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Product Name: MR-3 RECOVERY OPERATIONS

Product Description

Ships, aircraft, helicopters and ground vehicles will be deployed in a number of areas to effect quick recovery of the spacecraft. These areas include Cape Canaveral, to cover the possibility of an abort while the booster is either on or just off the pad; the off-shore waters near Cape Canaveral, for an abort during the early stages of flight; and the entire flight path from Cape Canaveral to beyond the predicted impact point for the case of later abort in addition to a normal landing. The task force assigned to recover the astronaut and spacecraft in NASA's MR-3 test, will be under the command of Rear Admiral F.V.H. Hilles. The force will be made up of units from the Destroyer Force, Naval Air Force, Fleet Marine Force, Service Force, Mine Force, Air Rescue Service, and the Air Force Missile Test Center. Many of the units have participated in the successful recovery exercises previously conducted. Past experience and close coordination with NASA in the development of procedures and techniques for safe but expeditious recovery have been developed over the past two years. Admiral Hilles, Commander Destroyer Flotilla FOUR and Commander Project Mercury Recovery Force, will exercise command of the Recovery Force from the Recovery Control Room located in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mercury Control Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Task Force is comprised of several Task Groups, each under an individual commander. A Task Group dispersed along the track and in the predicted landing area will be under the command of Rear Admiral G.P. Koch, Commander Carrier Division EIGHTEEN, who will fly his flag in the aircraft carrier USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CVS 39). The units of this group are: USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CVS 39) commanded by CAPT. R. Weymouth, USN USS DECATER (DD 936) commanded by CDR. A.W. Mc Lane, USN USS WADLEIGH (DD 689) commanded by LCDR. D.W. Kiley, USN USS ROOKS (DD 804) commanded by CDR> W. H. Pattilo, USN USS THE SULLIVANS (DD 537) commanded by CDR. F.H.S. Hall, USN USS ABBOT (DD 629) commanded by CDR. R.J. Norman, USN USS N.K. PERRY (DD 883) commanded by CDR. O.A. Roberts, USN Air support for this group will be provided by Patrol Squadron FIVE P2V's commanded by CDR. T.H. Casey, Jr., USN and supplemented with Air Rescue Service Aircraft. Carrier and shore based helicopters will be provided from the veteran recovery unit, Marine Air Group TWENTY SIX, commanded by COL. P.T. Johnson, USMC. Another group positioned off shore consists of two minecraft and the USS RECOVERY (ARS 43) under the command of LCDR. R.H. Taylor, USMC. Another group located at Cape Canaveral consists of numerous land vehicles and small craft from the Air Force Missile Test Center will be under the command of LT. COL. Harry E. Cannon, USAF, of the Air Force Missile Test Center.

Company Details

In the next week or so, the Project Mercury's third Redstone launch will take place at Cape Canaveral. In this connection, James E. Webb, Administer or National Aeronautic and Space Administration, stated: "Our nation's space program will soon... more