Juno II
Encyclopedia
Juno II was an American
space launch vehicle used during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was derived from the Jupiter missile, which was used as the first stage.
rocket motors were used as upper stages—eleven for the second stage, three for the third stage, and one for the fourth stage—the same configuration as used for the upper stages of the smaller Juno I
rocket. On some launches to low Earth orbit
the fourth stage was not flown, allowing the rocket to carry an additional nine kilograms of payload.
, Pioneer 4
, Explorer 7
, Explorer 8
, and Explorer 11 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 5
and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 26
B.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
space launch vehicle used during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was derived from the Jupiter missile, which was used as the first stage.
Development
MGM-29 SergeantMGM-29 Sergeant
The MGM-29 Sergeant was an American short-range, solid fuel, surface-to-surface missile developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Activated by the US Army in 1962 to replace the MGM-5 Corporal it was deployed overseas by 1963, carrying the W52 nuclear warhead or alternatively one of high explosives...
rocket motors were used as upper stages—eleven for the second stage, three for the third stage, and one for the fourth stage—the same configuration as used for the upper stages of the smaller Juno I
Juno I
The Juno I was a four-stage American booster rocket which launched America's first satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958. A member of the Redstone rocket family, it was derived from the Jupiter-C sounding rocket...
rocket. On some launches to low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
the fourth stage was not flown, allowing the rocket to carry an additional nine kilograms of payload.
History
The Juno II was used for 10 satellite launches, of which six failed, launching Pioneer 3Pioneer 3
Pioneer 3 was a spin stabilized spacecraft launched at 05:45:12 UTC on 6 December 1958 by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration...
, Pioneer 4
Pioneer 4
Pioneer 4 was a spin-stabilized spacecraft launched as part of the Pioneer program on a lunar flyby trajectory and into a heliocentric orbit making it the first U.S. probe to escape from the Earth's gravity. It carried a payload similar to Pioneer 3: a lunar radiation environment experiment using a...
, Explorer 7
Explorer 7
Explorer 7 was launched October 13, 1959 at 10:36 a.m. Eastern Time by a Juno II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to an orbit of 573 km by 1073 km and inclination of 50.27°. It was designed to measure solar x-ray and Lyman-alpha flux, trapped energetic particles, and heavy...
, Explorer 8
Explorer 8
Explorer 8 is a U.S. research satellite launched on November 3, 1960. It confirmed the existence of a helium layer in the upper atmosphere....
, and Explorer 11 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 5
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 5
Launch Complex 5 was a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida used for various Redstone and Jupiter launches.It is most well known as the launch site for NASA's 1961 suborbital Mercury-Redstone 3 flight, which made Alan Shepard the first American in space. It was also the launch...
and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 26
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 26
Launch Complex 26 is a deactivated launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. LC-26 consisted of two pads, A and B. Pad A was used for the Jupiter-C and Juno I rockets, and was the launch site for Explorer 1, the United States' first satellite, in 1958. Pad B was used for Juno II...
B.
| Date/Time (GMT) | Serial N° | Stages | Pad | Payload | Outcome | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-12-06, 05:44 | AM-11 | 4 | LC-5 | Pioneer 3 Pioneer 3 Pioneer 3 was a spin stabilized spacecraft launched at 05:45:12 UTC on 6 December 1958 by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration... |
Partial failure | High sub-orbital launch. Lunar Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... probe, failed to reach Moon due to premature first stage cutoff. Radiation experiments successful. |
| 1959-03-03, 05:10 | AM-14 | 4 | LC-5 | Pioneer 4 Pioneer 4 Pioneer 4 was a spin-stabilized spacecraft launched as part of the Pioneer program on a lunar flyby trajectory and into a heliocentric orbit making it the first U.S. probe to escape from the Earth's gravity. It carried a payload similar to Pioneer 3: a lunar radiation environment experiment using a... |
Successful | High sub-orbital launch. Lunar Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... probe. |
| 1959-07-16, 17:37 | AM-16 | LC-5 | Explorer S-1 | Failure | Pitched over 5 seconds after launch, destroyed by range safety Range safety In rocketry, range safety is assured by the systems which protect people and assets on the rocket range in cases when a launch vehicle might endanger them. Range safety is usually the responsibility of a Range Safety Officer... |
|
| 1959-08-15, 00:31 | AM-19B | Beacon 2 | Failure | Premature first stage cutoff. Failed to orbit | ||
| 1959-10-13, 15:30 | AM-19A | 3 | LC-5 | Explorer 7 Explorer 7 Explorer 7 was launched October 13, 1959 at 10:36 a.m. Eastern Time by a Juno II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to an orbit of 573 km by 1073 km and inclination of 50.27°. It was designed to measure solar x-ray and Lyman-alpha flux, trapped energetic particles, and heavy... |
Successful | Reached low Earth orbit Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... |
| 1960-03-23, 13:35 | AM-19C | 3 | LC-26B | Explorer S-46 | Failure | Third stage failed to ignite. Failed to orbit |
| 1960-11-03, 05:23 | AM-19D | 3 | LC-26B | Explorer 8 Explorer 8 Explorer 8 is a U.S. research satellite launched on November 3, 1960. It confirmed the existence of a helium layer in the upper atmosphere.... |
Successful | Reached low Earth orbit Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... |
| 1961-02-25, 00:13 | AM-19F | LC-26B | Explorer S-45 | Failure | Third stage failed to ignite. Failed to orbit | |
| 1961-04-27, 14:16 | AM-19E | LC-26B | Explorer 11 | Successful | Reached low Earth orbit Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... |
|
| 1961-05-24, 19:48 | AM-19G | LC-26B | Failure | Second stage failed to ignite. Failed to orbit | ||
Specifications
- Total length: 24.0 m
- Orbit payload to 200 km: 41 kg
- Escape velocity payload: 6 kg
- First launch date: December 6, 1958
- Last launch date: May 24, 1961
| Parameter | 1st stage | 2nd stage | 3rd stage | 4th stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross mass | 54,431 kg | 462 kg | 126 kg | 42 kg |
| Empty mass | 5,443 kg | 231 kg | 63 kg | 21 kg |
| Thrust | 667 kN | 73 kN | 20 kN | 7 kN |
| Isp | 248 s (2.43 kN·s/kg) |
214 s (2.10 kN·s/kg) |
214 s (2.10 kN·s/kg) |
214 s (2.10 kN·s/kg) |
| Burn time | 182 s | 6 s | 6 s | 6 s |
| Length | 18.28 m | 1.0 m | 1.0 m | 1.0 m |
| Diameter | 2.67 m | 1.0 m | 0.50 m | 0.30 m |
| Engine: | Rocketdyne S-3D | Eleven Sergents | Three Sergents | One Sergent |
| Propellant | LOX/RP-1 | Solid Fuel | Solid Fuel | Solid fuel |