Source Notes

Chapter 5: Acquiring a Launch Site


  1. 1. DDJ, 26 Apr. 1961.

  2. 2. Joint Air Force-NASA Hazards Analysis Bd., Safety and Design Considerations for Static Test and Launch of Large Space Vehicles, 1 June 1961, part I, "Hazards Analysis," p. I-A-1.

  3. 3. Ibid., part I, pp. I-D-3, I-B-1, and I-B-2.

  4. 4. AFMTC, NASA, & Pan American, Preliminary Field Report, Cumberland Island & Vicinity for Nova Launch Facilities, 13-14 June 1961, pp. 22-23; Hal Taylor, "Big Moon Booster Decisions Looming," Missiles and Rockets, 28 Aug. 1961, p. 14.

  5. 5. Charles J. Hall to R. P. Dodd, "Land Development for Future Launch Sites," 12 May 1961.

  6. 6. Debus, memo for the record, "Land Acquisition Book II," 11 June 1961.

  7. 7. NASA, A Feasible Approach for an Early Manned Lunar Landing (the Fleming Report), 16 June 1961.

  8. 8. Roswell Gilpatric to the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, "National Space Program Facilities Planning," 16 June 1961.

  9. 9. Air Force Systems Command News Review, Mar. 1963.

  10. 10. Debus-Davis Report, reference b.

  11. 11. Petrone and Shapiro, memorandum of understanding, "Guideline for Preparation of NASA Manned Lunar Landing Project Report," 7 July 1961.

  12. 12. Gibbs interview.

  13. 13. Debus-Davis Report, pp. 19, 20.

  14. 14. Ibid., p. 20.

  15. 15. Ibid.

  16. 16. Ibid., pp. D-70, D-71.

  17. 17. Ibid., pp. D-19, D-20.

  18. 18. Gordon E. Dunn and Banner I. Miller, Atlantic Hurricanes, rev. ed. (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1960), pp. 266-67.

  19. 19. Bramlitt, History of the Canaveral District, p. 34.

  20. 20. Debus interview, 22 Aug. 1969; Owens interview, 12 Apr. 1972.

  21. 21. Debus interview, 16 May 1972.

  22. 22. DDJ, 27 July 1961.

  23. 23. Washington Post, 3 Aug. 1961.

  24. 24. Milton Rosen to Hugh Dryden and James Webb, "Selection of a Launch Site for the Manned Lunar Program," attached to a letter from Dryden to Webb, same subj., 18 Aug. 1961.

  25. 25. Hugh L. Dryden to Webb, "Selection of a Launch Site for the Manned Lunar Program," 18 Aug. 1961.

  26. 26. NASA release 61-189, "Manned Lunar Launch Site Selected," 24 Aug. 1961.

  27. 27. Interview with Gibbs by James Covington, 7 Aug. 1969.

  28. 28. Petrone interview.

  29. 29. "Agreement between DOD and NASA Relating to the Launch Site for the Manned Lunar Landing Program," signed by James Webb and Roswell Gilpatric, 24 Aug. 1961.

  30. 30. Ibid., p. 2.

  31. 31. NASA-LOD proposal, "Integrated Master Planning, Atlantic Missile and Space Operations Range," 22 Nov. 1961; Minutes of the meeting prepared by Raymond L. Clark, Asst. to the Director.

  32. 32. House Committee on Science and Astronautics, Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight, Hearings, 1963 NASA Authorization, 87th Gong., 2nd sess., pt. 2, pp. 643-55.

  33. 33. Lloyd L. Behrendt, comp., Development and Operation of the Atlantic Missile Range (Patrick A.F.B., FL, 1963), pp. 63-64, Air Force Eastern Test Range Archives.

  34. 34. "Background Information on Agreement between DOD and NASA re: Management of the AMR of DOD and the Merritt Island Launch Area of NASA," prepared by Paul T. Cooper, Brig. Gen., USAF, Mar. 1963, p. 4.

  35. 35. Behrendt, Development of AMR, pp. 66-67.

  36. 36. Debus interview, 22 Aug. 1969; reiterated in an interview 16 May 1972.

  37. 37. DDJ, 14 July 1961.

  38. 38. Senate, Amending the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 1962, report 863 to accompany Senate Bill 2481, 87th Cong., 1st sess., 1 Sept. 1961.

  39. 39. Seamans to Lt. Gen. W. K. Wilson, Chief, Corps of Engineers, U.5. Army, 21 Sept. 1961.

  40. 40. Senate Committee on Appropriations, 87th Cong., 1st sess., Hearing, Second Supplemental Appropriation Bill for 1962, p. 154; Arthur G. Procher, memo for record, "Land Acquisition for NASA Lunar Launch Facility," 26 Sept. 1961.

  41. 41. NASA Audit Div., "Review of Management Controls over Contract Modifications Executed by the Corps of Engineers, Launch Operations Center, Cocoa Beach, Florida," report Bu/LO-W 64-7, Washington, DC, 23 Sept. 1963, p. 3.

  42. 42. Real Estate Div., U.S. Army Engineer Dist., Jacksonville, FL, "Progress and Status, Real Estate Acquisition and Manned Lunar Landing Program Project," Cape Canaveral. FL, 6 June 1962.

  43. 43. Sollohub to Debus, 8 June 1962.

  44. 44. Titusville Star-Advocate, 17 Feb. 1962.

  45. 45. Morgan T. Nealy, Jr., Proj. Mgr., Real Estate Project Off., Titusville, FL, to LOC, 21 Mar. 1963.

  46. 46. Telephone interview with Faherty, 1 May 1972. The lady preferred to remain anonymous.

  47. 47. "List of Buildings Retained for Interim Use, NASA-Merritt Island Launch Area," in R. J. Pollock's files, KSC Maintenance Div.

  48. 48. AFMTC, "Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex Development Plan," 12 Mar. 1962; AFMTC, "Status Report, NASA-Merritt Island Launch Area Development," Patrick A.F.B., 27 Sept. 1962; James Trainor, "Titan III Plan Awaits DOD Approval," Missiles and Rockets, 14 May 1962, p. 35.

  49. 49. Shriever to Seamans, 14 Mar. 1962.

  50. 50. NASA, "Management Council Meeting of 29 May 1962," corrections, dated 7 Mar. 1962.

  51. 51. Debus, memo for record, "Holmes-Shriever-Davis-Debus Meeting, Saturday, 1 Mar. 1962, on Titan III Siting," 19 Mar. 1962.

  52. 52. NASA, "Minutes of the Management Council Meeting of 27 Mar. 1962."

  53. 53. Hearings, 1963 NASA Authorization, pp. 634-35.

  54. 54. Ibid., pp. 64l-55.

  55. 55. Ibid., p. 652.

  56. 56. Behrendt, Development of AMR, p. 69.

  57. 57. Davis to District Engineer, Real Property Accountability for MLLP Area," in "Background Information and Agreement between DOD and NASA: Re: Management of the AMR of DOD and the Merritt Island Launch Area of NASA," Mar. 1963. Brig. Gen. Paul T. Cooper, USAF, stated that when the question of title arose between the Launch Operations Center and the AF Missile Test Center, the two staff elements agreed to bring the matter to the attention of higher levels by this letter of Gen. Davis. We have seen no NASA document suggesting that this letter arose from a mutual decision, although several NASA communications refer to Davis's letter (Debus to Holmes, 3 Apr. and 4 Apr. 1962: Webb to Gilpatric, 23 May 1962).

  58. 58. Petrone interview.

  59. 59. Seamans to Webb and Dryden, 13 Apr. 1962.

  60. 60. Webb to McNamara, 17 Apr. 1962.

  61. 61. Missiles and Rockets, 30 Apr. 1962, p. 75.

  62. 62. Bell to McNamara, 3 May 1962.

  63. 63. Jackson to McNamara, 21 May 1962. The 18 June 1962 issue of Aviation Week and Space Technology credited Rep. George Miller with a major role in securing NASA's autonomy on Merritt Island.

  64. 64. McNamara to Jackson, 24 May 1962.

  65. 65. Debus to Davis, 14 June 1962.

  66. 66. Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Hearings on H. R. 12711, 87th Cong., 2nd sess., pp. 861-904.

  67. 67. P .L. 87-584, NASA Authorization Act for 1963, sec. 5.

  68. 68. Webb to Gilpatric, 14 Aug. 1962, with enclosure, "Relationships and Responsibilities of the DOD & NASA at the AMR and the Manned Lunar Landing Program Area."

  69. 69. Cmdr., AFMTC, to Sec. of Defense, 4 Jan. 1963.

  70. 70. "Agreement, the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration regarding Management of the Atlantic Missile Range of DOD and the Merritt Island Launch Area of NASA," signed by Robert S. McNamara and James E. Webb, 17 Jan. 1963.

  71. 71. The interim agreement that implemented the Webb-McNamara Agreement was signed on 10 May 1963 by Davis and Debus. Addenda covered joint instrumentation planning procedures, calibration equipment and services, chemical analysis, security and law enforcement, facilities management, visitor control, and other topics. Under the terms of addendum 5, LC-34, LC-36, LC-37, the Saturn Barge Canal, and other facilities were transferred by AFMTC to NASA-LOC. The 11 separate agreements were understood to be consolidated into a single document. Debus, "AFMTC-LOC Agreements Implementing the Webb- McNamara Agreement of 17 January 1963," 5 June 1963.

  72. 72. John P. Lacy to Center Dir., "Status of KSC Land Acquisition," 7 Dec. 1967.

  73. 73. Policicchio interview.

  74. 74. "List of Buildings to Be Retained for AFMTC Use in the Expanded Cape Area," Col. Colie Houck, 29 June 1962, to Mr. Owens; Joseph Hester, memo for record, "Disposition of House Trailers, Area 1," 5 Mar. 1962.

  75. 75. Debus to Peterson, 5 Mar. 1962; Bidgood to Debus, "Real Estate Procurement Policy," 22 Dec. 1961.

  76. 76. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Hearings on H. R. 11038, 87th Cong,, 2nd sess., 4 Apr. 1962, pp. 155-56; Spaceport News 2 (10 Oct. 1963): 8.

  77. 77. "Audit of Merritt Island Purchase," Office, Chief of Engineers, 16 Nov. 1971, in Corps of Engineers Files, per telephone conversation with Joseph Hester, 18 May 1972.

  78. 78. Spaceport News 11 (1 June 1972): 1, 4; O'Conner interview.

  79. 79. "Agreement between National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife for Use of Property at John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA," 2 June 1972, signed by Willis H. Shapley for NASA and Nathaniel P . Reed for the Dept. of Interior.


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