posted 01-30-2008 02:12 AM               

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Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) will be recognized as a national historic site by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) during a ceremony here celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1 -- America's first satellite. A historic marker will be unveiled during the ceremony, which will take place Thursday, Jan. 31 at 12 noon at the Air Force Space and Missile Museum.

Among those expected to participate in the ceremony are Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, Commander of the 45th Space Wing and retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Dickman, AIAA Executive Director and former 45th Space Wing commander. About 60 veterans of the Explorer I program are also expected to attend.

Established by the United States Air Force in 1950 as Operating Sub-Division No. 1, CCAFS served as the primary launch base for the developmental phases of America's space and missile programs. The era of the Space Age for the U.S. began here with the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer I, in 1958; followed soon after with the launch of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard, in 1961.

CCAFS has supported more than three thousand launches on the Air Force's Eastern Range, including manned missions, robotic voyages exploring our solar system and national security operations.

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posted 01-31-2008 11:53 AM               

For those who never visited Launch Complex 26 at the Cape, the following Kodak Instamatic images of the site are provided from our family vacation snapshot archives.

The time was 1967, I was two years old, and "Missile #29" had been gone from the pad for over nine years.