Space Unit's National Meeting for 2008

The Space Unit's National Meeting for 2008 will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 on Saturday August 23 in conjunction with the AmeriCover show at the Fairview Park Marriott, 3111 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, Va. 22042 (a suburb of Washington, DC).

Our guest speaker will be one of the pioneers of early missile development for the US Navy, Capt. Grayson Merrill (USN, retired). Capt. Merrill, also known as the "Father of Point Mugu", has had a long and influential Navy career. The Class Deck Officer in the Bureau of Aeronautics during WWII, Merrill helped oversee the creation of assault drones for use against Japan. In the post-war era he helped prepare specifications for 18 guided missiles, including the Regulus, Lark, Gorgon and Gargoyle. He played a key role in the creation of the Naval Air Missile Test Center at Pt. Mugu, and was the director of testing there for four years (1946-49). Prior to retirement from the Navy in 1957, Captain Merrill was the first technical director for the Polaris ballistic missile program. A true renaissance man, Captain Merrill co-authored a ground -breaking series of guided missile design textbooks, and also wrote the gripping Cold War novel "Conger Eel."

The meeting will also include a short report from the senior Space Unit officer at the meeting and (but of course) trading!! Bring trade stuff!!!

The evening of August 23, Steve Durst has graciously volunteered to have a cookout at his home in nearby Millersville, Md. Steve is also working up a tour of Ft. McHenry, home of "…the rockets' red glare…" for Sunday morning August 24 for all who are interested.

More details will come in future editions of the Astrophile and on the SU Web site.

So don't miss this celebration of "The Early Days" of missile development. And bring trade stuff…