Contractor has supported every shuttle mission

  • Published
  • By Valerie Joseph
  • 21st Special Operations Public Affairs
ONIZUKA AIR FORCE STATION, Calif. (AFPN) --  One hundred fourteen -- that is the total number of space shuttle missions launched by NASA. It is also the number of space shuttle missions Cliff Gatewood has supported here.

Mr. Gatewood, a contractor, has been involved with every space shuttle mission to date beginning with Columbia in 1981. He has worked here for nearly 30 years, including his Air Force career of more than 21 years before retiring in 1988.

As with all previous shuttle launches, he was assigned to the 21st Space Operations Squadron when the most recent shuttle lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on July 26.

Mr. Gatewood is the liaison for operations, equipment maintenance, integration and logistics support for NASA’s communications interface to Onizuka. Simply put, he helps ensure successful connectivity for voice communications, as well as health and status data for the space shuttle.

“We are the primary interface to provide voice and telemetry data from the Air Force Satellite Control Network to NASA,” he said.

His work on the recent Discovery launch also involved training people at the Center for Research and Space and Missile Systems Center, Detachment 12, at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. For the first time, Schriever is serving as the remote mission control complex, which ensures remote tracking stations worldwide are able to connect and route shuttle data to NASA.

“(The training) involved updating documentation to bring the (Center for Research Support) on board on how to fly the shuttle,” Mr. Gatewood said. “We performed extensive testing leading up to the launch.”

The Florence, Ky., native is modest about his unique accomplishment.

“The success of the mission is the most important thing,” he said. “I get a great deal of satisfaction from what I do.”

Mr. Gatewood said he was very excited to be part of the first shuttle launch in April 1981. However, his most memorable mission was in 1998 when he met Sen. John Glenn at Johnson Space Center in Houston for the senator’s return to orbit.

“It was a scientific mission to study the effects of aging (in space),” he said. “I spent about three hours with Senator Glenn.”

Another memorable event, he said, was meeting astronaut Eileen Collins -- the first female shuttle commander and commander of the current mission.

Mr. Gatewood’s supervisor, Derick Jackson, spoke highly of his accomplishments.

“Cliff is the foundation for shuttle support at Onizuka,” he said. “His oversight and guidance is the reason we have successful satellite support using programmable telemetry processor systems.”

Mr. Gatewood said he hopes he will be around for more shuttle launches. As soon as Discovery lands, he will begin working on the next mission.

“Space has become a passion rather than a job,” he said. “It’s very necessary we remain in space.”