Blue Scout Junior

This page no longer updated from 31 October 2001. Latest version can be found at www.astronautix.com

Blue Scout Junior

Family: Scout. Country: USA. Status: Hardware. Department of Defence Designation: XRM-91.

Smaller Air Force version of Scout used for suborbital military tests.

Specifications

Launches: 23. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 91.30% pct. First Launch Date: 21 September 1960. Last Launch Date: 24 November 1970. Payload: 10 kg. to a: 26.775 km altitude, 11,290 km range trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 22,680 kgf. Total Mass: 5,797 kg. Core Diameter: 0.8 m. Total Length: 14.0 m.

Stage Number: 1. 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: 2. 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: 3. 1 x Alcor Gross Mass: 520 kg. Empty Mass: 50 kg. Thrust (vac): 3,629 kgf. Isp: 230 sec. Burn time: 30 sec. Diameter: 0.5 m. Span: 0.5 m. Length: 1.4 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. Alcor
Stage Number: 4. 1 x Cetus Gross Mass: 50 kg. Empty Mass: 10 kg. Thrust (vac): 408 kgf. Isp: 230 sec. Burn time: 20 sec. Diameter: 0.4 m. Span: 0.4 m. Length: 0.5 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. NOTS 100A

Blue Scout Junior Chronology

1960 Sep 21 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Radiation Probe Spacecraft: Radiation Probe.
Suborbital. Blue Scout first launch. USAF Blue Scout rocket fired from Cape Canaveral placed instrumented payload 16,600 miles above the earth, the first of 11 such tests, but no data were received due to radio malfunction.

1960 Nov 8 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18. FAILURE: Failure.

Radiation Probe Spacecraft: Radiation Probe.
Suborbital.

1961 Aug 17 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Radiation Probe Spacecraft: Radiation Probe.
Suborbital.

1961 Dec 4 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Radiation Probe Spacecraft: Radiation Probe.
Suborbital.

1962 May 31 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C-m. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Beanstalk Spacecraft: Beanstalk.
Suborbital.

1962 Jul 24 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1962 Nov 21 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1962 Dec 18 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B-m. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

(Ion Engine Test 1) * Spacecraft: Ion Engine Test.
Suborbital.

1963 Feb 1 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1963 Mar 13 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1963 May 17 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1963 Jul 30 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Space Radio Project Spacecraft: Space Radio Project.
Suborbital.

1963 Dec 17 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1C. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1964 Mar 13 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Magnetosphere Probe Spacecraft: Magnetosphere Probe.
Failure. Suborbital.

1964 Aug 29 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B-m. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Ion Engine Test 2 Spacecraft: Ion Engine Test. Payload: 661A Flight 21-2.
USAF Suborbital test of ion engine.

1964 Dec 21 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B-m. Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Ion Engine Test 3 Spacecraft: Ion Engine Test. Payload: 661A Flight 21-3.
USAF Suborbital test of ion engine.

1965 Jan 28 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18. FAILURE: Failure.

Probe Spacecraft: Probe.
Suborbital.

1965 Mar 30 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Magnetosphere Probe Spacecraft: Magnetosphere Probe.
Suborbital.

1965 Apr 9 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Radiation Effects Spacecraft: Radiation Effects.
Suborbital.

1965 May 12 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Magnetosphere Probe Spacecraft: Magnetosphere Probe.
Suborbital.

1965 Jun 9 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior SLV-1B. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC18.

Radiation Effects Spacecraft: Radiation Effects.
Suborbital.

1967 Jan 11 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior (1 stage). Launch Site: Vandenberg .

Scramjet Test Spacecraft: Scramjet Test.
Suborbital.

1970 Nov 24 - LV Configuration: Blue Scout Junior (3 stage). Launch Site: Wallops Island .

UV Astronomy Spacecraft: UV Astronomy.
Suborbital.

Bibliography:

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

Back to Index

Last update 12 March 2001.
Definitions of Technical Terms.
Contact Mark Wade with any corrections or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
© Mark Wade, 2001 .