Bumper (rocket)
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The Bumper, also known as Bumper-WAC, was a sounding rocket, derived from the German V-2 rocket and used by the United States to gather data from high altitudes. It was one of the first multistage rockets, using a WAC-Rocket as the second stage.
First launched on May 13, 1948 from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the rocket flew at a maximum speed of 2,740 MPH at an altitude of 80 miles.
The most successful flight of the Bumper (Bumper #5) was launched on February 24, 1949, also from White Sands, NM. In this test flight, the vehicle reached an altitude of 244 miles at a maximum speed of 5,150 MPH.
In 1950, two Bumper launches were made from launch complex 3 at Cape Canaveral, Florida (Bumper #8 on July 24, and Bumper #7 on July 29). These missions marked the first and second launches from Cape Canaveral's young missile test grounds.
[edit] Specifications
- Length: 62 feet
- Diameter: 5 feet, 5 inches
- Finspan: 12 feet
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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