Nuclear missile launch control and Mission Control for the NASA Apollo Moon Missions (260)

Cold War Conversations

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2022

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Richard Stachurski joined the US Air Force in 1962, on the cusp of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a security police officer guarding nuclear-armed B-58 Hustler bombers. Within two years he volunteered for the Minuteman nuclear missile program where he served as a Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander with the 68th Strategic Missile Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Richard was the junior officer on a two-man crew in a launch control capsule buried beneath the South Dakota prairie who was charged with monitoring the status and launching if necessary ten Minuteman ICBMs. In 1965 he was selected as one of 128 Air Force officers to be loaned to NASA to support the activation and operation of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas. He worked his way up to being a Network Controller, who sat two consoles to the right of the Flight Director in the Mission Operations Control Room. He was responsible for all the ground systems that supported an Apollo mission and was selected as the lead Network Controller on Apollo 11 working on both the launch from Earth and the first-ever launch from the lunar surface. 0:00 Introduction and Career Overview of Richard Stachurski 2:33 Richard's Journey in the US Air Force and the Cuban Missile Crisis 9:25 The Minuteman System and Life in the Bunker 20:14 Launch Protocols and the Dynamics of Working as a Missileer 27:03 Richard's Transition to NASA and his Role in Apollo 11 34:29 Apollo 11 Launch Day, Landing, and Return to Earth 44:43 Richard's Experiences during Apollo 13 and Subsequent Missions 48:10 The Camaraderie and Humour in High-Stress Situations 50:00 Acknowledgements and Promotion of the Cold War Conversations Online Store Table of contents powered by PodcastAI✨ Cold War history is disappearing; however, a simple monthly donation will keep this podcast on the air. You’ll become part of our community and get a sought after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. One-off donations are also welcome. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Episode notes , inc photos and video here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode260/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
0:05.9	Timothy Shalame is Bob Dylan and a complete unknown.
0:09.4	If anyone who's going to hold your attention on the state, you have to kind of be a freak.
0:13.9	Critics agree it's outstanding on every level. Five stars.
0:19.1	Shalemay is a revelation.
0:20.8	What do you want to be?
0:21.9	Whatever it is, they don't want me to be.
0:23.8	Now nominated for the Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, Edward Norton.
0:29.3	A complete unknown.
0:30.6	Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Bill!
0:32.4	In cinema's January 17, rated 15.
0:35.8	The thing you never wanted to hear, ever was Skybird. This is Dropkick with a red dot four message in five parts, because that was it.
0:49.0	This is Cold War Conversations. If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to
0:56.0	first-hand Cold War history accounts. Do make sure you follow us in your podcast app or join
1:02.2	our emailing list to keep up with the latest episode. Richard Stahersky joined the US Air Force in 1962 on the cusp of the Cuba missile crisis
1:14.7	as a security police officer guarding nuclear-armed B-58 hustler bombers.
1:21.4	Within two years he volunteered for the Minuteman Nuclear Missile Programme,
1:25.9	where he served as a deputy missile combat crew commander.
1:29.7	Richard was a junior officer on a two-man crew in a launch control capsule buried beneath the South Dakota Prairie,
1:36.7	who were charged with monitoring the status and launching, if necessary, 10-Minute Man Intercontinental Ballistic Nuclear Missars.
1:46.5	In 1965, he was selected to be loaned to NASA to support the activation and operation
1:52.4	of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -879 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Ian Sanders, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Ian Sanders and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.