posted 04-06-2006 03:05 PM               

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.

posted 04-06-2006 09:31 PM               

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.

posted 04-06-2006 09:44 PM               

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.

posted 04-06-2006 09:54 PM               

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?

---

posted 04-07-2006 05:30 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ben:
Skylab.

---

posted 04-07-2006 07:36 PM               

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.

posted 04-07-2006 09:00 PM               

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!