The Jupiter-C was an American research and development vehicle developed from the Jupiter-A. Jupiter-C was used for three uncrewed sub-orbital spaceflights in 1956 and 1957 to test re-entry nosecones that were later to be deployed on the more advanced PGM-19 Jupiter mobile missile. The recovered nosecone was displayed in the Oval Office as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's televised speech on November 7,1957.
Pioneer 0 was a failed United States space probe that was designed to go into orbit around the Moon,carrying a television camera,a micrometeorite detector and a magnetometer. It was part of the first International Geophysical Year (IGY) science payload. It was designed and operated by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division as the first spacecraft in the Pioneer program and was the first attempted launch beyond Earth orbit by any country,but the rocket failed shortly after launch. The probe was intended to be called Pioneer,but the launch failure precluded that name.
Pioneer 1 was an American space probe,the first under the auspices of NASA,which was launched by a Thor-Able rocket on 11 October 1958. It was intended to orbit the Moon and make scientific measurements,but due to a guidance error failed to achieve lunar orbit and was ultimately destroyed upon reentering Earth's atmosphere. The flight,which lasted 43 hours and reached an apogee of 113,800 km,was the second and most successful of the three Thor-Able space probes.
The SM-65 Atlas was the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the United States and the first member of the Atlas rocket family. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by the Convair Division of General Dynamics at an assembly plant located in Kearny Mesa,San Diego.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45,located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County,Florida.
The PGM-17A Thor was the first operative ballistic missile of the United States Air Force (USAF). It was named after the Norse god of thunder. It was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was 65 feet (20 m) in height and 8 feet (2.4 m) in diameter.
The Delta rocket family is a versatile range of American rocket-powered expendable launch systems that has provided space launch capability in the United States since 1960. Japan also launched license-built derivatives from 1975 to 1992. More than 300 Delta rockets have been launched with a 95% success rate. The series has been phased-out in favor of the Vulcan Centaur,with only the Delta IV Heavy rocket remaining in use as of June 2023.
The PGM-19 Jupiter was the first nuclear armed,medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) of the United States Air Force (USAF). It was a liquid-propellant rocket using RP-1 fuel and LOX oxidizer,with a single Rocketdyne LR79-NA rocket engine producing 667 kilonewtons (150,000 lbf) of thrust. It was armed with the 1.44 megatons of TNT (6.0 PJ) W49 nuclear warhead. The prime contractor was the Chrysler Corporation.
Space Launch Complex 17 (SLC-17),previously designated Launch Complex 17 (LC-17),was a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS),Florida used for Thor and Delta launch vehicles launches between 1958 and 2011.
Thor was a US space launch vehicle derived from the PGM-17 Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile. The Thor rocket was the first member of the Delta rocket family of space launch vehicles. The last launch of a direct derivative of the Thor missile occurred in 2018 as the first stage of the final Delta II.
Juno II was an American space launch vehicle used during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was derived from the Jupiter missile,which was used as the first stage.
The Convair SM-65B Atlas,or Atlas B,also designated X-12 was a prototype of the Atlas missile. First flown on 19 July 1958,the Atlas B was the first version of the Atlas rocket to use the stage and a half design with an operational sustainer engine and jettisonable booster engine section. Unlike later Atlas models,the Atlas B used explosive bolts to jettison the booster section.
The SM-65C Atlas,or Atlas C was a prototype of the Atlas missile. First flown on 24 December 1958,the Atlas C was the final development version of the Atlas rocket,prior to the operational Atlas D. It was originally planned to be used as the first stage of the Atlas-Able rocket,but following an explosion during a static test on 24 September 1959,this was abandoned in favor of the Atlas D. Atlas C was similar to Atlas B,but had a larger LOX tank and smaller RP-1 tank due to technical changes to the Rocketdyne engines. Improvements in materials and manufacturing processes also resulted in lighter-weight components than the Atlas A and B. Booster burn time was much longer than the A/B series,up to 151 seconds. All launches took place from LC-12 at CCAS.
The Delta E,or Thor-Delta E was an American expendable launch system used for twenty-three orbital launches between 1965 and 1971. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
The Atlas-Able was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets,and was used to launch several Pioneer spacecraft towards the Moon. Of the five Atlas-Able rockets built,two failed during static firings,and the other three failed to reach orbit.
The Delta L,Thor-Delta L,or Thrust-Augmented Long Tank Thor-Delta was a US expendable launch system used to launch the Pioneer E and TETR satellites in 1969 (failed) and HEOS satellite in 1972. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
Launch Complex 12 (LC-12) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,Florida was a launch pad used by Atlas rockets and missiles between 1958 and 1967. It was the second-most southern of the pads known as Missile Row,between LC-11 to the south and LC-13 to the north. Along with Complexes 11,13 and 14,12 featured a more robust design than many contemporary pads,due to the greater power of the Atlas compared to other rockets of the time. It was larger,and featured a concrete launch pedestal that was 6 metres (20 ft) tall and a reinforced blockhouse. The rockets were delivered to the launch pad by means of a ramp on the southwest side of the launch pedestal.
Launch Complex 18 (LC-18) is a launch complex at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,Florida that was active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was used by Viking,Vanguard,Thor and Scout rockets. The complex consists of two launch pads,LC-18A,which was originally built by the US Navy for the Vanguard rocket,and LC-18B,which was originally by the US Air Force used for tests of the PGM-17 Thor missile.
