57-493: Guy Gardner may refer to: Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut Guy Gardner (character) , DC Comics character who primarily operates as a Green Lantern Guy B. Gardner (1920–1980), head football coach for the Howard Payne University Yellow Jackets [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
114-565: A Mark-21 test reentry vehicle was flight-tested from TP-01 on 15 June 1984. The Mark-21 resembled the reentry vehicle intended for the Peacekeeper weapon system. Two more test launches were conducted in 1984, the missile from TP-01. Air Force Systems Command conducted the final Peacekeeper launch from the aboveground TP-01 launch pad on 30 June 1985. The first silo launch from LF-05 took place on 24 August 1985 from LF-08. LF-02 began to be used in 1986 for additional launches. On 23 August 1986
171-488: A comprehensive exercise of SAC's nuclear forces on 10 July 1979 from LF 08 and LF 09. One of these Global Shield missions, Glory Trip 40 GM, was the last Minuteman III phase I operational test flight. The missiles were launched 12 seconds apart by a SAC task force from the 90th Strategic Missile Wing , Francis E. Warren Air Force Base , Wyoming . Glory Trip 77GM, a Minuteman III Operational Test in September 1980, became
228-672: A distinguished career spanning the Mexican War , Indian Wars , the Civil War . Troop training didn't wait for construction to finish. The 5th Armored Division was the first to arrive in February and March 1942. Throughout the war, Camp Cooke served as a training ground for numerous armored and infantry divisions before their deployment overseas. Additionally, anti-aircraft artillery, combat engineer, ordnance, and hospital units trained at Cooke. In total, over 400 groups passed through
285-674: A restructuring returned major sections of this range, including Point Arguello , to the Air Force. This move gave the Air Force full responsibility for missile range safety at Vandenberg and much of the Pacific Ocean. The Air Force renamed the area the Western Range . The facility was renamed Vandenberg Air Force Base on 4 October 1958 in honor of General Hoyt Vandenberg , the Air Force's second Chief of Staff. The final acquisition of 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) of land for
342-575: A space booster configured with an RM-81 Agena upper-stage rocket and the Atlas-Agena would launch many different types of satellites into orbit until its phaseout in the late 1980s. The HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM. When designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile. It
399-544: A third silo, LF-05 becoming operational in March 1990. The final launch of a LGM-118 Peacekeeper 33PA took place on 21 July 2004 before the missile was retired from service. The latest missile deployed at Vandenberg in 2005 is the Ground-based Interceptor (GBI) missile suborbital booster for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency 's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system's EKV ballistic missile kill vehicle. It
456-530: A wingless Pegasus-XL ). The developmental OBV is launched from an open pad; the operational version is to be silo-launched. The first test firing of the OVB took place from former Atlas-F pad 576-E on 6 February 2003. Launch silo LF-23 is used for ongoing silo testing, with target missiles consisting of surplus inert Minuteman ICBM second and third stages being launched from the Kwajalein Meck launch site in
513-441: Is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range , and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing . In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX . In 1941, just before
570-480: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Guy Gardner (astronaut) Guy Spence Gardner (born January 6, 1948) is a United States Air Force officer and a former astronaut . He holds the rank of colonel . He flew as pilot on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-27 and STS-35 . Gardner was also the 12th president of the Williamson College of
627-466: Is part of a National missile defense system advocated by President George W. Bush . The OBV is under development by Orbital Sciences ; for every interceptor missile there is a missile silo and a Silo Interface Vault (SIV), which is an underground electronics room adjacent to the silo. The basic OBV consists of the upper three stages and guidance system from the Taurus orbital launch vehicle (essentially
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#1732790827457684-588: The Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in January 1958. SAC assumed responsibility for training missile launch crews and achieving initial operational capability. ARDC retained oversight of site activation, research, and development testing. This began a close working relationship between the two commands that would last 35 years. In February 1958,
741-643: The Delta IV , and Atlas V vehicles. The most ambitious Air Force endeavors at Vandenberg were the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) and the Space Shuttle programs. The MOL vehicle consisted of a Titan III booster carrying a modified Gemini space capsule ( Gemini B ) attached to a space laboratory. Construction work for MOL began at Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) on South Vandenberg in March 1966. President Richard Nixon canceled
798-664: The LGM-30 Minuteman , but it suffered from a long development time, and was retired in 2005 before the Minuteman because of arms reduction treaties. The first Peacekeeper ICBM was launched by Air Force Systems Command from an aboveground canister-type launch facility from Launch Complex TP-01 on 17 June 1983. This was the first "cold launch" of a missile at Vandenberg AFB, the missile reaching 600 mi (970 km) downrange. Two more test launches were conducted in 1983 from Launch Complex TP-01. The first Peacekeeper with
855-780: The PGM-19 Jupiter program was transferred from the Army to the Air Force. SAC established squadrons for both the Jupiter and Atlas missiles at Cooke. Construction also began on the Operational System Test Facility for the Titan I. The first Thor arrived later that year. The southern 19,800 acres (8,000 ha) of Cooke AFB was transferred to the Navy in May 1958 for their Pacific Missile Range. However, in 1963,
912-570: The Pacific Ocean to become the first man-made object ever retrieved from space. A week later, on 19 August 1960, the descending capsule from Discoverer XIV was snared by an aircraft in flight for the first air recovery in history. Shrouded in a cover story of scientific research, Discoverer was actually the cover name for CORONA, America's first photo reconnaissance satellite program. The publicized Discoverer series came to an end on 13 January 1962 after 38 launches (or launch attempts). Over
969-627: The Pacific Ocean without flying over populated areas, and satellites could be placed into polar orbit towards the South Pole without traversing any landmass until reaching Antarctica . Following the committee's recommendation, on 16 November 1956, the Secretary of Defense directed the Army to transfer 64,000 acres (26,000 ha) to the United States Air Force . This land was initially called North Camp Cooke , but when
1026-516: The Pacific Range . The world's first polar orbit satellite, Discoverer 1 , launched from Vandenberg on 28 February 1959. The launch vehicle for this mission consisted of a Thor-Agena combination. The Discoverer series of satellites provided other significant firsts for Vandenberg. For instance, in August 1960, the data capsule was ejected from Discoverer XIII in orbit and recovered from
1083-756: The Space Shuttle Atlantis , on December 2–6, 1988. The mission carried a Department of Defense payload and is noteworthy due to the severe damage Atlantis sustained to its critical heat-resistant tiles during ascent. Gardner next flew as pilot on the crew of STS-35 , aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia , on December 2–10, 1990. The mission carried the ASTRO-1 astronomy laboratory consisting of three ultraviolet telescopes and one x-ray telescope. Gardner left NASA in June 1991 to command
1140-681: The United States Air Force Academy in 1969 and a Master of Science degree in Astronautics from Purdue University in 1970. Gardner completed U.S. Air Force pilot training at Craig Air Force Base , Alabama, and F-4 Phantom II upgrade training at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida in 1971. In 1972, he flew 177 combat missions in Southeast Asia while stationed in Udon Thani, Thailand . In 1973–74, he
1197-425: The 1950s ushered in the age of missiles , and the United States urgently needed a training ground that could also serve as an initial combat ready missile base. In 1956, after examining over 200 potential locations, a committee selected Camp Cooke. Similar to its appeal in 1941 for the Army, Camp Cooke's vast size, remoteness, moderate climate, and coastal location made it ideal. Missiles could be launched westward over
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#17327908274571254-641: The 200th SAC missile launched from Vandenberg AFB, California was a Titan II. The operational testing of the Titan II continued until 1985. Like its predecessor the Atlas ICBM, the Titan II GLV a derivative of that missile was used to launch Project Gemini spacecraft and the Titan 23G was used as a space booster to launch satellites. The final launch of a Titan II was made in 2003 when the last Titan IIG
1311-491: The 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (Complex 576B) in May 1964 as part of the phaseout of the Atlas from active ICBM service. The last Atlas F test launch was on 18 January 1965, and the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron was inactivated on 2 April 1966. The 576th SMS carried out 53 Atlas-D, 7 Atlas-E and 7 Atlas-F test launches between 1959 and 1965. The Atlas would remain in use as a launch vehicle for satellites from Vandenberg as
1368-483: The Army was convinced this portion of the Gaviota Coast was an ideal training location. The government purchased most of the land, however, some smaller parcels were obtained either by lease, license, or as easements. Construction of the Army camp began in September 1941. Although unfinished, the camp was activated on 5 October and named Camp Cooke in honor of Phillip St. George Cooke , a cavalry officer with
1425-607: The Associate Administrator for Regulation and Certification (now Aviation Safety), leading the government organization responsible for oversight and regulation of civil aviation safety. Gardner engaged in several education related activities in the years after completing U.S. Government service. He served in various teaching positions in Fairfax County, Virginia. In 2004 he returned to Purdue University to manage research programs. Between 2006 and 2009, he
1482-607: The Distinguished Astronaut Engineering Alumnus award of Purdue University. [REDACTED] Media related to Guy Gardner at Wikimedia Commons Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg Space Force Base ( IATA : VBG , ICAO : KVBG , FAA LID : VBG ), previously Vandenberg Air Force Base , is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California . Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base
1539-765: The Trades . Gardner was born on January 6, 1948, in Altavista, Virginia , and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia . He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second-highest rank, Life Scout . He graduated from George Washington High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1965; received a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Astronautics , Mathematics , and Engineering Sciences from
1596-753: The USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In August 1992, Gardner retired from the Air Force and returned to NASA to direct the joint U.S. and Russian Shuttle-Mir Program. In 1995, Gardner joined the Federal Aviation Administration as Director of the William J. Hughes Technical Center, at the Atlantic City Int'l Airport, in New Jersey. He then moved to FAA Headquarters in 1996 as
1653-620: The United Kingdom. Confidence firing was the predecessor of SAC's operational test program. On 16 October 1958, the first Atlas ICBM launcher (576A-1) constructed at Vandenberg AFB, California, was accepted from the contractor by the 1st Missile Division. The first intercontinental ballistic missile, the SM-65D Atlas ICBM , was delivered and was accepted by SAC's 576th Strategic Missile Squadron on 18 February 1959. The first Atlas-D flew on 9 September 1959, and following
1710-665: The United States would enter World War II, the United States Army embarked on an initiative to acquire lands in the United States to be used to train infantry and armored forces. These areas needed to be of a varied nature to ensure relevant training. In March 1941, the Army identified approximately 86,000 acres (35,000 ha) of open ranch lands along the Central Coast of California between Lompoc and Santa Maria . With its flat plateau, surrounding hills, numerous canyons, and relative remoteness from populated areas,
1767-461: The base occurred in 1966 to accommodate the construction of Space Launch Complex 6 for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program. With the annexation, the base reached its final size, 99,099 acres (40,104 ha). The transition from U.S. Army camp to missile base solidified on 15 December 1958 when Vandenberg AFB successfully launched its first missile, a PGM-17 Thor IRBM ( Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile ). The launch from Vandenberg inaugurated
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1824-469: The camp. As the war progressed, Camp Cooke was used to house German and Italian prisoners of war . Following the Geneva Convention , the groups were kept separate and assigned various jobs within the camp, including construction, clerical work, food service, and laundry. To address wartime labor shortages, German prisoners also participated in agricultural work in nearby communities. After
1881-484: The facility was destroyed on 3 December 1960 when the launcher elevator failed while lowering a fully fueled missile back into the silo. There were no injuries. This was the first silo accident at Vandenberg. The first "silo-lift" launch of the Titan I was successful in September 1961, and the first SAC launch of the ICBM was successful in January 1962. As a result, the Titan I ICBM launch complex (395-A1/A2/A3) at Vandenberg
1938-493: The first Titan II site began in 1962, and eventually Vandenberg operated four Titan II launch complexes. Most of the testing of the missile was done at Cape Kennedy Air Force Station , Florida by the 6555th Aerospace Test Group , and the first successful underground silo launch of a Titan II ICBM took place at Vandenberg by the 395th SMS in April 1963. The first fully operational test took place in March 1965. On 25 March 1966,
1995-399: The first attempted salvo (simultaneous) launch of two model "A" Minuteman I ICBMs from Vandenberg silos LF-04 (394A-3) and LF-06 (394-A5) was successful. This launch demonstrated the multiple countdown and launch techniques that would be used at operational bases under actual combat conditions. Minuteman I testing continued until 1968. LGM-30F Minuteman II testing began in August 1965 with
2052-492: The first launch conducted by Air Force Systems Command, was successful. The missile flew 5,000 mi (8,000 km) down the Pacific Missile Range and its reentry vehicle impacted in the target area. On 22 October 1970, the first attempted OT GT70F (Salvo) operational test launch (simultaneous) launch of two Minuteman II ICBMs was successful from LF-25 and LF-26. The last Minuteman II phase I operational test
2109-677: The first launch of a completely operational hardware configured missile and launch facility, and also the first Peacekeeper launch by a SAC combat crew under the control of Air Force Systems Command took place from silo LF-02. A new Peacekeeper Missile Procedures Trainer was dedicated in March 1987. The US$ 17 million facility featured a state-of-the-art computer based simulator which would be used to train and evaluate missile crew members. The first LGM-118 Peacekeepers were deployed to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming that year. LGM-118 Peacekeeper test launches continued from Vandenberg with
2166-609: The first successful launch of the SM-65E Atlas took place. Construction began on the first SM-65F Atlas ICBM "silo-lift" launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #2) in November 1962. The first Atlas F arrived in June 1961 and the first operationally configured Series F Atlas was successfully launched on 1 August 1962. During its testing phase, Vandenberg would operate two Atlas-D launch complexes; two Atlas-E, and three Atlas-F silos. The Atlas-Ds were taken off alert at
2223-475: The intermediate-range ballistic missile portion of the Pacific Missile Range and was fired by a crew from the 1st Missile Division . The first successful launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force crew took place at Vandenberg AFB on 16 April 1959. The launch was part of integrated weapon system training. In October 1959, the first combat training launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force crew
2280-572: The last test launch of a Titan I ICBM conducted by the Strategic Air Command at Vandenberg was successful. The 395th SMS performed 19 test launches between 1963 and 1965 before moving on to exclusively Titan II testing. During the 1980s, some Titan I second stages were used as targets for early Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) testing. The LGM-25C Titan II ICBM was a second-generation ICBM with storable propellants, all inertial guidance, and in-silo launch capability. Construction of
2337-479: The longest Minuteman flight test when its payload impacted a broad ocean area target over 5,600 nmi (10,400 km) downrange. The last ICBM tested from Vandenberg was the LGM-118 Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM beginning in June 1983. In addition to having a longer range than earlier ICBMs, the Peacekeeper could deliver up to 10 reentry vehicles to separate targets. It was intended as a replacement for
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2394-413: The official transfer happened on 21 June 1957 it was named Cooke Air Force Base . The first airmen of the 6591st Support Squadron arrived on 15 February, before the official transfer, and found the base in rough shape. World War II-era buildings were dilapidated, and roads needed extensive repair. Over the next two years, launch and control facilities emerged, old structures were renovated, and new housing
2451-404: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guy_Gardner&oldid=992444863 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2508-410: The successful launch, General Thomas S. Power, CINCSAC, declared the Atlas ICBM to be operational. The following month, equipped with a nuclear warhead, the Atlas at Vandenberg became the first ICBM to be placed on alert in the United States. It was an SM-69D Atlas ICBM (AFSN 58-2190) on launcher 576A-1. In April 1960, the first attempted launch of a Series D Atlas ICBM from a coffin-type launcher (576B-2)
2565-671: The war's conclusion in 1946, Camp Cooke became home to a maximum-security military prison , while most of the land was largely leased for agriculture and grazing. From 1950 to 1953, Camp Cooke served again as a training ground for units heading to the Korean War . In 1953, the camp was inactivated, and the military prison became a federal prison for civilians, now known as the United States Penitentiary, Lompoc . The final remaining buildings from Camp Cooke were demolished in 2010. World War II Korean War As
2622-512: The years, satellites of every description and purpose, including international satellites, were placed in orbit from Vandenberg by a widening variety of boosters. Among the parade of newer space boosters are the Titan IV (March 1991), Taurus (March 1994), Pegasus (April 1995), Delta II (February 1996), Atlas IIAS (December 1999), Minotaur (2000), and beginning in late 2005, the Falcon 1 ,
2679-417: Was an F-4 instructor and operational pilot at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base , North Carolina. He attended the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base , California, in 1975, and served as a test pilot at Edwards in 1976. In 1977–78, he was an instructor test pilot at the USAF Test Pilot School. In 1979–1980, he was operations officer of the 1st Test Squadron at Clark Air Base , Philippines. Gardner
2736-624: Was built. The initial mission of the base was to train personnel on the PGM-17 Thor , SM-65 Atlas , and HGM-25A Titan I missiles, while also serving as an emergency operational facility for the Atlas. The 1957 launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union intensified the urgency of the U.S. missile program. In November, the Department of Defense authorized ballistic missile launches from Cooke AFB. Management responsibility shifted from
2793-540: Was expended. The advent of solid-propellant gave the three-stage LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM a major advantage over earlier liquid propellant ICBMs. In February 1961, the construction began on Minuteman ICBM test launch facilities at Vandenberg. Silos 394A-1 through A-7 were the first constructed for use by the SAC 394th Strategic Missile Squadron . LGM-30A Minuteman IA flight tests began in September 1962. The first Minuteman IB test took place in May 1963. On 24 February 1966,
2850-403: Was incorporated into the 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron's Operational Readiness Training (ORT) program at Vandenberg. As a result of this action, the entire Minuteman missile combat training, from beginning (initial training) to end (upgrade training) became the responsibility of Strategic Air Command . SAC launched two Minuteman III ICBMs from Vandenberg AFB during exercise Global Shield,
2907-546: Was performed in April 1972. The first LGM-30G Minuteman III phase II operational test was launched on 5 December 1972 from the LF-02 silo. The ICBM flew 800 mi (1,300 km) downrange before impacting in the Pacific Ocean. This was the beginning of Minuteman III launches which continue to this day from Vandenberg. In July 1974, the initial training of Minuteman missile combat crews, formerly performed by Air Training Command (ATC) instructors at Vandenberg AFB, California,
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#17327908274572964-406: Was selected as a pilot astronaut by NASA in May 1980. During his 11 years as an astronaut, he worked in many areas of Space Shuttle and Space Station development and support. In 1984, he was assigned as pilot on STS-62-A , the first Space Shuttle mission to launch from Vandenberg AFB , California. That mission was later canceled. Gardner first flew in space as pilot on the crew of STS-27 , aboard
3021-549: Was successful. On 22 April 1960, the fourth and final British-based Thor IRBM squadron was turned over to the Royal Air Force by the Strategic Air Command, thus completing the deployment of this weapon system in the United Kingdom . The next month, the first missile to be removed from an operational unit and sent to Vandenberg AFB for confidence firing arrived from a Thor IRBM squadron ( No. 98 Squadron RAF ) in
3078-506: Was successful. This launcher was the prototype of the ones to be used at the first operational Atlas squadron, the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base , Wyoming . Following this successful launch, Major General David Wade, Commander of the 1st Missile Division , declared the coffin-type launcher to be operational. In July 1959, construction began on the first Series E Atlas ICBM coffin-type launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #1). On 28 February 1962,
3135-844: Was superintendent of the Riverside Military Academy. From 2009 to 2013, he served as the President of the Williamson College of the Trades . Gardner was a distinguished graduate of the USAF Academy, the top graduate in pilot training, and the top graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School. He has been awarded the Test Pilot School Outstanding Academic Instructor, the Test Pilot School Outstanding Flying Instructor, and
3192-415: Was the first in a series of Titan rockets, and was an important step in building the Air Force's strategic nuclear forces. In July 1958, construction began on the Titan I ICBM Operational System Test Facility (OSTF). This was the prototype of the hardened Titan I launch control facility at its operational sites. It consisted of one silo-lift launcher, blockhouse, and associated equipment. Designated "OSTF-8",
3249-412: Was turned over to the Strategic Air Command 395th Strategic Missile Squadron to perform test launches of the missile. However, the operational lifetime of the Titan I was short, as Secretary of Defense McNamara announced in November 1964 that all remaining first-generation ICBMs (Series E and F Atlas and Titan I) would be phased out (Project Added Effort) by the end of June 1965. On 5 March 1965,
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