Ascension Island views

Ascension Island views

Tom Sheehan visited Ascension Island in 1963 to install the TPQ-18 radar when he was working with RCA.

He shares these photos of the island.

Though not directly related to the NASA tracking station (not yet built at that time), they give a feel for the island.

This view of COTAR Hill was taken from the hill 1km ESE of COTAR Hill – large, larger.

The cinder cone had been levelled for the installation of a COTAR (Correlation Tracking and Ranging) station, but this was gone by the time the TPS-18 was installed.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

In this and the two photos below, Tom took a panorama. See further below for an assembled version.

Tom has swung the camera a little to the right for this next photo.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

View of a C-130 just landed.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

This panorama shows the C-130 on approach at Wideawake Airfield, while the right hand photo was taken after it had landed.

(Wideawake Airfield is famous for having a hump in the midpoint of the runway.)

Photos: Tom Sheehan. Assembled by Colin Mackellar.

This assembled panorama uses four photos taken by Tom.

For the left hand photo, Tom has moved a dozen or more metres to the left. The centre is looking north-west.

Photos: Tom Sheehan. Assembled by Colin Mackellar.

The TPQ-18 radar (a transportable version of the FPQ-6) on COTAR hill.
Photo: Tom Sheehan.

A Douglas C-133 Cargomaster at the airstrip.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

The US base area.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

Housing.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

The road up Green Mountain.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

Green Mountain Village.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

This photo was taken “just past the Cable & Wireless village in the bamboo rain-forest. This is on the downwind (rainy) side of Green Mountain. A few hundred meters past this and you get onto the upwind side that is bare volcanic stuff.”

Photo and text: Tom Sheehan.

Looking down from the road up to Green Mountain.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

Tom Sheehan is standing on Telemetry Hill with the TLM-18 in the background.

The ramp area with the TPQ-18 in the background.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

A modified USAF C-121. It was an ARMY resource; part of the Down-range Anti-missile Measurement Program (DAMP). Tom writes that it was a ‘permanent-party’ at Ascension for years.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

The TPQ-18 and ramp area.

Photo: Tom Sheehan.

Syd Buxton visited Ascension Island with the RAF and shared these photos, taken in March 2002.

Ascension Island. Photo: Syd Buxton.

Looking towards Green Mountain from underneath the Royal Air Force VC10 K4 tanker at Wideawake Airfield.

Photo: Syd Buxton.

Andy Townshend also visited Ascension Island with the RAF between May and June 2000. He took these photos from his VC10 K4 reg ZD235.

Ascension Island. Photo: Andy Townshend.

Looking down on Wideawake Airfield. Photo: Andy Townshend.

Ascension Island. The site of the former NASA station is at lower right, hidden beneath the clouds covering The Peak. Wideawake Airfield is at left.

Photo: Andy Townshend.

Volcanic terrain looking towards Sisters Hill. Photo: Andy Townshend.