Mar 22 2011
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 11-081 NASA USHERS IN NEW SPACE EXPLORATION ERA AT WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY
WASHINGTON -- NASA ushered in a new era of space exploration at its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony opening the new Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF). The HIF will support medium-class mission capabilities. The first customer to use the facility will be Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., with its Taurus II launch vehicle. "With this state-of-the-art building, NASA demonstrates its commitment to the success of the nation's commercial launch industry," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, "We have already seen some fantastic progress and are looking forward to more this year. Wallops, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and Orbital have been working together to bring the Taurus II vehicle to the launch pad this coming fall under tough mission schedules. That effort is impressive and a model we should emulate whenever possible." Orbital will conduct missions for NASA under the agency's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project and Commercial Resupply Services contract. Integration of the Taurus II at the new facility will begin this month, with the first launch expected later this year. "Today is about bringing jobs, jobs and more jobs to the Lower Shore -- jobs for today and jobs for tomorrow," said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, chairwoman of the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science, which funds NASA. "I'm so happy to see our federal facilities like Wallops bringing the innovation economy to the community with this world-class international launch site that will soon launch science missions and take cargo to the International Space Station." "The Horizontal Integration Facility is a vital part of our operation at the Wallops Flight Facility," said Dave Thompson, chairman and CEO of Orbital Sciences Corp. "The capability it provides to process two Taurus II vehicles simultaneously puts us in an excellent position to support NASA with missions to the International Space Station." The facility is 250 feet long, 150 wide and 60 feet high. Its bay provides dual horizontal processing with 70-and 50-ton bridge cranes. Built in approximately 16 months, the HIF has adjacent laboratory and warehouse space. Its safety features include a deluge fire suppression system and a blast-attenuating wall.
RELEASE: 11-083 NASA CHALLENGES NEW YORK STUDENTS TO AIM HIGH, REACH FOR THE STARS
WASHINGTON -- NASA senior officials led a high-voltage education forum Tuesday in New York City to mentor and encourage young people, especially girls, to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies and careers. New York middle school and high school students from the Women's Academy of Excellence; the Promise Academy; the New York City Housing Authority; and the General D. Chappie James Middle School of Science attended the event at the Stephen Weiss Studio in Greenwich Village. Addressing the audience of more than 200 students, NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said, "One of our greatest responsibilities at NASA is inspiring the next generation of explorers to work hard and pursue their dreams. And it is my hope that some of those dreams include careers in science and engineering." NASA collaborated with fashion designer Donna Karan's Urban Zen Foundation and the Foundation for Advancing Women Now (FFAWN), created by singer Mary J. Blige, to host this forum to inspire students from the New York City area. NASA's Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin, a former astronaut, spoke about the collaboration. "The primary focus of NASA's education mission is to use the excitement and wonder of our programs to ignite a spark for all students to follow STEM studies that can lead to exciting career options. By collaborating with organizations like Urban Zen and FFAWN, whose missions are aligned with ours, we can identify and reach out to students who may not otherwise realize the opportunities that are available. That's important to me and to the agency." Astronaut Cady Coleman also participated in the event even though she is living and working aboard the International Space Station. Twenty students asked her questions about her experience, as she orbits 220 miles above Earth. The downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve STEM teaching and learning. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office. The office promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of microgravity and NASA's human spaceflight program. NASA Television will air the event beginning Thursday, March 24.
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