Aerospace Research and Development

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.

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.

TransHab, the large-volume inflatable space vehicle, is a new design for a habitation element for lengthy space missions.

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 21^st century."