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The John F. Kennedy Space Center in
Florida is the historic departure point for human space explorers,
situated on Florida's central Atlantic "space coast".
As each returning Shuttle mission breaks the sound barrier before
touching down at the center's landing strip, it's obvious that
business is booming at the world's busiest spaceport.
Kennedy's expertise in constructing and operating the world's
premier spaceport forms the foundation for a new Spaceport Technology
Center (STC). The STC will encompass all new technologies supporting
new and proposed spaceports on Earth and on other planets.
One Kennedy team is developing the concepts and the architecture
of future spaceports. A major element of the work is to optimize
ground operations for launch vehicle processing, to help lower
the overall costs of space transportation. An interactive design
tool is under development, to help spaceport planners assess
interactions between needed ground infrastructure and flight
systems. This activity, and other work, is being pursued to capture
global launch capabilities and help focus future Kennedy roles
in meeting NASA and customer requirements. With results in hand,
Kennedy officials expect to foster new initiatives, upgrade existing
systems, and respond to the technology needs of customers using
the spaceport. Given movement toward new generations of launch
vehicles, including reusable space transportation, taking a long
look into the future is prudent.
Critical to future spaceports is environmental protection.
The center occupies 140,000 acres of land and water on Merritt
Island. Just a small fraction of Kennedy's land area is utilized
for space operations. The remaining acreage is a wildlife refuge
and national seashore. Meeting space launch demands, while being
effective stewards of the precious natural environment, is an
important challenge at the center, one that is being met by effective
monitoring and protection of the area's environmental quality.
Kennedy is committed to environmental leadership, and is making
important strides in ecosystem management and modeling, environmental
remediation, and remote sensing applications.
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| Kennedy Space Center
workers rotate the International Space Stations Node 1 and Pressurized
Mating Adapter-1. |
Kennedy is playing a significant role in the scientific advancement
of bioregenerative life support systems for long duration spaceflight.
Center researchers are engaged in ground-breaking studies in
utilizing biological systems, life support systems, and microbial
ecology. New technologies in lighting, nutrient delivery, microbial
monitoring, closed chamber construction and control, gas exchange,
and crop productivity are leading to future designs for life
support systems. Production of edible crop biomass and the processing
of other biomass and waste are enabling technologies for future
human space travelers.
Kennedy is also supporting NASA's long-term evaluation of
the effects of microgravity on plant microbial systems. Kennedy's
work in this area of biological systems has already led to important
partnerships with academia and industry in advancing information
in biological systems and their management and commercial product
development.
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| The Cassini spacecraft
is lowered onto its launch vehicle adapter in Kennedy Space Center's
payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. |
Handling complex space launchers and satellites demands sharp
skills and the ability to integrate and test. This operational
knowledge and expertise at Kennedy is helping to master the creation
of "what if" software, that is, highly intelligent
computer test software that reduces the time of engineers to
configure, operate, and interpret the results of tests. Advanced
simulation techniques, including virtual reality, are evolving
to ensure the role of mission processing is as cutting-edge as
feasible.
Also supporting Kennedy's collective vision to foster the
birth of the Spaceport Technology Center is the new cryogenics
testbed, which is a partnership with industry and academia. Formed
under a reimbursable Space Act Agreement, Kennedy's extensive
knowledge regarding cryogenics can be harnessed for both space
and down-to-earth initiatives.
Kennedy has long used cryogenic liquids as launch vehicle
propellants. In the private sector, there are many applications
for such super-cold liquids. Biology and medicine use liquid
nitrogen for preservation and storage of human and animal cells
and tissues, as well as for the destruction of cancer tissue.
Hospitals use superconductive magnets cooled with liquid helium
for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Also, the food industry
uses liquid nitrogen for freezing and long-term storage. Kennedy's
know-how in cryogenics has also spurred the development of new
thermal insulation materials and methods for better overall performance
of cryogenic containers and piping systems. The center's cryogenics
testbed is viewed as an important step to promote international
excellence in cryogenic testing, training, and education.
Roy D. Bridges, Jr., Kennedy director, foresees a productive
future for America's premier spaceport. "Kennedy Space Center
is in a unique position to carry the U.S. space program into
the next century. Our work force has no equal in the launch and
payload processing business, and our ability to look to the future
and prepare for the natural evolution of missions and technology
will ensure that we are strategically positioned to respond to
those needs," Bridges says.
What that future might entail is thrilling, he adds. "While
we look forward to preparing for the on-orbit assembly and operation
of the International Space Station, we also eagerly embrace the
challenge of what lies beyond, whether it be a return human mission
to the Moon or the first crewed expedition to Mars. We'll be
ready."
| STS-80 lands at Kennedy
Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. |
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