Function Sounding rocket Country of origin United States | Manufacturer Vought Height 21.65 metres (71.0 ft) | |
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Diameter 1.02 metres (3 ft 4 in) Mass 16,738 kilograms (36,901 lb) | ||
The RM-89 Blue Scout I was an American sounding rocket which was flown three times between January 1961 and April 1962. It was used for two HETS test flights, and a flight to investigate atmospheric re-entry. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
The Blue Scout I was a three-stage rocket derived from the Scout X-1. All three launches occurred from Launch Complex 18B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first two launches were conducted on 7 January and 9 May 1961 respectively. They both carried HETS A1 plasma research experiments on suborbital trajectories. The third launch was conducted on 12 April 1962, with a payload that was intended to investigate atmospheric reentry.
The first launch was successful, however recovery of the payload failed. Both other launches failed due to problems with the Blue Scout.
The Blue Scout II was a four-stage derivative of the Blue Scout I. It was flown three times in 1961, twice with HETS payloads, and once with the Mercury-Scout 1 satellite.