Atlas C Able
Launch vehicle · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
American orbital launch vehicle. Version with Atlas C first stage, Able AJ10-101A second stage, Altair solid third stage.
More at: Atlas C Able.
Related
- Family
- orbital launch vehicle
- Country
- USA
- Projects
- Pioneer series
- Launch Sites
- Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC12
- Stages
- Able, Altair 1, Atlas MA-2, Atlas D stage
- Agency
- Convair
Chronology
1 event
1959 September 24
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC12. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas C Able. FAILURE: Vehicle exploded on pad.. Failed Stage: 1.- Atlas C Able explodes on pad during static test. - .
Nation: USA.
Agency: USAF.
Program: Pioneer.
A participant remembers:
I live near the Cape on Merritt Island and have been here for about 41 years. I worked for the ARMA Corp that developed the Atlas Inertial Guidance System. I was in the Blockhouse at Complex 11 while a static test was performed on an Atlas Able on Complex 12. It did explode. Did it ever! After a couple of hours the six of us were allowed out of the blockhouse and saw all the damage to our complex...I had a tiny piece of that missile for a long time that somehow wound up on my person...labeled 9C.
The next Atlas Able would not fly until over a year later, using the Atlas D as the booster stage.