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America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond.
Nov. 3, 2000
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Spaceport Newshttp://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/snews/snewstoc.htm
Vol. 39, No. 22
Pages 4-5 – Jorge Rivera andIce Team honored.
Page 8 – 38th Space Congresscall for paper abstracts.
Page 3 – Discovery lands atEdwards Air Force Base.
Inside
Page 2 – Scenes from the KSCand 45th Space Wing BusinessOpportunities Expo.
(See MONITOR, Page 6)
Page 7 – KSC TechnologyTransfer Week and new ECSGround Disconnect technology.
Cabin Pressure Monitor holds promise
Super Safety, Health Day success
KSC technology toimprove safety forair, land and sea
Personal Cabin Pressure Altitude Monitor inventor Jan Zysko, at left, and Shuttle Processingengineer Rich Mizell test the monitor in an altitude chamber at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.
A new NASA KSC innovation – the PersonalCabin Pressure Altitude Monitor – promises tosignificantly contribute to public aviation safety.
It’s one of a number of KSC technologies thatare being offered for technology transfer anddevelopment by private enterprise through theKSC Technology Programs and Commercializa-tion Office.
The monitor, which is about the size of apager, may be hand-held or worn. It serves towarn the user of a potentially dangerous ordeteriorating cabin pressure altitude condition.
The inventor of the device, Jan Zysko, saidthe monitor operates independently of otheraircraft systems and monitors the pressure/timeconditions when supplemental oxygen is to beused according to federal aviation regulations.Zysko is chief of the Spaceport Engineering andTechnology directorate’s data and electronicsystems branch at KSC.
The monitor warns the user of impendingdanger of hypoxia through audio, vibratory andvisual alarms. In addition, a lighted digital
screen displays a text message of the warningand the condition causing the alarm.
The monitor was originally designed to offerSpace Shuttle and Space Station crew membersadded independent notification about anydepressurization.
Two major incidents spurred Zysko to createthe monitor, the Mir/Progress collision in June
1997 and the Payne Stewart aircraft accident inOctober 1999.
See related stories on page 7:• KSC Technology Transfer Week set
• ECS Ground Disconnect example of Space-port Technology Center concept
(See SAFETY, Page 2)
Kennedy Space Center and the45th Space Wing celebrated thethird annual Super Safety andHealth Day on Oct. 18.
A Technical Paper Session washeld on Oct. 19 at the DebusConference Facility at the KSCVisitor Complex.
All normal work activities, withthe exception of mandatory ser-vices such as fire and security,were suspended permitting thou-sands of NASA KSC and U.S. AirForce employees and contractorsto participate.
It was a day to remember that thehealth and safety of the workforce,both on and off duty, is crucial to
the overall effectiveness andsuccess of mission goals andobjectives. The theme of the eventwas “Safety and Health ... AWorking Relationship.”
Safety and Health Day beganwith activities planned andconducted in local work groups.
There were also astronaut visitsand safety award presentations.
Afternoon programs included akeynote address by Dr. BeckWeathers, survivor of the 1996climbing tragedy on Mt. Everest.
Following Dr. Weathers was apanel session with NASA, AirForce, and contractor subjectmatter experts who answered
questions on safety and health.Areas covered were health and
fitness, environmental and security,voluntary protection programs, andsafety and mission assurance.
The session was broadcast liveon closed circuit television for allKSC and 45th Space Wing employ-ees to view.
Employees were also able to visitsafety and health displays set up inlocations at KSC and Cape Cana-veral Air Force Station.
The technical paper session onOct. 19, entitled the 2000 Safety andHealth Professional Development
SAFETY ...(Continued from Page 1)
SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 3, 2000Page 2
Business Expo The annual KSC and 45th Space WingBusiness Opportunities Expo was held
at the Port Canaveral Cruise TerminalNo. 10 on Oct. 24. The annual Expo gives
contractor and NASA procurementpersonnel the opportunity to network
with over 200 supply and servicevendors from across the Southeast.
Exhibitors displayed a wide range ofexpertise including computer
technology, valves, test andmeasurement equipment and
employment services.
Seminar, provided an overview ofthe Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration’s VoluntaryProtection Program.
Charlie Anderson, OSHA’sassistant regional adminstrator,described how the VPP programhas helped improve the health andsafety of workers in organizationsthat have adopted it. NASA andcontractor organizations at KSC arein the process of creating VPPprograms here.
“When you get employeesinvolved, it helps keep the workplace safer,” Anderson said.“Safety is a partnership of govern-ment, management, employees.”
KSC Accident Prevention
Awards were presented to thefollowing companies in recognitionof their exemplary safety recordsfor no lost-time accidents: BoeingRocketdyne (for fiscal years 1997,1998, 1999), The Boeing Co. (1999),Creative Management Technology(1997, 1998, 1999), Compaq Com-puter Corp. (1997, 1998, 1999),Michael T. Downs (1997, 1998,1999), Dynacs Inc. (1997, 1998,1999), Railroad Track Construction(1997, 1998, 1999), Dynamac (1997,1998, 1999), The Bionetics Corp.(1999), Comprehensive HealthServices Inc. (1999), Federal DataCorp. (1999), Research Planning,Inc. (1999), Science ApplicationsInternational Corp. (1999), WyleLaboratories (1999), UnitedParadyne (1999), InformationDynamics Inc. (1999), PrevoTechnologies Inc. (1999).
During Super Safety and Health Day at KSC, workers from Florida Powerand Light, at left, demonstrate to an interested group of KSC employeeshow they safely handle high power lines.
SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3Nov. 3, 2000
Discovery lands at Edwards AFB
Expedition 1 Station crew set for launch
The first crew of the International Space Station poses aboard a BlackSea freighter following water survival training. From left, they are FlightEngineer and Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev; International SpaceStation commander and U.S. astronaut Bill Shepherd; and SoyuzCommander and Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko.
The International Space Station’sfirst long-term resident crew wasscheduled at press time to dockwith the Station on Nov. 2.
The Soyuz spacecraft carryingthe three-member Expedition 1 crewwill dock with the Station’s ZvezdaService Module at 4:20 a.m. EST.
The Expedition 1 missionlaunched from BaikonurCosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 2:53a.m. EST Oct. 31.
The crew is composed of threeveterans of human space flight whowill make history as the firstresident crew of the Space Station.
U.S. Astronaut Bill Shepherd isthe Expedition 1 commander. He isresponsible for the overall safetyand success of the mission.
Russian Cosmonaut YuriGidzenko is the Soyuz commander.He is responsible for all of thesystems on the Soyuz from launch
until docking and during landing.Russian Cosmonaut SergeiKrikalev is the flight engineer.
While the Expedition 1 crewinhabits the Space Station, threeSpace Shuttle missions will visit theStation to continue on-orbitconstruction.
The first mission will be STS-97on Flight 4A, which will deliver U.S.solar arrays to add to the Station’spower capability.
The launch of that mission fromKennedy Space Center is set forNov. 30.
Then STS-98 on Flight 5A inJanuary 2001 will deliver the U.S.Laboratory Destiny. The thirdmission will be STS-102 on Flight5A.1, which will deliver equipmentracks for Destiny and the Expedi-tion 2 crew in February 2001.
Expedition 1 will return to Earthon STS-102.
The orbiter Discovery lands at Edwards Air Force Base completing Mission STS-92, the 100th Shuttle mission.
Discovery glided to a textbooklanding under sunny skies atEdwards Air Force Base in Califor-nia on Oct. 24, completing thesuccessful STS-92 mission to theInternational Space Station.
The crew spent more than twoextra days in space because ofunfavorable weather at KennedySpace Center and at Edwards.
The landing marked the first timean orbiter has not landed at KSCsince March 31, 1996. The landingof that STS-76 mission began a 23-mission streak of landings at KSC.
KSC is the preferred landing sitefor the Shuttle because of theexpense of and processing time lostfrom ferrying an orbiter back fromEdwards or other alternativelandings sites.
Discovery touched down at 5p.m. EDT and rolled to a stop onEdward's concrete runway at 5:0lp.m., for a mission elapsed time of12 days, 21 hours and 43 minutes.
By the time it landed at Edwards,Discovery had traveled more than5.3 million statute miles.
The STS-92 crew left a larger andmore complete Station that theyhad helped prepare for the earlyNovember arrival of Expedition 1.
Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 3, 2000
Jorge Rivera, team show right st
Just a few hours prior to the thirdlaunch attempt of STS-92, Ice
Team member Jorge Riveradisplayed his dedication to flight
safety. He observed a groundsupport pin with a tether near
the external tank’s liquid oxygenfeed-line during a standard pre-
launch inspection. He was about50 feet from the orbiter when he
focused his binoculars on theobject. Rivera immediately
realized there was a problemand reported it to his team,
which communicated theproblem to the firing room. He is
pictured at right re-enacting hisdiscovery from the 135-foot level
of the launch pad. Below is theground support pin and tether
that Rivera observed.
Nov. 3, 2000 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 5
tuff in dedication to flight safetyWhen you think of a hero, what
comes to mind?Perhaps you immediately think of
a professional athlete or even afamous actor or actress.
Maybe you remember thatteacher or adult you looked up toas a kid.
The fact is heroes come in allshapes and sizes and from all walksof life.
Sometimes all it takes to be thrustinto the hero limelight is simplydoing your job or being in the rightplace at the right time.
Well, that’s Jorge Rivera’s storyand he’s sticking to it.
The story
The STS-92 mission, scheduledto launch on Oct. 5, was scrubbedthree different times.
First, a condition was notedduring a photographic review offilm from an STS-106 separationcamera that showed the apparentfailure of the right-hand externaltank attach bolt to fully retract.
On the next attempt, high windsmade it unsafe to undertaketanking.
During the T-3 hour hold prior tothe third launch attempt, JorgeRivera stepped into the limelight byobserving a ground support pinwith a tether near the externaltank’s liquid oxygen feed-lineduring a standard pre-launch IceTeam inspection.
“I was about 50 feet from theorbiter when I focused my binocu-lars on this strange object and said‘uh, oh,’ ” remarked Rivera. “Iknew right away what it was andthat it most definitely should not bewhere it was.”
Rivera immediately reported tohis team, initiated communicationwith the firing room and the rest ishistory.
STS-92, the 100th Space Shuttlemission to be launched from KSC,was re-scheduled for launch onOct. 11.
His background
One of 16 children, Rivera was
born and raised in Puerto Rico.He attended the University of
Puerto Rico where he earned abachelor’s degree in IndustrialEngineering.
He and his family moved to theOrlando area in 1981 and his KSCcareer soon began with MartinMarietta.
Rivera has been a NASA civilservant since 1987 and serves as anexternal tank engineer providingexpertise in troubleshooting, issuesresolution and technical enhance-ments.
Rivera is not comfortable with allthe attention he has gained sincethe discovery of the pin and hashandled the hoopla with a humbleheart.
Rivera, team honored
The KSC Mission ManagementTeam honored Rivera and his fellowIce Team members shortly afterlaunch with the presentation of theLaunch Director Flow Award.
They were also honored byAdministrator Dan Goldin at theNASA Headquarters AnnualAward Ceremony with the presen-tation of NASA’s ExceptionalAchievement Medal.
“Our team works very hard andtakes our responsibility seriously,”commented Rivera about the recenthonors. “We were just doing ourjob.
“I am sure that if I hadn’t spottedthe pin that one of the otherswould have. It’s really a teameffort.”
Ice Team
And what a unique team it is.The Ice Team, also called the FinalInspection Team, is composed ofsix KSC workers representatingNASA and contractors.
Their role is extremely importantto the success of each mission asthey provide the “final look” at thefully assembled Space Shuttle justhours before flight.
The task is not without risks.Many hazards exist at the launchpad during that specific part ofcountdown due in part to propel-lants and noise levels.
The Ice Team was initiated at theonset of the Shuttle Program.
The group has been creditedwith the discovery of a number offoreign object debris items like thepin. In addition, it has detectedweather damage from wind and ice– not to mention the occasionaldamage to hardware from localwildlife. Through these efforts theteam helps to provide an increasedlevel of safety assurance.
More limelight
Though the 100th mission hasofficially ended and the ShuttleProgram moves forward withassembly of the International SpaceStation, the limelight has yet tofade for Jorge Rivera and his family.
On Nov. 9, they will be flown toBayamon, Puerto Rico, Rivera’shometown, to be honored at aspecial recognition celebration incommemoration of his achievementand honors bestowed by NASA.
“The trip is a great opportunityfor me and my family to be togetherto celebrate,” said Rivera.
“I will be speaking with manypeople and be able to tell theNASA story.”
JORGE RIVERAICE TEAM MEMBER
“I was about 50 feet from the orbiterwhen I focused my binoculars on thisstrange object and said ‘uh, oh.’ I knewright away what it was and that it mostdefinitely should not be where it was.”
NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, left, applauds the Space Shuttle Iceand Debris Inspection Team who were recognized for their keen safetyobservations prior to the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. Standing nextto Goldin are, left to right, D. Scott Otto, with Lockheed Martin SpaceServices Company; John B. Blue, Thomas F. Ford and Michael Barber, withUnited Space Alliance; Gregory N. Katnik and Jorge E. Rivera, with NASA.Katnick and Rivera received the agency’s Exceptional AchievementMedal; Barber, Blue, Ford and Otto received the NASA Public ServiceMedal. While scanning the launch pad before launch, the team found astray 4-inch pin near the Shuttle’s external fuel tank that could havecaused damage during launch.
Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 3, 2000
A technology licensing industrybriefing on the monitor was held bythe Technology Programs andCommercialization Office at KSCHeadquarters on Oct. 26.
About a dozen aerospacecompanies sent representatives tothe briefing, which included adescription of the technology andan explanation of the technologylicensing process.
Part of the royalties from licensesthat the technology generates willbe used to help fund other researchand development projects at KSC,which continues to grow as aSpaceport Technology Center.
Although KSC’s patent licensingprogram is only four years old,among NASA centers, KSC wasthe No. 1 producer of licensesduring fiscal year 2000.
Licensing Manager MelanieChan said there are severalpotential NASA and aviation/aerospace applications for themonitor.
Pilots flying both pressurizedand non-pressurized aircraft couldbenefit from the warning system.
Human space operations alsocould use the innovation.Low-Earth Orbit vehicles – theSpace Shuttle, Space Station, andMir – are markets, as well as long-duration/interplanetary vehiclesand future planetary habitats.
Ground systems are alsoapplications, including the Marssimulation chamber and pressure/vacuum test chambers.
Applications beyond aviationand aerospace include scubadiving, skydiving, mountainclimbing, meteorology, underwaterhabitats, hyperbaric chambers,altitude chambers, and positive/negative pressure vessels.
During the industry briefing,Zysko explained the technicalaspect of the monitor’s operationand the primary aviation applica-tions.
“For pressurized aircraft, theinvention provides an independentwarning of cabin pressure altitudewhere a cabin leak or other reasonfor pressurization loss might goundetected,” Zysko said. “Fornon-pressurized aircraft, themonitor tracks time and altitudeprofiles and warns when supple-
mental oxygen is needed.”Zysko said he’s pleased to see
the widespread response andinterest in his innovation. His hopeis that it will improve air safety.
“If this technology can help toavoid even one incident oraccident, it will have been worth allthe effort and resources put forthover this past year,” he said.
Hypoxia, a state of oxygendeficiency in the blood, tissues,and cells sufficient to impairfunctions of the brain and otherorgans, is a concern to pilots whofly above 10,000 feet.
The symptoms of hypoxia oftengo unrecognized, as the brain is thefirst organ to be affected.
Once hypoxia occurs, it isdifficult, and often impossible, forthe person to acknowledge thesituation or take corrective action.In the early stages, there isconsiderable loss of judgment andcognitive ability.
The person may become eu-phoric or even belligerent, and inthe later stages, suffer impairedvisual, physical, and motor skillfunctions, and then succumb tounconsciousness or even death.
Zysko emphasized the contribu-tions of the KSC team involved indeveloping this technology.
The monitor went from conceptto prototype to commercializationin less than 12 months, at the totalcost of under $100,000.
Multiple government agencies,including the National Transporta-tion Safety Board (NTSB), theFederal Aviation Administration(FAA), and the US Air Forcecontributed to the project.
Dynacs Inc., the KSC Engineer-ing Development Contractor,
played an important role in thecircuit design and fabrication of theprototype.
During the next phase of themonitor’s development, Zyskowould like to integrate carbonmonoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide(CO
2) sensors into the unit for more
complete aviation and aerospaceenvironmental monitoring.
The presence of CO in an aircraftenvironment due to engine exhaustgases entering the cockpit is asignificant aviation hazard.
The CO2 sensor addition would
be particularly helpful for indepen-dent monitoring of the CO
2
scrubber effectiveness on long-duration space vehicles and spacehabitats.
Zysko, who is a private pilot,pointed out the need for hisinvention by noting hypoxia andcabin pressure-related incidentscontained in the NTSB and FAAaccident and incident databases.
The FAA and NTSB agree thatthere are probably many morehypoxia-related incidents andaccidents than are listed, but inmany cases there has beeninsufficient evidence to determinewhether hypoxia was a probable orcontributing cause, he said.
Zysko noted that a recent tragicAustralian Beechcraft King Airflight, dubbed a “ghost flight” bythe media, implicates flight crewhypoxia.
The Australian TransportationSafety Board reported: “Theairplane, on a flight from Perth toLeonora, had climbed through itsassigned flight level and continuedon a northeast heading beyondLeonora.
“Attempts to contact the pilot by
radio were unsuccessful.“The aircraft, with one pilot andseven passengers, remainedairborne for about five hours,before crashing in Queensland,across the island continent.
“About a year earlier, a similaraircraft was flying at high altitude,with the autopilot engaged. Apassenger who was qualified as apilot but not endorsed on theaircraft type, was occupying theco-pilot seat.
“He noticed that the pilot incommand was acting erratically andrepeatedly performing the sametask on the Global PositioningSystem unit.
“Soon after, the pilot lostconsciousness and slumpedforward over the controls.
“The passenger, realizing that thepilot had succumbed to the effectsof hypoxia, assumed control of theaircraft and descended to 6,000feet.
“The pilot regained conscious-ness and subsequently resumedcontrol of the aircraft.
“It was then discovered thatboth bleed air switches were in the‘environment off’ position and thatthe aircraft was not pressurized.”
Most recently, Zysko and acolleague, Rich Mizell, a Shuttleprocessing engineer, carried acouple of the KSC-developedprototype pressure monitors toTyndall Air Force Base, locatednear Panama City, to test theperformance in an altitude chamber.
This chamber is routinely used tohelp flight crews recognize theirpersonal symptoms of hypoxia.
The engineers took a non-pressurized “chamber ride” to35,000 feet to test the response ofthe units to varying cabin pressureconditions.
They also tested the units’response to a rapid decompressionwhere the chamber pressureexplosively went from near sealevel to 10,000 feet pressure altitudein less than one-fourth of a second.The monitors caught and warned ofevery event right on cue.
“There are so many greatopportunities for research anddevelopment at Kennedy. I encour-age anyone with an interest andflair for this type of work to pursuetheir interest and get involved inone of our many technology needareas,” Zysko said.
MONITOR ...(Continued from Page 1)
JAN ZYSKOMONITOR INVENTOR
“There are so many great opportunitiesfor research and development here atKennedy. I encourage anyone with aninterest and flair for this type of work topursue their interest and get involved inone of our many technology need areas.”
Page 7SPACEPORT NEWSNov. 3, 2000
KSC Technology Transfer Week setKennedy Space Center's annual
Technology Transfer Week will beheld Nov. 13-20.
Hosted by the NASA Technol-ogy Programs & Commercialization(TP&C) Office, TechnologyTransfer Week is designed toheighten awareness of newtechnology reporting and commer-cialization activities. Thoseactivities include marketing KSCtechnologies, patenting, licensing,
dual use and the Space ActMonetary Awards program.
The Tech Transfer pop-updisplay will be located in thelobbies of the Operational SupportBuilding (OSB), Space StationProcessing Facility (SSPF) andNASA KSC Headquarters (HQ)building. The displays will beshown on the following dates:• OSB – Nov. 13 and 14
• SSPF – Nov. 15 and16
• HQ – Nov. 17 and 20TP&C office staff will be
available to answer questions. Thisyear, for the first time, contractortechnology representatives willalso be on hand to discuss theirtechnology reporting process withemployees.
In a recent communication,Center Director Roy Bridges wrote:“As KSC continues to evolve as aSpaceport Technology Center, the
reporting of new technology willbecome a key metric for measuringour progress in making thattransition. Additionally, newtechnology reporting is thebackbone of the technologytransfer and commercializationeffort at KSC.
For more KSC technology news,view the Technovation newsletterat http://technology.ksc.nasa.gov/TECHNO/technovation.html
Ground Disconnect created for Delta IVAs Kennedy Space Center
garners greater recognition as aSpaceport Technology Center, itsvarious development teams arebeing called upon by industry,other NASA centers and othergovernment agencies to help meetvarious spaceport engineeringchallenges.
A recent example is the design,fabrication and testing of anumbilical disconnect system for apayload air-conditioning ductdeveloped for Boeing’s new DeltaIV Evolved Expendable LaunchVehicle, which is expected to makeits maiden launch in 2001.
The Environmental ControlSystem (ECS) Ground Disconnectfor the Delta IV was tested inAugust and September and willsoon be delivered to Boeingrepresentatives at Hangar E at CapeCanaveral Air Force Station. Thedisconnect system will be installedat the new Delta IV pad, which isunder construction at SpaceLaunch Complex 37 at CCAFS.
NASA KSC was contracted byBoeing to provide all the engineer-ing and support required to design,fabricate, test and deliver a payloadECS Ground Disconnect for themetallic payload fairing. The newdisconnect will be used instead of aheritage Titan IV disconnectoriginally considered.
The old disconnect design wasincompatible with the commonDelta IV umbilical release andseparation systems being designedfor the fixed umbilical tower swing-arm umbilicals. The new GSEdisconnect will fasten the flexibleair-conditioning duct to the vehicleand will be released by a lanyard
retraction system.“Boeing came to us because of
our expertise in umbilicals. Ouroffice has been doing this work forabout 30 years and they wanted totake advantage of our experienceand insight,” said NASA ProjectLead Joseph Porta. “The benefit forus is that such projects providenew design challenges for ourengineers and technicians andcontinue to build their expertise.”
The project was an in-housedesign using NASA engineeringfor design and development. Theumbilical was fabricated byNASA’s prototype lab.A Reimbursable Space ActAgreement between NASA KSCand The Boeing Co., for the design,fabrication and testing of a payloadECS Ground Disconnect wasapproved and signed in August1999.
Porta and NASA Lead Designer
Paul Schwindt formed a designteam consisting of Boeing andNASA personnel. The teamdeveloped the design requirements,design drawings, test requirements,test procedures, and stressanalysis and held design reviews.
The design used the computer-aided design tool Pro-Engineering.A 3D computer model of theground disconnect and Delta IVinterfaces was constructed.
This model was used to check forinterferences, tolerances, alignmentand weight and then to produce thefabrication drawings.
Boeing’s Project Lead RickIacabucci and Lead Engineer FredJankowski approved the design.
A series of acceptance testswere conducted in August andSeptember to verify the ECSGround Disconnect could maintaina reliable connection up to launch,to verify its leak rate, and to verify
proper actuation and release of theumbilical.
NASA’s Malfunction TestingLab completed the vibration testingwhich simulated acousticallyinduced random vibration environ-ments generated during pre-flightoperations. This testing was doneto make sure the umbilical does notdisconnect prior to liftoff.
Leak check, electrical groundingand release testing were completedsuccessfully at the LaunchEquipment Test Facility by aDynacs team.
The primary and secondaryrelease mechanisms were testedindependently to verify that theECS Ground Disconnect is capableof operating until disengaged fromthe simulated vehicle skin panelwithout exceeding maximum limitloads.
“The efforts of the NASA KSCteam were exemplary, in both theirfinal product as well as theircommitment to high customerservice standards,” Boeing’sIacabucci said.
The project is yet anothersuccess in KSC’s evolution as aSpaceport Technology Center, saidGale Allen, assistant KSC chieftechnologist.
“This project directly supportsthe fluid system technologies focusarea at KSC, which is one of fivemajor technology thrusts in theCenter’s current SpaceportTechnology Center concept,” Allensaid.
“We will achieve the SpaceportTechnology Center goals bysatisfying one customer at a time,and this project has deliveredoutstanding results.”
Dynacs technician Mark Stratton installs the Environmental ControlSystem Ground Disconnect on the Delta IV vehicle simulator..
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Managing editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce BuckinghamEditor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Hagood
Editorial support provided by InDyne Inc. Writers Group.NASA at KSC is located on the Internet at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov
USGPO: 533-128/00044
Spaceport News
Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center andis published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office in the interest ofKSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks beforepublication to the Media Services Branch, XAE-1. E-mail submissions can besent to [email protected]
Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS Nov. 3, 2000
Abstracts for Space Congress dueThe 38th Space Congress,
sponsored by the Canaveral Coun-cil of Technical Societies, will beheld in Cape Canaveral May 1-4.
The congress is a gathering of asignificant portion of the world’saerospace community to discussthe status and future of spaceactivities around the world.
The theme for this year’scongress is “A Space Odyssey –The Next 50 Years.”
Panel sessions and paperpresentations will address how thecombined efforts of the scientific,commercial, military and educa-tional communities have contrib-uted and will continue to contributeto the growth of knowledge andunderstanding of space and to thewell being of humankind.
The 38th Space Congress invitesindividuals from the United Statesand international communitieswishing to offer papers on thelisted subjects to submit a 200-word abstract as soon as possible.
Please e-mail paper abstracts [email protected].
To make arrangements forsubmitting Space Congressabstracts past the deadline of Nov.4, contact Susan Hutchison, 867-5828, or Jeanne Hawkins, 476-4032.
Indicate on the top of eachabstract which technical papersession you believe your paperbest fits, chosen from the listbelow. Also attach your profes-sional affiliation, return mailingaddress, e-mail address, FAX, and
telephone number.All abstracts will be forwarded to
the appropriate paper sessionchairman, who will make the finalselection of papers to be presentedand published in the SpaceCongress Proceedings.
All proposers will be notified bymid- November. Successfulproposers will be given specificinstructions and format require-ments by the paper sessionorganizers.
Papers in final form must bereceived no later than Jan. 12, 2001,in order to be included in theproceedings.
Topics for the Technical PaperSessions:• Launch Vehicles: A look atworldwide launch vehicles andfacilities – past, present and future.
Papers are sought on all aspectsof launch vehicles, includingdesign, systems, upgrades andlaunch facilities. This sessionincludes military, government andcommercial vehicles. Also soughtare papers on propulsion advance-ments and research as well as newor unusual launch services.
• Global Space Initiatives: Thissession will address the variousspace agencies including theirprograms, policies and infrastruc-ture. Papers are sought on domes-tic, international, and militaryagencies and spaceport authoritiesas well as global launch sites andcapabilities.• Space Station: A look at past,present and future space stations.
Emphasis will be on the Interna-tional Space Station as well aslessons learned from the MirProgram. This session may coversuch topics as the ISS elements,issues in space construction,operations, long-duration con-cerns, closed loop environmentalsystems and utilization.• Scientific Enlightenment –Knowledge Gained From Space: Alook at recent discoveries andwhere they are taking us. Papersare sought on topics that coverresearch and development,discoveries and scientific advance-ments. Topics may include past,present and future scientificpayloads, biotechnology, materialscience research and spinoffs.• Earth, Moon, Mars and Beyond(Earth and Space Sciences): Papersare sought on Earth and spacesciences topics. Included in thissession are space-based tele-scopes, Earth observation systems,inter-planetary missions and humanexploration.• Hubble Discoveries: Six scien-tists will reveal recent discoveries
and findings from the HubbleSpace Telescope in addition toinformation on the Next GenerationSpace Telescope. (No paperssought – session already filled withinvited presenters.)• Space Odyssey – The Next 50Years: Papers are sought on abroad spectrum of topics thatcovers future space initiatives andactivities as well as currentactivities and research that providea foundation for this future activity.
Topics may include spacetourism, commercialization, satellitecommunications and spaceporttechnology.• Education – Space BasedResearch and Development: Thissession includes papers on collegeand professional level space-basededucational programs. Topics mayinclude research grants, facilitiesand opportunities for space-basedscientific research.• Educating the Next Generation:Papers are sought on topics thatprimarily relate to K-12 educationalprograms. Space provides aninteresting forum for educatingstudents not only in traditionaltechnical fields but also in otheracademic areas. Papers are soughton space-based programs, projectsand opportunities to implement intothe classroom curriculum, or asextra curricular activities for school-age children.
For further information, visit ourWeb site at http://www.SpaceCongress.org.
Employees of the month
NASA Employees ofthe Month forOctober are from leftto right, standing,Doug Kverek,Richard Wolfe andGeorge Dutt. Seatedleft to right are JoyJones and TamiWilson. Employeesof the Month notpictured are DicksyHansen and DavidFowler.
