1974 Photograph of  ARIA 328 based out of Patrick Air Force Base, Florida USA.

1980 Photograph at the Space Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida USA. ARIA 328 based out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton Ohio USA.

A/RIA History

In the early 1960's, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration realized that the lunar mission of the Apollo program would require a worldwide network of tracking and telemetry stations, many positioned in remote regions of the world. The Department of Defense was also faced with similar considerations for its unmanned orbital and ballistic missile reentry test programs. Since land stations are obviously limited by geographical constraints, and instrumentation ships cannot be moved quickly enough to cover different positions during the same mission, it soon became evident that large gaps in coverage would occur. To fill these gaps, a new concept in tracking stations were developed, a high speed aircraft containing the necessary instrumentation to assure spacecraft acquisition, tracking, and telemetry data recording. The same aircraft could provide coverage of trans-lunar injection and recovery of NASA's manned space flight operation, as well as events of interest in the Department of Defense orbital or ballistic missile reentry tests. The airborne station concept became a reality in the Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft, ARIA. This highly mobile station was to operate worldwide to receive and retransmit astronaut voices, and to record telemetry information from both the Apollo spacecraft and other NASA and Department of Defense unmanned space vehicles.

In 1975 the Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft were re-designated Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft and provided service to our country until 24 August 2001.

The Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft 61-0328 was one of the original eight Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft. The Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft 60-0374 is the last remaining ARIA aircraft, also one of the original eight Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft, and is located at the National Museum of the Air Force, Dayton Ohio USA.

The Advanced/Apollo Range Instrumentation Program originated at Patrick Air Force Base Florida. In 1975 the Program moved to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Ohio, 4950th Test Wing, and in 1992 the Program relocated to Edwards Air Force Base California.

This hand drawn picture of 328 was given to Donald Rosenberry upon his retirement by the PMEE Crew of ARIA 328 in 1975.
 

40th Anniversary Wideawake Airfield Ascension Island Stamp. The stamp was issued in 1982 featuring ARIA 330.