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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0176.PDF
178 FLIGHT International, 1 February 1962 ATLAS LAUNCHINGS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 No. 4A 6A I2A I0A I3A MA ISA I6A 3B 10 4B II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 5B 8B 6B 9B I2B I0B 3C I3B 4C MB 5C 7C 3D 7D 5D 8C IID I4D IIC I0D I2D I7D I8D 22D 26D 28D I5D 20D 3ID 40D 43D 44D 6D 49D 29D 42D 5ID 48D 25D 23D 56D 45D 54D 62D 27D 60O 74D SOD 32D 66D 47D 76D 79D 80D 33D 57D 3E 8ID 7ID S5D 83D 4E 9ID 99D 90D 8E 70D 67D 79 SO 81 82 83 84 85 86 I3E I6E I0OD I2E 95D I8E 27E 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 I7E 22E 97D 2IE 2F I0ID HID 26E I06D 88D 2SE 30E I05D Date 11-6-57 25-9-57 17-12-57 10-1-58 7-2-58 20-2-58 5-4-58 3-6-58 19-7-58 2-8-58 28-8-58 14-9-58 18-9-58 17-11-58 28-11-58 18-12-58 23-12-58 15-1-59 27-1-59 4-2-59 20-2-59 18-3-59 14-4-59 18-5-59 6-6-59 21-7-59 28-7-59 11-8-59 24-8-59 9-9-59 9-9-59 16-9-59 6-10-59 9-10-59 29-10-59 4-11-59 24-11-59 26-11-59 8-12-59 18-12-59 6-1-60 26-1-60 26-1-60 11-2-60 26-2-60 8-3-60 10-3-60 7-4-60 22-4-60 6-5-60 20-5-60 24-5-60 11-6-60 22-6-60 27-6-60 2-7-60 22-7-60 29-7-60 9-8-60 12-8-60 12-9-60 16-9-60 19-9-60 25-9-60 29-9-60 11-10-60 11-10-60 12-10-60 13-10-60 22-10-60 15-11-60 29-11-60 15-12-60 16-12-60 23-1-61 24-1-61 31 —1-61 21-2-61 24-2-61 13-3-61 24-3-61 25-4-61 12-5-61 24-5-61 26-5-61 7-6-61 22-6-61 6-7-61 12-7-61 31-7-61 8-8-61 22-8-61 23-8-61 8-9-61 9-9-61 13-9-61 2-10-61 5-10-61 21-10-61 Place Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Capt Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape VAFB Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape VAFB Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape VAFB VAFB Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape VAFB Cape Cape Cape VAFB Cape Cape Cape VAFB PA Cape VAFB Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape VAFB Cape Cape PA Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape VAFB Cape VAFB Cape Cape PA Cape Cape VAFB Cape Cape PA Cape Cape Cape PA Purpose R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D Special R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D Special Oper'l R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D Special R&D R&D R&D R&D Oper'l R&D Special R&D R&D R&D Train'g Train'g R&D Special R&D R&D R&D R&D Oper'l Special R&D R&D Train'g R&D R&D Special Train'g Special R&D Oper'l R&D R&D R&D R&D Special Oper'l R&D R&D Special Special R&D R&D R&D !pjcia! R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D R&D Special R&D R&D Train'g Special R&D Special Special R&D R&D Special Res. P P S s p s p s F s S S F P S S S P P S F P F F F S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S 5 S s s S S F F s F S S S S s s p F S s P s s s p s p F S s s p s s s p s s s p p F s s s p F S S S S S S F F S S s s Remarks Boost engines only; destruct at 60sec Complete success First with sustainer engine Half-range test, 2,500 miles Full-range test, about 5,000 miles Conical nose Project Score, Atlas in orbit 4,000 miles Last B model, 3,400 miles Malfunction at I75sec RVX-2 nosecone, 700 miles First D, oblique lift-off RVX-2 nosecone, blew up at 60sec First recovery of nosecone, 5,500 n.m. Full-range shot Full-range shot Project Mercury, Big Joe test of capsule Qualified Weapon System opera tional, impact near Wake Island 6.400 miles, night firing First flight of Mk 3 re-entry vehicle Mk 3 vehicle Atlas Able 4, second-stage failure Mk 3 vehicle, night firing Night firing, full range Mk 2 vehicle Midas 1, second stage failed Inertial guidance, open-loop Mk 3 vehicle, blew up on lift-off Blew up on pad SAC crew, Mk 2 vehicle SAC crew, destruct at 5.000ft 9,000-mile shot, Mk 3 vehicle Midas 2. near-perfect orbit but radio failure Mk 3 vehicle, night firing Inertial guidance Mercury Atlas 1, explosion at 65sec Mk 3 vehicle RVX-2 nosecone, inertial guidance and several side experiments 9,040-mile shot, Mk 3 vehicle Atlas Able 5A, lunar orbit Samos 1, Agena failed to ignite Mk 4 vehicle Atlas Able SB, exploded at 60sec Samos 2, 300-350-mile orbit Mercury Atlas 2, 1,425 mile lob, interim strengthening Premature sustainer cut-off Mercury Atlas 3, destroyed by command at 30sec Capsule retrieved at 5,000 miles Semi-hard "coffin" damaged by blast Explosion at I20sec 9,050-mile shot, Mk 3 vehicle Midas 3, Agena B stage re-started First F shot, Mk S vehicle Ranger 1, orbit only 105-313 miles Premature shutdown, 200 miles Samos 3 Mercury Atlas 4, one orbit 99-144 miles First shot with simulated atomic fuel cores, plus Centaur guidance 9,050-mile shot Midas 4,West Ford dipole needles The map above shows where the III Atlas launchers of Strategic Air Command are located. Vandenberg (three launchers), Warren (IS) and Offutt (9) are "soft"; the last nine at Warren, and Fairchild (9) and Forbes (9) are semi-hard, as in the photograph on the preceding page; Lincoln (9) and the remaining complexes (12 launchers each) will have the fully hardened silo 174ft deep and with doors 30in thick ATLAS... programmes. Several major series of shots use an Atlas D as booster. Atlas has already been coupled with an Able two-stage vehicle to launch three deep-space probes, including Pioneer VI; but not one of these accomplished its objectives, despite Atlas performing well on two of the three missions. For several space projects Atlas is teamed with one of three possible second stages. These are the Agena, the Agena B and the as yet untried Centaur. The Lockheed-built Agena B has proved very successful in the Discoverer series of launchings when staged with Douglas Thor. Atlas Agena B is scheduled to launch four major NASA projects :— Mariner Up to 1,1001b unmanned spacecraft intended for deep- space missions. Mariner will use the Centaur second stage for some missions. OAO Orbiting astronomical observatory weighing 3,3001b. Grumman is prime contractor. OGO Orbiting geophysical observatory weighing 3501b, or up to 1,5001b in advanced versions, to measure geo physical distances in deep space. OGO will use the Centaur second stage for some missions. Ranger 700 to 8001b instrumented capsule to the Moon. Two attempts at orbit have failed. Although troubles in the Pratt & Whitney LR-10 hydrogen engines have delayed these programmes, the following are scheduled to be launched by Atlas Centaur:— Arents Advanced research environmental-test satellites for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). Mariner As listed before; will also be launched by Agena B. OGO As listed before; will also be launched by Agena B. Surveyor Lunar soft-landing vehicle weighing about 2,0001b, including 2001b of instrumentation. Continued on page 179 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 No. 32E II7D Date 10-11-61 18-11-61 I08D 4F 93D -F -F 6F 121D I09D 22-11-61 22-11-61 29-11-61 1-12-61 12-12-61 19-12-61 26-1-62 27-1-62 Place Cape Cape PA Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Purpose R&D Special Class'd R&D Special R&D R&D R&D Special Special Res. P S S s s s s s 7 ; Remarks Carried monkey in side pod, destruct at 50sec Ranger 2, separation failure and only 94-145-mile orbit Agena B (Samos?), details withheld Simulated atomic fuel cores Mercury Atlas 5, two orbits with chimpanzee Simulated atomic fuel cores Simulated atomic fuel cores Investigated Van Allen belt, monkey and Mk 5 vehicle Ranger 3 Mercury Atlas 6, Col John Glenn This table includes every Atlas to have lifted off its launcher (even by only a few inches, as in one Instance), and the overall picture gives an indication of the magnitude of the task of developing an ICBM and space booster to the point where it can lift a man. Abbreviations; Cape, Cape Canaveral; VAFB, Vandenberg Air Force Base; PA, Point Arguello; R&D, research and development; F, failure (i.e., object not achieved, even if successful lift-off); P, partial; S, success (i.e., object achieved, even if vehicle destroyed during launch, as in case of two of "S" shots above). The score so far is : 74 successes, 18 partials and 15 failures.
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