\ 0 d rH o o ,-4 0 0 0 0 _ S:-:-_-_- 4_ 0 o_ o g_ •,_ _ :_L<<¸¸: <L >=>_: _5 t_XSA HISTORICAL REPORT CHBOI_IOGY OF MAJOR NASA [AUNCHINGS, OCTOBER i, 1958 PH_OU_ DECEMBER 31, 1962 (i) Date Name NASA General Mission Launch performnnce I_4i _s: m Remarks Code Vehicle V, *I¢le Pa_ 19j d- _ s_ is ISite) S P U 2J U U_ S I P U Oct 11 PIONE_ I -- Scientific lunar probe Thor-Able x x Uneven separation of 2nd and 3rd stages; (AMR) reached 70,700 miles. Verified Van Allen Belt. Oct 22 Beacon -- Scientific earth Satollltc Ju --_)i_er C x x x Premature upper-stage separation. x Nov 8 PIONEER II -- Scientific lunar probe Thor-Able x x 3rd-stage failure; reached 963 miles; (AMR) its brief data Indicated equatorial region had hi6her flux and energy levels than previously thought. l J Dec 6 PlO_ 711 -- Scientific lunar probe Juno !I x x Premature cutoff on Ist stage; reached (A_) I 63,580 miles. Radiation belt discov- I] cries. Feb IY VANGUARD II -- Scientific earth Batellite Vanguard x x x I Excess satellite wobble. Cloud cover (AMR) data not used. Mar 3 PION_ IV (A_) malfunction. Communicated to 407,000 miles. Apt 13 Van &_ard -- Scientific earth satelli_e Vanguard x x _d-stage failure. -- Scientific lunar probe Juno II x x 2rid and 3rd stage propulsion and pitch Z8 See * below7 May 28, 1959. Included in the nose cone of an Army-]_unched (from AMR) Jupiter IR_4 were medical experiments sponsored by NASA. Two monkeys, Able and Baker, were successfully recovered after a 1700-m/le flight. (2) D:_te Name I_SA I General Mission Launch Performancc Mission Remarks 3ode Vehicle V, hi_ l e Pa io •l Rc sults 1 _!__v._. _2_ __ --l_cont,d) Jim 22 Vanguard Scientific earth satellite Vanguard x x x 2nd-stage failure. Jul 16 Explorer S-I ' Scientific earth satellite Juno II x x x Destroyed after _1 seconds. (AX.m) . A',/g7 EX_LOREIR Vi S-2 Scientific earth satellite Thor-Able X x l_pped Van Allen belt. photographed (A_) cloud cover. Aug 14 Beacon Scientific earth satellite Juno II x x x Premature fuel lepletior ",n Ist stage; (A_) upper -sta_ malfunction. = _ug 21 See * below_7 I i Sep 9 Big Joe Suborbital Mercury capsule Atlas-Big x Capsule recovered after re-entry test. I test Joe (A_m) #ep _ S_ _ belo# Sep 18 VAN_JARD IIT Scientific earth satellite v_em_,'a x Magnetic fields, radiation belt, and (AM_) micrometeorite findings. #,p 2_ See_ bel0_ Oct _ Little Joe i Suborbital Mercury capsule Little x Qualify booster for use with Mercury test Joe (ws) test program. i * Aug 21, 1959. While a Little Joe was belng readied for firing (at WS) a malfunction caused the Mercury escape rocket to fire. The vehicle was tmdamaged but the capsule was lost in the ocean. *_ Sep 16, 1959. An Army Jupiter IR_, containing a NASA biological experiment, was destroyed by the Range Safety Officer shortly after launch (from ANR). *** Sep 21,, 1959. An Atlas-Able vehicle, scheduled to launch a Pioneer lunar-orbit payload, exploded on the launching pad (at AI_) while being static-tested. (3) Remarks Date Name General Mi ssion LaUnch f'orfo_nne_ ,sl n I Code Vehl cle VJ NASA Ls_L_ _ _v I _cont'd) Radiation and ma_etic storm findlnss. Oct13 EI?LORERVII S-la Scientific earth satellite Juno ll x Oct 28 Shotput I Suborbital co_uunleations Augmented x x x Canister ejection sueeesstal, 100-foot test Sergeant sphere inflation unsuccessful. Suc- (WS) cessful test of Delta Gtage. NOV _ Little Joe 2 Suborbital Mercury c_psule Little Joe x x x Capsule escape test. Escape rocket had a delayed thrust buildup. Nov 26 Pioneer Scientlflc lunar probe Atlas-Able x x Shroud 9ailure after 45 seconds. (A_) Dec 4 Little Joe 3 Suborbital Mercury capsule Little Joe x Escape system and biomedical test; test (ws) monkey (Sam) used. i_o Jan 19 Shotput II .- Suborbital co_mmnications Augmented x x x Canister ejection successful, sphere test Sergeant inflation unsuccessful. (ws) Jan 21 Little Joe 4 Suborbital Mercury capsule Ll+.tle Joe x Escape system and biomedical test; test monkey (Miss Sam) used. x Canister ejection successful, sphere Feb 57 Shotput III Suborbital communications Augmented x :t test Sergeant inflation unsuccessful. Mar 11 PION_ V Scientiflc des? space prob_ Thor-Able x Conm_Anieated data from 17,7OO,000 mi., position signal from 22,500,000 mi. Failure in upper stages. Mar 23 Explorer S-_ Scientific earth satellite Juno II x x (A_) (4) Date Name :_n< ral ).!ission Launch P !r_ _nce Remarks • Vehlcio-'___,%- -- (Site) S P U P U Un_ i 0 _co°nt 'd) Apt 1 Shotput IV Suborbital co_mmnications Augnented x Twelve-sentende voice message test Sergeant relayed successfully. Apr 1 TIROS I Meteorological earth Thor-Able x First true meteorological satellite; satellite (_,S) photographed cloud cover. Apr 18 Scout Launch vehicla develop- Scout X x Structural failure prevented 3rd-stage ment test ignition. (2rid and hth stages w_re du_es). _y 9 see*he___7 May 13 Echo A 0 Communications earth Thor-Delta x Failure in upper stages. satellite I May3i' shotitv Suborbital cor_unlcation8 Augmented Inflation successful despite excess i test Sergeant spin. (0) Jul i Scout Launch vehicle development Scout x Ground tracking failure led to erroneous test (0) destruction by _uge Safety Officer. Jul 29 Mercury M I Suborbital Mercury capsule Mercury- x x Atlas exploded; capsule re-entry test Atlas qualification test. Aug 12 ECSD I A 1 Communications sarth Thor-Delta x First passive cc_m_Anications satellite; satellite iO0-foot sphere used for passive co_mm- nications mud air density experiments. Sep 25 Pioneer P 0 Scientific lunar orbiter Atlas-Able x x 2nd-stage fai]_ ze. * May 9, 1960. The first )roductlon model of the Mercury capsule was tested in a "pad abo_rt" test (at WS). The escape rocket was used rather than a launch vehicle. (5) Remarks Datei Name NASA Genera] Misslon Launch Code Veh_ cle I 0 -_eoOnt,a) Oct 4 Scout -- La_ch vehicle p_ent Scout Air Force Special Weapons Center pay- test load included. Nov 3 E_D0_ S-30 Scientific eal_ satellite Juno II Ion, electron, and mlcrometeoroId VIII measurements. Nov 8 Little Joe 5 LJ- 5 Suborbital Met< y Capsule Little Joe Mercury escape system qualdficetlon; test premature escape-rocket firing. _ov 21 See * belo_ Nov 23 TIROS II A-2 Meteozolo_cal earth Thor-Delta Combined infrared measurements with satellite photography. Wide-angle photographs z-i substandard. Dec 4 Explorer S-56 Scientific ear satellite Scout x x 2ndzstage failure; combined vehicls (_) test and Beacon inflatable sphere. DeC 15 Pioneer P-31 Scientific lu/% orbiter Atlas -Abl_ x x Exploded af%er 70 seconds. Dee 19 Mercury MR-IA Suborbital Met 7 capsule Mercury- 235 -mile fl_@ht. test Redstone I Booster oversped; chimpanzee (Ham) in Jan 31 Mercury MR-S Suborbital Mer _ capsule Mercury- test Redstone 16 -minute flight. Nov Sl, 1960. Upon being fired (from AMR), a Mereury-Redstone (MR-l) rose one inch, stopped firing, and settled back on the launching pad; was fired again on December 19. The Mercury capsule escape rocket also fired. The capsule was recovered and also reused on December 19. (6) Na_e _I_qA1 Gencra_MJsslonLaumeh C c_Ic Vehicle a_" oa; s-] F_emark s I u_ 1 _clont,d) Feb16 EXPLORERIX scout x x Repeat of 12/h/60 shot. Satellite (WS) tracking transmitter did not function, S-56a Scientific earth satellite but optical tracking provided atmos- pheric density data. Feb 21 Mercury MA-2 Suborbital _Mrcury capsule Mercury- x x l, 425 -mile flight. test Atlas Feb 24 Explorer S-_5 1 blentlfic earth satellite Juno II x 2hal-stage malfunction prevented 3rd and 4th-stage firing. Mar 18 Little Joe 5A LJ-SA suborbital _Mrcury capsule Little Joe x x Mercury escape system qu_lifieatlon; test (WS) premature escape-rocket firing. Mar 24 Mercury _-BD Vehicle test for Mercury Mercury- x Booster development test necessitated flight _dsto_ by _-2 flight. Mar 25 EXPLORER X P-I_ Scientific satelllte-probe _hor-Delta x x Magnetometer probe. _[Ighly eccentric orbit (145,0CC-mile apogee). _pr 25 Mercury MA- 3 Orbital Mercury capsule Merc_ 7- x Failure in 1st stage. Abort successful. test Atlas Apr 27 EXPLORER XI S-15 Scientific earth satellite Juno II x x Gamma- ray experiment. (A_) Apr 28 Little Joe 5B LJ-SB Suborbital Mercury capsule Little Joe x One booster engine fired late. Repeat test (WS) of Mezcury escape system test. May5 FREEDOM 7 _-3 1 Suborbital manned _rcury Mercury- x x First U. S. suborbital manned space- flight Redstone flight; _e_ard flight. Date Name I_ !.Sssion Launch Pe rform_uce Code ! General Vehicle _ Lic_ '_ ! _eolnt ,d) I M_v 24 Explorer S-45a Scientific earth satellite Juno II i Jun 30 Explorer 8-55 Scientific earth satellite Scout 1 3rd-stage failure. Vehicle test and (WS) rolerometeorite experiment. Jull_ TIROS [II A-3 Meteorological earth Thor-Delta x I One camera system failed by end of July, satellite Jul 21 LIBERTY BELL _-4 Suborbital manned Mercury Mercury- x 7 flight Fedsto_e AUg 15 EXPLORER XII S-3 Scientific earth satellite Thor-D_ita x x Various experiments including energetic II particles profile. AUg 23 RANGER I P-32 Scientific l_ar probe At las-Agen_ x x x First space test of Nanger instrumenta- C_,,m) tion only partial success, since Agen_ i failed _o re,tart. Nemained in parking orbit.