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Show THE WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGER Published in the interest of the personnel of White Sands Missile Range ___White Sand»Miisile Range, New Mexico Friday, August 20 7977 ATHENA' IMPRESSES AT GREEN RIVER LAUNCH The story of Air Force research and development efforts in the Athena missile program was reviewed during a press briefing Thursday (Aug. 12) at White Sands Missile Range's Utah Launch Complex near Green River. The briefing was highlighted by a close-up examination of the Athena H missile. Friday morning (Aug. 13) the press group from Salt Lake City and southeastern Utah returned to photograph the Athena as it roar ed from its launch pad on its 500-mile flight to the national missile range. During the course of the briefing, representatives of White Sands, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Organization, Atlantic Research Corporation and Hercules Corporation, told of their agencies' parts in the Athena program that began in early 1964 with the firing of a Standard Athena. After a question and answer period, the group adjourned to Atlantic Research Corporation's missile assembly and launch facilities where they viewed and photographed the Athena H to be launched, as well as other Athenas in various stages of assembly. ARC builds and launches the research missiles. The Athena H which gave a flawless performance for the press was the second such missile to be launched by the Air Force-industry team. The first was successfully flown in early March of this year. Tsn feet taT.er aai about four times more powerful than the Standard Athena, the H model left its pad at precisely 10a.m., after a series of short "holds." j It impacted on range about five minutes later. The 60-foot high missile with I a 40-inch diameter weighs about 30,000 pounds at launch, nearly 15,000 pounds heavier than the 50-foot standard missile. The H has three stages, compared to | the Standards four. Prime contractor for the I Athena program is the Atlantic Research Corp., headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif. The Air Force Systems Command's Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO), also located in California, serves as | program manager. Hercules Corp., based in Salt I Lake City, builds rocket motors j under sub-contract to ARC. White Sands Missile Range | personnel provide safety and data gathering support for the program. < The Athena program is designed to provide Department of Defense planners proven reentry technologies that can be built into the nation's deterrent force of land and submarine based intercontinental ballistic missiles to insure that they can accomplish the mission of reaching an enemy tar get if this nation is ever attacked. Launched down the inland test range from Green River, , Athenas duplicate the hostile environment faced by individual reentry system conponents as they are propelled into the RESEARCH VEHICLE - Shown on its launch pad just before being erected into firing position is the second Air Force Athena H research vehicle to be launched from White Sands Missile Range's Utah Launch Complex,near GreenRiver.On hand to witness the successful launch Friday the 13th were a dozen members of the Utah press. (U.S. Army Photo By Warren Weaver) |