Viewing page 11 of 12

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO            UCSD

BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • RIVERSIDE • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO [[image of UCSD Seal]] SANTA BARBARA • SANTA CRUZ

CALIFORNIA SPACE INSTITUTE
DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

9500 GILMAN DRIVE
LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA 92093-0221
(619) 534-6381

February 7,1995

To: John Muratore
Chief, Control Center Systems Division

From: Sally Ride
Director, California Space Institute, University of California 
[[Sally K Ride signed overtop]]

Copy: Steve Gonzalez

Subject: KidSat Mission Control Gateway

First, thank you for seeing to it that our UCSD students had an informative, interesting, and very useful visit to JSC last month. Steve Gonzales was particularly accommodating, and I appreciate his efforts.

When I was in Houston in December, you suggested developing a prototype of the KidSat "Mission Control Gateway" at JSC, with the intent that it would be replicated at UCSD when our facilities are complete. I think this is an excellent idea; my concern at the time was that we might not be able to involve students in that effort. I now believe that we have the students in place at UCSD to follow the development of the rapid prototype (via email, telecon, and an occasional 1 day visi), and enough student enthusiasm and expertise to understand, appreciate, and help test the system as it is developed.

I would like to propose that we adopt your suggestion, and that a rapid prototype of the KidSat Mission Control Gateway be developed at JSC. The prototype should include the JSC/UCSD interface and the control room at UCSD. I have identified a team of students who will be available to work with your team (from San Diego, through Steve Gonzales) in order to help define the requirements and provide information about UCSD capabilities that will be important in establishing the prototype configuration. I expect these students to learn the capabilities at UCSD, and generally become knowledgeable enough, through their connection to the prototyping effort, to lead the process of replicating the system at UCSD. I have had preliminary technical discussions with Steve Gonzales, and have asked our student team leader to introduce himself and the other students (via email), and begin discussions on the proposed prototype.

For your information, the paperwork is being processed to manifest a KidSat instrument on STS-76 (Mir-3), currently scheduled for a March, 1996 launch. The instrument will be the Electronic Still Camera (mounted in the cabin overhead window, and commanded from the ground); we plan to use the KCA interface. Our Payload Integration Manager is Sharon Castle at JSC.