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ULA Tweetup - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station SBIRS GEO-2 (Atlas V) |
18 March 2013 - Page Three of Five |
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| From Complex 41 we traveled to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) for a buffet lunch and presentations by various speakers. Flags of the various military services and versions of the Delta and Atlas family decorate the lobby. | |
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| A view of the lobby during the introductions. | The hospitality room on the second floor of the ASOC where we had lunch and the presentations. |
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| Sadly, I was remiss in not getting all the names of the speakers. First up was a ULA executive at left who gave an overview of the company. Then Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Ashley, Commander, 5th Space Launch Squadron, spoke about the Eastern Range that is overseen by the 45th Space Wing and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. | |
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Above left, Air Force Colonel Jim Planeaux, director of the Infrared Space Systems Directorate, spoke about the capabilities of SBIRS and its importance in providing early warning of missile threats to the United States and to the US military around the world. Finally, above right, a representative of Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor on SBIRS spoke. We also viewed the actual spaceflight operations center in the ASOC as they prepared the Atlas for launch but were not allowed to take any photographs. |
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| After lunch and the presentations we traveled to the Morrell Operations Center, which is the Air Force's highly secure range operations control center at Cape Canaveral. | |
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| The sign over the entrance says it all. | |
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| Captain Justin Jones showed us various exhibits in the lobby and other parts of the building. General Morrell looks down from a portrait over a glass case containing his medals and other mementos of his career. Morrell had the idea of consolidating all range control in one facility to streamline and improve operations. In the image below that is Lt. Col. James Smith, Commander, 1st Range Operations Squadron, looking on from around the corner. | |
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| A panorama of one of the two range operations control centers. Click to view a larger image. | |
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