Chronology - Quarter 1 1947

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Previous Home Next 1947 January - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho SSM-A-2. MX-770 Three-Phase plan proposed. Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. Phase 1 consisted of a study of the German A4b and A9 boost-glide missiles; Phase 2 consisted of study of replacing the rocket engines of the design with supersonic ramjets in order to extend the range; Phase 3 would determine the size and type of the booster needed to boost the reengined A9 to ramjet ignition speed. At this time North American has a staff of 43 working at its Technical Research Laboratory in Los Angeles, including 12 PhD's and 18 ME's. References: 221. Early 1947 - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. MX-774 Azusa tracking tests Nation: USA. Tracking tests started with experimental Azusa equipment References: 4460. 1947 January 8 - XS-1 Flight 17 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 7. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 7. Buffet boundary investigation. Mach 0.80 at 10675 m. References: 49, 97. 1947 January 10 - 21:13 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 18. Chemical release missio Nation: USA. Agency: USA/NRL. Apogee: 116 km (72 mi). Launched 14:13 local time. Reached 116.5 km. Carried cosmic radiation experiments for Naval Research Lab. References: 2. 1947 January 17 - XS-1 Flight 18 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 8. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 8. Buffet boundary investigation. Full-power climb. Plane reached mach 0.82. References: 49, 97. 1947 January 22 - XS-1 Flight 19 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 9. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 9. Buffet boundary investigation. Full-power climb. Telemetry failure. References: 49, 97. 1947 January 23 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Hermes telemetry system test. Nation: USA. Telemetry operated successfully in a V-2 firing at WSPG, Army Ordnance's Hermes telemetry system. References: 17. 1947 January 23 - XS-1 Flight 20 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 10. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 10. Buffet boundary investigation. Full-power climb. References: 49, 97. 1947 January 24 - 00:22 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 19. Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA/GE. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Launched 17:22 local time. Reached 50 km. Carried no upper atmospheric research experiments. Technology flight for General Electric. References: 2. 1947 January 30 - XS-1 Flight 21 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 11. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 11. Accelerated stalls. Partial power due to engine igniters. Mach 0.75. References: 49, 97. 1947 January 31 - XS-1 Flight 22 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 12. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 12. Buffet boundary investigation. Mach 0.7. References: 49, 97. 1947 February - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho SSM-A-2. Nuclear engines ruled out for MX-770 Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. North American completed its study of the possible use of nuclear-powered engines on the missile, and decided to use conventional propellants. References: 221. 1947 February 5 - XS-1 Flight 23 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 13. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 13. Machmeter calibration. References: 49, 97. 1947 February 7 - XS-1 Flight 24 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 14. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 14. Buffet boundary investigation. References: 49, 97. 1947 February 11 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: FFAR. RM-10 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 2. 1947 February 12 - Sikhote-Alin Meteorite Shower Nation: USSR. 1947 February 18 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Wac. Model: WAC B. LV Configuration: WAC B 27B. FAILURE: Failure. Booster test Nation: USA. Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi). References: 2. 1947 February 19 - XS-1 Flight 25 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 15. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 15. Accelerated stalls. References: 49, 97. 1947 February 19 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Wac. Model: WAC B. LV Configuration: WAC B 28B. Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 44 km (27 mi). References: 2. 1947 February 20 - 18:16 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 20. Blossom I Ionosphere/Biological mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA/ARDC. Apogee: 109 km (67 mi). Launched 11:16 local time. Reached 109.7 km. Carried pressure, ionosphere, sky brightness, biological, photo experiments for Air Research and Development Command. First of a series of V-2 firings known as Blossom Project, tested ejection of canister and its recovery by parachute, containing fruit flies and various types of seeds exposed to cosmic rays. References: 2. 1947 February 21 - XS-1 Flight 26 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 16. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Goodlin. Bell flight 16. Flight aborted after drop because of low engine-chamber pressure. References: 49, 97. 1947 February 24 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Wac. Model: WAC B. LV Configuration: WAC B 29B. Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 73 km (45 mi). References: 2. 1947 March 1 - Von Braun marries Maria von Quistorp. Nation: USA. Von Braun had mailed a marriage proposal to the 18-year old the previous year They were married her in a local Lutheran church. In December 1948, his first daughter, Iris was born at Fort Bliss Army Hospital. 1947 March - I-270 rocketplane first powered flight. Nation: USSR. Spacecraft: I-270. Studies for a copy of the Me-163B rocket fighter were already undertaken by OKB MiG in 1944. Post-war Soviet technical teams discovered the more advanced Ju-248 (Me-263) design and the decision was made that MiG would copy this design. The first airframe, Zh-1, began glider tests in December 1946. The Zh-2, rocket-powered with a dual thrust engine first flew in March 1947. The I-270 was abandoned after the Zh-2 was written off after a hard landing in spring 1947. 1947 March - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho SSM-A-2. Solid-fuel ramjets for MX-770 Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. North American studied solid-fuel ramjets as a possible propulsion source for the MX-770. It was decided to use a liquid-propellant ramjet. References: 221. 1947 March 3 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Wac. Model: WAC B. LV Configuration: WAC B 30B. Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 63 km (39 mi). References: 2. 1947 March 4 - Soviet Union rejects U.S. plan for UN atomic-energy control Nation: International. 1947 March 7 - 18:23 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 21. Solar ultraviolet / chemical release / ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA/NRL. Apogee: 161 km (100 mi). Launched 11:23 local time. Reached 162.9 km. Carried cosmic radiation, pressure, temperature, photo, biological experiments for Naval Research Lab. Took first photograph from 100-mile altitude. References: 2. Previous Home Next Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments. Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site.. 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