. .

NEWS R E L E A S E
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
1520 H STREET, N O R T H W E S T . WASHINGTON 2 5 . D. C .
TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2 - 6 3 2 5 . EXECUTIVE 3 - 3 2 6 0

FOR RELEASE: HOLD FOR RELEASE

RELEASE NO, 60-264. UNTIL LAUNCHED

sCOUT
*
National Aeronautics and Space Administration will launch the
second in a series of Scout rocket vehicles from Wallops Station,
Wallops Island, Virginia, to study the performance, structural
integrity and environmental conditions of the four-stage vehicle
and the guidance-controls sytem,
The launching will be payt of NASAIs Scout development program
to provide the United States with a small, reliable and flexible
solid-fuel research vehicle for a variety of space exploration
tasks, Scout is the first all-solid fuel booster capable of
orbital missions,
NASA plans to send the 72-fo0t9 36,600-pound research vehicle
on a 9O-minute ballistic flight to an a l t i t u d e of about 3,700
statute m i l e s and about 6,aoo statute miles down range, The vehicle
is expected to reenter the atmosphere over the South Atlantic Ocean
between South America and Africa, The vehicle will be launched at
an elevated angle of 84,5 degrees on an azimuth of 10% degrees,
Scout consists of the Algol f i r s %stage, Castor second stage,
Ancares bhird stage, and Altair fourth stage, plus necessary aux-
i b i a r y - ' p a r t s to join them and meet other requirements, The f o u r
rockeb mot-,o~sare named f o r stars in the c~n~telbations,
 - 2 -

NASA instrumentation in the vehicle for this investigation in-

cludes t e l e m e t e r s t o provide information on t h e v e h i c l e ' s performance
and f l i g h t environment data, Other ground t r a c k i n g w i l l b e by radar
and photography,
I n a d d i t i o n t o the primary mission of providing development
data on Scout, t h e v e h i c l e w i l l c a r r y i n i t s nose s e c t i o n a package
s u p p l i e d by t h e A i r Research and Development Commandis A i r Force
S p e c i a l Weapons Center i n Albuquerque, New Mexico, t o make r a d i a t i o n
measurements i n s p a c e ,
The payload s e c t i o n a t t a c h e d t o t h e f o u r t h stage w i l l weigh
112 pounds, i n c l u d i n g t h e 78-pound A i r Force package--which a l s o
c o n t a i n s i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n t o measure t h e v e h i c l e i s performance i n
flight, I n a d d i t i o n , t h e r e a r e approximately 80 pounds of NASA
i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n i n the f i r s t and t h i r d s t a g e s t o provide information
on v e h i c l e performance and data on f l i g h t environment.
P r o j e c t e n g i n e e r f o r t h e launch i s James R, Hall of t h e NASA
Langley Research Center, L t . F r a n c i s E , Holly of AFSWC w i l l b e
p r o j e c t o f f i c e r f o r the r a d i a t i o n e x p e r a e n t , The Wallops I s l a n d
launch team w i l l be d i r e c t e d by Robert T. Duffy.
The f i r s t complete Scout v e h i c l e was launched from Wallops
I s l a n d on J u l y 1, 1960, i n similar development s t u d i e s , Three
s t a g e s were f i r e d s u c c e s s f u l l y . I g n i t i o n of t h e f o u r t h stage was
prevented by a command s i g n a l from Wallops I s l a n d as a s a f e t y
p r e c a u t i o n when t h e v e h i c l e developed an e x c e s s i v e roll r a t e and
appeared t o d e v i a t e from i t s p r o g r a m e d course a t a h e i g h t of 140
miles. E x c e l l e n t telemetry data welae obtained, and subsequent
examination of t h e data r e v e a l e d t h a t w h i l e t h e v e h i c l e d i d r o l l ,
the apparent d e v i a t i o n i n t h e f l i g h t -. p a t h was due t o a sudden

-. . . _.. . - , -- . . . . .. - ... .. . . . .. . .-.

shift of the radar and not due t o vehicle change of direction.
A Scout component test was conducted at Wallops Island on
April 18, 1960, to investigate the performance of the previously
unflown first and third stages. A second stage Castor was inert
and a nose cap was used to simulate the combined weight of the
fourth-stage Altair and a typical payload. The Algol first stage
performed satisfactorily. The heat shield which covered the third-
stage Antares became displaced, causing a structural failure in the
vehicle prior to third-stage ignition.
Experience gained during the launching operation and development
flights is being applied to improve performance of Scout as a
future space research vehicle.
Future operational flights using Scout will be conducted at
Wallops Island, where new launching and tracking facilities were
completed earlier this year. These facilities include a pad,
launch tower, block house, and related ground support, electronics
and tracking equipment.
An an operational vehicle, Scout is designed to place a 150-
pound satellite into a circular orbit approximately 300 miles above
the earth or to loft a 50-pound scientific probe to an altitude of
about 8,400 miles. In reentry body tests, Scout will permit
simulation of conditions expected by a space vehicle returning
to the earth's atmosphere. With a ballistic trajectory, it will
be possible to obtain almost two hours of zero-gravity envhWXnent
with 100-pound experiments.
The Scout concept originated in mid-1958 at the NASA Langley
Research Center and a special Scout project group, under William
 - 4 -
E. Stoney, Jr., was formed at Langley to develop the vehicle. This
includes acting as systems manager during development and test
phases of the vehicle.
Management of the Scout program at NASA Headquarters is under
M. W. Rosen, assistant director for vehicles in the office of
Launch Vehicle Programs.
Prime contractors and vendors in the program are:
Vought Astronautics Division of Chance Vought Aircraft, Dallas,
Texas - launch tower fabrication and installation, airframe and
motor transition section manufacturer.
Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, a Navy Bureau of Weapons
facility operated by Hercules Powder Company at Cumberland, Maryland -
third and fourth stage motor developments.
Aerojet-General Division of General Tire and Rubber Company,
Sacramento, California - first stage motor development.
Redstone Division of Thiokol Chemical Corporation, Huntsville,
Alabama - second stage motor development.
Aeronautical Division of Minneapolis Regulator Company,
Minneapolis, Minnesota - guidance and controls.
The following is a description of the four Scout rocket
stages and the vehicle's auxiliary p a r t s :
First State: Algol, 30 feet long, 40 inches in diameter, and
developing ll5,OOO pounds of thrust, is fin stabilized and controlled
in flight by jet vanes. The largest solid rocket flown in the United
States, its sole operational application t o date is as the Scout
first stage. Algol is named f o r a fixed star in the constellation
Perseus.

'. .. . . . - I ...._._.__.I_;.._______. ... . .

~ "
... . . . . . ..... . - .. - .. .. - -.- .... -. . - .
 - 5 -
Second S t a g e : Castor i s 20 f e e t long, 30 i n c h e s i n diameter and
h a s a t h r u s t of over 50,000 pounds. A m o d i f i c a t i o n of t h e Sergeant
motor, i t has been used s u c c e s s f u l l y i n a c l u s t e r i n NASA's L i t t l e
J o e program i n s u p p o r t of P r o j e c t Mercury. On t h e Scout, t h e Castor
i s s t a b i l i z e d and c o n t r o l l e d by hydrogen peroxide j e t s . Castor i s
the "tamer of t h e h o r s e s " i n t h e c o n s t e l l a t i o n Gemini.
Third Stage: Antares i s 10 f e e t long and 30 i n c h e s i n diameter,
w i t h a t h r u s t i n excess of 13,600 pounds. S t a b i l i z e d and c o n t r o l l e d
by hydrogen peroxide j e t s and u t i l i z i n g l i g h t w e i g h t p l a s t i c
c o n s t r u c t i o n throughout i t s design, Antares i s a scaled-up v e r s i o n
of the f o u r t h s t a g e and i s the only motor developed s p e c i f i c a l l y
f o r Scout. Antares i s t h e b r i g h t e s t s t a r i n t h e c o n s t e l l a t i o n
Scorpio,
Fourth S t a g e : Altair, s i x f e e t long, 18 i n c h e s i n diameter,
and having 3,000 pounds of t h r u s t , i s t h e smallest of t h e f o u r Scout
rockets. The s p i n - s t a b i l i z e d Altair formerly was known as t h e X-248
r o c k e t , developed f o r t h e Vanguard t h i r d s t a g e . It i s t h e t h i r d
s t a g e on the Able and Delta launch v e h i c l e s and was t h e f i r s t f u l l y
developed r o c k e t t o u t i l i z e lightweight p l a s t i c c o n s t r u t i o n through-
out. Altair i s a star of t h e f i r s t magnitude i n t h e c o n s t e l l a t i o n
Aquilae, o r Eagle.
A u x i l i a r y Parts: I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e f o u r r o c k e t motors, t h e
Scout v e h i c l e i n c l u d e s necessary a u x i l i a r y parts. The added Scout

a i r f r a m e parts c o n s i s t of c o n t r o l s u r f a c e s surrounding t h e nozzle

of t h e f i r s t stage, t r a n s i t i o n s e c t i o n s connecting t h e f o u r r o c k e t
stages, a f i b r e g l a s - p h e n o l i c p r o t e c t i v e heat s h i e l d which covers

-. ........... -. . . . . . . . -..I.._ .... ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-.. __

. .

- 6 -
t h e t h i r d and f o u r t h stages p l u s payload, t h e f o u r t h - s t a g e spin-up
table, and t h e payload attachment s t r u c t u r e . (The p l a s t i c heat
s h i e l d i s j e t t i s o n e d p r i o r t o third-stage burning).

- END -

. ... . .I_ - . . , .. . . "- . . . - . .. .. .. .. .. . .. ...

-.
I
 ..

NEWS R E L E A S E
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST ' WASHINGTON 2 5 . D. C.
TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2 - 6 3 2 5 . EXECUTIVE 3 - 3 2 6 0

FOR RELEASE: HOLD FOR RELEASE

RELEASE NO. 60-264-B UNTIL LAUNCHED 067 4 7 s 6

National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that

all four stages of the Scout rocket vehicle launched today on a
ballistic flight from Wallops Station, Wallops Island, Virginia,
have fired successfully.
NASA launched the solid-propellant research vehicle at

//:a3 ,@.m. EDT.

- END -
 ..
. .

NEWS R E L E A S E
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST ' W A S H I N G T O N 2 5 . D. C .
TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2 - 6 3 2 5 . EXECUTIVE 3 - 3 2 6 0

FOR RELEASE: HOLD FOR RELEASE

RELEASE NO. 60-264-H ' UNTIL LAUNCHED

SCOUT
INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEMS

Three radio telemetry systems in the Scout rocket vehicle launched

today measure and transmit data on flight environment and performance
of the four rocket motors and guidance system.
First Stage: One telemeter unit at the base of the first stage
transmits 22 measurements of tail fin positions, temperatures,
pressures, and accelerations during the first 60 seconds of flight
prior to second stage ignition.
Third State: A second telemeter system at the top of the third
stage monitors performance of the vehicle from firing through the
coast period of the third stage. Seventy measurements of vibrations,
temperatures, guidance-control signals, pressures and events give
detail information on the environment and systems performance.
Fourth Stage: The third telemetry system is in the payload, or
fourth stage, and performs a duel function: During burning of
the four rocket motors, this system measures payload environment,
vehicle accelerations and fourth-stage roll rate. After fourth
stage burnout, this telemeter is used throughout the remainder of
the flight t o obtain scientific research measurements. The scientific
payload in the fourth stage was designed by the Air Research and

. . . . .. .- .
 - 2 -

Development Command's Air Force Special Weapons Center, Kirtland Air

Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, to obtain radiation measurements
in space and to provide information on performance of the Scout.
Miscellaneous: The instrumentation system also includes a
radar beacon which is used t o effectively increase the range of
the ground-based radar tracking equipment. In the event of systems
malfunction, an on-board command-destruct systems provides for
flight termination by means of a command signal transmitted from
the Wallops Island launch site.
Designers: All instrumentation systems except the Air Force
package were designed and installed by personnel of the Instrument
Research Division of the Langley Research Center. This work was
directed by William M, Moore, Scout instrumentation project engineer.

- END -

-. . . - . . . .. ._