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Author
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Topic: MDC - Mission Director Center badges
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Chuckster01
Member Posts: 873
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 10-21-2018 07:51 AM
   
I was hoping someone could give me information on the Mission Director Center. I have a few of these badges but can find no information on the internet about where this was or what purpose it served. I am assuming MDC and Mission Director Center are the same but please correct me if I am wrong.  |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2914
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-21-2018 02:05 PM
Yes, Chuck, in this badge format, the Mission Directors Center (MDC) is within Building AE of the Cape's air force station.The AE Bldg. is also an unmanned spacecraft processing facility as part of the old Unmanned Launch Operations (ULO) directorate that Dr. Gray headed up when NASA first came to the Cape. It's off Hangar Road almost next to famous Hangar S (Project Mercury) and I would often visit AE during some of my first unmanned launch news media conferences there throughout the 1970s. |
Chuckster01
Member Posts: 873
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 10-21-2018 02:27 PM
Thank you Ken, I am fortunate to have several of Dr. Gray's badges and a lucite award. I always like to know the stories that go with the items and as always you are a treasure trove of great information. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1463
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 10-21-2018 09:58 PM
Since that was a Vandenberg launch, it would have been for the MDC in what was the Range Users Building at Vandenberg. That building is now Building 840, the home of the Launch Services Program's VAFB resident offices. The MDC has moved into Hangar, Building 836. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2914
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-22-2018 06:43 AM
The first badge depicted was for MVM-73 launch of Mariner 10 at the Cape, however, the second badge for OGO-B was indeed a launch from the West Coast as Jim has pointed out.While most of the OGO probes had been launched from the Cape, I am not sure why KSC-NASA had the OGO-B badge issued in this capacity. Did Dr. Gray monitor the "B" launch and its early flight from the MDC at the Cape, or maybe he was at the Vandenberg MDC covering the launch himself? For the Vandenberg AFB missions out of California, there is a separate ULO branch in operation from there, however, Dr. Gray's directorate in some capacities does have/share responsibilities with NASA missions from Vandy in addition to the Cape as well. If I am not mistaken, I believe Dr. Gray had the overall direction and lead authority over all ULO projects from both launch sites. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1463
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 10-22-2018 09:25 AM
ULO was responsible for both coasts and WTR Ops was one of three divisions within the directorate. Gray was over all of them.By the way, I am putting together a short history of ELV management within NASA. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2914
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-22-2018 09:56 AM
Thanks Jim, just as I had thought from those early ULO days. I am going to post something here about Dr. Robert Gray as he had an outstanding pioneering space career going back to NRL with Project Vanguard in 1957 and with NASA a year later until his retirement in 1986. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2914
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-31-2018 02:54 PM
Of special note here regarding pioneering space leader Dr. Robert Gray is the "Mission Director Center" badge, with #1 issue, for the Applications Technology Satellite-C launch from the Cape by an Atlas-Agena launch vehicle in Nov. 1967. The pictured "Launch Director" hard-plastic sign was used by Gray and presented to veteran space reporter Mary Bubb. It was signed by him as well on back. In full, it reads: To Mary -- For your contributions, and professional, and fair reporting of our achievements, I would like you to have the sign that was attached to the (Launch) Complex 12 Blockhouse Command Console from which many substantial missions have been launched. This includes the Ranger Lunar Landers, Mars and Venus Mariners, the heavy scientific satellites -- OAO and OGO, and the final launch APS-3. The sign was in fact Gray's actual blockhouse console work station position as launch director throughout the 1960's during the countdown and launch of so many unmanned space achievements throughout that historical decade.The signed photo and letter was mailed to me from Dr. Gray's office in 1972 when I was a high schooler. I've kept them ever since and have other Gray signed material and postal covers. A couple of years later on, I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Gray in Cocoa Beach, FL, by one of his next door neighbors. Dr. Gray first started working at the Cape firing range as a test conductor for Vanguard Test Vehicle-3 (TV-3) in 1957 as part of the early NRL/Vanguard Operations Group. His outstanding aerospace career included an unprecedented management of 147 unmanned launches, five manned, and 26 additional unmanned missions. He joined NASA in Oct. 1958 when the Vanguard project personnel at NRL had been transferred over to the new NASA agency. His career roles were as director of KSC's Unmanned Launch Operations directorate, deputy director of KSC Launch Operations, manager of KSC's early Shuttle Projects Office and manager of Space Station and Advanced Projects until his retirement in 1986.  | |
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