USM, Infinity join forces

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The University of Southern Mississippi and Infinity Science Center are teaming up to provide more educational programs at the center. Board members from Infinity and representatives from Southern Miss will sign a memorandum of understanding Friday that will mark the beginning of the partnership. The goal is to provide opportunities for students, teachers and visitors to learn more about science at Infinity, the state-of-the-art new $30 million science center that opened in 2012. Infinity, near Interstate 10 south of Stennis Space Center, is one of only nine NASA Visitors Centers in the country. As part of the agreement, USM will seek grants to pay for interactive education exhibits and other programs, such as teacher workshops and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) projects. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/14/13)

Spinoff 2012 released

A plant texts a farmer to say it needs more water; an invisible coating scrubs pollutants from the air; a robot roams a hospital's halls, aiding doctors and nurses by recording vital signs and registrations. The 2012 edition of NASA's annual Spinoff publication captures a nation and world made better by advancements originally achieved for space technology. Stennis Space Center, Miss., played a key role in developing the self-cleaning coatings. (Source: PRNewswire, 02/13/13) Spinoff available online here.

Orion has successful chute test

NASA engineers demonstrated the Orion spacecraft can land safely if one of its three main parachutes fails to inflate during deployment. The test was conducted Tuesday in Yuma, Ariz., with the parachutes attached to a test article. Engineers rigged the parachutes so only two would inflate, leaving the third to flag behind, when the test capsule was dropped from a plane at 25,000 feet. The test was the eighth parachute engineering development drop test. The next is scheduled for May. The system also will be put to the test in 2014 when Orion, the crew capsule for the Space Launch System, makes its first flight test. During the mission, an uncrewed capsule will travel 3,600 miles from Earth. (Source: NASA, 02/12/13) Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the Space Launch System program.

NASA readies for J-2X testing

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's is getting ready for a new round of tests on the next-generation J-2X rocket engine that will help power the agency's Space Launch System to new destinations in the solar system. Beginning this month, engineers will conduct a series of tests on the second J-2X development engine, designated number 10002, on the A-2 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Once the series is completed, the engine will be transferred to the A-1 Test Stand to undergo a series of gimbal, or pivot, tests for the first time. NASA already has conducted successful tests on engine number 10001 and on the J-2X powerpack assembly. In total, 34 tests were conducted on the J-2X engine and powerpack, with the J-2X achieving a full flight-duration firing of 500 seconds in the eighth test, earlier than any rocket engine in U.S. history. (Source: NASA, 02/11/13) Previous

Best places award ceremony set

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – There will be a Feb. 13 presentation recognizing NASA's Stennis Space Center as one of the best places to work in the federal government. John Palguta, vice president for policy with the Partnership for Public Service, and Jeri Buchholz, assistant administrator for NASA Human Capital Management, will visit Stennis to officially recognize the center for its high ranking in the annual U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Employee Viewpoint Survey. In the survey taken by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, NASA was named the best place to work in the federal government among large agencies. The ranking reflects NASA's highest results since this index was developed. Stennis ranked second among 292 agency subcomponents. (Source: NASA, 02/07/13)

Option exercised on contract

NASA has exercised the first option under its existing contract with Science Applications International Corporation of Huntsville, Ala., to operate the NASA Enterprise Applications Competency Center (NEACC). The two-year option period for continuation of services increases the existing Enterprise Applications Service Technologies (EAST) contract by more than $69 million and provides services through Jan. 31, 2015. The NEACC provides services to operate, maintain and enhance key business and mission-supporting platforms, applications and infrastructure used across the agency. The EAST contract is administered by the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NASA, 02/07/13)

ATK completes SLS test

NASA and ATK completed the second in a series of development tests for NASA's Space Launch System booster program late last month at ATK's Promontory, Utah, facility. The avionics and controls test, Flight Control Test 2, included a hot fire of the fully integrated heritage thrust vector control, the new SLS booster avionics subsystem and new electronic support equipment. FCT-2 focused on replacement of heritage test equipment with new electronic support equipment. Much of the equipment replaced was designed and built during the mid- to late-1970s and was successfully used on all Space Shuttle reusable solid rocket motor (RSRM) and five segment RSRM static motor firings. (Source: ATK, 02/01/13) SLS engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Industry Day means business

Stennis Industry Days is all about doing business and making connections with federal and state agencies, contractors and businesses, not just at Stennis Space Center but around the country. This year's event will be held Feb. 27-March 1 at IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi. A special tour of Stennis Space Center and nearby Infinity Science Center will be available on opening day for registered attendees. (Source: MSET newsletter, 02/05/13) To register, click here.

The drone retrievers

When there are tall waves, mean currents and high winds, the last thing anyone wants to do is jump into open water. But for the commercial divers aboard one of three 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron's Missile Retrievers, it's part of the job. The 82nd ATRS, a Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., tenant unit, is the only subscale aerial target provider in the Air Force, housing nearly 30 BQM-167A remote-controlled drones, which are water and land recoverable. The drones are a means to test and evaluate air-to-air weapons, the effectiveness of counter measures during sorties and the effectiveness of the weapons systems. The 82nd ATRS is a geographically separated unit of the 53rd Wing headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Source: 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, 01/25/13) Related. Note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., is involved in unmanned systems. In addition to having companies that work with unmanned systems, SSC is home of the Navy organization that operates a fleet of unmanned underwater vehicles worldwide.

Beasley wins "40 Under 40" award

Charlie Beasley, president and CEO of Mississippi Enterprise for Technology at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., has been selected as a winner in the economic development profession's "40 Under 40" awards. The program recognizes young talent in the economic development profession. A five-member selection committee chose winners from a pool of more than 150 candidates based on their contributions to the economic development industry. The award's program was managed by Development Counsellors International, a New York-based firm that specializes in economic development marketing. Beasley, a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), has been with MSET since 1999. MSET is a technology transfer office for the state of Mississippi. (Source: DCI, MSET, 01/29/13)

AJ26 has successful test

Aerojet, a GenCorp company, said its AJ26 engine successfully completed a hot fire test Friday evening at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Orbital Sciences Corp., Aerojet and NASA monitored the full-duration test in support of the Antares rocket program. It was the eleventh AJ26 engine to be tested at Stennis. Following review of the test data, the AJ26 will be configured for flight and shipped to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility for integration with Orbital's Antares rocket and will provide boost for the first stage of the Antares rocket. (Source: Globe Newswire, 01/18/13)

Athletes sought for Special Olympics

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Athletes are being sought to begin training in preparation for the annual John C. Stennis Area III Special Olympics Track and Field Competitions scheduled for March 23. To be eligible to compete, athletes must be at least eight years old (no upper age limit), be mentally handicapped, and have a current medical form on file with the Special Olympics. Athletes may sign up through their school's Special Education Office or by calling Penny Replogle, Area 111 Director, at 228-343-1009. (Source: NASA/SSC, 01/18/13)

MUOS-2 stored awaiting launch

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Lockheed Martin has completed system testing on the second satellite in the U.S. Navy's Mobile User Objective System, MUOS-2. The satellite has been placed in storage to await its launch in July 2013. The MUOS constellation will provide communications for mobile warfighters, including simultaneous voice, video and data services. The first MUOS satellite and the associated ground system are currently providing legacy on orbit capability. The five-satellite, global constellation is expected to achieve full operational capability in 2015. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 01/16/13) Note: Work on the core propulsion system for the MUOS, an A2100 satellite-based spacecraft, is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

Center for Gulf Studies created

The need for a comprehensive understanding of the waters and resources of the Gulf of Mexico has prompted the University of Southern Mississippi to take the lead in formation of the new Center for Gulf Studies (CGS). The center is a partnership between Southern Miss, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and Jackson State University. Administered through the Southern Miss Department of Marine Science at Stennis Space Center, CGS seeks to serve Mississippi and the region with a scientifically-based understanding of ecosystem status and trends with special emphasis on improved forecasting abilities to ensure sustainable coastal and ocean ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico. "The BP oil spill highlighted our need for a better understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem," said Southern Miss Provost Dr. Denis Wiesenburg. "As the designated marine science university for Mississippi, this new center will enable Southern Miss to focus resources on the ocean in our back yard." Dr. Monty Graham, chair of the Department of Marine Science at Southern Miss, is the acting director of the center. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi, 01/16/13)

SBIRS delivered to Cape

The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin have delivered the second Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO-2) Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) spacecraft to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where it will be prepared for a March liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V. Featuring a mix of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, the SBIRS program provides improved missile warning capabilities. The contracts include four HEO payloads, four GEO satellites, and ground assets to receive, process, and disseminate the infrared mission data. The team has also begun initial work on the fifth and sixth GEO satellites. Two HEO payloads and GEO-1 have already launched into orbit. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 01/15/13) Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss., works on the satellite's propulsion subsystem, crucial for maneuvering the satellite in orbit. Previous

USM eyes marine algae as fuel

Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi Department of Marine Science are studying turning marine micro-algae into fuel as part of a global push aimed at finding reliable alternative fuel sources. Under the direction of Dr. Donald Redalje, the school’s Marine Science lab at Stennis Space Center, Miss., is studying algae grown from Mississippi coastal waters. While biofuel blends have already found their way to naval war ships and test flights on commercial airliners, Redalje and his team are looking for ways to streamline the process. "All the oil we are pumping out of the ground, what was it? Most people think dinosaurs. No. It was all marine micro algae," said Redalje, who's trying to recreate the process that until now has taken millions of years. "We know this works, the trick is how do we produce enough of it, cheaply enough to be a marketable product?" (Source: PR Web, 01/09/13)

PWR gets contractor award

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center presented its Contractor Excellence Award to Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne Thursday for its commitment to teamwork, safety, customer service, and technical and managerial excellence at the center. PWR, based in Canoga Park, Calif., and with an engine assembly facility at SSC, developed the space shuttle main engine, which powered 135 shuttle missions from 1981 to 2011, and is developing the J-2X engine that will help power NASA's Space Launch System. The company also develops engines for military rockets and missiles. The Contractor Excellence Award was established in 2008 to recognize contractors, subcontractors or providers for outstanding performance during a three-year period. (Source: NASA/SSC, 01/10/13)

Core delivered to SSC

Lockheed Martin delivered the core structure for the first in a series of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's next-generation geostationary weather satellites to the company's Mississippi Space and Technology Center on NASA's Stennis Space Center, where it will undergo propulsion system integration. The rigid external structure of the first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite–R Series (GOES-R), which will enclose the satellite's propulsion system and support the payloads, was designed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems and manufactured by ATK Aerospace Group’s Space and Components Division. For the next 11 months, the team will integrate GOES-R's fuel tanks, lines, thermal controls and other systems within the core structure. GOES-R is based on the company's A2100 satellite series. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 01/07/13)

Space bill passes

The House approved a Senate amendment to a bill sponsored by Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., which requires commercial launch companies to purchase insurance for any reasonable risk of damage to third parties. As amended by the Senate, it also extends a waiver to allow American astronauts to continue to fly aboard Russian spacecraft to access the International Space Station through 2020. The bill also conveys a Sense of Congress regarding future U.S. human spaceflight capabilities, stressing the need to ensure continued development of both NASA's Space Launch System and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, along with the pursuit of commercial crew services to the ISS. (Source: Space Travel, 01/04/13) Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and Stennis Space Center, Miss., are both involved in the SLS program. SSC also tests rocket engines for commercial launch companies.

FIRST kicks off Saturday

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition begins Jan. 5 with a regional kickoff at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. It's SSC's ninth year to host the event. Activities begin at 9 a.m. with a video presentation in StenniSphere Auditorium. Participating teams from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi will view a FIRST Robotics broadcast at 9:30 a.m. outlining details of this year's competition. Following the broadcast, parts kits will be distributed to team members. The teams will use the kits to build robots for FIRST Robotics competitions to be held in the spring. (Source: NASA/SSC, 01/02/13)