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San Clemente

Site · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

San Clemente Island, Pacific Missile Range. Military facility on the California Channel Islands, used for rocket launches in support of other missile tests from Vandenberg or Point Mugu. In use from 1957. Plans were made for an off-shore launch platform here for the Starstruck vehicle.

Subtopics

  • San Clemente E Dolphin launch complex. Starstruck offshore site, 16 km east of San Clemente Island.

Related

Country
USA
Launch Vehicles
X-17, Polaris A1, Polaris TV, Dolphin
Launch Sites
San Clemente E
Agency
USN
Bibliography
2, 9528

Chronology

10 events

1958 July 1

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Platform: AVM1. Launch Vehicle: X-17. FAILURE: Failure.
  • Argus test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1958 July 1

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Platform: AVM1. Launch Vehicle: X-17. FAILURE: Failure.
  • Argus test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).

1958 July 2

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Platform: AVM1. Launch Vehicle: X-17.
  • Argus test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 560 km (340 mi).

1958 July 24

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Platform: AVM1. Launch Vehicle: X-17.
  • Argus test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi).

1960 April 14

22:21 GMT - . Launch Site: San Clemente. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: Polaris A1.
  • Underwater test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi).

1960 June 30

Launch Site: San Clemente. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: Polaris A1.
  • Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1960 August 24

20:43 GMT - . Launch Site: San Clemente. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: Polaris A1.
  • Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1984 February 6

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Complex: San Clemente E. Launch Vehicle: Dolphin. FAILURE: Nitrogen gas fittings had been loosened during transport. Attempts to grind an access hole to an internal bay of the rocket to tighten the fittings resulted in a fire in the electronics..
  • Dolphin hybrid rocket sea-launch abort. - . Nation: USA. Agency: Starstruck. The Dolphin included not only innovative hybrid propulsion technology but was also launched from a floating launch cannister at sea. This was the first attempted test of the sea-launch system, although the launch itself was aborted..

1984 March 30

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Complex: San Clemente E. Launch Vehicle: Dolphin. FAILURE: Seawater seeped into the electronics bay, creating a short..
  • Dolphin hybrid rocket sea-launch abort. - . Nation: USA. Agency: Starstruck. This was the second attempted use of the sea-launch system - the launch itself was aborted..

1984 August 3

Launch Site: San Clemente. Launch Complex: San Clemente E. Launch Vehicle: Dolphin. FAILURE: Thrust vector control failure led to vehicle swerving off course at T+14 seconds.. Failed Stage: 1.
  • Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: Starstruck. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).

    The vehicle was supposed to reach an altitude of 2400 m but only made it to 700 m due to a stuck thrust vector control valve that resulted in a 45 degree deviation from vertical fligh. The errant vehicle was shut down by command from the support ship at T+14 sec. After this attempt, the project, backed entirely with private funds, folded.