The huge concrete base of an historical vertical rocket test stand (VTS-1), at the Santa Susana Field Lab, is scheduled to be taken down by current owner Boeing, starting next week. According to an 8-13 article in the Daily News, the VTS-1 was built in 1950 and was the first large rocket test stand in the U.S.
Testing at the VTS-1 included rockets in the Navaho, Redstone and Atlas programs, that led to the Mercury Geminin and Apollo missions. It was last used in the early 1960′s the Daily News reports, and the steel frame above the concrete base was removed in 1996.
I had no idea that this neighbor in Simi Valley was so important to the early space program. How too bad that the whole rocket stand was not saved for history! I would have gone to see it! To read the Daily News article by Dana Bartholomew, go to: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_15763102?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com
Posted by Janna Orkney
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