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VII. Preparation for the Missions

Before each mission, there was a series of preparation processes carried out by the KidStat teams in order to ensure the mission would be successful. These included a series of design reviews, crew familiarization, briefings, crew training, and mission simulations.

7.1 Design Review
Preceding the first mission, a series of design reviews took place to ensure the overall design would be successful and the interfaces between each system were valid. The first set were Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs), which included reviews of each individual element of the project as well as a review of the overall system. Students and teachers made the presentations for all of the KidSat reviews. The Education Element was included as an integral part of each review, which was a first for NASA. Following the PDRs for STS-76, a similar series of Critical Design Reviews (CDRs) were held. These were intended to focus on the final configuration of KidSat.

For STS-81, a single, integrated, "delta" CDR was held that involved all elements of the project. For STS-86, a relatively short review via teleconference followed the Crew Familiarization Briefing. Since the overall system was essentially the same for the two previous missions, the teleconference was brief.

7.2 Crew Familiarization Briefings
About six weeks before each mission, the KidSat teams held a Crew Familiarization Briefing. The objective of the briefing was to educate the flight crew and Mission Operations personnel about the payload, including:
• goals and objectives,
• payload systems and interfaces with Orbiter,
• operational aspects of the payload, and
• roles and responsibilities of the flight crews and Mission Control Center (MCC) flight controllers.

The briefings familiarized the entire crew with the payload. The briefing was conducted by the students using videoteleconference facilities at JPL and JSC. The briefings provided detailed and overview information for the crew and members of the Mission Operations team at JSC. KidSat team members outlined how the program was developed and implemented for the shuttle crew to provide a background of the project. Each of the KidSat teams presented their part of the project.

7.3 Crew Training
Two months prior to the mission, the Flight team provided technical training for the shuttle crew members who would oversee the installation, maintenance, and stowing of the KidSat flight hardware. The training took place at JSC and usually involved three to five of the KidSat Flight team members with support from students from the Mission Operations team.

7.4 Mission Simulations
Simulations (SIMs) of the missions took place starting about five weeks before each flight to provide practice for all involved in the mission and to test and evaluate interfaces and procedures. The SIMs were based at the Mission Control Gateway and involved JSC, JPL and the SMOCs.

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