Sounding rocket. Country: USA. Status: Retired 1949. Department of Defence Designation: RTV-G-1. Development of the JPL-Ordnance WAC began in 1944. In 1946 it became the first American rocket to exceed 80 km altitude (above the earth's atmosphere as defined by publicity of the time). It was capable of taking 11 kg to 30 km altitude and was powered by a liquid propellant engine originally developed for JATO applications.
The WAC A, also called the WAC-Corporal, was developed as the 'little sister' of the Corporal military rocket by the California Institute of Technology GALCIT group. The propellants were hypergolic and the rocket was fin stabilized during ascent after exiting a 30-m high, three-rail launch tower. In order to test the tower launch concept and aerodynamic design, GALCIT fired 24 small Private A small solid-propellant rocket in December 1944.
Initial tests using a 1/5 scale 'Baby Wac' began in July 1945. Further basic airframe and control tests began on 26 September 1945, using a Tiny Tim solid rocket booster (the Tiny Tim, a US Navy air-to-surface rocket, used a standard oil drill casing into which solid propellant was poured). Finally on 11 October 1945 the first 'all-up' WAC Corporal was launched. The WAC Corporal was boosted up its launch tower by a Tiny Tim booster, which burned for 0.6 seconds. The main engine, powered by hypergolic aniline+furfuryl alcohol / RNNA propellants, burned for a total of 47 seconds. The rocket would burn out at 24 km altitude, then coast up to 70 km. The rocket was equipped with a recovery parachute and could be refueled and reused.
The original of the name WAC is obscure. A series of rockets Private - Corporal - Sergeant were planned for the Army. Perhaps using the Women's Air Corps designation was considered in line with the other family names. Others state it was an abbreviation for "Without Attitude Control".
The first production run of WAC A's was followed by the WAC B. This had lighter engines and structure and an improved telemetry unit.
Manufacturer: JPL, Douglas. Launches: 25. Failures: 3. Success Rate: 88.00%. First Launch Date: 1945-09-27. Last Launch Date: 1949-05-27. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 75 km (46 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 2.150 kN (483 lbf). Total Mass: 658 kg (1,450 lb). Core Diameter: 0.31 m (1.00 ft). Total Length: 7.34 m (24.08 ft). Span: 1.32 m (4.33 ft). Boost Propulsion: Solid. Boost engine: Tiny Tim. Cruise Propulsion: Storable liquid, RFNA/Aniline+Fufuryl alcohol. Cruise engine: WAC-Corporal. Cruise Thrust: 66 N (15 lbf).
- Stage0: 1 x WAC A-0. Gross Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Empty Mass: 278 kg (612 lb). Motor: 1 x Tiny Tim. Thrust (vac): 220.000 kN (49,450 lbf). Burn time: 0.60 sec. Length: 2.50 m (8.20 ft). Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft). Propellants: Solid.
- Stage1: 1 x WAC-1. Gross Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Empty Mass: 125 kg (275 lb). Motor: 1 x WAC. Thrust (vac): 6.700 kN (1,506 lbf). Burn time: 45 sec. Length: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/aniline.
Version: WAC B.
Launches: 13. Failures: 2. First Launch Date: 1946-12-02. Last Launch Date: 1949-05-27. Apogee: 75 km (46 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 0 N ( lbf). Total Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Core Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft). Total Length: 7.30 m (23.90 ft).
- Stage0: 1 x WAC A-0. Gross Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Empty Mass: 278 kg (612 lb). Motor: 1 x Tiny Tim. Thrust (vac): 220.000 kN (49,450 lbf). Burn time: 0.60 sec. Length: 2.50 m (8.20 ft). Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft). Propellants: Solid.
- Stage1: 1 x WAC-1. Gross Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Empty Mass: 125 kg (275 lb). Motor: 1 x WAC. Thrust (vac): 6.700 kN (1,506 lbf). Burn time: 45 sec. Length: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/aniline.
Wac Chronology
1945 September 27 - White Sands LC33. WAC 1 FAILURE: Failure. Dummy launch Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.
1945 September 28 - White Sands LC33. WAC 2 Dummy launch Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.
1945 October 1 - White Sands LC33. WAC 3 1 / 4 Charge test Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.
1945 October 2 - White Sands LC33. WAC 4 1 / 4 Charge test Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Launcher/booster stage test. No upper stage.
1945 October 11 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 5 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). First 'all-up' Wac Corporal launch. Recovery system failed.
1945 October 12 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 6 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). The parachute failed, but the nose cone also came off. This set the rocket on a tumbling re-entry, providing sufficient braking that it hit the ground pretty well intact.
1945 October 16 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 7 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 27 km (16 mi).
1945 October 19 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 8 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). The nose ejected just after the rocket cleared the tower.
1945 October 25 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 10 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Emergency launch when the parachute igniter fired.
1945 October 25 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 9 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Night launch, the nose failed to eject. Last development flight.
1946 May 10 - White Sands LC33. WAC A 12 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1946 May 22 - White Sands LC33. WAC A Ordnance WAC Flight 2 Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). First American rocket to escape earth's atmosphere, the JPL-Ordnance Wac, reached 80 km altitude after launch from WSPG. First fully successful production WAC flight.
1946 December 2 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 21 FAILURE: Failure. Booster test Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi).
1946 December 3 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 22 Modified WAC A test Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1946 December 6 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 23 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 27 km (16 mi).
1946 December 12 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 24 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 32 km (19 mi).
1946 December 12 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 25 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 49 km (30 mi).
1946 December 13 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 26 Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 53 km (32 mi).
1947 February 18 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 27B FAILURE: Failure. Booster test Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi).
1947 February 19 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 28B Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 44 km (27 mi).
1947 February 24 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 29B Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 73 km (45 mi).
1947 March 3 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 30B Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 63 km (39 mi).
1947 June 12 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 29B? Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).
1949 May 9 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 9B Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).
1949 May 27 - White Sands LC33. WAC B 9B Test mission Agency: USA OR. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).
Bibliography:- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- Emme, Eugene M, Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of Science and Technology in the Exploration of Space 1915-1960, NASA, 1961. Web Address when accessed: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html.
- Alway, Peter, Rockets of the World, Saturn Press, Ann Arbor, 1995.
- Parsch, Andreas, DesignationSystems.Net, Web Address when accessed: http://www.designation-systems.net/.