Shuttle dropped to 16 flights

NASA budget affects KSC jobs

Cutbacks likely in life science research area

BY CHRIS KRIDLER
FLORIDA TODAY
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Changes. The 2010 transition from the shuttles to a new spaceship,
which will not use the same kind of heat-shielding, means changes are
ahead for some Kennedy Space Center workers. Michael R. Brown, FLORIDA
TODAY



More money
During the five years outlined in the new NASA budget, Kennedy Space
Center would get $1 billion more than previously allocated, Director
Jim Kennedy said.



CAPE CANAVERAL - With science dwindling and exploration shifting,
Kennedy Space Center workers will feel the impact of the NASA budget
unveiled this week.

Some jobs will be eliminated by the time the shuttles are retired in
2010, officials said.

"What we do know is it's coming down, and we need to be prepared for
that, and we need to be honest with the work force," KSC Director Jim
Kennedy said.

NASA's budget is increasing, but areas within the agency are shrinking.

Administrator Mike Griffin acknowledged that cuts in science will help
pay for manned space flight. For KSC, that means dozens of people are
halting research in areas such as growing plants for food and oxygen on
long space trips.

"The life science research that we do is something that will be needed
one day for long-duration stays on the moon or Mars, but clearly not
for a one-week stay," Kennedy said.

NASA chose to divert money toward flying the rest of the shuttles and
completing the International Space Station.

"It was hard to see some of those people leave," Kennedy said, "but
it's consistent with the priorities of this agency."

Despite cuts, the state-funded Space Life Sciences Lab, which housed
many biological experiments, will remain open after a fraction of its
slashed funding was reinstated. It could be used for other technology
work, Kennedy said.

Though some people will lose jobs as the shuttles stop flying in 2010,
the KSC government and contractor work force should hold steady at
15,000 until then, Kennedy said.

NASA expects to fly 16 shuttle flights -- a reduction from 18 -- to
finish building the station, plus perhaps a Hubble Space Telescope
repair mission. There's a chance of two additional flights, but don't
count on them, Kennedy said.

As the shuttle winds down, construction jobs are expected to boom as
the space center turns itself into a port for the Crew Exploration
Vehicle.

"We have to transform the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building)," Kennedy
said. "We have potentially major transformations of pads, the mobile
launch platform, the crawler."

Shuttle pad 39B is the likely target for overhaul or demolition.

Pad 39A is being refurbished and will become the only shuttle pad.

The center is hoping to get some as-yet-unallocated NASA money for the
construction.

Though the crew exploration vehicle will launch from KSC, with a test
flight planned in late 2009, it may not be built here.

The state is offering a $35 million incentive to lure the winning
contractor team, Kennedy said. Such a coup could help offset the loss
of jobs at KSC.