Inside

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

Feb. 8, 2002

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Spaceport Newshttp://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/snews/snewstoc.htm

Vol. 41, No. 3

Page 8 – ChildcareDevelopment Center cutsribbon for new playground.

Pages 3-6 – 40th anniversaryof Americans in orbit.

Page 2 – “Recognizing OurPeople” honors employees.

(See SYSTEM, Page 7)

Page 7 – New signs countdown to ELV launches.

(See SERVICE, Page 7)

40th AnniversaryAmericans in orbit

New planning, service center opens

Haz Gas System set for STS-109February 20, 1962, the

first American in orbit gothis start aboard a Mercuryvehicle launched from theCape Canaveral Spaceport.

John Glenn Jr. wastasked with the feat ofbeing the first, and per-formed it admirably.

Three other Mercuryastronaut heros – ScottCarpenter, Wally Schirra Jr.and Gordon Cooper –followed, pushing theorbital envelope with evermore daring missions.

Spaceport News isspotlighting those astro-nauts and anniversaryevents with a specialsection, pages 3-6.

Live coverage of acommemorative banquetFeb. 24 at KSC will beshown on NASA Select TV.Coverage is tentatively setto begin at 6:30 p.m.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony washeld Jan. 25 at the new CapeCanaveral Spaceport Planning andCustomer Service Center at CapeCanaveral Air Force Station.

The new center is a jointpartnership between NASA, the AirForce and the State of Florida, andoffers a complete one-stop shop fornew launch and program custom-ers’ needs. “Customer Service was movedto the Cape because Spaceportmanagers needed to be where boththe launches and customers are,”said Rick Blucker, director of theoffice. The joint partnership helpsstreamline the process and reduce

“This facility provides an excellent one-stop shopfor customers. Bringing everything togetherunder one roof is a concept that has proven to bevery successful for our customers.”

ROY BRIDGESKENNEDY SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR

the bureaucracy that prospectivelaunch and program customersencounter.

“There is nothing like this facilityin the country. It is unique in thatno other state has this kind of a

relationship in place,” said EdGormel, executive director of theCape Canaveral Spaceport Man-agement Office.

NASA, USA, Dynacsteam on safety upgrade The prime and back-up Hazardous Gas DetectionSystems on the mobile launcher platforms (MLP) arebeing replaced with a more automated and reliablesystem for detecting dangerous hydrogen and oxygenleaks on and around the Space Shuttle. Because such leaks could contribute to a deadly fireor explosion on the pad, the system is considered acritical piece of ground support equipment. The new Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS)on MLP-2 has been certified and will go solo for thefirst time during the launch of STS-109, currentlyscheduled for Feb. 28. The new HGDS was successfully used in tandemwith the heritage systems during four previouslaunches. This new system, which makes use of improvedtechnologies and custom-written software, is expectedto provide many benefits, including greatly reducingthe chance of a false reading. Such a reading can leadto a costly launch scrub. A “burp” in the old system’s pump caused a falsereading and abort during the final seconds of the firstlaunch attempt for STS-93, the Chandra X-ray Tele-scope mission, on July 20, 1999, said J. Edelmann,NASA project manager.

“The old system was a marvel for its time, but itwas 20-something years old and prone to break down.It was difficult for the average user to operate and hadto be frequently tuned,” Edelmann said. “The newsystem doesn’t have those problems and uses adifferent kind of pump that doesn’t occasionallyproduce false readings.” The new system was built primarily with easily

A Dynacs team installs and tests the latest version ofHGDS software on mobile launcher platform 3. Fromleft are David Floyd, Tim Griffin and Charles Curley.

SPACEPORT NEWS Feb. 8, 2002Page 2

Catch anEnvironmentalist

Awards

Recognizing Our People

Effective ProgramImplementationand ManagementRuth Ann Strunk-SGSIrene LaTurno-SGSDavid Koval-SGSDoug Johnson-GHGHenry Healey-SGSRay Coffman-USADoug Thom-BoeingKevin Riley-SGSDonna Rafferty-NASAChris Iannello-NASAJohn Wortham-USA

EnvironmentalInitiativeDavid Bethard-USALoren Olson-USARichard Rennie-HM2Chuck Floyd-SGSEdward Coyle-CHS

Energy SavingsPerfomance ContractsMark Monaghan-USATim Tychan-USAMike Laub-USADon Shrum-USADennis Amos-USABill Warren-USARobert Mann-USAThomas Cook-USALenny Corack-USAScott DeWitt-USA

Natural Resources/Habitat ConservationMario Mota-DYNBecky Smith-DYNEric Stolen-DYNDoug Scheidt-DYNRuss Lowers-DYNVickie Larson-DYNMelissa Hensley-DYN

Hazardous WasteCatherine Houle

Employees of the Month

Excellence in Technology Transfer Award

FEW offeringscholarships

The Space Coast Chapter ofFederally Employed Women (FEW)is awarding scholarships for highschool and/or college students whoare currently attending college orenrolling for Fall 2002.

Students must have a GPA of 3.0or higher to be considered. Appli-cations should be received byMarch 15. For additional informa-tion or an application, pleasecontact Jane Eitel at (321) 867-8340;Christy Vanasse, (321) 867-4886; orKarin Biega, (321) 867-6382.

FEW is sponsoring a one-timespecial scholarship for the 2002National Training Program to beheld at the Rosen Center Hotel inOrlando July 23 -26.

The scholarship will consist offree hotel room for three nights andregistration fees for the trainingprogram. The scholarship is opento all NASA and contractorpersonnel. Please contact JaneEitel at (321) 867-8340.

February Employees of the Month are (seated, from left) JohnBrand, ISS/Payloads Processing; Darcy Miller, Shuttle Processing;Julie Shally, Spaceport Engineering and Technology; (standing)Dennis Armstrong, External Relations and Business Development;William Haase, Spaceport Services; and Carol Davis, ChiefFinancial Office. Not shown are Greg Katnik, Shuttle Integration;and Julie Schneringer, ELV and Payload Carriers Programs.

Kennedy Space Center team members attended the presentation of the South East Federal LaboratoryConsortium’s 2001 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award at the Sheraton World Resort in OrlandoJan. 15. The winning KSC invention was the “Process and Equipment for Nitrogen Oxide WasteConversion to Fertilizer.” Pictured (from left) are Dr. David Bartine, chief technologist, NASA; KennethPayne, deputy director, Spaceport Engineering and Technology, NASA; William Larson, chief, Systemsand Process Engineering Branch; NASA; Kelly McGuire, regional coordinator, Southeast FederalLaboratory Consortium; Melanie Chan, research and development liaison, NASA; Dr. Dale Lueck, seniorchemist, NASA (inventor); Paul Gamble, project lead, Dynacs (inventor); Edward Linsenmeyer, SoutheastFederal Laboratory Consortium. Not pictured: Dr. Clyde Parrish, senior chemist, NASA (inventor); andAndrew Kelly, systems engineer, NASA (inventor).

SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3Feb. 8, 2002

Spaceport NewsJohn F. Kennedy Space Center

Vol. 41, No. 3 Feb. 8, 200240th Anniversary

AMERICANS IN ORBIT

Remembering Our Heritage

Event setto honorspace heros,teamwork

Mercury astronauts pushed the envelope, proved manned spaceflight possible

(See GLENN, Page 4)

First in orbitGlenn recalls Mercury,Shuttle missions

Take a journey through thebeginning of the space program asKennedy Space Center commemo-rates the 40th anniversary ofAmericans in orbital spaceflight onFeb. 24 at the KSC Visitor Complex.

On Feb. 20, 1962, aboard theFriendship 7 spacecraft, John GlennJr. became the first American toorbit the Earth.

The Mercury-Atlas 6 missionlasted nearly five hours.

During the famous flight, Glennnot only paved the way forupcoming space pioneers, but alsoset the stage for his own future.

While serving as a U.S. Senatorfor the state of Ohio (1974-1999), hereturned to space aboard SpaceShuttle Discovery on Oct. 29, 1998.

Shuttle Mission STS-95 launched36 years after his first mission andmarked 218 hours in space forGlenn.

(See EVENT, Page 6)

When John Glenn Jr. made hishistoric orbital flight around Earthaboard Friendship 7, Feb. 20, 1962,little did he know that 36 years laterhe’d make his return to spaceaboard the Space Shuttle, at theage of 77. Glenn’s involvement in the U.S.space program began when he wasselected as one of the sevenMercury astronauts in 1958.

Looking back to that time, Glennreflected, “It was a team effort. Wewere a team of seven and were allworking together on the begin-nings of our space program. “My experience as a Marinefighter pilot in World War II and theKorean War and a test pilot afterthat were factors that I believedhelped in my selection,” said Glenn. During this time the UnitedStates was in a cold war with theUSSR, and Communist leader NikitaKruschev was in power.

The Russians had sent asurveillance satellite and a man toorbit theEarth and gloated overtheir achievements.

The pressure was now on theUnited States to keep up and even

By Linda Herridge

By Jennifer WolfingerJohn Glenn aboard Friendship 7.

Astronaut Walter Schirra Jr.’sorbital mission aboard Sigma 7launched Oct. 5, 1962.

Astronaut Scott Carpenter is pictured at the Mercury Control Center atCape Canaveral. He became the second man to orbit the Earth when hismission flew aboard Aurora 7 on May 24, 1962.

Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, surrounded by five technicians, isassisted into the Faith 7 capsule about two and a half hours before hislaunch May 15, 1963.

Special section

Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Feb. 8, 2002

GLENN ...(Continued from Page 3)

surpass these accomplishments.Thus was born the Space race.

“We were limited in what wecould do in manned space flight atthat time because of our technicalachievements, as odd as thatsounds,” said Glenn. “The Atlasrocket was very powerful but itcould only launch 4,000 pounds.So we had to design a vehicle withthat in mind.” The seven Mercury astronautshad active roles in the developmentof the vehicle that carried them intosub-orbital and orbital flights.

Glenn’s expertise in cockpitlayout and control functioninghelped in the design and systemspecifications of the nine- byseven-foot capsule, Friendship 7. Following Alan Shepard’s andGus Grissom’s sub-orbital flights,the U.S. manned space programentered the next phase – launchinga man into orbit around the Earth.

Glenn’s launch atop an Atlasrocket from Cape Canaveral Launch

Complex 14 was heralded as acornerstone on which othersuccessful orbital space flightswere based. It proved we couldsend a man into space and bringhim back safely. After Glenn’s single Mercuryflight, he continued to make publicappearances for NASA, the BoyScouts and other public serviceorganizations.

He served on the board ofdirectors and was vice president forcorporate development for RoyalCrown Cola, the third leading colamaker at the time.

His interests turned to publicservice and the political arena. “Actually my interest in politics

had always been there,” Glenncommented. “My high schoolcivics teacher made it come alivefor me.” He decided to run for office andwon the U.S. Senate race in hishome state of Ohio in 1974. He wasre-elected for three subsequentterms, retiring in 1998.

During his tenure, Senator Glennserved on various committees,including the Special Committee onAging, which ultimately led to hisreturn to space. Glenn worked diligently in theSenate to push for NASA’sscientific missions.

This work led him to findresearch that showed the effects of

aging on the elderly were similar tothose of space flight on astronauts.

Glenn proposed a scientificmission dedicated to the study ofthe effects of space flight on theelderly to NASA and in 1998 hewas assigned to Mission STS-95. When asked recently about thedifferences in the Mission STS-95flight aboard Discovery as com-pared to his Friendship 7 flight,Glenn said, “It was different inmany ways from my first flight. Iwas one of seven astronautsaboard and I was able to leave myseat and participate in the experi-ments and mission objectives. Myfirst flight was purely to see if wecould do it – send a man into orbitand bring him back safely.”

Continuing his interest in spaceexploration, the former astronautwill serve as co-chair of this year’sinternational Space Day, May 2.

Whatever the future holds instore for Senator Glenn, history stillrecords that he was the first U.S.astronaut to orbit the Earth, thefirst to eat food in space, and, forthe time, the oldest astronaut everto fly in space.

As a U.S. Senator,John Glenn workeddiligently to push forNASA’s scientificmissions.

STS-95 Payload Specialist John Glenn gestures during a media briefing at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site Auditorium. Glenn and the otherSTS-95 crew members held the briefing after the completion of their mission.

Page 5SPACEPORT NEWSFeb. 8, 2002

Senior astronaut proved himself adaptable

Science experiments showedGlenn still had the right stuff

John Glenn’s successful return tospace during STS-95 when he was77 years old – after having firstorbited the Earth when he was 40 –was a confidence builder for ournation’s aging population.

It also produced scientificevidence that the healthy seniorcitizen responded similarly to ashort-duration spaceflight asastronauts half his age.

Because Glenn is the onlyastronaut of such advanced age tohave flown in space, researcherssay his experience has opened thedoor to further questions aboutaging and the effects of space-flight.

“Some researchers thoughtGlenn might be less adaptive to thestresses of spaceflight because ofhis age, but he responded in verymuch the same way as his youngercrewmates,” said Dr. John Charlesof Johnson Space Flight Center. Dr.Charles helped to organize thebiomedical experiments on STS-95.

Ten of those biomedical experi-ments were performed using Glennas a subject before, during andafter his flight. Data was alsocollected from some of hiscrewmates.

The experiments were designedto study how spaceflight affectedGlenn’s balance, body temperature,heart rate, muscle strength, mentalawareness and immune response as

compared to the younger astro-nauts. Glenn’s results paralleled hiscrewmates, except for his immuneresponse.

Glenn experienced a slightlygreater suppression of his immunesystem.

“As people age, even if they arehealthy and active, their immunesystem tends to become somewhatmore vulnerable, so his response tothe stress of spaceflight makessense,” Dr. Charles said. “Allastronauts see some immunesystem suppression. His was just abit more, meaning that he was a bitmore vulnerable to infection andother illnesses for a few days afterhe returned.”

Dr. Charles cautions that Glenn’sexperience isn’t scientific proof ofhow the average senior wouldrespond to spaceflight. Glenn wasonly a sample of one, and he ismuch more active and healthy thanmany people.

Glenn very much agrees thatother seniors should travel tospace.

“Since I am the first to do this,we need to send others to increasethe database of information. Weshould send men and women,”Glenn said.

The biomedical tests for STS-95Glenn volunteered for were muchmore complicated than those heparticipated in during his firstspaceflight aboard Friendship 7,

“Since I am thefirst to do this(flying in spaceat an advancedage), we need tosend others toincrease the da-tabase of infor-mation. Weshould send menand women.”JOHN GLENNASTRONAUT

Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski prepares to withdraw a blood samplefrom the arm of John Glenn during Mission STS-95.

John Glenn pictured in his official Shuttle astronaut portrait for STS-95.

By Kathy Hagood

Glenn said.For that flight, Glenn was tested

to see whether his vision andbalance would be affected, whichthey weren’t. Doctors wondered ifit would be possible to eat in space.Glenn ate applesauce from asqueeze tube with no problem.

“During the Mercury program wewere doing certain things just tosee if we could go into space. Nowthe focus is very different,” Glennsaid. “It’s very much research-based, and I’m happy to have beenpart of it.”

Feb. 8, 2002 SPACEPORT NEWS Page 6

Although Glenn was the firstAmerican to orbit Earth, everyoneinvolved with the Mercury flightscontributed to the space programwe know today.

Alan Shepard Jr., the first man inspace, and Gus Grissom madesuborbital flights in 1961. AfterGlenn flew, Mercury astronautsScott Carpenter, Wally Schirra Jr.and Gordon Cooper followed.

“I think we should look at theevent not just as a celebration of

EVENT ...(Continued from Page 3)

my Mercury flight but as a celebra-tion of the entire Mercury team,”Glenn said. “We all workedtogether, we were a team. Eachflight built on the previous one.”

Honoring all those that made thehistoric flights possible is the focusof the occasion. Glenn, Carpenter,Schirra and Cooper, along withothers that contributed to theprogram, will take part in thevarious events.

Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovellwill host the grand opening of thenew Rocket Garden. The Mercuryastronauts will also participate.

This event, included as part ofregular Visitor Complex admission,will feature the Mercury-Atlas, therocket that Glenn, Carpenter,Schirra and Cooper rode into space.

Also as part of regular admissionGordon Cooper, Guenter Wendtand Bill Dana will make appear-ances at the Astronaut EncounterStage.

Cooper and famed pad leaderWendt will sign their newlypublished books. Dana will signcopies of his CD.

Dana is famous for his character“José Jiménez” and became known

as the eighth Mercury astronaut.Visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.

com, or call (321) 449-4400, fortransportation information and topurchase tickets ($75) for “AnEvening with the Mercury Astro-nauts” hosted by Lovell.

During the event, Glenn, Carpen-ter, Schirra and Cooper will sharetheir memories about their flights.

TV journalist Walter Cronkite andDana will also make appearances.

Corporate tables of ten areavailable through the AstronautScholarship Foundation. Call LinnBurnaw at (321) 269-6100, ext. 6176.

Glenn’s Mercury, Shuttle missions comparedFriendship 7 vs. Discovery

By Anita Barrett

Most voyagers and pioneers ofthe first millennium were able torepeat their adventures. Think ofChristopher Columbus, FernandoMagellan and Henry Hudson.

After John Glenn Jr.’s first flightinto space Feb. 20, 1962, thispioneer did not get his chance toreturn to space until 36 years afterhis maiden trip. And what adifference.

The second time found Glenn notas solo commander but as apayload specialist, one of seven inthe crew.

The vehicle he traveled in was 20times as big, went one and a halftimes higher, and landed on terrafirma rather than the ocean.

The trip also lasted about 50times longer.

And instead of the voyage beingthe experiment, Glenn helpedconduct experiments on agingduring the trip.

The MA6 mission, Friendship 7,was a milestone in the early stepsof the space program. The missionobjectives were to place a man intoEarth orbit, observe his reactions to

the space environment and safelyreturn him to earth to a point wherehe could be readily found. Theflight plan during the first orbit wasto maintain optimum spacecraftattitude for radar tracking andcommunication checks.

The mission included a numberof “firsts.” It was the first Ameri-can-manned orbital space flight,and the first time frogmen weredropped into water during recoveryto attach flotation devices andassist in recovery.

Glenn’s second space voyage,STS-95, also had a number of firsts,even as the 92nd Shuttle mission.

John Glenn was the first Mercuryastronaut to fly in a Shuttle; it wasthe first flight for the Space ShuttleMain Engine-Block II, an improvedversion of earlier engines; and itwas the first Shuttle launch which aU.S. President attended.

The primary objectives of theSTS-95 mission included a varietyof science and medical experimentsin the pressurized SPACEHABmodule. Biomedical researchinvolved tests on Payload Special-ist John Glenn and several othermembers of the crew.

Discovery

Friendship 7Type of vehicle: Mercurycapsule/Atlas 6 rocketSize: 9- by 7-foot capsuleHeight of orbit: 162 statute milesNo. of orbits: 3Miles traveled: 75,679Time in space: 4 hours, 55 minutesLaunch site: Launch Complex 14, Cape CanaveralLanding site: Atlantic Ocean,800 miles SE of Bermuda

Type of vehicle: Space ShuttleSize: 184-foot long orbiterHeight of orbit: 340-349 statutemilesNo. of orbits: 135Miles traveled: 3.6 millionTime in space: 8 days, 212hours, 44 minutesLaunch site: Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space CenterLanding site: Shuttle LandingFacility, KSC

SPACEPORT NEWSFeb. 8, 2002

SERVICE ...(Continued from Page 1)

Page 7

SYSTEM ...(Continued from Page 1)

Each customer is assigned a Spaceportmanager to offer guidance through require-ments and associated agencies, public safetyissues, real estate agreements and environ-mental concerns.

The manager supports the customer fromthe start of the launch or program to the finish,eliminating the need to deal with multiplegovernment offices. Roy Bridges, Kennedy Space Centerdirector; Brig. Gen. Donald Pettit, 45th SpaceWing Commander; and Gormel were presentfor the ribbon cutting. During the ceremony, Bridges described thenew center: “This facility provides an excellentone-stop shop for customers. Bringingeverything together under one roof is aconcept that has proven to be very successfulfor our customers.” He added, “It’s important for our nationalsecurity and our national economy.” General Pettit voiced his support: “This is atime of great satisfaction to watch this growfrom a concept to a smooth-running facility forany customer interested in operating, launch-ing, or submitting a proposal at the CapeCanaveral Spaceport.”

replaced off-the-shelf parts, whichwill reduce maintenance costs. The new HGDS was designedand certified by a joint team ofNASA, United Space Alliance, andDynacs Inc. personnel. Dynacs isKennedy Space Center’s Engineer-ing and Development contractor.

The Dynacs team fabricated,assembled and tested the newsystems, which were then inte-grated into Shuttle Processing bythe USA team members.

The USA and NASA integrateddata systems team integrated thenew system and its sophisticateddata stream into the LaunchProcessing System (LPS). The LPSprovides data to the entire launchteam and personnel at other NASAcenters who also use the data. NASA and USA’s HazardousGas engineering group worked withDynacs to help create a system thatbest met the Shuttle Program’srequirements. “We are pleased with thesystem’s performance and have

high confidence in the new sys-tems,” said Ken Kroll, USA lead forthe project. “These systems will beeasier to maintain, validate andoperate. Of course there will be anew learning curve associated withnew hardware.” Teamwork was crucial to thesuccess of the project, said Dr. TimGriffin, Dynacs project lead. “It’s difficult, if not impossibleto design a good system withoutworking directly with the users and

getting their input,” Dr. Griffin said.“We were able to work as a team tocreate an efficient, economicalsystem.” The HGDS, able to detect avariety of gases, is also used todetect leaks during prelaunch testsusing helium to identify hydrogenand oxygen leaks in the mainpropulsion systems. Several hours before launch,cryogenic fuel (liquid hydrogen)and oxidizer (liquid oxygen) are

loaded in the External Tank (ET) tobe used by the Shuttle mainengines during launch. The HGDSis used throughout the countdown,but it’s mainly used during andafter ET cryo-loading to identifyand quantify leaks. The old system operated with aseparate backup system, but thenew system is designed withredundant components, consolidat-ing the equipment space requiredfrom five electronic racks to three. Both systems use a massspectrometer to identify andquantify leaks, but the new systemhas a 50 percent faster update ratefor gas concentration readings. Thespeed will facilitate the launchteam’s ability to analyze leaks in thedynamic environment of launchoperations, Edelmann said.

Two other new HGDS’s for theother MLPs are in various stages ofinstallation and verification.

“The entire team worked veryhard on this project, and to get thissystem ready to support the launchof STS-109,” Edelmann said. “Icouldn’t be more proud of theirtremendous efforts.”

ELV Countdown

Bill Haskell, Dynacs lead electrical technician, terminates wires in theHazardous Gas Detection System in preparation for delivery to USA.

Kennedy Space Center employees and other passersby driving on Center on State Road 3and the NASA Causeway now will be able to learn how many days left until the nextExpendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) launch. A NASA, Boeing and SGS team worked todevelop and install the signs to increase interest in and awareness of ELV launches. Thesigns are available for multiple use by NASA, commercial, and Air Force missions. HESSI isthe first mission to use the sign.

Page 8 SPACEPORT NEWS Feb. 8, 2002

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Managing editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce BuckinghamEditor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Hagood

Editorial support provided by InDyne Inc. Writers Group.NASA at KSC is located on the Internet at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov

USGPO: 733-133/60001

Spaceport News

Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center andis published on alternate Fridays by External Relations and BusinessDevelopment in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted two weeks beforepublication to the Media Services Branch, XAE-1. E-mail submissions can besent to Katharine.Hagood-1@ksc.nasa.gov

FEW training seminar set

Childcare center playground dedicated

The Space Coast Chapter of Federally Employed Women Inc.(FEW) will present their 23rd annual one-day training seminar, at 9a.m., March 6 and March 7.

The seminar is titled “Prelude to 2002 – Magic and Space –Dreams in Progress” and will be held at the Holiday Inn, CocoaBeach. Nancy Lewis, the keynote speaker, is a leading motivational/inspirational speaker, trainer, and consultant.

Registration and a continental breakfast begin at 8:00 a.m. andworkshops begin at 10:15 a.m.

Continental breakfast and lunch are included in the cost of theseminar, which is $70. Registration must be completed by Feb. 27.

For further information, contact Becky Fasulo. Call (321) 867-4436, fax 867-8599, e-mail Rebecca Fasulo-1@ksc.nasa.gov.

Above, Noelle Bee,administrator of the ChildDevelopment Center, cuts theribbon for the center’supgraded playground while(from left) Maria Wilson,NASA Exchange operationsmanager; Connie Phillips, -infant lead; and KristaShaffer, Exchange facilitiesmanager, look on. Thechildren are JoeyDeLaPascua (left) and JacobReam. In the photograph atleft, Christopher Harter (left)and Morgan Carter play onthe new equipment.

The Child Development Center’s(CDC) newly renovated playgroundat Kennedy Space Center wasofficially open with a ribbon cuttingJan. 18.

The KSC-CDC Parents GettingInvolved group coordinated anumber of activities for thecelebration, including ponies, amagic show, and special treats forthe children.

“This just shows that throughteamwork and dedication much canbe accomplished,” said MariaWilson, NASA Exchange opera-tions manager. “We are proud to bea part of this team and look forwardto many future successes.”

The NASA Exchange Councilsponsors the CDC. The center wasestablished in 1990 and taken overby the Exchange Council in 1996.

The center serves children agessix weeks through five years of age,providing educational activitiesthat actively engage children in thelearning process.

The new playground wasplanned to facilitate the children’seducation, said Noelle Bee, CDCadministrator. It is broken up intothree components that correspondwith the ages of the children whouse the equipment. The playgroundincludes infant, toddler and pre-school play areas.

“The new playground is a primeexample of the developmentallyappropriate activities provided forthe children,” Bee said.

In addition to the new equip-ment, the Exchange added onehundred square feet of grass area

that will serve as picnic space,creative expression areas andenough room for a game of goodold fashioned kick ball.

The equipment will help thechildren’s large muscles developand encourages socializationamong children and teachers, Beesaid. At the same time, thesurfacing helps alleviate seriousinjuries by providing cushion.

Continuing improvements at thecenter are made possible bysupport from the parents of thechildren at the center, the teachers,NASA Exchange employees andthe NASA Exchange Council.

“These enthusiastic individualscreate the warm and lovingenvironment that helps mold theleaders of tomorrow,” Wilson said.“These things are evident in theaesthetic look of the center, thework of the children displayedthroughout the building and themany upgrades the teachers makeon a daily basis.”

The Child Develop-ment Center serveschildren ages sixweeks through fiveyears of age, provid-ing educational ac-tivities that activelyengage children in thelearning process.