[Boatanchors] Boatanchor Sighting in James Bond Movie - Dr. No

[J Forster]

Yes. I know exactly where it is. Been there. Inside the Blue Cube too, in
1967-68. The Cube's formal name was SCF (Satellite Control Facility).

Important to all young USAF and USN guys, it was directly across the street
from the Brass Rail, with the stripper w/ a big snake.

It could not command vehicles during the boost phase. Only when they were on
orbit.

Launches from VAFB went in the other direction from Sunnyvale.

-John

============



Bob Macklin wrote:

> Sunnyvale is North of Vandenberg and is the primary Satellite Control
> Center.
>
> But the Blue Cube in Sunnyvale did not exist in the early 60's.
>
> Bob Macklin
> K5MYJ
> Kent (Seattle), Wa,
> "Real Radios Glow in the Dark"
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2008 5:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Boatanchor Sighting in James Bond Movie - Dr. No
>
> > These sites must have been general purpose Command sites, not just
> > destruct sites. Launches from VAFB were to the south and south-west...
> > nowhere near Sunnyvale.
> >
> > In those days, commands were transmitted  in the 215 - 260 MHz band,
> > later changed to the 2200 - 2290 MHz band. The tri-helix was for the 215
> > MHz stuff, the dish for the S band SGLS stuff.
> >
> > There is an interesting, but un known story about a mission, launched in
> > August 1968.  It was an SESP (Space Experiment Support Program) mission
> > and was an Atlas / Burner II vehicle with roughly a dozen experiments. I
> > was a payload representative. The vehicle made the cover of Aviation
> > Week.
> >
> > Anyway, the AIM (Apogee Insertion Motor) was a Boeing Burner II, a
> > roughly 1700 pound solid fuel rocket. It was fitted with a destruct
> > charge of RDX, connected via two strands of Primacord to a detonator
> > box. The connectors looked like standard MS connectors !!  Anyway, there
> > were numerous dry runs of all the systems, including the Destruct
> > Command hardware. At one point, the squib simulator for the destruct
> > charge was found to have been set off and there was a giant
> > investigation. No cause for the trip was found AFAIK. In the last few
> > minutes before launch, the base commander gave his permission for the
> > launch to proceed  with the destruct charge Primacord disconnected.  The
> > alternative would have been to strip everything down to nuts and bolts
> > and start from the beginning....   not in the budget.
> >
> > Different thread....   The spacecraft bus (structure) was very long (30+
> > feet) for its day because of the multiple payloads. It was made of
> > something like formed brown Bakelite, split into two halves lengthwise.
> > There were fasteners along the two seams with an explosive actuator to
> > pull pins holding the two halves together.
> > At VAFB, the UASF decided to paint the shroud with ablative (heat
> > protective) paint. When the paint dried, it shrank, distorting the
> > halves of the clamshell. It was eventually gotten onto the vehicle using
> > big carpenter's clamps, but the thing was badly stressed.
> >
> > Anyway, the vehicle was launched and during ascent, the time came for
> > the shroud to separate. It did not. The vehicle headed downrange
> > (towards LA) without destruct capability and with a fully loaded bomb
> > (the rocket engine) on board. Luckily it went into the Pacific
> > somewhere.
> >
> > I'll bet the base commander had to change his underwear in a rush. LoL.
> >
> > Those were the golden years of the space program.
> >
> > FWIW,
> > -John
> >
> > ==============
> >
> > Jim Wiley wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > Well now, here is something I can really speak about.  I was a
> > > technician at the Vandenberg CDT (Command Destruct Transmitter) site
> > > during the late 60's and early 70's.  There were at least 4 separate
> > > sites that I knew of at that time,  2 were on or near Vandenberg (one
> > > was actually at Point Arguello, a naval base next to Vandenberg), one
> > > was at or near to Sunnyvale, CA (near San Francisco) and one was
> > > somewhere to the South, but I have forgotten where.
> > >
> > >
> > > At our sites, the transmitters were based on a 50-watt class exciter
> > > followed by a 10 KW klystron amplifier, feeding either a small dish
> > > (about 24 feet) or a tri-helix array.  There were two exciters and two
> > > amplifiers at each site, which could be used on any combination.
> > > Coaxial relays were used to switch components in and out as needed.
> > >
> > >
> > > More later - I have to run to a meeting.
> > >
> > >
> > > - Jim, KL7CC
> >
> >
>
> _______________________________________________