Mission: Little Joe 1A
Launch Pad: Wallops Island Pad
Vehicle: Little Joe (3)
Crew: Unmanned
Milestones:
Not applicable
Payload:
Boilerplate Spacecraft
Mission Objective:
Max Q abort and Escape Test.
Orbit:
Altitude: 9 statute miles
Orbits: 0
Duration: 0 Days, 0 hours, 8 minutes, 11 seconds
Distance: 11 statute miles
Max Velocity: 2,022 miles per hour
Max Q: 168 psf
Max G. 16.9
Launch:
November 4, 1959
The launching of LJ-1A "Little Joe" on November 1959 took place at Wallops Island, Virginia. This was the second attempt to launch an instrumented capsule with a Little Joe booster, The purpose of the flight was to test the escape system under the maximum dynamic pressure conditions of an Atlas flight or about 1,000 pounds per square foot. Though the launch and recovery were successful, researchers were not able to test the escape system at maximum aerodynamic loads on this flight. Subsequent launches were successful and the Little Joe program proved the general concept of the Mercury system to be sound.
Landing:
Not applicable
Mission Highlights:
The mission was listed as a partial success.
