Shuttle lands, departs under Edwards watchful eye

  • Published
  • By Christopher Ball
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) --  From its Aug. 9 landing to its Aug. 19 departure here on the back of a modified Boeing 747, civilians and Airmen here remained heavily engaged in supporting Space Shuttle Discovery.

While the shuttle and its mission were primarily NASA's responsibility, Edwards played a major role in bringing the shuttle safely back to Earth, and sending it home 10 days later to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle landed at Edwards Aug. 9 after it was unable to land in Florida because of weather conditions.

Hundreds of people from various organizations were directly tasked with supporting NASA's successful shuttle landing and departure. Countless others were on standby in case help was needed. Units provided support ranging from communications, medical services and airfield operations to security, media coverage and meals.

The 412th Operations Support Squadron supplied critical ground and air traffic control, radar coverage and weather information for shuttle operations, said Bill Gries, a 412th OSS shuttle contingency coordinator for Edwards.

"Mission planning started 30 to 45 days prior to the shuttle's launch and continued through to the end of the mission and the tow back to NASA's Mate-Demate Facility," Mr. Gries said.

The 412th OSS weather flight provided local weather forecasts and observations, launching balloons before and throughout shuttle mission. Two to three hours before landing, the local airspace was cleared for air traffic.

"The only authorized aircraft was NASA's weather observation aircraft," Mr. Gries said. "Once the orbiter landed, the airspace was opened back up, but the runway itself remained closed for about five hours while the shuttle was prepped for tow."

Behind the scenes, units from the 95th Air Base Wing helped with communications, security and even simple comforts for the returning astronauts.

The newly designated 95th Communications Group provided communications requirements for the shuttle's landing.

The air traffic control and landing systems office offered range and bearing for the orbiter's approach and landing, while the frequency manager monitored radio frequencies to prevent interference between the orbiter and ground stations.

The fire department was ready for any contingency, having trained on shuttle rescue procedures twice annually.

"From the time (the shuttle) lands until it (leaves the base), we have 28 people supporting the mission," said Monte Congleton of the 95th Civil Engineer/Transportation Directorate fire protection division. "We're on standby 24-seven as soon as the shuttle is diverted here.”

Other emergency services on-call around-the-clock included the 95th Aerospace Medical Squadron with airborne and ground trauma capability, and the 95th Security Forces Squadron exercising increased protection measures for on-base personnel and assets.

"We had additional people report at midnight the evening prior to landing," said Master Sgt. Charles Orf, the noncommissioned officer in charge of installation security.

"The majority of our forces provided security for the shuttle while it remained on the active runway and through the tow procedure until we turned over control to NASA security personnel," he said.

Security forces also had a liaison working with NASA, specifically for shuttle security, and the Edwards security team augmented traffic control and assisted with processing media on base for the landing and departure.

Once the orbiter was on the ground, other units stepped in to provide assistance.

“Bioenvironmental engineering was responsible for knowing what chemicals were on board the shuttle, identifying any toxic conditions and advising the on-scene commander of hazards associated with the orbiter, while keeping close watch on the health and safety of all emergency responders," said Staff Sgt. Michael Massey, a 95th Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineering craftsman.

Though the primary reason for Edwards' support is to deal with an emergency response involving the shuttle, all forces were standing by and ready for action.

"From installation to operational support, it was truly a Team Edwards effort," said Col. Jim Hogue, director of the Edwards space shuttle contingency response team.

"Everyone involved demonstrated consistent commitment and personal sacrifice as schedules slipped and alternate landing sites were debated," said Lt. Col. Frank Effrece Jr., the Edwards space shuttle contingency response team on-scene commander. "We were ready for any scenario."

Discovery's crew included two seasoned Air Force astronauts. Retired Col. Eileen Collins served as mission commander while Col. James Kelly acted as Discovery's pilot.

In 1995, Colonel Collins was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle -- Discovery STS-63 -- on the first joint American-Russian mission, and included a rendezvous with the Russian Space Station Mir. In 1999, she was the first woman to command a shuttle mission.

She has logged more than 6,280 hours in 30 different types of aircraft, with more than 537 hours in space.

Colonel Kelly was a member of the March 2001 resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Colonel Kelly has logged more than 3,000 hours in more than 35 different aircraft. In 2001, he flew the eighth shuttle mission to visit the ISS aboard Discovery, NASA reported.