Scout X-2

Scout X-2 was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket which was flown twice in 1962. It was a four-stage rocket, based on the earlier Scout X-1, uprated first and third stages. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.

Scout X-2

Function	Sounding rocket Expendable launch system
Manufacturer	Vought
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	25 metres (82 ft)
Diameter	1.01 metres (3 ft 4 in)
Mass	16,440 kilograms (36,240 lb)
Stages	Four
Capacity
Payload to LEO	76 kilograms (168 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Scout
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Wallops LA-3 Point Arguello LC-D
Total launches	2
Successes	1
Failures	1
First flight	1962-03-29
Last flight	1962-04-26
First stage – Algol 1D
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	440 kilonewtons (99,000 lbf)
Burn time	44 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Second stage – Castor 1A
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	286 kilonewtons (64,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	247 sec
Burn time	27 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Third stage – Antares 2A
Engines	1 X-254
Thrust	93 kilonewtons (21,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	293 sec
Burn time	36 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Fourth stage – Altair 1A
Engines	1 X-248A
Thrust	14 kilonewtons (3,100 lbf)
Specific impulse	255 sec
Burn time	40 seconds
Fuel	Solid

The Scout X-2 used an Algol 1D first stage, instead of the earlier Algol 1B used on the Scout X-1. The third stage was the Antares 2A, a more powerful version of the Antares 1A used on earlier variants of the Scout rocket. The second and fourth stages were the same as those used on the Scout X-1; a Castor 1A and an Altair 1A respectively.

The first Scout X-2 was launched on a suborbital flight at 07:27 GMT on 29 March 1962. It flew from Launch Area 3 of the Wallops Flight Facility. The flight carried plasma and aeronomy experiments to an apogee of 6,291 kilometres (3,909 mi), and was successful. The second flight, launched on 26 April, carried the Solrad 4B satellite. It failed to reach orbit. Following this launch, the Scout X-2 was replaced by the upgraded Scout X-2M.

References

• Wade, Mark. "Scout". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
• Krebs, Gunter. "Scout". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
• McDowell, Jonathan. "Scout". Orbital & Suborbital Launch Database. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
• Heyman, Jos; Parsch, Andreas (2007-07-09). "LTV SLV-1 Scout". Appendix 3: Space Vehicles. Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. Retrieved 2009-07-03.