Mike Griffin to Headline 50th Anniversary Celebration of Delta Rocket Line

Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin

Yesterday on Capitol Hill, Apollo veterans Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan questioned whether the private sector was capable of building and operating reliable rockets and spacecraft for NASA’s human spaceflight program. They were reportedly assisted in preparing their testimony by former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, who has led the fight to save the Ares rocket program from cancellation.

Today, the privately-built Delta rocket line celebrates the 50th anniversary of its first launch as workers prepare for the May 20th liftoff of a Delta IV booster that will be the 349th flight in the program’s history.

Interestingly enough, Griffin will be a special guest speaker at a banquet during a two-day 50th anniversary celebration scheduled for this weekend in Florida. It’s ironic because Griffin doesn’t believe that either Delta IV or Atlas V, both built by private sector launch provider United Launch Alliance, are viable candidates to replace the Ares I rocket that President Obama wants to cancel. (ULA disagrees, saying that either one could fill the role with proper modifications.)

“After dinner there will be two speakers at the Banquet, first Dr. Michael D. Griffin, former NASA Administrator and former head of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab’s Space Department and then APL’s Lead Systems Engineer on the first of the Space Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) series of Delta launches, Delta 180. Dr Griffin will give us further insight into the D180 Program that was one of the significant turning points of the Delta Program,” according to event press release.

“Our second speaker will be Daniel J. Collins, Chief Operating Officer, United Launch Alliance, ULA, and a former Vice President of the Boeing Delta Launch Services Division during the time that Boeing Delta won a share of the USAF Evolutionary Expendable Launch Vehicle, EELV, Contract, another significant turning point in the Delta Program. Mr. Collins will provide us insight into ULA and the Delta IV including what the future holds for the Delta II and Delta IV Programs.”

I wonder if Collins will mention possible human missions for NASA. That could be awkward.

Delta Celebrates 50 years
Delta Launch Vehicle Alumni Association Press Release

The Delta Launch Vehicle Alumni Association of Cape Canaveral will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first Delta launch on the weekend of May 15 & 16, 2010. The first launch of Delta, Echo 1, occurred here at the Cape on May 13, 1960. The Delta Program under the guidance of Bill Schindler at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center began as an interim launch vehicle, hence the name Delta, with a manifest of some 12 launches which now has reached 348 launches and counting. The Douglas Aircraft Company Delta 1 started with the capability of near 100 lbs in low earth orbit (LEO) and through continuous performance improvements under McDonnell Douglas, NASA and the USAF has grown to now over 40,000 lbs in LEO with the Delta IV Heavy while maintaining an impressive launch reliability record. A phenomenal Legacy in these 50 years and all those that contributed to Delta’s success were invited.

The weekend of May 15-16 will begin with an informal welcoming Santa Maria Style BBQ at Kiwanis Island, Merritt Island at 2:00 pm on Saturday with over 400 guests expected. On Sunday morning there will be a Bus Tour of the Cape and a photo stop viewing of the Delta IV on Space Launch Complex (SLC) 37, expected to be in preparation for a launch the following week. There also will be a viewing of the Delta IV Heavy in launch preparation in the Horizontal Integration Facility. The Bus Tour with 165 Guests is full.

On Sunday afternoon beginning at 4:00 pm at the Radisson Hotel Convention Center in Cape Canaveral there will be a Banquet. There are approximately 325 confirmed reservations. During the social hour there will be a slide show of over 1000 photos that have been gathered of the Delta Team in these last 50 years. At the end of the social hour and during dinner there will be a preview of the video interviews with past leaders of the Delta Program. The Theme of the interviews is “Profiles in Perseverance, significant turning points in the Delta Program and the leaders who were the driving forces”. A copy of the DVD interviews will be given to all Banquet guests along with a commemorative lapel pin and other gifts.

After dinner there will be two speakers at the Banquet, first Dr. Michael D. Griffin, former NASA Administrator and former head of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab’s Space Department and then APL’s Lead Systems Engineer on the first of the Space Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) series of Delta launches, Delta 180. Dr Griffin will give us further insight into the D180 Program that was one of the significant turning points of the Delta Program.

Our second speaker will be Daniel J. Collins, Chief Operating Officer, United Launch Alliance, ULA, and a former Vice President of the Boeing Delta Launch Services Division during the time that Boeing Delta won a share of the USAF Evolutionary Expendable Launch Vehicle, EELV, Contract, another significant turning point in the Delta Program. Mr. Collins will provide us insight into ULA and the Delta IV including what the future holds for the Delta II and Delta IV Programs.

The Banquet is co-sponsored by NASA, USAF, ULA, Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne, Boeing, Aerojet and the NASA Alumni League. All excess funds from the Celebration Weekend will go to a local space related charity or scholarship fund as yet to be determined.

Further information can be found on the Website (www.deltalaunchvehiclealumni.com). If additional information is needed please contact Lyle Holloway at [email protected].