On Monday, Feb. 11, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is hosting a live-launch viewing of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). Numerous Capitol College students and alumni have helped support the LDCM launch in a variety of positions. These students and alumni are all either current or former interns of Capitol College’s Space Operations Institute (SOI).
Current SOI interns that have helped with the mission include Jason Brown, Kyle Duvall, Mark Evans, Eddy Hintze, Julien Peters, Lisa Sedares and Amanda Shields, who all hold the title of satellite system engineer. SOI intern Noah Wilson is working as an Archiva engineer on the project.
SOI alumni working on the project include Brandon Alston ’12, satellite system engineer; Cory Heiges ’11, instrument ops lead and system engineer; Zachary Logan ’13, satellite system engineer; Justin Gronert ’10, ground system test lead; Joe Flemke ’11, ground system engineer; Sam Johnson ’12, satellite system engineer; Yasir Tufail ’10, lead propulsion engineer and FDS analyst; and Marcel Mabson '10, ITOS system test engineer.
The Landsat Data Continuity Mission is the eighth spacecraft in the Landsat satellite series. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have been observing and measuring Earth’s continental and coastal landscapes at a scale where human impacts and natural changes can be monitored and characterized over time. LDCM will launch from Vandenberg AFB near Lampoc, Calif.
The Space Operations Institute was established at Capitol College in 2002 with a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Institute combines the infrastructure necessary to manage satellite operations with an educational program that prepares students for careers in all aspects of space mission operations. SOI builds upon Capitol’s established engineering foundation and works closely with NASA to understand the aerospace industry’s changing skill requirements.
The launch will take place at 1:04 p.m. Doors will open at NASA Goddard at 12:30 p.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.