NASA's KSC providing assistance
to Santa on Christmas Eve
The Debris Imaging Radar System, used during the night launch of NASA's
space shuttle mission STS-116, is a new system at Kennedy Space Center
in Florida that will now be made available to Santa Claus
on Christmas Eve.
Based on its success in identifying even the smallest amount of debris
coming off the orbiter or the external tank, NASA has strong confidence
the system will provide assistance in observing Santa's sleigh.
Since the elves have the packages piled high, NASA can determine with
great accuracy if any gifts planned for delivery fall off the sleigh.
The radar system is capable of high-definition radar imagery, so the approximate
shape, size and weight of the packages can be determined.
This could greatly help Santa recover the packages so that no child is
disappointed by not receiving the presents the jolly fellow promised while
he made the rounds in shopping malls before Christmas.
The radar has an auto-track mode so that it can be left unattended on
Christmas Eve and still perform its intended function. The system will
be automatically activated once NASA's air traffic control radar located
on north KSC has made radar contact with Santa's sleigh.
Also of assistance to Santa this year is the new Differential Global
Positioning Satellite System ground station at the Shuttle Landing Facility.
These new GPS antennas located near the control tower can help if there
is an emergency. Since the sleigh is now GPS equipped, it can guide Santa
to a landing within 10 feet of the runway's centerline, regardless of
which end of the runway he needs to use.
Though Shuttle Landing Facility personnel will be on holiday leave, officials
at the NASA Tower have agreed to provide the customary support by turning
the landing lights on before they depart for Christmas, as well as turning
on the TACAN radio homing beacon and the visual alternating green and
white lighted rotating beacon.
NASA will use the orbiter Discovery to mimic Santa's sleigh during the
STS-116 landing currently planned for Friday, in order to test the ability
to operate these two new systems in auto-track mode. If the orbiter is
waved off to land on the West Coast, the Shuttle Training Aircraft will
be used to simulate Santa's sleigh.
If Santa needs help, one of the primary radio frequencies normally used
for communication in restricted airspace will still be monitored by the
Air Force Eastern Range and also NASA security.
For more information about KSC's assistance to Santa, contact the KSC
News Center at 321-867-2468.
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