JOHN C. STENNIS SPACE CENTER
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529

NASA's Stennis Space Center, located in Hancock County near Bay St. Louis, has
grown over the past 27 years into NASA's premier center for testing large
rocket propulsion systems for the Space Shuttle and future generation space
vehicles.  Additionaly, the center has developed into a scientific community
actively engaged in research and development programs involving space, oceans
and the Earth.

The 13,480-acre operations complex includes industrial laboratory and
specialized engineering facilities to support engine testing, and its location
on the East Pearl River gives NASA deep water access for transporting oversize
cargo and liquid propellants via the East Pearl and the Intracoastal Waterway.
The center is surrounded by another 125,828 acres of acoustical buffer zone
held under restrictive easement by NASA to muffle the loud low-frequency noise
produced during static tests.

Stennis Space Center's primary mission is to support the development testing of
large propulsion systems for the Space Shuttle, Advanced Launch System and the
Advanced Solid Rocket Motor programs.  Static testing is conducted on the same
concrete and steel towers used from 1966 to 1970 to captive fire all first and
second stages of the Saturn V rocket used in the Apollo manned lunar landing
and Skylab programs.

Since 1975, the center has been responsible for research and development and
flight acceptance testing of the Space Shuttle's main engines.  The data
accumulated from these ground tests, which simulate flight profiles, are
analyzed to ensure that engine performance is acceptable and that the required
thrust will be delivered in the critical ascent phase of Shuttle 
flights.

SSC's role in ground testing is expanding into new areas such as the Advanced
Solid Rocket Motor program (ASRM) and the Advanced Launch System (ALS).  With
the onset of testing the ASRM planned for 1993 , Stennis will be totally
responsible for proving that the Space Shuttle's entire propulsion system is
flightworthy.

The center also is gearing up to begin developing turbomachinery technology for
the unmanned ALS and future generations of space vehicles.  A $69 million
Component Test Facility will be ready for testing high-fidelity turbomachinery
in 1993 to support these efforts.

In addition to ground testing, SSC has evolved into a center of excellence in
the area of remote sensing.  Stennis is currently involved in Earth sciences
programs of national and international significance as well as remote sensing
techniques and applications, and sensor and data systems development and
operations.

The Science and Technology Laboratory is Stennis' primary scientific and
research arm responsible for developing and advancing new technology for
observing the Earth and its resources.  The lab's scientific and technical
personnel work in such fields as mathematical modeling, forestry, geology,
urban geography and archaeology to accomplish its missions.  As a result of the
lab's extensive research, Stennis was designated as NASA's lead center for
space remote sensing commercialization.

Stennis Space Center is somewhat unique in NASA in that it also serves as host
to 18 other federal and state agencies and university elements in residence
involved primarily in environmental and oceanographic programs.  Nearly 6,000
people are employed at Stennis.  Roy S. Estess is the Director of the space
center.