NASA Kennedy Space Center Counts Down to Santa's Annual Toy Delivery
Mission
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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.

Claus can take advantage of agency technology advances, such as the Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system, already aiding the annual Christmas
Eve flight.

Not long after Claus' trip last year, NASA launched TDRS-K, part of the
next-generation series of space-based communication satellites providing
tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services. Claus
now has this system available, providing almost uninterrupted communications
services with his mission control center at the North Pole.

Claus also will have access to up-to-date imagery of the changes on the Earth
provided by the Landsat Data Continuity Mission spacecraft, which launched in
February. This could aid Claus in knowing exactly where to touch down in
areas of recent population growth.

As Santa makes his way along Florida's Space Coast, Kennedy's mammoth Vehicle
Assembly Building (VAB) always makes an easy-to-spot landmark. Spaceport
employees celebrated the 50th anniversary of the VAB this year and
modifications are under way that will result in the ability to process
multiple vehicles such as the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft while
simultaneously restacking toys into Santa’s sleigh.

As Claus and his reindeer make their deliveries, they could make a fly-by of
the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex where the space shuttle Atlantis now
is on display following its grand opening in late June.

If Claus and his reindeer need a rest stop during their long Christmas Eve
trip, they are invited to use Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. There,
Claus could check out a rock-and crater-filled planetary scape that has been
built so engineers can test an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance
technology, or ALHAT. NASA engineers are testing the new system with Project
Morpheus and a similar system could prove useful as Claus touches down in
varied terrains around the world.

Claus has one extraterrestrial destination this year -- the International
Space Station. Crews aboard the orbiting laboratory recently celebrated its
15th anniversary. Soon, astronauts can join Santa by flying aboard new
spacecraft launching from U.S. soil; NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is
partnering with private industry on launch vehicle and spacecraft development
options for taking astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the station.

Like Claus' annual world-wide delivery mission, the space station is a
multinational effort including the United States, Japan, Canada, Russia and
the 11 members of the European Space Agency -- Belgium, Denmark, France,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the
United Kingdom. And like Santa’s sleigh, the space station can be seen
flying through the sky from locations around the world:

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

To read more about the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system, visit:

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

To read more about the Landsat, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/Obsb9q

To learn more about the Vehicle Assembly Building's 50th Anniversary, visit:

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

To learn more about the International Space Station, visit:

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

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

http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy