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8. HOW TO MAKE MODEL ROCKETS #2

JUPITER

The Jupiter, a surface-to-surface weapon, was the first American intermediate-range ballistic missile to be launched successfully. The missile was developed by the Army, but was later turned over to the Air Force for operation in the field.

This rocket can carry either a nuclear or high-explo­sive warhead to a distance of from 1200 to 1500 miles. It travels at a speed of 10,000 miles per hour.

The missile is 58 feet long and 83/4 feet in diameter. It is made of aluminum and weighs 105,000 pounds ready to launch. The single rocket engine provides a thrust of 150,000 pounds.

The Jupiter has done valuable service in the field of space exploration. It helped to launch the Pioneer IV, which is now in orbit around the sun, and the Explorer VII earth satellite, and also carried the two monkeys Able and Baker on their flight into space.

REDSTONE

The Redstone is a United States Army surface-to-sur­face missile that is designed to supplement artillery cannon. It can be equipped with either a nuclear or high-explosive warhead.

This missile is propelled by a 78,000-pound-thrust liquid-fuel engine that gives it a range of 200 miles. It is 70 feet long, 51/2 feet in diameter, and weighs 62,-000 pounds. Top speed is 3800 miles per hour.

The Redstone can be transported by air, rail, or truck and assembled in the field. It is fired from a portable launcher.

This rocket served as the first stage of the space vehicles that launched Explorer I—the first United States satellite—Explorer III, and Explorer IV. The Redstone will also be used to carry our Mercury astro­nauts on short test flights into space prior to the launch­ing which will send one of them into orbit around the earth.

On January 31, 1961, a souped-up version of this highly reliable rocket shot a Project Mercury capsule, with a 371/2 -pound chimpanzee named Ham aboard, 155 miles into space and 420 miles out over the Atlan­tic Ocean at a speed of 5,000 miles per hour. Ham's trip was hailed as a big step toward manned space flights.

HONEST JOHN

This rocket, a United States Army surface-to-surface missile, is designed to supply lire support for ground operations. Its range of 12 miles is about equal to that of medium- to long-range artillery.

The Honest John is a free-flight rocket, which means that it carries no guiding device but is simply aimed at its target and fired. This missile, which is fired from a mobile self-propelled launcher manned by a crew of only six men, can carry a high-explosive, nuclear, or chemical warhead.

The Honest John is 27 feet long and 2½ feet in diameter, and weighs 5800 pounds. It travels at a speed of 750 miles per hour.

NIKE-HERCULES

The Nike-Hercules is another weapon of the United States Army. The main function of this surface-to-air missile is to intercept attacking enemy bombers, but the Army has demonstrated that it can also be used to knock down incoming air-to-ground missiles.

This air-defense rocket is 39 feet long and has a diameter of a little over 21/2feet. Its range is 80 miles, and its speed is approximately 2200 miles per hour.

The two-stage Nike-Hercules can be equipped with either nuclear or high-explosive warheads.

Many of our large metropolitan areas are ringed with Army Nike-Hercules installations to protect them from surprise attack by air.

POLARIS

The Polaris, a United States Navy surface-to-surface intermediate-range ballistic missile—it is also called a fleet ballistic missile, or FBM—is considered to be one of the most important weapons our country now has at its disposal.

This rocket can be launched from submarines under water, from surface ships, or from land bases. It will be the primary weapon carried by our fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, each of which will be equipped with sixteen of these nuclear-war headed missiles.

The two-stage Polaris, which is 28 feet long and 5 feet in diameter, is made of steel and weighs 28,000 pounds. Its range is 1200 nautical miles at a speed of 8,000 miles per hour. Advanced versions of the mis­sile will have ranges of 1500 and 2500 nautical miles.

The first successful firing of the Polaris from under water took place on July 20, 1960, when two of the missiles were launched from the nuclear submarine George Washington.

TALOS

The Talos is a United States Navy surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile. It can be used to intercept enemy aircraft and to attack hostile ships and shore targets. It also can be used as a long-range anti-sub­marine weapon. The missile can be equipped with either a high-explosive or nuclear warhead.

A rocket engine boosts the Talos to high speed and then drops off. Flight is sustained by a 40,000-pound-thrust ramjet engine which drives it to the target. It has a range of 65 nautical miles and a velocity of ap­proximately 1800 miles per hour. Since this weapon requires air to operate, it cannot travel much above an altitude of 75,000 feet.

The Talos is about 30 feet long and 2½ feet in diameter. It is made of steel and weighs 7,000 pounds.

USSR CH-10

The USSR CH-IO is a giant three-stage missile weigh­ing 350,000 pounds. Few other details are known about the rocket except that it is over 100 feet long and is 131/2 feet in diameter.

The CH-10 is believed to be the rocket the Russians used to launch the payload that hit the moon on Sep­tember 13, 1959.

The last stage of the CH-10 is also reported to have crashed into the moon.

USSR T-2

The T-2 is a USSR intermediate-range ballistic mis­sile in service with the Russian army. It can carry a nuclear warhead between 1300 and 1500 miles.

This two-stage rocket is powered by liquid-fueled engines, the first (or booster) stage producing a thrust of 80,000 pounds. Its maximum length is about 100 feet and it weighs 120,000 pounds. Speed is 5,000 miles per hour.

The T-2 missile is comparable to our Jupiter and Thor.

PROJECT MERCURY CAPSULE

Project Mercury is the name that has been given to the initial United States man-into-space program. The capsule designed to carry our first astronaut into space is conical in shape and barely large enough to accom­modate one man—one of the seven astronauts who have been selected and trained for flight into space. The capsule weighs about one ton and is 9½feet high and 6½ feet in diameter. It is equipped with controls to keep it stable and to regulate its position so that the blunt nose end faces forward.

When the astronaut has completed his orbital trip, small rockets in the blunt end of the capsule will be fired to slow down his speed. As speed decreases the capsule will lose altitude and be pulled toward the earth by gravity. To protect the capsule from burning up when it re-enters the earth's atmosphere, its nose end is equipped with a fiber-glass shield that vapor­izes under the intense heat caused by the friction of the air.

When the capsule's speed has been slowed to a cer­tain point, parachutes will open automatically to help ease its descent to the earth.

SATURN

The Saturn is a rocket of the future. It is being de­veloped for the National Aeronautics and Space Ad­ministration and will be used only for space-exploration purposes.

This giant rocket will be larger and have more thrust power than any known to be in existence today. Its three stages will total at least 150 feet and it will be 22 feet in diameter. Without the payload—this is the useful cargo, such as scientific instruments, carried by a rocket vehicle—it will weigh approximately 1,000,000 pounds. Eight rocket engines, all burning liquid fuels, will give the Saturn a total take-off thrust of 1,500,000 pounds.

The Saturn will be able to carry a payload of over two tons to the moon, put a 25,000-pound satellite into a 300-mile orbit around the earth, and perform many other space tasks.

NOVA

The Nova, which is now under study and develop­ment, also for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will be about four times as powerful as the Saturn. Its first stage will have four huge en­gines, each with a thrust of 1,500,000 pounds, for a total thrust of 6,000,000 pounds!

The Nova will tower 220 to 260 feet into the air as it stands ready for launching. The length and num­ber of stages will vary with the space mission the Nova is to perform. It will be able to carry men to the moon and back, put a 150,000-pound payload into a 300-mile orbit around the earth, and to make deep probes into interplanetary space.