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Launch Complex: LC26A.
Cape Canaveral. Latitude: 28.4446 deg. Longitude: -80.5705 deg. Used by: Jupiter, Redstone. First Launch: 1957-08-28. Last Launch: 1963-01-23. Number Launches: 14. The LC-26 dual launch pad complex was constructed for the U.S. Army's Redstone and Jupiter missile programs.Construction started in 1956, and both pads were occupied in May 1957. Pad 26A supported its first Jupiter launch on 28 August 1957. At least 36 Redstone, Jupiter, Jupiter C and Juno II launches were conducted from Complex 26 before the site was deactivated in 1964. On 20 November 1964, the complex was reassigned for development as the USAF Space Museum. Since 1966, the USAF Space Museum has been open to the public. The museum includes Complex 26's blockhouse, an exhibit hall and an outdoor display area featuring about 70 missile and space launch vehicles. Complex 26 was declared a national historic landmark in April 1984.

LC26A Chronology

1957 August 28 - 21:02 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM AM-2 Research and development test Agency: USAF/ABMA. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). The fourth Jupiter was fired from AMR at 1602 hours EST over IRBM range and was the second successful flight of the series. The range error was 27.5 nm with a 36.5 nm lateral error. Range was predicted for 146 nm. LOX was cut off at 170 seconds. All flight missions were fulfilled satisfactorily. Separation occurred 5 seconds after burnout, as programmed, This was the first test of separation of body from thrust unit.

1958 February 1 - 03:47 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Jupiter C/Juno I RS-29 Explorer 1 Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Spacecraft: Explorer A. Agency: U.S. Army. Perigee: 347 km (215 mi). Apogee: 1,859 km (1,155 mi). Inclination: 33.20 deg. Period: 107.20 min. Explorer I, the first U.S. earth satellite, was launched by a modified Army Ballistic Missile Agency Jupiter-C. Explorer I, developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, carried the U.S.-IGY (International Geophysical Year) experiment of James A. Van Allen and resulted in the discovery of the radiation belt around the earth.

1958 March 5 - 18:27 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Jupiter C/Juno I RS/CC-26 FAILURE: Fourth Stage failed to ignite. Explorer 2 Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Spacecraft: Explorer A. Agency: U.S. Army.

1958 August 27 - 23:15 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM AM-7 Research and development test Agency: USAF/ABMA. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Fired from AMR at 1815 hours EST. The countdown was normal. Operations were interrupted by one hold -- a 15 minute delay for minor adjustments. Ignition, main-stage, and lift-off were normal. The missile followed the pre-selected trajectory closely during powered flight, though cut-off was effected by fuel depletion rather than by pre-set guidance cut-off. The nose cone impacted 39 nm short and 15.7 nm to the left of the pre-calculated range of 1,246 nm. Jupiter 7 was the first flight test of the warhead and fuse system. This also marked the second flight test of the :Jupiter all-inertial guidance system, the fourth flight test of the NAA S-3D engine operating at 150,000 pounds thrust, and the first flight test of the solid propellant spin rocket and vernier motor.

1959 July 22 - 04:02 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Redstone CC-2003 FAILURE: Control system malfunction during re-entry at 380 sec. Agency: USA. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Missile test failure. Missed aimpoint by 684 m.

1959 August 5 - 02:05 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Redstone CC-2004 FAILURE: Pre-launch tanking error caused early cut-off by fuel depletion. Agency: USA. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Missile test failure. Missed aimpoint by 2,707 m.

1959 October 22 - 03:20 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-31 Research and development test Agency: USAF/ABMA. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). The first full range tactical prototype, was fired from AMR at 2220 hours EST. All missions assigned to the flight was successfully accomplished. The missile covered a prescribed range of 1,600.448 nm, with the nose cone impacting 0.9 nm short and 0.6 nm to the right. This was the fourth Chrysler-assembled missile to be flight tested.

1960 October 20 - 16:02 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-217 LST test Agency: ABMA. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Jupiter missile Live System Test 217, the first to be fired under simulated tactical conditions using GSE prescribed for the Jupiter deployed to NATO I, was fired from AMR at 1102 hours EST. The missile successfully accomplished all primary and secondary missions. The nose cone impacted 1.1 nm over and 0.2 nm right of the pre-determined target 962.5 nm downrange.

1961 April 22 - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-209 CTL Agency: Italia. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Jupiter Missile Combat Training Launch 209, the first in a series of 12 CTL firings, was launched from AMR to a prescribed range of 1514 nm. The nose cone impacted .79 nm over and 2.19 nm right of the intended target. All missions were accomplished. The missile followed the intended flight path and performed within the accuracy requirements of the Jupiter system. IAF troops conducted the firing after LOD of MFSC completed the preliminary checkout. The primary mission of the test woe to evaluate the capabilities of launch crews under operational alert conditions.

1961 August 5 - 00:19 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-218 CTL Agency: Italia. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). The second Jupiter to be fired under the operational control of NATO troops in the Combat Training Launch program was fired from AMR at 1919 hours and 06 seconds EST to a range of 1,516 nm. The missile was originally scheduled for firing on 3 August but was postponed because of problems with the fuel probe in the fuel start tank and the micro-switch on the fuel pumping lever arm which controls the fuel flow rate. All missions assigned to the missile and to the NATO training launch crew were successfully accomplished.

1961 December 6 - 22:37 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-115 CTL Agency: Italia. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). The third NATO operational control Combat Training Launch was fired from AMR at 1737 hours and 24 seconds EST to a prescribed range of 1,516 nm. The missile was well constrained to the intended flight path and within accuracy requirements of the Jupiter system. The missile impacted in the target area and all missions assigned to this test were successfully accomplished.

1962 April 18 - 18:17 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-114 CTL Agency: Turkey. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Combat Training Launch fired from AMR at 1317 hours and 54.1 seconds EST to a predicted impact point of 1,514 nm from the firing site. All functions of the flight were normal up to 153 seconds, at which time fuel depletion was reached and normal guidance cut-off was not achieved. The missile impacted approximately 230 miles short of the intended target. All missions assigned to the NATO training launch crew were accomplished.

1962 August 1 - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-111 Combat training launch Agency: Italia. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

1963 January 23 - Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. Jupiter IRBM CM-106 Combat training launch Agency: Italia. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).


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