SA-2 (Apollo)
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SA-2 was the second flight Saturn I launch vehicle, the first flight of Project Highwater and was part of the Apollo Program.
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| Mission name: | Saturn-Apollo 2 |
| Call sign: | SA-2 |
| Launch pad: | Cape Canaveral |
| Launch: | April 25, 1962 14:00:34 UTC Complex 34 |
| Landing: | April 25, 1962 14:02:37 UTC |
| Duration: | 2 min 2.56 s |
| Number of Orbits: | Suborbital |
| Apogee: | 65.2 mi (104.9 km) |
| Distance traveled: | ~65 mi (~100 km) |
| Mass: | 138,480 kg |
[edit] Objectives
The objectives of SA-2 were much the same as those of SA-1. But in addition to testing the rockets structurally and the new engines, SA-2 was designed for Project Highwater. This was 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 were ballasted with 109,000 litres. When the rocket was at 105 km a charge was denonated that exploded the rocket. This would be used to study the effects on radio transmission and changes in local weather conditions.
[edit] Flight
The preparations at Cape Canaveral 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 65.2 mi (105 km).
At this point (2 minutes 2.56 seconds MET) commands were sent to denonate 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 didn't 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% of full capacity.
[edit] 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
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| SA-1 | SA-2 | SA-3 | SA-4 | QTV | Pad Abort Test-1 | SA-5 | A-001 | A-101 | A-102 | A-002 | A-103 | A-003 | A-104 | Pad Abort Test-2 | A-105 | A-004 | AS-201 | AS-203 | AS-202 | Apollo 1 | Apollo 4 | Apollo 5 | Apollo 6 | Apollo 7 | Apollo 8 | Apollo 9 | Apollo 10 | Apollo 11 | Apollo 12 | Apollo 13 | Apollo 14 | Apollo 15 | Apollo 16 | Apollo 17 |
