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8 May 1959

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FORCE BALLISTIC MISSILE DIVISION

HEADQUARTERS'

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. COMMAND

UNIT= STATES AIR FORCE.

Air Force Unit Set Office

Los Angeles 45, California

- *-

Assistant for Programming

VDPCR

SUBJECT: DISCOVERER Monthly Program Progress Report

TO: Director

Advanced Research Projects Agency

Washington 25, D C.

I. This report covers progress during the month of April 1959

in the DISCOVERER Program, directed by ARPA Order 48-59, prime contractor

Lockheed Missile Systeme Division. The DISCOVERER Program is funded in

the amount of $104.3 millions in Fiscal Year 1959, in accordance with the

30 January 1959 Development Plat. A summary list of contracts is contained

in Tab 3 of Section 1 of the Development Plan.

2. "TECHNICAL STATUS 

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- a. DISCOVERER II-1018-170 was launched from launch pad #4,

Vandenberg Air Force Base, at 1316 hours, PST, on 13 April. TB= main

and vernier engine performance were normal, and programmed roll sod pitch

were smooth and accurate. Retro-rocket ignition and vehicle separation

occurred as planned. The only deviation from the programmed boast was

a slightly higher separation velocity, and separation altitude, than

expected. The second stage engine operated normally for 112.3 seconds.

Radar track was maintained thzough orbital injection and telemetry

coverage through orbital reorientation. Due to minor trajectory

deviations the orbit was nearly circular, with an initial period of

90.5 minutes. The predicted eccentricity was 0.04 and initial period

94.5 minutes. Figure 1 illustrates the countdown sequence for this

launch, and Figure 2 the basic orbital parameters. •

b. All DISCOVERER subsystems operated essentially as planned.

The 180° yaw turn immediately after satellite engine burnout, in preparation for.the subsequent 400 tiltdown for capsule dump, was successfully

completed. Subsequent data revealed that capsule dump occurred. The

dump did not occur in the planned area due to inadvertent overriding of

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the vehicle timer by a ground command. Because of the shorter than

programmed orbital period the radar beacon and telemetry were turned

on late by the orbital timer, which was adjusted for the expected

orbital period of 94.5 minutes. Both the Hawaiian and Kodiak stations

-acquired the radar or command beacon, but Kodiak was unable to lock on

before losing contact. Figure 3 shove station acquisition times.

An attempt was made to adjust the orbital timer to compensate for the

actual orbital period, by ground command from Hawaii. An excessive

adjustment was inadvertently transmitted.. The cumulative effect • of•

the timer error rendered subsequent correction by ground command

impossible. Analysis indicated that the capsule would probably be

dumped, automatically, in the Spitsbergen, Norway, area. • space watch

was alerted; aqd several sightings were reported in the area at the

time capsule descent was expected. The State Department obtained permission for a search of the area, but the search was unsuccessfully

terminated on 22 April.

c. All available information indicates that DISCOVERER II

entered the atmosphere between revolutions 204 and 205 on 26 April

between 1330 and 1640 hours Z.. Figure 4 summarises . the performance of

DISCOVERER 

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II. .

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A. AMIN', ground-pace communications iimer will be used in

( future flights. This timer will offer additional flexibility . in accomplishing in-flight timer reset, necessary to adjust timer cycle to the

actual orbital period. The new timer has a longer timer cycle and smaller

adjustment steps (ten seconds versus fifteen seconds on the previous timer.)

The new timer will also provide the capability for "up and down" adjustment. Telemetry will permit the ground operator to read the timer setting

at all times.

e. Flight test vehicle 1020 will testa •olet reset device

designed , to-trigger reset of thi' orbital timer each time the satellite

Vy passes from darkness to light. This device will eliminate cumulative Al effects preventing communication with the vehicle if the timer becomes -•

excessively out of phase with the orbital period. Reset will occur on .

each peso and can be overridden from the ground. The test installation

in flight test vehicle 1020 will not be employed to reset the timer, but

will be flown open-loop to provide telemetered data on its performance.

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3. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED 

No problems of significance, other than those reported herein,

have been encountered during this reporting period. •

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4. MORK SCREDhES 

a. DISCOVERER flight test vehicle 102C (programmed as

DISCOVERER-M-1020-174) successfully passed Air Force acceptance testing

oa 7 April This vehicle was shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base on

11 April and. 85 percent Of the component ,bench cheeks have been completed.

Meting with THOR 174 is scheduled for 111 May 1959 and launch on 21 May..

Current plans ca/1 for live mice aboard this flight.

Jildheduled hot firing of flight test vehicle 1023 was

postponed..from -29 :April to-approximately 1 May for :replacement of . .

malfunctioning inertial reference and computer packages.' •

e. Flight test vehicle 1029 has been installed in test stand #2

at the Santa Cruz Test Bass. Propellant tank calibration, engine checks

and servicing, mechanical preperationas and ameiliary instrumentation et*

essentially complete. A hot firing will take pisee'durift tbe month of May.'

d. Flight test vehicle 1025 arrived at Sante C. z Teat base mu

24 April, and preparations 'for .bat firing will take place in May. Six. •

DISCOVERER vehicles are undergoing modification and checkout at the Palo

.Alto facility prior to hot firing et Santa Cruz. 'Additional DLSCOVERER

vehicles are beinglebricated at 'Palo Alto On a 0c:hada* consistent with

mazenurrent.lanoch-sehedulas. •

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. • a.. Douglas Aircraft Company will reduce the weight of the

THOR boosters by ten pounds, effective with the fifth or sixth flight,

'allowing extra payload aboard the satellite. Effective with flight 8 or 9,

boaster Weight will be reduced by 27 poinds, ptovi4ing an equivalent

increase in DISCOVERER .payload weight capability.

f. The recent test of. the primate recovery capsule in the

high.altitnde simulator at Sunnyvale resulted in the death of the prinate

.subjected to the test. The clinical cause of death was hyperthermia

(excessive heat) but intensive stay revealed psychological.ee reWas

physiological stresses: The specimen had been trained to(lay 'pa, its

back, but was 'confined upon its etemach for fifty hours. Aldö, the

psychomotor shtick harness electrode vas placed beneath the skin, causing

an excessively high current to pass through the specimen. General'

Electric is proceeding on a crash basii to improve the primate life-cell

hardware; Future tests will utilize a button type electrode.: The next

experiment vith'a live primate is planned for ths !volt of 10 May, at

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Commander

Holloman Air Development Center. This test will simulate the entire

fifty-hour biomedical mission. Another test, utilizing a live, untrained

primate may take place in the Sunnyvale chamber at about the same tire.

g. Capsule recovery training exercises ware conducted

100 'miles off Oahu on 10 April by a force of six aircraft and three

surface vessels. Hine drops were made, all were air or surface

recovered except the first capsule latch failed . to'separate from the

"bomb" container. Extensive training of ship and aircraft crews in the.

operation of special DISCOVERER direction finding equipment is being

.conducted_ A.beaciwitxznamitter was ,.installed in zbeHickam-Air.Force

Base control tower for use by the crews during training flights.. Additional training in detection and air recovery of the biomedical capsules

is underway. ..

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