by Charles S.
I was a structures engineer in the 540 Engineering Department. In 1957,
I was assigned to the Vanguard program. As a rather small sized program, the engineering
staff was located in the "C" Building manufacturing area on a balcony
above the shop blueprint files.
It was a typical hot, muggy summer on the balcony. Of course, at the
time the building was not air conditioned. One of our innovative people
suggested the management should help the situation by cooling off the roof
directly above our “engineering” area.
Someone called the plant fire department. Before we knew, it the hoses
were spraying the roof. It was a great idea, but the roof leaked like crazy. It
was cooler, then a bit warmer as we scurried to protect the drawings that were
on the boards!
I have wonderful memories of the Vanguard program. I contributed to the design
of the Vanguard launch pad. I did the complex (mundane) tasks, including the
telemeter mast, which we borrowed from the Matador program, and the canvass
umbilical arresting pad on the side of the mast.
None of us realized that we racing against Sputnik. It was fabulous to
have been a part of the many history-making programs Lockheed Martin has
provided. Best to all!
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| We answered the call during the Cold War ! |
