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Show Page HILL TOP TIMES 8 AM tensts AFLC PRESS SERVICE When the Apollo 11 mission the launching pad thundered at Cape Kennedy July 16, thou-and- a of AFLC employees watched hopefully at the culmination of their ground support work. As in past launches, the Air Force Logistics Command played several small, but important roles in the American space program. But this launch was even more special than those in the past. It was the great "J umping off" moment, when American astronauts were beginning their journey to the surface of the off (Editor's Note: HU1 AFB personnel joined with the world in witnessing the momentous events of the lunar landing during the past days and on the special holiday Monday proclaimed by the President. With the successful splashdown yesterday we add our "welcome home" cheers.) used during the launch; the fuel and oxidizer for the Apollo Command Module and the Lunar Module engines. The SAAMA Comptroller moon. provided the always important The support of AFLC in this financial support to the fuels spectacular mission began long activity by documenting the before the countdown. In a financial transactions relating to the purchase and payment sense, the support may have begun in earlier days of military for the exotic fuels used in the aviation when aviation logistic-ian- s launch. The Saturn V rocket provided ground support burned some 6 million pounds and development on aircraft of fuel costing $170,000. that paved the way for today's Perhaps less glamorous yet space age. important was SAAMA's sup8 Always behind the scenes for port of the 24 aircraft these steps toward space exused by the astronauts to maintain space flight readiness and ploration was a devoted logistics support team that insured flying proficiency. that the aircraft would safely Ground Support perform. inSeveral AFLC units AFLC Help cluding SAAMA provided In the Apollo program, AFLC support to insure that complex provided its professional asground equipment that supsistance when requested, while, ported the Apollo 11 flight was at the same time, effectively in perfect working order. meeting its worldwide responThe Sacramento AMA and sibilities under wartime presSAAMA's Precision Measuresures. ment Item Management DiviOne of the most active sions carefully checked out test AFLC installations for Apollo used by down range equipment 11 support was the San Antonio the tube stations, tracking Air Materiel Area. checkers, oscilloscopes, volt's Earlier this spring, meters, and related electronic test equipment necessary to Aerospace Fuels Directorate was responsible for the keep the tracking equipment in construction of a pipeoperation. line at the Kennedy Space CenThe Aerospace Guidance and ter that provided an efficient Metrology Center, another fuel supply to the space vehicle. AFLC unit, provided calibraThe pipeline was used to fuel tion support for the eight Apolboth the Apollo 10 and Apollo lo Range Instrumented Air11 space craft. The fuels direccraft (ARIA), four torate is the Air Force's single ships, and nine Satellite Apollo Conmanager for propellants suptrol Facility activities. port of NASA. Apollo Ships Thus, for the Apollo 11 The Center provided calibraflight. SAAMA procured the propellants and pressurants tion support for laboratory used in construction, assembly, activities at Patrick AFB and Vandenberg AFB which, in test, and launching of the Apollo 11. turn, supported the calibration of instruments on ARIA, Apollo ships, and Satellite Control Nitrogen for Saturn This included nitrogen used Facilities. to pressurize the Saturn V beThe AFLC "Can Do" unit fore the launch and the oxygen GEEIA worked to insure T-2- SA-AMA- 10-mi- le pilto.llH M ssioo that crucial timing was accurate in all phases of the mis- sion. The Electronics Branch ,of the 2862 GEEIA Squadron at Cape Kennedy completed a 72 hour operational "hot check" of an ultra high frequency (UHF) timing trans- mitter system that was used in the Apollo 11 mission. The unit had installed the system earlier this year. o The equipment successfully improved the reliability of timing at down range stations. The timing signals emitted by the equipment were used to set clocks to precise Zulu time at missile tracking radar sites within 40 miles of the Cape. The signals are digital impulses that indicate the exact time of day down to a microsecond. Other Help Other AFLC units provided logistics support to aircraft and equipment used in various phases of the Apollo 11 mission. Oklahoma City vided logistics droop-snoote- d AMA pro- '" to tracking support 5 EC-13- aircraft (ARIA) used to pro- of the were backup in cerit was "between" two ground stations. The Sacramento AMA provided some 350 diesel engine electric generators to tracking stations along the orbital route of Apollo 11. The generators insured the unbroken flow of electrical power required by the sophisticated equipment at the stations. These generators performed flawlessly during the previous two Apollo mis- vide backup monitoring Apollo 11. These EC-13- 5 especially vital as a when the Apollo 11 was tain positions in which A diesel powered eleJUICE FOR APOLLO TRACKING ctric generator one of 350 supplied to Apollo stations around receives a checkup by Sacramento AMA equip, the world ment specialist Gene Dunn. His secretary, Karan Holmes, takes a layman's look at the important Apollo II support equipment. inriF s--, r sions. The two Air Force astronauts Aldrin and Collins did not have to worry about their paychecks, thanks to AFLC. The SAAMA Pay and Travel Branch maintains pay records for all Air Force astronauts. The success of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission was the result of a great technological support effort and, of course, the superb bravery of three American Astronauts. Thus, the Air Force Logistics Command can take pride in being part of that technological team that helped mankind to finally reach the moon. The Gemini series of manned space launches refined American space technology to set the stage for the climatic Apollo series. Bob Moorman, an empto'"'' AFLCs Sacramento AMA, is shown checking a Genu iw life raft. tion collar. In the background is a GEMINI FLOTATION 20-m- an THE PATH TO THE MOON Brave Men and Vondrous Flying Machines (Editor's Note: Following is the first article in a four-paseries highlighting landmark events in America's aviation history, beginning with the Kittyhawk for flights and climaxing the present with the flight of Apollo 11) AFLC PRESS SERVICE rt When Orville Wright clutched the controls of the crude flying machine that he and brother Wilbur built, and sputtered it off the ground for some 105 feet at Kitty Hawk, N.C. on Dec. 14, 1903, mankind's irreversi-abl- e thrust to the moon was ignited. From that wobbly beginning, mankind blazed an unbelievable trail higher and higher until less than 66 years later Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface. The path to the moon is clearly marked with great successes and tragic failures. Always in the forefront of this great aviation adventure were American aviators. Thus the story of American aviation is a story of man's path to the moon. Numerous Names The names and significant events of this saga are too numerous to cover in this brief space. Instead the general de- - velopment of aviation is depicted. In the early years of aviation, after the Kitty Hawk flights, the world was slow to realize the impact to the amazing flying machines. To most people, they were only strange, wonderful toys. Only a few brave men and women had the courage and vision to dedicate themselves to aviation. It was not until Aug. 1, 1907 that the Army became interested enough to establish an Aeronautical Division in the Office of Chief Signal Officer of the Army. The division was (Continued on Page 42) The FEED A THIRSTY MOON SHIP fell mission 11 for the Apollo providing fuel u Propellants Division of AFLCs San Antonio u SAAMA employees Mrs, Betty Bowman, Elwood w neth Hoover check the latest inventory figures Goodson (beside the blackboard). JklHtT of m the ' d gen. |