1st Ascension Island Scout Group

Some History of the NASA Site - Challenger Outward Bound Centre By Joseph Cantrell (ex-NASA)

The NASA Site

From: Joseph Cantrell

The main area was used as the Operations Floor.  It housed various computers (large main-frame), communications consoles, tracking and data relay consoles, and specific telemetry spacecraft consoles. 

The tracking station operations floor was very, very packed with the consoles and other computer equipment racks.  The station tracked many spacecraft, manned and unmanned, and with the help of the C&W site, relayed communications data to Houston and several other NASA centers around the country (States).  Of course the most famous of which was the Space-Shuttle. When the site was operational, it was nothing to hear over the in-house intercomm voice transmission between the site, the space vehicle (if manned), and Houston Control.  It was a very exciting time.

The backroom facing/looking out towards cricket valley was the main supply room which housed over 13,000 line items of computer and antenna parts/spares.  The room facing cricket valley, smaller one as you go into the larger area was used as a storage and retrieval area for all the documentation that was needed for the site systems.

The room centered behind the main hallway area towards the back was the training room.  All the smaller rooms up front towards Green Mountain were administrative offices.

Joe Cantrell
<JCANTRELL@imf.org>

The building's NASA role by Joseph Cantrell

Photo history by Harry Turner

Photo history by Wally Wilkins

 

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