Last Titan Rocket Launch

[Rocky Raab]

Thanks, TD!

I was fortunate enough to do the countdown commentary for two NON-classified Titan launches from Cape Canaveral back in the late 70s.

The last Titan from there went up almost 20 years ago, I'd guess. Most of the Titan launches were classified cargoes, but some were not. The two Voyager missions to fly past Jupiter were examples.

We didn't do commentary, or pre-announce the launch times for the classified ones but the media always learned when one was about to go. As the official USAF spokesman, I had to man the phone lines when the avalanche of phone calls would come in. One time, veteran news reporter Mary Bubb called the office just before a secret launch and asked what was going up tonight. I said that I didn't know what she was talking about, but that was just my "official" reply.

She badgered me a while, and wouldn't take a "no comment" answer, so I finally played the wiseass and said, "Mary, I give up. We're returning all the moon rocks."

She said, "WHAT!? Thanks!" and hung up.

I dreaded the next morning's headlines, not knowing if she'd really believe that nonsense and print it. I'll never know if she did file a Moon Rocks Launched story or not. If she did, some astute editor killed it - thank goodness.