White Sands LC38	home topic index
Launch Complex: LC38. White Sands. Old Name: ALA5. Latitude: 32.4179 deg. Longitude: -106.2796 deg. Used by: Nike Zeus. First Launch: 1959-08-26. Last Launch: 1963-12-11. Number Launches: 51. LC 38 (Army Launch Area Five) was built for test of the Nike Zeus anti-ballistic missile. The Nike Zeus system required elaborate infrastructure to house the large missiles, and even larger assembly of radars, computers, and electronics. There were two R&D Zeus Launch Cells and later one tactical Launch Cell. The launch location was at the western edge of LC-38. The two R&D cells were located at the site of the present large building and its parking lot to the east. The smaller building east of the large building was the Launch Control Building (an underground control room). The Tactical Cell was located to the far side of the complex east of the control building. By the late 1960's Nike Zeus evolved into Nike-X, and then Spartan. Testing of the missile was moved to Kwajalein Atoll in the south Pacific. LC-38 was thereafter used only for assembly and check out of the Sprint short-range last-ditch interceptor missile portion of the Safeguard Spartan/Sprint ABM system. Zeus radars continued in use as part of a re-entry radar signature study. In 1969 LC-38 was modified for test of the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, which eventually was developed to be capable against short-range ballistic missiles. The complex continued to be used for Patriot testing into the 21st Century. LC38 Chronology 1959 August 26 - 17:35 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus A 101 1 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1959 October 14 - 16:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus A 2 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). 1959 December 16 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus A 3 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). 1960 March 9 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus A 5 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). 1960 April 28 - 14:50 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus 6 First Silo launch Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1960 May 25 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus A 7 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). 1960 June 22 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus 8 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1960 August 10 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus 9 First Tactical launch Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1960 October 1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1960 December 1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1960 December 1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Guidance test Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 Q1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 May 25 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 June 23 - 23:40 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 Q3 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 Q3 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 July 26 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 August 31 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. New mainstage test Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 September 15 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi). 1961 November 15 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 November 15 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 November 30 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 First suc 3-stage Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1961 December 14 - 21:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Hercules intercept Agency: USA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi). 1962 February 1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 3 stage control test Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1962 February 7 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1962 March 13 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Simulated target Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1962 March 13 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Simulated target Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1962 March 28 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Hercules intercept Agency: USA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi). 1962 April 5 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Simulated target Agency: USA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). 1962 April 27 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 April 30 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Simulated target Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 July 16 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Requal test Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 August 28 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 September 27 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Simulated target Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 November 8 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 November 29 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Simulated target Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1962 December 17 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 DM-15S Test 1 Agency: USA. Apogee: 180 km (110 mi). 1963 February 16 - 00:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 DM-15S Test 2 Agency: USA. Apogee: 240 km (140 mi). 1963 February 20 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 April 18 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 April 24 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 May 10 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). 1963 June 5 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 July 1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 July 3 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 July 26 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Nike X R&D test Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 August 8 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 August 15 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 K-26 Titan Intercept Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 October 23 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 November 1 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Test mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). 1963 December 11 - Launch Vehicle: Nike Zeus. Nike Zeus-3 Nike X R&D, last WS test Agency: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments. Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site.. To contact astronauts or cosmonauts. © Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.