Download or read book Oral Histories of Ballistic Missile Development Pioneers from the NASA Oral History Project Featuring Simon Ramo Co Founder of TRW and General Bernard A Schriever USAF Missile Architect written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2018-05-20 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As part of the NASA Oral History Project, three key figures in the development of ballistic missiles were interviewed: Ruben F. Mettler, Ballistic Missile Engineer; Simon Ramo, Chairman and CEO, TRW, Inc.; Co-founder TRW, Inc. (primary contractor to U.S. Air Force for ballistic missiles); and famous General Bernard A. Schriever, Commander, U.S. Air Force Western Development/ Ballistic Missile Division. Mettler said: It was very clear to everybody that if you could achieve a 6,000-mile ballistic missile, a little more velocity would miss the Earth on the other side and, hence, go into orbit. So it was very clear that a 6,000-mile ICBM, if the payload was reduced or if an additional stage was added, could, without any doubt, be a launcher for a satellite. I used to try to explain that by saying, well, now, [Isaac] Newton, in the seventeenth century-I guess it was seventeenth, yes-had the analogy that if you imagined that there was a tower that was twenty miles high, you threw a rock out, it would land. You threw it a little harder, it would go farther. If you threw it hard enough, it would go around and hit you in the back of your head. So there was no mystery about the fact that some additional velocity and additional technology could become the launcher for satellites and for space. There was no question that Sputnik changed the attitudes and a number of the decisions in the Defense Department and really all the way up to the President, President [Dwight D.] Eisenhower, because it was a demonstration that they then, the Soviets, if you recall, then tried to advertise as a rationale for having a superior economic system, and this propaganda, what it really was, was quite effective and surprised and affected many people around the world. There's no question that it stimulated the urgency, and schedules were shortened. I can recall clearly one trip that General Schriever made to Washington at that time. He came back and he said, "Your schedule is now one year earlier than it was," and that went through the whole program. Also it was one of the rationales for the IRBM. It was clearly an easier problem to do a 2,000-mile ballistic missile than a 6,000 mile. The idea was that an early, quick, really very crash program for a short-range weapon could then, in emergency, be deployed forward in England or Italy, even Turkey, if necessary. So Sputnik was an accelerator. It was a catalyst, maybe is the best way to say it.
Download or read book Bernard A Schriever written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2017-04-19 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Air Force publication outlines the career of Air Force General Bernard Schriever, responsible for the development of America's intercontinental ballistic missiles. Undoubtedly Bernard Schriever left his most prominent mark on the development of Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). When he became manager of the ICBM program in mid-1954, it had suffered through a checkered history marked by stop-and-go development, unrealistic requirements, divided authority, low priorities, and indecision whether the emphasis should be on ballistic missiles or winged missiles like the Snark and Navaho, essentially unpiloted aircraft. Research in the ballistic missile field had begun immediately after World War II but soon fell victim to budgetary cuts that reduced it to dormancy. The program was resurrected in January 1951 as Project MX-1593, which led ultimately to the Atlas ICBM. In December 1952, a committee of the Air Force SAB headed by Dr. Clark B. Millikan recommended a phased approach that would not produce an operational missile until 1965. In March 1953, Schriever learned of a scientific breakthrough that appeared to make intercontinental missiles technically feasible much sooner than the Millikan Committee thought possible. At a meeting of the SAB, Dr. Edward Teller, a leading advocate for the development of hydrogen weapons, reported on the successful test of a hydrogen bomb device in November 1952-the "Mike" shot. Dr. John von Neumann, head of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey, confirmed Teller's report and predicted that hydrogen warheads would be extremely light, with a high explosive yield. This news captured the attention of Schriever and Theodore Walkowicz, a retired Air Force officer. The two visited von Neumann and were convinced that the predicted new weapon, lighter and much more powerful than atomic warheads, promised to dispel one of the major obstacles in ICBM development. The missile could require less thrust because of its lighter warhead, and its trajectory could be less accurate because of the warhead's greater destructive power. Von Neumann believed a thermonuclear warhead weighing 1,500 pounds and yielding one megaton could be achieved by 1960. Schriever urged the SAB to formalize these findings and prevailed upon von Neumann, Teller, and other leading scientists to issue a report in June 1953 that confirmed the feasibility of such a lightweight, high-yield warhead.
Download or read book Ace in the Hole written by Roy Neal and published by . This book was released on 1962 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A History of the U S Air Force Ballistic Missiles written by Ernest George Schwiebert and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945 1960 written by Office of Air Force History and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-01-29 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following World War II, the onset of nuclear weapons, long-range jet bombers, and ballistic missiles radically changed American foreign policy and military strategy. The United States Air Force, led by men of far-sighted vision and uncommon dedication, accepted the challenge of organizing and leading a massive research and development effort to build ballistic missiles. In the quarter of a century since, these weapons have constituted one of the three legs of the strategic triad-the basis of America's strategy of deterring nuclear war-yet they have received less attention from the public and within the Air Force than the more glamorous manned bombers of the Strategic Air Command or the missile-launching submarines of the U.S. Navy. This volume attempts to correct the imbalance by telling the story of the development of Air Force ballistic missiles. It concentrates on the first generation of ballistic missiles: the intercontinental Atlas and Titan, and the intermediate range Thor. Although the effort to develop rockets has a longer history than commonly assumed, the modern history spans the relatively short era from 1945 to 1960. During this brief interval, missiles advanced from drawing board to alert status, where the next generation now remains poised to deter war. The author describes the difficulties involved in the technological competition with the Soviets to be first to develop and deploy a ballistic missile force. With innovative leadership, the Air Force succeeded also in overcoming conflict with the Army and Navy, budgetary constraints, administrative complications, and of course formidable engineering problems. Jacob (Jack) Neufeld has done a thoughtful, thorough job of research in an immense amount of documentation. He came to the task with broad experience in the subject matter. He first joined the history program at Eighth Air Force, Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts; his initial assignment was to cover the command's ICBMs, including the Titan II and Minuteman, in the annual history. When he came to Washington and joined the Office of Air Force History in 1970, he produced monographs on missiles and space. He also had other diverse assignments, usually in the area of the history of research, development, and technology generally. Before long he earned a well-deserved reputation as an expert in these fields. In the course of his extensive research, Mr. Neufeld also met and interviewed many of the leading people involved in Air Force science and technology. Although the development of ballistic missiles is largely an administrative history, it is also the story of the herculean efforts of several key individuals. The effort could not have succeeded as it did without the fortuitous appearance on the scene of Trevor Gardner, Gen. Bernard A. Schriever, and Dr. John von Neumann. How these men conceptualized, promoted, and directed the program forms the basis of the story. Additionally, the development of ballistic missiles revolutionized the way the Air Force conducted research and development, having a profound and longlasting effect on how the service acquired weapons of all types. Mr. Neufeld's fascinating history details these important changes in the process of relating how the service conceived, developed, and brought into the arsenal one of the most revolutionary weapons in the long history of warfare.
Download or read book The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945 1960 Atomic Missiles Project MX 774 Thor ICBM Squadrons Atlas and Titan IRBM Pilotless Aircraft written by Department of Defense and published by . This book was released on 2017-04-26 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following World War II, the onset of nuclear weapons, long-range jet bombers, and ballistic missiles radically changed American foreign policy and military strategy. The Air Force, led by men of far-sighted vision and uncommon dedication, accepted the challenge of organizing and leading a massive research and development effort to build ballistic missiles. In the quarter of a century since, these weapons have constituted one of the three legs of the strategic triad--the basis of America's strategy of deterring nuclear war--yet they have received less attention from the public and within the Air Force than the more glamorous manned bombers of the Strategic Air Command or the missile-launching submarines of the U.S. Navy. This volume attempts to correct the imbalance by telling the story of the development of Air Force ballistic missiles. It concentrates on the first generation of ballistic missiles: the intercontinental Atlas and Titan, and the intermediate range Thor. Although the effort to develop rockets has a longer history than commonly assumed, the modern history spans the relatively short era from 1945 to 1960. During this brief interval, missiles advanced from drawing board to alert status, where the next generation now remains poised to deter war. The author describes the difficulties involved in the technological competition with the Soviets to be first to develop and deploy a ballistic missile force. With innovative leadership, the Air Force succeeded also in overcoming conflict with the Army and Navy, budgetary constraints, administrative complications, and of course formidable engineering problems.Preface * INTRODUCTION * I. PILOTLESS AIRCRAFT * Early Experimental Guided Missiles * Interservice Rivalry * The Postwar Program * II. BALLISTIC MISSILES RESEARCH * Modern Rockets * Project MX-774 * The National Guided Missile Program * USAF Missile Program, 1947-1950 * Atomic-Equipped Missiles * III. THE CONTEST FOR CONTROL * Project MX-1593 Atlas Reorganizing for Missiles Roles and Missions Controversy * IV. A RADICAL REORGANIZATION * The New Look * The Air Force Accelerates * A West Coast Facility * V. A FAMILY OF MISSILES * Parallel Development * A National Priority * Initial Operational Capability * Thor * VI. THE POOR MAN'S APPROACH * ICBM Initial Operational Capability * IRBM Initial Operational Capability * The Economy Axe * The Furor over Sputnik * Final Plans * VII. THE OPERATIONAL FORCE * ICBM Squadrons * The Concurrency Concept * Site Activation * Flight Testing * Construction * Aerospace Corporation * Deploying the First Generation * Reliability Problems * Final Deployments * IRBM Squadrons * Minuteman * Phase-out-Phase-in * Retiring Thor and Jupiter * Retiring Atlas and Titan I * EPILOGUE * APPENDICES * 1. The Teapot Committee Report * 2. The Gillette Report * 3. Major Officials in Ballistic Missiles Development * NOTES * GLOSSARY * BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTE
Download or read book The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation 1945 1965 written by Stephen B. Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The U S Air Force in Space 1945 to the Twenty First Century Proceedings written by Air Force Historical Foundation. Symposium and published by Department of the Air Force. This book was released on 1998-09-02 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains papers presented at the Air Force Historical Foundation Symposium, held at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on September 21-22, 1995. Topics addressed are: Pt. 1, The Formative Years, 1945-1961; Pt. 2, Mission Development and Exploitation Since 1961; and Pt. 3, Military Space Today and Tomorrow. Includes notes, abbreviations & acronyms, an index, and photographs.
Download or read book Ballistic Missile Development Pioneers written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945 1960 written by Jacob Neufeld and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following World War II, the onset of nuclear weapons, long-range jet bombers, and ballistic missiles radically changed American foreign policy and military strategy. The U.S. Air Force, led by men of far-sighted vision and uncommon dedication, accepted the challenge of organizing and leading a massive research and development effort to build ballistic missiles. In the quarter of a century since, these weapons have constituted one of the three legs of the strategic triad -- the basis of America's strategy of deterring nuclear war -- yet they have received less attention from the public and within the Air Force than the more glamorous manned bombers of the Strategic Air Command or the missile-launching submarines of the U.S. Navy. This volume attempts to correct the imbalance by telling the story of the development of Air Force ballistic missiles. It concentrates on the first generation of ballistic missiles: the intercontinental Atlas and Titan, and the intermediate-range Thor. Although the effort to develop rockets has a longer history than commonly assumed, the modern history spans the relatively short era from 1945 to 1960. During this brief interval, missiles advanced from drawing board to alert status, where the next generation now remains poised to deter war. The author describes the difficulties involved in the technological competition with the Soviets to be first to develop and deploy a ballistic missile force. With innovative leadership, the Air Force succeeded also in overcoming conflict with the Army and Navy, budgetary constraints, administrative complications, and, of course, formidable engineering problems.
Download or read book The Bomb and America s Missile Age written by Christopher Gainor and published by Johns Hopkins University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aimed at readers interested in the history of the Cold War and of space exploration, the book makes a major contribution to the history of rocket development and the nuclear age.
Download or read book Thor Ballistic Missile written by John Boyes and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2017-05-17 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Navaho Missile Project written by James N. Gibson and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 1996 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Navaho program is the least known, yet the most important of the United States early missile programs. In rocket technology alone the Navaho made possible the Thor, Jupiter and Redstone missiles. It also allowed the construction of the Atlas ICBM\s engines, and in the years to come this engine technology would power the Apollo moon rocket, and our present-day Space Shuttle. The Navaho project achieved major advances in every discipline of engineering and electronics. The program also gave us the airborne digital computer, modular electronic circuitry, and the all inhertial navigation system. The development of modular circuitry alone revolutionized the electronics industry, improving the reliability and repairability of countless electronic devices. In just ten years this program accomplished several technological firsts. The X-10 test drone was the first turbojet powered vehicle to exceed Mach 2. It also was the first aircraft to fly a complete mission under inertial(computer) guidance. Later, the G-26 ramjet powered vehicle became the first jet aircraft to reach Mach 3 and an altitude of 77,000 feet. Even the Navaho booster engine would set a record by producing 405,000 lbs. of thrust-a benchmark that would last for five years. These accomplishments have escaped public notice for more than three decades dut to the program\s "Top Secret" classification. Forty years after its cancellation many of its documents are still classified as "Secret". James Gibson\s new book explains the technical and historical aspects of the Navaho program here for the first time.
Download or read book Thunder Over the Horizon written by Clayton K. S. Chun and published by Praeger. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It details actual use in combat, as well as current countermeasures and future missile defense systems, serving as a primer on these complex systems and the issues that surround them."--Jacket.
Download or read book Intercept 1961 written by Mike Gruntman and published by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Incorporated. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 50 years ago, pioneering scientists and engineers in the Soviet Union and the US searched for a technical means of defense against ballistic missiles. Mike Gruntman tells the story, little-known even to experts, of the earliest breakthroughs which paved the way for the emergence of a powerful missile defense complex in the Soviet Union.
Download or read book An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Development Within the United States From 1952 to 1965 written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) development by the United States from 1952 through 1965 is marked by extreme urgency. The initial impetus for the development did not proceed within military channels; this paper explores possible reasons why the military channels were not the originator of the program. These reasons include the competition for mission and resources an ICBM capability represented to manned strategic bombers. Significant technological breakthroughs and strong leadership from key individuals highlight the development process. The development of thermonuclear weapons helped make ICBMs possible, but no single technological breakthrough made the development of ICBMs possible. In the same way, the leadership was not generated by a single source. The leadership of General Bernard Schriever and Mr. Trevor Gardner represent a significant contribution to the journey. The management concept known as concurrency helped shorten the timelines and was teamed with a full employment of the weapon system concept and unprecedented authority within the organization responsible for the development were significant to the successful deployment. The last area examined is the revolution in military affairs produced by the mating of thermonuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as well as the deterrent policies of the administrations that provided the doctrine for this revolution.
Download or read book The Missilemen written by Mel Hunter and published by . This book was released on 2012-11-01 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Stirring Picture Story Of A New Breed Of Men.
