Eastern Test Range - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Eastern Range is an American rocket range that supports missile

Missile

Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...

and rocket

Rocket

A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...

launches from the two major launch heads located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...

and the Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center

The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...

. The range has also supported Ariane

Ariane (rocket)

Ariane is a series of a European civilian expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne....

launches from the Guiana Space Centre as well as providing support for launches from the Wallops Flight Facility

Wallops Flight Facility

Wallops Flight Facility , located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, is operated by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, primarily as a rocket launch site to support science and exploration missions for NASA and other U.S. government agencies...

and other lead ranges. The range also uses instrumentation operated by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility and at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

The headquarters of the range is the 45th Space Wing

45th Space Wing

The 45th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It is also the host unit at Patrick AFB.-Overview:...

at Patrick Air Force Base

Patrick Air Force Base

Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...

History

The history of the Eastern Range began on October 1, 1940 with the activation of the Banana River Naval Air Station which supported antisubmarine sea-patrol planes during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. The station was deactivated and put into a caretaker status on September 1, 1947.

Launches of captured V-2 rockets had been ongoing since the end of World War II at White Sands Proving Grounds

White Sands Missile Range

White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...

in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, but it became clear that a much longer range away from heavily populated areas would be needed. The Joint Research and Development Board established the Committee on the Long Range Proving Ground in October, 1946 to study locations for such a range, with three potential sites emerging: along the northern coast of Washington with a range along the Aleutian Islands; El Centro, California, with a range along the Baja peninsula; and Banana River Naval Air Station with a launch site at Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...

and a range over the Bahamas and into the Atlantic Ocean. The Washington site was quickly discarded due to difficulties with support due to cold weather and remoteness. El Centro was put forth as the primary choice (due to being close to missile manufacturers) with the Cape as second choice. However, the El Centro site had to be abandoned after a wayward V-2 missile from White Sands

White Sands

White Sands may refer to:*White Sands, New Mexico, United States*White Sands Missile Range, formerly the White Sands Proving Ground, a military installation in New Mexico hosting:** White Sands Test Center, operated by the United States Army...

crashed into a cemetery in Juarez, Mexico, leading to then Mexican President Aleman refusing to allow missiles to overfly Baja.

The Navy transferred the Air Station to the Air Force on September 1, 1948 and it remained on standby status. On May 11, 1949, President Truman

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

signed Public Law 60 which established the Joint Long Range Proving Ground. On June 10, 1949, the Banana River Naval Air Station was redesignated the Joint Long Range Proving Ground Base and Advance Headquarters, Joint Long Range Proving Ground and the Air Force Division, Joint Long Range Proving Ground was established. On May 16, 1950 and May 17, 1950, range and base dropped the "Joint" in their names due to a DOD decicion earlier in the year to put the range exclusively under Air Force jurisdiction. On July 24, 1950, Bumper #8 became the first missile to launch from the Cape.

The Long Range Proving Ground Base was renamed Patrick Air Force Base on August 1, 1950, in honor of Major General Mason M. Patrick and the following year, on June 30, 1951, the Joint Long Range Proving Ground Division became the Air Force Missile Test Center and the Joint Long Range Proving Ground became the Florida Missile Test Range. These would not be the only name changes for the range or the agency that controlled it. The Florida Missile Test Range was renamed the Atlantic Missile Range in 1958 and the Eastern Test Range in 1964; the Air Force Missile Test Center was redesignated the Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) in 1964, then control of the range was transferred to Detachment 1 of the Space and Missile Test Center located at Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....

when AFETR was deactivated on February 1, 1977, which put both the Eastern and Western ranges under the same leadership. On October 1, 1979, control of the range passed to the newly activated Eastern Space and Missile Center (ESMC). The ESMC was transferred from Air Force Systems Command to Air Force Space Command on October 10, 1990; finally, on November 12, 1991, the 45th Space Wing was activated and assumed operational control for the range from ESMC; on the same day the Eastern Test Range became the Eastern Range. The transition on the west coast occurred one week later on November 19, 1991, when the Western Space and Missile Center became the 30th Space Wing

30th Space Wing

The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...

and the Western Test Range became the Western Range

Western Launch and Test Range

The Western Range is the space launch range that supports the major launch head at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Managed by the 30th Space Wing, the WR extends from the West Coast of the United States to 90 degrees East longitude in the Indian Ocean where it meets the Eastern Range Operations...

.

The current Range Contractor is Computer Sciences Raytheon

Computer Sciences Raytheon

Computer Sciences Raytheon joint venture partnership of Computer Sciences Corporation and Raytheon Technical Services Company. CSR is the contractor that has managed the Eastern Test Range since 1988. CSR is headquartered at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida...

Location

The range starts at the launch pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and John F. Kennedy Space Center and extends eastward over the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

to 90 degrees East longitude

90th meridian east

The meridian 90° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole.The Ninety East Ridge is named after the meridian....

in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

, where it meets the Western Range.

The range consists of a chain of shore and sea based tracking sites. "By January 1960, the Eastern Range included 13 major stations, approximately 91 outlying sites, a fleet of ships and three marine support stations. By September 1963, the Eastern Range extended around the tip of South Africa

Cape of Good Hope

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...

to the island of Mahé

Mahé, Seychelles

Mahé is the largest island of the Seychelles, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 90% of the country's total population...

in the Indian Ocean." Much the sea based tracking and many of the land based stations have been replaced by space based tracking, including the present TDRS

TDRS

A Tracking and Data Relay Satellite is a type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communications to and from independent "User Platforms" such as satellites, balloons, aircraft,...

.

Ground stations associated with the range are located at:

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...

, Florida 28°29′03"N 080°34′21"W
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Antigua Auxiliary Air Force Base

Located on the former Coolidge Air Force Base

Coolidge Air Force Base

Coolidge Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base on the island of Antigua that operated from 1941-1948. It later reopened as Coolidge International Airport and is now known as V. C. Bird International Airport...

, St. Johns, Antigua

Now: Antigua Air Station 17°08′14"N 061°46′33"W

Ascension Auxiliary Air Force Base

Now: RAF Ascension Island 07°58′20"S 014°24′01"W

Argentia, Newfoundland on the grounds of the decommissioned Argentia US Navy Facility (NAVFAC) which is manned on an "as needed" basis for northerly launches. 47°17′28"N 053°59′30"W

Major decommissioned stations associated with the range are located at:

Jupiter Auxiliary Air Force Base, Florida

Later: Jonathan Dickinson Missile Tracking Annex (JDMTA)

Located in Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Martin County, Florida, between Hobe Sound and Tequesta. The park includes a variety of natural communities, such as sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamps. The Loxahatchee River, which was...

27°01′58"N 080°06′52"W

Grand Bahama Auxiliary Air Force Base 26°34′27"N 078°39′53"W

Located near: Gold Rock Creek, Grand Bahamas Island, Bahamas

Eleuthra Auxiliary Air Force Base 25°12′45"N 076°15′22"W

Located near: Governor's Harbor, Eleuthra Island, Bahamas

San Salvador Auxiliary Air Force Base 24°03′42"N 074°32′01"W

Located near: Cockburntown, San Salvador Island, Bahamas

Mayaguana Auxiliary Air Force Base 22°23′29"N 073°00′10"W

Located near: Abraham's Bay, Mayaguana Island, Bahamas

Grand Turk Auxiliary Air Force Base 21°26′53"N 071°08′48"W

Located near: Cockburn Town, Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos Islands

Dominican Republic Auxiliary Air Force Base 19°03′35"N 069°22′54"W

Located near: Sabena de la Mar, Dominican Republic

Mayaguez Auxiliary Air Force Base 18°09′53"N 067°10′54"W

Located near: Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

St. Lucia Auxiliary Air Force Base 13°47′10"N 060°53′52"W

Located at the easternmost point of St. Lucia

Launches supported by the range

Between 12/1/2008 and 12/1/2009 the Eastern Range supported 19 launches.

2009-01-18	Delta IV	37B	NROL-26
2009-03-07	Delta II	17B	KEPLER
2009-03-15	Discovery	39A	STS-119
2009-03-24	Delta II	17A	NAVSTAR IIR-20
2009-04-04	Atlas V	41	WGS-2
2009-05-11	Atlantis	39A	STS-125
2009-05-26	Trident II	S29	DASO-9
2009-06-18	Atlas V	41	LRO/LCROSS
2009-06-27	Delta IV	37B	GOES-O
2009-07-15	Endeavour	39A	STS-127
2009-08-17	Delta II	17A	NAVSTAR IIR-21
2009-08-29	Discovery	39A	STS-128
2009-09-03	Trident II	SSBN-736	FCET-41
2009-09-04	Trident II	SSBN-736	FCET-41
2009-09-08	Atlas V	41	PAN
2009-09-25	Delta II	17B	STSS DEMO
2009-10-28	Ares I-X	39B	ARES I-X
2009-11-16	Atlantis	39A	STS-129
2009-11-23	Atlas V	41	INTELSAT-14

Airborne and sea-based tracking assets

As recently as 2007-07-06, NASA spacecraft such as Dawn have depended upon the availability of airborne and sea-based tracking assets associated with the ER to monitor launch and ascent.

History

Location

Launches supported by the range

Airborne and sea-based tracking assets

See also