RANGE SAFETY

the airforce Eastern test range launch site is Cape Kennedy Air Force Station Florida in a 20-year span beginning with the bumper rocket launched July 24th 1950 there have been nearly 1,800 major launches from the Cape in September 1968 preparations had been completed to launch Delta 59 a workhorse rocket with an unequaled string of successes this Delta was one of the first utilizing a long tank Thor booster three strap-on solid propellant engines nearly double the liftoff thrust of the main liquid propellant engine the smaller Delta second stage takes over after first stage burnout and the solid propellant third stage is relied upon to accelerate the attached payload into a preliminary elliptical orbit with an Apogee of more than 22,000 miles above the earth at that point an Apogee motor built into the spacecraft is ignited to circularize the orbit at a speed which precisely matches the rotation of the earth this was to be the first of the Intel Sat 3 series of communication satellites part of a network designed to provide improved communications to all populated areas of the world the spacecraft was to be launched for COMSAT the communication satellite corporation one important element of any launch vehicle fired from the Cape cannot be seen by the ground observer hidden inside it is known as the destruct package this is a safety device seldom used but designed to destroy the vehicle if it should go out of control and thus become a threat to lives and property responsibility for the command destruct decision is assigned to the Range Safety Officer in the range control center miles from the launch site information comes to him from a number of sources a direct verbal report comes from an officer Manning this sky screen he gauges the rocket flight in relationship to two wires well in depth so the I in effect cease the rocket climbing the wire pictorial information is provided to camera vans relay closed-circuit television pictures of the flight to the control room console as well as pad safety and command control 9 tracking radars were used to support this Delta launch test located as far away as Antigua others were sighted at Grand Turk and Grand Bahama Island the balance on the Florida mainland signals sent out and returned are translated to give instantaneous information about the position velocity and acceleration of the rocket the radar inputs are received by the CDC 3600 computer which converts the electronic signals to visual displays at the range safety console these displays show the real-time position of the rocket as well as the predicted impact point if the engines were stopped sensors in the rocket often transmit the first Clues that all is not well telemetry receivers pick up this information and send it to the range control center if the malfunction is detected the arm switch is activated which stops propellant flow and arms the destruct package if the safety officer decides to destroy the rocket the destruct switch is also thrown the electronic arm and destruct commands are sent directly to the erratic vehicle through special transmitting antennas mounted on the command destruct building similar facilities at downrange tracking sites are controlled by the Range Safety Officer at the Cape this is range test number 7970 covering the launch of Delta 59 carrying Intelsat 3a with the aid of conversations recorded and film exposed at the time we recreate the events of September 18 1968 Eastern Daylight Time is 18 Oh 8 t minus 1 minute uncounted Roger I understand green you have a final clearance to launch at this time Roger thank you much seniors so would you enable yes with a neighbor understand command area covers coming up switch covers coming up [Music] this is the RSO for a final communication session very first drink very soon 91 91 wire our radar radar team camp TV Roger reading all stations loud and clear coming up on t-minus 30 seconds and counting on my mark Marcus t-minus 30 seconds and counting [Music] by bus terminal count [Music] [Music] programming your wire understand programming downrange Roger TV be trained Roger BC I have an IP the I see is green at this time and moving out damn solid for to burn up the Roger TM understands solid burnout Roger Dean babies are great [Music] Roger TV Roger 3rt is moving back at this time I deviate a little right Roger TV I see is a little right of not more steady this town has an IP my fee is left of not moving downrange at this time biggest truck got an IV to the left and a radar tends to be coming down Roger radar understand is coming down damn Kapurthala Roger TM ideas left if not all about ten seconds slower just moving down range I don't need noise Brad you're sending armed sending distract right there bring up on high bar I can destruct away saying we strike again let's back it up a system five carry your own ride you're sending destructive laps time less than two minutes an expensive loss yes but a cost which can be more easily met than one involving human lives and other exposed properties if they've taken time to stop and think about what could happen the citizens of nearby communities as well as distant cities would be thankful for these strict protective procedures looking to a future when missile test malfunctions will become even less frequent the Air Force Eastern test brains is committed to provide continued evaluation of vehicle performance on every Cape Kennedy launch with brain safety serving always as an effective shield against potential disaster