Suggested Searches

27 min read

The Marshall Star

In This Week’s Star

‘Test Like You Fly’: What Qualification Means for SLS Rocket

By Megan Davidson

The word “qualification” has become quite synonymous with testing and building the world’s most powerful rocket, NASA’s Space Launch System, which will make missions possible to an asteroid and the journey to Mars.

So, what does it mean for rocket parts to be “qualified” for the mission of going to deep space? And how does that fit in to being ready for that first, uncrewed flight of SLS with the Orion spacecraft in late 2018?

SLS rocket booster
The most powerful rocket booster in the world successfully fired up in March 2015 for the first of two major qualification ground trocket boosterests at Orbital ATK’s test facilities in Promontory, Utah. The second test is scheduled for June 28. Credits: NASA

“When you’re building a rocket, there’s a whole flight certification process, and qualification is an important part of that,” said Garry Lyles, SLS chief engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “It proves the hardware meets the requirements and performs the way it is designed to do. We want to test like we fly.”

The Process to the Pad

Setting requirements is the first step in the flight certification process and essentially answers the question of what the rocket is being built to do. For SLS, the vehicle has requirements to send humans on deep-space missions, including the journey to Mars.

Technicians at Michoud perform priming operations on the SLS engine section qualification test article
Engineers are constructing qualification structural test articles for the core stage at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Technicians at Michoud perform priming operations on the SLS engine section qualification test article. The primer is applied for corrosion protection. The hardware will be shipped later this year to the Marshall Center to undergo structural loads testing on a 50-foot test structure currently under construction. Credits: NASA/Michoud/Steven Seipel

The next step is designing the rocket, and then construction begins before the next step of qualification testing. And that includes building flight hardware.

“NASA’s modeling techniques are extremely mature and have been developed over many, many years,” said Lyles. “A lot of our qualification is done by modeling and analysis, with big margins for safety and other factors. This gives NASA the confidence to go ahead and build flight hardware.”

Lyles says a common misconception about qualification testing is that it means the hardware and systems are “go” for flight.  While qualification testing shows various parts of the rocket perform as predicted, NASA still has to integrate and test key elements of the rocket that work together during various phases of the mission.

“After qualification testing, there’s still work to be done,” Lyles said. “We do acceptance tests, like ‘green’ run, where the core stage and engines will be integrated and fired up together, just like they will operate during a launch.”

Qualification test article of the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA)
A crane lifts the qualification test article of the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) after final manufacturing on a 30-foot welding tool at the Marshall Center. The test version of the LVSA and other structural test articles for the upper part of the rocket will be tested later this year at Marshall to verify the integrity of the hardware and ensure it can withstand the forces it will experience during flight. Credits: NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given

Green run testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center will occur closer to the launch date, which is scheduled no later than November 2018.

“While the RS-25 engines have been previously certified, they do have some new parts, including the engine controller, and we have to qualify those pieces for flight,” Lyles added. “And we want to make sure the different parts of the rocket, like the core stage and engines, work together as designed.”

A countdown rehearsal, a type of validation test, will happen before SLS lifts off from the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Engineers will load the rocket with propellant, drain it, and ensure all the ground systems equipment and processes are in place for that maiden flight.

Ratana Meekham, a Qualis Corp. engineering technician at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
Ratana Meekham, a Qualis Corp. engineering technician at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, helps install approximately 5 miles of cable on a half-ring structure being used to test the avionics system that will guide the world’s most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System, on deep-space missions. Qualification testing began March 30 and is an important next step in ensuring the system is “go for launch” for the first flight of SLS in 2018. During testing, the avionics team can troubleshoot any problems with subsystems, and make sure the units communicate together as they are designed to do. The complex avionics system, housed in the SLS core stage, is made up of computers, software and related hardware systems. The avionics hardware units are arranged in flight configuration at Marshall’s Systems Integration and Test Facility, and with the flight software, will replicate what will actually fly the rocket. Engineers at Marshall’s Systems Integration and Test Facility will run simulations in which the flight software works with the avionics just like they will work together to control the SLS during its launch and flight. Credits: NASA/MSFC/Fred Deaton

Along with testing and rehearsals, SLS has another program milestone to clear — design certification review. Already passing preliminary design review and critical design review, the rocket will be certified that it meets all design requirements. It will then proceed to the integrated test, checkout and flight readiness review.

“We have come a long way since the beginning of this program in 2011, and it’s the first time in almost 40 years a human-rated rocket has passed critical design review,” said SLS Program Manager John Honeycutt. “I am confident that this vehicle has the capabilities to take us on human exploration missions that have never been accomplished before, and it’s exciting for me, and our workforce, to be a part of that story.”

Davidson, an ASRC Federal/Analytical Services employee, supports the Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications.

› Back to Top

Get SLS Fired Up with Live Coverage of SLS Booster Qualification Test

By Megan Davidson

A test version of the booster for Space Launch System will fire up for the second of two qualification ground tests June 28.
A test version of the booster for NASA’s Space Launch System will fire up for the second of two qualification ground tests June 28 at prime contractor Orbital ATK’s test facility in Promontory, Utah. Credits: Orbital ATK

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center team members have the opportunity to watch as the booster for the world’s most powerful rocket, NASA’s Space Launch System, fires up for testing June 28 at Orbital ATK’s test facilities in Promontory, Utah.

Coverage will begin June 27 as NASA Television airs a NASA Social question-and-answer session with agency and Orbital ATK representatives at 2:30 p.m. CDT. NASA Social is a program to provide opportunities for NASA’s social media followers to learn and share information about NASA’s missions, people and programs.

NASA Television’s live coverage and Ustream feed on test day will begin at 8:30 CDT. The two-minute, full-duration ground test will start at 9:05 a.m. and air live on:

There also will be a Facebook Live starting at 8:45 a.m. CDT on the NASA Facebook page.

This is the second ground test for the booster, and will provide NASA with critical data to support booster qualification for the first flight of SLS with the Orion spacecraft. It also will be the last time the booster is fired in a test environment before the first flight of SLS in 2018. During the test, 82 qualification test objectives will be measured through more than 530 instrumentation channels on the booster at a cold motor conditioning target of 40 degrees Fahrenheit – which is the colder end of its accepted propellant temperature range.

The first, full-scale booster qualification ground test was successfully completed in March 2015, which demonstrated acceptable performance of the booster design at 90 degrees Fahrenheit — the highest end of the booster’s accepted propellant temperature range. Testing at the thermal extremes experienced by the booster on the launch pad is important to understand the effect of temperature on the ballistic performance of the propellant.

Davidson, an ASRC Federal/Analytical Services employee, supports the Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications.

› Back to Top

Hardware for NASA’s Journey to Mars is ‘Big Catch’ for Upcoming Test Series

By Megan Davidson

In the early morning hours of June 19, fishermen may have seen more than just lures casting out on the Tennessee River in North Alabama. A key piece of hardware for NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System, began a five-hour journey by barge from United Launch Alliance in Decatur and was successfully delivered to the Marshall Space Flight Center.

SLS will be the most powerful rocket in the world and enable human missions to deep space, including the journey to Mars.

The interim cryogenic propulsion stage test article
The interim cryogenic propulsion stage test article made a five-hour journey on the Tennessee River from United Launch Alliance in Decatur, Alabama to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. At Marshall, the hardware will undergo tests critical to the first launch of NASA’s Space Launch System — the world’s most powerful rocket. Credits: NASA/MSFC Image: Emmett Given

The transported hardware is a prototype of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, and will be a “big catch” for testing later this year. The ICPS is the liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen-based system that will give Orion — NASA’s deep-space craft — the big, in-space push needed to fly beyond the moon on its flight with SLS before it returns to Earth.

The test version of the ICPS joins other structural test articles and simulators that make up the upper portion of the rocket. When all the hardware is completed, engineers will stack them together and move the 56-foot-tall structure to a test stand at Marshall.

“The delivery of this test hardware is critical to preparing for a big test series later this year,” said Chris Calfee, ICPS project manager at Marshall, where the SLS Program is managed for NASA. “For that test series, we will subject the hardware to forces similar to those experienced in flight. This will ensure the hardware can handle the forces without compromising the structural integrity of each piece.”

In addition to the ICPS, structural test articles have been completed for the:

  • Orion spacecraft simulator — a replica of the bottom portion of the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.
  • Orion stage adapter — connects the Orion to the ICPS. The adapter technology was used for Orion’s first test flight in December 2014.
  • Core stage simulator — a duplicate of the top of the SLS core stage that is approximately 10 feet tall and 27 feet in diameter. The rocket’s entire core stage will tower more than 200 feet tall and house the vehicle’s avionics and software, and the flight computer. It also will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the vehicle’s RS-25 engines.

A structural test article for the launch vehicle stage adapter, which connects the core stage and the upper stage, has completed welding and is now being outfitted with hundreds of sensors to collect test data. Engineers also are continuing work on the logistics behind such a large test operation, including building handling equipment that will transport the hardware to the test stand.

The interim cryogenic propulsion stage test article
Two cranes lift the interim cryogenic propulsion stage test article, built and delivered by United Launch Alliance in Decatur to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The ICPS test article joins other structural test articles and simulators that make up the upper portion of the SLS rocket. They will be stacked and tested later this year at Marshall. Credits: NASA/MSFC Image: Emmett Given

“Testing is probably the most important part of building a rocket,” said Steve Creech, acting director of the Spacecraft and Payload Integration and Evolution Office at Marshall. “We look forward to the test series coming up, and continuing work on flight hardware that is currently in production for the ICPS, Orion stage adapter and LVSA.” 

For the ICPS, Boeing modified the design of the existing ULA Delta Cryogenic Second Stage, used on United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV family of launch vehicles. It will be powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL-10B engine — also currently used on the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage. Modifications to the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage include lengthening the liquid hydrogen tank, adding hydrazine bottles for attitude control and making some minor avionics changes to meet the design parameters and performance characteristics as needed by NASA to meet the flight objectives.

The Boeing/ULA team is working to complete production of the ICPS flight hardware that will launch on the first SLS flight with Orion in late 2018. “We are making great progress on the flight hardware with our ULA and NASA partners,” said Cataldo Mazzola, Boeing ICPS test manager.

Davidson, an ASRC Federal/Analytical Services employee, supports the Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications.

› Back to Top

Michoud ‘Tanks’ Up for NASA’s Deep Space Rocket

liquid oxygen tank weld confidence article
A qualification article for the liquid hydrogen tank on NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System, undergoes welding in the Vertical Assembly Center at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. At the same time, a crew completes installation and checkout procedures for the liquid oxygen tank weld confidence article, left. The liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks make up the SLS core stage. Towering more than 200 feet tall with a diameter of 27.6 feet, the core stage will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the vehicle’s four RS-25 engines. Confidence hardware verifies weld procedures are working as planned and tooling-to-hardware interfaces are correct. The confidence article also will be used in developing the application process for the thermal protection system, which is the insulation foam that gives the tank its orange color. The liquid hydrogen qualification article closely replicates flight hardware and processing procedures. Once completed, it will later be shipped on the Pegasus barge to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for structural loads testing on one of two new test stands currently under construction for the tanks. All welding for the SLS core stage for the initial Block I configuration of the rocket — including confidence, qualification and flight hardware — will be completed this summer in preparation for its first test flight with NASA’s Orion spacecraft in late 2018. That flight, called Exploration Mission 1, is critical to paving the way for future flights with astronauts to deep space, including on a journey to Mars. Credits: NASA/Michoud/Steven Seipel

A qualification article for the liquid hydrogen tank on NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System, undergoes welding in the Vertical Assembly Center at Michoud Assembly Facility. At the same time, a crew completes installation and checkout procedures for the liquid oxygen tank weld confidence article, left. The liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks make up the SLS core stage. Confidence hardware verifies weld procedures are working as planned and tooling-to-hardware interfaces are correct. The confidence article also will be used in developing the application process for the thermal protection system, which is the insulation foam that gives the tank its orange color. The liquid hydrogen qualification article closely replicates flight hardware and processing procedures. Once completed, it will be shipped on the Pegasus barge to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for structural loads testing on one of two new test stands currently under construction for the tanks. (NASA/Michoud/Steven Seipel)

Todd Gough installs the end cap test fixture on a weld confidence article of the liquid oxygen tank for NASA's new rocket
Todd Gough, a Boeing fabrication specialist at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, installs the end cap test fixture on a weld confidence article of the liquid oxygen tank for NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System. Confidence hardware verifies weld procedures are working as planned and tooling-to-hardware interfaces are correct. The end cap text fixture is used to control environments inside the tank and will be used when the tank is moved to another part of the facility for thermal protection system process development. The confidence article will be used in developing the application process for the thermal protection system, which is the insulation foam that gives the tank its orange color. The liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks make up the SLS core stage. Towering more than 200 feet tall with a diameter of 27.6 feet, the core stage will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the vehicle’s four RS-25 engines. SLS will be the world’s most powerful rocket and enable human missions to deep space, including Mars. The Boeing Co., headquartered in Chicago, is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, including avionics. Credits: NASA/Michoud/Steven Seipel

Todd Gough, a Boeing fabrication specialist at Michoud, installs the end cap test fixture on a weld confidence article of the SLS liquid oxygen tank. The end cap text fixture is used to control environments inside the tank and will be used when the tank is moved to another part of the facility for thermal protection system process development. All welding for the SLS core stage for the initial Block I configuration of the rocket — including confidence, qualification and flight hardware — will be completed this summer in preparation for its first test flight with NASA’s Orion spacecraft in late 2018. That flight, called Exploration Mission 1, is critical to paving the way for future flights with astronauts to deep space, including on a journey to Mars. The Boeing Co., headquartered in Chicago, is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, including avionics. (NASA/Michoud/Steven Seipel)

› Back to Top

Marshall Hosts ‘NASA in the Park’ in Downtown Huntsville

More than 7,500 people attended 'NASA in the Park
More than 7,500 people attended NASA Marshall Space Center and Downtown Huntsville, Inc.’s third annual celebration of NASA and the community June 18. This year, the event moved to Huntsville’s Big Spring Park, becoming “NASA in the Park.” The celebration featured fun for all ages, live music performed by Marshall team members and a special appearance by NASA astronaut Don Thomas. For more pictures from NASA in the Park, visit Marshall’s Flickr page.

More than 7,500 people attended NASA Marshall Space Center and Downtown Huntsville, Inc.’s third annual celebration of NASA and the community June 18. This year, the event moved to Huntsville’s Big Spring Park, becoming “NASA in the Park.” The celebration featured fun for all ages, live music performed by Marshall team members and a special appearance by NASA astronaut Don Thomas. For more pictures from NASA in the Park, visit Marshall’s Flickr page. (NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given)

Walter Schneider, of Marshall’s International Space Station Office, demonstrates a replica of the Microgravity Science Glovebox.
Walter Schneider, an engineer in Marshall’s International Space Station Office, demonstrates a replica of the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The space station’s Microgravity Science Glovebox has a large front window and built-in gloves, creating a sealed environment to contain liquids and particles in microgravity for science and technology experiments. The MSG booth was one of more than 60 exhibits — including three large Space Launch System inflatables, a full-scale Orion spacecraft inflatable, an RS-25 engine and much more — where Marshall team members shared their work with the community.

Walter Schneider, an engineer in Marshall’s International Space Station Office, demonstrates a replica of the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The space station’s Microgravity Science Glovebox has a large front window and built-in gloves, creating a sealed environment to contain liquids and particles in microgravity for science and technology experiments. The MSG booth was one of more than 60 exhibits — including three large Space Launch System inflatables, a full-scale Orion spacecraft inflatable, an RS-25 engine and much more — where Marshall team members shared their work with the community. (NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given)

› Back to Top

Marshall Hosts Teen Winner of Space Tool Challenge

By Bill Hubscher

When NASA fired up the Additive Manufacturing Facility on the International Space Station to begin more testing of the emerging 3-D printing technology in orbit, one college student in particular watched intently.

In autumn of 2014, a high school senior in Enterprise, Alabama, Robert Hillan entered the Future Engineers Space Tool design competition, which challenged students to create a device astronauts could use in space. The catch was that it must be uploaded electronically and printed on the new 3-D printer that was going to be installed on the orbiting laboratory.

The Mulitpurpose Precision Maintenance Too
The Mulitpurpose Precision Maintenance Tool, created by University of Alabama in Huntsville student Robert Hillan as part of the Future Engineers Space Tool Challenge, was printed on the International Space Station. It is designed to provide astronauts with a single tool that can help with a variety of tasks, including tightening nuts or bolts of different sizes and stripping wires. Credits: NASA

In January 2015, NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation announced that Hillan’s design, a Multipurpose Precision Maintenance Tool, was selected out of hundreds of entries to be printed on the station.

“Our challenges invite students to invent objects for astronauts, which can be both inspiring and incredibly tough,” said Deanne Bell, founder and director of the Future Engineers challenges. “Students must have the creativity to innovate for the unique environment of space, but also the practical, hands-on knowledge to make something functional and useful. It’s a delicate balance, but this combination of creativity, analytical skills and fluency in current technology is at the heart of engineering education.”

Hillan’s design features multiple tools on one compact unit, including different sized wrenches, drives to attach sockets, a precision measuring tool for wire gauges, and a single-edged wire stripper. After the new manufacturing facility was installed on the station in March, NASA uploaded Hillan’s design to be printed.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams of NASA conducted a question and answer session June 15 with a student involved in the design of a concept for 3-D printing aboard the orbital laboratory. Credits: NASA

As a bonus, Hillan was invited to watch his tool come off the printer from a unique vantage point. On June 15, standing amidst the flight controllers in the Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which is mission control for space station science, Hillan looked on as NASA astronaut Jeff Williams displayed the finished tool from the station’s Additive Manufacturing Facility.

“I am extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to design something for fabrication on the space station,” said Hillan, now a sophomore engineering student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. “I have always had a passion for space exploration, and space travel in general. I designed the tool to adapt to different situations, and as a result I hope to see variants of the tool being used in the future, hopefully when it can be created using stronger materials.”

Not only did Hillan get to watch his tool being made, he also got to spend a few minutes chatting with astronauts on the station.

NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, a current station crew member, congratulated Hillan, saying “When you have a problem, it will drive specific requirements and solutions. 3-D printing allows you to do a quick design to meet those requirements. That’s the beauty of this tool and this technology. You can produce something you hadn’t anticipated and do it on short notice.

“You have a great future ahead of you.”

The space station’s 3-D printer caught national headlines late in 2014 when it started operations and built nearly two dozen sample designs that were returned to Marshall for further testing. NASA is continuing 3-D printing development that will prove helpful on the journey to Mars.

Robert Hillan, a sophomore engineering student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville
Robert Hillan, a sophomore engineering student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, watches a 3-D printer on the International Space Station complete his winning design for the Future Engineers Space Tool Challenge. Part of his prize for winning the competition was going behind the scenes to watch the printing process from NASA’s Payload Operations Integration Center — mission control for space station science located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Credits: NASA

“When a part breaks or a tool is misplaced, it is difficult and cost-prohibitive to send up a replacement part,” said Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s 3-D Printer program manager at Marshall. “With this technology, we can build what is needed on demand instead of waiting for resupply. We may even be able to build entire structures using materials we find on Mars.”

Winning this competition made Hillan see the space industry in a different light, and it may have changed the direction of his future.

“When I won the competition, I started seeing problems I face as new opportunities to create and learn,” Hillan said. “Since then I have tried to seize every opportunity that presents itself. I love finding solutions to problems, and I want to apply that mentality as I pursue my engineering degree and someday launch my own company.”

Hubscher, an ASRC Federal/Analytical Services employee, supports the Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications.

› Back to Top

NASA Veteran Michael Rudolphi Offers Insight During ‘Mission Success is in Our Hands’ Event

Former Marshall Space Flight Center engineer Michael “Rudi” Rudolphi gestures during a “Mission Success is in Our Hands” Shared Experiences forum June 16, cosponsored by Jacobs Engineering of Huntsville. Rudolphi spoke about his “unforgettable” experiences as a senior NASA representative overseeing debris recovery efforts following the loss of space shuttle Columbia and its crew. A NASA veteran of more than three decades, Rudolphi served as director of Marshall’s Engineering Directorate from 2005-2007. He retired from NASA in 2007, but continues to share his leadership and rocket lessons with NASA and the aerospace industry, as an engineering consultant and human spaceflight mentor. The bimonthly Shared Experiences forum series is part of a safety initiative to promote and strengthen mission assurance and flight safety. Credits: NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given

Former Marshall Space Flight Center engineer Michael “Rudi” Rudolphi gestures during a “Mission Success is in Our Hands” Shared Experiences forum June 16, cosponsored by Jacobs Engineering of Huntsville. Rudolphi spoke about his “unforgettable” experiences as a senior NASA representative overseeing debris recovery efforts following the loss of space shuttle Columbia and its crew. A NASA veteran of more than three decades, Rudolphi served as director of Marshall’s Engineering Directorate from 2005-2007. He retired from NASA in 2007, but continues to share his leadership and rocket lessons with NASA and the aerospace industry, as an engineering consultant and human spaceflight mentor. The bimonthly Shared Experiences forum series is part of a safety initiative to promote and strengthen mission assurance and flight safety. (NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given)

› Back to Top

Saturn V Stage Journeys to New Home Along Busy Mississippi-Louisiana Border

: A Saturn V S-IC first stage, complete with five, rear-mounted F-1 rocket engines, departs NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility.
A Saturn V S-IC first stage, complete with five, rear-mounted F-1 rocket engines, departs NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility by barge June 16, beginning its journey to the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi, the official visitor’s center for NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The massive stage, test-fired at Stennis in 1970 but never flown, was the last of its kind constructed at Michoud. It guarded the entrance to the sprawling assembly facility from 1978 to 2016. From its new home at the Infinity Science Center, it will be visible to drivers along Interstate 10. NASA built 19 Saturn S-IC stages, including four ground-test units. Thirteen were launched between 1967 and 1973, and nine of those carried crews to the moon. Only four of the stages remain intact today. Credits: NASA/MAF/Steven Seipel

A Saturn V S-IC first stage, complete with five, rear-mounted F-1 rocket engines, departs NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility by barge June 16, beginning its journey to the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi, the official visitor’s center for NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The massive stage, test-fired at Stennis in 1970 but never flown, was the last of its kind constructed at Michoud. It guarded the entrance to the sprawling assembly facility from 1978 to 2016. From its new home at the Infinity Science Center, it will be visible to drivers along Interstate 10. NASA built 19 Saturn S-IC stages, including four ground-test units. Thirteen were launched between 1967 and 1973, and nine of those carried crews to the moon. Only four of the stages remain intact today. (NASA/MAF/Steven Seipel)

 Back to Top

This Week in NASA History: Marshall-managed Life and Microgravity Spacelab Launches — June 20, 1996

This week in 1996, STS-78 and its primary payload, the Life and Microgravity Spacelab, launched.
This week in 1996, STS-78 and its primary payload, the Life and Microgravity Spacelab, launched. During the 17-day spaceflight, the crew conducted a diverse slate of experiments divided into a mix of life science and microgravity investigations. Five space agencies — NASA, European Space Agency, French Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency and Italian Space Agency — along with research scientists from 10 countries worked together on the design, development and construction of the laboratory. LMS investigations, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, conducted the most extensive telescience to date, similar to investigations on the International Space Station. Today, Marshall is home to the Payload Operations and Integration Center — the command center for all science operations on the ISS, ensuring successful science operations to benefit people on Earth and to pave the way for deep space exploration. Flight controllers are on the clock 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help astronauts in orbit and scientists on the ground. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the History Program’s webpage. Credits: NASA

This week in 1996, STS-78 and its primary payload, the Life and Microgravity Spacelab, launched. During the 17-day spaceflight, the crew conducted a diverse slate of experiments divided into a mix of life science and microgravity investigations. Five space agencies — NASA, European Space Agency, French Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency and Italian Space Agency — along with research scientists from 10 countries worked together on the design, development and construction of the laboratory. LMS investigations, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, conducted the most extensive telescience to date, similar to investigations on the International Space Station. Today, Marshall is home to the Payload Operations and Integration Center — the command center for all science operations on the ISS, ensuring successful science operations to benefit people on Earth and to pave the way for deep space exploration. Flight controllers are on the clock 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help astronauts in orbit and scientists on the ground. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the History Program’s webpage. (NASA)

› Back to Top

Obituaries

Bennett Hendricks, 90, of Huntsville, died June 17. He retired from the Marshall Center in 1975 as an aerospace engineer.

Edwin A. Weaver, 84, of Huntsville, died June 19. He retired from the Marshall Center in 1998 as an aerospace engineer.

Thomas O. Davidson, 90, of Decatur, Alabama, died June 19. He retired from the Marshall Center in 1988 as an aerospace engineer.

› Back to Top