Little Joe/Mercury Credit - NASA

Little Joe was used to test the Mercury capsule launch escape system. The booster was designed by NASA Langley using existing components. Four Thiokol Castor-I H series solid rocket motors were mounted in an aerodynamic finned fairing built by North American.

Manufacturer: North American. Launches: 9. Failures: 4. Success Rate: 55.56%. First Launch Date: 1959-08-21. Last Launch Date: 1961-04-28. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 89 km (55 mi).

2 stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 2 x Pollux

Apogee: 60 km (37 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 650.000 kN (146,120 lbf). Total Mass: 12,700 kg (27,900 lb). Core Diameter: 2.03 m (6.66 ft). Total Length: 15.20 m (49.80 ft).

2 stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 4 x Castor

Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 1,044.000 kN (234,700 lbf). Total Mass: 12,700 kg (27,900 lb). Core Diameter: 2.03 m (6.66 ft). Total Length: 15.20 m (49.80 ft).

2 stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 4 x Pollux

Apogee: 60 km (37 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 650.000 kN (146,120 lbf). Total Mass: 12,700 kg (27,900 lb). Core Diameter: 2.03 m (6.66 ft). Total Length: 15.20 m (49.80 ft).

1958 January 16 - Launch Vehicle: Little Joe.

• Little Joe launch vehicle conceived. Nation: USA. Paul E. Purser and Maxime A. Faget conceived of a solid-fuel launch vehicle design for the research and development phase of a manned satellite vehicle project. This launch vehicle was later designated Little Joe. When Project Mecury began in October 1958, the purposeof the Little Joe phase was to propel a full-scale, full-weight developmental version of the manned spacecraft to some of the flight conditions that would be encountered during exit from the atmosphere on an orbital mission. Also, Little Joe tests were used to perfect the escape maneuver in the event of an aborted mission.References: 483.

• Design work started on Mercury Little Joe Nation: USA. Design work was started on the Little Joe vehicles and test model spacecraft. References: 483.

• Bidders' briefing for the Mercury Little Joe launch vehicle. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. A bidders' briefing for the Little Joe launch vehicle was held. As earlier mentioned, this launch vehicle was to be used in the development phase of the manned satellite project. The Little Joe launch vehicle was 48 feet in height, weighed (at maximum) 41,330 pounds, was 6.66 feet in diameter, consisted of four Pollux and four Recruit clustered, solid-fuel rockets, could develop a thrust of 250,000 pounds, and could lift a maximum payload of 3,942 pounds.References: 483.

• Mercury Little Joe air frame contract. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. A contract was awarded to North American Aviation for design and construction of the Little Joe air frame. References: 483.

• Letter-of-intent placed for Mercury Little Joe Test air frames. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. The letter-of-intent was placed with North American Aviation for the fabrication of the Little Joe Test vehicle air frame. Delivery of the air frames for flight testing was scheduled to occur every three weeks beginning in June 1959. Space Task Group had ordered all the major rocket motors, which were scheduled for delivery well ahead of the Little Joe flight test schedule. The spacecraft for this phase of the program was being designed and construction would start shortly. Thus the Little Joe program should meet its intended flight test schedule.References: 483.

• 6 main parachute and 12 drogue parachute canisters for Mercury Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Funds were requested to purchase 6 main parachute and 12 drogue parachute canisters from the Goodyear Aircraft Corporation in support of the Little Joe and Big Joe phases of Project Mercury. References: 483.

• Bio-pack experiments for Mercury Little Joe flights. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Space Task Group, Langley Research Center, and Air Force School of Aviation Medicine personnel met to plan bio-pack experiments that would be placed in several of the Little Joe research and development test flights. References: 483.

• Studies on Mercury - Little Joe separation Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Studies were in progress to determine the optimum altitude for separation of the Little Joe spacecraft from its launch vehicle. References: 483.

• Project Mercury animal payload program. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. NASA and the military services conducted meetings to draft final plans for the Project Mercury animal payload program. The animal program was planned to cover nine flights, involving Little Joe, Redstone, Jupiter, and Atlas launch vehicles. References: 483.

• Ground-instrumentation requirements for Mercury Little Joe Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Ground-instrumentation requirements for firing Little Joe test vehicles at Wallops Island were drafted. These requirements involved pulse radars, camera, Doppler radar, wind-monitoring instruments, telemetry equipment, and a ground destruct system. References: 483.

• Mercury Little Joe Project Coordination Meeting Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. A Little Joe Project Coordination Meeting, attended by personnel from Space Task Group, McDonnell, and Wallops Island, was held for the first time. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the status of various developmental phases and whether or not proper coordination was being effected with other related projects in the Mercury program (Big Joe, Mercury-Atlas, Mercury-Redstone, and Mercury-Jupiter). The important factor with regard to the latter item was whether or not a reasonable launch schedule could be established and maintained.References: 483.

• Pigs not to fly in space in Project Mercury Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Pigs were eliminated as Little Joe flight test subjects when studies disclosed that they could not survive long periods of time on their backs. However, McDonnell did use a pig, 'Gentle Bess,' to test the impact crushable support, and the test was successful.References: 483.

• First two Mercury Little Joe booster airframes delivered Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. North American Aviation delivered the first two Little Joe booster airframes, and noted that the four remaining were on fabrication schedule. The planned program was moving smoothly, for rocket motors to be used in the first flight were available at Wallops Station, Virginia, the test flight launching site. In addition, procurement of the test spacecraft incorporating Mercury flight items was on schedule, and the first spacecraft had been instrumented by Space Task Group personnel. Work was also in progress on other test spacecraft.References: 483.

• Bio-packs to be used in the NASA Mercury Little Joe Flight program. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Space Task Group officials met with representatives of the School of Aviation Medicine to discuss detailed aspects of the bio-packs to be used in the NASA Little Joe Flight program. The packs were to be furnished by the school. The purpose was to gather life support data that would be applicable to the manned flights of Project Mercury.References: 483.

• Ablation materials for the Mercury Little Joe flights. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Between June 28 and July 11, 1959, 12 heat-transfer tests were made in the Preflight Jet Test facility at Wallops Island on several ablation materials being considered for use on the spacecraft afterbody (not heat shield) for the Little Joe flights. Test conditions simulated those of actual Little Joe trajectories. Of the materials used, triester polymer and thermolag demonstrated the capability to protect the spacecraft against expected heat loads.References: 483.

• Second beach abort test leading to the Mercury Little Joe test series. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. A boilerplate spacecraft, instrumented to measure sound pressure level and vibration, was launched in the second beach abort test leading to the Little Joe test series. The purpose of the instrumentation was to obtain measurement of the vibration and sound environment encountered on the capsule during the firing of the Grand Central abort rocket. Memo, Charles A. Hardesty to NASA Langley IRD files, subject: Sound Measurements on the Second Beach Abort Test on the Little Joe Capsule, Oct. 9, 1959.References: 483.

• Mercury LJ-1 Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 0.61 km (0.38 mi). During the countdown of the first programed Little Joe launching (LJ-1 beach abort test) at Wallops Island, the escape rocket fired prematurely 31 minutes before the scheduled launch. The spacecraft rose to an altitude of 2,000 feet and landed about 2,000 feet from the launch site. Premature firing was caused by a faulty escape circuit.References: 483, 1592.

• Mercury LJ-1 Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Launching of Mercury capsule mockup from Wallops Station to test the escape and recovery systems; emergency escape rocket accidentally fired 30 minutes before scheduled firing of the Little Joe booster. References: 17, 278.

• Spacecraft Test mission Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 59 km (36 mi). NASA Little Joe launch vehicle carrying a boilerplate Mercury capsule with a dummy escape system successfully launched from Wallops Station, Va. References: 17, 860.

• Mercury LJ-1A Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 14 km (8 mi). Little Joe 1-A (LJ-1A) was launched in a test for a planned abort under high aerodynamic load conditions. This flight was a repeat of the Little Joe (LJ-1) that had been planned for August 21, 1959 (escape rocket fired 31 min before the intended launch of the Little Joe launch vehicle). After lift-off, the pressure sensing system was to supply a signal when the intended abort dynamic pressure was reached (about 30 sec after launch). An electrical impulse was then sent to the explosive bolts to separate the spacecraft from the launch vehicle. Up to this point, the operation went as planned, but the impulse was also designed to start the igniter in the escape motor. The igniter activated, but pressure failed to build up in the motor until a number of seconds had elapsed. Thus the abort maneuver, the prime mission of the flight, was accomplished at a dynamic pressure that was too low. For this reason a repeat of the test was planned. All other events from the launch through recovery occurred without incident. The flight attained an altitude of 9 statute miles, a range of 11.5 statute miles, and a speed of 2,021.6 miles per hour.References: 483, 861.

• Spacecraft Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 89 km (55 mi). References: 1753.

• Mercury LJ-1B Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 14 km (8 mi). Little Joe 1-B (LJ-1B) was launched from Wallops Island with a rhesus monkey, 'Miss Sam,' aboard. Test objectives for this flight were the same as those for Little Joe 1 (LJ-1) in which the escape tower launched 31 minutes before the planned launch, and Little Joe 1-A (LJ-1A), wherein the dynamic buildup in the abort maneuver was too low. A physiological study of the primate, particularly in areas applying to the effects of the rapid onset of reverse acceleration during abort at maximum dynamic pressure, was also made. In addition, the Mercury helicopter recovery system was exercised. During the mission, all sequences operated as planned; the spacecraft attained a peak altitude of 9.3 statute miles, a range of 11.7 statute miles, and a maximum speed of 2,021.6 miles per hour. Thirty minutes from launch time, a Marine recovery helicopter deposited the spacecraft and its occupant at Wallops Station. 'Miss Sam' was in good condition, and all test objectives were successfully fulfilled.References: 483, 863.

• External and Internal Noise of Mercury Space Capsules. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. A study was completed on the 'External and Internal Noise of Space Capsules.' This study covered the acoustic environments of missile and space vehicles including noise generated by the rocket engines, air-boundary layers, and on-board equipment. Data used included noise measurements compiled from the Big Joe I and Little Joe 2 flight tests. These tests were a part of the internal and external noise study that had been in progress since early 1959. NASA officials were still of the opinion that the internal noise level was too high for pilot comfort. Space Task Group felt that data were needed on noise transmission through an actual production-model spacecraft structure.References: 483.

• Mercury spacecraft No. 3 erected at Wallops Island. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Mercury spacecraft No. 3, initially delivered to Langley on July 29, 1959, for a noise and vibration test, was erected at the Wallops Island launch site for the Little Joe 5 (LJ-5). References: 483.

• Mercury LJ-5 Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 16 km (9 mi). Little Joe 5 with a Mercury production spacecraft was launched from Wallops Island to test the spacecraft in an abort simulating the most severe launch conditions. At 15.4 seconds after liftoff, the escape rocket motor and tower jettison motor ignited prematurely. Booster, capsule, and tower remained mated through ballistic trajectory until destroyed on impact.References: 16, 862.

• Little Joe 5A (cancelled) Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Little Joe was a booster lashed together by NASA Langley to test the Mercury escape tower abort system. In early NASA secretly considered a manned mission atop Little Joe but quickly dropped the idea when the dynamic pressures involved were reviewed (the concept nevertheless emerged in the trade press in 'Aviation Leak' (Aviation Week and Space Technology).References: 59, 529.

• Mercury spacecraft No. 14 delivered to Wallops Island Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Mercury spacecraft No. 14 was delivered to Wallops Island for the Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A) maximum dynamic pressure abort test. References: 483.

• Mercury LJ-5A Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Class: Manned. Type: Spacecraft. Spacecraft: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 12 km (7 mi). Mercury Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A), the sixth in the series of Little Joe missions, was launched from Wallops Island. This flight was intended to satisfy test objectives, which were not met previously because of the failure of the spacecraft to separate from the launch vehicle during the Little Joe 5 (LJ-5) mission flown on November 8, 1960. For reference, the purpose of this test was to demonstrate primarily the structural integrity of the spacecraft and the escape system during an escape maneuver initiated at the highest dynamic pressure anticipated during an Atlas launch for orbital flight. Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A) lifted off normally, but 19 seconds later the escape tower fired prematurely, a situation closely resembling the November 1960 flight. The signal to initiate the abort maneuver was given; and the launch vehicle-adapter clamp ring was released as intended, but the spacecraft remained on the launch vehicle since the escape motor was already expended. The separation was effected by using the retrorockets, but this command was transmitted before the flight had reached its apex, where separation had been planned. Therefore, the separation was rather violent. The parachutes did deploy at about 40,000 feet, and after recovery it was found that the spacecraft had actually incurred only superficial structural damage. In fact, this spacecraft was later used for the subsequent Little Joe 5B (LJ-5B) flight test. Test objectives of the Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A) were not met.References: 18, 1592.

• Mercury spacecraft No. 14A was delivered to Wallops Island. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. It would be used for the Little Joe 5B (LJ-5B) maximum dynamic-pressure abort mission. This spacecraft was first used in the Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A) mission and was then refitted for the LJ-5B flight. References: 483.

• Mercury LJ-5B Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi). Little Joe 5B (LJ-5B) was launched from Wallops Island to test the Mercury escape system under maximum dynamic pressure conditions. At the time of lift-off, one of the launch vehicle rocket motors did not ignite until after 4 seconds had elapsed. This delay caused the launch vehicle to pitch into a lower trajectory than had been planned, with a result that the abort maneuver experienced greater dynamic pressures than had been specified in the flight test plan. Other than this, all other sequential systems operated according to plan, and after landing, a normal helicopter recovery was accomplished. Thus, all test objectives were met and were actually exceeded because the spacecraft withstood the higher dynamic pressures.References: 16, 18, 1592.

• Little Joe dropped for Apollo tests Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. NASA wind tunnel data on the adaptation of the Project Mercury Little Joe booster to the Apollo launch escape system were analyzed. The booster fins were ineffective in maintaining the stability of the configuration and the project was canceled. The later Little Joe II depended on the inherent stability of the total vehicle to attain a successful ballistic trajectory to test altitude.References: 16.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• NASA Report, Project Mercury Preliminary Flight Test Results of the Big Joe, Mercury R and D Capsule , . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19760067285_1976067285.pdf. -Right click to download!

• NASA Report, Performance characteristics of the Little Joe launch vehicle, . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19670022649_1967022649.pdf. -Right click to download!