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AAS Explorer Issue #7 lookingback: Unable to fly | 18 AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY Newsletter of the AAS History Committee | www.astronautical.org | Editor: Tim Chamberlin ([email protected]) AAS History Committee to keep INSIDE publishing Explorer newsletter elcome to our first issue of FEBRUARY 2009 | ISSUE 7 2009! W I was pleased to host the annual meeting of the AAS History Committee on Nov. 13 in Pasadena, Calif., in conjunction with the AAS National Conference and Annual By Michael L. Ciancone, Chair, AAS History Committee Meeting. I was particularly gratified by the level of participation from rian Steve Dick kindly offered to HistComm members and the pres- forward the next newsletter (in ence of several distinguished guests. which this report appears) to his The committee discussed the history listserv. progress we made towards our 2008 We will also continue to provide goals, and used this as a guide to book reviews for Space Times as well developing updated goals and objec- other items of a more general interest COURTESY GRIN.HQ.NASA.GOV tives for 2009 (see Goals, page 17). to AAS membership, such as the list We engaged in a general discus- of 2008 astronautical publications APOLLO 8 sion of Explorer, and whether we that also appears in this newsletter. CELEBRATION should continue publishing. This I am gratified at the level of ® Apollo astronauts gather in San discussion was prompted by a gener- support and encouragement we Diego to celebrate historic flight al policy of taking a step back period- received regarding continuation of 40 years ago / 2 ically to re-visit things we do to this newsletter and am optimistic ® Little Joe II to receive makeover ensure that they offer value and are that we will succeed in achieving our at JSC / 3 more than a conditioned response. goals that will allow us to continue to ® More than 150 recognize CIESS anniversary / 4 The discussion was encouraging as it have a positive impact within the highlighted positive feedback and spaceflight history community. ® AAS History Committee’s annual list of astronautical books / 11 support for continued publication I extend my thanks to the members ® Univelt, Inc. releases latest with some suggested changes, mostly of the History Committee for their volume in AAS History Series / 15 regarding how to reach a wider audi- individual and collective efforts, and ® Rocket pioneer Konrad ence. To this end, NASA chief histo- support. Dannenberg dies at 96 / 19 Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history. [I admit to harvesting this nugget from a recent NASA announcement] — Carter G. Woodson Read about Stephen E. Doyle, an AAS History Committee member who Spotlight was recently honored as an AAS Fellow for his outstanding contributions 9 to astronautics. AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY | AMERICA’S NETWORK OF SPACE PROFESSIONALS EXPLORER 2 NEWSLETTER OF THE AAS HISTORY COMMITTEE ¢ 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF APOLLO 8 PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRANCIS FRENCH / SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM Above, left: Apollo 8 crewmembers Frank Borman, William Anders, and James Lovell, Jr. at the San Diego Air and Space Museum during a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the first piloted circumlunar mission. Above right: Apollo astronauts at the anniversary celebration (L-R): Gene Cernan, Alan Bean, Gerry Griffin (former Johnson Space Center director), William Anders, Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Walt Cunningham, James Lovell, Jr. and Glynn Lunney (NASA flight director during the Gemini and Apollo era). Apollo astronauts gather in San Diego By Francis French I The crew’s wives, children, and Space Center during the Apollo era he Apollo 8 crew participated other family members I Bob Cardenas, Bob Hoover and in a number of anniversary I Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Steve Pisanos, legendary aviators. T events recognizing the 40th Armstrong, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan In a very relaxed and informal anniversary of their historic mission and Walt Cunningham forum, the Apollo 8 crew traded to the moon. I Dale Myers, former NASA deputy stories, quips and light-hearted digs However, only one of them was a administrator from their pioneering mission, while deeply personal event, and that was I Glynn Lunney, NASA flight direc- Lunney and Armstrong bookended the celebration that the crew and their tor during the Gemini and Apollo era the forum with their reflections on the families themselves initiated and I Gerry Griffin, NASA flight director historic nature of the first manned planned down to every last detail. and former director of JSC mission to the moon. To have the two This anniversary gathering was I Gene Kranz, NASA flight director Apollo 11 lunar landing astronauts in held recently in William Anders’ and mission operations director the room emphasized one important hometown of San Diego, Calif., at the I Jan Evans, widow of Ron Evans point – without Apollo 8’s leap into San Diego Air and Space Museum. I Jo and Suzy Schirra, widow and the unknown, all the missions that Anders was the Lunar Module pilot daughter of Wally Schirra came after it would not have been for Apollo 8. The event featured a I Ingeborg Ehricke, widow of Krafft possible. who’s-who of almost everyone associ- Ehricke, rocket pioneer ated with this crew, including the I Dick Gillan, Apollo engineer Francis French is director of education West Point class members of Apollo 8 I Chuck Friedlander, who directed the at the San Diego Air & Space Museum commander Frank Borman, and: astronaut support office at Kennedy in San Diego, Calif. PAGE 2 WWW.ASTRONAUTICAL.ORG FEBRUARY 2009 | ISSUE 7 ¢ IMAGES FROM THE FIELD IMAGES COURTESY OF ROB PEARLMAN / COLLECTSPACE.COM The outside wall of the Saturn V rocket facility at Johnson Space Center in Houston now displays a life-size replica of the booster. Little Joe II to receive a makeover from NASA By Mike Ciancone and Tim Chamberlin of paint. The work is scheduled for completion in Spring 2009. he Little Joe II rocket and Little Joe II was used to test associated stand located at the launch escape system for the T Rocket Park near the main Apollo capsule. Designed by entrance of NASA’s Johnson Space General Dynamics, the test space- Center is undergoing work to craft was about 86 feet in length. It repair damage from years of expo- was bigger than its predecessor, sure to Houston’s warm and humid Little Joe I, which was used during climate. the Mercury program. NASA was able to initiate this The first test flight of the vehi- work after the Smithsonian cle was launched in August 1963, Institution transferred ownership of and four more flights after that the rocket to the space agency. The were successfully conducted. Little work is intended to repair and Joe II demonstrated that Apollo’s preserve the rocket for outdoors, launch escape and landing systems rather than providing museum-level could adequately protect a crew refurbishment as was done with the during emergency operations. Saturn V rocket now inside its Despite the tests flights, the The Little Joe II rocket and its stand are indoor facility. Little Joe II and its escape system was never used undergoing restoration at Rocket Park at stand will also receive a fresh coat during an actual Apollo mission. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. WWW.ASTRONAUTICAL.ORG PAGE 3 EXPLORER 2 NEWSLETTER OF THE AAS HISTORY COMMITTEE ¢ CIEES (INTER-ARMS SPECIAL WEAPONS TEST CENTER) PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHILIPPE JUNG Above left: About 150 former Groupe Technique de Cannes (GTC) staff and their friends and family members attended the 60th anniversary CIEES celebration in October. This included Jean-François Romano (left), grandson of the plant founder, Mrs. Audoin- Decker (fourth from left), daughter of Michel Decker, father of the Air Ministry rocket programmes, and Nicole Sabbagh-Blériot (second from right). Above right: The SE 1500, produced by GTC, was first flown in 1946 as an unmanned glider to help analyze anti-aircraft missile warheads. Rocket range made its debut 60 years ago By Tim Chamberlin A commemoration was organized I The first French rocket test bed with input kindly provided by Philippe Jung at the Groupe Technique de Cannes program, SE 4100, in 1949. ixty years ago, the Inter-arms (GTC) in France in October by the I The world’s first operational ramjet Special Weapons Test Center Thales Alenia Space’s Employees weapon system, SE 4200, in 1950. S (Centre Interarmées d'Essais Committee and its Cannes Aéro I The world’s fastest tracked vehicle, d’Engins Spéciaux or CIEES) was Patrimoine association, in the former SE 1900, in 1952 (a rocket sled at 328 abuzz with activity. Space Camp of Patrick Baudry. About km/h) The new French rocket range had 150 former GTC staff, friends and I The first French surface-to-air missile, launched the SE 1500 missile from family members attended the 60th SE 4300, in 1954 (for armée de l’Air) Colomb-Béchar, in the Algerian anniversary CIEES celebration. I The world’s fastest and highest Sahara desert, from the “B0” test facil- At the gathering it was ramjet vehicle, SE 4400, in 1954 ity. A year later, two more missile test announced that the modular wind All told, 1,147 rockets were sites were created to test vehicle tunnel mock-up for the X407/SSBT launched by GTC, 923 of them at performance; “B1” in 1949, followed by Casseur tactical missile had been CIEES. “B2” in 1952 in Hammaguir, about 110 found. GTC director and aeronautical km to the southwest. The SE 1500 was built by GTC engineer Roger Béteille helped invent It wasn’t long thereafter that and first flown in 1946 as an the cruise missile concept for France CIEES became the largest rocket unmanned glider to help analyze anti- in the 1960s, including the X422, range in the world, only equaled later aircraft missile warheads.
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