Flight Worthiness

By 1964, NASA was well under way with the Saturn/Apollo program and different elements were being developed and manufactured all across the USA; the first stage in New Orleans, the second and third stages in Los Angeles, and the Instrument Unit in Huntsville, AL; each by a different contractor.  In addition to those major elements all sorts of mechanical and electronic items were being supplied from every part of the country.  All these elements would eventually come together at the launch site as Saturn I , Saturn I-B, and  Saturn V launch vehicles capped with manned Apollo capsules.  In the mean time each component and each major element would go through numerous handovers as it was assembled, tested, and mated with other elements.

NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, Dr. George E. Mueller,  asked each of the NASA centers involved in the Apollo program to propose a protocol that would both track these handovers and provide confidence and assurance that each element had been correctly produced, had passed all tests and inspections and was ready for launch and space flight.  At the time I was a part of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) team that was testing the early versions of the Saturn I and Saturn I-B.  It was planned for that team to eventually transition into the group that would oversee the testing of the Saturn propulsive stages and instrument units at the contractor facilities.  Along with several other test and quality assurance types, I was assigned to the team that was tasked with the preparation of the MSFC’s protocol proposal.  

At this point, I can not remember how long it took us to finish the proposal, but I do remember some long meetings, animated discussions, and working through several weekends.  After a through review by MSFC  management, I was asked to make a Flip Chart presentation of the proposal to Dr. Mueller. 

Yes, Techies, this was back before we had view foil projections and certainly before computer aided graphics and Power Point.  If the term “Flip Chart” leaves you wondering,  google it,  or better still, ask a gray-headed engineer to explain it to you.  Luckily, I had the aid of a good illustrator to prepare the charts.

Dr. Mueller came to MSFC for the presentation and I flipped my charts and explained our proposal to him.   He had a few comments and fewer questions.  He thanked us, took the printed copy of the proposal and went on his way without giving us any hint of what he thought about it.   Several weeks later, NASA published the official CERTIFICATE OF FLIGHT WORTHINESS PROTOCOL (COFW).   That was not the title that we had for it and much of the nomenclature in it differed from our proposal but in essence it was the same thing that MSFC had proposed.

  HELP FROM ABOVE

In 1963 President Kennedy had set NASA the goal of placing a man on the moon before the end of the decade.  We were in the process of converting our test facility from the testing of Redstone and Jupiter military missiles to the testing elements of the Saturn space vehicles.  I was sitting on the floor of the Recorder Room with my feet in a cable trench.  Members of my crew were in the basement feeding long black data cables up from the basement into the trench.  

    As the cables were poked through, I was pulling them up and pushing them across the floor.  The cables were stiff and heavy.  I really needed someone to help with this end of the task.  As I started to pull up another cable, I was aware of someone entering  the room and taking hold of the end of the cable and pulling it along the floor behind me.  

    The next cable seemed to be stuck.  Without looking around, I assumed that my helper was one of my crew,  so I told him to get down in the trench and help.  He dutifully complied.  We broke the cable loose and he pulled it across the floor as my crewman from below told me that was the last cable.  

    Still sitting in the trench trying to catch my breath, I heard my helper ask with a distinct German accent, “Well, Mr. Weaver, what is the purpose of these cables?”  I jumped out of the trench and faced the Center Director.  As I searched for words, Dr. von Braun extended a hand, now very soiled by our task.  

   As we shook hands, he quickly put me at ease and again inquired about the use of these cables and  other equipment in the room.  We walked about the room as I described the equipment and told how it would be used in the testing of the Saturn vehicles.  

   Looking past Dr. von Braun, I saw an assistant to the Laboratory Chief looking into the room.  He quickly disappeared.  Within minutes he returned with the Laboratory Chief and several other minions of lab management.  Much to my dismay, they took away my new helper, dirty hands and all.

from BAMA to von Braun Team to NASA

In September 1958 I completed my final Co-Op secession with the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) and returned to Tuscaloosa for my senior year.  If all goes well with my studies, I will receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physic and Mathematics in May of 1959.  It was a hard two semesters for I was taking a heavier load than normal to have enough hours to graduate.

In the spring semester of 1959 I began job interviews, including an interview with ABMA.   Co-Op students were not guaranteed a job with ABMA after graduation but were given preference when jobs were available.  By the first of May, I had in hand offers from RCA for their military electronics facility in Camden New Jersey and from Hughes Aircraft Corporation to work with electronic hardware in military jet aircraft in southern California.  Both of these offers were for exciting jobs with good pay and benefits, but the job I really wanted was in Huntsville Alabama with ABMA where I could be working with the Army's von Braun rocket team.

After my last class of the day, I headed to the post office.  On the way I was thinking that if I did not hear from ABMA this week, I would need to accept one of the offers.  I opened my mail box and extracted a letter from the U. S. Army that was post-marked “Redstone Arsenal”.  I ripped the letter open and---Hurrah!---I was going to be a part of the von Braun team.

When I returned to ABMA, there was still some debate in Washington as to whether the von Braun team would be part of the civilian space program known as NASA or remain with the Army and just provide rocketry support to NASA.  In a little more than a year the decision was made and in September 1960 we gathered in the parking lot of ABMA Headquarters to listen to  President Eisenhower conduct a ceremony which transferred the von Braun group and its facilities to the newly created George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.  At that time we were already working on the next generation of space vehicles.   The very successful REDSTONE and JUPITER military missile systems were to be combined into a multi-stage rocket called SATURN.  We were also preparing a REDSTONE Rocket to carry the first USA astronaut into space during the coming year.

Copyright 2012© Willie E. Weaver 

Early Space Explorer

    In the summer of 1958 after a semester of study at the University of Alabama, I was again working as a Co-op student at Redstone  Arsenal.  During this work session I was assigned to work as part of a team manning a telemeter trailer in support of tests on another Explorer Satellite which was to be launched soon atop of another Redstone rocket.

I remember watching various meters as the data from a vibration test of the satellite was recorded on long rolls of photographic paper enclosed in canisters.  When the tests ended, we took the canisters from the recorders and rushed them to the dark-room for developing.  

    As we spread the rolls of developed data (still not quite dry from the developing process) on the viewing table, Dr. van Allen, puffing a cloud of smoke from his pipe, would intently examine the various squiggles to determine how his satellite and its radiation detectors had survived the vibration test.  Later we would go through the same process as the operation of the satellite was verified in extremes of temperature.

    When we had short breaks from our hectic test schedule, Dr. James Van Allen enjoyed explaining the mechanisms and purpose of his experiments.  He was also very concerned that the radiation belt above the earth might mean that man would never be able to go into space.  The measurements to be made by instruments on this satellite would attempt to map that radiation belt.  If it could be determined that the radiation was limited to only certain areas, then there might still be a place in space for man and even for satellites that will make true global communication possible.

Two Van Allen Probes were flown and shed light on the radiation belts surrounding Earth.  This information allowed for the implementing of proper protection from the radiation for man and machine as further space exploration proceeded.

Copyright 2013© Willie E. Weaver 

REDSTONE 
-The Rocket With The Right Stuff

On January 31, 1958, as Clark, another co-operative training student, and I rode through the hills of North Alabama, we strained to listen to the static filled radio newscasts for some hint of news about the launch of a REDSTONE Rocket carrying a satellite.  

After the launch of Sputnik-I and the failure of the Navy’s VANGUARD rocket, Dr. von Braun assured President Eisenhower that our team had the hardware available and could put up a satellite in short order.  That day, a launch attempt was under way at Cape Canaveral, Florida.  

It was with reluctance and regret that Clark and I had turned in our badges at 4:00 pm, checked out of Redstone Arsenal and headed back to Tuscaloosa for the new semester at the University of Alabama, but the University’s registration process waited for no one.  I had spent my last work day in the telemetry checkout station where I had worked many long shifts during the preceding months helping to prepare a REDSTONE rocket for this attempt to bring the U.S. space program even with the Russians.  

What newscasts we could hear, make no mention of a rocket launch.  We went by to see Clark’s mother in Birmingham.  She met us at he door, appearing very excited.  She quickly herded us to the  living room urging us to come see what they were showing on the television.  The REDSTONE Rocket launch had been successful and the EXPLORER-1  satellite was in orbit and sending back data.  The U. S. Army's Rocket Team had entered  the Space Age!

Copyright 2007© Willie E. Weaver 

All rights reserved. 

The Vanguard Rocket's Failure

On December 6, 1957, I was seated at the dinning table in Ma Miller’s Boarding House situated on West Clinton Avenue, Huntsville, Alabama, on the current site of the von Braun Civic Center. Mealtime was usually a rather noisy time with many different conversations among the 30-odd men seated at the two large tables, but that day everyone’s attention was on the scene being played out on the small black-and-white television set in the corner of the room.  

The Navy was making its attempt to launch a VANGUARD rocket with the USA’s IGY satellite.  It would not be the first into space but at least the USA could join the Russians in space exploration.  The final countdown continued and at “Zero” we saw the smoke and flame and then the liftoff.  Suddenly the screen was filled with the bright flash of a violent explosion and what was left of  VANGUARD fell back to the launch pad.  

Surprisingly, instead of sighs and moans of despair, a spontaneous cheer of elation arose in the room.  Everyone there realized that the Navy’s failure meant that the local missile team would now get its chance to redeem the honor of the USA.

Into Orbit

On October 4, 1957, as student member of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency's rocket checkout team, I was inside the tail section of a Redstone Rocket heating temperature sensors with a hand-held hair dryer.  This process was to verify the proper installation and operation of the many temperature sensors that were flown on the military rockets.  We used various other methods to check the operation of the other sensors, such as pressure, vibration and position, that were required to track the performance of the rockets once they were delivered to be used to either carry bombs or, hopefully, to place satellites into earth orbit.  I was getting into position to heat another sensor when I heard a commotion outside the rocket and was instructed come out and listen to an important announcement.

In the Spring of 1957, we had finished tests on a Redstone Rocket specifically outfitted to deliver a satellite into earth orbit for the “International Geophysical Year Program” (IGY).  That rocket and its cargo were then placed into storage because “Washington” had made the decision that the Navy and its missile program would have the privilege of being the first to place a USA satellite into orbit.

Everyone knew that the Russians had a fledgling missile program and had announced that they planned to participate in the IGY with a satellite of their own, but it had been assumed by all that the USA would be the first nation to successfully place an artificial satellite into earth orbit.   That assumption had just been shattered.  The news had quickly spread throughout Redstone Arsenal and the nation that the Russians had placed the world's first artificial satellite into orbit.  Now every 90 minutes we were reminded that the USA had lost the Race to Space, as we listened to the beeping from Sputnik-I bragging to the world about the Communist triumph.

SCHOOL DAZE

In the fall of 1953, Mr. Sims, our high school physics teacher, showed us how the mathematics that we had studied could be used to describe the orbits of the planets and even how  rockets will some day carry men to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.   Maybe those dreams of the Martian landscape are not so far fetched after all.

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In the spring of 1955, I stood beside Dr. Ferdinand Mitchell’s “Gravity-Well”.  I was there attending the University of Alabama’s  Open house for high school seniors.  The Gravity-Well was a large round wooden table whose top sloped from the edge to a hole in the center along an exponential curve.    He invited me to roll a cue ball with a slight velocity along the top of the table.  Instead of immediately rolling through the hole in the middle of the table, the cue ball began to orbit the hole with an elliptical curve that took it from deep within the hole and back near the edge of the table.  Dr. Mitchell explained that this apparatus was to demonstrate and study the movement of a satellite around another body in a gravitational field.  It was built as part of a government project.  When questioned, his only answer was that, we were entering a new era and that today’s students would see men exploring space.  Could it be possible for me to be a part of that exploration!

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In January of 1956, I was in the Physics 102 class at the University of Alabama trying to keep my mind on the lecture,   but I kept worrying that this might be my last semester in college.  My Dad was very sick and all of our meager family income was needed for household and medical expenses.  The professor ended the lecture early as Dr. Eric Rodgers, the head of the Physics Department, entered the  room.   Dr. Rodgers told us about a co-op program that the University had with the U. S. Army.  Under this program, physics students could alternate semesters of study with semesters of work with the von Braun rocket team at Redstone Arsenal.  Well, I  was not sure what a co-op was and I didn’t know where Redstone Arsenal was , but I did know who Werner von Braun was and I needed a job.  I signed up for the cooperative training program and was scheduled to began my first work period with the Army Ballistic Missile Agency on June 5th 1956.