What was the name and date of the rocket in final scene?
Posted by:
Valdudes
()
Date: December 14, 2003 07:51PM
Anybody have the info? thanks a lot
Re: What was the name and date of the rocket in final scene?
Posted by:
Matt Kruggel
()
Date: December 22, 2003 04:47PM
Circa 1964 or '65 unmanned Atlas rocket
Atlas/Centaur test flight 1961
Posted by:
Sarag
()
Date: January 07, 2004 07:40AM
[www76.pair.com]
The first Atlas Centaur, denoted "C-1", was erected on the new Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral during the spring of 1961. It stood there for 15 months before finally lifting off on 1962 May 8. The vehicle rose cleanly and steered downrange, but 49 seconds after liftoff a portion of one of four Centaur LH2 tank "weather shield" insulating panels ripped away. The LH2 fuel tank quickly overheated, overpressurized, and failed. Centaur shredded, causing the vehicle to explode 55 seconds after liftoff.
Centaur's fiberglass foam core weather shield panels were designed to keep the LH2 fuel cool until Atlas fell away and Centaur's RL10 engines ignited. Then the panels were to be jettisoned to save weight. The shields were hinged at the bottom and held in place at the top by spring loaded tension straps and explosive bolts. The design turned out to be structurally inadequate, however. During the C-1 flight, a shock wave at the base of the nose cone impinged on the panels, causing negative pressure that dislodged the strap.
The first Atlas Centaur, denoted "C-1", was erected on the new Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral during the spring of 1961. It stood there for 15 months before finally lifting off on 1962 May 8. The vehicle rose cleanly and steered downrange, but 49 seconds after liftoff a portion of one of four Centaur LH2 tank "weather shield" insulating panels ripped away. The LH2 fuel tank quickly overheated, overpressurized, and failed. Centaur shredded, causing the vehicle to explode 55 seconds after liftoff.
Centaur's fiberglass foam core weather shield panels were designed to keep the LH2 fuel cool until Atlas fell away and Centaur's RL10 engines ignited. Then the panels were to be jettisoned to save weight. The shields were hinged at the bottom and held in place at the top by spring loaded tension straps and explosive bolts. The design turned out to be structurally inadequate, however. During the C-1 flight, a shock wave at the base of the nose cone impinged on the panels, causing negative pressure that dislodged the strap.