Jason

Sounding rocket. Country: USA. Status: Retired 1958. Manufacturer's Designation: Argo E-5. Alternate Designation: Argo.

The five-stage Jason rocket was developed by the US Air Force for monitoring of radiation in near-earth space (700-800 km) after high altitude nuclear explosions. Originally known as the Argo E-5, it consisted of an Honest John plus Nike plus Nike plus Recruit plus T-55. First used in 1958.

They were used in July-September 1958 to study the effects before and after the Argus test series. The five stage vehicle consisting of an unmodified Honest John military rocket first stage, topped by two Nike stages in tandem, then a Recruit fourth stage and T-55 fifth stage. In later tests it was replaced by the simpler four-stage Javelin.

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From NASA SOUNDING ROCKETS, 1958-1968 - A Historical Summary, NASA SP-4401, 1971, by William R. Corliss

During the first year of the existence of Goddard's Sounding Rocket Branch, several sounding rockets, whose development predated NASA, came into the "stable" of vehicles readily available to NASA. Chief among these were the Javelin and Journeyman, both in the so-called Argo series. The Argo series was developed by the Aerolab Development Co. under the sponsorship of NACA/NASA, with support from the Air Force Special Weapons Center, the Naval Bureau of Ordnance, and the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory.

The Argo vehicles were derived from a family of NACA/NASA hypersonic test vehicles, after the fashion of the Nike-Deacon and Nike-Cajun. Aerolab has designed a long series of Argo rockets, including the Argo E-20, designed to lift 4.5 kg (10 lb) to 24 384 m (80 000 ft); but only the Jason (Argo E-5), the Javelin (Argo D-4), and the Journeyman (Argo D-8) have seen significant use. NASA never employed the Jason, but it is the rocket that the Air Force employed to measure high-altitude nuclear radiation during the Argus experiments in the late summer of 1958, when nuclear weapons were exploded at high altitudes. NASA has used the Javelin to some extent. The Journeyman helped NASA gather radiation data prior to the Mercury flights and has also seen some Air Force use. In general, the Argos are rather large by sounding rocket standards. They were all put together from off-the-shelf military hardware, often following vehicle adaptations by Langley Research Center. NASA use of the Argo series has been minimal.

Manufacturer: Aerolab. Launches: 22. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 90.91%. First Launch Date: 1958-07-11. Last Launch Date: 1958-09-02. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 57 kg (125 lb). Apogee: 800 km (490 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 365.000 kN (82,055 lbf). Total Mass: 3,330 kg (7,340 lb). Core Diameter: 0.58 m (1.90 ft). Total Length: 17.50 m (57.40 ft).

• Stage1: 1 x HJ Nike-1. Gross Mass: 1,900 kg (4,100 lb). Empty Mass: 954 kg (2,103 lb). Motor: 1 x M-6. Thrust (vac): 365.000 kN (82,055 lbf). Burn time: 5.00 sec. Length: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Diameter: 0.58 m (1.90 ft). Propellants: Solid.

• Stage2: 1 x HJ Nike Nike-3. Gross Mass: 599 kg (1,320 lb). Empty Mass: 256 kg (564 lb). Motor: 1 x M5E1. Thrust (vac): 195.600 kN (43,973 lbf). Burn time: 3.40 sec. Length: 3.60 m (11.80 ft). Diameter: 0.42 m (1.37 ft). Propellants: Solid.

• Stage3: 1 x HJ Nike Nike-3. Gross Mass: 599 kg (1,320 lb). Empty Mass: 256 kg (564 lb). Motor: 1 x M5E1. Thrust (vac): 195.600 kN (43,973 lbf). Burn time: 3.40 sec. Length: 3.60 m (11.80 ft). Diameter: 0.42 m (1.37 ft). Propellants: Solid.

• Stage4: 1 x Journeyman-0. Gross Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Motor: 1 x 1.5KS35000. Thrust (vac): 156.000 kN (35,070 lbf). Burn time: 1.50 sec. Length: 2.60 m (8.50 ft). Diameter: 0.23 m (0.75 ft). Propellants: Solid.

• Stage5: 1 x HJ Nike Nike Recruit T55-5. Empty Mass: 12 kg (26 lb). Motor: 1 x T-55. Thrust (vac): 21.000 kN (4,720 lbf). Burn time: 1.30 sec. Length: 1.50 m (4.90 ft). Diameter: 0.15 m (0.49 ft). Propellants: Solid.

1958 July 11 - Wallops Island -. Jason J-A FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF AFSWC. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1958 July 17 - Wallops Island -. Jason J-B FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1958 August 1 - Wallops Island -. Jason J-CX Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 750 km (460 mi). In 3-week period, 19 five-stage Argo E5 sounding rockets were launched in USAF-NACA program to measure radiation caused by Project Argus, rockets reaching 500-mile altitude and were launched from Wallops Island, AMR, and Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico.

1958 August 15 - 04:16 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC10. Jason Jason 1822 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 693 km (430 mi).

1958 August 20 - 11:27 GMT - Ramey -. Jason Jason 1841 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 August 25 - 18:17 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 1859 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 August 27 - 03:33 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC10. Jason Jason 1909 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 937 km (582 mi).

1958 August 27 - 04:24 GMT - Ramey -. Jason Jason 1914 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 August 27 - 06:42 GMT - Ramey -. Jason Jason 1917 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 817 km (507 mi).

1958 August 27 - 07:29 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 1913 J-15 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 August 30 - 03:48 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 2019 J-16 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 817 km (507 mi).

1958 August 30 - 04:31 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC10. Jason Jason 2022 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 878 km (545 mi).

1958 August 30 - 05:18 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 2021 J-17 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 830 km (510 mi).

1958 August 30 - 05:52 GMT - Ramey -. Jason Jason 2023 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 825 km (512 mi).

1958 August 30 - 06:36 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC10. Jason Jason 2025 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 699 km (434 mi).

1958 August 30 - 07:21 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 2024 J-18 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 815 km (506 mi).

1958 August 30 - 22:02 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 2027 J-19 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 745 km (462 mi).

1958 August 30 - 23:03 GMT - Ramey -. Jason Jason 2026 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 August 31 - 00:07 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC10. Jason Jason 2020 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 September 2 - 19:02 GMT - Ramey -. Jason Jason 2041 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi).

1958 September 2 - 20:03 GMT - Wallops Island -. Jason Jason 2042 J-20 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 789 km (490 mi).

1958 September 2 - 22:15 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC10. Jason Jason 2043 Nuclear test observation mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 789 km (490 mi).