First Atlas Launch & Flight Failure 1957-06-11 Convair Astronautics (video)

The first video is unusual in that it uses actual pad sounds which, along with other points of interest, revealed some unusual audio characteristics of LOX pipes as LOX is transferred. Also, it's tone censored in a few short places to censor then-classified materials. Great blockhouse footage.

First Atlas Launch & Flight Failure 1957-06-11 Convair Astronautics

[video=youtube;_WP0wbeSce8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WP0wbeSce8[/video]

More missile tech porn:

4th quarter 1955 - Atlas Project Report

[video=youtube;Ymofg-vCmXg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymofg-vCmXg[/video]

1st quarter 1955 - Atlas Project Report

[video=youtube;jnqIh14IxbQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnqIh14IxbQ[/video]

It blew up about 80 times before perfected. Should have hired Elon Musk! But avoid those stupid tanks within other tanks.

When are they going to make the Atlas or Delta land its booster?

XolveJohn said:

When are they going to make the Atlas or Delta land its booster?

Click to expand...

They already have... in old sci-fi movies and TV shows.

XolveJohn said:

It blew up about 80 times before perfected. Should have hired Elon Musk! But avoid those stupid tanks within other tanks.

When are they going to make the Atlas or Delta land its booster?

Click to expand...

We submitted a rogallo-type wing for the 'first' stage and it was deemed "not enough return on investment" Mind you , that was the late 80's and the Shuttle was to be the bird of choice for missions going forward until the Challenger went down. I had to work 100 hour weeks to get the Atlas back to launch status and we had to harden some man rated payloads to withstand the g forces and vibrations for expendable launch vehicles again. The first digital TV sat and the Goes West come to mind. The Atlas 5 evolution was spurred by heavier loads like the Keyhole sats and the composite fairings for the payloads expanded for the larger birds also evolved at that time. Strap on's were a novelty for the Atlas and thicker skins were integrated to take the stress and launch loads. i was actually sitting at the conference table when it was announced we'd be using Russian engines, mainly because they were so cheap.

With all that you have seen Dave...
Why don't you write a book.
It may not be a best seller, but a large chunk of change never hurt no one!

I read that they just could not get the Rogallo to work. Would you trust a flexy to bring you back? And where would they store it? Does not pack small like good old chutes. They found it cost a billion dolla, and 5 years to design a replacement for the RD-180. John McKain was the force stopping the use of them. Maybe that is why they got a ship to crash into his!

awesome videos, thanks for sharing.

Some good stories in here too....