Marshall Space Flight Center To Lead New Rocket Program

WaayTV.com: Marshall Space Flight Center To Lead New Rocket Program
Huntsville, Ala -- NASA announced, Tuesday afternoon, program office assignments for three NASA field centers including Marshall Space Flight Center.

The three program offices will manage human spaceflight activities associated with the development of the Space Launch System. This will included a new heavy-lift rocket that will carry humans beyond low Earth orbit. This program will be lead by the Marshall Space Flight Center.

A NASA press release stated, "The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, will lead NASA's efforts on a heavy- lift rocket that will carry humans beyond low Earth orbit. The center will house the program office for the Space Launch System and continue to support station operations. "

"We are pleased to be assigned the responsibility for developing and managing NASA's heavy-lift space launch system at Marshall Space Flight Center," said Robert Lightfoot,
Marshall Space Flight Center Director. "Our talented workforce is eager to take on this challenge. This assignment ensures Marshall Center technical and program management capabilities will continue to play a key role in our nation's space program as we look to reach beyond low Earth orbit."

In addition, two other NASA locations were announced as program offices. The Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, will be the program office for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the next human exploration spacecraft. The Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, will be the program office overseeing commercial human spaceflight capabilities.