Scott Johnson
September 26th, 2017
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Monday, Sept. 26, 2017. Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls / NASA
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — After stops at NASA’s Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence toured the space agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The visit marked a first in terms of the White House and provided the agency with another opportunity to highlight not only its on-orbit capabilities – but its plans for crewed deep space missions as well.
While at Marshall, Pence visited Marshall’s Payload Operations Integration Center. This is where NASA handles all research aboard the International Space Station and Pence took a moment to chat with members of the orbiting lab and Pence talked a bit about some of the individuals who work every day to make space flight a reality – NASA’s flight controllers.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May presents U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, with a replica of the Space Launch System rocket as Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala. looks on. The image was taken during a tour the vice president took of Marshall on Monday, May 25, 2017. Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls / NASA
“Today, I met pioneers who are helping America travel into the unknown and expand our knowledge for the benefit of the nation,” said Vice President Pence via a release issued by the space agency. “I’m inspired by the people at Marshall, and NASA as a whole, who are passionate and dedicated to space exploration. The massive hardware and innovative technologies we are building will propel us far beyond our home planet and allow America to lead in space again.”
NASA is planning on conducting the first uncrewed flight of its Space Launch System in 2019 on what has been dubbed Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). When EM-1 lifts of from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B, it will also mark the second flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
“The work underway today at Marshall, supporting station science and with SLS, is integral to ensuring this nation’s incredible global leadership in human exploration,” said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot. “Vice President Pence now has personally visited three NASA centers in the last four months, and I deeply appreciate the Vice President’s strong commitment to our space exploration mission.”
Pence stopped by the engineering facility that NASA is currently using to develop the engine section for the SLS’ core stage. This device allows engineers to carry out tests somewhat similar to standing on a soda can and will allow the agency to ensure that the rocket, its four Aerojet Rocketdyne produced RS-25 (heritage Space Shuttle Main Engines from the Shuttle Program) can handle the stresses placed on them on ascent.
The SLS engine section will produce more than 8 million pounds of thrust to launch the Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit. Sensors will be installed on the test section of the EM-1 SLS which engineers will use to attempt to get some 3,000 measurements from during the rocket’s maiden flight.
“The work we are doing today is paving the way for a new generation of astronauts to travel farther into space than humans have ever ventured before,” said Marshall Center Director Todd May, who hosted the visit. “This next chapter in the story of our national space program is being written by the men and women of Marshall, who keep us on the leading edge of spaceflight and truly make this the Rocket City.”
Pence spoke to the Expedition 53 crew, which consists of the Expedition’s commander Randy Bresnik, and flight engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba as well as Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryanzansky, Alexander Misurkin and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli. Pence’s call was transmitted to the ISS from Marshall’s science command center, the first time a White House level called was conducted from the facility.
Pence concluded his tour of Marshall’sfacilities with a stop at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center.
Video courtesy of NASA
Scott Johnson
Scott earned both a Bachelor's Degree in public administration, and a law degree, from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He currently practices law in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood. Scott first remembers visiting Marshall Space Flight Center in 1978 to get an up-close look at the first orbiter, Enterprise, which had been transported to Huntsville for dynamic testing. More recently, in 2006, he participated in an effort at the United States Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) to restore the long-neglected Skylab 1-G Trainer. This led to a volunteer position, with the USSRC curator, where he worked for several years maintaining exhibits and archival material, including flown space hardware. Scott attended the STS - 110, 116 and 135 shuttle launches, along with Ares I-X, Atlas V MSL and Delta IV NROL-15 launches. More recently, he covered the Atlas V SBIRS GEO-2 and MAVEN launches, along with the Antares ORB-1, SpaceX CRS-3, and Orion EFT-1 launches.
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