In 1958, drive-in burger joints were the epitome of cool. Pulling up in a shiny hot rod, ordering a burger and fries from a carhop, and hanging out with friends under neon lights was the ultimate weekend activity. The jukebox played rock n' roll hits, and the smell of freshly cooked burgers filled the air. It was a simpler time, where cars were king, and hanging out with friends was everything. The drive-in burger joint culture of the 1950s was a nostalgic era that will forever be remembered as an iconic piece of American spaceflight history.
Redstone Missile
So what is it about ballistic missiles always being the choice of champions for manned spaceflight? What does the cold war have to do with the race to space?
The first American ballistic missile in development during the early to mid 1950s was called the Redstone Missile. Not to be confused with the Mercury Redstone rocket, which actually carried astronauts into space, this vehicle was specifically the flex America needed to stay ahead of the nuclear and missile arms advance that the Soviet Union had made during the cold war era.
Development
Wernher von Braun the German scientist behind the creation of the V-2 rocket, which was formerly known as the A-2, inherited an important role here for the development of this liquid fueled rocket which would later give birth to future space exploration missions. Von Braun identified this would be the pathway to achieve his dream of sending humans to space.
SRBM - Lifecyle
Little did they know this foundation would later be responsible for the 1958 and 1961 spaceflight milestones of sending Alan B Sheppard into a sub-orbital flight and the first American satellite into orbit. The astounding success of this missile created a perfect resume for modification of this missile to be made to support human spaceflight.
Army vs Air Force
The Redstone was a direct descendant of the V-2, and created what is called the Redstone rocket family. This surface-to-surface missile for the U.S. Army, was created by the (ABMA) or Army Ballistic Missile Agency, based at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. However, the Redstone program was a source of conflict between the Army and Air Force due to their differing nuclear warfare strategies. The Army preferred using small warheads on mobile missiles as tactical battlefield weapons, while the Air Force, responsible for the ICBM program, aimed for large cross-continental missiles to swiftly incapacitate the USSR's infrastructure and capacity to wage war.
Capabilities
As a missile, the Redstone had a range of 200-250 miles and carried either a conventional or nuclear warhead. The Redstone made its first successful flight in 1953 and became operational in 1958. This SRBM, also known as a short range ballistic missile, was officially named the PGM-11 Redstone.
This missile had the capability to lift around 6,300 lbs or 2800 kg to about 200-250 miles in range. The Redstone was powered by a Rocketdyne North American Aviation 75-100 A-7 engine gulping ethyl alcohol and liquid oxygen as its fuel of choice. This engine had a thrust of 350 kN and later engine iterations would see other fuel mixtures such as Hydyne. This engine would later power the Jupiter C rocket, the rocket that placed Explorer 1 into low Earth orbit.
Cold War Scare
This missile ended up being showcased in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The purpose was to alleviate fears of the cold war fears of a nuclear missile attack by the Soviet Union or North Korea. The missile was assembled in the concourse on July 7th of 1957. They had trouble getting this rocket inside the building, and the variant they used was too high to directly fit into its upright space.
So now you know how an army ballistic missile turns into a rocket of choice for NASA spaceflight. If you have any questions don’t forgot to follow our social media down below.
