Work to begin on SLS

NEW ORLEANS -- Construction is set to begin at Michoud Assembly Facility on the major components of NASA’s Space Launch System, which will transport astronauts to deep space. The work is expected to bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to the Michoud when construction reaches its peak, starting next year and leveling off in 2015. The rocket's core stage will be built at Michoud, and the engines that will power the vehicle will be test-fired at Stennis Space Center, Miss. In Huntsville, Ala., a technical review of the core stage, called a preliminary design review, was successfully completed at Marshall Space Flight Center Thursday. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, NASA, 12/21/12)

Orion backup chute tested

NASA completed the latest in a series of parachute tests for its Orion spacecraft Thursday at the Army Yuma Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona, a step toward a first flight test in 2014. The test verified Orion can land safely even if one of its two drogue parachutes does not open during descent. Orion, which will take humans further into space than ever before, uses five parachutes. The 21,000-pound capsule needs only two main parachutes and one drogue. The extra two provide a backup in case one of the primary parachutes fails. The next Orion parachute test is scheduled for February and will simulate a failure of one of the three main parachutes. (Source: NASA, 12/20/12) Gulf Coast note: The Orion capsules are made in New Orleans; Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests the rocket engines for the Space Launch System.

SSC deputy director named

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Jerry Cook has been selected as the deputy director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, the agency's primary testing ground for rocket engines and propulsion systems, and its systems engineering center for applied science activities. Cook served as the associate program manager of the Space Launch System (SLS) Program Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. He has served in a dual role as manager of the SLS Program Planning and Control Office. (Source: NASA/SSC, 12/20/12)

Lockheed Martin marks 100 years

BETHESDA, Md. -- Lockheed Martin is marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Lockheed Company, incorporated Dec. 19, 1912, in San Francisco, Calif. Brothers Allan and Malcolm Lockheed founded the company out of a garage, where they built their Model G seaplane. Their second plane, the F-1 Flying Boat, won the company its first military contract. In 1995, Lockheed merged with Martin Marietta, also founded in 1912 as the Glenn L. Martin Co., to form Lockheed Martin. The Martin anniversary was celebrated in August. Lockheed Martin employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. It had net sales in 2011 of $46.5 billion. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 12/19/12) The Lockheed Martin Space and Technology Center is located at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Powerpack tests concluded

J-2X powerpack test at Stennis Space Center
NASA photo

Engineers conducted the final test-firing of the J-2X powerpack assembly Thursday at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. The powerpack assembly, a system of components on top of the engine that feeds propellants to the bell nozzle of the engine to produce thrust, has burned millions of pounds of propellants during a series of 13 tests totaling more than an hour and a half in 2012. The testing team set several records for hot-firing duration at Stennis test stands during the summer. NASA engineers will remove the assembly from the test stand to focus on tests of the fully integrated engine. Installation on a test stand at Stennis will begin in 2013. The J-2X, developed by Rocketdyne, will power the upper stage of the Space Launch System that will take astronauts into deep space missions. (Source: NASA, 12/14/12)

NASA best place to work

NASA was named the best place to work in the federal government among large agencies in a survey released today by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization. This ranking, which reflects NASA's highest results since this index was developed, makes clear that the agency's work force is focused on carrying out the nation's new and ambitious space program. The rankings are based on responses from nearly 700,000 federal workers. The Best Places to Work rankings are based on data from the Office of Personnel Management's annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey conducted from April through June 2012 and additional survey data from nine agencies plus the Intelligence Community. This is the seventh edition of the Best Places to Work rankings since the first in 2003. NASA's Stennis Space Center was ranked second in the sub-agency component category. (Source: NASA, 12/13/12)

Forestry tool wins award

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The ForWarn forest monitoring and assessment tool developed by NASA Stennis Space Center's Applied Science and Technology Project Office and other federal and university partners was selected to receive a prestigious technology transfer award. The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer announced Nov. 26 that the ForWarn early warning system will receive the 2013 FLC Interagency Partnership Award. One of the organization's highest honors, the award recognizes the efforts of laboratory employees from at least two different agencies who have collaboratively accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring a technology. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with Stennis Space Center, released ForWarn earlier this year as a satellite-based monitoring and assessment tool for tracking changes in forest vegetation across the country, and providing a strategic, national overview of potential forest disturbances and environmental threats. (Source: NASA/SSC, 12/12/12) For a background story on the system, see Pages 7-8 of the April 2010 issue of Alliance Insight)

Underwater robot lost

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A battery-powered Navy vehicles was lost in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City and Biltmore Beach Thursday night. A news release from the Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss., said the command lost contact with the Remus 100 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle during a training exercise. The vehicle is black, 6 feet long and 7 inches in diameter. It was heading north when contact was lost. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 12/07/12)

DOJ objects to sale

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The objection of the Justice Department prompted United Technologies and TransDigm Group Inc. to terminate the sale of the Goodrich Corp. pump and engine control systems business to TransDigm of Cleveland. Sale of the pump and engine control systems unit is one of the divestitures required as a condition of UTC's acquisition of Goodrich. UTC intends to comply with its obligation to sell this business to a buyer acceptable to the U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/06/12) Note: Rocketdyne, a United Technologies company that is being sold to GenCorp, assembles and tests rockets at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Wave Glider crosses ocean

SYDNEY, Australia -- U.S. based Liquid Robotics, an ocean data service provider and developer of the Wave Glider, announced the first pacific crossing Wave Glider, "Papa Mau," completed its 9,000 nautical mile scientific journey across the Pacific Ocean to set a new record for the longest distance traveled by an autonomous vehicle. Throughout his journey, Papa Mau navigated along a prescribed route under autonomous control collecting and transmitting high-resolution ocean data. (Source: Liquid Robotics, 12/06/12) Note: Liquid Robotics has an office at the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

Meet and greet set

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET), in conjunction with the NASA Office of the Small Business Specialist, is hosting a Meet and Greet featuring the awardees from the Multiple Award Construction Contracts, the Architect and Engineer Services contracts, and the Facility Operating Services Contract. The event will be in the atrium of Building 1100 at Stennis on Friday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. (Source: MSET)

Test stand contract awarded

NORWALK, Conn. -- EMCOR Group Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Harry Pepper and Associates, has been awarded a task order by NASA under a previously awarded contract. The task order is for restoration of the B-2 Rocket Test Stand at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss. Harry Pepper and Associates will be responsible for all repairs and alterations necessary to restore the original functionality of the B-2 test stand. The work includes demolishing one of the major levels/decks of the test stand, reconstructing it with stainless steel structural framing and deck plate, and restoring its various areas of fixed deck by replacing the carbon steel, galvanized grating, and structural steel. (Source: Business Wire, 11/28/12)

NASA evaluating Orion cracks

NASA is evaluating options for repairing the first Orion crew capsule scheduled to fly in space after it sustained cracks during pressure testing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The test was designed to demonstrate weld strength and structural performance at maximum flight operation pressures. The damage is not expected to delay a 2014 test flight, where the capsule without a crew will be launched atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV to a distance 3,600 miles above the Earth. Orion is being developed to fly astronauts on deep space exploration missions. (Source: Florida Today, 11/28/12) The olive green aluminum alloy core of the Orion was built at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

PRCC, EPA ink agreement

POPLARVILLE, Miss. -- Pearl River Community College and the Environmental Protection Agency signed an agreement to get students involved in environmental studies. The agreement between the PRCC Honors Institute and the EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program was signed Monday. PRCC honors students will be used in projects aimed at improving the environmental quality of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Program was founded in 1988 at NASA's Stennis Space Center. It promotes programs on environmental and cultural issues associated with preserving the Gulf Coast. It has several partnerships with universities, and PRCC is the first community college to sign on. (Source: Picayune Item, 11/27/12)

FIRST LEGO League event slated

Journalists are invited to attend the 2012 Mississippi Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Tournament at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg on Dec. 1. The 2012 tournament begins the second decade of FIRST LEGO League activity in Mississippi. NASA at John C. Stennis Space Center is the primary sponsor of the annual tournament. Each year, the Stennis Office of Education provides funding and a variety of volunteers and mentors for the competition. More than 500 elementary and middle school students and as many as 50 teams from across Mississippi are scheduled to participate in the free event open to the public. (Source: NASA/SSC, 11/28/12)

J-2X test conducted

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A J-2X power pack assembly had a hot fire test Nov. 27 at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Engineers pulled the assembly from the test stand in September to install additional instrumentation in the fuel turbopump. The test, which ran for 278 seconds, verified the newly installed strain gauges designed to measure the turbine structural strain when the turbopump is spinning at high speeds that vary between 25,000 and 30,000 rotations-per-minute. The J-2X engine, built by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, Calif., will power the upper stage of NASA's Space Launch System, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The new heavy-lift rocket system will launch the Orion spacecraft and enable humans to explore new destinations beyond low Earth orbit. (Source: NASA/SSC, 11/27/12)

Test complex has busy week

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The E Test Complex at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center was busy the week of Nov. 5. Twenty seven tests were conducted over three days on three different rocket engines/components and on three E Complex test stands. These included tests on the three stands during a 24-hour period Nov. 6-7 and during a nine-hour-plus period on Nov. 8. Test managers characterized the convergence of tests as historic. (Source: Lagniappe, November issue)

SSC lab tour slated

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET) will host a tour of the NASA Laboratories Dec. 4 beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Building 8110. The tour is designed to familiarize local businesses about the services available from the labs and the mechanism by which these services can be utilized. To register, click here. (Source: MSET)

NASA selects procurement services

WASHINGTON -- NASA selected Brandan Enterprises Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn., for agencywide contract-closeout and procurement-support services, effective Feb. 1, 2013. The contract consists of an eight-month base period with three one-year option periods and one eight-month option. The potential maximum contract value for contract closeout support is about $12.5 million. The ordering provision for procurement support services has a potential maximum value of $30 million. The contract will provide services to all of NASA's acquisition offices. Closeout services covered include contracts, purchase orders, grants, cooperative agreements, interagency agreements and other agreements. The contract is managed at the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The NSSC is a partnership between NASA, business solutions provider CSC and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. The center performs selected business activities for all NASA centers. (Source: NASA, 11/21/12)

Consortium slates meeting

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The Stennis Business Consortium will hold a meeting Nov. 27, 1 to 2:30 p.m., highlighting Louisiana groups that provide resources to small businesses. The event is at the StenniSphere auditorium, Building 1200, Stennis Space Center. An annual supplier and service provider showcase is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 28 in the atrium of Building 1100. Contact Laurie Jugan at 228-688-1192. To register, click here. (Source: MSET)

SAIC gets contract

NASA awarded Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) of Mclean, Va., a modification to its integrated communications services contract at the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va.; and Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York. SAIC provides voice communication services including procurement implementation and operation of an Internet protocol telephone system. The contract is managed at the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) at Stennis Space Center, Miss. NSSC is a partnership between NASA, CSC and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. NSSC performs selected business activities for all 10 NASA centers in financial management, human resources, information technology and procurement. (Source: NASA/NSSC, 10/31/12)

Robot transmits through hurricane

Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider, an autonomous marine robot, got a front-row seat to Hurricane Sandy. The robot Mercury transmitted weather data in real time through winds up to 70 knots off the coast of New Jersey. But being in the storm was an accident. They tried to get out of the storm's way, but it was too massive. Mercury was originally functioning as part of another project to demonstrate the use and cost effectiveness of the system for advanced ocean measurement and enhanced tsunami detection. It's not the first time a Liquid Robotics system got caught in a hurricane. Back in August one of Liquid Robotics' systems in the Gulf of Mexico, G2, got caught in Hurricane Isaac. It was able to transmit water temperature, wind speeds, barometric pressure and air temperature. (Source: Liquid Robotics, 10/31/12) Note: Liquid Robotics has an office at the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

SLS update provided

NEW ORLEANS -- NASA provided businesses an update on the Space Launch System during a seminar at Michoud Assembly Facility last week. It drew about 150 people -- 90 businesses from 10 states and the District of Columbia. The core stage of the 70-ton SLS, designed to carry astronauts into deep space, will be built at Michoud by Boeing. The engines that will power two stages will be tested at Stennis Space Center, about 40 miles away in Mississippi. An unmanned test of SLS is scheduled for 2017. (Sources: New Orleans Times Picayune, 10/24/12, Baton Rouge Advocate, 10/28/12) Previous

Blue Origin tests thrust chamber

BE-3 test. NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Blue Origin successfully fired the thrust chamber assembly for its new 100,000 pound thrust BE-3 liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen rocket engine. As part of the company's Reusable Booster System, the engines are designed eventually to launch the biconic-shaped space vehicle the company is developing. The test took place early this month on the E-1 test stand. Blue Origin engineers powered the thrust chamber to its full power level. Blue Origin of Washington is one of the companies developing commercial space transportation systems. (Source: NASA, 10/15/12)

MSU center to open

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Mississippi State University will open its $9 million science and technology center Tuesday. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is the scheduled speaker. The center will be home of the Northern Gulf Institute, MSU's Geosystems Research Institute, NOAA's National Coastal Data Development Center and an engineering branch of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. The building was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Source: AP via Mississippi Press, 10/15/12)

ONR honored for STEM work

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) earned accolades as a national "pacesetter" during an Oct. 8 ceremony for its efforts to promote education in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. ONR's executive director, Dr. Walter F. Jones, accepted the ASM Materials Education Foundation's 2012 Pacesetter Award at a leadership luncheon at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. The recognition highlights the Navy's efforts to address a critical shortage in the science and engineering workforce. Among its efforts to boost STEM education, ONR has funded a series of summer camps along the Gulf Coast to train middle and high school teachers in physics and materials science, electronic engineering, chemistry and polymer science. The Naval Research Laboratory detachment at Stennis Space Center, Miss., worked with the foundation to organize the program, which could expand to other parts of the country as the Navy seeks to double its STEM investments by fiscal year 2015. (Source: NNS, 10/09/12)

SLS industry day set

NEW ORLEANS -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will host a Space Launch System Industry Day at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Oct. 24. The event will begin with registration at 7:00 a.m., and adjourn at 2:00 p.m. to be followed by a tour of MAF. For those interested, there will be another tour of the Stennis Space Center, Miss., some 30 miles away, on the morning of Oct. 25. Those in attendance will be provided SLS Program updates, and will be afforded an opportunity to network with SLS prime contractors, NASA and Huntsville, Ala.'s, MSFC procurement and technical personnel, and representatives from federal and state organizations throughout the day. To register, click here. (Source: Space Ref, 10/09/12)

Beasley designated CEcD

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The president and CEO of Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, Charlie Beasley, has earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). The national recognition denotes a mastery of principal skills in economic development, professional attainment and a commitment to personal and professional growth. With nearly 15 years of economic development experience, Beasley has spent the past four years in his current position at MSET facilitating regional economic development efforts by leveraging the resources of Stennis Space Center to foster business opportunities among public and private entities. The CEcD exam was administered by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) on Sept. 29 and 30 in Houston.(Source: MSET, 10/05/12)

Scheuermann leaving SSC

Patrick Scheuermann, director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss., since 2010, is moving to Huntsville, Ala., to become director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. He'll be replaced at SSC by Richard J. Gilbrech, currently deputy director and a former director of SSC. At Marshall Scheuermann will replace Robin Henderson, who filled the position in Huntsville temporarily when Gene Goldman retired Aug. 3. The changes were announced Tuesday by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. (Source: NASA, 09/25/12)

NASA picks 26 proposals

NASA has selected 26 proposals from academia and industry for advanced development activities for the nation's next heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). Proposals from universities in the four-state Aerospace Alliance region were among the programs selected. They are Auburn University, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University and the University of Florida. Proposals selected under this NASA Research Announcement seek innovative and affordable solutions to evolve the launch vehicle from its initial configuration to its full lift capacity capable of sending humans farther into deep space than ever before. NASA sought proposals in a variety of areas, including concept development, trades and analyses, propulsion, structures, materials, manufacturing, avionics and software. (Source: NASA, 09/21/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., will be testing the engines for the SLS; Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, is fabricating Orion crew capsules and will be building the core stage for the SLS.

Contract mod awarded for NSSC

NASA has exercised the third option year under its existing contract with Computer Sciences Corporation of Falls Church, Va. This is a one-year option period for the continuation of financial management, human resources, procurement and information technology support services to NASA. The option increases the existing NASA Shared Services Center support contract by more than $45 million and provides services through Sept. 30, 2013. The NSSC is a partnership among NASA, CSC, and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. The center performs selected business activities for all 10 NASA centers. (Source: NASA/NSSC, 09/20/12)

SSC boat startles residents

MARY ESTHER, Fla. -- Unidentified boats that worried some residents along the Santa Rosa Sound in Northwest Florida were part of a training exercise from a Navy team based at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The gunfire they heard? Blanks. The exercise was part of a training course run by the Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS). Students were learning how to operate patrol craft for counterterrorism and counternarcotics operations. Authorities received calls about loud booms and gunshots Tuesday night. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 09/20/12)

Crowd watches flyover

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, riding piggyback on a 747, flew low over Stennis Space Center, Miss., today just before 8:30 a.m. CDT on its final ferry flight. More than 1,000 center employees and visitors were outside to watch. Endeavour left Florida early this morning. (Source: Sun Herald, 09/19/12) The pair then moved on to Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where others watched as the youngest shuttle of the fleet passed overhead. Endeavour is heading for Los Angeles where it will spend its retirement years. (Source: Times-Picayune, 09/19/12)

Jacobs gets contract option year

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a third option year for its Facility Operations Service Contract at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. The option year award term is valued at $51.8 million. It is the third of seven award term periods following the three-year base period of the contract. Jacobs supports NASA and SSC missions in the areas of administration, facility engineering, food, mail, fire protection, custodial, multimedia, public affairs and education. In addition, Jacobs provides facility maintenance and operations; safety, quality and environmental assurance; medical and occupational health; and logistics and transportation services. (Source: Business Wire, 09/18/12)

Endeavour flight delayed again

The ferry flight of space shuttle Endeavour atop the 747 is rescheduled for Wednesday due to an unfavorable weather forecast along the flight path. Endeavour now is expected to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, Sept. 21. The pair will still make low level flyovers at about 1,500 feet over Stennis Space Center, Miss., Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and other locations along the way. The flight was originally planned for Monday. (Source: NASA, 09/17/12) Previous

Endeavour flight delayed a day

NASA's planned ferry flight of space shuttle Endeavour atop the 747 has been pushed back a day due to an unfavorable weather forecast. The decision was made Sunday to push back the departure from Monday to Tuesday. The pair will still make low level flyovers at about 1,500 feet over Stennis Space Center, Miss., Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and other locations along the route to Los Angeles. Endeavour completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. (Source: NASA, 09/16/12) Previous

SLS marks first year

NASA's Space Launch System, designed to bring astronauts further into space than ever before, has marked its first year of progress. The heavy-lift program was announced Sept. 14, 2011. It borrowed pieces from the canceled Constellation program and other proven NASA systems. Along the Gulf Coast, both Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are involved. SSC has run a series of tests on the J-2X that will power the upper stage, and will also test the RS-25s that will power the first stage. Michoud has been building Orion crew vehicles, and will also build the core stage. (Source: NASA/MSFC, 09/12/12)

More construction contracts picked

NASA has selected four more companies for indefinite-delivery, indefinite- quantity multiple-award construction contracts at the agency’s Stennis Space Center. These are in addition to six companies selected in August. The fixed price contracts consist of a performance period of five years, with a total value not to exceed $700 million. The companies selected are: American Contractor & Technology, Inc., Scott, La.; D.N.P. Inc., Biloxi, Miss.; Healtheon Inc., New Orleans, La.; and Southeast Cherokee Construction Inc., Montgomery, Ala. Work under the contract includes building and facility maintenance, repair and alteration; mechanical, civil and electrical engineering; heating and air conditioning maintenance; demolition; painting; earthwork; fencing; steel fabrication and welding. Additional work also may include design-and-build projects for new construction of buildings or facilities. (Source: NASA, 09/13/12) Previous

Lockheed marks 10 at SSC

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Lockheed Martin Mississippi Space & Technology Center on Wednesday marked its 10th anniversary at the NASA facility. Site director Dave Hartley said the center has delivered four satellite propulsion systems this year and has six more in production. The propulsion systems are for the popular A2100 satellites and maneuver the craft in space. Dennis Little, vice president at Lockheed Martin headquarters in Bethesda, Md., said future projects include propulsion systems for the next generation of GPS and weather satellites and the Orion crew vehicle. (Source: Sun Herald, WLOX-TV, 09/12/12)

Shuttle's 'ride' arrives

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The modified Boeing 747 that will haul the space shuttle Endeavour piggyback-style to Los Angeles next week arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday to pick up its passenger. Endeavour is in the Vehicle Assembly Building and will be towed to the landing strip Friday morning. A lifting structure will hoist it so the 747 can pull underneath. It will take off Monday morning for its trip to California, which will include several stops as well as low fly-bys at multiple locations, including Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. Infinity Science Center, just outside Stennis Space Center, is opening at 8 a.m. and is offering a bus tour to the space center to view the event between 9 and 9:30 a.m. The cost is $5. (Source: Spaceflight Now, Infinity Science Center, 09/11/12) Previous

Endeavour's final ferry flight set

Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's modified 747, will make its final ferry flight when it leaves Sept. 17 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for a flight to Los Angeles International Airport. Plans are for low-level fly-overs at multiple locations, including Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. SSC is where all the shuttle main engines were tested and Michoud is where all the external tanks were built. The 747 will fly at about 1,500 feet at each location, depending upon conditions. Stops are also scheduled in Houston, El Paso and Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., before it's final touchdown at Los Angeles. (Source: NASA, 09/07/12)

Blankets to shield RS-25s

The heat shield around the Space Launch System RS-25 engines will be flexible blankets rather than the type used in the Space Shuttle Program. The lighter blankets are similar to the ones used on other vehicles and on the aft skirt of the Solid Rocket Boosters. The new blanket design will save about 700 pounds and will be easier to produce, assemble and install. The design change will debut during the "green run" test firings at NASA's Stennis Space Center. (Source: NASA Spaceflight, 09/03/12)

Orion chute tested again

NASA this week completed another test of the Orion spacecraft parachutes at the Yuma Army Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona. The test was to examine the maximum pressure that Orion's parachutes might face when returning to Earth. A C-130 dropped a dart-shaped test vehicle with a simulated Orion parachute compartment from 25,000 feet. Orion will be launched in 2017 by NASA's Space Launch System. (Source: NASA, 08/29/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., will test the engines for SLS; Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans is building the Orion and will build the core stage of SLS.

SSC remains closed

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi will remain closed through Thursday, Aug. 30 due to Hurricane Isaac. The center is currently planned to reopen Friday, Aug. 31, for normal business operations. Employees should call 228-688-3777 for updates on center status. (Source: NASA/SSC, 08/29/12)

SSC to close for Isaac

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi will close after normal business hours Monday due to the approach of Tropical Storm Isaac. The center plans to reopen Thursday for normal business operations. Employees should call 228-688-3777 for recorded updates. Naval personnel at SSC should contact the Navy Stennis Emergency Information number at 866-996-0382 or 808-684-5478. (Source: NASA/SSC, 08/27/12)

A legend dies

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died Saturday. He was 82. He died from complications after recent cardiac bypass surgery. Armstrong, a frequent visitor to this region of the country, was on the three-man Apollo 11 mission that was launched atop a Saturn V rocket in 1969. (Sources: multiple, 08/25/12)

NSSC employees awarded

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Two NASA Shared Services Center employees from CSC were recently selected to receive the 2012 Solutions Development Division - Level, North American Public Sector President's Award, in the Leadership and Program-Project Management categories. Scott Taylor, functional manager for the NSSC's Human Resources Division, was selected as one of two winners in the Leadership category. Lori (Dyle) Hatten, transformation and continuous improvement lead, was selected as the winner in the Program-Project Management category. (Source: NASA/NSSC, 08/24/12)

NASA exercies third FOSC option

NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., has exercised award term Period 3 of its Facility Operating Services Contract with Jacobs Technology of Tullahoma, Tenn. The FOSC provides a range of services to support NASA missions and more than 30 resident agencies. This cost-plus-incentive fee award term is valued at $51.8 million and is the third of seven award term periods following the three-year base period. Services provided include administration, facility engineering, food, mail, fire protection, custodial, multimedia, public affairs and education. It also covers facility maintenance and operations; safety, quality and environmental assurance; medical and occupational health; and logistics and transportation. (Source: NASA/SSC, 08/24/12)

Engineers testing SLS

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Marshall Space Flight Center engineers and engineers at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., are using wind tunnel tests to enhance NASA's Space Launch System. That's the heavy lift launch vehicle that will take astronauts into deep space aboard the Orion spacecraft. Engineers at MSFC's Trisonic Wind Tunnel have spent the past four months putting scale SLS models through more than 900 tests of different crew and cargo configurations. (Source: Science Daily, 08/23/12) The SLS engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans builds the Orion and will build the core stage of SLS.

Architects, engineers picked

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA has selected S&B Infrastructure Ltd. of Houston and CDM-CH2M Hill JV of Fairfax, Va., to provide architect and engineer services under indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contracts at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The awarded contracts will have a five-year ordering period from the date of award, with the total amount of all task orders under all contracts awarded not to exceed $45 million. (Source: NASA/SSC, 08/15/12)

Morpheus crashes in test

A small NASA lander being tested for missions to the moon and other destinations beyond Earth crashed and burned after veering off course during a trial run at the Kennedy Space Center last week. There were no injuries after the prototype, known as Morpheus, burst into flames near the runway formerly used by NASA's space shuttles. Designed and built by engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, it made several flights attached to a crane before Thursday's attempted free-flight. The engines appeared to ignite as planned, but a few seconds later Morpheus rolled over on its side and plummeted to the ground. (Source: Reuters, 08/10/12) The engine that powers the lander was tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Relocation services contract awarded

NASA selected Franconia Real Estate Services of Woodbridge, Va., for agency-wide employee relocation services effective Oct. 1. The firm-fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement with delivery/task orders includes a one-year base period with four, one-year options, with a maximum value of about $35 million. The contractor also will provide home marketing assistance, counseling, destination area services and property management for NASA employees who are relocating. Relocation services are available at all NASA centers and associated facilities. The contract will be managed by the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NASA, 08/09/12)

NSSC honors employees

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) held its sixth annual Honor Awards ceremony at the Stennis Space Center auditorium Wednesday, honoring employees for exceptional performance. NSSC Executive Director Michael Smith and Goddard Space Flight Center Director Christopher Scolese presented seven individual medals, four group achievement awards and seven certificates of achievement. (Source: NASA/NSSC, 08/08/12)

Command gets new leader

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Rear Adm. Brian Brown is the new leader of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at NASA's Stennis Space Center. He relieved Rear Adm. Jonathan White in a change of command ceremony Friday. Brown most recently served as deputy oceanography of the Navy in Washington, but before that was executive officer of the Naval Oceanographic Office at SSC. White is moving to Washington to become oceanographer of the Navy. The command's mission is to monitor weather and ocean conditions worldwide. (Source: WLOX-TV, Sun Herald, 08/03/12)

SSC construction contracts chosen

NASA selected six indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity multiple award construction contracts at the agency's Stennis Space Center, Miss. The fixed price contracts consist of a performance period of five years, with a total value not to exceed $700 million. Companies selected are: Advon Corp., Tallahassee, Fla.; Birmingham Industrial Construction LLC, Birmingham, Ala.; Harry Pepper & Associates Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.; McClain Contracting Co. Inc., Andalusia, Ala.; MOWA Development LLC, Gautier, Miss.; and Sauer Inc., Jacksonville, Fla. Work under the contract may include but will not be limited to maintenance, repair, alteration, mechanical, civil, electrical, heating/air conditioning, demolition, painting, earthwork, fencing, steel fabrication and or welding. Additional work also may include but will not be limited to design/build projects, as well as new construction of buildings or facilities. (Source: NASA, 08/03/12)

Boeing, SpaceX, Sierra Nevada win

NASA will provide $1.1 billion in contracts to Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada to develop spacecraft to ferry crews to and from the International Space Station. Boeing gets $460 million, SpaceX gets $440 million and Sierra Nevada will receive $212 million. The announcement was made Friday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The awards are part of NASA's Commercial Crew Development program, a potentially multibillion-dollar job of ferrying astronauts. While NASA works with industry partners to develop commercial spaceflight capabilities to low Earth orbit, it's also is developing the Orion crew vehicle and the Space Launch System for deep space exploration. (Sources: NASA, Los Angeles Times, Boeing, SpaceX via PRNewswire, Sierra Nevada via PRNewswire, 08/03/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests rocket engines for NASA and commercial companies; Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans builds Orion and will build the core stage of the SLS.

Fuel farm gets USDA grant, loan

A $300,000 grant and $740,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used by the Hancock County (Miss.) Development Commission to buy an industrial site and build a fuel farm for a jet engine test facility, which Rolls Royce will lease at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The USDA program is designed to support job creation and strengthen economic growth in rural counties. Projects in 12 states are receiving money through Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program, which provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which, in turn, provide funds to local businesses for projects to create and retain employment in rural areas. (Source: USDA, 08/02/12)

NCAM partnership renewed

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA and Louisiana leaders Thursday committed to a five-year extension of the partnership in the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, which supports aerospace manufacturing research, development and innovation for the space agency. NCAM was formed in 1999 and includes NASA, NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, the state of Louisiana and the University of New Orleans. This new agreement expands the partnership to include Louisiana State University, which has engineering and research capabilities that can assist NCAM in fulfilling the nation's aerospace technology needs. (Source: NASA via PRNewswire, 08/02/12)

SBC meeting slated

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The next quarterly meeting of the Stennis Business Consortium is Aug. 23 in the auditorium of Building 1200 at 1 p.m. Dan Pierre, vice president and general manager of Jacobs FOSC will provide an overview of the work performed at Stennis, the company's small business goals and ways to do business with Jacobs. Clay Williams, executive director of the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, will provide an update on developments and new opportunities at the airport. Updates will also be provided by the Center of Higher Learning, Ingall's Shipbuilding, NASA-Stennis, New Horizons, and White-Spunner Construction. SBC provides a mechanism for federal agencies, local institutions, and businesses to exchange information on small business goals, needed and emerging technologies, upcoming procurement requirements and opportunities, and issues dealing with existing procurement regulations. (Source: FedBizOpps, 07/31/12)

Oceans in Action workshop nears

BILOXI, Miss. -- The Marine Technology Society's TechSurge Oceans in Action Workshop is scheduled for Aug. 13 and 14 at the IP Casino Resort in Biloxi. Events on the 13th include exhibit set-up, patron check-in and a reception. The next day featured speakers will detail major technologies developed or implemented since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. There also will be exhibits from agencies and companies involved in marine science and technology projects. To register, click here. Also on the 14th, the Stennis Space Center's Mississippi Enterprise for Technology will host one-on-one business matchmaking sessions. The deadline to schedule meetings is Aug. 6. For a list of participating agencies and to register, click here. (Source: Tcp, 08/01/12)

NASA official meets 4-H students

Melvin speaks to 4-H student at SSC Monday
NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Local 4-H students had a chance to grow their imagination and potential at NASA's Stennis Space Center when NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin visited them today. About 80 students in grades 4 through 9 from several south Mississippi counties participated in the event. Their visit to SSC capped their clubs' involvement in NASA's Summer of Innovation project, which provides hands-on learning opportunities through NASA-unique science, technology, engineering and mathematics educational activities during the summer school break. (Source: NASA, 07/30/12)

Saturn V engines eyed for rocket

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Could the engines that powered Saturn V be used again for new NASA heavy-lift rocket? Dynetics Inc. of Huntsville thinks modified F-1 engines may be just right. It's negotiating a contract with NASA that could lead to construction of the biggest piece of rocket hardware in Huntsville since the Apollo program. NASA will use solid rocket boosters for the first flights of the 70-metric-ton Space Launch System. But it's letting industry compete over which boosters will be used on the 130-metric-ton version. Dynetics is teaming with Rocketdyne, which has three modified F-1 turbopumps in storage. Should the project go all the way through to engine manufacturing and testing, they will be tested at the Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: Huntsville Times, 07/29/12) Rocketdyne has an operation at SSC. Related: Historic engines to be recovered?

SSC tests lander engine

Morpheus lander engine tested at SSC
NASA/JSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA engineers recently conducted tests on a liquid methane, liquid oxygen engine used to power the Project Morpheus lander, which could one day carry cargo to the moon, asteroids or Mars. The tests on SSC's E-3 Test Stand over several days marked the first time the Morpheus engine has been tested on its own. Previous tests were done with the engine installed on the lander. Morpheus could carry a variety of payloads, including robots, small rovers and labs, to the moon or other celestial bodies. Morpheus, a NASA-designed vehicle, is one of 20 small projects comprising NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program. Morpheus is a full spacecraft with all the associated subsystems. The lander has been undergoing tether tests at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it was built. Free flight testing is scheduled this year at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. (Source: NASA, 07/26/12)

Contract: SAIC, $45.8M

Science Applications International Corp., Virginia Beach, Va., is being awarded a $45,760,304 firm-fixed-price contract for integrated training support and execution by U.S. Fleet Forces Command, associated fleet commands and activities conducting fleet training. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Va. (53 percent); Norfolk, Va. (25 percent); San Diego, Calif. (9 percent); Fallon, Nev. (5 percent); Mayport, Fla. (3 percent); Suffolk, Va. (1 percent); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1 percent); Stennis Space Center, Miss. (1 percent); Everett, Wash. (1 percent); and Yokosuka, Japan (1 percent). Work will be completed by July 2013. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the contracting activity (Source: DoD, 07/26/12)

SLS passes major review

NASA illustration

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Space Launch System, which will launch humans farther into space than ever before, passed a major NASA review Wednesday with completion of a combined System Requirements Review and System Definition Review. SLS now moves ahead to its preliminary design phase. The SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads, and provide a new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the SLS program. The RS-25 core stage and J-2X upper-stage rocket engine in development by Rocketdyne for the two-stage SLS will be tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. Testing has already begun on the J-2X. The Boeing Co. in Huntsville is designing the SLS core stage, to be built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and tested at Stennis Space Center before being shipped to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. (Sources: NASA, PRNewswire, 07/25/12) Previous

J-2X powerpack sets new mark

J-2X powerpack test at SSC
NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A J-2X powerpack was test fired Tuesday for 1,350 seconds on the A-1 test stand, surpassing the 1,150-second firing of June 8. The powerpack sits atop the J-2X engine and feeds the thrust chamber, which produces the engine fire and thrust. The advantage of testing the powerpack without the thrust chamber is to operate over a wide range of conditions to understand safe limits. The test Tuesday gathered data on performance of the liquid oxygen and fuel pumps during extreme conditions. The Rocketdyne J-2X engine will power the upper-stage of a planned two-stage Space Launch System, which will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads for missions beyond low Earth orbit. (Source: NASA, 07/24/12) Previous: J-2X goes the distance; Powerpack test sets record

ONR issues call to innovators

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Office of Naval Research opened online registration for its biennial Naval Science and Technology Partnership Conference Oct. 22-24 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington. Some 1,500 members of ONR's science and technology provider network, as well as Navy and Marine Corps customers, are expected. The conference is to raise awareness of the naval S&T strategy and program initiatives and to broaden ONR's partnership base to explore new ideas. ONR will reintroduce "Pitch a Principal," which allows members of industry and academia to request one-on-one meetings with ONR decision makers to pitch proposals. Those interested in participating can submit a request through the conference website. To register for the event, click here. (Source: NNS, 07/24/12) The Office of Naval Research's Naval Research Laboratory has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Rocketdyne being sold to GenCorp.

United Technologies has agreed to sell Rocketdyne, currently part of Pratt and Whitney, to aerospace manufacturer GenCorp Inc. for $550 million. Rocketdyne, based in Canoga Park, Calif., and the world's largest maker of liquid-fueled rocket propulsion systems, will nearly double GenCorp's size. GenCorp also ownes Aerojet, which produces solid-fuel rocket motors. Rocketdyne is one of three units UT put on the block in an effort to fund the manufacturer's $16.5 billion takeover of Goodrich Corp. of Charlotte, N.C. (Sources: PRNewswire, Reuters, 07/23/12) Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss., that assembles and tests rocket engines. Aerojet engines are tested at SSC.

RR flying test bed in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. -- A Rolls-Royce Boeing 747 "flying test bed" is at Tucson International Airport as part of a project with Raytheon Technical Services to test the Trent 1000. Raytheon won a contract with Rolls-Royce to provide site test and maintenance operations services for the flying test bed. The Rolls-Royce engine is designed for the Boeing 787. (Source: Arizona Daily Star, 07/17/12) Rolls-Royce tests jetliner engines at its outdoor test stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Raytheon Technical Services has an operation at SSC.

On-orbit test of MUOS completed

Feb. 24, 2012 launch of MUOS
United Launch Alliance photo

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Lockheed Martin completed on-orbit testing of the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite, paving the way for the U.S. Navy's multi-service operational test and evaluation phase in preparation for the start of operations in August 2012. MUOS-1 was launched Feb. 24, 2012 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. A narrowband tactical satellite communications system, MUOS will provide communications, including simultaneous voice, video and data. (Source: PRNewswire, 07/17/12) Note: Work on the propulsion system for the MUOS, an A2100 satellite-based spacecraft, is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

Contract inked for underwater device

NORTH FALMOUTH, Mass. -- Teledyne Benthos recently signed a five-year contract with the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office for deep-sea equipment to collect underwater data. The value is $6 million. The company had a similar contract with the Navy that expired last year. The products covered by the contract include technology that allows devices anchored to the ocean floor to be released remotely via acoustics for retrieval. The devices, often used to monitor data such as ocean currents, can often be deep under water for a year at a time. This remote system eliminates the need to use a vessel or submersible to retrieve the device. (Source: Cape Cod Times, 06/14/12)

Cochran: Rehabilitate test stand

Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., said he supports NASA's proposal to rehabilitate and reuse the B-2 rocket test stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss. NASA proposes spending $12 million to initiate the project that would support NASA's Space Launch System program, designed to send astronauts into deep space. NASA is expected to make significant investments in the B-2 test stand, an estimated $168 million through 2014, to prepare it for core stage testing. Cochran said the decision to reuse the B-2 test stand followed an SLS program evaluation of the costs and benefits of options for required testing of SLS engines. (Source: Sen. Thad Cochran, 07/13/12)

J-2X goes the distance

J-2X has 550-second test. NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA engineers conducted a 550-second test of the J-2X rocket engine at the A-2 Test Stand, the latest in a series of firings to gather data for engine development. This was the first flight-duration test of the engine's nozzle extension, a bell shaped device to increase engine performance. Operators collected data about the extension's performance in conditions that simulated heights up to 50,000 feet. Additionally, operators introduced different propellant pressures at startup. The Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X engine will power the upper-stage of a planned two-stage Space Launch System, which will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads. (Source: NASA/SSC, 07/13/12)

Crew capsule design review done

SpaceX has completed a design review of the crewed version of the Dragon spacecraft that in May successfully docked with the International Space Station. The concept baseline review presented NASA with the primary and secondary design elements of the Dragon capsule that will carry astronauts into low Earth orbit, including the ISS. SpaceX is one of several companies working to develop crew transportation capabilities under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. While NASA works with private companies, the agency is developing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System for deep space missions. (Source: NASA, 07/12/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests rocket engines for NASA's SLS program, as well as engines for commercial companies; Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans builds the Orion crew vehicle and will build the core of the SLS.

More orders for Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce won a $630 million contract with Brazil-based Synergy Aerospace to provide Trent 700 engines and long-term engine service support for nine Airbus A330s. Of the nine aircraft, six will be passenger jets and three freighters. More than 1,400 Trent 700 engines are now in service or on firm order. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 07/12/12) Rolls-Royce tests airliner engines at its outdoor facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. It's currently constructing a second facility at SSC. Previous

SELEX Galileo gets AGS contract

SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica company, has been awarded a contract worth $171 million by Northrop Grumman for NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance program, which uses a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Thirteen NATO countries are participating in the program: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States. SELEX Galileo will be responsible for the fixed mission operational support and transportable general ground station components of the AGS system's ground-based element, and contribute to the telecommunications suite. (Source: defpro, 07/11/12) SELEX Galileo has an operation in Kiln, Miss., near NASA's Stennis Space Center; Northrop Grumman builds the Global Hawk center fuselage in Moss Point, Miss.

Rolls-Royce wins orders

Trent 700. Rolls-Royce photo

Rolls-Royce was selected by Cathay Pacific Airways to provide Trent XWB engines for 10 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, subject to the approval of the Cathay board. The airline also will convert 16 orders for Airbus A350-900 aircraft to A350-1000s. All 26 aircraft will be powered by the higher-thrust version of the Trent XWB engine. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 07/10/12) Rolls-Royce also won an order worth $280 million at list prices from Avianca for Trent 700 engines to power four Airbus A330 freighter aircraft, (Source: Rolls-Royce, 07/11/12), and an order from Garuda Indonesia Airlines for Trent 700 engines to power 11 Airbus A330 aircraft. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 07/12/12) Rolls-Royce tests airliner engines at its outdoor facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center. It's currently constructing a second facility at SSC.

Goldman leaving NASA for Aerojet

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Acting Marshall Space Flight Center Director Gene Goldman said Monday that he is retiring from the space agency in August to lead Aerojet's southeast regional operations. Taking over at MSFC will be current Marshall Associate Director Robin Henderson. Aerojet and Teledyne Brown Engineering will build a new rocket engine in Huntsville that will be marketed to NASA and the Air Force. Goldman is the former director of Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Sources: Huntsville Times, SpaceRef, Globe Newswire, 07/09/12) Note: Aerojet tests its AJ-26 engine at SSC.

Research gets NASA funding

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- A University of Southern Mississippi marine science professor is launching a year-long project to determine if life is possible on Mars. Scott Milroy will attempt to grow blue-green algae, cyanobacteria, in incubation chambers at Stennis Space Center, Miss., that mimic Mars' surface conditions. The experiment is one of five university projects nationwide that NASA is funding to provide science and engineering opportunities to university students. Experiments in two of the projects will eventually be flown on the International Space Station. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 07/07/12)

SSC highlighted in book

NASA's Stennis Space Center and the space activities in this region is highlighted in a chapter of the second annual "Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2012-2013." The chapter includes information on SSC and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, as well as space activities at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The book, published early last month, focuses on the considerable aerospace activities in the region between New Orleans and Northwest Florida. The book was updated this week to include details on the major announcement that Airbus will built an A320 assembly line in Mobile, Ala., which promises to be a watershed event for the Gulf Coast aerospace region. The book is available as a free PDF or in print at cost. (Source: Gulf Coast Reporters' League, 07/05/12)

PW welcomes Airbus plant

Among those congratulating Airbus for its decision to build an assembly line for A320s in Mobile, Ala., was Pratt & Whitney. The company, part of United Technologies, provides engines for the A320 family of aircraft: the PW1100G-JM and the V2500 engine made by the International Aero Engines collaboration. "Airbus' decision to open a new production facility and create high-tech jobs here in the United States is a very positive sign for the entire aerospace industry," said UTC Chairman and Chief Executive, Louis Chênevert. Pratt & Whitney President David Hess said his company "looks forward to building on our longstanding partnership with Airbus and powering many of the aircraft being assembled in Mobile." (Source: Pratt and Whitney, 07/02/12) In a related matter, Rolls-Royce late last month completed the restructuring of its participation in International Aero Engines Collaboration. The company sold its equity to Pratt & Whitney, though Rolls-Royce continues to manufacture high-pressure compressors, fan blades and discs as well as the provision of engineering support and final assembly of 50 per cent of V2500 engines. Other IAE shareholders are Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corp., and MTU Aero Engines GmbH. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 06/29/12) UT's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne assembles and tests rocket engines at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

MAF-built Orion at KSC

Lockheed Martin photo

The first space-bound Orion spacecraft crew module has been delivered to the Operations and Checkout Building on NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The crew module structure recently underwent its final friction stir weld at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, and was transported to KSC to be readied for its Exploration Flight Test in 2014. Over the next year and a half the crew module will undergo final assembly, integration and testing at KSC in preparation for the Exploration Flight Test. Additional subsystems will be installed, including propulsion, thermal protection, environmental control, avionics, power, mechanisms, and landing and recovery systems. The EFT-1 flight will be NASA’s first orbital flight test beyond low Earth orbit since the 1960s. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 07/02/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests the rocket engines that will be used in the Space Launch System that will launch future Orion flights.

NAVSCIATTS gets new leader

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS) held a change of command ceremony June 22. Cmdr. John C. Cowan relieved Cmdr. Bill Mahoney, who is retiring after nearly four years at the schoolhouse. Operating under the Special Operations Command, NAVSCIATTS trains international military students on small craft, operations, communications, weapons, maintenance, instructor development, as well as offering a strategic level course of instruction for mid-to-senior level officers from small maritime units. More than 9,000 students from 89 partner nations have graduated since 1963. (Source: NNS, 06/23/12)

Engineer gets NASA award

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The NASA Environmental Management Division presented a 2012 Blue Marble Award for environmental excellence to Stennis Space Center engineer Bryon Maynard today. NASA Environmental Management Director James Leatherwood presented the NASA Environmental Quality Award to Maynard in recognition of his role in converting a 107,000-gallon liquid hydrogen sphere and two other tanks into offshore artificial reefs. Maynard's effort turned the tanks' scheduled demolition into a recycling project that helped to rebuild Mississippi Gulf Coast fish habitats disrupted and destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. (Source: NASA, 06/28/12)

Airbus coming to Mobile

A news conference will be held Monday in Mobile, Ala., to announce that European aircraft maker Airbus will build an assembly plant for A320neo aircraft in Alabama’s port city. Published reports say the plan calls for an investment of several hundred million dollars to assemble dozens of 150-seat jets each year at Brookley Aeroplex. Airbus president Fabrice Bregier is scheduled to announce the project at a 10 a.m. news conference at the Mobile Convention Center. (Sources: New York Times, Bloomberg via Seattle Times, Mobile Press-Register, 06/27/12) The decision greatly expands an aerospace region that stretches from New Orleans to Northwest Florida. "The entire northern gulf region will benefit from this development, including the Stennis Space Center (Miss.) and New Orleans region," said Charles Beasley, president and CEO of the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. Airbus parent EADS had planned to build a plant at Brookley to assemble tankers for the Air Force, but Boeing won the contract in February 2011 and is building the planes in Washington state. Mobile officials continued to maintain a close relationship EADS/Airbus after the tanker loss. Mobile is also the home of an Airbus Engineering Center and military aircraft maintenance facility.

The next Austin?

The two-year-old Gulf Coast Patent Association held its summer meeting at Pensacola Beach, Fla., on Friday to explore "the economic development wheel." The meeting attracted about 30 participants from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, including patent attorneys, technology transfer professionals, angel investors and others who discussed bringing innovations to the marketplace. At least one patent attorney said he thinks there's a big future for the Gulf Coast region, pointing out how Austin, Texas, changed over the years into a booming technology center. He and others think the same thing can happen in this region. The Gulf Coast has reseaerch and development activities in a host of fields, including aerospace, marine science, advanced materials and more. The Patent Association was launched at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and has expanded to draw in members from across the Gulf Coast region. (Source: GCAC, 06/23/12) There were several participants at the meeting representing the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology.

SLS core passes review

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The core stage of the Space Launch System has passed a major technical review. The core of the heavy-lift launch vehicle will be more than 200 feet tall. Engineers from NASA and Boeing of Huntsville presented a full set of system requirements, design concepts and production approaches to technical reviewers and the independent review board. The core is being designed and developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and built at the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans. (Source: PRNewswire, 06/21/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., is testing engines for the Space Launch System.

Michoud team recognized

NEW ORLEANS -- NASA's Orion Program hosted an employee recognition event for the Michoud Assembly Facility Orion team members to coincide with a milestone. The NASA team has been putting the finishing touches on the first space-bound Orion capsule. They completed the Orion pathfinder weld, essentially a practice operation, in preparation for the final weld. Then the team will do final inspections before preparing the capsule for its move to Florida's Kennedy Space Center at the end of June for final assembly and checkout. NASA's unmanned Exploration Flight Test-1 is scheduled for 2014. The first Orion spacecraft will be launched atop a Delta IV rocket operated by United Launch Alliance. The mission will take Orion to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles, more than 15 times farther away from Earth than the International Space Station. (Source: NASA, 06/20/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests the engines that will be used in the Space Launch System, the rocket that will be used for future Orion missions.

FAA, NASA agree on standards

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration and NASA signed an agreement to coordinate standards for commercial space travel of government and non-government astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station. The agencies will collaborate to provide a stable framework for the U.S. space industry, avoid conflicting requirements and multiple sets of standards, and advance both public and crew safety. (Source: NASA, 06/18/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests rocket engines for commercial space flight companies.

RR breaks ground on test facility

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Rolls-Royce today broke ground on a new $50 million jet engine test facility at the company’s outdoor testing site at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. When fully operational, the facility is expected to create 35 highly-skilled jobs. The Mississippi Development Authority is helping to support construction and workforce training with additional support from Hancock County. It's the company's second outdoor jet engine test facility to be built-from-the-ground-up in the U.S., and will be used to conduct research, development, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic and endurance tests on all Rolls-Royce civil aerospace engines. The outdoor test facility opened in October 2007 and is one of only three of its kind in the world. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 06/18/12)

Powerpack test sets record

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center broke its own record Friday when it conducted a test on the new J-2X powerpack that lasted for 1,150 seconds, surpassing the previous record by more than a minute. For NASA the test marked a milestone step in development of a next-generation rocket engine to carry humans deeper into space than ever before. For SSC, the 19-minute, 10-second test represented the longest duration firing ever conducted in the center's A Test Complex. The powerpack is on the top of the J-2X engine and includes the gas generator, oxygen, fuel turbopumps and related ducts and valves. (Source: SSC/NASA, 06/08/12) Previous

Infinity crowd watches Venus transit

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Skywatchers gathered at Infinity Science Center Tuesday for an astronomical event that won't be seen again for 105 years. They took turns looking through two solar telescopes to see the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. The last time the celestial phenomena was visible from Earth was in 2004, but it will not be visible again until 2117. NASA's Infinity is south of Stennis Space Center along Interstate 10. (Source: Sun Herald, 06/05/12)

More muscle for SSC supercomputer

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- One of the Defense Department's most powerful supercomputer centers will more than triple its computing power this summer when it adds three new supercomputers. The more powerful Navy Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center will be operational in the fall, and will put South Mississippi’s supercomputing capabilities back in the world's top 100, according to the deputy/technical director of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. The Navy DSRC is one of five DoD supercomputer centers that Navy, Army and Air Force scientists and researchers use to design new aircraft, ships and military equipment; model and simulate weather and oceand conditions; and for a wide range of other DoD missions. (Source: NNS, 06/01/12)

Dragon ends successful mission

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down Thursday in the Pacific after a successful cargo mission to the International Space Station. The historic nine-day mission, the first privately owned and operated spacecraft to dock with the ISS, has ushered in what is expected to be a highly competitive field of private space flight. The capsule splashed down west of Baja California. It delivered cargo to the ISS and brought back cargo that will be turned over to NASA. SpaceX is short for Space Exploration Technologies, based in Hawthorne, Calif. (Sources: multiple, including Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, CNET, 05/31/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., is testing rocket engines for other companies planning commercial space flights.

Brown to lead command

Capt. Brian B. Brown, who has been selected for the rank of rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, Miss. Brown is currently serving as executive assistant to the director, Oceanography, Space, and Maritime Domain Awareness, N2/N6E, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. (Source: DoD, 05/29/12) Before he was assigned to Washington D.C., post in 2011, Brown headed the Naval Oceanographic Office at SSC.

Lockheed delivers SBIRS core

SBIRS core. Lockheed photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Lockheed Martin received the core structure for the U.S. Air Force's fourth Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous satellite. SBIRS delivers improved missile warning capabilities, while simultaneously providing intelligence and battlespace awareness missions. The structure was delivered to Lockheed Martin's Mississippi Space and Technology Center, where engineers and technicians will integrate the spacecraft's propulsion subsystem, essential for maneuvering the satellite during transfer orbit to its final location and conducting on-orbit repositioning maneuvers throughout its mission life. The integrated core propulsion module will then be shipped to Sunnyvale, Calif., for final assembly, integration and test. SBIRS GEO-4 is on schedule to be available for launch in 2015. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/24/12)

J-2X marks first in test

J-2X marks a first at SSC. NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A J-2X engine that will eventually be used in the NASA Space Launch System had a 40-second test on the A-2 Test Stand Friday. For the first time, test conductors fired the J-2X in both the secondary and primary modes of operation, 20 seconds in each. Previous tests were run in one mode only; combining the two allowed operators to collect critical data on engine performance. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is developing the J-2X engine for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. (Source: NASA/SSC, 05/25/12)

ISS captures Dragon

The cargo-carrying spacecraft Dragon successfully hooked up to the International Space Station Friday. It’s a major first for a commercial space ventures. SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule was captured by the space station's robotic arm by astronaut Don Pettit aboard the space station. The linkup took place about 250 miles above Australia. (Sources: multiple, 05/25/12)

SpaceX launches rocket

Falcon 9 lift off. SpaceX photo

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The SpaceX rocket launched Tuesday from a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a cargo mission to the International Space Station. Falcon 9 lifted the Dragon capsule at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time. Before docking with the ISS, the capsule will undergo a series of tests to determine if the vehicle is ready to berth with the station. (Sources: multiple, 05/22/12) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests rocket engines for other private companies involved in space flight.

Delta IV stage eyed for Orion test

NASA plans to use a modified Delta IV second stage atop an early version of the Space Launch System for the unmanned Orion test flight in 2017, as well as for the manned flight four years later. In a May 3 procurement notice, NASA said the Boeing-designed Delta IV second stage is the only means available to support the immediate propulsion needs, and it’s the only one that requires relatively minor modifications to launch astronauts by 2021. (Source: Florida Today, 05/16/12; NASA procurement notice, 05/03/12) The SLS first stage will use RD-25 engines tested at Stennis Space Center.

May Lagniappe newsletter available

The May issue of Lagniappe, the monthly newsletters about activities at Stennis Space Center, Miss., is available for download. The issue includes an item about the Administrator's Cup award given to SSC; an item about NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's visit to the E-1 test stand where Blue Origin's BE-3 will be tested; a feature on the harvest of lettuce at Infinity, and more. (Source: Lagniappe, May 2012)

May Messenger newsletter available

The May issue of Michoud Messenger, a monthly newsletter about activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is available for download. The issue includes an item about employee awards for volunteer service; an update on an April test of the Capsule Parachute Assembly System built at Michoud; an item on a safety stand down; the visit by NASA Chief of Staff Daniel Radzanowski, and more. (Source: Michoud Messenger, May 2012)

J-2X tested seven seconds

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A Rocketdyne J-2X had a seven-second test firing Wednesday that focused on a modified nozzle extension that dissipates heat generated by the engine. The test was on the A-2 stand at the NASA center in South Mississippi. The Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X is being developed for use in the second stage of NASA's Space Launch System. Another J-2X test, this one a powerpack, is expected next week. The powerpack sits on top of the engine and feeds the thrust chamber system, which produces engine thrust. (Source: GCAC, photo release, 05/16/12)

RS-68A tested at SSC

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A engine was tested Tuesday at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The engine, an upgrade of the RS-68 engine, is a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed to provide increased thrust and improved fuel efficiency for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. Each RS-68A provides 702,000 pounds of lift-off thrust, or 39,000 more pounds of thrust than a basic RS-68 engine. After testing at Stennis Space Center, the engines are shipped to Decatur, Ala., for integration into a United Launch Alliance Delta IV to lift government payloads. (Source: GCAC, 05/16/12) Previous