SA-2 (Apollo)
Encyclopedia
SA-2 was the second flight of the Saturn I
launch vehicle, the first flight of Project Highwater
, and was part of the American Apollo program
. The rocket was launched on April 25, 1962 from Cape Canaveral
, Florida.
. But in addition to testing the rockets structurally and the new engines, SA-2 was designed for Project Highwater, an experiment to release a large quantity of water into the upper atmosphere to investigate its effects.
To accomplish this, the dummy second and third stages of it were ballasted with 109,000 liters of water. When the rocket was at 105 km a charge was detonated that exploded the rocket. This would be used to study the effects on radio transmission and changes in local weather conditions.
took only two months from the arrivals of the first stage and dummy upper stages to launch on 25 April 1962. As with the first flight this mission was sub-orbital. Once again the launch phase was perfect and the rocket reached a maximum height of 150 kilometres (93.2 mi), reaching maximum speeds of about 6000 kilometres per hour (3,728.2 mph).
At this point (2 minutes 2.56 seconds MET) commands were sent to detonate the rocket as planned. This dispersed the water ballast and within five seconds observers on the ground reported seeing a cloud forming. It then proceeded to rise up to about 160 km in altitude.
Engineers were pleased to find that the sloshing that had occurred on the first flight in the fuel tanks did not happen on SA-2. This they credited to the extra anti-slosh baffles that had been installed. For the test flight, SA-2 carried a propellant load that was only 83 percent of capacity.
Saturn I
The Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make...
launch vehicle, the first flight of Project Highwater
Project Highwater
Project Highwater was an experiment carried out as part of two of the test flights of NASA's Saturn I launch vehicle , successfully launched into a sub-orbital trajectory from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Highwater experiment sought to determine the effect of a large volume of water suddenly...
, and was part of the American Apollo program
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
. The rocket was launched on April 25, 1962 from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
, Florida.
Objectives
The objectives of SA-2 were much the same as those of SA-1SA-1 (Apollo)
SA-1 was the first Saturn I space launch vehicle, the first in the Saturn family, and was part of the American Apollo program. The rocket was launched on October 27, 1961 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.-Objectives:...
. But in addition to testing the rockets structurally and the new engines, SA-2 was designed for Project Highwater, an experiment to release a large quantity of water into the upper atmosphere to investigate its effects.
To accomplish this, the dummy second and third stages of it were ballasted with 109,000 liters of water. When the rocket was at 105 km a charge was detonated that exploded the rocket. This would be used to study the effects on radio transmission and changes in local weather conditions.
Flight
The preparations at Cape CanaveralCape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
took only two months from the arrivals of the first stage and dummy upper stages to launch on 25 April 1962. As with the first flight this mission was sub-orbital. Once again the launch phase was perfect and the rocket reached a maximum height of 150 kilometres (93.2 mi), reaching maximum speeds of about 6000 kilometres per hour (3,728.2 mph).
At this point (2 minutes 2.56 seconds MET) commands were sent to detonate the rocket as planned. This dispersed the water ballast and within five seconds observers on the ground reported seeing a cloud forming. It then proceeded to rise up to about 160 km in altitude.
Engineers were pleased to find that the sloshing that had occurred on the first flight in the fuel tanks did not happen on SA-2. This they credited to the extra anti-slosh baffles that had been installed. For the test flight, SA-2 carried a propellant load that was only 83 percent of capacity.
External links
- http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=SATURNSA2
- Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations
- http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/sa-2/sa-2.html
- The Apollo Spacecraft: A Chronology