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Space Grant Director's Tour
October 31, 2007
White Sands Missile Range and
White Sands Test Facility
7:15am
- Meet in the lobby of Hotel de Encanto
7:30am - Bus departs
-
White Sands Test Facility
8:00am - Bus arrives. Proceed through security
8:30am - Debrief begins in the Rotunda
with Site Manager/Deputy Manager
9:15am - Labs
The WSTF performs testing designed to better understand,
improve, and verify the systems, capabilities, and materials
used in space flight, and ensure safety during manned
space flights. To fulfill this mission, WSTF provides
consulting and chemistry support to a wide variety of
customers, performs hazardous testing, and manages a wide
range of research and development projects. WSTF state-of-the-art
laboratories include general-purpose analytical chemistry
laboratories, a metallurgical laboratory, and facilities
that are designed for the safe handling and analysis of
testing using hazardous chemicals, such as hypergolic
propellants.
10:30am - Propulsion
The 300 and 400 Propulsion Test Areas were originally
constructed to test the engines for the Apollo Command
and Service Modules (CSM) and the Lunar Module (LM). In
September 1964, the first firing test of the main rocket
engine for the Apollo CSM was conducted. The LM descent
engine, which allowed the craft to land softly on the
Moon, and the ascent engine, which was used to launch
the craft from the lunar surface, were certified for flight
after hundreds of firings in the 400 Area. The reaction
control system (RCS), the small thrusters that control
the spacecraft attitude, were also certified for flight
at WSTF.
Today,
six test stands provide vacuum test capability, and three
test stands provide ambient testing, 5000 ft (1100 m)
above sea-level, for the Space Shuttle, International
Space Station, or government agencies.
11:30am - Visit to gift store.
12:00am - Re-board bus. Eat
boxed lunch on the bus on drive to WSMR
- White Sands Missile Range
12:30pm - Arrive at WSMR. Proceed
through security
12:45pm - White Sands Missile Range
Command Briefing
This auditorium presentation will outline the history
of White Sands Missile Range since its 1945 inception
as well as its Department of Defense test mission today.
1:30pm - Cox Range
Control Center
This CRCC is the heart of the installation during testing.
All of the data from the field comes into the range control
center.
2:30pm - Launch Complex
33 Tour
The launch complex, constructed in 1945, was the first
area at White Sands specifically built to support missile
testing. Early V-2 firings took place from this site.
Because of the pioneering work that took place here; LC-33
was named a national historic landmark in 1985.
3:15pm - White Sands
Museum and Missile Park Tour
Museum exhibits trace the origin of America's missile
and space activity, the world's first atomic detonation
at Trinity Site and the White Sands accomplishments of
scientists like Dr. Wernher von Braun and Dr. Clyde Tombaugh.
Displays also include the prehistoric cultures and the
Old West found in southern New Mexico. The museum has
a gift shop with items from local artists and a variety
of goods featuring the missile range logo and other aspects
of White Sands. Outside the museum is a Missile Park displaying
more than 50 missiles and rockets tested at White Sands
including a beautifully-restored V-2.
4:15pm - Re-board bus to return
to Las Cruces.
All
attendees should bring their state-issued photo driver's
license or other official photo ID. All attendees should
wear comfortable, closed-toe and closed-heel shoes suitable
for walking. Bottled water will be provided on the bus.
Cameras are allowed, but the guide(s) will inform you
when it is not allowable to take photographs.
