Explore Lagniappe for August 2024 featuring:
- NASA’s Stennis Space Center Announces New Deputy Director
- NASA Inspires at 2024 ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans
- NASA Stennis Flashback
Gator Speaks
The roll out of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Artemis II core stage from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on July 16 brought warm feelings to this Gator heart of mine.
It shows the continued progress toward the Artemis II test flight for NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon under the Artemis campaign.
Gator Speaks
NASA/Stennis
The SLS core stage for NASA’s powerful rocket shows the collective strength of collaboration, including all 10 NASA centers and more than 1,100 companies across the United States who contributed to its production.
NASA Stennis is quite familiar with the SLS core stage for a couple of reasons.
The expert NASA Stennis test team knows all about the RS-25 engines helping power SLS since all RS-25 engines are tested and proven flight-worthy at NASA Stennis. Two huge propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant feed four RS-25 engines at launch.
It will be quite a sight watching the SLS core stage produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to propel astronauts toward the Moon in the Orion spacecraft.
NASA Stennis helped pave the way for a successful Artemis I launch by testing the first SLS core stage to collect data and ensure all was ready to go.
Now, crews are preparing the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2), where NASA Stennis tested the SLS core stage for Artemis I, for future testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage.
The new upper stage, in production at NASA Michoud, is part of the next evolution for SLS.
So, you see, the July roll out of the SLS core stage for Artemis II is much more than a chance to see the massive structure being moved.
It shows the passions and dreams of so many on the move.
It shows the creativity involved.
It shows how NASA continues building on decades of exploration experience to fuel America’s passion for discovery.
Go, Artemis! Go, NASA!
NASA Stennis Top News
NASA’s Stennis Space Center Announces New Deputy Director
NASA’s Stennis Space Center Director John Bailey announced Aug. 2 that longtime propulsion engineer/manager Christine Powell has been selected as deputy director of the south Mississippi propulsion site, effective Aug. 12.
Read More About the New Deputy Director
NASA Inspires at 2024 ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans
NASA joined the self-designated “party with a purpose” to let participants in the 30th ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans know there is space for everybody at the space agency.
Read More About NASA at 2024 Essence Fest
NASA Stennis Flashback: Shuttle Team Achieves Unprecedented Milestone
As chief of test operations at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Maury Vander has been involved in some long-duration propulsion hot fires – but he still struggles to describe a pair of 34-minute space shuttle main engine tests conducted onsite in August 1988.
Read More About the Shuttle Milestone
Center Activities
NASA Stennis Celebrates National Intern Day
Learn More About NASA Internships
Watch The Color of Space documentary on NASA+
Navy Interns Tour NASA Stennis
Summer interns with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory stand in front of the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) on July 10. NASA Stennis crews are preparing the B-2 side of the stand for future testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage. The more powerful second stage is expected to fly on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis IV. The Naval Research Laboratory interns visited the stand during an afternoon tour of NASA Stennis. The Naval Research Laboratory is a tenant of the NASA Stennis federal city, where it provides advanced scientific capabilities required to bolster the nation’s position of global naval leadership.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
Louisiana Legislative Staff and Interns Visit NASA Stennis
Legislative staff and interns from the office of U.S. Rep. Garrett Graves of Louisiana are pictured at the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA Stennis on July 11. During the visit to the south Mississippi site, the group learned more about internship opportunities with NASA and NASA Stennis. In addition to touring the test complex where RS-25 engines are tested for future Artemis missions, the group visited the Aerojet Rocketdyne Engine Assembly Facility onsite. Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, manufactures RS-25 engines to help power NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
Local School Leaders Visit NASA Stennis
Pearl River County Elementary School leaders visit the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) during a NASA Stennis tour on July 15. The school leaders received an overview of work conducted at NASA Stennis, including how the south Mississippi site is contributing to NASA’s return to the Moon through the Artemis campaign by testing engines and stages to help power the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
NASA Associate Administrator Visits NASA Stennis
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free stands with leaders from NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center during a visit on July 16 to the south Mississippi site. Free also met with representatives of commercial companies engaged in onsite propulsion activities. Pictured left to right is Jill Castiglione, NASA Stennis executive assistant; Troy Frisbie, NASA Stennis chief of staff; Nikki Tubbs, NASA Shared Services Center director of support operations; Anita Harrell, NASA Shared Services Center executive director; Free; John Bailey, NASA Stennis director; Rodney McKellip, NASA Stennis associate director; Troy Taylor, NASA Shared Services Center deputy director of service delivery; and Jessie Shiyou, NASA Shared Services Center executive assistant.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
Congressional Staff Visit NASA Stennis
Congressional staff delegates representing eight states (Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York), along with NASA and U.S. Air Force representatives, tour the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2) at NASA Stennis on July 16. The visit provided an opportunity for the group to learn about propulsion test work carried out onsite by NASA and commercial companies.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
NASA Stennis Participates in Hancock County Groundbreaking
NASA Stennis breaks ground with officials from Hancock County on July 18 for the Stennis Wastewater Conveyance Project at the Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kiln, Mississippi. The groundbreaking represented launch of an agreement described as a win-win situation for Hancock County and NASA Stennis. Upon completion of the project, the county will assume responsibility for servicing wastewater from the NASA center. The new agreement will enable the county to utilize its existing facility more efficiently, while also allowing NASA Stennis to devote more center resources its mission work. Groundbreaking participants include (left to right): Hancock County supervisor Chuck Clark, District 3; Hancock County supervisor Bo Ladner, District 5; Hancock County Water & Sewer District Chair Farron Hoda; state Rep. Brent Anderson, Mississippi District 122; Mayor Mike Favre, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; NASA Stennis Associate Director Rodney McKellip; Hancock County Board President Scotty Adam (District 4 supervisor); state Sen. Philman Ladner, Mississippi District 46; NASA Stennis project manager Brittany Bouche; Mayor Jay Trapani, Waveland, Mississippi; and Hancock County Utility Authority Executive Director David Pitalo.
NASA/Troy Frisbie
Java with John Hosts NASA Stennis Supervisors
NASA Stennis Director John Bailey hosts a Java with John session with NASA Stennis supervisors on July 24. Java with John is an ongoing employee-led discussion in a relaxed environment aimed to foster a culture where all are welcome to share what matters most to their work at NASA Stennis.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
NASA in the News
- NASA Ships Moon Rocket Stage Ahead of First Crewed Artemis Flight
- From One Crew to Another: Artemis II Astronauts Meet NASA Barge Crew
- NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test
- 25 Images to Celebrate NASA’s Chandra 25th Anniversary
- NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scientists Find Intriguing Mars Rock
- NASA Embraces Streaming Service to Reach, Inspire Artemis Generation
Employee Profile: Kim Johnson
NASA employee Kim Johnson’s desire for growth has taken her many places and continues unabated at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Kim Johnson supports NASA’s mission as a contracting officer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
NASA/Danny Nowlin
Additional Resources
- Catching up with Stennis Space Center’s new director – WXXV News 25 (wxxv25.com)
- New and Notables: John Bailey – Biz New Orleans
- Good Things with Rebecca Turner – SuperTalk Mississippi (interview with NASA Stennis employees Lee English Jr. and Noah English)
- Certifying Artemis Rocket Engines – NASA (Houston, We Have a Podcast segment featuring NASA Stennis engineers Chip Ellis and Bradley Tyree)
- NASA Stennis Overview – Going Further (video)
Subscription Info
Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail).
The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin.
To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address.
