Space Shuttle Payload Operations

Payload operations and software are inextricably linked. Janice Bayer's operations experience has been quite valuable on Pink Shirt software projects. Between 1991 and 1994, Janice worked on mission planning and operations for the two Space Shuttle flights of the Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) Experiment and the flight of the Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE), a radiometer and a lidar, respectively. MAPS flew on STS-59 and STS-68, and LITE flew on STS-64.

Working for SpaceTec Ventures (since acquired by Zel Technologies), Janice Bayer defined payload operational requirements for two NASA Space Shuttle payloads, maintaining the requirements and agreements in extensive Shuttle Program documentation. Janice was the point of contact for the two payloads, and had daily contact with my counterparts at other NASA centers, Boeing, Honeywell, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During Shuttle mission operations, Janice coordinated minute-to-minute activities by interfacing between payload operations team engineers, payload scientists, and Shuttle flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston.