Blue Scout 2

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Blue Scout 2

Family: Scout. Country: USA. Status: Hardware. Department of Defence Designation: XRM-90.

Air Force version of Scout used for suborbital and orbital military tests.

Specifications

Launches: 3. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 66.67% pct. First Launch Date: 03 March 1961. Last Launch Date: 01 November 1961. LEO Payload: 30 kg. to: 300 km Orbit. at: 28.0 degrees. Liftoff Thrust: 52,160 kgf. Total Mass: 16,874 kg. Core Diameter: 1.0 m. Total Length: 24.0 m.

Stage Number: 1. 1 x Algol 1 Gross Mass: 10,705 kg. Empty Mass: 1,900 kg. Thrust (vac): 48,022 kgf. Isp: 236 sec. Burn time: 40 sec. Isp(sl): 214 sec. Diameter: 1.0 m. Span: 1.0 m. Length: 9.1 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. Algol 1
Stage Number: 2. 1 x Castor 2 Gross Mass: 4,424 kg. Empty Mass: 695 kg. Thrust (vac): 26,402 kgf. Isp: 262 sec. Burn time: 37 sec. Isp(sl): 232 sec. Diameter: 0.8 m. Span: 0.8 m. Length: 6.0 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. TX-354-3
Stage Number: 3. 1 x Antares 1A Gross Mass: 1,225 kg. Empty Mass: 294 kg. Thrust (vac): 6,169 kgf. Isp: 256 sec. Burn time: 39 sec. Isp(sl): 233 sec. Diameter: 0.8 m. Span: 0.8 m. Length: 3.4 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. X-254
Stage Number: 4. 1 x Altair 1 Gross Mass: 238 kg. Empty Mass: 30 kg. Thrust (vac): 1,270 kgf. Isp: 256 sec. Burn time: 38 sec. Isp(sl): 233 sec. Diameter: 0.5 m. Span: 0.5 m. Length: 1.8 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. X-248

Blue Scout 2 Chronology

1961 Mar 3 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

USAF Radiation Probe Spacecraft: Radiation Probe.
Suborbital.

1961 Apr 12 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

USAF Radiation Probe & Caps Spacecraft: Radiation Probe.
Suborbital.

1961 Nov 1 - - 15:32 GMT. LV Configuration: Blue Scout 2 s/n D-8. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18B. FAILURE: Failure.

Mercury Scout-1 Spacecraft: Radio Test Spacecraft. Payload: Radio Test Spacecraft.
Small satellite was to have verified the readiness of the worldwide Mercury tracking network

Bibliography:

45 - Koelle, Heinz Hermann,, Handbook of Astronautical Engineering, McGraw-Hill,New York, 1961.
249 - Gatland, Kenneth, Spacecraft and Boosters, Iliffe Books. London, 1964.

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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .