Huntsville proposes Jupiter 1500 miles range/2500 lb payload. AF proposes Thor. Both authorized. Jupiter also ship-launch capable. References: 86 .

Of the 14 launches, 13 were successful.

Instrumented Loki I and Deacon rockets were successfully balloon launched (Rockoons) from shipboard off the coast of Greenland in cosmic-ray studies by State University of Iowa research group. Army Ordnance supplied JPL-developed Loki rockets and ONR sponsored the project. References: 17 .

Ion composition research. Launched at 0139 local time. Reached 113.4 km.

First test run was held on the Supersonic Military Air Research Track (SMART), a 12,000-foot track for rocket-propelled sleds at Hurricane, Utah. References: 17 .

Gas composition research. Launched at 2359 local time. Reached 69.2 km.

Following a protracted two-year test series, the design was finally accepted for military service on 13 July 1955. In anticipation of this formal decree, in June of 1955 Makeyev was made Chief Designer at SKB-385, responsible for engineering of the R-11 and future small land and sea based ballistic missiles. SKB-385 was given complete responsibility for development of the sub-launched R-11FM in August 1955.

NACA flight 1. Familiarization. Walker attained mach 1.45 at 13725 m. Noted severe aileron buzz at mach 0.90 to 0.92. References: 49 , 97 .

President Eisenhower endorsed the IGY proposal for the launching of small earth-circling satellites. References: 483 .

The second phase in August-November 1955 consisted of 10 successful launches at ranges of 1083 to 1190 km. This cleared the way for a final test series leading to the first rocket-delivered test of a Soviet atomic bomb.

This derivative of the land-based R-11 ('Scud') was the first Soviet SLBM.

Ad Hoc Committee on Special Capabilities rejects Army/Von Brauns's Project Orbiter (Redstone) and USAF Atlas proposals; selects Navy/Vanguard for first US satellite. References: 86 .

Planned at NACA flight 2. Shortly before launch from B-29, X-1A suffered low-order explosion, later traced to detonation of Ulmer leather gaskets. Walker exited into B-29 bomb bay. References: 49 , 97 .

First successful demonstration of Rockair technique (resarch rocket launched from aircraft) by ONR and University of Maryland team, a 2.75-inch FFAR rocket fired from a Navy F2H-2 aircraft to an altitude of approximately 180,000 feet. Rockair technique first suggested by Herman Oberth (1929) and others. References: 17 .

Research and development Policy Council (DOD) unanimously recommended that the time-risk factor in the scientific satellite program be brought to the attention of the Secretary of the Defense for determination as to whether a Redstone backup program was indicated. References: 17 .

Rocket performance test. Launched at 0600 local time. Reached 4 km.

Missile test failure. Missed aimpoint by 540 m. References: 439 .

A North American team, headed by Chief Project Engineer Charles Feltz, designed the aircraft, with technical guidance from the NACA's Langley Aeronautical Laboratory and High-Speed Flight Station.

The Lavochkin team completed preliminary design of the intercontinental Mach 3 cruise missile.

The Department of Defense's Stewart Committee reviewed the alternatives for an IGY satellite program: wait for the development of an Atlas launcher, use a modified Redstone, or develop a rocket derived from the Viking missile. The committee voted seven to two in favor of abandoning Project Orbiter (Redstone) and developing Vanguard (Viking derivative with and Aerobee-Hi upper stage). Secretary Donald Quarles ruled with the committee majority in the Department of Defense Policy Committee, which approved the decision. The Department of Defense wrote a letter to the Department of Navy authorizing the Navy Research Laboratory to proceed with the Vanguard proposal. The responsibility for carrying out the program was placed with the Office of Naval Research. Objectives of Project Vanguard were: to develop and procure a satellite-launching vehicle; to place at least one satellite in orbit around the earth during IGY; to accomplish one scientific experiment; and to track flight to demonstrate the satellite actually attained orbit. References: 483 .

Rocket aerodynamics test. Launched at 0630 local time. Reached 95 km.

The third test series was conducted from the Project 611 submarine B-57 through 13 October 1955 in the White Sea. This demonstrated launches from a pitching surfaced vessel and a total range of 150 km.

After five years of wrangling, and secret talks in Geneva between the Red Chinese and US governments, Tsien is deported from the United States. Upon arrival in China, he was immediately put to work as head of the Chinese missile program. He had to introduce US systems engineering approaches to Chinese engineers, and build the technical infrastructure to enable China to build rockets. References: 31 .

RS-11 was launched at 0051 hours EST from AMR after a three-hour hold. The flight was unsuccessful. The LOX container pressure and the combustion chamber decreased 50 seconds after lift-off. The temperature of Fin Number 1 went out of measuring range 72 seconds after lift-off. The servo battery current dropped to zero and the stabilised platform lost its reference. The range safety officer gave the emergency cut-off signal at 79 seconds. Impact occurred approximately 21,000 yards from the launch pad. The RS-11 was the first flight with the complete guidance system. Missed aimpoint by 118,800 m. References: 439 .

Solar limb darkening research. Launched at 0850 local time. Reached 74 km.