The Aerospace Corporation Collection

The Aerospace Corporation Collection (MS 01-01) is a 25 volume series of original publications that was intended “to present in a single source the most complete compilations of key photographic data and supporting technical supplements available on past, existing, and planned rocket, guided missile, spacecraft, and satellite flight testing.” The series was written by Frank L. Koen and prepared for Dr. Robert D. Turnacliff, Director, Project West Wing, Laboratory Operations, Aerospace Corporation of El Segundo, California from 1963-1965. Photographs and technical data have a standardized arrangement within each volume and are divided into subject areas to include trajectory, physical characteristics, engine data, and photographs.

The Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Collection

The Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Collection (MS 03-01) consists of approximately 35,000 photographs documenting operations at Kennedy Space Center between 1978 and 2002. Coverage includes both Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) missions and Expendable Launch Vehicle missions with NASA payloads during this time period. Imagery documenting payload processing, astronaut training, vehicle assembly and erection, launch and recovery, and in-flight activities are common subjects found throughout the collection.

This collection consists of three record groups. Within each group, records are arranged both chronologically in ascending order and sequentially according to their photograph serial number. The first record group contains photographs documenting Space Shuttle missions arranged chronologically by their actual mission launch date. The second record group consists of photographs documenting Expendable Launch Vehicle missions with NASA payloads. These are arranged subjectively by launch vehicle type and chronologically by their actual mission launch date. The third and final record group contains photographs documenting miscellaneous subjects including various unmanned spacecraft imagery, the International Space Station, Space Shuttle repairs and modifications, astronaut training not associated with any particular mission, Kennedy Space Center operations and associated facilities, and Space Shuttle facilities constructed at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Boeing Company Inertial Upper Stage Collection

The Boeing Company Inertial Upper Stage Collection (MS 05-01) consists of documents, photographs, videos, schematics, and oversized prints detailing the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) program. These records were donated by the Boeing Corporation and accompanied the last IUS vehicle and its transporter that were transferred to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum on 8 April 2005.

The records document the 24 IUS missions from 1982 to 2004 flown on 15 space shuttles, eight Titan IVs, and one Titan 34D launch vehicle. The IUS system launched payloads for the Air Force including DSCS and DSP satellites and also for NASA including TDRS satellites, the Chandra X-ray Telescope, and the Magellan, Galileo, and Ulysses interplanetary spacecraft.

The Lockheed Martin Launch Complex 36 Collection

The Lockheed Martin Launch Complex 36 Collection (MS 06-01) consists of documents, photographs, oversized posters and prints, and VHS tapes detailing Atlas-Centaur launch operations at Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, from 1990-2004. After the inactivation of Launch Complex 36, Lockheed Martin disassembled its Site Support Building and donated these items to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum on 28 November 2005. These records document the payload processing, vehicle erection, and launching of military, commercial, and NASA sponsored satellites on a variety of Atlas-Centaur configurations.

The Lockheed Martin Titan IV Closeout Collection

The Lockheed Martin Titan IV Closeout Collection (MS 06-02) consists of documents, photographs, oversized posters, CDs and DVDs, and VHS tapes detailing Titan IV launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station from 1991-2005. After the launch of Titan IV B-30 on 29 April 2005, the last Titan vehicle to be launched from the Cape, Lockheed Martin initiated closeout procedures for all Titan operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and subsequently donated these items to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum on 1 March 2006. These records document the payload processing, vehicle erection, and launching of military, commercial, and NASA sponsored satellites on Titan IV Centaur and Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) configurations. Also included are several historical retrospectives detailing the entire Titan program from its inception to conclusion and focusing on launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The SGS Master Planning Collection

The SGS Master Planning Collection (MS 06-03) consists of reports, correspondence, and various size drawings documenting facility construction at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and several down range stations during 1961-2006. This collection contains documents produced by various contractors including Pan American World Airways, Johnson Controls, and Space Gateway Support. It was transferred to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum after all of the records had been digitally scanned by the SGS Master Planning Office for future engineering documentation and research.

Record Group 1

The bulk of this collection consists of numbered drawings prefixed either by the letters RFP (Range Facilities Planning) or SP (Site Planning) and are both numerically and chronologically arranged in ascending order. Each drawing identification number also includes the letters A through F signifying the actual size of the drawing. These are as follows:

  • A – 8.5 X 11
  • B – 11 X 17
  • C – 17 X 22
  • D – 22 X 34
  • E – 30 X 44
  • F – 8 X 13

The drawings are organized by these size classifications and are arranged both numerically and chronologically within these classifications.

There have been several modifications to the site plan numbering system during the years. The size identification letter was phased out during calendar year 2000 (all further site plan documents contained in this collection are the 8.5 X 11 “A” size) and replaced by the last two digits of the calendar year. Furthermore, the sequential numbering system was discontinued at the end of calendar year 2004 and was replaced by a resetting of the number sequence during each calendar year.

This collection of drawings is accompanied by a RFP site plan index (1961-1997) in which a portion of the numbered drawings (RFP 1001 – 5493) were recorded along with additional pertinent information.

Record Group 2

The second record group of this collection consists of blueprints, schematics, correspondence, reports, and other civil engineering records documenting various NASA owned facilities located on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Record Group 3

The third record group of this collection consists of blueprints, drawings, correspondence, reports, and other civil engineering records documenting various NASA owned facilities located on Merritt Island (Kennedy Space Center, formerly the Launch Operations Center) and telemetry sites located throughout the Eastern Test Range.

The Stephen W. Gilley Collection

The Stephen W. Gilley Collection (MS 06-04) consists of photographs documenting operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center from 1956-1968. It was the personal collection of Mr. Stephen Gilley, a docent of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. Mr. Gilley worked for RCA from 1957-1969 as a technician at both Cape Canaveral and Grand Bahama Island. His duties included operation of various optical tracking instruments and the filming of daily operational tests. Mr. Gilley donated this collection to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum on May 16, 2006. These records document the processing, erection, and launching of various U.S. Air Force missiles and launch vehicles.

Included in this collection are photographs from the personal collection of Mr. James Almond, an employee of the Boeing Airplane Company who worked at Cape Canaveral during the same period as Mr. Gilley. These photographs document research and development operations for the Bomarc missile program, the Minuteman missile program, and the Saturn V rocket. All photographs are primarily arranged in chronological order and secondarily arranged by photograph serial number.

The Titan Locomotive Collection

The Titan Locomotive Collection (MS 07-01) consists of documents, manuals, correspondence, schematics, and photographs detailing the SW-8 Switcher Locomotive #2021 utilized in the transfer function of the Titan ITL (Integrate-Transfer-Launch) area of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The majority of records in this collection document the accessioning of this locomotive into the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum’s static display collection. This includes a restoration program, the transportation and erection of the locomotive in the Museum Rocket Garden, and research materials used to design exhibit displays.

The 3rd Space Launch Squadron (SLS) Collection

The 3rd Space Launch Squadron (SLS) Collection (MS 07-02) consists of documents, manuals, transparencies, and photographs documenting the mission of this squadron and its operations with the Atlas and Titan space launch vehicle systems. The records that comprise this collection were donated to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum by members of the 45th Launch Support Squadron.

Upon activation of the 45th Space wing on 12 November 1991, the 3rd SLS was formed along with the 1st and 5th SLS as part of the 45th Operations Group. The 5th SLS was inactivated at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on 29 June 1998 and all of its assets were transferred to the 3rd SLS, leaving it as the squadron responsible for the Atlas and Titan launch programs at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. On 1 December 2003, the 1st and 3rd SLS were transferred from the 45th Operations Group to the 45th Launch Group and were joined by the reactivated 5th SLS which was given responsibility for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) operations. After the final Atlas IIIB-Centaur and Titan IVB-Centaur missions were launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in February and April 2005 respectively, the 3rd SLS was inactivated on 30 June 2005.

The White Sands Missile Range Museum Collection

The White Sands Missile Range Museum Collection (MS 07-03) consists of reports documenting Eastern Test Range telemetry performance evaluations of various down-range instrumentation during launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Additionally, certain reports include information on performance evaluations conducted during the orbital phase of a particular mission.

While these reports concentrate on the quality and accuracy of data gathered by various types of telemetry instruments, a brief synopsis of each launch is also included. These reports cover Eastern Test Range launches from 10 December 1964 through 21 August 1972. They were produced by RCA which was under contract with Pan American World Airways, Inc. to provide Eastern Test Range instrumentation support. These particular documents were originally located in the U.S. Army Technical Library at the White Sands Missile Range. This collection was donated to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum on 8 August 2007 by the White Sands Missile Range Museum.

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