May 10 1992
From The Space Library
It was reported that the Kennedy Space Center was about to break ground on a second Space Station project, a new building to service the out-post's propulsion modules. The 3,000 square foot building, to be located behind and south of the operations and checkout buildings in Kennedy Space Center's industrial area, would be the space center's third hazardous processing plant. This one was to be dedicated to servicing a single type of payload: 800-gallon modules filled with propellant, which would be used to keep the space station positioned properly in orbit. The new building would be able to accommodate testing, cleaning, and servicing of two to four modules simultaneously. The Kennedy Space Center was soliciting bids for construction of the plant, which was to be 70 feet high, 135 feet long and 65 feet wide. A con-tract, worth about $11 million, was expected to be awarded in June 1992, with construction beginning in July, said payload projects manager Jo Ann Morgan. (Fla Today, May 10/92)
The Delta launch team at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station reported that the McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company group was gearing up for two launches in the next 25 days. The first, a mission to deploy an Indonesian communications satellite, and the second, a mission during which NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer would be hurled into orbit, was scheduled for launch June 4, 1992. (Fla Today, May 10/92)
Facing a tight budget, National Aerospace Plane officials proposed extra steps to slow the program aimed at building two runway-to-orbit research planes. The program's goal was to make the first flight of an X-30 aerospace plane by late 1999. The revised program director Robert Barthelemy presented the revised schedule to top Air Force and NASA officials in a quarterly technical review at NASA's Lewis Research Center in Cleveland. Congress approved $250 million for the program for the 1992 year after slashing nearly $100 million from the Bush administration's $303.8 million request. (Fla Today, May 10/92)
McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company's Kennedy Space Center division was chosen as a finalist for the 1992 George M. Low Trophy, which is given annually to the NASA contractor which makes the greatest achievements in applying Total Quality Management (TQM) principles to their day-to-day operations. The goals of the award are to incorporate more efficient ways of doing business throughout NASA and its contractors and to transfer the performance improvement methods of award winners from company to company. "It is clear from your company's application that you have positive steps to advance quality, productivity and the continuous improvement process," NASA Safety Chief George Rodney told division officials in a recent letter. (Fla Today, May 10/92)
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