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Blue Scout I

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AKA: Blue Scout 1; XRM-89. Status: Retired 1962. First Launch: 1961-01-07. Last Launch: 1962-04-12. Number: 3 . Payload: 88 kg (194 lb). Thrust: 511.50 kN (114,990 lbf). Gross mass: 16,738 kg (36,900 lb). Height: 22.00 m (72.00 ft). Diameter: 1.02 m (3.34 ft). Apogee: 1,386 km (861 mi).

NASA began development of the Scout in the late 1960's to provide a low-cost, lightweight, all-solid-propellant space booster. The U.S. Air Force participated, but as usual divergence in requirements led to a different prime contractor and different configuration for the Air Force. The USAF program for System 609A, the Hyper Environmental Test System, resulted in a vehicle referred to as Blue Scout, with Ford Aeronutronics as the prime contractor. The Blue Scout I program was terminated in 1962 after only one success in three launches..

Payload: 88 kg (194 lb) to a 1386 km altitude, 2419 km range.

Stage Data - Blue Scout 1

• Stage 1. 1 x Algol 1. Gross Mass: 10,705 kg (23,600 lb). Empty Mass: 1,900 kg (4,100 lb). Thrust (vac): 470.934 kN (105,870 lbf). Isp: 236 sec. Burn time: 40 sec. Isp(sl): 214 sec. Diameter: 1.01 m (3.31 ft). Span: 1.01 m (3.31 ft). Length: 9.12 m (29.92 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Algol 1. Other designations: Senior. Status: Out of Production. This rocket started as a Polaris test motor with a 40 inch diameter, which at the time was the largest solid motor ever tested. It had a nominal performance rating of 45 seconds duration and 45,000 kgf thrust. Variations included Algol I, I-D, II, II-A, II-B and possibly others. Another popular rating was 40KS-115,000 (52,000 kgf for 40 seconds), also known as Senior.

• Stage 2. 1 x Castor 2. Gross Mass: 4,424 kg (9,753 lb). Empty Mass: 695 kg (1,532 lb). Thrust (vac): 258.915 kN (58,206 lbf). Isp: 262 sec. Burn time: 37 sec. Isp(sl): 232 sec. Diameter: 0.79 m (2.59 ft). Span: 0.79 m (2.59 ft). Length: 6.04 m (19.81 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: TX-354-3. Status: In Production.

• Stage 3. 1 x Antares 1A. Gross Mass: 1,225 kg (2,700 lb). Empty Mass: 294 kg (648 lb). Thrust (vac): 60.497 kN (13,600 lbf). Isp: 256 sec. Burn time: 39 sec. Isp(sl): 233 sec. Diameter: 0.78 m (2.55 ft). Span: 0.78 m (2.55 ft). Length: 3.38 m (11.08 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: X-254. Status: Out of Production.

Historical Essay � Andreas Parsch

Ford RM-89 Blue Scout I

In the late 1950s, the NASA established the Scout program to develop a multistage solid-propellant space booster and research rocket. The U.S. Air Force also participated in the program, but different requirements led to some divergence in the development of NASA and USAF Scouts. The USAF Scout program was known as HETS (Hyper Environmental Test System) or System 609A, and the rockets were generally referred to as Blue Scout. The prime contractor for the NASA Scout was LTV, but the Blue Scout prime contractor was Ford Aeronutronics.

The basic NASA Scout configuration, from which all variants were derived, was known as Scout-X1. It was a four-stage rocket, which used the following motors:

• 1st stage: Aerojet General Algol
• 2nd stage: Thiokol XM33 Castor
• 3rd stage: Allegany Ballistics Lab X-254 Antares
• 4th stage: Allegany Ballistics Lab X-248 Altair

The Scout-X1 first flew successfully on 10 October 1960, after an earlier failure in July 1960. The rocket's first stage had four stabilizing fins, and the vehicle incorporated a gyro-based guidance system for attitude stabilization to keep the rocket on course.

By using different combinations of rocket stages, the USAF created several different Blue Scout configurations. One of these was the XRM-89 Blue Scout I, which was a three-stage vehicle, omitting the basic Scout's Altair 4th stage. The first launch of an XRM-89 occurred on 7 January 1961, and was mostly successful. On that flight, the XRM-89 carried a variety of experiments to measure rocket performance and high-altitude fields and particle radiation. The payload was located in a recoverable reentry capsule, but the capsule sunk in the water before it could be recovered. The only other XRM-89 launches (in May 1961 and April 1962) were unsuccessful, and the Blue Scout I program was terminated in 1962.

Other USAF Scout versions were the RM-90 Blue Scout II, the RM-91 Blue Scout Junior (which was by far the most important and successful variant), and the RM-92 Air Force Scout.

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for XRM-89:

[1] Peter Alway: "Rockets of the World, 2000 Supplement", Saturn Press, 2000
[2] Norman J. Bowman: "The Handbook of Rockets and Guided Missiles", Perastadion Press, 1963

Family: suborbital launch vehicle. Country: USA. Launch Sites: Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC18B. Stages: Algol 1, Antares 1A, Castor 2. Agency: Vought.

• HETS A1-1 Plasma / radio astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 1,600 km (900 mi).

• HETS A1-2 Plasma mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

• Reentry Test re-entry vehicle test flight - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).