This short film shows the safety measures taken at the Air Force Eastern Test Range launch site at Cape Kennedy Air Force Station in Florida, using the recreation of the launch and detonation of a Delta 59 rocket carrying an Intelsat 3 satellite on 18 September 1968. The film opens with an aerial view of the Test Range launch site. Men walk to the launch pad for a Delta 59 rocket with Thor boosters (00:40). Engineers work on the rocket. The towers of the launch pad are moved away from the rocket. Viewers see the Range Control Center (02:10), where the decision to detonate the rocket in flight would be made. An officer stands on the roof and waits for the rocket launch, when he will use wires to track the rocket’s trajectory. A camera van is ready to relay closed-circuit pictures of the launch. The film shows some of the radar dishes used for tracking the rocket. In a control room, a CDC 3600 computer receives radar inputs (03:16). An official arms the detonation switch at the Range Control Center (03:49). Recreating the 18 September 1968 launch using film and audio recordings of the conversations from the actual launch, the film gives viewers an excellent look at the launch operation and the speed at which the launch is terminated. Range Test 7970, covering the launch of Delta 59 carrying Intelsat 3-A, begins (04:23). The men in the control room prepare for launch with a final communications check. The Delta rocket stands ready for launch. The boosters ignite (06:05), and the rocket takes off, flying into the sky. The rocket flies through the air (06:57), but viewers only see the flames from the boosters. The missile veers off course, and the official in the control room flips the safety destruction switch, detonating the rocket’s internal explosive. Another rocket is launched and flies into the sky (08:55).

The Eastern Range (ER) is an American rocket range that supports missile and rocket launches from the two major launch heads located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The range has also supported Ariane launches from the Guiana Space Centre as well as launches from the Wallops Flight Facility and other lead ranges. The range also uses instrumentation operated by NASA at Wallops and KSC. The range can support launches between 37° and 114° azimuth. The headquarters of the range is now the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com