Kennedy Space Center's holiday poster, depicting Santa Claus and NASA's programs at the Florida spaceport. Credits: NASA

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is counting down to support Santa Claus during his annual mission to deliver toys and other presents to children around the world. As always, the jolly old fellow will have the opportunity to take advantage of the agency's latest advances in technology.

Claus will have access to the most recent findings on the amounts of moisture and frost in the Earth's surface. NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite, is providing the latest measurements of the Earth's soil moisture distribution and freeze/thaw rates. This global data could be valuable in helping Claus determine the best places to land his sleigh.

Additionally, Claus and his reindeer will be given the opportunity to use Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility if a rest stop is needed during their long Christmas Eve trip. During the past year, NASA signed a 30-year property agreement with Space Florida for the operations and management of the facility. Now that Kennedy is a 21^st century multi-user spaceport, a variety of commercial and government partners may use the three-mile-long runway.

If he does choose to touch down at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Claus' reindeer will feel right at home at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Alongside the many high-tech facilities at the Florida spaceport, Kennedy employees work in an animal sanctuary that is home to hundreds of wildlife species. The diverse, 140,000-acre landscape provides a habitat for many varieties of animals, including alligators, manatees and deer.

Claus has one extraterrestrial destination this year -- the International Space Station. The crew recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of permanent occupancy of the orbiting laboratory. The first expedition crew docked with the station on Nov. 2, 2000, and began activation of the station and scientific research that has continued nonstop.

On Dec. 6, an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft successfully lifted off with more than 7,000 pounds of additional research equipment to support science investigations by the station crew.

In addition to St. Nick's Christmas Eve delivery, crews aboard the ISS received supplies in April when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on its sixth commercial resupply services mission. The SpaceX Dragon capsule brought up 4,300 pounds of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and supplies.

Soon, astronauts can join Claus by flying from U.S. soil to the space station aboard new spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The effort is a partnership that will include Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon taking astronauts to the orbiting laboratory.

Should Claus wish to visit future pioneers living and working on Mars, recent findings should aid St. Nick when he visits the Red Planet. Earlier this year, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter provided the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars. Dark streaks appear to ebb and flow in numerous locations when temperatures rise above 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and disappear at colder times.

As future explorers reach farther into the solar system, Claus may want to pay them a visit. Launched from the Cape on Jan. 19, 2006, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft provided the first close-up observations of Pluto on July 14 of this year. While human exploration may be years away, it gives the jolly old fellow time to map out his gift-giving strategy no matter where astronauts venture into the cosmos.

To learn more about NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, or SMAP, satellite, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/smap

To read more about NASA's agreement with Space Florida to operate the Shuttle Landing Facility, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-signs-agreement-with-space-florida-to-operate-historic-landing-facility-0

To learn about the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/alligators/kscovrv.html

To read more about the International Space Station, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/1dOptld

To learn when the space station is visible in your area, visit:

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

To read more about NASA's Commercial Crew Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html

To learn more about NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html

To read more about NASA's New Horizons mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html

To learn more about the other missions and programs NASA's Kennedy Space Center supports, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy

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Michael Curie
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
michael.curie@nasa.gov

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