Was the first American Satellite - Explorer 1 - launched into space by the Redstone Fire Control Truck?
Sunday, January 20th, 2008
Tiger asked:
The rocket that carried the satellite into orbit was an elongated Redstone missile, and the first Redstone Fire Control Truck was completed a few days prior to January 31, 1958 and shipped from the Chrysler Missile Division in Sterling Heights, Michigan to Huntsville, Alabama.
The Satellite when launched sat atop the elongated Redstone Rocket - called the Jupiter C - the Jupiter C differed from the Redstone Rocket by being elongated to contain the additional fuel to reach outer space. The guidance and control components of both the Jupiter C and the Redstone rockets were therefore identical. The satellite was released by telemetry from the Jupiter C once the fuel was spent. Question is: Was the Jupiter C checked out during the day and launched off the launch pad by the FIRST Redstone Fire Control Truck late in the day on January 31, 1958?
PRESTIA
The rocket that carried the satellite into orbit was an elongated Redstone missile, and the first Redstone Fire Control Truck was completed a few days prior to January 31, 1958 and shipped from the Chrysler Missile Division in Sterling Heights, Michigan to Huntsville, Alabama.
The Satellite when launched sat atop the elongated Redstone Rocket - called the Jupiter C - the Jupiter C differed from the Redstone Rocket by being elongated to contain the additional fuel to reach outer space. The guidance and control components of both the Jupiter C and the Redstone rockets were therefore identical. The satellite was released by telemetry from the Jupiter C once the fuel was spent. Question is: Was the Jupiter C checked out during the day and launched off the launch pad by the FIRST Redstone Fire Control Truck late in the day on January 31, 1958?
PRESTIA
