Page:Project Mercury - A Chronology.pdf/25

8 The NACA Langley and Ames Aeronautical Laboratories developed high-temperature jets, wind tunnels, and other facilities for use in materials and structures research at hypersonic speeds. These facilities provided, among other things, data proving that ablation was an efficient heat-protection method for reentry vehicles.

The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was activated at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, to complete the development of the Redstone missile and to develop the Jupiter missile. The Redstone was later used in two Mercury manned suborbital flights, and in other research and development flights.

Project 7969, entitled "Manned Ballistic Rocket Research System," was initiated by the Air Force with a stated task of recovering a manned capsule from orbital conditions. By December of that year, proposal studies were received from two companies, and the Air Force eventually received some 11 proposals. The basis for the program was to start with small recoverable satellites and work up to larger versions. The Air Force Discoverer firings, which effected a successful recovery in January 1960, could be considered as the first phase of the proposed program. The Air Force program was based upon a requirement that forces no higher than 12g be imposed upon the occupant of the capsule. This concept required an additional stage on the basic or “bare” Atlas, and the Hustler, now known as the Agena, was contemplated. It was proposed that the spacecraft be designed to remain forward during all phases of the flight, requiring a gimballed seat for the pilot. Although the Air Force effort in manned orbital flight during the period 1956-58 was a study project without an approved program leading to the design of hardware, the effort contributed to manned space flight. Their sponsored studies on such items as the life-support system were used by companies submitting proposals for the Mercury spacecraft design and development program. Also, during the 2-year study, there was a considerable interchange of information between the NACA and the Air Force.