Hands Across History A joint newsletter for the White Sands Historical Foundation and the White Sands Pioneer Group. Volume VII, Letter III August 2011 After 40 Years The Space Shuttle Program Ends Its Presence At WSMR’s Northrop Strip By Jim Eckles, Editor was still intact, it was supposed to separate from the fuel tank Lamentably, 30 years of space exploration using the and boosters and land back in Florida. first reusable spacecraft ended on July 21, 2011 when the If the shuttle was high enough and had enough energy, shuttle Atlantis touched down in Florida. It also marked the it was to glide across the Atlantic to reach the Morocco site. end of four decades of shuttle support by White Sands Mis- Finally, if the shuttle was just short of orbit, the proto- sile Range, the birthplace of America’s space activity. col was for an “Abort Once Around” landing. For an AOA, Most people are aware that the space shuttle Columbia the shuttle would have enough energy to circle the earth once landed at White Sands on March 30, 1982 on just the third and land back in the United States. Because of the launch flight for the program. However, the missile range’s involve- angle and lack of maneuvering possible in such a situation, ment in the shuttle program long preceded the first launch in White Sands was frequently designated the prime AOA site. 1981. Both NASA and WSMR often had people on call or on site As early as 1976, WSMR agreed to allow NASA to use ready to respond if they were suddenly required. Northrup Strip, in the middle of the old Lake Otero lakebed, see Just Space Trunkin’, page 3 as a shuttle pilot training site. In preparation, the Northrup runway, originally used for launching and recovering drones, was lengthened to 15,000 feet. A second runway was added and training began in Oct. 1978. Yes, it is misspelled. Apparently Northrop Corp. used the runway but somewhere along the line the company name was misspelled in a news release and on maps. Maps are really hard to change so the misspelling stuck. In 1979, the two runways were designated an alterna- tive landing site for actual shuttle missions. To accommo- date this move, the runways were stretched to 35,000 feet. That’s right, seven miles. They started life being 100 yards wide but later were widened to 300 yards. Even earlier, in 1970, NASA conducted the first of a series of one-tenth size scale model drop tests of the shuttle over the Northrup area. The 13-foot long models were dropped from an Army CH-54 “Sky Crane” at an altitude of 12,000 feet above sea level. According to NASA, the aero- dynamic tests were “designed to demonstrate the vehicle’s transition from a steep re-entry angle of attack to a level cruise attitude and its stability in stalled conditions.” In 1989, a third runway was added to the landing site. This was a short, narrow runway to simulate an emergency landing in Morocco. The scenario was called “Trans-Atlantic Abort Land- ing” and was based on the shuttle having engine failure during launch and not being able to reach orbit. There were a number of these launch failure possibilities and subsequent Space Shuttle Columbia lifting off on March 22, 1982 for emergency procedures. If the shuttle wasn’t very high and mission STS-3. It landed at WSMR eight day later. Commentary No One Elected To The White Sands Hall Of Fame Again By Jim Eckles, Editor knowledge. When I was doing this for the Pioneer Group This is the second year in a row no one has been one problem I noticed the first year was that the command’s elected to the WSMR Hall of Fame. The people who care review committee didn’t seem to care what we had to say. are pointing fingers trying to find the cause for this unprec- After that I tried to stack my review group with as many Hall edented happening. of Fame members as possible. One year I had at least four As someone who has been involved with the WSMR hall of famers on board. Didn’t seem to make much differ- Hall of Fame in one way or another since it started in 1980, ence as the officers and others on the command group didn’t I thought I would comment on what I see. I wish it was as know them from Adam and were leery of them. Typical man- simple as more publicity or rewriting the hall of fame pam- agement thinking there is, “Give it to someone else to get the phlet. It’s really the convergence of several factors and the info and rewrite it.” Its not a “yes” or a “no.” outlook isn’t rosy. 3. The command review committee is a typical bu- 1. There is a lack of nominations. Back when I was reaucratic group of managers who are really cautious. When running the Pioneer Group review committee we would have I’ve been there they are always asking for more guidance, 10 or more nominations to review each year. I think this de- more information, more help in making a decision. I think cline is happening for two reasons. One is the change in at- they are conscientious and fear making a mistake to a fault. mosphere at White Sands. Gone is the camaraderie or sense I sat in one year as a voting member as the Acting Public of community present in the earlier decades. Now there is Affairs Officer. The committee was trying to get a handle on a general malaise of indifference found commonly in places the candidates when one of them hit on the baseball hall of where people look at their work as just a job. The second fame analogy and suggested one nominee was just a “singles part is the workers from the early couple of decades, when hitter.” Using that pretext, they rejected everyone because it was easier to stand out from the crowd, are long gone. We there were no Babe Ruths or Einsteins in the bunch. Sur- are now firmly in an era where everything is done by com- prise, surprise! Of course, using such an inappropriate anal- mittee and individuals have few opportunities to stand tall. ogy was ridiculous. Luckily we were able to get Gen. Hite to 2. Many of the nominations just are not well writ- look at the packages and he selected a worthy inductee. ten. Many a worthy candidate has been rejected because the 4. Frequently folks want to rewrite the very short Hall nomination merely lists awards or accomplishments without of Fame pamphlet that spells out the requirements. Its been any context. I have seen dozens of nominations over the changed several times. They usually want more guidance. I years and I think the successful ones explain the work behind imagine they’d like a checklist where a nominee has to meet the award and how it made a difference in accomplishing 18 out of 20 criteria to get elected. They don’t understand the WSMR mission. Of course, a problem here is that many that when it is a bit vague they have the FREEDOOM to nominations are written by loving relatives or coworkers interpret and lead. who just don’t have the necessary info or background for a 5. Finally, who should get in? Now it is a very elite good package. That is why the Pioneer Group review was honor with almost impossibly high expectations. Austin inserted into the process. The Pioneer Group review was Vick once told me when Gen. Ball was putting the Hall of meant to provide the insight from contemporaries of the Fame together his vision was for lots of inductees - not just nominees to validate a nomination or supplement a thread- Ruths and Einsteins. Vick said if Ball’s vision was followed bare one with a thumb’s up or down based on institutional there might be dozens more inductees by now. Statement of Purpose and Membership The “Hands Across History” newsletter is tor is Jim Eckles. He can be contacted by email at published by the White Sands Missile Range His- [email protected] or at either address torical Foundation and the White Sands Pioneer below. Group (WSPG). Both nonprofit organizations aim Membership to either organization is open to to preserve the accomplishments of White Sands anyone who shares their goals. However, details Missile Range. of membership (dues, etc.) differ between the two The newsletter is intended to keep members groups. For more information, please contact the of both groups informed about current events and appropriate organization and we will send it via the share information of common interest. The edi- Post Office or email. White Sands Pioneer Group White Sands Historical Foundation P.O. Box 318 P.O. Box 171 White Sands, N.M. 88002 White Sands, N.M. 88002 2 Just Space Truckin’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Early on in the program when shuttle flights still at- shuttle back to Florida. People all along the route would step tracted the public’s attention, my shop, Public Affairs, some- outside their homes and offices hoping to catch a glimpse times had news media camped at our door ready to go just in of it as it went by. In the Las Cruces/El Paso area we were case there was an AOA situation. sometimes lucky to have the 747 actually land in El Paso to The shuttle landing strip was managed by NASA’s spend the night before flying on to Florida.