1937 November 24 - Launch Vehicle: Goddard. Model: Goddard L-C. -
 Flight of Goddard series L section C rocket. Nation: USA. Apogee: 0.0300 km (0.0186 mi). Short flight, leaned after leaving tower, fell 100 ft from tower; lift low. References: 482.
1937 December 1 - Launch Vehicle: Truax. - Truax first rocket test. Nation: USA. Initial rocket thrust chamber tests by R. C. Truax at Annapolis, Md., using compressed air and gasoline as fuels. References: 17.
1937 December 4 - Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: A3. FAILURE: Engine cutoff at 6.5 seconds. -
 First A3 launch Nation: Germany. Apogee: 0.10 km (0.06 mi). First launch of an A3 rocket. New facilites being built at Peenemuende were not ready, so the A3 launches were made from the offshore island of Greifswalder Oie. The A3 launched on this day was 6.5 m long and 70 cm in diameter. The engine occupied the first 2 m of the fuselage. The missile had a 750 kg lift-off mass, including 450 kg of propellant, which was pressurised to 20 atmospheres. The 1.5 tonne thrust engine had a 1900 m/s exhaust velocity and a 45 second burn time. The parachute deployed 3 seconds after launch, and the engine cutoff at 6.5 seconds. The rocket impacted and exploded 300 m from the launch point.
References: 86, 394.
1937 December 6 - Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: A3. FAILURE: Engine cutoff early. - A3 launch Nation: Germany. Apogee: 0.10 km (0.06 mi). Second launch of an A3. Same result as the first - the rocket made a quarter turn after launch, then reached only 100 m before the parachute jettisoned and the missile crashed into the sea a short distance from the launch stand. References: 394.
1937 December 8 - Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: A3. FAILURE: Engine cutoff early. - A3 launch Nation: Germany. Apogee: 0.10 km (0.06 mi). Third launch of an A3. No parachute deployment and the engine cut-off early. The rocket impacted into the Baltic Sea and sank. References: 394.
1937 December 11 - Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: A3. FAILURE: Engine cutoff early. - A3 launch Nation: Germany. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Final launch of the A3. The rocket is fired without the parachute that ruined the first two attempts, but in heavy fog. It is more successful than earlier shots, but at 800 to 1000 m altitude it also veers over and thrusts its way downward into the ocean. Analysis showed that the fins steering the rocket could not overcome the 8 m/s wind blowing at the time of the launch. Further study shows that at the low speed of initial rocket acceleration, a wind as little as 4 m/s would be enough to topple the rocket. A rudder area ten times greater than is needed to control the rocket at low speeds. This result leads to the decision to abandon the A3 configuration and build the A5 to support development of the A4 missile.
References: 394.
Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.
© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.
|
|