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Cape Canaveral Space History part I [1]

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Date: 2023-08-22

I have the great privilege of being a docent for the Space Force Missile Museum (formerly Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.) The above photo means a great deal to me. Not only did I retire from a NASA contractor, Ed White, first American to do an Extra Vehicular Activity (space walk), graduated from West Point, like my father. I often marvel at the courage of a man who could test out the first American space suit on himself. There were only two possibilities, either he would survive outside the capsule, or he would die instantly.

This place is sacred to us. We come here to feel the great weight of history; to understand the cost of every decision and plan. We bring flowers, coins, seashells, flags, any tokens of our love and devotion and leave three, one on each marble bench with the names, Grissom, White, Chaffee on them along with their rank and branch of service.

The Snark, landed on the skid strip on the Cape, or meant to...

I am not a fan of war at all. I am a pacifist but I am a great fan of history. Here are some of my favorite artifacts saved and restored by our Museum.

The Snark Missile was named after a whimsical creature in a Lewis Carroll poem. It is half snake and half shark. Carroll said it was a “parable about the search for happiness.” I read it as making fun of men with more money than sense who are easily roused to any action they perceive as dangerous yet glorious.

In any case, the first Snark famously overshot the skid strip and ended up in the Atlantic Ocean off the Cape. If you ever visit any of our three museums, The Missile Museum, Hangar C or the Sands Space History Center, do NOT mention what I just told you. Some of our older docents actually worked on the Snark. They are in their late 80s and 90s and may have a heart attack out of outrage because they insist that the first one was MEANT to go in the ocean! Do not upset them! And never make the following “Dad joke!”

Ever since the first Snark overshot the skid strip, Cape Canaveral has been famous for its “snark infected waters.” Yes, it’s mildly funny the first time you hear it. After a few hundred repetitions though…

At right is the Agena-B docking target. If you want to go to the moon, you have to solve two major problems. The first is how to make a space suit that a person could survive in the second is how to dock two objects in orbit. You want to land on the moon, but you also want to go home, so you have to be able to lift off from the moon and re-attach the lander to the command module. The Agena targets were launched into orbit so that the command module pilot (the unsung heroes of Apollo) could try to catch up with it and dock with it. The first time went spectacularly wrong and almost caused the death of the crew except for the steely reserve of our guy, Neil Armstrong.

Below is my favorite docent. I will not name him because I don’t have his permission to put his photo here. I did take the photo though and during a public training. I love this guy because he knows almost everything there is to know about the early space program. He went to Peenemünde on holiday once and he quizzed everyone there to find out weird little-known facts such as the German guards were drinking the rocket fuel (ethanol) !

He is also the first person to ever inquire about whether I would like a ride in his Tesla S. Having little interest in car engines, I had no idea what was about to happen to me when he put the acceleration setting to “Ludicrous Mode” and punched the accelerator! I tried to use this experience to impress my difficult-to-impress son. I said “Guess what happened next?” excitedly. He replied, “I know what happened it’s called “instant torque.” Dammit! Then he asked, “Why are you getting in cars with old men you don’t know that well?” So, yeah, I would have to say he was not impressed with my daring or my cool friends. This friend is 95 years old. He also owns a Segway!

I could go on, but it will have to wait for another post. I have to go work at the blockhouse today. Learn more about our museum sites and mission here: Space Force Missile Museum.

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[1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/22/2188796/-Cape-Canaveral-Space-History-part-I

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