Johnson Space Center

There are probably no words more emblematic of NASA and the space program than "Mission Control." Johnson Space Center, home to the Mission Control Center for every piloted U.S. space mission, is also NASA's Center of Excellence for human operations in space. Located in Houston, Texas, Johnson has played a critical role in the Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab projects, as well as today's Space Shuttle and International Space Station flights.

As the principle center for NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise, Johnson is focused on researching and developing technologies for the Space Shuttle program, the International Space Station, space operations management, biomedical research, extravehicular activity, robotics, space medicine, and long-range exploration mission planning and design.

As the lead center for the Space Station, Johnson looks forward to continuing to oversee its assembly. The next big step in the Space Station's assembly took place in July 2000, with the launch of the Russian-built Zvezda service module on a Russian Proton Rocket. Zvezda will provide early power, propulsion, communications, life support, and living quarters for the station. With Zvezda in place, Johnson will prepare for Shuttle mission STS-106, scheduled for Fall 2000. The crew of STS-106 will transfer supplies to outfit the station in preparation for the first resident crew, scheduled for arrival in the latter part of the year.

The X-38 is being prepared for a space flight test in 2002. The ship will serve as a "lifeboat" should an emergency occur on the International Space Station.

Assembly of the station's more than 100 components will require a combination of human space walks and robot technologies. As a result, refinements are underway at Johnson on a robotic system aimed at assisting spacewalking astronauts. A mechanical hand has been developed that operates comparably to a human hand and can operate tools used by people in spacesuits. With a delicate touch capable of lifting items as small as tweezers, combined with the strength to lift a 21-pound weight, the hand has considerable capabilities in a zero gravity environment. The robotic hand will be part of the Robonaut system, which includes two arms and a swiveling head with cameras inside. NASA has an eye on making use of this robotic system in the future on the Space Station.

Work on the Space Station extends beyond building the actual structure. Johnson is working on assembling the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle, which is intended to serve as an emergency "lifeboat" for the crew of the Space Station. Successful flight tests of the X-38 have been conducted at Dryden Flight Research Center, with more planned for the future. Johnson is to complete assembly of the X-38 in time for a space flight test scheduled for 2002.

Occasionally, the history of the cosmos can be studied without ever leaving Earth. Johnson scientists have been studying the Yukon meteorite that exploded over northwest Canada in January 2000. The 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite may provide insight into the original composition of the solar system before the formation of the planets. As a carbonaceous chondrite, the meteorite is a rare type with many forms of carbon and organics, the basic building blocks of life. Johnson has worked in cooperation with Canada to glean information from the meteorite such as measuring induced radioactivity to determine how much exposure it had to space radiation. From these measurements, the size of the meteoroid from which the meteorite originated can be determined.

A Johnson scientist manipulates the Robonaut system, which includes a mechanical hand capable of moving with dexterity similar to a human.

As the heart of NASA's space medicine research, it was a natural fit when the Heart Center at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston turned to Johnson for assistance in designing a new echocardiography lab. Because of Johnson's experience in responding to information quickly without technical errors as Mission Control, the Heart Center wanted to capitalize on the technologies and knowledge that enabled NASA to manage complex missions such as a Shuttle flight. The result is a cutting-edge facility that allows for integrated training and operation, expandability, operating cost reduction, and better patient diagnosis and care. The main innovation of the lab is a mission control desk modeled after its counterpart in NASA's emergency preparedness center.

The complexity of space travel and human space missions has allowed Johnson to perform research in a wide array of fields. Johnson is developing technologies in disciplines such as automation, biotechnology, computer hardware, energy, environment, advanced materials, medicine, photonics, software, computer hardware, telecommunications, and transportation. With such a diverse background, Johnson will surely continue to serve as the center for NASA's future in space.

NASA astronauts work to attach a Russian crane to the International Space Station in preparation of future assembly.