NASA's John sees Stennis Space Center in
South Mississippi has tested propulsion
systems for over 30 years in the early
60s tennis tested the first and second
stages of the Saturn five rocket which
later transported Americans to the moon
in the late 70s the center was
responsible for flight certifying the
main propulsion system for the space
shuttle today Stennis Space Center plays
a significant role in one of NASA's
principal enterprises to engage in the
human exploration and development of
space the space shuttle is the backbone
of this initiative and Stennis is
responsible for all activities related
to the development and flight
certification testing for the Space
Shuttle main engines which power the
shuttle during its first eight and
one-half minutes of flight located near
the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast
Stennis Space Center is one of NASA's
for Space Flight centers the center
offers experienced skilled personnel and
state-of-the-art laboratories a seven
and one-half mile man-made canal system
and a 125 thousand acre buffer zone
which is a national asset because of the
center's excellent capabilities for
testing it has been designated as NASA's
center of excellence for large
propulsion systems testing SSC is well
prepared to test the propulsion systems
hardware of the future the newly
constructed high heat flux facility will
perform high-temperature tests on
materials for a hypersonic aircraft of
the future such as the National
aerospace plane program a joint NASA DoD
effort nasp is a flight test vehicle
that would take off like an airplane fly
into orbit at speeds of up to Mach 25
and return through the atmosphere to
land on a runway as mankind continues to
explore and develop space a new
generation of cost-effective commercial
launch vehicles will be required
Stennis Space Center will be prepared to
test much of the advanced space
propulsion hardware beginning at the
major rocket engine component level SSC
state-of-the-art component test facility
is a flexible three celled ground test
facility now in use performing tests on
rocket engines hybrid rocket motors and
space vehicle system components Stennis
personnel are involved in a broad range
of research and technology projects
these activities include the development
of remote sensing technology earth
sciences research associated data
systems development and Technology
Transfer Stennis Space Center is NASA's
lead center for commercial remote
sensing activities through such programs
as the visiting investigator program
earth observations commercial
applications program Space Act
agreements and the commercial remote
sensing technology initiative these
programs use a customer-focused approach
to understand industry's need for remote
sensing data related geographic
information and advanced technologies to
capture new information markets SSC also
provides the bridge between the small
satellite technology program and the
private sector for commercial remote
sensing applications Stennis personnel
also work in a wide range of science
projects to better understand our planet
such as studying gases associated with
the greenhouse effect and preserving
tropical rainforests in Central America
nearly 4,000 men and women make up the
Stennis workforce which includes 1,600
scientists and engineers these highly
skilled personnel are employed not only
by nasa and its contractor team but also
by 22 other resident agencies at Stennis
the center is also unique in that all
the agencies share common facilities
services and capabilities so that each
may accomplish its own mission at
Stennis in a more cost-effective manner
more oceanographers work at stennis than
any other single location around the
world the commander naval meteorology
and oceanography command heads a
worldwide organization providing
oceanographic meteorological and mapping
charting and geodetic services to fleet
forces operating in all oceans every
Navy ship submarine and aircraft
receives products and support services
from this command the naval
oceanographic office is the commander's
largest single element one of the
world's most powerful crazed
supercomputers is housed in their
facilities at Stennis the Naval Research
Laboratory at SSC is the principal Navy
laboratory performing oceanographic and
atmospheric environmental research the
national data buoy center or ND bc is an
element of a national weather service
under NOAA the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration ND bc at
Stennis operates and maintains 104
oceanographic and meteorological data
collection stations from the Bering Sea
to the South Pacific the data taken
every hour are delivered to operational
weather forecasters in less than 30
minutes another element of NOAA the
National Marine Fisheries Service
develops instruments for monitoring
underwater performance of nets and
associated fish behavior the service
also uses satellite technology to track
endangered species and map environmental
conditions in the Gulf of Mexico and
elsewhere the Department of interior's
u.s. geological survey provides federal
agencies with hydrologic instrumentation
service and support it also provides
water velocity meter calibrations for
federal agencies and the private and
public sectors
the USGS is Earth Science Information
Center offers the public access to
millions of aerial and satellite
photographs maps and earth science
publications the Environmental
Protection Agency's environmental
chemistry laboratory provides data to
assist in monitoring and regulating
America's pesticide use in the
environment the Gulf of Mexico program
combines the efforts of federal and
state agencies with industry and
environmental representatives to develop
a plan to protect restore and maintain
the health of the Gulf the space remote
sensing center is dedicated to the
development and commercialization of
remote sensing and geographic
information system technologies into the
private and public sectors also located
at Stennis is the deactivated
Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant
another integral part of the Stennis
community is the center of higher
learning which offers employees and
local residents academic degree programs
participating institutions include
Mississippi State University the
University of Southern Mississippi along
with its center for marine science the
University of New Orleans and Pearl
River Community College NASA's teacher
resource center at Stennis offers
hands-on workshops and a vast collection
of free materials for K through 12
educators including video tapes slides
computer software lesson plans and
publications Stennis Space Center also
manages NASA's tri-state education
initiative a demonstration project in
support of the national education goals
plans are to replicate this NASA
education initiative with specialized
programs tailored for other communities
transferring NASA developed technology
is another primary focus of the Space
Agency both Mississippi and Louisiana
have technology transfer offices at
Stennis
for over 30 years Stennis Space Center
has been a powerful partner in the
economic development of Southern
Mississippi and Louisiana the
multi-agency center creates jobs
increases local and state tax bases and
enhances business development
opportunities equally significant are
the center's efforts to be a good
corporate citizen special emphasis has
been placed on activities that support
education in addition to sponsoring
Special Olympics charity campaigns and
blood drives Stennis employees have
always enthusiastically served in their
hometowns as scoutmasters Sunday School
teachers chamber board members and so
forth the doors to Stennis are always
open to the public the visitors center
is a leading tourist attraction in the
area offering indoor and outdoor
exhibits tour guide presentations movies
& buster's of the Space Shuttle main
engine test complex today some of the
most powerful rocket engines and
components are tested at Stennis Space
Center flight certification of Space
Shuttle main engines will continue to be
the centerpiece of SSC's mission because
the shuttle is the most capable and
efficient human transportation system to
space available on earth and a great
source of national pride the shuttle is
also NASA's workhorse to deploy the
space station the space station will
serve as a permanent laboratory where
humans will pursue cutting-edge science
that will ultimately enhance life on
Earth for future generations as our
country's leaders chart the future of
our nation's space program NASA's jhansi
stennis space center stands ready to
continue making significant
contributions to those goals and to
providing the American taxpayers a
return on their investment in space
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