The 420 Flyer

Space Lift 2002
By Jonathan Stojan, AS 200 Cadet

Space Lift Cadets in Florida

      From December 10 to 12, 2002, I had the opportunity to attend a program called Space Lift. For this program I traveled to beautiful Cocoa Beach Florida. I started with a short tour of Patrick Air Force Base, and then moved on to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where we were briefed on some of the missions and responsibilities the Air Force performs there. Finally we stopped at the Boeing’s launch facility where we were educated on the commercial aspect of launching rockets and putting satellites into space.    

     During this trip I learned a lot about some of the different space missions of the Air Force. I started by being introduced to how the Air Force monitors rockets from the time they’re put on the launch pad until they leave the Earth’s atmosphere somewhere over Africa. Extreme safety measures are taken when launching these rockets, whether they are for the Air Force or commercial uses. Airmen must both protect the public during these launches and take care of the satellites and rockets in which the United States and commercial contractors have invested millions of dollars.     

     We then moved on to get a better understanding how weather plays such a vital role in the launching of both the rockets and the space shuttle. Central Florida happens to be one of the most active places in the world when it comes to weather. It ranks among the top in the world in the number of tornados, waterspouts, and thunderstorms all of which can be devastating to a launch if not accurately predicted and scheduled around. In order to do this the weather center uses some of the most sophisticated weather equipment known to man. They are almost completely accurate days further than the forecasts we see on the nightly news.          

     Our final stop on our trip was to the Boeing rocket facility of Central Florida. We were able to see the first of a generation of the Boeing’s new Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle that are going to be used in the future for both military and commercial applications. Boeing’s Delta IV project is destined to be the new benchmark in rocketry and will change how we put rockets into space through a wide array of new technologies.

      The amount of information learned from just spending a couple of days with these different areas of the Air Force was overwhelming. It was also great to see how the government represented through Air Force worked so closely with private contractors to help complete missions that had mutual goals. Space Lift was an experience like none other and added vast insight into our government’s space programs.