MISSION SUCCESSLOCKHEED MARTIN SPACE SYSTEMS COMPANY

BULLETIN

®

February 6, 2002

Dennis R. DeelPresident & General Manager

February 6, 2002

Sincerely,

My fellow employees:

Michoud Operations had a good year in 2001 despite some notable disappointments.

We maintained our 100 percent Mission Success record in six Space Shuttle flights. We improved oursafety performance. We achieved process improvements that resulted in labor savings, cycle timereduction and defect reduction. Our customer recognized our efforts with Award Fee improvements. Wealso took major steps in making the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM) operational.

The disappointments included a reduction in External Tank production rate from eight to six a year,cancellation of the X-33 program and a limited award under NASA’s Second Generation ReusableLaunch Vehicle program.

I anticipate this year to be equally challenging. New NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe will take aclose look at all NASA operations, and we can expect additional pressure on the Space Shuttle programbudget.

This year the ET project will support six launches, four of those to the International Space Station. Wewill deliver six tanks including ET-121, the last of the 5th Buy contract. New initiatives include FrictionStir Welding, digital X-ray and 2219 domes. Besides the shuttle launches, this year we also plan to fly aHybrid 60K sounding rocket and make the NCAM’s Fiber Placement Machine operational.

Last year, new business opportunities did not materialize as we hoped. As we start this year, it appearsthere will be even fewer opportunities to pursue. Nevertheless, we do expect that our technologyinvestments will lead to work on the Joint Strike Fighter nacelle, and we are also investigating othercomposite work on the Comanche and Black Hawk helicopters.

To meet current ET commitments and position ourselves to win new business, we must remain focusedon operational excellence, improving processes and reducing cycle time.

We must also continue building upon our safety record that typically leads our industry. Our numberone cause of accidents and incidents continues to be employee inattention. I am asking management tofocus on safety behavior, and each of you this year to concentrate on individual safety performance.

As we face another challenging year, I am confident that by working safely and striving for operationalexcellence that we will continue to achieve 100 percent Mission Success. Thank you for your ongoingcommitment to Michoud Operations and America’s space flight programs.

OPERATIONSMICHOUD

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Six Space Shuttle missions planned for 2002

Three receivePresident’s Awards

Green Belts obtain certification

Fifteen Michoud employees recently received their Lean/Six Sigma GreenBelt certification. Front row from left: Eric Gueldner, Russell Smith, JohnTrowbridge, Bob Keener and Billy Young. Back row from left: StevenReeves, Charles Arthur, Jeffry Henton, Bobbie Tucker, Matthew Robertson,Lloyd Demmons, Darrel Pearson, Lance Mercier and Bill Hodgson. Notpictured is Patrick Nikolas.

Date Flight / ET Orbiter Payload

February 28 STS-109 (ET-112) Columbia Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission

April 4 STS-110 (ET-114) Atlantis Integrated Truss Structure & Mobile Transporterto International Space Station (ISS)

May 6 STS-111 (ET-113) Endeavour Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo to ISS& Crew Rotation

July 11 STS-107 (ET-93) Columbia Research Mission, Freestar

August 1 STS-112 (ET-115) Atlantis 15th Flight to ISS

September 6 STS-113 (ET-116) Endeavour Crew Rotation to ISS

Hybrid motor firing successful at Stennis Space Center

Michoud Operations PresidentDennis Deel recently presentedAndrew Bullard and MichaelRabito of Program Management &Technical Operations and PaulaFrazier of Information TechnologySystems with a President’s Award,

one of Michoud’shighest forms ofrecognition. Deel citedBullard for“outstandingtechnicalachievement insupport of theIntertank AccessDoor verificationtest, as well as

the ET-117 Liquid Hydrogen Tankcrack investigation.”

Bullard’s work helped qualify thecomposite Intertank door for flight.On ET-117, his multiple analysismodels on potential panel overloadscenarios played a major role inhelping Michoud zero in onprobable causes.

Deel recognizedRabito foroutstandingtechnicalleadership andmanagement indeveloping aninternalinsulation forcryogenic tankswith a commonbulkhead.

Rabito tested various insulations,which operated in liquid hydrogen.

Frazier was honored for herperformance and leadership whileassigned to Manufacturing and

EngineeringSystems.

To support theITS ProcessImprovementInitiative, sheconductedsurveys, assistedin demonstratingnew products

and took on the role of a ProjectPlanning lead.

Space Shuttle Program Council tours ET production lineWhile meeting in New Orleans recently, several members of the SpaceShuttle Program Council posed before a Liquid Hydrogen Tank. Fromleft are Stephen Brettel, NASA Michoud; Jerry Smelser, NASA manager,ET Project; Ron Dittemore, manager, Space Shuttle Program and Councilchairman; Dennis Deel, president, Michoud Operations; and RonWetmore, vice president, ET Project. Dittemore said he was impressedwith the Kaizen improvements that Michoud is making.

Bob Keener had never done thisbefore. A Production Operationshourly employee, he was picked tolead the SOFI Shop Six SigmaTeam. “I was kind of nervous atfirst, but after a while I got used toit.”

Keener’s team looked at all 66parts or small components in theSOFI (Spray On Foam Insulation)Shop. Which parts were beingautomatically machined? Whichwere being hand machined? Couldmore SOFI parts be automaticallymachined?

The team studied the process anddelivered 80 hours of recurringsavings per External Tank. A fewparts like the vertical struts werebig hitters. Manually, it takes 40hours to trim the SOFI on a verticalstrut. Machining does the task inunder ten hours.

Recently, senior managementhonored the first class of certifiedGreen Belts – those who haveundergone the training, completedimprovement projects and obtainedmeasurable results.

“This kind of involvement willspell success for the customer,”predicted Joe Marcus, vicepresident, Production Operations.“Some of you may have wondered at

first what this was all about. Wasit just another ‘program of the day’?Now you’ve seen the value and thesavings.”

Michoud’s LM21 program, whereteams use Kaizen and Six Sigmamethodology, continues to findways to improve operationalexcellence. For instance, theWelded Feedlines Team isresponsible for improvements inthe liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquidhydrogen (LH2) feedlines.

For years Michoud fabricated thestraight pipe section of the LH2siphon feedline as part of thesiphon line assembly. This costlyand time consuming activity is nowpurchased as a single piece from avendor at a substantial savings.

The team also looked at excessivedefects created during installationof the tube support ring (TSR) onthe LH2 feedline. After study andengineering analysis, it wasdetermined that the TSR could beeliminated.

“These Lean initiativeseliminated parts from the tank andreduced defects by eliminating thewelding process, which resulted inlabor and schedule savings,” saidBrian Magendie, who leads Lean/Six Sigma efforts.

Calling Lockheed Martin acompany whose accomplishments areinspirations for what a state canachieve, the New Orleans RegionalChamber of Commerce recentlypresented a Vision of ExcellenceAward to Michoud Operations.

President Dennis Deel acceptedthe award saying, “We’re committedto supporting the Space Shuttlethrough 2012 with quality productsand 100 percent Mission Success.”

The Chamber also recognizedLockheed Martin for its innovativepartnerships such as the one withNASA, the University of NewOrleans and the State of Louisianathat created the National Center forAdvanced Manufacturing (NCAM).The NCAM partnership positionsMichoud for possible Joint StrikeFighter work in the future.

The Hybrid Propulsion Demonstration Program carried out itsfinal Hybrid 250K motor test on January 17. The 27-second firingwent off without a hitch. This was the third firing of this Hybridmotor for a total burn time of 80 seconds.

“Two key technical issues, combustion stability and fuel retentionat motor burnout, were successfully addressed in this test,” saidPam Mitchell, manager, Program Management & AdvancedPrograms.

Hybrid motors of the 250K thrust class are being studied forcurrent and future launch vehicles. A Hybrid sounding rocket flightdemonstration is set for March at Wallops Flight Facility, VA. Hybrid 250K motor firing last month

Lockheed Martinreceives awardfrom Chamber

Andrew Bullard

Michael Rabito

Paula Frazier

Lockheed Martin Space Systems CompanyMichoud OperationsP. O. Box 29304New Orleans, LA 70189-0304

Volume 21, Number 1February 6, 2002

Editor: Harry Wadsworth

Graphics, Photography:Kevin Barré, Travis Kennedy,

Horace Williams

Contributors:Bob Bruce, Marion LaNasa

Lockheed MartinSpace Systems Company

Michoud Operations

Telephone: (504) 257-0094Mission Success Bulletin is published by the Communications Department.

®

Please send mailing address updates to: sharon.h.hansen@maf.nasa.gov4

MISSION SUCCESSBULLETIN

MILESTONES Employees celebrating January & February anniversaries

30 yearsPeter Hinkeldey

25 yearsHorace BrookterRichard ClavinLarry CoxEric LeonardStephen MayfieldWilliam McGeeTerry McKeoughStanley MorandEric NoltingSidney PrendergastJay SchmittNoris SilcioJohn Trowbridge

20 yearsJohn BeicherGary BoudraArthur DowdClyde FurstCharles GudaitisBen HanslickAlan HislopPaul HouidobreDanny HowardCarl JeppesenDavid KirkDavid LanderDelbert McCleskeyRobert PontiffJohn PucheuBeverly Smith

Thomas ThompsonBeverly VaultzJoyce Wyatt

15 yearsDwayne AlfredWilliam BaldwinHerbert CarterFrank HeubaumChet HirstiusSteve JonesCamille McConnell

10 yearsRobbin CalhounWarren TraubThomas Wallbillich

5 yearsJordon BourgaultDaniel DoellJohnny FoxStephen FrancisMark GambinoClaiborne HammonsWilliam HawkinsGeorge HuberGary JacksonChris KochLarry KoenennJames LittleWalter LymuelRoger May

Billy MelsonOvidio MenendezJames MoodyJohn OlavesenQuinn QuaglinoEdward RochaMary RodrigueThomas RuppenickerDamien SmithFrederick WalkerEric WilliamsStephanie Zulauf

Did someone say the word “volunteer”?The 2002 Employee Volunteer Organization Board of Directors will guidethis year’s volunteer activities. They are from left: Dee Geraci, treasurer;Rob Carey, ex-officio; Sandie Campbell; retiree Jack McKean; SteveGarner; Marc Church, president; Bill Burtch, vice president; John Beicher;Linda Savage-Regan, secretary; and Harry Nelson.

Be Prepared!

ISO Audit is February 25-28at Michoud Operations

Audit is March 18-19at Huntsville Technical

Operations at MSFC