Apollo I Anniversary...this time with the pictures (I hope)

[Rockets]

I meant to post this stuff last week, but never couold remember to take my camera ((

Anyway here are some pictures of Complex 34 where three astronauts were lost in the Apollo fire.

This is/was the "block house" where the engineers huddled during launches.

[Rockets]

here's a picture of the periscopes that are protruding from the roof of the block house. This is the way the launch director would view the launch.

Damn, I tried to make this one smaller....

[Rockets]

here's what's left of the actual pad and launch platform. The Pad in the background is the new Delta IV with the white service structure.

[Rockets]

This is the only plaque, sign or anything else telling of the historical significance of this site.

[Rockets]

Another site view

[Rockets]

For those of you that have never seen one this is what a beach looks like w/o CONDO's

The white objects in the background are lightning arrestors for the pads

[Rockets]

Last here's a native working on his tan

[Rockets]

Ok, I'll admit to being rather dumb about this, but how do I downsize these photo's? I unsucessfully tried using photoshop, but I rarely use it as you can tell.

THANKS

[fini]

Rockets,

I'd love to see these pictures, but only YOU can! You need to use the "file attachment" box below the message box to upload photos to the server. Right now, they only exist on your hard drive.

[Rockets]

Thanks Fini, I hope you can see them now!

[boom3]

cool...what are those ski jump things?

[SilverSport]

They take a moment to load but I see them...thanks for the reminder...I remember when this happened...watching TV as a child...very sad.

Bill

[fini]

" cool...what are those ski jump things?"

I believe those are deflectors used under the Saturn 5 rockets, to send the "exhaust" to the sides, rather than back up, where it'd destroy the rocket.

rocket,

Do you work at NASA? I have always wanted to see a launch "up close" (so to speak). Can you get me in? Seriously, it's a huge dream of mine...

[colterphoto1]

I just visited the Gus Grissom Memorial in Mitchell Indiana (his hometown). It is situated on the grounds of the very scenic Spring Mill State Park where he spent endless hours as a boy. It is a very nice memorial museum building and even houses his Gemini spacecraft and some NASA uniforms and equipment.

That was a tragic day in NASA history. Being born the same year as the space administration and growing up with it all around me because of my Father's interest in the engineering, I have always been a big fan of the Space Program.

There is a beautiful public facility in Houston Texas where the public can learn about the NASA program in great detail.

[Rockets]

Fini, you are correct about the "ski jump things" being blast or flame deflectors, but the Saturn V never lifted off from this pad only the Saturn1B. The Saturn V lifted off from the same pad(s) as the Shuttle uses now. That pad is BIG! It's hard to see in the photo's but there's a set of rails the blast deflectors rode on when they were placed directly under the pedestal.

Work for NASA? No...just a contractor. Sorry I can't get you front row seats for the next launch...you either need to be a VIP or know someone with a much higher pay grade than me!! It used to be NASA would hand out car passes to all Cape employees. Then Challenger went, and they deceided they didn't want that many people hanging around in the fall out after that, so they reduced the number of passes to a few thousand and gave them out by lottery. Then 9/11 happened and they don't want anybody out there that hasn't been pre-screened.

However! you can get in this way, it's just going to cost you that's all, but at least you guaranteed a good seat!

http://www.ksctickets.com/ltt.html

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/view/view_shuttle.html

http://www.floridaorlandotickets.net/kennedy_space_center.html

or if you wish you can camp out at Jetty Park, or along the river in Titusville but you need to get into your spot EARLY. There is also some pretty decent viewing along SR528 renamed the "beachline".

In any case if you wish to see a launch that'll rattle the fillings out of your teeth and set car alarms off for 15 miles or more, you'd better hurry. We're going out of bid'ness, and not many launches remain until CEV. I'm not sure what kind of a noisemaker it'll be. Originally they'd planned to use solids w/ a liquid stage using the shuttles main engines. Now they're thinking about dusting off the plans for the old Saturn 5 engines (the king of shake, rattle, and roll) Not that the Shuttle doesn't get your attention, but the water suppression system dampens out the initial "blast" pretty well. I can remember before the first Shuttle launch they were out at the pad w/ dynamite testing the noise suppression.

Hope this helps