Convairiety, Volume 11, Number 1, January 8, 1958 Page: 2 of 6
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Page 2
CONVAIRIETY
Wednesday, January 8, 1958
ATLAS BLOCKHOUSE—About 750 feet from pads where Atlas missiles are launched at Air Force
Missile Test Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, is blockhouse where some 40 Astronautics engineers
and technicians conduct pre-flight countdown. Its walls are 6 to 10 feet thick reinforced concrete,
topped by 10-foot layer of sand. Poles at top are periscopes.
Watchers From Blockhouse View
Launching Via Television Screens
For those who watched with
naked eye or binoculars from
afar, the Dec. 17 launching of an
Atlas missile at Cape Canaveral,
Florida, was an unforgettable
sight.
It was a far more dramatic
moment, however, for some 40
Astronautics Division engineers
and technicians who watched by
television screen or periscope, in-
side a blockhouse within 750 feet
of the launching pad.
It was they who felt the
strain of the pre-launch count-
down, fully aware of the heavy
burden of responsibility.
Several hours before the launch-
ing time they took their stations
inside the fortress, the only popu-
lated point in a “no man’s land”
that surrounds the launching pad.
Before them were batteries of
controls, switches, television
screens and monitoring systems.
Lights blinked on and off as the
countdown progressed from stage
to stage, each blink a step toward
the climax. The atmosphere was
one of dramatic calm on the sur-
face but with mounting tension
below.
The crew consisted of a test
conductor and assistant conduc-
tor, plus monitors for two sets of
consoles—one for controlling vari-
ous missile systems (propellant
tanking, electrical, telemetering,
etc.) and launch stand functions;
and one for measuring missile
equipment performance. The test
conductor and his aide were at a
large console surrounded in U-
shape by the control and instru-
mentation consoles. Over the in-
tercom system came reports of
readiness from first one station
and then another and another.
The crew had gone through
similar countdowns many times
before in static testing, so pro-
cedure was virtually routine.
Normally, the actual countdown
does not begin until all stations
have reported readiness over the
intercom. Then the test conductor
checks outside crews, downrange
tracking facilities and the Air
Force Missile Test Center Central
Control. When AFMTC Central
Control has verified that all per-
sonnel and equipment are ready
and that weather conditions are
favorable, the order is given for
the countdown. Test personnel
synchronize watches and proceed.
The countdown is a detailed
step-by-step operation designed
to check countless switches,
valves, to warm up and start
missile subsystems, to check out
facility readiness, load propel-
lants and finally fire the rocket
engines and launch the “bird.”
Operators must remain at their
stations during a countdown. In
case some malfunction forces a
“hold” the countdown can last for
many hours.
About two minutes before zero
time, the blockhouse ventilation
system is shut off. This seals the
last possible inlet for flame, mois-
ture or gas. Each blockhouse oc-
cupant has an air-pack to supply
oxygen if needed.
It is the test conductor (Tom
Zannes for the Dec. 17 firing)
who presses the button that starts
the rocket engines. He can ter-
minate in an instant if malfunc-
tion develops. If termination is
unnecessary, the launch mechan-
ism automatically releases the
missile.
Once the Atlas starts to rise
the test conductor’s job, so far
as the missile is concerned, is
over. The “bird” then becomes the
responsibility of the Air Force
range safety officer at Central
Control. He watches the missile
flight path and has thej^swer to
destroy the vehicle at any time in
the interests of safety. On Dec.
17 there was no need for destruc-
tion. The Atlas flew straight to-
ward its mark. Photos on this
page show dramatically what it
was like to be inside the block-
house on that day.
TENSE—Countdown inside blockhouse brings tense atmosphere. Candid pictures
taken during time prior to Dec. 17 tiring catch taces with deep concern and con-
centration, eyes on television screens. Compare center photo with similar scene
below. At tar right above is watcher at periscope.
RELAXED—Within a few moments, tenseness during Dec. 17 firing changed to jubilation as Atlas
rose, leveled off and raced on its course. In center photo, standing, is Tommy Zannes, test con-
ductor, and (checkered shirt) W. Jackson, assistant test conductor. Seated is K. W. Jeremiah,
chief test conductor. Right photo: Col. Otto Glasser, AF Atlas project officer; Dr. J. C. Clark,
assistant to Astro manager; Zannes; B. G. MacNabb, manager Convair facility in Florida; Mort
Rosenbaum, Astro chief engineer; R. C. Sebold, Convair vice president-engineering; W. W. Withee,
Astro assistant chief engineer. Left photo: MacNabb, Withee, Dr. E. B. Doll, head of Atlas project
for Ramo-Woolridge; Dr. Clark.
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. Convairiety, Volume 11, Number 1, January 8, 1958, periodical, January 8, 1958; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1118011/m1/2/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.