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Show Utah Launch Conplex is Vital 8 MQAB TIMES IHDEPEHDENT 28 lav Link in Nation's Space Program by Dick Wilson Missies, capable of reaching altitudes of 200 miles, are launched periodically from a spot in Grand County known as the Utah Launch Complex, a part of White Sands Missile Range. Five years have passed since White Sands MissJe Range established the remote launch area in Grand County. And according to A. iMuray Maughn, Director of Utah Launch Complex, the program of the past five years has proved so successful that a larger and more powerful missle project is currently under way. White Sands Missle Range is the only overland missla testing range in America and is one of five national missle ranges. The history of White Sands' Utah launch site in Grand County is an interesting one. It all began back in the 1950's when defense officials realized the obsolencence of the storage-only practice of their missle defense system. There was no testing of the ICBMs, only a lonely vigil on the skies. ' As a result the Air Force-Advanced Ballistic Re-entry System (ABRES) program was begun. The Air Force built a scale model of a Lockheed missle and fired it experimentally. It was discovered by officials that the smaller scale model missle performed according to the mathematical proportion of (the large Lockheed missle. So ABRES started looking for a site to fire scale models of ICBMs. Officials first looked at a place off the coast of Virginia called Wallops Island where scientists were already firing a four-stage missle. This consisted of firing a missle vertcaliy for two stages, reversing it and firing downward for the 'remaining two stages making the impact area in close proximity to the launch site. It was decided""that this lo- constracted. These consisted of prefabricated struc- cation did not allow enough :tures or trailers without space. Only Inland Range ABRES then came to White Sands Missle Range which had been in the business of testing small missies and aerial devices since 1945 and employed the mose sophisticated instrumentation in the world. White Sands was designated as a national range, Wheels, except for the block house which was constructed •of reinforced concrete. When the Utah Launch site began a total of 72 missies were scheduled to be fired. This number was subsequently advanced to 148. Last Monday's launch was the 106th missle to rise from toe pad at Green River. "The Athena is a very accurate missle having an extremely high number of suc- trial concerns in the U. S. Another fact of. inteiesL.JQ. the ABRES program was that White Sands was Amer- a Department of Defense installation and managed by tihe department for the use ,cessfui flights," stated Range of all government and indus- .Controller John A. (Jack) Womer of M'oab. The missle stands approximately 50 ft. hilgh which varies a little with the payload. It is about ica's only inland range which three feet in, .diameter and made it possible to keep cer- weighs approximately 14,000 tain types of information out pounds of the hands of opposing H-gh Capabi|Bies forces. The missle in flight hag White Sands began con- the capabilities of reaching ducting a search for remote an altitude of 200 miles, 100 missle sites located approx- miles higher than Major Ed-imately 500 miles from the ward White's 1965 space walk range. In 1962 officials came while in orbit, into Utah and decided on Intensive preparation takes •Green River for the location, place during the days pre ceding a launch and the ac- The choice of Green River tion increases: to a high de_ for a missle launch site was gree, the remain,ing few hours determined in consideration before m off_ ^ coordina. of several reasons, one oi tion of the various Organiza-iwhich is the sparse popuia- tions involved in the launch-tion lying between Whra ing .g an inte]lectual wond€r. Sands and Green River An- prior to a ghot it .g nec_ other reason is the possibihtj essary to pogt entry restric. if ever needed, of extending tions on areas whkh in am&_ the missle flight corridor tc east utgh indude the launch accommodate longer flights glte of 15)590 acres and the The corridor could be ex- Canyon Rims Recreational tended into Washington or a; Area flnd vidnity SQUth of far as Alaska if the neec Moab wnich includes 274,400 __ acres. Evacuation Necessary It is also necessary to evacuate persons whose homes are within the borders ever arose. Town Provides Services Another consideration be hind the choice of Gree) River was the town itsel which would provide wate ... ^v miloo ennHtm*t 424 miles southwest and other sup lies for fib ^Moab are 32 persons who maintenance of a base. AJ aoded benefit of the Gree, to clear out d River location was the pres ,, •ence of buildings estab^sh ed previously by Union Car pact area gnd "originally to last for 18 New Mexico. All months, the program rfpired dents are evacuated if that only temporary structures to area. 'is going to receive aa __L^^^^^^^^^^^^ impact. There's also a small it DatJ1> 750 resi- area on the western boundary of the range which is evacuated before a shot. The Athena program has great versatility depending on the requirements for th« desired launch. Part of the tests are conducted at. a low angle re-entry of approximately 29 degrees. To accommodate low angle shots, it was necessary for White Sands to restrict an area around Datil, New Mexico for impact of the 2nd stage of the missle. For this kind of shot a different flight path is scheduled. The missle is aimed to impact at a point west of White Sands but in mid-course is changed by a "dag-leg" maneuver which brings the missle down on target. It was necessary to institute the dog-leg maneuver and evacuation of Datil, New Mexico (759 population'; rather than allow the missle a straight course which would have necessitated an impact of the 2nd stage ir the vicinity of Socorro, New M'exico Which has a population of around 7500. High Angle Re-Emery High angle re-entry (approximately 40 degrees) are performed in a more direct line between Green River and White Sands, providing a flight of about 470 miles. "The Athena, is not a war weapon. It is strictly a re search vehicle," emphasized site director A. Muray Maughn. Many companies and U. S. 'Government agencies use the missle facilities; provided by White Sands to test their payloads. These include such organizations as NASA, the Army, the Navy and Air Force, and the Advanced Research Pr-4?::i.s Agency (ARPA). Yield InforfuaHiw* The tests as p-vvlj^d by the range fn "a "'re * River to White Scifi-d-. ' -iu ''•':: applicable , .'le des.. •••' of missis ••': "pac cr^ft. ln-fnm:vUo'n .' ''«> fathered reJutive ir.-•/..;•<-.\',r'j physics. |