Question Woomera 6A launch site.

[Lunar_Lander]

Thanks for the additional material. The graphs are interesting, because it is a bit difficult to compare them to other rockets, because the data for them usually gives a LEO and a GTO value. Here we have data for several Elliptical and Circular orbits, again split into Equatorial and Polar...

So let's see, I think I will take the Equatorial curve at 200 km to compare to other vehicle's LEO payload. The rockets I pit the Europa II against are those which were in use in 1971, when it flew on F11.

So:
Europa II 1350 kg
Delta N 998 kg
SLV-3C Centaur 4500 kg (into 185 km Orbit)
Titan 3B 3600 kg (into an Orbit inclined to 28.8°)
Proton 3 19.6 tons

I omitted Rockets like the Scout B because they could only carry 300 kg into LEO, and several Russian Rockets, because for instance the Molnya MK II had only data for payload into the Molnya orbit, while the Vostok MK II only had data for a 850 km orbit. So the Europa II was about to be a Delta-Class vehicle.

 

[Notebook]

Nicely researched Lunar Lander, Europa is really struggling against the others. There were plans for high energy second stages:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/img041.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/img042-1.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/img043.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/img044.jpg

Gets a bit confusing, as some are intended as replacement stages for Europa, and some as added stage to BLue Streak.

Here's a pic of the ELS before Arianne, I think.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/img045.jpg

N.

 

[tblaxland]

I think the correct name is Talgarno: http://www.communityguide.com.au/suburb.cfm?/talgarno-6725/

It is also mentioned here: http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~woomera/eldo.htm

I can't find it on a map, though...

 

[Notebook]

Maybe it was just abandoned, new roads, industries changed?
While I was looking around I found these clouds:

-19.842237° 120.867423°

Is this a record?

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Is this a record?

Not for the coast. Broome has a mean of 75 cloud days (>=6 oktas) per year.

 

[Notebook]

Thast fine, or not...Has Broome always had an 'e' in it and the range map above is just a misprimp?

There is an old airstrip here
-19.268013° 121.512031°
Wonder if this is related to Woomera operations

N.

 

[tblaxland]

There is an old airstrip here
-19.268013° 121.512031°
Wonder if this is related to Woomera operations.

The BoM gives similar coords for Talgarno: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/how/newproducts/images/ca_sites_alpha.txt, so I'd say you've got it. It is also due east of Anna Plains, which matches with another document I found:

The Talgarno military base, immediately east of Anna Plains homestead, was significant in the post-Second World War period for the monitoring and recovery of British Blue Streak rockets, test-fired from Woomera in South Australia. A large gravel airstrip, artesian bores and a few concrete blockhouses remain (Watkins et al. 1997). In 1999 the Department of Defence test-fired a missile from a site on Anna Plains, in connection with the development of the Jindalee over-the-horizon radar project (Willing, pers. comm.).

http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/pdf/national_parks/wetlands/fact_sheets/eighty_mile_beach1.doc

 

[Notebook]

Excellent tb! Especially the bit about recovery.
I always thought they were broken up before they re-entered, and no effort was made to recover the bits.
Read about this:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/File0009.jpg
but I thought it was just a lucky find. Assuming the Simpson desert is a bit busier than NW Aus?

Note man at bottom right on phone to his wife...

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Excellent tb! Especially the bit about recovery.
I always thought they were broken up before they re-entered, and no effort was made to recover the bits.
Read about this:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/File0009.jpg
but I thought it was just a lucky find. Assuming the Simpson desert is a bit busier than NW Aus?

Is that the same story as this? http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/04/2265252.htm

Your scan looks a little dated so maybe they are two separate finds?

Note man at bottom right on phone to his wife...

Lol. "No, I can't right now, honey. I need to go press the big red button..."

 

[Notebook]

This view of the 6A launcher from what I always thought was the launch bunker:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/09081420-52-49GL-01.jpg

The rocket is obscured by the service tower. Why would you build it there?

N.

---------- Post added 15-08-09 at 06:50 ---------- Previous post was 14-08-09 at 21:00 ----------

Is that the same story as this? http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/04/2265252.htm

Your scan looks a little dated so maybe they are two separate finds?


Lol. "No, I can't right now, honey. I need to go press the big red button..."

Must be a new story, the book I scanned came out in 2004. Also that looks like the bay has a taper at the top. The only parallel bay above the tanks on Blue Streak was the equipment bay. I think the colour picture is an equipment bay with the seperation bay still attached.
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/File0014.jpg

Wonder how many parts are still out there?

N.

 

[tl8]

Wonder how many parts are still out there?

N.

Knowing Australians, all the parts still exist, but are now in the possession of the employees doing meaning-full work.
(Like working the water pump )

 

[Notebook]

Knowing Australians, all the parts still exist, but are now in the possession of the employees doing meaning-full work.
(Like working the water pump )

Nice, with 3000HP turbo-pump you could do some serious irrigation.

N.

 

[Notebook]

While I was looking for Talgarno in Google Earth, found this

-20.612515° 116.657441°

Wonder how it got that name...

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Wonder how it got that name...

It is on a trade route, of course. Some people have such dirty minds...

–noun
1. dealings or communication between individuals, groups, countries, etc.

 

[tl8]

I located that book.

I had a quick look through it, it seems more inclined towards the weapons testing side of things rather than Europa etc.

Might be good to find specifics, if I get a list I might be able to find some things in there if you want.

There is alot on the comms side of things included.

 

[Notebook]

It is on a trade route, of course. Some people have such dirty minds...

–noun
1. dealings or communication between individuals, groups, countries, etc.

That clears that up....Wonder if there were any other carnal points used for the noun(whoops, should be cardinal).

N.

---------- Post added at 05:56 ---------- Previous post was at 05:43 ----------

I located that book.

I had a quick look through it, it seems more inclined towards the weapons testing side of things rather than Europa etc.

Might be good to find specifics, if I get a list I might be able to find some things in there if you want.

There is alot on the comms side of things included.

Thanks, tl8 that would be helpfull.
I can't find any info on the launch bunker at 6A. What I thought was it is the instrumentation building 10 miles to the NE on range 5E.
-30.949671° 136.527718°
Also an airfield there I didn't know about, but I wasn't looking in that direction!

If there are no pics or info for it, I'll use the Spadeadam one as a template, its got periscopes. Ideal for the desert!

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/img017.jpg

Thanks, N.

---------- Post added at 06:33 ---------- Previous post was at 05:56 ----------

Just for info, found these while looking for pictures

In post #34
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=73823&page=2

Nice tile-work, wonder if they do kitchens?

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Nice tile-work, wonder if they do kitchens?

I don't know what your cooking skills are like but I am hoping you wouldn't need to line your kitchen with fire bricks

 

[Notebook]

Yes, I need them in the kitchen, and the bathroom too after some "curry nights"...

N.

 

[Notebook]

Found this structure in Google Earth:

-31.082303° 136.442898°

Quite close to 6B, which was never finished, could be the launch bunker?

N.

 

[tblaxland]

and the bathroom too after some "curry nights"...

TMI

Found this structure in Google Earth:

-31.082303° 136.442898°

Quite close to 6B, which was never finished, could be the launch bunker?

Could be. It would certainly have good views of both pads.

What about this? -31.075124°,136.434676°