A groundbreaking was held to mark the start of construction on the Antenna Test Bed Array for the Ka-Band Objects Observation and Monitoring or Ka-BOOM system.

At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a groundbreaking was held to mark the start of construction on the Antenna Test Bed Array for the Ka-Band Objects Observation and Monitoring, or Ka-BOOM system. Holding ceremonial shovels, from left are Michael Le, lead design engineer and construction manager Sue Vingris, Cape Design Engineer Co. project manager Kannan Rengarajan, chief executive officer of Cape Design Engineer Co. Lutfi Mized, president of Cape Design Engineer Co. David Roelandt, construction site superintendent with Cape Design Engineer Co. Marc Seibert, NASA project manager Michael Miller, NASA project manager Peter Aragona, KSC’s Electromagnetic Lab manager Stacy Hopper, KSCs master planning supervisor Dr. Bary Geldzabler, NASA chief scientist and KSC’s Chief Technologist Karen Thompson.

The construction site is near the former Vertical Processing Facility, which has been demolished. Workers will begin construction on the pile foundations for the 40-foot-diameter dish antenna arrays and their associated utilities, and prepare the site for the operations command center facility. Photo credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser