LJ-1A (4)

Little Joe 1A

Wallops Island Pad xx ()

Little Joe (3)

Crew:

Unmanned

Milestones:

Payload:

Boilerplate Spacecraft

Mission Objective:

Max Q abort and Escape Test

Launch:

November 4, 1959

The launching of LJ-1A "Little Joe" on Nov. 1959 took place at Wallops Island, Va. this is the second attempt to launch an instrumented capsule with a Little Joe booster, The purpose of the flight was to test the escape system under the maximum dynamic pressure conditions of an Atlas flight or about 1,000 pounds per square foot. Though the launch and recovery were successful, researchers were not able to test the escape system at maximum aerodynamic loads on this flight. Subsequent launches were successful and the Little Joe program proved the general concept of the Mercury system to be sound.

Orbit:

Altitude: 9 statute miles

Orbits: 0

Duration: 0 Days, 0 hours, 8 min, 11 seconds

Distance: 11 statute miles

Velocity: 2,022 mph

Max Q: 168 psf

Max G: 16.9

Landing:

Mission Highlights:

Mission listed as a partial success

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