In October 1985 the National Park Service notified the Department of the Army that Launch Complex 33 (LC-33), located 6 1/2 miles east of post headquarters, at White Sands Missile Range was now a National Historical Land mark. Two years earlier on Feb. 16, 1983 the complex was named a State of New Mexico historical monument.

The designation was based on the fact the launch complex was this country's first major rocket launch facility. Work conducted at LC-33 started a chain of events in the United States that led to orbiting satellites, manned space flight, trips to the moon and the space shuttle. The complex consisted of a blockhouse, several concrete launching pads, a 100-foot tall launching tower for small rockets, gantry and blast pit.

The blockhouse was designed by Dr. Del Sasso, a group of CAL Tech engineers and White Sands Proving Ground's first commander, Lieutenant Colonel Harold Turner.

Construction of the Army blockhouse began on July 10, 1945 and was completed in September at a cost of $36,000.

It was built of reinforced concrete, its firing control room had walls 10 feet thick, and a roof 27 feet thick at its apex capable of withstanding the impact of a large rocket, such as a V-2, falling from an altitude of 100 miles at a speed of 2,000 miles per hour.

The blockhouse consisted of a 937-square foot firing control room housing firing controls, monitoring and communications equipment, and test personnel. It had three viewing ports made of blast proof safety glass, a blast proof door, and a roof wash-down system designed to decontaminate the building in the event of a rocket explosion. The room was mechanically air conditioned and electrically heated. A multiplicity of three-inch diameter conduits provided wiring access to the north and east launch pads.

A 1158-square foot communications room was added on in 1947 and stood to the rear of the firing control room, with two-foot thick walls and a three-foot thick ceiling, which served as the focus of all range communications and data transmission facilities.

Another addition to the blockhouse in 1947 was a small room attached to the west wall of the firing control room. This room housed a four-stage, 3,000 P.S.I. air compressor and six storage tanks for supplying compressed air to the launch pads. From the pads the compressed air was piped directly into waiting rockets during the prelaunch fueling process.

While the blockhouse was being built, a 100-foot tall launch tower for the WAC Corporal rocket was erected north of the blockhouse and directly east of what was to be the first launch pad for the V-2 in 1946. A Tiny Tim booster developed for the WAC Corporal was the first rocket to be fired out of the completed tower in addition to being the first rocket fired from the launch complex on Sept. 26, 1945 at 10 a.m. After completion of the WAC Corporal program the tower was dismantled leaving only three foot pads where it once stood.

In December 1945 the Army completed plans for a test facility and a gantry crane that could be used to directly service rockets up to 54 feet high. Actual construction of the gantry began in August 1946 and was completed in November at a cost of $38,000.

The gantry crane consisted of two open steel towers, each 60 feet tall and tied together at the top by an open steel truss. The dimensions of the gantry are 63 feet tall and 28 feet wide. Three pairs of adjustable work platforms between the towers could be swung down to encircle a rocket, and, for rockets higher than 54 feet, two outrigger platforms could provide access to one of the rocket's sides. The platforms were reached by stairs and ladders, and the top truss had a 15-ton chain hoist for servicing the work platforms. Two one-ton outboard service hoists provided additional lifting capability.

The gantry crane was equipped with fire fighting, communications, low pressure air, electrical service, and propellant handling equipment. It rested on four pairs of 400-pound rail wheels, each connected to electric drive motors that moved the structure at slow pace up and down the crane's 500- foot track.

During the preparation of a Corporal missile launch, a wheel broke in half when the gantry was being moved down the track. It took all night and two 15-ton jacks to lift one corner to replace the broken wheel.

Construction of the blast pit, formally called the 20,000-pound motor test and launch facility, began early in 1946 with the excavation of a 35-foot deep pit. The pit's walls were lined with reinforced concrete two feet thick, and its rear wall covered by two foot wide overlapping steel plates. The platform over the pit, from which rockets were tested or launched, had an opening 7 feet square. Exhaust gases passed into the pit and were there redirected up and out across the desert. A sprinkler helped quench the rocket blast by spraying water into the pit. There is no record of the facility being used to test or launch a V-2, but it was used for other rocket programs of that period.

Other facilities at the launch complex included two sets of gantry crane tracks - one north of the blockhouse which began just east of the 1946 V-2 launch platform going northeast into the desert. The second set joined the first and then went due south ending at the blast pit. In 1947 the first set of tracks located adjacent to the 1946 V-2 platform was moved and attached to the set of tracks at the blast pit continuing to go south ending east of the blockhouse at the 1947 V-2 platform.

An observation tower was built south of the blockhouse in 1945 but was removed in 1947. Foundations for a second tower were put in place west of the first V-2 platform. However, the tower was never built. A short stretch of railroad track running parallel of the blockhouse going north was installed in 1945 but removed in 1947. A launch site for the Hermes missile program was located directly east of the second V-2 platform.

The first test flight of a V-2 from LC-33 took place on April 16, 1946 at the first V-2 platform. Other rockets and missiles which have used the complex as a launching point have been the Corporal E, Corporal, Nike Ajax, Hermes, Lance, Honest John, Multiple Launch Rocket System and the Army Tactical Missile System. Viking rockets were launched from a position designated ALA1 at the same site.

The site is still used by the range's Materiel Test Directorate in support of weapons testing. Currently both the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the Army Tactical Missile System (Army TACMS) use the launch complex. In addition the Dynamics Laboratory has shaker tables located on the west side of the complex.

• 1945 September 27 - Dummy launch Launch Vehicle: WAC. Failure. WAC 1 Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.

• 1945 September 28 - Dummy launch Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC 2 Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.

• 1945 October 1 - 1/4 Charge Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC 3 Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.

• 1945 October 2 - 1/4 Charge Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC 4 Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.

• 1945 October 11 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 5 Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). First 'all-up' Wac Corporal launch. Recovery system failed.

• 1945 October 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 6 Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). The parachute failed, but the nose cone also came off. This set the rocket on a tumbling re-entry, providing sufficient braking that it hit the ground pretty well intact.

• 1945 October 16 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 7 Apogee: 27 km (16 mi).

• 1945 October 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 8 Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). The nose ejected just after the rocket cleared the tower.

• 1945 October 25 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 9 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Night launch, the nose failed to eject. Last development flight.

• 1945 October 25 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 10 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Emergency launch when the parachute igniter fired.

• 1946 April 16 21:47 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 2 Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). First flight test of American-assembled V-2 rocket launched by the Army at White Sands Proving Ground. Launched 14:47 local time. Reached 5.5 km. Carried cosmic radiation (Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University) experiments for General Electric.

• 1946 May 10 - Ordnance WAC Flight 1 Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A Apogee: 16 km (9 mi).

• 1946 May 10 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A 12 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

• 1946 May 10 21:15 - Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 3 Apogee: 112 km (69 mi). Launched 14:15 local time. Reached 112.9 km. Carried cosmic radiation (Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University) experiments for General Electric.

• 1946 May 22 - Ordnance WAC Flight 2 Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC A Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). First American rocket to escape earth's atmosphere, the JPL-Ordnance Wac, reached 80 km altitude after launch from WSPG. First fully successful production WAC flight.

• 1946 May 29 21:12 - Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 4 Apogee: 112 km (69 mi). Launched 14:10 local time. Reached 112.4 km. Carried cosmic radiation (Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University) experiments for General Electric.

• 1946 June 13 23:40 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 5 Apogee: 117 km (72 mi). Launched 16:40 local time. Reached 117.7 km. Carried solar radiation, ionosphere (Naval Research Lab) experiments for General Electric.

• 1946 June 28 19:25 - Solar Ultraviolet mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 6 Apogee: 108 km (67 mi). Launched 12:03 local time. Reached 108.1 km. Carried cosmic radiation, solar radiation, pressure, and temperature experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1946 July 9 19:25 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 7 Apogee: 134 km (83 mi). Launched 12:30 local time. Reached 134.7 km. Carried cosmic radiation, ionosphere (Naval Research Lab) experiments for General Electric.

• 1946 July 19 19:11 - Ionosphere mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 8 Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). Launched 12:11 local time. Reached 4.8 km. Carried ionosphere (Naval Research Lab) experiments for General Electric.

• 1946 July 30 19:36 - Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 9 Apogee: 167 km (103 mi). Launched 12:40 local time. Reached 161.9 km. Carried cosmic radiation, ionosphere (Naval Research Lab); and biological (Harvard) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1946 August 15 18:00 - Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 10 Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi). Launched 11:00 local time. Reached 6.5 km. Carried cosmic radiation experiments for Palmer Physics Lab, Princeton University.

• 1946 August 22 17:15 - Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Launch failure.. V-2 11 Launched 10:15 local time. Launch failure. Carried pressure, density, ionosphere, sky brightness experiments for Air Research and Development Command.

• 1946 September 24 - Dummy launch Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike A Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 September 27 - Dummy launch Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike B Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 October 1 - Dummy launch Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike C Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 October 8 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 1R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 October 10 18:02 - Solar Ultraviolet mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 12 Apogee: 164 km (101 mi). Launched 11:02 local time. Reached 174.2 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, pressure, temperature, biological experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1946 October 11 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 2R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 October 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 3R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 October 18 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 4R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 October 24 19:15 - Solar/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 13 Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Launched 12:18 local time. Reached 104.8 km. Carried cosmic and soalr radiaiton, winds, photography experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University. The John Hopkins camera took motion pictures of the earth at over 100 km altitude (pictures covered 100,000 square km.)

• 1946 November 7 20:31 - Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 14 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Launched 13:31 local time. Reached 100.3 km. Carried cosmic radiation experiments for Palmer Physics Lab, Princeton University.

• 1946 November 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 5R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 November 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 6R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1946 November 21 16:55 - Aeronomy/Ionosphere mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 15 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Launched 10:00 local time. Reached 101.6 km. Carried pressure, temperature, ionosphere, sky brightness experiments for Air Research and Development Command.

• 1946 December 2 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 21 Apogee: 29 km (18 mi).

• 1946 December 3 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 22 Apogee: 29 km (18 mi).

• 1946 December 5 20:08 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 16 Apogee: 167 km (103 mi). Launched 13:08 local time. Reached 153.2 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, pressure, temperature, photo experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1946 December 6 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 23 Apogee: 28 km (17 mi).

• 1946 December 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 25 Apogee: 49 km (30 mi).

• 1946 December 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 24 Apogee: 32 km (19 mi).

• 1946 December 13 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 26 Apogee: 53 km (32 mi).

• 1946 December 18 05:12 - Chemical release/Meteor test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 17 Apogee: 187 km (116 mi). Launched 22:18 local time. Reached 183.9 km. Carried cosmic radiation, meteorites; biological (National Institute of Health) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1947 January 10 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 7R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 January 10 21:13 - Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 18 Apogee: 116 km (72 mi). Launched 14:13 local time. Reached 116.5 km. Carried cosmic radiation experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1947 January 24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 8R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 January 24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 9R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 January 24 00:22 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 19 Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Launched 17:22 local time. Reached 50 km. Carried no upper atmospheric research experiments. Technology flight for General Electric.

• 1947 February 18 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 27B Apogee: 44 km (27 mi).

• 1947 February 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 28B Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• 1947 February 20 18:16 - Blossom I Ionosphere/Biological mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 20 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.

• 1947 February 24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 29B Apogee: 73 km (45 mi).

• 1947 March 3 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 30B Apogee: 63 km (39 mi).

• 1947 March 7 18:23 - Solar/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 21 Apogee: 163 km (101 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.

• 1947 April 1 20:10 - Solar/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 22 Apogee: 129 km (80 mi). Launched 13:10 local time. Reached 129.5 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1947 April 9 00:10 - Solar/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 23 Apogee: 103 km (64 mi). Launched 17:13 local time. Reached 102.4 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1947 April 17 23:22 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 24 Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). Launched 14:22 local time. Reached 142.7 km. Carried pressure, temperature (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan) experiments for General Electric. The warhead section was replaced with an instrumented full-scale replica of the cylindrical GE A-4 ramjet duct planned for the Hermes B ramjet missile.

• 1947 May 15 23:08 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 26 Apogee: 122 km (75 mi). Launched 16:04 local time. Reached 135.5 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, temperature, ionosphere, photo experiments for Naval Research Lab. Landed east of the impact zone on the outskirts of Alamagordo, New Mexico

• 1947 May 22 - 31D Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 1 Apogee: 39 km (24 mi). The missile attained a range of 100 km and accepted guidance corrections.

• 1947 May 30 - Hermes II Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes B-1. Failure. Hermes B-1 B-1 No. 0 Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Hermes B-1 impacts a graveyard 18.5 km south of Juarez, Mexico on its first test flight. This and the out-of-range V-2 impact on 15 May resulted in new safety measures at WSPG. 'We were the first German unit to not only infiltrate the United States, but to attack Mexico from US soil'. This vehicle was deeply classified at the time. Hermes experiments were conducted with modified V-2 rockets to test the configuration of a ramjet propulsion system. Four Hermes B-1 rockets were flown from Complex 33, none of which were noted in the contemporary records.

• 1947 June 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 29B? Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

• 1947 July 10 19:18 - Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 29 Apogee: 16 km (9 mi). Launched 12:18 local time. Reached 16.1 km. Carried cosmic radiation, pressure, temperature, ionosphere, biological (Harvard) experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1947 July 17 - 33E Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Failure. Corporal E 2

• 1947 July 30 00:55 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 30 Apogee: 159 km (98 mi). Launched 05:55 local time. Reached 161.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1947 September 22 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike D Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 September 26 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike E Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 October 7 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike F Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 October 9 19:15 - Solar/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 27 Apogee: 156 km (96 mi). Launched 12:15 local time. Reached 156.5 km. Carried Solar radiation (Naval Research Lab); pressure, composition (SCEL) experiments for General Electric. General Electric engineers obtained the first carefully instrumented heat-transfer data from supersonic flight when this V-2 attained 1520 m/s.

• 1947 October 16 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike G Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 October 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike H Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 October 28 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 10R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 October 30 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 11R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 November 4 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 3 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

• 1947 November 20 23:47 - G.E. Special Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 Special Apogee: 29 km (18 mi). Launched 16:47 local time. Reached 26.8 km. Carried no upper atmospheric research experiments. Technology flight for General Electric.

• 1947 December 8 21:42 - Blossom II Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 28 Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Launched 14:42 local time. Reached 104.8 km. Carried pressure, temperature, solar radiation, sky brightness, ionosphere, photo experiments for Air Research and Development Command.

• 1947 December 9 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 13R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1947 December 9 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 12R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 January 22 20:12 - Chemical release/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 34 Apogee: 159 km (98 mi). Launched 13:12 local time. Reached 159.7 km. Carried cosmic radiation, pressure, temperature, ionosphere experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1948 February 6 17:17 - Chemical release/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 36 Apogee: 113 km (70 mi). Launched 10:15 local time. Reached 111.3 km. Carried No upper atmosphere experiments. Technology flight for General Electric. Successful electronic flight control demonstrated by General Electric technicians for Army Ordnance.

• 1948 March 19 23:10 - Magnetospheric mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 39 Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). Launched 16:10 local time. Reached 5.5 km. Carried Magnetic field, composition, winds, temperature (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan) experiments for General Electric.

• 1948 April 2 13:47 - Aeronomy/Ionosphere mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 25 Apogee: 144 km (89 mi). Launched 06:40 local time. Reached 144.4 km. Carried Density, pressure, temperature, composition, cosmic and solar radiation (Naval Research Lab) experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

• 1948 April 19 19:54 - Solar/Ionosphere mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 38 Apogee: 56 km (34 mi). Launched 12:54 local time. Reached 56.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, pressure, temperature experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1948 May 13 13:43 - Test/Solar/Ionosphere mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Bumper-WAC Bumper 1 Apogee: 127 km (78 mi). First two-stage Bumper-Wac fired. Short duration Wac Corporal test; round successful. V-2 reached 112.4 km, 1220 m/s; Wac Corporal 127.6 km, 1345 m/s.

• 1948 May 27 14:15 - Solar/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 35 Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). Launched 07:16 local time. Reached 140 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo, composition (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1948 June 11 10:22 - Blossom III Biological/Ionosphere/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 37 Apogee: 63 km (39 mi). Launched 03:22 local time. Reached 62.4 km. Carried pressure, temperature, composition, ionosphere, sky brightness, solar radiation experiments for Air Research and Development Command. Also carried Albert, the first American primate in space, who died of suffocation.

• 1948 June 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike I Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 June 17 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike J Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 June 24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike K Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 June 29 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 14R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 1 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike L Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 1 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 14R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 8 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 16R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 13 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 17R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 14 01:05 - MX-774 Flight 1 Launch Vehicle: MX-774. Cutoff after half of the propellants were used.. RTV-A-2 Apogee: 1.89 km (1.17 mi). First Convair MX-774 (RTV-A-2) test rocket was successfully launched, first demonstrating use of gimballed engines and design features later incorporated in the Atlas ICBM. This was the first of three Convair-sponsored test flights.

• 1948 July 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 18R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 26 18:03 - Chemical release/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 40 Apogee: 97 km (60 mi). Launched 11:03 local time. Reached 87.1 km. Carried cosmic radiation, photo, pressure, temperature experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University. Fired from White Sands simultaneous with a Navy Aerobee which reached an altitude of 110 km. Both carried cameras which photographed the curvature of the earth.

• 1948 July 29 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 19R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 July 30 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 20R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 August 5 12:07 - Test/Solar Ultraviolet mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 43 Apogee: 166 km (103 mi). Launched 05:07 local time. Reached 166.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, temperature, pressure, ionosphere, photo experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1948 August 10 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike M Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 August 17 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 21R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 August 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike N Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 August 19 14:45 - Solar Ultraviolet mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. First stage failure.. Bumper-WAC Bumper 2 Apogee: 13 km (8 mi). First stage failure. V-2 reached 13.4 km, 380 m/s; WAC 13.1 km, 380 m/s.

• 1948 August 20 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike O Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 3 01:00 - Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 33 Apogee: 151 km (93 mi). Launched 18:00 local time. Reached 151 km. Carried Density, pressure, temperature, composition experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

• 1948 September 9 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 22R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 14 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 23R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 14 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike Q Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 17 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 24R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 21 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 25R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 27 - MX-774 Flight 2 Launch Vehicle: MX-774. Cutoff at 16 km altitude.. RTV-A-2 Apogee: 65 km (40 mi). Second Corvair MX-774 test rocket fired. Shut down at 15 km; reached 65 km before malfunction of unknown origin caused self-destruction.

• 1948 September 27 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 September 30 15:30 - Test/Solar Ultraviolet/X-ray mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure in the second stage, explosion prior to seperation.. Bumper-WAC Bumper 3 Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). V-2 reached 150.6 km, 1410 m/s; WAC destroyed.

• 1948 September 30 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 26R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 October 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 27R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 October 22 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 28R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 November 1 14:24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure in first stage due to break in alcohol piping.. Bumper-WAC Bumper 4 Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). V-2 reached 5 km, 390 m/s; WAC destroyed.

• 1948 November 9 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 29R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 November 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 30R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1948 November 18 22:35 - Hermes B Solar/Biological mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 44 Apogee: 145 km (90 mi). Launched 15:34 local time. Reached 145.6 km. Carried biological (Harvard), solar radiation (Naval Research Lab), composition (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan) experiments for General Electric. The warhead section was replaced with an instrumented full-scale replica of the cylindrical GE A-4 ramjet duct planned for the Hermes B ramjet missile.

• 1948 December 2 22:01 - MX-774 Flight 3 Launch Vehicle: MX-774. Vibration closed valve early.. RTV-A-2 Apogee: 48 km (29 mi). Third (last) MX-774 launched, WSPG; shut down at 51 seconds attaining an altitude of 48 km. Self-destructed at high altitude.

• 1948 December 9 16:08 - Aeronomy/Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 42 Apogee: 108 km (67 mi). Launched 09:08 local time. Reached 108.7 km. Carried Winds, pressure, temperature; solar radiation (Naval Research Lab) experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

• 1949 January 13 20:26 - Hermes II Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes B-1. Failure. Hermes B-1 B-1 No. 1 Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi).

• 1949 January 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 34R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1949 January 28 17:20 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 45 Apogee: 60 km (37 mi). Launched 10:20 local time. Reached 60 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, pressure, temperature, photo experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1949 February 17 17:00 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 48 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Launched 10:00 local time. Reached 100.8 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo (Naval Research Lab); composition (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan); biological experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

• 1949 February 24 22:14 - Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Bumper-WAC Bumper 5 Apogee: 393 km (244 mi). Fully fueled round used and attained highest altitude to that date. In addition to testing equipment the flight was used to measure upper air temperatures. V-2 reached 102 km, 1170 m/s; WAC 400 km, 2300 m/s. Provided information on ion densities in the F-region of the ionosphere.

• 1949 March 22 06:43 - Blossom IVA Ionosphere-solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 41 Apogee: 129 km (80 mi). Launched 23:43 local time. Reached 133.9 km. Carried Ionosphere, sky brightness, solar radiation, composition, photo experiments for Air Research and Development Command.

• 1949 April 11 22:05 - Solar/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 50 Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). Launched 15:05 local time. Reached 87.4 km. Carried Temp, composition, solar radiation (Naval Research Lab); biological experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

• 1949 April 22 00:17 - Solar/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failed in the first stage.. Bumper-WAC Bumper 6 Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Failed in the first stage. Vehicle was supposed to obtain cosmic ray data at altitudes unattainable by other rockets. V-2 reached 50 km, 790 m/s; WAC destroyed.

• 1949 May 3 16:14 - Viking 1 Aeronomy/Photography mission Launch Vehicle: Viking. Viking 1 Apogee: 83 km (51 mi). Upper-air pressures and temperatures; earth photography research. Engine cut-out after 55 seconds. Launched at 0914 local time. Reached 80.5 km.

• 1949 May 5 15:15 - Hermes B Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 46 Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Launched 08:15 local time. Reached 8.9 km. Carried Solar radiation (Naval Research Lab) experiments for General Electric. The warhead section was replaced with an instrumented full-scale replica of the cylindrical GE A-4 ramjet duct planned for the Hermes B ramjet missile.

• 1949 May 9 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 9B Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• 1949 May 13 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 31R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1949 May 17 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 32R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1949 May 20 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 33R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1949 May 27 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: WAC. WAC B 9B Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

• 1949 June 7 - 4E Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Failure. Corporal E 4E

• 1949 June 14 22:35 - Blossom IVB Ionosphere-solar/Biological mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 47 Apogee: 134 km (83 mi). Launched 15:35 local time. Reached 133.9 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, temperature, pressure, ionosphere, photo experiments for Air Research and Development Command. Second V-2 flight carrying a live AF Aero Medical Laboratory monkey, Albert II. The monkey survived but died on impact.

• 1949 September 6 16:57 - Viking 2 Aeronomy/Photography mission Launch Vehicle: Viking. Viking 2 Apogee: 57 km (35 mi). Upper-air pressures and temperatures; earth photography research. Engine cut-out early after 49 seconds. . Launched at 0957 local time. Reached 52 km.

• 1949 September 16 23:19 - Blossom IVC Solar/Biological mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 32 Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). Launched 16:19 local time. Reached 4.2 km. Carried Composition, ionosphere, meteorites, solar and cosmic radiation, sky brightness, biological experiments for Air Research and Development Command. Third V-2 flight carrying a live AF Aero Medical Laboratory monkey, Albert III. The monkey survived but died on impact.

• 1949 September 29 16:58 - Solar/Meteorites mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 49 Apogee: 51 km (31 mi). Launched 09:58 local time. Reached 151.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, meteorites, pressure experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1949 October 6 - Hermes II Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes B-1. Failure. Hermes B-1 B-1 No. 2 Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi).

• 1949 November 18 16:03 - Aeronomy/Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 56 Apogee: 124 km (77 mi). Launched 08:03 local time. Reached 124.2 km. Carried winds, composition, temperature; cosmic radiation (APL, John Hopkins); and solar radiation (Naval Research Lab) experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

• 1949 December 8 19:15 - Blossom IVD Solar/Biological mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 31 Apogee: 127 km (78 mi). Launched 12:14 local time. Reached 130.6 km. Carried Composition, ionosphere, meteorites, solar radiation, sky brightness experiments for Air Research and Development Command. Last monkey, Albert IV, launched in V-2 series. The successful flight indicated no ill effects on monkey until impact of V-2.

• 1950 January 31 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Nike. Nike 35R Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• 1950 February 9 21:44 - Viking 3 Solar/Photography mission Launch Vehicle: Viking. Veered off-course; engine cut-off at T+60 seconds.. Viking 3 Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). Solar and cosmic radiation; pressure-temperature; earth photography research. Veered off-course; engine cut-off at T+60 seconds. Launched at 1444 local time. Reached 80.5 km.

• 1950 February 17 18:01 - Solar/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 53 Apogee: 148 km (91 mi). Launched 11:01 local time. Reached 149 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, pressure, temperature experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1950 May 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-1. Failure. Hermes A-1 1 First Army Hermes A-1 test rocket fired at WSPG.

• 1950 July 11 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 5E Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

• 1950 August 31 17:09 - Blossom IVG Ionosphere-solar/Biological mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 51 Apogee: 137 km (85 mi). Launched 10:09 local time. Reached 136.8 km. Carried Ionosphere, meteorites, sky brightness, density, biological experiments for Air Research and Development Command. Last of five Aeromedical Laboratory experiments (first four known as Albert series), it carried a nonanesthetized mouse, photographed by a camera, which survived the impact.

• 1950 September 14 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-1. Failure. Hermes A-1 2

• 1950 October 26 23:02 - Ionosphere/Meteorites mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 61 Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Launched 16:02 local time. Reached 8.1 km. Carried No upper atmospheric research experiments. Technology flight for Naval Research Lab.

• 1950 November 2 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 6E Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

• 1950 November 9 - Hermes II Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes B-1. Hermes B-1 B-1 No. 2A Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).

• 1950 November 21 17:18 - Viking 5 Ionosphere-solar mission Launch Vehicle: Viking. Viking 5 Apogee: 174 km (108 mi). Ionosphere; solar radiation; pressure-temperature; earth photography research. Launched at 1018 local time. Reached 175 km.

• 1950 December 12 07:04 - Viking 6 Ionosphere-solar mission Launch Vehicle: Viking. Viking 6 Apogee: 64 km (39 mi). Upper-air pressure, density and composition; solar radiation; ionosphere research. Fin tore loose. Launched at 0004 local time. Reached 64.8 km.

• 1951 January 16 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 7R Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

• 1951 January 18 20:14 - Solar/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 54 Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi). Launched 13:14 local time. Reached 1.6 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1951 February 2 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-1. Hermes A-1 4 Apogee: 24 km (14 mi).

• 1951 March 9 03:16 - Blossom IVE Ionosphere/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 57 Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi). Launched 20:16 local time. Reached 3.1 km. Carried composition, air glow, sky brightness, ionosphere experiments for Air Research and Development Command.

• 1951 March 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-1. Hermes A-1 5 Apogee: 24 km (14 mi).

• 1951 March 22 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 8R Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

• 1951 April 26 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-1. Hermes A-1 6 Apogee: 24 km (14 mi).

• 1951 June 14 13:48 - Solar mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 55 Carried solar and cosmic radiation experiments for Naval Research Lab.

• 1951 June 28 21:43 - Blossom IVF Solar/Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 52 Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi). Launched 14:43 local time. Reached 5.8 km. Carried solar radiation, air glow, sky brightness experiments for Air Research and Development Command.

• 1951 July 12 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Corporal E 9R Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

• 1951 August 7 18:00 - Viking 7 Ionosphere-solar mission Launch Vehicle: Viking. Viking 7 Apogee: 219 km (136 mi). Upper-air pressure, density; solar and cosmic radiation research. Launched at 1100 local time. Reached 219 km. A Navy Viking 7 rocket set an altitude record for single-stage rockets and reaching a speed of 6,600 kph. This was the highest flight of the original airframe design.

• 1951 August 22 19:00 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 TF1 Apogee: 213 km (132 mi). TF-1 was the first V-2 launched by an all US Army team that was taking over from the General Electric crew as GE's contract to assemble, test and launch the missiles was coming to a close. It was the 'Final Exam' for this new team to prove were capable of handling the program from then on. Since no experiments were to be on board it was decided to shoot for an altitude record, and various modifications were made to this end. TF-1 was launched 12:00 local time. and reached 213.9 km.

• 1951 October 10 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Corporal. Failure. Corporal E 11R First flight with configuration representative of that used for the production tactical missile.

• 1951 October 29 21:04 - Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 60 Apogee: 137 km (85 mi). Launched 14:04 local time. Reached 141.3 km. Carried pressure, temperature experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

• 1952 May 20 16:06 - Test/Photography mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 59/TF2 Apogee: 124 km (77 mi). Launched 09:06 local time. Reached 103.7 km. Carried composition, photography experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan. V-2 number 58 never launched.

• 1952 August 22 07:33 - Test/Photography mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. V-2 TF3 Apogee: 79 km (49 mi). Launched 00:33 local time. Reached 78.2 km. Carried composition, pressure, magnetic field, solar radiation; cosmic radiation (National Institute of Health); sky brightness (Air Research and Development Command) experiments for Naval Research Lab. V-2 number TF-2 was flown as contractor vehicle 59.

• 1952 September 19 15:49 - Test/Chemical release mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Failure. V-2 TF5 Apogee: 7.00 km (4.30 mi). Launched 08:49 local time. Reached 27.1 km. Carried temperature, composition; cosmic radiation (National Institute of Health) experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan. V-2 number TF-4 never flown.

• 1953 March 13 - RV-A-8 Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 1 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1953 June 18 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 2 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1953 August 13 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 3 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1953 October 5 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 4 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1953 October 21 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 5 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1953 November 20 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 6 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1954 January 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3A 7 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).

• 1954 May 11 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3B 1 Apogee: 32 km (19 mi).

• 1954 July 20 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3B 2/A-16 Apogee: 35 km (21 mi).

• 1954 August 26 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Failure. Hermes A-3B 3 Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

• 1954 September 21 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3B 4 Apogee: 36 km (22 mi).

• 1954 October 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3B 5 Apogee: 36 km (22 mi).

• 1954 November 16 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Hermes A-3. Hermes A-3B 6 Apogee: 34 km (21 mi).

• 1964 July 28 20:06 - Aeronomy mission Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• 1966 March 10 - Aeronomy mission? Launch Vehicle: Nike Javelin. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).