Report

United Space Alliance Newsletter USA Update 79

To view this page ensure that Adobe Flash Player version 9.0.124 or greater is installed.

Get Adobe Flash player
Please login or register to make a comment!

THE EMPLOYEE INFORMATION SOURCE FOR CONTINUING DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE issue 79 JuLY 2009 sTs-127 compl.t.d K2bo, and iss ha; a f=ll ho=;. A look back at Apollo 11 Norm Gook2n; talk; abo=t pr.par2ng for a workforc. r.d=ct2on employ..; r.cogn2z.d w2th sFA Award; 3 CONVeRsATiON 4 6 7 ReCOGNiTiON OPeRATiONs ReFLeCTiON s the nation commemorates a milestone anniversary of one of humankind 9s greatest accomplishments, NASA is actively preparing to return humans to the surface of the moon and beyond.

The similarities between the Apollo and Constellation Programs are not coincidental. Much has been learned from the Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) Programs. Coupled with advances in technology, NASA plans to improve upon the way it was previously accomplished.

cIt is very exciting that America is embarking on our next significant era of human space exploration, d said Anne Martt, USA Vice President and Constellation Program Manager. cReturning to the moon as a stepping stone to venturing further into space is an excellent progression that both draws on our past experience and challenges us to even greater achievements. d The Apollo Program used the Saturn V, the Command/Service Module (CSM) and the Lunar Module (LM) for ... more. less.

trips to the moon. Constellation will use the Ares I, Ares V, the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and the Altair Lunar Lander.<br><br> A (continued on page2) The Next Giant Leap 2 Reading and watching news reports from July 1969, it 9s hard not to be affected by the images and descriptions of that famous rst lunar expedition. Those who remember where they were when they heard or saw Armstrong take his rst step onto the lunar surface can recall a time when elation and pride swept through this country and across the world. For those who are too young to remember, there is envy at those who were lucky enough to witness one of humankind 9s greatest moments.<br><br> In this issue of Update, we re!ect on the landmark undertaking of landing humans on the moon and its impact on our future. usa safety hotline 1-866-369-1366 confidentiality will be strictly maintained. t" e'"# e& o!!# e The USA Ethics Of ce is readily available to help promote high standards of business conduct.<br><br> The term cethics d covers a broad array of subjects, including time card mischarging, misuse of government property and falsi cation of documents. Ethics can also include sexual harassment, discrimination, favoritism and other issues. Employees are encouraged to report concerns or complaints.<br><br> Con dentiality will be strictly maintained. To contact the Ethics Office, write: USA Ethics Office USA Headquarters 1150 Gemini Avenue Houston, TX 77058 or call: (800) 713-0850 or contact via the Internet: usa_ombudsman@usa-spaceops.com The USA Update is published bimonthly through the Communications & PR Office. We welcome your questions, input and suggestions.<br><br> Director of Communications and Public Relations: Jeffrey E. Carr Phone: (281) 212-6156 Internet: Jeffrey.E.Carr@ usa-spaceops.com Managing Editor: Kari Fluegel Phone: (281) 280-6959 Internet: Kari.L.Fluegel@ usa-spaceops.com Editor: Eileen Walsh Phone: (281) 280-3792 Internet: Eileen.M.Walsh@ usa-spaceops.com Design and Production: Bastion Technologies Kris Still Phone: (281) 280-6751 Internet: Kristen.D.Johnston@ usa-spaceops.com To view the USA Update online, visit the USA Intranet at http://usa1.unitedspacealliance.com e f#'$% 9& n$' USA UPDATE The Next Giant Leap (continued from page 1) Moon Rock R.t=rn; to spac. During the Apollo Program, the giant Saturn V was used to send astronauts and LMs to the moon.<br><br> Standing 363 feet tall, the huge size and payload capacity of the Saturn V dwarfed all previous rockets. When fully fueled, the Saturn V weighed 6,699,000 pounds with a payload capacity of 260,000 pounds to low Earth orbit and 100,000 pounds to the moon. The Constellation Program will use the Ares I and the Ares V rockets to return humans to the moon.<br><br> The Ares I uses a five-segment SRB for its first stage with a newly designed upper stage. It will be 325 feet tall and able to lift 52,000 pounds to ISS and 56,000 pounds to low Earth orbit. cThe Ares I First Stage team has utilized designs and expertise derived from the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Program to reduce risk and accelerate development to support the Constellation Program goals, d said Phil Bryden, USA Director, Ares First Stage Program.<br><br> The first stage of the Ares I is a more powerful and reusable SRB. Instead of four solid propellant segments, the Ares I has five, allowing it to produce more thrust and a longer burn time. The upper stage will be propelled by one J-2X engine fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and is derived from the J-2 engine used on the Saturn IB and Saturn V.<br><br> The Ares V, a heavy-lift launch vehicle, will use six RS-68 engines fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen mounted below a large core stage derived from the Saturn V and two five-and-a-half-segment Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The upper stage will use a J-2X engine. Taller than the Saturn V with a height of 381 feet, the Ares V will be able to lift more than 414,000 pounds to low Earth orbit and 157,000 pounds for lunar missions.<br><br> It will be used to carry the Altair Lunar Lander into low Earth orbit as well as other cargo and components needed to go to the moon and later on to Mars. During Apollo, the CSM and the LM were carried into orbit atop the Saturn V. The CSM consisted of two segments, the Command Module, which housed the crew and the equipment needed for re-entry and splashdown, and the Service Module, which provided propulsion, electrical power and storage for various consumables required during a mission.<br><br> The Command Module was a cone- shaped crew compartment measuring 10 feet 7 inches tall and having a diameter of 12 feet 10 inches across the base. The total CSM weighed 66,800 pounds. When Apollo astronauts went to the moon, two landed on the lunar surface in the LM, while one crewmember remained orbiting overhead in the Command Module, making observations of the moon from 60 miles up.<br><br> In Constellation, the Ares I will carry the Orion CEV with crews of six to the ISS and later ferry a crew of four to rendezvous and dock with the Altair Lunar Lander and the upper stage for missions to the moon. The Orion CEV, to be built by Lockheed Martin, United Space Alliance, Honeywell, Hamilton Sundstrand and Orbital, will build on the best of Apollo and the Space Shuttle but include state-of-the-art technology. With a shape similar to that of the Apollo Command Module, Orion will have 50 percent more volume of habitable space at 316 cubic feet.<br><br> Although larger in volume than the Apollo CSM, the total Orion CEV will be lighter at about 42,000 pounds to ISS and 48,000 pounds for lunar missions. As projected, Orion will be 16 feet 6 inches in diameter and 10 feet 10 inches in height and will be capable of carrying four to six astronauts. cAlthough we can 9t change the laws of physics and, thus, the Outer Mold Line of Orion, it is truly a 21st century vehicle, d said Lloyd Gregg, USA 9s Orion/CEV Associate Program Manager.<br><br> cA comparison often used between Apollo and Orion is on Apollo, one astronaut remained with the Crew Module (CM), while the other two descended to the lunar surface. On Orion, all four astronauts go to the surface, as the Orion CM will be able to operate autonomously as well as detect and affect a rendezvous with a damaged Altair on its own. Structural fabrication is already in work at MAF (Michoud Assembly Facility), and we are very excited to be part of the next great step in human space exploration, d said Gregg.<br><br> The LM was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon 9s surface and back. The LM was designed to carry a crew of two and consisted of two stages, the descent and the ascent stage with a total mass of 35,665 pounds. Initially unpopular because many delays in its development significantly stretched the projected timeline of the Apollo Program, the LM eventually became one of the most reliable components of the Apollo/Saturn system.<br><br> During the Apollo 13 emergency, the LM greatly exceeded its design requirements. For the Constellation Program, Altair will be the lunar landing spacecraft. Named for the brightest star in the constellation, Aquila (the Eagle), the name Altair is a tribute to the first Apollo LM that carried Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon.<br><br> Measuring 32.5 feet and almost three times larger total volume, the new lander is about 60,000 pounds heavier than its predecessor. Altair is a multirole vehicle capable of landing crews of four astronauts anywhere on the lunar surface and supporting them for missions of up to seven days before returning them to orbit. In the sortie mode, Altair will be able to place the crew of four astronauts and up to 1,100 pounds of science equipment anywhere on the lunar surface.<br><br> An airlock will allow the crew to transition from its pressurized habitat to the dusty vacuum of the lunar surface. In outpost mode, Altair will be able to deliver the four crewmembers to the site of a permanent lunar outpost, where it will be able to stay on the surface for up to 210 days. At the conclusion of the surface mission, the crew will board the Ascent Module for return to the Orion CEV for the return trip to Earth.<br><br> cAltair 9s enhanced capability over that of Apollo provides significant scientific benefits to the operational mission concept. A global landing site capability, increased number of crewmembers to the surface and extended stay time on the surface, along with increased down mass to the lunar surface, all provide building blocks toward human exploration beyond Earth 9s gravity, d said Jeffrey Osterlund, USA 9s Constellation Chief Engineer. Once the astronauts 9 lunar mission is complete in the Constellation Program, they will return to the orbiting Orion vehicle using a lunar Ascent Module.<br><br> The crew will use the Service Module 9s main engine to break out of lunar orbit and head to Earth. Orion and its crew will re-enter Earth 9s atmosphere using a newly developed thermal protection system, and parachutes will further slow Orion 9s descent through the atmosphere. Orion is targeted to begin carrying humans to the ISS in 2015 and to the moon by 2020.<br><br> USA employees in Florida are currently focusing their attention on the first test flight of the new launch vehicle, the Ares I-X, slated for later this year. Ares I 3X will be composed of a functional four-segment SRB stage, a fifth segment simulator, an upper-stage simulator, which will be similar in shape and heavier than the actual upper stage, and a simulated Orion CEV and launch abort system. The test flight will be a significant milestone in NASA 9s efforts to return to the moon.<br><br> cThe progress on the Ares I-X flight hardware and ground systems is fantastic, d Martt said. cAres I-X truly demonstrates a cornerstone of the Constellation Program, the ability to reuse major components of past programs in combination with new components. It is an excellent first achievement on the journey back to the moon. d n | A moon rock bro=ght to earth by Apollo 11, h=man; 9 f2r;t land2ng on th.<br><br> moon 2n J=ly 1969, 2; ;hown a; 2t float; aboard th. int.rnat2onal spac. stat2on.<br><br> Part of earth can b. ;..n thro=gh th. w2ndow.<br><br> Th. 3.6-b2ll2on-y.ar-old l=nar ;ampl. wa; flown to th.<br><br> stat2on aboard spac. sh=ttl. m2;;2on sTs-119 2n Apr2l 2009 2n honor of th.<br><br> J=ly 2009 40th ann2v.r;ary of th. h2;tor2c f2r;t moon land2ng. Th.<br><br> rock, l=nar ;ampl. 10072, wa; flown to th. stat2on to ;.rv.<br><br> a; a ;ymbol of th. nat2on 9; r.;olv. to cont2n=.<br><br> th. .xplorat2on of ;pac.. it w2ll b.<br><br> r.t=rn.d on sh=ttl. m2;;2on sTs-128 to b. p=bl2cly d2;play.d.<br><br> 3 Norm Gookins is USA 9s Vice President of Human Resources and Administration. USA Update talked with Gookins about plans for upcoming workforce reductions. A C\xbnversati\xbn With: Norm Gookins PDATE: Let 9s begin with some questions that many employees have.<br><br> It 9s been announced that USA will have a workforce reduction in October. How should employees prepare for that? GOOKINS: Good question.<br><br> First, they should know that we 9re going to do everything we can to keep them informed on what is transpiring and our plans as we go forward. They need to stay focused and continue to perform well on the job they are assigned. We 9re going to do everything we can to give those affected as much notice as we can so they have time to do some planning and some searching for jobs.<br><br> For those who choose to not continue in the workplace and retire after they get laid off, we want to give them time to go ahead and have their plans in place. Most importantly, everyone should stay calm, listen to the messages being communicated and don 9t be afraid to ask their management questions. UPDATE: How will the workforce reduction be implemented?<br><br> GOOKINS: Management has the responsibility to make sure that they have the human resources necessary to perform the work that they currently have and the future work. So, managers will have to look within their organizations to determine if they have the skills to accomplish those tasks. They 9ll then decide in which areas that they will need to make a reduction, if one is needed.<br><br> In those areas where we need to make a reduction, we 9ll ask for individuals who wish to nominate themselves for layoff. We always ask for self-nominations once we determine that there is an area in which we need to make a downward staffing adjustment. Those people are saying given the fact that we are having a layoff, ctake me and not someone else. d At that point, it 9s up to management to consider those requests based on the need to ensure they retain the skills necessary to do the job.<br><br> In this case, we 9ve known all along that as Shuttle work phased out, we would have workforce reductions. When you look at the overall big picture, this first adjustment comes to about five percent. That 9s fairly small.<br><br> We hope that self-nominations will make up the majority of those laid off in October (2009). However, we know that there will be some circumstances where people will want to self- nominate, but the management will not be able to accept those self-nominations because their skills are needed to complete current or future tasks. We 9ll give as much notice as we can.<br><br> We 9ll look inside USA to see if we can place people inside the company, but there are not a lot of openings right now. We 9ll work with the local communities and the local businesses to see if we can place people in openings they may have, and at the same time, we 9ll look at our member companies to see if we can 9t get some folks placed there. We 9re committed to do everything we can and provide as much assistance as we can to reduce the impact to those who get laid off.<br><br> We know there is always going to be an impact, but we 9re trying to lessen it any way we can. An example of these efforts is the increase in the severance plan, which is designed to provide some financial protection to those who get laid off. UPDATE: What is the company doing to support those that will be impacted by the workforce reduction?<br><br> GOOKINS: We have been working over the past two years with local communities trying to provide options for people to gain some additional skills that will help them to be more marketable within the community. We will continue to provide that training. Within USA, we have been providing Career Connections and training that allows people to cope with the impacts that come with change.<br><br> We will also be bringing in organizations to help people prepare résumés and to be competitive in the job market. When we get closer to the time of the layoff, we 9ll do job fairs and bring in local companies with job openings to conduct interviews right here on site to see if we can 9t get as many people as possible placed. UPDATE: Earlier this year, we transitioned our first employees to our USA Space Operations (USASO) subsidiary.<br><br> What lessons did we learn from that transition? GOOKINS: We learned that we need to communicate over and often. We learned that we need to communicate to employees who are directly affected as soon as we can.<br><br> It was a challenge for us to keep our employees at USASO tuned in and let them know they are still part of USA even though they are now in a subsidiary. For those impacted by layoff, we learned we have to communicate with them all of the way through the layoff process and help them with questions. We had some rumors going around that the company was going to transition people into USASO and then lay them off, and by doing such, we would save money by not paying them for a completion bonus.<br><br> When we rolled the completion bonus program out, we told people that our intent is to take any reductions in staff in USA and then reassign people that are necessary to do the work to the subsidiaries. That 9s what we did. We had people that needed to go into USASO to support FDOC, and we put them into USASO.<br><br> Any layoffs that were necessary were done while those employees were at USA. Some of those laid off were completion bonus eligible, and they received their bonus and their severance. Our intent was not, and still is not, to take people and move them into the subsidiaries just to immediately lay them off so we don 9t have to pay the completion bonus.<br><br> UPDATE: Benefits are always a chief concern for employees. What can you tell us about the status of the existing benefits plan? GOOKINS: Companies everywhere review benefits on an annual basis to make sure they are competitive.<br><br> As we 9ve said in many of our communications, we 9re in the process of re-engineering and retooling USA. We 9re no longer going to be a large contractor. We 9re going to be a smaller subcontractor, and we 9re going to have to be more competitive with different kinds of businesses.<br><br> We 9ve already completed that analysis and have made the initial changes to set up our subsidiaries. We 9ve already rolled those benefits out so people know or can go see them. Will we continue to review our benefits programs?<br><br> Absolutely. Do we have any more changes in place right now that we 9re talking about making? We do not, but that doesn 9t mean that we won 9t continue to review our benefits structure.<br><br> Now, we don 9t know what 9s going to happen with the Augustine Commission. There could be more challenges. There could be an opportunity for us to fly longer.<br><br> That is something that we 9ve got to be able to adapt to as we hear about their recommendations. UPDATE: What do you believe is our biggest challenge as we go forward? GOOKINS: Our biggest challenge is going to be keeping our focus on what we 9re here for.<br><br> Keeping our focus on safely and successfully flying out the Shuttle Program. Keeping everyone 9s attention on the job they need to do, day in and day out. We 9re going to have regular and consistent communications with our folks and being as open and honest as we can.<br><br> If we don 9t know the answers, we 9ll tell employees we don 9t know the answers. As soon as we get them, we 9ll start communicating them. Another challenge will be adapting.<br><br> We 9re going to have to adapt to be a different type of contractor. We 9re used to focusing on one large contract. Now, we 9re going to have a number of different contracts, and we will have to learn how to be a subcontractor.<br><br> Those will be our biggest challenges. UPDATE: What advice would you give to employees at this time? GOOKINS: First of all, stay focused.<br><br> Doing your job the best that you can is the most important thing to make you marketable for staying within USA or in the external job market. The second thing is make yourself marketable by learning new skills. Do everything you can inside the company or even externally to make yourself more of a commodity in the marketplace so that if you have to look for work, you will have a distinguishing factor.<br><br> Also, I would say be patient. I know that is difficult. It 9s going to be very, very difficult as we go through this.<br><br> Layoffs are always a very challenging time because someone can be doing everything right, and then simply because of a matter of budget reduction, work ending or a program ending, they get laid off. It is really nothing personal, but it affects everyone very personally. What we want is to let everyone know that we 9re going to try to do the layoff as fairly as we can.<br><br> It 9s going to impact some folks, we know that. And for those folks that it 9s going to impact, we 9ve tried to provide some csoft d landings in terms of severance and completion bonus packages to provide some income protection or in the form of another job either inside the company or outside the company. The next several months will be very difficult.<br><br> I 9d encourage everyone to talk with your management. Don 9t be afraid to ask questions and make sure you understand what 9s going on with USA. n U cOur biggest challenge is going to be keeping our focus on what we 9re here for.<br><br> Keeping our focus on safely and successfully flying out the Shuttle Program. d - Norm Gookins 4 The First Step Began with sat=rn V sA-506, th. ;pac. v.h2cl.<br><br> for th. f2r;t l=nar land2ng m2;;2on, l2ft; off from La=nch Compl.x 39A. N.2l A.<br><br> Arm;trong Commander edw2n e. cB=zz d Aldr2n Jr. Lunar Module Pilot M2cha.l Coll2n; Command Module Pilot earth r2;.; ov.r th.<br><br> l=nar hor2zon. L=nar Mod=l. P2lot cB=zz d Aldr2n a;;.mbl.; th.<br><br> ;.2;m2c .xp.r2m.nt. | Th. Apollo 11 pr2m.<br><br> cr.w po;. for a photograph d=r2ng a walkthro=gh .gr.;; t.;t. 5 The First Step Began with Apollo 11 M2cha.l Coll2n; Command Module Pilot M2;;2on Control c.l.brat.; th.<br><br> Apollo 11 m2;;2on. La=nch t.am m.mb.r; v2.w l2ftoff thro=gh th. f2r2ng room w2ndow;.<br><br> Th. Apollo 11 Command Mod=l. 2; low.r.d to th.<br><br> d.ck of th. u.s.s. Horn.t.<br><br> Arm;trong, Coll2n; and Aldr2n ;m2l. thro=gh th. w2ndow of th.<br><br> mob2l. q=arant2n. van.<br><br> | L=nar Mod=l. ceagl. d v2.w.d from Command Mod=l. cCol=mb2a d aft.r =ndock2ng.<br><br> 6 SAFETY/QUALITY/RISK MANAGEMENT pace walks, or Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), are a crucial part of Space Shuttle flights to construct the International Space Station (ISS). So, when a device designed to recharge batteries for the EVA space suits overheated, a team of USA Flight Crew Equipment (FCE) employees worked quickly to resolve the issue. During standard recharging operations in the FCE/EVA Battery Lab, an Extravehicular Activity Maneuvering Unit (EMU) battery charging rig overheated, necessitating a facility evacuation.<br><br> EMUs are the specially designed space suits worn by astronauts when they venture outside the Shuttle or ISS for a space walk. cWhen the battery and the recharging rig emitted a sulfuric, burning smell, employees immediately followed the appropriate safety procedures which included an evacuation, and contacted the USA Safety representative, d said Cherlyn Boxie, Manager of EVA Hardware and Design Engineering in the Battery Lab. The facility is located in Houston near the Johnson Space Center.<br><br> As a result of the incident, a cstop work d order was issued on all EMU battery processing and certification testing until a workaround could be developed and implemented. However, with space walks such an important part of upcoming Shuttle missions, a quick resolution of the problem was necessary. During recent Shuttle missions for construction of the Space Station, as many as five space walks have been necessary, with each running as long as Quick Work by Battery Lab Team Keeps EMUs Flight Ready eight hours.<br><br> Batteries are used on multiple components of each EMU. cOur local expert engineering team of Doug Garcia, Will Aufrance and the FCE Battery Lab technicians worked diligently to study and resolve the battery charger issues, d Boxie said. cTheir first job was to ensure the lab was safe, and then they worked diligently over a two-day period to troubleshoot the hardware anomalies. d The team soon devised a plan that would continue to support upcoming flights and certification testing of the EMU batteries, thus allowing virtually no slip in EMU battery processing.<br><br> cAs part of the investigation, it was determined that the uninterruptible power supply on the recharging rig was due for replacement, so this just meant that we expedited that process, d said Boxie. During charging and discharging activities, the plan consisted of 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week monitoring and data recording of the battery temperatures. cThe astronauts rely on this hardware, d said Boxie.<br><br> cOur main objective was, and continues to be, ensuring we deliver flight hardware in the best, most reliable condition possible. d n A 12 V l.ad ac2d batt.ry =;.d to pow.r an extrav.h2c=lar Act2v2ty Man.=v.r2ng un2t (eMu) 2; ;hown aft.r r.moval from an ov.rh.at.d batt.ry charg2ng r2g. STS-127 Crew Completes Kibo Construction S ollowing five attempts, STS-127 successfully launched July 15 on a mission to expand the International Space Station 9s (ISS 9s) science facilities. Endeavour and her seven-member crew docked to the Station on July 17, signaling the start of a week of joint operations between the Shuttle and Station crews.<br><br> Hatches between the vehicles were opened at 2:43 p.m. EDT, bringing the total number of crewmembers aboard the orbiting outpost to a record 13. The focus of the STS-127 mission was the delivery of the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (EF) and the Kibo Japanese Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section (ELM-ES).<br><br> Installation of these components concluded assembly of the Japanese complex facility on the ISS. cThe mission made great progress in advancing the Station 9s facilities, d said Brian Breen, USA International Space Station Program Manager. cThe challenges accomplished on this flight will expand the ISS capabilities and enable crewmembers to increase the amount of unpressurized science studies. d The main mission construction and maintenance tasks took place over five spacewalks, with Mission Specialists David Wolf, Thomas Marshburn, Christopher Cassidy and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra teaming into pairs to complete installation and outfitting of the final Kibo components.<br><br> Kopra replaced Koichi Wakata as an Expedition 20 Flight Engineer. Wakata had been aboard the Station since March 2009 and returned to Earth with the STS-127 crew. Kopra is scheduled for an almost three-month stay in orbit.<br><br> Along with detailed test objective tasks, crewmembers had to troubleshoot a malfunction with the U.S. Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) in the Destiny laboratory. The WHC is one of two toilet systems on the Station, and it is believed a pump in the system failed and most likely contaminated internal parts of the WHC.<br><br> Astronauts spent about 2.5 hours replacing components, and after testing, the crew was given a cgo d to use the WHC. Another milestone on STS-127 included the use of all three of the robotic arms, sometimes all on the same day. The Shuttle 9s Canadarm and the Station 9s Canadarm2 were used for surveys, unloading cargo and moving equipment and spacewalkers, and the new Japanese robotic arm, delivered to the Station aboard STS-126 in November, made its debut to transfer science experiments.<br><br> Space Shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 1:26 p.m. EDT on July 28. After completing a fly-around of the Space Station at a distance of 400 feet, Endeavour performed a maneuver to separate from the station.<br><br> This is Endeavour 9s 24th flight and the 29th Shuttle mission to the ISS. Endeavour landed at 10:52 EDT on July 31. cThis flight, once again, highlighted the capabilities of the Space Shuttle and all that can be accomplished with such a versatile and reliable vehicle, d said Howard DeCastro, USA Space Shuttle Program Manager.<br><br> cThe whole USA team should feel proud of their contributions to such an outstanding mission. d n F A;trona=t Chr2; Ca;;2dy, sTs-127 M2;;2on sp.c2al2;t, 2; p2ct=r.d 2n th. c.nt.r of th2; photograph tak.n d=r2ng end.avo=r 9; th2rd ;pac. walk.<br><br> Ca;;2dy 2; n.ar th. Japan.;. exp.r2m.nt Mod=l.<br><br> - expo;.d Fac2l2ty (JeF). exp.d2t2on 20 Fl2ght eng2n..r T2m Kopra and sTs-127 M2;;2on sp.c2al2;t Ko2ch2 Wakata ar. ;..n work2ng 2n JeM RMs op.rat2on;.<br><br> Kopra and Wakata ;wapp.d plac.; on board th. iss wh.r. Kopra w2ll r.ma2n for an approx2mat.<br><br> 3-month ;tay a; a m.mb.r of th. exp.d2t2on 20 cr.w. Wakata r.t=rn.d to earth aboard end.avo=r w2th th.<br><br> sTs-127 cr.w. 7 David Coan received a Silver Snoopy for his support as the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) task lead for Expedition 16. Coan provided the EVA team and the Increment 16 crew with excellent technical guidance in the preflight train- ing period and in backroom support during five EVAs.<br><br> He organized and participated in multiple extra training sessions, both preflight and during the mission, to prepare the EVA CAPCOM Flight Controller Team for the fluid tray relocation. Dav2d Coan and Dan Tan2 Richard Civitate received a Silver Snoopy for his exceptional work with the closed- circuit television hardware. Civitate streamlined assembly and preflight testing for the orbiter-specific camera configurations, allowing the limited hardware to support launch needs.<br><br> His actions provided flight- ready cameras to support the Orbiter Processing Facilities, Crew Equipment Interface Test, communication testing and installation for flight. He played a key role in the streamlined process for Tool Stowage Assembly inspection. R2chard C2v2tat.<br><br> and J.rry Ro;; Roger Luty received a Silver Snoopy award for his outstanding support of the ISS Program as the ISS Systems Integrated Simulation lead software engineer. Luty led the development of a software centric training environment using low-cost commodity hardware, common models to the full-task trainer in the Space Station Training Facility and a chip-set of ISS flight software. This software now supports a reduced time line for the training and certification of flight controllers within a 12-month cycle.<br><br> Bob B.hnk.n, Rog.r L=ty and G.org. Zamka Don e;po;2to and J.rry Ro;; Daniel Tobola received a Silver Snoopy in recognition of his leadership and dedication as the Mission Control Center Baseline Manager in the Facilities Development and Operations Contract (FDOC) Delivery Management Department. Tobola 9s contributions to the MCC Workstation Server Operating System Replacement project, the Test and Operations Software Configuration Tracking System and the FDOC USA Data Migration project were vital to the success of those initiatives.<br><br> Bob B.hnk.n, Dan2.l Tobola, Chr2;t2na V2ramont.;-Tobola and G.org. Zamka Barry Tobias received the Silver Snoopy for his dedication and service as the Regen- erative Environmental Control and Life Support System Lead flight controller. Tobias 9 responsibilities, particularly related to STS-126, required coordination between multiple disciplines within his own area as well as other NASA centers and the Interna- tional Partners.<br><br> His efforts were instrumen- tal to the premission planning, product development and initial activation of the extremely complex subsystem critical to the transition to a six person crew on the ISS. Bob B.hnk.n, Barry Tob2a; and G.org. Zamka Kaz Vogelgesang received a Silver Snoopy for his exceptional service as the Shuttle Communications Flight instructor.<br><br> His efforts have been instrumental in creating a flight-like training environment for Flight Crew and Flight Controllers. Vogelgesang 9s pre-coordination of communications systems for STS-115 and STS-126 cwet simulations d provided critical integration between the four JSC training facilities. His contributions ensure safety of the Shuttle missions by providing realistic scenarios and equipment to train crew members and flight controllers.<br><br> Bob B.hnk.n, Kaz Vog.lg.;ang and fam2ly, G.org. Zamka and Jan.t Kavand2 Jeffrey Tuxhorn was recognized with a Silver Snoopy for his outstanding efforts as a Rendezvous and Proximity Opera- tions trainer for six Space Shuttle crews. Tuxhorn also co-developed the Rendez- vous Pitch Maneuver successfully used on all International Space Station missions.<br><br> In addition to his expert instruction, Tuxhorn also meticulously follows preflight rendezvous issues and provides comments and suggestions to the commander tailored to the specific mission. er2c Bo., J.ffr.y T=xhorn, Chr2; F.rg=;on and shan. K2mbro=gh Joshua Boston received a Silver Snoopy for his outstanding work as a Space Station Training Facility instructor.<br><br> His knowledge and dedication were instrumental in developing nominal and off-nominal crew and flight controller operations products in support of the successful installation, outfitting, and activation of the Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) on board the ISS. Boston 9s expertise provided training to the Expedition 18 and STS-126 crews, enabling them to successfully install and activate the WHC system. Bob B.hnk.n, Jo;h=a Bo;ton, Lac2 Bo;ton and G.org.<br><br> Zamka James Blake, a manager in Flight Crew/ Kits and Labs, received a Silver Snoopy in recognition of his excellent support of all crew-related events, including the Crew Equipment Interface Test flight stowage and the landing de-stowage at Dryden Flight Research Center. Blake guides the technicians who handle all critical crew module flight crew equipment, external tank separation cameras and payload bay EVA equipment. It is through his team 9s efforts that the flight crews are always properly equipped for every mission.<br><br> Jam.; Blak. and J.rry Ro;; James Cassidy was recognized with a Silver Snoopy for his efforts on work performed over the past year in support of the Space Station Training Facility (SSTF). Cassidy provided critical support to resolve the real-world International Space Station Guidance Navigation and Control R7 flight software problem, which had created anomalies on orbit.<br><br> He also provided on oncall support to troubleshoot potentially critical problems with the emulator halt situation in the SSTF. Bob B.hnk.n, Jam.; Ca;;2dy and G.org. Zamka Harry Woodard was presented with a Silver Snoopy for his exemplary role in streamlining the assembly and preflight testing of orbiter-specific camera configurations in order to support the flight schedule requirements.<br><br> Working with limited availability of Closed-Cir- cuit Television Systems hardware, Woodard, an Intravehicular/Extrave- hicular Operations Test and Stowage engineer, was still able to ensure the rapid turn around and delivery of flight cameras for testing and flight. Harry Woodard and J.rry Ro;; Don Esposito was recognized with a Silver Snoopy for his outstanding support of the temporary duty suit technicians who process the Launch and Entry (L/E) suits. Esposito provides sound quality guidance during process- ing repair and failure investigation for the terminal countdown demonstration test and launch.<br><br> As the prime support quality representative, Esposito ensures that L/E suit requirements are safely met on time and error free for each mission. 8 usA 9; Q=.;t for exc.ll.nc. award; and r.cogn2t2on program, 2; ba;.d on a ;.t of val=.; d.r2v.d from usA 9; v2;2on, m2;;2on, goal; and g=2d2ng pr2nc2pl.;.<br><br> QUARTERLY WINNERS FLORiDA WiNNeRs 1;t QuARTeR LeADeRsHiP Teresa Carol Andrews sAFeTY External Tank Liquid Hydrogen Loading Team Delma Amorim-Pichardo Richard Baz Judson Bishop III Thomas Clark Bradley McCain Daniel Walle TeCHNiCAL ACHieVeMeNT Time Code Generator Issue Resolution Team Peter Aiello David Ferguson Michael Fernandez James Harr Gary Klintworth Girard Klotz TeXAs WiNNeRs 1;t QuARTeR LeADeRsHiP Linda Langston sAFeTY STS-400 Proximity Operations Analysis Team Michael Mahoney William Summa Kelli Wiuff TeCHNiCAL ACHieVeMeNT Tyler Doubrava QuALiTY (Tie) Larry Crawford STS-125 HST PDRS Team Marco Camarena Stephanie Freier Atif Qureshi Linda Snider ADMiNisTRATiVe eXCeLLeNCe IM FDOC Transition Team +1 Gregory Alvarez Kevin Bartel John Bonura James Campbell Matthew Cardenas Kathleen Conway Jason Garton Norman Gibson Jeffrey Griffith Ricardo Gutierrez Kenneth Lagrange Hoang Ly Timothy Munfus Cindy Owens Deborah Pena Doc Pepper Larry Plog Richard Prewitt Resha Randolph Ricardo Ruiz Gregory Schultz Karla Spriggs Danny Tran Craige Wittig Craig Woods COMMuNiTY seRViCe Randie Roberts Mark Lindell Robert Logsdon David Martin Terrance Mayfield Wilfred Nelson Jr. Janiene Pape Alexander Pandelos Danny Owens Steven Seder Nicholas Stewart Christopher Stickler William Snook Gina Wilde William Wilson Edward Wyzik QuALiTY Susan Thai ADMiNisTRATiVe eXCeLLeNCe Kenneth Joseph COMMuNiTY seRViCe Sonja Jackson Quarterly awards are presented to individuals or teams showing excellence in the categories noted. Anyone may nominate any individual for achievement in any category.<br><br> There is no limit to the number of nominations that may be submitted. Award nomination forms are available on the USA internet under Awards. Recipients receive the USA Quest for Excellence trophy.<br><br> For further information, contact your department 9s awards coordinator or Barbara Lewis at (281) 280-3778 in Texas; Bob Granath at (321) 891-3946 in Florida; or Laura Moffett at (256) 971-2681 in Alabama. USA Employees Honored With Prestigious NASA Awards ne USA individual and five teams, all playing key roles in support of the Space Shuttle and Ares programs, were presented prestigious NASA honors in ceremonies at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). An engineer in the USA Mechanical Systems Department of the Vehicle Operations Directorate, Pat Floyd was awarded the Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal for outstanding contributions provided to human space flight.<br><br> Floyd worked with technicians, engineers and production control personnel to develop and implement innovative techniques and processes to shorten the External Tank processing flow. A NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award was presented to the 12-member Ares Roll Control System Risk Assessment Team in recognition of their contributions to Ares I-X Risk Assessment efforts. Ares I-X is the first test flight of the new launch vehicle for the Orion crew exploration vehicle.<br><br> The Ares I-X Roll Control System will be used for vehicle coast attitude and roll control during powered flight. Team members recognized are Kevin Abbott, Gregory Deblasio, Thomas Dempsey, John Garrett, John Gompers, Manfred Heinrich, Daniel Metzger and Daniel Pouliot of USA, along with Anthony Bartolone, David Tomasic, Andrew Stampfel and Darren Gibson of NASA. The Shuttle Ground Processing Course Team also received the NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award.<br><br> According to the nomination submitted by the NASA Launch Vehicle Processing Directorate, the training course provides the most comprehensive overview of ground processing that has ever been assembled into one presentation. The team was comprised of Shuttle ground processing experts from NASA, USA, Pratt-Whitney and Alliant Techsystems (ATK). The USA members of the team are Jonathan Baker, Timothy Bayline, Marilyn Bennett, Wayne Bingham, William Carr, Jamie Clements, Hunt Culver, Ira Erteschik, Roger Gillette, Jennifer Hall, Frederick Henn, Keith Jones, Peter Klonowski, Michael Kuta, Jeffrey Lauffer, Steven Lloyd, Christopher Loines, Jamie McLean, Jamie Nehmer, Timothy O 9Brien, Mark Paxton, Alix Peck, Douglas Perdomo, Jonathan Phillips, Raymond Propst, Brett Raulerson, Timothy Riley, Ryan Sheppard, Katrine Stelges, David Sutherland, David Taurasi, James Taylor, Larry Taylor, Raymond Trapp, Martin Wilson, Sarah Woodbury and Michael Young.<br><br> From NASA, the team members are Lisa Colloredo, Michelle Ford, Eugene Healey, Peter Nickolenko, Thomas Overton, Stephanie Stilson and Russell Stoewe. Representatives from Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne are George Cosgrove and Daniel Hausman and from ATK are Rickey Serfozo. A NASA Group Achievement Award was presented to the Orbiter Discovery Main Landing Gear Hydraulic Leak Repair Team in recognition of outstanding support and timely resolution of a main landing gear hydraulic leak prior to rollout for STS-120.<br><br> The team members are Martin Born, Davy Chambers, Kathryn Conklin, Lawrence Ebaugh, Brian Elleman, Robert Jacobson, Christal Jolly, Joseph Krampert, Larry Marek, Kurt McCaughey, Michael McClure, Joshua McConkey, Jeffrey Moore, Garry Schindler and John Supry. The Mini Portable Purge Unit Auto-Start Capability Team also received a NASA Group Achievement Award for outstanding efforts in providing auto-start capability to the STS-125 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) payload 9s Mini Portable Purge Units. This capability ensured that the HST payload could remain installed in the Shuttle 9s payload bay in the event it became necessary to do a hurricane roll-back from the ocean-side launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building.<br><br> The team of USA employees included Paul Boquist, Brent Bridges, Russell Brucker, Stephen Camik, Marcus Churchwell, Mark Davis, James Devine, Kimberly Goodrich, Clifford Johnson, Keith Laufenberg, Christy Layton and James Youngblood. A NASA Group Achievement Award also was presented to the Shuttle Booster Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Software Resolution Team for dedication and professionalism in solving difficult problems associated with the TVC application software. Receiving awards for the effort are Patrick Cahalan, Deborah Critchfield, Jennifer Hensley, Tamathy Kennedy, Cary Manry, Kristine Nutter, Alexander Pandelos, Janiene Pape, Raymond Paquin and Albert Styles.<br><br> n O AES Group Recognized With Jefferson Award group of USA employees from Application Engineering Services (AES) Business Systems East was recognized recently for its community service with a prestigious Jefferson Awards for Public Service Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Community Service. The Jefferson Awards are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. Founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S.<br><br> Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard, the object was to create a Nobel Prize for public service. Today, its primary purpose is to serve as cA Call to Action for Volunteers d in local communities.<br><br> The awards are presented at the national and local level. The AES Business Systems East group became involved when Gretchen MacMichael was contacted by the coordinator for Homeless Students for Brevard County Schools around the Christmas holiday. They were seeking assistance for a family in financial and personal crisis.<br><br> The business where the mother of the family worked had closed, and her husband was unable to work, having been diagnosed with a terminal condition. Their two teenage boys were not going to have gifts for Christmas. The family was behind in their rent and was about to be evicted.<br><br> MacMichael shared the family 9s situation at an AES Business Systems team meeting, and financial support was immediately offered. cMaybe you know someone who has been faced with a similar situation, or maybe you 9ve been there yourself, d MacMichael said. The team gathered more than $1100 in cash and gift cards to help the family pay their rent and buy groceries and other necessities.<br><br> The group also donated gift items for the boys to provide them with Christmas boxes for the holiday. cI 9m so proud of the response that came from the AES team, d MacMichael said. cTheir generosity was overwhelming. d The award was presented by Brevard Public Schools spokespersons Anita Smith and Ginny Gleason during a recent AES Business Systems team meeting.<br><br> During the presentation, they said, cYour generosity has touched the students and families you 9ve helped and has been an inspiration to us. On behalf of Brevard Public Schools, we are proud to present you with the Jefferson Award. d n A Gr.tch.n MacM2cha.l acc.pt.d th. J.ff.r;on Award; for P=bl2c s.rv2c.<br><br> on b.half of th. gro=p. <br><br>

less

Copyright © 2010 beepdf.com. All rights reserved.