Wallops Island LA4
Site · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Tomahawk Sandia, Sergeant, Little Joe, Journeyman launch complex. Launch Area 4
Related
- Country
- USA
- Spacecraft
- Mercury
- Launch Vehicles
- Little Joe 1 4C, Little Joe 1, Journeyman, Nike Tomahawk, Castor
- Launch Sites
- Wallops Island
Chronology
6 events
1961 April 28
14:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: Wallops Island LA4. Launch Vehicle: Little Joe 1.- Mercury LJ-5B - .
Nation: USA.
Agency: NASA.
Spacecraft: Mercury.
Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi).
Little Joe 5B (LJ-5B) was launched from Wallops Island to test the Mercury escape system under maximum dynamic pressure conditions. At the time of lift-off, one of the launch vehicle rocket motors did not ignite until after 4 seconds had elapsed. This delay caused the launch vehicle to pitch into a lower trajectory than had been planned, with a result that the abort maneuver experienced greater dynamic pressures than had been specified in the flight test plan. Other than this, all other sequential systems operated according to plan, and after landing, a normal helicopter recovery was accomplished. Thus, all test objectives were met and were actually exceeded because the spacecraft withstood the higher dynamic pressures.