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Author
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Topic: Space equipment junkyard near Titusville
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hlbjr
Member Posts: 476
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 03-12-2006 09:52 AM
   
For about 15 years I have noticed an overgrown storage yard of space related junk (which I actually think is treasure) located on the east side of U.S.1 south of the second power plant as you go south from Titusville just north of Cocoa. Inside the fence I've notice what appears to be an Atlas launch cradle, and what may be a couple of the Saturn 1 launch stand pedestals on which the rocket sat. There appears to be a small observatory building which has apparently been ruined by a hurricane in the past few years and there used to be a large solid rocket motor casing outside the entrance (the motor is now gone). Does anyone know who owns this storage yard, what is in it and where the missing items have gone. I appreciate any help in solving this mystery. I wish I knew about collectSPACE years ago when more "stuff" was in this storage yard. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5965
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 03-12-2006 10:02 AM
Do you have Google Earth coordinates of that location? |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2931
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 03-12-2006 02:26 PM
That was one of the late Charlie Bell's space junkyards. After Charlie passed away, there was a multi-space junkyard auction sales of just about all of his accumulated space "junk" for nearly 30 years or so. I was at all the auctions. |
dtemple
Member Posts: 729
From: Longview, Texas, USA
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 03-12-2006 07:40 PM
If there are Saturn 1 launch stand pedestals those would be from Pad 37A (never used) and 37B (SA-5 through SA-10, SA-203, Apollo 5). Since this land is for sale, that seemingly puts the "junk" in jeopardy of being scrapped. Does anyone have photos of what is visible through the fence? |
joe bruce
Member Posts: 129
From: Spokane, WA U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 03-12-2006 09:23 PM
You should have seen what he had stored on his property on SR 3 going to the south gate at the Cape. I shot several photos through the fence of items he had there. The Boeing mock up of the SST, Atlas rocket were there and much much more. I hope that some of the items escaped the salvagers. I wish that Charlie and I could have made it to his warehouse the day I was in the area. He was going to show me some of the items inside. The last time I was at the Cape the site had been cleared after the auction. I talked to him by phone a few months before he passed away. What a collector. |
hlbjr
Member Posts: 476
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 03-13-2006 07:14 AM
I agree Joe. I sure wished I could have met Mr. Bell and visited his "stash". I feel a "day late and a dollar short" as they say. Thanks for the good information everyone. This board has some quality postings. |
hlbjr
Member Posts: 476
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 03-13-2006 09:08 AM
I see the property is under contract. What does anyone suppose is going to happen to the few things left on site such as the Atlas launch stand I saw through the underbrush (at least it looks like an Atlas launch stand)? Also, does anyone know who bought the items sold at the earlier auctions? Specifically, did it seem like collectors were buying or were scrap dealers buying? |
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