An Essay

Can a single word be used to describe the Air Force Space Command Familiarization Course in Florida this past August? How about "Awesome"! At the motel I took note of certain luxuries such as air conditioning, a pool, and Cocoa Beach/Pier just 200 feet away. Is this a CAP activity or a vacation? Read on, it gets better...!

Sunday we were treated to brunch at Patrick Air Force Base, home of the 45th Space Wing. The base looked more like a country club than an Air Force Base being located right on the Atlantic Ocean. The mess hall was like a fine restaurant with elegant interior decorating, and a fine view of Banana River. The food was rated the best in the Air Force, which I must agree to. We also visited the local BX, the famous Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, the motel pool, Cocoa Beach, and Cocoa Beach Pier Amusement Park.

On Monday, we began our familiarization of Space Command where we toured Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is the Air Force side of the Kennedy Space Center and the business end of the 45th Space Wing. It’s here that the Air Force controls the launch of all the expendable rockets carrying both commercial and military payloads into geostationary and equatorial orbits. This includes the Delta (small), Atlas (medium), and Titan (large) rockets. Although NASA controls the launch of the Space Shuttle, the 45th Space Wing provides a wide range of support to Shuttle operations including weather data, tracking stations, and air search and rescue. We then visited the ROCC (Range Operations Control Center) where the command destruct signal is sent if a rocket goes haywire and needs to be destroyed. The building was like a high-security prison and access was highly restricted. Next we visited the Air and Space Museum, seeing the historic launch complexes where the first Americans in space were launched and the memorial launch pad where the Apollo One crew lost their lives. We were then escorted onto an operational Delta launch pad where a Delta rocket was being prepared to carry a commercial satellite to orbit. We also toured a Titan launch pad. Our briefer at the Delta launch pad was a former CAP cadet from IN Wing, Captain Geeski. Then we were off to the Weather Squadron. Here we saw a weather balloon launched and tracked as it climbed and sent back data. In the evening we were briefed by our activity Director, Major Steve DePalo/CAP-USAF on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Tuesday we continued our tour of Patrick Air Force Base and saw a K9 dog demonstration and a killer ant demonstration as a senior member was attacked after stepping on a fire-ant mound. We visited Air Traffic Control and the 920th Rescue Group for static displays of C-130’s and HH-60 Pave Hawk helos. Later that same day the Support Wing Commander, a former F-16 pilot, briefed us about being a fighter pilot.

Wednesday we visited NASA’s side of the Kennedy Space Center, touring the new Apollo/Saturn 5 Visitors Complex and attended a NASA briefing on the International Space Station. In the evening we had a guest speaker, Mr. Al Straner/ United Space Alliance, Inc., who lectured about his work in Shuttle Operations. We were treated by Mr. Straner’s collection of Shuttle hardware items, scrapbooks, and actual Apollo and Shuttle astronaut pressure suits provide by NASA. On Thursday we visited Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, stimulating the interest of future pilots.

But Friday was the icing on the cake, with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Kennedy Space Center. We were able to see what most people never get to see, even NASA employees. First, Major Keenan led us on a personal tour of the Space Station Assembly building where we saw a variety of Space Station components being assembled. We then visited the Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) and saw the top and bottom of a solid rocket booster being assembled for a future Space Shuttle mission. The Space Shuttle gets fitted with the booster rocket and external tank in the VAB and is then transported to one of two launch pads by the crawler or Mobile Launch Platform at the incredible speed of one mile/hr., which explains the nickname, "Crawler." The VAB is one of the largest open-bay buildings in the world. Inside, while I was turning and looking at the ceiling some 465 feet up, I actually got dizzy from the loss of focus caused by the incredible distance. At the Orbiter Processing Facility (one of three hangars where the Shuttles are serviced and repaired soon after landing) we got up close to the Space Shuttle "Columbia." I got to peek inside the flight deck of Columbia. We then took a fascinating tour of the Space Shuttle launch pads and saw where the Astronauts ride a slide wire from the top of the launch pad to a protective bunker in the event of an emergency. We concluded our tour with a look at the runway known as the Shuttle Landing Facility.

What really made this activity so great was the people. The cadets were great and well-motivated, despite the Florida heat and early morning reports. Everyone had fun: cadets, senior members and the Air Force reservists. I think the hardest part about this activity was that it had to end. Both the social relationships and the tour of a lifetime will be hard to forget. I would like to thank Major Steve DePalo/USAFR, Major Jon Clapper/USAFR, Major Kevin Keenan/CAP, Al Straner/United Space Alliance, and all the CAP staff and cadets that made this activity possible.