posted 10-05-2016 04:02 AM               

The 105D Atlas booster in the background is for a Oct. 21, 1961 launch from Vandenberg of the MiDAS-4 missile-launch early warning satellite. This was basically the same launch vehicle being used at Cape Canaveral LC-14 at that time for Mercury Atlas 1 through 9 (man-rating notwithstanding).

MiDAS was one our first strategic recon satellites. Given the security environment of the time, I'm surprised that the Air Force let Disney shoot photos out there.

Unfortunately, Disney didn't design any mission patches for their Starfire around-the-Moon manned flight (since the film predated the idea of crew emblems that officially began with Gemini 5 in 1965).