a-004 Patch

    A-004 (16)

    Little Joe II
    WSMR ()

    Milestones:

    01/20/66 - Launch

    Payload:

    Block I production model 002

    Mission Objective:

    Abort Qualification Program

    Launch:

    NASA had hoped to finish the Little Joe II abort qualification program by the end of 1965, but on 17 December the Flight Readiness Board refused to accept the booster and canceled a launch set for the next day. A month later, at 8:15 am on 1/20/66, the last Little Joe II headed toward an altitude of 24 kilometers and a downrange distance of 14 kilometers. Then, as designed, the launch vehicle started to tumble; the launch escape system sensed trouble and fired its abort rocket, carrying the command module away from impending disaster.

    Orbit:

    Altitude: 24km
    Inclination: x Orbits: (suborbital)
    Distance: 14km

    Mission Highlights:

    All went well, the launch, the test conditions, the telemetry, the spacecraft and postflight analysis. The spacecraft windows picked up too much soot from the tower jettison motor, but the structure remained intact. Little Joe II was honorably retired, its basic purpose - making sure the launch escape and earth landing systems could protect the astronauts in either emergency or normal operations -- accomplished.

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    Last Updated Friday June 29 11:53:43 EDT 2001 Jim Dumoulin (Redacted)