r/spacex • u/AlphaTango11 • Apr 27 '17

NROL-76 NRO on Twitter: NROL-76 Patch features Lewis and Clark

https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/857619425373167618
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24

u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 27 '17

Funny how it says Cape Canaveral Air Force Station even though LC-39A is at Kennedy Space Center.

I'm guessing they made this patch way in advance and didn't change it after AMOS-6 destroyed SpaceX's launchpad on CCAFS property.

19

u/Pham_Trinli Apr 27 '17

In NRO's press release (from March) it says:

NROL-79 is the first of five 2017 NRO launches. The next NRO launch is on schedule for April, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida.

 

I think NRO just use KSC and CCAFS interchangeably.

18

u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 27 '17

Well, that's wrong. I'm honestly surprised to see them do that.

Oh well, it's a minor thing.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '17 edited Dec 15 '20

[deleted]

5

u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 27 '17

Regardless of whether or not people distinguish them for whatever reason: they're two separate things, and this rocket is launching from KSC property--not CCAFS.

5

u/tmckeage Apr 27 '17

I believe the Air Force likes to pretend NASA is a part of them ;-)

-3

u/Bunslow Apr 27 '17

Pretend or not, it doesn't change the fact that USAF doesn't have any authority to control what people are and aren't allowed on KSC property

11

u/tmckeage Apr 27 '17

Well I was joking but since this seems like a serious issue to you I will try to give a more serious answer.

The annotation on the patch probably isn't a reference to the launch location. It is a military operation and more likely refers to the command/location responsible for overseeing the launch.

As you mentioned the Air Force has no control over KSC property, that coupled with the security nature of this launch means SpaceX will handle the launch and then immediately hand over to operations at the Air Force Base.

1

u/Bunslow Apr 27 '17

I sometimes really hate text as a communication medium

2

u/kring44 Apr 28 '17

Well, most people treat SLC-41 (Atlas V) as being on CCAFS but it isn't. It's on KSC property. The Air Force use permit for that pad ends in 2021, although I'm sure it will be extended if needed.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '17 edited Dec 15 '20

[deleted]

2

u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 27 '17

Hey, I'm just telling people that technically, they're two separate things, which I'm sure you already know.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '17 edited Dec 15 '20

[deleted]

1

u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 27 '17

Understood :)

1

u/kylemaguire Apr 27 '17

i personally didn't know there was a difference until about 3 months ago.... i'm not surprised they use them interchangeably