Chronology - Quarter 2 1953

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Previous Home Next 1953 April 1 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5. Phase I state trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Of the 8 rockets of the first production lot fired, 6 reached the target area. References: 2. 1953 April - Launch Vehicle: Buran, Burya, Soyuz. USSR Council of Ministers approve R-7 ICBM, Buran and Burya intercontinental cruise missiles Nation: USSR. Program: Navaho. Informal go-ahead was given for Korolev to start design work on the R-7. In parallel, Myasishchev OKB-23 and Lavochkin OKB-301 began design of intercontinental ramjet cruise missiles. References: 70. Spring 1953 - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. Atlas size reduced. Nation: USA. Atlas 12-foot diameter, 110 feet long, 440,000 pounds, 3000-pound warhead, 5500 nautical mile range, 1500-foot CEP References: 4460. 1953 April 2 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5. Phase I state trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 2. 1953 April 8 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5. FAILURE: Failure. Phase I state trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). References: 2. 1953 April 10 - X-1A Flight 5 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1A flight 5. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1A. Crew: Ziegler. Bell flight 5. Pilot noted low-frequency elevator buzz at mach 0.93, did not proceed above this speed, pending buzz investigation. References: 49, 97. 1953 April 14 - 15:47 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee RTV-A-1a. LV Configuration: Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 35. Heating test Nation: USA. Agency: ARDC. Apogee: 122 km (75 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 0847 local time. Reached 122.3 km. References: 2. 1953 April 18 - Reorganization of Soviet missile bureaucracy. Nation: USSR. Ministry of Armed Forces Decree 'On formation of UZKA of GAU' was issued. References: 474. 1953 April 18 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-11. Model: R-11. Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). Massive problems were encountered in the difficult test series - with poor-quality kerosene fuel, handling and leakage of the propellants, and reliable start of the engine. But the Red Army saw much more promise in the design than in Korolev's cumbersome liquid oxygen rockets. References: 2. 1953 April 18 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Bechar. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Veronique. LV Configuration: Veronique N11. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Nation: France. Agency: FR. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). References: 2. 1953 April 21 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Bechar. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Veronique. LV Configuration: Veronique N10. Test mission Nation: France. Agency: FR. Apogee: 45 km (27 mi). References: 2. 1953 April 22 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LA. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Lark. LV Configuration: Lark 614. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). References: 2. 1953 April 23 - 19:33 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 30. Sphere Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 124 km (77 mi). References: 2. 1953 April 24 - 10:19 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 28. Grenade Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 108 km (67 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 0319 local time. Reached 107.8 km. References: 2. 1953 April 25 - X-1A Flight 6 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1A flight 6. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1A. Crew: Ziegler. Bell flight 6. Buzz again noted at mach 0.93. Turbopump overspeeding caused pilot to terminate power and jettison remaining fuel. References: 49, 97. 1953 May 1 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-11. Model: R-11. Test mission Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). References: 2. 1953 May 1 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5. Phase I state trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 2. 1953 May 1 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5. Phase I state trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Range achieved 270 km. First test launch of R-5. References: 2. 1953 May - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho X-10. First X-10 delivered to Edwards AFB. Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. The crane dropped the aircraft at Edwards; but the damage could be repaired there. The autopilot and radio control systems had already been verified at Edwards in flights conducted with F-86D fighters and a QF-80 drone aircraft since December. An ET-33 flight control aircraft had been modified to control the X-10 in flight. References: 221. 1953 May 8 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Deacon. Model: Triple Deacon. Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). First launching of a cluster of three Deacon rockets as a booster at NACA's Wallops Island. References: 2. 1953 May 11 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-1. Model: R-1 8A11. LV Configuration: R-1 8A11 No 220. Operational test Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 2. 1953 May 12 - X-2 explodes in air Nation: USA. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-2 . Crew: Ziegler. During a Bell captive-carry flight test over Lake Ontario, X-2 number 46-675 suddenly exploded, killing Bell test pilot Jean Ziegler and observer Frank Wolko. The EB-50A mothership managed to land, although damaged. Only after several other mysterious X-plane losses was the cause found to be a rocket engine gasket made of Ulmer leather, which decomposed and became explosively unstable after sustained exposure to liquid oxygen. References: 49, 97. 1953 May 20 - 14:04 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee RTV-A-1a. LV Configuration: Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 36. AF Airglow 3 Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: ARDC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Sky brightness, day airglow research. Launched at 0704 local time. Reached 114.3 km. References: 2. 1953 May 21 - 15:47 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee RTV-A-1a. LV Configuration: Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 37. AF Airglow 4 Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: ARDC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Sky brightness, day airglow research. Launched at 0847 local time. Reached 114.3 km. References: 2. 1953 May 23 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5. Phase I state trials launch Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Completion of first series of 8 R-5 flight tests. 2 achieved 270 km range, 5, 1200 km range, and one, 550 km range. References: 2. 1953 June 1 - Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal I development complete. Nation: USA. Jet Propulsion Laboratory completed development of the Corporal I, the first U.S. surface-to-surface ballistic missile, and continued with Corporal II development. Army Ordnance also asked JPL to study application of large-scale solid propellant rockets for use as surface-to-surface guided missiles. References: 17. 1953 June - Launch Vehicle: R-2. First R-2 production delivery Nation: USSR. The first production rocket was rolled out at Dnepropetrovsk (only six months after the first all-Dnepropetrovsk R-1). Following receipt of production missiles, divisions were deployed to Zhitomir; Kolomoaya; Medved, Novgorod oblast; Kamyshin, Volgograd oblast; Shyalya, Lithuania; Dzhambul, Kazakhstan; and Ordzhonikidze, in the Far East. 1953 June - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. Defense Secretary Wilson institutes reviews of guided missiles' status Nation: USA. References: 4460. 1953 June 3 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-11. Model: R-11. Test mission Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). References: 2. 1953 June 18 - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Hermes. Model: Hermes A-3A. LV Configuration: Hermes A-3A 2. Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 30 km (18 mi). References: 2. 1953 June 25 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Deacon. Model: Triple Deacon. F23 Ramjet test Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 41 km (25 mi). References: 2. 1953 June 26 - 19:10 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee RTV-A-1a. LV Configuration: Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 38. AF / Utah Ionosphere 3 Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: ARDC. Apogee: 135 km (83 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1210 local time. Reached 135.2 km. 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.. To contact astronauts or cosmonauts. © Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.