 Did you know that NEATO
is a regular traveler on the space shuttle? Every time the big bird lifts off, NEATO soars
as an integral part of the space program.
With enormous amounts of information needed in space, CDs are the preferred storage
medium. Between 15-23 discs are included in the cargo of each flight - some are
commercially produced, while most are custom made. Here's where
NEATO Comes in.
The custom CDs are burned by technicians at United Space Alliance, a Houston-based
Boeing/Lockheed Martin joint venture formed to conduct the Space Flight Operations for
NASA. The CDs contain training and reference materials for planned experiments as well as
configurations and layout details for the specific mission.
Each CD is labeled using the NEATO CD labeler and then
shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida where they are stowed in specially
designed, flight-certified CD-ROM cases awaiting the next launch of the shuttle.
Most recently, the CDs were used on the Mir Space Station by both
American Astronauts and Russian Cosmonauts, labeling their journey as an
international success. |
