White Sands LC50 home
topic index

Launch Complex: LC50.
White Sands. Latitude: 32.4064 deg. Longitude: -106.3488 deg. Used by: HIBEX, Sprint. First Launch: 1965-05-26. Last Launch: 1970-08-12. Number Launches: 43. West Center 50 was located in the central portion of the range near Rhodes Canyon. The facility included a hardened blockhouse to accommodate test of Sprint short-range anti-ballistic missiles without a destruct charge. The only missiles (with the possible exception of a HIBEX) that were ever launched from LC50 were Sprints (except for other small missile launched from there in later years). LC-50 was a mound built up in the desert with a ramp up to it coming from the south-southwest. The mound originally had three launch cells. One was destroyed by an explosion of FLA-3 in the cell. It was fenced and locked.

LC50 Chronology

1965 May 26 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

1965 October 28 - Launch Vehicle: HIBEX. HIBEX test Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1965 November 15 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-1 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

1966 January 25 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-2 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1966 May 3 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-4 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1966 August 2 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-5 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1966 November 3 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-6 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1967 April 18 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-9 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi).

1967 May 23 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-10 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi).

1967 July 18 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-8 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1967 August 8 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-11 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1967 September 19 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-12 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi).

1967 October 10 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-7 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1967 October 31 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-14 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1967 November 20 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-15 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1967 December 11 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-13 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 February 5 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-16 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

1968 February 26 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-17 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 March 25 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-18 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1968 April 22 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-19 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1968 June 27 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-20 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 July 29 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-21 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 August 22 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-22 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 September 9 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-23 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 October 8 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-24 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 October 28 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-25 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1968 December 2 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-26 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1969 February 10 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-27 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1969 March 17 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-30 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1969 April 21 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-28 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1969 May 26 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-31 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1969 June 23 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-29 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi).

1969 July 22 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-32 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1969 September 15 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-35 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1969 October 6 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-36 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1969 October 23 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-38 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1969 November 6 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-33 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1969 December 1 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-34 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1970 March 17 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-39 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1970 May 28 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-42 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1970 June 8 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-44 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1970 June 29 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-43 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1970 August 12 - Launch Vehicle: Sprint. Sprint ABM FLA-45 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 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.