Cape Canaveral LC10 home
topic index

Launch Complex: LC10.
Cape Canaveral. Latitude: 28.4505 deg. Longitude: -80.5568 deg. Used by: Draco, Jason, Navaho. First Launch: 1957-08-12. Last Launch: 1959-04-27. Number Launches: 10. The complex was built to support the Navaho winged intercontinental missile program. The Air Force accepted both sites 9 and 10 on 29 June 1956. Complex 10 supported its first Navaho launch on 622 March 1957 respectively. In all, 11 Navaho XSM-64 vehicles were launched from the sites. Both complexes were demolished in 1959 to make room for Minuteman complexes 31 and 32.

LC10 Chronology

1957 August 12 - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. LV Model: Navaho G-26 . Navaho II SM-64 09 Navaho G-26 Flight 5 Agency: USAF. Apogee: 25 km (15 mi). After a 15 hour 18 minute countdown G-26 number four finally left the pad. The boost phase was completed successfully; but then a guidance system malfunction prevented the cruise stage from separating from the booster until an altitude of 25 km was reached. However the autopilot successfully overcome drastic pitch oscillations created by the lofted trajectory, and the ramjets were successfully ignited. The stage cruised at Mach 2.93 for 280 km. However then the vehicle began drifting off course. The ground pilot banked, but the fuselage screened the airflow to the left ramjet intake, resulting in that engine flaming out. The vehicle lost speed and altitude, and the right engine flamed out a minute later. The missile was ordered into a terminal dive, impacting 425 km downrange.

1958 August 15 - 04:16 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jason. Jason Jason 1822 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 693 km (430 mi).

1958 August 27 - 03:33 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jason. Jason Jason 1909 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 937 km (582 mi).

1958 August 30 - 04:31 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jason. Jason Jason 2022 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 878 km (545 mi).

1958 August 30 - 06:36 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jason. Jason Jason 2025 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 699 km (434 mi).

1958 August 31 - 00:07 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jason. Jason Jason 2020 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 September 2 - 22:15 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jason. Jason Jason 2043 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 789 km (490 mi).

1959 February 16 - Launch Vehicle: Draco. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

1959 March 16 - Launch Vehicle: Draco. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

1959 April 27 - Launch Vehicle: Draco. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).


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.