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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1355.PDF
Dramatic sequence of photographs recording the launch of a Titan II ICBM from its 155ft silo at Vandenberg AFB—obviously flying IFR orbit at 82.23°, success. Lifetime 16 days (descended January 24). January 16 1963-03, VAFB, undisclosed USAF payload launched by Thor Agena D into 285/331-mile orbit at 81.89°, success. Estimated lifetime. 15 years. February i PA, unidentified USAF launch by Blue Scout, failure. February 19 1963-05, PA, undisclosed USAF pay- load launched by Blue Scout into 341/492-mile orbit a-. 100.48°, success. Estimated lifetime, 30 years. February 28 VAFB, undisclosed USAF payload(s) launched by ImprovedjThor Agena (Improved Thor has Rocketdyne MB-3 Block II engine plus three Thiolcol TX33-52 strap-on solid motors); this was an orbital attempt, but destruct was necessitated by serious deviation from planned trajectory. March 13 PA, unidentified USAF launch by Blue Scout; orbit not achieved, and possibly not intended. March 18 VAFB, undisclosed USAF payload launched by Improved Thor Agena. This was officially stated to be the first successful flight by Improved Thor, and that it resulted in a satellite bein» placed in polar orbit; but there are no tracking records of such a satellite and no international designation has been accorded to it. April I 1963-07, VAFB, undisclosed USAF payload launched by Thor Agena D into 125/254-mile orbit at '5.4°, success. Lifetime, 25 days. April 6 PA, undisclosed USAF payload launched by Blue Scout; orbit not achieved, and possibly not intended. April 26 VAFB. undisclosed USAF payload launched °Y Thor Agena. It was reported immediately afterwards that this shot resulted in a satellite being placed in polar orbit, but there are no tracking records of such a satellite and no international designation has been accorded to it. April 26 PA, undisclosed USAF payload launched by Blue Scout; orbit not achieved, and possibly not '"tended. May ? 1963-14, PA, undisclosed USAF payload ««! °y Atlas Agena B into (approximately) 2,250/ z.JOO-mile orbit at 87.42°, success. Estimated lifetime, o»er 10,000 years. M»y 17 PA, unidentified USAF launch by Blue ™ut, orbit not achieved, and possibly not intended. M »y 18 1963-16, VAFB, undisclosed USAF payload aunched by Thor Agena D into 96/311-mile orbit « '-t.6", success. June 12 PA, undisclosed USAF payload launched ' Atl" Agena, which exploded shortly after lift-off. June |3 |963.|o VAFB undisc|osed USAF pay|oad m« i t"^y lr"Proved Thor Agena D into (approxi mately) 126/265-mile orbit at 81.7°, success. (fe^Av '?63-21' VAFB' undisposed USAF payload >'»«-2IA) plus Lofti 2A (1963-21B) and SR-4 (1963- 1(K %??gy *ck devices launched by Thor Agena into '^575-mile orbit at 69.87°, success. CnrhJS L. I906,3-22- PA- ""disclosed USAF payload un ned by Blue Scout into 454/483-mile orbit at " •' , success. fc„-Sj !^3-25' VAFB' undisclosed payload I27^r !y USAF> '""ncfled by Thor Agena into °n Julv I f«I°rb,t SH'-2"- se™ndary payload ejected / i vsee page 183). June 29 1963-27, VAFB, undisclosed payload (presumably USAF) launched by Thor Agena into 31 l/319-mile orbit at 82.36°. SERGEANT October 24 WSMR, first tactical firing by user troops (3rd Missile Battalion, 38th Artillery, Ft Sill), complete success over 75 miles after 70min countdown. November 2 WSMR, second tactical firing, success. March 18, 20, 21 San Nicolas Island, three firings against PMR. targets among islands in the Santa Barbara Channel to test behaviour at sea level and in maritime conditions after long air, land and sea trans port (all previous shots had been at WSMR, yielding no data below 4.000ft altitude). May 13-16 WSMR, three "off-range" firings from site 20 miles south-west of Datil, NM, to impact within the WSMR, these three shots being primarily to check flight performances on west-east trajectory (WSMR itself lying north-south), success. June 5 WSMR, successful firing witnessed by President Kennedy. TITAN I December 5 VAFB, test of modified GSE, 4,000 miles, success. January 29 VAFB, routine SAC training, about 5,000 miles, success. March 30 VAFB, routine SAC training, about 5,000 miles; Avco Mk 4 re-entry vehicle intercepted by Nike Zeus, success. April 13 VAFB, routine SAC training, success. May I VAFB, routine SAC training, missile elevated to firing position above silo and counted down to first- stage ignition, but exploded before launch; minor damage to launcher and silo lift system. TITAN II October 26 Cape, seventh Titan II shot, primarily propulsion and re-entry systems test from R&D above- ground pad, about 5,000 miles, success. December 6 Cape, propulsion and re-entry test over 8,000 miles from R&D above-ground pad, missile exploded at approximately 130sec after launch (first in-flight explosion of a Titan II). December 19 Cape, about 5,000 miles from R&D above-ground pad, success. January 10 Cape, 6,330-mile shot from R&D above-ground pad, second-stage malfunction resulting in splash "several hundred miles" short of target. February 6 Cape, first all-USAF Titan II shot and the heaviest payload (GE Mk 6 vehicle with total weight equivalent to lOMT-yield warhead) ever fired by US missile, 6,500 miles, success. February 16 VAFB, first launch of Titan II down PMR, launch from R&D above-ground pad, incorrect separation of umbilical rigging caused missile to roll rapidly following lift-off, and first-stage motor gim- balling to stop roll resulted in stresses beyond airframe structural limits by 20sec, causing first-stage rupture and explosion. March 21 Cape, second shot with GE Mk 6 re entry vehicle with full payload, launch from R&D above-ground pad after countdown of under 60sec. 6,700 miles, success. April 19 Cape, flight from R&D above-ground pad curtailed by second-stage shutdown at I20sec; tele metry failed at I5sec, but missile tracked 3,000 mites from down-range ship, partial. April 27 VAFB, first shot from operational proto type silo and second Titan II flight on the PMR; Air Force Systems Command and Martin launch crew; impact at approximately 4,500 miles nearWake Island, success. May 9 Cape, flight from R&D above-ground pad curtailed by slightly premature shutdown of the second stage, impacting a little over 5,000 miles down AMR, partial. May 13 VAFB, second shot from operational prototype silo, approximately 4,500 miles, success. May 24 Cape, excellent 6,500-mile flight from R&D above-ground pad, GE Mk 6 re-entry vehicle (again at full weight) impacting with c.e.p. of under a mile; vibration measurements on this flight confirmed suit ability of Titan II as booster for NASA Gemini two- man spacecraft, difficulty having been experienced with "pogo stick" vibration near the lOOsec point. May 29 Cape, launch from R&D above-ground pad was normal for 40sec and then encountered "technical difficulties" which resulted in the first stage exploding at about 50sec; the second stage was destructed after reaching apogee. June 20 VAFB, flight from operational prototype silo; range and target not disclosed, success. X -15 (all from Edwards AFB) April 18 New q (dynamic-pressure) kinetic-heat measurement system, to determine why excessive skin temperatures had been recorded on earlier flights. This was the 79th X-15 mission. April 26 Mapping camera carried to 106,000ft, 3,545 m.p.h. May 2 Instrumentation carried on the tail to mea sure Earth background radiation of various wave lengths (undoubtedly to help overcome severe Midas satellite detection problems); 212,000ft, 3,750 m.p.h. May 29 Heating rates at 3,750 m.p.h. at low angles of attack between 80.000ft and 92,000ft; secondary task, investigate control with yaw damper inoperative. June 18 Three ±5° yaws to measure aerodynamics over tail under such conditions; max altitude 223,000ft and speed 3,477 m.p.h. at 132,000ft. June 25 Special traversing probe to measure kinetie heating; maximum speed 3,750 m.p.h. at about 103,000ft, with skin temperatures reaching l,000°F. June 27 Apogee of 286,000ft, and 3,545 m.p.h. reached at burnout while climbing through 153,000ft level.
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