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Mr. Mike Gawel explains the Space Shuttle’s trajectory into space while standing underneath one of Space Shuttle Discovery’s three main engines used to steer the shuttle. Gawel is Space Shuttle pro- gram support manager for the 1st Range Operations Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. 1st Lt. Jayson Andersen works with NASA as a console operator during an integrated crew exercise for the launch of a Delta II rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. “We take safety and the life of the crew very seriously,” said Mr. Jeffrey Skaja, a NASA test director. As a propellant propulsion expert, Skaja works on the Space Shuttle program and is transi- tioning to the Ares program. He integrates all NASA activities on Kennedy Space Center for the Space Shuttle program from landing to launch. “I first came to the Kennedy Space Center on a tour of NASA with my family when I was in the second grade. From then on, I knew I wanted to be involved with space,” said Skaja, who is also a major in the Air Force Reserve assigned to the Launch and Range Space Wing for the Space and Missile Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif. Prior to joining NASA, he was an active-duty officer working rocket propulsion development and was a support flight commander providing engineering support for rocket launches and satellite processing. “The Air Force has enabled me to do spacecraft process- ing and to be involved with satellite programs. The exposure to all the programs and the different aspects of them all, from budgets to working facilities management, has helped me learn what it takes to put a vehicle into orbit. The Air Force always has provided me with a lot of opportunities and helped make my dream come true.” Air Force officials have helped NASA over the decades during the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo missions, Deep Space 1 that tested advanced technologies in space, Genesis that helped determine the composition of the sun, and the Mars Exploration Rovers. Next for NASA includes the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that will map the moon’s surface to locate possible landing locations for a manned return to the moon, and support for the Constellation program. “Our support for NASA is bigger than just the Space Shuttle,” General Bolton said. “We support the Kepler, Hubble and other state of Florida, subject to a favorable outcome of environment impact study results. They will market it as a commercial launch platform. We have also licensed a pad to SpaceX, which has a new rocket called the Falcon 9 that is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this year. SpaceX has many launches manifested, and we hope they will bring back some of the commer- cial launch businesses to the Cape.” Unlike most businesses suffering from current economic hard- ships, “space is a growth industry,” said General Bolton. “We had seven launches in 2008. This year we have manifested more than two dozen launches. We just completed four launches and a shuttle landing – all 100 percent successful – in only 29 days. It is still important that the United States be No. 1 in space. Our first priority is our DoD mission, but we also want to be good corporate partners. If we can better foster growth in commercial space, that pushes our technology forward, and that is good for our country.” “Our No. 1 focus is mission success,” said General Bolton. “With all launches, we ensure safe operations, environmental protection and positive control of the system throughout flight.” With control of air and space, American warfighters are given that extra edge to win battles and to succeed in all expeditionary operations. “The Airmen here are part of the fight by providing intelligence, global positioning, weather and communications for the warfight- ers,” the general said. “Space is first. It is where the intelligence satellites help us track friends and foes. GPS helps tell people and our warfighters exactly where they are anywhere in the world, and this technology has helped with precise targeting of GPS-guided munitions. We also need weather awareness to support airpower. scientific missions. These important missions were launched from here. Kepler, for example, will look into the deepest regions of the galaxy for other planets like Earth.” Air Force officials have two more Delta II launches and NASA has fewer than four from that launch vehicle. But the next logical question is how to dispose of that launch pad and be environmen- tally smart. “We and our partner, NASA, will have to come up with an envi- ronmentally friendly way plan to deconstruct the pad,” said General Bolton. “We still have several launch pads used for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions to disposition. We must also rightsize our infrastructure by removing facilities that we do not use – by either mothballing them or letting corporate partners lease them. That saves us the cost of maintaining the facility. “As a result of our strong partnership with the state of Florida for commercial space, are in the process of licensing a pad to the Weather satellites start from here too. And communications is vital. Secure-communications satellites originated from here, so when American warfighters are talking in theater it is enabled by Space Command.” Space-based capabilities today allow pilots to put bombs exactly on target while troops on the ground have the upper hand in the fight with intelligence, global positioning, weather and communi- cations information readily available. Battles are being won and coalition lives are being saved. Furthermore, the quality of our lives have vastly improved as space assets allow us to navigate in our cars, send text messages instantly and even purchase everyday items through the swipe of debit and credit cards without giving it a second thought. Through the tireless efforts to ensure space assets were completely ready prior to launch, officials from the 45th SW give us all these advantages that servicemembers and Americans rely on everywhere, every day. ✪ may-June 2009 33