Shuttle/Mission Update
During inspections on Crawler Transporter No. 2, technicians removed two of the 16 JEL (jacking, equalization and leveling) cylinders to gain access to the bearings for routine maintenance and found three of the four bearings had cracks. Of the three bearings, two had extensive damage. Further eddy current inspections indicate that cracks are present on 15 of the bearings. There are 16 cylinders and 32 bearings per crawler.

After locating the cracks on Crawler No. 2, technicians used eddy current to inspect Crawler No. 1 and found that 13 bearings also had cracks. Although no cause is known at this time, engineers are currently evaluating the situation to determine the most appropriate solution.

KSC Bi-Annual Environmental & Energy Awards Call --
Nominations Due August 23
Employees are invited once again to participate in the 2002 KSC Bi-Annual Environmental & Energy Awards Call. The award recognizes an individual or team for contributions and/or successful operations in preserving the environment, conserving energy, and preserving natural resources while reaching for the stars. The 10 categories are a) Affirmative Procurement, b) Education, Outreach, and Awareness, c) Energy Conservation, d) Environmental & Energy Leader, e) Hazardous Waste, f) Historic/Archaeological Preservation, g) Natural Resources/Habitat Conservation, h) Recycling, i) Waste Prevention, and j) Water Conservation.

Nominations to the Environmental & Energy Awards Program are due by close of business Friday, Aug. 23, to TA-C3/Barbara Naylor. For nomination forms, contact Barbara Naylor at 867-8452 or e-mail Barbara.Naylor-1@ksc.nasa.gov. The date for the Bi-Annual Awards Ceremony has not been scheduled. The ceremony should take place some time in late September or early October.

Proposed New Shuttle Bus Schedule
JBOSC recently developed a new shuttle bus schedule which incorporates Routes 1 and 2 into one big loop. The schedule will become effective on Sept. 3. You may access the shuttle bus schedule at the Transportation web site: http://kscinfo.ksc.nasa.gov/transportation/shutbus.html.
If you click on the printable Excel spreadsheet, you'll notice the time intervals between stops has been reduced to 20 minutes from 30 and 40 minutes. Suggestions/ concerns may be forwarded to Janet Keith at 867-3420.

Elder Care Support Group Is Forming
Due to the rising trend in elderly care and the concerns associated with it, the EAP Administrator is forming a new support group that deals with Caring for the Aged. Those interested in attending, please forward an e-mail to Patricia.Bell-1@ksc.nasa.gov or call 867-7398. The group will initially meet bi-monthly on Fridays at 11 a.m. in the Occupational Health Facility. The first meeting will take place Friday, Aug. 16.

Did You Know. . .
There will be an auction at Ransom Road, M6-1671. The items for auction include but are not limited to electronic equipment, miscellaneous computer equipment, cable, wire, etc. Inspection Date/Time: Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Sale Date/Time: Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 9:30 a.m. For additional information, please visit the web site http://surplus.ksc.nasa.gov.

KSC Countdown is published Tuesdays & Thursdays. Deadlines: 10 a.m. Mondays & Wednesdays. Send information, comments or questions to: E-mail -- Anita.Barrett-1@ksc.nasa.gov Telephone -- 867-2815