National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Kennedy Space Center’s 

Annual Report FY2006
Table of Contents

	 3	 Center Director’s Message

	 4	 NASA Vision and Mission

	 5	 NASA Values

	 6	 Significant Events

	10	 Space Shuttle Processing

	14	 International Space Station and Spacecraft Processing

	18	 Launch Services Program

	22	 Constellation Ground Operations

	24	 Applied Technology

	25	 Partnerships

	26	 Environmental Leadership

	28	 Education

	30	 Outreach to the World

	32	 2006 KSC Business Report

	 	 	 Economic Impact

	 	 	 Work Force Diversity

	 	 	 Procurement Report



NASA explores for answers that power our future.
Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006
Center Director’s 

Message



A fish-eye view from inside the Vehicle Assembly Building shows

Space Shuttle Discovery as it begins its slow 4.2-mile journey via

the crawlerway to Launch Pad 39B, for launch on July 4, 2006.

During 2006, Kennedy Space Center’s one-of-a-kind work force continued to 

launch successful space shuttle and expendable launch vehicle missions, processed a full complement of elements and hardware for delivery to the International Space Station, and played a strategic part in setting the course for NASA’s 

next steps in the Constellation Program and the Vision for Space Exploration.

Two successful space shuttle launches delivered crucial truss elements to expand the space station’s capabilities. Three liftoffs of expendable launch vehicles 

carried new and unique spacecraft to study distant planets, as well as our own.

In order to prepare for the challenges of the future, KSC created four new 

offices that will be essential to making a smooth transition from the shuttle to 

the new exploration program. These are the Constellation Project Office, the Engineering Development Directorate, the Applied Technology Office and the Advanced Planning Office. 

KSC’s employees embody the spirit of the community in which they live by 

reaching out to support local charities through the Combined Federal Campaign 

and other programs. The center also continues to value its partnerships, and promotes education outreach and technological excellence as together we prepare 

to send humans back to the moon, then on to Mars and beyond. 

Through these and many other accomplishments in 2006, KSC continued 

playing a key role in the future of human spaceflight and in helping to better 

understand the universe in which we live. 

I invite you to read more about our nation’s gateway to exploring, discovering 

and understanding our universe in the pages that follow in this annual report. 

Working together, I believe that our best days are ahead of us. 

 

Sincerely,

William W. Parsons

Center Director
NASA Vision and Mission

NASA’s Mis

NASA continues the American traditions of pioneering, exploration and expanding the realm of what is 

possible by using unique competencies in science and engineering to fulfill the agency’s purpose and 

achieve NASA’s mission:

To pioneer the future in space exploration, 

scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.

The Vision for Space E

On Jan. 14, 2004, President George W. Bush announced “A Renewed Spirit of Discovery: The President’s Vision for U.S. Space Exploration,” a new directive for the nation’s space program, and it

endorsed by Congress in the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. 

This directive committed the nation to a journey of exploring the solar system, returning astronauts to the 

moon in the next decade, then venturing to Mars and beyond.

NASA established six strategic goals to help achieve the Vision for U.S. Space Exploration

• Fly the shuttle as safely as possible until its retirement, not later than 201

• Complete the International Space Station in a manner consistent with NASA’s international

partner commitments and the needs of human exploration.

• Develop a balanced overall program of science, exploration and aeronautics consistent with the 

redirection of the human spaceflight program to focus on exploration.

• Bring a new Crew Exploration Vehicle into service as soon as possible after shuttle retirement

• Encourage the pursuit of appropriate partnerships with the emerging commercial space sector

• Establish a lunar return program having the maximum possible utility for later missions

to Mars and other destinations.

Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006
NASA Values

NASA is privileged to take on missions of extraordinary risk, complexity and national priority. The agency’s 

employees recognize their responsibilities and are accountable for the important work entrusted to them. 

They strive to achieve an uncompromising standard of technical excellence in a healthy and safe 

environment.

The agency’s four shared core values support NASA’s commitment to technical excellence and express 

the ethics that guide the agency’s behavior. The following values are the underpinnings of NASA’s spirit 

and resolve:

Safe

NASA’s constant attention to safety is the cornerstone upon which NASA builds mission success. NASA 

employees are committed, individually and as a team, to protecting the safety and health of the public, 

NASA team members, and the assets that the nation entrusts to the agency.

Tea

NASA strives to ensure the agency’s work force functions safely at the highest levels of physical and 

mental well-being. NASA’s most powerful tool for achieving mission success is a multi-disciplinary team 

of competent people. The agency builds and values high-performing teams that are committed to 

continuous learning, trust and openness to innovation and new ideas. 

Int

NASA is committed to maintaining an environment of trust built upon honesty, ethical behavior, respect 

and candor. Building trust through ethical conduct as individuals and as an organization is a necessary 

component of mission success.

Mission

NASA’s purpose is to conduct successful space missions on behalf of the nation and to explore, discover 

and learn. Every NASA employee believes that mission success is the natural consequence of an

uncompromising commitment to technical excellence, safety, teamwork and integrity.
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Significant Event

1.	 Oct. 6, 2005

Inside the Orbiter Processing Facility, engineers

cheer as electricity courses through Endeavour

for the first time in two years, signaling the end

of the orbiter’s major modification period.

2.	 Oct. 6, 2005

Kennedy Space Center creates four new offices

in response to the Exploration Systems Architecture study, which aims to implement the

nation’s Vision for Space Exploration. These are

the Constellation Project Office, the Engineering

Development Directorate, the Applied Technology Office and the Advanced Planning Office.

3.	 Oct. 7, 2005

NASA and Zero Gravity Corp., also known as

ZERO-G, announce the firm’s participation in

a pilot program at KSC to conduct commercial

flights from the Shuttle Landing Facility.

4.	 Oct. 21, 2005

KSC’s chief medical officer, Dr. Irene Long, is

one of three women in the agency honored at

the Women of Color Technology Awards Conference in Atlanta.

5.	 Oct. 24, 2005

KSC closes for business and operations due to

the threat from Hurricane Wilma. The center’s

employees return to work on Oct. 26.

6.	 Nov. 4, 2005

KSC provides local students and job seekers

with disabilities an opportunity to spend a day

at the center in support of National Disability

Employment Awareness Month.

7.	 Jan. 13, 2006

KSC marks the 40th anniversary of the use of

crawler transporters in advancing spaceflight.

Dating back to use in the late 1960s to transport

the Apollo/Saturn launch vehicles to the pad,

crawlers have transported the space shuttle

atop the mobile launcher platform to Launch

Complex 39 for all of NASA’s shuttle missions.

Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006
8.	 Jan. 19, 2006

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, the first mis-

sion to distant dwarf planet Pluto, gets under

way aftera successful launch aboard an AtlasV

from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air

Force Station, Fla.

9.	 Jan. 24, 2006

William (Bill) Parsons is named the new deputy

director of Kennedy Space Center. He becomes

the center’s ninth center director in January

2007, upon James W. Kennedy’s retirement.

10.	Feb. 8, 2006

The Virgin Atlantic Airways GlobalFlyer aircraft,

piloted by Steve Fossett, takes off from KSC’s

Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:22 a.m., beginning

its record-breaking, non-stop trek around the

world.

11.	March 22, 2006

The Space Technology-5 spacecraft launches

froma Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Air Force

Base, Calif. Part of NASA’s New Millennium

Program, the ST-5 consists of three miniature

spacecraft called “micro-sats.”

12.	March 24, 2006

KSC’s management and local industry officials

participate ina ribbon-cutting ceremony for

the new Operations Support Building II in the

Launch Complex 39 area.

13.	March 29, 2006

NASA and HDNet work together to provide

high-definition TV coverage of space shuttle

liftoffs and landings and expendable launch

vehicle launches at KSC through 2010.

14.	April 6, 2006

NASA launchesa series of events to commem-

orate the 25th anniversary of the first space

shuttle flight on April 12, 1981, aboard Colum-

bia. KSC’s Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 is renamed and dedicated the Young-Crippen

Firing Room in honor of the first shuttle crew,

Commander John Young, at right in photo, and

Pilot Robert Crippen.

0

4
15.	April 28, 2006

The CALIPSO/CloudSat satellites launch aboard

a Delta II vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force

Base. Both satellites will provide new information on the effects of clouds and airborne

particles to help scientists understand changes

in the Earth’s climate and weather.

16.	May 31, 2006

The European Space Agency’s research laboratory, Columbus, arrives at KSC’s Space Station

Processing Facility, where it will be prepared for

delivery to the International Space Station on a

future space shuttle mission.

17.	June 2, 2006

The crew of mission STS-121 arrives at KSC to

participate in a full launch dress rehearsal and

other prelaunch activities called the terminal

countdown demonstration test.

18.	June 2, 2006

NASA selects Lockheed Martin Commercial

Launch Services Inc. to deliver an Atlas V

rocket for the Mars Science Laboratory mission,

scheduled for launch in September 2009.

19.	July 4, 2006

Providing its own version of fireworks, the seven-member crew of mission STS-121 launches

on Space Shuttle Discovery from Launch Pad

39B at 2:37 p.m. on a mission to the International Space Station. This marks the first space

shuttle launch on Independence Day and the

first launch countdown from the Launch Control

Center’s newly renovated Firing Room 4.

20.	July 17, 2006

Space Shuttle Discovery safely lands at 9:14

a.m. at the Shuttle Landing Facility after a 13-

day, five-million-mile journey in space.

1

20

 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006
21.	Aug. 21, 2006

KSC Director Jim Kennedy announces the ap-

pointment of Patrick Simpkins as director of the

center’s new Engineering Directorate.

22.	Aug. 29, 2006

KSC closes at midnight as Tropical Storm

Ernesto closes in on the Space Coast. Space

Shuttle Atlantis beginsa trek from Launch Pad

39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building, but half-

way to the VAB,a decision is made to return the

shuttle to the pad as forecasts improve. With no

damage to hardware or facilities, KSC returns to

normal operations on Aug. 31.

23.	Sept. 9, 2006

Space Shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew

launch on mission STS-115 at 11:14 a.m. from

Launch Pad 39B, bound for the International

Space Station.

24.	Sept. 12, 2006

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin names

William (Bill) Parsons the new director of KSC,

effective in January 2007.

25.	Sept. 21, 2006

Space Shuttle Atlantis and its crew return home

to Florida aftera 12-day, 4.9-million-mile

journey in space, marking the success of

mission STS-115 in restarting assembly of

the International Space Station.

2

25


Space Shuttle Processin

Just as NASA’s astronauts need the fleet of orbiters to accomplish their work in space, the agency relies on a team of experts who prepare Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour for flight 

on each mission. Kennedy Space Center’s NASA and contractor processing work force has prepared the vehicles for launch 

since the Space Shuttle Program’s first launch in 1981. 

During the fiscal year, orbiters for three missions to the International Space Station were processed in bays in the Orbiter 

Processing Facility and mated to their external tank and solid 

rocket boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Two of 

these missions launched during the fiscal year.

A combined total of 13 astronauts traveled more than 10 million miles during missions to deliver crucial elements, supplies 

and equipment to the International Space Station, bringing the 

agency one step closer to completing the orbiting laboratory as 

the center prepares for the first test flight of the Ares I launch 

vehicle in 2009. 

Space Shuttle

Mission STS-1

Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 carried seven astronauts and a multi-purpose logistics module with supplies and 

equipment to the station. The launch on July 4, 2006, at 2:37 p.m. 

created its own form of fireworks as it became the only mission 

in the history of the program to launch on Independence Day. 

Significant processing work was performed in order to prepare Discovery for its 32nd flight, including 42 vehicle modifications, 354 tile replacements and more than 100 special 

tests. The STS-121 mission succeeded in testing shuttle safety 

improvements, repairing a rail car on the space station and producing the first high-resolution images of the shuttle during 

and after its launch. Discovery landed safely at KSC on July 17, 

at 9:14 a.m., after a 13-day mission. 

Mission STS-11

Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on mission STS-115 carrying 

six astronauts at 11:14 a.m. Sept. 9, 2006. The mission resumed 

assembly of the space station by delivering the massive P3/P4 

truss segment, an integral part of the station’s backbone, and 

two sets of solar arrays. 

The mission was memorable even before launch, marking 

the first time in the program’s history that the shuttle rolled 

halfway back from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly 

Building due to tropical storm Ernesto, then rolled back to 

the pad as Ernesto fizzled out. STS-115 tested not only KSC’s 

hurricane rollback procedures, but also the lightning strike inspection and retest procedures. After a 12-day mission, Atlantis 

landed at KSC at 6:21 a.m. on Sept. 21. 

Space Shut

Accompl

Hurricane Katrina National Liquid Hydro

Shortage: Transfer of NASA/KSC Stock

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage to 

Air Products and Chemicals Inc., a 

liquid hydrogen production plant 

in New Orleans. This loss of production resulted in a nationwide critical 

shortage of liquid hydrogen, or LH2. 

The president and chief executive 

officer of Air Products requested 

that NASA sell any available inventory of liquid hydrogen back to the 

company to support industries, 

including power generation for 

nuclear plants, metals processors, 

glass and electronics producers 

and chemical processors. The Space 

Shuttle Program agreed to allow a 

KSC and Air Products team to transfer 660,000 gallons back to Air Prod-

10 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

Ironworkers from Ivey’s Construction attach a new lightning

mast tower to beams at the 295-

foot level of the Fixed Service

Structure on Launch Pad 39A.
ucts to support the needs of the nation. Engine 

testing operations at the Stennis Space Center were 

also curtailed.

As recorded in the U.S. Congressional Record 

on Dec. 5, 2006, “NASA’s generous actions allowed 

for the continued, albeit reduced, supply of liquid 

hydrogen to most commercial customers across 

the United States and prevented the shutdown of 

numerous manufacturing facilities and commensurate job losses throughout the nation.”

Bird Abatement Program

As the result of a bird strike during the STS-114 launch, KSC 

researched, developed and implemented several measures to 

reduce the possibility of bird strikes on future missions. DeTect 

Inc. in Panama City, Fla., designed and built the radar unit which 

consists of two basic marine radar devices that scan in the vertical and horizontal planes. The radar is used as a detection tool 

and provides the launch team with critical information on the 

presence of birds or vultures before a launch. The center established a “Roadkill Roundup” program encouraging workers to 

contact a hotline number to report locations of dead animals 

for removal, thereby removing the food sources for large birds.

Launch Pad 39A Improve

After two-and-a-half years, the multi-million-dollar construction efforts to upgrade and strengthen the ground systems on 

Launch Pad 39A are complete. Modifications included removing Apollo and early shuttle program items that are no longer 

used, installing an enhanced post-launch washdown system, and 

strengthening the rotating service structure to support additional weight. More than 526,000 square feet of the pad’s fixed 

and rotating service structures were sandblasted and repainted 

to eliminate corrosion and foreign object debris sources. Upgrades to existing facilities began in November 2004 and were 

completed by February 2007. 

More than 60 large and small projects were completed. The 

most significant was the Integrated Network Control System 

modification, which replaced outdated ground support hardware. These projects were completed by United Space Alliance 

and personnel from several companies and subcontractors.

Space Shuttle 

Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System

Space Shuttle Endeavour recently received a major modification that allows power generated from the solar arrays on the 

International Space Station to supplement the orbiter’s electrical power while docked. Prior to this modification, electrical 

power could only be transferred from the orbiter to the station. 

The Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System will enable the orbiter to stay docked to the station three to six days longer than 

in the past by conserving valuable liquid hydrogen and oxygen 

normally required by the orbiter’s power-generating fuel cells. 

These longer stays on orbit will allow for additional crew time 

to perform detailed thermal protection system assessments, 

station construction and maintenance, and science activities. 

The system also will provide extra power if the orbiter crew 

requires a rescue mission. KSC’s Orbiter Electrical Engineering group was involved with the system modification from the 

beginning. At the outset, the group coordinated with the Boeing design center on the requirements and engineering for this 

modification. 

Space Shuttle Integrated Network Control System

The Launch Vehicle Processing Directorate successfully 

completed a total ground support equipment command and 

control replacement for the launch pads. The modification replaced original shuttle ground support equipment dating back 

to the mid-1970s.

The new architecture, called the Integrated Network Control System, communicates between the Launch Control Center 

and the support equipment wherever the shuttle is being processed. The project uses new technology that can support the 

shuttle program and prepares KSC for future launch vehicles, 

such as the Ares I tests and subsequent Constellation Program 

vehicles.

Vehicle Assembly Building Doors Refurbishment

A refurbishment project began on the Vehicle Assembly 

Building’s historic doors, which saw the massive Apollo Saturn 

V rockets and space shuttles roll out for launches. The multiyear, multimillion-dollar project started during the fiscal year. 

Work was completed on the first of four high bay doors, 

which consist of horizontal and vertical panels that run almost 

the entire 525-foot height of the building. Refurbishment work 

on the vertical doors included replacing structural members, 

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building,

scaffolding is positioned on the vertical lift

doors work platform at the 400-foot level

to allow workers access. The platform

weighs more than 200 tons and was lifted

into place by a crane.
sandblasting, painting and installing new exterior siding. Accessing the doors required using a specially designed work platform that is 103 feet long, 70 feet wide and 69 feet tall in some 

places. The old 115-ft.-tall horizontal doors were removed from 

the building and replaced with newly built doors using three 

mobile cranes. 

Crawler Transporter Shoe Nondestructive 

Evaluation Using Modal Vibration Methods

Modal vibration tests were used on the tread shoes of the 

crawler transporter for the first time in June 2006 as a cost-effective way to identify flawed shoes that could be replaced prior to total failure. These tests help to identify internal structural 

changes, including cracks and voids. The in-situ modal tests can 

be performed during shuttle rollout on suspect shoes and subsequent rechecks so the shoes can be removed and replaced to 

prevent a total failure.

Each of the eight tracks on a vehicle contains 57 shoes and 

each tread shoe weighs about 2,000 pounds. Modal experimental testing uses a special hammer to produce a wide range of 

vibration frequencies into the shoes, helping to create a graphic picture of each shoe’s response and natural frequency. The 

graph of frequencies is unique to the inherent characteristics of 

the shoe due to differences in shape, material strength, flexibility, weight and composition. If the shoes could be consistently 

tested on a one-by-one basis, differences in structure could be 

easily established without destructive testing or even without 

removal from the crawler. 

New Imager

Ice Detector

The prototype ice detector unit was first used for mission STS-116, which launched on Dec. 9, 2006. Developed during fiscal year 2006, the unit is still in development by KSC engineers. The initial results were promising. The ice detector can 

determine the difference between ice, frost and condensation 

on the surface of the external tank. Ice detection is important 

because ice buildup could lead to a launch scrub. The ice detector is about the size of a small refrigerator.

2000 mm Telescope 

Also used during the STS-116 launch, a new 2000 mm telescope took images of ice that had built up on the gaseous oxygen vent duct. The telescope provided detailed images of the 

ice frost ramps of the external tank. One of the Final Inspection 

Team photographers connected a digital camera to the telescope to collect pictures from the base of the mobile launch 

platform. The telescope can also be used to take magnified pictures of small trouble spots on the vehicle and launch pad.

12 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

< In high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, a United

Space Alliance worker attaches the external tank to one of

the solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform in

preparation for mission STS-115.

Radar technicians adjust two bird detection radars, known

as Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar, near Launch Pad

39B before the July 4, 2006, launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121.

> Framed by trees in nearby woods, Space Shuttle Discovery rockets into the blue sky on July 4, 2006, from Launch

Pad 39B on mission STS-121.

International Space Station

and Spacecraft Processin

Each element aboard a space shuttle for delivery to the International Space Station begins its journey at Kennedy Space 

Center’s Space Station Processing Facility, where it undergoes 

final checkout, assembly and processing before flight. Preparations can take a few months or even several years to ensure that 

the elements are ready for delivery. 

During fiscal year 2006, the center’s International Space Station and Spacecraft Processing directorate provided payload 

processing support for two space shuttle missions and continued preparations for several future missions to the station. 

Mission STS-121 (UL

The team processed payloads for ULF-1.1, which included a 

multi-purpose logistics module containing an oxygen generation system, two science racks and other logistics hardware. 

The team also processed a new trailing umbilical system which 

replaced a failed unit on orbit. The umbilical system is part of 

the mobile transporter system attached to the space station. It 

controls the movement and direction of the mobile transporter 

as it navigates along the station’s external truss system.

Mission STS-115 (12

For mission STS-115, the team completed processing and 

demonstrated the flight readiness of the P3/P4 integrated truss 

segment. Processing accomplishments included final attachment of the upper-deck solar array following battery replacement, loading P3 and P4 flight software and replacing a failed 

P3 communication box late in the processing flow. Even with 

these processing challenges, the team delivered the truss segment early to the launch pad for installation in the shuttle’s 

payload bay. The P3/P4 truss segment, with its wingspan of 240 

feet, has proven a reliable source of the station’s power capability. When the station is complete, this segment will provide 

one-fourth of the combined power from the U.S. solar arrays. 

Additionally, the P3 half of the truss has a mechanism to allow 

the rotation of all of the outboard truss segments, including the 

solar arrays, to allow them to stay pointed toward the sun for 

optimal power generation. 

Mission STS-116 (12

Workers successfully processed the payloads for the mission, including the SPACEHAB Logistics Single Module, and an 

14 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

Inside the Space Station Processing Facility high bay, technicians begin to process the European Space

Agency’s Columbus module.
integrated cargo carrier containing the service module debris 

panels and other deployable payloads. The team successfully 

processed the P5 truss for the 12A.1 mission, which launched 

aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in December 2006.

Mission STS-117 (

The team completed all processing and flight closeouts for 

the S3/S4 integrated truss segment in preparation for the start 

of shuttle integration activities in early 2007. Significant accomplishments included replacing the lower deck batteries due to 

longer time spent on the ground than expected, removing and 

replacing the lower deck solar array wing to support battery 

replacement, rotating the cargo element following battery replacement and other processing activities. The S3/S4 is a mirror image of the P3/P4 integrated truss segment which flew on 

STS-115.

Mission STS-118 (

Processing of the External Stowage Platform-3 included 

work on a nitrogen tank assembly, a battery charge/discharge 

unit and a Canadian pitch/roll joint. In October 2006, KSC supported an assessment to add a spare control moment gyroscope 

to replace a failed gyroscope during the mission. The mission 

processing team also verified the P5 truss segment for delivery 

on this mission.

Future St

Node 2 “Harmony” modul

Node 2 is the building block that will connect the U.S. Lab 

Destiny, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s “Kibo” experiment module and the European Space Agency’s Columbus 

research module to the station. Accomplishments for NASA’s 

Node 2 include continued flight internal closeouts, water circulation activities and reinstallation of the modified aft hatch from 

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Resupply and 

return racks were installed, preliminary closeouts continued 

on the active common berthing mechanism and final powerup testing of the Node was completed. The Node 2 module is 

scheduled for delivery to the station on mission STS-120, currently scheduled for launch in late 2007. 

Columbus module

The European Space Agency’s Columbus research module 

arrived at KSC in May 2006. Processing highlights since that 

time include an element leak test in the Operations and Checkout Building vacuum chamber and supporting the ESA in module processing. With its four internal payload racks and two 

external accommodations for payloads, the laboratory will significantly increase the station’s research capability. The Columbus module will be delivered to the station on mission STS-122, 

currently scheduled for launch in late 2007. 

JAXA Missions (1J, 1J/A, 2J

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, and its 

contractors continued launch site preparations of the pressurized module “Kibo” for its upcoming flight on the 1J mission in 

early 2008. In October 2006, an “end-to-end” test was performed 

involving the transmission of commands from the JAXA space 

station control center at the Tsukuba Space Center in Japan to 

the module at KSC, and return of telemetry from the module 

to Tsukuba. The test served to successfully validate flight hard-

1

The S3/S4 truss segment is tilted on a work stand inside the Space Station Processing Facility high

bay during processing to prepare the element for delivery to the space station on mission STS-117.
16 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

ware, the control system and procedures. JAXA’s Experiment 

Logistics Module Pressurized Section arrived at KSC in March 

2007. The module will be launched on mission STS-123 in early 

2008.

Canada’s Dextre robotic manipulator

The Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or 

“Dextre,” will fly on a Spacelab-era pallet on mission STS-123. In 

the Space Station Processing Facility high bay, technicians are 

currently reconfiguring the flight support equipment installed 

on the pallet from an earlier mission. Dextre arrived at KSC in 

June 2007.

S6 truss segment 

The last truss segment to fly, the S6 will be the final addition to the space station’s power and support structure. The S6 

arrived at KSC in December 2002, and the KSC team has been 

working diligently since then to ensure the vehicle is ready for 

launch. Future processing work includes battery replacement, 

installation of one of the solar array wings and around-the-clock 

testing of the vehicle’s batteries and coolant systems. The S6 

truss is scheduled to be delivered to the station on mission STS119 no earlier than mid-2008.

Cupola

The Cupola is currently in the Space Station Processing Facility intermediate bay awaiting launch. When delivered to the 

space station, the Cupola will provide astronauts a window to 

the universe, as well as to the station. After the Node 3 module 

arrives from Italy, the Cupola will be joined to the Node for 

launch in 2010. 

Operations and Checkout Buildin

The Operations and Checkout Building experienced many 

changes during 2006. In the high bay, personnel removed the 

old test stands used during Spacelab-era processing. Also, the 

team reactivated the west end doors after 25 years of non-use, 

symbolically opening the doors for exploration. Lockheed Martin plans to spend the next couple of years outfitting the building’s high bay in preparation for final assembly of NASA’s new 

Orion spacecraft.

An overhead crane moves the P3/P4 truss segment across the floor to the waiting payload canister inside

the Space Station Processing Facility. The truss was delivered to the space station on mission STS-115.

> The Delta II rocket stands ready for fueling

in preparation for launch on Space Launch

Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base

in California. The launch vehicle, carrying

NASA’s CALIPSO and CloudSat satellites,

launched at 6:02 a.m. on April 23, 2006.
1
18 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 20

Launch Services Progr

NASA’s Launch Services Program was busy processing expendable launch vehicles and spacecraft for three successful 

launches and planning for future launch capability. 

In 2006, the Launch Services Program conducted a study to 

assess the value and risks associated with current launch systems relative to the potential value and risks associated with 

new launch systems emerging in the commercial market. The 

results of the study provided the agency with appropriate information to make important decisions to sustain an effective 

and efficient space launch program for NASA spacecraft well 

into the next decade. 

The program also continued supporting the Vision for Space 

Exploration by providing expendable launch vehicle expertise, 

information and guidance for ground operations and requirements development for the Crew Launch Vehicle (Ares I) and 

the Cargo Launch Vehicle (Ares V).

New Horizon

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas V vehicle on Jan. 19, 2006, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. New Horizons is the first mission to 

the dwarf planet Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. New Horizons will 

fly by Pluto and its moon, Charon, as early as 2015, then head 

deeper into the Kuiper Belt in a potentially extended mission 

to examine one or two of the ancient, icy objects in that vast 

region more than a billion miles beyond Neptune’s orbit. This 

mission intends to provide an incredible story about the origin 

and evolution of the planets. For more information on the New 

Horizons mission, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/

newhorizons/main/index.html.

The team worked through several processing obstacles, including supporting a compressed approval process, hurricane 

damage to hardware and a facility, and failure of a fuel tank 

during qualification testing. They also completed the challenge 

of processing a nuclear-powered payload during the holiday 

season, coordinating a multi-contractor integration and launch 

team, and meeting a tight planetary window.

Space Technology 5 

The Space Technology 5 spacecraft, also known as ST5, 

launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL expendable launch vehicle on March 22, 2006, from Vandenberg 

Air Force Base.

The Launch Services Program team worked closely with the 

launch vehicle team and the spacecraft customer to ensure the 

safe operation of a unique spacecraft release system that will 

support future micro-satellites. 

The ST5 spacecraft is part of the agency’s New Millennium 

Program and consisted of three miniature spacecraft called micro-sats that weigh only 25 kilograms each, but have capabiliNASA’s New Horizons spacecraft roared into the blue sky

aboard an Atlas V rocket, spewing flames and smoke, on

Jan. 19, 2006. New Horizons was the fastest spacecraft

ever launched, reaching lunar orbit distance in just nine

hours and passing Jupiter 13 months later.
ties comparable to those of much larger spacecraft. ST5 served 

as a pathfinder for future science missions by demonstrating 

the benefits of a constellation of small, low-cost spacecraft obtaining simultaneous measurements in different locations. After completing a 90-day mission, the mission team shut down 

the spacecraft in June 2006. For more information on the ST5 spacecraft, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/st-5/

main/index.html.

CALIPSO / Cloud

CALIPSO and CloudSat were 

co-manifested on a Boeing Delta 

II launch vehicle that lifted off on 

April 28, 2006, from Vandenberg 

Air Force Base. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder 

Satellite Observations satellite, or 

CALIPSO, was developed to help 

scientists answer significant questions and provide new information about the effects of clouds 

and aerosols (airborne particles) 

on changes in the Earth’s climate. This information will lead 

to more accurate climate model 

predictions and provide international and national leaders with 

reliable information to make 

more informed policy decisions 

about global climate change.

To ensure the success of the 

mission, the Launch Services Program team overcame launch delays associated with flight hardware qualification and several other technical issues. The team 

also worked with the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to 

perform a modal survey test to help determine the cause and 

appropriate corrective actions associated with broken welds 

on the launch vehicle main engine. The underlying challenge 

was in managing the expectations of spacecraft customers as 

these issues were resolved. For more information on the CALIPSO/CloudSat mission, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/

cloudsat/launch/launch-index.html.

(above) The Orbital Sciences

L-1011 jet aircraft releases

the Pegasus XL launch

vehicle carrying the Space

Technology 5 spacecraft with

its trio of micro-satellites from

Vandenberg Air Force Base,

Calif., on March 22, 2006.

The CALIPSO spacecraft

was processed inside the

Astrotech Payload Processing Facility on Vandenberg Air

Force Base in California. The

CALIPSO and CloudSat

satellites were launched

aboard a Delta II vehicle on

April 28, 2006.
The orbiter Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at NASA’s

Shuttle Landing Facility on July 17, 2006, completing mission

STS-121 to the International Space Station.

22 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006

Constellation Ground 

Operation

Kennedy Space Center’s Constellation Ground Operations 

project office continued to support early Constellation Program 

development efforts during the fiscal year. Progress was made 

in a variety of areas, including development of ground systems 

and requirements, design support for the Crew Exploration Vehicle, Crew Launch Vehicle and Lunar Lander, and planning for 

integrated launch operations.

A significant milestone in the Constellation Program will be 

a test launch of the Ares I-X Crew Launch Vehicle from the center in 2009. During the past year, countdown models and command, control and data management concepts were developed 

for launch operations. Following NASA’s decision to launch a 

Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, options to modify 

Launch Complex 39B were assessed to accommodate shuttle 

launch-on-need requirements, as well as the Ares I-X launch. 

During the past year, detailed concepts for ground systems 

and facility systems were developed for Constellation missions 

to the International Space Station, as well as for lunar missions 

planned for late in the next decade. KSC awarded 90-day studies through a broad agency announcement to elicit additional 

innovative approaches from industry for infrastructure development and ground processing. The study results were used to 

refine in-house concepts and planning.

Launch Equipment Test Facility contracts were awarded for 

sandblasting and painting to support eventual ground systems 

testing. Historic Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center 

was transferred to the Constellation Program. Equipment used 

for more than 20 years by the Space Shuttle Program was removed in preparation for the installation of command and control systems that will be used for the Ares I-X test flight.

In preparation for the Constellation Program Systems Requirements Review, KSC personnel assisted in developing the 

Constellation Architecture Requirements Document, the Operations Concept document and Ground Systems to Crew Exploration Vehicle and Crew Launch Vehicle interface requirements 

documents. KSC co-led the Ground and Mission Operations System Integration Group and participated in several other integration groups to develop many of the Constellation architecture 

requirements. The center began work on other requirements 

documents, including the Level 3 Ground Systems, and Level 4 

Mobile Launcher, Launch Pad and Command and Control documents.

In addition to modifying and developing new facilities and 

systems at the launch site, KSC personnel are also involved in 

the early design and development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (Orion) and the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle. The Constellation Program is using KSC’s extensive experience in ground 

operations to infuse operability into the early design of the 

flight hardware elements, in order to reduce overall operation 

costs. The Ground Operations Project Office was involved in 

planning for several key areas, including avionics, propellant 

servicing, ordnance and pyrotechnics, and Crew Exploration 

Vehicle landing and recovery.

< A concept image shows the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center.

> A concept image shows the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

during ascent. Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

and launch abort system. Ares I will carry the Orion with its

crew of up to six astronauts to Earth orbit.
2
24 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006

Applied Technology

KSC’s technology experts are enhancing current programs, 

preparing for missions to the moon, developing weather forecasting tools and more to support the center’s leadership role 

in technology. 

Some of KSC’s technology projects ensure safe space shuttle 

operations. For example, workers demonstrated a new inspection system on orbiter windows, which greatly improved the 

resolution of observed defects that can weaken the windows 

and potentially lead to cracks. 

The center is also home to NASA’s invention of the year and 

commercial invention of the year—the emulsified zero-valent 

iron environmental remediation technology. This technology 

improves the method for purifying in soil, such as areas around 

abandoned launch pads.

Workers also developed an LED lighting module to test the 

benefits of the rugged, reliable, lower-power technology to replace older technologies and provide new options for Constellation vehicles. NASA is planning to test this module on the 

International Space Station, as well.

Understanding bacteria growth characteristics in zero gravity plays an important role in long-term space travel. To evaluate zero gravity’s effect on microbe growth, a microbial growth 

experiment -- Passive Observatories for Experimental Microbial 

Systems -- flew on the space shuttle and space station. 

NASA is developing ways to reduce costs and configure 

launch schedules in a timely manner, by investigating options 

that would eliminate the need for down-range tracking assets. 

Workers used sounding rocket and aircraft flights to test the use 

of communication relay satellites, such as the Tracking and Data 

Relay Satellite and the global positioning systems, as an alternative to ground-based tracking. The performance of the systems 

is very encouraging. 

Technology experts are battling the natural elements that interfere with spaceport projects, as well. The center’s corrosion 

lab established the National Corrosion Technology Alliance, 

with membership spanning the U.S. Department of Defense 

and various industries. This consortium serves as a “one-stop 

shop” for corrosion information and solutions. Furthermore, 

the electrostatics lab developed a filter to keep KSC’s gaseous 

nitrogen lines and critical parts free of contamination.

Workers can now forecast the threatening anvil clouds a 

thunderstorm brings to spaceflight operations much earlier because of the “anvil threat corridor forecast tool,” developed by 

the Applied Meteorology Unit, which is managed by the KSC 

Weather Office. By gaining up to three hours of advance notice, 

forecasters at the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron at Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station are using the tool to support space 

shuttle operations, as well as NASA, Department of Defense and 

commercial expendable vehicle launches. The National Weather 

Service Spaceflight Meteorology Group at Johnson Space Center is using the tool to support space shuttle landings.

KSC’s technology is also paving the way for future moon missions. To support JSC’s lunar architecture team in predicting the 

cratering affects of lunar-landing vehicles, KSC experts provided 

analysis of the effects of a specific thruster configuration that is 

under consideration. The KSC in-situ resource utilization team is 

leading the efforts for an oxygen production demonstration to 

explore technology that creates oxygen and other needed materials from lunar regolith, loose material on the moon’s foundation. 

Dust accumulation could degrade the performance of solar panels on the moon. The electrostatics lab demonstrated methods 

for using electric fields to remove performance-hindering dust 

from solar panels on the moon, spacesuit joints and other moving parts. KSC also supported a lunar lander study by providing a 

lander concept, expert landing and launch concepts, umbilicals 

for transferring cryogenic consumables on the lunar surface, an 

innovative lander airbag design, advanced densified propellant 

concepts and a cargo handling system concept. 

When working with launch vehicles or aircraft, a problem 

with one tiny wire could paralyze performance. However, KSC’s 

“standing wave reflectometer” can accurately pinpoint malfunctions within cables and wires to reliably verify conditions 

of electric power and signal distribution. A commercial firm is 

marketing products based on this technology. The U.S. Army includes these instruments in the helicopter battle damage and 

repair kits that go to Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the 

world where helicopter support is required.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Lab, workers prepared the

Passive Observatories for Experimental Microbial Systems,

also called POEMS, for mission STS-121.
25

Partnership

Kennedy Space Center continued to strengthen partnerships with Space Florida (the state’s aerospace development 

organization), space-related industry leaders, state and local 

economic development entities, elected officials and community leaders to accomplish agency and center goals. Key partners 

included the Florida Governor’s Office and the Governor’s Office of Trade Tourism and Economic Development, Space Florida, the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space 

Coast, the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, 

Enterprise Florida Inc., the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, 

the Florida Legislature, the Florida Congressional Delegation, 

elected officials, chambers of commerce and various key civic 

associations local to KSC.

A major accomplishment facilitated by KSC’s partners was 

a successful initiative aimed at bringing up to 300 to 400 hightech jobs to the center in association with final assembly and 

testing of the Crew Exploration Vehicle. This effort alone resulted in $35 million of state funds being set aside for a commercial 

entity performing NASA-related work at KSC. Similar partner 

efforts are under way to attract Commercial Orbital Transportation Systems launch operations and to showcase Central Florida’s high-tech capabilities. 

Throughout the year, the center hosted members of Congress, 

state legislators, local elected officials and congressional and state 

legislative staff members who were on hand to learn about KSC 

and view expendable vehicle and space shuttle launches. KSC 

supported extensive activities to maintain and enhance legislative relationships with local, state and federal elected officials. 

Briefings were given to members of the Brevard County Commission, Florida Legislature, Florida Governor’s Office and Florida Congressional Delegation, focusing on the Vision for Space 

Exploration and other initiatives involving the center. KSC staff, 

along with the NASA administrator, participated in events marking the annual Florida Space Day in Tallahassee. KSC also supported NASA’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs 

in the annual “Days on the Hill” in Washington, D.C. 

KSC’s partnerships with charitable organizations in Brevard 

County, principally United Way of Brevard, served as a vehicle 

for employees to contribute to the healthy and growing local 

community, as well as numerous charities across the nation. In 

keeping with this year’s theme, “Caring and Sharing – Combined 

We Make a Difference,” KSC employees voluntarily contributed 

more than $415,000 in donations through the 2006 Combined 

Federal Campaign.

Florida Rep. Thad Altman, at left, and then-Attorney

General Charlie Crist tour Kennedy Space Center in June

2006. They stand beneath one of the main engines of

Space Shuttle Discovery, perched for launch on mission

STS-121.
26 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006

Environmental Leadersh

The Kennedy Space Center protects and preserves 

its rich natural and cultural resources as it pursues the 

goal of safely completing space shuttle missions and constructing the International Space Station. 

KSC’s recycling program includes materials from operational and administrative processes and includes materials such as scrap metal, paper and cardboard, copier 

toner cartridges and concrete. The funding for these efforts is generated by recycling revenues, which totaled 

more than $237,000 during the fiscal year. This represents the center’s total recycling of more than 36 million 

pounds of materials that were diverted from disposal 

and recycled for useful purposes. A major focus of the 

KSC recycling program is to recycle waste concrete generated by center demolition activities. Throughout fiscal 

year 2006, KSC conducted a successful concrete recycling pilot project that reused about 950 tons of crushed 

concrete for a new parking lot at the Utility Shop. Use of 

this recycled concrete resulted in significant cost savings 

and diverted a significant volume of solid waste from 

landfill disposal.

KSC also partners with state and federal regulatory 

agencies. One successful example is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s approval for an alternate 

management process for inorganic zinc paint wastes. Due to 

KSC’s unique environment and operations, the center occasionally manages signficant amounts of these paint wastes. The federal and state waste regulations require these wastes to be completely contained during storage and transportation. However, 

due to the chemical composition of the inorganic zinc paint, 

complete containment can cause gases to build up, resulting in 

safety concerns. The new process prevents this by allowing the 

paint to dry before containerization. 

KSC led a NASA-wide effort to develop criteria to consistently identify and address historic resources associated with 

the Space Shuttle Program. This 

will help to ensure that unique 

historical aspects and properties of the shuttle program are 

adequately preserved for posterity as NASA moves into future 

spaceflight activities.

< Alligators sun themselves on

the bank of a pond.

Environmental specialists from Dynamac and the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service worked together to free a nesting green turtle from

under some debris on the beach at KSC.

> A mother osprey, left, sits

protectively next to one of her

chicks in her nest. Behind the

nest can be seen the immense

flag painted on the side of the

Vehicle Assembly Building.
27
28 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

Educatio

Kennedy Space Center’s Education Programs and University 

Research Division offered innovative learning opportunities to 

educators and students.

K-12 Progra

Operated by the University of Central Florida and the Florida Space Grant Consortium, the NASA Education Exploration 

Team provides science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related professional development workshops for educators, 

hands-on classroom activities for students and educational information to the general public. The team held workshops with 

more than 3,000 teachers, almost 18,000 students and 9,000 

others in the general public. The team also partnered with Delaware North and Brevard County schools during Space Week, 

which welcomed Brevard’s sixth-graders to the center.

In 2006, the NASA Explorer Schools Program, which focuses 

on fourth- through ninth-grade educators and students, added 

three new teams from Georgia and the Virgin Islands to KSC’s 

15 existing teams. KSC provided professional development 

for teachers in the program, and Explorer Schools once again 

enjoyed a year filled with outstanding achievements. Additionally, hundreds of students from at least 13 schools in the KSC 

and Langley Research Center regions attended space shuttle 

launches and launch attempts at KSC.

For the fourth year, KSC and the University of Central Florida co-hosted the 2006 Florida for Inspiration and Recognition 

of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Regional Competition. KSC sponsored the Pink Team from Rockledge and Cocoa 

Beach High Schools and the Bionic Tigers from Cocoa High 

School. 

In conjunction with the New Horizons launch on Jan. 19, 2006, 

a national education conference was held at KSC and in nearby 

Cocoa Beach for teachers. Educators experienced the mission 

and learned about other NASA missions from the scientists, 

engineers and students involved. It was sponsored by NASA, 

the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the 

Southwest Research Institute and KSC. The materials help educators enhance classroom teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Exploration Station staff also 

conducted a program focusing on the New Horizons mission’s 

science for 45 high school students.

 

Higher-Education Progr

NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate partnered 

with the National Space Grant Consortium to initiate a new 

higher-education student program for which KSC provides the 

overall agency program management. Hundreds of students are 

involved in this program, which consists of three student opportunities: exploration-related internships, engineering design 

challenge teams and senior design projects.

The Graduate Student Research Program awarded 14 fellowships for graduate study leading to master’s or doctoral degrees 

in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering related to 

NASA research and development. 

Minority-Focused Progra

Kennedy Space Center participated in the annual observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 

by co-hosting a Disability Mentoring Day with the Disability 

Awareness and Action Working Group at the center. Mentors 

and 27 students were matched based on career interests and 

spent the day together. 

KSC hosted 17 pre-service teachers selected to participate 

in the Pre-Service Teacher Institute. This program provides 

minority pre-service teachers and faculty members with opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills in teaching 

mathematics and science, and shows them how to access NASA 

educator resources.

Informal Educatio

The STS-121 Return to Flight DVD was a NASA Explorer 

Institute partnership between KSC’s Education Office and the 

Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It provided the pubAt Warrington Middle School in Pensacola, Fla., astronaut

Alan Poindexter talks to students. Poindexter joined past

Center Director Jim Kennedy on a visit to the school, which

has been named one of NASA’s Explorer Schools.
2

lic with a glimpse of the inner workings of the return-to-flight 

efforts. The DVD profiled many people involved in the effort, 

including NASA Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, STS-121 

crew member Stephanie Wilson and STS-114 crew member 

Steve Robinson. The DVD was distributed to museums, science 

centers, planetariums and schools nationwide. 

Thirty-seven Boy Scouts and 140 Girl Scouts leaders and volunteers from Central Florida completed the “train-the-trainer” 

workshop provided by the KSC Educator Resource Center staff. 

The staff also provided educational workshops to 529 Central 

Florida home-schooled students. 

Electronic Education Proje

KSC’s Virtual Lab, a software simulation of four high-end microscopes, recently received a NASA software award. A Space Act 

Agreement is being developed with Microsoft to incorporate the 

lab into one of the company’s new educational projects. The software can be downloaded from http://virtual.itg.uiuc.edu.

Students act as system engineers and address launch problems related to their studies via the Kennedy Launch Academy 

Simulation System, an interactive software program for schools 

that simulates a space shuttle launch countdown. The program 

has been tested at two schools with a high degree of success 

and parent involvement. 

KSC’s Digital Learning Network, or DLN, connected NASA 

scientists, engineers and education specialists with teachers 

and students of Explorer Schools through interactive videoconferencing. The DLN interacted with other schools and informal 

educational institutions in 28 states. The DLN delivered educational modules, mock press conferences, community programs, 

family nights, and special events such as a panel of scientists 

explaining the New Horizons, STEREO and THEMIS expendable 

vehicle launches. 

KSC’s DLN also hosted the Student Dust Counter news conference on Jan. 17, 2006, as part of the New Horizons mission. 

The Student Dust Counter is the first student-built instrument 

selected by NASA to fly on a planetary mission. Students from 

across the country were able to question the Dust Counter student designers to see what it’s like to build a spacecraft. Built by 

students at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the counter 

will monitor the density of dust grains in space. Researchers 

consider dust grains the building blocks of the solar system’s 

planets. The team hopes to identify as-yet-undetected clumps of 

dust in the dust disk of the solar system caused by the gravity 

of the outer planets. 

During a visit to the center, students participate in

Exploration Station activities, which offer hands-on

learning experiences.

Members of the “Pink Team” explain their robot to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at the 2006 FIRST Robotics

Regional Competition held March 9-11 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The Pink Team, whose

robot is named Roccobot, is co-sponsored by NASA KSC.
30 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

Outreach to the Worl

KSC Visitor Complex

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex effectively 

spread NASA’s message to more than 1.4 million guests from 

all over the world. This number should grow in 2007 with the 

opening of the “Shuttle Launch Experience.” In 2006, significant 

progress was made in developing the new attraction, which immerses guests in the sights, sounds, feelings and excitement of 

a vertical launch in mankind’s most complex vehicle. Because 

launch viewings draw enthusiastic tourists and residents from 

the Central Florida marketplace to the center, the Visitor Complex hosted thousands of guests for the two NASA space shuttle 

missions and one expendable launch vehicle mission launched 

from KSC during the fiscal year. 

Another significant investment was improving the Visitor 

Complex’s guest experience by refurbishing the complex’s central plaza to improve the flow of foot traffic, weather protection 

and the sense of arrival for guests. The bus boarding loop’s safety 

and loading efficiency was improved, and a conceptual design 

to introduce the public to NASA’s Constellation Program was 

created. Other elements of the complex’s 10-year master development plan are under way and continuously being refined. 

The Orlando International Airport retail stores thrive while 

providing exposure to NASA and offering space-related products to more than 25 million travelers commuting through one 

of the top-10 busiest airports in the country. Additionally, shore 

excursions to the Visitor Complex from cruise ships arriving at 

Port Canaveral remain popular.

Overall, the complex’s educational programs reached 

78,000 students in 2006 and achieved a 15-percent increase in 

Camp KSC, 27-percent increase in Overnight Adventures and 

6-percent increase in Astronaut Training Experience participation. These programs contribute to NASA’s mission to inspire 

the next generation of explorers. The complex hosted more 

than 10,000 sixth- and seventh-grade Brevard County students 

through Brevard Space Week and Brevard Learning About Science and Technology programs in partnership with the Brevard 

County School Board, NASA Education and the National Space 

Club’s Florida chapter.

Furthermore, special events included the induction of the 

fourth class of space shuttle astronauts to the U.S. Astronaut 

Hall of Fame, the 25th anniversary of STS-1, and the Gemini XII 

40th anniversary.

Guest Operations

KSC’s Guest Operations staff enabled more than 11,000 

NASA guests to participate in behind-the-scenes KSC tours, including lessons provided by center engineers and operational 

experts. Additionally, KSC hosted thousands of the agency’s invited guests to participate in briefings and view launches on 

NASA’s five missions. These guests included members of Congress, business and agency leaders, astronaut families, medical 

and legal professionals, veterans, teachers, students and the general public. 

Nearly 45,000 employees and family members celebrated 

and participated in the return of the annual Family Day event, 

which provided workers an opportunity to share their workplace with family and friends. This tradition had not occurred 

since 2000 due to security concerns following the Sept. 11 terrorist incident. 

Exhibit

KSC’s Display Management Team and Kennedy 

Integrated Display Staff supported 27 events, mostly in the southeast region of the country, reaching 

out to nearly 625,000 visitors individually. KSC’s 

road show, displays and handouts explained NASA’s 

exciting spaceflight history, education, science and 

technology programs and focused on the Vision 

for Space Exploration and spin-offs. Participation 

included minority events, air shows, technical and 

educational conferences, and trade shows. 

Speakers Bureau

KSC’s Speakers Bureau reached more than 

69,000 people at 224 events, including four interDuring a visit to Kennedy Space Center, Vice

President Dick Cheney (second from right) and

his family view Atlantis in the Orbiter Processing Facility. To his right is Shana Dale, NASA

deputy administrator.
national and 26 national events. Diverse KSC speakers, NASA 

astronauts and the Visitor Complex “Spaceman” were deployed 

for some events. KSC brought the NASA message to educators, 

scientists, government representatives, special interest groups, 

industry officials and others throughout the world, reaching minority groups including Hispanic, Asian-American and AfricanAmerican organizations.

KSC Web site and NASA Direct

Kennedy’s Web site is the front door to the center’s programs and one element of NASA’s expansive Web presence. 

Kennedy’s Web operations team was busy tracking the processing and launching of five missions and airing five live launch 

webcasts, including the New Horizons launch to the edge of 

the solar system. Most importantly, by the end of 2006, users’ 

satisfaction with the portal reached its highest sustained level 

ever, and people visited www.nasa.gov 106.6 million times, 

25 percent more than in 2005. 

By transitioning into a multimedia studio, the Web studio 

began producing additional non-traditional formats and expanded its audience outside of the Internet. Kicking off with 

the New Horizons mission, podcasts became a regular part of 

operations products, and now all KSC launches are available 

for download to personal computers or mp3/mp4 players. 

The “Ask the Astronaut” podcast, at www.nasa.gov/astronauts/astronauts_mm_collection_archive_1.html, remains one of NASA’s top 10 podcasts. 

The Media Services Division at KSC’s NASA News Center 

increased public awareness and support of space programs 

by interfacing with the world’s media and public audience 

through a wide variety of avenues. This included a partnership 

with HDNet to broadcast all NASA launches in high-definition 

TV on the HDNet network; a Web operation which includes 

live webcasts, television streams and on-demand video; and a 

full-service Public Affairs Office catering to all forms of professional journalists.

The highly popular live launch blog brings Web visitors 

along on NASA’s exciting countdown to launch with up-to-theminute updates and video highlights. Interesting feature stories, 

stunning photo galleries and interactive multimedia programs 

round out the experience. 

Media Services

The Media Services Division at KSC’s NASA News Center 

increased public awareness and support of space programs 

by interfacing with the world’s media and public audience 

through a wide variety of avenues. This included a television 

affiliate for NASA TV broadcasting all NASA launches; a Web operation which includes live webcasts, television streams and ondemand videos; and a full-service Public Affairs Office catering 

to all forms of professional journalists. 

During the year, more than 150,000 multimedia products 

were produced, including fact sheets, press releases, video news 

releases, live and radio phone-in interviews, still photographs, 

video footage, tapes, CDs and DVDs.

NASA Test Director Ted Mosteller, right, briefs the media about Firing Room 4, which underwent a two-year renovation to

add sound-suppressing walls and floors, humidity control, fire-suppression systems and consoles, and more. It is now

designated the primary firing room for all remaining space shuttle launches, and will also be used daily to manage operations in the Orbiter Processing Facilities.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

2006 KSC Business Report

Fiscal year 2006 was a successful year in terms of the center’s 

budget stability, progress toward KSC’s new roles and responsibilities, and continual improvements in the center’s financial 

systems. While the overall KSC budget decreased slightly from 

FY 2005 levels, the major programs were largely unaffected. A 

budget increase for the Constellation Program has firmly established the program as the next major mission for the center as 

the Space Shuttle Program phases out at the end of the decade. 

Successfully executing the KSC program not only supported 

the agency’s mission, but served as a major economic driver for 

the state and local economy. 

KSC’s financial systems and processes continue to evolve and 

improve, with two system improvements initiated during the fiscal year, in parallel with readying a major system upgrade and 

new modules for implementation in 2007 and beyond. Business 

processes also were modified due to a redesigned budget process 

and the opening of a centralized center for business services. 

As NASA continues to seek a clean financial opinion from 

independent auditors, KSC is supporting this effort by participating in regular agency audits and developing and applying internal controls to all financial activities. KSC made major contributions to the elimination of two agency material weaknesses 

(reconciled funds balance with the U.S. Treasury and unfunded 

environmental liability). Under agency direction, KSC is developing improvements in the valuation of NASA’s Property, Plant 

and Equipment and implementing improvements in financial 

management systems and data integrity to enable NASA to meet 

its target of a clean financial opinion.

FINANCIAL 

More than $2 billion of work was budgeted at KSC in FY 

2006, which includes all space shuttle work performed under 

the Johnson Space Center’s Space Flight Operations Contract 

(SFOC), as well as other NASA centers’ activities.KSC managed $1.6 billion of this budget and received $236 million 

in reimbursable work from 117 active agreements with nonNASA entities.

Program bud

• In FY 2006, the Space Shuttle Program executed its $900+ million budget accomplishing two successful missions (STS-121 with Discovery in July and STS-115 with Atlantis 

in September) and preparing for four flights scheduled in FY 2007. 

• The FY 2006 Launch Services Program budget supported the successful launch of 

three missions (New Horizons, ST-5 and CALIPSO/CloudSat) and preparations for seven missions manifested in FY 2007.

• International Space Station funding maintained an inflationary increase in its FY 2006 

funding level in a year which marked the delivery of a major structure (the P3/P4 

truss segment and associated solar arrays) to the space station.

• The Exploration activity doubled its budget in FY 2006 over the previous year to $126 

million, with $100 million of the total allocated to the newly established Constellation 

Program. With the program’s selection of a prime contractor to design, develop and 

build the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, and projected budget increases over the 

next few years, the KSC transformation is well under way.

32 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Space Shuttle $43

SFOC $5

International Space Station $

Launch Services $

Constellation $12

Other $

Total KSC $1,638

This FY 2006 budget

authority is expressed in

“full-cost” terms, as each

project budget includes

required KSC services

and the appropriate

level of center overhead

charts. SFOC work is

included.

KENNEDY SPACE ENTER FY 2006 BU

($ Millions)

This chart depicts the KSC budget elements which are included within each project budget for FY 2006. In

FY 2007, Center G&A and Service Pools have been combined into a Center Management and Operations

account, separate from project budgets. The total budget of $1.638 billion includes SFOC work.

FY 2006 KSC Budget by Elem

Labor, 

$232M

Direct Travel, 

$8M

Direct Procurement, 

$1,047M

Service Pools, 

$150M

Center G&A, 

$199M

Other, 

$2M

9%

14%

1%

64%

12%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

FINANCIAL S

Continued progress has been made at KSC and across the 

agency to transition to a single financial information system under the Integrated Enterprise Management Program. FY 2006 

saw the successful implementation and smooth transition of 

two new modules: the Program Management Information Initiative and the Agency Labor Distribution System. 

Much of FY 2006 was spent readying three new modules 

and upgrades for implementation in FY 2007-2008. 

The SAP Version Update is an upgrade to the current SAPdeveloped core financial system, which should enhance and 

improve the processes and functionality of the current system. 

The Contract Management Module, an initiative led by KSC’s 

Procurement Office, provides a new tool to support contract 

writing, contract administration, procurement workload management and data reporting to facilitate and expedite the NASA 

procurement processes. 

eTravel, one of the five e-Gov initiatives launched in response 

to the President’s Management Agenda, is a commercially hosted travel system that will provide end-to-end online travel services which will function similar to Orbitz or Travelocity. It is 

scheduled for implementation in 2008. 

BUSINESS PRO

Just as new systems drive changes in business processes, 

new leadership does, as well. FY 2006 saw major changes to 

budget formulation and execution across the agency. An old 

process became new again as Program Planning and Budget Execution was instituted during the budget-development process. 

This is a methodology for aligning resources in a comprehensive, disciplined, top-down approach that supports the agency’s 

vision and mission. It imposed a disciplined schedule and promoted communications at all levels, and was deemed highly 

successful. 

The agency applied the many lessons learned from its two 

years under full-cost budgeting, accounting and management, 

and greatly simplified its implementation. The philosophy of 

full-cost -- to fully capture the true costs of NASA’s programs and 

projects -- remains the same. However, the implementation has 

changed for several reasons, including operational complexities 

with the use of new financial systems, the development of unnecessary center competition and the desire for a single agency 

overhead rate. A newly created Center Management and Operations account encompasses the previous General & Administrative and Service Pool budgets. Full-cost allocation is now made 

at the agency level for NASA’s programs. The full-cost simplification methodology was used in the formulation of the FY 2008 

center budget with great success. 

A final significant change to business processes in FY 2006 

was the opening of the NASA Shared Services Center at the 

Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. This new NASA organization has allowed KSC and other centers to reduce on-site administrative functions by performing a variety of human resources, 

procurement and financial functions in a central location, including previous chief financial officer responsibilities for civil 

service payroll operations and domestic and foreign travel processing. Human resources and procurement tasks transitioned 

to the NASA Shared Services Center include senior executive 

service appointments, training support, processing of grants 

and cooperative agreements, an agency bankcard program and 

health fairs, among others. More activities are planned to be 

transitioned during the next couple of years.

34 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

Output, Income & Taxes in Millions of 2006 $

Employment in 00’s

Output Income Federal

Taxes

State &

Local Taxes

Employment

Area of 

Economic Impact

Brevard County

Central Florida Region

State of Florida

Output

2,787

3,380

3,617

Income

1,383

1,704

1,768

Employment

28,400

32,700

34,300

Federal

Taxes

121

171

177

State &

Local Taxes

66

75

83

(Millions of 2006 $) (Jobs in 00’s)

3

To fulfill its mission, NASA and its contractors require an extraordinary range of commodities and services, both technical 

and non-technical, ranging from expendable launch vehicles, 

propellants and computers, to pickup trucks, lawn mowers and 

nuts and bolts. In meeting NASA’s demand for these goods and 

services, local contractors employ workers, produce products, 

fund payrolls and generate output. These workers and contractors generate additional impacts as they spend their incomes 

and place orders with other local or regional firms for materials and services. In addition, economic activity is generated 

through the KSC Visitor Complex and business travel to the region. Each round of such spending recirculates NASA’s initial 

demand among Florida’s businesses and households, multiplying the direct impact on the economy.

KSC annually conducts an economic impact analysis to 

measure NASA’s effect on the economy at the local, regional 

and state levels. The assessment finds that in FY 2006, of the 

$16.6 billion NASA budget, KSC and other NASA centers injected nearly $1.7 billion into the local and state economies of 

Florida, which induced a total economic impact of $3.6 billion 

and 34,000 jobs in the state of Florida. KSC remains by far the 

major economic driver in Brevard County and a significant contributor to the economic health of the state of Florida.

The Total Economic Impact of All NASA Activiti

in FloridaFY 2

The total impact of NASA spending in

Florida in FY 2006 is $3.6 billion in regional

production, $1.8 billion in income and

34,000 jobs, which in turn generated $260

million in state and local taxes.

Economic Impa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

Kennedy Space Center is the most broadly based, complex 

and successful launch center in the world. Both NASA and contractor personnel working at the center are essential to the success of KSC.

The work force is a diverse group of people dedicated to 

supporting the nation’s space program and the Vision for Space 

Exploration. To accomplish the various missions expected of 

the space center, these individuals fulfill a multitude of tasks. 

At the end of each year, the center takes a “snapshot” of its 

work force. This picture includes all federal and contract employees chartered to work for KSC. Other organizations, such 

as the European Space Agency and Patrick Air Force Base, have 

roles here but are not reflected in these numbers. 

As of Sept. 30, 2006, the total KSC population was 14,315. 

This includes 2,106 full-time and other-than-full-time NASA civil 

servants and 10,556 total on-site and off-site contractor employees. The civil servant skill mix includes scientific and engineering, administrative, technical and clerical workers. There are 

671 construction employees, and 982 tenants on the center. 

36 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 200

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER W

(through 9/30/0

Total Civil Servants 2,106

Civil Servant Skill Mix

Scientific & Engineering 6

Administration 27%

Technical 7%

Clerical 5%

On-Site Contractor Employees 

Off-Site Contractor Employees 7

Total Contractor Employees 10,556

Total Construction Employees 671

Total Tenants 982

TOTAL KSC POPULATION 14,315

Work Force Diversit
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

3

Industry Partners at a Glan

The companies listed below were KSC’s top support contractors or launch services contractors in terms of dollars obligated in FY 2006. Following is a brief description of their work 

for the agency:

Space Gateway Support (SGS)

SGS, a joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Wackenhut, 

provides base operations support for KSC and Cape Canaveral 

Air Force Station. SGS is responsible for such activities as roads, 

grounds and facilities maintenance, custodial service, fire protection, security, calibrations and propellants handling.

The Boeing Company

Boeing Space Operations Company is the prime contractor 

for the Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services 

Contract, also known as the CAPPS Contract. Its primary purpose is to support payload processing for the International 

Space Station, space shuttle and expendable launch vehicles. 

Boeing performs all aspects of payload processing, including 

the planning and receiving of payloads, maintenance of associated payload ground systems, integration of payloads with the 

space shuttle, launch support and shuttle post-landing payload 

activities.

InDyne, In

InDyne, Inc. provides communication services under the 

KSC Integrated Communications Contract, or KICS Contract, 

supporting the space shuttle, payload carriers, Launch Services 

Program and the International Space Station. InDyne provides 

hardware and software integration and development for voice, 

video and data communications. InDyne provides motion picture, still photo, digital and video products and services for 

NASA, commercial expendable launch vehicle and U.S. Department of Defense customers. InDyne also handles the operation, 

administration and maintenance of the administrative telephone system in support of all KSC residents. 

Analex, Inc

Analex is the prime contractor on the Expendable Launch 

Vehicle Integrated Support Contract. The contractor is responsible for performing and integrating the overall programmatic 

business and administrative functions for expendable launch 

vehicles, or ELVs. This includes program/project planning, risk 

management, evaluation and information technology. Services 

include managing, operating, maintaining and sustaining engineering of the NASA ELV communications and telemetry stations located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and engineering services/studies and 

technical services for various ground/flight ELV systems, missions and payloads. Analex also provides management, operation, maintenance and sustaining engineering of assigned NASA 

facilities, systems and equipment at Vandenberg.

The Artic Slope Research Corporation (ASRC) 

Aerospace

ASRC Aerospace provides research and engineering services 

and technical support to the KSC Spaceport Engineering and 

Technology organization and other center operational customers. The support ranges in scope from providing research, engineering development, and management of complex research 

and development and technology projects, to engineering and 

technical support of various KSC laboratories and test beds. 

ASRC Aerospace uses a consortium of affiliated universities in 

performing applied research and technology development efforts. ASRC Aerospace also provides technology outreach to foster awareness and utilization of KSC’s unique capabilities.

Dynamac Corporation

The Life Sciences Services Contract provides a broad range 

of life sciences services to NASA. These include medical operations for shuttle and station programs, environmental compliance and stewardship, life sciences payload operations, support 

to the agency’s Occupational Health Program Office, biological 

science, life sciences payload development, work force protection, fitness and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and education 

outreach.

The Boeing Company

Delta Launch Services, Inc. provides the agency launch services using its Delta launch vehicles. Boeing is the contractor 

for one of three existing NASA Launch Services multiple-award 

Indefinite Delivery Quantity task order contracts. Principal location for the Delta II vehicle assembly is in Decatur, Ala. The 

Delta II vehicles launch from Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg.

Procurement Repor
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

38 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 20

Lockheed Martin Compan

Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, Inc. provides the agency launch services using its Atlas vehicle. Lockheed is the contractor for one of three existing NASA Launch 

Services multiple-award Indefinite Delivery Quantity task order 

contracts. Principal location for the Atlas vehicle assembly is 

in Denver. The Atlas vehicles launch from Cape Canaveral and 

Vandenberg.

OAO Corporati

OAO Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed 

Martin Information Technology, performs the Outsourcing 

Desktop Initiative for the NASA ODIN Contract at KSC. ODIN is 

an agency initiative to develop a long-term outsourcing arrangement with the commercial sector, transferring the responsibility and risk for providing and managing the vast majority of 

NASA’s desktop, server, and intra-center communication assets 

and services. ODIN includes hardware and software acquisition, 

as well as maintenance, mobile devices (such as Blackberries), 

e-mail, WebEx Internet conferencing, a help desk and other ancillary support services for general purpose workstations for 

NASA civil servants and on-site contractors.

Orbital Sciences Corporation

Orbital Sciences Corporation, or OSC, provides the agency 

launch services using its Pegasus and Taurus small expendable 

launch vehicles which lift off from Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg, 

Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, and equatorial launch ranges. 

OSC is the contractor for one of three existing NASA Launch 

Services multiple-award Indefinite Delivery Quantity task order 

contracts. Additionally, OSC provides Pegasus and Taurus vehicles to the agency under a second contract, the Small Expendable Launch Vehicle Contract.

United Space Alliance (USA)

Under a Johnson Space Center contract, USA is the prime 

contractor for the Space Program Operations Contract. USA’s 

primary purpose is to ensure mission success for the Space 

Shuttle Program. KSC is the primary point of responsibility for 

launch and landing of the space shuttle. USA supports ground 

operations and orbiter logistics elements of the Space Shuttle 

Program at KSC.

Large Business Contractors

Small Business Contractors

FY 2006 KSC Dollars Obligated to Large and Small Busine

KSC obligated 18.06% of its dollars directly to Small Businesses during FY 2006.

18.06%

$206,652,149

81.94%

$937,547,640
State Total $

ALABAMA 482,

ARIZONA 42,376

CALIFORNIA 

COLORADO 1

CONNECTICUT 12,4

DELAWARE 1

DISTRIC OF COLUM

FLORIDA 1,04

GEORGIA 

IDAHO 8

ILLINOI

INDIANA 4

IOWA 15

KANSAS 425,23

KENTUCKY 208

LOUISIANA

MARYLAND 2,347

MASSACHUSETTS 3,3

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA 73

MISSISSI

MISSOURI 5

State Total $

NEBRASKA 4,70

NEVADA 3

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY 1

NEW MEXICO 7

NEW YORK 555,

NORTH CAROLINA

OHIO 2,

OKLAHOMA 1,

OREGON 1

PENNSYLVANIA 1,4

RHODE ISLAND 5

SOUTH CAROLINA 5

SOUTH DAKOTA 

TENNESSEE 4

TEXAS 2,056,5

UTAH 154,

VIRGINIA 4,6

WASHINGTON 2

WEST VIRGINIA 

WISCONSIN 95

TOTAL 1,143,340,901

YOUR PROCUREMENT DOLLA

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUT

(FISCAL YEAR 2006 OB

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Space Gateway Support 372,2

McDonnell Douglas Corp. Delta Launch1 244,80

Boeing Space Operations (McDonnell Douglas)1 95,773

Lockheed Martin Comm. Launch Service 1 85,

InDyne, Inc 1 61,227

Orbital Sciences Corp.1 41,79

ASRC Aerospace Corp. 2 39,711

Analex Corp. 18,81

OAO Corporation 2 18,3

Dynamac Corp. 2 17,192

Rush Construction Inc. 4 12,1

Sauer Incorporated 7 9,468

Air Liquide Large Industries US Limited Partnerhip 1 7

Cendant Mobility Services Corp. 7,553

Air Products & Chemicals Inc. 2 5,6

Praxair Inc. 10 5,008

Reynolds Smith and Hills Inc. 29 4,44

Interconn Resources Inc 1 4,1

Tetra Tech NUS Inc.19 

Rush Peak Joint Venture 7 3,25

Speegle Construction Inc. 5 2,91

C and C International Computers and Consulting Inc 1 2,612

Jones Edmunds and Associates Inc. 41 2,428

Hamilton Roofing Inc. 2 2,360

Seyforth Roofing Company Inc. 2 2,18

TOTAL 145 $1,071,834,740

TOP 25 KSC BUSINESS CONTR

FOR FISCAL YE

Johnson Space Center’s Space Program Operations Contract, held by United Space Alliance

recorded $566.8 million managed by the KSC Procurement work force i FY 2

Contractor Number of Dollars

Obligated Contracts/Orders

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

40 Kennedy Space Center Annual Report 2006
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

www.nasa.gov

NP-2007-03-008-KSC