Constructing Jupiter
Chrysler Corporation Missile Division, Warren, Michigan
#01.
[32491:
10/22/58]
Looking
into
the
tip
of
a
Jupiter
nosecone
where
you
can see the three impact fuses.
Ed May (L) & Dept. Manager
4/14/1959
Originally published: 03/24/2017
Last updated: 01/21/2018 16:36
#02.
[60035:
6/27/1958]
Re-entry
vehicle,
using
wooden
boxes
to
simulate
actual components. Heavily instrumented for re-entry flight.
The
following
five
photographs
are
of
Jupiter
Missile
R&D
(Research
&
Development)
Nose
Cones
built
by
CCMD
(Chrysler
Corporation
Missile
Division)
in
1959.
The
Nose
Cone
was
designed
to
deliver
on
target
a
W-
49
thermonuclear
1.45
mega
ton
bomb.
For
redundancy,
the
bomb
fuse
system
had
three
triggers:
the
first
was
a
proximity
device
set
to
detonate
the
bomb
at
a
set
altitude
burst
for
maximum
target
destruction.
Secondly,
if
that
did
not
work
a
timer
started
at
Nose
Cone
separation
from
the
Aft
Unit
would
detonate
the
bomb,
and
thirdly
if
those
two
failed
there
were
impact
triggers
set
to
fire
at
ground
contact.
The
impact
triggers can be seen on the inside tip of the Nose Cone shown in photo 32491.
The
scientists
and
engineers
at
the
Army
Ballistic
Missile
Agency
(ABMA)
in
Huntsville,
Alabama
came
up
with
an
ingenious
way
to
protect
the
aluminum
body
of
the
Nose
Cone
from
the
2000-degree
frictional
heat
of
reentry
into
the
earth’s
atmosphere.
They
coated
the
body
with
a
ceramic
material
that
ablated
away
to
throw
off
the
reentry
heat.
It
was
two
and
one
half
inches
thick
at
the
tip
of
the
Nose
Cone
and
tapered
to
one half inch at the rear of the Cone.
Photo
60035
is
a
view
looking
into
a
heavily
instrumented
Nose
Cone
for
measuring
in
flight
and
reentry
parameters
and
bomb
triggering
performance.
Some
of
the
instrument
boxes
are
wooden
mock
ups
at
this
stage of assembly.
Photos
62936,62937
and
62938
are
three
views
of
another
Nose
Cone
during
assemble
the
two
black
longitudinal
shapes
in
photo
62937
on
the
right
side
of
the
Nose
Cone
are
two
of
the
four
telemetry
antennas for transmitting measurement data to ground stations.
Note
in
the
right
side
of
photo
62938
on
a
work
stand
is
the
nozzle
of
a
Rocketdyne
Model
S-3D
150
thousand pound thrust rocket engine.
NOSE CONE
AFT
The
following
18
photographs
are
of
Jupiter
Missile
R&D
Aft
Units
built
by
CCMD
in
1958
and
1959.
The
Aft
Unit
was
mounted
away
from
and
on
top
of
the
Thrust
Unit.
The
Thrust
Unit
consisted
of
propellant
tanks
and
the
[Rocketdyne]
rocket
engine.
The
Aft
Unit
provided
vernier
adjustments
for
flight
trajectory.
Contained
within
the
conical
Aft
Unit
was
the
inertial
guidance
and
control
(G&C)
instrumentation
that
provided
guidance
from
launch
to
Nose
Cone
designated
target.
Attached
to
the
front
end
of
the
Aft
Unit
was the Nose Cone. The Aft Unit and Nose Cone together are called the Body Unit.
Photo
73697
is
a
view
looking
into
the
front
of
an
Aft
Unit
sitting
on
a
factory
work
stand.
On
the
right
in
the
photo
marked
Army
is
the
Thrust
Unit
of
a
Redstone
Missile
also
built
by
CCMD.
For
orientation,
the
four
compartments
formed
by
the
X
crossed
instrument
panels
will
be
referred
to
as
quadrants
with
number
one
at the top and clockwise to quadrant number four.
The
ST-90
stable
platform
was
mounted
in
quadrant
one
floating
in
a
stable
position
with
respect
to
the
earth.
With
a
system
of
gyroscopes
and
accelerometers
the
ST-90
would
measure
deviations
in
three-
dimensional
space
from
the
missile’s
programed
flight
path,
then
provide
this
data
to
other
instruments
which created and provided corrections to maintain the Nose Cone on its programed course to target.
The
word
CAUTION
is
marked
on
the
aft
bulkhead
which
with
the
Nose
Cone
attached
to
the
front
of
the
Aft
Unit sealed the instrument compartment to atmospheric pressure.
A
small
500
pound
thrust
rocket
located
in
the
rear
of
the
Aft
Unit
would
be
fired
to
move
the
Aft
Unit
away
from
the
Thrust
Unit
to
prevent
its
forward
momentum
from
colliding
with
the
Body
Unit
after
Thrust
Unit
separation.
Upon
attaining
ballistic
flight
path’s
apogee
the
Body
Unit
would
be
oriented
in
the
same
attitude in which it had left the atmosphere.
Spatial
attitude
control
high
pressure
jets
in
the
Aft
Unit
would
be
fired
causing
the
Body
Unit
to
tilt
so
that
the
Nose
Cone
would
be
pointed
down
toward
the
earth,
at
which
time
the
Aft
Unit’s
Spin
Rockets
would
be
fired
adding
Nose
Cone
ballistic
stability
during
the
remainder
of
its
flight
to
target.
The
Nose
Cone
would
then
be
separated
from
the
Aft
Unit
by
detonating
primer
cord
wrapped
around
the
bolts
attaching
the
Nose
Cone
to
the
Aft
unit.
The
Instrument
Compartment’s
atmospheric
pressure
would
push
the
two
units
apart thus ensuring the Aft Unit would not interfere with the Nose Cone.
Pitot
Tubes,
extended
during
countdown,
were
mounted
in
the
four
cylindrical
items
at
the
outer
skin
of
each
quadrant
thus
providing
four
independent
airspeed
data
streams
to
the
Guidance
and
Control
package. (see Photo 73697).
Ed
was
working
in
CCMD’s
Department
7262,
“Electro-Mechanical
Design,”
during
the
years
1958-1959
when
many of these photos were taken.
#03.
[62936:
8/12/1959]
Re-entry
vehicle,
using
wooden
boxes
to
simulate
actual components. Heavily instrumented for re-entry flight.
#06
[73697:
3/3/1960]
Looking
into
top
of
Guidance
Package,
the
Aft
Unit
(was
mounted
to
main
body,
on
top
of
fuel
tanks),
located
just
behind
the
warhead.
Explosive
bolts
would
separate
re-entry
vehicle.
Right
is
shown
a
Redstone Missile (Tactical Missile).
#05.
[62938:
8/12/1959]
Re-entry
vehicle,
using
wooden
boxes
to
simulate
actual
components.
Heavily
instrumented
for
re-entry
flight.
To
the
right
of
the re-entry vehicle is an Engine Thrust Chamber.
#04.
[62937:
8/12/1959]
Re-entry
vehicle,
using
wooden
boxes
to
simulate
actual
components.
Heavily
instrumented
for
re-entry
flight.
The
black
“stripes”
around
the
nose
cone’s
outside
perimeter
are
telemetry
antennas.
#22
[21108:
5/5/58]
Very
early
mockup
looking
into
quadrant
3
most
of
the
instruments are wooden mockups of the real items.
#07.
[69864:
12/7/1959]
View
looking
into
quadrant
1
during
an
early
stage
of
assembly.
The
Aft
Unit
had
hatch
openings
in
each
quadrant
to
provide
excess
for
the
installation
of
the
instrumentation
and
were
covered
with
hatch
panels
at
final
assembly.
In
the
field
the
hatches
could
be
opened
for
any necessary repairs
#08.
[69865:
12/7/1959]
Looking
also
into
quadrant
1.
The
"ball
joint"
in
the
lower
left
corner
is
an
attachment
point
for
the
ST-90
Stabilization
Platform.
The
sheet
metal
structure
with
the
row
of
attaching
points
is
the
mounting
surface
for
the
cover
placed
over
the
ST-90
to
reduce
the
volume
to be cooled.
#09: [69866: 12/7/1959] Close up view of the ST-90 " ball joint" attachment.
#10:
[69867:
12/7/1959]
In
quadrant
1
the
white
marking
on
the
black
ST-90
mounting
ring
are
to
indicate
the
latest
engineering
change
order
(EO)
incorporated into the part.
#11.
[70239:
12/10/1959]
Looking
straight
into
quadrant
1.
The
squared
shaped
structure
is
the
mounting
ring
for
the
ST-90.
At
the
bottom
of
the
V
is
the
300
CFM
blower
and
vents
to
circulate
cool
air
over
the
ST-90
during
flight.
#12.
[70240:
12/10/1959]
Showing
Stable
Platform
Mounting
Bracket,
full
yoke.
Cooling
fan
blowers
at
bottom
and
inside.
R/S
Electrical
Connectors
covered during assembly to keep out dirt.
#21.
[33816:
11/03/58]
View
looking
into
quadrant
4
of
a
very
early
R&D
Aft
Unit.
Note
that
the
instrumental
panels
are
plywood.
Developed
honeycomb
aluminum,
R&D
Warhead
early
in
program.
Two
cutouts
show
2ea antennas telemetry.
#13.
[69862:
12/7/1959]
View
looking
at
the
right-side
instrument
panel
of
quadrant
2.
R&D
missiles
used
plywood
instrument
panel
but
for
weight
reduction
production
units
used
honeycombed
aluminum.
The
large
tank
held
in
place
with
the
two
metal
straps
is
the
Ln2
(liquid
nitrogen)
container
for
the
in-flight
cooling
system.
It
is
wrapped
with
insulation
held
in
place
with
duct
tape.
The
corrugated
tubing
at
the
right
side
is
for
the
exterior
pre-fight
cooling
system.
#18:
[69869:
12/7/1959]
The
Flight
Programmer
is
mounted
on
the
left
instrument
panel
of
quadrant
4.
The
Ln2
fill
tube
passes
thru
the
panel
across
the
top
of
quadrant
1
thru
the
right
panel
of
quadrant
2
and
into
the Ln2 tank. At the top of the photo is the extendible pitot tube canister.
#19.
[33824:
11/03/58]
The
rear
end
of
an
Aft
Unit
sitting
on
a
factory
work
stand.
At
the
left
is
one
of
the
fiber
glass
spheres
that
held
the
high-
pressure air for the spatial attitude control system.
#14.
[69863:
12/7/1959]
View
looking
at
the
left
side
instrument
panel
of
quadrant
2.
Aft
Unit
Instrumentation,
using
honeycombed
Aluminum
mounting
surfaces.
Liquid
Nitrogen
in-flight
cooling
tank.
Wrapped
with
insulation, wrapped with duct tape to hold in place.
#15.
[73698:
3/3/1960]
View
looking
at
the
top
of
the
Ln2
tank.
The
three
corrugated
tubes
are
for
routing
cooled
air
from
the
tank
into
other
quadrants.
The
Ln2
is
pumped
into
the
tank
during
countdown
through
the
small tube elbowed down into the tank.
#16.
[69868:
12/7/1959]
View
looking
into
quadrant
3
under
the
black
instrument
(which
is
an
inverter
for
converting
28-volt
DC
into
400Hz
AC)
is
the blower for the preflight cooling system.
#17.
[69870:
12/7/1959]
View
looking
into
quadrant
4.
The
duck
tapped
tubing is the line for filling the Ln2 tank during countdown.
GROUND CONTROL EQUIPMENT
The
human
interface
to
the
Jupiter
missile
came
through
the
Launch
Consoles
contained
within
the
Launch
Trailers. The following five photos show the Launch Trailer and their console’s initial configuration.
#23.
[71890:
1/28/1960]
Floor
plan
of
the
Electrical
Equipment
Trailer
which
was used to run periodic checkups of all missile instrumentation.
#28.
[49597;
6/18/1959]
Chrysler
R&D
Missile;
CM
AP
initials:
C=
Chrysler
M=Missile
AP?=21
=
Chrysler
Missile
21
[for
reasons
of
security
to
conceal
the
number
of
the
missile
a
word
was
used
maybe
in
this
case
Able
B
for
2
and A for 1.]
#24.
[47148:
05/06/1959]
View
looking
aft
in
the
Launch
Control
Trailer.
#27. [47147: 05/06/1959] Close up view of the Launch Control Console.
#29.
[43361:
03/10/1959]
Juno
Missile,
moon
shot
or
placing
object
in
orbit?
Cooling tower falling away on right side.
#25. [44647: 04/02/1959] Also looking aft in the Launch Control Trailer.
#26.
[29998:
9/22/58]
Launch
Control
Console,
one
panel
for
each
of
the
three missiles on the launch site.