America’s gateway to the universe. Leading the world in preparing and launching missions to Earth and beyond.

May 22, 1998

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Vol. 37, No. 10

Spaceport News

STS-91 — first Mir docking for Discovery closes door for PhaseOne of Space Station and opens window on antimatter research

The STS-91 crew recently prepared for their mission during Terminal CountdownDemonstration Test activities at KSC. In the back, left to right, are Pilot Dominic Gorie,Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, Commander Charles Precourt, and in the frontare Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz, Valery Ryumin, and Janet Kavandi.

From May 11 through 15,three auditors from DetNorske Veritas (DNV), one ofthe leading international ISOcertification organizations,visited KSC to audit NASAstaff and determine if thespace center’s managementsystem is compliant with ISO9001 standards. The audit included allKennedy Space Centerpersonnel working at KSC,Cape Canaveral Air Station,Patrick Air Force Base, andVandenberg Air Force Base inCalifornia. ISO 9001 is the most

KSC takes one giant leap toward ISO 9001certification

(See ISO, Page 3)

detailed, comprehensive set ofstandard requirements forquality programs establishedby the InternationalStandards Organization (ISO). Based on their findings, theaudit team will recommendcertification with the ISO 9001standard for NASA at thespace center, pending DNVacceptance of a KSC plan of

More than two years ofcontinuous U.S. presence aboardthe Russian Space Station Mir willdraw to a close when NASAastronaut Andrew Thomas, Ph.D.,transfers to the orbiter Discovery

(See STS-91, Page 8)

during docking operations onmission STS-91. When Dr. Thomasleaves Mir, Phase 1 of the jointU.S.- Russian International SpaceStation (ISS) program will con-clude, and NASA astronauts will

have lived and worked with theirRussian crewmates continuouslyfor more than 800 days on orbit. The ninth and final Mir dockingis scheduled for Flight Day 3 ofDiscovery’s mission set for launchJune 2 at 6:10 p.m. Dr. Thomas willboard Discovery for the returnflight home within hours after thehatches between the two 100-tonspacecraft are opened. Dockingoperations then will continue forfour days and will include thetransfer of 2,600 pounds of Russiansupplies and logistics equipment toMir from a SPACEHAB SingleModule in Discovery’s payload bayand 1,400 pounds of water from theorbiter's fuel cells. Major highlights of this 91stShuttle flight are the first Mirdocking for Discovery, the first on-orbit test of the Alpha MagneticSpectrometer (AMS-01), and thefirst flight of the new Space Shuttlesuper lightweight external tank. Other STS-91 investigationsinclude experiments in human lifesciences, biology, protein crystal

Venturestar:a bright lookat the future

A new launch vehiclecould join the fleet of rocketsblasting off from Florida'sSpace Coast — and in the not-too-distant future. Managersfrom Lockheed Martin Skunk-works in Palmdale, Calif.,will visit KSC and CapeCanaveral Air Station in Juneto look at potential launchsites here for their plannedreusable launch vehicle (RLV)dubbed VentureStar. “This is an opportunity forKSC and Cape Canaveral AirStation to showcase ourexcellence,” said KSCDirector Roy Bridges. “We'llshow them creative ways thatwe can meet their needs andfeature the proven launch,payload and landing supportinfrastructure in placehere on the Space Coast.” The goal of the RLVprogram is to improve U.S.competitiveness in theworldwide launch market byincreasing reliability andlowering the cost of spaceaccess to $1,000 per pound ofpayload. Currently, payloadcustomers pay about $10,000per pound for the SpaceShuttle’s reliable escortto orbit. Four months ago, LockheedMartin hosted a briefing thatexpressed their requirementsfor a prospective VentureStarlaunch site. Florida was well

(See RLV, Page 6)

This is one artist’s conception of theVentureStar, a potential successor tothe X-33 now in development.

action to corrent seven minornon-conformities. Celebrating the recom-mendation was the BusinessInnovation Group, or BIG, atKSC. BIG’s charter is to developand support a long-termbusiness system for the center,and BIG was instrumental inpreparing the center for andcoordinating the ISO audit. About 500 KSC people weredirectly involved in thedevelopment and internalaudits of the system. As KSCpositions itself for the future,

SPACEPORT NEWS May 22, 1998Page 2

Kennedy Space Center’sannual Community LeadersBreakfast and Briefing washeld the morning ofWednesday, May 6, at KSC’sVisitor Complex before morethan 200 invited guests.Mayors, bank presidents,leaders in education,representatives from localpolice departments, membersof Canaveral Port Authority,and others all gathered to hearfrom KSC’s leaders about whatthe future holds for the spacecenter. The briefing informedcommunity leaders of theactivities, changes, and value-added products and servicesKSC offers to Brevard and itssurrounding counties.

After a breakfast gathering,Center Director Roy Bridgesopened the briefing in theIMAX II Theater with anoverview of NASA strategicgoals and KSC’s guidingprinciples, which include:

◆ safety and health first;◆ satisfy our customers’

needs anytime, anywhere;◆ build reliance and

teamwork everywhere; and◆ environmental

leadership.“As we at KSC advance

space exploration andcommerce,” Bridges noted,“our guiding principles governall of our plans and actions.”

Bridges then introduced histop management team andturned the program over tothem.

The speakers painted adetailed picture with a broadbrush of the center’s work overthe past 16 months and gave aglimpse of the future.

Briefing to community leaders on KSC’s progress and local projects Jim Jennings, deputydirector for businessoperations, described howKSC is committed to continuedcommunity outreach andservice. Some of his pointsincluded: ▼ Visitor Complex visitationgrowth of 35 percent since1994; ▼ consistently increasedparticipation from last year ineducational areas such as theSpacemobile program andeducator workshops; and ▼ Combined FederalCampaign results over goal,with more than 90 percentparticipation. KSC isconsistently the largestgovernment contributor inBrevard County. Deputy Director for Launchand Payload Processing LorenShriver discussed KSC’sCenters of Excellence. He talked about the detailsof crafting the center’s futurerole in developing newtechnologies for spaceportarchitecture and operationsdevelopment, environmentaland bioregenerative systems,and integrated intelligent testand simulation capabilities. “Although we’ve beenassigned lead centerresponsibility in launch andpayload processing,” Shrivernoted, “we now need to focuson technology development inorder to sustain that Center ofExcellence. We must employKSC’s unique expertise topartner with universities andother outside groups indeveloping new technologies.” Other KSC speakersdiscussed last year’s accom-

participating (all of which willsend representatives toBrevard County to watch theirrespective elements launchedinto space); and ▲ approximately 90 U.S. andRussian missions are neededfor assembly andoutfitting. Leinbach said that 300NASA and 900 contractoremployees are working locallyon the ISS and that thosenumbers are expected to growin upcoming years. He addedthat KSC’s role has increasedin the past decade to includefinal test, integration, andassembly. Leinbach encouraged thecommunity leaders to taketheir grandchildren outside inthe evenings five years fromnow to catch a glimpse of thebrightest light in the sky,second only to the Moon —the orbiting InternationalSpace Station. Associate Director forAdvanced Development andShuttle Upgrades JoAnnMorgan said that new industrypartnerships will be mutuallybeneficial to KSC andoutside organizations that are

plishments and achieved goals.They also laid out KSC's plansfor the future — both short-and long-term. Michael Leinbach, deputydirector, Space StationHardware Integration Office,provided International SpaceStation statistics and notedhow the station will benefitBrevard County. He said that: ▲ assembly completion isslated for 2003-2004; ▲ 16 nations are

One of several posters that accompanyKSC’s award-winning tradeshow exhibitwas shown to community leaders.

paying us to help them explorenew technologies. They willbenefit from our 15-yearShuttle experience withpropellants and reusablelaunch vehicles. Together, KSC executivesprovided local leaders with agood look at how the centerhas progressed over the pastyear and how through futurepartnerships the center’sresources will continue toprovide unparalleled develop-mental and operationalexpertise.

Shriver and Jennings receive Meritorious Executive awards On May 5, KSC’s DeputyDirector for Launch andPayload Processing LorenShriver and Deputy Directorfor Business Operations JimJennings were honored inWashington, D.C., withPresidential Rank MeritoriousExecutive awards. Shriver and Jennings werethe honored guests of Vice

President Al Gore and theOffice of PersonnelManagement’s new director,Janice LaChance, in aceremony at Constitution Hallrecognizing theirachievements. The event waspart of Public ServiceRecognition Week celebratedannually the first week of May. Presidential Rank awards

recognize federal seniorexecutives who havedemonstrated exceptionalperformance over an extendedperiod of time. TheMeritorious Executive Rankaward is awarded to the topfive percent of “sustainedaccomplishment” performers. Criteria include careerachievements that:

are recognized throughout theagency and acknowledged on anational or international level;achieve significant costreduction; demonstratepersonal initiative andinnovation in meeting goalsand policies; and demonstratesuccessful efforts inencouraging and maintaininga diverse workforce.

SPACEPORT NEWSMay 22, 1998 Page 3

-

Irene Long namedSNFS President

Irene Long, M.D., Director,Biomedical Office

Irene Long, M.D., director ofKSC’s Biomedical Office, wasinstalled as president of theSociety of NASA FlightSurgeons (SNFS) at thegroup’s annual luncheon onMay 20. The event occurredduring the Aerospace MedicalAssociation’s Annual ScientificMeeting in Seattle May 17-22.Dr. Long’s term will runthrough May 1999. “Since the society isdedicated to the advancementof the aerospace medicalprofession to extend everyone’suseful role in space explora-tion, it’s truly an honor for meto serve as the society’spresident this year,” said Dr.Long. In 1995, Dr. Long receivedthe society’s President’sSpecial Award in recognitionof her contributions toaerospace medicine and of herserving as an outstanding rolemodel for others.

blockhouse dedication photo

Renovations complete at historicMercury launch blockhouse

Orlando Melendez, materials scienceengineer, Logistics Operations

ISO ...(Continued from Page 1)

foundation for all improve-ments. A pre-assessment at KSCwas conducted by auditors inMarch. Between that visit and therecent audit, employees in allNASA directorates at KSCwere interviewed by ISOauditors. Last week, the auditorsall remarked that a greatimprovement had beenachieved in processdevelopment and record-keeping since their initialvisit. They also praised KSCworkers for their dedication,skills and knowledge. “The enthusiasm and pridethat each employee has withthe documentation andexecution of their proceduresis readily apparent throughoutthe center,” noted DNV LeadAuditor Thomas Dadson. The auditors alsocommented that the personalinvolvement and leadership ofthe center director and his topmanagement team in thedevelopment of the systemwere critical to the center’spositive audit result. Following 88 hours ofinterviews, auditors identifiedonly seven minor non-conformities. The KSC BusinessInnovation Group intends tosubmit the corrective plan ofaction by May 22.

Orlando Melendez receives NASA administrator’s fellowship Orlando Melendez, Ph.D.,an engineer with the MaterialsScience Laboratory in KSC’sLogistics Operations, wasannounced as a participant inthe 1998-99 NASA Adminis-trator’s Fellowship Program.The program aims to enhancethe professional developmentof mid-career science, mathe-matics and engineering facultyat historically black collegesand universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribalcolleges and universities.

doctorate in chemical engin-eering, will teach during the1998-99 school year at theUniversity of Puerto Rico andwill spend the second year ofthe fellowship in professionaldevelopment. He will dividethe second year betweeninterning at NASA head-quarters in Washington D.C.and at the International SpaceUniversity in France. The fellowship program alsohelps universities better assistNASA in its research anddevelopment mission.

Cutting the ribbon at the blockhouse renovation ceremony are, left to right, KSC DeputyDirector for Launch and Payload Processing Loren Shriver, Comedian Bill Dana (the“8th Mercury astronaut”), Mercury 7 astronauts L. Gordon Cooper and Scott Carpenter,Brigadier General Randy Starbuck, Betty Grisholm, and Major Rory Maynard.

Dr. Melendez, who holds a

Mark your calendar for Super Safety Day on Thursday, July 16 ! Safety is always our priority, but on Super Safety Day the entire center will learn together why and how to improve our safety record each and every day. More information will be availablein future issues of Countdown and Spaceport News.

The blockhouse for theMercury-Atlas and unmannedAtlas-Agena Gemini targetmissions at Cape CanaveralAir Station’s Space LaunchComplex 14 has beenrenovated. The 45thOperations Support Squadron(OSS) led the effort to preservethe historic launch blockhousethat will be used as a confer-ence center. “It was a shame to see sucha historic site being reclaimedby nature,” said Lt. Col.Dennis Hilley, OperationsSupport Squadron commander.“The 45th OSS decided toreverse this and find a use forthe complex to try and save it.” John Glenn launched fromComplex 14 on his historic

orbital mission aboardFriendship 7 in Feb. 1962.Glenn was followed by ScottCarpenter’s Aurora 7 missionin May 1962 and WallySchirra’s Sigma 7 mission inOctober of the same year. The last Mercury 7astronaut to fly alone intospace was Air Force Colonel L.Gordon Cooper, who lifted offin his spacecraft Faith 7 inMay 1963. Painting and cleaning of theblockhouse wre accomplishedby volunteers. Extensiverepairs were made by JohnsonControls and Boeing, whileLockheed Martin and Brownand Root provided additionalassistance. Other agencies alsoprovided support.

the system will serve as a

SPACEPORT NEWS May 22, 1998Page 4

KSC’s All-American Picnicbrought smiles for miles...

The KSC All-American Picnic heldMay 16 at KARS Park One drew anenthusiastic crowd — more than 5,000!— on a spectacularly beautiful day. Managed this year by a committee ofNASA and contractor staff, the eventoffered a few changes from years past —including a fishing tournament for thekids, a chowder cookoff, and an exoticwildlife exhibit! Proceeds from the cook-off — held thisyear for the seventh time — go to theYMCA of Titusville, which was thefavorite charity of the People’s ChoiceAward winner, “Clams R Us.” Morethan $480 was raised for Titusville’sYMCA at this year’s picnic. As the pictures tell, all picnicparticipants were happy as clams!

James Stickley, 5 years old, demonstrateshow much fun take off and landing can be!

The Rascals won out of four teams competingin early morning matches on the volleyball court.

Center Director Roy Bridges has the eye of the tiger, which came with the restof this number one land predator in the world, a 450-pound Siberian-Bengaltiger. Thunderhawk Directors flanking the feline with Benita and Roy Bridgesare, left to right, Eddie Bealle, Lou Gunther, and Ray Thunderhawk. The tiger,incidentally, is the first in the world to have had successful cataract surgery!

Alyse Mullon adds finishing touches to the already bright face of Chancey Wyhuskens.

Astronaut Frank Caldiero congratulates Amanda Lampert, 12 yearsold, who took third place in her age group in the coloring contest.

Jenna Tower, 3 years old, prefers snowcones to freeze-dried ice cream.

SPACEPORT NEWSMay 22, 1998 Page 5

Above, Kelsey McMonagle, 6 years old, catches one fish that won’t make it into theseafood chowder competition. Below, only Dale Nash (right), USA director of GroundSystems Support, knows the fishy recipe that garnered the Peoples Choice award.Presenting one of three awards to the “Clams R Us” team are JoAnn Morgan andRick English. The NASA/Boeing Space Station Team won the Judges Choice award.

There was plenty ofspace at the picnic, but

not enough time. Thisfuture astronaut found ithard to say goodbye to

his new friend.

Catching some rays as well as fishare the Burman family, doubling their

chances with both Cliff, 5, and Gineva, 2,at the poles. Mom Melinda and Dad Terry

provide assistance to the young team, whowere among 170 children participating.

Parents of triplets are experts at fightingfires! Just ask Nancy and Dave Johnsonwith their brood of three 20-month-olds,Gregory (in dad’s arms), Claire (standingon seat) and Matthew. The Johnsons areenjoying a brief moment on a genuine 1938firetruck (the Dalmation is not quite that old).

Lindsay Marshall, left, and Lucy Stevenson, both 4 years old, wonderif balloons are as much fun in microgravity as they are on Earth!

SPACEPORT NEWS May 22, 1998Page 6

represented at the meeting, but other U.S. statesand foreign countries have also expressed akeen interest. The 127-foot-tall, wedge-shaped vehicledoes not sport an external fuel tank or solidrocket boosters that fall back to Earth duringascent. This makes Florida’s ocean-sitelocation only one of several options availableto VentureStar. Since the briefing, officials from SpaceportFlorida Authority, KSC and Cape Canaveral AirStation have thoroughly reviewed LockheedMartin's launch site requirements and areprepared to present both basic and creativeoptions to the Lockheed Martin site visitors. “This is an exciting time for Florida,” saidEd O’Connor, Spaceport Florida Authoritydirector. “The teamwork that's going onbetween the state, Kennedy Space Center,Cape Canaveral Air Station and state businessleaders reflects our high level of commitmentto supporting the VentureStar program.” Areas being reviewed as possible RLVlaunch sites include locations on the west andeast sides of the existing Shuttle LandingFacility, toward the south end of the runways.Also being studied are sites northwest ofShuttle Launch Pad 39B and southeast of theCape Canaveral Air Station skid strip.VentureStar developers hope to have launchsites near a landing strip to facilitate quick RLVturnaround, supporting about 40 flights a year. Thus, initial designs call for the launch padto be located near a landing strip. The facilitywill have a unique processing feature that willroll away from the vehicle just prior to itsrotation to a vertical launch position.

RLV ...(Continued from Page 1)

This comparison of X-33, at left, and the VentureStar demonstrates the size difference between the two vehiclesunder development. VentureStar is a reusable launch vehicle that potentially represents the future of U.S.spaceflight. The X-33 and the VentureStar will be powered by a unique engine called the linear aerospike engine.

“Right now we’re conducting studies todetermine what areas on both sides of the(Banana) river would be feasible launch,landing and payload processing sites. We’reconsidering safety issues, environmentalimpacts and the needs of the customer,” saidWarren Wiley, KSC’s RLV director. The state of Florida has already committed$4 million for the construction of a multi-purpose vehicle processing hangar at the SLF’ssouth-side apron. Construction of the hangar isslated to begin later this year. Lockheed Martin

is currently building a subscale prototype ofVentureStar called X-33 under a cooperativeagreement with NASA. It will demonstrateadvanced technologies to be used on anoperational RLV. Test flights for X-33 are slated to begin inmid-1999 from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.With up to 15 X-33 test flights and relatedresearch under their belt, Lockheed Martin andindustry will decide by the year 2000 whetherto proceed and build a full-scale RLV such asthe VentureStar.

Hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through November Are you prepared? The hurricane season runsJune through November. Check your supply ofboards, tools, batteries, and non-perishablefoods. Remember, plan your moves in advance,before a storm arrives, and avoid last-minutedetails that could leave you marooned orunprepared. Check your battery-operated equipment;your radio may be your only link with theoutside world. Keep your car fueled (servicestations may be inoperable for several daysdepending on the severity of the storm), andhave cash available. Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs,bottles. Your town’s water supply could becontaminated by flooding during a storm. Monitor the storm’s position throughNational Weather Service advisories, andbeware of the eye of the hurricane. If you have questions, KSC’s HurricaneCenter can be reached by calling 867-9200or -9201.Hurricane Luis in late1995, as seen from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-8 satellite.

SPACEPORT NEWSMay 22, 1998 Page 7

Huge gamma rayburst detected

A recently detected cosmicphenomenon has wowedresearchers and turnedscientific theory on its ear. Thegamma ray burst, as bright asthe rest of the entire universe,is unprecedented in astro-nomy, except for the Big Bang.

BIG BANG from a small speck — This stillstar was at the center of the gamma rayburst. The energy release came from agalaxy about 12 billion light years fromEarth (one light year is about 5.9 trillionmiles). Gamma ray bursts are flashes ofhigh-energy radiation, first discovered byU.S. Air Force satellites in the 1960s. Theircause is not yet known.

Building robots builds bridges betweenKSC and local schoolsKSC recently partici-

pated for the secondyear in a row in FIRST, whichmeans For Inspiration andRecognition of Science andTechnology. FIRST is anational competition toencourage student interest inscience and technology.Students work with sponsorsto design and build a robot.The competition features agoal in the center of a playingfield. This year, teamscompeted against each otherand the clock by remotely

ABOVE — In late February, the robot was still taking shape.Here, (left to right) students Trevor Hitt, of Merritt IslandHigh School; Samit Thakkar, also from Merritt Island High;Rob Mueller, a KSC engineer; Art Hendren, with Dynacs;and B.J. Jones, a student at Satellite High School, examinethe structural frame of the robot outside the weld shop inthe Industrial Area. Many of the students plan to studyengineering in college, so the opportunity to work at KSCgave them a taste of the real thing.

ALMOST THERE — The robot’s control system is putthrough its paces by Robert Morrison (left), NASA; AndyBradley, NASA; Chris Porter, Satellite High; Tom Lippitt,NASA; and Bill Jones, NASA, chief, Automated GroundSupport Systems.

directing their robots topick up balls anddeposit them in thedesignated goal.

The tournamentformat came completewith referees, specta-tors and cheerleaders.

Working with NASA/KSC onthis year’s effort were contrac-tors Dynacs, Boeing, UnitedSpace Alliance, EG&G Florida,Visitor Complex concessionaireDelaware North, Brevardarchitectural firm BRPH, theBrevard School Foundation,Brevard School Board, SatelliteHigh School and Merritt IslandHigh School. A second BrevardCounty team led by Mike Sklarand Brenda Bell of Boeing alsotook part, and won the MostPhotogenic Award at theregionals, held at JohnsonSpace Center’s Visitor Center inHouston. NASA KSC workedwith this team as well, whichincluded students from Astro-

naut andTitusville HighSchools. Thefinals were held

again at Epcot Center inOrlando last month. TheSpace Coast FIRST teamfinished 53rd out of 199national teams, and placedfifth among 18 teams spon-sored by NASA.

“Our agency’s visionincludes words like: invest-ment in America’s future,exploration, innovation,inspiration and benefit,” saidEduardo Lopez del Castillo, aNASA engineer who has ledthe KSC effort for the pasttwo years. “The way wenurture and guide our youthwill determine the strength ofour country and our ability tolead a highly technical worldeconomy. It is our duty todevelop their values and theirskills.” Call Lopez, 867-8005,to learn about volunteering.

TOP photo, right, EG&GFlorida Engineering Director

Tim Thurston works withstudents on the robot’sdesign. Above, DynacsTechnician Brad Ayers

describes the manufacturingprocess. Right, NASA

Engineering Technician RonFox (left) shows Satellite High

student Albert Ramirezfabrication techniques.

“The energy released by thisburst in its first few secondsstaggers the imagination,” saidShrinivas Kulkarni, one of twoprincipal investigators on theteam from California Instituteof Technology in Pasadenathat detected the distance ofthe enormous energy release.

The burst appears to havereleased several hundredtimes more energy than anexploding star, called asupernova, which until nowwas the most energeticphenomenon in the universeknown to scientists.

The burst was detected Dec.14 by two orbiting spacecraft.Follow-up observations wereconducted with ground-basedtelescopes and the HubbleSpace Telescope.

The team’s findingsappear in the May 7 issue ofthe journal Nature.

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Managing editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce BuckinghamEditor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan MaurerEditorial support provided by Sherikon Space Systems Inc. Writers Group.Photographic support primarily provided by The Bionetics Corp.

USGPO: 633-112/80006

Spaceport News

The Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Centerand is published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office in the interestof KSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks beforepublication to the Media Services Branch, AB-F1. E-mail submissions can besent to Susan.Maurer-1@ksc.nasa.gov

SPACEPORT NEWS May 22, 1998Page 8

STS-91 ...(Continued from Page 1)

STS-89 Mission Specialist David Wolf, above left, returned to KSC on Apr. 30 topersonally thank the many workers who assisted in his STS-86 liftoff to the RussianSpace Station Mir as the sixth U.S. astronaut to stay there. Wolf completed 128 dayson orbit and preceded Andy Thomas, who returns to Earth in June during STS-91. Thefirst U.S. astronaut to stay on Mir was Norman Thagard , below left, who also visitedKSC recently to participate in a Pioneer Productions broadcast on space. It will air asa two-hour documentary on British television’s Discovery channel in the near future.

Mir Reflectionsgrowth, materials science, radiationmonitoring and physics. The crew One Russian cosmonaut and sixAmerican astronauts comprise theSTS-91 crew. Mission CommanderCharles Precourt is on his fourthspace flight and third trip to Mir,whereas Pilot Dominic Gorie isflying his first Shuttle mission.Mission specialists include WendyLawrence; Franklin Chang-Diaz,Ph.D.; Janet Kavandi, Ph.D.; andAndrew Thomas, Ph.D. RussianCosmonaut Valery Ryumin,director of the Russian Shuttle-Mirprogram, completes the crew. Mission Specialist Thomasbegan his stay on Mir on Jan. 25during the STS-89 mission. TheAustralian-born scientist wasselected as an astronaut candidatein 1992. While awaiting his spaceflight assignment, Dr. Thomassupported shuttle launch andlanding operations as an AstronautSupport Person at KSC. What can the matter be? Anti-matter is the opposite ofmatter, and when the two come incontact, they release a burst ofenergy in the form of gamma rays,which can be detected outsideEarth’s shielding atmosphere. A prevailing theory of creation isthat the Big Bang producedapproximately equal amounts of

matter and antimatter, whichpromptly annihilated each other,but that a small excess of ordinarymatter was enough to create theuniverse as we know it, with verylittle surviving antimatter. More-over, scientists recently discovereda gamma-ray burst that they’recalling the most powerful explo-sion since the Big Bang. (Seepage 7.) The three-ton AMS-01 is thefirst large magnet experiment everto be flown in space and could bethe first experiment to detectminute quantities of antimatter incosmic rays coming from outsideour galaxy. This antimatter couldbe an indication of the existence ofantimatter galaxies. The data gathered by AMS maylend clues about the mysterious‘dark matter’ that may make up 90percent or more of the universe.The experiment also will measurenormal matter, as well as cosmicand gamma rays. The 7,050-pound AMS willsearch for antimatter and darkmatter to understand cosmic raypropagation. This first flight is designed toverify AMS performance underactual space conditions prior to itsthree-year deployment on theInternational Space Station. The AMS is an internationalcollaborative project involving 37research institutions in the U.S.and 12 countries.

Engineers at KSC conducted apre-launch cryogenic test of theShuttle’s first super lightweightexternal tank (SLWT) on May 18.The tank, mated to the orbiterDiscovery at Pad 39A, is scheduledfor launch on mission STS-91. The primary difference of thistest from standard pre-launchtanking operations is that the liquidoxygen and liquid hydrogrenpropellants were not loadedsimultaneously, but one after theother. For this reason, the tankingtest took longer than a typical pre-launch tanking. The primary objectives of thetest were to evaluate the strut loadsbetween the tank and the solidrocket boosters and to verify theintegrity of the new components ofthe tank.

STS-91 tanking test goes well Developed to increase theShuttle payload capacity onInternational Space Station flights,the first SLWT is more than 7,000pounds lighter than conventionalmetal alloy external tanks. Major changes to the lighter tankinclude the use of new materialsand a revised internal design. Theweight reduction is due to the useof aluminum lithium in the con-struction of the tank’s internalliquid hydrogen and liquid oxygentanks. Aluminum lithium is alighter, stronger material than themetal alloy used in the originaltanks. The new external tank holdsa maximum of 143,351 gallons ofliquid oxygen and 385,265 gallonsof liquid hydrogen. The redesignalso provides additional strengthand stability.