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Jupiter A |
JUPITER
A Fact Sheet
Written and Edited by Cliff Lethbridge
Classification: Research
Rocket
Length: 69 feet
Diameter: 5 feet, 10 inches
Finspan: 13 feet
The Jupiter A was the first adaptation of the Redstone MRBM used for testing
certain components which would be incorporated into the Jupiter IRBM.
Although it could correctly be classified as a Redstone, the Army Ballistic
Missile Agency (ABMA) named the vehicle Jupiter A to more closely associate it
with its Jupiter missile development program.
This was primarily due to increasing competition for launch dates at
For a time, nearly the highest priority was given to Jupiter-related test
flights. For this reason, the name Jupiter A more precisely identified the
purpose of the vehicle, and guaranteed a much higher scheduling priority than
an ordinary Redstone might have received.
With the exception of its name, the Jupiter A was identical to the Redstone MRBM. In fact, Jupiter A flights served an important dual purpose. In addition to serving as a test vehicle for Jupiter missile hardware, Jupiter A flights yielded valuable information on Redstone missile performance. At the time, Redstone was still in the development stage and had yet to be deployed.
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