JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Follow this link to skip to the main content

+ Propellant Fact Sheet
+ Shuttle use of Propellants


Go
KSC HOME SITE SEARCH MULTIMEDIA FAQ/CONTACT US NASA CENTERS  

+ NASA Home
+ KSC Home
Propellants and Life Support
PLS HOME
OUR STAFF
PRESSURE VESSELS AND SYSTEMS
PROPELLANTS, FLUIDS AND CONTAINERS
LEAD CENTER FOR FLUIDS MANAGEMENT
CONTROLLED STORAGE FUNCTION
SPACECRAFT FUELING SERVICES
LIFE SUPPORT
FAQ
SEARCH KENNEDY
Go
NASA Kennedy Space Center Propellants and Life Support Branch banner

The NASA Kennedy Space Center Propellants and Life Support (PLS) Branch offers one-stop access to over 30 liquid propellants, pressurants, chemicals, and special fluids. PLS schedules, coordinates, and implements delivery, storage, chemical analysis, and distribution of more then $40,000,000 of propellants each year to support the Space Shuttle, Atlas, and Delta launch vehicles, the International Space Station and the payloads which fly aboard them.


WELCOME TO THE PROPELLANTS AND LIFE SUPPPORT BRANCH

Our office is the Responsible Center For NASA-Wide Aerospace Fluids Acquisition and Management.  We provide NASA the most cost effective and reliable sources of liquid propellants, gases, and special aerospace fluids.  Specific expertises are:
  • Leadership in acquisition of aerospace fluids under the Consolidated Contracting Initiative for bulk helium, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, and execution of other technical and administrative contract support
  • Core technical expertise in cryogens, gases, hypergols, hydrocarbons, and special aerospace fluids
  • Knowledge of market conditions affecting availability and costs of required fluids
  • Monitor new program fluid requirements, assess the impacts to current supply sources,  and develop strategies for support
  • Monitor consumption and costs of major fluids used Agency-wide, and develop strategies for improved fluids logistics
  • Represent the Agency on professional, technical, and legislative issues related to fluids logistics

Locally at KSC, PLS duties include:

  • Responsible for propellant and life support services and equipment provided under KSC contract to operate and maintain the NASA’s largest and most diverse inventory of propellants and life support equipment
  • Responsible for the storage and distribution of 22 different fluids at KSC, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and to other local customers
  • Provide technical expertise to the design and operation of propellant systems to support space flight hardware processing
  • Unique fluid storage and supply capability for high purity anhydrous ammonia, and high purity liquid oxygen
  • Oversee design, manufacture and then operate unique support equipment such as: hypergol containers, liquid helium conversion system, liquid oxygen tankers, SCAPE, liquid air packs, and N2O4 Molecular Sieve
  • Liquid Air mixing and use
  • Provide operation and fluids engineering support to Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion, Atlas V, Delta IV, Falcon 9 space launch systems, the International Space Station, and all KSC/CCAFS spacecraft missions.

USEFUL LINKS
 

CPIA Logo
Chemical Propulsion Information Analysis Center
+ View Site

Science@NASA
NASA Space Science
+ View Site

Solar System Simulator
NASA Solar System Simulator
+ View Site

NASA Quest
NASA Quest
+ View Site






USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.
A Product of the Information Technology & Communications Services Directorate, Michael J. Bolger, Director
Web Development: JBOSC Web Development Team

+  NASA Privacy Statement, Disclaimer, and Accessibility Certification
NASA Home Page


Editor: Melissa Clevenger
NASA Official: Chuck Davis
Last Updated: May 14, 2015
+ Contact Propellants
+ Contact Kennedy

NASA Home Page