Spaceport NewsJohn F. Kennedy Space Center

America's gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond.

July 5, 1996Vol. 35, No. 14Mission update

Mission: STS-79 on Atlantis.

Launch date, time: July 31,approximately 11:42 p.m. fromLaunch Pad 39A.

Mission Synopsis: STS-79 isthe fourth in a series of NASAdocking missions to the RussianMir Space Station, leading to theconstruction and operation of theInternational Space Station. Asthe first flight of the SpacehabDouble Module, STS-79encompasses research, test andevaluation of ISS as well aslogistics resupply for the MirSpace Station. STS-79 is alsothe first NASA/Mir American crewmember exchange, withastronaut John Blaha replacingShannon Lucid aboard the Mir.

Landing date, time: August 9 atapproximately 8:17 p.m. at KSC.

STS-78 PAYLOAD specialists RobertThirsk of the Canadian Space Agencyand Jean-Jacques Favier of the FrenchSpace Agency hold an Olympic torchwhich the crew is carrying on board theSpace Shuttle Columbia. If the missionends at KSC July 7 as planned,Commander Tom Henricks, Pilot KevinKregel and Mission Specialist SusanHelms will travel to the KSC VisitorsCenter to cheer for KSC's Olympictorch bearers and present the torch andan Olympics banner to representativesof the Atlanta Committe for the OlympicGames.

Mission: STS-78 on Columbia.

Launch date, time: June 20,10:49 a.m. from Launch Pad 39B.

Primary payload: Life andMicrogravity Spacelab (LMS).

Landing date, time: At presstime the mission was scheduledto land at the Shuttle LandingFacility at 8:38 a.m. July 7.

KSC receives federal Quality Achievement AwardCenter recognizedfor reducing costs,processing time

agenda, a KSC panel moderatedby Associate Director Al Parrishpresented “Process Improve-ment in a High Tech Organiza-tion,” a review of payload cus-tomer activities by Pam Biegert,Payload Ground Operations,and a review of Shuttle dataanalysis techniques by TimBarth, lead industrial engineerfor Shuttle Operations.

The KSC Benchmarking Net-work presented “A PracticalApproach to Sharing Best Prac-tices in a Competitive Environ-ment.” Panelists were Darcy

Drew, principal operations ana-lyst, McDonnell Douglas Spaceand Defense Systems; JeanetteEads, continuous improvementadministrator, EG&G Florida,Inc.; and Cathy Horton, lead in-dustrial engineer, NASA/KSC.

The KSC presentations werewell attended and several re-quests were made for KSCmetrics, data, and consultation.

The KSC Continual Improve-ment Program was displayed ata conference booth and the KSCexhibit was again one of the bestattended.

KSC DEPUTY DIRECTOR Gene Thomas, center, receives the Quality AchievementAward from Jim King, right. director of the Office of Personnel Management. NASAAdministrator Dan Goldin is at left.

Kennedy Space Center hasbeen awarded a Special QualityAchievement Award for a rangeof continual improvement ac-complishments in 1995.

The award, which was pre-sented during the 9th AnnualNational Conference on FederalQuality on June 5 in Washing-ton, DC, recognized the KSCteam for "a very successful five-year continual improvementjourney" and proven results in-cluding:

* Reducing the cost per SpaceShuttle flight in the last fiveyears by $55 million;

* Reducing Shuttle process-ing time from 1.l million hoursper mission in fiscal year 1989to .7 million hours in fiscal year1995;

* Reducing consumption ofchlorofluorocarbon by 58.9 per-cent, resulting in a cost savingsof nearly $1 million.

The award was presented byJim King, director of the Officeof Personnel Management, andaccepted by NASA Administra-tor Dan Goldin and KSC DeputyCenter Director Gene Thomas.

As part of the conference

Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS July 5, 1996

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER'S newest certified managers are, standing from the left,William Cooper and Robert Kuzma, Sherikon Space Systems; James Wolfe, I-NET,Inc. ; David Otero, McDonnell Douglas Space and Defense Systems; and Ronald Weise,The Bionetics Corp.; Seated from the left are Barbara Williams, EG&G Florida, Inc.;Joyce Bodor, NASA; Linda Warren, EG&G; and Peri Baker-Horner, RockwellInternational; Not picture is Edward Schutta, formerly of Lockheed Martin SpaceOperations.

10 KSC employees designatedcertified managers after course

Ten Kennedy Space Centeremployees have completed a cer-tified manager preparatorycourse offered by the McDonnellDouglas Management Associa-tion.

The certified manager (CM)is a credential for managersbased on an examination pro-gram, similar to the certifiedpublic accountant (CPA) desig-nation in accounting or the pro-fessional engineer (PE) in engi-

neering. The CM designationsets minimum professionalstandards based on education,experience and competency.

The courses, which weretaught by Certified ManagersWendall Wilkins, CharlesSmith, and Denise DeVito, wereheld two hours a week for 15weeks.Those receiving certifica-tion were acknowledged in a cer-emony at the O&C MissionBriefing Room June 21.

HONORED IN JULY are, standing from the left, Barry Slack, BiomedicalOperations Office; Timothy Potter, Shuttle Processing Directorate; Roger Rudig,Office of the Chief Financial Officer; and Howard Sterling, Safety and MissionAssurance Directorate. Sitting, from the left, are Joy Colston, Procurement Office;Tom Mariani, Logistics Operations Directorate; and Charlotte Becker, EngineeringDevelopment Directorate. Not pictured are Michael Bell, Administration Office;and Vanessa Stromer, Payloads Processing Directorate.

The Military Traffic Manage-ment Command Cape Can-averal Detachment will have aceremony to mark a change incommand on July 12 at 10 a.m.at its headquarters in PortCanaveral.

Major Richard Burns, cur-rently in command, will be leav-ing for a new assignment in Ko-rea and Major Donald Buxtonwill be transferring from FortLeavenworth, KS, to assumecommand of the detachment.

The ceremony will includemusic, presentation of the col-ors, remarks by Col. Steven J.Brady, commander of theMTMC 1304th Major Port Com-mand, and remarks by both theoutgoing and incoming com-manders.

A reception will be held im-mediately following the cer-emony.

For further information callthe detachment headquarters at853-5358/5359.

Change of command ceremony plannedfor CCAS Military Traffic detachment

A NASA scholarship awardwas recently presented toPatricia A. Jones, daughter offormer Kennedy Space Centeremployees Ralph and EdieTompkins.

Jones graduated third in herclass of 304 at Titusville HighSchool. She plans to attend theUniversity of Central Florida topursue a degree in engineeringor biochemistry. She has wonmany awards, including theNASA certificate of Outstand-ing Achievement for creative en-deavor in aerospace research

during the 1996 Regional Sci-ence and Engineering Fair. Shewas also selected for the all-county honor and all-state se-nior high choruses and receivedthe athletic director's scholarathlete award.

Sixty eight students have re-ceived the scholarships, startedin 1982 to assist qualified de-pendents of NASA and formerNASA employees. The fund be-gan with a gift from PulitzerPrize winning author JamesMichener. It is administered bythe NASA Exchange Council.

NASA scholarship awarded to daughter of KSC retiree

CENTER DIRECTOR Jay Honeycutt, center, presents a photo montage to PatriciaJones, NASA scholarship recipient. On the left is Patricia's mother, Ediie Tompkins,and on the right her father, Ralph Tompkins, a NASA retiree.

Employees of the month

SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3July 5, 1996

KSC employees will begiven a preview of NASA’sMars exploration programduring a pre-launch missionbriefing July 8 at 9 a.m. inthe Mission Briefing Room.

Wayne Lee, mission plan-ner for Mars Operationsfrom the NASA Jet Propul-sion Laboratory, will pre-view the Global Surveyorand Pathfinder missionsscheduled for launch laterthis year.

The Surveyor, scheduledto launch in November on aDelta II from CapeCanaveral Air Station, willbegin the most comprehen-sive orbital study of anyplanet in the history ofspace exploration. ThePathfinder, slated for a De-cember launch from CCAS,is designed to crash land onthe Mars surface and deploya microrover to collect data.

NASA scientists hopethat the study of Mars canprovide insight into the for-mation and evolution ofEarth and the inner solarsystem.

Briefing givesMars preview “This collaboration between

GAI and NASA brings togethertwo organizations respected inthis field of study and shouldbenefit the public with anextremely solid new product,”said Pat Zumbusch, GAI presi-dent.

The two-year agreementassigns responsibilities to bothparties. GAI will focus onimproving the location accuracy,small signal detection, andflexibility of NASA’s existingsystem. After reducing the costof transmitting and displayingdata, a commercial version ofthe system will be available.

NASA will operate the LDARsystem, allowing GAI to com-pare it to newly developedsystems.

NASA will also assist GAIwith the design and evaluationof system components andallow the company to useexisting equipment, facilities andweather data.

“This agreement is theperfect example of NASAworking together with industry tobring space age technologydown to earth,” said BillSheehan, KSC’s TechnologyPrograms and Commercializa-tion Office.

Current two-dimensionalcommercial systems only locatecloud-to-ground lightning.NASA’s three-dimensionalLDAR system also pinpoints thelocation and altitude of in-cloudand cloud-to-cloud lightning bymeasuring the exact arrivaltimes of electromagnetic pulses.

“When you hear a crackle oflightning over your radio, youare listening to an electromag-netic pulse. Since the speed oflight is constant, once we knowthe time of a pulse we can figureout exactly how far away thelightning is,” explained CarlLennon, KSC InformationSystems Division.

The system detects the VHFor very high frequency radiationand maps the volume of thelightning activity. The result is athree-dimensional presentationof the local activity and thethreat that it presents.

GAI designs, manufacturesand markets commerciallightning detection systemsused worldwide for collection,analysis, display and dissemina-tion of lightning related informa-tion. They bring the expertiseand resources to this partner-ship that are necessary toexpedite commercialization.

Since 1992, a NASA-developed Lightning Detectionand Ranging (LDAR) systemhas provided a safe, productivework environment at theKennedy Space Center (KSC)and the Eastern Range, whichare located in the most lightningintensive area in the UnitedStates. Now private industryand the public stand to benefitfrom the technology.

NASA has signed a SpaceAct Agreement with GlobalAtmospherics, Inc. (GAI) ofTucson, AZ, to begin joint workon development of an LDARsystem that meets both NASAand commercial needs. Thetechnology has commercialapplication in the electric utility,aviation, atmospheric research,commercial rocket launch,recreation, construction andmeteorological industries.

“The 45th Weather Squadronat Cape Canaveral Air Stationuses LDAR to accurately informKSC of any lightning threats inthe area,” said John Madura,manager of KSC’s weatheroffice. Cape Canaveral AirStation and the NationalWeather Service in Melbourne,are the only organizationscurrently using this system.

Spacewalk to commemorate contributions to space program

NASA, industry to work together on lightning detection

Anyone who has contributed to thesuccess of the space program now

has the opportunity to make a lastingimpression of that effort while contributingtoward future space endeavors.

The Astronauts Memorial Foundationand the NASA Alumni League, Floridachapter, are jointly sponsoring theSpacewalk of Honor at the KSC VisitorsCenter.

The walkway, which will encircle the westpond located between the Center for SpaceEducation and the Space Mirror Memorialat the Visitors Center, will be paved with22,000 bricks, each inscribed with thename of an individual who has played anactive role in the space program.

Anyone interested in purchasing a brickwill be asked to submit a statement of up to50 words describing his or her relationshipto the space program.

The statement, along with the person’s

name and the location of their brick, will beavailable at a computerized informationkiosk located near the Spacewalk.

Each honoree will also receive a person-alized and numbered certificate suitable forframing.

Purchase price of the bricks is $75which will go to the Astronauts

Memorial Foundation to create an endow-ment fund to support the Center for SpaceEducation, and to the alumni league foraerospace scholarships.

The project should take about a year tocomplete, said Jim De Santis, president ofAMF.

Several of the bricks are already in place,including those honoring the crew of Apollo13. Applications for purchasing the bricksare available at the KSC Visitors Center, atBrevard County First Union and Barnettbanks, or by calling the toll-free number888-99SPACE.A BRICK pathway is taking shape near the Center for

Space Education at the KSC Visitors Center.

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Spaceport News The Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy SpaceCenter and is published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Officein the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks be-fore publication to the Media Services Branch, PA-MSB. E-mail submis-sions can be sent to Barbara.Compton-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov

Managing editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa MaloneEditor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Barb ComptonEditorial support provided by Sherikon Space Systems Inc. writers group.

USGPO: 733-096/20024

SPACEPORT NEWS July 5, 1996Page 4

The work of the KennedySpace Center has been ac-knowledged around the worldbut now, thanks to e-mail set upon the Mir space station, it isbeing recognized from space.

Astronaut Shannon Lucid,who has resided on the Mirsince March, and is scheduledto return aboard STS-79 inAugust, used her e-mail June 12to respond to a message shereceived from Mike McCulley,vice president and associateprogram manger, groundoperations, for United SpaceAlliance.

McCulley had written:Dear Shannon:I listened very carefully when

you “instructed” us to make sure79 was on time. The flow isgoing well and we at KSC andUnited Space Alliance (formerly

Lockheed-Martin) are all proudof you and the two Yuris. By theway, Gallileo continues toperform well.

Good luck,Mike

Lucid’s response reflected onthe work being done at KSC toprepare the Space ShuttleAtlantis for that return flight.

Mike,Thanks for the note!!! My

definition of happiness haschanged — or maybe I shouldsay expanded!!! In addition toan empty payload bay, happi-ness is looking down at Floridafrom the station Mir and almostseeing all those great Atlantisfolks going about their dailytasks in such an enthusiasticand professional manner!!!!!

Shannon

KSC collects kudos from space

SHANNON LUCID joins in an inventory of food supplies on the Mir space station shortlyafter her arrival there in March. Yuriy Onufriyenko, Mir 21 mission commander, is at leftand Yuriy Usachov, flight engineer, is on the right.

Children try on KSC for size

SEVERAL BOYS visiting Kennedy Space Center on Sons' Day June 14 enjoythe perspective normally seen by presenters at the Press Auditorium. From theleft are Billy Browning, Johnny Diamantas, Michael Allbright, Jesse Seelos,Jesse Williams, Kyle Diamantas and Lamar Evans. They are accompanied ontheir tour by Cindy Oates and David Zorn of United Space Alliance.

MORE THAN 1,500 children took partin Sons' Day events. Andrew Bernardo,pictured at right with his father Phil, aNASA employee, had the opportunityto try on an astronaut suit in theOperations and Checkout Building.After being welcomed by CenterDirector Jay Honeycutt , NASAparticipants heard astronaut candidateFrank Caldeiro speak and took part ina presentation by Steve Van Meter ofKSC's robotics laboratory. Anunexpected bonus was the surprisevisit by four crew members from theupcoming Mir docking mission STS-79. The event, which included manygirls as some contractors held acombined "Take Our Children to Work"activity, was successful because of thecooperation between NASA,contractors, the KSC Visitors Center,and Delaware North Parks Service,said Barbara Powell, event coordinator.

NASA ADMINISTRATOR Dan Goldin is among several special guests getting an up-close view of the launch of STS-78 June 20 at the Banana Creek viewing site.

Oh say can you see?