Chronology - Quarter 2 1950

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Previous Home Next 1950 April - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Navaho reoriented Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. The XSSM-A-2 1600-km range version of the Navaho is canceled. The three airframes completed are abandoned. The USAF instructs North American to proceed instead with development of a 10,200-km range version of the missile using the same aerodynamics, engines, and navigation systems already in development. This is to deliver a 3150-kg nuclear payload, and is to be achieved by making a separable booster stage with two engines deliver a ramjet-only cruise stage to ignition velocity. References: 221. 1950 April 15 - Missile development moved to Redstone Arsenal. Nation: USA. Program: Explorer. Peenemuende team moved from White Sands to Huntsville References: 86. 1950 April 26 - XS-1 Flight 132 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 78. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Yeager. AF flight 56. Lateral stability and control investigation. References: 49, 97. 1950 April 26 - OKB-1 founded. Nation: USSR. Decree 'On creation of OKB-1 within NII-88' was issued. References: 474. 1950 April 26 - 01:11 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC35. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee XASR-SC-2. LV Configuration: Aerobee XASR-SC-2 SC 11. Air Sampling Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1811 local time. Reached 99.5 km. References: 2. 1950 May - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho X-10. Preliminary design of X-10 begins Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. Although the formal redirection of the Navaho program would not come for two months, North American began design of an aerodynamic and systems testbed. References: 221. 1950 May 5 - XS-1 Flight 133 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 79. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Ridley. AF flight 57. Buffeting, wing and tail loads. References: 49, 97. 1950 May 8 - XS-1 Flight 134 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 80. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Ridley. AF flight 58. Buffeting, wing and tail loads. References: 49, 97. 1950 May 12 - XS-1 Flight 135 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 55. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Griffith. NACA flight 34. Spanwise pressure distribution, stability and control. Pull-ups and rolls. References: 49, 97. 1950 May 12 - XS-1 Flight 136 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 81. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Yeager. AF flight 59. Last flight of XS-1 No. 1 rocket research airplane, for RKO motion picture "Test Pilot," which was turned over to the National Air Museum at the Smithsonian on August 28th. References: 17, 49, 97. 1950 May 12 - 03:08 GMT - Launch Site: Pacific Ocean. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: 0.2 N x 161.4 W. Launch Vehicle: Viking. LV Configuration: Viking 4. Viking 4 Ionosphere/Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 171 km (106 mi). Cosmic radiation; upper-air pressures and temperatures research. Ship launch. Launched at 1608 local time. Reached 169 km. NRL Viking No. 4 research rocket fired from the USS Norton Sound, near Jarvis Island in the Pacific (0.19 N 161.42 W), at the intersection of the geographic and geomagnetic equators. It set an altitude record for an American single-stage rocket and was the first firing of the Viking from shipboard. References: 2. 1950 May 17 - XS-1 Flight 137 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 56. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Griffith. NACA flight 35. Spanwise pressure distribution, stability and control. Pull-ups and rolls. Mach 1.13 at 12810 m. References: 49, 97. 1950 May 18 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. E2 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 2. 1950 May 19 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Hermes. Model: Hermes A-1. LV Configuration: Hermes A-1 1. FAILURE: Failure. Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). First Army Hermes A-1 test rocket fired at WSPG. References: 2. 1950 May 26 - XS-1 Flight 138 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 57. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Griffith. NACA flight 36. Spanwise pressure distribution, stability and control. Pull-ups and rolls. Mach 1.20. Nosewheel collapsed on landing. References: 49, 97. 1950 June 1 - VfR resurrected. Nation: Germany. VfR, the German Rocket Society disestablished by Hitler in 1933, passed resolution calling for international conference of all astronautical societies. References: 17. 1950 June 6 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Ramjet reaches Mach 3.1. Nation: USA. Ramjet missile launched which accelerated under ramjet power to Mach 3.1 at 67,200-feet altitude, at NACA Wallops Island. References: 17. 1950 June 6 - Tsien Hsue-shen accused of being a Communist. Nation: China. Program: Long March. FBI agents interrogate Tsien Hsue-shen on allegations that he is a Communist. The same day his security clearance is revoked, making it virtually impossible to continue meaningful work in rocketry. The allegations seem unlikely to his associates at CalTech (his wife was the daughter of one of Chiang Kai-shek's leading military strategists). Two weeks later, Tsien announces his intention to return to China. Tsien, denied the possibility to work, becomes enmeshed in a tug-of-war between differing viewpoints in the US government bureaucracy: those that want to deport him as an undesirable alien, and those that want to keep him in the country because of what he knows. References: 31. 1950 June 13 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Air Force given responsibility for Cape Canaveral. Nation: USA. Department of Defense assigned range responsibilities to the armed services: Army: White Sands, N. Mex., Proving Ground and nearby Holloman Air Force Base at Alamogordo; Navy: Point Mugu, Calif.: Air Force: Long-Range Proving Groud at Banana River, Fla. (now called Cape Canaveral). References: 17. 1950 June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean Communist forces invade South Korea Nation: USA. Previous Home Next 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.