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Marshall Space Flight Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the original home of NASA, is a lead center for propulsion, Space Shuttle propulsion, Shuttle external fuel tank, crew training and payloads, International Space Station (ISS) design and construction, for computers, networks, and information management. Located on the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and named in honor of General George Marshall, the center also contains one of the Shuttle mission operation centers known as the HOSC where some mission and pre-missions operations are controlled.
The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is a facility that supports Space Shuttle launch, payload and experiment activities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ISS launch and experiment operations. The HOSC also monitors rocket launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station when a Marshall Center payload is on board.
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MSFC arose from the US Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) and the Army Ordnance Missile Command (AOMC) centered at Redstone Arsenal. Initially assigned to Fort Bliss, TX, the Von Braun team was later transferred to Redstone Arsenal. The transition from military to civilian space exploration came when President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced on site the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) on July 1, 1960. At this time Marshall also received its name and a bronze bust of the general from the President. The center became the civilian base for Dr. Wernher von Braun, his team of German rocket scientists and a large host of military and civilian contractors.
The Hermes, an early U.S. adaptation of the German V-2, the Jupiter-C, used to launch the Explorer I satellite, the Redstone rocket, the ABMA/AOMC to NASA transition vehicle used in the ballistic missile program and the Mercury space program, the Juno, the Atlas, with the US Air Force used in the ballistic missile program and the Mercury and Gemini space program, the Titan, also used for Gemini, the Saturn series (I-V), used in the Apollo and Skylab programs. Modern boosters include the Space Shuttle liquid and solid propellant engines and the Delta series, used in satellite and Mars mission launches.
Many vestiges of the early programs are still visible around the center, including engine test stands, several of which are shown in the above photo.
Starting in 2006, MSFC's Exploration Launch Projects Office began work on the new Project Constellation mission vehicles (Ares I, Ares V and Orion) which will replace the aging Shuttle fleet as well as transport humans to the Moon, Mars and other future destinations. MSFC is responsible for design and development and testing of the Ares I crew and Ares V cargo launch vehicles while Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX has overall responsibility for development. In addition, the MSFC Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program office will manage projects and direct studies on lunar robotic precursor activities across NASA. The Lunar Lander Project Office originally planned to be established at Marshall, has been appointed for development at JSC. This office will be responsible for performing early trade studies and developing requirements for the Lunar Surface Access Module (now the Lunar Lander), the capsule that will transport crew members to and from the surface of the moon.
- Space Shuttle Propulsion -- Space Shuttle Propulsion Office
- International Space Station Support -- Payload Operations Center
- Launch Vehicle Development -- Exploration Launch Projects Office
- Advanced Propulsion -- The Propulsion Research Laboratory
- Exploring the Solar System -- Exploration Launch Projects Office
- Constellation Program Office
- Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program
- Discovery and New Frontiers Program Office
- National Space Science and Technology Center
- Optics and Exploration Technology -- Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center
- Instrument and Payload Systems Department
- The Spacecraft and Vehicle Systems Department
- The Propulsion Systems Department
- Materials and Processes Laboratory
- Test Laboratory
- Mission Operations Laboratory
- Continuing Scientific Research and Discovery
- Engineering the Future -- Engineering Directorate
- Chandra X-ray Observatory
- Gravity Probe B
- HINODE (Solar B)
- Project Constellation Program
- Wernher von Braun - 1 July 1960 to 27 January 1970
- Eberhard Rees - March 1, 1970 – January 19, 1973
- Rocco Petrone - January 26, 1973 to March 15, 1974
- William R. Lucas - June 15, 1974 to July 3, 1986
- Thomas Jack Lee - (acting) July 3, 1986 to September 29, 1986
- James R. Thompson, Jr. - September 29, 1986 to July 6, 1989
- Thomas Jack Lee - July 6, 1989 to January 6, 1994
- Gene Porter Bridwell - January 6, 1994 to February 3, 1996
- Jerroll Wayne Littles - February 3, 1996 to January 3, 1998
- Carolyn S. Griner - (acting) January 3, 1998 to September 11, 1998
- Arthur G. Stephenson - September 11, 1998 to May 2003
- David A. King - June 15, 2003 to present
- Alex McCool, center manager
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| Directors: | von Braun · Rees · Petrone · Lucas · Thompson · Lee · Bridwell · Littles · Griner · Stephenson · King (current) |
| Projects: | Space Shuttle Propulsion · International Space Station · Chandra X-ray Observatory · Gravity Probe B · Project Constellation · Ares I · Ares V · Orion |
| Other: | Army Ballistic Missile Agency · Redstone Arsenal · Wernher von Braun · Von Braun Team · Redstone Rocket · U.S. Space & Rocket Center |