Scout X-2

Scout X-2
Function Sounding rocket
Expendable launch system
Manufacturer Vought
Country of origin  United States
Size
Height 25 metres (82 ft)
Diameter 1.01 metres (3 ft 4 in)
Mass 16,440 kilograms (36,200 lb)
Stages Four
Capacity
Payload to
LEO
76 kilograms (170 lb)
Associated rockets
Family Scout
Launch history
Status Retired
Launch sites Wallops LA-3
Point Arguello LC-D
Total launches 2
Successes 1
Failures 1
Maiden flight 1962-03-29
Last flight 1962-04-26
First Stage - Algol 1D
Engines 1 solid
Thrust 440 kilonewtons (99,000 lbf)
Burn time 44 seconds
Fuel Solid
Second Stage - Castor 1A
Engines 1 solid
Thrust 286 kilonewtons (64,000 lbf)
Specific impulse 247 sec
Burn time 27 seconds
Fuel Solid
Third Stage - Antares 2A
Engines 1 X-254
Thrust 93 kilonewtons (21,000 lbf)
Specific impulse 293 sec
Burn time 36 seconds
Fuel Solid
Fourth Stage - Altair 1A
Engines 1 X-248A
Thrust 14 kilonewtons (3,100 lbf)
Specific impulse 255 sec
Burn time 40 seconds
Fuel Solid

Scout X-2 was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket which was flown twice in 1962. It was a four stage rocket, based on the earlier Scout X-1, uprated first and third stages. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.

The Scout X-2 used an Algol 1D first stage, instead of the earlier Algol 1B used on the Scout X-1. The third stage was the Antares 2A, a more powerful version of the Antares 1A used on earlier variants of the Scout rocket. The second and fourth stages were the same as those used on the Scout X-1; a Castor 1A and an Altair 1A respectively.

The first Scout X-2 was launched on a suborbital flight at 07:27 GMT on 29 March 1962. It flew from Launch Area 3 of the Wallops Flight Facility. The flight carried plasma and aeronomy experiments to an apogee of 6,291 kilometres (3,909 mi), and was successful. The second flight, launched on 26 April, carried the Solrad 4B satellite. It failed to reach orbit. Following this launch, the Scout X-2 was replaced by the upgraded Scout X-2M.

References