U.S. Air Force Airman salutes. A group of children wave. Children and adults accompanied by Air Force personnel and Boy Scouts of America line up in large numbers along Vandenberg AFB road in California, United States. Helicopter covering the event can be seen. Crowd along the route waves and cheers as President John F. Kennedy's motor convoy drives by. Air Force personnel salute as President Kennedy passes by in his plexiglass bubble-top covered Lincoln limousine. Shows presidential convoy of cars and buses traveling along Vandenberg Air Force Base roads.
Discoverer XIV, the first satellite launched by United States on launch pad. Launching is done from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, United States. Discoverer XIV ignites and takes off.
Title notes that we are seeing the 'Ream Field team doing their best.' The flying team performs aerobatics at De Mille Field, Hollywood, California on Air Memorial Day.
Coverage of missile squadron training at Vandenberg AFB, California. Staff car driving to Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star airplane on flight line. Two colonels getting out and talking. T-33 (with SAC riband) taking off. Colonel in staff car. Car comes to halt. Driver opens the door of car. Atlas D with Mk II and Mod II nose cone erect in coffin shelter. Atlas assembly line in factory with workers at work. View of Atlas during engine ignition, lift-off and climb. View of launch control building. Airmen working on Atlas instrumentation pod. Airmen studying target maps, then airmen inserting cards in sorter to obtain target data.
Coverage of missile squadron training at Vandenberg AFB, California. Aerial view of missile base construction. Missile base during construction. Earthmover operating. Truck passing on highway. Maintenance building at base. Civilian and USAF base activation crew looking at drawings. Aerial view of Atlas complex. Three Atlas missiles in launch position at operational site. Maintenance building. Coffin shelter as seen through flame bucket door. Atlas D in coffin. Launch control crew at stations in blockhouse. Status panel in room. Atlas being erected in coffin shelter. Atlas lift-off. Radome and telemetry tracker. Views of control console during early stages of flight, shows radar meter, vernier cut off switch, guidance complete light, and airman at control console. Aerial view of building at Vandenberg AFB. Shrouded Atlas on trailer truck. Atlas missiles in maintenance building during checkout.
.Strategic Air Command launches its first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from new facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Shrouded Atlas missile on trailer enters the Pine Canyon Gate of Vandenberg AFB. Trailer being backed into the Missile Assembly Building (MAB). Electronic checkout of Atlas being carried out by computerized equipment at the MAB building. Views of Hollerith 88-column punch cards being loaded into the computer equipment and tape outputs being produced. Atlas on launch pad. USAF airmen and officers at controls and consoles at SAC (Strategic Air Command) headquarters and Vandenberg air base. The order to perform a test launch is issued by SAC headquarters and received by the launch control officers at Vandenberg AFB. The Atlas missile is successfully launched. (Note: According to a Convair technician, who was there, this launch was done in cooperation with Convair Astronautics of San Diego. Although this film shows only U.S. Air force personnel, it was the Convair Test Conductor and the Convair Crew that did the countdown for the launch, which was the final step to sell the Launch Sites (A-B-C) and the Block House to the Air Force. Reportedly, Convair celebrated with a launch party afterwards, that included James Dempsey, head of Convair Astronautics.)
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