A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near launch time for 155 NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center and Army Ballistic Missile Agency related vehicles, launched primarilv from Cape Kennedy, Florida, between August 20, 1953, and November 16, 1963, is presented. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, relative humidity, ground winds, visual observations, density aloft, and wind/wind shear aloft are included. The extremes of these parameters are listed for each type of launch vehicle

Johnson, D. L.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

N A S A  TECHNICAL 
MEMORANDUM 
NASA TM X-64796 
(NASA-TM-X-6:1795) SUFMAicY O? AT!l@SPHEBIC S74- 13312 
3ATA C B S a F Y A T I O B S  ?C6 155 FLIGHT CF 
MSFC/AB!IA .FL.'i?ED n Z R O S P P C P  V E H I C L E S  
.$ As A )  . .; H; $ 3 , ? 0  CSCL 04R Unclas 
~ 3 / 2 0  24213 
iUMMARY OF ATMOSPHERIC DATA OBSERVATIONS 
FOR 155 FLIGHTS OF 1dSFClABMA RELATED 
AE POSPACE VEH I CLES 
By D. L. Johnson 
A ero-A strodynarnica Lmoratory 
December 5, 1973 
NASA 
George C. Marsball S'dce Flight Center 
M a & d  Space Flight Center, Alabama 
YSCC - Form 3190 (Rev Juu 1971; 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19740005199 2020-03-23T11:51:12+00:00Z
TABLE OF CONTEkTS 
Page 
mTRODUCTION....,..~I...................,....*..... 1 
BACKGROLWD........................................ I 
PARAMETERS GIVEN. .................................. 2 
TABLEDISCUSSION .................................... 2 
CONCLUSION ........................................ 3 
R E F E R E N C E S . . . . . . . . . . . .  ............................ 14 
Pm- PdfiE BL&lIC NOT FILMLB 
LIST OF TABLES 
Ta blc Title Page 
1. Selected Atmospheric Observations for 155 Flight Tests of 
the Redstone, Jupiter, Pershing, and Saturn Vehicles. ........ 4 
2. Extreme Wind Components, Shear Values, and Density 
Deviations in the High Dynamic Pressure Region for Saturn 
I through Saturn 208 Vehicles ......................... lo 
3. Launch Atmospheric Extremes at Ground Level and in the 
Max Q Region ( 8  to 16 km) for al l  Saturn and Pre-Saturn 
..................................... V e h i c l e s . .  13 
TECHNICAL h-IEhiORANDLhI 5-  61796 
SUMMARY OF ATMOSPHERIC DATA OBSERVATIONS FOR 
155 FLIGHTS OF MSFClABMA RELATED 
AEROSPACE VEHICLES 
INTRODUCTION 
This report presents a summary of selected atmospheric conditions 
observed near launch time for  155 £lights of the Redstone, Jupiter, Pershing 
and Saturn vehicles (Saturn I, IB, aad V) . 
This document by no means lists atmospheric data taken during every 
major NASA sponsored launch. Only MSFC related type launches a r e  listed 
here. Except as noted otherwise, all vehicles were launched from Cape Kennedy, 
Florida, during the period from August 20, 1953 through November 16, 1973. 
The atmospheric data for  each vehicle launch were supplied by the appropriate 
range weather services collaborating with this organization. The obser-ations 
were taken a s  near to the vehicle launch times and areas  a s  possible, and a r e  
believed to be representative of the atmospheric conditions for each vehicle 
launch. 
BACKGROUND 
An initial Marshall Space Flight Center (MPFC) report [ 11 was pub- 
lished in 1960 which contained atmospheric data for 101 early launches of the 
Redstone, Jupiter and Pershing missiles. An internal MSFC office memoran- 
dum', issued in 1967, gave weather information taken during the early Saturn 
I/IB launches. This report now consolidates these pre-iicusly published 
documents acd additionally gives the Saturn -J atmospheric observations. 
1. NASA -MSFC me:morandum R-AERO-YT-10-67, Summary of surface 
atmospheric data observations during previous Saturn vehicle launches, April 
18 1967 
.. J. -. .. ...-- -. . -- - - -  - -  - - -  
NASA-MSFC memorandum R-AERO-YT-13-67, Selected atmospheric observa- 
tions far  thirteen Saturn I/IB vehicle launches, April 26, 1967. 
PARAMETERS GWEN 
Only certain atmospheric quanr .ties a r e  listed in the  tables of this 
report. These listings were determined from the most frequently asked ques- 
tions concerning launch atmospheric data. 
Table 1 presents atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, 
and ground winds, along with maximum winds aloft in the maximum dynamic 
pressure region (max Q )  from 8 to 16-km altitude. Cloud observations were 
added starting with the Saturn vehicle series.  Also a column entitled 
"~omments"  has been added that gives any w a t h e r  information affecting launch 
o r  pre-launch activities. References 2 and 3 were used to help complete this 
comments column. Updating the vehicle kunch information, i. e., vehicle 
numbc ., date and time of launch, and the addition of launch pad numbers re- 
quired the use of Reference 4*. There a r e  a few Xgena and Centaur launches 
not in the Table 1 listing, due to the unavailability of data to the author. 
Table 2 gives extreme pitch and yaw wind components and shears,  along 
with maximum density, in the high dynamic pressure region for the Saturn 
launch series (SA-1 through SA-208). 
Given in Table 3 a r e  all  the extreme parameters for each ty?e vehicle. 
The vehicles were broken down into Saturn I (SA-1 through SA-10) , Saturn IB 
(AS-201 through SA-288), Saturn V (AS501  through SA-513), and pre-Saturn 
which includes al l  previously launched non3atul.n type missiles. 
TABLE DISCUSSION 
Based on these official records, the tables indicate that out of a total of 
31 ,Saturn launchee to date, only once has a Saturn vehicle been l a u d e d  through 
rain (AS-507). twice through fog (SA-206 and 2 ~ ) ,  and three t imes (SA-1, 
AS-201 and AS-509) had weather conditions which caused either a countdown 
hold o r  a lalmch postponement. 
Table 3 extremes indicate that no vehicle has been launched with ground 
winds greater than 10.7 m/s (sA-10). The greatest  wind speed aloft encoun- 
tered near max Q has been 88.0 m/s (Redatone ~ C - 4 6 ) .  The Saturn V vehicle 
2. T h ~ s  includes an  unpublished reference document compiled by William A. 
Lockyer, Jr. of KSC'S Historical Services, entitled, "A chronological listing 
of launchings of MSFC-related vehicles from 1953-1972". 
(AS-504) had encountered a maximum wind speed of 76.2 m/s near max Q 
altitude. AS--504 also cncountered the most extreme pitch wind aloft (74.5 m/s), 
pitch wind shea8  aloft (0.0248 sec-') and yaw wind s h e a s  aloft (0.0254 sec'!) . 
Atmospheric dens ie  has varied from -7.8 percent (Jupiter AM-28) to 
+6.3 percent (Jupiter AM-19) of the annual PRA-63 atmosphere 151 in the 
nlax Q region. These extreme densities encountered a r e  close to the absolute 
Cape Kennedy density limits of -10.1 percent (a t  14 km) and +8.4 percent (at  
16 km) a s  given in f6J . 
The surface thermo,!ynamic parameter extremes for all launches are  
a s  follaws. Ambient presstlres have varied from 10.014 to 10.330 ~ / c r n ~ ,  
temperatures from 6.7"C ( 4 4 " ~ )  to 32.2"C (90' F) , and relative humidities 
have ranged from 24 to 100 percent. 
CONCLUS ION 
Cbviously the tables presented !n this report do not summarize all 
atmospheric records that were taken a t  launch times. If additional o r  more 
detailed atmospheric information is needed for any Saturn vehicle launch, the 
reader should refer to the NASA-Marshall, Saturr. Flight Evaluation Working 
Group report r21 pretaining to the launch in question. Additionally, the 
Marshall, Aerospace Environment Division has fssued a launch pad ground wind 
memorandum for each Saturn vehicle launch since SA-7. These are  available 
upon request. The Terrestrial Environment Branch also maintains an atmos- 
pheric file containing the atmospheric data supporting most previous Marshall 
vehicle test flights. 
This summary of atmospheric conditions a t  launch for the various 
vehicles ie not meant to imply that this ia the range of atmospheric 
conditions which may occur a t  the launch site. These were basically 
R and D type vehicles and an "operational" deployed vehicle might encounter 
a larger range (variation) of atmospheric conditions. It &odd be noted 
that the atmospheric condition8 at launch for these vehicles were closely 
monitored during the prelamah period. Adverse weather conditions were 
deliberately avoided based on trend indications, prediction of probably T-0 
conditions and real time n ~ w u r e m e n t e .  
3. Shears were computed over a 1000 meter interval. 
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REFERENCES 
1. Smith, J. W.: Selected Atmospheric Observations For 101 Consecutive 
Flight Tests of the Redstone, Jupiter and Pershing Missiles. NASA 
MTP-AERO-60-14, December 19, 1960. 
2. Saturn Flight Evaluation Working Group: Saturn Launch Vehicle Flight 
Evaluation Report - Appendix A - Atmosphere (A separate report is 
prepared for each Saturn Vehicle launch operation. ) . George C. 
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama. 
3. History of LOD Countdown Holds (u) . Reports and Publications 
Section, Technical Information Branch, Launch Operations Directorate, 
Cape Canaveral, Florida. 
4. Major NASA Launchings, E; I'E-WTR. KSC Historical Report No. 1A 
(KHR-IA), NASA, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, August 
1972. 
5. Smith, 0. E . ; and Weidner, D. K. : A Reference Atmosphere for 
Patrick AFB, Florida, Anmd (1963 ~ev i s ion)  . 'TASA TMX-53139, 
September 23, 1964. 
6. Daniels, Glenn E. , ed: Terrestrial Environment ( c l i m t i c )  Criteria 
Guidelines For Use in Aerospace Vehicle Development. 1973 Revision, 
Table 14.8, pg. 14.9, NASA TMX-64757, Marshall Space Flight Center, 
Alabama, July 5, 1973. 
APP ROVAL 
SUMMARY {IF ATMOSPHERIC DATA OBSERVATIONS FOR 
155 FL I GHTS OF M S f  ClABMA RELATED 
AEROSPACE VEHICLES 
By D. L. Johnson 
The information in this report has been reviewed for security classifi- 
cation. Review of any informaiion concerning Department of Defense o r  
Atomic Energy Commission programs has been made by the BISFC Securitv 
classification Officer. This report, in its entirety, has been determined to be 
unclassified. 
This document has also been reviewed and approved for technical 
accuracy. 
 chic^, Terrestrial Environment Branch 
/- 
d2k.2 i a!$, 
W. W. VAUGHAN 
Chief. ~ e r o s ~ a c e  vironment Division s" 
Director, Aero-A atrodynamics Laboratory 


Summary of atmospheric data observations for 155 flight of MSFC/ABMA related aerospace vehicles

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