Nasa

Range

Rats

The beginnings of NASA, the U.S. space program, are inexorably tied to the grim origin of the V-2 rocket. At the end of the second World War, the space race began between the U.S.

Meet the Authors

David A . Hepker

As a senior in high school, I started attending the Fire Academy at night and volunteered as a firefighter with the Killarney Fire Department. Upon graduation I became employed as a Firefighter with the Orange County Fire Rescue Department progressing through the ranks to become an Assistant Chief/Paramedic supervising 42 fire stations and approximately 350 personnel serving approximately 1 million citizens and visitors in Orange County, Florida. During this time, I also worked as a Reserve Police Officer in the local community.

Edward Ehrenspeck

In Memoriam

Born in Utica, New York and raised by wonderful parents. Ed attended the Manlius Military School although he was disappointed when he could not enlist in active military duty due to a medical reason. Ed was married to Janet Clark and raised one daughter, Jennifer. Ed’s love of the military and aerospace was unending. His life goal was to write a book telling his story which would be representative of all the astronauts, military, and early space workers who he described as the unsung heroes of space exploration.

My Book

NASA RANGE RATS

The beginnings of NASA, the U.S. space program, are inexorably tied to the grim origin of the V-2 rocket. At the end of the second World War, the space race began between the U.S. and Russia to retrieve the V-2 rockets and engineers from Germany and begin establishing their own rocket and space programs. By March 1946 the first captured V-2 was “static fired” at White Sands, New Mexico and in April 1946 the first one was launched. On May 11, 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed legislation establishing “The Joint Long Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral.

Testimonials

The author gives an excellent close-up look at the beginnings of our space program beginning when he was hired to work with the tracking cameras at Cape Canaveral in the 1950s.

Paul Davison, Kathleen GA

I bought this book to read to my 90-year-old dad who is blind. The book opened describing how America secured missiles and German Engineers such as Von Braun at the end of WWII. Initially everything was sent to White Sands, New Mexico to start Americas missile testing program

Lucia McClellan

Growing up in the 60’s & 70’s in Brevard County, FL many of us were “space brats” whose parents worked in the early NASA missile program.

Michelle Patskoski Booth

David A. Hepker