KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham For Release: Dec. 28, 1999 KSC RELEASE NO. 154 - 99 KSC ENDS ANOTHER YEAR SUCCESSFULLY AND GREETS THE NEXT MILLENNIUM WITH A FULL SLATE OF ACTIVITIES During 1999, Kennedy Space Center continued its tradition of excellence as the nation's launch site for manned missions and in its development as a Spaceport Technology Center. Here are some of the highlights of the year: Kennedy Space Center celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 and man's first footsteps on the moon. Building on such past successes, the KSC Team during the past year paved the way for treks even farther from home and prepared elements for NASA's new outpost in space. Astronauts outfitted and prepared that outpost, the International Space Station, for occupancy during a supply mission launched from KSC in May. The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched in July. KSC's most recent launch, the Third Hubble Telescope Servicing Mission on Dec.19, set into motion the repair and improvement of the Hubble Space Telescope. The servicing mission will allow the observatory to continue providing us with spectacular visions of the cosmos for another decade. Orbiters launched by the KSC Team carried 19 crew members into space, logged more than 9 million miles and carried many major payloads into orbit. In addition, KSC coordinated the launch of ten expendable launch vehicle (ELV) missions during the past year. Eight Shuttle missions and 13 ELV missions are currently scheduled for 2000. Preparing for a new millennium of space exploration, KSC provided significant research and development support for work on new space vehicles. The center's leadership also began positioning the spaceport for the future through a reorganization effort called KSC 2000. The reorganization is designed to make better use of resources and allow KSC to participate in NASA's cutting edge engineering initiatives, such as the Mars Ascent Vehicle. KSC will begin the new century with a new area code - 321 - chosen because of the area's 50-year launch history. In honor of the change, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and KSC Director Roy Bridges initiated on November 1 a video teleconference call to KSC's Deputy Director for Business Operations Jim Jennings. Center Director Roy Bridges continued to lead the way in keeping safety and health as the center's No. 1 priority by initiating a series of safety "walkdowns" designed to detect and resolve problems that could lead to accidents or failures. KSC again held a centerwide Super Safety Day, one full day devoted to safety awareness and education. Among KSC's other accomplishments during 1999: Advanced Development and Shuttle Upgrades Major upgrades to Atlantis, including a "glass cockpit," were unveiled in April. Among 130 modifications made during the ten months the orbiter was off-line: The replacement of outdated electromechanical cockpit displays with 11 full-color flat panel screens. Other improvements included an Integrated Vehicle Health Management System, which monitors the Shuttle's health while on orbit through a network of hi-tech sensors placed throughout the orbiter. As a result of an electrical short on mission STS-93, a vast electrical inspection commenced for the entire orbiter fleet. These inspections were recently completed on the orbiter Discovery, prior to its recent mission STS-103. Similar work is virtually complete on Endeavour as it is prepared for the first mission of 2000, STS-99. Atlantis will have its inspections conducted prior to its next scheduled mission. Columbia, the oldest of the four orbiters in NASA's fleet was sent to Palmdale, CA, in September for a nine-month overhaul after the Chandra mission. Workers are performing more than 100 modifications on the vehicle and they will conduct extensive electrical inspections before returning the vehicle to KSC next year. Shuttle Mission Highlights Three Shuttle missions were launched in 1999, starting with STS-96 in May. The mission marked the first visit to a new star on our horizon, the International Space Station. Space Shuttle Discovery's international crew of seven spent six days preparing and outfitting the station with 5,000 pounds of cargo. It's now ready for the arrival of its early living quarters -- the Russian-built Service Module. STS-93, launched in July, was the first Space Shuttle mission commanded by a woman, Eileen Collins. Columbia carried the Chandra X-ray Observatory into space. Because of Chandra's ability to detect X-rays, scientists around the world are getting new perspectives on some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. During STS-103 the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery upgraded and repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. The 9-year-old observatory was shut down temporarily in November when the fourth of its six gyroscopes failed. The gyroscopes are part of the system that keeps Hubble pointed in the right direction. This servicing mission originally was scheduled for June 2000, but after the third of Hubble's six gyroscopes failed, it was split into two separate missions. Because of the installation of new gyroscopes, Hubble will soon be back in business again. All three 1999 Shuttle missions ended with nighttime landings at KSC. Expendable Launch Vehicles As lead center for NASA's acquisition and management of expendable launch vehicle launch services, KSC enjoyed a second successful year. KSC's Expendable Launch Vehicle team supported many major missions carrying NASA payloads launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station - including the Mars Surveyor in January, Stardust spacecraft in February and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spacecraft in June. From Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the KSC expendable launch team supported the successful launch of ARGOS in February, the Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) spacecraft in March, Landsat 7 in April, the TERRIERS satellite in May, the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) mission in June, and the Terra and AcrimSat spacecraft in December. A contract award to launch the Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) satellite on an Athena I rocket from a launch pad located on Kodiak Island, Alaska, was announced in April. The scheduled launch will be the first to low Earth orbit from the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation's new commercial launch facility. International Space Station The Italian Space Agency's "Raffaello" Multi-Purpose Logistics Module , the second of three Italian modules for the International Space Station arrived at KSC in August. The reusable logistics carrier was transported to the United States by a special Airbus "Beluga" air cargo plane from the factory of Alenia Aerospazio in Turin, Italy. The International Space Station truss, which will become the backbone of the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), arrived at KSC in June after having been completed by a division of the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, CA. The Canadian Space Agency's first contribution to the International Space Station, the 56-foot-long Space Station Remote Manipulator System, was delivered to KSC in May. The arm is the primary means of transferring payloads between the orbiter payload bay and the station for assembly. A series of Multi-element Integration Tests on International Space Station components were held during the year to help avoid problems that would be costly to address in space. Reusable Launch Vehicles NASA engineering technicians from KSC's Engineering Prototype Lab assisted Orbital Sciences Corporation and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in the complex process of converting the X-34 A-1 vehicle from captive carry status to unpowered flight status. The X-34 is a reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator and the modified vehicle is now known as A-1A. A team of Kennedy Space Center experts designed, fabricated and tested the X-33 umbilical system and delivered the finished products to Lockheed Martin in July. Under construction at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, CA, X-33 is a half-scale prototype of the planned operational reusable launch vehicle dubbed VentureStar. Contracts and Facilities KSC marked its first full year under its Joint Base Operations and Support Contract (J-BOSC). Through J-BOSC, a single set of base operations and support service requirements have been established for KSC, Cape Canaveral Air Station and Patrick Air Force Base, collectively known as Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Eighteen different contractors, often with overlapping and duplicate responsibilities, previously performed these services. Vice President Gore recognized the partnership between the KSC and the Air Force with the Hammer Award. The LC-39 Emergency Power Plant went online with a grand opening in July. The plant provides the Launch Complex-39 area with increased reliability, double power capacity and saves about $770,000 every year in the process. The new control system allows NASA to participate in the Commercial Industrial Load Control program offered by Florida Power & Light (FPL), by using the new plant to reduce KSC's electrical demand on FPL's power grid during peak periods. In turn, FPL charges KSC a lower billing rate which translates into hundreds of thousands in annual cost savings. The 14,000-square-foot NASA Technical Records Center opened in September, solving several space issues for NASA and Boeing through an innovative agreement and excellent teamwork. Boeing gained the space they needed to support their new Delta IV program and NASA gained a new records storage site. One of two Kennedy Space Center high-altitude chambers formerly used to test Apollo Program flight hardware was reactivated in February for use in leak testing International Space Station pressurized modules. To better safeguard Space Shuttle assemblies and keep assembly procedures on track, the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is being outfitted with a third stacking area. The new area, in high bay 2, will allow NASA to preassemble stacks and still have room in the VAB to pull a Shuttle back from the pad if severe weather threatens. In addition, workers will restore the Apollo-era crawlerway, offering greater flexibility in rolling an orbiter back from the pad and into the building during hurricane season. Tourist Destination Upgrades A new entryway to the KSC Visitor Center and several new educational presentations opened in April. The $13 million expansion, which was opened to the public earlier this month, includes a new International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, the new Universe Theater with "Quest for Life," and the Robot Scouts exhibit. Community Outreach and Education KSC's contributions through the 1999 Combined Federal Campaign exceeded its goal of $216,000 by 14 percent, with more than $245,644 given by KSC Civil Service employees. KSC Director Roy D. Bridges, Jr., and other KSC senior managers met with business and government leaders from Brevard County and the State of Florida at the annual Community Leaders Breakfast in June. The KSC leadership presented projections for future plans of America's space program and the economic impact these plans may have in the local community. Thirteen Brevard County schools received 81 excess contractor computers valued in excess of $90,000 through efforts lead by NASA's K-12 Education Services Office at Kennedy Space Center. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation was a strategic partner in the effort. Former USBI employees volunteered to put the computers into working order. KSC participated in the NASA-wide sponsorship of the Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program. The program is a mentor-based, 8-week program for underrepresented students with NASA scientists, engineers and other research specialist serving as professional role models. The FIRST robotics competition was hosted at KSC Visitor Center in March through the cooperation of NASA, KSC contractor organizations and the surrounding communities.FIRST's goal is to expose students to engineering, help them discover the important connection between classroom lessons and real-world applications and inspire kids to want to learn more. Brevard County high schools participating in the regional event include Titusville, Astronaut, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Rockledge, and Satellite Beach. -- end --