The Altair was a solid-fuel rocket with a fiberglass casing, initially developed for use as the third stage of Vanguard rockets in 1959. It was manufactured by Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) as the X-248. It was also sometimes called the Burner 1 .
36-636: The X-248 was one of two third-stage designs used during Project Vanguard . Early launches used a stage developed by the Grand Central Rocket Company , but the last used the X-248 which enabled the Vanguard to launch more massive payload. The X-248 was used as the second stage of some early Thor flights. These vehicles were designated " Thor-Burner ". Altairs were used as the third stage of early Delta rockets . The fourth stage of
72-546: A gentle nature, Alan Waterman was known for his calm and reasoned point of view. He believed in public service. Besides his scientific talents, he was an accomplished musician, revealing his sense of humor by walking the corridors of the National Science Foundation playing his bagpipes. He had a fine voice and singing together was a family ritual. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Waterman canoed the rivers and lakes of northern Maine during extensive summer trips in
108-490: A professor at Yale University , and moved to North Haven, Connecticut in 1929. During World War II , he took leave of absence from Yale to become director of field operations for the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the family moved to Cambridge, MA . He continued his government work and became deputy chief of the Office of Naval Research . In 1950, he was appointed by President Truman as first director of
144-594: A second satellite, Sputnik 2 , on 3 November 1957. Meanwhile, the spectacular failure of Vanguard TV3 on 6 December 1957, deepened American dismay over the country's position in the Space Race . On 17 March 1958, Vanguard 1 became the second artificial satellite successfully placed in a low Earth orbit by the United States. It was the first solar-powered satellite. Just 15.2 cm (6.0 in) in diameter and weighing 1.4 kg (3.1 lb), Vanguard 1
180-531: A statement to commemorate him. The American people mourn the passing of a foremost man of science and of human purpose, Dr. Alan T. Waterman. Our Government has lost a trusted counselor. As chief scientist of the Office of Naval Research and as first director of the National Science Foundation, he left an indelible stamp of achievement on one of the most vital areas of American life. He will be missed. But succeeding generations will be wiser for his skill and richer for
216-494: A successful suborbital test of the Vanguard TV0 single-stage vehicle, was launched on 8 December 1956. On 1 May 1957, the two-stage test vehicle TV1 was successfully launched. Vanguard TV2, another successful suborbital test, was launched 23 October 1957. The Vanguard rocket launched three satellites out of eleven launch attempts: Alan T. Waterman Alan Tower Waterman (June 4, 1892 – November 30, 1967 )
252-539: Is not quite a perfect sphere: it is slightly pear-shaped, elevated at the North Pole and flattened at the South Pole . It corrected ideas about the atmosphere's density at high altitudes and improved the accuracy of world maps. The Vanguard program was transferred to NASA when that agency was created in mid-1958. The Vanguard "Satellite Launch Vehicle", a term invented for the operational SLV rockets as opposed to
288-774: The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA). Privately, however, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and President Dwight D. Eisenhower were aware of progress being made by the Soviets on Sputnik from secret spy plane imagery. Together with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), ABMA built Explorer 1 and launched it on 1 February 1958 ( UTC ). Before work was completed, however, the Soviet Union launched
324-587: The Army Corps of Engineers , were 14 stations along a north–south line running along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America. Minitrack was the forerunner of another NRL-developed system called NAVSPASUR , which remains operational today under the control of the Air Force and is a major producer of spacecraft tracking data. The original schedule called for the TV3 to be launched during
360-669: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the network of ground tracking stations was assumed to be a Navy project. The Navy proposal detailed all three aspects of the mission. In August 1955, the US DOD Committee on Special Capabilities chose the Navy's proposal as it appeared most likely, by spring 1958, to fulfill the following: Another consideration was that the Navy proposal used civilian sounding rockets rather than military missiles, which were considered inappropriate for peaceful scientific exploration. What went unstated at
396-524: The Scout-X rocket used the "Altair-1A" stage, powered by a X-248A engine. The Altair 2 (X-258) Thiokol ( Star 25 , TE-M-184-3) solid rocket engine first flew in 1963 and was the kick stage motor for Delta D , Scout A , Scout X-4, and Atlas-D OV1 as part of the Orbiting Vehicle satellites. It was retired in 1973. The Altair 3 (FW-4S) solid rocket engine first flew in 1968 and was used on
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#1732787481254432-691: The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Waterman was awarded the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences in 1960. He served as director until 1963, when he retired and was subsequently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom . Alan and Mary had six children: Alan Jr, an atmospheric physicist who taught at Stanford University , Neil, Barbara, Anne, and Guy , writer, climber, and conservationist. A daughter Mary died in childhood. Possessed of
468-688: The Viking rocket , became chair. Encouraged by conversations between Richard W. Porter of General Electric and Alan T. Waterman , Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Rosen on 27 November 1954, completed a report describing the potential value of launching an Earth satellite. The report was submitted to the NSF early in 1955. As part of planning for the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958),
504-423: The 1930s and 1940s. He was accompanied by his sons and colleagues, in particular Karl Compton , then president of MIT . Dr. Waterman was known to say that becoming a licensed Maine Guide meant possibly more to him than his NSF appointment. In 1961, he was chosen as one of 50 outstanding Americans of meritorious performance in the fields of endeavor, to be honored as a Guest of Honor to the first annual Banquet of
540-527: The Air Force had proposed using the Atlas launch vehicle , which did not yet exist. The Navy proposed designing a rocket system based on the Viking and Aerobee rocket systems. The Air Force proposal was not seriously considered, as Atlas development was years behind the other vehicles. Among other limitations, the Army submission focused on the launch vehicle, while a payload was assumed to become available from
576-602: The Atlas-E/F OV1 as part of the OV1 upper stage. It was also used as the second stage of the ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile. It as proposed as the fourth stage for Advanced Scout. The FW-4S motor is similar to Thiokol Star 20 (TE-M-640), and both are designated by NASA as Altair IIIA. This rocketry article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Project Vanguard Project Vanguard
612-986: The Golden Plate in Monterey, California. Honor was awarded by vote of the National Panel of Distinguished Americans of the Academy of Achievement . The crater Waterman on the Moon is named after him, as is Mount Waterman in the Hughes Range of Antarctica . Since 1975, the National Science Foundation has annually issued the Alan T. Waterman Award (named in Waterman's honor) to a promising young researcher. Waterman died on November 30, 1967. A month later after his death, President Lyndon B. Johnson made
648-582: The Nation's scientific strength. He left his own indelible mark of quality and of integrity in every field on activity in which the Foundation was involved. When Alan Waterman took the helm of the fledging agency in 1951, few in Government recognized the importance of basic research in the total spectrum of the Nation's scientific and technological enterprise. Alan Waterman was one of those few; His work at
684-548: The Soviet R-7 rocket , the basis of the USSR's early ICBMs, and definitely military, as well as roughly 40 times larger than the Vanguard launcher. On March 17, 1958, the program successfully launched the Vanguard satellite TV-4. TV-4 achieved a stable orbit with an apogee of 3,969 kilometers (2,466 miles) and a perigee of 650 kilometers (400 miles). It was estimated that it would remain in orbit for at least 240 years, and it
720-576: The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 , on November 3, 1957, then Secretary of Defense Neil H. McElroy directed the U.S. Army to use the Juno I and launch a satellite. On January 31, 1958, the U.S. Army launched the Explorer 1 satellite. With the launch of Sputnik 1 and 2 the previous concern, the right of satellite overflight, had become moot: those satellites were launched by an early version of
756-567: The Soviets might not object, and thus the precedent would be established that space was above national boundaries . Designated Project Vanguard, the program was placed under Navy management and DoD monitorship. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington was given overall responsibility, while initial funding came from the National Science Foundation . The director was John P. Hagen (1908–1990), an astronomer who in 1958 would become
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#1732787481254792-881: The Test Vehicle TV versions, was a much smaller and lighter launcher than the Redstone -based Jupiter-C / Juno 1 rocket which launched the Explorer satellites, or the immense R-7 that the Soviets used to launch the early Sputniks . The Vanguard 1 program introduced much of the technology that has since been applied in later U.S. satellite programs, from rocket launching to satellite tracking. For example, it validated in flight that solar cells could be used for several years to power radio transmitters. Vanguard's solar cells operated for about seven years, while conventional batteries used to power another on-board transmitter lasted only 20 days. Although Vanguard's solar-powered "voice" became silent in 1964, it continues to serve
828-670: The U.S. publicly undertook to place an artificial satellite with a scientific experiment into orbit around the Earth. Proposals to do this were presented by the United States Air Force (USAF), the United States Army (USA), and the United States Navy (USN). The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) under Dr. Wernher von Braun had suggested using a modified Redstone rocket (see: Juno I ) while
864-512: The assistant director of space flight development with the formation of NASA . After a delay due to the NRL changing the shape of the satellite from a conical shape, the initial 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) spherical Vanguard satellites were built at the NRL, and contained as their payload seven mercury cell batteries in a hermetically sealed container, two tracking radio transmitters, a temperature sensitive crystal, and six clusters of solar cells on
900-456: The distance from Earth to beyond the dwarf planet Pluto and halfway back. Original estimates had the orbit lasting for 2,000 years, but it was discovered that solar radiation pressure and atmospheric drag during high levels of solar activity produced significant perturbations in the perigee height of the satellite, which caused a significant decrease in its expected lifetime to about 240 years. Test vehicle launches The first Vanguard flight,
936-434: The foresight that marked his long career. Leland John Haworth also paid his respects in his statement: It was with deep sadness that I learned of the death of Alan Waterman. The first director of the National Science Foundation. Alan Waterman successfully guided this organization from a small beginning to a position of strength and influence. He, more than any other single person, made the Foundation an important bulwark of
972-609: The launch of Vanguard III in 1959. Despite being overshadowed by Sputnik 1 , and having to overcome the widespread humiliation of its unsuccessful early attempts, the Vanguard Project eventually met its scientific objectives, providing a wealth of information on the size and shape of the Earth , density of air , temperature ranges, and micrometeorite impact. The Vanguard 1 radio continued to transmit until 1964, and tracking data obtained with this satellite revealed that Earth
1008-476: The month of September 1957, but because of delays this did not happen. On October 4, 1957, the Vanguard team learned of the launch of Sputnik 1 by the USSR while still working on a test vehicle (TV-2) designed to test the first stage of their launcher rocket. While demoralizing to the Vanguard team, Minitrack was successful in tracking Sputnik, a major success for NRL. At 11:44:35 a.m. on December 6, an attempt
1044-494: The scientific community. Ground-based optical tracking of the now-inert Vanguards continues to provide information about the effects of the Sun , Moon , and Atmosphere of Earth on satellite orbits. Vanguard 1 marked its 50th year in space on 17 March 2008. In the years following its launch, the small satellite has made more than 196,990 revolutions of the Earth and traveled 5.7 billion nautical miles (10.6 billion kilometres),
1080-565: The surface of the sphere. The first satellite was called Vanguard TV3. NRL was also responsible for developing the Vanguard rocket launch vehicles through a contract to the Martin Company (which had built the Viking rockets), developing and installing the satellite tracking system, and designing, constructing, and testing the satellites. The tracking system was called Minitrack . The Minitrack stations, designed by NRL but subcontracted to
1116-503: The time was that the U.S. already had a covert satellite program underway, WS-117, which was developing the ability to launch spy satellites using USAF Thor IRBMs. The US government was concerned that the Soviets would object to military satellites overflying the Soviet Union as they had to various aircraft incursions and the balloons of the Genetrix project. The idea was that if a clearly "civilian" and "scientific" satellite went up first,
Altair (rocket stage) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-507: Was a program managed by the United States Navy Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), which intended to launch the first artificial satellite into low Earth orbit using a Vanguard rocket as the launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Missile Annex , Florida . In response to the launch of Sputnik 1 on 4 October 1957, the U.S. restarted the Explorer program , which had been proposed earlier by
1188-725: Was an American physicist . Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York , he grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts . His father was a professor of physics at Smith College . Alan also became a physicist, doing his undergraduate and doctoral work at Princeton University from which he obtained his Ph.D. in 1916. He joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati , and married Vassar graduate Mary Mallon. (sister of H. Neil Mallon ) there in August 1917. He later became
1224-513: Was described by then- Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev as, "The grapefruit satellite". Vanguard 1, and the upper stage of its launch vehicle, are the oldest artificial satellites still in space, as Vanguard's predecessors, Sputnik 1, Sputnik 2, and Explorer 1, have decayed from orbit. In the early 1950s, the American Rocket Society set up an ad hoc Committee on Space Flight, of which Milton W. Rosen , NRL project manager for
1260-489: Was made to launch TV-3. The Vanguard rocket rose about 1.2 m (4 ft) into the air when the engine lost thrust, and the rocket immediately sank back down to the launch pad and exploded. The payload nosecone detached and landed free of the exploding rocket, the small satellite's radio beacon still beeping. The satellite was too damaged for further use; it now resides in the National Air and Space Museum . After
1296-499: Was renamed Vanguard I, which in addition to its upper launch stage remains the oldest human-made satellite still in orbit. In late 1958, with responsibility for Project Vanguard having been transferred to NASA , the nucleus of the Goddard Space Flight Center was formed. After four failed launches, the program once again succeeded with SLV-4, renamed Vanguard II. After two more failures, the program ended with
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