Range safety hut (disused)

This was where the range safety officer was stationed during the early tests and flights (up to, I believe, the fourth mission). In the case of the programme 'safety' was a somewhat relative term, of course: fatalities were both expected and accepted. However, it was believed better to destroy a vehicle in the atmosphere than to allow it to fall on a populated area. The longer-term consequences of the dispersal of fuel and other materials in the atmosphere would almost certainly have been more severe than the destruction of a significant part of a small city, but the immediate consequences for the programme would not be terminal.

I investigated the vehicle assembly building briefly today but there was no sign of activity. There were, however, curious lights overnight: from my somewhat distant accommodation I could not make out any details. I am certain that I am being watched – assessed, perhaps.