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NASA's Center of Excellence for human
operations in space is the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Since the 1960s, Johnson's Mission Control Center has been key
to the success of every piloted U.S. space mission. From the
early Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab projects to today's Space Shuttle
flights, Johnson is the very hub of human space exploration.
Today, Johnson is NASA's lead center for the Space Shuttle
program, the International Space Station program, space operations
management, biomedical research and countermeasures, and the
advanced human support technology program. The center's agency-wide
assignments include extravehicular activity (space walks), robotics
technology associated with human activities, space medicine,
technology utilization on the Space Station, and long-range exploration
mission planning and design.
Johnson is responsible for astronaut selection and training.
About 150 men and women, diverse in heritage and background,
form the nation's astronaut corps. The "Class of '98"
consisted of 8 pilot and 17 mission specialist candidates, including
school teacher Barbara Morgan, who was named as an Educator Mission
Specialist. Of the 25 class members, 21 are male and 4 are female.
World-class facilities at Johnson are in use to prepare astronauts
for building, then occupying, the Space Station. On December
4, 1998, Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted the U.S.-built Unity
module into space. Shuttle astronauts successfully coupled Unity
with a previously launched Russian-built module, Zarya. Thus
began the step toward years of assembly needed to bring the Space
Station into full operational use.
Important pathways to the future are embodied in a variety
of Johnson projects. A major piece of the multi-nation Space
Station program is under development at Johnson. The X-38 is
an innovative, prototype spacecraft that could lead to the design,
development, and construction of a emergency Crew Return Vehicle
(CRV) for the Space Station. Drop testing of the Johnson-constructed
X-38 has begun, with the CRV to be released from a Space Shuttle
in the future, followed by descent through the Earth's atmosphere
and a controlled landing. On-going testing of the TransHab inflatable
module is also being conducted, with an eye toward possible use
of this structure on the Space Station, or even as habitats on
the Moon and Mars.
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| John H. Glenn simulates
rappelling from a troubled Space Shuttle |
Continuing to draw scientific and public interest is the Johnson-led
research into a 4.5-billion-year-old Martian meteorite. As reported
in 1996, Johnson researchers observed what appears to be evidence
of ancient primitive life on Mars. Further evidence to possibly
support the claim has been provided by NASA, the Department of
Energy, and university research teams. That evidence centers
on finding microorganisms here on Earth similar in size and morphology
to those in the Martian meteorite. This find, however, does not
prove definitively that the features in the meteorite--known
as ALH 84001--are biological in origin.
Johnson outreach into the academic community is strong, exemplified
by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. A partnership
has been struck among Johnson, the Baylor College of Medicine,
and six other universities. Joint research is centered on development
and implementation of countermeasures to enable long-duration
human space flight.
A business technology incubator couples Johnson with the University
of Houston's (UH) science and business acumen. This UH/NASA Technology
Commercialization Incubator is designed to help local small and
mid-sized businesses commercialize space technology. NASA-patented
technology can be licensed by entrepreneurs who, with the help
of the business incubator, can bring to market new commercial
products. UH is analyzing the commercial market, helping in business
plan development and scouting out venture capital. Without such
a helping hand, many start-up companies could not succeed.
Highlighting the value of moving NASA technology into the
private sector is the use of spacesuit technology to combat porphyria.
This genetic disorder causes extreme and potentially dangerous
sunlight sensitivity that can lead to chronic skin disturbances.
Johnson spacesuit experts, medical officials, and private industry
teamed to devise a garment that protected a child from the sun's
ultraviolet rays and other light sources.
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TransHab, the large-volume inflatable
space vehicle, is a new design for a habitation element for lengthy
space missions.
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Johnson also "floated" an innovative concept for
stimulating college space research. Forty-seven teams of undergraduates
from around the United States flew aboard NASA's KC-135A aircraft
in a roller coaster-like flight profile over the Gulf of Mexico.
The teams experienced repeated periods of about 25 seconds of
floating in microgravity, enough time to conduct pre-selected
sets of student-designed experiments.
In 1998, Johnson became the first NASA center and the first
sizeable U.S. government organization to earn ISO 9001 certification.
High marks were given to Johnson by third-party auditors who
reviewed the center's management commitment, design control,
documentation, purchasing, test and inspection, and corrective
action procedures. ISO 9001 comprises the most detailed, comprehensive
set of standard requirements for quality programs as established
by the International Standards Organization.
Johnson director George W. S. Abbey points with pride at the
workforce within and outside the gates of his sprawling complex
of buildings. "The dedicated and innovative contributions
of our federal and contractor workforce have enabled the human
space flight program and the Johnson Space Center to excel,"
he notes. "Their accomplishments exemplify the spirit of
exploration that will be needed to meet the challenges that lie
before us as we approach the 21st century."
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