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T O P I C R E V I E WBenThe firing room inside the Launch Control Center (LCC) at the Kennedy Space Center, which has served as launch control for every manned spaceflight in the Western Hemisphere from Apollo 8 to today, as well as three unmanned Saturn V launches, was today (April 6, 2006) renamed the Young-Crippen Firing Room in honor of the 25th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle flight and all those who made it possible.A dedication ceremony concluded an 'all hands' meeting at the Kennedy Space Center that featured Young and Crippen on stage reminiscing about their flight to hundreds of employees gathered in the HQ building.Ken HavekotteSorry I missed the special event at KSC in honor of Young and Crippen as I had plans to be in Orlando for most of today. Anyway, as you probably know, Firing Room 1 wasn't the only firing room inside the four-story Launch Control Center. There are actually three firing rooms; two primary and one backup. Not only was Firing Room 1 used to launch STS-1 in 1981, it was first used for the checkout, countdown, and launch of the first Saturn V in 1967 (unmanned AS-501, or better known as Apollo 4). Firing Room 2 was used for the second and final unmanned Saturn V flight test AS-502, or Apollo 6), as there wasn't a third unmanned Saturn V launch. The third Saturn V was manned (AS-503) that boosted our Apollo 8 astronauts around the moon. It, too, was controlled from Firing Room 1 (FR-1), along with AS-506 for Apollo 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17 of the lunar flights. "Backup" FR-3 was only used once, during AS-505, or better known as Apollo 10, throughout the Apollo lunar program. Ben quote:Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:...as there wasn't a third unmanned Saturn V launch. Skylab.As for the other information, wow, that is new to me. And I can't believe I am learning something new that significant.I just checked it out and am told there are four firing rooms today... numbers 1 and 3 are identical and used for launch, and numbers 2 and 4 are smaller and used for testing and OPF/VAB operations. I'm also told that 1 and 3 are rotated each launch today.Thanks for pointing out out my mistake, that was a big one. I retract my statement! Biggest new thing I've learned in a while. I've even been in the LCC, though not in the firing rooms.Is there a layout map anywhere? I would guess that the two smaller ones are the two in the middle section, side by side, and that 1 and 3 are the outer sections?Robert Pearlman quote:Originally posted by Ben:Is there a layout map anywhere? I would guess that the two smaller ones are the two in the middle section, side by side, and that 1 and 3 are the outer sections? According to this layout, they are positioned in numerical order, with FR-1 (YCFR) at one end and FR-4 at the other.Ken Havekotte quote:Originally posted by Ben:Skylab. Sorry about Skylab/SL-1, truly the last Saturn V launch, but I was mostly referring to an earlier time-frame when the vehicles were first Apollo-era flown, but you are correct, there were three Saturn V unmanned vehicles flown if you include SL-1.I may post more about the firing rooms later as time permits.MCroft04Firing rooms 2 and 4 don't look smaller than 1 and 3 (see plan in Robert's post) as indicated in the Ben's post above. BenYea, all the same size from the looks of it. Thanks guys.Ken HavekotteBuilding of the Launch Control Center (LCC) started in 1963 with planned construction of four (4) firing rooms (FR) housed on the LCC's third floor. The four mulilevel firing rooms were rectangular in shape, 28 meters in width and 46 meters in length. FR-4 was never equipped as a firing room and mostly functioned as a planning center for daily work activities and scheduling. I've been inside the firing rooms countless number of times, both on tours and personal business affairs, and they still are one of my favorite KSC facilities to visit. The first floor of the LCC contains offices, service areas and a cafeteria. When originally built, the second floor contained telemetry and recording equipment, instrumentation, and data recording facilities. The third level divides into four areas — each containing a firing room, computer and mission control rooms, test conductor's platform, visitor gallery and some offices. The fourth level now contains firing room displays and various operating units. Did you know that during a "live" Apollo and/or shuttle launch, most of the launch team members working in the firing room, were never able to view the initial liftoff! Most were working at their assigned console(s) closely monitoring the launch. But there were special launch-viewing windows that were installed on the east side of each firing room... another story to tell if anyone is interested, let me know.BenThanks for the info! Very interesting.As a matter of fact there is an LCC consoleer who posts on another forum that has mentioned he has been on console for every single Shuttle launch from 1 to 114 and has never seen one from outside the building. Amazing!
A dedication ceremony concluded an 'all hands' meeting at the Kennedy Space Center that featured Young and Crippen on stage reminiscing about their flight to hundreds of employees gathered in the HQ building.
Anyway, as you probably know, Firing Room 1 wasn't the only firing room inside the four-story Launch Control Center. There are actually three firing rooms; two primary and one backup.
Not only was Firing Room 1 used to launch STS-1 in 1981, it was first used for the checkout, countdown, and launch of the first Saturn V in 1967 (unmanned AS-501, or better known as Apollo 4).
Firing Room 2 was used for the second and final unmanned Saturn V flight test AS-502, or Apollo 6), as there wasn't a third unmanned Saturn V launch.
The third Saturn V was manned (AS-503) that boosted our Apollo 8 astronauts around the moon. It, too, was controlled from Firing Room 1 (FR-1), along with AS-506 for Apollo 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17 of the lunar flights. "Backup" FR-3 was only used once, during AS-505, or better known as Apollo 10, throughout the Apollo lunar program.
quote:Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:...as there wasn't a third unmanned Saturn V launch.
As for the other information, wow, that is new to me. And I can't believe I am learning something new that significant.
I just checked it out and am told there are four firing rooms today... numbers 1 and 3 are identical and used for launch, and numbers 2 and 4 are smaller and used for testing and OPF/VAB operations. I'm also told that 1 and 3 are rotated each launch today.
Thanks for pointing out out my mistake, that was a big one. I retract my statement! Biggest new thing I've learned in a while. I've even been in the LCC, though not in the firing rooms.
Is there a layout map anywhere? I would guess that the two smaller ones are the two in the middle section, side by side, and that 1 and 3 are the outer sections?
quote:Originally posted by Ben:Is there a layout map anywhere? I would guess that the two smaller ones are the two in the middle section, side by side, and that 1 and 3 are the outer sections?
quote:Originally posted by Ben:Skylab.
I may post more about the firing rooms later as time permits.
FR-4 was never equipped as a firing room and mostly functioned as a planning center for daily work activities and scheduling.
I've been inside the firing rooms countless number of times, both on tours and personal business affairs, and they still are one of my favorite KSC facilities to visit.
The first floor of the LCC contains offices, service areas and a cafeteria. When originally built, the second floor contained telemetry and recording equipment, instrumentation, and data recording facilities.
The third level divides into four areas — each containing a firing room, computer and mission control rooms, test conductor's platform, visitor gallery and some offices. The fourth level now contains firing room displays and various operating units.
Did you know that during a "live" Apollo and/or shuttle launch, most of the launch team members working in the firing room, were never able to view the initial liftoff! Most were working at their assigned console(s) closely monitoring the launch.
But there were special launch-viewing windows that were installed on the east side of each firing room... another story to tell if anyone is interested, let me know.
As a matter of fact there is an LCC consoleer who posts on another forum that has mentioned he has been on console for every single Shuttle launch from 1 to 114 and has never seen one from outside the building. Amazing!
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