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View Full Version : Ever been to the USAFA Satellite Control Facility?

Jeff Mason
October 2nd, 2007, 03:39 PM
Our Troop has a campout coming up at the Air Force Academy. One of our tours will be to the USAFA Satellite Control Facility. Has anyone ever been there? I'm trying to understand exactly what we are likely to see/hear/learn about so that I can set the Scout's expectations accordingly...

Thanks!
Big Dave
October 2nd, 2007, 03:42 PM
I can't even remember how many times we camped down there when I was in Scouts, but we never got to do anything that cool!
Trango
October 2nd, 2007, 03:52 PM
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1113/576415569_d1597f2a2f_m.jpg
http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/05/bondtoactivision_laser.jpg
Snake
October 2nd, 2007, 03:55 PM
a room with computers... exciting for nerds...
sweater
October 2nd, 2007, 03:56 PM
The only stuff I know about that place is what I've seen in the movies.

http://www.planetbantz.com/imghost/co4x4/100207wopr.jpg

Or something.

:thumbsup:

- mike
Jeff Mason
October 2nd, 2007, 03:59 PM
a room with computers... exciting for nerds...

That is what I am afraid of, although I envision a room with a really really really big screen showing the earth and the relative position of each satellite that they are tracking...

Maybe while we are there, a call will come in from CTU to reroute a satellite to track Jack Bauer... :D
architect1
October 2nd, 2007, 04:01 PM
Yup, they track all the space Junk & Satellite. I had seen it on Discovery or History channel. It looks like a mission control room like in the movies.
Jeff Mason
October 2nd, 2007, 04:01 PM
I can't even remember how many times we camped down there when I was in Scouts, but we never got to do anything that cool!

Did you ever get to go to the Archery Range? they have a great range area set up down there, and one section has 3D targets that you walk around and shoot at (in a controlled fashion, of course). It's pretty cool to see a 3D target of a turkey surrounded by about 30 arrows after the scouts shoot at it.
Oscar
October 2nd, 2007, 04:05 PM
shoot a spit ball on the screen and watch them freek
old_man
October 2nd, 2007, 04:20 PM
Make them show you the stargate.
Yota
October 2nd, 2007, 04:29 PM
The only stuff I know about that place is what I've seen in the movies.

http://www.planetbantz.com/imghost/co4x4/100207wopr.jpg

Or something.

:thumbsup:

- mike

Awesome reference. :lmao:

WarGames was the formative movie of my youth. It was also inspiration to hackers everywhere.

Sad part is that 25 years after that flick came out the DoD's computers have *actually* been hacked. WTF?! :rant: :D

That movie contains one of my favorite computer-related quotes when Gen. Jack Berringer (Barry Corbin) says to someone who asks how to stop the WOPR:

"Hell I'd piss on the spark plug if I thought it'd do any good."

I've used that line many times in relation to computers ever since. As true now as ever. :D
Budman
October 2nd, 2007, 04:29 PM
Make them show you the stargate.

Stargate is inside cheyenne mountain not the AFA.
Budman
October 2nd, 2007, 04:32 PM
The facility will be pretty boring, but the speel they give should be educational for the kiddos.
Big Dave
October 2nd, 2007, 04:33 PM
Did you ever get to go to the Archery Range? they have a great range area set up down there, and one section has 3D targets that you walk around and shoot at (in a controlled fashion, of course). It's pretty cool to see a 3D target of a turkey surrounded by about 30 arrows after the scouts shoot at it.

I didn't get to do that either!! Sounds like it may have been a little hi-tech for my time though. Capture the flag in the filed by the bomber was always the highlight of our trip down there.
longboy
October 2nd, 2007, 04:49 PM
Our entire office is VERY boring, except for the satellite control room. If I were to take anybody on a tour of my office, that's likely the only room worth showing. Even that isn't that exciting, but there are big screens with satellite locations, etc all over the wall.

I thought we had pictures online of it, but I can't seem to find any-
Trango
October 2nd, 2007, 04:58 PM
GIS for STK thx. :)
TJay
October 2nd, 2007, 05:07 PM
GIS for STK thx. :)

Should I be worried that I get this? :eek:

STK FTW

My scout troop, err team at work will be traveling to Diego Garcia in a couple months to visit a satellite control facility.
Trango
October 2nd, 2007, 05:24 PM
STK is great, but we can duplicate alot of that stuff easily with more flexibility. I had a meeting with a group out there in the plains recently about a possible replacement strategy. But, there would be programming in our environment, and that wouldn't work for these guys (more open source).

BTW if you ever need any support with NTM-type stuff, PM me.