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Rocketsonde, Thule AFB, Greenland -
April 1966 to April 1968
Pictures and
captions by Dave
Gironda Sr
Click on picture to enlarge, Click on Browser's Back Arrow to return. |
Launch Building exterior entrance, with snowbank on left, 6WS-Rocketsonde
sign I hand-lettered on right with Rocketsonde emblem. |
Thule Mountain with frozen Baffin Bay behind it, AWS radiosonde station tp
the right. |
AWS station with Radar for tracking rocketsonde launches 11-miles inland. |
Hallway of narrow barracks, 6WS Harry Green & X Sturniski. |
Launch Control Panel after launch, waiting radar confirmation launch window
was achieved. |
6WS Fred Adair in Magnesium barracks room. |
Unfrozen Baffin Bay with iceberg, Harry Green and Fred Adair. |
Due to constant permafrost all utilities above ground insulated pipes and
bridged over roads. |
Nearby Wolstenholme Fjord cliff with glacier beyond, we climbed down after
photo to shore. |
Me, Dave Gironda in my room doing ballistics calcs. |
Launch
building interior, ballistician on left, CMS Ernest Fisher at control panel,
launch manager on right. |
6WS Dave Gironda & Harry Green loading Argus rock with instrument package
onto spacer in launch tube. |
After assembly with launch piston, pushing rocket into position in launch
tube. |
6WS Dave Gironda securely grounded inserting 1-watt/1-amp all-fire igniter
into base of rocket, even static electricity would set off. |
Outdoor Launch manual setting of precise calculated elevation and azimuth
angles based on upper wind dual Pibal observations. |
Indoor Launch Assembly Building newly installed for first year-round
observations in snow, with launch pad set and ready for launch. |
SMSgt Ernie Fisher at firing control panel, I designed and team built.
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Double theodolite station view through protective dome for low level winds
accuracy. |
Loki fast-burning rocket and Chaff Dart assembled for launch. |
Rocketsonde Launch Operations building looking down range toward polar ice
cap. |
Loki launcher position near Argus launcher outdoor position in summer. |
Rocketsonde Launch Operations building looking toward barricade explosion
protection. |
Loading rocket assembly into spinning rails of launcher before setting
launch angles. |
New radar equipment inspections before and after launch removing ice. |
Base Commander & 6WS Harry Green at seasonal road sign at shore of Baffin
Bay. |
New winter surviving Launch Building after another successful launch |
Installing our own radar equipment next to radiosonde tracking dome in
sub-zero temperature. |
6WS Rocketeers sweeping snow off of launch pad tracks after moveable pad
return following launch |
SMSgt Ernie Fisher ready for launch watching through explosive proof glass
window. |
New Radar technician baselining our own equipment before launch |
6WS David Gironda at plotter showing radar path of rocket and then
instrument parachute for wind data. |
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My illustrations of launch sequences for our training center at 6WS-Moble
Rocketsonde Training Center that I drew at Tinker AFB OKC, above & left. |
Later
illustration showing how "Length" is defined, for Engineering textbooks
published at Arizona State University. David C. Gironda, Phoenix, Arizona |
