JSC News Release Log 1990

Front matter

JSC News Release Log

90-001 - Astronaut Crew Named to International Microgravity Mission

Astronaut Crew Named to International Microgravity Mission

USAF Col. Ronald J. Grabe has been named to command STS-42, a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in December, 1990. Stephen S. Oswald will be the pilot, and William F. Readdy will fly as a mission specialist. Mary L. Cleave, Ph.D., and Norman E. Thagard, Ph.D., were assigned to the flight as mission specialists in June, 1989.

Columbia's cargo bay will carry the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) in which five NASA astronauts and two payload specialists will conduct a variety of studies and experiments in the fields of materials processing and life sciences.

The two payload specialists will be named in the near future.

Grabe, commanding his first Shuttle mission, will make his third flight in space. He flew previously as pilot on STS-51J in October, 1985, and on STS-30 in May, 1989. He was born June 13, 1945 in New York, NY.

Oswald will make his first space flight. He was born June 30, 1951, in Seattle, WA, but considers Bellingham, WA, to be his hometown. Readdy, also making his first flight, was born January 24, 1952, in Quonset Point, RI, but considers McLean, VA, to be his hometown.

Cleave will make her third space flight, having flown as mission specialist on STS 61-B in November, 1985, and on STS-30 in May, 1989. She was born February 5, 1947, in Southampton, NY.

Thagard will make his fourth space flight. He flew as mission specialist on STS-7 in June, 1983, on STS 51-B in April, 1985, and on STS-30 in May, 1989. Thagard was born July 3, 1943, in Marianna, FL, but considers Jacksonville, FL, to be his hometown.

90-002 - Note to editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference

Note to Editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference

A press conference with the STS-32 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia will be conducted during the upcoming mission.

Accredited news media who wish to participate must be located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The exact date for the event has yet to be determined, but is expected to occur after the primary mission objectives have been met.

The news conference will be broadcast live on NASA Select television and available for live use and rebroadcast. NASA Select programming is carried on RCA SATCOM F2R, transponder 13, located at 72 degrees West Longitude. Media may also monitor the event live from various NASA field centers.

90-003 - Note to editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference

Note to Editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference

A press conference with the STS-32 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia will be conducted at 9:12 a.m. CST Saturday, January 13. Duration will be approximately 17 minutes.

Accredited news media who wish to participate must be located in room 135, building 2 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Participants should be in place by 9 a.m. CST.

The news conference will be broadcast live on NASA Select television and available for live use and rebroadcast. NASA Select programming is carried on RCA SATCOM FR, transponder 13, located at 72 degrees West Longitude. Media may also monitor the event live from various NASA field centers.

90-004 - Distributed Earth Model Orbiter Simulation Used During STS-32

Distributed Earth Model Orbiter Simulation Used During STS-32

A new graphic display first used in Mission Control during the space shuttle Atlantis' October 1989 flight will again provide three-dimensional views of the Shuttle and Earth during shuttle mission STS-32, Columbia's flight scheduled for launch this month.

The Distributed Earth Model Orbiter Simulation (DEMOS) is a joint project between the Mission Operations Directorate and the Mission Support Directorate. The display is based on live position and attitude data from the shuttle and provides a color view of the way the shuttle looks as it orbits the Earth. The view is presented as if seen from a variety of imaginary points, ranging from a look at the whole planet with an exaggerated shuttle orbiter circling it to a rear-position view of the orbiter as it reenters the atmosphere, barking as it slows for approach and landing.

Although it is based on live data, the display is driven by predicted simulations of the Orbiter's position during times when such data is not available. In addition to showing the Earth and the shuttle, the display will include the Sun, the Moon, 100 of the brightest navigational stars, and payloads, including the Long Duration Exposure facility (LDEF) scheduled to be brought back to Earth on STS-32. The groundtrack of the shuttle also will be displayed as part of the new graphic.

The new display will be projected on one of the four large screens that flank the 10-foot by 20-foot global tracking map at the front of the Flight Control Room. DEMOS is not a replacement graphic for the global tracking map, nor a graphic that has been certified for use in makirg operational mission decisions. For STS-32, DEMOS will be used only during periods of high activity and interest, including the rendezvous with LDEF and landing.

DEMOS has been developed by a small team in the Mission Operations Systems Lab at JSC. Its development is part of a continuing effort to upgrade the graphics and information displayed for flight controllers to aid them in visualizing the Orbiter's positions.

90-005 - Note to editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference (revised)

Note to Editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference

A press conference with the STS-32 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia will be conducted at 8:02 a.m. CST Saturday, January 13. Duration will be approximately 20 minutes.

Accredited news media who wish to participate must be located in room 135, building 2 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Participants should be in place by 7:50 a.m. CST.

The news conference will be broadcast live on NASA Select television and available for live use and rebroadcast. NASA Select programming is carried on RCA SATCOM F2R, transponder 13, located at 72 degrees West Longitude. Media may also monitor the event live from various NASA field centers.

90-006 - 1990 Astronaut Candidates Selected

1990 Astronaut Candidates Selected

In the first of what will become standard biennial selections, 23 new astronaut candidates have been named for the Space Shuttle program.

The candidates were chosen from among 1,945 qualified applicants, 106 of whom received interviews and medical examinations between September and November, 1989. They will report to the Johnson Space Center in July to begin a year of training and evaluation, after which they will receive technical assignments leading to selection for Shuttle flight crews.

The 1990 group consists of 7 pilot candidates and 16 mission specialist candidates, including 11 civilians and 12 military officers. Among the 5 women selected are 3 military officers, including the first woman to be named as a pilot candidate, and the first Hispanic woman to be chosen. A listing of the candidates and biographical data follows.

1990 Astronaut Candidates

Lcdr. Daniel W. Bursch | U.S. Navy | Mission Specialist

Dr. Leroy Chiao | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Maj. Michael R. U. Clifford | U.S. Army | Mission Specialist

Kenneth D. Cockrell | Civilian | Pilot

Maj. Eileen M. Collins | U.S. Air Force | Pilot

Capt. William G. Gregory | U.S. Air Force | Pilot

Maj. James D. Halsell, Jr. | U.S. Air Force | Pilot

Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr. | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Capt. Susan J. Helms | U.S. Air Force | Mission Specialist

Dr. Thomas D. Jones | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Maj. William S. McArthur, Jr. | U.S. Army | Mission Specialist

Dr. James H. Newman | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Dr. Ellen Ochoa | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Maj. Charles J. Precourt | U.S. Air Force | Pilot

Capt. Richard A. Searfoss | U.S. Air Force | Pilot

Dr. Ronald M. Sega | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Capt. Nancy J. Sherlock | U.S. Army | Mission Specialist

Dr. Donald A. Thomas | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Dr. Thomas D. Jones | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Dr. Janice E. Voss | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Capt. Carl E. Walz | U.S. Air Force | Mission Specialist

Maj. Terrence W. Wilcutt | U.S. Marine Corps | Pilot

Dr. Peter J. K. Wisoff | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Dr. David A. Wolf | Civilian | Mission Specialist

Biographical Data

Name: Daniel W. Bursch, Lt. Cmdr., USN, Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: July 25, 1957 - Bristol, Pennsylvania

Residence: Pacific Grove, California

Education: | Vestal Senior High School, Vestal, New York

BS, Physics, US Naval Academy, 1979

Current position: Student, US Naval Postgraduate School

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Donald D. Bursch, Charlotte, North Carolina

Marital status: Single. One child.

Name: Leroy Chiao, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: August 28, 1960 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Residence: Danville, California

Education: | Monte Vista High School, Danville, California

BS, Chemical Engineering, Univ. of California, Berkeley, 1983,

MS, Chemical Engineering, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara,

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, 1987

Current position: Research Engineer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California

Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Tsu Tao Chiao, Fairfield, California

Marital status: Single

Name: Michael R. U. Clifford, Major, USA, Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: October 13, 1952 - Norton AFB, California

Residence: Seabrook, Texas

Education: | Ben Lomond High School, Ogden, Utah

BS, Basic Science, US Military Academy, 1974

MS, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech., 1982

Current position: Vehicle Integration Test Engineer, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: John M. Uram, Deceased

Lenore C. Clifford, Ogden, Utah

Marital status: Married to the former Nancy Elizabeth Brunson.

Name: Kenneth D. Cockrell, Pilot

Birthplace/date: April, 9, 1950 - Austin, Texas

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | Rockdale High School, Rockdale, Texas

BS, Mechanical Engineering, Univ. of Texas, 1972

MS, Aero Systems, Univ. of Florida, 1974

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland

Current position: Aerospace Engineer & Research Pilot, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Buford D, Cockrell, Westminister, South Carolina

Marital status: Married to the former Joan Denise Raines.

Name: Eileen M. Collins, Major, USAF, Pilot

Birthplace/date: November 19, 1956 - Elmira, New York

Residence: Edwards, California

Education: | Elmira Free Academy, Elmira, New York

BA, Math, Syracuse Univ., 1978

MS, Operations Research, Stanford Univ., 1986

MA, Space Systems Management, Webster Univ., 1989

Current position: Student, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California

Parents: | James E. Collins, Elmira, New York

Rose Marie Collins, Elmira, New York

Marital status: Married to James P. Youngs

Name: William G. Gregory, Captain, USAF, Pilot

Birthplace/date: May 14, 1957 - Lockport, New York

Residence: Edwards, California

Education: | Lockport Senior High School, Lockport, New York

BS, Engineering Science, USAF Academy, 1979

MS, Engineering Mechanics, Columbia Univ., 1980

MS, Management, Troy State, 1984

Current position: Test Pilot, Edwards AFB, California

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. William Gregory, Gilbert, Arizona

Marital status: Married to the former Mary Elizabeth Harney.

Name: James D. Halsell, Jr., Major, USAF, Pilot

Birthplace/date: September 29, 1956 - Monroe, Louisiana

Residence: Edwards AFB, California

Education: | West Monroe High School, West Monroe, Louisiana

BS, Engineering, USAF Academy, 1978

MS, Management, Troy State, 1983

MS, Space Operations, AF Institute of Technology, 1985

Current position: F-16 & SR-71 Test Pilot, Edwards AFB, California

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. James D. Halsell, West Monroe, Louisiana

Marital status: Single

Name: Bernard A. Harris, Jr., M.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: June 26, 1956 - Temple, Texas

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | San Antonio High School, San Antonio, Texas

BS, Biology, Univ. of Houston, 1978

MD, Texas Tech Univ., 1982

Current position: Medical Officer, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | Bernard A. Harris, Sr., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gussie H. Burgess, San Antonio, Texas

Marital status: Married to the former Sandra Faye Lewis.

Name: Susan J. Helms, Captain, USAF, Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: February 26, 1958, Charlotte, North Carolina

Residence: Alberta, Canada

Education: | Parkrose Senior High School, Portland, Oregon

BS, Aerospace Engineering, USAF Academy, 1980

MS, Aeronautics/Astronautics, Stanford Univ., 1985

Current position: Flight Test Engineer, Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, Alberta, Canada

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Patrick G. Helms, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Marital status: Single

Name: Thomas D. Jones, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: January 22, 1955 - Baltimore, Maryland

Residence: Fairfax, Virginia

Education: | Kenwood Senior High School, Baltimore, Maryland

BS, Basic Sciences, USAF Academy, 1977

Ph.D.., Planetary Science, Univ. of Arizona, 1988

Current position: Scientist, CIA, Office of Research & Development, Washington, DC

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. David Jones, Essex, Maryland

Marital status: Married to the former Elizabeth Lynn Fulton.

Name: Ellen Ochoa, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: May 10, 1958 - Los Angeles, California

Residence: Los Altos, California

Education: | Grossmont High School, La Mesa, California

BS, Physics, San Diego State, 1980

MS, Electrical Engineering, Stanford Univ., 1981

Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Stanford Univ., 1985

Current position: Optical Physicist, NASA/Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California

Parents: | Joseph L. Ochoa and

Rosanne Ochoa, La Mesa, California

Marital status: Single

Name: Charles J. Precourt, Major, USAF, Pilot

Birthplace/date: June 29, 1955 - Waltham, Massachusetts

Residence: Middletown, Rhode Island

Education: | Hudson High School, Hudson, Massachusetts

BS, Aeronautical Engineering, USAF Academy, 1977

MS, Management, Golden Gate U., 1988

Current position: Student, Naval War College of Command and Staff, Newport, Rhode Island

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Precourt, Hudson, Massachusetts

Marital status: Married to the former Lynne Denise Mungle

Name: William S. McArthur, Jr., Major, USA, Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: July 26, 1951 - Laurinburg, North Carolina

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | Red Springs High School, Red Springs, North Carolina

BS, Applied Sci. & Engr., US Military Academy, 1973

MS, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech, 1983

Current position: Vehicle Integration Test Engineer, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | William S. McArthur, Deceased

Edith P. Avant, Wakulla, North Carolina

Marital status: Married to the former Cynthia Kathryn Lovin

Name: James H. Newman, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: October 16, 1956 - Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | La Jolla High School, La Jolla, California

BA, Physics, Dartmouth College, 1978

MA, Physics, Rice Univ., 1982

Ph.D., Physics, Rice Univ., 1984

Current position: Simulation Supervisor, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | William A. Newman, La Jolla, California

Ruth A. Newman, La Jolla, California

Marital status: Single

Name: Richard A. Searfoss, Major, USAF, Pilot

Birthplace/date: June 6, 1956 - Mount Clemens, Michigan

Residence: Lancaster, California

Education: | Portsmouth Senior High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

BS, Aerospace Engineering, USAF Academy, 1978

MS, Aerospace Engineering, Caltech, 1979

Current position: Instructor/Deputy Chief-Flying Qualities, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California

Parents: | Stanley G. Searfoss, Lakeland, Florida

Mary K. Searfoss, Deceased

Marital status: Married to the former Julie McGuire

Name: Ronald M. Sega, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: December 4, 1952 - Cleveland, Ohio

Residence: Seabrook, Texas

Education: | Nordonia High School, Macedonia, Ohio

BS, Physics/Math, USAF Academy, 1974

MS, Physics, Ohio State, 1975

Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Colorado, 1982

Current position: Asst. Director for Flight Programs/Professor, Univ. of Houston-Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. John R. Sega, Arvada, Colorado

Marital status: Married to Bonnie J. Dunbar

Name: Nancy J. Sherlock, Captain, USA, Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: December 29, 1958 - Wilmington, Delaware

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | Troy High School, Troy, Ohio

BA, Biological Science, Ohio State, 1980

MS, Safety Engineering, Univ of Southern CA., 1985

Current position: Flight Simulation Engineer, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. Warren F. Decker, Troy, Ohio

Marital status: Married to Richard J. Sherlock

Name: Donald A. Thomas, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: May 6, 1955 - Cleveland, Ohio

Residence: Seabrook, Texas

Education: | Cleveland Heights High School, Cleveland, Ohio

BS, Physics, Case Western Univ., 1977

MS, Materials Science, Cornell Univ., 1980

Ph.D., Materials Science, Cornell Univ., 1982

Current position: Materials Engineer, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | William G. Thomas, Sr., Englewood, Florida

Irene M. Thomas, American Embassy, Burma

Marital status: Married to the former Kristine R. Castagnola

Name: Janice E. Voss, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: October 8, 1956 - South Bend, Indiana

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | Minnechang Regional High School, Wilbraham, Mass.

BS, Engineering Science, Purdue Univ., 1975

MS, Electrical Engineering, MIT, 1977

Ph.D., Aero/Astronautics, MIT, 1987

Current position: Manager, Integrations & Operations, Orbital Sciences Corp., Houston, Texas

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. James R. Voss, Wilbraham, Massachusetts

Marital status: Single

Name: Carl E. Walz, Captain, USAF, Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: September 6, 1955 - Cleveland, Ohio

Residence: Henderson, Nevada

Education: | Charles T. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, Ohio

BS, Physics, Kent State, 1977

MS, Physics, John Carroll Univ., 1979

Current position: Flight Test Program Manager, Air Force Flight Test Center, Pittman Station, Nevada

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. Carl J. Walz, South Euclid, Ohio

Marital status: Married to the former Pamela J. Glady

Name: Terrence W. Wilcutt, Major, USMC, Pilot

Birthplace/date: October 31, 1949 - Russellville, Kentucky

Residence: NAS Patuxent River, Maryland

Education: | Southern High School, Louisville, Kentucky

BA, Math, Western Kentucky Univ., 1974

Current position: Test Pilot/Project Officer, NAS Patuxent River, Maryland

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. George B. Wilcutt, Russellville, Kentucky

Marital status: Married to the former Robin Jo Moyers

Name: Peter J. K. Wisoff, Ph.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: August 16, 1958 - Norfolk, Virginia

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | Norfolk Academy, Norfolk, Virginia

BS, Physics, Univ. of Virginia, 1980

MS, Physics, Stanford Univ., 1982

Ph.D., Applied Physics, Stanford Univ., 1986

Current position: Asst. Professor, Rice University, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Houston, Texas

Parents: | Mr. & Mrs. Carl P. Wisoff, Norfolk, Virginia

Marital status: Single

Name: David A. Wolf, M.D., Mission Specialist

Birthplace/date: August 23, 1956 - Indianapolis, Indiana

Residence: Houston, Texas

Education: | BS, Electrical Engineer, Purdue Univ., 1978

M.D., Indiana Univ., 1982

Current position: Aerospace Medical Officer, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Parents: | Harry Wolf, Indianapolis, Indiana

Dorothy Wolf, Indianapolis, Indiana

Marital status: Single

90-007 - Note to editors: STS-32 Inflight Crew Press Conference

Note to Editors: STS-32 Post Flight Crew Press Conference

The astronaut crew of Shuttle mission STS-32 will meet with news media next week to discuss their recent flight which featured the deployment of a SYNCOM-IV satellite and the retrieval of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

The news conference will be held at 1 pm central time on Tuesday, January 30, at the Johnson Space Center and will be broadcast live on NASA Select television. Accredited media who wish to participate may do so in the building 2 briefing room at JSC, or via support audio from other NASA field centers.

NASA Select programming is carried on RCA SATCOM F2R, transponder 13, located at 72 degrees West Longitude.

90-008 - Proposals Sought for Satellite Servicer Flight Demonstration

Proposals Sought for Satellite Servicer Flight Demonstration

NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, has issued a call for proposals for requirement definition studies and preliminary design for a Satellite Servicer System flight demonstration.

The Satellite Servicer System flight demonstration will show the ability to maintain satellites in locations not readily accessible to humans (e.g., polar and high inclination orbits), to permit hazardous servicing, to reduce Space Transportation System extravehicular activity dependency and to improve cost efficiencies.

The system will be used in a three-phase, on-orbit flight demonstration launched from the Space Shuttle orbiter. The demonstration will exercise autonomous rendezvous and docking, orbital replacement unit exchange and fluid transfer capabilities, and will use existing technologies, including the Orbital Manuevering Vehicle and elements of the flight Telerobotic Servicer, to minimize costs and reduce technical risks.

The flight demonstration Phase B studies, estimated at $1.3 million each, will include the design and definition of the servicer system, a target vehicle, and ground and on-orbit control stations. Two firm, fixed-price, Phase B contracts, with a 12-month period of performance, are expected to be awarded this summer. Responses to the request for proposals, released Jan. 19, are due March 5.

Phase B project managment resides at JSC's New Initiatives office, Satellite Servicing Project Office.

90-009 - Science Payload Commanders Named; Carter Replaces Cleave on IML-1

Science Payload Commanders Named; Carter Replaces Cleave on IML-1

In a move to provide long range leadership in the development and planning of payload crew science activities, four Space Shuttle mission specialists currently assigned to STS missions have been designated as payload commanders.

The payload commanders will have overall crew responsibility for the planning, integration and on orbit coordination of payload/Space Shuttle activities on their mission. The crew commander will retain overall responsibility for mission success and safety of flight.

Named as payload commander for STS-42, the first flight of the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-01) set for late 1990, is mission specialist Norman E. Thagard, M.D. In addition, Navy Capt. Manley L. "Sonny" Carter, M.D., has been named as a mission specialist on the IML crew, replacing Mary L. Cleave, Ph.D., who has resigned her flight assignment for personal reasons.

Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., will serve as payload commander for STS-45, the first flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-01), slated for launch in 1991.

Payload commander for STS-46 is Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Ph.D. The STS-46 mission, set for 1991, will feature the first flights of the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA), developed by the European Space Agency, and the Tethered Satellite System, a joint project between NASA and the Italian space agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana.

Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Lee will be the payload commander on mission STS-47 for Spacelab-J, a joint science venture between NASA and the Japanese National Space Development Agency, NASDA, also in 1991.

Future assignments of payload commanders normally will be made in advance of the remainder of the flight crew in order to help identity and resolve training issues and operational constraints prior to crew training.

The role of the payload commander also is expected to serve as a foundation for the development of a space station mission commander concept.

-end-

90-010 - Fluor-Daniel Services, Inc. Awarded Construction Contract

Fluor-Daniel Services, Inc. Awarded Construction Contract

NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, has selected Flour-Daniel Services, Inc., Greenville, S.C., for negotiations leading to award of a cost-plus-award-fee contract for construction support services. The first contract year will begin on or about Feb. 1, 1990.

The contract covers a planned 5-year performance period which includes a 1-year basic period plus four 1-year options. Proposed cost and fee for the 5-year program, including yearly options, is approximately $27.5 million.

Services to be provided by Flour-Daniel include management, planning and execution of a broad variety of construction tasks at JSC, including the alteration of an existing physical plant.

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90-011 - Hernandez Engineering Awarded Information Support Contract

Hernandez Engineering Awarded Information Support Contract

NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, has awarded a contract to Hernandez Engineering, Inc., Houston, for technical information and public affairs support. The basic period of performance began Jan. 1, 1990.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is for a basic year effort plus four l-year options. Estimated cost and fee for the basic year is valued at $7.7 million. If the options are exercised, the contract value will increase by $8.1 million for the first option, $8.5 million for the second option, $9.1 million for the third option and $9.7 million for the last option.

The effort involves approximately 205 employees, both at JSC and in other designated locations. The contract includes providing public affairs support services, correspondence and communications management, security support services, information resource management, documentation management, technical information support services and duplication, reproduction, microforms and distribution management.

The new contract was awarded under the 8(a) Small Business Administration program. The previous contractor, Omniplan, Inc., had provided these services to JSC since 1981 and is no longer under the 8(a) program.

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90-012 - EPA, NASA White Sands Test Facility Enter Consent Agreement

EPA, NASA White Sands Test Facility Enter Consent Agreement

NASA has entered into a formal consent agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding assessment of groundwater contamination at the White Sands Test Facility (WSTF). The agreement recognizes contamination assessment work accomplished by NASA at WSTF since 1986, and it identifies the additional steps needed at WSTF to complete the assessment and determine whether remedial action is necessary.

NASA has confirmed that the groundwater beneath WSTF has been contaminated with low levels of hazardous constituents, principally trichloroethylene and Freon. The major source of the contamination appears to have resulted from the original construction of WSTF in the mid-1960s when organic solvents were used to precision clean piping. In addition, the on-site cleaning facility has used various solvents and degreasing agents to meet operational and testing requirements.

WSTF has established operating procedures for the management of hazardous wastes that comply with both the EPA and New Mexico environmental regulations. These safeguards are preventing the introduction of additional contaminants into the groundwater.

While test results have indicated that contamination has migrated beyond the facility boundaries, no hazardous chemicals have been detected in drinking water supplies, including the NASA/WSTF water supplies located 3.5 and 4 miles from the facility boundary.

The agreement language reflects a cooperative working relationship between NASA and the EPA which permits an efficient and effective approach to assuring protection of human health and the environment. NASA is continuing its assessment efforts under the agreement and will keep the public fully informed of the results.

WSTF operates as an organizational element of the Johnson Space Center. Facilities at WSTF include spacecraft propulsion system test facilities and materials test laboratories. Established in 1963, the facility actively supported the Apollo, Skylab, Viking and other NASA programs. WSTF presently performs development, evaluation and qualification testing of Space Shuttle propulsion systems, materials and components. Materials testing in support of the Space Station Freedom Program was initiated in 1989, and propulsion testing will begin in 1991.

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90-013 - Shuttle Astronauts to Attend Soviet Space Launch

Shuttle Astronauts to Attend Soviet Space Launch

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has accepted an invitation for Shuttle astronauts to attend a Soviet manned space launch and to tour space facilities in the Soviet Union this month. The invitation was extended to NASA astronauts earlier this year by General Alexei Leonov, Deputy Head of the Y. A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Members of the astronaut delegation traveling to the Soviet Union are JSC Deputy Director Paul J. Weitz, Chief Astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein, Ronald J. Grabe, and Jerry L. Ross.

The group is scheduled to arrive in Moscow on February 9, and will travel to Baikonour the following day to tour launch facilities there and to view a manned launch. The group will also travel to Star City, near Moscow, to visit the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and to the Manned Spaceflight Control Center in Kaliningrad, before returning on February 14.

90-014 - Mission Operations Names Two New Flight Directors

Mission Operations Names Two New Flight Directors

Two new flight directors have been named within the Mission Operations Directorate at Johnson Space Center.

The two, both veteran flight controllers, are Jeffrey W. Bantle and Philip L. Engelauf.

During Space Shuttle missions, flight directors lead the large cadre of operators within the Mission Control Center who are responsible for monitoring spacecraft systems and operations. Flight Directors have overall responsibility for the conduct of the mission and for real-time decision making as flight events unfold.

Bantle, Head of the Guidance and Control Systems Section in the Systems Division, has served as Guidance, Navigation and Control Officer (GNC) in Mission Control for several Shuttle missions.

He was born in Marinette, WI, in September 1958 and graduated from Marinette High School in 1976 before going on to earn a B.A. in math and physics from Ripon College in Ripon, WI, in 1980. He later earned a master's in aeronautical engineering from George Washington University, Washington, D.C., while working in supersonic aircraft studies at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA before coming to Houston in September 1982.

Bantle worked for Ford Aerospace in the Guidance and Control Systems Section for two years, then became a NASA employee in 1984. Bantle was named Section Head in 1988. His console experience in the Mission Control Center began with the sixth Space Shuttle flight in 1983.

Engelauf, born in Riverside, CA, in October 1956, is a 1974 graduate of Rubidoux High School and a 1978 graduate of the California Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.S. in engineering and applied sciences.

He earned a master's in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University in 1981 while working at NASA'S Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA. Engelauf began with NASA Ames in 1978 as a wind tunnel facility engineer.

He transferred to JSC in 1982 and has supported several Space Shuttle missions, beginning with STS-4, as a Flight Activities Officer.

90-015 - Johnson Space Center Contributes $973 Million to Houston Area Economy in FY89

Johnson Space Center (713) 483-5111

Release No: 90-015

Johnson Space Center Contributes $973 Million to Houston Area Economy in FY89

NASA's Johnson Space Center contributed approximately $973 million to the Houston area economy in Fiscal Year (FY) 1989 ending Sept. 30. This is an increase of $400 million over the previous year. JSC received $1.9 billion, or about 17 percent of the $11 billion appropriated for the agency's FY89 total.

The center's expenditures locally included $157 million in federal salaries, $3 million in air travel, and $812 million in goods and services from over 1100 local businesses, averaging $3.7 million for each working day.

The major portion of JSC's budget, $1.6 billion, went for Research and Development (R&D) and Space Flight Control and Data Communications. Research and Program Management (R&PM), covering everything from salaries, gas and electric utility bills, and mowing the grass, took $301 million. Facility construction accounted for the remaining $14 million.

Utility costs for the center for FY89 were $1.6 million for gas, $7.4 million for electricity, $6.8 million for phone and electronic) communications, and $300,000 for the purchase of surface water and sewage treatment.

Since moving to Houston in 1962, total SC funding from NASA equals $37.3 billion in actual dollars through Sept. 30, 1989. That total includes $3.9 billion for R&PM, $33 billion for R&D, and $351 million for construction of facilities overall in the past 28 years.

JSC spent $1.10 billion in FY89 with both Texas firms and out-of-state companies that pay salaries to employees in their Texas operations. That places Texas third behind California ($2.7 billion) and Florida ($1.2 billion) in states receiving NASA funds for contracts or grants. Maryland ranks fourth ($753 million) and Alabama fifth ($699 million). JSC has paid out $2.6 billion in civil service salaries since 1962.

The center employed 3,773 civil servants in FY89 compared to 3,552 the year before. Peak space industry employment in the JSC area occurred in 1989, with 11,120 aerospace industry and support contractor personnel working on or near the center. The peak year for numbers of federal employees at JSC was 1967, with 5,261 positions.

By the end of FY 89, the average federal salary was $43,450. The average age of JSC employees was 42, with 1,927 of those having earned bachelors degrees, 648 with masters degrees, and 191 have doctorates, law, or medical degrees.