A-003

Overview

Destination: Suborbital
Mission: Test Flight

Suborbital Launch Complex 36 White Sands Missile Range

A-003 was the fourth abort test of the Apollo spacecraft. This particular flight is notable because during the abort test flight, an actual abort situation occurred, and further proved the Apollo launch escape system (LES). The CM was successfully pulled away from the malfunctioning Little Joe booster and it landed safely under parachutes.

Little Joe II

Family:
Configuration: II

American rocket used from 1963 to 1966 for five uncrewed suborbital tests of the Apollo spacecraft launch escape system and of the command module parachute recovery system in abort mode.

Specifications
  • Stages
    1
  • Length
    26.2 m
  • Diameter
    3.9 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Little Joe II
  • Family
  • Variant
    II
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Little Joe II
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Convair

Convair

()

Founded: 1943 Successes: 1 Failures: 0 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee, was an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. In 1953 it was purchased by General Dynamics, and operated as their Convair Division for most of its corporate history.

WIKI

White Sands Missile Range

Launch Complex 36


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