192 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
192 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
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JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
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Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
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Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is located on the east coast of
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Florida, 150 miles south of Jacksonville and approximately 50 miles
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east of Orlando. It is immediately north and west of Cape
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Canaveral. The center is about 34 miles long and varies in width
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from 5 to 10 miles. The total land and water area occupied by the
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installation is 140,393 acres. Of this area, 84,031 acres is
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NASA-owned. The remainder is owned by the State of Florida. This
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area, with adjoining water bodies, provides sufficient space to
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afford adequate safety to the surrounding civilian community during
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launches, landings of other hazardous operations. Agreements have
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been made with the Department of the Interior regarding the use of
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non-operational areas as a wildlife refuge and national seashore on
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a non-interference basis.
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The center was originally created in the early 1960s to serve as
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the launch site for the Apollo lunar landing missions. After the
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Apollo program ended in 1972, Kennedy's Complex 39 was used for the
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launch of the Skylab spacecraft and later, the Apollo spacecraft
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for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.
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Kennedy Space Center serves as the primary center within NASA for
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the test, checkout and launch of payloads and space vehicles. This
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presently includes launch of manned and unmanned vehicles at
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Kennedy, the adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and at
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Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
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The center is responsible for the assembly, checkout and launch of
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Space Shuttle vehicles and their payloads, landing operations and
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the turn-around of Space Shuttle orbiters between missions, as well
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as preparation and launch of unmanned vehicles.
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Kennedy also is responsible for the operation of the KSC
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Vandenberg Launch Site Resident Office, located at Vandenberg Air
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Force Base in Santa Barbara County, on the California central
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coast.
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The KSC Vandenberg Launch Site Resident Office serves as the
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interface with the U.S. Air Force to arrange for base support at
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Vandenberg of all NASA elements and for VLS and range support of
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all NASA projects supported by the Resident Office. It supports
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spacecraft requirements of other NASA centers, commercial and U.S.
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government agencies not affiliated with the Department of Defense
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by providing operational and administrative support.
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Forrest S. McCartney, Lt. General USAF-Retired, is Director of the
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Kennedy Space Center.
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THE PEOPLE AND FACILITIES OF THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
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The Kennedy Space Center, and the people who work there, are a
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very special type of resource for the United States and the world.
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The NASA/industry launch teams, and the people who support them,
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have skills and capabilities found only at the national spaceport.
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Every American manned space flight to date was launched by the
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people of Kennedy. This NASA Center is one of just two places
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capable of launching Space Shuttle vehicles. The second site, on
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Vandenberg AFB in California, belongs to the U.S. Air Force, and is
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not operational at present. It is being maintained in case it is
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needed in the future for Space Shuttle polar orbit missions. Over
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the years the NASA/industry teams have also launched over 300
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unmanned space vehicles, primarily Deltas, Atlas-Centaurs,
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Atlas-Agenas, and Titan-Centaurs. These lifted off from
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NASA-operated facilities on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and
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Vandenberg AFB.
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Every person who works at the spaceport is a member of the team,
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even if their jobs are not directly involved with launch
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operations. Most of the hands-on work is performed by contractors.
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When fully manned, the Center has a workforce of (in round numbers)
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about 2,400 NASA civil servants and 13,000 to 14,000 contractor
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personnel. The largest contractor organization works in the area
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of Shuttle processing and launch operations, the second largest
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provides maintenance and support for the Center itself, and the
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third helps customers prepare their spacecraft and other payloads
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for launch. Several other contractors provide various operational,
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support and housekeeping functions.
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The operation of the launch and support facilities at Kennedy
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demands unusual, sometimes unique, personnel skills. But for most
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NASA and contractor employees, the same knowledge and abilities
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that serve them here would work equally well in many other places.
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Some of the more unusual facilities in which people work are the
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giant Vehicle Assembly Building, one of the largest enclosed
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structures in the world; the Orbiter Processing Facility, filled
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with complicated equipment used to prepare Shuttle orbiters for
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flight; Pads 39A and 39B, from which Shuttles lift off; Delta and
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Atlas-Centaur launch complexes on Cape Canaveral; and a host of
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other processing and support facilities. These include buildings
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especially designed for spacecraft assembly and checkout, and
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others for hazardous work such as installing explosive ordnance and
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loading propellants.
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The heart of the Kennedy Space Center is its engineering work
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force, both contractor and NASA. People with electrical,
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mechanical, electronic and computer engineering degrees have the
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necessary background to begin work here. After that, it may take
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years to learn some of the more unusual jobs.
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Many spaceport professionals deal with more routine matters, such
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as designing and overseeing the construction of office or supply
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buildings, setting up and operating computer systems, or performing
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materials and structures tests.
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The engineering departments do their work along with other groups
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who might be found at any industrial facility. Several logistics
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organizations order supplies and keep them available in warehouses.
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Another operates a facility-wide bus system and supplies vehicles
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for local use. Writing and graphics departments produce a variety
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of publications. A local printshop prints them. A janitorial
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force keeps the facilities clean. A guard force provides security.
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It is the very different nature of the major function of Kennedy --
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serving as the nation's spaceport -- that makes it such a special
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place. Watching a rocket blaze a fiery trail into the sky,
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hearing the thunder of its passage, is a fringe benefit not
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available at very many workplaces.
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A PLACE TO VISIT
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Whether it's the bustle of spaceport activity, the solitude of a
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nature trail or the unspoiled beauty of a pristine seashore, the
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Kennedy Space Center offers the visitor a wide variety of things to
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do and see.
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A must stop on anyone's space itinerary is the Kennedy visitors
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center, Spaceport USA -- a modern, sprawling complex of exhibit
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halls, theaters and supporting amenities that lure well over two
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million visitors a year, ranking it among the top tourist
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attractions in Florida.
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Open every day of the year except Christmas, Spaceport USA
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provides visitors a rare opportunity to experience the sights,
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sounds, color and drama of America's role in space.
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Indoor and outdoor exhibits and displays feature the spacecraft,
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the rockets and the programs that have extended our reach beyond
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the Earth. Dramatic large-screen IMAX movies offer a spectacular
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view of space as seen by the astronauts. Bus tours of the Kennedy
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Space Center and Cape Canaveral facilities trace the evolution of
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the nation's space program from its infancy to the Space Shuttle
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era.
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Educational services are available as well. The Educators
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Resource Laboratory provides extensive facilities to aid teachers
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in the preparation of aerospace-related teaching materials. Slides,
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videotapes and text materials can be copied for use in the
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classroom.
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At the Exploration Station, educational programs and hands-on
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activities illustrate and explain the principals of rocketry and
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space science to students of all ages. Students often work with
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actual hardware used for space missions.
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Spaceport USA is located two miles south of Titusville, Florida,
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off U.S. Highway 1. It is operated under a concessionaire
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contract, and is entirely self-supporting. Parking and exhibits
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are available free. Modest fees and admission prices are charged
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for bus tours and the IMAX movie. Cafeterias and snack shops are
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available, and gift shops offer a wide range of space memorabilia
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and souvenirs. Educational services are provided by the Center's
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Education Office.
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The "other side" of America's Spaceport is less known, perhaps,
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but an equally treasured national asset. Under agreements between
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NASA and the Department of Interior, all but the operational areas
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of the Kennedy Space Center are designated as a wildlife refuge,
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including 25 miles of undeveloped ocean beach that forms the
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Canaveral National Seashore.
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This gentle but untamed land swarms with wildlife. Over 500
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species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians are found here.
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Some, like the American bald eagle, woodstork, alligator and the
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ponderous manatee, or sea cow, are on the endangered or threatened
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species list.
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Recreational activities abound: fresh water and surf fishing,
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waterfowl hunting in season, birdwatching, swimming at the ocean
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beaches, canoeing and hiking nature trails.
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Most of the refuge and all of the seashore are open to visitors
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during daylight hours, except when space operations require
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closure. Seashore headquarters and a refuge visitors center are
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located several miles east of Titusville, on State Road 402.
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