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White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
The PGM-19 Jupiter was the first nuclear tipped, medium-range ballistic missile of the USAF. It was a liquid-propellant rocket using RP-1 fuel and LOX oxidizer, with a single Rocketdyne LR70-NA rocket engine and was armed with the 1.1 megaton W49 nuclear warhead.
The Jupiter was originally designed by the US Army, which was looking for a highly accurate missile designed to strike high-value targets like bridges, railway yards, troop concentrations and the like. The Navy also expressed an interest in the design as an SLBM, but left the collaboration to work on their Polaris. Jupiter retained the short, squat shape intended to fit in naval submarines.
The U.S. Army set accuracy goals so high that some expressed skepticism they could be met, but the Redstone team successfully designed a system with a circular error probable (CEP) of 0.5 miles (0.80 km), substantially more accurate than similar designs like the US Air Force's Thor. This led to continual inter-service fighting between the Army and Air Force, and ultimately to Charles Erwin Wilson's decision to give the Jupiter missiles to the USAF.
The USAF was never greatly interested in supporting Jupiter; they saw no need for its accuracy in their battle plans and had their own Thor with longer range. Production went ahead and the nuclear tipped missiles were deployed in both Italy and Turkey in 1961 due to NATO's Cold War deterrence against the Soviet Union. All were then later removed by the United States as part of a secret agreement (The Secret Deal) with the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They were considered to be outdated. It was also used as the basis for a satellite launcher known as Juno II, but had a short and unsuccessful career in this role.
National Museum of the US Air Force
Chrysler SM-78/PGM-19A JUPITER
The Jupiter Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), in service from 1960 to 1963, was an important link between early, short-range rockets and later weapons that could reach any point on Earth. Jupiter was a close relative of the Army's Redstone missile, and its development began in 1956 as a joint US Army and US Navy project. Rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun conceived the Jupiter after the Redstone proved successful, and rockets with a range of up to 1,500 miles seemed possible. Soviet development of similar missiles around the same time underscored the need for Jupiter. President Dwight Eisenhower gave the IRBM high priority in weapons development, second only to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
Originally designed for shipboard use, Jupiter was a compromise between Army and Navy designs. In 1956, the Department of Defense gave the USAF responsibility for building and operating all missiles with more than a 200-mile range, but the Army continued developing Jupiter in case the Air Force's Thor IRBM program failed. The first successful Jupiter launch took place in May 1957.
In October 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik, the first satellite-an event that caused the US to greatly speed up missile development to counter the Soviet threat. As Jupiter was quickly made ready, the US explored basing options. The single-stage missile's range of 1,500 miles required bases on the periphery of the USSR. Negotiations with France proved unsuccessful, and finally Italy and Turkey accepted IRBM bases. Italian and Turkish crews trained to operate the missiles, but Americans controlled the nuclear warheads. Two squadrons with a total of 30 missiles were operational at Gioia del Colle, Italy, by 1961; a single squadron of 15 Jupiters became operational at Cigli Air Base, Turkey, in 1962. Due in part to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the US removed its Jupiter missiles from Italy and Turkey by July 1963.
Jupiter No. 22 is launched on a test flight in Florida, February 27, 1959. The particles flying off the missile's midsection are ice from condensation caused by the missile's super-chilled liquid oxygen propellant. Jupiter ground support equipment was complex, involving vehicles carrying liquid oxygen, hydraulic and pneumatic equipment, generators, and other tools
TECHNICAL NOTES
Warhead: Single W-49 in the megaton range
Engine: One Rocketdyne LR-79 of 150,000 lbs thrust
Guidance: All-inertial
Range: 1,500 miles
Length: 60 ft
Diameter: 8 ft 9 in
Weight: 108,804 lbs (fully fueled)
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone Lightweight Launcher No. 1003
Watertown Arsenal
Launch platform in action:
www.wsmr-history.org/RedstoneFirst2.htm
-------------------------
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
UNIFIL held a ceremony at its headquarters in Naqoura to officially transfer authority from outgoing Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col of Italy to Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain. High-level government delegations from Spain, led by Minister of Defence Margarita Robles Fernández, and from Italy, led by the Under Secretary of State for Defence Stefania Pucciarelli, attended today’s ceremony. Representatives of the Government of Lebanon, including Minister of National Defence Maurice Sleem representing President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Member of Parliament Dr. Inaya Ezzeddine representing Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun also attended the ceremony. Naqoura, 28 February 2022. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/UN
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone Lightweight Launcher No. 1003
Watertown Arsenal
Launch platform in action:
www.wsmr-history.org/RedstoneFirst2.htm
-------------------------
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
Work In Progress (Dessin en cours) d'un THP (Tireur Haute Précision) de la BRI PP, la célèbre Brigade de Recherche et d'Intervention de Paris. Ce policier spécialisé est armé d'un fusil de précision PGM Ultima Ratio en calibre 7,62mm. Il s'agit d'une étape montrant la structure d'un dessin d'intervention en format A3 (Crayonné puis contraste). Ce Sniper nécessitera encore des dizaines et des dizaines d'heures de travail précis afin de lui donner forme et réalisme.
Site: www.dessinstactiques.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dessinstactiques
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today marked the 73rd United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura by reaffirming the Mission’s strong commitment to maintain and solidify the existing calm in south Lebanon.Naqoura 24 October 2018. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
UNIFIL’s Head of Mission and Force Commander Stefano del Col first meeting with newly appointed Lebanese Minister of National Defence Elias Bou Saab at the Ministry in Yarze, Beirut. Both discussed the situation in the UNIFIL area of operation & the continued cooperation with Lebanese Army. Beirut, 11 February 2019. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz/ UN
Cal U Professional Golf Management (PGM) students in the “Food and Beverage Management” course prepare and serve a special dinner in the Gold Rush dining hall, Natali Student Center, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The food and beverage lab experience is a collaborative instructional effort between the PGM program and AVI Foodsystems at Cal U.(Photo credit: Jeff Helsel / Cal Times)
The perspective projection of the volumetric structural-cinematic-geodynamic 4Dseist model of Prutovka gabbroid intrusive complex with predicted zones of Cu-Ni-Co-PGM ore.
The volumetric 4D GeoSEIST model of distribution of Cu-Ni-Co-Pt mineralization has been predicted on the basis of the most informative characteristics of gravity anomaly field images. Certificate of validation of 4D GeoSEIST Technology for predicts Ni-Cu-Co deposit: www.flickr.com/photos/jeisus2012/5531682555/in/set-721576... .
Using 4D GeoSEIS software for multifactor volumetric (structural-geodynamical, geophysical, geochemical and mineralogical) modelling we offer:
Multifactorial volumetric structural-cinematic-geodynamic 4Dseist model with exact ranging and forecasting of mineral deposits, low-amplitude tectonics, geophysical anomalies and geologic properties of deep structures, using volumetric interpretation methods of multispectral and geophysical images for cost-effective geological prospecting.
During 22 years the great number of volumetric structural-geodynamic, geological, geophysical models of ore deposits (Fe-Ti, Cu, Au, Hg, Ni-Cu-Co) and oil-gas deposits (Namibia, Kalimantan, Urals, Ukraine, Timor, Uzbekistan) are created.
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4D GeoSEIST software for computer processing of the ASTER and Landsat7ETM images have been used to create the volumetric structural-geodynamical models of the NW Namibia & SE Angola territory to discriminate the high potential concentration of mineral resources based on limited field data in order to aid exploration for new copper and titaniferous magnetite mineralization. The strategy adopted to facilitate this predictive modeling is to develop understanding and testing of a “4D GeoSEIST Model” through research. They allowed calculating the potential resources of commercially important concentration of copper and titaniferous magnetite ores. Several points of Fe-Ti-Cu mineralization predicted by the 4D GeoSEIST had been confirmed by field observations.
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UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary greets the Lebanese Minister of Defense, Yaacoub Riad Sarraf, upon his arrival to UNIFIL headquarters, Naqoura. September 11th, 2017. Photo by Pasqual Gorriz (UN photo)
National Museum of the US Air Force
Chrysler SM-78/PGM-19A JUPITER
The Jupiter Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), in service from 1960 to 1963, was an important link between early, short-range rockets and later weapons that could reach any point on Earth. Jupiter was a close relative of the Army's Redstone missile, and its development began in 1956 as a joint US Army and US Navy project. Rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun conceived the Jupiter after the Redstone proved successful, and rockets with a range of up to 1,500 miles seemed possible. Soviet development of similar missiles around the same time underscored the need for Jupiter. President Dwight Eisenhower gave the IRBM high priority in weapons development, second only to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
Originally designed for shipboard use, Jupiter was a compromise between Army and Navy designs. In 1956, the Department of Defense gave the USAF responsibility for building and operating all missiles with more than a 200-mile range, but the Army continued developing Jupiter in case the Air Force's Thor IRBM program failed. The first successful Jupiter launch took place in May 1957.
In October 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik, the first satellite-an event that caused the US to greatly speed up missile development to counter the Soviet threat. As Jupiter was quickly made ready, the US explored basing options. The single-stage missile's range of 1,500 miles required bases on the periphery of the USSR. Negotiations with France proved unsuccessful, and finally Italy and Turkey accepted IRBM bases. Italian and Turkish crews trained to operate the missiles, but Americans controlled the nuclear warheads. Two squadrons with a total of 30 missiles were operational at Gioia del Colle, Italy, by 1961; a single squadron of 15 Jupiters became operational at Cigli Air Base, Turkey, in 1962. Due in part to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the US removed its Jupiter missiles from Italy and Turkey by July 1963.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Warhead: Single W-49 in the megaton range
Engine: One Rocketdyne LR-79 of 150,000 lbs thrust
Guidance: All-inertial
Range: 1,500 miles
Length: 60 ft
Diameter: 8 ft 9 in
Weight: 108,804 lbs (fully fueled)
-------------------
Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A TITAN I Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Entering operational service in 1962, Titan I was the United States' first multi-stage ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile). Incorporating the latest design technology, Titan provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the US Air Force's Atlas missile. Though the SM-68A was operational for only three years, it was an important step in building the Air Force's strategic nuclear forces.
The first American ICBM based in underground silos, Titan I gave USAF managers, contractors, and missile crews valuable experience building and working in vast bunkers containing every thing the missiles and crews needed for operation and survival. These early silos, however, had certain drawbacks. First, the missiles took about fifteen minutes to fuel, and then had to be lifted to the surface on huge elevators for launching, which slowed their reaction time. Rapid launching was crucial to avoid possible destruction by incoming missiles, even though Titan shelters were designed to withstand nuclear blasts. Second, the missiles' placement close together in groups of three-necessary because they shared a single ground-based radio guidance system-made them vulnerable to nuclear attack. All-inertial guidance, which does not depend on ground computers, was not yet perfected
In its brief career, Titan I equipped six squadrons of nine missiles each, in Colorado, Idaho, California, Washington state, and South Dakota. Although Titan I's two stages gave it true intercontinental range and foreshadowed future multistage rockets, its propellants were dangerous and hard to handle. Super-chilled liquid oxygen oxidizer had to be pumped aboard the missile just before launch, and complex equipment was required to store and move this liquid. Kerosene fuel also was pumped aboard just before launch.
Titan I allowed USAF missileers to perfect techniques for efficiently operating strategic missile facilities spread across several states and requiring great coordination and skill. Still, the SM-68A was a transitional missile. Even as the USAF deployed 54 Titan Is on operational alert from 1963-65, it prepared to deploy more advanced Titan Ils in their place. Later missiles, like Titan II, used safer fuels and more advanced guidance, but followed the SM-68A example of underground basing and multiple stages.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Warhead: Single W-38 in the megaton range.
Re-entry vehicle: Avco Mark 4, ablative
Engines:
(1st stage) Aerojet LR87-AJ-1 of 300,000 lbs thrust,
(2nd stage) Aerojet LR91-AJ-1 of 80,000 lbs thrust
Propellants: RP-1 kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer
Range: 6,300 miles
Length: 98 ft
Diameter: 10 ft
Weight: 220,000 lbs fueled
---------------------
Martin Marietta SM-68B/LGM-25C TITAN II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Titan II was the longest-serving ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) in the US Air Force strategic arsenal. The SM-68B, developed from the Titan I ICBM, was on operational alert from 1963 to 1987. For most of its nearly 25 years of operation, Titan Il was the largest and most powerful American nuclear- armed missile. The Titan design also enjoyed a long career as a space launch vehicle, sending satellites and manned spacecraft into earth orbit.
While the SM-68A Titan I system was becoming operational, the USAF recognized that it could be simplified and improved. Using the same manufacturing and test facilities, the SM-68B took shape as a major step forward in ICBM technology. Perhaps Titan Il's most important feature was its quick-launch capability. It could be launched in about 60 seconds from inside its underground silo (Titan I took 15 minutes and had to be elevated above ground first). This speed was crucial in responding to a preemptive nuclear attack before incoming missiles arrived.
New "hypergolic" liquid fuels made Titan Il's quick launches possible. Hypergolic fuels ignite on contact with one another, eliminating the need for an ignition system, and they can be stored at room temperature inside the missile. Partly as a result of using these new propellants, the SM-68B had fewer parts and a simpler design than the SM-68A. Also, a new silo design vented the tremendous blast of Titan Il's improved engines away from the missile, allowing in-silo launching and eliminating the need to elevate the SM-68B to ground level before launch.
Titan Il's advanced "all-inertial" guidance system made the missile less vulnerable to enemy attack. Each SM-68B carried its own self-contained guidance equipment and did not rely on ground computers. This improvement made widely dispersed bases possible, and Titan II sites were typically several miles apart, enhancing survivability during a potential nuclear strike.
At the height of SM-68B operations, the USAF deployed 54 Titan lls at three bases in Arizona, Kansas, and Arkansas. Each base had two squadrons of nine missiles each. The combat crew for a single missile included two officers and two enlisted personnel, but many support troops were required to maintain the missiles, train crews, and provide security.
In 1981, the USAF undertook a missile modernization program, and Titan II ICBM operations ceased in 1987. Spare SM-68BS were converted to space boosters and used to launch satellites. This role was not new for Titan II, since this powerful and reliable rocket had been used for many years in civil and military space programs. Titan lls launched manned Gemini missions for NASA in the mid-1960s, and later Titans evolved into more powerful space boosters with the addition of "strap-on" solid rockets, launching some of the most important US military satellites.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Warhead: Single W-53 in the megaton range
Re-entry vehicle: General Electric Mark 6, ablative
Engines:
(1st stage) Aerojet LR87-AJ-5 of 430,000 lbs thrust each
(2nd stage) Aerojet LR91-AJ-5 of 100,000 lbs thrust
Propellants: Aerozine 50 fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer
Range: 9,000 miles
Length: 108 ft
Diameter: 10 ft
Weight: 330,000 lbs fueled
--------------
DOUGLAS SM-75/PGM-17A THOR Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
The SM-75/PGM-17A Thor intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) was the product of the early Cold War race to deploy nuclear armed missiles before the Soviets. Thor was designed to be an interim nuclear deterrent while the US Air Force developed long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as a top national priority. The IRBM concept called for a missile with a range of about 1,500 miles that would be based in Europe. Great Britain agreed to host four IRBM bases, and Thors were operational in England from June 1959 to August 1963. Royal Air Force crews operated the missiles, but USAF personnel controlled their nuclear warheads.
The USAF developed the SM-75 quickly, in just over three years beginning in 1956. Interservice competition to control the emerging strategic missile mission meant that the US Army developed its Jupiter missile, which was ultimately assigned to the Air Force, at the same time. Thor's rapid design and deployment resulted from having much in common with the Atlas ICBM, which was then still in the planning stages. Thor's engine, guidance, and warhead came from the Atlas program, and only its airframe was new. After three failed test flights, Thor's first fully successful flight took place in September 1957. The following month, the USSR launched its Sputnik satellite-proving Soviet rocket capability and generating much anxiety in the US-and President Dwight Eisenhower rushed Thor into production as a result.
The SM-75 was a one-stage liquid fueled rocket. Powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene, the vehicle could reach an altitude of about 280 miles before releasing its war- head on a ballistic (unpowered) trajectory toward its target. The missile required about 15 minutes to prepare for launch from its above-ground shelter, and could reach its target after about 18 minutes of flight.
Following its withdrawal as an IRBM when the Atlas ICBM became available, the Air Force used Thor as a nuclear atmospheric test vehicle and an antisatellite weapon. The USAF and NASA also adapted the Thor design to a very successful variety of space launch roles.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Warhead: Single W-49 in the kiloton range
Engines: One Rocketdyne LR79-NA-9 of 150,000 lbs thrust; two Rocketdyne LR101-NA vernier engines (for small thrust and direction adjustments) of 1,000 lbs thrust each
Guidance: All-inertial
Range: 1,500 miles
Length: 65 ft
Diameter: 8 ft
Weight: 110,000 lbs (fully fueled)
----------------
BOEING LGM-118A PEACEKEEPER
The Peacekeeper was the US Air Force's most powerful, accurate, and technologically advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) when it served as a deterrent from 1986 to 2005. The USAF began planning for a missile to replace Minuteman ICBMS in 1972, and named the projected weapon "missile X," or MX. It would use the latest targeting technology to deliver many independently targeted nuclear warheads by each missile. The ability to deliver several warheads on one missile is known as MIRV, or Multiple Independently targeted Re-entry Vehicles. MX eventually was named Peacekeeper and designated LGM-118A.
Full-scale development of the Peacekeeper began in 1979, and the first test flight took place in 1983 at Vandenberg AFB, California. It became operational in 1986, when ten missiles were deployed at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. By 1988, 50 missiles were in service there.
Basing-whether in stationary hardened silos or on mobile railways that would keep the Soviets guessing at the missiles' true location-was a major issue during Peacekeeper's development. Funding problems and competing ideas about the wisdom of each basing solution delayed Peacekeeper production and deployment. Eventually, it was decided to base all LGM-118As in hardened, underground silos.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Payload: 10 Avco MK-21 re-entry vehicles
Stages:
(1st) solid fuel, Thiokol
(2nd) solid fuel, Aerojet
(3rd) solid fuel, Hercules
(4th) storable liquid fuel, Rocketdyne
Maximum speed: Approximately 15,000 mph
Range: Greater than 6,000 miles
Guidance: Inertial
Height: 71 ft
Weight: 195,000 lbs
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LGM-30G MINUTEMAN III INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE
The Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM, is currently the United States' only operational land-based strategic nuclear missile. It is one leg of the nuclear deterrent "triad" that also includes USAF bombers and US Navy submarine-launched missiles. US nuclear forces are on alert at all times, ensuring a swift response in the event of a nuclear attack.
Minuteman III became operational in 1970, and is the most modem missile in the Minuteman family. The Minuteman series was the first in the US ICBM arsenal to use solid fuel. This important feature allows the missile to be stored for long periods in its silo, requiring much less maintenance and fewer technicians than older liquid-fueled missiles like Titan and Atlas. It can also be launched almost instantly. Minuteman III was the world's first missile to carry more than one warhead, using a "Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicle" (MIRV) system. Though Minuteman III can carry three warheads, each missile has been limited to one by international treaty since 2005.
The Minuteman system was designed in the 1950s. Minuteman I, the first of the family, became operational in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Later, the retirement of the US Air Force's Minuteman II missiles in 1995 and Peacekeeper missiles in 2005 left Minuteman Ill as the only American land-based ICBM. Today, Minuteman III missiles are located in widely-separated, hardened underground silos at three bases-F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, and Minot AFB, North Dakota
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
The Redstone missile program, begun in 1951 by the U.S. Army, was designed to be mobile, capable of being launched by combat troops under battlefield conditions. The picture on the left was taken on May 5, 1961, when a powerful Redstone rocket with a Mercury capsule carried Cdr. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. into suborbital flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Q Drive, Len wright Group. Scania L113CRL with Northern Counties B51F body. Photographed in Bracknell bus station.
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Redstone Lightweight Launcher No. 1003
Watertown Arsenal
Launch platform in action:
www.wsmr-history.org/RedstoneFirst2.htm
-------------------------
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Thrust Unit XM482 Semitrailer. Covered and uncovered views of the trailers here:
www.myarmyredstonedays.com/pdf_folder/june_59_page_40.pdf
Trailer being opened, exposing "thrust unit" portion of the missile:
www.wsmr-history.org/RedstoneFirst6.htm
www.wsmr-history.org/RedstoneFirst7.htm
www.myarmyredstonedays.com/Photos/page14/feb_59_001.html
www.myarmyredstonedays.com/Photos/page14/feb_59_002.html
www.myarmyredstonedays.com/Photos/page14/feb_59_003.html
-------------------------
Redstone was the Army's largest surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Modified Redstone rockets launched America's first satellite and first human into space. Developed by Wernher Von Braun, Redstone is a direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was designed to extend the firepower and range of conventional artillery cannon against ground targets. It could deliver a nuclear or high-explosive warhead to targets 200 miles away. In 1951, a nuclear warhead meant a 3-ton package. Since Redstone was a ballistic missile, its initial trajectory and guidance was provided by the launcher. Great care was taken to level the missile and to orient the stabilized platform accurately in the direction of the target.
Redstone's liquid-fueled engine burned alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing about 75,000 pounds of thrust. At burnout, or when the propellant was exhausted, it had a speed of 3,800 miles per hour (6,116 kilometers per hour). For guidance, Redstone had a totally new pure-inertial guidance system using air-bearing gyros. Beyond the earth's atmosphere the inertial guidance system directed it toward the target. After reaching the proper speed, the rocket engine cut out and dropped off, along with the fuel tanks. Then the guidance system and warhead coasted to the target.
As a field artillery missile, Redstone was mobile and transportable by plane, truck or train. However, when on the move, it needed a convoy eighteen miles long, with 200 vehicles carrying approximately 10,000 individual pieces of equipment and more than 600 men. The Redstone itself was carried on three trucks-its nose section (warhead) midsection (power plant and fuel tanks) and tail section- to be assembled in the field.
Named after Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where it was developed and built, Redstone's development was triggered by outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 to counter Soviet Cold War threats. The first Redstone missile was launched on August 20, 1953 from the Army's missile test range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and traveled 8,000 yards (7,315 meters). Thirty-six more were launched rough 1958, testing structure, engine performance, guidance and control, tracking and telemetry. On May 16, 1958, combat-ready soldiers fired their first Redstone rocket. It was put into U.S. Army service in Germany that June.
Redstone has been called the Model-T of the Free World's space program. A solid-fuel fourth stage was added to it and Redstone became the Jupiter-C rocket. On January 31, 1958, a Jupiter-C lifted America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer I, into space.
Starting in 1959, warhead some Redstone rockets were modified for NASA's Mercury program. Propellant tanks were elongated by 96 inches, adding 20 seconds of burn time. The section was replaced by the Mercury capsule and escape tower. The first of these Mercury Redstone rockets was tested at Cape Canaveral on December 19, 1960. On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he was launched on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule by a Redstone rocket engine.
Between 1958 and 1962, eighteen Redstone missiles were fired at White Sands Missile Range. Pershing replaced Redstone beginning in 1960.
Length: 69 ft
Diameter: 70 in
Weight: 30 tons
Propellant: Liquid
Range: 200 miles
First Fired: 1958
Hampton Air Power Park and Museum (Hampton, VA) - 02 MAY 2012
Display 0??
The Jupiter Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) was originally developed by the U.S. Army as a long-range successor to its PGM-11 Redstone missile, but was eventually taken over and deployed by the USAF for political reasons. It was also the only one of the United States' early stategic ballistic missiles with some mobility.
The Army's Redstone Arsenal started the Jupiter program in 1954 as a 1600 km (1000 mile) range development of the PGM-11 Redstone. When the SM-75/PGM-17 Thor IRBM development was approved in 1955, the Army was ordered to develop Jupiter in collaboration with the U.S. Navy as a sea-launched missile. However, a liquid-fueled rocket was incompatible with the Navy's ship-borne safety requirements, and therefore the Navy began development of a solid-fueled Jupiter derivative (called Jupiter S) in February 1956. The Jupiter S was soon cancelled, however, being replaced by the UGM-27 Polaris SLBM. Tests of the Jupiter's Rocketdyne S-3D engine had been underway since November 1955, and flight tests of Jupiter components on modified PGM-11 Redstone missiles, designated Jupiter A, began in March 1956. Also in 1956, Chrysler was awarded a contract for all future production of Jupiter missiles. The Jupiter C was a further modified Jupiter A to test the new ablative reentry nose cone of the forthcoming Jupiter IRBM. It was equipped with a cluster of small rockets around the nose cone working as a second stage. First flown in September 1956, the Jupiter C earned fame when its four-stage derivative, the Juno I, launched the first U.S. satellite (Explorer 1) into orbit on 1 February 1958.
The Jupiter IRBM itself differed significantly from the Redstone and Jupiter A/C missiles. Stemming from the original Navy requirements to store it in submarines, it was much shorter and fatter, and used a gimballed rocket nozzle instead of fins for stability and control. Most important for the later operational career of the Jupiter was a decision by the Secretary of Defense in November 1956 to settle a dispute between the Army and the Air Force about the responsibility for surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. It was decided that the USAF would be given the sole control for all missiles with a range over 320 km (200 miles). From this moment, Jupiter was officially an Air Force program, and the USAF in turn assigned the designation SM-78 to the Jupiter IRBM. Although the range restriction for Army missiles was lifted less than a year later, the Jupiter remained with the USAF.
Development of the Jupiter was still continued by the Army, and in October 1957 the first successful SM-78 launch occurred. The USAF was initially somewhat reluctant to accept a second IRBM besides its "own" SM-75/PGM-17 Thor, but this was changed in November 1957, when DOD officially announced to deploy both the Thor and Jupiter IRBMs. In 1959, the USA had finally negotiated with Italy and Turkey to base the Jupiter in these countries. The first SM-78 squadrons became fully operational in Italy and Turkey in June and November 1961, respectively. After a few months, control of the Jupiter squadrons was turned over to Italian/Turkish troops. In total, 30 missiles were deployed to Italy, and 15 to Turkey.
The SM-78 was a single-stage rocket, powered by a single Rocketdyne S-3D engine fueled by kerosene and liquid oxygen. This was the same engine as in the SM-75/PGM-17 Thor. However, the SM-78 was a more effective IRBM than the SM-75, because of its mobility. Although a Jupiter launch site was far from easy to move, requiring more than 20 vehicles, it did significantly increase the missile's survivability in a pre-emptive attack, because the location of the Jupiters could not be pre-targeted by the enemy. Also, the SM-78's ablative reentry vehicle flew through the atmosphere at much higher speed than the SM-75's Mk.2 RV, making it less susceptible to wind drift and therefore significantly more accurate. The Jupiter's guidance unit was an ST-90 all-inertial navigation system by Ford Instrument.
The SM-78 did not stay in service very long. In January 1963 the USA announced to withdraw all Jupiters from Italy and Turkey, and by July that year, the last missile had been removed. The U.S. Navy's deployment of the UGM-27A Polaris SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) had made land-based IRBMs redundant. In June 1963, immediately prior to retirement, the SM-78 had been redesignated as PGM-19A. Until 1960, when production ceased, about 100 Jupiter IRBMs had been built by Chrysler.
Unlike many other retired USAF ballistic missiles, the SM-78 was not used as a space launch vehicle. The Jupiter formed the first stage of NASA's Juno II launch vehicle, but this was only moderately successful.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for PGM-19A:
Length: 18.3 m (60 ft)
Diameter: 2.67 m (8 ft 9 in)
Weight: 49800 kg (110000 lb)
Speed: 16100 km/h (10000 mph)
Ceiling: 610 km (380 miles)
Range: 2980 km (1850 miles)
Propulsion: Rocketdyne LR79-NA (Model S-3D); 666 kN (150000 lb)
Warhead: W-49 thermonuclear (1.45 MT) in a Goodyear RV