KSC-2014-3077

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A memorial plaque honoring Laurie K. Walls is affixed to the umbilical tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2. Walls, a thermal analysis engineer with the Launch Services Program, or LSP, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, died June 4. This dedication to Walls from the members of the launch team was read during the OCO-2 countdown commentary: "The OCO-2 mission has special meaning to NASA's Launch Services Program as we have dedicated it to one of our LSP Teammates, Laurie Walls. Laurie began her career over 30 years ago as a thermal engineer for McDonnell Douglas in Huntsville, Alabama, supporting NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. She moved to Florida in 1985. Shortly after coming to Florida, Laurie became a civil servant working on the Shuttle program return to flight effort post-Challenger. In 1998, Laurie joined the newly formed Launch Services Program as one of the founding members of the flight analysis group. She served in LSP as the thermal discipline expert until her untimely death earlier this month. Laurie worked thermal issues for numerous NASA Delta II and Atlas V missions. Additionally, she provided key thermal support for both Delta II Heavy development and Atlas V Certification. Laurie was an integral member of LSP's family and she was truly dedicated to NASA and the LSP team. She will be greatly missed. We honor Laurie with a special memorial placed on the SLC-2 umbilical tower, and we thank ULA for helping to make this happen." Launch of OCO-2 is scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. To learn more about NASA's Launch Services Program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin