Not to disapoint you but the Apollo launch control down there is a
re-creation from equipment in the orginal firing rooms. When I was working
there they moved all that gear to that spot from the real firing rooms which
were redone to accomadate the shuttle firing rooms in the LCC. It is still
pretty cool and that building was used to house simulators so that the crews
could continue to practice up until launch day.
I worked at KSC for the first seven shuttle missions and it was really neat
getting to see that stuff up close and personal. I met a couple of
astronauts and people who had worked on Apollo but I had a really surreal
experience last November. I know work for a large telecom company and they
had invited a speaker to come a talk to us. The secretary knowing of passion
for space stuff and that I had worked there asked if I could drive the our
guest speaker around and spend the afternoon with him to ensure he had all
he needed, the speaker was Alan Bean for Apollo 12.
It was a great afternoon and I got several hours of one on one time with him
but the really surreal part was when I took him into our museum specifically
to the display on Apollo gear that we had made. While we were looking at the
gear he saw a transponder that was installed in an ALSAP experiment package.
I said I was not sure what the ALSAP was but he knew, of course, and then
said that the picture of the astronaut carrying the experiment package on
the moon with eh item was him. It really made me feel strange to think that
here was that guy standing right next to me.
I got a nice picture of Capt. Bean and me plus he autographed a print of one
of his paintings. A very cool day and my best day at work for that company
in over 15 years.
Scott
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Scott F. Migaldi, K9PO
MI-150972
PP-ASEL-IA
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www.hamwave.com
"I can accept that Bush won the election. What I have a hard time
swallowing is that I live in a country where more than half the
population is willfully ignorant, politically obstinate, religiously
prejudiced, and embarrassingly gullible."
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"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news
nd2e.115872$Ze3.44167@attbi_s51...
Have you ever been down to the cape and gone through the old launch
control facility? When I was there it was completely in tact and they
staged a launch. I don't know what they used for low frequency
speakers but you thought you "were there". The whole place shook and
there was hardly a dry eye in the place.
Just got back from there two weeks ago. It was awesome!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"