, and that's where NASA certainly has an advantage," Aldrich said. In 

preparation for the Shuttle Launch Experience debut on May 25, a promotional campaign 

has swung into high gear at the KSC Visitor Complex. Newspaper, magazine, television and 

Internet stories play a big role in promoting the attraction. Various campaigns have begun, 

including national newspaper and television campaigns, consumer promotion and a family 

vacation sweepstakes. The marketing campaign features three 30-second television spots 

that focus on the excitement of the $60 million Shuttle Launch Experience. The television 

campaign started Sunday on Discovery Channel, Sci-Fi Channel and Travel Channel. A 

newspaper coupon ad appeared in more than 1,200 newspapers Sunday. The ad, offering 

people a $5 savings on admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will run 

again Sunday. The design team, NASA astronauts and attraction experts created an 

authentic experience, deploying sophisticated motion technology, special-effects seats, and 

high-fidelity visual and audio presentations to simulate a space shuttle launch. Shuttle 

Launch Experience combines the detailed accounts of astronaut experiences with the 

expertise of design engineers to produce an unique attraction experience. . Web posted. 

(2007). [Promotional campaign to lead up to shuttle attraction kickoff [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, May 16.] 

MPPF to be used for fueling operations 

Kennedy Space Center's MPPF (Multi Payload Processing Facility) has been selected as the 

location to perform Orion fueling operations, after the replacement vehicle for the shuttle is 

assembled and checked out at KSC's Operations and Checkout (O&C) building. The MPPF 

was designed and built to handle hypergolic propellants, and is already configured to handle 

MMH (monomethyl hydrazine). The only addition to the facility will be the handling of 

N2O4 (nitrogen tetroxide). Web posted. (2007). [MSFC developing a moon garage for 

lunar rovers [Online]. Available WWW: http://wwiv.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, May 16.] 

Dawn and Phoenix missions on schedule 

Two NASA science missions, one to Mars the other to a pair of asteroids, remain on 

schedule for mid-summer launches. The Delta II rocket that wifi carry the Dawn spacecraft 

to the asteroid belt went to the booster processing facility Wednesday, where it will be fitted 

with the explosives that will destroy the rocket if it flies off course and threatens a populated 

area. Dawn is on schedule to blast off June 30, United Launch Affiance manager of launch 

operations Larry Penepent said today. "We're scheduled to transfer this today, and we've 

transferred it today," said Penepent. Dawn will visit r.vo of the solar system's largest 

asteroids, which have remained intact since they formed. Ceres and Vesta are in the asteroid 

belt between Mars and Jupiter. They evolved very differently and could provide clues to the 

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formation of our solar system. Meanwhile, Phoenix is on schedule to launch Aug. 3 on a 

mission to an ice-rich region on Mars! North Pole. Technicians on Wednesday tested the 

engine control systems. With a robotic arm, Phoenix will search for water and evidence of 

conditions that could support life. Additionally, an Air Force global positioning system 

satellite is scheduled to launch on another Delta II rocket as early as the end of August. Web 

posted. (2007). [Dawn and Phoenix missions on schedule [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, May 16.] 

May 17: NASA's talent pool shallow, studies say 

When NASA was in its moon-landing heyday, the space agency had 36,000 employees and 

many of the best your scientific minds in the country - some in key leadership positions. 

Now, when the agency is being asked to return man to the moon and head on to Mars, it has 

fewer than half that number of employees and is not attracting enough of the best and 

brightest college graduates, according to two recent reports that examined NASA's work 

force needs. Authors of those reports, a NASA administrator and representative of its 

unionized engineers, agreed during a House Science committee hearing Thursday that the 

agency needs to do more to attract young scientists and retain its existing workers. The 

hearing was focused on the recommendations made in reports by the National Research 

Council and the National Academy of Public Administration. The research council's report, 

released in early May, said NASA has too few program and project managers and systems 

engineers with experience in human space flight to execute President Bush's Vision for 

Space Exploration plan. The public administration group's report focused on pushing 

NASA to better monitor and plan for its work force needs. Its most controversial 

recommendation was for Congress to provide NASA with limited emergency authority to 

force older employees to retire. Toni Dawsey, chief human capital officer for NASA, said 

the agency has been implementing a plan to improve its work force. Since 2004, 700 of the 

2,500 NASA hires came directly from college or were recent graduates. ["NASA's talent 

pool shallow, studies say," Florida Today, May 18, 2007, p IA & 6A.] 

May 18: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-051807. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-1Q4); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, 

Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Space Shuttle Atlantis arrived back at Launch Pad 39A on 

Tuesday, following repairs to the foam on its hail-damaged external fuel tank. Mission STS117 was originally targeted for launch in mid-March, before a severe thunderstorm in late 

February generated hail that pelted the tank, ET-124. Pad operations are proceeding on 

schedule. Launch pad validation is complete, and the S3/S4 payload has been installed in 

Atlantis' payload bay. Preparations have begun for hypergolic propellant loading, which is 

scheduled for next week. The orbiter weather protection curtain walls have been extended, 

providing additional protection to the vehicle. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight (13A.I) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105) 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch 

Pad: 39A ; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/I 22 nautical miles. Members of the STS-I 18 flight 

crew completed the crew equipment interface test last week, reviewing equipment in 

Endeavour's crew cabin and payload bay. Leak checks have been completed between the 

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crew module, airlock and tunnel adapter. The orbiter docking system centerline cameras, 

used during rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station, have been aligned. 

Technicians continue working to close out the orbiter aft, the midbody and the left and right 

wings. Hydraulic operations are under way for aerosurface and landing gear positioning. 

Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (10A) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: 

Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, 

Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Servicing of 

the ammonia boiler system, a heat exchanger that helps cool the hydraulic system, was 

completed early this week. The drag chute, which helps slow the orbiter after landing on the 

runway, was installed. Functional testing of the atmospheric revitalization pressure control 

system, part of the orbiter's life support system, continued this week. The orbiter docking 

system mechanism has been tested and will be stowed for flight. Modifications to 

Discovery's engine cutoff sensor wiring continue. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space 

Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://wwv.nasa.gov/

centers/kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /_2007 /index.html [2007, May 18.] 

May 22: Aeronca Pilot Enters Restricted Airspace Near KSC 

The pilot of an Aeronca Champ was intercepted after entering restricted airspace Tuesday 

around Kennedy Space Center, and flying near the space shuttle Atlantis and its launch pad. 

"He came pretty close (to the shuttle)," KSC spokesman George Diller said. "He was within 

sight of the shuttle launch pad, and you would think that would have set off alarm bells --

that he would have realized he was somewhere he shouldn't be." The pilot reportedly took 

off from Fort Pierce, flew up the east Florida coast, and entered restricted airspace near 

Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station around 11:15 am The 

decommissioned Titan rocket pad is just a few miles south of KSC's launch pad 39A, where 

Atlantis is being prepped for launch June 8, according to Florida Today. Controllers at KSC 

spotted the green-and-white Champ and summoned a NASA security helicopter, Duller said. 

By the time the helicopter took off and picked up the plane's radar trail, however, it had 

exited restricted airspace. The pilot did contact air traffic controllers at an air field in 

Daytona Beach. He was instructed to land at Ormond Beach Airport -- which he did, 

escorted by a sheriffs office helicopter from the Volusia County Sheriff Department. 

Deputies met the unidentified pilot at the airport where the aircraft was searched for 

explosives and drugs but nothing suspicious was found. NASA and the Federal Aviation 

Administration are investigating the incident, Duller said. The pilot is being questioned by 

FBI agents. The incident has not disrupted the planned launch. KSC restricted airspace 

stretches from Oak Hill north of the spaceport, to the midpoint of the Indian River to the 

west, Port Canaveral to the south and a boundary a few miles east of KSC and the Air Force 

Station, according to Duller. He said it is well-defined on aeronautical charts, but pilots 

unfamiliar with the area sometimes stray within the restricted airspace unintentionally. Pilots 

have not been allowed within the area since 9/11. "We rarely have a problem with local 

pilots. It's usually somebody not familiar with the airspace," Diller said. Web posted. (2007). 

[Aeronca Pilot Enters Restricted Airspace near KSC [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.aero-news.net/ [2007, May 23.] 

NASA readies Dawn for asteroid encounter 

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A spacecraft destined to shed new light on the origins and evolution of the solar system is 

undergoing extensive solar wing testing this week as NASA prepares to launch it on a 

mission into the asteroid belt. Mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket, 

NASA's Dawn spacecraft is scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 17B at Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station on June 30. The launch window that day will stretch from 5:13 

p.m. to 5:33 p.m. The spacecraft will be setting sail on a mission to study the solar system's 

two largest protoplanets, Ceres and Vesta. Flying within the asteroid belt between Mars and 

Jupiter, Dawn will swing by Vesta in October 2011 and Ceres in February 2015. It will be the 

first spacecraft to study two asteroids on the same mission. A suite of sophisticated 

instruments on the spacecraft will enable scientists to study the structure and composition of 

the two asteroids, which formed shortly after the birth of the solar system some 4.6 biffion 

years ago. The goal is to better understand the conditions present at the origin of the solar 

system and the processes that were ongoing during the early stages of its evolution. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA readies Dawn for asteroid encounter [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, May 22.] 

NASA faces battle over toxic fuel plan for Orion 

NASA has decided to load the Orion crew launch vehicle with its hypergolic fuels before it 

reaches the pad and before it reaches the Kennedy Space Center's vehicle assembly building 

for stacking on to the Ares I crew launch vehicle. The decision could pose safety challenges 

during ground processing. Hypergolics are fuels and oxidisers that remain liquid at room 

temperatures and pressures and ignite on contact, requiring no ignition source. But they are 

toxic and require special handling. Common hypergolic fuels are hydrazine, monomethyl 

hydrazine and unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine. The oxidiser is usually nitrogen tetroxide 

or inhibited red-fuming nitric acid. "They have committed to off-line hypergolic servicing of 

the Orion with a back-up capability at the pad, so I expect to see some early operational and 

safety problems with Orion's 9,000kg [20,000lb] of hypergolics being stored and handled in 

the assembly building," says a NASA space program source. "They are, in effect, treating 

Orion like they would a very large unmanned probe that is normally loaded offline before 

installation. Only the quantities involved are significantly higher and the manned complexity 

of the ship requires considerably more testing and interface verifications after installation," 

he adds. The decision is part of the requirements baseline established by NASA for ground 

systems at Kennedy to support the Constellation program. Despite completing its ground 

systems review, the space agency has delayed an industry day that was to provide 

information on the planned July 2009 award of a contract for ground processing services. 

With the request for proposals to be published in early September, NASA had planned an 

industry day in early April, but it was cancelled and, almost two months later, no new date 

has been set. The Kennedy ground systems requirements baseline was set after an 

examination of the capabilities needed to support Ares launcher, Orion crew vehicle and 

Artemis lunar lander integration and ground processing launch procesing infrastructure, 

including the vehicle assembly building, launch pads and control center vehicle protection 

systems checkout and control crew safety and emergency egress and fault tolerance 

requirements. After completion of all of the Constellation program's project-level 

assessments, an integrated review in late May will be used to update and synchronise all of 

the program's baseline requirements. Web posted. (2007). [NASA faces battle over toxic 

fuel plan for Orion [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.flightglobabl.com/ [2007, May 

22.]

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May 23: NASA develops 'smart' weather balloons for launch sites 

NASA is developing small, cheap "smart balloons" to monitor weather conditions around 

rocket pads on launch days. The announcement comes only a few months after a space 

shuttle fuel tank was severely damaged during a sudden and unexpected hailstorm before a 

launch. NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has fast-tracked a team from the technology 

company ENSCO, based in Melbourne, Florida, US, to build the balloons using technology 

developed for smart dust - tiny devices capable of sensing their environment and 

transmitting the data home. "We were working on a 10- to 15-year timescale for smart dust," 

says ENSCO team leader Mark Adams. "Then they asked us what we could do in nine 

months." Adams has already made impressive progress, says Rosemary Baize at KSC's 

technology transfer office. The solar-powered balloons carry temperature, pressure, humidity 

and GPS sensors. They are also equipped with transmitters that can work together as a mesh 

network or, if the balloons drift too far apart, send data back via satellite links. The balloons, 

which are filled with helium, weigh only 130 grams and are the size of a beach ball. They 

have been tested on the Florida coast over the last few months. The team is currently 

addressing a few teething problems. "Of the eight balloons we've launched, we've had data 

from only three of them," says Adams. Most of the problems have stemmed from a tiny 

experimental GPS system the team is using to reduce weight. When the GPS device fails, the 

balloon continues to transmit data but the readings are useless because the balloon's location 

is unknown. Another problem is that the Sun tends to heat the sensors, giving false 

temperature and humidity readings. "We're working on better shielding for the sensors," he 

says, adding that this should be a fairly straightforward engineering challenge. The team is 

about to test a swarm of balloons operating together for the first time. "That's when NASA 

will evaluate the program again," says Adams, who announced the project this week at the 

Nanotech 2007 conference in Santa Clara, California, US. "But we could be ready for 

daylight launches within a year or so." Night flying will be more difficult for the solarpowered balloons. "But with the right kind of power management to save power at night, we 

could fly them day and night, more or less forever," says Adams. Weather data is spase 

around launch sites because aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and even ordinary 

weather balloons and kites are banned from flying near launch sites before lift-off because of 

their potential to drift into the flight path. However, the smart balloons have a built-in selfdestruct mechanism that releases their helium, bringing them to the ground just before 

launch or if they stray too close to the pad. The plan is to launch five balloons around the 

launch site at hourly intervals and use the data to create detailed models of the local weather 

before the launch. The balloons can be reused, but in practice they are blown so far that 

most are lost. At $500 each, however, the balloons are relatively cheap. "Collecting the data 

in this way is much more cost-effective than using aircraft or conventional balloons," says 

Baize. Web posted. (2007). [NASA develops 'smart' weather balloons for launch sites 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://space.newscientist.com/ [2007, May 23.] 

May 24: Reviews Document NASA's Progress on Next Human 

Spacecraft 

NASA this week wrapped up six months of system requirements reviews for the Orion 

spacecraft, the Ares launch vehicles and other support systems, bringing together the 

Constellation Program's list of basic capability needs. The Constellation Program is 

developing a new space transportation system that will take astronauts to Earth orbit, the 

moon, and eventually to Mars. The basic program architecture for design, development, 

construction and operation of the rockets and spacecraft remains unchanged as a result of 

87
the reviews, but it now has a firmer foundation built through extensive requirements 

allocation, reconciliation, analyses and validation testing. A "baseline synchronization" on 

May 23 followed individual systems requirements reviews, or SRRs, by the Constellation 

Program and the Orion, Ares, Ground Operations, Mission Operations and Extravehicular 

Activity (spacewalk) projects. The synchronization effort was designed to identify any 

conflicts or gaps between and among the projects and the program and to establish a plan 

for resolving those issues. "This has been an eventful spring, known as the 'season of 

SRRs," said Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager at NASA'S Johnson Space Center, 

Houston. "This summer will bring a new season of rolling system definition reviews that vffl 

finish our requirements for initial mission capability and set us up for our first preliminary 

design reviews." The Constellation requirements work was completed at the same time the 

program was dealing with other significant challenges, including development of an 

integrated test schedule, a mission manifest and a budget profile that will support its next 20 

years of work. The program also closely followed the work of NASA's Lunar Architecture 

Team, which is formulating the requirements for a lunar surface outpost development and 

scientific research activities. A lunar architecture system requirements review is expected in 

spring of 2009. "This is an impressive accomplishment in a short period of time, and I'm 

pleased with the dedication and cooperation across projects and attention to detail that has 

gotten us this far," said Chris Hardcastle, Constellation Program systems engineering and 

integration manager atjohnson. The next series of reviews will begin with the Orion system 

definition review in August and continue through another Constellation Program baseline 

synchronization in March 2008. System definition reviews focus on emerging designs for all 

transportation elements and compare the predicted performance of each element against the 

currently baselined requirements. The next significant milestones for the Constellation 

Program are a preliminary design review series in summer 2008 and a critical design review 

series in early 2010. ["Reviews Document NASA's Progress on Next Human Spacecraft," 

NASA News Release #07-122, May 24, 2007.] 

May 25: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-052507. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for June 8, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, 

Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. At Launch Pad 39A, operations are proceeding on schedule 

for a June 8 launch. This week, the hypergolic propellants were loaded into the orbiter and 

solid rocket boosters. Extra Vehicular Mobility Unit Nos. I and 2 (space suits) were installed 

in the orbiter airlock. Functional testing of the external fuel tank camera is complete, and the 

lens cover has been installed. Loading of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen storage 

tanks, which will provide fuel for the shuttle's external fuel tank, is complete. A Flight 

Readiness Review, a two-day meeting to assess preparations for Atlantis' mission, will be 

held on May 30-31. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - 

S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 

2; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, 

Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour's payload bay closeouts are complete, and the 

payload bay doors were closed for rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The 

strongbacks, which are used to support the doors, have been removed. Preparations are 

under way for the landing gear functional test, which is scheduled for next week. System 

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checks are under way, with the Forward Reaction Control System thruster verification 

complete. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the solid rocket 

boosters for STS-1 18 has begun. The left aft and the right aft sections of the boosters were 

lifted into the bay Wednesday and Thursday. The left aft center segment will be lifted into 

the bay Friday night. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (IOA) - 

U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; 

Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, 

Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. Inspections of Discovery's gap fillers, which are located between 

the thermal tiles, are complete. Testing of the Shuttle to Station Power Transfer System is 

under way. Power Reactant Storage and Distribution System testing is complete. Functional 

testing of the atmospheric revitalization pressure control system, part of the orbiter's life 

support system, continued this week. Modifications to Discovery's engine cutoff sensor 

wiring continue, as does the installation of BRI tile around the main landing gear doors and 

external tank doors. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.nasa.gov/ centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations / 

status/ 2007/index.html [2007, May 25.] 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-052507. Mission: Dawn; Location: 

Astrotech Space Operations Facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; 

Launch Date: June 30, 2007; Launch Time: 4:50:13 - 5:10:13 p.m. EDT. Solar array 

installation and deployment tests are scheduled to be completed Friday. The spacecraft is 

scheduled to move to the hazardous processing facility on May 28. Xenon for the Ion 

Propulsion System is scheduled to be loaded aboard June 1-2. Hydrazine, used for spacecraft 

control and maneuvering, will be loaded aboard June 6. The Delta II first stage, originally 

set for hoisting into the launcher on Wednesday, has been rescheduled for May 28 due to 

high wind conditions at Pad 17-B. This will be followed next week by attachment of the nine 

solid rocket boosters. Mission: Phoenix; Location: Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility 

Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 

5:35:18 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft's flight software will be loaded aboard Friday. Guidance 

navigation and control system performance testing is scheduled for May 30-31. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /vw\v.nasa.gov /centers /kennedy/launchingrockets /_status /2007 /index.htnil [2007, 

May 25.]

Lt. Governor at KSC to launch 'Experience' 

Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp travels to Kennedy Space Center this morning to help launch a $60 

million tourist attraction. Kottkamp appears at the Visitor's Complex at 10:30 am. to 

inaugurate the "Shuttle Launch Experience." Opening to the public this weekend, the 

attraction is housed in the six-story Shuttle Launch Simulation Facility that takes visitors 

through the steps of a shuttle launch. Groups of 44 patrons are strapped to a platform that 

jolts them through the 3-g experience of liftoff the thump of booster separation and the 

sudden stop of main engine cut off. Web posted. (2007). [Lt. Governor at KSC to launch 

'Experience' [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.fioridatodav.com/ [2007, May 25.] 

NASA ships Billy 0 back to the Navy 

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The male astronaut involved in the Lisa Nowak love triangle is being shipped back to the 

U.S. Navy, NASA officials said today. Shuttle pilot William Oefelein was told Wednesday 

that his detail to NASA will end on June 1. "The Navy and NASA mutually agreed to end 

his detail to NASA," said Kylie Clem, a spokeswoman at NASA's Johnson Space Center in 

Houston. "NASA has determined that his detail is no longer required for the purposes for 

which it was originally granted." Clem said Oefelein completed his assignment as the pilot 

of shuttle Discovery on an International Space Station assembly mission in December. 

Consequently, he'll be returning to the Navy, she said. Oefelein has yet to receive his orders, 

but his next stop likely will be Naval Network Warfare Command in Little Creek, Va. The 

command is responsible for delivering and operating the reliable, secure and battle-ready 

computer and communications systems needed to support global naval operations. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA ships Billy 0 back to the Navy [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, May 25.] 

'Shuttle Launch Experience' Now Open 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex officially opened Shuttle Launch 

Experience on Friday (May 25). Joining Florida Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and key 

officials for the attraction's premiere were NASA veteran astronauts including Charlie 

Bolden, Rick Searfoss, John Young, Robert Crippin, Buzz Aldrin and Al Worden. The 

culmination of three years of development by veteran Space Shuttle astronauts, renowned 

attraction experts and a design team under the guidance of NASA, Shuttle Launch 

Experience sends visitors through a simulation of launching into Earth's orbit from 

Kennedy Space Center, the birthplace of American space exploration, minutes from 

Orlando. Through sophisticated motion technology, special effects seats and high fidelity 

presentations, the unique experience immerses visitors in the sensations of launching into 

space - going fully vertical in the process. Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons and 

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Chief Operating Officer Daniel LeBlanc joined first 

Space Shuttle Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen for the inaugural launch of 

Shuttle Launch Experience. Astronauts and visitors embarked on the new attraction, 

becoming the first crews of terrestrial explorers to feel the effects of the Space Shuttle's rush 

to Earth's orbit. Web posted. (2007). ['"Shuttle Launch Experience' Now Open at the 

Kennedy Space Center," Press release Delaware North Parks, May 25, 2007.] 

May 29: Cracked pad 37 on the mend 

The 23rd and last defense satellite of its kind is back on schedule for a mid-August launch, 

after damage to pad 37 delayed the launch. Carried to a 23,000-mile orbit on a Delta IV 

Heavy rocket, DSP-23 will be the last of a series of spacecraft first launched in 1970. The 

DSP satellites help detect missile or spacecraft launches and nuclear explosions using sensors 

that record infrared emissions from these intense sources of heat. During Desert Storm, the 

satellite system marked the launches of Iraqi Scud missiles and provided warnings to civilians 

and military forces in Israel and Saudi Arabia. The launch, originally scheduled for March, 

was delayed when two structural cracks were found in the metal launch table at pad 37. An 

investigation found that a liquid oxygen leak during a countdown test exposed the launch 

table to super-cold temperatures, most likely causing the cracks. The leak appeared to be 

from vacuum jacketed liquid oxygen propellant lines inside the launch table, which are used 

to fill the booster tanks. The lines were replaced in 2006, but a cause for the leak has not 

been determined. Repairs are on schedule, said Mike Rein, spokesman for United Launch 

Affiance. The 5,000-pound satellite will be carried into orbit aboard ULA's Delta IV Heavy,
which is configured by binding three Delta W common core rocket boosters together. It 

will be only the second Delta IV Heavy to blast off from the Cape. The first launch was in 

December 2004, when the maiden flight failed to deliver its payload to the desired orbit --

missing one of the test mission's eight objectives. Web posted. (2007). [Cracked pad 37 on 

the mend [Online]. Available W\5(TW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, May 29.] 

May 30: 'Dirty Finger Al' served outdated food at KSC cafeteria, kitchen 

witnesses testify 

Have you or someone you know eaten food prepared by "Dirty Finger Al" at a Kennedy 

Space Center cafeteria? That's the sobriquet for Lackmann Food Services employee Al 

Motto, according to Joseph Georges, a onetime executive chef at KSC and now an 

instructor at the Orlando Culinary Academy. Georges' allegations are part of a lawsuit in a 

case filed in federal court in Orlando by former employee Carolyn Vargas against the 

Woodbury, N.Y.-based contractor that operates the seven KSC cafeterias. The original 

complaint, first reported by Brevard Watchlist in January, claimed Lackmann Food Services 

used weeks-old outdated food, usually disguised in spicy dishes like chili or barbecue. The 

company denied the allegation at the time, saying it actually does about six times better than 

average in its state inspections. But Georges says the allegations match his obserations of six 

years ago. In a sworn affadavit, he says he saw Motto put rotten vegetables into soup and 

cook rancid chicken in Lackmann's cafeteria in the headquarters building. Georges also said 

Motto kept a dumpster within three feet of the back door so employees could dump out-ofdate food when a health inspector visited. "Al Motto was absolutely grotesque in his hygiene 

because of his filthy hands and fingers and his open, oozing sores while he was cooking," 

Georges says in the document, now part of the court file. "In culinary circles in Orlando, he 

is known as 'Dirty Finger Al." Motto said he knew about the allegations in Vargas's lawsuit 

but declined to talk about it. "I will not make any comments," Motto said. With that, he 

hung up. Georges also said Lackmann bought "correctional grade" food to serve at the 

space center, so called because it is used in correctional facilities. Vargas said Motto typically 

prepared Salisbury steak and meat loaf with his bare hands and that Lackmann had served 

potatoes so rotten that they tasted like iodine. "It grossed me out," Vargas said. "All I could 

think was that someone could come down with botulism and it could be fatal." Web posted. 

(2007). ['Dirty Finger Al' served outdated food at KSC cafeteria, kitchen witnesses testify 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ Brevard Watch List blog 

[2007, May 30.]

Atlantis looking good for June 8 as FRR continues 

NASA managers are midway through their two day Flight Readiness Review (FRR), with all 

elements of flight rationale being evaluated for Atlantis' launch. NASA is working towards 

announcing June 8 as the official launch date for STS-1 17. The only issue that is gaining 

some level of discussion relates to the aluminum housing/inserts for flange bolts that hold 

the Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbo Pump (LPOTP) in place inside the main engines. 

However, this has received a waiver and flight rationale. At present, the main threats to the 

June 8 launch remain the weather, possible complications arises from the two EVAs being 

undertaken by Expedition 15 on the International Space Station (ISS), or a future problem 

ahead of lift-off. All concerns with ET-1 24 were addressed ahead of rollout from the 

Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and no further issues have been noted since. The same 

can also be said about evaluations surrounding Atlantis' Composite Ovenvrap Pressure 

Vessels. One issue that is being discussed at the FRR relates to the LPOTP. This gained 

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attention at last week's Program Control Requirements Board (PRCB) meeting, which 

ultimately approved a waiver, allowing STS-1 17 to proceed, with future waivers expected for 

the next two ifights. 'The aluminum housing of the Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbo Pump 

(LPOTP) utilizes silver plated A-286 inserts for the flange-bolt female threads,' noted NASA 

information. 'One of the 05 joint inserts on LPOTP 4606 pulled out during joint installation 

stretch (preload) operations at SSC (Stennis Space Center). 'Since this was the third 

occurrence of insert pullout in five years (and the eighth overall), folks began thinking this 

was more than just a random failure type happening. There has been however, no evidence 

of joint leakage in program history.' The cause is believed to be related to corrosion, and the 

observed issue poses no issue to flight safety. However, evaluations proceeded to work on 

the instance of two adjacent blots show the same problem. 'Analysis shows that one bolt 

out poses no problems and 1.2 Factor of Safety is maintained even with 10 of 14 uniformly 

spaced bolts remaining. What is not known is the capability remaining if two or more 

adjacent bolts lose preload. 'In the problem history, most 'seem' to be associated with age 

life of >16 yrs, although there have also been occurrences at 5-10 yrs. Corrosion was noted 

on only one of the problem inserts, and that was on a 28-yr LPOTP housing.' Most 

importantly, the PRCB meeting emphasized that Atlantis doesn't even have one of the raised 

inserts. Endeavour was also checked, and found to have no raised inserts either. On OV104 (STS-1 17) visual inspections have confirmed no raised inserts, and the preload has been 

reconfirmed on all. The LPOTP housings are also 'low time' relative to fleet experience. 

Also, haz gas monitoring is in place in the aft compartment during launch count. 'Based on 

the Acceptance Rationale, the PRCB accepted the waiver for STS-1 17 only and wifi entertain 

a waiver for STS-118 and STS-120 when those inserts have been inspected and preload 

verified. Oversized inserts have been ordered and will replace the standard insert as they 

become available.' Given the above, the FRR wouldn't normally have this subject discussed 

further. However, due to a dissenting opinion from a MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) 

manager - which is very much encouraged in the new openness of NASA evaluations - 

NASA managers have decided to give his opinion an airing. Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis 

looking good for June 8 as FRR continues [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /wvw.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, May 30.] 

Phoenix readies for launch 

NASA's next Mars spacecraft arrived this month at Kennedy Space Center, where the lander 

will be readied for a late-summer launch on a mission to search for signs of past or present 

microbial life in the Martian arctic. Riding atop a United Launch Affiance Delta 2 rocket, the 

Phoenix spacecraft is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 5:35 

a.m. Aug. 3. The liftoff will propel the top-shaped craft on a nine-month journey to Mars, a 

planet that scientists think was once warmer, wetter and perhaps more hospitable to 

primitive life. The delivery to KSC marked the start of a three-month campaign to perform 

fmal checkouts of spacecraft systems and scientific instruments. The spacecraft arrived at 

KSC after a cross-country trip from its manufacturing plant in Denver. It was transported to 

a payload processing facility in the KSC Industrial Area, where it was uncrated and readied 

for extensive tests of its systems and science instruments. NASA contractor United Launch 

Affiance wifi begin building up a Delta 2 rocket at Launch Complex I 7A in the third week of 

June. The rocket's first stage will be hoisted and then nine strap-on solid rocket boosters 

will be raised and attached to it. The second stage will be added in early July followed by the 

spacecraft about three weeks later. The rocket's payload fairing -- the protective nosecone 

that wifi surround the lander -- will be installed a week before liftoff. The lander's arrival at 

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the launch site buoyed the spirits of program managers and project scientists. "We're excited 

to be going back to Mars," said Ed Sedivy, program manager with spacecraft manufacturer 

Lockheed Martin. The mission is a joint endeavor of the U.S., Canada, Denmark, 

Switzerland, Germany and Finland. Web posted. (2007). [Phoenix readies for launch 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, May 30.] 

NASA managers mull shuttle engine issue 

A potential shuttle main engine problem that could trigger a catastrophic failure in flight will 

be discussed by NASA managers during a ifight readiness review for the upcoming launch of 

shuttle Atlantis, but liftoff likely will remain set for June 8. With seven astronauts on board, 

Atlantis is tentatively scheduled to blast off from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center 

at 7:38 p.m. June 8, setting sail on an 11-day International Space Station assembly mission. 

The launch date and time are expected to be firmed up during a two-day flight readiness 

review that began this morning at KSC. Among topics on the agenda: a potential problem 

with bolts that hold low-pressure turbopumps in their housings within the shuttle's three 

liquid-fueled main engines. Engineers uncovered evidence that sleeve-like inserts the bolts 

are screwed into could be corroded. If so, the inserts and the bolts could come loose, 

triggering a potentially catastrophic leak of liquid oxygen in flight. But it appears that the 

silver-plated inserts on Atlantis' engines are not old enough to have rusted. Moreover, 

boroscope inspections showed the bolts appear to be in good condition. Nonetheless, 

managers will review the issue and consider an option to delay the Atlantis flight until 

August so that inserts on the shuttle's engines can be replaced. "It's obviously going to be 

discussed thoroughly," said Kyle Herring, a spokesman for NASA's Johnson Space Center in 

Houston. "Both sides will be brought to management, and then they'll be able to make a 

decision." Powered by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, the shuttle's three main engines 

ignite 6.6 seconds prior to liftoff and run throughout an 8.5-minute climb into orbit. The 18-

inch by 18-inch Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbopumps are six-stage turbines that boost the 

pressure of liquid oxygen in the engines. The pressure boost enables a High-Pressure 

Oxidizer Turbopump to operate at high speeds without running dry. The issue cropped up 

when one of the 14 inserts holding a low-pressure turbopump in an engine being tested at 

Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss., pulled out of its bolt hole. It was the third 

occurrence in five years -- and the eighth in the history of the shuttle program -- so NASA 

launched an investigation. Engineers found that inserts that are greater than 16 years old 

have a tendency to fail due to corrosion. NASA ordered the replacement of all inserts with 

oversized versions that have been treated with anti-corrosion material. A waiver was signed 

to allow the Atlantis launch to proceed because the inserts in its engines range from three to 

nine years old and their condition was verified through extra inspections before Atlantis was 

returned to its launch pad earlier this month. In addition, engineers recorded no leakage 

during routine tests conducted in preparation for the upcoming launch. Senior managers 

vffl be asked to approve the waiver at the flight readiness review. The two-day management 

meeting is expected to wrap up about noon Thursday. Web posted. (2007). [NASA 

managers mull shuttle engine issue [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, May 30.] 

May 31: NASA Gives "GO" For Space Shuttle Launch on June 8 

On Thursday, NASA senior managers selected June 8 as the official launch date for space 

shuttle Atlantis. Commander Rick Sturckow and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 

7:38 p.m. EDT on the STS-117 mission to the International Space Station. During the 11-

93
day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work with flight controllers at NASA's 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, to install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss 

and deploy a set of solar arrays. The mission will increase the International Space Station's 

power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European 

and Japanese space agencies. Atlantis' launch date was announced at the Flight Readiness 

Review. During the two-day meeting, top NASA and contractor managers assess any risks 

associated with the mission and determine whether the shuttle's equipment, support systems 

and procedures are ready for flight. The first Flight Readiness Review for STS-1 17 was held 

Feb. 27-28. A hail storm on Feb. 26, however, damaged Atlantis' external fuel tank and 

delayed the planned mid-March launch. "While we cannot control the weather, this team 

can ensure that when we do launch, it will be as safely as possible," said Associate 

Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who chaired the meetings. "This 

second Flight Readiness Review was as thorough as the first. The discussions were open, 

healthy, and are evidence of a team that is ready for a complicated and important station 

assembly mission." Joining Commander Sturckow on STS-117 will be Pilot Lee 

Archambault and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny" 

Olivas, Jim Reilly and Clayton Anderson. Anderson will replace current station crew member 

Sunita Williams, who has lived on the station since December. Williams will return to Earth 

on Atlantis. ["NASA Gives "GO" For Space Shuttle Launch on June 8," NASA News 

Release #07-127, May 31, 2007.] 

Increased Defense around KSC For Shuttle Launch 

The North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Air Force will greatly step 

up combat air patrols around Kennedy Space Center in the days leading up to the 

countdown and planned launch of the space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-1 17 mission June 8. 

A mix of F-I 5s and F-I 6s from several Air National Guard units assigned to the First Air 

Force are to be on patrol early next week to thwart any airborne terrorist attack against the 

shuttle. Some of the fighters also will fly air defense deterrence missions in the days before 

scheduled liftoff. The deterrence missions are designed to be seen by citizen pilots - and 

potential terrorists - that might be in the area. They will involve the fighters flying low 

approaches into airports in the Kennedy Space Center area. The F-15s and F-16s, assisted 

by Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), also are to be refueled in a highly 

visible manner by KC-135 tankers to make their presence abundantly known to pilots not up 

on the no-fly rules around Kennedy, and any potential airborne terrorists that would be shot 

down by these combat air patrols. Web posted. (2007). [Increased Defense Around KSC 

For Shuttle Launch [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.aviationwcek.com/ [2007, 

May 31.]

Atlantis passes readiness review for next week's flight 

NASA managers today wrapped up a two-day flight readiness review and cleared the shuttle 

Atlantis and its seven-member crew for blastoff June 8, at 7:38 p.m., on a hail-delayed 

mission to deliver a new set of solar arrays to the international space station. "We had a very 

good review over the past day and half" said Bill Gerstenmaier, director of space operations 

at NASA headquarters. "I have two things I'd like to announce. First, we've set the launch 

date for June 8 at 7:38 in the evening. And the second thing is that there was no hail storm 

the evening before the meeting began." Launch originally was scheduled for March 15, but 

the flight was delayed in the wake of a freak hail storm Feb. 26 - the day before the original 

flight readiness review - that caused major damage to foam insulation protecting the shuttle's 

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external tank. That damage has now been repaired, and shuttle Program Manager Wayne 

Hale said there are no other major issues to be resolved. "We have a team, particularly in the 

external tank area, that was hit with this unforeseen and unexpected occurrence of the hail 

storm," he said. "In spite of a great deal of work that had to be done, they accomplished it in 

a very professional manner. ... We are extremely confident, we have done perfectly good 

repairs and we will have a tank that is safe to fly." The astronauts are scheduled to fly to the 

Kennedy Space Center from Houston Monday evening, arriving around 6:30 p.m. If all goes 

well, engineers will begin Atlantis' countdown at 9 p.m. Tuesday. "The processing out at the 

launch pad is going extremely well," said Launch Director Mike Leinbach. "We got our 

ordnance on board the ship last night, we'll be pressurizing our hypergolic and MPS (main 

propulsion system) tanks over the weekend, we have one more round of battery charging for 

the payload and we'll be ready to pick up the launch countdown Tuesday night. Atlantis' 

launch period extends through July 19. But a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket carrying a 

classified National Reconnaissance Office payload is scheduled for launch from the Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station the morning of June 14. NASA can make four attempts to 

launch Atlantis over a five-day period - June 8, 9, 11 and 12 - before standing down for the 

Atlas and to top off on-board supplies of hydrogen and oxygen. The shuttle launch period 

would reopen on June 17, regardless of whether the Atlas went on June 14 or 15. Web 

posted. (2007). [Atlantis passes readiness review for next week's flight [Online]. Available 

W\XTW: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, May 31.] 

During May: Spacecraft and launch vehicle processing 

Spacecraft and launch vehicle processing at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 

are building to a peak for two planned planetary launches this summer. The Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory Dawn spacecraft is set for a June 30 launch to the asteroid Vesta and dwarf 

planet Ceres, and on Aug. 3 the JPL Phoenix lander will lift off for Mars. Phoenix is 

scheduled to arrive at Kennedy from a Lockheed Martin facility near Denver. The 

spacecraft will begin a final series of tests but unlike previous Mars landers, it already will 

have been largely integrated inside its aeroshell. Only the bottom and landing gear will be 

visible. Launch-site technicians will conduct final tests on Phoenix inside the shell and also 

attach its Mars atmospheric entry heat shield. Phoenix is designed to emerge from the 

aeroshell only moments before touchdown on Mars in May 2008. To hit is planetary launch 

window, Phoenix must lift off by Aug. 25. Meanwhile, the Dawn spacecraft built by Orbital 

Sciences already is well into fmal assembly at the Astrotech commercial processing facilities 

near the Cape. Its Delta II Heavy booster is also being erected on Launch Complex 17B. 

Final Dawn instrument tests are beginning, and solar arrays spanning 65 ft. are to be 

installed May 21-24. The arrays will power Dawn's ion propulsion system to drive the 

spacecraft into orbit around Vesta in October 2011 and then out of orbit in 2012 and on 

toward Ceres. Dawn must launch by July 19. ["Spacecraft and launch vehicle," Aviation 

Week & Space Technology. May 7/14, 2007, p 23.]
JUNE 

June 1: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-060107. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: June 8; 2007; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, 

Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. At the Launch Readiness Review meeting this week, Space 

Shuttle Program managers officially set the STS-1 17 launch date for June 8. At Launch Pad 

39A, operations are proceeding on schedule to meet that date. This week, the orbiter, 

ground and solid rocket booster pyro initiator circuit resistance tests were completed. The 

orbiter midbody umbilical unit mate operations were also performed. Aft closeout 

operations are under way, with completion scheduled for this weekend. Stowage of flight 

crew equipment is in progress, and ordnance installation is complete. This weekend, the 

orbiter's main engines, orbital maneuvering system and forward reaction control system will 

be pressurized for flight. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight 

(13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing 

Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, 

Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, Endeavour's aero 

surfaces, such as the elevons, body flaps and rudder speed brake, are configured for modal 

testing, which checks the structural integrity of the vehicle. Nose landing gear door rigging is 

nearing completion. Closeout of the orbiter's aft and forward sections is under way. Work is 

also nearing completion on structural leak checks of the orbital maneuvering system pods, 

forward compartment and forward reaction control system. In high bay No. I of the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the solid rocket boosters continues for STS-1 18. 

Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (1OA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: 

Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Metroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, 

Nespoli and Tani; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Testing of 

the "shuttle to station power transfer system" is complete. Functional testing of the 

atmospheric revitalization pressure control system, part of the orbiter's life support system, 

continued this week. Modifications to Discovery's engine cutoff sensor wiring continue, as 

does the installation of BRI tile around the main landing gear doors and external tank doors. 

Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html

[2007, June 1.]

NASA Starts Space Shuttle Atlantis Countdown June 5 

NASA will start the launch countdown for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-1 17 mission at 9 p.m. 

EDT Tuesday, June 5, at the T-43 hour point. The countdown includes 27 hours, 32 

minutes of built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at approximately 7:38 p.m. 

EDT Friday, June 8. The launch window extends an additional five minutes. During the 11-

day mission, Atlantis' crew will resume construction of the International Space Station, 

working with the station crew to install the girder-like S3/S4 truss segment, unfold a new set 

of solar arrays and retract one array on the starboard side of the station. This mission is the
118th space shuttle flight, the 28th ifight for Atlantis and the 21St U.S. flight to the 

International Space Station. STS-1 17 is scheduled to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, 

Fla., on Tuesday, June 19. Atlantis' last mission was STS-1 15 in September 2006. For the 

upcoming STS-1 17 mission, Atlantis rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A from Kennedy's Vehicle 

Assembly Building on May 15. Atlantis originally was targeted for launch in March, but a hail 

storm damaged foam insulation on the shuttle's external fuel tank and forced managers to 

roll the spacecraft back into the Vehicle Assembly Building to make repairs. With the 

refurbishment of Pad 39-A, this launch will be the first from the pad in four years. STS-117 

Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and mission specialists Jim Reilly, 

Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny" Olivas and Clayton Anderson are 

scheduled to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center on June 4. Expedition 15 Flight Engineer 

Sunita Williams will return to Earth from the space station aboard Atlantis. The flight will 

carry Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson to the station. He will return 

home aboard space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-120. ["NASA Starts Space Shuttle 

Atlantis Countdown June 5," NASA Media Advisoiy #M07-61, June 1, 2007.] 

NASA confident of launch 

With NASA engineers confident in the safety of extensive repairs to the external tank, space 

shuttle Atlantis remains on schedule for a 7:38 p.m. June 8 launch. During a two-day Flight 

Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center, engineers and managers examined at least 100 

technical issues and discussed the tank repairs for half a day. At the conclusion of the review, 

they gave the go-ahead to proceed toward a launch countdown next week. "Everybody was 

'go,' "shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said Thursday, after the review. Assuming a 

worst-case scenario, engineers calculated a I in 650 chance of damage from a debris strike in 

flight. However, studies indicate that most of the possible foam loss from repairs would fly 

away from the orbiter. A Feb. 26 hailstorm damaged the foam-coated tank and caused a 

three-month launch delay. Some 2,500 divots were repaired and the nose was shaved and 

resurfaced. Similarly:repaired tanks have weathered 47 flights, and repair techniques have 

been tested in wind tunnels, with heat and in vacuums. On a separate matter, Hale said 

suspect bolt sleeves in the shuttle's main engines were inspected and found safe to fly. 

Atlantis vffl deliver a giant girder and solar panel that are part of a central truss, components 

that vffl help prepare the station for the addition of European and Japanese science 

laboratories later this year and next year. Landing is scheduled for 2:44 p.m. June 19. 

["NASA confident of launch" Florida Today, June 1, 2007. pIB & 4B.] 

KSC food contractor denies problems 

A food-safety official at the company that operates the cafeterias at Kennedy Space Center 

responded today to allegations that a kitchen worker named "Dirty Finger Al" served spoiled 

food. Heath Braunstein, the director of food safety for Lackmann Culinary Services, said 

the company "takes great pride in the quality of food that we serve." He said Lackmann 

Culinary Services serves more than I million meals a year at the seven cafeterias it operates at 

Kennedy Space Center and has never had a reported case of food-borne illness. The 

allegations are contained in a federal lawsuit by former culinary worker Carolyn Vargas who 

says she was fired after she reported problems with spoiled, outdated meat and other food 

being served to space center workers. Witness Joseph Georges, a one-time executive chef at 

IKSC and now an instructor at the Orlando Culinary Academy, said in a sworn affidavit that 

he saw Lackmann employee Al Motta put rotten vegetables into soup and cook rancid 

chicken in Lackmann's cafeteria in the KSC headquarter's building. He said Motta was 

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"absolutely grotesque in his hygiene because of his filthy hands and fingers and his open, 

oozing sores while he was cooking. In culinary circles in Orlando, he is known as Dirty 

Finger Al.? Says food-safety director Braunstein: "Mr. Motta and all of our chefs, managers 

and employees follow all required sanitary practices -- including regular, frequent hand 

washing and the use of food handler gloves when handling any food products." He said 

Vargas and Georges are disgruntled former employees. "Mr. Georges in fact was employed 

by our company for just a few months and was subsequently terminated due to failing a 

required screening test,?? Braunstein said. Braunstein said managers and chefs label and date 

all food and promptly throw out any food that has spoiled or exceeded the date by which it 

is supposed to be used. Web posted. (2007). [KSC food contractor denies problems, says 

'Dirty Finger Al' washes, wears gloves [Online]. Available W'WW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatoday.com/ Brevard watch blog [2007, June 11.] 

June 2: Union Strike Possible at USA? 

The local chapter of International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers 

representing employees in the NASA KSC area has rejected an offer from United Space 

Affiance. There is a 5 day cooling off period now in effect during which both sides wifi try 

and work out their differences. Should no agreement be reached the employees could go on 

strike - perhaps as early as 9 June. The next shuttle mission is scheduled to launch on 8 June. 

No word yet as to whether this threat of a strike will affect launch preparations for STS-1 17. 

Web posted. (2007). [Union Strike Possible at USA? [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasawatch.com/ [2007, June 2].] 

Officials seeking $5M for retraining 

The Brevard Workforce Development Board is seeking a $5 million federal grant to help 

workers at Kennedy Space Center find new jobs in the area as NASA plans to phase out the 

space shuttle program in coming years. The Brevard Workforce Development Board has 

applied for the U.S. Department of Labor grant with the Florida High Tech Council, a 

coalition of economic-development organizations and community colleges promoting hightech industry in Central Florida. A decision from the Department of Labor on the grant 

application is expected sometime this month. The money would be used for job-training 

and placement services for workers laid off from the shuttle program, with the goal of 

helping them fmd other high-wage jobs in technology fields in Brevard County and across 

Central Florida, said Lisa Rice, the board's president and executive director. "Five million 

dollars is a drop in the bucket" for what may be needed for job training and placement if 

there are massive layoffs at Kennedy Space Center, Rice said. Rice said officials have not 

specified the extent of potential job losses at KSC. "We've heard everything from there 

won't be much impact to up to 10,000" jobs lost, she said. There are about 70 applicants for 

the Labor Department grants, but "we were told only 13 will be selected" to receive the 

grants, Rice said. If selected, the board would receive the money over a three-year period. 

The first phase of the program would include a "work-force capabilities and skills analysis" 

of Space Center workers. The job training would come in the second phas, and the last 

phase would involve regional planning geared to economic development. NASA plans to 

retire the shuttle fleet in 2010, with flights of the next-generation moon rockets and Orion 

spacecraft expected to begin several years after that. Web posted. (2007). [Officials seeking 

$5M for retraining [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ [2007, June 

2].]

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Orbiters feel pains of aging 

NASA is moving to protect ground crews, astronauts and VIPs from potential disaster, 

closing shuttle Atlantis' launch pad to all but essential personnel even before a three-day 

countdown starts Tuesday. No up-close-and-personal tours will take place at Kennedy 

Space Center's launch pad 39A next week after NASA fmishes pressurizing helium and 

nitrogen tanks aboard the 22-year-old spaceship, which is scheduled to launch at 7:38 p.m. 

Friday. The precaution is being taken to reduce the risk created by aging pressure vessels in 

the orbiter that could burst, triggering a rocket fuel fire or explosion that might injure or kill 

workers and seriously damage the launch pad. Web posted. (2007). [Orbiters feel pains of 

aging [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, June 2].] 

Despite NASA's weird year, Atlantis crew has focused on 

mission 

This has been a weird year for the U.S. space agency, more notable for contributing a story 

line for the TV series "Law & Order" than for spaceffight. NASA bosses hope a June 8 

launch of the shuttle Atlantis and a successful mission to the international space station will 

fade some of the past months' more sensational scenes. Predictably, Atlantis commander 

Rick Sturckow said he and his crew haven't been distracted from their preparations for 

continuing construction of the space station. "We've just been focused on our training and 

are ready to go," Sturckow said. But NASA has had several months' worth of troubling 

distractions. In February, astronaut Lisa Nowak, the married mother of three children, was 

arrested on charges that she tried to kidnap a woman who had won the affections of her 

astronaut-paramour. Nowak has pleaded not guilty and her trial is set for September. She 

had been scheduled to work on this mission's ground team, working with the astronauts in 

space and Mission Control, but NASA dismissed her a month after her arrest. As NASA 

looked forward to a March shuttle launch that would return the agency to a more positive 

light, golfball-sized hail from a freak February storm pocked Atlantis' fuel tank. Liftoff was 

canceled. A few months later, with just six weeks left until the new June launch date, a 

seventh astronaut, Clayton Anderson, was added to Atlantis' crew - a jarring adjustment 

that meant working overtime to get Anderson on track with his duties during the mission. 

There also was a murder-suicide at Houston's Johnson Space Center and the derailment of a 

train carrying rocket booster segments for future shuttle flights. Neither event directly 

involved Atlantis' mission. "I think life presents challenges in many shapes and sizes and part 

of the way we deal with those challenges shapes who we are," Anderson told The Associated 

Press recently. "They weren't the greatest of times, but I'm looking forward to (Atlantis) 

getting off and cranking back up again so we can focus on the things that are positive." 

Atlantis had been scheduled to lift off in mid-March as the first space shuttle mission of the 

year. But the hail storm left thousands of clings to the insulation foam that prevents ice from 

building up on the external fuel tank. Technicians painstakingly sanded down damaged foam 

and applied new foam to the 154-foot-tall external tank. "They have shown real American 

grit in being able to face adversity and keep on doing what needs to be done to advance the 

American space program," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said of the technicians. 

NASA's ambitious schedule of five space flights this year was cut to four because of the 

Atlantis delay. That led to more rejiggering, bumping Anderson up to this flight instead of 

his planned August mission on space shuttle Endeavour. He will replace astronaut Sunita 

"Sum" Williams as a crew member on the space station. Atlantis will deliver a third pair of 

solar arrays, a mirror image of another 17 1/2 -ton segment delivered to the space station 

last September aboard Atlantis. The crew is scheduled to take three spacewalks; a fourth
may be added. NASA managers also are leaving open the possibility of extending the 

mission to 13 days if all the tasks can't be done in 11 days. Web posted. (2007). [Despite 

NASA's weird year, Atlantis crew has focused on mission [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.chron.com/ [2007, June 2].] 

Broken crane delays Dawn launch 

A broken crane has stopped preparations for the June 30 launch of a spacecraftbound to 

study two asteroids. The crane broke Wednesday and at least three days of work have been 

lost. It's not clear when NASA's Dawn mission wifi launch, but the delay will increase until 

the machine is fixed. "It's a day-for-day slip," Kennedy Space Center spokesman Bill 

Johnson said. The crane mechanism sits above the Delta II rocket at pad I 7A at Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station. The part called the sheave nest, which guides cables, 

malfunctioned during the installation of a solid rocket booster. No damage to the rocket was 

reported. Neither NASA officials nor the military could estimate when the crane would be 

repaired. Dawn will visit two of the solar system's largest asteroids, which have remained 

intact since they formed. Ceres and Vesta are in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 

They could provide clues to the formation of our solar system. Web posted. (2007). [Broken 

crane delays Dawn launch [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/

[2007, June 2].] 

June 3: Shuttle workers vote to strike 

A union representing about 570 United Space Affiance space shuttle program workers at the 

Kennedy Space Center voted to strike Saturday morning after unsuccessful contract 

negotiations. The bargaining team for the International Association of Machinist and 

Aerospace Workers rejected the company's contract offer calling it "substandard" compared 

with other aerospace companies, said Lynn Beattie, a member of the bargaining team and 

former Local 2061 president. Health care and retirement benefits were among the major 

contract grievances. Both sides wifi have a chance to solve the conflict during a five-day 

"cooling off period" but the union could strike as early as midnight June 9. In a statement 

released Saturday, the company said it would use other employees to prepare for upcoming 

launches if a strike occurs. Local 2061 provides various support services such as machinists, 

electric technicians, air-conditioning mechanics, painters and elevators technicians. Web 

posted. (2007). [Shuttle workers vote to strike [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatodav.com / [2007, June I .1 

Scientists woriy about loss of Delta II rockets 

The Delta II has a phenomenal record. With 123 launches, its reliability record comes in at 

98.3 percent. It has also been the brightest spot for Boeing and then United Launch Affiance 

in an otherwise anemic commercial market. Its success, and the unique role it plays in the 

domestic satellite-launch market, has scientists worried. A May 2 meeting of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, part of the House Committee on Science and 

Technology, was almost funereal. Garth Illingsworth, an astronomer at the University of 

California in Santa Cruz, worried about "the cost of launch vehicles with the demise of the 

Delta II launchers. This has the potential to be a serious issue for the small-to-medium scale 

(scientific) missions." Alan Stern, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission 

Directorate, called the Delta II "the reliable workhorse for launching science missions." 

Stern lamented that "the supplier of that launcher is getting out of the Delta II business in 

favor of larger and more expensive Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles." Several experts, 

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citing the end of the Delta II program, called for greater U.S. investment in research to come 

up with ways to reduce the cost of launch vehicles. Many experts expressed concerns that 

EELVs are Cadillacs when, for many science missions, a Volkswagen would do. Web 

posted. (2007). [Scientists worry about loss of Delta II rockets [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.decaturdaily.com/ [2007, June 3].] 

Rescuers practice for bailout - Rescuers from the 920th Rescue Wing jumped into the Atlantic Ocean from an HH-60G 

Pave Hawk helicopter hovering low about 30 miles off the coast of Port Canaveral. The 

exercise was a simulated space shuttle accident that sent seven astronauts into the ocean. 

About 80 members of the 920th Rescue Wing from three squadrons and members of the 

103w" Rescue Squadron of the New York Air National Guard, in addition to NASA 

personnel, participated in the exercise in anticipation of the shuttle mission set for Friday. 

The 920th Rescue Wing's primary mission is combat rescue, but its mission also includes 

supporting shuttle and rocket launches. ["Rescuers practice for bailout," Florida Today, 

June 4, 2007, p 3B.] 

June 4: NASA may leave door open for Webb telescope servicing 

While NASA is doing everything it can to ensure that its upcoming James Webb Space 

Telescope won't need to be serviced by astronauts like the Hubble telescope following its 

2013 launch, the agency may leave the door open to the possibility. When orbiting at the 

second Lagrange point roughly 1,000,000 miles from Earth, Webb will be too far out for any 

current manned spacecraft to reach. But NASA is nonetheless considering adding a 

lightweight grapple fixture to the telescope that might allow for future manned or robotic 

spacecraft to rendezvous with it in the event it requires "emergency servicing." Once 

engineers complete their study of the grapple next year, they will present the results to 

NASA headquarters in Washington, where the fmal decision will be made. E-mail 

distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Dail y & Defense Report Re: "NASA may 

leave door open for possible Webb telescope servicing," [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 45, IJune 

3, 2007.].]

NASA to start STS-117 launch countdown on June 5 

NASA will start the launch countdown for STS-117 at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, June 

5, at the T-43 hour point. The countdown includes 27 hours, 32 minutes of built-in hold 

time leading to a preferred liftoff time at approximately 7:38 p.m. Friday, June 8. During the 

11-day assembly mission to the International Space Station, shuttle Atlantis' crew will help 

install the S3/S4 truss segment, unfold a new set of solar arrays and retract one array on the 

station's starboard side. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "NASA to start STS-1 17 launch countdown on June 5," [Electronic]. 

Vol. 222, No. 45, IJune 3, 2007.].] 

Pad 17 crane to be fixed mid-week 

Preparations for the delayed launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft from launch complex 17 

are expected to resume mid-week, when a broken crane is expected to be repaired, said a 

spokesman for the U.S. Air Force. The crane broke Wednesday, and apparently caused at 

least a week's delay in the scheduled June 30 launch. The broken crane mechanism sits 

above the Delta II rocket. No damage to the rocket was reported. The Dawn spacecraft will 

visit two of the solar system's largest asteroids, which have remained intact since they 

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formed. Ceres and Vesta are in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They evolved 

very differently and could provide clues to the formation of our solar system. Web posted. 

(2007). [Pad 17 crane to be fixed mid-week [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, June 4].] 

Atlantis crew arrives at KSC 

Seven astronauts arrived safely from Houston on Monday, ready to enter quarantine and 

begin the countdown this evening for a 7:38 p.m. Friday launch. During the crew's 

traditional arrival in T-38 jets, Commander Rick Sturckow said the astronauts also completed 

an aviator's tradition of inspecting their craft, whose external tank undenvent massive repairs 

after a February hailstorm damaged the foam shell. "We just flew by the launch pad. It looks 

good," said Sturckow, a Marine combat pilot on his third mission to the International Space 

Station. NASA engineers last week said similar external tank repairs have proven safe on 47 

flights. After arrival Monday, the crew inspected the Atlantis' cargo before the cargo bay 

doors close today at 10 am. The crew is now quarantined from family and friends to keep 

them from becoming ill in space. Led by Sturckow, the crew includes pilot Lee 

Archambault, an Air Force colonel, and spacewalkers James Reilly, Steven Swanson, Patrick 

Forrester and John Olivas. An additional crew member, Clayton Anderson, vffl remain on 

the station, replacing Sunita "Suni" Williams, who returns on Atlantis after seven months in 

space. Atlantis will deliver a truss and solar array to prepare the station to operate scientific 

laboratory modules scheduled for delivery later. Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis crew arrives 

at KSC [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, June 5].] 

June 5: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-060507. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: June 8, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, 

Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. Launch preparations remain on schedule for Friday's 7:38 p.m. 

EDT launch of space shuttle mission STS-117. Atlantis' aft compartment is closed for flight, 

and all of the orbiter's main engines, the orbital maneuvering system and the forward 

reaction control system have been pressurized. The payload bay doors were opened Monday 

to accomplish payload battery charging and will be closed for flight today. Last evening, 

Atlantis' crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center and began fmal preparations for launch. The 

call to stations for the launch team will be at 8:30 EDT tonight. The official launch 

countdown will begin at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available W'(7W: http://wwrw.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedv/shuttleoperations/status/2007 /index.html [2007, June 5.] 

NASA Shuttle Engine Upgrades Improve Safety and Reliability 

A main engine computer upgrade will fly on space shuttle Atlantis during the STS-1 17 

mission, targeted for launch June 8. The upgrade is part of NASA's continuing efforts to 

improve space shuttle safety and reliability. The Advanced Health Management System, or 

AHMS, will provide new monitoring and insight into the performance of the two most 

critical components of the space shuttle main engine: the high-pressure fuel turbopump and 

the high-pressure oxidizer turbopump. This latest improvement is to the controller, the onengine computer that monitors and controls all main engine operations. The improvement 

allows an engine to shut down during launch if vibration levels exceed safe limits. AHMS 

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consists of advanced digital signal processors, radiation-hardened memory and new software. 

Space shuttle main engines operate at greater temperature extremes than any mechanical 

system in common use today. These powerful engines are clustered at the aft end of the 

shuttle and have a combined thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds. Each is 14 feet long, is 

seven and one-half feet in diameter at the nozzle exit, weighs approximately 7,750 pounds 

and generates more than 12 million horsepower. ["NASA Shuttle Engine Upgrades 

Improve Safety and Reliability," NASA News Release #07-130, June 5, 2007.] 

A Piece of the Past Hitches A Ride On Next Space Shuttle 

Mission 

A small piece of early American history will become the latest space traveler with the liftoff 

of NASA's space shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis is scheduled to launch Friday, June 8 at 7:38 p.m. 

EDT for the STS-1 17 mission to the International Space Station. A nearly 400-year-old 

metal cargo tag bearing the words "Yames To\vne" and some commemorative mementoes 

are packed in Atlantis' middeck floor cargo space for the roundtrip flight to the International 

Space Station. Their hitchhike through the galaxy honors this year's 400th anniversary of 

Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in North America. "We found the 

tag at the bottom of a well during a dig at the James Fort," said William M. Kelso, director of 

archaeology at Historic Jamestowne for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia 

Antiquities. "It appears to be a discarded shipping tag from a crate or trunk that arrived from 

England around 1611. The artifact clearly marks Jamestown as a destination - our nation's 

first address." NASA has teamed with Jamestown 2007 to promote the spirit of exploration 

then, now and in the future. The artifacts' out-of-this-world trip is just one of a number of 

events held during the last 18 months that have commemorated the nation's pioneering 

spirit. When the one-inch in diameter artifact lands back on Earth, it will have logged more 

than four million miles spanning four centuries. It will have traveled from England to 

Jamestown, then to and from the space station. Two sets of Jamestown commemorative 

coins, authorized by Congress and issued by the U.S. Mint, also are on Atlantis. NASA will 

return the shipping tag to Historic Jamestowne where it wifi join hundreds of other artifacts 

in a new archaeological museum called the Archaearium. Since 1994, archaeologists at the 

Jamestown Rediscovery project have dug up more than a million items, including the longlost remains of James Fort. For centuries, the fort was believed to have eroded into the 

James River. ["A Piece of the Past Hitches A Ride On Next Space Shuttle Mission," 

NASA News Release #07-131, June 5, 2007.] 

USA plans to use substitute workers 

United Space Affiance is making plans to use substitute workers to temporarily fill space 

shuttle program jobs, if 570 union workers go on strike at Kennedy Space Center. The 

contract stalemate between United Space Affiance - NASA's main shuttle contractor - 

and Local 2061 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 

comes in the days leading up to Friday's scheduled launch of the shuttle Atlantis. Some job 

assignments for the launch would be affected only if the launch is delayed, because the 

earliest a strike would occur is Sunday, company and union officials said Tuesday. 

Atlantis already is on the launch pad, and most of Local 2061's work in preparing for the 

launch has been completed, United Space Affiance spokeswoman Tracy Yates said. 

She said the union represents about 10 percent of the company's work force at Cape 

Canaveral. Yates said there are some union jobs that would need to be temporarily filled by 

engineers, technicians and others on the company's payroll if.there is a strike before the 

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launch. Web posted. (2007). [USA plans to use substitute workers [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /W\v\V. floridatoday.corn/ [2007, June 5].] 

Delta 2 launch set for weekiong delay 

NASA's mission to a pair of asteroids is expected to blast off at least a week later than 

planned, but repairs will begin this week to a broken crane that halted launch preparations 

late last week. The Dawn spacecraft had been set to launch June 30 on a Delta 2 rocket 

from launch pad I 7A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Now, the launch is off until 

sometime in early July; although, the exact launch date has not been finalized. The crane, 

which sits above the Delta 2 rocket at the pad and will be used to hoist rocket stages and the 

spacecraft itself into position, broke down Wednesday. No damage was done to the launch 

vehicle. Web posted. (2007). [Delta 2 launch set for weekiong delay [Online]. Available 

W\XTW: http: / /ww\v. floridatoday . corn! [2007, June 5].] 

Bad-food complaints 'hard to believe,' NASA says 

NASA isn't giving much credence to reports that cafeteria diners at Kennedy Space Center 

were served spoiled, outdated food, in part by a worker referred to in a lawsuit as "Dirty 

Finger Al." Space agency spokesman Bill Johnson responded to earlier report by saying 

Kennedy Space Center cafeterias are held to more stringent standards than regular area 

restaurants. Cafeteria workers are inspected each day before they work, he said. "It's really 

hard to believe that any of the things that we heard actually happened because of what we 

require them to do," Johnson said. The allegations of bad food are contained in a federal 

lawsuit by former culinary worker Carolyn Vargas who says she was fired after she reported 

problems with spoiled, outdated meat and other food served to space center workers. 

Johnson said Lackmann Culinary Services serves more than 5,000 meals a day at Kennedy 

Space Center. The Woodbury, N.Y.-based contractor operates seven KSC cafeterias and 

undergoes regular inspections. Web posted. (2007). [Bad-food complaints 'hard to believe,' 

NASA says [Online]. Available WWW: http://\vw\v.floridatoday.com/ [2007, June 5].] 

June 6: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-060607. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A' Launch Date: June 8, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, 

Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. The countdown for the launch of space shuttle mission STS-1 17 

began as planned Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT, when clocks in the Launch Control Center began 

counting backward from the T-43 hour mark. Launch is scheduled for 7:38 p.m. EDT 

Friday. Atlantis' astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center Monday evening and have 

been practicing landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, conducting fit checks of their 

launch-and-entry suits, reviewing their timelines and undergoing medical exams. Launch 

preparations continue as planned. Following a four-hour built-in hold at the T-27 hour 

mark, the countdown resumes at 6:30 p.m. EDT today. Transfer of the hydrogen and 

oxygen reactants will then begin. These will flow through the orbiter mid-body umbilical unit 

into the power reactant storage and distribution system tanks located beneath the payload 

bay. These reactants will be used by Atlantis to generate power during the mission. The 

umbilical unit will be secured once this loading is complete at about I a.m. EDT Thursday, 

when the countdown enters a hold at the T-19 hour mark. There is a 30-percent chance that 

conditions will not meet the weather criteria for launch Friday. The main concern is 

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thunderstorms with associated anvil clouds. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedv/shuttleoperations/status /2007 /index.html [2007, June 6.] 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-060607. Mission: Dawn; Location: 

Astrotech Space Operations Facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; 

Launch Date: July 7, 2007; Launch Time: 4:09:31 - 4:36:22 p.m. EDT. At Pad 17-B, the 

Delta II first stage was hoisted into the launcher on May 28 after a postponement due to 

high wind at the launch pad. Technicians then began working to erect the nine solid rocket 

boosters. A mechanical problem with the crane used to hoist and mate the first set of three 

boosters stalled further launch vehicle build-up. As a result of the crane problem at the pad, 

the launch of Dawn has been retargeted forJuly 7. Repairs to the crane are now complete. 

The operations to attach the solid rocket boosters resumed today. The second stage is 

planned to be hoisted atop the first stage on June 20. Due to the change in the launch date, 

the planned loading of xenon for the ion propulsion system was rescheduled. The operation 

began Tuesday night and is under way today. Hydrazine, used for spacecraft control and 

maneuvering, is scheduled to be loaded on June 10. The spacecraft will be transported to 

Pad 17-B for mating to the Delta II on June 26. Mission: Phoenix; Location: Payload 

Hazardous Servicing Facility; Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; Launch 

Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 5:35:18 a.m. EDT. Spacecraft processing is on schedule. 

The landing radar was integrated with the spacecraft on Tuesday, and testing is now under 

way. An entry, descent and landing system verification test is scheduled for June 7 - 8. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /vvv.nasagov /centers /kennedy /_launchingrockets / status /2007 /index.html 

[2007, June 6.]

NASA troubleshooting shuttle tank lines 

NASA engineers were troubleshooting a possible problem Wednesday with lines connecting 

the external fuel tank to space shuttle Atlantis, the only remaining concern about the first 

shuttle flight of the year. The countdown clock began ticking Tuesday night (June 5), and 

forecasters predicted a 70 percent chance the weather would be favorable for launching 

Atlantis at 7:38 p.m. ET on Friday. The only technical problem remaining for engineers was 

a concern that two lines that connect Atlantis to its external fuel tank may not fit correctly. 

The problem was found in the tank for space shuttle Endeavour, which is in a hangar being 

prepared for a launch in August. Those lines were being replaced. Engineers wanted to 

make sure the same problem wasn't found on Atlantis' tank so there wouldn't be a chance of 

a hydrogen fuel leak. "We're off looking at that right now," NASA test director Jeff 

Spaulding said. "All the tests to date and all the leak checks have been satisfactory." 

Technicians planned to start fueling the shuttle's power cells, and the vehicle's payload doors 

were shut Tuesday. "Everything is in excellent shape," said Robbie Ashley, the mission's 

payload manager. The launch originally was set for mid-March but was postponed after a 

freak hail storm caused thousands, of dings in the insulating foam on Atlantis' external tank. 

Technicians spent more than two months making painstaking repairs to the tank. During 

the 11-day mission, Atlantis and its seven astronauts will deliver a new segment and a pair of 

solar arrays to the international space station and rotate Out a crew member at the orbiting 

outpost. Web posted. (2007). [NASA troubleshooting shuttle tank lines [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, June 6].] 

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Astronauts ring mystery resurfaces 

There is no conclusive evidence one way or the other, according to long-secret documents 

detailing a quest by the Texas Rangers, the FBI and NASA to get to the bottom of a claim 

by a funeral home worker who helped in the disaster recovery in 2003. The man told police 

a ring disappeared from the body of astronaut Laurel Clark in the chaotic hours after 

Columbia broke apart trying to return to the Earth and the spaceship's wreckage rained 

down across a large swath of rural Texas and Louisiana. Kept quiet for four years now, 

some details about the case are trickling out in documents related to the ongoing 

investigation into whether NASA Inspector General Robert W. Cobb has diligently done his 

job as an agency watchdog. The questions about the missing ring have become part of an 

intensifying political battle in Washington between NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and 

influential members of Congress who want Cobb fired. The ring will come up in Cobb's 

testimony before Congress on Thursday. NASA's photographic experts determined Clark 

was not wearing a ring when she donned her gloves moments before the shuttle began its illfated re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003. "It became clear that there was no ring on the finger of the 

astronaut and, therefore, there was no credible evidence of a theft," Cobb wrote in written 

testimony to Congress in preparation for the hearing Thursday. "Public suggestion that 

persons involved in the recovery effort were involved in such a heinous crime would have 

been most inappropriate." One recovery worker told police he saw a ring that later 

vanished. Investigators disagreed about whether photos taken during the recovery showed a 

ring. Dozens of other witnesses were questioned and nobody else reported actually seeing a 

ring, though several had heard of it. NASA experts concluded "all pictorial data was 

consistent and indicated no evidence that a ring was present." Web posted. (2007). 

[Astronaut's ring mystery resurfaces [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://w\v\v.floridatodav.com/ [2007, June 6].] 

NASA gives crew final OK for liftoff 

A hail-weary NASA team endured an hours-long thunderstorm that swept across Kennedy 

Space Center late Wednesday, worrying about warnings of half-inch hail and high winds that 

could threaten Friday's scheduled launch of shuttle Atlantis. A freakish February hail storm 

already delayed this launch by three months, gouging thousands of divots in the external 

tank's foam insulation and forcing the shuttle off its launch pad and inside for repairs. The 

ominous storm warning Wednesday afternoon overshadowed an othenvise problem-free 

countdown, which continued with no technical issues capable of stopping the planned 7:38 

p.m. Friday launch. NASA managers met for a traditional two-days-before-launch review 

and cleared Atlantis and seven astronauts for a construction flight to the International Space 

Station. Then the launch team was left watching darkening skies, and joking about how they 

did not want to discuss hail any more after months spent patching up Atlantis' external tank. 

"We would have to be so unlucky to get more hail on this tank," shuttle launch director Mike 

Leinbach said before stopping himself. "I better not go into that." "I'd be real happy if we 

just stopped talking about hail," quipped launch integration manager Leroy Cain to a bit of 

uncomfortable laughter. After a couple hours of heavy rain and spectacular lightning bolts 

ripping through thick clouds, the storm subsided with no indication of hail or serious 

incidents at the launch pad. Storms could continue today and Friday at the space center, 

but forecasters said Wednesday that they expect those storms will move west and away from 

Pad 39A before launch time. There remains a 30 percent chance that weather conditions 

could prevent the Friday night launch, shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters said. If the 

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launch is delayed to Saturday or Sunday, the chance of unacceptable weather is 40 percent. 

The concern is that a sea breeze will keep thunderstorms near the coastal launch pad later 

into the evening. Otherwise, NASA has cleared up all technical issues to arise so far. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA gives crew final OK for liftoff [Online]. Available W'(TW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com / [2007, June 7].] 

June 7: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-060707. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: June 8, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, 

Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. Preparations continue at the Kennedy Space Center for the 

launch of space shuttle mission STS-117 at 7:38 p.m. EDT Friday. Atlantis' powerproducing fuel cells were loaded with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen early Thursday 

morning after severe thunderstorms caused a delay of several hours. These reactants will 

provide launch managers with the opportunity to try four launch attempts in five days, 

should that become necessary. No lightning strikes or hail were reported at Launch Pad 39A. 

While some operations began later than originally scheduled, much of the remining work is 

being performed in parallel and no impact to the planned launch time is expected. Final 

preparations of the space shuttle main engines are under way, and workers are activating 

communications systems and stowing final items into Atlantis' crew cabin. Solid rocket 

booster recovery ships Freedom Star and Liberty Star departed KSC at noon today. 

Meanwhile, the STS-1 17 crew continues practicing landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. 

The rotating service structure is scheduled to retract at 10:30 tonight, and fueling of the 

external tank is planned for 9:12 a.m. Friday. There is a 20-percent chance that conditions 

will not meet the weather criteria for launch Friday. The main concern is clouds associated 

with inland thunderstorms. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status 

Report [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov /centers / 

kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, June 7.] 

NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Date for Hubble 

Mission 

NASA managers officially are targeting Sept. 10, 2008, for the launch of the fifth and final 

space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. During the 11-day flight, 

Atlantis' seven astronauts will repair and improve the observatory's capabilities through 

2013. Mission planners have been working since last fall, when the flight was announced, to 

determine the best time in the shuttle manifest to support the needs of Hubble while 

minimizing the impact to International Space Station assembly. NASA also will support a 

"launch on need" flight during the Hubble mission. In the unlikely event a rescue flight 

becomes necessary, shuttle Endeavour currently is planned to lift off from Launch Pad 39-B 

at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. However, managers constantly are evaluating the 

manifest to determine the best mission options. Shuttle missions beyond the Hubble flight 

still are being assessed. Shuttle and station program officials will continue to consider 

options for the remainder of the shuttle flights to complete construction of the space station 

by 2010, when the fleet will be retired. Those target launch dates are subject to change. 

["NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Date for Hubble Mission," NASA News Release 

#07-135, June 7, 2007.]

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Service tower clears way for shuttle launch 

The Rotating Service Structure began moving away from the space shuttle orbiter around 11 

p.m., exposing Atlantis on the pad in the bright flood lights. The movement of the giant 

rotating tower clears the way for tomorrow evening's launch of Atlantis. You can now see 

the ffluniinated shuttle on the pad unobstructed by all of the metal scaffolding that has 

shrouded the vehicle for weeks now. A series of final inspections is on tap for later tonight 

and, during the overnight hours, crews will continue working to prep the space shuttle for 

fueling. That could begin not long after 9 a.m. Mission managers meet in the 8 a.m. hour to 

make a go or no go call on tanking. Web posted. (2007). [Service tower clears way for 

shuttle launch [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame 

Trench blog [2007, June 7].] 

Autograph show 

Tonight's screening of the motion picture "The Wonder of It All" comes during the 

Universal Autograph Collectors Club Astronaut Autograph Show running through Saturday 

at Kennedy Space Center. UACC has had astronaut autograph shows for the past five years 

in various cities. This is the first time it will be at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. 

Appearing at the autograph show are more than two dozen space program luminaries, 

including Buzz Aidrin, Alan Bean, Charles Duke, Guenter Wendt, Gene Kranz, Edgar 

Mitchell, James Lovell, Gene Cernan, Walt Cunningham and Scott Carpenter. Also 

appearing will be Bill "Jose Jiminez" Dana. The three-day event features lectures, tours, 

autograph signings, meet-and-greets and a banquet. The schedule includes lectures and tours 

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. The autograph shows run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 

p.m. Saturday in the Debus Conference Fadilty at KSC. A banquet is scheduled for 7 p.m. 

Saturday at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. Web posted. (2007). [Autograph show 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, 

June 7].]

'Pencil sharpener' helped repair tank 

The successful repair of the shuttle Atlantis' main tank was helped by the quick invention of 

a sanding tool dubbed "the pencil sharpener." A February hailstorm left 4,200 clings in the 

metal tank's foam insulation. Nearly 1,500 of these gouges were on the ogive, an area just 

below the metal nosecap. The ogive is two feet wide and about 19 feet in circumference. 

Designed and pieced together in less than two weeks, the pencil sharpener restored the 

aerodynamic curve to the tank's foam-covered nose. Glenn Lapeyronnie, a mechanical 

engineer in Lockheed Martin's tool design group at the Michoud assembly plant in New 

Orleans, designed and built the 96-pound tool. The hail damage caused a three-month delay 

in the shuttle launch. Last week, shuttle managers expressed confidence in the repairs 

because the repair technique has been tested on 47 shuttle flights. "We just don't lose foam 

off repairs," shuttle program manager, Wayne Hale said. ["Pencil sharpener' helped repair 

tank," Florida Today, June 8, 2007, p 7A.] 

June 8: Military defends shuttle's airspace 

The Department of Defense has been providing mission support for the launch of Atlantis 

this week, and Maj. Maria Quon reports that job will not end until the shuttle lands. "We 

have two missions here for the Department of Defense," she said. "NORAD's mission is to 

protect the shuttle and its flight space. The Northern Cotnrnand is prepared to conduct 

astronaut rescue in case of emergency." Both F-16s and the newer F-22A Raptors have been 

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involved in mission support. Two F-16s flew around the Space Coast on Wednesday for 

deterrence, using a method Quon described as "low and slow" to bring their presence to the 

attention of regular pilots -- or anyone with bad intentions. Quon couldn't say what was in 

the air on Thursday, but she described that day's task as "irregular air patrols" flown 

significantly higher than those on the previous day. Friday belonged to the Raptors and 

combat air patrol. Six Raptors were available, with two in the air at once protecting the area 

of temporary flight restriction established by NASA and the Federal Aviation 

Administration. Beginning seven hours before launch, the restricted area was extended to 30 

nautical miles around and 18,000 feet above Launch Pad 39-A. That lasted until 8:23 p.m. 

Boating and other restrictions also were in place. The Raptor, based in Langley, Va., is the 

Air Force's newest fighter and has significant air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities. It was 

chosen for this mission because of its "speed, range, maneuverability and lethality," 

according to Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow in information provided by the Air Force. Quon, 

who is based in Colorado Springs, said those involved in the mission will return to their 

bases shortly after launch but will redeploy for the landing of Atlantis. "We are on standby 

until the shuttle lands," she said. "When the shuttle prepares to land, we will deploy teams to 

White Sands (N.M.), Edwards (Calif.) and Kennedy Space Center." Web posted. (2007). 

[Military defends shuttle's airspace [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoda y.com/ [2007, June 8].] 

Sun rises on launch day at KSC 

The sun is rising over the Kennedy Space Center and space shuttle Atlantis waiting on its 

pad for launch later tonight. The launch crews at the spaceport are going through fmal 

testing and checks to ready the external tank for fueling. Mission managers are to meet about 

two hours from now, beginning around 8:30 a.m., to go over any last issues before clearing 

the team to begin pumping liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the external tank. The 

fueling operation could begin as early as 9:12 a.m., though the official schedule does not call 

for tanking to start until a half-hour later. Web posted. (2007). [Sun rises on launch day at 

KSC [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog 

[2007, June 8].]

No Problems As Atlantis Launch Nears 

Forecasters predicted an 80 percent chance that the weather would allow NASA to launch 

its first space shuttle mission of the year at 7:38 p.m. Friday. After a three-month delay, 

NASA entered the final day of a launch countdown for space shuttle Atlantis Thursday with 

no major technical problems looming and a forecast for promising weather. Engineers were 

not working on any technical problems, said Steve Payne, NASA test director. A freak 

storm set back the mission in late February, when golf-ball-size hail knocked thousands of 

pockmarks in the insulating foam of Atlantis' external tank as it stood on the launch pad. 

Atlantis was moved from the launch pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building and the 

original launch date in mid-March was postponed. NASA managers chose to repair the tank 

rather than swap it out for another, and scores of engineers and technicians worked over two 

months to remove sand down and reapply foam to the tank. "We had a great deal of effort 

for this repair work," said Roy Worthy, external tank/solid rocket booster NASA vehicle 

manager. "We have complete confidence in our repair technique. ... We're ready to fly." 

Some of the engineers and technicians worked 16-hour days devising the repairs, including 

mechanical engineer Glenn Lapeyronnie, who created from scratch in 10 days a 71 /2-foot 

tool to trim foam around the nose cone, where the tank had the most damage. During the 

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11-day mission, Atlantis and its seven astronauts will deliver a new segment and a pair of 

energy-producing solar panels to the international space station. NASA hopes to fly at least 

13 more construction missions to the space station before the space shuttle fleet is grounded 

in 2010. The space agency also wants to fly a single mission to repair the Hubble Space 

Telescope, which officials said Thursday would be in September 2008. Web posted. (2007). 

[No Problems As Atlantis Launch Nears [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.washingtonpost.com/ [2007, June 81.1 

Launch of STS-117 

Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-117 to the International Space Station from Launch Pad 

39A was on-time at 7:38:04 p.m. EDT. The shuttle is delivering a new segment to the 

starboard side of the International Space Station's backbone, known as the truss. Three 

spacewaiks are planned to install the S3/S4 truss segment, deploy a set of solar arrays and 

prepare them for operation. STS-117 is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 21st flight to the 

station, the 28th flight for Atlantis and the first of four flights planned for 2007. Web 

posted. (2007). [Launch of STS-1 17 [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /mediaarcliive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?rnediaid= 32380 [2007, June 8].] 

Media makes sense of clouds 

It takes a lot to get the crowd of reporters at Kennedy space Center's press site riled up, but 

those curvy clouds did the trick. An hour or so after space shuttle Atlantis' launch Friday 

evening, photographers and writers were running from building to building, banging on 

doors and hollering to each other. Here's what happened: For the fmal six and half minutes 

of the trip into orbit, the shuttle's main engines combine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, 

and essentially leave behind only water vapor. The steam from those main engines is 

practically invisible. But for the first two minutes after liftoff, the shuttle gets about 30 

million horsepower from the pair of solid rocket boosters. The smoke plume from the 

boosters tends to linger around the launch site and drift with the wind. Over the course of 

an hour or so after launch, the winds twisted and pulled at the plume. The picturesque 

squiggly clouds hung over the Vehicle Assembly Building. The clouds were drifting at just 

the right height to catch rays of sunlight sent from beyond the horizon and produced some 

special effects. ["Media makes sense of clouds," Florida Today, June 13, 2007, p 3B.] 

Noted Author, Lucy Hawking, to Fly With Zero Gravity 

- Corporation on June 9 

Lucy Hawking, daughter of Professor Stephen Hawking -- the world-renowned physicist and 

expert on gravity -- will fly aboard Zero Gravity Corporation's weightless experience on its 

June 9 Father's Day flight. This will be her opportunity to share the same weightless 

experience enjoyed by her father on April 26, 2007 out of the Kennedy Space Center. This 

ffight will also will serve as research for a children's book she is co-writing with her father on 

space. Her flight will depart from the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center 

in Central Florida. Professor Hawking proclaimed his zero-gravity ffight to be "amazing" 

and that he hoped many would follow him in this incredible opportunity, now available to 

the general public. His daughter is one of many who've been inspired to fly with ZERO-G 

following his historic flight. "For my father, experiencing zero gravity for the first time was 

a dream come true; for a moment, he was free," said Lucy Hawking. "I think most people 

who saw the footage of him on his zero gravity trip were very moved by the sight of him 

released from his wheelchair and everyone has commented on how happy he looked -- he 

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did have the biggest wrap-around grin I've ever seen! I'm thrilled to follow his lead with 

ZERO-G and understand weightlessness myself. Sharing this experience with him is a 

precious, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. It's very special." The Sharper Image and 

Space Florida, both of whom sponsored Professor Hawking's flight, also will sponsor Lucy 

Hawking's seat. Sharper Image is now selling ZERO-G seats nationwide; the ZERO-G 

ExperienceTM is featured on the cover of the company's June Father's Day catalogue. The 

experience offered by ZERO-G is the only commercial opportunity on Earth for individuals 

to experience true "weightlessness" without going to space. This is the identical weightless 

flight experience used by NASA to train its astronauts and used by Ron Howard and Tom 

Hanks to film "Apollo-13." Weightless ifight is an experience that few have tried, but those 

who have call it amazing and life-changing. Web posted. (2007). [Noted Author, Lucy 

Hawking, to Fly With Zero Gravity Corporation on June 9 [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / / new.marketvire.corn.com/ [2007, June 8].] 

June 10: Union workers decide to hold off on strike 

A strike at Kennedy Space Center was postponed Sunday when the union representing 570 

workers at United Space Affiance agreed at the urging of a mediator to return to the 

bargaining table. The workers were set possibly to walk off the job. Members assigned to 

shuttle recovery were to stay on during the current mission. But Henry Groton Jr. of the 

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services in Orlando asked both sides to return to 

negotiations, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 

announced Sunday. Union members voted June 2 to strike after contract negotiations fell 

apart. A union representative called the contract "substandard" in relation to contracts at 

other aerospace companies. Proposals related to health care and retirement benefits are 

among the points workers rejected. The strike was set to begin Sunday, after a five-day 

cooling off period that began Tuesday. Instead, workers agreed to continue under current 

conditions until the meetings are finished. Web posted. (2007). [Union workers decide to 

hold off on strike [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, June 

111.1 

June 11: Missi9n extended two days; blanket repair ordered 

NASA's Mission Management Team decided Monday to extend the shuttle Atlantis' mission 

by two days and to add a fourth spacewalk Sunday. That will give the astronauts enough time 

to complete their space station assembly tasks and fix a pulled-up insulation blanket on one 

of the ship's aft rocket pods. Flight controllers plan to make a decision Tuesday on whether 

to add the blanket repair to the third or fourth spacewalk. Web posted. (2007). [Mission 

extended two days; blanket repair ordered [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /wwiv. spaceflightnow.com / [2007, June 111.1 

June 14: Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-061407. Mission: Dawn; Location: 

Astrotech Space Operations Facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; 

Launch Date: July 7, 2007; Launch Time: 4:09:31 - 4:36:22 p.m. EDT. NASA is 

investigating a minor mishap affecting the Dawn spacecraft. On June 11, during a procedure 

to prepare the spacecraft for spin-balance testing, the back of a solar array panel was slightly 

damaged by a technician's tool. No solar cells were broken. The necessary minor repairs will 

be made this weekend. There is no impact to the launch date of July 7. Loading of xenon 

for the ion propulsion system was completed last week. Hydrazine, used for spacecraft 

ill
control and maneuvering, was loaded aboard June 10. The spacecraft was then weighed and 

placed on a spin table for a series of spin tests that are currently under way. Dawn will be 

mated to its associated upper-stage booster on June 21 and transported to Pad 17-B for 

mating to the Delta II on June 26. At Pad 17-B, the operations to attach the Delta II solid 

rocket boosters to the first stage are complete. The second stage is planned to be hoisted 

atop the first stage on Friday. Mission: Phoenix; Location: Payload Hazardous Servicing 

Facility; Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; 

Launch Time: 5:35:18 a.m. EDT. The cruise system verification test is complete. The 

planned testing of the landing radar is complete for now and will be resumed later. Next 

week, technicians will install the parachute and associated mortar and ordnance. The solar 

array also will be deployed on the cruise stage for a planned test. The first stage of the Delta 

II will be hoisted into the launcher at Pad 17-A on June 18. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available WW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy/ launchingrockets /status /2007 /index.htrnl [2007, 

June 14.]

Shuttle workers ready to strike 

A union representing 580 space shuttle program workers at the Kennedy Space Center 

indicated that a strike is looming, after an unsuccessful meeting Wednesday with a federal 

mediator. "We will be going on strike," union spokesman Bob Wood said. "I don't see 

much of anything that would stop it at this point. That's what we're moving toward." 

Representatives of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 

Lodge 2061 and District 166 met with United Space Affiance and the Federal Mediation and 

Conciliation Service, seeking to resolve a contract dispute. The union said the company's 

proposal remained unchanged from one the union previously rejected. "The union is 

extremely disappointed with the unwillingness of the United Space Affiance to agree to a 

resolution that is fair for the workers," Local 2061 President Lew Jarnieson said. "The 

workers at KSC have said over and over they will not agree to a substandard contract." 

Union officials have said the company's proposals related to health care and retirement 

benefits are among the provisions the union doesn't like. The breakdown in negotiations 

comes less than week after Friday's launch of Atlantis. Union members on June 2 voted to 

authorize a strike. Under union rules, no further votes by union rank-and-file membership 

are required. The union Negotiating Committee will dçtermine if and when the strike begins. 

Workers covered by the contract include machinists, electric technicians, air-conditioning 

mechanics, painters and elevator technicians, among other jobs. Web posted. (2007). 

[Shuttle workers ready to strike [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/

[2007, June 14].]

Space station oxygen, water computers fail 

Russian computers that control the international space station's orientation and supply of 

oxygen and water have failed, potentially extending the space shuttle's mission -- or cutting it 

short. Russian engineers aren't sure why the computers stopped working. A failure of this 

type has never occurred before on the space station. The station is operated primarily by the 

Russian and U.S. space agencies, with contributions from the Canadian, European and 

Japanese space agencies. "We have plenty of resources, so we have plenty of time to sort 

this out," said Mike Suffredini, NASA manager of the space station program. But the 

computer failure could extend space shuttle Atlantis' mission by at least a day and, in a 

worst-case scenario, force the space station's three crew members to return to Earth early if 

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the computers aren't fixed. Atlantis' mission had already been extended from 11 to 13 days 

so that astronauts can go on a spacewalk to repair a thermal blanket covering an engine pod 

that peeled up during launch. Web posted. (2007). [Space station oxygen, water computers 

fail [Online]. Available W"(fW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, June 14].] 

Shuttle workers strike at KSC 

Union workers on the space shutde program at Kennedy Space Center went on strike today 

at 10 a.m. after being "very disappointed" during a last-ditch meeting Wednesday with a 

mediator and their employer, United Space Affiance. Members of the International 

Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 walked off their jobs and 

begin picketing at several entrances to Kennedy Space Center, as well as the company's 

offices in Cape Canaveral and Titusville. The union has about 580 members assigned to 

various space shuttle support jobs. United Space Alliance - NASA's main space shuttle 

contractor - was putting its strike plan into action, which includes reassigning employees to 

other duties to cover for the striking workers and beginning the process of hiring some 

"subcontractors" as replacement workers, said company spokeswoman Tracey Yates. Both 

sides declined to discuss details of the proposed three-year contract. At noon, an estimated 

150 people held signs at the State Road 3 entrance on Merritt Island.. Their cars were parked 

on the side of the road. Some of them wore pins that said "No Scabs". Web posted. (2007). 

[Shuttle workers strike at KSC [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/

[2007, June 14].]

Chef says he and KSC contractor clean, but dirty nickname put 

career in 'toilet' 

Al Motta, a onetime chef at a Kennedy Space Center cafeteria who was dubbed "Dirty 

Finger Al" in a federal lawsuit, says his hands are clean. And accusation's he served bad food 

are false, he said. The unfortunate moniker appeared in a sworn affidavit by a former 

executive chef at Kennedy Space Center. That man is a witness in a lawsuit filed by a former 

culinary worker who said she was fired after she reported problems with spoiled, outdated 

meat and other food served to space center workers. The former chef criticized Motta's 

hygiene and said he watched Motta put rotten vegetables in soup and cook rancid chicken in 

a cafeteria in the ICSC headquarters building. Motta is an employee at Lackmann Culinary 

Services which serves more than 5,000 meals a day at Kennedy Space Center and operates 

seven cafeterias there. Heath Braunstein, Lackmann's director of purchasing and food 

safety, said Motta is performing his assigned duties and has not been disciplined. "We are 

disheartened and outraged by the false allegations of an Executive Chef, Joseph Georges, 

who was employed by Lackmann Culinary Services at the Kennedy Space for only four 

months," Braunstein said. "Mr. Georges statements have impugned and destroyed the good 

name and reputation of Al Motta, a long-term and valued Lackmann Employee. It is highly 

irresponsible to rely upon uncorroborated and clearly false statements made by Mr. Georges, 

who was terminated due to his failing a required standard drug screening test." Web posted. 

(2007). [Chef says he and KSC contractor clean, but dirty nickname put career in 'toilet' 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Watch List blog [2007, June 

14].]

Baby monitor's picking up the space shuttle 

What do you get when you cross a baby monitor and a science teacher? Apparently, live 

feeds off a NASA space mission. When Palatine mom Natalie Meilinger switched on the 

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family's baby monitor Sunday, instead of her 3-month-old son Jack, what came up were 

images of astronauts walking around inside the space shuttle. ,,J knew exactly what it was," 

said Meilinger, a science teacher at Lions Park School in Mount Prospect. She and her 

husband, Tom, were immediately hooked. They started telling friends. She told other 

teachers at work, but no one believed her until she brought in proof. On Tuesday, the 

student's last day of school, she showed a video of the baby monitor to the class. The space 

shuttle Atlantis lifted off last Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 

seven-member crew is continuing construction of the International Space Station. Anyone 

can go online and watch a live video of the mission, so NASA officials say it's likely the baby 

monitor is picking up a signal from somewhere. "It's not coming straight from the shuttle," 

said NASA spokeswoman Brandi Dean. "People here think this is very interesting and you 

don't hear of it often - if at all." The monitor is manufactured by Summer Infant, and 

Meilinger says when she contacted company reps, they'd never heard of anything like this. 

Web posted. (2007). [Baby monitor's picking up the spaèe shuttle [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.daiivhcrald.com/ [2007, June 14].] 

Atlas V launch scrubbed for today 

A problem with the range safety system that protects the people and property from an outof-control rocket mishap has forced the cancellation of today's Atlas V launch. The launch 

and range safety teams worked into the fmal minutes of the window trying to get the system 

cleared for flight, but could not do so. About 11:40 a.m., the mission director decided to 

scrub the launch. A new liftoff time will be set for Friday morning. It should be 11:04 a.m. 

The Atlas V is carrying a pair of spy sateffites for the NRO. The weather forecast for a 

Friday launch attempt calls for an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions. Web posted. 

(2007). [Atlas V launch scrubbed for today [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.fioridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, June 14].] 

June 15: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-061507. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Official Launch Date: June 8, 2007; Expected KSC Landing Date/Time: June 21, 2007, 1:52 

p.m. EDT; Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Anderson; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Today is Flight Day 8 for STS117 and Atlantis is docked to the International Space Station. Crew members Jim Reilly and 

John Olivas are preparing for the week's third spacewalk, a 6.5-hour excursion to repair a 

thermal blanket on the orbiter and assist in folding up a solar array on the station. On 

Tuesday, the crew unfurled the solar array attached to the newly installed S3/S4 truss 

segment, which was transported to the station on Atlantis. On Monday, Reilly and Olivas 

conducted the first spacewalk to connect S1/S3 power cables, release launch restraints and 

solar array blanket box restraints, and install solar alpha rotary joint drive lock assemblies. 

On Wednesday, crew members Patrick Forrester and Steve Swanson conducted the second 

spacewalk, during which they helped to retract the 2B solar array wing and prepared the 

solar alpha rotary joint between the S3 and S4 truss segments for rotation. Mission: STS118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105) Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted 

for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, Mastraccbio, 

Caidwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay No. 2 this morning, workers installed metal structures called 

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"strongbacks" on Endeavour's payload bay doors to allow the doors to be cycled open and 

closed to verify non-interference with thermal tiles. The orbiter positive pressure test was 

successfully completed this week. Functional testing is complete on Endeavour's landing 

gear and on the external tank doors. Closeout of the orbiter's aft and forward sections is 

under way. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the solid rocket 

boosters for STS-1 18 is complete. Platforms are being configured for the mating of the 

external tank and solid rocket boosters, which is scheduled for Sunday. Mission: STS-120 - 

23rd International Space Station Flight (IOA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tani; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 3, aft closeout work is under way. Functional testing of the atmospheric 

revitalization pressure control system, part of the orbiter's life support system, is complete. 

Modifications to Discovery's engine cutoff sensor wiring continue, as does the installation of 

BRI tile around the main landing gear doors and external tank doors. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /_kennedv/shuttJeoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

June 15.]

Strikers get a hot welcome from weather on picket lines 

Thursday was the first day of possibly many on the picket lines for striking shuttle program 

workers. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 

Local 2061 began a strike Thursday morning over stalled contract negotiations with their 

employer, United Space Alliance, NASA's main shuttle contractor. "It's hot out here," Local 

2061 President Lew Jamieson said after a few hours on the picket line. No new contract 

talks had been scheduled between the two sides as of late Thursday. The union has about 

570 members who work at Kennedy Space Center in various shuttle support jobs, 

composing roughly 10 percent of the company's local workforce. The workers began 

picketing around the clock at entrances to Kennedy Space Center and at the company's 

offices in Cape Canaveral and Titusville. Some wore pins that stated "No Scabs," a reference 

to the company's plan to bring in replacement workers. The strike is not expected to affect 

the shuttle Atlantis mission, which launched Friday from the space center. Web posted. 

(2007). [Strikers get a hot welcome from weather on picket lines [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com / [2007, June 15].] 

Investigate NASA's lawyer, panel leaders tell DOJ 

The leaders of a congressional panel have asked the Justice Department to investigate 

NASA's general counsel to determine whether he committed a crime by intentionally 

destroying records of a controversial meeting between the agency's chief and its embattled 

inspector general. Michael Wholley should be investigated for "possible prosecution for 

obstruction of justice and destruction of government records," according to a letter sent 

Thursday by Rep. Brad Miller, the Democratic chairman of the House Science and 

Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, 

the panel's top Republican. Wholley testified before the committee last month, admitting he 

destroyed all copies of an April 10 meeting between NASA Administrator Michael Griffin 

and the agency's inspector general, Robert Cobb. Cobb has been accused of abusing his 

authority and being too chummy with his bosses. Also at that meeting were members of 

Cobb's office. In his testimony, Wholley said he took compact disc recordings of the 

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meeting, snapped them in half and then threw them away. One of the reasons for 

destroying the recordings is that he didn't want them to be made available to the public 

under federal freedom of information laws, he testified. Web posted. (2007). [Investigate 

NASA's lawyer, panel leaders tell DOJ [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com / [2007, June 15].] 

U.S. rejects idea of abandoning space station 

A U.S. space agency official rejected suggestions today that the international space station 

might have to be abandoned at some point if a failed computer system operated by NASA's 

Russian partners couldn't be restored. "There is nobody in this agency, or as far as I know 

in the Russian agency, that thinks this vehicle is at risk of being lost, not even remotely," said 

Mike Suffredini, space station program manager. "I have no plans to de-man the space 

station." In the past, NASA and Russia have talked about operating the space station 

without people. If astronauts did have to leave, they'd be able to come back safely, Suffredini 

said. "But we're really not there," he added. "We work problems like this all the time." He 

said there was no urgency now that would require the crew of the outpost, which orbits 

about 200 miles above Earth, to come home. "We have plenty of (oxygen) gas to keep the 

crew on orbit for some time," Suffredini said. Meanwhile, two astronauts from the space 

shuttle Atlantis, which arrived one week ago to continue construction work on the space 

station, began a spacewalk with two assignments: to disconnect a connector on a newly 

installed power-conducting truss that is a key suspect in the computer glitch, and repair a 

torn thermal blanket that helps protect the shuttle from heat on its return flight to Earth 

next week. NASA suspects the connector because the Russian computers blinked out at 

about the same time the connector went on line. The connector isn't required for station 

operations until a later power hook-up, Suffredini said. Web posted. (2007). [U.S. rejects 

idea of abandoning space station [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.chron.corn/ 

[2007, June 15].]

Atlas 5's NRO launch 

The United Launch Affiance Atlas 5 rocket lifts off at 11:12 a.n-i. June 15 from Cape 

Canaveral's Complex 41 on the classified NROL-30 mission for the U.S. National 

Reconnaissance Office. Web posted. (2007). [Atlas 5's NRO launch [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.spacefiightnow.com/ [2007, June 15].] 

Shuttle blanket fixed on spacewatk 

Spacewalkers completed repairs to the torn insulation blanket on the shuttle's rear engine 

pod Friday, but had to leave a vent cover held in place with a tether before they moved on to 

retract a balky solar array. In about three hours, spacewalker Danny Olivas completed the 

blanket repair, while James Reilly tussled with the sticky hydrogen vent cover, which was left 

tethered in place. During the spacewalk, astronauts learned that Russian computers had 

come back online after the cosmonauts isolated a faulty switch. This allowed Olivas and 

Reilly to avoid disconnecting a suspect power cable. After five hours, the spacewalkers 

moved on and began to retract a 7-year-old solar array. "Danny, fluff the right blanket," said 

Forrester, after the first retraction attempt. With guidance from the spacewalkers, the solar 

array folded smoothly but slowly. The spacewalkers "fluffed" the solar panels and slowly 

retracted the solar array. The slow retraction was completed about seven hours into a 

spacewalk scheduled to last only 61/2 hours. On Sunday, Pat Forrester and Steve Swanson 

will make a fourth spacewalk to complete several "get ahead" tasks to prepare the ISS for the 

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addition of two laboratories that will be powered by the solar arrays installed Monday. Web 

posted. (2007). [Shuttle blanket fixed on spacewalk [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatodav.com/ [2007, June 16].] 

June 16: Former Atlas launch towers knocked down at Complex 36 

Two historic Atlas rocket launch gantries made of metal and memories were brought down 

by chest-thumping explosions Saturday morning, erasing Complex 36 from the Cape 

Canaveral skyline after five decades of space missions. Complex 36 was built in the early 

1960s for Atlas-Centaur rockets that deployed many of NASA's early space exploration 

probes to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, plus robotic voyages to the moon that 

prepared for human landings. Dozens of satellites that expanded communications around 

the globe and bolstered U.S. national security also flew from the site's two pads over the 

years, making Complex 36 one of America's longest serving launch sites. Pad 36A saw 69 

launches from 1962 through August 2004 and Pad 36B had 76 flights from 1965 until 

February 2005. But times change and the Atlas program opted to retired its older rocket 

configurations. The new Atlas 5 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle made its home at 

Complex 41 on the northern edge of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, rendering Complex 

36 no longer necessary. Lockheed Martin secured the complex following the final launch 

two years ago, removed equipment and turned over the site to the Air Force for a multimillion dollar decommissioning and cleanup project. The umbilical towers on the pads 

were torn down last fall and Saturday's explosive toppling of the 20-story mobile service 

towers completed the demise of the Atlas era at Complex 36. After a brief countdown on 

the warm, sunny morning, former Complex 36 workers, Aix Force officials and the news 

media watched as pad 36B had its lower supports blown out, allowing the structure to tip 

over and smash into the ground at 9:59 a.m. Then went pad 36A at 10:11 a.m. with more 

deafening explosions followed a few seconds later by the crushing sounds of impact. "It is 

an emotional feeling because of the history of it," said NASA spokesman and launch 

commentator George Diller. His first launch commentary was an Atlas flight from Complex 

36. Web posted. (2007). [Former Atlas launch towers knocked down at Complex 36 

[Online]. Available W'(TW: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, June 16].] 

Rocket has glitch, but it's manageable, official says 

A rocket carrying an intelligence-gathering payload for the Pentagon suffered a technical 

problem after its launch, officials said. But they were confident Saturday that its secretive 

mission would be performed. The Atlas 5 rocket launched Friday morning, hauling a 

payload form the National Reconnaissance Office, a division of the Department of Defense. 

The launch was successful, but the rocket's Centaur upper stage later had a "technical 

anomaly which resulted in minor performance degradation," the NRO said. ["Rocket has 

glitch, but it's manageable, official says," Orlando Sentinel, June 17, 2007, p A6.] 

June 18: NASA and ESA Sign Agreements for Future Cooperation 

At a ceremony held Monday at the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, France, 

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and European Space Agency (ESA) Director General 

Jean-Jacques Dordain signed two agreements defining the terms of cooperation on the 

James Webb Space Telescope GWST[) and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) 

Pathfinder mission. Although it will operate over a different range of wavelengths, the 

James Webb Space Telescope is considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Its 

launch is targeted for 2013 and it will operate for at least five years. The telescope is a 

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mission of international cooperation between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency 

to investigate the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. At the heart 

of the observatory is a large telescope, which has a primary mirror measuring 21.3 feet in 

diameter (compared to 7.9 feet for Hubble) that provides a relatively large field of view. A 

set of four sophisticated instruments, including a fme guidance sensor for precision pointing, 

will combine superb imaging capability at visible and infrared wavelengths with various 

spectroscopic modes to learn about the chemistry and evolution of objects in our universe. 

The telescope will operate well outside the Earth's atmosphere at a spot in space called the 

second Lagrangian point or "L2" located I million miles -- or four times farther than the 

moon's orbit -- in the direction opposite the sun. From this location, the observatory is 

expected to revolutionize our view of the cosmos as Hubble has. According to the 

agreement, NASA is responsible for the overall management and operation of the JWST 

mission and will build the spacecraft, the telescope and the platform that will house the 

instruments. ESA will provide an Ariane 5 ECA rocket for the telescope's launch. ["NASA 

and ESA Sign Agreements for Future Cooperation," NASA News Release #07-139, June 

18, 2007.]

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-061807. Mission: Dawn; Location: 

Astrotech Space Operations Facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; 

Launch Date: July 7, 2007; Launch Time: 4:09:31 - 4:36:22 p.m. EDT. Over the weekend, 

Dutch Space personnel completed the solar array repair on Dawn as planned and spacecraft 

processing continues on schedule. Dawn will be mated to its associated upper-stage booster 

on Thursday and transported to Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for mating to 

the Delta II on June 27. At Pad 17-B, the Delta II second stage was hoisted atop the first 

stage on June 15. Mission: Phoenix; Location: Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility; 

Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 

5:35:18 a.m. EDT; Installation of the parachute and associated mortar and ordnance is under 

way. A deployment of the solar array on the cruise stage is planned for Wednesday and a 

solar array lighting test is scheduled for Friday. The first stage of the Delta II was hoisted 

into the launcher today at Pad 17-A. Attachment of the nine solid rocket boosters to the first 

stage will be performed Tuesday through Thursday. Hoisting of the Delta II second stage 

atop the first stage is scheduled for June 26. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Expendable 

Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedy /launchingrockets /status /2007 /index.html [2007, June 18.] 

Secret NRO ocean surveillance spacecraft in wrong orbit 

Two top secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft were 

placed in the wrong orbit June 15 when the 200-foot-tall Atlas V rocket they were riding on 

stopped firing too early in space following launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The top secret 

satellites separated safely from the malfunctioning booster, however, and have enough 

rocket propellant to continue their mission, an official said on background. The U.S. Air 

Force, which managed the Atlas V launch, and the NRO have begun an official investigation 

into the launch and malfunction. The $83 million Atlas V used in the launch is a model 401 

with no solid rocket boosters. The Atlas V is built by Lockheed Martin and uses a Lockheed 

Martin Centaur upper stage with a Pratt & Whitney RLI 0 rocket engine powered by liquid 

oxygen and liquid hydrogen. United Launch Affiance (EJLA) now runs the Atlas program and 

managed the launch in conjunction with NRO and the Air Force's 45th Space Wing that 

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operates Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's 

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "Secret NRO ocean surveillance spacecraft in wrong 

orbit," [Electronic]. Vol. 222, No. 55, [June 18, 2007.].] 

June 19: Space Shuttle Atlantis passes final inspection for landing 

Hours after undocking from the international space station Tuesday, Atlantis' seven 

astronauts finished a final inspection of the space shuttle to make sure its heat shield was 

ready to re-enter Earth's atmosphere. Atlantis' 13-day mission was scheduled to end with 

landing at 1:54 p.m. ET on Thursday, although the weather at Kennedy Space Center looked 

iffy. Continuing a tradition, space station commander Fyodor Yurchikbin rang a bell and 

said "Atlantis departing" as the space shuttle pulled away. Pilot Lee Archambault steered 

Atlantis away from the space station and vent on a quick trip around the station to 

photograph the solar arrays the crew installed on the half-built home 220 miles above Earth. 

More than an hour after undocking, a piece of debris that looked like a blanket and at least 

five tiny flashing particles floated by the space station. While NASA engineers are still 

reviewing video and photographs and don't know what the piece of debris might be, the 

flashing particles could be pieces of ice that are a byproduct of the shuttle's jets, said Cathy 

Koerner, flight director. Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, said 

initial analysis of the piece of debris doesn't indicate it came from the space station and 

points to it being a small object. "It's not a big concern," he said. Results of the fmal 

inspection of the heat shield won't be ready until Wednesday, said Koerner, but problems 

aren't anticipated. Web posted. (2007). [Space Shuttle Atlantis passes final inspection for 

landing [Online]. Available W\XTW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, June 19].] 

New escape system a wild ride 

A new launch pad under design by NASA will include a hair-rising escape system dubbed 

"the roller coaster." When the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is completed 

in 2012, it will include an emergency feature that will allow astronauts to jump into tram cars 

atop the pad's tower and whiz down a track to safety, NASA Ruth Gardner says. One 

design under consideration shows the cars hurtling over a 90-degree cliff before plunging 

vertically toward the ground - with the passengers face down. NASA is redesigning the 

launch pad and planning escape routes as it develops a replacement for the space shuttle, 

which will retire in 2010. The next spaceship, a capsule named Orion, is scheduled to take 

astronauts to orbit starting in 2015 and eventually to the moon. The Orion isn't built, but its 

general design is settled, allowing NASA to design a pad and figure out ways to escape. The 

launch pad tower will be 370 feet tall. Even so, the tram cars will whisk crews to safety in 

only 85 seconds, says Gardner, Kennedy's manager of ground operations planning for the 

new ship. Engineers have not settled on the escape track's path, so it might not bend quite as 

much as 90 degrees. ["New escape system a wild ride," Florida Today, June 20, 2007, p 

3B.] 

June 20: Astronauts pack up cabin for Thursday landing 

Keeping tabs on threatening weather, the Atlantis astronauts faced a busy day in space today, 

packing up equipment, setting up a recumbent seat for returning space station flier Sunita 

Williams and testing the shuttle's control systems to make sure they're ready for re-entry and 

landing Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center. Deorbit ignition is planned for 12:50 p.m. 

Thursday with landing on tap at 1:55 p.m. There are no technical problems with the space 

shuttle and the only question mark is the weather. As of late Tuesday, the KSC forecast 

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called for scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken deck at 5,000 feet, overcast at 12,000 feet, 

winds gusting to 13 knots from 210 degrees and thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles. The 

low ceilings and lightning activity both violate NASA's landing flight rules. The outlook in 

Florida remains questionable Friday and into the weekend. An updated forecast will be 

available later today and entry flight director Norm Knight plans to brief reporters on his 

entry strategy during a 5 p.m. news conference. Web posted. (2007). [Astronauts pack up 

cabin for Thursday landing [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/

[2007, June 20].] 

June 21: . NASA says Atlantis okay to land, despite "mistake" 

NASA said on Wednesday it "made a mistake" in its calculations about a tear in space shuttle 

Atlantis' heat protection, but that it should not prevent the ship's safe return to earth. 

Deputy shuttle program manager John Shannon told reporters that NASA engineers believe 

an area beneath a torn heat-resistant blanket near the shuttle's tail had gotten hotter than 

they first thought during Atlantis' launch into space on June 8. While the difference in 

temperatures was relatively small -- 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius) instead of 

350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) -- and would not have damaged the shuttle, but 

errors involving shuttle heat shields raise eyebrows since the Columbia disaster in 2003. 

"When they modeled it, they made a mistake," Shannon said of the original analysis. "It's 

pretty obvious we don't like to make mistakes. Nobody does." Despite the error, officials 

said the shuttle was on course for landing on Thursday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida 

if weather permits. Shannon blamed the error on a faulty assumption about what materials 

were beneath the inches-long (centimeters) tear. The error was spotted when astronaut 

Danny Olivas went out to repair the blanket, which protects part of the shuttle from heat 

when it is in the earth's atmosphere. Instead of a cushioning layer NASA had expected, 

there was a graphite material. Shannon, in a briefmg at Johnson Space Center, blamed bad 

paperwork for the mistake, but said the error posed no threat to Atlantis. "Is it any kind of 

concern to us? No, it's not," he said. Later, shuttle managers officially deemed the shuttle fit 

for landing, NASA said. Landing flight director Norm Knight said NASA hopes to bring 

Atlantis back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, but the weather forecast is 

for low clouds and pcssible nearby thunderstorms, both of which would prevent landing. 

"I know the forecast now is no-go, but weather changes," Knight said. "If weather doesn't 

cooperate we will keep the crew safe and the vehicle safe and go around for another day." 

If Atlantis cannot land on Thursday, NASA will consider directing it to Edwards Air Force 

Base in California on Friday, he said. The shuttle has enough supplies to stay in space until 

Sunday. Web posted. (2007). [NASA says Atlantis okay to land, despite "mistake" [Online]. 

Available \XWW: http: / /wwv.alertnet.org/thencws /newsdesk/N203051 40.htm [2007, 

June 21].]

Payload bay door decision 

It is 10 minutes before the scheduled closing of the payload bay doors on the shuttle 

Atlantis, which would clear the way for NASA to take a shot at landings today at Kennedy 

Space Center. Steps already are being taken in orbit that seem to indicate entry flight 

director Norm Knight intends to take advantage of both landing opportunities today, hoping 

for a sudden clearing of the bad weather over KSC. The reasoning is to not waste any 

landing opportunities, even in the face of poor weather at KSC today. The weather at 

Edwards Air Force Base in California is iffy the next couple of days too, with stronger than 

allowed crosswinds a possibility on both Friday and Saturday. Knight wants to be ready to 

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give the go-ahead to land in case the weather suddenly improves or ther&s a small window 

of opportunity. The weather looked bleak at KSC on the last shuttle landing attempt back in 

December right up until minutes before the order to fire the shuttles engines for re-entry. A 

slight window of opportunity opened and against almost everyone's predictions, the shuttle 

landed at KSC. Web posted. (2007). [Payload bay door decision [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com The Flame Trench blog [2007, June 21].] 

June 22: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-062207. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Official Launch Date: June 8, 2007; Official. Landing Date: June 22, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, 

Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas and Williams. The crew of STS-1 17 

completed its nearly two-week mission to the International Space Station today, landing at 

Edwards Air Force Base at 3:49 p.m. EDT. The orbiter's wheels came to a stop after 13 

days, 20 hours, 12 minutes and 44 seconds in space. While clocked at the station on Sunday, 

the crew completed a fourth and final spacewalk. During the outing, crewmembers Patrick 

Forrester and Steven Swanson moved a T\T camera from a stowage platform to the S3 truss, 

verified the configuration of drive lock assembly No. 2, and removed the last six launch 

restraints from the solar array rotary joints. They also installed a computer network cable on 

the Unity node, opened the hydrogen vent valve on the Destiny laboratory, and tethered two 

orbital debris shield panels. On Monday, the crew transferred supplies from Atlantis to the 

station. On Tuesday, Atlantis undocked and executed a fly-around of the station, sending 

back imagery of the new configuration of the solar arrays. The space station now has four 

U.S. solar array wings tracking the sun through each orbit of the Earth. Later in the day, the 

crew completed a survey of the orbiter's thermal protection system using the shuttle arm and 

boom extension. At NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, 

Atlantis will be prepared for its ferry ffight back to KSC that will occur in about one week. 

Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; 

Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: 

Targeted for Aug. 9, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, 

Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2 this week, workers successfully completed 

the frequency response testing of the orbiter's flight control system. Pressurization of the 

nose landing gear and main landing gear struts has ended. Tile work around the payload bay 

door hinges is under way, and the main propulsion system valves have been configured for 

rollout. The fonvard external tank/orbiter yoke (attach point) has been installed. The shuttle 

main engine covers are installed, and the engines are ready for the vehicle's rollover to the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, currently scheduled for July 2. In the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, transfer of External Tank No. 117 from its checkout cell to the mobile launch 

platform in high bay No. I was completed on Sunday. The hard mating of the external tank 

and solid rocket boosters was completed that evening. The shuttle interface test is under 

way, and other scheduled processing of the tank and booster stack continues. Mission: 

STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight (IOA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery 

(OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 

2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and 

Tarn; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing 

Facility bay No. 3, aft closeout work is under way. The orbiter docking mechanism has been 

stowed for flight. Checkout and servicing of water spray boiler No. I is scheduled for 

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completion today. Modifications to Discovery's engine cutoff sensor wiring are complete, 

along with the installation of BRI tile around the main landing gear doors and external tank 

doors. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available WWW: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv /shuttleoperations /status /

2007/index.html [2007,June 22.] 

NASA Awards Payload Processing Contract 

NASA's Launch Services Program has awarded a pair of indefinite-delivery/indefmitequantity contracts to Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., and Spaceport Systems 

International in Colorado Springs, Cob. The companies will provide the necessary facilities 

to perform payload processing services for NASA missions launching from Vandenberg Air 

Force Base, Calif. The aggregate value of available firm-fixed-price orders under the two 

contracts could be worth up to $35 million over a maximum of four years, which includes 

two 1-year options. Astrotech and Spaceport Systems International will use their respective 

Vandenberg facilities to support ihe final assembly of spacecraft and encapsulate them 

before they are taken to the launch pad. While processing requirements differ depending on 

the spacecraft and mission, they usually include final assembly and testing, integration with a 

third stage or adapter, propellant loading and spin balancing. Such tasks typically begin about 

three months before the scheduled launch. Astrotech is a subsidiary of SPACEHAB, Inc., 

Webster, Texas, and operates payload processing facilities in Titusville and at Vandenberg. 

The company was incorporated in 1984 as a commercial launch payload processor. 

Spaceport Systems International is in partnership with ITT Corporation, White Plains, N.Y. 

The company's facilities are used to process payloads for NASA and commercial interests. 

["NASA Awards Payload Processing Contract," Contract Release #C07-26, June 22, 

2007.]

NOAA recognizes KSC as a stormready community 

Officials from NOAA's National Weather Service have recognized John F. Kennedy Space 

Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla., as a StormReady community. Home to NASA's space shuttle 

launch program, KSC is the first government site in the state and the eighth in the nation to 

be recognized as StormReady. At a special ceremony today, Scott Rayder, NOAA chief of 

staff presented a recognition letter and StormReady signs to Kennedy Space Center 

Director, William W. Parsons. The StormReady recognition will be in effect for three years 

when the facility will go through a renewal process. "I am very pleased and proud to say that 

the Kennedy Space Center has met StormReady certification requirements. A proactive 

approach to hazardous weather preparedness enabled KSC to receive this status," said 

Parsons. "We now know we have a highly effective severe weather action plan, as well as an 

effective notification process for the work force when it is necessary." To be recognized as 

StormReady, a community must: * Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency 

operations center; * Have more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and 

warnings and to alert the public; * Create a system that monitors local weather conditions; * 

Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars; * Develop a 

formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding 

emergency exercises. Web posted. (2007). [NO.AA's National Weather Service Recognizes 

John F. Kennedy Space Center as a Stormready Community [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007 /s2882.htm [2007, June 22].] 

Shipman arrives with former astronaut, tells her side of story 

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It took 90 minutes for Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman to tell her side of the love triangle 

in the case of former astronaut Lisa Nowak's alleged attempt to kidnap her in February from 

an Orlando International Airport parking lot. Shipman and former astronaut Bill Oefelein 

left the King Reporting Office in Suntree holding hands and smiling. Neither made any 

comments as they got into attorney Kepler Funk's black Porsche SUV. Funk said he had 

told Shipman to "go in and tell the truth" this morning. Nowak told police she drove from• 

Houston to Orlando to talk with Shipman about their mutual love interest, former shuttle 

pilot Oefelein. Nowak carried with her a duffle bag filled with a BB pistol, wig, trench coat, 

hat, knife, steel mallet, surgical rubber tubing and black plastic garbage bags. Nowak is 

charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and attempted vehicle burglary with a battery. 

Oefelein was fired from NASA last month. Nowak was fired by NASA as an astronaut in 

March. Nowak remains a U.S. Navy captain and Oefelein continues as a U.S. Navy 

commander. A status hearing is scheduled for July 29 in front of Orange County Circuit 

Judge Marc Lubet at 8:30 a.m. Nowak's trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 24. Web posted. 

(2007). [Sbipman arrives with former astronaut, tells her side of story [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /wvv.floridatoday.com/ [2007, June 22].] 

June 23: Atlantis avoids early retirement - will keep flying to 2010 

NASA managers have decided to manifest shuttle orbiter Atlantis with missions through to 

2010, cancelling her previously planned retirement in 2008. Information gained from STS122 - the next flight of Atlantis - processing documentation, along with the latest FAWG 

(Flight Assignment Working Group) manifests, confirm the addition of two further missions 

for the orbiter, to follow after STS-122 and her flagship STS-125 mission to service the 

Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis was originally set to retire in 2008 after the Hubble 

mission. Given the shuttle program is due to end in 2010, the subsequent OMDP (Orbiter 

Maintenance Down Period) - which would have taken at least a year - it was decided her 

retirement in 2008 was deemed to be the best course of action. Atlantis would have 

remained inside an OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility) and maintained to near flight ready 

condition, to be used as a parts donor for her two sisters, Discovery and Endeavour. This 

decision has now been reversed, with Atlantis taking two missions which were previous 

allocated to either Discovery or Endeavour. Previously Endeavour's mission, STS-127 will 

deliver the fmal element of the Japanese Experiment Module - the EF (Exposed Facility 

'Terrace') - which will be located outside the port cone of the JAXA Pressurized Module 

(PM) core component - set to fly with Discovery on STS-124 (April 24, 2008). The other 

mission Atlantis is likely to take is STS-131 (ULF4), carrying the CBC, Russian Docking 

Cargo Module, manifested to fly NET January 28, 2010. With this extension to Atlantis' 

operational lifetime, certain elements of the OMDP can still be 'safely carried out during 

pre/post-launch processing intervals. Web psted. (2007). [Atlantis avoids early retirement 

- will keep flying to 2010 [Online]. Available W'('W: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

[2007, June 23].] 

June 24: Cape's Delta 4 rocket launch pad repaired 

With cracks on its launch pad freshly patched up, the giant Delta 4-Heavy rocket has 

returned to the oceanfront complex aiming for a middle-of-the-night blastoff in late August 

to haul a missile observation sateffite into orbit for the U.S. Air Force. The booster had 

rolled out to the pad once already, traveling from the assembly hangar to Cape Canaveral's 

Complex 37 in early January for a planned April launch on its first operational flight. Delta 

4-Heavy is the biggest unmanned rocket available in the U.S. inventory today. But plans for 

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an early spring launch were dashed when the pad's massive table that supports the rocket 

cracked during a countdown dress rehearsal on February 28. Supercold liquid oxygen leaked 

from plumbing inside the table, enabling the frigid temperatures of the escaping cryogenic 

oxidizer to create small fractures in the metallic structure. "The direct cause (of the leak) was 

found to be a high cycle fatigue failure in the flexible bellows sections of the vacuumjacketed liquid oxygen fill and drain lines in the launch table. This suggests these cracks may 

have resulted from flow-induced vibrations in the lines," according to information provided 

by the Launch and Range Systems Wing at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. 

While the cracks didn't put the rocket in jeopardy, the Launch and Range Systems Wing said, 

repairs had to be made before the mission could lift off. At the end of March, crews 

removed the United Launch Alliance rocket from the pad and put it in temporary storage 

within the nearby hangar while repairs were made to the table and fuel lines. Two locations 

on the table had sustained the structural cracks - in the starboard and center bays below 

those two rocket stages, where the liquid oxygen equipment is situated - and each fracture 

had several "spider" cracks that were much smaller in length. Engineers implemented repair 

plans to restore the pad and remove the troublesome fuel lines. In addition, new safeguards 

to prevent such a problem from repeating in the future are being formed. With the repairs 

completed and the launch complex once again ready to welcome a rocket, the Delta 4-Heavy 

rode horizontally to the pad aboard a diesel-powered transporter last Monday, June 18. The 

pad's erector system powered by hydraulic pistons lifted the rocket vertically atop the pad 

table on Tuesday. If all goes well, liftoff is targeted for August 28 during a window extending 

from approximately 2:37 to 4:30 a.m. EDT (0637-0830 GMT). Web posted. (2007). [Cape's 

Delta 4 rocket launch pad repaired [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. spaceflightnow.com / [2007, June 24].] 

June 25: Atlantis heading home Friday 

Atlantis is set to start her cross-country piggyback ride back to Florida on Friday, returning 

back at KSC just as Endeavour starts roiling over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). 

Atlantis is currently undergoing a lvel of post flight processing at the Edwards Air Force 

Base, following her return to Earth last Friday. Among the usual cleaning up of remaining 

propellants from the orbiter's engines, engineers are carrying out a full repair to the port 

OMS Pod blanket - ahead of the flight - after the EVA-3 repaired joint came slightly loose 

during Friday's return. Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis heading home Friday - ISS may need to 

avoid Chinese debris [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, 

June 25].] 

June 26: NASA Establishes New Office to Study Cosmic Phenomena 

NASA has created a new office to study in more detail some of the universe's most exotic 

phenomena: dark energy, black holes and cosmic microwave background radiation. The 

new Einstein Probes Office will facilitate NASA's future medium-class science missions to 

investigate these profound cosmic mysteries. The office vffl be housed in the Beyond 

Einstein Program Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 

["NASA Establishes New Office to Study Cosmic Phenomena," NASA News Release 

#07-143, June 26, 2007.] 

'We're returning to the moon' 

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez on Monday pledged to help minimize the time between the end of 

NASA's shuttle program and the first flights of new Apollo-style spacecraft. In a news, 

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conference after meeting with Kennedy Space Center officials, Martinez said a gap longer 

than the five-year hiatus now envisioned would be devastating to the state of Florida. "The 

economic impact that (KSC) has on the region's economy -- and I'm not just talking about 

Cocoa and the surrounding areas, I'm talking about all of Central Florida and frankly, all of 

Florida -- would be dramatic. It would be stark," said Martinez, R-Orlando. "And so what 

we need to do is make sure that we continue to be there and fight for the program. . . to 

ensure that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen. We don't want to get there." A six-year 

hiatus in U.S. human space flight between the close of the Apollo program in 1975 and the 

first shuttle flight in 1981 triggered a severe economic depression in Brevard County. The 

local ecOnomy now is much more diversified, but KSC remains the area's largest employer 

with about 14,500 civil service and contractor workers. That number, however, is expected 

to drop significantly after the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010. NASA won't need nearly as 

many people to operate the Orion spacecraft. Martinez said he and NASA officials did not 

discuss the number of jobs that might be lost. Web posted. (2007). ['We're returning to the 

moon' [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.f1oridatodav.com [2007, June 26].] 

NASA aims to launch Endeavour 2 days early 

NASA aims to move up the planned launch of shuttle Endeavour to Aug. 7 while Atlantis is 

headed for a weekend return to Kennedy Space Center. Now scheduled for Aug. 9, the 

launch of Endeavour on an International Space Station construction mission will mark the 

orbiter's first flight since 2002. Shuttle managers are expected to move the target date during 

a meeting Thursday. NASA plans to move Endeavour from its processing hangar to the 52-

story Vehicle Assembly Building next Monday, three days early. The fully assembled shuttle 

is set to be rolled out to Pad 39A about July 9. Atlantis, meanwhile, appears to have come 

through its station assembly mission relatively unscathed. Inspectors found just 10 heatshield tiles with gouges greater than an inch long. Technicians this week are preparing 

Atlantis for a ferry flight back to KSC. The orbiter landed Friday at Edwards Air Force Base 

in California because of bad weather at the Cape. Atlantis will be bolted to the top of a 

modified 747 jet, which is to leave Edwards on Friday. The trip probably vffl take at least 

two days. Web posted. (2007). [NASA aims to launch Endeavour 2 days early [Online]. 

Available WWW: http: / /www. fioridatodav.corn [2007, June 26].] 

June 27: NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Set for Move to VAB 

In preparation for the STS-1 18 mission to the International Space Station, NASA is 

scheduled to rollover space shuttle Endeavour from its hanger, the Orbiter Processing 

Facility, to the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building on Monday, July 2. In the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, crews wifi mate Endeavour to its external fuel tank and twin 

solid rocket boosters. The next milestone for Endeavour is the 3.4-mile rollout to Launch 

Pad 39A, planned for July 11. Endeavour is targeted for launch in early August. During the 

11-day mission to the station, Endeavour's crew of seven astronauts will add the Starboard 5 

(S5) segment to the right side of the station's backbone, or truss, deliver 5,000 pounds of 

supplies and conduct repairs. The mission will be Endeavour's first flight in more than four 

years. The shuttle has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of safety 

upgrades already added to shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour also features new 

hardware, such as the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked 

shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. 

["NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Set for Move to Vehicle Assembly Building," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-76, June 27, 2007.]

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Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-062707. Mission: Dawn; Location: 

Astrotech Space Operations Facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; 

Launch Date: July 7, 2007; Launch Time: 4:09:31 - 4:36:22 p.m. EDT. In preparation for the 

upcoming July 3 Flight Readiness Review, the mission team is working to resolve several 

issues. These include engineering checkouts and analysis on solid rocket motor attachment 

points strength; cork insulation repair; battery replacement; and additional technical 

checkouts of the launch vehicle. Managers also are ensuring that all tracking elements will be 

in place to support the July 7-11 launch window. The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Pad 17-B 

this morning and was hoisted atop the Delta II launch vehicle. The Flight Program 

Verification, an integrated test to verify that the launchvehicle and the spacecraft are 

working together, is scheduled for June 29. The fairing will be installed around the Dawn 

spacecraft atop the rocket on July 1. Mission: Phoenix; Location: Payload Hazardous 

Servicing Facility; Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; Launch Date: Aug. 3, 

2007; Launch Time: 5:35:18 am. EDT. The solar array lighting test and installation of the 

spacecraft parachute are complete. Spacecraft fueling is scheduled for July 2-3. Spin balance 

testing is scheduled for July 11-12. At Pad 17-A, the attachment of the nine solid rocket 

boosters to the Delta II first stage is complete. Hoisting of the second stage atop the first 

stage is scheduled for June 28. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle 

Status Report [Online]. Available \X/\X/W: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov/centers /

kenncdv/launchingrockets /status /2007 /index.html [2007, June 27.] 

Rocket has life-saving mission 

NASA plans to use a powerful rocket to get astronauts on its new spaceship to safety if an 

emergency forces the mission to be aborted as the vehicle heads to orbit. A computer 

system at Mission Control would be able to fire a rocket that would hurl the crew capsule 

out of harms' way, said Greg Stover, NASA's launch-abort system manager. The U.S. 

spacecraft to boast such a system was the Apollo, which carried me to the moon. For 

several seconds, the crew would feel crushed by a force 15 times that of gravity. By 

comparison, passengers on amusement park rides feel pressures of two to three times the 

force of gravity. Harrowing as the ride may be, the $500 million abort rocket is designed to 

make the new spaceship - a silo-shaped capsule called the Orion - a safer vehicle than the 

space shuttle. The Orion is supposed to take astronauts to orbit and the moon after the 

shuttle's retirement, scheduled for 2010. ["Rocket has life-saving mission," Florida Today, 

June 27, 2007, p 3B.] 

June 29: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #062907. Mission: STS-117 - 21st International 

Space Station Flight (13A) - S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Official Launch Date: June 8, 2007; Official Landing Date: June 22, 2007; Crew: Sturckow, 

Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester, Olivas, Anderson and Williams. At NASA's 

Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Atlantis has 

undergone a week of preparation for its ferry ffight back to KSC aboard the shuttle carrier 

aircraft. This modified Boeing 747 airplane transports the orbiter in piggyback fashion. The 

first opportunity for the flight is Saturday and will be dependent on weather conditions 

across the country. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 

Truss Segment ; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; 

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Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 7, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Wiffiams, 

Morgan, Mastracchio, Caidwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, Endeavour is undergoing final 

preparations for rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building early on Monday, with the 

orbiter's mating to the transporter scheduled for Saturday. During the week, workers 

completed functional testing of the payload bay doors, closed them for flight and removed 

the strongbacks, which are metal structures that allow for the movement of the doors. The 

main landing gear and nose landing gear tires are pressurized for flight. The forward, mid 

and aft sections of the orbiter are closed out for flight. The orbiter's weight and center of 

gravity are being measured today. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, processing of the STS118 external tank and solid rocket boosters continues. This weekend, platforms will be 

configured for the orbiter mate. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station 

Flight (IOA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing 

Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, 

Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tani; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, aft closeout work is 

under way. Checkout of the hydraulic system for water spray boiler No. I is finished. Testing 

is in progress on the auxiliary power units, as well as the external tank doors for proper 

closure and fit. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /\vw1v.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /

status/ 2007/index.html [2007, June 29.] 

During June: Dueling Dates 

NASA exploration engineers are working to a September 2013 initial operating capability 

(IOC) for the Orion crew vehicle, defmed as a full-up flight with a crew to the International 

Space Station for rendezvous, proximity operations, at least one docking and other orbital 

shakedown tests. But at current funding levels, there is only a 50-50 chance of making that 

date. The odds improve to two out of three if the date is March 2015. That's when 

Administrator Michael Griffin has been telling Congress the Orion can fly at the funding 

level set for Fiscal 2007 under a continuing resolution adopted after lawkmakers fell behind 

in their appropriations process. Scott Horowitz, the associate administrator for exploration 

systems, says the first flight would advance roughly one month for every $100 million that 

can be brought forward in the budget. But it still will take about three years to build flight 

hardware, so the IOC date is a moving target highly dependent on test results. ["Dueling 

Dates," Aviation Week & Space Technology, June 11, 2007, p 23.] 

Commercial Space 

Three more companies have signed up with NASA to take part in the Commercial Orbital 

Space Transportation System (COTS) program, which is spending almost $500 million in 

seed money to spur a private-sector route to the International Space Station. SpaceDev, 

Spacehab and Constellation Services International won't get any of that money, which has 

already been split between SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler. But the three entrepreneurial 

space businesses will get information from NASA on the U.S. space agency's requirements 

for the COTS program, including NASA's human-rating criteria. Under the nonreimbursable Space Act agreements, all three companies will work on building and flying 

cargo vehicles to low Earth orbit and SpaceDev will also try to develop human-rated 

transport. NASA has already signed unfunded COTS agreements with Transformational 

Space Corp. and PlanetSpace Inc. "Now there are a total of five private companies 

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cooperating with NASA by dedicating entirely private funding to help establish a robust 

commercial space transportation industry," says Scott Horowitz, associate administrator for 

exploration systems. ["Commercial Space," Aviation Week & Space Technology, June 

25, 2007, p 17.]

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JULY 

July 1: No speeding tickets at KSC 

Deputized Kennedy Space Center security officers have been ordered not to issue state 

traffic tickets to spaceport workers caught speeding on the government compound. About 

22 deputized security officers, employed by contractor Space Gateway Support, were told in 

a May 22 memo from center director Bill Parsons' office they could only give speeding 

motorists a less-severe KSC ticket. Those tickets must be signed by the worker's supervisor 

and returned, but carry no fme or other penalties. County court records show 43 Florida 

Uniform Traffic Citations were headed out in May. The number of state tickets issued 

peaked at 138 in October before beginning to fall. "It's an authority issue. We're not here 

to enforce state law," space center director of external relations Lisa Malone said of the 

private security force, some of whom have been deputized by the county sheriff as law 

enforcement officers. "They should pay attention to protecting NASA assets." NASA 

officials have met twice with Sheriff Jack Parker about undeputizing the 22 security officers, 

who alone have authority to issue state citations on the government installation. The total 

spaceport security force is about 320 officers, who are authorized to carry weapons. ["No 

speeding tickets at KSC," Florida Today, July 2, 2007, p IA & 5A.] 

July 2: Release of Public Information to the Media 

As Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) high-profile achievements continue to capture the 

attention of the world, NASA's launch operations center receives thousands of public 

information requests from the media each year. These range from simple requests, such as 

interviewing an engineer or taking up-close photos of a Space Shuttle, to more intensive 

requests like gaining escorted access to a high-security area. It's important that employees 

understand that NASA desires a culture of openness. Consistent with NASA's policy on the 

release of information to the media, available at wwiv.nasa.gov/communication policy, 

employees may speak to the press and the public about their work. The policy explains many 

ways to offer the best communication in sharing NASA's message with the public. NASA 

employees who receive a request from a media representative should coordinate with KSC's 

News Center at 321-867-2468 so that our Public Affairs Officers can help in providing the 

most appropriate information concerning NASA activities at the Center. Contractor 

employees should work with their companies' public affairs offices. Public Affairs 

Representatives must be on hand during media visits to KSC primarily for safety and 

security reasons. They also facilitate discussions between employees and media but do not 

tell employees what to say. The Agency's policy on releasing information guarantees that 

NASA employees may share their conclusions with the media but requires that they draw a 

distinction between professional conclusions and personal views that may go beyond the 

scope of their specific technical work or beyond the range of the Agency. As NASA 

Administrator Mike Griffm said, "Decisions concerning the newsworthiness of the 

numerous activities within NASA must be made and carried out in a coordinated fashion, 

but with views from all parties considered." We remain committed to the standard of open 

communication across KSC. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Parsons, W. W. Re: "Release of 

Public Information to the Media" [Electronic]. CD Comm #2007-11, [July 2, 2007.}.] 

NASA delays Atlantis' return 

To avoid the risk of flying through a thunderstorm, NASA officials kept Atlantis in 

Kentucky Monday night. The shuttle, and the 747 ferrying it, will attempt to leave Fort 

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Campbell early this morning. It is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy Space Center at 8:30 am. 

Weather permitting, the 747 carrying Atlantis will fly up the beach low enough for the public 

to see. "Our intention is to fly up the beach to share the orbiter and carrier," NASA 

spokeswoman Jennifer Tharpe said Monday. Pilots traditionally have flown from about he 

Pineda Causeway to Kennedy Space Center. Bad weather still could delay the takeoff from 

Fort Campbell, Ky., or force the shuttle to head directly for the landing strip at KSC. 

Meanwhile, at KSC, Endeavour was rolled into the Vehicle Assembly Building where today 

it likely will be mated to external fuel tanks and solid rocket boosters. Several hundred 

technicians, engineers and managers lined the roadway between Orbiter Processing Facility 

Bay No. 2 and the 52-story assembly building during the quarter-mile move, which began 

about 7:25 a.m. Mounted atop a 76-wheel transporter, the orbiter entered the assembly 

building about 45 minutes later. ["NASA delays Atlantis return," Florida Today, July 3, 

2007, p lB.] 

July 3: Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-070307. Mission: Dawn; Launch Pad: 

17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-H; Launch Date: July 7,2007; Launch Time: 4:09:31 - 

4:36:22 p.m. EDT. The flight readiness review was completed on Tuesday. All technical 

issues were cleared. Mission managers will hold a teleconference on Wednesday to discuss 

the availability of telemetry assets. If it is determined there are sufficient aircraft and ship 

assets available, the team will proceed with propellant loading on Thursday. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedv/launchingrockets/status /2007 /index.htrnl [2007, 

July 3.] 

July 5: Competition for Columbia memorial is downplayed 

Memorials to the seven fallen Columbia astronauts abound across the East Texas debris 

field, from a makeshift log cross near Hemphill to a park in Lufkin. What doesn't exist 

nearly 4 1/2 years after the shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry is a formal national 

monument. That's something U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, wants to rectify with a 

resolution that has passed the House and awaits action by a Senate committee. House 

Resolution 807, similar to one that passed the Senate during the past session, would instruct 

the Interior Department to study where to erect one or more National Park Service 

monuments to the astronauts and recovery workers. The bill specifies four locations - 

Hemphill, San Augustine, Lufkin and Nacogdoches - but leaves open other possibilities. A 

memorial could be set at one site or several. Most of the human remains were found near 

Hemphill in Sabine County. Nacogdoches saw myriad pieces of shuttle falling on streets, 

buildings and yards. Lufkin hosted the first command center, and San Augustine was the 

central staging area for debris pickup. The National Park Service opposed the bill, asking 

instead that a $250,000 study be authorized to determine where a memorial should go. 

Senators agreed, but the revised measure never made it to President Bush's desk. Web 

posted. (2007). [Competition for Columbia memorial is downplayed [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.chron.com/ [2007, July 5].] 

NASA Postpones Dawn Spacecraft Launch 

Saturday's scheduled launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft aboard a United Launch Affiance 

Delta II rocket has been postponed 24 hours. A lightning advisory early Thursday 

interrupted fueling of the Delta II second stage rocket. Also, the temperature of the vehicle's 

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second stage was too warm for the fueling process to begin. However, the fairing 

temperature has been lowered so that another attempt can be made Friday, July 6, pending 

acceptable weather. Dawn's launch countdown dress rehearsal is now scheduled for Friday. 

The launch window on Sunday, July 8, extends from 4:04 p.m. to 4:33 p.m. EDT. Weather 

for launch still may be an issue with a 60% chance of it not meeting launch criteria on 

Sunday. ["NASA Postpones Dawn Spacecraft Launch," NASA Media Advisoty #M07-

082, July 5, 2007.] 

July 6: Dawn Launch Moves To No Earlier Than Monday July 9 

The launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket has been rescheduled to no 

earlier than Monday, July 9. Because of difficulties with a downrange telemetry aircraft and 

the availability of a tracking ship, a launch attempt cannot be made before that time. Also, 

Friday's weather forecast raised the possibility that the loading of propellants aboard the 

Delta II rocket's second stage might not be completed in time to support a launch before 

Monday. The launch window for Monday is 3:56 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. EDT. According to 

weather forecasts, there is a 40 percent chance of unfavorable conditions for launch. 

["Dawn Launch Moves To No Earlier Than Monday July 9," NASA Media Advisory 

#M07-083, July 6, 2007.] 

Shuttle Endeavour to Move to Pad, Crew Ready for Countdown 

Test 

NASA's space shuttle Endeavour is targeted to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's 

Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Tuesday, July 10, as preparations for the STS-1 18 mission 

continue. First motion of Endeavour is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. After rollout, the 

next milestone will be a July 16-19 dress rehearsal of launch, which includes a practice 

countdown. Endeavour is targeted to lift off Aug. 7 on an 11-day mission to the 

International Space Station. The fully assembled space shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, 

external tank and twin solid rocket boosters, will be mounted on a Mobile Launcher 

Platform and delivered to the pad atop a crawler transporter. The crawler will travel slower 

than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The process is expected to take approximately six 

hours. The July 16-19 event, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, will 

feature astronauts and ground crews participating in a launch dress rehearsal. The test 

provides the crew of each shuttle mission with an opportunity to practice various simulated 

countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. 

["Shuttle Endeavour to Move to Pad, Crew Ready for Countdown Test," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-084, July 6, 2007.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-070607. Mission: ST S-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight (13A.1) - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: 

Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date Targeted for Aug. 7, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; 

Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Wiffiams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination 

/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On Monday morning, Endeavour rolled 

from Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building. On Tuesday, 

the orbiter was transferred via crane from the VAB transfer aisle to high bay No. I and 

attached to the external fuel tank/solid rocket booster stack. Mating and launch processing 

operations are under way in preparation for a rollout to Launch Pad 39A, which is currently 

targeted for no earlier than July 10. The STS-1 18 payload will be transferred to Launch Pad 

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39A early Saturday, weather permitting. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space 

Station Flight (IOA) - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, aft 

closeout work continues. The orbiter boom sensor system, which is the 50-foot robotic arm 

extension, was delivered to the bay this week and is being installed today. Floodlight 

electronic assemblies No. I and 2 were installed and mated this week. These units control 

the lights in the payload bay. Testing of the auxiliary power units is complete, along with 

testing of the external tank doors for proper closure and fit. Mission: STS-122 - 24th 

International Space Station Flight (IE) - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch 

Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schiegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination 

/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Atlantis returned to Kennedy Space 

Center from the Dryden Flight Research Center landing site on Tuesday at 8:24 am. aboard 

the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 airplane. The orbiter was demated from 

the aircraft and towed to Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, arriving just after 5 p.m. on 

Wednesday following several weather delays. Operations are under way to remove the tail 

cone, which was installed for protection during the ferry flight. Window inspections are 

complete and soft covers have been installed. Workers are inspecting the orbiter's thermal 

protection system, including the wing leading edge reinforced carbon-carbon panels, as well 

as the chin panel and nose cap. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing 

Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /vww.nasa.gov /centers /kennedv/ 

shuttleoperations/status/2007/index.html [2007, July 6.] 

That's some toilet: NASA pays $19M for a new loo 

In space, a loo costs a lot. NASA has agreed to pay $19 million for a Russian-built toilet 

system for the international space station. The figure may sound astronomical for a toilet in 

space, but NASA officials said it was cheaper than building their own. "It's akin to building 

a municipal-treatment center on Earth," NASA spokeswoman Lynnette Madison said 

Thursday, explaining the cost of the new toilet system. Web posted. (2007). [That's some 

toilet: NASA pays $19M for a new loo [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. orlandosentinel. com/ [2007, July 6].] 

July 7: NASA Mission to Asteroid Belt Rescheduled For September 

Launch 

The launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft, a mission that will explore the two largest objects 

in the asteroid belt in an effort to answer questions about the formation of our solar system, 

has been rescheduled to September. The decision was made Saturday to move the launch to 

September after careful review by NASA's Science Mission Directorate officials, working 

with Dawn mission managers, the Dawn principal investigator, and with the concurrence of 

the NASA Administrator. Primary reasons for the move were a combination of highly 

limited launch opportunities for Dawn in July and the potential impact to launch 

preparations for the upcoming Phoenix Mars Lander mission, set for early August. A 

September launch for Dawn maintains all of the science mission goals a July launch would 

have provided. ["NASA Mission to Asteroid Belt Rescheduled For September Launch," 

NASA News Release #07-150, July 7, 2007.] 

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July 9: Mars probe will search for evidence of underground ice 

NASA will soon send a robotic craft to the north pole of Mars to land and dig for evidence 

of underground ice and signs of chemical activity linked to micro-organisms. The Phoenix 

lander is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Aug. 3 during 

the pre-dawn, scientists said Monday. The $420 million mission was designed to verify that 

readings of high hydrogen concentrations, made five years ago by NASA's Odyssey spacecraft, come from ice underground. While the Martian terrain appears to be desert-like on a 

global scale, the readings suggest the ice content of the soil at the north and south poles 

could be as much as 50 percent. Phoenix is equipped with an 8-foot robot arm that can dig 

nearly 2 feet into the soil. Samples from the excavations will be vaporized in an oven aboard 

the lander so that instruments can measure combinations of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and 

other elements known as organic chemicals that are linked to bacterial activity. Web posted. 

(2007). [Mars probe will search for evidence of underground ice [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.chron.com/ [2007, July 9].] 

Engineers staff stations for shuttle rollout 

A team of NASA and contractor engineers have reported for duty at Kennedy Space Center 

tonight as preparations for shuttle Endeavour's move to its oceanside launch pad continue at 

the nation's prime spaceport. A call-to-stations took place at KSC as scheduled at 8 p.m., 

and the team launched into fmal preparations for the 3.5-mile move from the Vehicle 

Assembly Building to launch pad 39A. First motion remained scheduled for 12:01 a.m., and 

it appears the weather is clear at this point. Web posted. (2007). [Engineers staff stations for 

shuttle rollout [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame 

Trench blog [2007, July 9].] 

July 10: Endeavour rollout moved to 10 p.m. tonight 

Shuttle Endeavour's move to the launch pad is being pushed back to 10 p.m. tonight due to 

bad weather that is expected to be in the Kennedy Space Center area early today. 

Endeavour had been slated to roll out to launch pad 39A at midnight, but the 3.5-mile move 

was rescheduled for 3 a.m. NASA managers then delayed the trip until tonight because the 

weather forecast called for rain during the time the shuttle would have been traveling to the 

pad from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Call-to-stations for the rollout will be at 6 p.m. 

The delay is not expected to push back a planned Aug. 7 launch. Web posted. (2007). 

[Endeavour rollout moved to 10 p.m. tonight [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, July 10].] 

16% of union members cross picket lines as USA strike 

continues 

About 16 percent of the space shuttle program workers at Kennedy Space Center who are 

part of a striking union have crossed the picket lines and continued working, according to 

NASA contractor United Space Affiance. Ninety-three workers in the 570-member 

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 are not 

participating in the strike against United Space Alliance, the company said. "There's all kinds 

of motivations that drive people across the picket lines," Local 2061 President Lew Jamieson 

said Monday. "Some have financial considerations, and some don't understand what we're 

trying to accomplish here." On Friday, those on strike started collecting $150 weekly 

financial assistance checks from a union fund. They have struck since June 14, and there is 

no end in sight, officials said. Also, many of the strikers have found temporary jobs to help 

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make ends meet. Web posted. (2007). [l6% of union members cross picket lines as USA 

strike continues [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.f1oridatodav.com/ [2007, July 10].] 

NASA aims for Sept. 7 launch of Dawn probe 

NASA is aiming to launch its Dawn spacecraft in early September and will have about six 

weeks to get the $450 million mission to the asteroid belt under way, officials said Monday. 

The next window of opportunity -- Sept. 7 through about Oct. 17 -- also sets NASA up for a 

morning liftoff avoiding the seasonal afternoon thunderstorms that hampered efforts to 

launch this month. "Everything looks good for September," said Kurt Lindstrom, program 

executive for solar system exploration at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. "We 

don't see any impediments to a launch on Sept. 7." The $267 million spacecraft is destined to 

become the first to orbit two planetary bodies, the asteroids Vesta and Ceres. But the 

robotic explorer must be launched when the planets are properly aligned for an 8-year 

journey through the inner solar system. Thunderstorms and problems with a tracking ship 

and aircraft forced NASA to skip afternoon launch opportunities last Saturday, Sunday and 

Monday. Typical summer weather patterns were expected to continue the next couple of 

weeks, so NASA gave up on five afternoon launch opportunities between next Sunday and 

July 19. The Dawn delay clears the way for NASA to focus on the planned Aug. 3 launch of 

the Mars Lander Phoenix. That spacecraft must be launched by Aug. 24 to put it in course 

for an arrival next May on the icy north pole of the red planet. Web posted. (2007). [NASA 

aims for Sept. 7 launch of Dawn probe [Online]. Available W\W: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, July 10].] 

July 11: Scolese to Succeed Geveden as NASA Associate Administrator 

NASA Associate Administrator Rex Geveden announced Wednesday that he will leave the 

agency at the end of July to join Teledyne Technologies as the president of Teledyne Brown 

Engineering, Huntsville, Ala. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has selected Christopher 

Scolese to succeed Geveden as associate administrator, the No. 3 position in the agency. 

Scolese, who currently serves as NASA's chief engineer, joined the space agency in 1987. He 

also has served as deputy director of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., 

and deputy associate administrator in the Office of Space Science, where he directed 

NASA's space science flight program, mission studies, technology development and overall 

contract management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. ["Scolese to 

Succeed Geveden as NASA Associate Administrator," NASA News Release #07-152, July 

11, 2007.]

Space Shuttle Endeavour Moves to Launch Pad 

Space shuttle Endeavour completed a 3.4-mile journey to launch pad 39A at NASA's 

Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Wednesday shortly after 3 a.m. EDT. After a one-day 

weather delay, Endeavour left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 8:10 p.m., Tuesday, 

traveling at less than 1 mph atop a massive crawler-transporter. While at the pad, the shuttle 

will undergo final testing, payload installation and a "hot fire" test of auxiliary power units. 

After final testing, the rotating service structure will be moved around the vehicle to protect 

it from the elements. Endeavour is targeted to lift off Aug. 7 on an 11-day STS-1 18 mission 

to the International Space Station. Endeavour's crew includes Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot 

Charlie Hobaugh and mission specialists Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastraccbio, Barbara Morgan, 

Alvin Drew and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams. The crew is due to arrive 

at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at approximately 7 p.m' on July 16 to participate in the 

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Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, a launch dress rehearsal. ["Space Shuttle 

Endeavour Moves to Launch Pad," NASA News Release #07-153, July 11, 2007.] 

Nation loses its Lady Bird 

Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady who championed conservation and worked 

tenaciously for the political career of his husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, died Wednesday, a 

family spokeswoman said. She was 94. Mrs. Johnson and her daughter, Mrs. Charles Robb, 

visited Kennedy Space Center in November 1968. In addition to viewing the nation's space 

exploration launch facilities, the First Lady presented achievement awards and service 

medals to KSC personnel and organizations for outstanding service to NASA. ["First Lady 

to Visit Spaceport," Spaceport News, November 21, 1968, p 1. "Nation loses its Lady 

Bird," Florida Today, July 12, 2007, p IA & 5A.] 

July 13: Scott Horowitz Announces Departure from NASA 

ScottJ. "Doc" Horowitz, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission 

Directorate, has announced plans to leave the agency in October. Horowitz, a retired U.S. 

Air Force colonel who served as commander or pilot on four space shuttle missions, now 

leads NASA's efforts to develop the new family of spacecraft that will return astronauts to 

the moon by 2020. Horowitz is stepping down for personal reasons. ["Scott Horowitz 

Announces Departure from NASA," NASA News Release #07-154, July 13, 2007.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-071307. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Launch 

Complex 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 7, 2007; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, 

Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. Shortly after 8 p.m. Monday, Endeavour rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, arriving at Launch Pad 39A about seven hours later. Connection of the shuttle and 

mobile launch platform systems to the pad systems immediately began, and validation of the 

systems is complete. A test firing of the auxiliary power units on the orbiter showed that 

they operated normally. Following this hot fire test, the rotating service structure was moved 

into the mate position, wrapping around the orbiter to provide weather protection and 

access for workers. Checkouts of the shuttle systems are under way. The hydraulic main 

engine and aerosurface frequency response test is complete. The orbiter payload bay doors 

will be opened tonight, with payload installation scheduled for Sunday. Mission: STS-120 - 

23rd International Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103) 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 3, checkout of the flash evaporator system heater is complete. Testing of the engine 

cutoff sensor system, payload pre-mate testing and rigging of the latching mechanism for the 

orbiter boom sensor system are all under way. Workers are preparing the orbiter for 

installation of two of the three engines, scheduled for this weekend. Stacking of the STS120 solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building is scheduled to begin next week. 

Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Laboratory Module; 

Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: 

Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, 

Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In 

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Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, overall inspection of the orbiter's thermal protection 

system is about 80 percent complete. This includes thermography inspection of the left and 

right wing reinforced carbon-carbon panels, along with the chin panel and nose cap. The 

main landing gear tires have been removed, the strongbacks were installed on the payload 

bay doors, and the doors have been opened. The forward reaction control system thruster 

and vernier inspection began this week, as did removal of the main engine dome heat 

shields. Preparations for engine removal are under way. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space 

Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/

centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, July 13.] 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-071307. Mission: Phoenix; Location: 

Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility; Launch Pad: 17A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; 

Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 5:35:18 a.m. EDT; Engineers successfully 

performed the spin testing of Phoenix this week. Mating of Phoenix to the upper-stage 

booster is scheduled for July 17. Final installation of the heat shield onto the cruise stage 

will occur July 18. Phoenix will be transported to Pad 1 7A and mated to the Delta II on July 

23. Mission: Dawn; Location: Pad 17-B; Launch Pad: 17B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925-

H; Launch Timeframe: September. Dawn remains atop the Delta II launch vehicle at Pad 

17B. The spacecraft wifi be removed from the launch vehicle and returned to a payload 

processing facility late next week. Program managers are working to determine a specific 

launch date based on the launch window for the mission's science objectives, the availability 

of the Eastern Range, and the necessary tracking, data and telemetry support. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov /centers /kenncdv/launchingrockets /status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

July 13.]

House committee approves NASA budget 

The House Appropriations Committee passed on Thursday an appropriations bill that 

includes $17.6 billion for NASA, nearly $300 million more than originally requested. The full 

committee approved the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill during a hearing 

Thursday in largely the same form that an appropriations subcommittee approved in June. 

The bill fully funds key exploration projects like Orion and Ares 1, but adds additional 

money for space science, education, and aeronautics programs. The bill is somewhat 

different from the Senate's version, which the Senate Appropriations Committee passed in 

late June; the Senate's version increases NASA's overall budget by $150 million and has 

different funding levels for specific programs. Both the full House and Senate have yet to act 

on the spending bills, which will later have to be reconciled in a conference committee. Web 

posted. (2007). [House committee approves NASA budget [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.spacetodav.net/ [2007, July 13].] 

Houston, we have a shuttle typo 

NASA scrambled someone out to pad 39A with a new sign that has the orbiter Endeavour's 

name spelled correctly, and then posted a photo at the Kennedy Space Center's web site. 

When the shuttle was rolled out to its seaside launch complex Wednesday, one item was 

missing: the "u" in Endeavour. The orbiter is named after HM Bark Endeavour, the ship 

commanded by 18th century explorer James Cook; the name also honored Endeavour, the 

Command Module of Apollo 15. This is why the name is spelled in the British English 

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manner, according to Answers.com . Web posted. (2007). [House committee approves 

NASA budget [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, July 13].] 

Endeavour unscathed in hail storm 

A hailstorm that swept across Kennedy Space Center missed shuttle Endeavour, avoiding a 

possible repeat of the February hailstorm that caused a three-month delay in the launch of 

Atlantis. "There's no hail at the pad," said KSC spokesman Bill Johnson about 4:15 p.m., 

minutes after pea-sized hail fell near the Vehicle Assembly Building. Shuttle workers were 

monitoring the storm to watch for any rain damage. An external tank mated to the orbiter 

Atlantis was seriously damaged during a Feb. 26 hailstorm, delaying a plan to launch an 

International Space Station assembly mission on March 15. More than 2,500 divots, dents 

and gouges in thermal protection foam covering the aluminum lithium tank had to be 

repaired. Atlantis fmally launched on June 8. Web posted. (2007). [Endeavour unscathed in 

hail storm [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench 

blog [2007, July 13].] 

July 14: US Mint to show unseen gold space coins 

Six months before the U.S. Mint issued the first Sacagawea dollar coins on January 27, 2000, 

12 specially-minted 22k gold Sacagaweas made a launch of a very different type. The dozen 

dollars were carried in to orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia to commemorate the flight 

of Eileeii Collins, the first female U.S. astronaut to command a spaceflight. The 12 welltraveled coins - 1.8 million miles over the course of 80 orbits in 4 days, 22 hours and 50 

minutes - were chosen as the best strikes from a set of 39 dollars struck at the Mint's West 

Point, New York facility in June 1999. The remaining 27 coins were destroyed. Originally, 

the Mint had planned to exhibit the gold coins at museums to promote the release of the 

Sacagawea dollar and potentially the sale of similar gold versions to the public. The gold 

coins' creation however, hadn't been to regulation, and the marketing program was canceled. 

Instead, the 12 space flown coins were moved to the Fort Knox Bullion Depository in 2001, 

where they have been in storage since. That is, until August 10, 2007, when the U.S. Mint 

plans to publicly display the dozen doubloons for the first time. The 12 coins that flew in 

space were on STS-93, the 94th shuttle mission, the 26th flight of Columbia and the 21st 

shuttle night launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. In addition to marking the first 

mission commanded by a woman (Collins), the flight deployed the third of NASA's four 

"Great Observatories", the Chandra X-Ray telescope. STS-93 flew for five days between July 

23 and 27, 1999. Web posted. (2007). [US Mint to show unseen gold space coins [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.collectSPACE.com/ [2007, July 14].] 

July 16: NASA Awards Upper Stage Engine Contract for Ares Rockets 

NASA has signed a $1.2 billion contract with Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne Inc., of Canoga 

Park, Calif., for design, development, testing and evaluation of the J-2X engine that will 

power the upper stages of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. The contract includes 

ground and test flight engines. It continues work that began on June 2, 2006, under a 

preliminary letter contract with Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne. NASA awarded the costplus-award fee contract to Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne on a sole-source basis, NASA 

determined that no other existing capability meets its architecture requirements and is able to 

be extended to future exploration missions to the moon and beyond. The contract 

performance period extends through Dec. 31, 2012. Engines for operational missions will be 

purchased through a separate contract. The J-2X is an evolved version of two historic 

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predecessors: the powerful J-2 engine that propelled the Apollo-era Saturn lB and Saturn V 

rockets and the J-2S, a simplified version of the J-2 that was developed and tested in the 

early I 970s. Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne designed and developed both the J-2 and the J2S and has been responsible for producing, refurbishing and improving them. The J-2X 

engine will incorporate significant upgrades to meet higher performance and reliability 

requirements for the Ares vehicles. Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket that will transport 

the Orion crew exploration vehicle to low Earth orbit. Orion will accommodate as many as 

six astronauts. The first stage will consist of a single reusable solid propellant rocket booster 

similar to those used on the space shuttle, with an additional fifth segment. The second, or 

upper, stage will consist of a J-2X liquid oxygen- and liquid hydrogen-fueled main engine 

and a new upper stage fuel tank. Ares V will enable NASA to launch a variety of science and 

exploration payloads, as well as key components needed to go to the moon and later to 

Mars. Ares V, a heavy lift launch vehicle, will use five RS-68 liquid oxygen- and liquid 

hydrogen-fueled engines mounted below a larger version of the space shuttle's external tank 

and two five-segment solid propellant rocket boosters for the first stage. The upper stage 

will use the same J-2X engine as the Ares I. ["NASA Awards Upper Stage Engine Contract 

for Ares Rockets," NASA Contract Release #C07-030, July 16, 2007.] 

Endeavour crew arrives for launch training 

Endeavour's crew arrived at KSC Monday evening for safety training and a countdown dress 

rehearsal before their 7:03 p.m. Aug. 7 launch. Commander Scott Kelly expressed the crew's 

pleasure at being at KSC, their hope for good weather on launch day and their appreciation 

to the hardworking technicians who are preparing the shuttle on Pad 39A. "We look 

forward to flying (Endeavour) for all the people who have put their heart and soul into this 

vehicle," said Kelly. He introduced the crew, pilot Charlie Hobaugh and five mission 

specialists: Tracy Caldwell, Al Drew, Rick Mastracchio, Barbara Morgan and Dave Williams 

of the Canadian Space Agency. At the International Space Station, the crew will install a 

truss, replace a gyroscope, test a power system, and deliver cargo and spare parts. During 

training the crew will ride a tank that could take them safely away from the shuttle during a 

malfunction, they will spend three hours Thursday morning strapped in their seats in 

Endeavour. Web posted. (2007). [Endeavour crew arrives for launch training [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, July 16].] 

July 17: NASA Administrator Names Ryschkewitsch as New Chief 

Engineer 

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has named Michael Ryschkewitsch as the agency's 

chief engineer. He succeeds Christopher Scolese, who Griffin selected as NASA's associate 

administrator on July 11. As chief engineer, Ryschkewitsch is responsible for the overall 

review and technical readiness of all NASA programs. The Office of the Chief Engineer 

assures that the agency's development efforts and missions operations are being planned and 

conducted on a sound engineering basis with proper controls and management of technical 

risks. Since October 2005, Ryschkevitsch served as the deputy center director for NASA's 

Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. ["NASA Administrator Names 

Ryschkewitsch as New Chief Engineer," NASA News Release #07-156, July 17, 2007.] 

July 18: Is the USA strike getting too bitter? 

I thought we ought to pass this item along here since there's been so much discussion in the 

blog lately about the ongoing strike by a contingent of United Space Affiance workers, who 

138
remain off the job at Kennedy Space Center in a dispute with NASA's prime shuttle 

operations contractor. Yesterday, a guy in Port St. John reported that his car and house 

were vandalized and branded with the word "scab." The man was a worker who'd crossed 

the picket line. There's no way to know what happened beyond speculation, but certainly 

this contentious labor battle continues to grow more bitter. James Celli of Port St. John 

walked out of his house early Sunday morning and found all four tires on his 2003 Chevrolet 

Monte Carlo flattened, and the words USA Scab scrawled in black spray paint all over his 

vehicle, according to the complaint. He also found the word "scab" scrawled on his garage. 

Scab is a slang word that refers to someone who works while others are on strike. The 570-

member International Association of Machinists Local 2061 has been on strike since June 

14. Union officials have said the issues with USA are wide-ranging, such as retirement 

benefits, wage increases, performance bonuses and health care insurance. Contract 

negotiations have stalled. Celli told deputies he worked at USA and had recently crossed the 

picket line to go back to work. He joined about 16 percent of the space shuttle program 

workers at Kennedy Space Center who returned to the job, some for financial reasons. They 

each receive $150 each week from the union while on strike. Deputies turned over the 

complaint to the general crimes unit to investigate. Web posted. (2007). [Is the USA strike 

getting too bitter? [Online] Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame 

Trench blog [2007, July 18].] 

July 19: Shuttle crew rehearse launch 

The crew of space shuttle Endeavour, including teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, 

climbed aboard Thursday in a dress rehearsal for next month's launch. Just as they will on 

liftoff day, now set for August 7, the seven spacesuited astronauts strapped into their seats 

inside the recently refurbished Endeavour. The spacecraft hasn't flown since December 

2002. After the countdown clock ticked down to four seconds, the seven astronauts climbed 

out in an emergency escape drill. "It was as smooth as it could have been," NASA 

spokesman George Duller said. "It did exactly what the countdown dress rehearsal is 

supposed to do." The practice countdown capped three days of launch training by the crew 

at Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts were scheduled to head back to Houston later 

Thursday. Shuttle commander Scott Kelly told reporters on Wednesday that Endeavour had 

no major technical issues which could delay a launch. Morgan was the back-up to teacherin-space Christa McAuliffe who died with six astronauts when Challenger blew apart 73 

seconds into lift-off in 1986. Morgan said she was reminded that Endeavour had replaced 

Challenger. She has been waiting 22 years to fly into space. She returned to teaching at an 

Idaho elementary school after the Challenger accident but represented the space agency as 

the teacher in space designee in the following years. In 1998, NASA selected her as a fullfledged astronaut. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle crew rehearse launch [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, July 19].] 

July 20: Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-072007. Mission: Phoenix; Location: 

Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility; Launch Pad: 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; 

Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 5:35:18 a.m. EDT. Mating of Phoenix to the 

upper-stage booster occurred Tuesday, July 17. Spacecraft engineers installed the heat shield 

onto the cruise stage Thursday, July 19. This was the last major milestone in spacecraft 

processing before going to the launch pad. Technicians are installing the integrated Phoenix 

payload into the payload transportation canister today. Phoenix will be transported to Pad 

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17-A for mating to the Delta II on Monday, July 23. At Pad 17-A, a simulated flight test of 

the Delta II was performed on Tuesday, July 17. This is an electrical and mechanical test of 

all events that the first and second stage of the vehicle will perform during ascent. A "LOX 

leak check" was conducted on Wednesday, July 18. This involves loading the Delta II first 

stage with liquid oxygen to verify its integrity and also serves as a countdown certification for 

the launch team. Mission: Dawn; Location: Pad 17-B; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: 

Delta II 7925-H; Launch Timeframe: September. Dawn remains atop the Delta II launch 

vehicle at Pad 17-B. The spacecraft will be removed from the launch vehicle on Saturday, 

July 21, and returned to the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy 

Space Center. A firm date for launch is still being determined based on the launch window 

for the science of the mission, the availability of the Eastern Range and the necessary 

tracking, data and telemetry support. The launch opportunity extends from Sept. 7 to Oct. 

15. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report [Online]. 

Available WWW: http: / /www.nasa.gov /centers /kennedv/launchingrockets /status / 

2007/index.htrnl [2007,July 20.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-072007. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Launch 

Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Aug. 7, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, 

Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. At Launch Pad 39A, preparations continue for the launch of 

Endeavour on STS-1 18. The orbiter's payload was installed on July 15. The helium signature 

test, which checks for leaks in the main propulsion system, is complete. Technicians 

continue checking out the shuttle systems after fmishing the external tank and solid rocket 

booster camera tests. Work is under way to prepare for the loading of hypergolic propellants, 

which will begin July 23. These propellants will power the solid rocket booster hydraulic 

power units and Endeavour's orbital maneuvering system, forward reaction control system 

and auxiliary power units. Workers continue filling the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen 

storage tanks at the pad. This fuel will be transferred to the external fuel tank shortly before 

launch. Mating of the orbiter midbody umbilical unit, the connection point that allows for 

servicing of the orbiter's fuel cells, will be completed today. The STS-1 18 crew traveled to 

Kennedy Space Center this week to participate in the terminal countdown demonstration 

test, which includes a countdown dress rehearsal, emergency egress training and a checkout 

of the crew cabin configuration. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight 

- U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; 

Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, 

Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tani; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, Discovery's main 

engines No. I and 2 have been installed, as have the heat shields for those engines. Engine 

cutoff sensor system and payload premate testing are complete. Rigging of the latching 

mechanism for the orbiter boom sensor system is complete and the system has been 

installed for flight. Stacking of the STS-120 solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly 

Building began this week, with the left aft booster and left aft center segments delivered and 

mated to the mobile launch platform. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station 

Flight - Columbus Laboratory Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

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51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, the orbiter's dome 

heat shields and main engines have been removed. The checkout of the forward reaction 

control system is complete. Windows No. 5 and 6 were removed and replaced. The orbiter 

boom sensor system has been removed and inspected, with reinstallation set for next week. 

Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html

[2007, July 20.]

NASA studies shuttle 0-ring seal issue 

A NASA team is studying why recent batches of 0-rings have a higher-than-usual number 

of specks of unmixed rubber, similar to bits of flour in a partially mixed bowl of cake batter. 

If such specks are too large or too close together, they can make the rings stiffer. The 

specks, detected by X-ray, are about the size of a grain of salt. NASA has done weeks of 

testing on the 0-ring issue. Initial tests show the rings with the defects are as strong and 

resilient as they should be, but more tests will be run through Saturday, says Jody Singer, 

head of NASA's solid-rocket motor project. "As of right now, we fmd nothing that gives us 

concern," she says. The extra testing is likely to "validate what we think we know, which is 

that it is not a safety-of-flight concern." Engineers started to raise questions three to four 

months ago, when they noticed a rise in unmixed specks. The rings passed all tests for 

resiliency and strength. A retooled Endeavour, making its first flight in more than four 

years, includes 0-rings with a higher number of unmixed specks. Because the rings passed all 

their quality tests, there is no reason not to use them, says David Beaman, a deputy solidrocket manager. Even so, studies continue. Engineers want to understand how the 

manufacturing process has changed, to prevent future problems, Singer says. "We're reexamining the situation to make sure there's nothing we missed," Beaman says. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA studies shuttle 0-ring seal issue [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com/ [2007, July 20].] 

July 23: Phoenix on launch pad, Dawn returns to Astrotech 

Phoenix was mated to the upper-stage booster July 17. Spacecraft engineers installed the 

heat shield onto the cruise stage July 19. This was the last major milestone in spacecraft 

processing before going to the launch pad. Technicians installed the integrated Phoenix 

payload into the payload transportation canister July 20. Phoenix was transported to Pad 17-

A for mating to the Delta II Monday (July 23). Dawn was removed from the Delta II launch 

vehicle on Saturday (July 21) and returned to the Astrotech payload processing facility near 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A firm date for launch is still being determined based on 

the launch window for the science of the mission, the availability of the Eastern Range and 

the necessary tracking, data and telemetry support. The launch opportunity extends from 

Sept. 7 to Oct. 15. ["ELy Update: Phoenix on launch pad, Dawn returns to Astrotech," 

Countdown, July 24, 2007.] 

July 24: NASA fuels shuttle systems for August flight 

NASA is loading toxic rocket propellants into storage tanks aboard shuttle Endeavour today 

as the agency continues preparations for the planned Aug. 7 launch of an International Space 

Station assembly mission. With the spaceship perched on Kennedy Space Center's launch 

pad 39A, engineers today will be pumping the fuel monomethyl hydrazine into the orbiter's 

Orbital Maneuvering System and Forward Reaction Control System. The shuttle's twin 

maneuvering engines primarily are used to slow the ship enough to drop it out of orbit and 

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begin atmospheric reentry and an hour-long freefall toward a landing site. The ship's 44 

reaction control steering thrusters are used for precision piloting and small course 

corrections in orbit. Also to be fueled up today: the Hydraulic Power System on the shuttle's 

twin solid rocket boosters. The system is used to gimbal bell-shaped nozzles on the boosters 

during ascent. The same systems and the shuttle's Auxiliary Power Units were loaded with 

the toxic oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide on Monday. The APUs provide the hydraulic power 

needed to steer the shuttle's main engines during ascent and operate the ship's aerosurfaces, 

landing gear, brakes and nosewheel steering during atmospheric reentry and landing. The 

APU system will be fueled with monomethyl hydrzine on Wednesday. The hypergolic fuelloading -- "hyper load" for short -- is a hazardous operation, so the pad is cleared of all but 

essential personnel. The pad will reopen for orbiter aft closeouts and spacesuit functional 

tests on Thursday. Web posted. (2007). [NASA fuels shuttle systems for August flight 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, 

July 24].]

Sheriff, KSC reps seek deal on costs of law enforcement 

Sheriff Jack Parker and Kennedy Space Center officials are meeting this week to \vork out an 

agreement for the space agency to reimburse the county when deputies are called to enforce 

state laws on the spaceport grounds. The private security guards who previously handled 

those cases on KSC property have been undeputized and stripped of state arrest powers 

because space center leadership said NASA's contractor could not legally enforce state laws 

on the federal government installation. The special deputies turned in their credentials last 

week, without Parker's approval or knowledge, said sheriff's department spokesman Lt. 

Andrew Walters said. Walters said deputies will respond to calls from KSC, even though the 

center has no service contract with the sheriffs office. Sheriffs deputies now must respond 

to calls outside of KSC's gates and adjoining federal property that runs for miles around the 

center. Parker intends to charge KSC for the service, which will include making arrests and 

investigating automobile accidents and crimes. Speeding motorists at KSC will now face 

lesser penalties because the private security officers no longer can issue Florida Uniform 

Traffic Citations, which carry fines and the potential for other consequences such as rising 

insurance premiums. Last month, KSC officials directed security contractor Space Gateway 

Support to stop issuing the state citations to KSC workers. The SGS officers can issue only 

an administrative traffic citation that must be signed by a supervisor and returned. They can 

detain criminals only until sheriffs deputies arrive. About 22 of 340 KSC security officers 

were special deputies until last week. Parker supported the special deputy program this 

month in a letter to KSC leaders. "I continue to believe the current special deputy program is 

very cost-effective as compared to what a service contract will cost, even in a limited-services 

scenario," Parker wrote. KSC administrators said they want the officers to focus on 

protecting IKSC, not enforcing state laws. Web posted. (2007). [Sheriff, KSC reps seek deal 

on costs of law enforcement [Online]. Available W"(TW: http://www.floridatoday.com/

[2007, July 24].]

Whitson will be the first woman to lead space station 

After six months aboard the international space station in 2002, NASA astronaut Peggy 

Whitson knew what she wanted more than anything else. It was the chance to go back. She 

is training to return to the station in early October, this time as the first woman to command 

it. Whitson joined a pair of male Russian cosmonauts on her 2002 mission. It was her first 

trip into space. "I really had a phenomenal time. It was probably the most satisfying work 

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experience I've ever had in my life. I really didn't want to see it end," Whitson said at a news 

conference Monday at NASA's Johnson Space Center. This time, she \vill launch with 

cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, who has commanded long missions aboard the orbital 

outpost as well as Russia's former Mir space station. They will be joined by an ever-changing 

lineup of U.S. and European astronaut for what space agency officials suggested may be the 

"Super Bowl" of voyages to the orbital base. During her tenure, the station is scheduled to 

receive European and Japanese science modules and an external Canadian robotic device, as 

well as the first delivery of science gear and other supplies aboard a new unmanned 

European cargo capsule. A 35,000-pound solar power module also will have to be moved 

from the center to one end of the station, a task never before attempted. Web posted. 

(2007). [Whitson will be the first woman to lead space station [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.chron.com/ [2007, July 24].] 

July 25: White House criticizes House appropriators' NASA bill 

The Bush administration criticized House appropriators' fiscal 2008 plus-ups of NASA's 

aeronautics, education and science requests in a statement July 24, saying that the increases 

would create "unsustainable out year funding requirements." The appropriators added a total 

of $313.1 million to the administration's $17.31 billion topline request in their version of the 

agency's spending bill. The White House also is concerned about the appropriators' cut of 

$85 million from the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) program. While the 

committee said in its report on the bill that the cut "should not affect the viability of the 

system," the administration disagrees, saying it "would reduce the future system availability 

of critical space communications capabilities for NASA and other partner agencies." The 

TDRS spacecraft relay information from NASA's low-Earth orbiting spacecraft down to 

ground control stations. NASA is pursuing a replacement system and plans to make an 

award in the fall. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense 

Report Re: 'White House criticizes House appropriators' NASA bill," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, 

No. 17, July 25, 2007.].] 

As shuttle strike drags on, NASA taking steps to ensure safety 

Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Gerstenmaier says NASA has taken 

extra steps to ensure that the ongoing strike by roughly 570 space shuttle workers at 

Kennedy Space Center is having no impact on safety. "We've made sure that we are 

processing the vehicles in a safe manner," he told Congress July 24. NASA has provided 

more insight and oversight during "critical activities" in shuttle processing, particularly for 

operations inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), and brought in more safety 

inspectors, he said. Shuttle Endeavour is preparing for launch on mission STS-1 18 early 

next month, and stacking of the solid rocket boosters for Discovery's STS-120 mission in 

October has begun, according to Gerstenmaier. Members of the International Association 

of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (JAM) Local 2061 went on strike last month after 

contract negotiations with shuttle prime United Space Affiance (USA) broke down (DAILY, 

June 15). The workers were involved in shuttle processing and support tasks, and included 

operators of fixed and mobile cranes as well as maintainers for the shuttle's mammoth 

crawler transporter. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "As shuttle strike drags on, NASA taking steps to ensure safety," 

[Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 17, uly 25, 2007.].] 

Report cites NASA on cost estimates 

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NASA got credit for steps taken to transition shuttle retirement to the next stage of human 

spaceflight, but a new congressional audit said the agency must pick up the pace for 

providing details about the cost. Many of NASA's transition and retirement activities vffl 

continue after the space shuttle program retired in 2010, the Government Accountability 

Office notes in its report Wednesday. Yet the agency lacks estimates for such activities 

beyond then. 'Without cost estimates, NASA does not have the information needed to 

support the budget preparation process, assess the costs of addressing its supplier challenges, 

or account for how NASA will fund transition and retirement activities once the space 

shuttle program comes to an end," wrote Cristina Chaplain, GAO's director of acquisition 

and sourcing management. "This is NASA's biggest transition effort since landing humans 

on the moon more than three decades ago and then initiating the space shuttle program a 

few years later," Chaplain said. More than 1,500 suppliers support the shuttle program. 

About 230 are considered the sole certified source providers for their item or service. 

Congress had asked the GAO to examine NASA's transition plan and its processes for 

managing its supplier base. ["Report cites NASA on cost estimates," Florida Today, July 

26, 2007, p 5A.] 

July 26: NASA Gives 'Go' for Shuttle Launch on Aug. 7 

On Thursday, NASA managers set Aug. 7 as the official launch date for space shuttle 

Endeavour's STS-1 18 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff from NASA's 

Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. EDT. Endeavour's launch date was 

announced following the traditional Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy. During the twoday meeting, top NASA and contractor managers assessed any risks associated with the 

mission and determined that the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are 

ready for flight. Commander Scott Kelly and his six crewmates are scheduled to arrive at 

Kennedy at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, for fmal launch preparations. The countdown is scheduled 

to begin at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. During the 11-day mission, Endeavour's crew will add 

another truss segment to the expanding station, install a new gyroscope on the complex and 

add an external spare parts platform. The flight will include at least three spacewaiks. The 

crew will debut a new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the 

station to extend visits to the outpost. If this system functions as expected, three additional 

days will be added to the STS-118 mission. Joining Kelly on the flight will be Pilot Charlie 

Hobaugh and mission specialists Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastracchio, Barbara R. Morgan, 

Alvin Drew and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams. The mission will be 

Endeavour's first flight in more than four and a half years. The spacecraft has undergone 

extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles 

Discovery and Atlantis. ["NASA Gives 'Go' for Shuttle Endeavour Launch on Aug. 7," 

NASA News Release #07-166, July 26, 2007.] 

Report: NASA Employee Stole More Than $150,000 

Elizabeth Ann Osborne, 52, who resigned in October after 31 years at the space agency, 

pleaded guilty to embezzling public money as part of an agreement made with the U.S. 

Attorney's Office on July 17. "I'm feeling shock and disbelief," said Kim Myrick, who 

worked alongside Osborne at Kennedy Space Center for several years. According to court 

documents, Osborne admitted to using her Bank of America government credit card for 426 

fraudulent transactions. The cards were issued by NASA to employees for use on all 

purchases of $2,500 and below. Osborne has yet to be sentenced. She will have to pay back 

the money she stole and she may be sentenced to prison, as well. Web posted. (2007). 

144
[Report: NASA Employee Stole More Than $150,000 [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.1oca16.com/ [2007, July 26].] 

Computer Sabotaged 

A space program worker deliberately damaged a computer that is supposed to fly aboard 

shuttle Endeavour in less than two weeks, an act of sabotage that was caught before the 

equipment was loaded onto the spaceship, NASA said on Thursday. The unidentified 

employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is 

supposed to be delivered to the International Space Station by Endeavour, said Bill 

Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. The worker also damaged a similar computer 

that was not meant to fly to space. "Some wires were cut on the inside of the unit," 

Gerstenmaier said. "It is currently being investigated by the inspector general's office." The 

sabotage occurred outside of Florida. Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or 

where the damage took place. NASA's inspector general office is investigating. NASA 

hopes to fix the computer and launch it Aug. 7, as planned, aboard Endeavour. The 

computer is designed for use aboard the space station, not the shuttle, and the damage 

would have posed no danger to either shuttle or station astronauts, Gerstenmaier said. Web 

posted. (2007). [Computer Sabotaged [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww\v.local6.com/

[2007, July 26].]

Blast at desert spaceport kills 2, injures 4 

An explosion at an airport home to Scaled Composites -- the builder of the first private 

manned rocket to reach space -- killed two people and left four seriously hurt Thursday, a 

Kern County Fire Department official says. It happened at the Mojave Air and Space Port 

during a test of a new rocket motor for SpaceShipTwo -- a spaceship being built for Virgin 

Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company, a source said. The motor uses nitrous 

oxide, the source said. A spokeswoman for the spaceport, about 80 miles north of Los 

Angeles, said the blast was on a remote pad. Web posted. (2007). [Blast at desert spaceport 

kills 2, injures 4 [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, July 26].] 

Report: Drunk astronauts allowed on shuttle 

Astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were 

so drunk they posed a flight-safety risk on at least two occasions, an aviation weekly reported 

Thursday. It cited a special panel studying astronaut health, which found "heavy use of 

alcohol" before launch that was within the standard 12-hour "bottle-to-throttle" rule, 

according to Aviation Week & Space Technology. It reported the fmding on its Web site. A 

NASA official confirmed the health report contains claims of alcohol use by astronauts 

before launch, but said the information is based on anonymous interviews and is 

unsubstantiated. The official didn't want to be named because NASA plans a news 

conference Friday to discuss the panel's fmdings. The panel was created following the arrest 

in February of former space shuttle flier Lisa Nowak, who was implicated in a love triangle. 

NASA's space operations chief, Bill Gerstenmaier, said Thursday it would be inappropriate 

for him to discuss the matter before the report is released on Friday. Asked if he had ever 

personally had to deal with a safety issue involving an inebriated astronaut in space, 

Gerstenmaier replied: "The obvious answer is no. I've never had any instances of that." 

"There's not been a disciplinary action or anything I've been involved with regarding this 

type of activity," he said. The Aviation Week report doesn't make clear when the alleged 

incidents occurred, nor does it say whether the intoxication involved crew members who 

145
have no role in flying the shuttle or whether it was the pilot and commander. NASA plans 

to release findings of a pair of reviews -- one by the outside committee and the other by an 

internal panel -- into astronauts' health Friday. The independent panel's NASA consultant 

and its eight members, which include Air Force experts in aerospace medicine and clinical 

psychiatry, did not immediately return phone messages or e-mails from the Associated Press 

Thursday afternoon. Aviation Week said the report citing drunkenness does not deal 

directly with Nowak or mention any other astronaut by name. Nowak is accused of 

attacking the girlfriend of a fellow astronaut -- her romantic rival -- with pepper spray in a 

parking lot at Orlando International Airport. Fired by NASA in March, she has pleaded not 

guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault. Web posted. 

(2007). [Report: Drunk astronauts allowed on shuttle [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, July 26].] 

TV show host gets down, dirty in crawler 

The men who keep the shuttle crawler transport moving crawl under and inside its belly, 

greasing gears and replacing belts to make sure the monstrous beast that lugs the shuttle to 

its launch pad stays in top working order. It's a dirty job. They know it, and they let the 

Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe know it by getting him to crawl inside the 

giant trucks that move the crawler and scrape grease out from the frame. He found out for 

himself just how dirty a job it is when he visited Kennedy Space Center in January to tape a 

segment for his dirt-under-the-fingernails show that examines the filthiest, greasiest, most 

disgusting jobs on Earth. On Aug. 7, the day of the next scheduled shuttle launch, viewers 

can see for themselves just how dirty a job it is to make sure the shuttle crawler transport 

keeps moving. The 20-minute "Space Crawler Maintenance" segment is coupled with a 

segment on a painter for the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. Rowe cleaned buckets of grease 

off one of the massive belt frames with mechanical technician Pat Wiley and adjusted the 

belt, Griffith said. He also pulled the shore power cable in preparation to fire up the 

transport, then rode in the drive cab with an engineer for about 200 feet, Griffith said. Many 

of the United Space Affiance technicians and mechanics who maintain that giant ride 

probably won't be working when the show airs. Web posted. (2007). [TV show host gets 

down, dirty in crawler [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, 

July 26].] 

July 27: NASA Selects Lightning Protection System Contractor 

NASA ha selected Ivey's Construction Inc. of Merritt Island, Fla., to build a new lightning 

protection system for Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. The system will 

support launches of the Constellation Program's Ares I rockets. The lightning protection 

system is designed to reduce the probability of a direct lightning strike to the Ares I and 

associated launch equipment during processing and other activities prior to flight. Under the 

contract, the company will provide all labor and materials to fabricate and construct three 

600-foot, self-supporting structural steel towers and an overhead wire system with associated 

conductors. Ivey's Construction Inc. will receive a fixed-price contract for $27,915,000. The 

system is expected to be complete by March 2010. ["NASA Selects Lightning Protection 

System Contractor," NASA Contract Release #C07-033, July 27, 2007.] 

NASA Moves Forward With Astronaut Assessments 

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the agency is moving forward to implement 

many of the recommendations contained in two studies released Friday about astronaut 

146
health and behavioral assessments. The two reviews were made public prior to a news 

conference in Washington, five months after the agency requested that an independent 

external committee conduct a comprehensive review of health services available to 

astronauts. Both studies were initiated in the aftermath of the arrest in February of former 

astronaut Lisa Nowak. The first assessment of astronaut behavioral medicine procedures, an 

internal review, was completed by NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, earlier this 

week. The second assessment, a broader review by outside experts called the Astronaut 

Health Care System Review Committee, was organized by NASA Chief Health and Medical 

Officer Dr. Richard Williams. "The review committee, chaired by Air Force Col. Richard 

Bachmann, commander of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, completed a 

valuable task on short notice and I would like to acknowledge the group's dedication and 

time commitment to this important review," Dale said. "We are committed to improving the 

behavioral care and assessment procedures for astronauts. We believe the resulting 

modifications vffl be good for the astronaut corps and for NASA." Dale said NASA 

immediately will address four primary areas of concern: NASA Chief of Safety and Mission 

Assurance Bryan O'Connor, a former astronaut, began an extensive examination Friday 

focusing on allegations of improper alcohol use. O'Connor wifi review all existing policies 

and procedures related to alcohol use and astronaut medical fitness prior to flight. The goal 

is to ensure that risks to flight safety are dealt with by appropriate authorities, and, if 

necessary, elevated through a transparent system of senior managemnt review and 

accountability. NASA's Medical Policy Board, made up of senior internal and external 

medical experts, will further assess the medical and behavioral findings and recommenddations in the two reviews. The board will institute behavioral health assessments as a part of 

annual flight physicals for all astronauts. The agency will develop an astronaut code of 

conduct and has engaged NASA's astronaut corps to help develop the formal guidelines. 

The astronauts already have started to develop an initial set of recommendations and agency 

leadership will establish a collaborative process to create an official code. To address 

organizational culture issues outlined in the reports, NASA will conduct a series of internal 

assessments, including anonymous surveys to be completed by astronauts and flight 

surgeons, to provide feedback and gather information. The goal is to improve communications and ensure leadership is responsive to concerns and complaints. "We are moving as 

quickly as we can on the recommendations, and Administrator Mike Griffm and I will 

closely monitor progress on these issues," Dale added. "After the review is completed, it is 

our intention to share the findings with the public, to the maximum extent possible." 

["NASA Moves Forward With Astronaut Assessments," NASA News Release #07-167, 

July 27, 2007.]

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report #ELV-072707. Mission: Phoenix; Location: 

Launch Pad 17-A; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925; Launch Date: Aug. 3, 2007; Launch Time: 

5:35:21 a.m. EDT; Phoenix was transported to Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air Force 

Station for mating to the Delta II on Monday, July 23. The flight program verification test 

was conducted successfully on Wednesday, July 25. This is an electrical test that confirms the 

Delta II and Phoenix are working together as an integrated system. Technicians are 

installing the Delta II payload fairing around the Phoenix spacecraft Friday. The Delta II 

second stage is scheduled to be loaded with its complement of storable propellants on July 

31. The mobile service tower, or gantry, is scheduled to be retracted from around the Delta 

II at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2, for launch the next morning. Mission: Dawn; 

147
Location: Astrotech payload processing facility; Launch Pad: 17-B; Launch Vehicle: Delta II 

7925-H; Launch Timeframe: Sept. 7 - Oct. 15. A firm date for launch is still being 

determined based on the launch window for the science of the mission, the availability of the 

Eastern Range and the necessary tracking, data and telemetry support. The launch of Dawn 

is currently expected to occur no later than Sept. 26; however, a launch date as early as Sept. 

7 is being preserved in planning schedules. Dawn was removed from the launch vehicle on 

Sunday, July 22. The spacecraft was returned to the Astrotech payload processing facility 

near Kennedy Space Center at 7:30 a.m. that day. No processing activities are currently 

scheduled. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report 

[Online]. Available W\X/W: http: / /ww\v.nasa .gov/centers /kennedv /launchingrockets /

status/2007/indcx.html [2007, July 27.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-072707. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Launch 

Pad 39A; Launch Date: Aug. 7, 2007; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, 

Mastracchio, Caidwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. At Launch Pad 39A, preparations continue for the launch of Endeavour on STS-1 18. 

The hypergolic propellants have been loaded into the solid rocket booster hydraulic power 

units and Endeavour's orbital maneuvering system, forward reaction control system and the 

auxiliary power units. Technicians have stowed the extravehicular mobility units (spacesuits) 

in the orbiter and are performing functional checkout of the suits. Workers are also loading 

flight crew equipment and supplies into the crew cabin. Closeout of the orbiter aft is under 

way. The payload bay doors were opened today to allow for payload closeouts, including 

camera tests on the shuttle robotic arm and the extension, known as the orbiter boom 

sensor system. During the flight readiness review this week at Kennedy Space Center, 

NASA managers cleared STS-1 18 for flight and set an official launch date of Aug. 7. 

Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: 

Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Oct. 20, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Melroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, 

Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 3, all three of Discovery's main engines have been installed, as 

have the heat shields for those engines. Engine leak and functional tests are complete. 

Technicians removed and replaced window No. 7. The right-hand orbital maneuvering 

system pod has been delivered to the bay and preparations are under way for its installation 

next week. The STS-120 solid rocket boosters are being stacked in the Vehicle Assembly 

Building. The external fuel tank for STS-120 is scheduled to arrive at KSC via barge from 

the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Sunday. The tank will be lifted into a 

checkout cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building on Monday. Mission: STS-122 - 24th 

International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: 

Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schiegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, 

the orbiter boom sensor system has been removed, inspected and reinstalled in the orbiter. 

Windows No. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 have been removed and replaced. The external tank door push 

test, which measures actuator performance, is complete. Technicians are performing 

hypergolic fuel system testing on the orbital maneuvering system pods. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

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http: / /www.nasa.gov/ centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /iridex.html [2007, 

July 27.]

Former NASA worker admits embezzling more than $157K 

For four years, NASA employee Elizabeth Ann Osborne was a pretty big spender. The only 

wrinkle was that the money wasn't hers. Between 2001 and 2005, she didn't mind splurging 

for a hotel room whenever family or friends came to visit. She was a regular at Best Buy for 

her electronics needs, and she enjoyed a taste for jewelry and clothing from Sears. For 

everyday purchases, her preferences were simple -- Wal-Mart. Osborne will be sentenced 

during the next few months for embezzling $1 57,394.21 from NASA, her employer of 31 

years. A court date has not been set. The 52-year-old woman pleaded guilty to embezzling 

public money as part of a plea agreement made with the U.S. Attorney's Office on July 17. 

The agreement was filed in federal court in Orlando on Thursday. According to court 

documents, Osborne admitted to using her Bank of America government credit card for 426 

fraudulent transactions. NASA issued the cards to employees for use on all purchases of 

$2,500 and below. The idea was that doing so would simplify the acquisition process. 

Employees were trained on how to use the card and told it was to be used only for 

government purchases. Osborne claimed the purchases were for the Kennedy Space Center 

Conference Center, known as the Beach House, where astronauts stay before launches. But 

during a routine audit in March 2006, the NASA Office of Inspector General found that 

several items -- including furniture, furnishings and electronic equipment supposedly 

purchased for the Beach House -- were missing. Osborne was asked to provide receipts for 

the missing items, which she did, but they proved to be falsified. As part of the plea deal, 

Osborne agreed to make full restitution of the money she embezzled. She also agreed to 

cooperate in future possible embezzling investigations involving other NASA employees. In 

return, the government will recommend the judge sentence Osborne to the lowest possible 

sentence. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years jn prison and $250,000 in fines. "The 

defendant understands that this recommendation or request is not binding on the court," the 

agreement reads. Web posted. (2007). [Former NASA worker admits embezzling more than 

$1 57K [Online]. Available W\X'W: http: / /w\vw.floridatoda y.com/ [2007, July 27].] 

Sabotage won't delay Endeavour flight 

A space station computer deliberately damaged in an act of sabotage will be fixed and 

launched next month as intended aboard shuttle Endeavour, NASA officials said Thursday. 

The damage was done at a subcontractor factory and was not related to the machinist's strike 

against shuttle contractor United Space Affiance that enters its seventh week today, officials 

said. The damage would not have jeopardized the astronauts aboard the shuttle or the 

station, NASA space operations chief Bill Gerstenmaier said. Gerstenmaier said he had no 

idea why someone would want to damage the 'computer, which is designed to retrieve data 

from strain gauges on the station's central truss. "I don't want to speculate on motivation," 

he said. Had the sabotaged unit flown, NASA would have been forced to replace it before 

truss sensor data could be gathered for engineering evaluation. Gerstenmaier said the 

sabotage was reported to NASA by the subcontractor in mid-July. Inspectors at the 

subcontractor factory found electrical wiring within a qualification unit had been 

intentionally cut. NASA inspectors then checked a flight computer the subcontractor had 

delivered to KSC for launch aboard Endeavour. The wiring in it had been severed, too. 

The damaged flight computer is being repaired and will be installed as planned in the 

station's U.S. Destiny science laboratory after it is delivered to the outpost by Endeavour's 

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crew. The sabotage is being investigated by NASA's inspector general. Web posted. (2007). 

[Sabotage won't delay Endeavour flight [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatoda y.corn/ [2007, July 27].] 

Houston-area company supplied sabotaged computer 

A Houston-area company supplied a sabotaged computer that was to fly aboard shuttle 

Endeavour in less than two weeks, but was found before being loaded onto the spaceship 

for a trip to the international space station, an official said Friday. Invocon Inc., an 

electronics research and development firm based in Conroe, Texas, has not yet identified any 

suspects or motives, said Invocon program director Kevin Champaigne. "We don't know if 

it was just one person or if it was more than one," he said. Invocon manufactured the unit 

for Boeing Co., NASA's main contractor for the space station, he said. NASA's inspector 

general office is also investigating the incident, which the agency detailed at a news 

conference Thursday where officials said the damaged hardware did not pose a safety risk. 

The hardware, which is about half the size of a briefcase, was slated to be installed inside the 

space station to collect data from strain gauges on an outside beam. Invocon found severed 

wires in an identical unit they were testing last week, and alerted Boeing so it could check the 

space-bound unit and another that was in storage. Both were found to have similar damage. 

Invocon, a 20-year-old company that employs about 30 people, has worked with Boeing 

since 2004. Web posted. (2007). [Houston-area company supplied sabotaged computer 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww\v.floridatodav.corn/ [2007, July 27].] 

Astronaut-health panel was told of heavy pre-flight alcohol use 

A panel reviewing astronaut health issues in the wake of the Lisa Nowak arrest was told that 

on at least two occasions astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other 

astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk. The panel 

also reported "heavy use of alcohol" by astronauts in crew quarters before launch, within the 

standard 12-hour "bottle to throttle" rule applied to pilots of conventional aircraft. A NASA 

spokesman declined comment on the findings, which were obtained by Aviation Week & 

Space Technology. A press conference July 27 will discuss the report. At the direction of 

Administrator Michael Griffin, NASA Chief Medical Officer Richard Williams set up the 

panel to review astronaut medical and psychological screening after Nowak was arrested in 

Orlando, Fla., Feb. 5 on charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping for 

allegedly stalking and threatening a woman who was dating another astronaut. The 

attempted murder charge was dropped. The panel is composed of military and civilian 

government physicians, psychologists, lawyers, safety experts and astronauts under the 

chairmanship of U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, dean of the Air Force School of 

Aerospace Medicine. Panel members visited Johnson Space Center in April to gather 

information from flight surgeons and the astronaut office on astronaut health screening. 

Separately, Griffin ordered JSC Director Mike Coats to review intake and ongoing 

psychological screening for astronaut candidates and astronauts, and to recommend changes 

if necessary. Griffin also directed Coats, himself a former astronaut, to "determine whether 

there were any areas of concern - any leading indicators we might have picked up on, based 

on Lisa Nowak's dealings with other astronauts or NASA employees," in the words of 

Deputy Administrator Shana Dale. In announcing creation of the two panels on Feb. 7, 

Dale said "while there is no specific, separate psychological examination for a shuttle flight, 

NASA health care providers are experienced in all aspects of health care, including 

behavioral health, and they certainly look for any potential issues or problems." If the 

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accounts collected by the Bachmann panel in its interviews with astronauts and flight 

surgeons are accurate, the panel's report could trigger another round of management 

reforms at JSC like those that followed the 2003 Columbia accident. At that time the 

Columbia Accident Investigation Board warned that engineering managers had become 

complacent and operated in a "culture of invincibility" that contributed to the faulty 

decisions that preceded the disaster. Although originally established after Nowak's highly 

public arrest, the Bachmann panel report apparently does not deal directly with Nowak or 

mention any other astronaut by name. Coats' findings also will be part of the July 27 press 

conference, according to the agency spokesman. Both the Coats and Bachmann panel 

reports will be released prior to the press conference, which will include Dale, Bachmann, 

Williams and astronaut Ellen Ochoa, director of flight crew operations at JSC, NASA said. 

E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: 

"Astronaut-health panel was told of heavy pre-flight alcohol use," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 

19, [July 27, 2007.].] 

July 28: Russia denies astronaut was drunk aboard Soyuz 

Russia's space agency denied Saturday that an astronaut could have flown drunk aboard a 

Soyuz spacecraft from its Baikonur cosmodrome, reacting to allegations reported by the 

chairman of an independent U.S. panel on astronaut health. The panel chairman, Air Force 

Col. Richard Bachmann Jr., said Friday it was told about multiple instances involving 

alcohol. One of the two most detailed cases involved an astronaut drinking heavily before 

flying on a Soyuz spacecraft headed to the international Space Station, he said. He cited 

unverified interviews, saying it was not the panel's mission to investigate the allegations. 

"We categorically deny the possibility that this could have happened at Baikonur," Igor 

Panarin, spokesman for the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos, told The Associated Press. 

"In the days at Baikonur before the launch, this is absolutely impossible. They are 

constantly watched by medics and psychiatrists." Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyov told 

the AP that the tight medical requirements and the demands of the job ahead made it 

inconceivable that either astronauts or cosmonauts could fly drunk. ["Russia denies 

astronaut was drunk aboard Soyuz," Florida Today, July 30, 2007, p 7A.] 

July 30: NASA Starts Space Shuttle Endeavour Countdown Aug. 4 

NASA will start the launch countdown for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-1 18 mission at 9 

p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 4, at T-43 hours. The countdown includes 27 hours, 3 minutes of 

built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at 7:02 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 7. The 

launch window extends an additional five minutes. During the 11-day mission to the 

International Space Station, Endeavour's crew vffl add another truss segment to the 

expanding station, install a new gyroscope and add an external spare parts platform. The 

flight will have at least three spacewaiks. It also will debut a new system that enables docked 

shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost. If this 

system functions as expected, three additional days will be added to the STS-1 18 mission. 

["NASA Starts Space Shuttle Endeavour Countdown Aug. 4," NASA Media Advisory 

#07-093, July 30, 2007.] 

July 31: NASA Postpones Phoenix Launch 

Friday's scheduled launch of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander aboard a United Launch Affiance 

Delta II rocket has been postponed 24 hours. The two available launch times on Saturday, 

Aug. 4, are 5:26:34 a.m. and 6:02:59 a.m. EDT. Due to a forecast for severe weather around 

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the Kennedy Space Center launch pad in Florida on Tuesday afternoon, fueling of the 

second stage will not be completed. Although fueling is expected to be fmished Wednesday 

morning, there is insufficient contingency time in the schedule to move forward with the 

launch on Friday. ["NASA Postpones Phoenix Launch," NASA Media Advisoty #07-

097, July 31, 2007.]

Delta 2 launch set back a day 

NASA aims to launch its Phoenix Mars Lander on Saturday because thunderstorms that 

swept into the Cape Canaveral area Tuesday delayed a critical fuel-loading operation. There 

is a back-up launch opportunity Sunday, but after that, NASA would have to decide whether 

to postpone either the time-critical Mars mission or the scheduled launch next Tuesday of 

shuttle Endeavour. "They'll cross that bridge when and if they get to it," said George Duller, 

a spokesman for NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Mars mission now is set to blast off 

during one o9f two single-second launch windows: 31 seconds after 5:24 a.m. Saturday or 

55 seconds after 6:02 a.m. Liftoff is precisely timed to put the spacecraft on course for a 

circuitous, 423-million-mile journey to Mars. Landing in the northern polar region of the 

planet is scheduled May 25. A United Launch Affiance Delta 2 rocket is to loft the phoenix 

Mars Lander from Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. ["Delta 2 launch set 

back a day," Florida Today, August 1, 2007, p 4A.] 

During July: Dextre Delivered 

Engineers at Kennedy Space Center will begin fmal flight verification tests of Canada's 

"Dextre" special purpose dexterous manipulator in preparation for its scheduled February 

2008 launch on the shuttle Endeavour's STS-123/IJ/A mission to the ISS. MacDonald, 

Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. delivered the complex robotic device to KSC. Once installed 

on the end of the Canadarm2 robotic arm, Dextre wifi give astronauts a sense of "touch" for 

delicate robotic operations outside, reducing the need for dangerous and time-consuming 

spacewaiks. ["Dextre Delivered," Aviation Week & Space Technology, July 9, 2007, p 

15.1

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AUGUST 

August 1: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-080107. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Launch 

Pad 39A; Launch Date: Aug. 7, 2007; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, Morgan, 

Mastracchio, Caidwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. At Launch Pad 39A, preparations continue for the launch of Endeavour on STS-1 18. 

The payload bay doors have been closed for flight. Functional testing of the extravehicular 

mobility units (spacesuits) is complete. The shuttle ordnance connections have been made. 

Orbiter aft closeout work continues. Engineers are working to resolve an abnormal leak rate 

in the orbiter crew cabin. The problem has been traced to one of two positive pressure-relief 

valves which ensure that the crew cabin does not become over-pressurized. A plan has been 

approved to remove and replace the suspect valve using a valve from Atlantis. This work will 

begin tonight and be completed on Thursday. After further analysis of data, engineers have 

determined that it will not be necessary to remove and replace thermostats on APU No. 1. 

The thermostat data characteristic, while not customary, is not in violation of specifications 

and is understood by engineers. Therefore, this will not require further action prior to the 

STS-1 18 mission. Technicians have installed the thermal curtains on the aft skirts of the 

solid rocket boosters. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

[Online]. Available W\(TW: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centcrs /kennedy /shuttleoperations /

status/2007/index.html [2007, August 1.] 

As shuttle strike drags on, NASA taking steps to ensure safety 

Launch of the Phoenix Mars Lander from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket has been 

postponed by a day to Aug. 4 because of the threat of severe thunderstorms on July31 

during fueling of the launcher's second stage. There are two liftoff options for Aug. 4. The 

first opportunity is at 5:26 a.m. EDT and the second at 6:02 a.m. EDT. The launch delay 

has so far not affected the planned August 7 launch of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS118 mission to the International Space Station. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's 

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: CCAS shuttle strike drags on, NASA taking steps to 

ensure safety," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 22, [August 1, 2007.].] 

Valve likely caused crew cabin leak 

NASA technicians believe they've found the source of a crew cabin leak in shuttle 

Endeavour. Test performed overnight showed the persistent leak appears to be a positive 

pressure relief valve behind the toilet, said NASA spokesman Bill Johnson at Kennedy Space 

Center. "They think they've found the problem valve," he added. The valve is not part of 

the toilet. A second test to confirm the hard-to-reach leak was expected to be complete by 

10 a.m. The leak was first discovered during the weekend. Technicians plan to cannibalize a 

valve from shuttle Atlantis, which is at KSC being prepared for a later mission. Johnson said 

that replacing the valve should not delay Endeavour's scheduled launch at 7:02 p.m. on Aug. 

7. Web posted. (2007). [\Talve likely caused crew cabin leak [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://wwiv.floridatoda y.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, August 11.1 

Ecliptic Celebrates a Decade of Successful RocketCam(TM) 

Launches

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Ten years ago today, the first successful launch of the popular RocketCam video system 

onboard a Delta II rocket, launched NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft. 

Since 1997, RocketCam systems have been employed successfully on 53 of 53 launches - 51 

onboard rockets as the host platform and 2 onboard spacecraft. Notable projects supported 

by RocketCam include numberous NASA launches of spacecraft, the X-prize SpaceShip 

One, space shuttle launches, and multiple launches of the new Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets. 

Future RocketCam applications include every remaining shuttle launch planned for the 

program (three separate views); launches onboard commercial and government spacecraft 

heading to various Earth orbits, the Moon and possibly Mars; various efforts in the emerging 

space tourism and entrepreneurial space arena; and missile defense efforts. RocketCam fans 

should expect to see on average one launch per month for the next several years. Web 

posted. (2007). [Ecliptic Celebrates a Decade of Successful RocketCam(TM) Launches 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.prwirc.com/ [2007, August 11.] 

Bagian Denies Charge 

Dr. James P. Bagian, the astronaut-physician cited by unnamed government sources as the 

prime advocate of publishing allegations that astronauts flew under the influence of alcohol, 

categorically denied Aug. 1 that that was the case. "That's totally false," said Bagian when 

asked if he had insisted on release of the charges while he was a member of the panel NASA 

convened to review astronaut mental-health screening. Bagian is now chief patient-safety 

officer at the U.S. Veterans Affairs Dept. The eight panel members reported on July 27 that 

they had been told of two incidents "where astronauts had been so intoxicated prior to ffight 

that flight surgeons and/or fellow astronauts raised concerns to local on-scene leadership 

regarding flight safety." 'We were very careful about what we wrote in the report, and by 

careful I meant to try to be clear and not say things we didn't mean, and try as best we could 

to make sure things weren't misconstrued, especially about the particular thing about 

alcohol," Bagian said, stressing that the accounts were conveyed to illustrate a larger issue of 

astronaut health and flight safety. ["Bagian Denies Charge," Aviation Week & Space 

Technology, August 13, 2007, p 30.1 

NASA worker pleads guilty 

For the second time in a matter of days, a Kennedy Space Center worker has agreed to 

pleade guilty to embezzling from NASA. Judith Lynna Frisbee, 46, of Titusville has 

admitted to defrauding the space agency out of $120,577 by falsifying records and inflating 

expense reports related to a space flight awareness program. Frisbee worked for spaceport 

contractor Space Gateway Support. Frisbee faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison 

and a fine of up to $250,000. However, the plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in 

Orlando said prosecutors would recommend a more lenient prison sentence to the judge. 

The agreement was filed in court on Monday and made public on Tuesday. The plea 

agreement calls for Frisbee to repay NASA the entire amount stolen. Frisbe&s attorney, 

Kepler Funk, was not available for comment. On Thursday, the plea agreement for another 

veteran space center employee who admitted to embezzling $1 57,394 from NASA was filed 

in federal court in Orlando. The court documents said Elizabeth Ann Osborne, 52, used her 

government credit card to make purchases for electronics, jeweky, clothes and other items 

for herself. Osborne resigned from her position with NASA in October. Part of her 

responsibilities were to assure compliance with credit card rules and policies established by 

NASA's procurement office. Frisbee was an administrative assistant whose duties included 

serving on the Space Flight Awareness Committee. She was responsible for organizing and 

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attending events aimed at raising awareness about human space flight. As part of her job, 

Frisbee would buy items for those events with her personal checks or credit cards and then 

submit expense reports. The contractor would reimburse Frisbee, but then bill the costs to 

NASA. The fraudulent claims happened between 2001 and 2005, according to court 

records. As in Osborne's case, they were uncovered as part of a routine audit. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA worker pleads guilty [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoda y.com / [2007, August 11.1 

August 2: NASA Extends Space Shuttle Main Engine Contract 

NASA has signed a $975 million contract extension with Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne 

Inc., of Canoga Park, Calif., to maintain the agency's fleet of space shuttle main engines until 

the orbiter is retired in 2010. The contract began on April 1, 2006. It is scheduled to 

conclude Sept. 30, 2010. The $975 million contract extension brings the total value of the 

cost-plus-award/incentive fee contract to slightly more than $2.05 billion. Pratt and Whitney 

Rocketdyne supports the Shuttle Propulsion Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center 

in Huntsville, Ala.; the Space Shuttle Program Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in 

Houston; and the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in 

Washington. The contract includes maintenance and refurbishment of existing shuttle main 

engines at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Each space shuttle is powered by three of 

the sophisticated engines, the world's only reusable rocket engines. During launch, each of 

the 7,750-pound engines burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, fed from the shuttle's 

external tank. Each engine generates approximately 400,000 pounds of thrust, which works 

with the shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters to power the spacecraft to orbit. ["NASA 

Extends Space Shuttle Main Engine Contract," Contract Release #C07-34, August 2, 

2007.]

Valve from Atlantis to be installed today 

A pressure relief valve removed from shuttle Atlantis passed inspection tests and this 

morning will be installed in Endeavour. Testing took longer than expected, but technicians 

should be able to replace the faulty valve today, said NASA spokesman George Duller at 

Kennedy Space Center. Testing the cannibalized valve after installation could be fmished by 

tonight, said Duller. The 4-inch by 6-inch valve prevents air pressure from going too high in 

the shuttle. The 10-year-old valve passed tests in February and May, but failed a pressure 

check on the launch pad during the weekend. After installation of the valve, crew cabin 

pressure will be tested in Endeavour before countdown begins on Saturday. NASA officials 

expect no launch delays at this point. The crew cabin is also tested for pressure leaks after 

the astronauts board on launch day. Web posted. (2007). [Valve from Atlantis to be installed 

today [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog 

[2007, August 2].]

Bruce Willis' Blues Band Performs for 7,000 at Kennedy Space 

Center 

Some 7,000 people showed up to watch Bruce Willis and his blues band perform at the 

Kennedy Space Center's rocket garden. Fans cheered as Willis sang and played the 

harmonica, filling the moments between songs by bantering with the crowd. "We love 

playing for you," Willis said at Thursday night's show. "Even when it's hot." The 52-year-old 

actor starred in the 1998 sci-fi movie "Armageddon," which was shown on a giant inflatable 

screen across the lawn from the stage after the concert. In the film, Willis leads a group to 

155
destroy a giant asteroid headed toward Earth. Parts of the movie were filmed at the Kennedy 

Space Center. Willis' screen credits also include "The Sixth Sense" and the "Die Hard" films. 

The concert was part of a series called "Netflix LI\ TE! On Location." The series features 

classic movies and celebrity musical performances. Web posted. (2007). [Bruce Willis' Blues 

Band Performs for 7,000 at Kennedy Space Center [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. foxnews.corn/ [2007, August 2].] 

August 3: NASA's Space Shuttle Mission Postponed 24 Hours 

The launch of space shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-1 18 has been postponed 24 hours to 

allow the shuttle processing team additional time to complete routine work before liftoff. 

The launch now is targeted for Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 6:36 p.m. EDT from NASA's 

Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The additional day will provide time to complete the 

processing and allow the countdown to begin at 8 p.m. Sunday. As originally planned, the 

STS-1 18 crew will arrive at Kennedy at 5 p.m. Friday. ["NASA's Space Shuttle Mission 

Postponed 24 Hours," Media Advisoty #07-098, August 3, 2007.] 

NASA Announces Web Coverage of Next Space Shuttle 

Mission 

A prelaunch vebcast, live blogs, podcasts, pictures and videos highlight NASA's Web 

coverage of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-1 18 mission to the International Space Station. 

NASA will provide ongoing updates online at: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle A live webcast 

featuring astronaut Joan Higginbotham, who flew aboard space shuttle Discovery in 

December 2006, will start the in-depth coverage of the mission at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Aug.. 

7. A blog will update the countdown continuously, beginning about six hours before 

Endeavour is scheduled to lift off on Aug. 8 at 6:36 p.m. Originating from NASA's Kennedy 

Space Center in Florida, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up 

to launch. During the 11-day mission, Endeavour's crew of seven astronauts will conduct at 

least three spacewaiks. They will install new station components, replace one of the outpost's 

attitude control gyroscopes, deliver 5,000 pounds of supplies and add a segment to the right 

side of the station's backbone, or truss. Visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about 

the crew's progress and watch the spacewalks, which will be broadcast live from the space 

station. The NASA blog also will detail Endeavour's landing at the conclusion of the 

mission. ["NASA Announces Web Coverage of Next Space Shuttle Mission," Media 

Advisory #07-099, August 3, 2007.] 

August 4: Probe Blasts Off for Mars 

A robotic dirt and ice digger blasted off Saturday on a 422 miffion-mile journey to Mars that 

NASA hopes will culminate next spring in the first landing within the red planet's Arctic 

Circle. The unmanned Delta II rocket carrying the Phoenix Mars Lander rose from its 

seaside pad at 5:26 a.m., exactly on time, and hurtled through the clear moonlit sky. It was 

easily visible for nearly five minutes, a bright orange speck in a spray of stars. The Phoenix 

Mars Lander won't be looking for evidence of life on Mars but rather traces of organic 

compounds in the baked and moistened samples. Such compounds would be a possible 

indicator of conditions favorable for life, either now or once upon a time. If organic 

compounds are present on Mars, they're more likely to have been preserved in ice. That's 

why NASA is aiming for the planet's high northern latitudes, where ice is almost certainly 

lurking just beneath the surface. The 772-pound lander will stretch 18 feet across once its 

solar panels are deployed on Mars, and its weather mast will tower 7 feet. Phoenix should 

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help pave the way for human visitors, especially if it confirms the presence of water ice in 

large amounts near the pole, said Michael Meyer, NASA's lead Mars scientist. That would be 

a tremendous resource, he noted. Web posted. (2007). [Probe Blasts Off for Mars [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, August 4].] 

August 5: Shuttle Endeavour's leak caused by debris 

Tests revealed that Endeavour's once-puzzling crew cabin leak was caused by small piece of 

debris, NASA officials said today during a mission status briefmg at Kennedy Space Center 

(KSC). After a week of hunting for the leak aboard the newly retrofitted space shuttle, the 

valve was replaced and tested. "We found a tiny piece of debris in the sealing surface, which 

was causing that slight leak rate. There's nothing systemic wrong with any of the valves," said 

NASA test director Steve Payne, adding that removing the grit fixed the valve. "We just 

finished a leak check ... early this morning, and it is very, very tight," Payne said of 

Endeavour's crew cabin. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle Endeavour's leak caused by debris 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.space.com/ [2007, August 5].] 

Shuttle countdown begins 

The countdown began at 8 p.m. Sunday for Endeavour's mission to the International Space 

Station. Bad weather and a crew cabin air leak, caused by a fleck of debris in a pressure relief 

valve, has caused the launch to slip a day, to 6:36 p.m. Wednesday. Weather forecasts show 

a 70 percent chance the shuttle can launch on time. And the 11-day mission, likely will be 

extended by three days, if a system to receive power from the space station works properly. 

The crew of seven includes astronaut/educator Barbara Morgan, who vffl operate a robotic 

arm during spacewaiks and who will conduct six hours of teaching from space. ["Shuttle 

countdown begins," Florida Today, August 6, 2007, p IA.] 

August 6: NASA, Microsoft Launch Collaboration with Immersive 

Photography 

On Monday, NASA and Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., released an interactive, 

3-D photographic collection of the space shuttle Endeavour preparing for its upcoming 

mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour is scheduled to launch from NASA's 

Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 6:36 p.m. EDT. For the first 

time, people around the world can view hundreds of high resolution photographs of 

Endeavour, Launch Pad 39A, and the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy in a unique 3-

D viewer. NASA and Microsoft's Live Labs team developed the online experience using 

hundreds of photographs and a photo imaging technology called Photosynth. Using a clickand-drag interface, viewers can zoom in to see intimate details of the shuttle booster rockets 

or zoom out for a more global view of the launch facility. The software uses photographs 

from standard digital cameras to construct a 3-D view that can be navigated and explored 

online. The NASA images can be viewed at Microsoft's Live Labs at: http://labs.live.com

"This collaboration with Microsoft gives the public a new way to explore and participate in 

America's space program," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for 

Space Operations, Washington. "We're also looking into using this new technology to 

support future missions." "With Photosynth, we take pictures of an environment and knit 

them together into an experience that people can move through like a 3-D video game," said 

Microsoft Live Labs Architect Blaise Aguera y Arcas. "NASA provided us with some 

outstanding images, and the result is an experience that will wow anyone wanting to get a 

closer look at NASA's missions." The NASA collections were created in collaboration 

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between Microsoft's Live Lab, Kennedy and NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 

Calif. ["NASA, Microsoft Launch Collaboration with Immersive Photography," NASA 

News Release #07-170, August 6, 2007.] 

NASA retools for Constellation 

While space shuttle Endeavour awaited its scheduled Wednesday launch from pad 39A at 

Kennedy Space Center, NASA officials were showing off the future Monday a mile and a 

half away. Pad 39B is where an Orion capsule perched on an Ares I rocket is supposed to 

launch in 2014, kicking off the Constellation program that will return man to the moon. 

NASA shuttle fleet is not scheduled for retirement until September 2010, but the agency, 

worried about losing its skilled work force in the interim, has not waited to start the 

transition. The first test flight of an Ares rocket is scheduled for April 2009. "We're trying 

to move this program forward and get some momentum going," said Jeff Hanley, 

Constellation program manager. NASA is using a combination of fmancial incentives, 

employee recognition and career plotting to show thousands of key workers that have a 

future in the new program, which vffl replace the 26-year-old shuttle program. 

Constellation's goal is to return humans to the moon by 2020, where they can build a base 

that will support later missions to Mars. At KSC, Launch Pad 39B still belongs to the 

shuttle, but plans are under way to modify it in time for the 2009 Ares test flight and 

eventually replace the steel structure above the concrete pad with one specifically designed 

for Constellation. Once the shuttle program ends, pad 39A will be converted to handle the 

larger Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle that will carry the materials for a moon base into space. 

Renovations at the Launch Control Center are in full swing too, with Firing Room I aiready 

gutted for Constellation. Interior changes to the Vehicle Assembly Building will allow access 

to the rocket and capsule at the right places, but the building is big enough for the 358-foottall Ares V. The crawlers will be beefed up to handle the weight of an Ares V. In another 

facility down the road, the aluminum skirt at the bottom of the shuttle's solid rocket 

boosters is being modified for use on the first Ares test flight. Nearby a building one used 

for the Apollo moon program is being converted to manufacture the Orion capsule. And at 

the Parachute Refurbishment Facility, parachutes from shuttle missions are being repaired, 

tested and repacked side by side with new parachutes for Ares rockets. ["NASA retools for 

Constellation," Orlando Sentinel, August 7, 2007, p Bi & B5.] 

August 7: NASA Develops Wireless Tile Scanner for Space Shuttle 

Inspection 

A new space shuttle tile inspection method using NASA-built, wireless scanners is replacing 

manual inspection. The new process begins with the upcoming shuttle mission, STS-1 18. 

Technicians have been using six new scanners to look for cracks and other imperfections in 

some of the 24,000 tiles that cover space shuttle Endeavour. The agency designed and built 

the new tools at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. In the past, workers 

at Kennedy visually analyzed tiles and measured clings and cracks with small hand-held 

scales. "The new method is much faster and more accurate because the depth and volume 

measurements of the flaws and their locations are wirelessly transmitted into a computer 

database," said Joe Lavelle, a senior engineer and project manager at Ames. "This tool allows 

the inspectors to determine with very high confidence whether a shuttle tile needs to be 

replaced or just repaired." "When they made the measurements manually with the scales, 

they had to estimate the volume of flaws to a worst-case value because they could not 

precisely measure the volume with any accuracy," Lavelle explained. "With this scanner, they 

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will actually save tiles and the time-consuming process of replacing them." The thermal tiles 

on the space shuttle protect it from the extreme heat generated during re-entry into the 

Earth's atmosphere. After each shuttle lands, technicians go through a very rigorous and 

lengthy process to assess the surface of the tiles for any damage. Each scanner weighs 

approximately 2.9 pounds and is about the size and shape of a small teapot. Technicians 

place the machine on the tile's flaw to scan it. In about three seconds, the data are 

computerized and archived. Engineers can scrutinize computerized 3-D pictures of the 

flaws. The images show the length, width and depth of the flaws on the surface of the tiles. 

Although engineers designed the instrument to scan space shuttle tiles, it also could scan 

reinforced carbon-carbon material used on the leading edges of the shuttle's wings. ["NASA 

Develops Wireless Tile Scanner For Space Shuttle Inspection," NASA News Release #07-

171, August 7, 2007.]

Shuttle like new after upgrades 

Ready to fly for the first time in five years, the orbiter Endeavour looks the same as the last 

time it launched in late 2002. Fresh off an extensive overhaul, Endeavour is equipped with a 

new cockpit, modern satellite navigation gear, advanced main engine sensors and a power 

system that will allow it to stay longer at the International Space Station. All in all, more 

than 150 miles of wiring have been inspected, some 13,156 safety checks have been carried 

out and 194 modifications have been made since NASA sidelined the spacecraft. "It's like a 

new space shuttle," NASA shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said. "It's been completely 

inspected from stem to stern for any defects in the wiring, any structural corrosion, and it's 

come out clean. Built to replace Challenger after that orbiter and seven astronauts were lost 

in a 1986 explosion, Endeavour first flew in May 1992 on a dramatic mission during which 

astronauts rescued a stranded communications satellite. A Hubble Space Telescope 

servicing crew flew up to the flagship observatory aboard Endeavour, and the first U.S. 

segment of the international station was deployed from the $1 .8-billion spaceship. NASA's 

newest shuttle orbiter has flown 19 missions and taffied 206 days in low Earth orbit. Web 

posted. (2007). [Shuttle like new after upgrades [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 7].] 

August 8: NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Begins Mission to the Space Station 

The space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew lifted off at 6:36 p.m. EDT 

Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts are on their way 

to the International Space Station for an assembly mission, designated STS-1 18. "This is 

serious business we're in here," said Endeavour's Commander Scott Kelly to the shuttle 

launch director shortly before lift off. "I'm proud of your team for getting Endeavour ready 

to go fly. I'm also proud of my crew and the rest of the astronaut office for the competence 

and professionalism and consistently making something that is incredibly difficult look easy." 

Kelly then added, "We'll see you in a coupleof weeks, and thanks for loaning us your space 

shuttle." Endeavour is scheduled to dock to the station on Friday. During the 11-day 

mission, the crew will add the Starboard 5 (S5) truss segment to the right side of the station's 

backbone. The segment will provide clearance between sets of solar arrays. The flight will 

include at least three spacewaiks during which the astronauts will install a new gyroscope and 

external spare parts platform to the station. Endeavour's mission will debut a new system 

that enables docked space shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits 

to the outpost. If this sysem functions as expected, three additional days and a spacewalk 

will be added to the flight. Joining Kelly on the crew are Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and mission 

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specialists Tracy Caidwell, Rick Mastracchio, Barbara R. Morgan, Alvrn Drew and Canadian 

Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams. This is the first flight for Morgan, the teacherturned-astronaut whose association with NASA began 22 years ago when she was selected as 

the backup in the Teacher in Space Project. This mission is the 119th space shuttle flight, 

the 20th flight for Endeavour and the 22nd U.S. flight to the International Space Station. 

The mission is Endeavour's first flight in more than four years. The shuttle underwent 

extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles 

Discovery and Atlantis. ["NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Begins Mission to the Space Station," 

NASA News Release #07-173, August 8, 2007.J 

Shuttle Commander: Alcohol Report Lacks Facts 

Astronaut Scott Kelly is never one to mince words, and there is no doubt he is not very 

happy about the rumors that NASA astronauts have mixed alcohol and rocket fuel, so to 

speak. The shuttle Endeavour commander called CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien 

on Monday from the astronaut crew quarters here at the Cape. He had just penned a 

scathing letter to the editor responding to that bombshell report last week that implied 

astronauts on three occasions violated the so called "bottle-to-throttle" rule. In short, 

astronauts had flown on the shuttle, on T-38 jets and a Russian Soyuz rocket either drunk or 

at least hung over. "To imply that my crew or I would ever consider launching on our 

mission in anything but the best possible condition is utterly ridiculous," Kelly penned in the 

letter. "It is beyond my comprehension that anyone in the astronaut office would consider 

doing what is suggested in this report." So what was reaction inside the Astronaut Office? 

"I think it was just shock," said Kelly who finds the unverified stories hard to believe. Would 

these type A-plus overachievers -- so focused on realizing their lifelong dream of spaceflight 

-- really risk it all for one last tall boy after last call? The report says "alcohol is freely used in 

crew quarters." "What the hell does that mean?" said Kelly. "It depends on the person's 

opinion. If you don't drink any alcohol at all, having a beer a month before the flight might 

be someone's definition of wrong, I don't know." "It makes us sound like some sort of frat 

house," said Kelly. "I have never seen that." The report does not offer any facts to 

substantiate the claims. The committee was charged simply with looking into how well 

NASA cares for the mental health of its astronauts after the arrest of now former astronaut 

Lisa Novak. She was charged with assaulting a romantic rival after a bizarre sprint halfway 

across the country. Kelly said he is "shocked that a report like this was released without any 

facts. I mean, it is hard to believe." The policy is no secret. Astronauts are supposed to put 

12 hours between their last drink and the next flight. Simple as that. Everyone knows the 

rules. And if an astronaut were determined to violate those rules on the day of a shuttle 

launch, he or she would be hard pressed as shuttle crews launch to space at the end of their 

day. Kelly and his crew awoke at 8 a.m. ET this morning and their launch is slated for 6:36 

p.m. ET. So to break the rules, they would have to be swilling booze at breakfast. As for the 

rest of their day, well, let's just say on launch day astronauts do not get much privacy. "You 

have these cameras all over that you would think would see something, somebody would 

notice something," said Kelly. "Not to mention the fact that we are actually professionals 

and we wouldn't do that." Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle Commander: Alcohol Report Lacks 

Facts [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, August 8].] 

Space Club honors pioneers 

A former Kennedy Space Center director, a steely-eyed missile man and one of the only 

surviving members of the Bumper launch team vffl be honored next week in Cocoa Beach. 

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The National Space Club's Florida Committee will give Jay Honeycutt, Charles Murphy and 

Norris Gray the group's 2007 Lifetime Achievement Awards during a luncheon Aug. 14 at 

the Doubletree Oceanfront Hotel. "Jay, Charlie and Norris each have made significant 

contributions to the space community through their impressive careers," club chairman 

Adrian Laffitte said in a news release. "The Space Club is proud to acknowledge their 

achievements." Web posted. (2007). [Space Club honors pioneers [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 8].] 

August 9: NASA Requests Proposals for Ares I Mobile Launcher 

Construction 

NASA has issued a request for proposals for Ares I mobile launcher construction. Ares I is 

the rocket that will transport the Orion crew exploration vehicle and its crew and cargo to 

low Earth orbit. The mobile launcher proposals are due to NASA's Kennedy Space Center 

in Florida on Sept. 6, 2007. The request for proposals states the procurement approach for 

obtaining the mobile launcher system. The mobile launcher will be used as a platform to 

assemble, test and service Ares I in existing facilities, transport the rocket to the pad, and 

support launches. The selected contractor will supply all labor, materials and equipment to 

build the mobile launcher structure and its associated facility systems. These systems include 

utilities, fire safety, communications, lighting, elevators and life support. The request for 

proposal includes an option for an additional Ares I mobile launcher. The contract to build 

the Ares I mobile launcher will be awarded through a full and open competition and 

managed by Kennedy. A selection is expected in February 2008. ["NASA Requests 

Proposals For Ares I Mobile Launcher Construction," NASA News Release #07-174, 

August 9, 2007.]

Shuttle puts l teacher in space 

Shuttle Endeavour blasted beyond Earth's atmosphere Wednesday evening, fulfilling the 

challenge laid out by President Reagan in 1984 to put a teacher in space. Endeavour roared 

from its launchpad at Kennedy Space Center at 6:36 p.m. -- exactly on schedule -- in front of 

a cheering crowd of thousands, including many teachers who originally competed with 

Barbara Morgan and her predecessor, Christa McAuliffe, to be the first teacher in space. 

"Morgan racing toward space on the wings of a legacy," NASA mission commentator Rob 

Navias said as Endeavour rose into a hazy blue sky. The ship was built in 1990 to replace 

Challenger, which exploded 73 seconds after liftoff in 1986, killing McAuliffe and six other 

astronauts. Eight and a half minutes after launch, Endeavour slid into orbit 140 miles up. 

Navias said, "For Barbara Morgan and her crewmates, class is in session." Looking on was 

the widow of Challenger's last commander. "The Challenger crew -- my husband Dick 

Scobee, the teacher Christa McAuliffe -- they would be so happy with Barbara Morgan," 

June Scobee Rodgers said. "It's important that the lessons will be taught because there's a 

nation of people waiting, still, who remember where they were when we lost the Challenger, 

and they remember a teacher was aboard." All day, the countdown rolled along smoothly 

with no serious issues. Even the weather held, with concerns about afternoon showers 

dissipating as launch time approached. "The weather is great; Endeavour's ready to fly," 

KSC launch director Mike Leinbach radioed the crew shordy before liftoff. "Good luck, 

Godspeed and have some fun up there." Commander Scott Kelly replied, "We'll see you in 

a couple weeks, and thanks for loaning us your space shuttle." NASA managers also said 

launch video shows only minimal foam loss from the ship's external tank during flight. Four 

or five small pieces appeared to break free late in the flight, said Associate Administrator Bill 

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Gerstenmaier, at a point in the ascent too high to do damage. "Overall, this was one of the 

cleanest lilaunches] we've seen," NASA Administrator Mike Griffin said. Web posted. 

(2007). [Shuttle puts teacher in space [Online]. Available WW\X7: 

http: / /wwv.orlandosentinel.corn/ [2007, August 9].] 

NASA says tank appears to have performed well 

Preliminary analysis of launch photography indicates about nine small bits of foam insulation 

came off the shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank during the climb to space Wednesday. 

But only three are believed to have possibly struck the orbiter and there are no obvious signs 

of any impact damage, officials said today. "Very quiet day at the Mission Management 

Team," said MMT Chairman John Shannon. "It looked like the launch was extremely 

successful yesterday. About all we did in the way of data assessment was, we looked at the 

external tank photography that's automatically taken at separation and we saw nothing 

significant. It looks like the tank has been very consistent over the last several flights and 

there was good performance out of it from a debris standpoint. We're not looking at 

anything significant at all." The three incidents listed by Shannon occurred at 24, 58 and 173 

seconds after launch. The first incident may have involved a bit of "purge barrier" used 

around a propellant feed line prior to launch that appeared to strike the rear of the shuttle's 

body flap. Similar debris events have been seen on past flights and no major damage was 

found. The second piece of debris appeared to cause slight discoloration, or a spray, when it 

hit the shuttle's right wing, but Shannon said "it's really, really hard to see" and engineers do 

not believe it represents a serious problem. The third event happened well beyond the first 

135 seconds of flight when the air is still thick enough to produce the kind of impact 

velocities that can cause damage. Shannon said all three areas will be photographed in detail 

Friday - along with the rest of the shuttle's heat shield - during final approach to the 

international space station. In a now-routine post-Columbia maneuver, Commander Scott 

Kelly will guide Endeavour through a slow 360-degree back flip just a few hundred feet 

below the lab complex so the station crew can photograph the heat shield with powerful 

digital cameras. It will take several more days for analysts to review launch photography, 

radar data and wing leading edge sensor data recorded during launch and laser scans of the 

shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels that were carried out by the astronauts today. 

Along with the rendezvous pitch maneuver photography expected Friday, engineers also 

must assess film from cameras mounted in the shuttle's twin solid-fuel boosters that will 

provide additional views of Endeavour's fuel tank. Shannon said film from the boosters 

should be in hand by late this weekend, after the spent boosters are towed back to port. 

Along with giving engineers high-resolution views of the heat shield, the rendezvous pitch 

maneuver Friday also is expected to confirm two doors on the belly of the shuttle that cover 

propellant feedline inlets after external tank separation are properly closed for re-entry. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA says tank appears to have performed well [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, August 9].] 

NASA: no evidence of intoxicated astronauts 

NASA officials said yesterday that an internal review has failed to turn up any evidence to 

date that astronauts were intoxicated during shuttle launches or other flight activities. The 

review, being led by former astronaut Bryan O'Connor, the agency's chief of safety and 

mission assurance, was started last month after an independent review of overall astronaut 

health issues claimed that there were at least two occasions where astronauts were 

intoxicated to the point where others were concerned about mission safety. Agency officials 

162
said a review of the last ten years of shuttle missions failed to turn up evidence of the 

allegations, but the investigation would continue until all shuttle missions are reviewed. 

NASA administrator Mike Griffm said Wednesday that he has "difficulty attaching credibility 

to the charges" leveled in last month's report. NASA plans to complete its internal review 

before a September 6th congressional hearing on the subject. Web posted. (2007). [NASA: 

no evidence of intoxicated astronauts [Online]. Available W\)(TW: 

http: / /www.spacetodav. net/ [2007, August 9].] 

Machinists Union to Testify Before House Science Committee 

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers (JAM) has been 

requested to appear before the House Science and Technology Committee to testify about 

issues concerning the workplace at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

(NASA) facility in Cape Canaveral, FL. The lAM's testimony comes in the wake of recent 

allegations that NASA facility systems are suffering from management indiscretion and 

misconduct. "We welcome the opportunity to testify about the serious issues faced by 

workers at NASA's facility at Cape Canaveral," said Johnny Walker, District 166 Directing 

Business Representative who will be testifying for the JAM. The lAM represents more than 

2,000 workers at NASA facilities at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. The 

House Science and Technology Committee has jurisdiction over NASA and plans to hold 

hearings on NASA workplace issues and ongoing NASA programs. Web posted. (2007). 

[Machinists Union to Testify Before House Science and Technology Committee on NASA 

Workplace Issues [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasawatch.com/ [2007, August 

9].]

Endeavour crew wrestles with fuel cell glitch 

En route to the International Space Station, Endeavour's astronauts are wrestling with a 

minor problem with the shuttle's critical power-generation system. A blaring alarm triggered 

by a faulty fuel cell pressure controller woke the five-man, two-woman crew in the middle of 

the night, but the problem is not expected to have an impact on the duration of the mission. 

The device is used to turn on and off heaters on one of five liquid oxygen tanks tied to the 

shuttle's three fuel cells, which combine liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to generate 

electricity to power all spaceship systems. Failure of more than one of the fuel cells would 

force NASA to consider bringing Endeavour back to Earth, but the problem with the 

pressure controller is relatively benign. Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and other crewmates are 

troubleshooting the problem, and it looks as if the astronauts will have to manually activate 

and deactivate the heaters on the oxygen tank during the course of the mission. "A minor 

inconvenience for the astronauts," said NASA flight commentator Rob Navias. Web 

posted. (2007). [Endeavour crew wrestles with fuel cell glitch [Online]. Available W"(7W: 

http://www.floridatoday.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, August 9].] 

Boeing, local union reach agreement 

Machinist union workers in the space shuttle payload processing program have reached a 

new contract with The Boeing Co., the company said today. The three-year agreement 

affects 92 workers in the Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing program at Kennedy 

Space Center. The workers belong to the International Association of Machinists and 

Aerospace Workers Local 1163. Meanwhile, roughly 500 workers in the International 

Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 are still on strike against 

United Space Affiance, NASA's main shuttle contractor. The company is a joint venture of 

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Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp. The strike at Kennedy Space Center began June 14 

after Local 2061 leaders and company officials failed to reach a contract agreement. 

Boeing's contract with Local 1163 goes into effect Sunday. The terms of the agreement were 

not immediately disclosed. Web posted. (2007). [Boeing, local union reach agreement 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, 

August 9].]

ELV Update: Dawn takes breather 

A firm date for the launch of the Dawn spacecraft is still being determined based on the 

launch window for the science of the mission, the availability of the Eastern Range and the 

necessary tracking, data and telemetry support. The launch is currently expected to occur no 

later than Sept. 26; however, a launch date as early as Sept. 7 is being preserved in planning 

schedules. ["Dawn takes breather waiting for launch in September," Countdown, August 

9, 2007.] 

August 10: NASA Administrator Announces Senior Leadership 

Appointments 

On Friday, NASA Administrator Michael Griffm named Richard J .

 Gilbrech as associate 

administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, the NASA division 

designing the next generation of spacecraft to return astronauts to the moon and eventually 

journey to Mars. Gilbrech currently serves as the director of NASA's Stennis Space Center in 

Mississippi. Griffm also named Robert D. Cabana, deputy director of NASA's Johnson 

Space Center in Houston, to replace Gilbrech as center director at Stennis. Gilbrech will 

succeed Scott Horowitz, who will leave his position in early October to pursue interests 

outside NASA. ["NASA Administrator Announces Senior Leadership Appointments," 

NASA News Release #07-175, August 10, 2007.] 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-081007. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Official Launch 

Date: Aug. 8, 2007; Expected Landing Date: Aug. 19, 2007; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, Williams, 

Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. Today is Flight Day 3 for STS-1 18. Endeavour is on orbit after launching 

from Pad 39A at KSC at 6:36 p.m. on Aug. 8. On Thursday, the crew conducted a 

photographic survey of the orbiter's thermal protection system using the robotic arm and 

extension boom. Today Conmiander Scott Kelly successfully flipped the orbiter using the 

rendezvous pitch maneuver prior to docking at the International Space Station. Docking 

occurred at 2:02 p.m. EDT. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight - 

U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; 

Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, 

Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3 this week, workers 

installed the right-hand orbital maneuvering system pod and connections are in work. 

Forward, mid-body and aft closeout work continues. Checkout of the orbiter's 

communications system is also in work. Stacking of the STS-120 solid rocket boosters in the 

Vehicle Assembly Building is complete, and closeout work is under way. Mission: STS-122 

- 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch 

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Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schiegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Bay No. 

1, workers are installing new, stronger tiles, known as BRI tiles, around the main landing 

gear doors. Hydraulic positioning of the body flap and elevons is complete. The main 

landing gear tires were installed. Removal and replacement of fuel cell No. 3 due to 

abnormal voltage readings is under way. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov/centers / 

kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, August 10.1 

NASA eyeing likely gash on Endeavour 

Concerned NASA officials said Friday that there appears to be a 3-inch-by-3-inch gouge in a 

heat shield tile on shuttle Endeavour's underbelly, possibly caused by a piece of ice breaking 

off of the fuel tank 58 seconds after liftoff. Shuttle managers plan to use lasers on the end 

of the shuttle's 100-foot robot arm and extension to get a detailed image of the divot 

Sunday, said John Shannon, chairman of the mission-management team. Once the size and 

depth of the gouge are determined, NASA engineers \vffl determine what it could mean for 

re-entry and whether repair is necessary. NASA analysts spotted a total of nine pieces of 

debris breaking free during launch, most of them foam from the shuttle's external fuel tank. 

At least three debris pieces were though to have struck the shuttle. ["NASA eyeing likely 

gash on Endeavour," Orlando Sentinel, August 11,2007, p Al &A14.] 

Former astronaut Nowak asks court to remove ankle monitor 

Lisa Nowak's ankle monitor is bulky, costly, can't be allowed to get wet and sticks out of her 

Navy uniform boot. Nowak, accused of trying to abduct her rival in an astronaut love 

triangle, can't exercise or "adequately supervise" her children at the pool. And traveling by 

plane is a "hassle." These are some of the reasons listed in a defense motion filed Thursday 

in Orange Circuit Court. "Defendant has scrupulously followed all instructions connected 

with electronic monitoring," Nowak's attorney Donald Lykkebak wrote in the four-page 

request. "If released from the requirement of electronic monitoring, Defendant will continue 

to obey all Court Orders connected with her pre-trial release including the restriction to 

travel in Brevard County." State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Danielle Tavernier said 

she couldn't comment about the issue. The motion will be addressed in court. Nowak, 44, a 

mission specialist on shuttle Discovery's flight in July 2006, was charged with attempted 

kidnapping and burglary with assault, which is punishable by up to life in prison. She also 

was charged with misdemeanor battery. She is accused of driving from Houston to Orlando 

International Airport to confront Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, who was dating 

Nowak's love interest, Bill Oefelein, then also an astronaut. On Feb. 6, Nowak posted 

$25,500 bail at the Orange County Jail and was fitted with a global-positioning ankle monitor 

with a bui1tin cell phone that tracks where she is anywhere in the world. It costs her $105 a 

week. That's $2,940 so far. The batteries, which are supposed to last 12 to 15 hours, buzz at 

times after only four to eight hours. When a battery is low, Novak has one to two minutes 

to change it before a loud siren goes off. A telephone call vffl follow from the monitoring 

station. Later this month, Nowak is expected to fly from Houston to Orlando to appear at a 

hearing at the Orange County Courthouse. Web posted. (2007). [Release me from ankle 

monitor, former astronaut Lisa Nowak asks court [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.nvtimes.com/ [2007, August 10.] 

No day in court for KSC chili allegations 

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A federal lawsuit that made unappetizing allegations about rancid chicken, poor hygiene and 

a worker derisively nicknamed "Dirty Finger Al" in space-center cafeterias has been quietly 

settled. Carolyn Vargas, a former culinary worker who says she was fired after she reported 

problems with spoiled meat and other food being served to workers at Kennedy Space 

Center, reached a settlement with Lackmann Culinary Services, a Woodbury, N.Y.-based 

contractor that operates seven KSC cafeterias. Mark Tietig, the Merritt Island attorney who 

represents Vargas, declined to comment. The case was dismissed on June 26 in Orlando 

after Vargas and Lackmann reached a settlement. Neither party announced the settlement or 

would discuss the terms. Web posted. (2007). [No day in court for KSC chili allegations 

[Online]. Available W(7W: http://www.floridatodav.com/ Brevard Watchlist blog [2007, 

August 10.] 

August 11: Softball-sized foam hit Endeavour, NASA says 

A softball-sized piece of foam from a bracket on shuttle Endeavour's fuel tank ricocheted 

onto the shuttle's underbelly 58 seconds after launch, leaving a gouge in two heat-shield ties, 

NASA said late Saturday. NASA expects to get a 3-D picture of how deep the divot is after 

sweeping the area with cameras and lasers. "It was a bad bounce," said John Shannon, 

chairman of the mission-management team. 'We feel like we have the culprit." A series of 

brackets hold a fuel-feed line in place that runs along the length of the external fuel tank 

between the tank and the shuttle. There is a history of ice forming between the 17-inch pipe 

between the brackets and the tank and prying off foam. "It is a little bit of a concern 

because it seems to be something that has happened to us frequently," Shannon said. A 

change in tank design should fix the problem, although it won't be ready for the next three 

shuttle flights. Mission mangers agreed Saturday that in case of an emergency the shuttle 

would be cleared to lad as is, Shannon said. ["Softball-sized foam hit Endeavour, NASA 

says," Orlando Sentinel, August 12, 2007, p A16.] 

August 13: NASA Issues Draft Constellation Environment Impact 

Statement 

NASA has issued a draft environmental impact statement on potential environmental 

impacts associated with the Constellation Program. NASA's Constellation Program is 

developing a space transportation system that is designed to return humans to the moon by 

2020. The Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement concludes that localized 

and global environmental impacts associated with implementing the Constellation Program 

would be comparable to past or ongoing NASA activities. This draft examines the effects of 

development, testing and operation of spacecraft and support systems associated with 

Constellation Program activities through the early 2020s. NASA plans to use multiple 

government and contractor facilities in implementing the program. The spacecraft to be 

developed include the Orion crew exploration vehicle, the Ares I crew launch vehicle, the 

Ares V cargo launch vehicle, the lunar lander, and other cargo systems. Orion, launched atop 

the Ares I, would be capable of docking with the International Space Station or with cargo 

launched to low Earth orbit by the Ares V for transit to the moon or future missions to 

Mars. Since the Constellation Program will be based largely upon components and facilities 

used in the Space Shuttle Program, the potential environmental impacts are expected to be 

similar. The principal activities associated with Constellation that could result in potential 

environmental impacts include rocket engine tests, rocket launches, construction of new 

facilities and modifications to existing facilities. Publicly identified issues resulting from the 

scoping meetings include the economic impact of the Constellation Program on local jobs 

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near NASA centers, risks to the public through launch and reentry of the Orion spacecraft, 

noise associated with launch events and impacts to animal species in the Kennedy Space 

Center, Fla., area from construction and launch activities. Other issues included the socioeconomic impacts of decommissioning the space shuttle and implementing the Constellation 

Program. ["NASA Issues Draft Constellation Environment Impact Statement," NASA 

News Release #07-200, August 13, 2007.] 

Inspection Finds Debris Penetrated Shuttle's Tiles 

A close-up laser inspection by astronauts on the space shuttle Endeavour revealed on 

Sunday that a three-and-a-half-inch gouge penetrates all the way through thermal tiles on the 

shuttle's belly, and left NASA officials urgently calculating whether a spacewalk for repairs is 

needed. A chunk of insulating foam ricocheted off a fuel tank and smacked the shuttle 

during liftoff last week, carving out the gouge. The unevenly shaped gouge, which straddles 

two side-by-side heat shield tiles and the corner of a third, is 3.5 inches long and just over 2 

inches wide. The inspection on Sunday showed that the damage went through the one-inchthick thermal tiles, exposing the felt material sandwiched between the tiles and the shuttle's 

aluminum frame. Mission managers expect to decide Monday or Tuesday whether to send 

astronauts out to patch the gouge. Engineers are trying to determine whether the marred 

area can withstand the searing heat of atmospheric re-entry at the flight's end. Heating tests 

will be conducted on similarly damaged samples. 'We have really prepared for exactly this 

case, since Columbia," said John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team. 'We 

have spent a lot of money in the program and a lot of time and a lot of people's efforts to be 

ready to handle exactly this case." The damaged tiles are near the right main landing gear 

door. In a stroke of luck, they are beneath the aluminum framework for the right wing, 

which would offer extra protection during the ride back to Earth. The area is subjected to as 

much as 2,300 degrees in re-entry. A hole large and deep enough could lead to another 

disaster like the loss of the Columbia. Endeavour vffi remain docked at the space station 

until Aug. 20, for a record 10-day stay. Mission managers on Sunday approved the prolonged 

visit based on the successful testing of a new shuttle system that draws power from the 

station. Web posted. (2007). [Inspection Finds Debris Penetrated Shuttle's Tiles [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.nvtimes.com/ [2007, August 13.] 

JAM Sues NASA for Misconduct 

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (JAM) today filed suit 

in the United States District Court in the District of Columbia against the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for interfering in the negotiations for a new 

contract for almost 500 workers represented by lAM Local Lodge 2061 in Cape Canaveral, 

Florida. The [AM-represented employees provide launch services to NASA through the 

United Space Affiance (USA), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and the Boeing Co. 

"NASA management is violating the law by attempting to dictate the terms of the economic 

package between the United Space Affiance and the JAM," said JAM International President 

R. Thomas Buffenbarger. "That interference is a violation of the Service Contract Act and it 

has harmed the dedicated JAM workers who are a key part of America's space program." 

The suit alleges that NASA violated its duty under the Service Contract Act and regulations 

implementing that act by telling the United Space Affiance that it would not reimburse USA 

for any increased labor costs in a new agreement with the JAM. Federal law requires NASA 

and other federal agencies to remain neutral in the collective bargaining process between 

federal contractors and the unions representing their employees. Federal agencies are also 

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required to reimburse federal contractors for labor cost increases if they are the result of 

bona fide collective bargaining. Federal agencies have an explicit mechanism for protesting 

any increase they deem excessive by requesting a review by the Department of Labor, which 

NASA tried to circumvent by direct intervention in negotiations. "The tAM's proposals 

have been reasonable and in line with other related contracts at NASA," said JAM Southern 

Territory General Vice President Robert Martinez. "NASA intentionally undermined the 

negotiations process between United Space Affiance and the [AM by injecting itself into the 

negotiating process that should be solely between the [AM and the contractor." 

Negotiations between the JAM and USA began in mid-2007. The parties were unable to 

reach an agreement because of NASA's interference and lAM-represented employees were 

forced on strike on June 14, 2007. Web posted. (2007). [lAM sues NASA for misconduct 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.goiam.org/content.cfm?cID = 11067 

[2007, August 13.]

Stennis director Gilbrech to replace Horowitz as ESMD chief 

RichardJ. Gilbrech, director of NASA's Stennis Space Center, will take over in October as 

associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, responsible for 

developing the launch vehicles, spacecraft and other systems intended to enable a human 

return to the moon and eventual exploration beyond that. He will replace Scott Horowitz, 

who is leaving the agency. Robert D. Cabana, like Horowitz a veteran shuttle astronaut and 

now deputy director of Johnson Space Center, wifi replace Gilbrech as director of Stennis. 

E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: 

"Stennis director Gilbrech to replace Horowitz as ESMD chief" [Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 

30, [August 13, 2007.].] 

August 14: Mice are riding along with Endeavour's crew 

Some of the passengers on space shuttle Endeavour, in its seventh day in orbit, have to cope 

with the effects of weightlessness on an unusual appendage: their tails. In addition to seven 

astronauts, Endeavour's occupants include 24 black lab mice. They're being used to test a 

drug to prevent muscle atrophy, a side effect of living in zero-gravity. All are female, 

because male mice have a stronger smell and are less desirable roommates in the shuttle's 

close confines. Mice and rats have flown on more than two dozen shuttle missions since the 

spacecraft's first flight in 1981, but no rodents have rocketed to orbit and made it back to 

Earth since 2001. The mice on Endeavour are low-maintenance traveling companions. 

They eat food bars attached to trays that slide into their cages. Strong jets of air shove their 

waste onto a filter. The astronauts won't have to do anything more than look into the three 

cages daily to check on the mice, says Louis Stodieck, head of Bioserve Space Technologies, 

a non-profit research center overseeing the experiment. Even so, the crew "will probably get 

to know them fairly well because they'll be seeing them every day," he says. The astronauts 

probably shouldn't get too attached. After landing on Earth, the mice will undergo muscle 

exams in tiny scanning machines and then will be euthanized so their cells can be studied. 

Web posted. (2007). [Mice are riding along with Endeavour's crew [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.usatoday.corn/ [2007, August 14.] 

Due to new debris threat, NASA considers delaying next shuttle 

flight 

NASA is pondering whether the next space shuttle mission in October should be delayed for 

modifications to thwart a new external tank (ET) debris threat, following the discovery of a 

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serious tile divot on Endeavour. The STS-1 18 crew conducted a focused inspection of the 

belly tile damage Aug. 12 using laser imaging sensors on the Orbiter Boom Sensor System 

(OBSS). The key area of concern is a damaged area extending 3.48 x 2.31 inches and 

spanning two tiles. The next shuttle flight, STS-120, currently is set for launch Oct. 24. 

NASA now must decide if it should delay the flight until brackets holding the 17-inch 

Oxygen feed line are modified to prevent ice buildup like that implicated in the insulation 

impact damage to Endeavour. Engineers believe ice that formed in the bracket played a role 

in popping off insulation from the spot 58 seconds into Endeavour's launch Aug. 8. The 

insulation, possibly mixed with ice, bounced off the shuttle ET aft attachment frame and 

flew into the belly, where it left three inconsequential dings and the deeper gouge that is 

raising concern. A new titanium bracket is planned to enter service by mid-2008, since 

engineers have known the current steel configuration is more conducive to ice formation. 

What they did not know was that vehicle aerodynamics could bounce debris liberated from a 

lower bracket off the ET attach struts and into the orbiter belly. Three ETs have been built 

without the modification, including the ET for STS-120. At its deepest, the divot on 

Endeavour reaches or exceeds the tile's 1.1-inch depth to either the filler bar immediately 

under the tile or the thin felt strain isolation pad that underlies all tile configurations to 

ensure they move independently of orbiter structure during re-entry heating. NASA is trying 

to determine whether the 2,000-degree Fahrenheit re-entry heating at the point of the gouge 

could reach the orbiter's aluminum structure. The shuttle is due to return to Earth Aug. 22. 

E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "Due 

to new debris threat, NASA considers delaying next shuttle flight," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, 

No. 31, [August 14, 2007.].] 

NASA clears Endeavour for three more days in space 

Mission managers have cleared the space shuttle Endeavour to remain docked to the 

International Space Station (ISS) three extra days, after new hardware that lets the orbiter 

draw power from the station's solar arrays proved itself. The crews were notified Aug. 12, 

shortly after fmisbing a focused inspection of thermal-tile damage on the orbiter's belly, that 

the SSPTS met engineering expectations and could supplement the orbiter fuel cells 

sufficiently to slow consumption of the liquid hydrogen and oxygen they use to make 

electricity. The decision to extend the mission from 11 to 14 days will provide STS-1 18 

crevmember Dave Williams, a veteran Canadian Space Agency astronaut, a fourth 

extravehicular activity (EVA) under current planning. He and fellow astronaut Rick 

Mastracchio are scheduled to go outside together a third time on Aug. 15 to continue 

preparations for future missions, and then ISS Expedition 15 flight engineer Clay Anderson 

was to accompany Williams on an extra EVA enabled by the new Station-to-Shuttle Power 

Transfer System (SSPTS). That will allow the total docked mission to run for 10 days, easing 

the time pressure on the crew to transfer some 5,100 pounds of supplies. It will also allow 

the shuttle to transfer extra oxygen to the station, as well as the water produced by the fuel 

cells, before returning to Earth as early as Aug. 22. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation 

Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "NASA clears Endeavour for three more 

days in space," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 31, [August 14, 2007.].] 

Contract sets stage for launches 

A new $1.8 billion NASA contract is setting the stage for a series of Kennedy Space Center 

launches aimed at testing a new moon rocket and a new spaceship for U.S. Astronauts. The 

contract calls for Alliant Techsystems of Utah to design, develop and test the first stage of 

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NASA's Ares I and Ares 5 moon rockets. The Ares I rocket will be used to launch Orion 

spacecraft - Apollo-style capsules that will propel astronauts on moon missions. The Ares 5 

rocket will launch propulsion modules and lunar landers that will dock with Orion spacecraft 

in low-Earth orbit. The first Ares I test flight with a four-segment booster, a dummy upper 

stage and an Orion capsule mock-up is scheduled for April 2009. A suborbital test ffight is 

scheduled for September 2012. An unpioted test flight of the Orion spacecraft is scheduled 

for March 2013, and a piloted, two-week shakedown of the ship is planned for September 

2013. The contract is the second of four major pacts NASA intends to award for the Ares I 

rocket. A contract for its second-stage engine was signed with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne 

in June. ["Contract sets stage for launches," Florida Today, August 15, 2007, p IC.] 

August 15: Valve in Atlas failure replaced in all EELVs 

A valve that prompted a fuel leak during the failed launch of an Atlas 5 rocket in June has 

been replaced in both the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 fleets. The valve is being replaced with one 

that the U.S. Air Force and United Launch Affiance are confident will work properly. The 

U.S. Air Force has issued a statement summarizing the progress in its investigation of the 

Atlas 5 launch of a pair of ocean surveillance craft for the National Reconnaissance Office. 

The top-secret spy sats were dropped off miles short of orbit after the upper-stage engine 

cut off seconds too soon. The cause: a fuel leak prompted by a liquid hydrogen valve that 

didn't close properly in extreme cold temperatures experienced during the Atlas flight. The 

valve is part of the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RLIO engine and is common to both of the 

Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELVs): the Atlas 5 and Delta 4. Hence, 

the Atlas anomaly impacted the entire military medium and heavy lift fleet. However, the Air 

Force statement indicates the issue is solved and launches of U.S. military and inteffigence 

spacecraft will resume next month. The suspect LH2 valve has been replaced on both 

vehicles, which are erected on their launch pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 

awaiting flight. The Air Force announcement said the launches were reset with new dates, 

but those dates have been known for some. In short, the Atlas 5 is set to fly first on Sept. 

13. The Delta 4 target is Oct. 4. Web posted. (2007). [Valve in Atlas failure replaced in all 

EELVs [Onlinel. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench 

blog [2007, August 15.] 

August 16: New debris area bigger problem since Columbia, NASA says 

Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon says a review of space shuttle flight 

history has found that the particular piece of foam that damaged Endeavour during its 

launch Aug. 8 has "liberated" during ascent with greater frequency since the 2003 Columbia 

accident than before. Following the accident, managers extended the countdown for an 

hour after the tank that holds liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant is filled to give 

the ice-inspection team more time to fmd dangerous ice buildups. Ironically, engineers now 

suspect that the extra time may be allowing a greater buildup of ice behind the foam over the 

bracket, which then pops the foam off the bracket during launch. If they decide that is the 

case, shortening the countdown after the tanks are filled might reduce the problem. 

Shannon repeated an earlier Mission Management Team assessment that the damage isn't 

severe enough to endanger the crew or the orbiter, but that it could force a lengthy delay 

before the next mission. The damage, caused when a piece of foam weighing 0.21 pounds 

bounced off a strut as it fell from a steel bracket 58 seconds after launch and smashed into 

the tiles, has been declared an "in-flight anomaly." That means engineers must either find a 

way to prevent it from happening again, or fmd an engineering rationale that it is safe to fly 

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without a major fix. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "New debris area bigger problem since Columbia, NASA says," 

[Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 33, [August 16, 2007.].] 

KSC buildings to be demolished 

A list of shuttle facilities at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) that wifi be demolished 

between 2010 and 2012 - including all three Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs) - has been 

produced. All three OPF's will be demolished between 2010 and 2012, in addition to the 

Hypergol Maintenance Facility (HMF) and SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) work shop. 

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, the shuttle specific landing aids will be taken down in 

addition to the Orbiter Mate-Demate Device. All TAL sites will be abandoned, as they 

belong to the foreign nations. Some facilities that may be modified to support Constellation 

include the STS Flight Simulator (Orion simulators), Space Station Processing Facility 

(Station support until dc-orbit and possible use for Orion processing), and the Payload 

Canister Rotation Facility. Their fates are currently classed as 'undecided.' Modifications to 

the sound suppression system at Pad 39B and the MLP (Mobile Launch Platform) are 

scheduled to be fmished by the beginning of next year, ahead of the 2008 test flight of the 

Ares I-X. LCC (Launch Control Center) firing room I will be activated in August 2008. The 

FSS (Fixed Service Structure) modifications to support interface with the dummy upper 

stage and flight monitoring equipment of the Ares I-X will be completed by Jan. 2009. The 

lightning mast on the FSS and the VAB high bay 3 work platforms are also scheduled for 

Jan. 2009. Other information notes that the Mobile Launcher for Ares I - currently at the 60 

percent stage of its designS review - will have a total rollout mass, including vehicle, of around 

12.5 million pounds (567,000kg). For comparison, Saturn V had a total rollout mass of 12.63 

million pounds and the shuttle has a rollout mass of 12.02 million lbs. The dry weight of the 

Ares I will be 2.2 million lbs (1,000,000 kg), and the tower will weigh 2 million lbs (907,000 

kg). The rest of the weight is in the MLP base, support systems, and ground support 

equipment. Web posted. (2007). [landings to be splashdowns - KSC buildings to be 

demolished [Online]. Available WW'W: http: / /www. nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, August 

16.] 

August 17: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-081707. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Official Launch 

Date: Aug. 8, 2007; Expected KSC Landing Date: Aug. 22, 2007; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, 

Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees! 122 nautical miles. Today is flight day 10 for STS- 118. After extensive engineering 

analyses and testing, the Mission Management Team decided Thursday evening that 

damaged tile on the underbelly of the orbiter does not pose a threat to the crew or the 

vehicle, and no repair will be made. During the week, the crew conducted three successful 

spacewaiks. During these excursions outside the International Space Station, crew members 

installed the Starboard 5 truss element, removed and replaced control moment gyroscope 3 

on the ZI truss, relocated several pieces of hardware outside the station to make way for the 

arrival of future station components, and retrieved eperiments. On Tuesday, the crew 

worked from inside the station, using the robotic arms on the shuttle and the station to 

unberth external stowage platform 3 from Endeavour's payload bay and install it on the P3 

truss. On Saturday, a fourth spacewalk will take place, during which two experiment 

containers located outside the station will be retrieved, two antennae will be installed and 

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several other tasks will be completed. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station 

Flight - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility 

Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Me]roy, Zamka, 

Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3 this week, forward, 

midbody and aft closeout work continues. The auxiliary power unit tank pressurization is 

complete. Freon coolant loop No. I and 2 top-off and sampling is finished. Technicians 

performed hydraulic operations to position the shuttle main engines for rollover. Testing of 

the orbital maneuvering system flight controls and gimbal system was successful. Functional 

testing of the radiators, located on the payload bay doors, is under way. Stacking of the 

STS-120 solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building is complete and closeout 

work is under way. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus 

Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch 

Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, 

Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Watheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, work began this week on modifications to 

the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor wiring, which involves rerouting new wires and installing 

new resistors. Workers also continued installing new, stronger tiles, known as BRI tiles, 

around the main landing gear doors. Installation of the main propulsion system tanks is 

under way. Removal of the left-hand orbital maneuvering system pod to allow for a valve 

replacement is scheduled for later today. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available W\XJW: http://ww\v.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedv/shutdeoperations/status/2007 /index.html [2007, August 17.] 

Worker stole $157,000-plus from NASA 

The bill's total - $1 57,384.21 -- but none of the money belonged to Elizabeth Ann Osborne. 

Authorities said it was the property of her now-former employer, NASA. Osborne, 52, 

pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to embezzling money from the space agency, where 

she had worked for 31 years. According to court documents, her job was to outfit the living 

quarters for astronauts' families and dignitaries. Instead, Osborne used a NASA-issued bank 

card to shop for herself and later falsified records to cover it up. When NASA reviewed 

Osborne's purchases from January 2001 to November 2005, it found 426 fraudulent 

purchases. They included trips to Best Buy, Sears and Lowe's. She shopped at Wal-Mart 127 

times to buy gift cards and groceries. The total there was more than $51,000, according to 

Osborne's plea agreement. "She has let herself, her family and NASA down and. . . is 

remorseful and continues to do what is right to make amends for her misconduct," he said. 

Osborne could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three more years of 

supervision. She also must pay back NASA. Web posted. (2007). [Worker stole $ 157,000-

plus from NASA [Online]. Available WWW: http://wwsv.orIandosentinel.com/ [2007, 

August 17.]

Atlas V, Delta IV get new RL1O valve 

A modified hydrogen valve design less susceptible to freezing up in extremely cold 

temperatures will be fitted into Pratt & Whitney RLIO upper-stage engines in Atlas V and 

Delta IV launchers to prevent a recurrence of the early engine shutdown that took place 

June 15 during the launch of two National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance 

spacecraft at Cape Canaveral on an Atlas V. As a result of the RLI 0 valve freeze-up, the two 

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NRO spacecraft were placed in lower-than-planned, but still usable, orbits (DAILY, July 

23).They have been climbing higher with about two maneuvers each per week since the 

incident. Extensive testing by Pratt & Whitney and United Launch Affiance has duplicated 

the failure and resulted in a modified design approved by the U.S. Air Force and NRO. The 

valve issue has had minimal impact on upcoming launches. The Atlas V launch of the first 

new Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) spacecraft is set for Sept. 13 from the Cape, after only 

about a two-week slip. And the Delta IV Heavy carrying the final Defense Support Program 

missile warning satellite has been delayed about five weeks to Oct. 4. But its delay has less to 

do with the valve and more to do with the need to carry out a third countdown rehearsal 

with the vehicle fueled. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "Atlas V, Delta IV get new RLIO valve," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 34, 

[August 17, 2007.].] 

August 18: Mating of boosters and tank delayed 

The mating of the STS-120 external tank with its solid rocket boosters, scheduled for 

Monday at Kennedy Space Center, will be delayed to study foam loss from the liquid oxygen 

feed line. Launch integration manager Leroy Cain made the announcement late Friday. A 

small piece of foam, likely pried away by ice, fell off Endeavour's external tank during liftoff 

and gouged a 3-inch divot in the shuttle's thermal tile underbelly. "We've come to 

understand that's a (foam) loss we can expect," Cain said. "It's a serious problem for us and 

we recognized we need to resolve it before we go fly." Cain said he did not expect the 

delayed mating to move back the Oct. 23 launch of STS-1 20, which is shuttle Discovery. 

However, he added that solving the foam loss problem might delay missions scheduled for 

launch in early December and February. By April, a tank with a new design will be available. 

Titanium brackets are being installed to reduce foam loss. An engineering team has 

examined several possible solutions, including trimming away some foam and spraying a 

kind of oil to prevent ice buildup. Reducing the time between fueling and launch has been 

suggested to reduce ice buildup. "They've determined there may be more foam in that area 

than we need," said Cain, who estimated the tank and the SRBs could be joined within a 

week and a half. Processing the shuttle for launch could then continue. Web posted. (2007). 

[Mating of boosters and tank delayed [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.fIoridatodav.com/ [2007, August 18.] 

NASA making plans with storm in mind 

As Hurricane Dean pushes toward the Gulf of Mexico, NASA might move up Endeavor's 

Wednesday landing to Tuesday and even cut short or cancel today's spacewalk. "We'd really 

like to protect an option to end the mission on Tuesday," said Leroy Cain, launch integration 

manager and a chairman of the Mission Management Team. Shortening today's spacewalk 

would give the shuttle crew time to speed undocking, make a final examination of the 

spacecraft and prepare for an earlier landing. A decision was expected by this morning. "In 

all likelihood, it would be some scaled down version (of the spacewalk)," Cain said. 

Commander Scott Kelly said moving up the landing was possible. "It would certainly be a 

long day," said Kelly, who also endorsed NASA's decision not to repair a 3-inch gouge on 

the thermal tile. "I agree absolutely 100 percent with the decision not to repair," Kelly said 

at a Friday press conference from space. Kelly said that tests showed the aluminum skin 

beneath the damage would reach only 340 degrees, well below the metal's melting point. 

Only one engineering group of about 30 felt the repair should be performed to minimize the 

risk of damage to the shuttle. Also on Friday, lead shuttle flight director Matt Abbott said 

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that bringing Endeavour home Tuesday would avoid relocating the mission control staff. 

The present forecast shows the storm pressing down on the Texas coast by Wednesday. A 

slight change of direction to the north would threaten Houston, the home of Mission 

Control. In an emergency, mission controllers would fly to Kennedy Space Center in 

Florida, an option Abbot said he hopes to avoid, since equipment at KSC is designed for 

launch, not landing. "It's definitely not the same as being here at home," Abbott said. "Our 

objective is to get the mission completed from here in Houston." Johnson Space Center 

officials have begun identifying critical personnel, in case hurricane closedown procedures 

must begin this weekend. Web posted. (2007). [NASA making plans with storm in mind 

[Online]. Available W'(/W: http: / /www. floridatodav.corn/ [2007, August 18.] 

August 19: NASA Moves Up Landing Because of Hurricane 

With Hurricane Dean headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, the space shuttle Endeavour 

undocks from the International Space Station today, a day early, and is scheduled to land 

Tuesday. The worry is that the hurricane may threaten Houston, site of mission control, the 

Johnson Space Center. In that case, NASA would transfer flight operations to the Kennedy 

Space Center in Florida, where the shuttle is scheduled to land. Moving the landing day 

forward to Tuesday should preclude that possibility. Hurricane Dean was expected to pass 

south of Houston, with landfall in northern Mexico, but mission managers decided to take 

precautions in case the storm takes a right turn. "It would be irresponsible for us to not pay 

attention to this storm," LeRoy Cain, chairman of the mission management team, said at a 

news conference yesterday. For the shuttle to land Tuesday, astronauts had to finish packing 

up and close the hatches to the space station last night. This required shortening a fourth 

spacewalk by the Endeavour's astronauts yesterday to five hours from the planned six and a 

half. The astronauts retrieved two experiments from the outside of the space station that 

will return to Earth on the Endeavour. After undocking this morning, the shuttle crew will 

spend a couple of days preparing for landing, including conducting another inspection of the 

shuttle's nose cone and the leading edge of the wings to make sure they did not suffer any 

damage from micrometeoroids while docked to the space station. If the storm is 

approaching Houston, flight controllers will land the Endeavour at one of three sites on 

Tuesday - either at the Kennedy center or at backup sites in California and New Mexico. If 

it is not approaching Houston, and weather does not permit landing in Florida, controllers 

vffl have the shuttle stay in orbit another day before considering backup sites. The 

Endeavour has enough supplies to stay in orbit until Friday, but barring a major mechanical 

problem, it will land no later than Thursday. Web posted. (2007). [NASA Moves Up 

Landing Because of Hurricane [Online]. Available W'X/W: http://vivw.nvdmes.com/

[2007, August 19.] 

August 20: Pioneering NASA Spacecraft Mark Thirty Years of Flight 

NASA's two venerable Voyager spacecraft are celebrating three decades of flight as they 

head toward interstellar space. Their ongoing odysseys mark an unprecedented and historic 

accomplishment. Voyager 2 launched on Aug. 20, 1977, and Voyager I launched on Sept. 

5, 1977. They continue to return information from distances more than three times farther 

away than Pluto. "The Voyager mission is a legend in the annals of space exploration. 

It opened our eyes to the scientific richness of the outer solar system, and it has pioneered 

the deepest exploration of the sun's domain ever conducted," said Alan Stern, associate 

administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. "It's a testament to 

Voyager's designers, builders and operators that both spacecraft continue to deliver 

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important findings more than 25 years after their primary mission to Jupiter and Saturn 

concluded." For the past 19 years, the twin Voyagers have been probing the sun's outer 

heliosphere and its boundary with interstellar space. Both Voyagers remain healthy and are 

returning scientific data 30 years after their launches. Voyager I currently is the farthest 

human-made object at a distance from the sun of about 9.7 billion miles. Voyager 2 is about 

7.8 billion miles from the sun. ["Pioneering NASA Spacecraft Mark Thirty Years of Flight," 

NASA News Release #07-205, August 20, 2007.] 

August 21: Shuttle Endeavour Crew Returns Home after Successful 

Mission 

The space shuttle Endeavour and its crew are home after completing a 13-day journey of 

more than 5.2 million miles in space. Endeavour's STS-1 18 mission successfully added 

another truss segment, a new gyroscope and external spare parts platform to the 

International Space Station. Endeavour's Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh 

and mission specialists Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastracchio, Barbara R. Morgan, Alvin Drew 

and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams landed at NASA's Kennedy Space 

Center in Florida on Tuesday at 12:32 p.m. EDT. Williams, Mastraccbio and station flight 

engineer Clayton Anderson, with the help of their crewmates, made four spacewalks to 

accomplish the construction tasks. The spacewalkers also completed work in preparation for 

upcoming assembly missions, such as relocating an equipment cart and installing support 

equipment and communication upgrades. During the mission, a new system that enables 

docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost was 

activated successfully. Because the system worked, two additional days were added to 

Endeavour's mission. STS-1 18 was the 119th space shuttle flight, the 22nd flight to the 

station, the 20th ffight for Endeavour and the second of four missions planned for 2007. 

Although managers addressed several issues with Endeavour's heat shield, including a small 

gouge in the protective tile on the orbiter's belly, inspections in orbit revealed no critical 

damage. Endeavour's thermal protection system was declared safe for re-entry on Monday. 

The orbiter will be processed immediately for its next flight, targeted for February 2008. 

With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the next phase of International 

Space Station assembly. Preparations continue for space shuttle Discovery's scheduled 

launch in October of the STS-120 mission to deliver the pressurized Node 2 connecting 

module to the station. ["Shuttle Endeavour Crew Returns Home after Successful Mission," 

NASA News Release #07-177, August 21, 2007.] 

August 21: NASA unlikely to modify tanks 

NASA is leaning toward launching shuttle Discovery on Oct. 23 without external tank 

changes despite heat-shield damage done to Endeavour during its blastoff earlier this month. 

The agency also aims to launch Atlantis and a European science laboratory to the 

International Space Station on Dec. 6. The tank is covered with 4,000 pounds of foam 

insulation designed to keep ice from building up when a shuttle is fueled for flight. NASA 

spent about $235 million after Columbia to reduce the amount of foam that could come off 

the tank. Engineers knew foam could pop off the fuel-line brackets that shed insulation on 

Endeavour's flight but never considered whether damage could be done if foam pinballed 

into heat-shield tiles. Five of the aluminum brackets hold the liquid oxygen line to the 

outside of the tank. Two different types of foam and cork laced with bonding material form 

bracket covers 3 inches wide, 5 inches long and 2 1/2 inches thick. NASA tank Chief John 

Chapman at Marshall Space Flight Center said five potential bracket modifications are being 

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examined. Each is designed to minimize ice build-up while reducing foam. Griffin and 

Gerstenmaier will be briefed later this week, but any modification will be a hard sell. "It is 

better to leave it alone and not change it and understand where we are, or is it better to go 

change it?" Gerstenmaier said. Added Griffm: "The presumption is in fact against change." 

["NASA unlikely to modify tanks," Florida Today, August 22, 2007, p 1A & 3A.] 

August 22: Former teacher feels queasy after landing 

Gravity made Barbara Morgan woozy after a 220-mph landing Tuesday during which the 

shuttle dove to a perfect touchdown on a trajectory seven times steeper than the approach 

of a commercial jet. While the other six members of Endeavour's crew inspected the 

spacecraft's underbelly, Morgan remained in a medical van. At a crew press conference five 

hours later, she was still dizzy. "The room still spins a little bit, but that's OK," the 55-yearold astronaut said. "My first plan is to get rid of the room spinning, and that should happen 

pretty soon. It's actually pretty interesting if you could be in my body." After Endeavour's 

launch on Aug. 8, Morgan, like 70 percent of those who travel to space, was disoriented for 

several days. "It took me a while at first to get used to the microgravity," she said. "When 

you wanted to turn yourself rightside up, you couldn't." Eventually she adjusted, and by the 

middle of the mission, observers could tell she was comfortable in space and performing her 

jobs as remote arm operator and payload specialist. She also conducted two question-andanswer sessions with school children on Earth. Astronauts Dave Williams, a Canadian, and 

Al Drew, an Air Force helicopter test pilot, helped with in-space demonstrations of tooth 

brushing, drinking and washing in weightlessness. Morgan's flight brings a NASA program 

full circle. Selected as backup Teacher in Space to the late Christa McAuliffe in 1985, 

Morgan trained with McAuliffe and witnessed the 1986 Challenger accident. Though one 

teaching session was lost when Endeavour's mission was cut short a day because of 

Hurricane Dean, Morgan plans to continue her teaching efforts with NASA on Earth. Both 

teaching and being an astronaut are challenging, and both are rewarding, she said. "There's a 

great sense of pride to be involved in a human endeavor that takes us all farther," she said. 

Web posted. (2007). [Former teacher feels queasy after landing [Online]. Available W\)(/W: 

http: / /www. fioridatoday.com/ [2007, August 22.] 

Robot mechanic goes to space 

A mechanical workman will appear at the International Space Station in February to take 

over some of the spacewalking duties now performed by astronauts. Dextre, a Canadianbuilt robot, swings two 11-foot arms and weighs nearly 3,500 pounds. When he comes to 

life, drawing 1,400 watts of electricity, he could relieve humans at the space station of many 

of the average 18 spacewalks they do for routine maintenance. "It'll be a historic moment in 

robotics," Dan Rey, Dextre integration manager with the Canadian Space Agency, said. 

"Three generations from now, humans will be on the moon and robots will have helped get 

them there." Dextre is the third and fmal component of the Canadian Mobile Servicing 

System, which includes Canadarms I and 2. It holds lights, video equipment, a stowage 

platform and three robotic tools. While one arm will grasp the station for support, Dextre 

can pivot at the waist and guide payloads with the seven joints on each arm. A typical task 

would be to replace a 200-pound battery and engage the connectors. Spacewaiks take two 

weeks of preparation and cleanup, so a huge amount of time would be saved. In addition to 

allowing astronauts to escape routine maintenance, the robot would be able to handle 

unexpected work. Though it's 12 feet tall, Rey calls Dextre a robotic surgeon. The first of 

the arm's nine pieces went up on the Endeavour mission. The other eight pieces will go up 

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r 

on a mission in February. The robot will require spacewalking astronauts about 2 hours to 

assemble. And while the machine has been designed to last for 15 years, its creators expect 

it to last much longer. Web posted. (2007). [Robot mechanic goes to space [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 22.] 

August 23: Lawyer: Ex-astronaut Nowak wants ankle-bracelet removed 

The lawyer for Lisa Nowak -- the former NASA astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic 

rival -- will ask a judge Friday to throw out her statements to police, suppress evidence 

collected from her car and remove her ankle-bracelet monitor. The pretrial hearing, during 

which witnesses will be called -- and Nowak may testify -- is set to start at 9 a.m. ET in the 

9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. NASA ended Nowak's assignment as an astronaut in 

March after she allegedly assaulted Air Force Cpt. Colleen Shipman, who was dating 

Nowak's former love interest, Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein. Nowak, a captain in the U.S. Navy, 

allegedly drove nearly 900 miles from Houston, Texas, to Orlando, Florida, wearing adult 

diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make, in order to confront 

Shipman, according to an initial police report. She was apprehended in the parking lot at 

Orlando International Airport after Shipman claimed Nowak attacked her. Airport 

surveillance tapes show Nowak donning a disguise while waiting for Shipman to arrive, then 

following her, police said. Shipman told police that Nowak approached her car in the 

airport parking lot, and asked her for help with a dead battery. Web posted. (2007). [Lawyer: 

Ex-astronaut Nowak wants ankle-bracelet removed [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, August 23.] 

NASA and Internet Archive Team to Digitize Space Imagery 

NASA and Internet Archive of San Francisco are partnering to scan, archive and manage the 

agency's vast collection of photographs, historic film and video. The imagery will be 

available through the Internet and free to the public, historians, scholars, students, and 

researchers. Currently, NASA has more than 20 major imagery collections online. With this 

partnership, those collections will be made available through a single, searchable "one-stopshop" archive of NASA imagery. NASA selected Internet Archive, a nonprofit 

organization, as a partner for digitizing and distributing agency imagery through a 

competitive process. The two organizations are teaming through a non-exclusive Space Act 

Agreement to help NASA consolidate and digitize its imagery archives using no NASA 

funds. Web posted. (2007). [NASA and Internet Archive team to digitize space imagery 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://wrww.spaceref.com/ [2007, August 23.] 

August 24: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-081707. Mission: STS-118 - 22nd International 

Space Station Flight - S5 Truss Segment; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Official Launch 

Date: Aug. 8, 2007; Official KSC Landing Date: Aug. 21, 2007; Crew: Kelly, Hobaugh, 

Williams, Morgan, Mastracchio, Caldwell and Drew; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. Endeavour touched down at Kennedy Space Center at 12:32 

p.m. EST on Aug. 21, completing a 13-day journey to the International Space Station. The 

mission was cut short by a day because of the potential threat to the Houston area posed by 

Hurricane Dean. Prior to the Sunday undocking from the station, Mission Specialist Dave 

Williams and station Flight Engineer Clay Anderson conducted the final spacewalk of the 

mission on Saturday. They installed the external wireless instrumentation system antenna, 

attached a stand for the shuttle's robotic arm extension boom and retrieved two materials 

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experiment containers. The spacewalk was trimmed by two hours to allow for a day-early 

hatch closing. Endeavour is now in Orbital Processing Facility bay No. 2, where post-flight 

inspections and processing are under way. Endeavour's payload will be removed this 

weekend. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2; 

Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: 

Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, 

Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In 

Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3 this week, forward, midbody and aft closeout work 

continues. Final payload bay door closing is scheduled for next week. The orbiter docking 

system pyro testing is under way. The external door functional testing is complete, as is final 

testing of the engine cutoff sensor wiring modifications. Stacking and closeout of the STS120 solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building has finished. Mating of the 

external tank to the boosters has been postponed, pending completion of foam repair work 

that will be done on the tank's liquid oxygen feedline support brackets. Mission: STS-122 - 

24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch 

Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 1, technicians continue making modifications to the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor 

wiring. This work involves rerouting new wires and installing new resistors. Workers also 

continued installing new, stronger tiles, known as Boeing Reusable Insulation (BRI) tiles, 

around the main landing gear doors. Installation of the main propulsion system tanks is 

complete, with leak checks planned next week. Waterproofing of the orbiter's thermal 

protection system is planned for Sunday. The left-hand orbital maneuvering system pod was 

removed to allow for a valve replacement. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedy /shutdeoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, August 24.] 

NASA to fix foam; launch still set for Oct. 23 

NASA is going to remove and replace cracked foam covers on the external tank for shuttle 

Discovery's upcoming mission to the International Space Station, but launch remains 

scheduled for Oct. 23. The extra work, however, will push back preparations for the 

planned Dec. 6 launch of Atlantis and a European science laboratory, making it less likely 

NASA will be able to send up that mission during a short seven-day window. A chunk of 

foam the size of a baseball broke free from one of five aluminum brackets that held the 

liquid oxygen feedline to the tank used during Endeavour's Aug. 8 launch on an 

International Space Station assembly mission. The foam ricocheted off a metal strut 

attaching the tank to Endeavour, damaging fragile heat shield tiles on the underside of the 

orbiter. NASA ordered up x-ray inspections of the brackets on the tank being readied for 

the planned Oct. 23 launch of Discovery. The 15-story tank now is located in the checkout 

cell on the northwest side of the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. The xrays showed evidence of small hairline cracks in four of the five foam-and-cork covers that 

keep ice from building up on the brackets. Two different types of foam and cork laced with 

an epoxy bonding material are used to form the bracket covers, which are about three inches 

wide, five inches long and 2.5 inches thick. The cracks all were found in the cork layers of 

the covers. Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said the covers will be removed and then 

replaced with ones fashioned only from foam. The higher-density cork would be left out of 

the mix. The repair work on the foam covers on Discovery's tank is expected to take about 

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nine days. That would leave about five days padding in the schedule leading to the Oct. 23 

target date. Web posted. (2007). [NASA to fix foam; launch still set for Oct. 23 [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, August 

24.]

New Deputy Director Selected at NASA Glenn 

Ramon "Ray" Lugo III has been named the Deputy Director at NASA's Glenn Research 

Center in Cleveland. Lugo succeeds Richard S. Christiansen who retired in May. Lugo 

currently serves as deputy program manager of the Launch Services Program at NASA's 

Kennedy Space Center, Fla. "I had the opportunity to work with Ray during my tenure as 

Deputy Center Director at Kennedy," said NASA Glenn Director Dr. Woodrow Whitlow Jr. 

"He's an outstanding engineer and a great strategic thinker with lots of energy. He will be a 

strong addition to the Glenn staff and the Ohio community." Lugo expressed his 

excitement about the new position. "I'm looking forward to the broad challenges and the 

new responsibilities I'll now have at Glenn and, of course, I will very much enjoy working 

with Dr. Whitlow once again," said Lugo. As the launch services deputy program manager, 

Lugo is responsible for program execution guaranteeing access to space for the delivery of 

on-time, on-orbit, and on-cost launch assets satisfying government-wide space 

transportation requirements. Lugo began his NASA career at Kennedy in 1975 as a 

cooperative education student. His first assignment was in the Construction and 

Modifications Branch as an engineer responsible for construction modifications to Launch 

Complex 39A in preparation for the first space shuttle launch. Since becoming a member of 

the Senior Executive Service in 2001, he served as the Executive Director of the Cape 

Canaveral Spaceport Management Office. Other leadership positions include Director and 

Deputy Director of Expendable Launch Vehicle Services; Manager of Facilities and Support 

Equipment Division in the Space Station Project Office; and Chief Business Office of the 

Joint Performance Management Office. ["New Deputy Director Selected at NASA Glenn," 

NASA News Release #07-030, August 24, 2007.] 

NASA jobs in transition 

About 100 small business representatives gathered in Cocoa Beach on Thursday, learning 

how to participate in NASA's Constellation program, the next generation of the agency's 

space exploration. The six-hour NASA Constellation Small Business Forum included talks 

from Kennedy Space Center representatives, and also from prime contractors, such as The 

Boeing Co., Harris Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Inc. 

Representatives of small businesses from all across Florida attended the forum. Officials 

launched NASA's Constellation program -- the umbrella name for the space agency's moon, 

Mars and beyond visionary agenda -- in 2004. Last year, NASA awarded Lockheed Martin 

the contract to build the Constellation program's crew exploration vehicle. Lockheed 

promised final assembly and checkout operations for the vehicle, known as the CEV, will be 

at IKSC. As the space shuttle program nears retirement, Florida lawmakers and economic 

development officials are desperately trying to ensure the state maintains a preeminent role 

in space travel. Small business has a role in that, said Lynda Weatherman, chief executive 

officer and president of the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, 

one of the sponsors of Thursday's small-business forum. Web posted. (2007). [NASA jobs 

in transition [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 24.] 

August 26: Disney to honor Astronauts 

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Walt Disney World will host ceremonies honoring the crew of the just-concluded NASA 

space shuttle Endeavour mission and the achievement of teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara 

Morgan on Sept. 10. This will be the first official appearance of the STS-118 crew after 

returning to Earth on Tuesday. Disney's Epcot and Magic Kingdom theme parks wifi be the 

backdrop as park guests and schoolchildren interact with the Endeavour astronauts. 

Highlights include astronaut Barbara Morgan unveiling a new addition to the Mission: 

SPACE attraction; interview opportunities with the STS-1 18 crew; and the astronauts 

serving as honorary grand marshals in the Magic Kingdom's afternoon parade down Main 

Street, U.S.A. Web posted. (2007). [Disney to honor Astronauts [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatodav.com / [2007, August 26.] 

August 28: NASA Selects Ares I Upper Stage Production Contractor 

NASA on Tuesday selected The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Ala., as the contractor to provide 

manufacturing support for design and construction of the upper stage of the Ares I rocket. 

Ares I will launch astronauts to the International Space Station and eventually help return 

humans to the moon. Boeing will provide support to a NASA-led design team during the 

design phase and will be responsible for production of the Ares I upper stage. Boeing will 

manufacture a ground test article, three flight test units and six production flight units to 

support NASA's flight manifest through 2016. Final assembly of the upper stage will take 

place at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The contract type is cost-plusaward-fee and the period of performance is Sept. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2016. The 

estimated contract value for design team support and the manufacture of the test units and 

six production flight units is $514.7 million. The selection resulted from a full and open 

competition. ["NASA Selects Ares I Upper Stage Production Contractor," NASA 

Contract Release #C07-40, August 28, 2007.] 

Kennedy Space Center to become Moonport again 

While the space shuttle fleet continues its countdown to retirement, Kennedy Space Center 

teams are already at work to transition the Florida spaceport into the home of the Ares 

rocket family that promises to carry astronauts to the moon by the end of the next decade. 

The space shuttle program is facing a September 2010 deadline to complete at least 12 more 

missions. Two additional flights are also on the books to deliver extra supplies to the 

international space station if time permits. The shuttle is being retired in favor a new 

generation of vehicles to haul astronauts and cargo to the space station, the moon and 

eventually into the solar system. The Ares rocket fleet is a centerpiece of the Constellation 

program, which also includes the Orion spacecraft that will ferry astronauts to and from the 

space station and the moon. The Ares I rocket will launch the piloted Orion capsule into 

Earth orbit for both station and lunar missions. Standing more than 300 feet tall, the twostage rocket will include a modified five-segment solid rocket booster from the shuttle 

program and a cryogenic upper stage powered by the J-2X engine derived from the Apollo 

program. The heavy-lifting Ares 5 rocket is expected to become operational a few years later. 

The 358-foot-tall rocket will haul cargo into orbit for lunar missions using twin five-segment 

solid rocket boosters, a large first stage with five RS-68 engines from the Delta 4 rocket 

program, and an Earth Departure Stage with a single J-2X engine. The Ares 5 will be the 

most powerful rocket ever developed, according to NASA officials. Web posted. (2007). 

[Kennedy Space Center to become Moonport again [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 28.] 

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August 29: NASA Safety Review Finds No Evidence of Improper Alcohol 

Use by Astronauts before Space Flight 

A NASA safety review released Wednesday found no evidence to support claims that 

astronauts were impaired by alcohol when they flew in space. NASA chief of Safety and 

Mission Assurance Bryan O'Connor conducted the month long review to evaluate 

allegations included in the Astronaut Health Care System Review Conmiittee's report, which 

was released in late July. "I have said many times during the past weeks that NASA takes 

these allegations very seriously -- just as we would any issues that could impact the safety of 

our missions," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told a news conference at NASA 

Headquarters. "But at the same time, I also have said that the stories cited in the report seem 

improbable to those of us familiar with the astronauts' rigorous and very public activities 

during the hours leading up to a space flight." ["NASA Safety Review Finds No Evidence of 

Improper Alcohol Use by Astronauts before Space Flight," NASA News Release #07-

184, August 29, 2007.]

NASA Awards Reusable Solid Rocket Motors Contract 

Modification 

NASA has awarded a contract modification valued at $681 million to ATK Launch Systems 

of Brigham City, Utah, for continued delivery of space shuttle reusable solid rocket motors. 

The modification reforms and extends the current contract to align production to new 

launch schedule requirements through Sept. 30, 2010. The modification reflects adjustments 

made in the shuttle manifest and makes deliveries consistent with the planned retirement of 

the space shuttle in September 2010. ATK Launch Systems will provide hardware and 

sustain engineering support to the Space Shuttle Program through the contract completion 

date on this cost-plus-award fee contract, which was awarded in October 1998. Work will 

be performed at the contractor's plants in Brigham City and Clearfield, Utah, along with 

facilities at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and NASA's Kennedy 

Space Center, Fla. ["NASA Awards Reusable Solid Rocket Motors Contract Modification," 

NASA Contract Release #C07-41, August 29, 2007.] 

Weldon: Close spaceflight gap 

An anticipated five-year hiatus in NASA human spaceflight would leave the U.S. 

unacceptably reliant on Russia to fly American astronauts into space, U.S. Rep. Dave 

Weldon said Wednesday. The White House and Congress, consequently, should increase 

NASA's budget to minimize the gap between the 2010 retirement of the nation's shuttle fleet 

and the first flights of Apollo-style Orion spacecraft, the congressman said. "This is not just 

a NASA issue. It's a foreign policy issue as well," Weldon, R-Indialantic, and a member of 

the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters after a town hall meeting at Kennedy 

Space Center. "Do we, the richest country on the face of the Earth, want to be dependent 

on Russia to launch our men and women into space?" he said. "To me, it's not a good 

scenario." NASA plans to retire its aging shuttle fleet in 2010 and build two new rockets and 

Orion capsules to launch astronauts on missions to the International Space Station, the 

moon and Mars. President Bush ordered NASA to have the Orion spacecraft ready for its 

first piloted flight in 2014. The agency aimed to accelerate launch plans by two years. But 

Congress kept NASA's 2007 budget at 2006 levels, effectively cutting $700 million from the 

development effort. The first piloted Orion flight now is targeted for March 2015. As it 

stands, the U.S. will have to rely on Russia to fly American astronauts to the $100 billion 

International Space Station during the gap. NASA would need an infusion of hundreds of 

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millions of dollars in 2009 and 2010, and then an extra billion dollars in both 2011 and 2012, 

to close the projected gap, Weldon said. Web posted. (2007). [Weldon: Close spaceffight gap 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 29.] 

'Star Wars' icon to soar with shuttle 

May the force be with shuttle Discovery and seven astronauts on an October mission to the 

International Space Station. Coming from a galaxy far, far away, the lightsaber wielded by 

Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars" will fly aboard the orbiter three decades after the classic 

movie opened. The lightsaber will be on display at the visitor complex at Johnson Space 

Center in Houston through Labor Day. Then it will be shipped to Kennedy Space Center 

and packed into Discovery. NASA spokesman James Hartsfield said the sci-fi sword would 

remain stowed throughout the shuttle's 13-day mission. NASA sets aside a small amount of 

space on every mission to fly commemorative items. Discovery is scheduled to launch Oct. 

23. ["Star Wars' icon to soar with shuttle," Florida Today, August 29, 2007, p 1A.] 

August 30: Covey to take helm at USA as McCulley retires 

The U.S. astronaut who piloted NASA's first post-Challenger shuttle ifight and commanded 

a crucial mission to fix the myopic Hubble Space Telescope will take the helm next month at 

United Space Affiance. Richard Covey will take the post of Chief Executive Officer for USA 

when Michael McCulley, also a former astronaut and shuttle pilot, retires. McCulley will 

retire Sept. 28 after a 38-year career as a naval aviator, shuttle astronaut and highly regarded 

space industry executive. Daniel Brandenstein, who also was a shuttle pilot and mission 

commander, will step into Covey's current position and serve as Chief Operating Officer of 

the company, which serves as NASA's prime shuttle fleet operator. Web posted. (2007). 

[Covey to take helm at USA as McCulley retires [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, August 30.] 

Space Debris Punched Hole In Endeavour's Radiator 

NASA has discovered that Endeavour suffered the worst damage from space debris in the 

26-year history of the shuttle program during its mission last week. The damage was just 

discovered during inspections in the hangar. Space debris punched a hole right through a 

radiator on the shuttle. The hole is just over one-third of an inch wide. The hole was not in 

a critical area of the shuttle, but went right through the part it hit. The radiator that was hit 

is a part that isn't inspected for damage in orbit because it is stowed in the shuttle when it is 

coming back to Earth. In another picture of the damage posted on NASASpaceflight.com , 

the area where the debris exited shows mangled metal. A spacewalking astronaut told News 

13 that a spacesuit can survive a hole that big for 30 minutes if the debris doesn't kill the 

astronaut by hitting a vital organ and if it doesn't hit the life support of the spacesuit. The 

last shuttle hit by space debris in the radiator was Atlantis last September. That hole was 

only a third the size of the one found on Endeavour. Web posted. (2007). [Space Debris 

Punched Hole In Endeavour's Radiator [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.cfnewsl 3.com/ [2007, August 30.] 

Gap in spaceflights: Is U.S. pride at risk? 

U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon sounded the alarm Wednesday that the four-year gap between 

American human spaceflight programs is a threat to national pride. Between town-hall 

meetings with workers at the Kennedy Space Center, Weldon, R-Indialantic, told reporters 

that Congress needs to give NASA more money. He said the money would shorten the time 

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between the retirement of the space-shuttle fleet in 2010 and the start of the Constellation 

program in 2014. During the four-year gap, NASA is expected to rely on Russia to get 

astronauts and supplies to and from the international space station. "Do we, the richest 

country on the face of the Earth, want to be dependent on Russia to launch our men and 

women into space?" Weldon said. Weldon, wearing a space-shuttle tie and lapel pin, also 

suggested the gap could delay President Bush's goal of returning to the moon. Weldon said 

that, although he supported the president's plan for space exploration that would eventually 

lead to Mars, "it had the appearance to me of a plan that was hatched in the Office of 

Management and Budget." Weldon said NASA should keep the shuttle flying past 2010 or 

come up with a viable alternative, such as accelerating the Constellation program, which 

would require biffions of additional dollars. The town-hall meetings were closed to all but 

workers at Kennedy Space Center. Thousands of space workers nationwide are expected to 

lose their jobs when the shuttle program ends. Web posted. (2007). [Gap in spaceflights: Is 

U.S. pride at risk? [Online] Available WWW: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ [2007, 

August 30.]

Striking machinists to rally at Space Center 

Striking machinists will stage a rally at the gates to Kennedy Space Center on Thursday in a 

bid to shore up support for a work stoppage that has taken crane operators and other key 

personnel off the job at the nation's prime spaceport, Local 6 News partner Florida Today 

reported. More than 400 members of the International Association of Machinists and 

Aerospace Workers Local 2061 have been on strike since June 14. Many members plan to 

meet in front of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame south of Titusville near the intersection of 

U.S. I and state Road 405 for the rally. Officials said that Tom Buffenbarger, president of 

the national JAM, will be in attendancef They are urging all members to be there. Three 

picket sites continue to be staffed, and a giant inflatable rat has been gracing those at the 

north and south ends of the space center. The third picket line is located at the corner of 

state Road 405 and Grissom Parkway. That site is located west of Gate 3 at the space center 

and near a major United Space Affiance office building. No deal between the two side 

appears imminent. Bargaining teams from the company and the union still have not 

resumed negotiations, and both parties appear to be waiting for a federal mediator to step in 

and force both sides back to the table. Web posted. (2007). [Striking machinists to rally at 

Space Center [Online]. Available W\X/W: http://www.local6.com/ [2007, August 30.] 

Ex-Astronaut can take off ankle bracelet 

A former NASA astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival at a Florida airport can take 

off her electronic tracking bracelet while she awaits trial, a judge ruled Thursday. Although 

the alleged victim, Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, testified earlier this month that she 

remains afraid of Novak and wants the monitor to remain, Shipman "chose to travel to the 

defendant's hometown of Houston, Texas, on three or four occasions ... to visit her 

boyfriend" since the incident, Lubet wrote. "During these trips ... the electronic monitoring 

GPS device afforded no protection or benefit to Ms. Shipman, as the defendant could freely 

move about Houston," Lubet wrote. "Under these circumstances, it is clear to this court that 

the electronic monitoring GPS device does not fulfill its intended purpose of protecting Ms. 

Sbipman." Lubet also cited Nowak's lack of a prior criminal record. Web posted (2007). 

[Ex-Astronaut can take off ankle bracelet [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /ww\v.cnn.com/

[2007, August 30.]

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No preflight drunkenness 

Likening one claim to an urban legend, frustrated NASA Administrator Mike Griffin said 

Wednesday there was no evidence to back allegations that astronauts were drunk just before 

missions. "I think our guys are doing a heck of a job. I think these allegations are not true," 

Griffin said at a news conference that followed a month-long NASA investigation. The 

investigation arose from a July report by an outside committee created to look into NASA's 

health care system after former astronaut Lisa Nowak was accused of attacking and trying to 

kidnap Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman in February. That committee said it was told of 

two incidents: * An astronaut who was intoxicated the day of a shuttle launch. The launch 

was scrubbed, but the astronaut was allowed to fly a jet. * An astronaut on a Russian Soyuz 

mission to the International Space Station who was so drunk the night before the launch that 

a flight surgeon stayed with him out of fear he might choke to death. As to the second claim, 

Griffin said: "I can say categorically that that anecdotal story did not happen." The flight 

surgeon who was reportedly involved was interviewed and told a completely different story 

that included "nothing of concern," Griffin said. He declined to provide details. Bryan 

O'Connor, NASA's chief of safety and a former astronaut, said he found nothing to verify 

either story during interviews with most of the current and former astronauts and flight 

surgeons, other staff members, and after reviewing reports and complaints filed 

anonymously within NASA. Neither O'Connor nor Griffin asked the health study 

committee to reveal the anonymous sources of the two stories, one of which the committee 

said was an astronaut. Griffin said he did not have the power and would not want to compel 

the independent panel to reveal its sources, who had been promised anonymity. NASA's 

inspector general also is looking into the claims, but Griffin said because of the office's 

independence he did not know whether it would seek to find out the sources. Other 

revelations in the report: * All current flight surgeons at NASA sent a joint statement last 

Thursday saying they had never seen any astronaut impaired before flight. * Alcohol is 

available for use while off-duty in crew quarters at Johnson Space Center in Houston and 

Kennedy Space Center. It is mostly beer and wine, O'Connor said, but he reported finding a 

half-full bottle of tequila. * Astronauts and others interviewed said alcohol and drinking in 

crew quarters, which astronauts enter about a week before shuttle launches, is "substantially 

less" than in the 1980s and early 1990s. Another discovery made during the investigation is 

that NASA, while testing employees suspected of drug use, never implemented a 1991 law 

requiring creation of an alcohol-testing program for civilian employees. Work on that will 

now begin. Web posted. (2007). [No preflight drunkenness [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, August 30.] 

August 31: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-083107. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3 this 

week, forward and aft closeout work continues. The midbody closeouts are complete. 

Closeout of the crew cabin airlock is under way. The orbiter's main engines have been 

configured for rollover. Workers are installing hard covers on the orbiter's windows. 

Stacking and closeout of the STS-120 solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building 

are finished. Mating of the external fuel tank to the boosters is targeted for Sept. 5, pending 

completion of foam repair work that is being done on the tank's liquid oxygen feedline 

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support brackets. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus 

Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch 

Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schiegel, 

Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles; In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, workers continue making modifications to 

the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor wiring. This work involves rerouting new wires and 

installing new resistors. Inspections of the main propulsion system flow liners are complete, 

and the drag chute door has been installed. Orbiter power system validation will begin next 

week after the vehicle is powered up. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station 

Flight - Kibo Logistics Module, Dextre Robotics System; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 2, two tiles damaged during the flight of STS-1 18 have been removed for inspection 

and testing. The orbiter structure beneath the tile impact area has been inspected, and 

engineers have found no evidence of heat-related damage. Additionally, three-dimensional 

measurements of the damage site found no appreciable change in volume resulting from 

heat affects. Also during inspections, two micro-meteorite impacts were observed on the 

payload bay door radiators. They did not damage any of the radiator Freon coolant loops 

and did not reach the outer skin of the payload bay doors. These impact areas can be 

repaired. Spacehab, part of the STS-1 18 payload, was removed from Endeavour's payload 

bay and returned to the Space Station Processing Facility. Validation of the orbiter's main 

engine pneumatics and power systems is complete. Workers have completed post-flight 

thermography inspection of the reinforced carbon-carbon, or RCC, on the nosecap. 

Thermography inspection of the left- and right-hand wing leading edge RCC panels is under 

way. Preparations are being made for the forward reaction control system functional test. 

Workers are deservicing the hypergolic fuel system today. The orbiter's three main engines 

will be removed next week. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status 

Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, August 31.1 

KSC center's Geis will lead attractions 

Steve Geis, director of operations for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, has 

been elected 2007-08 chairman of the board for the Florida Attractions Association. The 

Florida Attractions Association represents 90 attractions, working to promote and 

advance the interests of the attraction industry. "The Florida Attractions Association has 

a long and proud tradition, and the list of past chairs is a 'who's who' of pioneers in the 

industry," Geis said. "I am honored to join such an illustrious group, and thrilled with the 

opportunity to serve the FAA membership." ["KSC center's Geis will lead attractions," 

Florida Today, August 31, 2007, p 1C & 2C.] 

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SEPTEMBER 

September 1: Layoffs Hit Kennedy Space Center 

SGS, the base operations contractor for KSC, will layoff 75 employees. The employees 

include engineering support and environmental services workers along with space center 

police and firefighters. NASA and the Air Force originally told SGS to lay off 115. The 

company was able to get that number reduced to 75. NASA points out that the space 

shuttle's replacement will not require as many workers. Once the space shuttle is retired in 

2010, more employees will have to fmd a new place to work. Web posted. (2007). [CFN 

Exclusive: Layoffs Hit Kennedy Space Center [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /vivv.cfnevs1 3.com/ [2007, September 11.1 

Shuttle weathers storm 

Kennedy Space Center resumed preparations for the planned launch of Atlantis after the 

spaceport and the shuttle came through Ernesto unscathed. ccWere in great shape," said 

KSC Spokeswoman Tracy Young. Added center spokesman Bruce Buckingham, "We didn't 

even have to send out our damage assessment team." Ernesto had weakened considerably 

by the time it swept through central Florida on Wednesday evening. There was no apparent 

damage to Atlantis or its $372 million payload, a new truss segment for the International 

Space Station. The peak wind at launch pad 39B, where the shuttle is being readied for 

flight, was 44mph. The total amount of rainfall recorded was 4.16 inches. A 56-mph gust 

was measured by instrumentation at the top of a 500-foot weather tower north of the 

Vehicle Assembly Building. The winds turned out to be "far less than we had anticipated," 

Buckingham said. No damage was done to two Boeing Delta 2 rockets being readied for 

launch at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station either. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle 

weathers storm [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.fioridatodav.com/ [2007, 

September 1].] 

September 4: NASA IG examines KSC problem tracking 

NASA's Inspector General has issued a report saying that the agency could improve the way 

it tracks problems with the shuttle fleet at Kennedy Space Center. NASA employs a socalled Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (PRACA) system to track problems and 

their root causes, document corrective actions and provide a database the agency can use to 

prevent recurrence. The agency's Office of Inspector General audited the system and said 

that it included inaccurate and incomplete data, and that KSC should put in place a means to 

improve the system. The IG is not the first time fmd fault with the system. The Columbia 

Accident Investigation Board found that the system did not enable NASA to adequately 

track a long history of the type of external tank foam shedding that led to the 2003 loss of 

Columbia and its seven astronauts. A separate board that investigated wiring problems that 

led to a five-month grounding of the shuttle fleet in 1999 expressed similar concerns. 

NASA shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said the system is considered "extremely 

important" to the agency and that a team of technical experts is coming up with a plan to 

address the recommendations made by the 1G. Web posted. (2007). [NASA IG examines 

KSC problem tracking [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ blog: the 

flame trench. [2007, September 4].]

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September 5: NASA Partners with Discovery Communications for 

Anniversary 

NASA and Discovery Communications will join in a broad media partnership to 

commemorate the space program's 50th anniversary. The space agency, which was created 

by the National Aeronautics and Space Act, began operations on Oct. 1, 1958. The 

announcement was made Wednesday in New York at a premiere screening of "In the 

Shadow of the Moon," a film in which crew members from NASA's Apollo missions tell 

their story in their own words. Discovery Channel will air the world television premiere of 

the film in the summer of 2008. "This partnership with Discovery enables NASA to bring 

the excitement of 50 years of exploration and discovery to a wider audience," said Robert 

Hopkins, NASA chief of Strategic Communications, Headquarters, Washington. "This 

leverages NASA's compelling content with Discovery's state-of-the-art production capability 

and technology to tell the NASA story - past, present and future - through a variety of media 

and platforms." The partnership will encompass on-air and online components as well as 

grassroots activities throughout 2008, including educational workshops and local screenings. 

Special programming on Discovery in the spring and summer of 2008 will celebrate NASA 

with never-before-seen archival footage. Podcasts and interactive features at Discovery's 

Web site will enable viewers and users to take a closer look at NASA's history and its plans 

for the future. "We honor not only 50 years of wonder, achievement and surprise; but also 

look toward a bright future of new discoveries. Our planned 2008 specials and series 

documenting NASA's greatest moments will inspire a new generation to explore and 

innovate," said Jane Root, president and general manager, Discovery Channel and The 

Science Channel, Silver Spring, Md. NASA and Discovery are teaming through a nonexclusive Space Act Agreement with no exchange of funds. ["NASA Partners with 

Discovery Communications for 50th Anniversary," NASA News Release #07-186, 

September 6, 2007.]

Faulty valve delays Atlas launch 

The next scheduled rocket launch from the Space Coast was pushed back about a week so 

workers can finish replacing a fuel valve identical to one that froze up in flight last month 

and caused an Atlas 5 rocket to leave two spy satellites in the wrong orbit. The launch of the 

military communications satellite is set for 8:10 p.m. Sept. 21 from Launch Complex 41 at 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, 45th Space Wing spokesperson Ken Warren said. The 

launch had been scheduled for Sept. 13. The last Atlas 5 launch from Cape Canaveral was 

June 15. A fuel leak in flight caused the rocket's upper stage engine to shut down too soon, 

and the launcher failed to deliver its top-secret ocean surveillance spacecraft to the right 

orbit. The valve that caused the fuel leak has been replaced in both the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 

rocket fleets. The next Atlas 5 will carry the first of five Wideband Global Satellites, which 

will provide as much communication power as the entire existing system. U.S. tactical forces 

will rely on WGS to connect quickly with the Defense Information Systems Network. Web 

posted. (2007). [Faulty valve delays Atlas launch [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, September 5].] 

County plans for NASA hit 

Efforts to help workers in Brevard County and elsewhere in the state weather the space 

shuttle program's 2010 retirement may cost $75 million over three years, local work force 

experts said Wednesday. "We have to move quickly," said Lisa Rice, president of the 

Brevard Workforce Development Board. Rice joined economic development and education 

187
officials at the second Brevard County Commission workshop on the topic in the past 

month. All agreed a coordinated campaign must begin immediately to anticipate job training 

needs, attract new businesses and lobby political leaders in Tallahassee and Washington for 

funding. An estimated 3,500 to 10,000 people ranging from NASA employees and 

contractors to the merchants who sell them office supplies could lose jobs by 2012 because 

of the program's end. Leaders! concerns about the planned gap in manned space flight until 

2015 go beyond the potential $1.5 billion hit to Brevard's economy to questions about 

national security, as the country becomes more dependent on Russia and China for launches. 

Web posted. (2007). [County plans for NASA hit [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, September 6].] 

September 6: Adventure aviator Steve Fossett is missing 

Steve Fossett remains missing for two days now. A search continues in and around Nevada. 

He apparently has been missing since taking off in a single-engine plane from a Nevada 

ranch sometime Monday evening. Fossett is a famed adventurer and one of his most recent 

headline-grabbing escapades was based out of the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing 

Facility. Fossett took off from KSC's unique shuttle runway on what turned out to be the 

longest nonstop flight without refueling. He made it around the world once and then 

crossed the Atlantic again on the 2006 flight, which was sponsored by British tycoon 

Richard Branson. His total distance: 26,389 miles. Web posted. (2007). [Adventure aviator 

Steve Fossett is missing [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.fioridatoday.com/ The 

Flame Trench blog [2007, September 6].] 

Construction of the O&C Revitalization 

Construction of the O&C Revitalization, Phase 2 Has Started. The construction includes 

the north wing, third floor west half, as well as an electrical duct bank in front of the O&C 

Building. The third floor west half is now closed to all personnel not directly involved \vith 

the project. A fence will be installed on the northwest corner toisolate the staging area of 

the contractors. ["Construction of the O&C Revitalization, Phase 2 Has Started," 

Countdown, September 6, 2007.] 

September 7: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-090707. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; 

Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, forward 

and aft closeout work continues. Work is under way to test for orbiter structural leakage and 

positive pressure. Final orbiter power down is scheduled for next week. In the Vehicle 

Assembly Building, external tank No. 120 was transferred on Wednesday from its checkout 

cell to high bay No. I for mating to the solid rocket boosters. Closeout work is now under 

way, including mechanical and electrical connections of the tank and boosters. Mission: 

STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis 

(OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 

2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and 

Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing 

Facility bay No. 1, modifications are finished on the orbiter's engine cutoff sensor wiring. 

This involved rerouting new wires and installing new resistors. Orbiter power system 

188
validation is complete. Technicians finished waterproofing the orbiter's thermal protection 

system last weekend. Checkout and verification of the orbiter's remote manipulator system, 

also known as the shuttle arm, is under way. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space 

Station Flight - Kibo Logistics Module, Dextre Robotics System; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 2, deservicing of the hypergolic fuel system is complete. Functional testing of the 

forward reaction control system is finished, as well as post-flight thermography inspections 

of the right and left wing leading edges. The engine dome heat shields have been removed 

and preparations are under way for removal of the three shuttle main engines next week. 

Technicians are preparing for the functional checkout of the left and right orbital 

maneuvering system pods, scheduled for next week. They are also removing the STS-1 18 

payload support hardware. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status 

Report [Online]. Available W'XJW: http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov /centers /kennedy/shuttle 

operations/status/2007/index.html [2007, September 7.] 

Fear may be NASA problem 

NASA needs to improve internal communications and work harder to chip away at its image 

as an institution where fear of ostracism and retribution routinely hush potential critics, 

lawmakers told agency leaders Thursday. During a congressional hearing called to discuss an 

independent review of NASA's health care system for astronauts, lawmakers questioned 

steps the agency has taken to address all the concerns the review found -- and not just its 

most controversial one. In July, the panel reported two alleged cases involving excessive 

drinking by preflight astronauts. The reports stem from interviews conducted with 

employees volunteering information, cloaked by the promise of anonymity. The allegations 

prompted NASA to conduct its own internal investigation. Last week, the agency said it 

failed to find any corroborating evidence of such drinking incidents -- or that NASA 

supervisors dismissed concerns expressed by a flight surgeon in the matter, another charge 

that surfaced in the report. The chairman of the independent panel defended his 

committee's fmdings. Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, a veteran military physician, 

suggested the difference in the two reports might stem from fear of professional retribution 

among those within the agency since NASA's internal review did not provide anonymity to 

those interviewed. Bacbmann defended the findings in his panel's report, suggesting that 

recent comments dismissing its findings on alcohol use would only hurt the agency's work 

environment. Bryan O'Connor, the NASA safety chief who conducted the internal review, 

said it was possible that some of the people who were interviewed may have been reluctant 

to speak up. "There's always a chance that someone may not feel totally comfortable 

speaking to their safety guy," he said. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who recently 

compared the allegations of intoxicated astronauts to urban legends, repeated his assertion 

the agency is addressing all' of the concerns expressed by the independent panel. The agency 

is preparing an anonymous survey to help reveal any other continuing concerns that 

employees may have about safety issues or other findings made by the panel. Web posted. 

(2007). [Fear may be NASA problem [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatodav.com / [2007, September 7.] 

September 8: Court postpones Nowak hearing 

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A pretrial hearing in the State of Florida vs Lisa Marie Nowak case originally scheduled for 

Tuesday has been continued, according to court officials. The next hearing will be the 

continuation of the suppression hearing on Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. The hearing will focus on two 

motions to throw out Nowaks statement to police and any evidence found in her car. More 

than six hours of testimony was heard on Aug. 24 in the matter, but the hearing had to be 

continued before lawyers could finish. Nowak, a U.S. Navy captain, is charged with 

attempted kidnapping, battery and attempted vehicle burglary with a battery in connection 

with her alleged attack on U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman over their mutual love 

interest -- former astronaut and U.S. Navy Commander Bill Oefelein. Nowak's attorney 

recently filed paper's noting his intent to use an insanity defense if the case goes to trial. 

Web posted. (2007). [Court postpones Nowak hearing [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.fIoridatodav.com/ [2007, September 8.] 

September 9: NASA plan to alter STS-120 launch countdown 

Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach has drawn up a plan to alter the countdown for the 

upcoming STS-120 launch of Discovery, with an aim to reduce ice build-up on the External 

Tank (Eli). The plan - which will go to the STS-120 Flight Readiness Review for full 

approval - involves reducing the T-3 hour hold by 30 minutes, added to ensuring the tanking 

process does not start before it is scheduled. Ice, which is both a debris hazard and a 

mechanism for liberating foam off the ETs during ascent, builds up on the tank when it's 

filled with the super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen ahead of launch. To mitigate ice 

build-up, the tanks are covered in foam insulation. However, that foam can liberate off the 

tank during ascent due to the massive aerodynamic stresses the stack undergoes on the ride 

uphill. Finding the balance of reducing the amount of foam that can liberate off the tank, 

versus what is required for thermal protection, has been an ongoing process for NASA, 

especially after the loss of Columbia. Another problem relates to small areas of ice that can 

still build-up in certain areas of the tank. One such area is in the small gaps inside the five 

LO2 feedline brackets, required to allow the 17 inch diameter pipe to flex as thousands of 

gallons of propellant are sucked towards the orbiter's main engines. Those brackets have 

previously shed foam, but only came into focus after a liberation event 58 seconds into the 

launch of Endeavour during STS-118. Web posted. (2007). [NASA plan to alter STS-120 

launch countdown [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, 

September 9.] 

September 10: Amid NASA turbulence, Congress stays on board 

With NASA pushing ahead with plans for exploring the moon and Mars, administrator 

Michael Griffin acknowledged last week that scandals and reports of astronaut misconduct 

have "shaken public confidence" in his agency. Congress, however, is standing by NASA, 

ignoring a veto threat in an attempt to fund space endeavors with more money than 

President Bush's $17.3 billion request for the 2008 fiscal year. The House approved $17.8 

biffion in funding for the space agency this summer, and the Senate Appropriations 

Committee passed its version of the budget at $17.5 billion. The full Senate has yet to vote 

on most of its spending bills and the NASA budget is likely to be rolled into a much broader 

package later this year. Bush has promised to veto spending bills that would break the 

president's $933 billion cap on the portion of the federal budget decided by congressional 

appropriations committees. Congress, controlled by Democrats, has exceeded the limit by 

$23 billion. Still, Griffin said, lawmakers' support for a larger NASA budget "expressed, in 

no uncertain terms, the confidence the Congress of the United States does have in what 

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we're doing." Web posted. (2007). [Amid NASA turbulence, Congress stays on board 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.chron.com/ [2007, September 10.] 

World Space Expo at Kennedy Space Center Celebrates 50 

Years in Space 

Kennedy Space Center plays host to the inaugural World Space Expo, celebrating NASA's 

50 years in space exploration. World Space Expo will take place from Thursday, November 

1, 2007 through Sunday, November 4, 2007 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex east 

of Orlando, Florida. "Working with NASA, we are gathering together some of the most 

exciting efforts in space exploration into a comprehensive space exposition, World Space 

Expo. The event will give all who attend a glimpse of mankind's space achievements from 

the place that sends people into space," said Daniel LeBlanc, Chief Operating Officer, 

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, host of the four-day event. "The Aerial Salute to 50 

Years in Space featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will mark only the second time an 

air show has been held at Kennedy Space Center, with special viewing from the NASA 

Causeway." World Space Expo is a unique event to celebrate humanity's first 50 years in 

space with a look forward to exploring the moon and beyond. Among the many featured 

participants for the four days will be renowned aerospace heroes John Glenn and Scott 

Carpenter and the Pioneering Women of Aerospace forum, featuring Eileen Collins and 

other prominent female space veterans. World Space Expo is sponsored by Space Florida, 

the principal organization charged with fostering the growth of Florida's space industry by 

the State of Florida, and Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism. Aerial Salute to 50 Years 

in Space, November 3-4, 2007. Web posted. (2007). [World Space Expo at Kennedy Space 

Center Celebrates 50 Years in Space [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.prnewswire.com/ [2007, September 10.] 

After space, it's Disney World 

Walt Disney World Resort hosted the astronauts from the latest space shuttle mission with a 

range of festivities Monday, and gave a special thanks to teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara 

Morgan, honoring her with a plaque at Mission: Space. "This event honors all of us teachers 

by helping children dream," Morgan said. The Endeavour astronauts also answered 

questions from guests, and served as grand marshals of the afternoon parade. The crew - 

Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot Charles Hobaugh, and mission specialists Tracy Caldwell, Al 

Drew, Morgan, Richard Mastracchio, and Dave Williams -- returned to Earth on Aug. 21. 

Morgan's plaque joins other messages there from such luminaries as Neil Armstrong, Galileo 

Galilei, Stephen Hawking, John F. Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh and Carl Sagan. ["After 

space, it's Disney World," Florida Today, September 11, 2007, p IC.] 

September 11: NASA Anniversary, Shuttle Crew and Science Highlighted at 

Nextfest 

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale will unveil the agency's 50th anniversary logo and 

participate in an X PRIZE Foundation announcement at WIRED Magazine's NextFest at 

the Los Angeles Convention Center, Sept. 13-16. The agency will showcase its current and 

future technologies, and NextFest attendees can meet the crew of the most recent space 

shuttle flight. Dale and astronaut Scott Kelly will introduce the space shuttle's STS-1 18 

crew, including mission specialist and former educator Barbara R. Morgan, at NextFest's 

opening ceremonies on Education Day, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. PDT in the South Hall Plaza. 

191
["NASA Anniversary, Shuttle Crew and Science Highlighted at Nextfest," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-116, September 11, 2007.] 

Dawn asteroid probe back on the launch pad again 

The long-awaited voyage of NASA's Dawn space probe to rendezvous with a pair of small 

worlds m the asteroid belt has returned to the launching pad for departure from Earth in 

two weeks' time. "From here, the only way to go is up," said Keyur Patel, Dawn project 

manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We are looking forward to putting some space 

between Dawn and Mother Earth and making some space history." The eight-year, 3.2-

billion-mile mission is scheduled for liftoff from Florida's east-central coast on Wednesday, 

September 26 at 7:25 a.m. EDT. The morning's available launch period will extend to 7:54 

a.m. After being grounded earlier this summer by an assortment of factors, Dawn was 

pulled off its United Launch Alliance Delta 2-Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral's pad I 7B two 

months ago. The spacecraft was placed in protective storage while engineers proceeded to 

launch the Mars-bound Phoenix Lander atop another Delta rocket from neighboring pad 

I 7A in early August. Rocket-related delays, troubles arranging downrange tracking assets to 

monitor the launch and a rapidly closing launch window in July forced NASA officials to 

make the unusual decision of postponing the Dawn liftoff after the satellite was already on 

the pad. Senior agency managers opted to go with the Phoenix launch first, putting Dawn 

second in NASA's launch lineup. Web posted. (2007). [Dawn asteroid probe back on the 

launch pad again [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, 

September II.] 

September 12: Judge delays trial for Lisa Nowak 

A trial date of Sept. 24 for former astronaut Lisa Nowak has been pushed back, a 

spokeswoman for Nowak's attorney Donald Lykkebak said Tuesday. "There will be no trial 

date until Judge (Marc) Lubet rules on the defense motions to suppress," said spokeswoman 

Marti Mackenzie. Circuit Court Judge Lubet signed a continuance order Monday. Nowak, 

44, is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault. She has pleaded 

not guilty, though her attorney has filed notice of intent to use an insanity defense. Pretrial 

hearings on the case are scheduled for Sept. 19 on motions to throw out Nowak's arrest 

interview with police and the search of her car. Web posted. (2007). Judge delays trial for 

Lisa Nowak [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www. floridatoda y.com / [2007, September 

12.]

VAB work hinders schedule 

Foam repair is not the only threat to NASA's chance of launching two more space shuttle 

missions before the end of 2007. The other hurdle is the traffic jam inside the mammoth 

Vehicle Assembly Building. Decades of exposure to salty seaside conditions corroded and 

rusted parts of the gigantic metal doors that cover each of the 4S-story openings through 

which space shuttles must roll on their way out to the launch pads at Kennedy Space Center. 

So a few years ago, NASA took on a multimillion dollar effort to replace the doors on one 

of the two high bays facing the launch pads. That left the space shuttle program with just 

one bay in which they could stack shuttles for launch. The work was supposed to be 

finished a year ago, but is behind schedule. Repairs to the foam on the external tank for 

Discovery's October mission means that vehicle will not be stacked and rolled to the pad 

until about one month later than planned. Consequently, assembly of Atlantis' stack on a 

mobile launch platform will begin weeks behind schedule for a December flight. "No good 

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deed goes unpunished," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said. "The agency for 40 years 

neglected the Vehicle Assembly Building down in Florida. We have a magnificent structure 

that's going to be used by subsequent programs and we let it face the ocean breeze and all of 

that salt air. The mechanisms there have corroded and rusted to the point where we were 

concerned we might not be able to open the doors to get the launch vehicle out and that's 

clearly unacceptable." Now, the work is set to be complete by around Nov. 1, Hale said. 

That means NASA has to finish out the year stacking shuttles in just one of the high bays. 

Right now, that bay is occupied by Discovery's mobile launch platform and partial stack. 

"For the last two years, we've been working with only one high bay and it's been a real 

constraint. We have to plan our work carefully and make sure that we do what we need to 

do," Hale said. The original plan was to move Discovery out to the launch pad about a 

month earlier than is really necessary for a late October launch. The repairs to the tank's 

foam, which were prompted by a foam hunk that cut a deep gouge in Endeavour's heat 

shielding tiles during the last mission, have backed things up. Repairs are ongoing and the 

stacking of the solid rocket boosters, external tank and orbiter on the launch platform may 

not be complete until near the end of this month. That's in plenty of time for the scheduled 

Oct. 23 launch or maybe a couple days later, Hale said. But it means work won't start on 

stacking Atlantis for the scheduled Dec. 6 launch until the end of this month, at the earliest. 

Further complicating the situation is a short launch window for the December mission, 

which will deliver the Europeans' Columbus science laboratory. The shuttle can't be at the 

station during certain times of year when the angle of the sun makes it either too hot or too 

cold for the vehicles' thermal systems. Atlantis must launch by about Dec. 13 or wait until 

next year. Still, Hale's team continues to assess options to keep the December flight on 

schedule. It's possible that nothing will be known until Discovery's stack is actually out of 

the way and on its way out to the pad. Web posted. (2007). VAB work hinders schedule 

[Online]. Available WWW: http: / /w\vw. floridatodav.com / [2007, September 12.] 

NASA was looking into astronaut meldowns 

NASA e-mails released Wednesday indicate the space agency was looking for ways to 

prevent astronaut meltdowns just three months before one-time shuttle flier Lisa Nowak 

was arrested in a scandalous love triangle. The e-mails from late last year show that space 

program employees interviewed the former colleagues and the "common-law wife" of exastronaut Charles Brady Jr. after he committed suicide in July 2006. It seemed to be an effort 

to find behavioral clues that could be a tip-off in future cases. "Following Charles Brady's 

suicide, NASA employees at the Johnson Space Center felt it would be beneficial to see if 

there were any 'lessons learned' that could be gained by speaking with friends and family of 

the former astronaut. The interviews were conducted on a confidential basis," said David 

Steitz, a NASA spokesman in Washington. NASA refused to release any notes from NASA 

doctors, managers or astronauts regarding Brady's suicide, saying those were considered 

personal and private materials. The space agency also refused to release any records, reports 

or transcripts of mental health checks for Nowak, again citing privacy issues. NASA quickly 

established an independent medical panel to assess its handling of astronauts' mental and 

behavioral issues. The panel's findings in July - reports of astronauts being drunk before 

their launches on at least two occasions, and flight surgeons' concerns being disregarded - 

continue to spark controversy. Nowak's attorney has filed notice of intent to use a 

temporary insanity defense against the charges of attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary 

with assault. She suffered from major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia 

193
and 'brief psychotic disorder," according to her attorney. ["NASA was looking into 

astronaut meldowns," Florida Today, September 13, 2007, p 3A.] 

September 13: NASA may pull plug on Rocketplane 

NASA could reallocate most of a $207 million investment in commercial spacecraft 

development if it terminates an agreement with Rocketplane Kistler next month. NASA 

issued a default letter last week, after the private company failed to meet two benchmarks --

one financial, the other technical -- in the effort to use government funds to jump-start 

development of privately funded spacecraft that would carry cargo and astronauts to orbit. 

As part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, competition, NASA 

had pledged up to $207 million to Rocketplane Kistler, which failed to raise an additional 

$500 million, as required under its agreement with the space agency. If NASA pulls the plug 

in 30 days, the agency would lose about $32 million on the investment in the private 

spacecraft. "If the agreement were terminated, there would be about $175 million in 

unspent funds," NASA spokeswoman Beth Dickey said. Rocketplane is not required to 

return any of the $32 million. Termination of Rocketplane's agreement would leave 

California-based SpaceX as the only company in the COTS program, which was devised in 

hopes that a private provider would develop a spacecraft to take crew and cargo to the 

International Space Station after the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010. Web posted. (2007). 

NASA may pull plug on Rocketplane [Online]. Available WW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, September 13.] 

KSC set to host space expo 

Kennedy Space Center will host the inaugural World Space Expo, a consumer show that 

celebrates NASA's 50 years in space exploration. The event will be Nov. 1-4 at the Kennedy 

Space Center Visitor Complex. The event will include air shows put on by the U.S. Air 

Force Thunderbirds Aerial Demonstration Squadron, which will fly over the NASA 

Causeway, on Nov. 3 and 4; admission to the Visitor Complex; and educational 

opportunities throughout the four days. "We've been working on putting this together for 

more than a year," said Dan LeBlanc, chief operating officer of the Kennedy Space Center 

Visitor Complex. "First of all, it's NASA's 50th anniversary, and a large-scale event in the fall 

is a great idea." LeBlanc said the World Space Expo is something new for the Kennedy 

Space Center, and the November dates are intended to help the tourism industry during 

what typically is a sluggish time. The Air Force Thunderbirds and other pilots will give an 

Aerial Salute to 50 Years in Space. It will mark only the second time an air show has been 

held at Kennedy Space Center, with special viewing from the NASA Causeway. Among the 

featured participants for the four days are John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, two of the 

original Mercury 7 astronauts; as well as the Pioneering Women of Aerospace forum, 

featuring Eileen Coffins and other female astronauts. World Space Expo is sponsored by 

Space Florida, which is charged with fostering the growth of Florida's space industry by the 

state of Florida; and Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism. Confirmed exhibitors include 

SpaceX; the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Transportation; and 

the X Prize Foundation, featuring a full-scale model of SpaceShipOne. The NASA Pavilion 

will feature displays from NASA centers from around the country, showcasing their areas of 

expertise and specialization. NASA's 50th anniversary touring exhibit and an aerospace 

design art exhibit will celebrate NASA's heritage. NASA's international partners also have 

been invited to exhibit. A historic Vostok capsule, Russia's first habitable spacecraft flown in 

the early I 960s, wifi be on display. A schedule of speakers will keep audiences focused on 

194
space, including select Space Florida Space Days activities, educational progranmiing and 

high-altitude weather balloon releases which feature live video feeds from the edge of space. 

Confirmed speakers include Glenn and Carpenter; Collins; space shuttle astronaut and Air 

Force 45th Space Wing Cmdr. Susan Helms; Peter Diamandis, chairman and president of 

the X Prize Foundation, and founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Zero Gravity 

Corp.; FAA Associate Administrator Patricia Smith; Anousheh Ansàri, the first female space 

tourist; and Air Force Thunderbird pilots. Web posted. (2007). KSC set to host space expo 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, 

September 13.] 

September 14: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-091407. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Melroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, forward and 

aft closeout work is complete. The payload bay doors were opened this week in order to 

install the tool stowage assembly that will be used by crew members on orbit to test tile 

repair techniques. The payload bay doors are now closed for rollover, and the vehicle has 

been powered down. The orbiter weight and center of gravity have been determined. This is 

the fmal task prior to transferring Discovery to the orbiter transporter in preparation for 

rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Rollover is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. Sept. 19. In 

the Vehicle Assembly Building, mating closeout work continues on the external fuel tank 

and solid rocket boosters in high bay 1. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station 

Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility 

Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, 

Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Watheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, checkout and verification of the orbiter's 

remote manipulator system, also known as the shuttle arm, are complete. Technicians are 

reinstalling the left orbital maneuvering system pod, which was removed for a valve repair. 

System testing continues in the vehicle. Technicians are checking out the water spray boiler 

system. ET-125, the external fuel tank for mission STS-122, arrived at Kennedy via barge at 

12:30 p.m. today. The tank was then offloaded and transported to the Vehicle Assembly 

Building, where it will be lifted into a checkout cell on Saturday to allow for processing. 

Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted 

for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, 

Foreman and Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In 

Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, the three shuttle main engines have been removed for 

inspection and processing. Hydraulic operations are under way this week. This involves 

repositioning the orbiter's aero surfaces, such as the body flaps, rudder speed brake and 

elevons, to allow for tile inspections. Technicians are performing functional tests of the 

orbital maneuvering system pods. Post-flight deconfiguration of the payload bay is also in 

progress. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available W\X/W: http: / /www. nasa.gov /centers /kennedv /_shuttleoperations /status /2007 / 

index.html [2007, September 14.] 

Talks focus on life after the shuttle 

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Government and industry leaders today will propose that Florida help insure companies 

against damages in launch accidents as one of several ways to make the spaceport here more 

economically attractive to new space ventures. The idea is just one of several to be discussed 

today during the Florida Speaker's Forum on Space and Technology, according to a 

document summarizing some of the proposals Brevard County officials intend to pursue 

with Gov. Charlie Crist and the state Legislature. Today's discussion, beginning at 8:30 am. 

at the Florida Solar Energy Center on the Cocoa campus of Brevard Community College, 

will feature a series of short talks by people representing as many as 20 local, state and 

federal government agencies and private space contractors. It is free and open to the public. 

The four-hour event is focused on identifying what government and industry leaders need to 

start doing to prepare for the scheduled 2010 retirement of the space shuttle fleet, which 

could lead to the loss of thousands of high-paying technical jobs in the northern part of the 

county. The event will air on county public television as part of an effort to increase public 

awareness of issues related to the shuttle's retirement. Among the ideas being proposed is 

having the state indemnify launch services companies in the event of an accident, cutting 

one of the most expensive costs associated with startup space ventures -- insurance. If the 

cost of insuring those launches can somehow come down, Florida might gain an economic 

advantage over other sites vying to lure in some of the nascent space companies cropping up 

across the United States. Studies by the government and private companies have long 

identified the high cost of such insurance as an issue for budding space companies. Another 

key agenda item: urging Gov. Charlie Crist and key state officials to leverage Florida's 

political might to make sure NASA's new moon-Mars program continues to be funded and 

that substantial portions of the work continue to be based in Brevard County or at least in 

Florida. The county also plans to push for a new state economic development incentive 

aimed specifically at luring or keeping space companies, similar to incentives now provided 

for defense contractors in the sunshine state. Among the incentives to be considered on top 

of that are some added benefits for space workers who might lose their jobs -- even 

temporarily -- during the transition following the space shuttle orbiters' retirement. ["Talks 

focus on life after the shuttle," Florida Today, September 14, 2007, p IA & 8A.] 

September 17: Hydraulic leak could delay roll out 

A leaking hydraulic seal in the right-hand landing gear of Discovery can't be fixed until 

Wednesday, when the vendor will arrive to make the repair. The repair will delay rollover 

and could delay the roll out to the launch pad, scheduled for Sept. 27, said NASA 

spokesman George Duller. "There's a leak in the strut," said Duller, who said repair plans 

likely would be announced later today. Discovery is scheduled to launch Oct. 23 on a 

construction mission to the International Space Station. Web posted. (2007). Hydraulic leak 

could delay roll out [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ the flame 

trench blog [2007, September 17.] 

September 18: NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class 

NASA is accepting applications for the 2009 Astronaut Candidate Class. Those selected 

could fly to space for long-duration stays on the International Space Station and missions to 

the moon. "We look forward to gathering applications and then being able to select from 

the largest pooi possible," said Ellen Ochoa, NASA's chief of Flight Crew Operations at the 

Johnson Space Center. "Continuing our impressive record in successfully carrying out 

challenging human spaceflight missions depends on maintaining a talented and diverse 

astronaut corps." To be considered, a bachelor's degree in engineering, science or math and 

M'.
three years of relevant professional experience are required. Typically, successful applicants 

have significant qualifications in engineering or science, or extensive experience flying highperformance jet aircraft. Teaching experience, including work at the kindergarten through 

12th grade level, is considered qualifying. Educators with the appropriate educational 

background are encouraged to apply. After a six-month period of evaluation and interviews, 

NASA will announce final selections in early 2009. Astronaut candidates will report to 

Johnson in the summer of 2009 to begin the basic training program to prepare them for 

future spaceflight assignments. NASA will accept applications through July 1, 2008. 

["NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class," NASA News Release #07-196, 

September 18, 2007.}

Machinists union, space alliance to resume talks 

The Machinists union at Kennedy Space Center and NASA space shuttle contractor United 

Space Affiance will return to contract negotiations Thursday in hopes of ending a more than 

three-month strike. The two sides and a federal mediator have scheduled negotiating 

sessions for Thursday and Friday at an undisclosed location in Cape Canaveral, company and 

union officials said today. "We're hopeful that we'll have a contract by Friday evening," said 

Lew Jamieson, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace 

Workers Local 2061. When asked if an agreement will be reached this week, United Space 

Affiance spokeswoman Tracey Yates said: "It's difficult to predict. Our goal is the same as it's 

always been. We have every intention of negotiating in good faith." If an agreement is 

reached between the company and union representatives, the union's membership would 

need to vote to approve it before the strike would end, Jamieson said. The union went on 

strike June 14 after the two sides failed to agree on a three-year deal. About 444 workers are 

on strike, and are continuing to picket in shifts at entrances to the Space Center. The 

company has hired 140 replacement workers and has assigned 182 regular employees 

additional duties to continue work on the shuttle program, and prepare for the launch of 

shuttle Discovery, scheduled for Oct. 23. ["Machinists union, space affiance to resume 

talks," Florida Today, September 19, 2007, p IC.] 

Vandenberg Delta II rockets WoridView 1 aloft 

The DigitalGiobe Ball Aerospace WorldView I spacecraft is undergoing early checkout in a 

270-nautical-mile polar orbit following launch onboard a United Launch Affiance Delta II 

from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Sept. 18. The spacecraft has half-meter 

panchromatic resolution. This is four times greater than any previous commercial imaging 

spacecraft. The flight, which lifted off at 11:35 a.m. EDT, also marked the 75th straight 

launch success by a Delta II since 1997. The WoridView flight clears the way for use of a 

Delta II Sept. 26 at Cape Canaveral to launch the solar electric po\vered Dawn spacecraft to 

the asteroid belt to orbit two proto-planets. The first WorldView I spacecraft wifi operate 

in a black and white panchromatic mode, but its second spacecraft set for launch in late 2008 

will have eight multispectral bands. GeoEye wifi launch its first high resolution multispectral 

spacecraft with half-meter resolution from Vandenberg during the first quarter of 2008, also 

on a Delta II. E-mail distribution. (2006). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Dail y & Defense 

Report Re: "Vandenberg Delta II rockets WorldView I aloft," [Electronic]. Vol. 223, No. 

56, [September 19, 2007.].] 

September 19: Discovery awaits key cargo 

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Discovery's cargo for the International Space Station is ready to be loaded aboard the 

shuttle. The Harmony module - 21 feet long, 14 feet in diameter and 31,500 pounds - will 

be mounted into Discovery's payload bay, likely in early October, after the orbiter has 

moved to the launch pad. The 2,666-cubic-foot module will continue the expansion of the 

space station's habitable volume and sets the stage for further growth by providing a node to 

connect up to four laboratories and dock a shuttle. It is about the volume of a 10-foot-by30-foot room with an eight-foot ceiling. When Harmony is attached to its home on the 

International Space Station, the Japanese and European laboratories will be the first attached 

to the module, which will provide a life support conduit. Those modules will be delivered 

on later shuttle missions. The expansion makes room for additional crew members, who 

will conduct scientific work that will pave the way to return to the moon and go on to Mars. 

Originally named Node 2, Harmony received its official name during a contest involving 

2,200 students in 32 states. Six schools suggested "Harmony" which was chosen because it 

symbolized international cooperation and the node's role in connecting international 

partners. ["Discovery awaits key cargo," Florida Today, September 19, 2007, p 3B.] 

September 20: Falcon 9 could soar from Cape next year 

A heavier-lift version of a new American-made rocket could launch from a former Titan pad 

at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as early as next year. The first Falcon 9, which is 

similar in scale to United Launch Alliance's Delta 4 and Atlas 5 rockets, is scheduled to be 

erected on dormant pad 40 next fall. A launch could come within months, according to 

Space Exploration Technologies chief executive officer Elon Musk. Musk acknowledged 

that schedule delays are not unusual in development of a new launch vehicle and it is too 

early to commit to a specific target date for liftoff of the new U.S. launcher. Still, the rocket 

is in production and testing and the plans remain on track for late next year. "It's hard to say 

when the launch will occur because we will launch when we're ready, not based on some 

arbitrary time," Musk said Wednesday during a presentation at the Space 2007 conference in 

Long Beach, Calif. The tanks, engines and other components of the larger version of the 

company's new rocket are under construction at its facility in El Segundo, Calif. Test firings 

at a Texas facility are on track as well. So far, the company has launched two of its Falcon I 

rockets from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The first vehicle barely got off the 

launch pad before failing and the second failed to reach its target orbit because of a gas 

bubble that caused an early engine shutdown. A third Falcon I launch is planned for early 

next year. ["Falcon 9 could soar from Cape next year," Florida Today, September 20, 

2007, p 5A.]

Union, Alliance breaks off talks again 

The Machinists union at Kennedy Space Center and NASA shuttle contractor United Space 

Affiance broke off negotiations Thursday after a daylong attempt to reach a contract 

agreement and end the union's three-month strike. Previously, the two sides had scheduled 

another negotiating session today, but that was canceled after Thursday's impasse. "After 

meeting with the (union's) negotiation team all day on Thursday, negotiations were 

terminated without meaningful progress, and no further negotiations are scheduled at this 

time," United Space Affiance spokeswoman Tracy Yates said. The International Association 

of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 spokesman Bob Wood called the 

company's latest proposals "extremely regressive." "They were moving completely 

backward," Wood said. "This was not an attempt to negotiate." He also said it was the 

company that "walked out of the negotiations." The two sides had agreed through a federal 

198
mediator to resume negotiations aimed at ending a strike that started June 14. The two sides 

previously had broken off negotiations. About 444 union members are taking part and have 

been picketing in around-the-clock shifts at entrances to the Space Center. The company 

has hired 140 replacement workers has assigned 182 employees additional duties on the 

shuttle program for the launch of Discovery, scheduled for Oct. 23. ["Union, Affiance 

breaks off talks again," Florida Today, September 21, 2007, p IC.] 

September 21: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-092107. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: 

Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/ 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/I22 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, 

workers replaced four seals and their associated components on the right-hand main landing 

gear strut after a hydraulic fluid leak was discovered during the "weight on wheels" test. The 

landing gear has been reassembled and testing is under way. If all tests are successful, 

Discovery will roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sunday morning. In the 

assembly building, mate closeout work is complete on the external fuel tank and solid rocket 

boosters in high bay No. 1, and preparations are in progress for the orbiter mate on Monday. 

Rollout to Pad 39A is targeted for Sept. 30. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space 

Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Frick, Poindexter, Schiegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 

51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay No. 1, workers have 

reinstalled the left orbital maneuvering system pod, which was removed for a valve repair, 

and interface verification is under way. Technicians continue checkout of the water spray 

boiler system. Preparations for engine installation, which is scheduled for next week, are also 

in progress. Checkout of the orbiter docking system is complete. ET-125, the external fuel 

tank for STS-122, was lifted into a checkout cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building last 

weekend, and processing of the tank is under way. A mobile launch platform was moved 

into high bay No. 3 of the assembly building this week, and stacking of the STS-122 solid 

rocket boosters is scheduled to begin next week. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International 

Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: 

Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, 

functional testing of the orbital maneuvering system pods is nearing completion. The main 

landing gear tires were removed to allow for brake inspection. The orbiter boom sensor 

system was removed from the orbiter to allow for inspection of the pedestals, which support 

the boom in the payload bay. Air data probe inspections are complete. Freon coolant ioop 

No. I has been de-serviced. Repair work began this week on the left-hand radiator, which 

was damaged by micrometeoroid impacts during the last mission. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html

[2007, September 21.]

Salute to Brevard Residents Free Weekend 

199
To show its gratitude for 40 years of support from Brevard County residents, the KSC 

Visitor Complex will host the eighth annual Salute to Brevard Residents, a free weekend and 

food drive, Sept. 21-23. Brevard residents and up to five guests wifi enjoy free admission to 

the Visitor Complex for this three-day celebration. Guests are encouraged to bring canned 

goods and nonperishable food items to benefit the Central Brevard Sharing Center, North 

Brevard Charities and South Brevard Sharing Center. While not mandatory for 

complimentary admission, the suggested donation is one food item or canned good per 

guest. ["Salute to Brevard Residents Free Weekend and Food Drive at the KSC Visitor 

Complex Sept. 21-23," Countdown, September 13, 2007.] 

September 24: NASA Postpones Dawn Spacecraft Launch 

The launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft aboard a United Launch Affiance Delta II rocket 

has been postponed 24 hours. Fueling of the launch vehicle's second stage was unable to be 

completed on Sunday because of weather conditions at the launch pad. The launch now is 

scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 27, at the opening of a window that extends from 7:20 a.m. to 

7:49 a.m. EDT. For reporters planning to establish remote cameras at the launch pad, set up 

has been rescheduled and will take place at 9 am. on Wednesday, Sept. 26. ["NASA 

Postpones Dawn Spacecraft Launch," NASA Media Advisoiy, #M07-121, September 24, 

2007.]

IMAX Camera Returns to Space to Chronicle Hubble Space 

Telescope 

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced Monday that, in cooperation with 

NASA, the IMAX 3D camera is scheduled to return to space in 2008 aboard the space 

shuttle during STS-125 for production of a new film. Set for release in early 2010, IMAX will 

chronicle the life story of the Hubble Space Telescope. The IMAX 3D camera made its first 

voyage into space in 2001 for the production of "Space Station 3D." The Hubble IMAX 3D 

film will mark Warner Bros. Picture's first venture into space. Veteran astronaut Scott D. 

Altman will comniand the final space shuttle mission to Hubble when the orbiter lifts off in 

late 2008. Navy Reserve Capt. Gregory C. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission specialists are 

veteran spacewalkers John M. Grunsfeld, Michael J .

 Massimino, and first-time space fliers 

Andrew J.

 Feustel, Michael T. Good and K. Megan McArthur. The Hubble servicing 

mission is an 11-day flight. Following launch, the shuttle will rendezvous with the telescope 

on the third day of the flight. Using the shuttle's mechanical arm, the telescope will be placed 

on a work platform in the cargo bay. Five separate spacewaiks wifi be needed to accomplish 

all of the mission objectives. Among work scheduled during the mission is the installation 

of two new instruments, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and Wide Field Camera 3 

(WFC3). The COS is the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever flown on Hubble. 

The instrument will probe the cosmic web, the large-scale structure of the universe whose 

form is determined by the gravity of dark matter and is traced by the spatial distribution of 

galaxies and intergalactic gas. WFC3 is a new camera sensitive across a wide range of 

wavelengths (colors), including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. It will have a broad 

capability to study the planets in our solar system, the early and distant galaxies beyond 

Hubble's current reach, and nearby galaxies with stories to tell about their star formation 

histories. Other planned work includes installing a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor that 

replaces one degrading unit of the three already aboard. The sensors control the telescope's 

pointing system. An attempt also vffi be made to repair the Space Telescope Imaging 

Spectrograph. Installed in 1997, it stopped working in 2004. The instrument is used for high
resolution studies in visible and ultraviolet light of both nearby star systems and distant 

galaxies, providing information about the motions and chemical makeup of stars, planetary 

atmospheres and other galaxies. Astronauts wifi attempt to repair the Advanced Camera for 

Surveys, which stopped working in January 2007. The instrument consists of three imagers 

that are equipped with a variety of filters and dispersers that detect light from the ultraviolet 

to the near infrared. It was installed during the March 2002 servicing mission (SM3B). The 

Hubble Space Telescope is an international cooperative project between NASA and the 

European Space Agency. ["IMAX Camera Returns to Space to Chronicle Hubble Space 

Telescope," NASA News Release #07-209, September 24, 2007.] 

September 26: NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery to Move to Launch Pad 

Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy 

Space Center, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 29, as preparations for the STS-120 mission move 

fonvard. Discovery is targeted to lift off Oct. 23 on a 14-day mission to the International 

Space Station. The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building 

is planned at 8 p.m. EDT. The 3.4-mile journey to the launch pad is expected to take about 

six hours. ["NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery to Move to Launch Pad," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-123, September 26, 2007.] 

September 27: Dawn Spacecraft Successfully Launched 

NASA's Dawn spacecraft began its 1.7 billion mile journey through the inner solar system to 

study a pair of asteroids Thursday at 7:34 a.m. EDT. The Delta 2 rocket, fitted with nine 

strap-on solid-fuel boosters, safely climbed away from the Florida coastline and launch 

complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. "We have our time machine up and 

flying," said Dawn Principal Investigator Christopher Russell of the University of California, 

Los Angeles. Dawn is scheduled to begin its exploration of Vesta in 2011 and Ceres in 2015. 

The two icons of the asteroid belt are located in orbit between Mars and Jupiter and have 

been witness to so much of our solar system's history. By using the same set of instruments 

at two separate destinations, scientists can more accurately formulate comparisons and 

contrasts. Dawn's science instrument suite will measure shape, surface topography and 

tectonic history, elemental and mineral composition as well as seek out water-bearing 

minerals. A critical milestone for the spacecraft comes in is acquiring its signal. The launch 

team expects that to occur in approximately 2-3 hours. ["Dawn Spacecraft Successfully 

Launched," NASA News Release #07-212, September 27, 2007.] 

September 28: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-092807. Mission: STS-t20 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: 

Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; 

Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On Sunday, Discovery rolled from Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The orbiter was transferred 

on Monday to high bay No. 1, where it was attached to the external fuel tank on the mobile 

launch platform. Engineers and technicians spent the week performing attachment 

operations, closing out electrical and mechanical connections on the shuttle stack. The 

shuttle interface test is nearing completion. Rollout to Pad 39A is targeted for Saturday 

evening, with arrival at the pad early Sunday, Sept. 30. On Thursday, the STS-120 payload 

was transported to Launch Pad 39A and transferred to the payload changeout room on the 

201
rotating service structure. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - 

Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; 

Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, 

Schiegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, workers have completed interface 

verification on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Pyro mates of the orbiter docking 

system are complete. Technicians continue checking out the water spray boiler system. 

Discovery's three main engines were installed this week. The auxiliary power unit leak test 

and functional electrical checkout are finished. Friday and Saturday, the STS-122 crew will 

be at Kennedy Space Center for the crew equipment interface test, during which the 

astronauts will review the configuration of equipment in the crew cabin and payload bay. 

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, processing continues on ET-125, the external fuel tank 

for the STS-122 mission. Stacking of the solid rocket boosters began on Thursday, with the 

transfer of the left aft booster to the mobile launch platform high bay No. 3. Mission: 

STS-123 - 25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 2, freon coolant loop No. I pressurization and leak checks are complete and 

servicing is under way. The orbiter's body flap and elevons were repositioned to allow for 

inspections. Functional testing of the external tank doors is finished. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /w\vw.nasa.gov/centers /kennedv /shutdeoperations /status /2007 /index.html

[2007, September 28.] 

September 30: Discovery in place for launch 

Shuttle Discovery rolled out to its Kennedy Space Center launch pad Sunday, marking the 

start of a final push to the planned Oct. 23 launch of an International Space Station assembly 

mission. The schedule, however, is extremely tight. NASA has but one day of leeway, so 

any significant technical problems could force the agency to readjust the launch schedule. 

"It's not a lot of extra time. But you have to take things one step at a time," KSC spokesman 

Allard Beutel said. "If something else crops up that we have to deal with, then we'll have to 

deal with it." NASA is facing a presidential deadline to finish the station and retire its shuttle 

fleet by Sept. 30, 2010. So Sunday marked three years and counting for 13 more station 

assembly flights and a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. The upcoming Discovery 

launch will be the third this year, and NASA will have just a seven-day window between 

Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 to send up a fourth and final 2007 ffight. After that, the sun angle on 

the station would be such that its solar wings could not generate enough electricity to power 

both the outpost and a docked shuttle orbiter. In addition, radiators on the linked spacecraft 

would not be able to shed enough of the heat generated during docked operations. The next 

launch opportunity would be about Jan. 2. Discovery rolled up onto its oceanfront launch 

pad about six hours after it emerged from the KSC Vehicle Assembly Building. Web posted. 

(2007). Discovery in place for launch [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com/ [2007, October 1.] 

USA aims to replace striking workers 

United Space Alliance said it plans to hire hundreds of workers to replace members of the 

Machinists union on strike at Kennedy Space Center since June 14 over failed contract 

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negotiations. Meanwhile, a letter dated Friday from 23 members of Congress to Michael 

McCulley, president and chief executive officer of United Space Affiance, encourages the 

company "to reach an agreement in a timely manner." The "nation is counting on a 

continuation" of the productive partnership between the union and the company to "ensure 

that the remaining shuttle missions are carried out safely and successfully," the letter states. 

"If we are to transition smoothly from the space shuttle program to the Ares/Orion 

program, we will need the talents and experience of this workforce." Web posted. (2007). 

USA aims to replace striking workers [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatoday.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, October 1.] 

During September: Operation Dark Dune 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the adjoining Canaveral National Seashore are using 

space-related hardware to protect the thousands of Loggerhead sea turtles that nest and 

hatch on a 43-mile stretch of pristine beach near the massive - and brightly lit - space 

shuttle launch pads. The KSC shoreline is one of the world's most important sea turtle 

hatching areas. But it is also part of the world's busiest launch sites, with dozens of facilities 

that need to be lighted at night. Lights lure turtle hatchlings inland, where they die, instead 

of out to sea. Under "Operation Dark Dune," two dozen railroad boxcars and tank cars 

containing pressurized helium have been lined up on a siding beside the beach near shuttle 

launch pad 39A and 39B to block light from the pads and other facilities from reaching the 

ocean, says Gail Villanueva, IKSC manager for mobile pressurized systems and a former KSC 

environmental specialist. Environmental protection specialist Doug Scheidt, with KSC 

contractor Dynamac Corp., devised the idea of old boxcars blocking the light, while 

Villanueva recommended adding the tankers that store helium used to pressurize rockets and 

other systems. For years the NASA center jutting into the Atlantic has taken lightabatement measures, but recent beach erosion has reduced the height of sand dunes that 

provided natural light screens. ["Operation Dark Dune," Aviation Week & Space 

Technology, September 10, 2007, p 15.]

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OCTOBER 

October 1: Pad work picks up after shuttle rollout 

NASA is set to test shuttle Discovery's main engines at Kennedy Spa Center's pad 39A 

today as post-rollout preparations for a planned launch later this month pick up at the 

oceanfront complex. Discovery and seven astronauts are scheduled to blast off at 11:38 a.m. 

EDT Oct. 23 on a mission to deliver the U.S. Harmony module to the International Space 

Station. Now nestled in the Payload Changeout Room at the pad, the cylindrical module will 

be installed in Discovery's cargo bay on Wednesday. The shuttle's clamshell-like payload bay 

doors are to be opened Tuesday. Discovery was hard-down on the pad surface at 1:15 p.m. 

Sunday. An Apollo-era crawler transporter hauled the shuttle and its mobile launcher 

platform out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at 6:47 a.m. that day. Discovery's astronauts 

are scheduled to fly to KSC on Sunday to take part in emergency training at the launch pad 

and a two-day practice countdown. Led by veteran astronaut Pam Meiroy, the crew includes 

pilot George Zamka and mission specialists Scott Parazynski, Douglas Wheelock, Stephanie 

Wilson and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency. NASA astronaut Dan Tani will 

fly up to the international outpost aboard Discovery, and station flight engineer Clay 

Anderson -- who launched aboard Discovery in June -- will return to Earth with Meiroy's 

crew. Web posted. (2007). [Pad work picks up after shuttle rollout [Onlinel. Available 

W''VW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, October 11.1 

KSC staffers keep wary eye on NASA cuts 

NASA should get enough federal dollars in 2008 to keep it on track to return astronauts to 

the moon by 2020 but not enough to address the threat of thousands of future job cuts at 

Kennedy Space Center. Congress and the White House so far have endorsed at least $17.3 

billion for the space agency, including $3 billion to jump-start the production of new rockets 

and spacecraft that will take astronauts to the moon and perhaps Mars. But the fledgling 

Constellation program poses two problems for workers at KSC. NASA's plans to make 

Constellation more efficient than the space shuttle call for a 60 percent reduction in 

operating costs - including personnel. Secondly, Constellation isn't scheduled to begin 

launching astronauts until March 2015. With the planned retirement of the space shuttle in 

2010, that leaves a four-to-five year gap between manned spaceffights. In combination, that 

is expected to result in job losses for as many as one third of the 15,000 civil servants and 

contractors at KSC, although no one - including NASA, Congress and the unions - claims 

to know the exact number. Already there are signs of cutbacks. In budget documents, 

NASA estimated it would reduce its pool of civil-servant jobs at KSC by 200, from about 

2,100 workers in 2008 to 1,900 in 2012. In the short term, the agency has restricted hiring, 

started employee buyouts and will devote $25 million in 2008 to the transition effort. It also 

has begun transferring equipment to Constellation. After the shuttle completes a repair 

mission to the Hubble Space Telescope next year, one of two shuttle-launch complexes will 

be reconfigured to ready it for a 2009 test of an Ares rocket, slated to be the workhorse of 

the Constellation program. The shuttle must keep flying until 2010 to complete all major 

work on the international space station, so KSC's specialized shuttle work force must remain 

in place. Congress hasn't helped matters. Last year, it sliced more than $500 million from 

NASA's $16.8 billion funding request. The lion's share came from Constellation, delaying its 

first planned launch by six months to March 2015. A similar cut isn't expected this year. A 

Senate spending committee and the U.S. House have each approved a NASA budget that 

exceeds President Bush's request of $17.3 billion - with full funding for the Constellation 

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program. Budget negotiations are ongoing. ["KSC staffers keep wary eye on NASA cuts," 

The Orlando Sentinel, October 1, 2007, p Al & Al0.j 

New book chronicles NASA's first 50 years 

As the world remembers the 50th anniversaries of the Space Age in 2007 and NASA in 

2008, the historic legacy of the agency is captured in a new and lavishly illustrated book 

published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, and available October 4. Titled America in 

Space, the book is a photographic record of the greatest adventures in the history of 

exploration and documents NASA's many achievements during the past five decades in 

aeronautics, science and technology, and human spaceflight. Almost 500 stunning color and 

black-and-white photographs, including many never published before, were culled from 

NASA's archives. The images tell the agency's story, from the drama of lift-off to tension in 

mission control, to the humor and humanity portrayed in the faces of astronauts, scientists, 

engineers, and political leaders associated with the program during the past five decades. 

Published in cooperation with NASA, the book features a foreword by Apollo 11 

commander Neil Armstrong, with contributions from Steven Dick, NASA chief historian; 

Bob Jacobs, deputy assistant administrator for Public Affairs; Constance Moore, NASA lead 

photo researcher; Anthony M. Springer, lead, communications and education, NASA 

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate; and Bertram U]rich, NASA curator and 

multimedia manager ["New Book Chronicles NASA's First 50 Years," NASA News 

Release #07-210, October 1, 2007.1 

NASA assigns crew for space station assembly mission 

NASA has assigned the space shuttle crew for Endeavour's STS-126 mission, targeted for 

launch in September 2008. The flight vffl deliver equipment to the International Space 

Station that will enable larger crews to reside aboard the complex. Veteran space flier Navy 

Capt. Christopher J . Ferguson will command Endeavour. Air Force Lt. Col. Eric A. Boe will 

serve as the pilot. The mission specialists are Navy Cmdr. Stephen G. Bowen, NASA 

astronaut Joan E. Higginbotham, Army Lt. Col. Robert S. Kimbrough and Navy Capt. 

Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper. Boe, Bowen and Kimbrough will be making their first 

spaceflight. Endeavour will carry a reusable logistics module that will hold supplies and 

equipment, including additional crew quarters, a second treadmill, equipment for the 

regenerative life support system and spare hardware. ["NASA Assigns Crew for Space 

Station Assembly Mission," NASA News Release #07-217, October 1, 2007.] 

October 2: KSC free weekend nets 20 tons of food 

Nearly 24,000 Brevard County residents donated more than 20 tons of food during the 

annual free weekend and food drive at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. This year's 

food total was the most collected at the "Salute to Brevard Residents." The visitor center 

then donated the food to Central Brevard Sharing Center, North Brevard Charities and 

South Brevard Sharing Center. "Salute to Brevard Residents" was Sept. 21-23. Web posted. 

(2007). [KSC free weekend nets 20 tons of food [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com / [2007, October 2].] 

October 3: NASA Selects Launch Services Provider for Earth Imagery 

Satellite 

NASA's Launch Services Program office at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., has selected 

Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services of Littleton, Cob., for launching of the 

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Landsat Data Continuity Mission. The $124 million contract award is a competed firm-fixedprice task order. It includes launch services for an Atlas V model 401 rocket, payload 

processing, launch vehicle integration, and the necessary tracking, data and telemetry 

support. The spacecraft is scheduled to be placed into a 428-mile-high polar sun 

synchronous orbit in July 2011, lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. 

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission will extend the more than 30-year record of highquality land surface measurements from previous Landsat satellites. NASA researchers use 

these unique data products to study, understand and predict the consequences of land 

surface changes. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages 

procurement and acquisitions for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission in partnership with 

the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. Geological Survey will manage the sateffite after launch 

and in-orbit checkout. ["NASA Selects Launch Services Provider for Earth Imagery 

Satellite," NASA Contract Release #C07-050, October 3, 2007.1 

NASA Selects Launch Services Provider for Juno Jupiter 

Mission 

NASA's Launch Services Program office at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., has selected 

Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services of Littleton, Cob., for the Juno mission to 

Jupiter. The $190 million contract award is a competed firm-fixed-price task order. It 

includes the launch service for an Atlas V model 551 rocket, payload processing, launch 

vehicle integration, and the necessary tracking, data and telemetry support. The spacecraft is 

scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., in August 2011 on an 

interplanetary trajectory to Jupiter. Juno will arrive at Jupiter in August 2016 to uncover the 

secrets hidden beneath the planet's thick, colorful clouds. Juno's remote sensing and gravity 

science measurements will characterize Jupiter's interior, atmosphere and polar 

magnetosphere with the primary science goal of understanding the planet's origin and 

evolution. A principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio 

leads the Juno mission. ["NASA Selects Launch Services Provider For Juno Jupiter 

Mission," NASA Contract Release #C07-051, October 3, 2007.] 

October 4: Transmissions from Sputnik's radios usher in space age 

Sputnik I launched on Oct. 4, 1957, the first successfully launched satellite, starting the space 

race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Sputnik orbited Earth about 151 miles 

above the ground every 98 minutes. Two radio transmitters emitted a series of beeps 

announcing its presence. The satellite transmitted signals for 21 days and remained in orbit 

until Jan. 4, 1968. ["Transmissions from Sputnik's radios usher in space age," Florida 

Today, October 3, 2007, p 4A.] 

NASA Chief: China will beat us back to the moon 

The Soviets beat the United States at getting a satellite, and a man, into space. Now, the 

Chinese may get to the moon before the U.S. can make a return visit. Fifty years after 

Sputnik became the world's first artificial satellite, a new race is under way with the finish 

line on the moon. NASA, the former lunar champion, already is predicting defeat. "I 

personally believe that China will be back on the moon before we are," NASA Administrator 

Michael Griffm said in a low-key lecture in Washington two weeks ago, marking the space 

agency's 50th anniversary, still a year away. "I think when that happens, Americans will not 

like it. But they will just have to not like it." Griffin's candor startled many in the space 

community, but insiders acknowledge the reality. China has pulled off two manned
spaceffights with its own rockets and is eager to head for the moon. NASA has a 2020 

deadline for returning Americans to the moon. China would like to beat that. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA Chief: China will beat us back to the moon [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, October 4].] 

NASA budget gets $1B boost 

The Senate decided Thursday to add $1 billion to NASA's budget as Democrats and 

Republicans voted to further break President Bush's budget for domestic programs. The 

money would replenish NASA accounts tapped to make improvements to the space shuttle 

program in the wake of the crash of the Columbia shuttle. The space agency has dipped into 

non-shuttle accounts, such as science and other space exploration programs, for about $2.7 

billion for safety upgrades and other costs after the 2003 disaster. The funding was added to 

a $56 billion measure funding science programs and the departments of Commerce and 

Justice for the fiscal year that began Monday. The measure isn't expected to pass until the 

Senate returns from a weeklong recess. ["NASA budget gets $IB boost," Florida Today, 

October 5, 2007.] 

October 5: NASA Honors Apollo Astronaut Roger Chaffee 

NASA will honor the late astronaut Naval Lt. Cmdr. Roger B. Chaffee with the presentation 

of an Ambassador of Exploration Award for his involvement in the U.S. space program. 

Chaffee's wife Martha will accept the award Saturday, Oct. 6, and present it for display at 

Purdue University during the halftime show of the Purdue - Ohio State football game. 

NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in 

the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's vision of going to 

the moon. NASA also is recognizing several other key individuals who played significant 

roles in the early space programs. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite and mounted 

for public display as inspiration to a new generation of explorers who will help us return 

humans to the moon and eventually on to Mars and beyond. The award is part of the 842 

pounds of samples collected during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972. 

Chaffee received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue in 

1957. He was one of the third group of astronaut candidates selected October 1963. In 

March 1966, he was chosen as a crew member for the first Apollo flight. Chaffee died on 

January 27, 1967, in the Apollo I spacecraft fire during a launch pad test at the Complex 34, 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. ["NASA Honors Apollo Astronaut Roger 

Chaffee, Media Advisory #M07-127, October 5,2007.] 

NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-100507. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd 

International Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); 

Location: Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Crew: Meiroy, 

Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. On Sunday, STS-120 was transported via the crawler transporter 

to Launch Pad 39A. The rotating service structure, which protects and provides access to the 

orbiter at the pad, was rolled into position on Monday. During the week, workers performed 

shuttle interface testing, orbiter/external tank leak checks and launch pad validations. The 

payload was installed in the orbiter on Thursday, and the sensor packs were installed on the 

orbiter boom sensor system. Loading of hypergolic propellants aboard Discovery is 

scheduled for this weekend. Next week, the terminal countdown demonstration test is 

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scheduled with the STS-120 astronauts and the launch team. This routine series of events 

includes emergency training procedures and a launch countdown dress rehearsal. After the 

hail monitoring system at the pad showed possible hail in the predawn hours of Wednesday, 

engineers fully inspected the space shuttle but found no damage. There were no radar 

indications of hail, though wind-driven rain may have been possible. The calibration of the 

hail monitoring system sensors and associated instrumentation is being assessed. Mission: 

STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis 

(OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 

2007; Launch pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and 

Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing 

Facility Bay No. 1, workers are installing the main engine heat shields. Engine integrated 

testing and mate operations are complete. Technicians have also completed checkout of the 

water spray boiler system. Functional checkout of the external tank doors is finished. 

Midbody closeout and inspection work continues, with final payload bay door closure 

scheduled for next week. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, processing continues on ET125, the external fuel tank for the STS-122 mission, including repairs to the liquid oxygen 

feedline support bracket foam. In high bay No. 3, stacking of the solid rocket boosters is 

under way. The right forward booster segment will be lifted to the stack this weekend. 

Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted 

for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, 

Foreman and Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In 

Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, servicing of Freon coolant loop No. I is complete. 

Windows No. 3 and 4 were removed and replaced. Technicians continue inspecting the main 

propulsion system flow liners, feedlines and gimbal joints. The fuel cell single-cell voltage 

test is finished. Preparations for installation of BRI tile around the main landing gear doors 

are under way. The BRI tile is a stronger tile designed for critical areas on the orbiter. Work 

is in progress to configure Endeavour's payload bay for the STS-123 hardware. Web posted. 

(2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov /centers /kennedy/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html 

[2007, October 5.]

Atlas 5 contracts worth $315M 

United Launch Affiance of Brevard County will execute two Atlas 5 launch contracts, worth 

$315 million, recently awardedto Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services of 

Littleton, Cob. Lockheed and The Boeing Co. formed United Launch Affiance to execute 

government launches. But work on these two contracts began before ULA was formed in 

2005. A $190 million contract funds the August 2011 launch from Cape Canaveral Air 

Force Station of the five-year trip Juno mission to Jupiter. The contract includes launch 

services for an Atlas 5 model 551 rocket, payload processing, launch vehicle integration and 

the necessary tracking, data and telemetry support. Juno will arrive at Jupiter in August 2016 

to probe beneath the planet's thick, colorful clouds. Additionally, ULA will execute a $124 

million contract to launch a satellite for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission in July 2011 

from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. NASA researchers use these satellites to study, 

understand and predict the consequences of land surface changes. Web posted. (2007). 

[Atlas 5 contracts worth $315M [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/

[2007, October 5].]

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NASA Launch Control Center evacuated 

The Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center was evacuated this morning after a 

fire alarm rang out on an out-of-service bridge between the four-story facility and the 

towering Vehicle Assembly Building. Dozens of NASA and contractor workers gathered in 

marshaling areas outside the LCC and the VAB and the space center police force stopped all 

traffic -- including tour buses -- traveling on Saturn Causeway just south of the facilities. "It 

was not a drill," IKSC spokesman George Duller said. "It was a real fire alarm, but it was a 

false alarm." A brief-but-heavy isolated rainstorm rolled over the Launch Complex 39 area 

as the building was being evacuated. The evacuees were able to return to their work sites 

within about 20 minutes. The personnel access bridge was used to route people between the 

VAB and the LCC during the Apollo moon-landing program but has not been in use in 

recent years. It was not immediately clear what triggered the alarm. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA Launch Control Center evacuated [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, October 5].] 

U.S. space lead in jeopardy? 

The United States could lose technological superiority in space during the four- to five-year 

gap of manned space flights between the retirement of the space shuttle and the launch of 

the Constellation mission, the head of Kennedy Space Center said Thursday. It's during that 

gap that competitors from China and Russia will be launching astronauts into space and will 

gain ground on the U.S. space program, said Bill Parsons, the KSC director who is 

overseeing the fmal launches of the space shuttle, two of which are scheduled before the end 

of the year. "I think that takes away our technological edge in the world," Parsons said, 

referring to the absence of manned space flights between the shuttle and Constellation. "It's 

a decision that this nation, this president and this Congress has to make," Parsons added, 

"but I feel that it really does put us at a disadvantage." Parsons' remarks came during a 

keynote address at a breakfast meeting arranged by the Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber 

of Commerce that drew more than 220 people. His comments followed remarks 

Wednesday by NASA Administrator Mike Griffm, in which he said China likely will be back 

on the moon before the United States. NASA has set a 2020 deadline for returning 

Americans to the moon. Web posted. (2007). [U.S. space lead in jeopardy? [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://vivv.floridatodav.com/ [2007, October 5].] 

First space currency unveiled 

A foreign exchange specialist has unveiled the world's first currency for use in space. 

Travelex worked with a team of scientists from the National Space Centre and the University 

of Leicester to design a currency that could withstand the stresses of space travel and the 

extreme environment found in the orbit around Earth. The group has dubbed the money 

Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination or Quids for short. Web posted. (2007). [First 

space currency unveiled [Online]. Available W\WW: http://www.channel4.com/ [2007, 

October 5].] 

October 7: Space Shuttle Crew Lands in Florida 

Space shuttle Discovery's crew is on the ground in Central Florida. The astronauts arrived 

Sunday night and are getting ready for what the shuttle commander called a "big week" in 

human space ffight. "This is a wonderful moment because we actually get close to our 

vehicle," said Pam Melroy, the shuttle's commander. Over the next few days, Discovery's 

crew members will run drill after drill practicing what to do in a shuttle emergency. The
crew's mission will focus around the Harmony Module for the International Space Station. 

The module is about 21 feet long and will serve as a bridge between different science labs on 

the International Space Station. But they can't put it in place because the shuttle will be in 

the way. So once Discovery leaves the 31,000-pound module will be installed by the ISS 

crew. At about the same time, Meiroy, and her crew are strapping in for drills. In 

Kazakhstan, an astronaut will be getting ready to ride a Russian rocket to space as the first 

female ISS commander. "Pretty big week for human space flight," Meiroy told the press. 

Once the drills are done, the crew will return to Houston. But then they will be back in 

about two weeks for liftoff. Launch is slated for Oct. 23 at 11:38 a.m. Web posted. (2007). 

[Space Shuttle Crew Lands in Florida [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.cfnewsl 3.com/ [2007, October 8] .1 

October 8: Air Force holds off on Atlas launch 

The Atlas 5 launch of the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite has been delayed until 

Wednesday (October 10). During the 24-hour delay, engineers will try to understand a 

possibly incorrect data signature, which differs from a Delta 4 signature. The two rockets 

use a common system, but engineers aren't sure what cause the difference or whether it 

mdicates a problem. Air Force spokesmen on Monday declined to explain the trouble. 

"The difference has raised a question for Atlas V given the Atlas and Delta launch vehicles 

have some common or similar components," said a press release from the 45th Space Wing. 

During the last Atlas 5 launch on June 15, a leak caused by a faulty valve prevented the 

rocket from delivering its top-secret payload to the proper orbit. A redesigned valve has 

been installed on both Atlas and Delta rockets. It is scheduled for a launch window that 

begins at 8:22 p.m. and ends at 9:33 p.m. EDT. ["Air Force holds off on Atlas launch," 

Florida Today, October 9, 2007, p 2B.] 

Hope fades that Fossett cheated death 

With winter closing in, efforts to fmd aviator Steve Fossett have dwindled - along with 

hopes that his proven ability to cheat death enabled him to survive a plane crash in the 

rugged desert of northern Nevada. Lyon County Sheriff Allen Veil said Fossett's 

disappearance remains under investigation as a missing-person case, and authorities are not 

prepared to presume the aviator is dead. On March 4, 2005, Fossett completed the first 

solo, non-stop airplane flight around the work in the GlobalFlyer. The record setting flight 

took off from Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. Web posted. (2007). [Hope 

fades that Fossett cheated death [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, 

October 8].] 

October 9: Thousands of NASA Jobs in Jeopardy 

The Space Coast is bracing for the worst and looking for help before the space shuttle 

program retires. In just three years, NASA plans to shut down its manned spaceflight 

operations until the new constellation program comes on-line around 2014. That could put 

4,000 jobs at the Kennedy Space Center in jeopardy. Indirectly, 15,000 jobs could be lost, 

thanks to a slump in the Brevard County economy. That's why Oviedo Congressman Tom 

Feeney and State Representative Thad Altman are trying to soften the blow. Tuesday, they 

met with Governor Charlie Crist, in search of incentives that could help prevent the kind of 

recession Brevard had after the Apollo program was ditched in the 1970s. "We're faced with 

the same reality, with transitioning from shuttle to the constellation, the new vision on space, 

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going back to the moon and mars, so it's a serious problem, and we're going to have to be 

very proactive both at the state level and the federal level to ensure that we don't lose this 

workforce," said Altman, a Republican from Melbourne. Altman wants money to help 

encourage jobs in Brevard's aerospace industry. He's also looking for ways to give shuttle 

workers jobs in other high-tech areas. Web posted. (2007). [Thousands of NASA Jobs in 

Jeopardy [Online]. Available \VWW: http://www.cfnews13.com/ [2007, October 9].] 

October 10: NASA safety panel considers manned vs. unmanned question 

NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) is turning its attention to the issue of how 

the agency decides whether a particular mission should be manned or unmanned, and 

whether safety concerns are being weighed appropriately in that process. "One of our 

research questions has been, how do you decide, and is safety as powerful a driver in that 

analytical process as it should be," says retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Joseph Dyer, who 

chairs the ASAP. "The ASAP, just like Mike Griffm, are strong believers in exploration, 

strong believers in the importance of manned space. But we also think that manned 

[versus] unmanned capability represents something that should be carefully considered." 

Another issue the group is looking at is standardization of flight-test procedures at NASA 

centers. "There are multiple centers that operate flight-tests and all of them do some things 

very, very well," Dyer said. But "there's not the kind of sharing of best practice that we think 

NASA should pursue." Dyer said Griffin has responded positively to an earlier ASAP 

recommendation that information be appropriately filtered during space shuttle flight 

readiness reviews so that senior decision makers aren't inundated with details that should be 

decided at lower management levels. "Griffm was in agreement on that and we are seeing 

progress in doing just that," Dyer said. While NASA's reviews are "incredibly thorough, 

presented by real experts," senior managers have been forced to "search" for items of 

critical importance, he said. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "NASA safety panel considers manned vs. unmanned question," 

[Electronic]. Vol. 224, No. 8, [October 10, 2007.].] 

NASA studying shuttle RCC problem 

NASA officials are investigating a potential problem with several leading-edge wing panels 

on the shuttle Discovery that could force an extended launch delay. Shuttle engineers has 

been studying for some time a degradation in the silicon carbide coating on three reinforced 

carbon-carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edges of the shuttle's wings, thought to be 

caused by oxidation, but had previously concluded that the degradation has stabilized. A 

separate analysis by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center, though, argued that oxidation 

was not the cause of the panel's degradation and thus NASA could not assume the situation 

would remain stable, and therefore recommended that the panels be replaced. The 

replacement process would require rolling the shuttle back to the VAB and would delay the 

launch by weeks. A decision on whether to replace the panels is not expected before the 

mission's flight readiness review next week. Discovery otherwise remains on track for a 

launch on October 23. Web posted. (2007). [NASA studying shuttle RCC problem [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.spacetodav.net/ [2007, October 11].] 

October 11: Bruner Named Head of Legislative and Intergovernmental 

Affairs 

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale on Thursday announced the appointment of Bill 

Bruner as assistant administrator for legislative and intergovernmental affairs. Bruner has 

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served as acting assistant administrator for the office since June. The office of legislative 

affairs and intergovernmental affairs develops and implements the legislative strategy to carry 

out NASA initiatives requiring congressional action and state and local government relations. 

The office also responds to requests and inquiries from congressional committees, individual 

members of Congress and their staffs. ["Bruner Named Head of Legislative and 

Intergovernmental Affairs, NASA News Release #07-222, October 11, 2007.] 

NASA to Be the Featured Agency in 2008 Smithsonian Folklife 

Festival 

NASA and the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage are 

partnering for the 2008 Smithsonian Foildife Festival. The festival showcasing NASA will 

run on the National Mall from June 25 to July 6, 2008. NASA will be only the second 

featured federal agency in the history of the festival, which annually attracts an audience of 

more than a million people. The Folklife Festival also will highlight the food and music of 

the state of Texas and the mountainous Asian nation of Bhutan. An annual survey of 

tourism agencies and convention and tourism bureaus around the country labeled the 

Folklife Festival as America's No. I tourism event. With an emphasis on audience 

participation, the festival program will encourage visitors to engage one on one with NASA 

experts in presentation areas on the Mall. The presentations are tied to NASA's mission 

goals in aeronautics, space exploration, science and human spaceflight. The NASA program 

will include live presentations, hands-on educational activities, narrative oral history sessions 

and demonstrations of the skills, techniques and knowledge of real rocket scientists. Exhibits 

will explore the spirit of inspiration, innovation, discovery and public service embodied by 

the agency and its personnel. ["NASA to Be the Featured Agency in 2008 Smithsonian 

Folklife Festival," NASA News Release #07-223, October 11, 2007.] 

Kansas to blast off KSC concerts 

The rock band Kansas will mark the 30th anniversary of its album "Point of Know Return" 

with a performance on Nov. 10 that launches the inaugural fall concert series at the Kennedy 

Space Center Visitor Complex. The concert series comes on the heels of the World Space 

Expo at the Visitor Complex from Nov. 1 through Nov. 4. The concerts will be at the KSC 

Rocket Garden. Other performers to play at the Visitor Complex include: Nov. 17: Josh 

Gracin, a country singer and American Idol alumnus. Nov. 24: Lou Gramm, the lead singer 

of Foreigner. Dec. 1: RPM: Rock & Pop Masters, a band backing up original lead singers of 

several bands, including David Pack, formerly of Ambrosia; Larry Hoppen of Orleans; and 

Jinu Jamison, formerly of Survivor. The concerts are included with admission to the KSC 

Visitor Complex. Web posted. (2007). [Kansas to blast off KSC concerts [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ [2007, October 111.1 

October 12: First Woman Station Commander Arrives For Historic 

Spaceflight 

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson arrived at the International Space Station Friday to begin 

her tenure as the first woman to command a station mission. Whitson, Soyuz Commander 

and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh 

Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT. 

The crew launched on Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 

Whitson officially will become the station commander after a ceremony Friday, Oct. 19, at 

approximately 3:15 p.m. EDT. This change of command event will mark the formal 

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handover of the station to Whitson and Malenchenko, just days before the Expedition 15 

crew members and Shukor depart. Another female astronaut, space shuttle Discovery 

Commander Pam Meiroy, will reach another milestone in late October when she and her 

crew arrive at the station. It will mark the first time two women have led space missions at 

the same time. This is Whitson's second six-month rotation aboard the orbiting complex. 

She previously served as a flight engineer on Expedition 5 in 2002, when she became 

NASA's first station science officer, conducting 21 investigations in human and life sciences. 

["First Woman Station Commander Arrives For Historic Spaceflight," NASA News 

Release #07-226, October 12, 2007.] 

NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-101207. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: 

Launch Pad 39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, 

Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tarn; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. At Launch Pad 39A, the hypergolic propellants have been 

loaded into the solid rocket booster hydraulic power units, as well as into Discovery's orbital 

maneuvering system, forward reaction control system and auxiliary power units. On 

Thursday, the rotating service structure at the pad was rotated away from Discovery to allow 

for the auxiliary power unit hotfire, which was successfully completed. The rotating service 

structure was returned to the mate position later that day. Orbiter aft closeout work begins 

today. On Sunday, the STS-120 crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center for the terminal 

countdown demonstration test, which involves a launch dress rehearsal. Crew activities 

included practicing emergency egress operations at the pad, reviewing the payload bay 

configuration, and suiting up and climbing into the crew cabin of the orbiter to run through 

the prelaunch checklist. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a program-level flight readiness 

review was held at Kennedy. Space Shuttle Program managers concluded the review with a 

recommendation to proceed toward a targeted launch on Oct. 23. An agency-level review 

will take place on Oct. 16 at Kennedy, where an official launch date will be decided. 

Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: 

Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin 

and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay No. 1, midbody closeout and inspection work is complete and the 

payload bay doors were closed for rollover. Workers continue to close out and inspect the 

forward and aft sections. The landing gear functional test was successfully performed. In the 

Vehicle Assembly Building, processing continues on ET-125, the external fuel tank for 

mission STS-122. Repairs to the liquid oxygen feediine support bracket foam are complete 

and access platforms are being removed. In high bay No. 3, stacking of the solid rocket 

boosters is finished. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, 

Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (0 V-lOS); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch 

Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, 

Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical 

miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, window No. I was removed and replaced 

this week, and the removal and replacement of window No. 6 is in progress. The external 

airlock upper hatch functional test is complete. Technicians continue to inspect the main 

propulsion system flow liners, feedlines and gimbal joints. Preparations for installation of 

BRI tile around the main landing gear doors continue. The BRI tile is a stronger tile designed 

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for critical areas on the orbiter. Work is under way to configure the payload bay for the STS123 cargo. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space ShuttIe Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available W"XJW: http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /

2007/index.html [2007, October 12].] 

October 15: Weather worse for Wednesday launch 

A 60 percent chance of favorable weather conditions exists on Wednesday for a Delta 2-

GPS IIR-17 rocket carrying a Global Positioning Sateffite. The launch window is between 

8:23 and 8:38 a.m. EDT. The forecast has worsened from a 70 percent chance of acceptable 

weather forecast on Sunday. Clouds and rain have become more possible since a high 

pressure area began to weaken and move east. Scattered thunderstorms Wednesday 

afternoon will taper off by evening. Clouds and showers will be the concern. Riding a Delta 

2 rocket with nine strap-on solid rocket boosters, the satellite will enter an orbit 11,000 miles 

above the earth. The GPS IIR-17(M) satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, will join the GPS 

constellation of 30 operational satellites. Features of the GPS IIR-M satellites include two 

new military signals for improved accuracy, enhanced encryption, anti-jamming capabilities, 

and a second civil signal to provide dual frequency capability and improve resistance to 

interference. The GPS IIR-17 could be the 77th consecutive Delta 2 rocket to deliver its 

payload safely. In 130 Delta flights since 1989, 128 have been successful. The last failure was 

January 1997, when a Delta II rosket exploded shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral, 

due to a cracked solid rocket motor. At least 25 Delta 2 rockets are scheduled to fly during 

the next several years. Web posted. (2007). [Weather worse for Wed. launch [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://w1v\v.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, October 

15].]

Shuttle Discovery's new software - from 01-32 to Windows XP 

Shuttle Discovery will be flying a new upgrade to her onboard software during next week's 

STS-120, with the 01-32 Flight Software modification increasing the safety of orbiter 

operations. Noted in last week's Space Shuttle Systems Engineering and Integration Office 

Flight Readiness Review (FRR), it has also been revealed that the laptops onboard Discovery 

have also been upgraded - to Windows XP. The new software load 01-32 (Operational 

Increment number 32) includes a variety of increased safety modifications that will help 

Discovery complete her mission without a hitch. The new 01-32 load has been included 

into the Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) - with processes data from all control 

activities - including main engine firing and throttling, RCS (Reaction Control System) jets 

and guidance commands for landing. In the event of a PASS failure, there is a backup 

system (BFS - Backup Flight Software). However, due to the reliability of the orbiter's 

computers, this has never been required in the history of the shuttle program. Other 

modifications include the ability for Discovery to 'shout out' if she's got a problem, while the 

crew are onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Often seen on the flight deck of the 

orbiters, modern day laptops are used for a variety of tasks, from downloading and 

uploading imagery, mission documentation, and even the ability for the crew to send e-mails 

to friends and family in their spare time on orbit. Windows has been the preferred 

operating system for NASA, and this continues with the upgrade of the laptops from 

Windows 2000 to Windows XP, which makes its debut on Discovery with STS-120. 'STS120 Will Be the Seventh Space Shuttle Flight of the IBM ThinkPad A31p PGSC and 

Associated 28V DC Power Supply (Emerald brick). It will be the first flight of Windows XP 

Operating System. Web posted. (2D07). [Shuttle Discovery's new software - from 01-32 to 

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Windows XP [Online]. Available WWW: http://\w\v.nasaspaceflight.com/ [2007, 

October 15].] 

October 16: Shuttle Update 

At Launch Pad 39A, the hypergolic propellants have been loaded into Discovery's solid 

rocket booster hydraulic power units, as well as into the orbital maneuvering system, forward reaction control system and auxiliary power units. Last Thursday, the rotating service 

structure at the pad was rotated away from Discovery to allow for the auxiliary power unit 

hotfire, which was successfully completed. The rotating service structure was renirned to the 

mate position later that day. Orbiter aft close-out work is underway. Yesterday, ordnance 

were installed and connected. An agency-level ffight readiness review will take place today 

and an official launch date for Discovery's STS-120 mission will be decided. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay No. 1, midbody closeout and inspection work is complete on 

Atlantis and the payload bay doors were closed for roll-over. Workers continue to close out 

and inspect the forward and aft sections. The landing gear functional test was successfully 

performed. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, processing continues on ET-125, the 

external fuel tank for mission STS-122. Repairs to the liquid oxygen feedline support bracket 

foam are complete and access platforms have been removed. In high bay No. 3, stacking of 

the solid rocket boosters is fmished. Atlantis is targeted for launch on Dec.. 6. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay No. 2, window No. I was removed and replaced last week on 

Endeavour, and the removal and replacement of window No. 6 is in progress. The external 

airlock upper hatch functional test is complete. Endeavour's next mission is STS-123, 

targeted for launch on Feb. 14. ["Shuttle Update," KSC Countdown, October 16, 2007.] 

NASA Gives "Go" For Space Shuttle Launch on Oct. 23 

NASA senior managers Tuesday completed a detailed review of space shuttle Discovery's 

readiness for flight and selected Oct. 23 as the official launch date. Commander Pam Meiroy 

and her six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 11:38 a.m. EDT on the STS-120 mission to 

the International Space Station. Tuesday's meeting included a discussion about concerns 

raised by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center regarding the reinforced carbon carbon 

on three of Discovery's wing leading edge panels. This issue initially was brought before the 

Space Shuttle Program during a two-day, preliminary review held last week to assess 

preparations for Discovery's mission. "After a thorough discussion and review of all current 

engineering analysis, we have determined that Discovery's panels do not need to be replaced 

before the mission," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, 

who chaired Tuesday's meeting. During the shuttle's 120th mission, the shuttle and station 

crews will work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to add a 

module to the station that vffl serve as a port for installing future international laboratories. 

The Harmony module will be the first expansion of the living and working space on the 

station since 2001. The upcoming mission also will move the first set of solar arrays installed 

on the station to a permanent location on the complex and redeploy them. The 14-day 

mission includes five spaceva1ks - four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's 

Expedition 16 crew. Discovery is expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:47 

a.m. EST on Nov. 6. Joining Commander Mel.roy on STS-120 will be Pilot George Zamka 

and mission specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Daniel Tam 

and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency. Tam will remain aboard the station and 

return with the STS-122 crew, which is targeted to launch Dec. 6. Current Flight Engineer 

Clayton Anderson will return to Earth on Discovery after nearly five months on the station. 

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["NASA Gives "Go" For Space Shuttle Launch on Oct. 23," NASA News Release #07-

209, October 16, 2007.]

Kennedy to host contractor expo today 

Business owners interested in contracting with government agencies will get a chance to 

learn about the process and to network during an event today at Port Canaveral. Business 

Expo 2007 will be held from 9a.m. to 3 p.m. at the port's Cruise Terminal 4. The annual 

trade show is open to the public at no charge. Sponsored by the NASA Kennedy Space 

Center Small Business Council, the 45th Space Wing and Canaveral Port Authority, the show 

is expected to feature more than 175 business and government exhibitors from Brevard 

County and elsewhere. In addition to business owners and managers, government 

purchasing agents can attend to learn what local and national vendors have to offer, 

organizers said. Exhibitors will include vendors from a variety of fields, including computer 

technology, communications equipment and services, and construction and safety products. 

Representatives from NASA, the 45th Space Wing, Kennedy Space Center prime 

contractors, local chambers of commerce and others will be available to give out information 

and answer questions about doing business with their organizations. "We're encouraging 

everyone involved with government contracting to be part of this extraordinary networking 

and information-gathering opportunity," said Connie Wilcox, Kennedy Space Center's smallbusiness specialist. "This event has an incredible reputation for providing excellent 

opportunities for all who attend," she said. Web posted. (2007). [Kennedy to host 

contractor expo today [Online]. Available WWW: http://w\vw.floridatodav.com/ [2007, 

October 16].]

China wants role in space station 

China hopes to join an international space station project that already counts leading space 

powers like the United States and Russia as its members, a government official said Tuesday. 

On Tuesday, state-run newspapers said China will launch its first lunar probe later this 

month, just weeks after regional rival Japan successfully sent a lunar satellite into orbit. But 

China does not participate in the international space station, due in part to American unease 

about allowing a communist dictatorship a place aboard. "We hope to take part in activities 

related to the international space station," Li Xueyong, a vice minister of science and 

technology. "If I am not mistaken, this program has 16 countries currently involved and we 

hope to be the 17th partner." A reporter had asked whether China in the future would be 

more likely to compete or cooperate with America in space. Li said China wanted to 

cooperate with the United States, but gave no specifics. In 2003, China launched its first 

manned space mission, making it the third country to send a human into orbit on its own, 

after Russia and the United States. Web posted. (2007). [China wants role in space station 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, October 16].] 

FRR discussing launch date and RCC issue 

The fmal Flight Readiness Review (FRR) is expected to approve October 23 as the launch 

date for STS-120, with the only one major outstanding issue being discussed. Concerns over 

the coating on three of Discovery's RCC (reinforced carbon-carbon) panels - noted by two 

engineers at NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) - are being downplayed, after it 

was revealed NESC used data from Endeavour for their thermography data. Due diligence 

on the issue is paramount for the program, with cross agency and contractor discussions 

taking place over the past week and through the weekend, ranging from NASA HQ to the 

216
United Space Affiance (USA). The RCC panels in question are on both leading edges of 

Discovery's wings, namely panels 9R, 12L, and 13R. Replacing these panels cannot be 

conducted at the pad, and would lead to the rollback of Discovery and a major launch delay. 

It is understood that NESC took pre-flight data of RCC panels and compared them with the 

current health of Discovery's panels. However, it appears NESC compared Discovery's RCC 

with thermography data from Endeavour's RCC - which in turn rules out commonality and 

flight history with Discovery. More importantly, it is assumed that this also removes the fear 

that the heat of re-entry is causing the problem, which downplays the concern that burnthrough - as raised by NESC - is the driving force behind the call to replace the panels - 

panels which may have always been as the data shows, and not \vorsened' by her recent reentries, in turn removing NESC's concern. Web posted. (2007). [FRR discussing launch date 

and RCC issue[Online]. Available W''W: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, October 16].] 

House Passes Legislation Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of 

the Dawn of the Space Age 

The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed a concurrent resolution 

(H.Con.Res. 225) honoring the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age, which 

occurred on October 4, 1957 with the launch of Sputnik 1. That event was followed shortly 

by the successful launch of the American Explorer .1 sateffite, which discovered the Van 

Allen radiation belts among other scientific accomplishments. H.Con.Res. 225 was 

introduced by House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (UTN), with Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO), Energy and 

Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX), Ranking Member Ralph Hall 

(R-TX'), and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Feeney (R-FL) as 

original cosponsors. Web posted. (2007). [House Passes Legislation Recognizing the 50th 

Anniversary of the Dawn of the Space Age [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /science.house.gov/press /PRArtic1e.aspx?NevsID= 1998 [2007, October 16].] 

Shuttle strike becomes longest ever at KSC 

The contract standoff between the Machinists union and NASA contractor United Space 

Affiance has turned into the union's longest strike ever at Kennedy Space Center. The strike, 

which began June 14, has lasted 126 days as of today. That's longer than several Machinists 

union strikes at the Space Center from the 1970s• to the 1990s, according to union officials. 

Both sides have not returned to the bargaining table since last month, when a scheduled 

two-day negotiating session arranged with the help of a federal mediator broke down after 

one day and the second day was canceled. Representatives for the International Association 

of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 in Cape Canaveral have been in contact 

again with a federal mediator, in hopes of working toward a contract agreement. But, so far, 

no sessions with the company have been scheduled. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle strike 

becomes longest ever at KSC [Online]. Available W"XJW: http://www.floridatoday.com/

[2007, October 16].] 

October 17: NASA Set to Begin Space Shuttle Discovery Countdown Oct. 20 

NASA wifi start the launch countdown for space shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission at 2 

p.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 20, at T-43 hours. The countdown includes 26 hours and 38 

minutes of built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time of approximately 11:38 a.m. 

on Tuesday, Oct. 23. The launch window extends an additional five minutes. During the 14-

day mission to the International Space Station, Discovery's crew will add the Node 2 module 

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to the expanding station. Node 2, known as Harmony, will provide attachment points for 

European and Japanese laboratory modules to be installed laier this year and early in 2008, 

respectively. The Discovery crew also will move the stations Port 6 segment of the station's 

backbone, or truss, and its solar arrays to a permanent position at the very end of the left 

side of the truss. The flight will include five spacewaiks. ["NASA Set to Begin Space Shuttle 

Discovery Countdown Oct. 20, NASA Media Advisory #M07-135, October 17, 2007.] 

Senate approves NASA budget 

The U.S. Senate passed an appropriations bill Tuesday that gives NASA $1 billion more than 

originally requested, after fending off a last-minute bid to divert some of that money to 

another program. The Senate passed the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill 

on a 75-19 vote on Tuesday after debating a number of amendments to the bill. One of the 

amendments debated Tuesday would have diverted $150 million from the agency to fund the 

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which reimburses states for the costs of jailing 

illegal immigrants, but the amendment was shot down by a wide margin. The overall bill 

gives $1 8.5 billion for NASA, thanks in part to an amendment the Senate approved earlier 

this month that adds $1 billion to the agency's budget. The Senate version of the bill must be 

reconciled with the House version, which lacks the extra $1 billion, and also faced a 

threatened veto from the president. Web posted. (2007). [Senate approves NASA budget 

[Online]. Available W''(JW: http: / /www.spacetodav.net/ [2007, October 17].] 

Risky space tounsm gets a boost from a hands-off FAA 

Federal Aviation Administration officials detailed their unique relationship with the emerging 

space-tourism industry for a gathering of air and space lawyers this month. Several firms 

are racing to serve people willing to pay a steep price for the privilege of floating briefly in 

space, perhaps in as little as two years. Some scientists believe commercial competition will 

fuel rapid development of space travel technology. In the Commercial Space Launch 

Amendments Act of 2004, Congress told the FAA to treat the industry more like an 

adventure business than an air carrier. The law protects the rights of those who wish to be 

among the first private citizens to go into space - likening them to visionaries and 

adventurers who knowingly take other risks like climbing mountains - while giving the 

people who operate the new types of unproven spacecraft the scientific latitude to learn 

from their first fatal mistakes. "This is an ultra-hazardous business," Patti Grace Smith, the 

FAA's associate administrator for Commercial Space Transportation told attendees at an 

American Bar Association forum on air and space law. She said part of the agency's effort to 

promote the industry's success means giving it room to fail. By law, the FAA cannot impose 

safety regulations on the industry until 2012 unless there is a serious accident in flight or if 

the agency - which will attend every launch and is working closely with industry 

professionals - detects a safety threat that companies refuse to fix. Web posted. (2007). 

[Risky space tourism gets a boost from a hands-off FAA [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.usatodav.com/ [2007, October 17].] 

Delta 2 GPS lifts off 

A United Launch Affiance Delta 2 rocket carrying a GPS satellite lifted off at 8:23 a.m. EDT. 

"Looking good," said the commentator as the solid rocket motors separated. 

The spacecraft will separate after 68 minutes and the modernized GPS satellite will be in 

service within two weeks. Launched from Complex 17A on a Delta 2 rocket with nine 

strap-on solid rocket boosters, the sateffite, built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force, 

218
will enter an orbit 11,000 miles above the earth. Within two weeks, the satellite will be 

operational, giving improved navigation signals to military and civilian GPS units, which 

number in the tens of millions. The GPS hR-I 7 will be the 77th consecutive Delta 2 rocket 

to deliver its payload. At least 25 Delta 2 rockets remain to fly during the next few years. 

Web posted. (2007). [Delta 2 GPS lifts off [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, October 17].] 

NASA agrees to Oct. 23 shuttle launch date 

NASA officials signed off late Tuesday on the planned October 23 launch of the space 

shuttle Discovery despite concerns about some of the leading-edge wing panels on the 

orbiter. The ifight readiness review meeting Tuesday ended with officials satisfied that small 

cracks found in protective coating on several of the panels did not pose a safety risk to the 

orbiter. Previously, an independent safety office has recommended that, since the cause of 

the cracks had not been identified, the panels be replaced, a process that would have 

required rolling the shuttle back to the VAB and delay the launch by several weeks. Shuttle 

managers, though, concluded that the cracks posed an "acceptable risk" to the flight. 

Discovery is scheduled to launch on mission STS-120 at 11:38 am EDT (1538 GMT) 

Tuesday, October 23. The mission will deliver a new docking node to the International 

Space Station and also move a set of solar panels to its permanent position on the station's 

truss. Web posted. (2007). [NASA agrees to Oct. 23 shuttle launch date [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://w\vw.spaceflightno\v.com/ [2007, October 17].] 

From KSC worker to astronaut 

A former NASA orbiter and payload engineer who worked at Kennedy Space Center for 

nine years is destined to launch on a supply run to the International Space Station next year. 

The mission will be the second space flight for Joan Higginbotham, a former Titusville 

resident who worked at KSC between 1987 and 1996. Higginbotham will serve as a mission 

specialist and prime robot arm operator on flight. The mission is considered key to preparing 

the station for larger crews -- six people rather than three -- an expansion planned in 2009. 

Set for launch aboard shuttle Endeavour next September, the mission vffl involve hauling 

more than 14 tons of supplies up to the outpost, including a new galley and extra sleep 

stations required for larger crews. Higginbotham will be responsible for hoisting an Italian 

cargo carrier from the shuttle's payload bay and then berthing it to a docking port on the 

U.S. Unity module. Higginbotham also will serve as the mission's loadmaster, supervising 

the delivery of all the supplies and equipment -- a record amount for a mission to the station. 

She'll also be in charge of loading surplus equipment and trash into the cylindrical module 

and then stowing it back in the shuttle's payload bay for the return trip to Earth. Web 

posted. (2007). [From KSC worker to astronaut [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.fIoridatodav.com/ [2007, October 17].] 

October 18: NASA Honors Apollo Astronaut Donn Eisele 

NASA will honor the late astronaut retired Air Force Col. Donn F. Eisele with the 

presentation of an Ambassador of Exploration Award for his involvement in the U.S. space 

program. Eisele's wife Susan Eisele-Black will accept the award at 4 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, 

Oct. 23 at the Broward County Library, 100 South Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. 

NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in 

the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's vision of going to 

the moon. NASA also is recognizing several other key individuals who played significant 

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roles in the early space programs. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite and mounted 

for public display as inspiration to a new generation of explorers who will help us return 

humans to the moon and eventually on to Mars and beyond. The award is part of the 842 

pounds of samples collected during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972. In 

1968, Eisele was the command module pilot for the 11-day flight of Apollo VII with fellow 

astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr., and Walter Cunningham. Cunningham is expected to 

attend Tuesday's ceremony. ["NASA Honors Apollo Astronaut Donn Eisele," NASA 

Media Advisory #M07-137, October 18, 2007.1 

Astronauts scoff at drinking report 

This weekend as the seven astronauts relax before Tuesday's blastoff, the beer will be cold 

and waiting at crew quarters at Kennedy Space Center. No one will monitor how much they 

drink, no breath tests given. "We're all professionals," says Scott Kelly, commander of the 

last space shuttle mission in August. While the outside world was aghast at a medical report 

a few months ago suggesting two cases of drunkenness just before launch, the men and 

women who fly NASA's space shuttles are indignant. "It's just such an absurd thing to think 

that someone would even do that," said Kelly, a Navy commander. "I don't have the words 

to describe how ridiculous this whole thing is." He and others agree there's no harm in 

having a beer a day or two out, and he did just that. Their mission came just over a week 

after the controversial report by a special medical panel that mentioned inebriated 

astronauts, citing interviews with unnamed sources. What made the anonymous allegations 

of heavy preflight drinking even worse is that they followed by just months the arrest of Lisa 

Nowak. The lovelorn astronaut chased her former astronaut-boyfriend's new love interest 

halfway across the country and ended up in jail. She intends to plead temporary insanity. It 

was her case that led NASA to commission a panel of aerospace medical experts to look into 

the health of astronauts. Their report in late July mentioned the two unverified episodes of 

drunkenness. NASA's long-standing rule - unwritten but universally understood - is that 

alcohol is forbidden within 12 hours of a launch. No one denies that until then, "alcohol is 

freely used in crew quarters," as the astronaut health panel stated in its report. It based its 

fmdings on astronauts and flight surgeons who were promised anonymity. There still is no 

conclusive evidence that any astronauts have been intoxicated right before launch. NASA's 

own hunt for details came up empty after poring over 20 years' worth of records and 

contacting key players. The chairman of the independent astronaut health panel that issued 

the report, Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann Jr., contends the sources of the confidential 

information are too afraid to speak up. NASA is following up with an anonymous survey of 

its astronauts and flight surgeons. At the same time, the space agency hopes to have in place 

by year's end a code of conduct that spells out the prelaunch drinking ban. "If there was 

anything that created a problem for us, frankly it was the report," said retired Air Force Col. 

Pamela Meiroy, the commander of the upcoming mission on Discovery. Web posted. 

(2007). [Astronauts scoff at drinking report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v.chron.com/ [2007, October 18].] 

NASA terminates FUSE mission after eight years 

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) mission is drawing to a close after 

eight years in space, NASA announced Oct. 17. The FUSE satellite became inoperable in 

July when it lost its ability to point accurately at areas of interest. Launched in 1999, FUSE 

helped scientists answer important questions about the conditions in the universe 

immediately following the Big Bang, how chemicals disperse throughout galaxies, and the 

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composition of mterstellar gas clouds, according to NASA. The agency will formally 

terminate the mission Oct. 18. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace 

Daily & Defense Report Re: "NASA terminates FUSE mission after eight years," 

[Electronic]. Vol. 224, No.14, [2007, October 18].] 

October 19: Columbus hatch closed for last time 

Preparations of the European Columbus laboratory took an important step earlier this week 

with the final closure of the module's hatch ahead of the December launch to the 

International Space Station. Although there was no formal ceremony to mark the occasion, 

the hatch closure is an important milestone for all involved. "This means we are 99% ready 

for ffight," explains Bernardo Patti, ESA's Columbus Project Manager. "All the activities 

related to the pressurized volume are finished. The work left to be done on the exterior is 

considered to be minor." The 8-metre long Columbus laboratory is currently under 

preparation for flight at the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy 

Space Center (KSC), in Florida. The team at KSC has worked hard over the past weeks to 

meet the schedule. "The last checkouts were completed - the module worked perfectly and 

all the health checks were successful," says Patti. After power shutdown the team 

performed a meticulous check of each zone inside the module. The hatch was then closed to 

80%, leaving a gap to allow for final air purge, before being fully closed late on Tuesday 

afternoon. Patti: "The next time the hatch is opened will be in orbit, allowing the astronauts 

to enter the module for the very first time." Next up for Columbus is a Payload Readiness 

Review which is expected to give the green light for moving the module to the canister - a 

large container in which Columbus will be taken to the launch pad early in November ready 

to be placed inside the Space Shuttle's cargo bay. Web posted. (2007). [Columbus hatch 

closed for last time [Online]. Available \XTWW: http://www.esa.int/ [2007, October 19].] 

First female commander takes ISS helm 

For the first time in history, a female astronaut has taken command of a space station. 

Veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (far right in image), on her second extended 

duration mission aboard the International Space Station, was given command of the orbiting 

space complex in a ceremony at 2:15 p.m. Eastern today. Her first order of business, 

recognizing the work done by her predecessor, soon-to-depart Russian commander Fyodor 

Yurchikhin. !J would really like to say that a lot of people on the ground in Moscow, and 

Huntsville, and Houston, appreciate all of the good work you've done," Whitson said. "It's 

been a very impressive mission." They exchanged a hug and matter-of-factly handed over 

control of the outpost. Web posted. (2007). [First female commander takes ISS helm 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, 

October 19].]

NASA probes dangerous incident with Shuttle Training Aircraft 

One of the three NASA Gulfstream Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is grounded following 

an Oct. 19 incident in which the left wingtip of an STA flying a normal aircraft landing 

approach to the shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., struck the upper branches of 

a tree during its final approach. Had the aircraft - already flying too low - been just slightly 

lower, the tree impact could have caused a potentially fatal crash. The STA had just 

completed flying steep shuttle training approaches with an astronaut in the left seat of the 

aircraft configured like the shuttle cockpit. The normal shallow landing approach - not a 

simulated shuttle approach - to end the flight and return to the ramp was being flown by the 

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aircraft's non-astronaut safety pilot in the right seat equipped with standard Gulfstream 

controls. Under normal NASA aircraft mishap investigation rules, the agency will not 

release the name of the safety pilot in command, the astronaut in the left seat, the center seat 

non-astronaut flight engineer and one other person onboard the aircraft until the agency 

forms a team to investigate the incident. However, NASA says the astronaut who was 

onboard was not piloting at the time and is neither a member of the STS-120 crew nor the 

STS-122 crew set for launch as early as Dec. 6. No one on the aircraft was injured during 

the incident and, except for hitting the tree, the STA made a normal safe landing. The crew 

did not even know they had hit the tree until ground personnel found minor damage to the 

left wing tip and tree debris lodged in the aircraft. The incident occurred during poor 

weather that had quickly moved into the area toward the end of the training session with the 

astronaut piloting steep shuttle approaches. The events indicate that, for reasons yet to be 

determined, the STA descended well below the safe approach altitude several hundred feet 

prior to the runway threshold. There are no trees near the threshold of either end of the 

runway at Kennedy. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & 

Defense Report Re: "NASA probes dangerous incident with Shuttle Training Aircraft," 

[Electronic]. Vol. 224, No.17, [2007, October 231.1 

October 23: Ice rule waiver being worked on to allow launch 

The launch team is planning to push ahead despite an ice chunk on a liquid hydrogen fuel 

line, it appears based on the discussion in the Launch Control Center. A team is working on 

the rationale for flying with a piece of ice on the pipe, near where it connects to the orbiter. 

The launch team also is attempting to get concurrence from everyone involved that the 

rationale is solid for flight. The final inspection team completed their inspection of a fourinch piece of ice on the fuel line bracket. "It appears it ts possible the ice could be 

diminishing in size," said the NASA T\T commentator. Pictures from cameras at the pad 

seem to indicate less ice than was present before. The ice was found on the 17-inch liquid 

hydrogen umbilical fuel line that goes into the tank. The ice appeared to be 4 inches by 1.5 

inches in diameter. The shuttle team is also looking into a slight hazardous gas in the aft of 

the orbiter. An "extremely minor" measurement of liquid hydrogen gas in the aft 

compartment is the issue. The early analysis is that it won't be an issue for launch because 

the amount is so tiny. Web posted. (2007). [Ice rule waiver being worked on to allow 

launch [Online]. Available WW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog 

[2007, October 23.]

George Lucas visits KSC for launch 

Filmmaker George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, is among NASA's VIP guests for today's 

shuttle launch. Lucas is expected to be here, in part, because the original lightsaber used by 

the character Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy is aboard the space shuttle 

today. The iconic prop is getting a ride to orbit to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1977 

release of the original "Star Wars" film (later renamed A New Hope as the fourth piece of a 

six-film series). In the films, Sky\valker and other Jedi Knights use the futuristic swords in a 

battle against the evil Galactic Empire. Star Wars fans gathered at a Houston airport earlier 

this year as the lightsaber was handed over to NASA officials. It was on display at the 

Johnson Space Center's tourist complex through Labor Day before being shipped here to 

Florida for stowage on Discovery's middeck. Among the other big names on the list of 

expected VIP guests include former New York Yankees baseball player and current 

broadcaster Bobby Mercer and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Several members of Congress and 

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foreign dignitaries are here as well. Web posted. (2007). [George Lucas visits KSC for 

launch [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog 

[2007, October 23.]

Shuttle Blasts Off Toward Space Station 

Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven rocketed into orbit Tuesday in pursuit of the 

international space station, where a formidable construction job awaits them. Discovery 

blasted off at 11:38 a.m., ducking through clouds. It carried a giant Tinkertoy-type link that 

must be installed at the space station before European and Japanese laboratories can arrive. 

Despite a forecast caUing for rain right at launch time, the weather ended up cooperating. 

And a chunk of ice on plumbing between the external fuel tank and Discovery - 4 inches by 

1 1/2 inches (10.2-centimeter by 3.8-centimeter) - was deemed too small by NASA to pose a 

serious launch hazard. It appeared to be melting as the countdown entered its fmal minutes. 

Launch director Mike Leinbach wished the crew good luck and Godspeed just before liftoff. 

"We're ready to take Harmony to her new home," replied Commander Pamela Meiroy, 

referring to the new space station compartment aboard Discovery. Discovery's crew 

includes an Italian astronaut making his first spaceffight, Paolo Nespoli. "It's nice to be in 

space," Nespoli radioed minutes after reaching orbit. Discovery's fuel tank was modified 

following the last mission to prevent dangerous ice buildup from the super-cold liquid 

hydrogen and oxygen, and reduce the potential for launch debris. The patch of ice that had 

NASA scrambling less than two hours before launch cropped up on a pipe that carries the 

hydrogen from the tank into the shutde, and was stuck mostly to a baggy material. It 

appeared to harmlessly break loose at the moment of liftoff, as NASA suspected it would. 

At least six pieces of foam insulation fell off the fuel tank during liftoff, but it was well past 

the crucial first two minutes and therefore posed no risk to Discovery, said Bill 

Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. The shuttle wings, however, were not altered 

in any \vay, even though a safety engineering group pressed for a delay because of concern 

over three panels with possible flaws. Meiroy, only the second woman to lead a shuttle 

mission, expressed her confidence late last week about flying Discovery, as have many of the 

senior managers who decided to skip wing repairs. A possible cracking problem with the 

protective coating on three of the wing panels was deemed an acceptably low risk. 

Discovery and its crew are embarking on a two-week mission that is considered the most 

challenging and complex in the nine years of orbital assembly of the international space 

station. Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle Blasts Off Toward Space Station [Online]. Available 

TWW: http://\v\vw.cbsnews.com/ [2007, October 23].] 

Moon rocket on track for 2013 launch 

NASA officials unveiled an ambitious testing schedule Monday that forecasts a shorter gap 

between the end of the space shuttle program and the first test flight with a crewed of the 

proposed Ares I rocket and Orion crew exploration vehicle. The Ares-Orion system, 

together known as Constellation, is now targeted to launch astronauts on a test flight to the 

International Space Station in September 2013, only three years after the shuttle program 

ends in 2010. The third and final crewed Ares I test flight is scheduled for September 2014. 

While operational flights would not begin until 2015, the U.S. might have the capability to 

get people to the ISS two years earlier, possibly making NASA less dependent on the 

Russians if the test flights remain on track. The firming up of the launch schedule could be 

good news for Brevard County. Some officials had estimated the system might not be 

available for human ffights until 2014 or 2915, although NASA has said it wanted to 

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accelerate plans. The shorter the gap between the shuttle and its replacement, the fewer 

space jobs may be affected at KSC. NASA has spread work for the Ares rocket program 

across the 10 NASA centers, including Kennedy Space Center, where work on the 

parachutes is taking place. KSC also will be the launch operations center for the new rockets 

and the Orion human spacecraft envisioned to replace the shuttles. KSC also will be home 

to the fmal assembly and integration of the crew vehicle. Work on the transition is already 

under way. In December of this year, the final design decisions on the Orion spacecraft and 

the crew vehicle \vffl be made. Some 5,000 pounds have been trimmed from the crew 

module and second stage to make sure that the launch vehicle's first stage can handle the 

weight. Web posted. (2007). [Moon rocket on track for 2013 launch [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /ww\v. floridatoda y.com/ [2007, October 231.] 

October 24: Crist shows support for shuttle program 

Wowed by the launch of shuttle Discovery, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday that 

NASA and the space program are vital to the state's economic future. "NASA in Florida is a 

huge economic engine and creates tremendous vibrancy for the state, and so we have to 

show the appreciation for what this program does for our state," Crist said after Discovery 

and seven astronauts blasted off on an International Space Station assembly mission. Grist 

and an entourage traveled to Kennedy Space Center for the launch, which was the third of 

four planned this year. It was the fifth time Grist has been to KSC for a shuttle launch. "It 

was awesome. I mean, absolutely fantastic. You know, to have the opportunity as the 

governor of Florida, it's very humbling to see this happen from our state," he said. "It's just 

exciting, and I know the economic import, particularly to the Space Coast. I get it." NASA 

business resulted in a total economic impact of $3.6 billion in 2006. The agency managed 

some 1,731 contracts in the state, and the 13,630 people working at Kennedy Space Center 

earned an average of $72,000. Grist said the state government already is looking for ways to 

offset any job loss that might come in the wake of the shutdown of the shuttle program in 

September 2010. The state anted up $45 million to bring the fmal assembly and integration 

on NASA's Orion spacecraft to the state, work that is expected to generate 300 to 400 jobs. 

Web posted. (2007). [Grist shows support for shuttle program [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatoday.com/ The Flame Trench blog [2007, October 241.1 

'Outstanding' performance from Discovery's fuel tank 

The shuttle Discovery's foam-covered external fuel tank performed well during launch 

Tuesday, NASA officials said today, shedding only a half-dozen pieces of insulation - all well 

after the period when such debris can pose an impact hazard - with no signs of damage to 

the orbiter's heat shield. John Shannon, chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team, 

said a preliminary assessment of launch imagery, television shots from the shuttle during the 

climb to space and imagery shot by the astronauts as Discovery separated from the tank in 

space showed no major problems. "We have not seen anything that would cause us any 

concern at all," he told reporters after an unusually short MMT meeting Wednesday. "We'll 

continue to look, we'll look at the solid rocket booster videos on Friday to make sure that's 

true, but there was nothing of any mass at all that was released during that (aerodynamically 

critical) time. Even the material that was released later on, we don't think it was anything that 

could have caused damage." Today, the Discovery astronauts inspected the shuttle's 

reinforced carbon carbon - RCC - nose cap and wing leading edge panels using a laser 

scanner and a high-resolution digital camera. While the analysis is not yet complete, 

engineers have not seen any obvious signs of trouble with any of the critical panels, 

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including three that raised concern before launch because of degradation in a protective 

coating. 'The performance of the tank was outstanding," Shannon said. "The tank really 

performed vell. The RCC imagery, it was the same thing, no one has seen anything that was 

of any concern to them. They do a much more detailed analysis as the evening goes on, we'll 

continue to look at it, but there was really nothing. ... Right now we have no TPS (thermal 

protection system) issues at all." External tank No. 120 was jokingly referred to as 

"Frankentank" by NASA insiders because of extensive foam dissection and modification 

work carried out in the wake of earlier problems. ET-120 was assigned to the first postColumbia mission and was fueled twice before being replaced because of problems with 

hydrogen tank fuel sensors. The tank was sent back to Lockheed Martin's Michoud 

Assembly Facility in New Orleans to serve as a test article in the wake of a major foam loss 

during the first post-Columbia flight. It later was returned to flight status and assigned to 

Discovery. Shannon said ET-120's performance during Discovery's launch was not a 

surprise, saying "I'm extremely confident in the tanks we're flying now, but we're just making 

them better." Web posted. (2007). ['Outstanding' performance from Discovery's fuel tank 

[Online]. Available W\X/W: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, October 24].] 

Astronauts check Discovery's heat shield 

Discovery's seven astronauts conducted a painstaking inspection of the space shuttle 

Wednesday, focusing especially on three wing panels to make sure possible cracks spotted 

beneath the shuttle's protective coating hadn't worsened. The inspection came on the first 

full day of what NASA considers to be the most complicated international space station 

construction mission yet. The shuttle was to reach the station Thursday. Commander 

Pamela Meiroy and her crew used a laser and camera-tipped inspection boom to check 

Discovery's wings and nose. The check is standard since a strike by a slab of fuel-tank foam 

created a hole in Columbia's wing in 2003, downing the shuttle. But the astronauts went a 

little more slowly to capture more detailed images of three of 44 wing panels where it is 

possible there are cracks beneath the coating. NASA said last week that a new inspection 

method, conducted before flight, uncovered the possible degradation. As the inspections 

were winding down late Wednesday morning, Flight director Rick LaBrode said that neither 

he nor others had spotted any problems of significance. The images will be examined in 

excruciating detail over the new few days, however, by experts on the ground. Web posted. 

(2007). [Astronauts check Discovery's heat shield [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, October 24].] 

October 26: Aerospace firm plans 150 new jobs at KSC 

While many aerospace companies dread the end of the shuttle program in 2010, ASRC 

Aerospace Corp. is gearing up for the next phase of U.S. space flight. The company this 

year plans to add about 150 people to its work force of 450 in Brevard County. "We have 

been hiring electrical engineers," said Pedro Medelius, ASRC Aerospace's associate program 

manager and chief scientist. Medelius declined to give a total payroll figure. However, he 

said that with the new positions, ASRC would inject an additional $10 million into the 

Brevard economy. The company has about 100 projects at Kennedy Space Center. One of 

the most complex projects deals with lightning protection. The company carefully studies 

how lightning strikes and how the associated magnetism could affect launch operations for 

the shuttle fleet. The company also has designed lightning arrestors to protect the Ares 

rocket, which will replace the shuttle. The company also has completed the analysis and 

design of a concept for an electrostatic shield to protect a lunar base. ASRC Aerospace was 

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formed about 10 years ago by a group of Inuit Indians from Alaska who were looking for a 

place to invest profits from oil leases. The company had 220 employees at KSC in 2003. 

Web posted. (2007). [Aerospace firm plans 150 new jobs at KSC [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, October 26].] 

NASA still sitting on union lawsuit 

The Machinists union said Thursday what will happen with its lawsuit against NASA remains 

undecided, calling it "a separate issue that has to be dealt with." The lawsuit, filed in August 

in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., charges NASA with interfering in the contract 

negotiations between the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 

Local 2061 and United Space Affiance, NASA's main space shuttle contractor. The suit also 

accuses NASA of pressuring the company to take hard-line bargaining positions that led to 

and has continued the union's strike. A federal judge has granted NASA extra time to file a 

response to the lawsuit, said Bob Wood, the Machinists union's Southern Territory 

spokesman. NASA representatives declined to comment on the litigation. United Space 

Affiance spokeswoman Tracy Yates said the allegations in the suit are "false." She said the 

company has been solely responsible for its bargaining positions. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA still sitting on union lawsuit [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday.com/ [2007, October 26].] 

Union, USA labor talks to resume 

After more than four months on the picket lines, representatives of the Machinists union at 

Kennedy Space Center and United Space Affiance will head back to the bargaining table. At 

the behest of a federal mediator, representatives for the company and the International 

Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 2061 are scheduled to 

resume negotiations Monday and Tuesday in Cape Canaveral. The company -- a joint 

venture of aerospace and defense giants The Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. -- is 

NASA's main shuttle contractor. The union began the strike 135 days ago, on June 14, after 

contract negotiations reached a standstill for the union's roughly 500 members who perform 

a variety of mechanical and maintenance jobs in the shuttle program. About 440 of the 

workers are still on strike. The two sides returned to the bargaining table last month, but 

negotiations broke down after one day. Yates indicated that since the strike began, the 

company has withdrawn its offer to provide pensions for newly hired workers represented 

by the union. Instead, the company has offered them only 401 (k) retirement savings plans. 

Currently, union members can receive both. Yates said the no-pension offer for new hires 

would be similar to new contracts the company has reached with its other employee 

bargaining units. Web posted. (2007). [Union, USA labor talks to resume [Online]. 

Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, October 26].] 

October 29 Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-102907. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: 

International Space Station; Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 23, 2007; Expected KSC 

Landing Date: Nov. 7, 2007; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli 

and Tam; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Today is Flight Day 7 

for STS-120. Discovery is on orbit after launching from Pad 39A at KSC at 11:38 a.m. on 

Oct. 23. The mission has been extended one additional day to allow additional time for 

further inspection of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. Landing is now scheduled for 

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Wednesday, Nov. 7. The deorbit burn will occur at 2:35 a.m. with landing at Kennedy Space 

Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at 3:38 a.m. EST. At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air 

Force Station, the initial inspections and assessments of the pair of solid rocket boosters is 

complete, and there are no significant issues or concerns. Mission: STS-122 - 24th 

International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: 

Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Walheim; Inclination! 

Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay No. 1, 

the Atlantis weight and center of gravity determination is being performed today. The aft, 

forward and midbody closeout work is complete. Orbiter system functional tests have also 

been completed, and the vehicle is powered down for rollover. Tire pressures were adjusted 

for a final time on Friday, and the thermography of the RCC leading edge wing panels was 

also finished. Based on visual inspections of Discovery, a final thermal blanket inspection is 

being performed today on the orbital maneuvering system pods. A final routine tile 

inspection of the vehicle is also being performed. Atlantis will be installed onto the orbiter 

transporter on Tuesday. Rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building is currently planned for 7 

a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. In high bay No. 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, mate closeout 

work continues on the STS-122 external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. At Pad 39-A, 

pad turnaround activities continue in preparation for the rollout of space shuttle Atlantis 

from the Vehicle Assembly Building, currently targeted for Nov. 11. Mission: STS-123 - 

25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility 

bay No. 2, removal and replacement of windows No. I through 6 are now complete. Drag 

chute installation is complete. Leak checks of the main propulsion system are continuing. 

Work is under way to configure the payload bay for the STS-123 cargo. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /\vw\v.nasa.gov /centers /kcnnedv/shuttleoperations /status /_2007 /index.html [2007, 

October 29].] 

October 30: Discovery Hit by Debris 

Space shuttle Discovery appears to have been hit by debris in orbit, NASA said Tuesday. 

Mission Control noted a strike in orbit to the space shuttle Tuesday morning. The debris hit 

the leading edge of the left wing of Discovery and was three times stronger than any 

previous space debris hit. Mission managers are now working to decide how much of a 

concern the debris hit is. A problem with solar arrays on the International Space Station also 

kept the crew busy. NASA video spotted a tear in one of the solar arrays on the ISS, as 

crews were working to unfurl them during a spacewalk Tuesday. The solar arrays gather 

power for the station. The tear posed a critical problem for the ISS, especially since the 

astronauts discovered a problem with the rotating solar array over the weekend. The arrays 

are necessary to ensure that the ISS has enough power as new parts are installed to the 

station. Astronauts Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock started the mission's third 

spacewalk about an hour early. Space shuttle Discovery is expected to return to the 

Kennedy Space Center during the pre-davn hours of Nov. 7. Web posted. (2007). 

[Discovery hit by debris [Online]. Available W'(7W: http://www.cfnews13.com/ [2007, 

October 30].]

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October 31: Cape conference aims to attract space industry 

Attracting new jobs in the space industry could be the result of a conference Thursday, 

sponsored by Space Florida, the state agency charged with developing the space industry 

statewide. About 100 members of the commercial space industry wifi attend. They range 

from investors to members of the government who are trying to encourage private groups to 

build rockets. The conference will culminate with a groundbreaking at launch complex 40, 

where Internet tycoon Elon Musk plans to build and launch a test rocket as early as next 

year. "I think we're getting some serious people here," said Space Florida President Steve 

Kohier, who helped bring 33,000 jobs to Pennsylvania through a program of government 

incentives. "It's an indication to the rest of the marketplace that Florida can be serious," 

Kohler said. Brevard County faces the loss of 3,000 to 5,000 high-paying space industry jobs 

when the space shuttle program ends in 2010. Several states and NASA are trying to court 

commercial space travel interests. Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, commander of the 45th Space 

Wing, will deliver the keynote address. A veteran of five space ffights, Helms has logged 211 

days in space, including a spacewalk of eight hours and 56 minutes, a world record. 

Kennedy Space Center Director William Parsons will deliver a welcome message. Web 

posted. (2007). [Cape conference alms to attract space industry [Online]. Available W'T\X/: 

http: / /www. floridatodav.com / [2007, October 311.1 

NASA chooses KSC as lunar lander assembly site 

Kennedy Space Center workers will assemble the next lunar landers and help engineer 

habitats, surface vehicles and other equipment that will make up the United States' first 

moon base, NASA announced Tuesday. The new assignments expand Kennedy's role in the 

NASA moon program beyond just launch and into manufacturing and research and 

development projects that are crucial to the area's ability to weather the retirement of the 

space shuttles in 2010. NASA has said it is trying to divvy up moon work so no one site 

bears the brunt of economic losses from the shuttle shutdown. No dollar values or job 

totals were available. Budgets are yet to be finalized and contracts have not been awarded. 

However, the types of big projects assigned Tuesday have the potential to generate enough 

jobs to replace many of the estimated 2,500 to 3,500 shuttle jobs forecast to be lost around 

2011. No reliable estimate, or even range, of jobs will be available until NASA finalizes the 

detailed requirements of each project. Funding for the moon program will not reach 

NASA's 10 field centers until 2011, so space agency officials still worry about losing key 

personnel before the end of the shuttle program. However, knowing what work will be done 

here helps KSC managers and workers see an incentive for staying on through the transition. 

Web posted. (2007). [NASA chooses KSC as lunar lander assembly site [Online]. Available 

WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, October 31].] 

During October: Atlas V Payloads 

NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission and Juno, its Jupiter probe, both will use United 

Launch Affiance Atlas V boosters for the 2011 liftoffs under new contracts that were 

announced. Landsat will use a 401 configuration - a 4-meter (13-ft.) fairing and no strap-on 

boosters - for a launch from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg AFB, CA. The larger 

Juno payload will require the Atlas V 551 configuration of a 5-meter payload fairing and five 

strap-on solid rocket motor boosters to propel it to Jupiter. It will be launched from Cape 

Canaveral, AFS, FL. ["Atlas V Payloads," Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 

15, 2007, p 18.]

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Shake, Rattle and Roll 

Engineers plan to use the next test of the space shuttle's reusable solid rocket motor (RSRM) 

Nov. 1 to get more data on vibration loads to be imparted on the planned RSRM-derived 

Ares I crew launch vehicle's first stage. In a "one-APU-out" test, engineers will validate the 

performance of the rocket's thrust vector control system with only one of its two Auxiliary 

Power Units (APUs) working. The APUs power the hydraulic system that gimbals the 

rocket's nozzle in ascent. ATK, prime contractor for the RSRM and Ares I's first stage, tests 

full-scale RSRMs roughly twice a year in Promontory, Utah. It has been adding 

instrumentation to guide the next-generation Ares I's development since last year. ["Shake, 

Rattle and Roll," Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 29, 2007, p 20.] 

Finding Funding 

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (Nustar) is back, after reversal of a 2006 

agency decision to halt its funding because the Science Mission Directorate was running out 

of money. The Small Explorer-class mission, capped at $120 million, will count black holes 

with a focusing hard X-ray detector consisting of three aligned grazing incidence mirrors at 

the end of a deployable mast, all kept in the proper configuration with laser metrology. Now 

set for a 2011 launch, the Pegasus-class mission will map the sky from equatorial orbit with 

about 500 times the sensitivity to hard X-rays as previous instruments. ["Finding Funding," 

Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 1, 2007, p 18.] 

Constellation: Key Dates 

April 2009: Test flight of an escape tower that would help get the crew and spacecraft away 

from a failing launch vehicle in an emergency. September 2012: First unmanned test of the 

Ares I rocket. September 2013: First test ffight of the Ares I launcher and Orion crew 

exploration vehicle, with humans on board, to the International Space Station. March 2014: 

Second test flight of Ares and Orion with crew. September 2014: Third test mission with 

crew. ["Constellation challenge: lose weight," Florida Today, October 23, 2007, p 5A.] 

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NOVEMBER 

November 1: Columbus sails into space next month 

The European Columbus module is buttoned up and ready to be installed in shuttle Atlantis 

on Nov. 12 for an early December trip to the International Space Station. The European 

Space Agency laboratory will ride into space 15 years after its original launch date in 1992, 

which was planned to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival 

in America. The Columbus module will carry four major science racks and two solar 

experiments to be mounted outside the module. On an 11-day mission scheduled to launch 

in early December, the shuttle's robot arm will place the 25-foot-by-13 foot Columbus onto 

the Harmony module, where it will remain. ["Columbus sails into space next month," 

Florida Today, November 1, 2007, p 6A.} 

Conference attracts space entrepreneurs 

A year after its creation, Space Flight stepped up a coordinated effort to attract the 

commercial space industry to Brevard County by hosting a commercial space conference 

focusing on bringing new spacecraft and jobs to Brevard County. The conference Thursday 

introduced four leading space industry pioneers to about 50 state officials and space industry 

insiders. These entrepreneurs have attracted millions in investment, said Frank A. DiBello, 

chairman and CEO of ITV Group Inc. With the shuttle program ending in 2010, and a 

huge budget deficit likely preventing NASA's budget from growing, private industry could 

step in to save some 3,000 to 5,000 jobs that could be lost when the shuttle stops flying. 

The four leading space entrepreneurs are: Elon Musk, Internet tycoon, has launched tvo 

rockets with limited success. He has 370 employees and expects to have a Falcon 9 rocket 

on Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral by the end of next year. Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, 

chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE foundation, is overseeing the Google Lunar X PRIZE. 

Some $30 million is offered to a private group that lands a mechanized rover on the moon 

and returns photos to Earth. Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Aerospace, a contractor and hotel 

owner, has funded the launch of two flexible space habitats on Russian rockets. The 

company this week signed a letter of intent to work with Space Florida to help attract 

commercial rockets to Cape Canaveral. Jeff Greason, president of XCOR Aerospace, leads 

a California company that is designing a rocket from the engine up. It has developed several 

new rocket engines that might be used by other companies. The company plans to build a 

suborbital space plane that can carry a pilot and passenger, take off horizontally and glide 

back to earth. The runway at KSC's shuttle landing facility could be a spot from which to 

launch this venture. ["Conference attracts space entrepreneurs," Florida Today, 

November 2, 2007, p 3A.] 

November 2: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-110207. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: 

International Space Station; Launch Date: Oct. 23, 2007; Expected IKSC Landing Date: Nov. 

7, 2007; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tam; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On orbit, Flight Day 10 for 

mission STS-1 20 has been completed. Planned activities for Flight Day 11 on Saturday 

involve configuring Discovery and the International Space Station for the mission's fourth 

spacewalk, on which the astronauts will perform solar array repair activities. Landing of 

Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center is currently planned for Wednesday, Nov. 7. 

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Available landing times are 1:02 p.m. EST on orbit 238 and 2:35 p.m. EST on orbit 239. 

Mission: STS-122 - 24th International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: 

Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1; Launch Date: Targeted for 

Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A. Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin 

and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 1, Atlantis has been placed on the orbiter transporter in 

preparation for rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The transfer is planned to begin 

at 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. Activities to attach Atlantis to the external tank/solid rocket 

booster stack will start once the orbiter is in the Vehicle Assembly Building by attaching the 

lifting sling. The shuttle interface test to verify that all the space shuttle elements are working 

as a fully integrated launch vehicle will begin on Nov. 7. Rollout from the VAB to Launch 

Pad 39A is scheduled for 4 a.m. Nov. 10. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space 

Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing 

Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, 

Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, installation of 

replacement overhead window No. 7 has been completed. Replacement overhead window 

No. 8 is scheduled for Monday. A new reinforced carbon-carbon panel, RCC No. 10 right 

(bR), was temporarily installed on Thursday for measurements. Final installation is expected 

to occur late next week. Also on Thursday, technicians successfully completed the orbiter 

vent door functional test. Thermal protection system work continues on the main landing 

gear doors, wings, elevons and orbital maneuvering system pods. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /wvw.nasa.gov/centers/kennedv/ shuttleoperations/status /2007 /indcx.html [2007, 

November 2.]

Internet mogul breaks ground on commercial launch complex 

Before breaking ground on a new launch complex Thursday, Internet mogul-turned-rocket 

developer Elon Musk compared readying a rocket for launch from the Cape to opening on 

Broadway. "We expect to send people to the space station," said Musk, who plans to have a 

Falcon 9 rocket at the historic Launch Complex 40 by late 2008. "I can't say for sure when 

we'll launch," he added. The launch pad will undergo minor modifications, and Musk plans 

to build a hangar to hold the rocket horizontally until it is rolled to the pad and erected. 

Musk said that just as cars, computers and cellular phones get better and cheaper each year, 

so can rockets. Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, 45th Space Wing commander, welcomed the 

entrepreneur. At a conference before the groundbreaking, she said overseeing the safety of 

the new rockets would require the Air Force to make an extra effort. "We're in a partnership 

to make this all work," said Helms, a former astronaut. "We all see value in enabling these 

new capabilities. There is no intent to relax safety standards." Web posted. (2007). [Internet 

mogul breaks ground on commercial launch complex [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoday .com/ [2007, November 2].] 

Space contractor makes new offer 

NASA contractor United Space Alliance, after four days of talks with representatives for the 

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061 in Cape 

Canaveral, has a new contract offer on the table for the striking workers. The union 

membership will hear details on the contract offer at a 10 a.m. meeting Sunday. "Neither us, 

nor the company, are releasing any details until we can present it to our membership," said 

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Bob Wood, the union's southern territory communications representative. The contract 

standoff between the Machinists union and United Space Affiance has turned into the 

union's longest strike ever at Kennedy Space Center. The strike began June 14. About 440 

members of Local 2061 are on strike, and continue to staff picket lines in shifts around the 

clock at space center entrances. Last month Local 2061 officials traveled to the Washington, 

D.C., area to meet with federal officials, mediators and top-level machinist union officials 

about the strike. About that time, United Space Affiance began advertising to hire workers 

to fill the strikers' jobs. The company already has hired 149 subcontractors and enlisted 163 

nonunion United Space Affiance employees to help perform the strikers' jobs. Wood 

refused to characterize how the membership might vote on United Space Affiance's latest 

contract offer. Web posted. (2007). [Space contractor makes new offer [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www.floridatoda y. corn! [2007, November 2].] 

Evidence against Former Astronaut Tossed 

A judge agreed Friday to toss much of the evidence against Lisa Nowak, a former astronaut 

accused of making a diaper-assisted, 1,000-mile drive to confront a woman vying for the 

affections of the same space shuttle pilot. Investigators took advantage of 44-year-old 

Nowak, who had not slept for more than 24 hours, coercing her into giving information in a 

lengthy arrest interview, Orange County Circuit Judge Marc L. Lubet said. Lubet granted a 

defense motion to throw out comments she made during the six-hour interview and items 

seized during a search of her BMW, including maps to alleged victim Colleen Shipman's 

home, large garbage bags, latex gloves and some soiled toddler-sized diapers. Nowak's 

defense steadfastly denies she ever wore or soiled them to avoid stopping during her drive 

from Houston, but a detective said Nowak told him she had. Nowak was arrested in 

February after allegedly confronting Shiprnan, the girlfriend of former space shuttle pilot Bill 

Oefelein. Authorities say Nowak stalked Shipman at the Orlando airport and tried to get into 

her car, then attacked her with pepper spray. Shipman was able to drive away. The ruling 

was a big win for the defense. But evidence from a duffel bag Nowak was carrying - a steel 

mallet, buck knife, BB gun resembling a real 9mm handgun, gloves and six feet of rubber 

tubing - remains in the case. Web posted. (2007). [Evidence against Former Astronaut 

Tossed [Online]. Available WWW: http:/Rvww.newsvine.com/ [2007, November 2].] 

November 3: Vanguard Approaches Half a Century in Space 

On March 17, 2008, the Vanguard One sateffite, the oldest object in space from Planet 

Earth, will complete its 50th year in Earth orbit. Web posted. (2007). [Vanguard 

Approaches Half a Century in Space [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.spaceref.corn/ [2007, November 3].] 

November 4: NASA workers' strike ends with contract 

The nearly five-month strike of about 500 workers involved in space-shuttle launch 

operations at Kennedy Space Center ended today with ratification of a new contract, 

according to a news release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace 

Workers Local 2061. The workers include machinists, electrical technicians, crane operators 

and people who drive the giant crawler that gets the shuttle to the launch pad. They went on 

strike June 14 after negotiations for a new three-year contract broke down between the 

union and United Space Affiance, the consortium that maintains the shuttle fleet for NASA. 

The primary impasse was over union concerns about rising health-care costs and pension 

provisions. The strike didn't appear to affect the current shuttle mission. United Space 

232
Affiance officials said earlier that they employed substitutes and subcontractors to fill in fir 

the striking workers represented less than 10 percent of the company'sFlorida workforce. 

United Space Affiance is a joint venture between the Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. 

Web posted. (2007). [NASA workers' strike ends with contract [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.spaceref.com/ [2007, November 4].] 

November 5: NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery Set to Land Wednesday 

The space shuttle Discovery crew is scheduled to complete a 15-day mission to the 

International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 

Wednesday, Nov. 7. The STS-120 mission began Oct. 23 and delivered the Harmony 

module to the station, relocated the P6 truss and featured four spacewaiks. During the 

fourth spacewalk, the crew repaired a torn solar array on the P6 truss, enabling them to fully 

deploy the array. NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before 

permitting Discovery to return to Earth. Wednesday landing opportunities are at 1:01 p.m. 

and 2:36 p.m. EST. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White 

Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be activated on Wednesday. ["NASA's Space Shuttle 

Discovery Set to Land Wednesday," NASA Media Advisory #M07-153, November 5, 

2007.]

Show roars to conclusion 

The air crackled as roaring engines pushed the fighter jets faster. The planes swooped down, 

pitching and rolling, inducing awe from the crowd. "This is unbelievable," said Ray Giles of 

Kissirnmee, after the Air Force's F-16 Thunderbirds made one of their signature intricate 

maneuvers, a high-speed inverted pass. Giles joined almost 7,000 visitors Sunday at the 

inaugural World Space Expo at the Kennedy Space Center, celebrating 50 years of space 

exploration as well as the 60th anniversary of the Air Force. It concluded the four-day expo, 

which featured static displays of early spacecraft, a robotics competition, and an air show 

highlighted by the Thunderbirds and an F-22 Raptor. Spectators boarded 44 buses at the 

Visitor Complex and rode out to the air show viewing area along the Banana River. They 

crowded near ropes set along the riverbanks and pointed their fingers, cameras and 

binoculars skyward as planes, including an F/A-I 8 Super Hornet and a World War IT-era P51, maneuvered in the clear, blue sky. They marveled as the 920th Rescue Wing 

demonstrated its search and rescue operations, featuring Blackhawk helicopters that hovered 

over the water. Web posted. (2007). [Show roars to conclusion [Online]. Available WWW: 

http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, November 5].] 

Shuttle to fly across U.S. on return to Earth 

Discovery's astronauts aim to take a victory lap around the International Space Station today 

and head to the first atmospheric re-entry over America's heartland since the 2003 Columbia 

accident. Final plans are being tweaked, but a switch to a daylight landing wifi result in a 

flight trajectory that takes the shuttle orbiter across the country. Accident investigators 

urged NASA to mitigate over-flight risks after shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry, showering 40 tons of debris on sparsely populated areas of east Texas and Louisiana. 

The switch from a planned predawn landing was done to reduce the difficulty of guiding an 

orbiter to a safe touchdown when a mission commander has but one shot at getting it right. 

"I can tell you just from hail talk with some of the other astronauts, the commander and 

pilot types, there's no question -- and it makes sense to me -- that a daylight landing is easier 

than a night landing," NASA lead shuttle flight director Rick LaBrode said. Commanders 

233
have more visual cues in daylight. Unlike airliners, a shuttle essentially is a glider during reentry and does not have engines that would enable it to fly around and attempt a second 

landing. NASA's post-Columbia missions have re-entered largely over open water prior to 

flying over parts of the Florida peninsula on the way to Kennedy Space Center. The 

trajectory this week could cross parts of Canada and the United States. The landing change 

largely is due to a shuttle mission extension. Discovery originally was slated to make a 4:47 

a.m. landing Tuesday. Critical repairs to a station solar wing pushed the landing back a day, 

and NASA insiders raised safety concerns. The landing is slated for 1:02 p.m. Wednesday. 

Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle to fly across U.S. on return to Earth [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www. floridatoday.com/ [2007, November 5].] 

Columbus launch puts space law to the test 

Whose law will apply when Europe's Columbus space laboratory joins the US-led 

International Space Station in December? And what happens if astronauts from different 

countries get into a fight? Those were tivo of the questions posed at a meeting in Vienna last 

month to examine the contributions made by the humanities to the exploration of space. 

Columbus is due to be launched into orbit aboard the US space shuttle Atlantis on 

December 6. It will become part of the International Space Station (ISS) and the most 

important module supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA). The conference Humans 

in Outer Space - Interdisciplinary Odysseys held on October 11-12, was billed as "the first 

comprehensive trans-disciplinary dialogue on humans in outer space." It brought space 

scientists face to face with scholars from the humanities including experts in space law. It 

was organized jointly by the European Science Foundation (ESF), ESA and the Viennabased European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). Dr Ulrike Bohlmann, of ESA's legal 

department, told the conference that space law was based on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 

which she described as "the Magna Carta of spaceflight". It has been ratified by 98 states. 

Following the tradition of maritime law, the treaty recognizes that states have legal 

jurisdiction within spacecraft registered to them. Dr Frans von der Dunk, of the 

International Institute of Air and Space Law at the University of Leiden, said that the space 

station posed new legal problems as it is being assembled from modules supplied by the 

United States, Russia and Japan as well as ESA. The partners rejected an initial proposal that 

US law should prevail throughout the space station. "It was agreed that each state registers 

its own separate elements, which means that you now have a piece of the US annexed to a 

piece of Europe annexed to a piece of Japan in outer space, legally speaking." But that 

didn't solve the problem of Columbus. As a collaborative European project it cannot be 

registered to any one state and there is no such entity as "Europe" which can exercise legal 

jurisdiction. So the partners had to find some novel solutions. First was criminal law - what 

if one astronaut gets into a fight with another? "They decided that if somebody performs an 

activity which may be considered criminal, it is in the first instance his own country which is 

able to exercise jurisdiction," Dr von der Dunk explained. Another solution was found for 

patent law. An invention created on the ISS will be patented in the country which has 

jurisdiction over the module in which the work was done. For Columbus the inventor will 

have the choice of patenting in either Germany or Italy, the principal contributors to the 

module. In practice, because of European patent agreements, it does not much matter in 

which country a patent is filed. The parties also agreed a new approach to civil liability. 

What happens if a US astronaut damages equipment in the European part of the space 

station? "The basic idea is that we all accept our own risks," said Dr von der Dunk. "We are 

all there together, we all have the same purpose to make the ISS into a big success and we 

234
don't want that attitude, that mentality, to be disturbed by the threat of one party suing the 

other." Further ahead, whose law will apply if bases are established on the Moon and even 

on Mars? The Outer Space Treaty says that no nation can lay claim to the Moon. "Outer 

space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation 

by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means," said Dr 

Bohlmann. Jurisdiction on the Moon is not covered by existing treaties, said Dr von der 

Dunk. "Jurisdiction is not possible on a territorial basis. A base on the Moon can never 

qualify as the territory of any country in the world, so you have to find other means." 

It is also not clear what legal nationality a child born on the Moon would have. With many 

nations now active in space, and the prospect of commercial ventures such as tourism and 

even mining, the need for a clear and binding legal framework to govern space activities is 

more important than ever. The likelihood of further international agreement on space law 

seems remote, however, in the present political climate. The UN Moon Agreement of 1979 

setsout how states should behave when exploring the Moon and other planets but has only 

been ratified by 13 countries, none of which has the means to go to the Moon. Until 

recently the humanities had little input into European space policy which has been 

dominated by political and industrial as well as scientific considerations. The conference is 

developing the 'Vienna Vision on Humans in Outer Space' which will establish a clear voice 

for a new and broader constituency to contribute to the future of human beings in space. 

Web posted. (2007). [Columbus launch puts space law to the test [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /wv.eurekalert.org/pub releases /2007-11 /esf-clpl I 0507.php [2007, November 5].] 

November 6: NASA Honors Apollo Astronaut Scott Carpenter 

NASA will honor Mercury astronaut and retired Navy Commander Scott Carpenter with the 

presentation of an Ambassador of Exploration Award for his involvement in the U.S. space 

program. Carpenter will receive the award during a evening ceremony on Nov. 10 at the 

Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The award will remain at the museum for display. 

The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite and mounted for public display as inspiration to 

a new generation of explorers who will help return humans to the moon and eventually 

travel on to Mars and beyond. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of samples collected 

during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972. NASA is giving the Ambassador 

of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and 

Apollo space programs for realizing America's vision of going to the moon. NASA also is 

recognizing several other key individuals who played significant roles in the early space 

programs. NASA chose Carpenter as a Project Mercury astronaut in 1959. During his 

historic flight in 1962, he orbited the Earth three times and manually controlled his capsule's 

splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. Following his space flight, Carpenter continued his naval 

career and conducted pioneering experiments as an aquanaut. ["NASA Honors Apollo 

Astronaut Scott Carpenter," NASA Media Advisory #M07-154, November 6, 2007.] 

November 7: Shuttle Discovery Crew Return Home after Successful Mission 

The space shuttle Discovery and its crew landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 

Wednesday at 1:01 p.m. EST after completing a 15-day journey of more than 6.2 million 

miles in space. Discovery's STS-120 mission added a key component to the International 

Space Station and featured an unprecedented spacewalk to repair a damaged solar array. 

"This mission demonstrates the value of having humans in space and our ingenuity in 

solving problems," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for space operations, 

NASA Headquarters, Washington. "The teams on the ground worked around the clock, 

235
along with the crews in space, to develop a plan to fix the array. Our high level of 

preparedness gave us the edge necessary to make this a successful mission. " Discovery's 

crew of Commander Pam Meiroy, Pilot George Zamka and mission specialists Scott 

Parazynski, Doug Wheelock, Stephanie Wilson, Clayton Anderson and European Space 

Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli delivered the Node 2 module, known as Harmony. 

Harmony will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratories to be 

added later this year and early in 2008. In addition to Harmony's installation, Discovery's 

crew performed three spacewalks and relocated the P6 truss and solar arrays to its 

permanent position on the left side of the station. During the fourth spacewalk, the crew 

repaired a torn solar array on the truss, enabling the full deployment of the array. The crew 

and ground teams also worked on a problem with one of the station's Solar Alpha Rotary 

Joints, which allows the right side arrays to track the sun. On the second spacewalk, the joint 

was inspected, and metal shavings were discovered. Samples of the shavings returned with 

Discovery for further analysis. In the meantime, use of the joint will be limited to occasional 

adjustments for optimal position in relation to the sun. Meiroy and Expedition 16 

Commander Peggy Whitson made history on Thursday, Oct. 25, when the hatch between 

the space shuttle and orbiting outpost was opened. They became the first female spacecraft 

commanders to lead space shuttle and space station missions concurrently. NASA astronaut 

and station Flight Engineer Daniel Tam, who launched with the crew aboard Discovery, 

remained on the station. ["Shuttle Discovery Crew Return Home after Successful Mission," 

NASA News Release #07-249, November 7, 2007.1 

Small Fire during Demolition at Space Launch Complex 40 

On November 7, 2007 at 10:45 AM, a fire began during demolition activities at SpaceX's 

Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40). The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Fire 

Department arrived 9 minutes later and promptly extinguished the flames. There were no 

injuries to personnel or smoke inhalation, and no damage to surrounding property. 

Demolition contractors using steel cutting torches were sectioning an aging structure in 

preparation for removal, when adjacent materials ignited. The work was monitored by a fire 

watch, and the fire department was summoned according to standard operating procedures. 

"This kind of thing is not unheard of during large scale demolition. That's why we have 

procedures in place. Everyone acted professionally and by the book, and fortunately no one 

was hurt," said Norman Bobczynski, SpaceX's launch site director. CEO Elon Musk was 

informed of the situation and stated that SpaceX will work closely with officials at Cape 

Canaveral to investigate the event and will make any changes deemed necessary. First 

opened in 1965, SLC-40 hosted numerous Titan launches over four decades. The most 

recent launch occurred in April of 2005. On November 1, 2007 SpaceX conducted an 

official ground breaking ceremony in preparation for transforming the site into a state of the 

art facility for its Falcon 9 and future Falcon 9 Heavy missions to launch commercial 

satellites, supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS), and eventually lofting 

crew carrying missions to the ISS and other orbiting destinations. Web posted. (2007). 

[Small Fire during Demolition at Space Launch Complex 40 [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.spaceref.com/ [2007, November 7].] 

Countdown is on and museums want to land shuttles for 

exhibits 

When Discovery and its crew touch down at Kennedy Space Center today, only 13 more 

shuttle missions remain before the fleet will be retired. America's museums can hardly wait. 

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At least five institutions and NASA centers have been lobbying furiously over recent months 

for a chance to put Atlantis, Discovery or Endeavour on display when NASA pulls the 

program's plug in 2010. "No doubt. Everybody wants one," says Roger Launius, a curator at 

the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, which is widely 

considered to be a shoo-in for one of the retired shuttles. But the competition is tough. 

Vying alongside the Smithsonian are the Johnson Space Center in Houston; the U.S. Space 

& Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.; the newly formed Vision for Space Exploration in 

Palmdale, Calif.; the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio; and, of 

course, the Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County. "You almost feel like a vulture 

pushing too hard right now," said Daniel LeBlanc, the chief operating officer of the 

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. "But we hope that in the final placement, logic will 

prevail" and KSC will be one of the institutions selected. NASA now finds itself playing 

King Solomon trying to split a baby. While five museums want a shuttle, there are only three 

to go around. And that number may drop as NASA turns off shuttle-supply contracts and 

the only source of spare parts to keep the program in the air will be the shuttles themselves. 

"NASA already has said it intends to use at least one of the orbiters as a 'hangar queen' --

something they'll use to cannibalize pieces off of to keep the others flying," Launius said. 

"While that's a perfectly legitimate thing to do as the program winds down, from our 

perspective that's not the shuttle we want." Making it even harder for NASA is that every 

institution has a compelling argument why it should be the choice retirement center for an 

orbiter, as well as a posse of political heavyweights to back those claims. Gov . Arnold 

Schwarzenegger and the entire California state Legislature support the bid by Palmdale, 

where the orbiters were built. The Kennedy Space Center already has the most elaborate 

museum complex in the NASA empire. It is also the shuttles' sole launch site and their home 

between missions. On top of that, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson is a former shuttle astronaut. As 

the nerve center of NASA, Johnson Space Center's claim has received applause from the 

likes of Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby is a keen 

supporter of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, founded by an idea originally suggested by 

NASA's first leading rocket scientist, Wernher von Braun. Web posted. (2007). [Countdown 

is on and museums want to land shuttles for exhibits [Onlinel. Available WWW: 

http://www.orlandosendnel.com/ [2007, November ]1 

November 8: NASA to Break Ground for Orion Test Pad at White Sands 

NASA will break ground for a new test launch pad at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile 

Range, N.M., Wednesday, Nov. 14. The pad will be the site of a series of tests of a launch 

abort system that will help ensure the safety of astronauts aboard the new Orion spacecraft. 

NASA's Constellation Program is developing Orion to carry astronauts to the International 

Space Station, the moon and beyond. Engineers will use the test results to help design 

Orion's launch abort system. The first of five planned abort tests is scheduled from the new 

pad on Sept. 23, 2Q08. Two of the tests will evaluate the performance of the launch abort 

system at ground level. Three more tests will evaluate its performance at different altitudes. 

["NASA to Break Ground for Orion Test Pad at White Sands, N.M.," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-158, November 8, 2007.] 

Kudos to KSC 

The nearly 15,000 aerospace contractor and NASA employees at the Kennedy Space Center 

are focused on the critical launch of the shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station 

with the European Columbus module. The Flight Readiness Review for the planned mid237
December launch is set for Nov. 14 at Kennedy. Rollout to Launch Complex 39A was set 

for Nov. 10. Columbus was moved to the pad Nov. 6, where it was being held for transfer 

into the orbiter by Nov. 11-12. The Kennedy team will be ready for launch as early as Dec. 

6, and in fact has 4-5 days of margin to make that date if work by the ISS crew in space can 

support it. "The KSC team is pumped and ready to execute," says Mike Leinbach, shuttle 

launch director. "Huge kudos to the Kennedy team," says NASA Administrator Michael 

Griffin, noting the program came back from a serious delay in March because of ET hail 

damage, but is on the verge of its fourth flight this year. ["Kudos to KSC," Aviation Week 

& Space Technology, November 12, 2007, p 40.] 

November 9: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-110907. Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International 

Space Station Flight - U.S. Node 2 (Harmony); Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: 

Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Oct. 23, 2007; KSC Landing Date: Nov. 7, 

2007; Crew: Meiroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Anderson; 

Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. The STS-120 mission ended on 

Nov. 7 when Discovery touched down at Kennedy Space Center's runway 33 at 1:01 p.m. 

The mission lasted 15 days and Discovery completed 238 revolutions around the Earth and 

traveled 6.25 million miles. Discovery delivered the Harmony Node with its 2,600 cubic feet 

of pressurized volume. Harmony was placed in a temporary location and will be relocated by 

the Expedition 16 crew over the next three weeks, before the next shuttle mission arrives. 

The STS-120 crew also moved the Port 6 truss segment and its accompanying solar arrays to 

its permanent home at the end of the station's truss, and repaired damage done to the solar 

array as it was being redeployed. Discovery is now back in its hangar at Orbiter Processing 

Facility bay 3. Preparations are under way for offloading the residual cryogenic reactants this 

weekend, followed by opening the payload bay doors and the start of detailed post-flight 

inspections. At this time, Discovery appears to have few issues. Mission: STS-122 - 24th 

International Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: 

Vehicle Assembly Building; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Launch Pad: 39A; 

Crew: Frick, Poindexter,Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin and Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On Nov. 3, Atlantis rolled from Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay I to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it was lifted up and into 

high bay 3 to be connected to the external fuel tank on the mobile launch platform. Workers 

spent the week closing out connections between the solid rocket boosters, tank and orbiter, 

and performing interface tests to verify that all the space shuttle elements are working as a 

fully integrated launch vehicle. Rollout from the assembly building to Launch Pad 39A is 

scheduled for 4 am. Saturday. The Columbus laboratory module will be installed into the 

orbiter's payload bay on Sunday. The terminal countdown demonstration test with the STS122 astronauts is scheduled for Nov. 18-20. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space 

Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing 

Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, 

Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman and Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, installation of replacement 

overhead window No. 8 is in progress. Installation of a new reinforced carbon-carbon panel, 

RCC No. 10 right (bR), is under way. Technicians are preparing the orbiter for installation 

of the engines, scheduled for next week. The crew module hatch functional test is nearing 

completion. Thermal protection system work continues on the main landing gear doors, 

wings, elevons and orbital maneuvering system pods. Payload pre-mate testing is under way. 

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Liquid oxygen tank No. I is installed and is undergoing leak checks. Web posted. (2007). 

[NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online}. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.nasa.gov/centers /kennedy/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, 

November 9.]

Giant rocket scheduled for launch Saturday night 

The massive Delta 4-Heavy rocket is poised for its first operational launch Saturday evening 

from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 8:39 p.m. EST. The vehicle will deploy 

the final Defense Support Program missile warning satellite into geosynchronous orbit. 

Web posted. (2007). [Giant rocket scheduled for launch Saturday night [Online]. Available 

WWW: http: / /www. spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, November 9].] 

November 11: Delta 4 Heavy rocket fires away from Cape Canaveral 

It is America's largest unmanned space booster. Its level of complexity causes engineers to 

liken it to launching three rockets at one time. And its fiery blastoffs create a dazzling yet 

heart-in-your-throat sight. Now, the mammoth Delta 4-Heavy has entered operational 

service with Saturday night's successful ascent carrying a critical surveillance satellite. 

Towering more than 230 feet tall and packing nearly two million pounds of thrust from its 

three hydrogen-fueled main engines, this rocket is built to loft big payloads. And the roomy 

nose cone offers spacious accommodations for exceptionally large spacecraft. The Delta 4-

Heavy's characteristics make it well suited for launching a Defense Support Program (DSP) 

missile warning sateffite into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the planet. Web 

posted. (2007). [Delta 4 Heavy rocket fires away from Cape Canaveral [Online]. Available 

T'O/\X7: http://www.spacefiightnow.com/ [2007, November 11].] 

November 13: Atlantis cleared for Dec. 6 launch 

The Space Shuttle Program Flight Readiness Review, chaired by Shuttle Program Manager 

Wayne Hale, today cleared Atlantis for a Dec. 6 launch. A final clearance for launch must be 

issued at a meeting on Nov. 30. The group found no technical issues that would delay the 

launch. "It's just a testament to the processing and the health of the orbiter," said NASA 

spokesman Kyle Herring. NASA engineers in Houston, however, were working to 

determine the cause of a smoky smell coming from inside a spacesuit worn last week by a 

Russian trainee. If not cleared up, this problem could delay next week's spacewaiks and push 

back the launch of Atlantis. Very little foam fell from the external tank during the launch of 

Discovery in October, which left no foam issues for this meeting that wrapped up in a day 

instead of the normal two. "It was the same thorough review the program does for every 

ffight," said Herring. "It's remarkably clean." Though Atlantis has five suspect spots on its 

wing edges, the flight review did not address that issue. On the earlier Discovery mission, 

similar irregularities, discovered with a new sensing technique, were determined not to be 

dangerous. "That's a closed issue for this flight," said Herring. Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis 

cleared for Dec. 6 launch [Online]. Available fW\(: http://ww\v.floridatodav.com/ the 

flame trench blog [2007,November 13].] 

November 14: Boeing completes prototype heatshield for NASA's Orion 

Boeing has delivered a prototype héatshield for NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle 

(CEV). The 5m-diameter ablative heatshield would protect the Orion capsule during reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The so-called thermal protection system (TPS) 

manufacturing development unit (MDU) was produced by Boeing Advanced Systems under 

239
contract to NASA Ames Research Center in California. The TPS must withstand a lunardirect return, during which the capsule will re-enter at much higher speed and generate about 

five times more heat than missions returning from the International Space Station. Boeing's 

baseline TPS is fabricated from pbepolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA), which is 

produced by Maine-based Fiber Materials. PICA was selected after it performed well as the 

heatshield material for NASA's Stardust comet sample-return mission, the company says. 

The largest ablative heatshield ever produced, according to Boeing, the TPS MDU is made 

up of multiple pieces of PICA, each substantially larger than typical Space Shuttle tiles. This 

reduces parts count and complexity, the company says. NASA Ames completed an 

acceptance review on the heatshield in October, and Boeing has shipped the unit to NASA 

Kennedy Space Center in Florida for further inspection. Boeing, meanwhile, is continuing 

work on the flight heatshield to support an Orion TPS preliminary design review in early 

2008. The Lockheed Martin-developed Orion is scheduled to make its first unmanned 

orbital ffight in September 2012 and first manned flight no earlier than September 2013. 

Web posted. (2007). [Boeing completes prototype heatshield for NASA's Orion [Online]. 

Available W'(7W: http://www.flightglobal.com/ [2007, November 14].] 

November 15: NASA lifts EVA ban 

NASA ended a brief ban on spacewallcs on Thursday after concluding its spacesuits did not 

suffer from a design flaw. The ban was put into place after a Russian cosmonaut noticed a 

smoky odor and sensation of heat behind his neck during a ground test at the Johnson Space 

Center late last week. After an investigation, engineers found no evidence of an electrical or 

other problem with the suit; they instead believe the odor came from a canister in the suit 

that scrubs carbon dioxide from the suit's air. The decision clears the way for a pair of 

spacewalks next week by the International Space Station crew to complete the installation of 

the Harmony module at its permanent location on the station. Web posted. (2007). [NASA 

lifts EVA ban [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.spacetodav.net/ [2007, November 

16].]

Concerts at KSC 

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is hosting a series of concerts as part of 

NASA's 50th anniversary celebration. The series began Nov. 10 with Kansas, one of the 

leading rock bands of the '70s and '80s. With the icomc Rocket Garden as the backdrop, the 

live, festival-style out-door concert will continue every Saturday at 4 p.m. for three more 

weeks, Nov. 17 and 24 and Dec. 1. The headliner for Saturday is Josh Gracin. On Nov. 24, 

it's Lou Grarnm, the lead vocalist and co-writer of the multi-platinum band Foreigner. 

Wrapping up the series on Dec. 1 is RPM: Rock & Pop Masters. ["Concerts at KSC," 

Countdown, November 15, 2007.] 

November 16: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-111607. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International 

Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-1047; Location: Launch Pad 

39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, 

Love, Melvin, Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. On 

Nov. 10, the STS-122 shuttle stack rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch 

Pad 39A, where workers are performing closeout connections and system verification 

checks. Atlantis' payload, including the Columbus module, was installed in the orbiter cargo 

bay on Sunday. Hypergolic propellant, which powers the maneuvering systems on both the 

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orbiter and the solid rocket boosters, has been loaded. The astronauts will arrive on Saturday 

for the three-day terminal countdown demonstration test. This is a countdown dress 

rehearsal and a training exercise for the flight crew. It will conclude on Nov. 20 with the 

astronauts on the flight deck of Atlantis. They will be participating in the last three hours of 

the simulated countdown while working with the launch team located in Firing Room 4 of 

the Launch Control Center. An issue with one of the helium isolation valves in Atlantis' 

forward reaction control system was discovered during hypergolic loading on Wednesday. 

The valve remains open even when it is commanded to shut. Open is the normal flight 

position during a mission. Technicians will continue to evaluate the issue during the 

weekend. Space Shuttle Program manager Wayne Hale told media during a news conference 

Friday that engineers will either be able to fix the problem or rely on the system's 

redundancy and high reliability components and fly as is. Mission: STS-123 - 25th 

International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: 

Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 

39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman, Reisman; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, the three 

main engines have been installed on Endeavour and integrated testing with the main 

propulsion system begins today. Functional testing of the waste containment system is 

complete. Payload pre-mate testing has finished. The orbiter boom sensor system, which was 

recently removed from Discovery, arrived this week in the facility's bay No. 2. The system 

has undergone post-flight inspections and thermal blanket installation, and is being 

temporarily installed today to allow for fit checks. This week, technicians began working to 

bond BRI tiles around the main landing gear door. The rudder speed brake has been 

configured for flight and the orbiter drag chute is installed. Mission: STS-124 - 26th 

International Space Station Flight - Kibo Pressurized Module, Japanese Remote Manipulator 

System; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch 

Date: Targeted for April 24, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Ham, Nyberg, Garan, 

Fossum, Hoshide; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 3, the end-of-mission/integrated roll-in operations are complete. 

The payload bay doors were opened last weekend and the Ku-band antenna was deployed. 

Orbiter power system validations and radiator inspections have finished. The orbiter boom 

sensor system was removed and transferred to bay No. 2 for installation in Endeavour. 

Inspections of the reinforced carbon-carbon panels on the wing leading edges are under way. 

The external airlock hatch functional test is complete. Preparations are in progress for 

offloading hypergolic fuel. Post-flight inspection of the thermal protection system is halfway 

complete. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. 

Available W''(T\V: http: / /wwv.nasa.gov /centers /kennedv/shuttleoperations /status / 

2007/index.htnil [2007, November 16.] 

FRCS issue on Atlantis relates to wiring - 24 hour fix 

United Space Affiance engineers have been troubleshooting an issue with Atlantis' FRCS 

(Forward Reaction Control System) oxidizer gaseous helium isolation B valve, which is 

"stuck" in the open position. Updating status, engineers at the pad found a loose grounding 

wire, which - following repairs or replacement - should clear the valve as operational by the 

end of the weekend, keeping STS-122 on track for a December 6 launch date. The issue was 

noted during pre-launch processing on Atlantis, as she moves closer to her December 

launch on STS-122. The valve isn't closing when commanded, so engineers this morning are 

conducting a 'wiggle test' on the wires, as part of an evaluation into whether the problem is 

241
electrical, or if the valve itself is faulty. 'Picked up an IPR (Interim Problem Report) on 

FRCS oxidizer gaseous helium isolation B valve, which isn't closing when commanded to do 

so. 'Plan is to go into fuel loading, access this area tomorrow, do wiggle test on wires, and 

verify whether valve is stuck open or there is an electrical problem,' noted the latest Standup/Integration report. 'Engineering going through troubleshooting plan. Three teams 

formed to work on this plan: Team I will look at troubleshooting plan and ensure 

coordinated with all engineering communities. Team 2 will look at path to fly as is. Team 3 

will determine what it will take to repair this valve. 'Will have data and a recommendation 

by Monday.' Engineers are currently at the pad checking the electrical connections for a 

better understanding on the problem. Web posted. (2007). [FRCS issue on Atlantis relates to 

wiring - 24 hour fix [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasaspacef1ight.com/ [2007, 

November 16].]

Ex-NASA workers sentenced 

Two former NASA employees who embezzled thousands of dollars from the space agency 

cried in court Friday as a federal judge ordered them to prison. U.S. District Judge Anne 

Conway ordered Judith Lynna Frisbee, 46, of Titusville to serve 16 months and pay back the 

$127,029.37 she defrauded from NASA contractor Space Gateway Support LLC by 

falsifying records and inflating expense reports betiveen 2001 and 2005. She pleaded guilty in 

August and faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Elizabeth Ann Osborne, 52, 

received an 18-month sentence for using her government credit card to make $157,394.21 

worth of electronics, furniture, jewelry and other purchases for herself. She had faced up to 

10 years in prison plus a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to the charges. Both women also 

were ordered to serve 150 hours of community service and three years probation, and to 

refrain from opening any new credit lines without a probation officer's approval. They must 

report to prison by 2p.m. Jan. 15. Web posted. (2007). [Ex-NASA workers sentenced 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.fioridatodav.com/ [2007, November 17].] 

November 17: Atlantis crew flies to Cape for practice countdown 

The seven men set to launch aboard space shuttle Atlantis next month for delivery of the 

European scientific laboratory to the space station will undergo a countdown dress rehearsal 

this week at the Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts flew to the launch base Saturday 

night, touching down about 8:50 p.m. EST after a flight aboard a Shuttle Training Aircraft 

from Ellington Field near Houston's Johnson Space Center. "We're really excited to get 

back to Florida, get so close to launch and be able to practice our launch count in Atlantis - 

the real vehicle," commander Steve Frick told news media gathered at the runway. "We're 

looking forward to our tramm....do our launch count on Tuesday and then get home for 

Thanksgiving." The crew for this space station assembly mission includes pilot Alan 

Poindexter, mission specialists Leland Melvin, Rex Waiheim, Stanley Love, Hans Schlegel 

and Leopold Eyharts. Eyharts will fly to the station on Atlantis and exchange places with 

Expedition 16 resident crew member Dan Tam. The European Space Agency's Columbus 

module has been tucked inside shuttle Atlantis' payload bay for the one-way ride up to the 

space station. The lab is Europe's main contribution to the international outpost. Liftoff is 

targeted for 4:31 p.m. EST (2131 GMT) on December 6, if ongoing work aboard the station 

that must be completed for receiving Columbus and the shuttle can be finished in time. 

Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis crew flies to Cape for practice countdown [Online]. Available 

W\K/W: http: / /wwv.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, November 17].] 

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November 19: 'Three amigos' craft deal for 300 to 400 space jobs 

One of the most significant economic development victories in Florida history was pulled 

off by three graybeards with inside connections, a well-located building and a serious dollop 

of state money. Marshall Heard, Lee Solid and Conrad Nagel put together a package that 

will bring 300 to 400 jobs to Kennedy Space Center while opening up a whole new industrial 

base in the area -- aerospace manufacturing work instead of traditional launch operations. 

Those close to the deal say "the three amigos" came up with a prototype for Florida to copy 

as it tries to lure new work to offset drop in shuttle jobs. "That's hopefully the model they're 

going to follow," said Adrian Laffitte, director of Florida Government Relations for 

Lockheed Martin, which decided in 2006 to bring Orion spacecraft final assembly and 

integration work here. "Cash is king, and it talks." Heard, a former program manager who 

worked for a NASA contractor is a consultant for the Economic Development Commission 

of Florida's Space Coast and Space Florida. Solid, a retired rocket engineer and program 

manager is a consultant to the commission, and Nagel, a former NASA manager, works with 

Space Florida. Former KSC Director Jim Kennedy dubbed them "the three amigos" after 

they convinced him to let the winning bidder for NASA's $7.4 billion Orion spacecraft 

contract do assembly work at the Operations & Checkout Building. They convinced the 

state to ante up $35 million to renovate the Apollo-era facility and $10.5 million to train 

launch operators for factory work. The win was a watershed for Florida and Brevard 

County. Long the base for launch work, the state never had much success attracting space 

manufacturing. Web posted. (2007). CThree amigos' craft deal for 300 to 400 space jobs 

[Online]. Available W\WW: http://www.f1oridatodav.com/ [2007, November 191.1 

Tiger Team set up to find root cause of RCC concern 

NASA has set up a special Tiger Team to investigate the root cause of a potential issue with 

the shuttle's Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) leading-edge panels, which was highlighted 

at STS-120's Flight Readiness Review (FRR). The process will work in two stages - near term 

- with opening results expected ahead of next year's STS-123, and long term - with the full 

fmdings to be presented in nine to 12 months time. The issue was uncovered following the 

STS-114 mission, after a new method of inspecting the panels was developed after the loss 

of Columbia. Called Flash Thermography, the results produced anomalous readings near the 

junction between panels along the edge of the T-seal. The panel was not damaged, but based 

on NESC (NASA Engineering and Safety Center) concerns about possible spaUing, where 

small pieces could flake off and possibly compromise the integrity of the heat shield, that 

panel was replaced. The RCC panels have always been examined with x-rays and ultrasound 

techniques when delivered from the factory. Web posted. (2007). [Tiger Team set up to find 

root cause of RCC concern [Online]. Available W'X/W: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

[2007, November 19].]

Valve, Atlantis set for launch 

Kennedy Space Center crews fixed a helium valve in Atlantis' forward control system and 

the shuttle crew, in town for a practice countdown, confirmed Monday that launch remains 

on track for Dec. 6. The valve was stuck open in its normal position and was fixed by 

replacing a lug on ground equipment. Web posted. (2007). [Valve, Atlantis set for launch 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, November 19].] 

November 20: Atlantis crew aces final test 

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Seven astronauts stepped through a launch-day dress rehearsal Tuesday, completing their 

final major training exercise at Kennedy Space Center before a planned Dec. 6 launch to the 

International Space Station. With countdown clocks ticking, they donned partial pressure 

launch-and-entry suits and went to launch pad 39A, where Atlantis is being readied for flight. 

Then they strapped into the space ship for a practice countdown that involved 150 engineers 

in NASA's Launch Control Center. "It went well, and they're headed back to Houston," 

KSC spokesman Allard Beutel said. "The next time they come back, it will be for the real 

thing." The crew includes mission commander Steve Frick, pilot Alan Poindexter and five 

mission specialists: Leland Melvin, Rex Waiheim, Stanley Love, Hans Schiegal and Leopold 

Eyharts. Schlegal and Eyharts are European Space Agency astronauts. NASA expects to be 

able to finish all preflight work on Atlantis in time to make a launch attempt Dec. 6. Liftoff 

time that day would be 4:31 p.m. EST. ["Atlantis crew aces fmal test," Florida Today, 

November 21, 2007, p 3B.] 

Orion Flight Tests 

Workers broke ground Nov. 14 on the launch pad that will host the first of NASA's 

Constellation Program ffight tests. The agency will test a launch abort system for the new 

Orion spacecraft at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, N.M. 

Orion's launch abort system will carry astronauts to safety in the event of a problem on the 

launch pad or during the spacecraft's climb to orbit. The first of five tests of the system, 

known as Pad Abort I or PA-I, is scheduled for fall 2008. Data from the series will help 

engineers refine the design of the launch abort system. ["Orion Flight Test," Countdown, 

November 20, 2007.] 

November 21: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-112107. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International 

Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Launch Pad 

39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Dec. 6, 2007; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, 

Love, Melvin, Walheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Last 

weekend, engineers and technicians successfully resolved an issue with a stuck valve in 

Atlantis' forward reaction control system, isolating the problem to a broken ground lug in 

the helium isolation valve circuit. Repairs were made and the valve is now functioning 

normally. Throughout the week, workers continued to validate shuttle/pad connections, and 

orbiter aft closeout work begins Nov. 28. Because no major issues are being worked and 

processing has been going well, teams will have Thanksgiving Day through Sunday off. On 

Saturday, Nov. 17, the STS-122 crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center for the terminal 

countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which included a countdown dress rehearsal and a 

training exercise. The crew returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center Tuesday following 

the TCDT's successful conclusion. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station 

Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility 

Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, 

Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman, Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 

nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, integrated testing of the main 

engines and the main propulsion system continues. Testing of the orbiter's three-string GPS 

system, which provides guidance on re-entry, is complete. The star tracker door functional 

test is complete. Window No. 7 has been removed and replaced. The payload bay door 

functional test is finished. Installation of BRI tile around the perimeter of the right main 

landing gear door is finished. Checkout of the Shuttle to Station Power Transfer System is 

244
complete. In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, stacking of the left solid 

rocket booster is under way. Stacking of the right booster is scheduled to begin next week. 

Mission: STS-124 - 26th International Space Station Flight - Kibo Pressurized Module, 

Japanese Remote Manipulator System; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); Location: Orbiter 

Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for April 24, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; 

Crew: Kelly, Ham, Nyberg, Garan, Fossum, Hoshide; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, hypergolic fuel has 

been off-loaded from the orbital maneuvering system. Inspections of the reinforced carboncarbon panels on the wing leading edges are complete. The main engine dome heat shields 

have been removed, and preparations are under way for removal of the three main engines 

next week. Functional checkout of the forward reaction control system is in progress, and 

window No. I has been removed and replaced. Post-flight inspection of the thermal 

protection system is 70 percent complete. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle 

Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://vivv.nasa.gov/centers/

kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.htrnl [2007, November 21.1 

NASA Amends Crew Assignment for STS-126 Mission 

NASA has replaced a crew member assigned to space shuttle mission STS-126. Astronaut 

Donald R. Pettit will take the place of astronaut Joan E. Higginbotham, who has left NASA 

to accept a position in the private sector. The mission is targeted to launch in September 

2008 and will deliver equipment to the International Space Station enabling larger crews to 

reside aboard the complex. The STS-126 mission will be Pettit's second spaceflight. Pettit 

will serve as a mission specialist aboard shuttle Endeavour. He joins previously named crew 

members Commander Christopher J. Ferguson, Pilot Eric A. Boe and mission specialists 

Stephen G. Bowen, Robert S. Kimbrough and Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper. ["NASA 

Amends Crew Assignment for STS-126 Mission," NASA News Release #07-259, 

November 21, 2007.]

Astronaut leaving NASA 

Joan Higginbotham, a former Kennedy Space Center worker who became an astronaut, is 

leaving the space agency and has been replaced on a shuttle mission scheduled for launch in 

September 2008. NASA announced Wednesday that Donald Pettit would take the place of 

Higginbotham, who the agency said has quit NASA for an undisclosed job in the private 

sector. The mission will carry supplies and equipment that will enable the International 

Space Station's crew to grow from three to six permanent residents. Higginbotham flew on 

the STS-1 16 shuttle mission last year. She started at KSC in 1987 and was selected to the 

astronaut corps in 1996. She could not immediately be reached for comment on her future 

job. In a written statement, the chief of the astronaut office at Johnson Space Center in 

Houston said of Higginbotham: "Joan has done a tremendous job as an astronaut during the 

past 11 years. She contributed her expertise to nearly every space shuttle and International 

Space Station mission. She will be missed, but we wish her the very best in her future 

endeavors." ["Astronaut leaving NASA," Florida Today, November 22, 2007, p lB.] 

Engineers present Atlantis overview to her STS-122 crew 

With the STS-122 astronauts in attendance at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the 

Terminal Demonstration Countdown Test (JDC]I), engineers have taken the opportunity to 

present Atlantis' engineering flow overview to the crew that will fly onboard her in just over 

two weeks' time. The TDCT was completed on Tuesday, but not before the crew were 

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given a full run down of Atlantis' processing flow and modifications since her last ffight - 

STS-1 17. Classed as part of the TDCT, the crew was presented an overview of significant 

issues that have been encountered by KSC Engineering during ground processing and 

testing of Atlantis, ahead of what will be her 29th flight. STS-122 was set to be her last flight 

to the International Space Station (ISS), though managers will soon make the official 

announcement that she'll gain two additional missions, following her trip to service the 

Hubble Space Telescope this summer on STS-125. Shuttle crews have always taken an 

interest in the processing flows of the orbiters they are scheduled to fly on, which includes 

special trips from their home base in Houston to visit the orbiters and their engineers inside 

the Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs). However, given the rigorous training (crew loading) 

schedule the astronauts undergo in preparation for their mission, NASA and the United 

Space Affiance (USA) compile an overview, for presentation at their TDCT, allowing them 

to review the flow's highlights. 'Because of the amount of work accomplished during an 

Orbiter flow, only those items which are thought to be of interest to the crew are included 

herein,' noted the 34 page presentation. Web posted. (2007). [Engineers present Atlantis 

overview to her STS-122 crew [Online] Available WWW: http://www.nasaspaceftght.com/

[2007, November 21].] 

November 28: Launch decision set for Friday 

The International Space Station is ready for Atlantis, and shuttle program managers will 

decide Friday if the shuttle is ready for a 4:31 p.m. launch Dec. 6. "No issues. They were 

good with pressing ahead," NASA spokesman James Hartsfield said after a readiness review 

Tuesday in Houston. At the shuttle Flight Readiness Review on Friday at Kennedy Space 

Center, shuttle program managers are expected to give fmal approval for next Thursday's 

scheduled liftoff. The early December launch is possible because the space station crew has 

performed two robotic relocations and three spaceva1ks since Discovery delivered the 

Harmony module in October. The module and relocated docking port are operational. 

Space station commander Peggy Whitson lived up to her reputation as a hard worker, and 

she has been helped by U.S. ffight engineer Dan Tarn and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko. 

"They have all really excelled in what has been an unprecedented period of stand-alone 

operations without a shuttle present," Hartsfield said. "That has been a theme of this (space 

station) crew." Atlantis will deliver the European-built Columbus science module and the 

shuttle crew will take the first steps in trying to repair a solar array rotary joint that spins the 

solar panels that provide electricity for the space station. Web posted. (2007). [Launch 

decision set for Friday [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, 

November 28].]

NASCAR enters the Space Age 

Itvffi bring a whole new meaning to the term "space race," or so NASA hopes. If the 

agency's promotional plan pays off millions of NASCAR fans will have their eyes glued to 

the skies next month when space shuttle Atlantis blasts off into orbit -- carrying three 

Daytona 500 race flags in its cargo bay. The green starter flags are being launched into space 

to celebrate the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in February, as well as NASA's own 

upcoming 50th anniversary. "It's great," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said. "It will 

hopefully bring space to a whole new audience." NASA, working hard to wind down the 

shuttle program in 2010 and start its next phase of space exploration that will bring humans 

back to the moon, is trying to drum up public enthusiasm for an invigorated space program. 

And the Daytona racetrack was looking for an out-of-this-world way to celebrate its own 

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milestone, said David Talley, spokesman for Daytona International Speedway. NASA came 

up with the idea to link the two anniversaries earlier this year. Both sides are trying to 

arrange astronaut-driver promotional events, including a possible joint NASCAR drivershuttle crew press event during Atlantis' 11-day mission next month. It's a logical marriage 

between an agency that sees itself racing back to the moon and a sport built on speed. In 

fact, NASA and NASCAR already have a relationship; NASA technology is used in 

everything from fuel cells and thermal-protection blankets in the race cars to suit-coolant 

systems for drivers. But this is the first time that the Daytona track and NASA have joined 

forces. The agency sets aside a small amount of space on every shuttle mission for 

commemorative items. Last month, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber flew aboard Discovery to 

celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars film franchise. In 2000, a small piece of 

fabric from Orville and Wilbur Wright's airplane flew on a shuttle mission. Now stock-car 

racing gets its turn. The flags had to be measured and weighed carefully to meet NASA's 

requirements for onboard items and will be stowed throughout the mission. Upon their 

return to Earth, one flag will be awarded to the winner of the 50th Daytona 500 on Feb. 17; 

one will go to the Daytona 500 Experience attraction at the racetrack; and the third will stay 

with NASA. NASA officials will announce Atlantis' launch date Friday. It is expected to be 

Dec. 6. Web posted. (2007). [NASCAR enters the Space Age [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.orlandosentinel.corn/ [2007, November 28].] 

November 30: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-113007. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International 

Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Launch Pad 

39A; Launch Date: Dec. 6, 2007; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, Love, Melvin, 

Waiheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. At Launch Pad 39A, 

fmal preparations for launch are under way. Closing out of the orbiter aft main engine 

compartment is scheduled for completion on Sunday, and the final aft confidence test will 

be performed at that time. This test verifies the integrity of all electrical systems in the aft. 

Installation and connection of ordnance on the orbiter and solid rocket boosters are 

complete. Checkout and stowage of the extravehicular mobility units, or space suits, in the 

orbiter airlock are finished, and the airlock has been closed for flight. The external tank and 

solid rocket booster closeouts will be completed today. Pressurization of the orbiter's 

propulsion and maneuvering systems is scheduled for tonight and closeouts will continue 

through the weekend. The payload bay doors will be closed for flight on Monday. Shuttle 

program managers met today for the agency's flight readiness review and concluded by 

setting Dec. 6 as the official launch date for STS-122. The astronauts are scheduled to arrive 

at Kennedy at 12:30 p.m. Monday, and the launch countdown will begin at 7 p.m. in Firing 

Room 4 of the Launch Control Center. Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space 

Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: Endeavour (OV-105)' Location: Orbiter Processing 

Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, 

Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, Foreman, Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 

degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 2, integrated testing of 

the main engines and the main propulsion system is complete. All window installations are 

fmished. Installation of the orbiter main engine heat shields began this week, and the orbital 

maneuvering system heat shields have been installed. Following electrical resistance testing 

of the orbiter boom sensor system, which is the 50-foot extension for the shuttle robotic 

arm, the boom was installed in the payload bay. Hardware that will support the STS-123 

payload was also installed in the payload bay. The STS-123 crew flew to Kennedy Space 

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Center this week for the crew equipment interface test on Friday and Saturday. During the 

test, the crew gets the opportunity to become familiar with the configuration of equipment 

in the crew cabin and payload bay. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly Building, 

stacking of the solid rocket boosters is under way. ET-126, the external fuel tank for STS123, arrived at Kennedy today and was transported to the transfer aisle of the Vehicle 

Assembly Building. The tank will be lifted into a checkout cell on Saturday to undergo 

processing for launch. Mission: STS-124 - 26th International Space Station Flight - Kibo 

Pressurized Module, Japanese Remote Manipulator System; Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103); 

Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for April 24, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Ham, Nyberg, Garan, Fossum, Hoshide; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, engine 

No. 2 was removed this week, and engines No. I and 3 will be removed next week. 

Functional checkout of the fonvard reaction control system is fmished. Thermography 

inspection of the nose cap and chin panel is under way. The functional checkout of the 

orbital maneuvering system pods is also in progress. Window No. 4 was removed and 

replaced. Post-flight inspection of the thermal protection system is 89 percent complete. The 

removal and replacement of fuel cell No. I began today. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/

centers/kennedv/shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, November 30.] 

NASA Honors Legendary Flight Director Gene Kranz 

NASA will honor Eugene Francis "Gene" Kranz with the presentation of an Ambassador of 

Exploration Award for his involvement in the U.S. space program. The award is a moon 

rock encased in Lucite and mounted for public display as inspiration to a new generation of 

explorers who will help return humans to the moon and eventually travel on to Mars and 

beyond. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of samples collected during the six Apollo lunar 

expeditions from 1969 to 1972. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to 

the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for 

realizing America's vision of going to the moon. NASA also is recognizing several key 

individuals who played significant roles in the early space programs. Kranz worked on 

NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space missions. Kranz was the lead flight director 

during the Apollo 13 mission. An explosion aboard the spacecraft during Apollo 13 required 

Kranz and other team members to help resolve the crisis and safely bring the astronauts 

back to Earth. Kranz was a co-recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the Apollo 

13 Mission. ["NASA Honors Legendary Flight Director Gene Kranz," NASA Media 

Advisory #M07-170, November 30, 2007.] 

NASA Gives "Go" for Space Shuttle Launch on Dec. 6 

NASA senior managers completed a thorough review Friday of space shuttle Atlantis' 

readiness for flight and selected Dec. 6 as the official launch date for mission STS-122. 

Commander Steve Frick and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off to the International 

Space Station at 4:31 p.m. EST. During the 11-day mission, the crew will install the 

European Space Agency's new Columbus laboratory. Columbus will expand the research 

facilities of the station and provide scientists around the world with the ability to conduct a 

variety of life, physical and materials science experiments. The mission will include at least 

three spacewaiks, delivery of a new crew member to the station and the return of another 

astronaut after nearly two months aboard the station. Atlantis' launch date was announced 

after the conclusion of Friday's Flight Readiness Review. During the one-day meeting, top 

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NASA and contractor managers assessed any risks associated with the mission and 

determined whether the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for 

flight. Joining Commander Frick on STS-122 will be pilot Alan Poindexter and mission 

specialists Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Stanley Love and European Space Agency 

astronauts Hans Schiegel and Leopold Eyharts. Eyharts will replace current station crew 

member Dan Tam, who has lived on the outpost since October. Eyharts will return to Earth 

on shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, currently targeted for launch on Feb. 14, 2008. 

["NASA Gives "Go" for Space Shuttle Launch on Dec. 6," NASA News Release #07-

262, November 30, 2007.] 

Cargo ship could deliver jobs to KSC 

Spacehab is developing a cargo ship to deliver supplies to the International Space Station 

after NASA's shuttles retire. The Houston Company said Thursday that it has submitted a 

proposal to NASA outlining its plan for an unmanned craft that could carry between 2 and 5 

tons to low-Earth orbit. Final assembly, integration and checkout work would be done at 

the company's facilities in Titusville and Cape Canaveral. If successful, Spacehab's ARCTUS 

spacecraft would launch on United Launch Affiance's Atlas 5 or Delta 4 rocket from Cape 

Canaveral, possibly protecting or even creating hundreds of space jobs just as NASA is 

cutting several thousand people from its work force at Kennedy Space Center. If it wins the 

competition, Spacehab anticipates "substantial job growth in both the Houston and Florida 

locations to support the program engineering and operations requirements, although it's too 

premature to try to disclose just how many," company spokeswoman Eva-Marie deCardenas 

said. She also notes that the increased rocket launch rate to support ARCTUS flights could 

add to the number of ULA workers at the Cape. ["Cargo ship could deliver jobs to KSC," 

Florida Today, November 30, 2007, p IA & 7A.] 

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DECEMBER 

December 1: Atlantis good to go Thursday 

Carrying a European laboratory module, shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to lift off Thursday for 

the International Space Station. The countdown would start on Monday. "We're all on 

track for the launch," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for space operations, 

after the flight readiness review at Kennedy Space Center approved the launch date. If 

technology and the weather cooperate, Atlantis' mission will be the fourth this year. 

["Atlantis good to go Thursday," Florida Today, December 1, 2007, p lB & 4B.] 

NASA leaders keep $1.5B experiment off space shuttle 

A team of 500 scientists from 16 countries has spent the past decade building a $1.5 billion 

space experiment to help solve a celestial puzzle: how the cosmos has evolved since shortly 

after the big bang, more than 13 billion years ago. The problem: The experiment was 

designed to work aboard the international space station. But despite earlier agreements, 

NASA leaders now say they will not transport the device aboard any of the 13 remaining 

space shuttle flights - potentially grounding the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Samuel Ting, 

a Nobel Prize winner and the project's lead investigator, said NASA contracted 12 years ago 

to fly the device to the space station. But that contract expired in 2005 - and the 

spectrometer won't be finished before late 2008. By then, NASA says, there won't be any 

room aboard the shuttles, which are scheduled to stop flying in 2010. ["NASA leaders keep 

$1.5B experiment off space shuttle," Orlando Sentinel, December 2,2007, p Al & A18.] 

December 3: Atlantis crew arrives at Kennedy Space Center 

The Atlantis astronauts have landed at Kennedy Space Center, riding together in a 

Gulfstream aircraft. It is being broadcast on NASA TV. The plane touched down just a few 

minutes ago and the crew is expected to make remarks to reporters soon. The shuttle is 

scheduled to launch Thursday to deliver the 27,000-pound European Columbus laboratory 

to the International Space Station. Navy Cmdr. Stephen N. Frick is the mission commander, 

while Navy Cmdr. Alan G. Poindexter serves as pilot. Mission specialists include Air Force 

Col. Rex J.

 Walheim, Stanley G. Love, Leland D. Melvin and European Space Agency 

astronaut Hans Schlegel. Poindexter, Love and Melvin will be making their first spaceflight. 

STS-122 is the 24th shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Expedition 16 Flight 

Engineer Daniel Tani will return home with the STS-122 crew, while European Space 

Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts will remain on the space station after riding to the space 

station on Atlantis. Web posted. (2007). [Atlantis crew arrives at Kennedy Space Center 

[Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, 

December 3].]

Kept in Suspense 

If NASA's Fiscal 2008 budget becomes a casualty of the showdown between the Bush 

administration and Congress over discretionary spending, the consequences could be dire as 

the agency struggles to retire the space shuttle on time and pave the way for an ambitious 

program of lunar exploration under already severe fiscal constraints. NASA was funded 

under a continuing resolution for Fiscal 2007 that essentially froze spending at Fiscal 2006 

levels and amounted to a $500-million cut from its overall request. Bearing the brunt of the 

shortfall, the exploration program was forced to scale back technology and robotics efforts 

and delay the operational introduction of the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft to 

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March 2015 from September 2014. If the White House and Congress can't agree on a new 

Fiscal 2008 NASA appropriation and the agency is again funded with a continuing resolution 

for the entire fiscal year, it will amount to roughly a $1-billion cut from its $17.3-billion 

Fiscal 12008 request - an event that Deputy Administrator Shana Dale says would have 

"devastating" consequences. The current continuing resolution funding NASA and other 

parts of the government expires after Dec. 14, but could be extended through next 

September. Tom Cremins, NASA's deputy associate administrator for policy and plans, said 

the exploration program can handle a short continuing resolution with carryover funds. But 

the ultimate effect will "really depend on the length," he says. A year-long continuing 

resolution could wind up pushing Orion's debut to 2016, which would miss the President's 

original deadline for its introduction by two years and create even more pain for an industrial 

base grappling with how to sustain itself during the gap after the shuttle retires. ["Kept in 

Suspense," Aviation Week & Space Technology, December 3, 2007, p 30.] 

Countdown begins for shuttle launch 

The countdown for the launch of the shuttle Atlantis started Monday evening, with good 

weather forecast and only minor technical issues being addressed. Atlantis is scheduled to lift 

off on mission STS-122 at 4:31 pm EST (2131 GMT) Thursday, and weather forecasts 

predict an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions for the launch at that time; weather 

conditions are expected to deteriorate should the launch be delayed. The only significant 

technical problem being addressed is a set of three dings found in foam on the external tank. 

Those dings will be repaired before the launch. Atlantis is carrying the European lab module 

Columbus, which will be installed at the new Harmony docking node added to the station on 

the previous shuttle mission. Web posted. (2007). [Countdown begins for shuttle launch 

[Online]. Available WWW: h ttp: / /ww\v.spacetodav.net/ [2007, December 4].] 

December 5: Atlantis' crew expects the unexpected 

Even if all goes well, the astronauts on space shuttle Atlantis face a jam-packed mission after 

their launch, which is scheduled for Thursday. They've been assigned to deliver a European 

laboratory to the International Space Station and install it. They'll also do other construction 

on the station, requiring three risky spacewaiks. Atlantis commander Stephen Frick hopes 

for a calm and uneventful trip, but, based on recent history, he knows better. "The last 

couple missions have been interesting," says Frick, who will command Atlantis and its sixperson crew during an Il-day flight. "We're sure stuff is going to come up." If this year's 

three previous shuttle missions are any guide, Frick and his crewmates will have to rip up 

their carefully written plans. All three flights this year were beset by at least one unexpected 

crisis that, in most cases, forced the astronauts in space to scramble. The Atlantis crew 

already has been told that their mission may be extended by two days so they can do a lastminute spacewalk to inspect damage on the station. NASA usually spends at least a year 

planning a spacewalk, and the astronauts practice it a half-dozen times in a pool of water that 

simulates weightlessness. NASA managers on Tuesday officially approved the launch, 

scheduled for 4:31 p.m. ET. There's only a 10% chance that bad weather will keep Atlantis 

on the ground. Though NASA has taken steps to keep the difficulties of the past from 

popping up again, the Atlantis astronauts know there vffl always be new problems. Web 

posted. (2007). [Atlantis' crew expects the unexpected [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.usatoday.com/ [2007, December 5].] 

Delta 2 Calif. launch scrubbed at last second• 

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A Delta 2 rocket launch was scrubbed in the fmal seconds of the countdown tonight because 

of upper-level winds at the California coastal launch site. The launch is being reset for 

tomorrow night at the same time -- 9:31 p.m. EST during a one-second window. The United 

Launch Affiance mission is scheduled to carry an Italian-built radar reconnaissance 

spacecraft. The winds appeared to have calmed around Vandenberg Air Force Base in the 

late part of the countdown, but the acceptable conditions did not hold long enough. Web 

posted. (2007). [Delta 2 Calif. launch scrubbed at last second [Online]. Available W\XJW: 

http://w\vw.floridatodav.com/ the flame trench blog [2007, December 5].] 

December 6: NASA Postpones Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch 

NASA has delayed Thursday's planned launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-122 

mission to the International Space Station. The next liftoff opportunity is Friday at 4:09 p.m. 

EST. Shuttle program managers decided to postpone Atlantis' launch at 9:56 a.m. because 

of an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of 

several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shut down if fuel 

runs unexpectedly low. During countdown activities Thursday morning, two sensors failed a 

routine prelaunch check. There are four engine cut-off, or ECO, sensors inside the liquid 

hydrogen section of the tank, and Launch Commit Criteria require three of the four sensor 

systems to be functioning properly. The tank's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen will be 

drained from the tank, and preparations will begin for a possible launch attempt tomorrow. 

NASA's launch rules have a preplanned procedure that states in the case of ECO sensor 

system failure, engineers need to drain the tank and verify all the sensors are working as they 

go dry. This and other data will be discussed at a Mission Management Team Meeting at 

2 p.m., when a decision will be made whether to attempt to launch on Friday. A news 

conference vffi follow that meeting at 4 p.m. During Atlantis' 11-day mission, the crew \v1ll 

install and activate the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, which will provide 

scientists around the world the ability to conduct a variety of life, physical and materials 

science experiments. Atlantis' crew consists of Commander Steve Frick, Pilot Alan 

Poindexter, mission specialists Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Stanley Love and European 

Space Agency astronauts Hans Schlegel, from Germany, and Leopold Eyharts, from France. 

["NASA Postpones Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch; aims for Friday," NASA News Release 

#07-266, December 6, 2007.] 

NASA Reschedules Space Shuttle Launch 

The launch of NASA's space shuttle Atlantis will take place no earlier than Saturday, Dec. 8, 

at 3:43 p.m. EST. Thursday's scheduled liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., 

was postponed because of a problem with a fuel cutoff sensor system inside the shuttle's 

external fuel tank. The fuel cutoff sensor system is one of several that protect the shuttle's 

main engines by triggering their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly low. Launch Commit 

Criteria require that three of the four sensor systems function properly before liftoff. Space 

Shuttle Program managers will hold a Mission Management Team meeting Friday at 2 p.m. 

to discuss the issue and determine the steps necessary to start a new launch countdown. A 

news conference will be held at approximately 5 p.m. after the meeting's conclusion. 

On Thursday morning, two of the four engine cutoff, or ECO, sensors inside the liquid 

hydrogen section of the tank failed a routine prelaunch check. Following the launch 

postponement, the tank's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen were drained. While the tank 

was being emptied, engineers monitored and collected data on the liquid hydrogen sensors 

that failed. During that process, another sensor gave a false reading, indicating that the tank 

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was "wet," when it was dry. All EGO sensors are now indicating dry as they should be. 

During Atlantis' 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the shuttle and station 

crews will work with ground teams to install and activate the European Space Agency's 

Columbus laboratory. The new lab wifi expand the station's scientific research capabilities. 

["NASA Reschedules Space Shuttle Launch," NASA News Release #07-267, December 6, 

2007.]

Launch of Delta 2 rocket Scrubbed 

Today's shot at launching a Delta 2 rocket from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base 

carrying the second in a series of Earth-imaging radar satellites for Italy was scrubbed a little 

more than two minutes prior to liftoff. Countdown clocks were ticking toward an on-time 

liftoff only to be halted when upper level wind data from the last pre-launch weather balloon 

was reported into the launch team. "We just went red on the L-5 balloon," an engineer 

announced to the team. "We have a hold condition. Hold. Hold. Hold. We have red winds," 

the flight director responded as the countdown clocks stopped. The winds had been "no 

go" earlier in the countdown. But sujsequent weather balloons dispatched to measure wind 

speeds and directions had found conditions were safe for the Delta to control its ascent and 

not exceed the structural limits of the rocket, lending hope that the launch would go off as 

planned. Yet when the final balloon data was posted, the wind situation was deemed "no 

go." The launch window was just an instant in time, a one-second opportunity to get the 

Delta rocket airborne and place the second COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft in the same orbital 

plane as the COSMO I satellite, which was successfully hauled into orbit by a Delta 2 rocket 

in June. The "instantaneous" window meant there was no chance to pause the countdown 

and wait for the wind situation to clear. The launch postponement was called and the team 

began safing the rocket and its payload. Another launch try is possible Thursday evening at 

6:31 p.m. local tine (9:31 p.m. EST; 0231 GMT). Weather forecasters are predicting a 60 

percent chance that an incoming storm system will violate the launch rules. Web posted. 

(2007). [Mission Status Center [Online]. Available WWW: http: / /www.spaceflightnow. corn / 

[2007, December 6].]

Big surge strips spark high hope 

NASA is converting one of its twin shuttle launch pads for moon missions even as shuttles 

are being readied for liftoff at the other complex a mile and a half away. Countdown clocks 

on Wednesday were ticking ahead toward today's 4:31 p.m. Atlantis launch as construction 

crews laid the foundation for a new lightning protection system at Kennedy Space Center's 

launch pad 39B. Three 594-foot towers will be raised at the complex, and wire cables will be 

strung between them to protect NASA's Ares I rockets, Orion spacecraft and moon-bound 

astronauts. The $27.9 million lightning protection system is being built by Ivey's 

Construction Inc. of Merritt Island. The lightning protection system represents one of the 

first work packages aimed at converting pad 39B for the Ares I rocket, which will stand 320 

feet tall. Some 216 concrete pilings each vffl be driven 55 feet into the ground to form the 

foundation for the giant steel-and-fiberglass towers, which will be assembled horizontally 

and then hoisted into position by a 60-story crane. Each tower will be equipped with a 

network of wires and conductors that will divert lightning away from the pad and into the 

ground. The system is expected to be completed in January 2010. Most of the conversion 

work will be delayed until after the planned August launch of Atlantis from pad 39A on a 

Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. The first piloted flight of an Ares I is scheduled 

to take place in March 2015. NASA plans to use pad 39A to launch Ares 5 cargo rockets. 

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Web posted. (2007). [Big surge strips spark high hope [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v. floridatoday.com/ [2007, December 6].] 

Lawmakers want shuttle's life extended despite dangers 

Despite the objections of senior NASA officials and Columbia disaster investigators, key 

members of Congress are pushing hard to extend the life of America's aging space-shuttle 

fleet beyond 2010, potentially risking astronaut lives as well as the agency's program to 

return to the moon. Those efforts are being readied as shuttle Atlantis sitson Launch Pad 

39A waiting to lift off from Kennedy Space Center at 4:31 p.m. today. It wifi be NASA's 

fourth and final flight of 2007 -- the most in a year since the 2003 Columbia tragedy forced 

the grounding of the shuttle for 30 months. Four, or possibly five, flights are planned in 

2008, followed by seven to eight more by September 2010, when NASA plans to retire the 

orbiter to make way for the next generation of manned spaceflight. It's a punishing, risky 

schedule -- just enough, NASA says, to finish building the international space station, repair 

the Hubble Space Telescope, and still leave time and money to build the next spaceship by 

2015. Some members of Congress, however, have other ideas. Texas lawmakers led by 

Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas are drafting legislation to force the 

agency to fly at least one more mission to launch a $1.5 billion antimatter experiment that 

NASA grounded because of other priorities. At the same time, U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, RIndialantic -- anxious about preserving shuttle jobs at KSC -- wants the agency to keep flying 

the shuttle until the next-generation spacecraft is ready to take its place. That won't be until 

2015 and may take longer if the shuttle keeps flying and NASA's budget languishes. 

Prominent critics and internal NASA studies say that adding more flights could put 

astronauts' lives at greater risk by requiring them to fly in an aging and inherently troubled 

system beyond its recommend retirement date. And doing so without adding more money 

also would delay and possibly sink the agency's moon and Mars projects. The extension of 

the shuttle also goes against the findings of a blue-ribbon panel that investigated the 

Columbia disaster. One key recommendation was that NASA retire the orbiters in 2010 or 

face the enormous expense of testing and refurbishing every system until it is certifiably as 

good as new. "Congress is flirting with fate," said former Columbia investigation board 

memberJohn M. Logsdon, currently director of the Space Policy Institute at George 

Washington University. The panel, he said, found that the shuttle was a risky system that 

would only become riskier with age. In a report last month titled "NASA's Most Serious 

Management and Performance Challenges," the agency's inspector general said the public 

would accept the danger of flying until 2010 to complete the space station as long as the 

missions were successful. But if tragedy struck again, it added, "the merits of manned 

spaceflight to the moon and Mars would likely be re-evaluated." NASA Administrator 

Michael Griffin was blunt about the impact: "If I am directed to keep flying the shuttle but 

no additional money shows up, then that additional money has to come out of other 

programs. There is just no other source," he said. Griffin said overhead costs are at least $3 

billion a year to continue flying. NASA's total budget is about $18 billion. Without extra 

money, NASA would have to rob the Constellation program -- which aims to return to the 

moon by 2020 -- and perhaps kill it. "If you keep flying the shuttle. . . you will never finish 

[Constellation] on the money that we have," Griffin said. But this year, the agency's allies in 

Congress haven't been able to persuade their colleagues to support even $1 billion in extra 

funding next year. "We know it's an uphill battle," said Matt Mackowiak, Hutchison's 

spokesman, but he said his boss and others would continue to press for more money. But if 

that money fails to materialize, he and others acknowledged, the members will still press to 

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keep the shuttle flying. Web posted. (2007). [Lawmakers want shuttl&s life extended despite 

dangers [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ [2007, December 6].} 

December 7: NASA to launch Space Shuttle Atlantis no earlier than Sunday 

NASA is targeting the launch of space shuttle Atlantis no earlier than Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3:21 

p.m. EST from the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Shuttle program managers made the 

decision after a meeting Friday to review data on a problem with a fuel cutoff sensor system 

inside the shuttle and its external fuel tank. Because of the length of the meeting, the 

managers agreed that targeting Sunday would allow the launch and management teams 

appropriate time to rest and prepare. The Mission Management Team will meet Saturday at 1 

p.m. to decide whether to make a Sunday attempt. A news conference will be held after the 

meeting's conclusion. Atlantis' scheduled launch Thursday was delayed after two ECO 

sensors gave false readings. A third sensor failed after the tank was drained of fuel. The fuel 

cutoff sensor system is one of several that protects the shuttle's main engines by triggering 

their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly low. During Atlantis' 11-day mission to the 

International Space Station, the shuttle and station crews will work with ground teams to 

install and activate the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory. The new lab will 

expand the station's scientific research capabilities. ["NASA to launch Space Shuttle Atlantis 

no earlier than Sunday," NASA News Release #07-270, December 7, 2007.] 

December 9: NASA Postpones Shuttle Atlantis Launch 

NASA has delayed Sunday's launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-122 mission to the 

International Space Station. Shuttle program managers made the decision at 7:24 a.m. EST 

after a failure occurred in a fuel sensor system while Atlantis' external fuel tank was being 

filled. One of the four engine cutoff or ECO, sensors inside the liquid hydrogen section of 

the tank gave a false reading. NASA's current Launch Commit Criteria require that all four 

sensors function properly. The sensor system is one of several that protect the shuttle's main 

engines by triggering their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly low. The Mission 

Management Team will meet at 9 a.m. Sunday to discuss the issue and a possible future 

launch date. A news conference will be held after the meeting's conclusion. Atlantis' 

scheduled launch on Thursday was delayed after two liquid hydrogen ECO sensors gave 

false readings. A third sensor failed after the tank was drained of fuel. The main objective of 

Atlantis' 11-day mission is to install and activate the European Space Agency's Columbus 

laboratory, which will provide scientists around the world the ability to conduct a variety of, 

life, physical and materials science experiments. ["NASA Postpones Shuttle Atlantis 

Launch," NASA News Release #07-272, December 9, 2007.] 

NASA Targets Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch on Jan. 2 

Space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station now is targeted to 

launch no earlier than Jan. 2 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The liftoff date depends 

on the resolution of a problem in a fuel sensor system. Early Sunday, one of the four engine 

cutoff or ECO, sensors inside the liquid hydrogen section of Atlantis' external fuel tank 

gave a false reading while the tank was being filled. NASA's current Launch Conmiit Criteria 

require that all four sensors function properly. The sensor system is one of several that 

protect the shuttle's, main engines by triggering their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly 

low. Atlantis' scheduled launch on Thursday, Dec. 6, was delayed after two liquid hydrogen 

ECO sensors gave false readings. The main objective of Atlantis' 11-day mission is to 

install and activate the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, which will provide 

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scientists around the world the ability to conduct a variety of life, physical and materials 

science experiments. ["NASA Targets Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch on Jan. 2," NASA 

News Release #07-273, December 9, 2007.] 

December 10: Atlas-NRO mission declared a success 

A classified National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft is winging its way around the planet 

tonight after a roaring rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. With the 

clandestine cargo nestled in its protective nosecone, a United Launch Affiance Atlas 5 rocket 

blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 5:05 p.m. EST. A crackling rumble 

rippled across the eastern coast of Florida as the rocket leapt off Launch Complex 41 and 

then arced out over the Atlantic Ocean, trailing a puffy white umbilical of smoke. The Atlas 

appeared to fly on a northerly trajectory, and officials with the NRO declared victory about 

90 minutes after launch. "We have had a totally successful launch," NRO spokesman Rick 

Oborn said. The NRO would not identify the payload. Web posted. (2007). [Atlas-NRO 

mission declared a success [Online]. Available W"X7W: http://ww\v.floridatodav.com/ The 

Flame Trench blog [2007, December 101.1 

December 11: No decision on Orion's landing 

NASA has not decided whether the next generation of vehicles taking humans into space 

will return to Earth for a landing on water, ground or both, agency administrators said 

Monday. "We have not pickeda landing mode for the Orion yet," said Rick Gilbrech, the 

agency's associate administrator for space explorations. NASA had hoped to make that 

decision by this month for Orion, which will replace the aging space shuttles and carry 

astronauts starting in 2015. Orion is planned to return Americans to the moon five years 

later, in 2020. As a matter of overall safety, the agency prefers the water landings. One of 

the main considerations is a 1,500-pound airbag system that will be part of Orion's landing 

design. Engineers are trying to determine how much of that system could be used for 

subsequent missions as part of a cost-saving measure, said Jeff Hanley, manager of NASA's 

Constellation program. But both he and Gilbrech emphasized crew safety is the top 

concern. "The crew has to walk away and survive," Gilbrech said. The announcement 

emerged from an update NASA provided to reporters Monday on the Constellation 

program. The discussion came less than two weeks after the release of a government audit 

that questioned how prepared NASA is to move ahead with the development of its Ares I 

rocket, which will be used to propel Orion. Web posted. (2007). [No decision on Orion's 

landing [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatodav.com/ The Flame Trench blog 

[2007, December 11].] 

December 12: NASA Selects Prime Contractor for Ares I rocket avionics 

NASA has selected The Boeing Company of Huntsville, Ala., as the prime contractor to 

produce, deliver and install avionics systems for the Ares I rocket that will launch the Orion 

crew exploration vehicle into orbit. The selection is the final major contract award for Ares 

I. The award resulted from a full and open competition. The Ares I launch vehicle is a key 

component of the Constellation Program, which will send humans to the moon by 2020 to 

set up a lunar outpost. Boeing will support the NASA design team leading the development 

of the Ares I avionics components. The company also will develop and aquire avionics 

hardware for the rocket and assemble, inspect and integrate the avionics system components 

on the upper stage. Components will be manufactured by the prime contractor's suppliers 

across the country. Final integration and checkout will take place at NASA's Michoud 

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Assembly Facility in Louisiana. The avionics are the "brains" of the Ares I and wifi provide 

guidance, navigation and control for the rocket until it reaches orbit. The avionics system is 

responsible for managing vehicle health and reporting it to flight controllers based on a 

sequence of timed events, such as engine shutdown and first stage separation. The 

instrument unit that contains the bulk of the avionics will be situated between the two-stage 

Ares I rocket and the adapter that joins Ares I to the Orion spacecraft. The system consists 

of onboard computers, flight controls, communications equipment and other instruments 

and software for monitoring and adjusting the rocket's speed and position during flight. 

Boeing will provide one instrument unit avionics ground test article, three flight test units 

and six production flight units to support integrated flight tests and missions through 2016. 

The contract type is cost-plus-award-fee and the period of performance is Dec. 17, 2007, 

through Dec. 16, 2016. The estimated value for support to the NASA-led design team and 

production of test and flight units is $265,489,783. Additional tasks not included in the initial 

scope of the contract may be acquired up to a maximum value of $420 million. Additional 

flight units may be obtained at an estimated cost of $114,045,292 for as many as 12 

additional units. The total estimated contract value is $799,535,079. The Ares I first stage 

will be a five-segment solid rocket booster. The upper, second stage of the rocket will 

consist of a J-2X liquid-oxygen, liquid-hydrogen main engine, a new upper stage fuel tank, 

and the instrument unit avionics. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., 

manages the Ares Project for NASA's Constellation Program, based at NASA's Johnson 

Space Center in Houston. ["NASA Selects Prime Contractor for Ares I rocket avionics," 

NASA Contract Release #C07-060, December 12, 2007.] 

Lockheed opens lab for Orion and Constellation 

Lockheed Martin announced today the opening of its new space Exploration Development 

Laboratory in a ceremony dedicating the facility to support the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration's (NASA) Project Orion and Constellation Program. Orion is 

America's next-generation human spaceffight vehicle that will transport up to six astronauts 

to and from the International Space Station and up to four to the moon and destinations 

beyond, beginning in 2015 after the space shuttle is retired. The new 10,000 sq. ft. 

Exploration Development Laboratory is a state-of-the-art test facility funded by Lockheed 

Martin and its teammates United Space Affiance and Honeywell as part of an integrated 

EDL network that includes facilities in Denver, CO, Glendale, AZ and Arlington, VA. The 

EDL network is designed to reduce cost and schedule risk by providing an early opportunity 

to perform systems level avionics and software testing for Orion in a realistic environment in 

the development phase of the program. "The Exploration Development Lab provides a 

tremendous benefit to NASA and the Lockheed Martin team as we begin a very robust test 

program for Orion," said Cleon Lacefield, vice president and program manager of Project 

Orion for Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "We are very excited to have the EDL ready 

and operational for Orion and Constellation so early in the development phase of the 

program. Testing in this new facility has already begun and we successfully completed the 

first Pad Abort I avionics systems test for Orion last week." The EDL in Houston is 

located adjacent to NASA Johnson Space Center, enabling the Lockheed Martin team to 

work closely with NASA's Project Orion and Constellation Program early in the 

development and testing phase to gain clarity on requirements. This location allows the 

team to take full advantage of the breadth of human space flight experience in Houston, 

including early involvement and collaboration with astronaut flight crew members and flight 

controllers. Initial testing of critical systems wifi be done in the EDL, including the 

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Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C), Automated Rendezvous and Docking 

(AR&D), crew interfaces, and software development processes. Avionics system testing will 

be performed to reduce risk prior to abort flight testing at White Sands Missile Range and 

NASA Kennedy Space Center. EDL testing also will include system integration tests and 

mission tests that employ the team's "test like you fly" philosophy. The Lockheed Martin 

team also is working closely with NASA on a Human Engineering mockup that will be used 

to perform fact finding activities, such as reach zone, panel displays, internal lighting 

assessment, seat mockup and development, docking hatch development, crew stowage, hand 

controller development, and other human interface devices. Web posted. (2007). [Lockheed 

opens lab for Orion and Constellation [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww\v.spaceflightnow.com/ [2007, December 12].] 

Sensors under trial in search for trouble 

NASA hopes a Tuesday tanking test involving new instruments will reveal the cause of a fuel 

sensor malfunction and clear the way for the early January launch of Atlantis. With the 

shuttle fully fueled, instruments similar to those used by cable television companies will test 

five 100-foot circuits between the orbiter and sensors in the bottom of the external tank. "If 

the erroneous conditions repeat, which is what we think will happen, we can capture the 

location," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said. Suspect sensor readings delayed 

launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9. Hale said the troubleshooting procedure would not 

guarantee a fix before Jan. 2, the next possible launch date. "It could defmitely be a little bit 

later than that," he said. The low-fuel sensors, when working properly, would shut down the 

shuttle's main engines in flight before the fuel ran dry. When the fuel runs out, turbines fly 

apart, damaging the orbiter and endangering the crew. The redundant sensors have never 

been activated in flight. Erratic readings from the sensors have delayed earlier flights, but 

cleared up during second launch attempts. The sensors worked perfectly during the past two 

launches. NASA engineers speculate the problem appears to be in connectors or wiring 

cooled by liquid hydrogen. A short-term engineering team recommended Tuesday's tanking 

test. A long-term team will examine other possible solutions, including relaxing the launch 

criteria to allow a launch even if not all four redundant sensors work. Web posted. (2007). 

[Sensors under trial in search for trouble [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www. floridatoda y.com/ [2007, December 12].] 

Shuttle tanking test scheduled next week 

NASA has approved a hydrogen fuel "tanking test" with the space shuttle Atlantis external 

tank on the launch pad no earlier than Dec. 18 to help solve engine cutoff (ECO) sensor 

problems that have grounded the next International Space Station assembly mission until 

early January. The recommendations were presented at a regularly scheduled shuttle 

Program Requirements Review Board meeting at the Kennedy Space Center Dec. 11. 

Laboratory and bench testing of flight hardware unrelated to the upcoming mission also will 

be done to further explore ECO circuit vulnerabilities. Tests with Atlantis still at Pad 39A 

will include use of a Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR) pulse generator spiced into the 

ECO-sensor electronics. The device will inject electrical pulses into the circuit to help 

determine specifically where an impedance abnormality may lie along the about 100 feet of 

wiring involved with the ECO system. If a fault is found, how to fix it will be another 

problem altogether. The Atlantis launch remains scheduled for no earlier than Jan. 2, but 

will not occur that soon because of the tests and holiday time off for Kennedy employees. 

From the standpoint of ECO-sensor safety philosophy, NASA is not planning to fly another 

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shuttle mission until the problem is solved with Atlantis, according to Wayne Hale, the 

shuttle program manager. This means the agency will not move the Atlantis launch with 

Europe's Columbus laboratory out of sequence and advance the launch of the shuttle 

Endeavour with the logistics module for Japan's Kibo laboratory, now set for Feb. 14, Hale 

said. E-mail distribution. (2007). [Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: 

"Shuttle tanking test scheduled next week," [Electronic]. Vol. 224, No. 51, [December 12, 

2007.].] 

December 13: NASA Targets Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch on Jan. 10 

NASA's Space Shuttle Program managers have targeted Jan. 10 for the launch of shuttle 

Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station. "The workforce has stepped up 

to and met every challenge this year," said Wayne Hale, Space Shuttle Program manager at 

NASA's Johnson Space Center. "Moving the next launch attempt of Atlantis to Jan. 10 will 

allow as many people as possible to have time with family and friends at the time of year 

when it means the most. A lot has been asked of them this year and a lot vffl be asked of 

them in 2008." The liftoff date from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, depends on 

the resolution of a problem in a fuel sensor system. The shuttle's planned launches on Dec. 6 

and Dec. 9 were postponed because of false readings from the part of the system that 

monitors the liquid hydrogen section of the tank. Atlantis' main objective during its STS122 mission to the International Space Station is to install and activate the European Space 

Agency's Columbus laboratory, which will provide scientists around the world the ability to 

conduct a variety of life, physical and materials science experiments. ["NASA Targets Space 

Shuttle Atlantis Launch on Jan. 10," NASA Media Advisory #M07-184, December 13, 

2007.] 

December 14: Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-121407. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International 

Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Launch Pad 

39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Jan. 10, 2008; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schlegel, Eyharts, 

Love, Melvin, Walheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. Shuttle 

Program managers decided Thursday to target Jan. 10, 2008, to launch the STS-122 mission. 

At Launch Pad 39A, preparations continue for a Dec. 18 tanking test to troubleshoot the 

engine cutoff (ECO) sensors. Test wiring has been spliced into an electrical harness in the 

aft main engine compartment connected with the ECO sensor system. The attached wiring 

leads to the interior of the mobile launcher platform where the time domain reflectometry 

(TDR) test equipment will be located. This wiring is being tested today. On Wednesday in 

the Vehicle Assembly Building, the TDR was connected to the external tank to be used for 

STS-123. This allowed a "dry" ambient temperature signature to be identified. Friday in 

Kennedy Space Center's cryogenic test bed facility, TDR instrumentation is being exposed to 

"wet" super-cold temperatures for identifying the signature of a cryogenic environment and 

calibrating the TDR equipment. Saturday, the TDR will be taken to the launch pad and 

installed. The G02 battery recharge was completed and the GH2 battery recharge is planned 

for Friday. Aft Propulsion System and Forward Reaction Control System GHe QD leak 

checks and disconnects were completed. Hard window cover installation is complete. 

Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted 

for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, 

Foreman, Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

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Processing Facility bay No. 2, orbiter closeouts for Vehicle Assembly Building rollover 

continue. Main landing gear (MLG) brake installation is scheduled for today. ECL GN2 3-

day decay test continues through Saturday. Final Ku-band self test and cable unwrap is 

complete. MEDS MDU display verification is complete and good. R5R vernier thruster 

flush, thruster drying and inspection, MLG strut seal remove-and-replace work, potable 

water servicing microbial testing, and ECL GN2 servicing and topoff were completed this 

week. In high bay No. I of the Vehicle Assembly Building, booster integration activities 

continue. Stacking and joint closeouts are complete. S&A devices are installed and the LSCs 

will be installed today. In high bay No. 2E of the Vehicle Assembly Building, LH2/L02 

disc measurements are in work and will continue through the weekend. Preps for external 

tank mate will resume on Dec. 17 following Friday's external tank/solid rocket booster mate 

review. Final payload bay door closure for Orbiter Processing Facility rollover to the Vehicle 

Assembly Building is complete. Mission: STS-124 - 26th International Space Station Flight 

- Kibo Pressurized Module, Japanese Remote Manipulator System; Vehicle: Discovery (OV103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for April 24, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Ham, Nyberg, Garan, Fossum, Hosbide; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, the 

orbiter PVD door functional test, fuel cells I and 3 functional checkout, and RMS 

turnaround verification preps were completed. Port MPMs were moved to the vertical 

position on Dec. 13. The MADS data recorder removal, replacement, and retest are 

scheduled for Friday. The floor plate, side panels and phenolic panels were installed this 

week for aft skirt joint closeout and floor plate installation. Web posted. (2007). [NASA's 

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.nasa.gov/

centers/kennedy /shuttleoperations /status /2007 /index.html [2007, December 14:1 

December 15: NASA can maintain 2008 launch schedule 

Despite two launch delays last week, NASA could still pick up its original 2008 schedule by 

launching Atlantis on Jan. 10. A five-week turnaround between the launches of Atlantis and 

Endeavour would make that possible. "If we launched on the 10th (of January), it does not 

effect the ability to launch on Feb. 14," NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said. "All of that 

still fits." A Valentine's Day launch of Endeavour will return NASA to the schedule the 

agency proposed to complete the space station before the shuttle program ends in 2010. But 

if Atlantis' launch is delayed until Jan. 13 or 14, that would force a day-for-day slip in 

Endeavour's liftoff. Kennedy Space Center will be fueling Atlantis to trouble-shoot low-fuel 

sensors that gave undependable readings and caused delays of Dec. 6 and 9 launch attempts. 

Meeting the Jan. 10 launch date depends on finding and fixing the problem in the 

connections or wires that caused the suspect readings. ["NASA can maintain 2008 launch 

schedule," Florida Today, December 15, 2007, p IA.] 

December 16: Air Force studies lag in launch approvals 

As the government and private industry look to lure new space business to offset the loss of 

space shuttle jobs, critics say the time and frustration companies face in getting Air Force 

approval to launch from Cape Canaveral is a competitive disadvantage. To date, the average 

time it takes a company to get a new rocket or commercial launch venture approved to blast 

off from Cape Canaveral is more than three years. Now, the Air Force is in the midst of a 

far-reaching reorganization that could trim one or two years -- and a lot of frustration --

from the approval process. The changes under consideration are part of a national effort 

called AFSO 21, which is short for Air Force Smart Operations. On Monday, the head of 

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the program will be at Patrick Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station meeting 

with leaders who are in the midst of overhauling how the 45th Space Wing functions. Brig. 

Gen. Susan Helms, a former astronaut who now commands the 45th Space Wing, said the 

reorganization effort's over-reaching goal is to make the service more efficient in an era 

when the war on terrorism requires more people and more money being devoted to conflicts 

overseas. The Air Force needs to find ways to operate more efficiently, so that the smaller 

forces can accomplish their most important missions and spend less taxpayer money doing 

it. Officials with SpaceX, a sort of test case for the wing's changing launch-approval process, 

are saying they are pleased with the progress so far. They also said that the way the Air 

Force handles SpaceX's preparations to launch a new Falcon 9 rocket from pad 40 at Cape 

Canaveral will be a sign for other commercial endeavors that things are changing at the 

government's eastern range. If all remains on track, the time it takes the wing to clear the 

Falcon 9 for flight may be less than two years. Falcon 9 is set to fly in late 2008 or early 

2009, according to company schedules. "If the customer is ready to launch in two years, my 

goal is to be ready to support that," Helms said. Web posted. (2007). [Air Force studies lag 

in launch approvals Online]. Available W"(7W: http://www.floridatodav.com/ [2007, 

December 16].] 

December 17: Shuttle essentially grounded, despite launch date change 

The space shuttle program is essentially grounded, at least temporarily, because of engine 

cutoff (ECO) sensor problems. NASA has slipped the launch target for Atlantis and the 

European Columbus module from an earlier target of Jan. 2 to no earlier than Jan. 10. But 

the change has far more to do with granting NASA government and contractor personnel 

time off during the holidays than an actual date to fly the mission. Had the Jan. 2 target 

remained in effect, it would have been difficult bureaucratically to officially grant holiday 

leave to thousands of employees at Kennedy Space Center, Johnson Space Center and 

Marshall Space Flight Center. No actual launch date will be set until after the results of a 

shuttle hydrogen fueling test set for no earlier than Dec. 18. That will begin what could be a 

long process to trace and fix the cause of repeated hydrogen engine cutoff sensor problems 

with STS-122 and other earlier missions, after which managers thought the problem 

corrected. No missions will be flown until Atlantis' problems are properly diagnosed and 

corrected, according to NASA. Engineers are looking at the "pass-through" electrical cables 

and connections between the external tank and Atlantis with increased suspicion because 

that is one area common to all ECO sensor difficulties. E-mail distribution. (2007). 

[Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Re: "Shuttle essentially grounded, 

despite launch date change" [Electronic]. Vol. 224, No. 54, [December 17, 2007.].] 

Weldon to debut plan for shuttle 

U.S. Rep. David Weldon today will outline legislation to extend shuttle flights beyond the 

scheduled 2010 retirement. Weldon, a Republican whose district is home to thousands of 

space workers, will announce his plan at 1 p.m. at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor 

Complex. President Bush has ordered the shuttles retired in 2010 and directed NASA to 

develop new rockets and spaceships to carry astronauts to the moon. The policy, however, 

limits NASA to its current funding plus inflation, so a new fleet won't fly until at least 2015. 

Weldon has said he does not want the Chinese and Russians to be the only countries capable 

of launching humans to space for five years or more. A statement from Weldon's office said 

his proposed legislation would keep up employment at KSC. Web posted. (2007). [Weldon 

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to debut plan for shuttle Online]. Available WWW: http://www.floridatoday.com/ [2007, 

December 17].] 

December 18: NASA Awards Orion Project Integration Services Contract 

NASA has awarded a contract for Orion Project mtegration services to Barrios Technology 

Ltd. of Houston. The small business contract has a potential value of $49 million with 

options. Work on the contract will be performed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in 

Houston, with additional work possible at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

Barrios will provide critical products and services supporting the Constellation Program's 

Orion Project, which is developing new spacecraft to transport people to the International 

Space Station, the moon and beyond. Barrios will support the project's business 

management, configuration and data management, requirements analysis and integration, 

and engineering and technical services. The procurement was a small business set-aside. The 

basic period of the indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-award-fee contract is 

three years. The contract's base value is not to exceed $29 million. Two one-year extension 

options are available and could bring the total contract value to $49 million. Science 

Applications International Corporation of Houston will be a major subcontractor. ["NASA 

Awards Orion Project Integration Services Contract," NASA Contract Release #C07-061, 

December 18, 2007.]

Space Florida Signs Teaming Agreement with PlanetSpace 

Space Florida, the principal organization charged by the Florida Legislature with promoting 

and developing Florida's aerospace industry, announced today it recently entered into a 

Teaming Agreement with PlanetSpace, offering support as they prepare and submit their 

proposal in response to the NASA COTS request for proposal. As Florida's aerospace 

economic development organization, Space Florida is uniquely positioned to utilize the 

expertise within the organization, and the powers available as defined within the Space Act. 

Space Florida's role is to guide and facilitate all organizations that seek assistance and actively 

engage in developing next generation space industry business in Florida. "Space Florida has 

worked with PlanetSpace to facilitate their needs during the RFP proposal phase," stated 

Steve Kohler, President, Space Florida. "Through the Teaming Agreement we have 

established the parameters of support and development we can assist with for a planned 

future commercial launch site near Kennedy Space Center, if they win the bid." Space 

Florida drives aerospace economic development in Florida and serves as a catalyst for spacerelated business development, education, spaceport operations, research and development, 

workforce development, and financing. PlanetSpace, teaming with Lockheed Martin, ATK, 

and their fmancial advisor BMO, has submitted their proposal in response to NASA's COTS 

Phase 1 RFP to flight demonstrate cargo and crew delivery capability to the International 

Space Station (ISS). "Kennedy Space Center is a natural choice for PlanetSpace as our team 

expands its capabilities to provide not only crew and cargo delivery to the (ISS), but a low 

cost reliable commercial space transportation system to Low Earth Orbit and beyond," said 

Dr Chirinjeev Kathuria, PlanetSpace Chairman. PlanetSpace is moving ahead with plans to 

establish an orbital launch facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida, as well as the associated 

manufacturing, training, R&D, and integration facilities. PlanetSpace's proposed Florida 

economic activity could generate approximately 346 jobs annually with a cumulative 

economic impact to the State of Florida estimated to be $313 million. The launch, training, 

R&D and manufacturing facilities are to fulfill delivery of PlanetSpace's commercial launch 

business plan and will include any potential contractual effort under a Space Act Agreement 

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with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS). Web posted. (2007). 

[Space Florida Signs Teaming Agreement with PlanetSpace]. Available WWW: 

http: / /www.spaceflorida.gov/ [2007, December 18].] 

December 19: Shuttle problem linked to bad connector 

NASA on Tuesday traced fuel gauge failures in shuttle Atlantis' tank to a bad connector, and 

a top manager said he did not know how long it would take to replace the part or when the 

spaceship might fly. The erratic shuttle fuel gauges -- part of a critical safety system -- forced 

back-to-back launch delays this month. Until Tuesday's tanking test, NASA had been aiming 

for a January 10 liftoff of Atlantis with a European space station lab. "We're going to follow 

this trail where it leads us and we're going to solve this problem, and then we'll go fly 

whether it's January 10 or February 10 or March 10," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale 

said. Two of the four fuel gauges at the bottom of the external tank failed during Tuesday's 

test, and another did not work right. Special test equipment indicated open circuits in the 

connector that passes through the wall of the fuel tank, linking wiring between the gauges in 

the tank and Atlantis. It was too soon to know whether the shuttle would need to be 

returned to its hangar for repairs, Hale said. The space agency has been struggling with 

sporadic fuel gauge problems for two years, ever since flights resumed following the 

Columbia tragedy. The gauges prevent the shuttle's main engines from running on an empty 

tank, which could be catastrophic. Hale said it's unclear whether the same type of connector 

caused the previous problems. There could be a manufacturing defect or flawed design, or 

the part may have been installed improperly, he noted. The connector is less than 10 years 

old, "pretty new by shuttle standards." Web posted. (2007). [Shuttle problem linked to bad 

connector]. Available WWW: http://www.cnn.com/ [2007, December 19].] 

NASA must relaunch search for UFO data 

A recent settlement in a four-year-long Freedom of Information Act court battle requires 

NASA to meticulously comb for documents about the Kecksburg UFO incident and report 

back periodically to the judge still overseeing the case. The lawsuit was filed in December 

2003 in the District of Columbia by Leslie Kean, a freelance journalist, with financial support 

from the SciFi Channel, which ran a show that year titled 'The New Roswell: Kecksburg 

Exposed.' Kean pressed the case after she filed a Freedom of Information Act request 

earlier in 2003 and NASA said it couldn't find any documents related to Kecksburg. But 

Kean already knew the space agency, which had a program in the 1960s to recover and 

analyze space debris, had some documents. Stan Gordon, a well-known UFO and Bigfoot 

researcher with whom Kean was working, had information he got in response to a request 

he sent NASA in the 1990s. After NASA turned over about 1,000 pages of documents that 

filed to adequately address Kean's request, the case boiled over March 20 for federal Judge 

Emmet Sullivan, who had tried to move NASA along for more than three years. In a 

statement, NASA would say only that it was "in the process of conducting anther records 

search." ["NASA must relaunch search for UFO data," Orlando Sentinel, December 19, 

2007, p A23.] 

December 20: Satellite will guide weapons 

After a five-minute delay to avoid the International Space Station, a United Launch Affiance 

Delta 2 rocket carrying the fifth modernized Global Positioning System satellite launched 

successfully at 3:04 p.m. Thursday. Spacecraft separation occurred 68 minutes after liftoff. 

Ground stations picked up signals from the satellite on schedule. The sateffite is expected to 

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begin working during the first week of January. The U.S. government provides the GPS 

signals to the world at no charge. Cell phones and banks use the timing signals from the 

satellites. The 30 GPS satellites provide military aircraft with signals for precise navigation 

and weapons control. "Today's launch moved us another step closer to modernizing the 

vital GPS constellation which provides 'combat effects' our warflghters depend on," said 

Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, commander of the 45th Space Wing. This was the 13th launch this 

year and the 79th successful Delta launch. The next GPS satellite will launch in March from 

the Cape. Designed to operate for 10 years, GPS satellites orbit the Earth at 11,000 miles 

every 12 hours, emitting continuous navigation signals. Web posted. (2007). [Satellite will 

guide weapons]. Available WWW: http://www.f1oridatodav.com/ [2007, December 21].] 

Bill Cuts NASA Exploration 

The fiscal 2008 omnibus spending bifi Congress plans to send to the White House for final 

approval by President Bush contains a modest cut to NASA's request for exploration funds, 

but a slight boost to overall science programs. Exploration - which includes development of 

the new Orion and Ares vehicles that will replace the space shuttle and eventually send 

astronauts back to the moon - would receive $3.8 billion under the bill, which is $270 million 

more than was enacted in 2007 but roughly $124 million below the request. Science 

programs would receive $5.577 billion, or $61 million above NASA's request. Space shuttle 

operations would receive $4 billion, and $2.22 billion would be allotted for the International 

Space Station. The bill also includes $556 million for cross-agency support programs. 

NASA's aeronautics directorate would receive $625 million, $81 million above the request, to 

fund aeronautical research, including work on fuel efficiency, air traffic patterns and 

emissions reduction. Web posted. (2007). [Bill Cuts NASA Exploration] Available WWW: 

http: / /www.aviationweek.corn / [2007, December 20].] 

December 21: NASA Extends Space Shuttle External Tank Contract 

NASA has signed a $465.7 million contract modification with Lockheed Martin, New 

Orleans, for space shuttle external tanks. The modification aligns and extends all activities 

associated with the production contract for the tanks to the launch schedule for the space 

shuttle's retirement date of 2010. The modification supports the agency's priorities of safely 

flying the space shuttle, completing construction of the International Space Station and 

NASA's long-term plan to return astronauts to the moon and beyond. The cost plus award 

fee/incentive fee contract will conclude Sept. 30, 2010, and brings the total value of the 

contract, awarded October 2000, to $2.94 billion. The contract calls for the delivery of 17 

external tanks to NASA. Work under the contract will be performed at NASA's Michoud 

Assembly Facility in New Orleans, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. 

and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Lockheed Martin builds, assembles and tests the 

space shuttle external tanks for NASA at the Michoud facility. The external tank holds the 

liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen for the shuttle's three main engines. It is the largest 

single component of the space shuttle and the only part of the shuttle that is not reused. At 

154 feet tall, the gigantic rust-colored tank is taller than a I 5-story building and as wide as a 

silo, with a diameter of about 27.5 feet. During launch, the tank acts as the structural 

backbone for the shuttle orbiter and the solid rocket boosters attached to it. ["NASA 

Extends Space Shuttle External Tank Contract," NASA Contract Release #C07-065, 

December 21, 2Q07.]

Space Shuttle Processing Status Report 

264
Space Shuttle Processing Status Report #S-122107. Mission: STS-122 - 24th International 

Space Station Flight - Columbus Module; Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104); Location: Launch Pad 

39A; Launch Date: Targeted for Jan. 10, 2008; Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Schiegel, Eyharts, 

Love, Melvin, Walheim; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. A 

tanking test was conducted at Launch Pad 39A on Tuesday to aid in troubleshooting the 

cause of malfunctioning engine cutoff (EGO) sensors. Technicians spliced test wiring into 

the EGO sensor electrical system and used time domain reflectometry equipment to help 

locate the electrical anomaly. Results of the tanking test pointed to an open circuit in the 

feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through 

connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Today technicians 

removed foam insulation covering the feed-through connector box, and workers from 

Lockheed-Martin will begin inspecting and testing the connector if approval is received for 

its removal next week. Shuttle program managers will meet on Dec. 27 to further review the 

data analysis from the tanking test conducted earlier this week and decide on a forward plan. 

Mission: STS-123 - 25th International Space Station Flight - Kibo, Dextre; Vehicle: 

Endeavour (OV-105); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2; Launch Date: Targeted 

for Feb. 14, 2008; Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Gone, Johnson, Linnehan, Doi, Behnken, 

Foreman, Reisman; Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter 

Processing Facility bay No. 2, orbiter closeouts continue for rollover to the Vehicle 

Assembly Building. The Ku-band antenna has been stowed and the payload bay doors are 

closed for the holiday. Testing of the hydraulic system is complete, and the aerosurfaces 

(body flaps, rudder speed brake, elevons) have been positioned for rollover. The wing 

leading edge sensor system flight batteries have been installed. The orbiter's main propulsion 

system is configured for flight. The external tank doors have been inspected and positioned 

to centerline for flight. Final inspection of the thermal protection system is nearing 

completion, and the tiles will be waterproofed during the holiday period. In high bay No. I 

of the Vehicle Assembly Building, booster integration and closeout activities are complete. 

The mate of the external fuel tank is targeted for Jan. 2, pending the outcome of the STS122 EGO system analysis. Mission: STS-124 - 26th International Space Station Flight - 

Kibo Pressurized Module, Japanese Remote Manipulator System; Vehicle: Discovery (OV103); Location: Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3; Launch Date: Targeted for April 24, 2008; 

Launch Pad: 39A; Crew: Kelly, Ham, Nyberg, Garan, Fossum, Hoshide; Inclination/Orbit 

Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles. In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 3, the 

remote manipulator system verification testing is finished. The hydrogen separator was 

removed and replaced. Workers continue preparations for installing BRI tiles, a new, 

stronger type of thermal tile, around the external tank doors and main landing gear doors. 

All three liquid hydrogen engine feedline eddy current inspections are complete. Web 

posted. (2007). [NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report [Online]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww'v.nasa.gov/ centers/kennedv/shutdeoperations /status/2007 /index.html [2007, 

December 21.]

NASA Mars-probe delay may cost $40M 

NASA will wait two years longer than planned and spend an additional $40 million to launch 

a half-billion-dollar probe to Mars because of an unspecified conflict of interest in the 

purchasing process, officials said Friday. The Mars Scout program had scheduled a 2011 

launch of the $475 million Mars atmospheric probe and was going to choose proposals for 

the mission from two research companies - one in Colorado and the other in Texas. But a 

"serious" conflict of interest in one of the proposals forced NASA to disband the board 

265
formed to pick the proposal, officials said, declining to elaborate. The agency created an 

entirely new panel, and that caused a delay in awarding the contract, Mars Exploration 

Program Director Doug McCuistion said. And because Mars only comes close enough to 

Earth to launch probes every 26 months, NASA had to postpone the mission from 2011 to 

2013, he said. ["NASA Mars-probe delay may cost $40M," Orlando Sentinel, December 

22, 2007, p A3.]

Kennedy Space Center Celebrates 2007 Achievements 

The workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center can reflect on 2007 as a year that celebrated 

the agency's rich history while adding new chapters to it. In July, Kennedy marked the 45th 

year as NASA's launch operations center. Its workers and managers focused on the center's 

diverse missions, including launching the space shuttle and spacecraft atop expendable 

launch vehicles, gearing up for the Constellation Program and working toward completing 

the International Space Station. Even though a hailstorm caused a late start, Kennedy 

launched three space shuttle missions this year. Atlantis' STS-1 17 mission brought the 

second and third starboard truss segments and another pair of solar power arrays to the 

station in June. In August, shuttle Endeavour's STS-1 18 mission installed a third starboard 

truss segment, the S5 truss, and shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission delivered the Italianbuilt U.S. Harmony connecting module in October. Kennedy's employees also can be proud 

of the four expendable launch vehicles that lifted off this year. This, includes three Cape 

Canaveral launches: Dawn's voyage through the inner solar system that began in September, 

Phoenix's journey to examine soil on Mars that launched in August, and February's 

THEMIS mission to study Earth's auroras. Kennedy also supported the AIM mission in 

April, which launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to learn about high 

cloud formations. Work at Kennedy for the Constellation Program began moving from 

concept to construction. This included installing the new lightning protection system at 

Launch Pad 39B to support future launches of the Ares rocket and Orion spacecraft. Also, a 

developmental heat shield for the Orion crew exploration vehicle arrived in November at 

the center and will undergo testing and evaluation. Kennedy Space Center made advances 

on the "green power" front. NASA and BMW teamed up to test a fleet of liquid hydrogenfueled cars that were used throughout the center during an eight-week period in the spring. 

And in December, NASA and Florida Power and Light signed a memorandum of 

understanding to study potential renewable energy projects that would be done at the center. 

Another first for Kennedy was hosting the World Space Expo in November. The four-day 

event brought together thousands of people from all over the world to celebrate the past, 

present and future of space exploration. With at least five space shuttle flights and 10 

expendable launch vehicle missions, Kennedy's work force is preparing for an aggressive 

launch schedule in 2008 while continuing construction and other transition work for the new 

Constellation Program. ["Kennedy Space Center Celebrates 2007 Achievements," NASA 

News Release #61-07, December 21, 2007.] 

December 26: Astronaut suffers loss in space 

International Space Station Flight Engineer Daniel Tam dealt with some difficult and 

unexpected news last Wednesday, when he learned that his 90-year-old mother Rose Tam 

died after her car was struck by a train. Tam is working with the Expedition 16 crew, while 

living aboard the space station, where he has been since the STS-120 crew brought him on 

Oct. 25. Michael Coats, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, released a 

statement the same day of Rose Tani's death. "The entire NASA family grieves with Dan on
the unexpected loss of his mother yesterday," he said. "We vffl work to provide Dan and his 

family with any assistance that they need during this difficult time." NASA offered Tam a 

break from his duties on the space station, but he was working as normal on Thursday. Tam 

was scheduled to return to Earth with the STS-122 crew on the same day that the accident 

occurred last week, but the STS_122 crew has not yet launched due to fuel sensor problems 

on Atlantis' external fuel tank that NASA is working to fix in time for a rescheduled launch 

date of Jan. 10. Web posted. (2007). [Astronaut suffers loss in space]. Available \(TWW: 

http: / /wwiv.chron.com / [2007, December 27].] 

NASA doing its homework 

NASA plans to launch twin spacecraft from Cape Canaveral in 2011 on a mission to study 

the moon's gravitational field and interior. The flight is one of a series NASA intends to 

launch as the agency prepares to send U.S. astronauts back to the moon and ultimately to 

Mars and other celestial destinations. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory - or 

GRAIL - spacecraft will fly in.formation around the moon for several months, measuring 

variations in mass from one place to another on the lunar surface. The variations will enable 

scientists to determine how much gravitational force is being exerted and the relative density 

and amount of material located in any one place. The spacecraft, which will be built by 

Lockheed Martin, also will carry cameras that will enable middle school students to take 

high-resolution digital images of the moon's surface as part of an interactive lunar studies 

program. Former NASA astronaut Sally Ride is leading the educational effort. ["NASA 

doing its homework," Florida Today, December 26, 2007, p 3B.] 

December 28: Delay likely for Atlantis launch, NASA says 

NASA engineers are optimistic that they are "days or weeks" from fixing the technological 

glitch delaying space shuttle Atlantis' mission to the international space station -- but 

acknowledge that it won't launch as soon as they'd hoped. Wayne Hale, manager of the 

space-shuttle program, told reporters Thursday that before a launch date is set, engineers 

must check out and repair an oversized electrical socket on the outside of Atlantis' fuel tank. 

"This is probably going to not allow us to fly on Jan. 10," Hale said. "We're probably going 

to be a little bit after that." Two weeks ago, Hale had described Jan. 10 as the earliest likely 

launch date. That will be delayed by days, if not weeks, he said. Atlantis has been stuck on 

the launchpad since Dec. 6, when fuel-gauge-like sensors at the base of its, enormous 

external fuel tank failed. The sensors serve as a backup safety system to shut down a shuttle's 

three main engines before their fuel supply runs out. Running the engines on a dry tank 

could lead to catastrophe. The current "no earlier than" Jan. 10 launch date was announced 

before engineers had a good idea of what might be needed to fix the problem, which has 

popped up intermittently during the past two years. But they are now confident that the 

problem lies in electrical connectors that link wires from the sensors to the shuttle's 

computers. The cables connect through the fuel tank's wall via a plug like device with pins, 

similar to a large computer connection. Technicians last weekend removed foam insulation 

on the outside of the tank, exposing the plug. On Saturday, engineers will remove the 

connector's central plug and exterior wiring for tests, Hale said. If it turns out that the 

internal connector is at fault, the fix will almost certainly force NASA to roll the shuttle off 

the launch pad and back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, adding 

to the launch delay. Hale was adamant that, while his goal is to fly Atlantis as soon as 

possible, NASA first had to be sure it had found the "root cause" of the problem and made 

the right fix before a launch is scheduled. Web posted. (2007). [Delay likely for Atlantis 

267
launch, NASA says]. Available WWW: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ [2007, December 

28].] 

December 29: ET-125 Connector removed to kick start major repair effort 

Engineers have removed the external LH2 Feed-through connector from ET-125, beginning 

the next stage of the major troubleshooting that has caused the delay to STS-122's launch. 

Moving forward with repair Option A, engineers hope that subsequent testing will confirm 

the EGO (Engine Cut Off) system anomaly is specific to the external elements of the 

connector, allowing work to be completed at the pad, thus avoiding rollback. Thursday's 

PRCB (Program Requirements Control Board) meeting approved the go-forward plan of 

'Option A' - which involves the removal of the external connector elements for testing, to be 

replaced by a 'cherry picked' replacement. A tanking test may follow, with timelines 

showing the completion of work is targeted for the second half of January. The stack will 

then have to be placed back into a launch posture, with estimates of a re-aligned launch date 

sometime in late January/early February. Although four shuttle departments recommended 

'Option B' - which calls for rollback and the replacing of ET-125 with ET-126, Shuttle 

manager Wayne Hale decided to continue with Option A, in the hope that testing will 

confirm the problem relates only to the external connector elements. Web posted. (2007). 

[ET-125 Connector removed to kick start major STS-122 repair effort]. Available WWW: 

http://www.nasaspaceffight.com/ [2007, December 29].] 

NASA soars in space, stumbles on ground 

Up, down and strange. That's the kind of year it was for NASA in 2007. It started with the 

felony arrest in February of a NASA astronaut on attempted kidnapping charges and 

included a murder-suicide at Johnson Space Center in Houston. A train carrying highly 

flammable shuttle booster segments derailed on its way to Kennedy Space Center in early 

May, and there were unsubstantiated allegations in July of heavy drinking b y astronauts 

before launch. And there was an astounding recovery from a violent act of nature - a freak 

hailstorm that severely damaged an external tank on shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis and seven 

astronauts flew in June, hauling a solar wing truss segment to the international Space Station. 

The June 8 liftoff started a string of three consecutive on time shuttle launches, and NASA 

was on a roll until recurring problems with low-level fuel sensors forced the agency to 

postpone the planned December launch of Atlantis and Europe's Columbus laboratory. 

Other top space success stories: NASA astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams set a record for 

the longest spaceflight by a woman - 195 days - and became the first astronaut to run a 

marathon in orbit. U.S. astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria set an American space endurance 

record - 215 days - and the most total spacewalking time. Astronaut Peggy Whitson 

became the first female commander of the space station outpost and set a record for the 

most spacewalking time accumulated by a woman. Astronaut Barbara Morgan - who served 

as backup for Christa McAuliffe, the Teacher-in-space - flew on a station assembly mission 

in August. Veteran pilot Pam Meiroy and station skipper Whitson became the first women 

to command space missions simultaneously during NASA's third and fmal shuttle flight of 

the year. NASA marked its 50th anniversary on October 1, 1957. And Kennedy Space 

Center began converting a shuttle launch complex for the Ares I rocket. ["NASA soars in 

space, stumbles on ground," Florida Today, December 29, 2007, p lB & 4B.] 

December 30: Lofty goals, missions afar will cram space agenda 

268
The coming year is going to be a full one on Florida's Space Coast. There will be a 

construction boom that will triple the size of the International Space Station. Then there are 

the missions to Mercury, the moon and Mars. There will be 16 rocket launches. In addition, 

there will be a half-dozen NASA shuttle flights, including a fifth and fmal servicing call on 

the Hubble Space Telescope. If all the scheduled shuttle launches occur this year, they 

would be at a rate not seen since before the 2003 Columbia accident. If all goes well, NASA 

would have a real chance to complete construction of the station - a project that involves 

100,000 people from 15 nations on four continents - as scheduled in 2010. NASA space 

operations Chief Bill Gerstenrnaier said, "It's going to be a great time for the space station." 

["Lofty goals, missions afar will cram space agenda," Florida Today, December 30, 2007, p 

IA & 8A.]
APPENDIX A

2007 Launch History 

NASA Space Shuttle Missions 

Mission STS-117 STS-118 STS-120 

Vehicle Atlantis Endeavour Discovery 

Payload S3/S4 Truss S5 Truss Node 2 Harmony 

Launch Date 

___________

June 8, 2007 

LC-39A

August 8, 2007 

LC-.39A

October 23, 2007 

LC-39A 

Landing Date 

____________

June 21, 2007 

EAFB

August 21, 2007 

KSC

November 7, 2007 

KSC 

Web posted. (2007). [Space Shuttle Launch Mission Archives]. Available WWW: 

http: / /ww'v.nasa.gov/centers/kennedv/sbuttleoperations /archives/2005.html [2008, January 31].] 

NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Missions 

Mission THEMIS AIM Phoenix Mars 

Lander

Dawn 

Vehicle Delta II Pegasus Delta II Delta II 

Launch Date February 17, 2007 April 25, 2007 August 4, 2007 September 27, 2007 

Launch Site CCAFS, 17B VAFB CCAFS, 17B CCAFS, 17B 

Web posted. (2007). [Expendable Launch Vehicle Mission Archives]. Available WW\V: 

http:/ /wwv.nasa.eov/centers/kennedv/launchingrockets/archives/2007.htm1 [2008, January 31].] 

Other Eastern Range Launch Missions 

Mission Orbital Express NROL NAVSTAR 

Vehicle Atlas 5 Atlas 5 Delta 2 

Launch Date March 8, 2007 June 15, 2007 October 17, 2007 

Launch Site CCAFS, 41 CCAFS, 41 CCAFS, 17A 

Mission DSP NROL NAVSTAR 

Vehicle Delta 4 Heavy Atlas 5 Delta 2 

Launch Date November 11, 2007 December 10, 2007 December 20, 2007 

Launch Site CCAFS, 37B CCAFS, 41 CCAFS, 17A

Web posted. (2007). [Eastern Range Launch History]. Available WWW: 

http: //www.patrick.af.mil/shared/rnedia/document/AFD-061 027-008.pdf [2008, January 31].] 

270 
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