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Chronology - 1948 - Quarter 2

- 1948 Apr 2 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 number 25.

V-2 number 25 Agency: Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan. Apogee: 144 km.
Launched 06:40 local time. Reached 144.4 km. Carried Density, pressure, temperature, composition, cosmic and solar radiation (Naval Research Lab) experiments for Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan.

- 1948 Apr 5 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 80 Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 35. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lilly.
NACA flight 15. Engine failed to ignite. Propellants jettisoned, completed as glide flight. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 6 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 81 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 46. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Fitzgerald.
AF flight 24. Pilot-check flight. Mach 1.1, during 4-cylinder run at 12505 m. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 7 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 82 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 47. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lundquist.
AF flight 25. Glide flight only. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 8 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 83 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 48. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Fitzgerald.
AF flight 26. Familiarization flight. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 9 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 84 Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 36. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lilly.
NACA flight 16. Stability and loads investigation. Mach 0.89. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 9 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 85 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 49. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lundquist.
AF flight 27. Powered pilot-check flight. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 13 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. LV Configuration: RTV-N-8.

Aerobee A-6 Agency: John Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory. Apogee: 114 km.
Magnetic field research. Launched at 1551 local time. Reached 114.3 km.

- 1948 Apr 14 - Nation: USSR. Launch Vehicle: R-1, R-2, R-3.

Decree for production of R-1 and R-2 missiles, design of R-3.
Decree 'On work on the R-1 and R-2 missiles' was issued. To accomplish putting the R-1 into production the resources of 13 research institutes and 35 factories were tapped. Glushko was tasked with producing the RD-100 copy of the V-2 engine. R-1 stand tests began the same day the decree was issued (Prototypes had already begun factory tests at the end of 1947). The decree also set forth design goals for the R-3.The specification was an order of magnitude leap from the other vehicles - to deliver a 3 tonne atomic bomb to any point in Europe from Soviet territory - a required range of 3000 km. References: 474 .

- 1948 Apr 16 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 86 Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 37. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lilly.
NACA flight 17. Stability and loads investigation. Plane's nosewheel collapsed on landing. Moderate damage. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 16 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 87 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 50. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lundquist.
AF flight 28. Pressure distribution survey. Only cylinders 2 and 4 ignited. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 19 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 number 38.

V-2 number 38 Agency: Naval Research Lab. Apogee: 56 km.
Launched 12:54 local time. Reached 56.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, pressure, temperature experiments for Naval Research Lab.

- 1948 Apr 26 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 88 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 51. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Fitzgerald.
AF flight 29. Aborted because of inconsistent rocket operation. Reached mach 0.9. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 29 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 89 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 52. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lundquist.
AF flight 30. Pressure distribution survey. Attained mach 1.18. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Apr 30 -

Organization of American States (OAS) Charter signed at Bogotá, Colombia

- 1948 May 4 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 90 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 53. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Fitzgerald.
AF flight 31. Pressure distribution survey. Mach 1.15. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 May 14 -

Nation of Israel proclaimed; British end mandate at midnight; Arab armies attack

- 1948 May 15 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 Bumper 1.

V-2 Bumper 1 Agency: General Electric.
First two-stage Bumper-Wac fired. Short duration Wac Corporal test; round successful. V-2 reached 112.4 km, 1220 m/s; Wac Corporal 127.6 km, 1345 m/s.

- 1948 May 19 - Nation: France.

Future cosmonaut Jean-Pierre Haignere born in Paris, France.

- 1948 May 21 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 91 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 54. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lundquist.
AF flight 32. Stability and control and buffeting investigation. Mach 0.92. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 May 25 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 92 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 55. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Fitzgerald.
AF flight 33. Buffet investigation, wing and tail loads. Mach 1.08. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 May 26 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 93 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 56. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Yeager.
AF flight 34. Buffet investigation, wing and tail loads. Mach 1.05. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 May 27 - Nation: Ukraine.

Future cosmonaut Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Volkov born in Gorlovka, Donetsk, Ukraine.

- 1948 May 27 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 number 35.

V-2 number 35 Agency: Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University. Apogee: 140 km.
Launched 07:16 local time. Reached 140 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo, composition (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

- 1948 Jun 3 - Nation: USA.

XS-1 Flight 94 Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 57. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Flight Crew: Lundquist.
AF flight 35. Left main gear door opened in flight. Nosewheel collapsed on landing. References: 49 , 97 .

- 1948 Jun 11 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Complex: LC33. Launch Vehicle: V-2. LV Configuration: V-2 number 37.

V-2 number 37 Agency: Air Research and Development Command. Apogee: 62 km.
Launched 03:22 local time. Reached 62.4 km. Carried pressure, temperature, composition, ionosphere, sky brightness, solar radiation experiments for Air Research and Development Command. Also carried Albert, the first American primate in space, who died of suffocation.

- 1948 Jun 11 - Nation: USSR.

Zagorsk rocket engine test site authorised.
Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 2018-791 'On construction of a test site to ground-test rocket engines.' was issued. References: 474 .

- 1948 Jun 19 - Nation: USA.

Future astronaut Ronald Dean Townsend born in Concordia, Kansas, USA.

- 1948 Jun 20 - Nation: USA.

Future astronaut Gary Eugene Payton born in Rock Island, Illinois, USA.

- 1948 Jun 24 -

Berlin blockade begins

- 1948 Jun 28 -

Stalin and Tito break

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Last update 3 May 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .