Spacepower

May 1, 1975

Page 3 and 6

John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Profile: Larry Bradford

Larry Bradford has a job most people would consider very dangerous. The 41-year-old missile field test technician for McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company (MDAC) spends his workdays handling high-pressure gas and hydraulic tubing, checking the installation of explosive pyrotechnic devices, and working with lines holding dangerous propellants like nitrogen tetroxide and Aerozene-50. The latter, a blend of hydrazine and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, is a potent mixture, the fuel for the second stage of the Delta vehicle. Nitrogen tetroxide is the oxidizer. Larry has lived on intimate terms with both during his three years at KSC.
The 22-year MDAC veteran has been in the space program for 17 years, most of the time on field work. Larry spent almost four years on the Zeus and Spartan programs, field testing and supporting the launch of these missiles. He confesses to a liking for field work, and finds it more enjoyable and interesting than a production-line job in a factory. Working as a member of the NASA/MDAC Delta launch team at KSC is a unique experience, combining something of the established routine common in factories with the variety of jobs and skills demanded in field work.
To qualify himself for working with explosives one day and exotic propellants the next, Larry has taken numerous training courses. Most were provided by MDAC at the factory, but some were received at KSC. He has two years of junior college to his credit, and more varied practical experience than a repetitious job could furnish in a lifetime.
Larry is aware of the old saying that "familiarity breeds contempt." In his work, contempt can be disastrous. A single moment of forget-fullness when handling explosives, a coupling not quite tight enough on a fuel line, and someone could get hurt. Every detail, every procedure has to be followed as carefully as if it were being performed for the first time.
The number of lost-time injuries at KSC has been very small. The intensive training and a healthy respect for the dangers involved keep the accident rate down. Larry likes it that way.
Larry also likes his work, despite some unusual requirements. For example, he has to take a physical exam each year. For the physical he has to don a Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble, or SCAPE suit, and perform certain jobs while wearing it. The suit hasn't saved Larry's life yet, because there's been no need -- but it could some day.
Larry is particularly interested in the weather-reporting spacecraft, such as the Synchronous Meteorological Satellites launched from KSC on Delta vehicles he has helped check out. He was born in Wyaconda, Missouri, and grew up in the Midwest. Cyclones and the deadly tornado were common. The powerful cameras on an SMS can warn of the appearance of these storms, and track their movements. And of course the NIMBUS, TIROS, and other weather satellites provide the information that makes weather forecasting more accurate and long-range. The benefits to farmers in the great midwestern farm belt are incalculable.
Like many others associated with the space program, Larry feels it has not received enough credit for its very real accomplishments. He says, "It's always easier to knock something if you know nothing about it." He thinks the Skylab program paid off nicely in the immense amount of data returned, but doubts the general public is aware of this. He feels that space technology is now an accepted part of American life, but that many people receive practical benefits from the space program every day without recognizing the source.
Larry's main off-the-job interests are fishing and travel. He confesses to missing the mountain trout streams of his boyhood, but consoles himself with the easy availability of the Indian and Banana Rivers. The Bradford family lives in Cocoa, wife Vicki works as a volunteer in a retarded children's program. The oldest daughter, Karen, is married and going to medical school in the Army, as is her husband. The two younger children, Dane and Stacy, are in local schools.