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Wallops Island Q&A by kevin-rf on 19 Sep, 2013 15:14
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With three orbital launches in 2013 and a possible two more before the year is out, I was wondering if anyone had a link to a complete list of all Wallops orbital launches and attempts.
With only some 20 odd orbital launches from Wallops, I suspect more satellites have been launched this year, than any other year.
If no one has a quick link I can go dig through Johnathan's ( http://www.planet4589.org/space/ ) excellent database.
It is just one of those very interesting trivia bits. -
#1 by Galactic Penguin SST on 19 Sep, 2013 15:52
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Well most of the orbital launches from Wallops are from the Scout rocket family, plus 6 Pegasus, 4 Minotaur I, 1 Minotaur V, 2 Antares and 1 Conestoga (still remember the boosters flying all over the place?
). Maybe someone can try to count the number of Scout launches?
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#2 by kevin-rf on 19 Sep, 2013 16:48
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Wiki has the MARS (Minotaur and Antares list) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Spaceport but is lacking on a scout list, and doesn't give the range for Pegasus launches.
Encyclopedia Astronautica has a scout list http://www.astronautix.com/fam/scout.htm A fair number of suborbital launches need to be weeded out.
If I get some time I will try to merge them.
Scout
1960 December 4 - Failure, Explorer (9) S 56
1961 February 16 - Explorer 9
1961 June 30 - Failure, Explorer (13) S 55
1961 August 25 - Partial Failure (orbit, but low perigee), Explorer 13
1962 December 16 - Explorer 16
1963 June 28 - GRS
1964 March 27 - Ariel 2
1964 November 6 - Explorer 23
1964 December 15 - San Marco 1
1965 April 29 - Explorer 27
1965 August 10 - SECOR 5 (EGRS 5) / Secor 5
1965 November 19 - Explorer 30
1966 June 10 - OV3-03
1968 March 5 - Partial Failure (made orbit), Explorer 37
1970 November 9 - OFO 1 / RM-1
1971 July 8 - Explorer 44
1971 August 16 - Eole 1
1972 August 13 - Explorer 46
1979 February 18 - SAGE
1979 June 2 - Ariel 6
1985 December 13 - USA -13, ITV 1Balloon, USA 14, ITV 1 Balloon
Conestoga
1995 October 23 - Failure, Meteor
Pegasus
1996 November 4 - Failure (orbit, but failed to separate the payload), HETE, SAC-B
1997 October 22 - Step 4
1997 December 23 - Orbcomm (A1-A8)
1998 August 2 - Orbcomm (B1-B8)
1998 September 23 - Orbcomm(C1-C8)
1999 December 4 - Orbcomm (FM30-36)
Minotaur 1
2006 December 16 - TacSat-2 / GeneSat-1
2007 April 24 - NFIRE
2009 May 19 - TacSat-3
2011 June 30 - USAF ORS-1 Satellite
Antares
2013 April 21 - Cygnus Mass Simulator
Minotaur V
2013 September 7 - LADEE
Antares
2013 September 18 - Cygnus Orb-D1
Looks like 35 (21 scout) attempts with 32 (19 scout) reaching orbit and2928 (17 scout) successes.
Three attempts in '61, '64, and '65.
So to break the record they have to attempt a fourth launch this year.
That would be the Minotaur with:
ORS 3: STPSat 3, ORSES, ORS Tech 1, ORS Tech 2, Prometheus 1, Prometheus 2, Prometheus 3, Prometheus 4, SENSE 1, SENSE 2, Firefly, STARE B (Horus), NPS-SCAT, CSIP, Rampart, CAPE 2, KYSat 2, Lunar Orbiter&Lander CubeSat, SwampSat, Black Night 1, SPA-1 Trailblazer, TetherSat, DragonSat 1, COPPER, PhoneSat 2.0 -
#3 by rickl on 19 Sep, 2013 22:44
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With three orbital launches in 2013 and a possible two more before the year is out, I was wondering if anyone had a link to a complete list of all Wallops orbital launches and attempts.
I was also wondering about that just last night. Thanks for this!
It looks like Antares is the first liquid-fueled vehicle launched from Wallops, unless there were suborbital ones that are not on your list. -
#4 by kevin-rf on 20 Sep, 2013 00:45
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A fair amount of liquid suborbital rockets have flown from wallops. Google aerobee.
Also, if you are counting upper stages, HAPS on the Pegasus is liquid. -
#5 by rickl on 20 Sep, 2013 02:22
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A fair amount of liquid suborbital rockets have flown from wallops. Google aerobee.
Also, if you are counting upper stages, HAPS on the Pegasus is liquid.
Oops, I forgot about Aerobee. And I wasn't counting upper stages.
Still, it seems that the vast majority of launches from Wallops have been solid-fueled rockets.
I've been reading Encyclopedia Astronautica, and it says that Wallops Island not only preceded Cape Canaveral, which I already knew, but it also preceded White Sands, which I most certainly did not know.
The first launch at Wallops Island was on July 1, 1945.
The first launch at White Sands was on September 27, 1945.
The first launch at Cape Canaveral was on July 24, 1950.
So Wallops Island appears to have been the first dedicated rocket launching site in the United States, except for Robert Goddard's launch sites in the 1920s and 30s.
Are there any books on the history of Wallops Island? I think I'd like to learn more about it, both because of its historical significance and because it's the closest launch site to me geographically.
I took a tour of Wallops in the late 60s when I was about nine or ten years old. My family was vacationing in the area. I was a bit disappointed because there didn't seem to be much going on, and especially because I didn't see any rockets.
(Edited to include Encyclopedia Astronautica links.) -
#6 by jcm on 21 Sep, 2013 05:00
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A fair amount of liquid suborbital rockets have flown from wallops. Google aerobee.
Also, if you are counting upper stages, HAPS on the Pegasus is liquid.
Oops, I forgot about Aerobee. And I wasn't counting upper stages.
Still, it seems that the vast majority of launches from Wallops have been solid-fueled rockets.
I've been reading Encyclopedia Astronautica, and it says that Wallops Island not only preceded Cape Canaveral, which I already knew, but it also preceded White Sands, which I most certainly did not know.
The first launch at Wallops Island was on July 1, 1945.
The first launch at White Sands was on September 27, 1945.
The first launch at Cape Canaveral was on July 24, 1950.
So Wallops Island appears to have been the first dedicated rocket launching site in the United States, except for Robert Goddard's launch sites in the 1920s and 30s.
Are there any books on the history of Wallops Island? I think I'd like to learn more about it, both because of its historical significance and because it's the closest launch site to me geographically.
I took a tour of Wallops in the late 60s when I was about nine or ten years old. My family was vacationing in the area. I was a bit disappointed because there didn't seem to be much going on, and especially because I didn't see any rockets.
(Edited to include Encyclopedia Astronautica links.)
Shortal's history, NASA RP-1028, is the classic work - about 1978 I think. [edit “A new Dimension; Wallops Island Flight Test Range – the First. Fifteen Years.” NASA RP 1028, December 1978]
Here is my orbital list - same as Kevin's but with a few more bits of info per launch1960-F17 1960 Dec 4 2114 Scout X-1 - ST-3 S-56 NASA S-56 - WI LA3
1961 DEL 1961 Feb 16 1305 Scout X-1 - ST-4 Explorer 9 NASA S-56A - WI LA3
1961-F06 1961 Jun 30 1709 Scout X-1 - ST-5 S-55 NASA S-55 - WI LA3
1961 CHI 1961 Aug 25 1829:44 Scout X-1 - ST-6 Explorer 13 NASA S-55A - WI LA3
1962 B C 1962 Dec 16 1433:04 Scout X-3 - S115 Explorer 16 NASA S-55B - WI LA3
1963-026 1963 Jun 28 2119:22 Scout X-4 - S113 GRS (PL-19, CRL-1) AFCRL A - WI LA3
1964-015 1964 Mar 27 1725:23 Scout X-3 - S127R Ariel 2 UK-C - WI LA3
1964-074 1964 Nov 6 1202:01 Scout X-4 - S133R Explorer 23 NASA S-55C - WI LA3
1964-084 1964 Dec 15 2020:04 Scout X-4 - S137R San Marco 1 San Marco 1 - WI LA3A
1965-032 1965 Apr 29 1417:00 Scout X-4 - S136R Explorer 27 Beacon Explorer C - WI LA3A
1965-063 1965 Aug 10 1754:00 Scout B - S131R SEV/Secor 5 Secor Type I S/N 2 - WI LA3A
1965-093 1965 Nov 19 0448:27 Scout X-4 - S138R Explorer 30 Solar Explorer A - WI LA3A
1966-052 1966 Jun 10 0415 Scout B - S147C OV3-4 OV3-4 PHASR - WI LA3A
1968-017 1968 Mar 5 1828:00 Scout B - S160C Explorer 37 Solar Explorer B - WI LA3A
1970-094 1970 Nov 9 0600:00 Scout B - S174C OFO OFO - WI LA3A
1971-058 1971 Jul 8 2258:00 Scout B - S177C Explorer 44 Solar Explorer C - WI LA3A
1971-071 1971 Aug 16 1839:00 Scout B-1 F S180C Eole Eole - WI LA3A
1972-061 1972 Aug 13 1510 Scout D-1 F S184C Explorer 46 Meteoroid Technology Sat - WI LA3A
1979-013 1979 Feb 18 1618 Scout D-1 - S202C SAGE AEM-B - WI LA3A
1979-047 1979 Jun 2 2326 Scout D-1 - S198C Ariel 6 Ariel 6 - WI LA3A
1985-114 1985 Dec 13 0235 Scout G-1 - S207C USA 13/14 (ITV 1/2) ITV 1 - WI LA3A
1995-F05 1995 Oct 23 2203 Conestoga 1620 - F1 Meteor 1 Meteor SM - WI LA0A
1996-061 1996 Nov 4 1708:56 Pegasus XL - F14 SAC-B/HETE HETE L-1011 WI RW04/22?
1997-063 1997 Oct 22 1313 Pegasus XL - F18 STEP 4 STEP M4 L-1011 WI RW04/22?
1997-084 1997 Dec 23 1911:42 Pegasus XL/HAPS - F19 Orbcomm A1-A8 Orbcomm FM5 L-1011 WI RW04/22?
1998-046 1998 Aug 2 1624 Pegasus XL/HAPS - F22 Orbcomm B1-B8 Orbcomm FM17 L-1011 WI RW04/22?
1998-053 1998 Sep 23 0506 Pegasus XL/HAPS - F23 Orbcomm C1-C8 Orbcomm FM21 L-1011 WI RW04/22?
1999-065 1999 Dec 4 1853 Pegasus XL/HAPS - F28 Orbcomm D1-D7 Orbcomm FM30 L-1011 WI RW22
2006-058 2006 Dec 16 1200:00 Minotaur 1 - 6 Tacsat-2 Tacsat 2 - MARS Pad 0B
2007-014 2007 Apr 24 0648 Minotaur 1 - 7 NFIRE NFIRE - MARS Pad 0B
2009-028 2009 May 19 2355 Minotaur 1 - 8 Tacsat 3 Tacsat 3 - MARS Pad 0B
2011-029 2011 Jun 30 0309:00 Minotaur 1 - - ORS-1 ORS-1 - MARS Pad 0B
2013-016 2013 Apr 21 2100:00 Antares 110 - A-1 Cygnus Mass Sim A-ONE - MARS Pad 0A
2013-047 2013 Sep 7 0247:00 Minotaur V - 1 LADEE LADEE - MARS LA0B
2013-051 2013 Sep 18 1458:02 Antares 110 - 2 Orb-D Cygnus 1 - MARS Pad 0A
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#7 by rickl on 28 Sep, 2013 18:25
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Thanks for the tip, jcm! I just received my copy of Jospeh A. Shortal's book. I asked for a detailed history, and I sure got it! I probably won't read all 700+ pages, but it's nice to have and will make a good reference.
There are only a few used copies listed at AbeBooks and Alibris. I bought a hardcover copy for $95 and it is in excellent condition. There are a few scuffs on the cover, but the pages are pretty much pristine from what I have seen.
NASA has another Wallops history that is still in print: SP-4311 "Wallops Station and the Creation of an American Space Program". It covers the period from 1957-1966, which nicely complements Shortal's book which covered the period from 1945-1960. It only costs $8.50 plus $3.00 shipping.
I ordered that one on Monday and should receive it in a few days. Unfortunately, NASA will only ship to American addresses, but fortunately, it's also available online.
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#8 by rickl on 27 Oct, 2013 16:13
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I just received my copy of Wallops Station on Saturday. Of course, it hadn't yet been shipped at the time of the government shutdown.
). Maybe someone can try to count the number of Scout launches?
