Bold Orion
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The Bold Orion missile, also known as Weapons System 199B (WS-199B), was a prototype
air-launched ballistic missile An air-launched ballistic missile or ALBM is a ballistic missile launched from an aircraft. An ALBM allows the launch aircraft to stand off at long distances from its target, keeping it well outside the range of defensive weapons like anti-aircra ...
(ALBM) developed by
Martin Aircraft The Glenn L. Martin Company—also known as The Martin Company from 1957-1961—was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin, and operated between 1917-1961. The Martin Company produc ...
during the 1950s. Developed in both one- and two-
stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...
designs, the missile was moderately successful in testing, and helped pave the way for development of the
GAM-87 Skybolt The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1962 Tri-service system) was an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed by the United States during the late 1950s. The basic concept was to allow US strategic bombers to launch their weapons ...
ALBM. In addition, the Bold Orion was used in early
anti-satellite weapon Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic or tactical purposes. Several nations possess operational ASAT systems. Although no ASAT system has been utilised in warfare, a few ...
s testing, performing the first interception of a satellite by a missile.


Design and development

The Bold Orion missile was developed as part of Weapons System 199, initiated by the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
(USAF) in response to the U.S. Navy's Polaris program, with funding authorised by the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
in 1957.Yengst 2010, p.37. The purpose of WS-199 was the development of technology that would be used in new strategic weapons for the USAF's
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
, not to deliver operational weapons; a primary emphasis was on proving the feasibility of an air-launched ballistic missile.Parsch 2005Stares 1985, p.109. The designation WS-199B was assigned to the project that, under a contract awarded in 1958 to Martin Aircraft, would become the Bold Orion missile. The design of Bold Orion was simple, using parts developed for other missile systems to reduce the cost and development time of the project. The initial Bold Orion configuration was a single-stage vehicle, using a
Thiokol Thiokol (variously Thiokol Chemical Corporation(/Company), Morton Thiokol Inc., Cordant Technologies Inc., Thiokol Propulsion, AIC Group, ATK Thiokol, ATK Launch Systems Group; finally Orbital ATK before becoming part of Northrop Grumman) was an ...
TX-20 Sergeant solid-fuel rocket. Following initial testing, the Bold Orion configuration was altered to become a two-stage vehicle, an
Allegany Ballistics Laboratory Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) located in Rocket Center, West Virginia, is a diverse industrial complex employing some 1,000 people across . The facility is a member of the Federal Laboratory Consortium and is operated by Northrop Grumm ...
Altair Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql ...
upper stage being added to the missile.


Operational history

Having been given top priority by the Air Force, the first flight test of the Bold Orion missile was conducted on May 26, 1958, from a
Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
carrier aircraft, which launched the Bold Orion vehicle at the apex of a high-speed, high-angle climb.Temple 2004, p.111. The
zoom climb A zoom climb is a climb where the rate of climb is greater than the maximum climb rate using only the thrust of the aircraft's engines. The additional climb rate is attained by reduction of horizontal speed. Before a zoom climb, the aircraft ac ...
tactic, combined with the
thrust Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that sys ...
from the rocket motor of the missile itself, allowed the missile to achieve its maximum range, or, alternatively, to reach space. A twelve-flight test series of the Bold Orion vehicle was conducted;. Despite suffering only one outright failure, the initial flight tests of the single-stage rocket proved less successful than hoped. Authorisation was received to modify the Bold Orion to become a two-stage vehicle. In addition to the modifications improving the missile's reliability, they increased the range of Bold Orion to over . Four of the final six test firings were of the two-stage vehicle. These were considered successful, and established that the ALBM was a viable weapon.


ASAT test

The final test launch of Bold Orion, conducted on October 13, 1959, was a test of the vehicle's capabilities in the
anti-satellite Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic or tactical purposes. Several nations possess operational ASAT systems. Although no ASAT system has been utilised in warfare, a few ...
role. Launched from an altitude of from its B-47 mothership, the missile successfully intercepted the
Explorer 6 Explorer 6, or S-2, was a NASA satellite, launched on 7 August 1959, at 14:24:20 GMT. It was a small, spheroidal satellite designed to study trapped radiation of various energies, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation in th ...
satellite, passing its target at a range of less than at an altitude of . If the missile had a nuclear warhead, the satellite would have been destroyed. The Bold Orion ASAT test was the first interception of a satellite by any method, proving that anti-satellite missiles were feasible.Peebles 1997, p. 65. This test, along with an earlier, unsuccessful test of the
High Virgo The High Virgo, also known as Weapons System 199C (WS-199C), was a prototype air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) jointly developed by Lockheed and the Convair division of General Dynamics during the late 1950s. The missile proved moderately su ...
missile in the anti-satellite role, had political repercussions. The
Eisenhower administration Dwight D. Eisenhower's tenure as the 34th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1953, and ended on January 20, 1961. Eisenhower, a Republican from Kansas, took office following a landslide victory ...
sought to establish space as a neutral ground for everyone's use, and the "indication of hostile intent" given by the tests was frowned upon, with anti-satellite weapons development being soon curtailed.


Legacy

The results of the Bold Orion project, along with those from the testing of the High Virgo missile, also developed under WS-199, provided data and knowledge that assisted the Air Force in forming the requirements for the follow-on WS-138A, which would produce the
GAM-87 Skybolt The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1962 Tri-service system) was an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed by the United States during the late 1950s. The basic concept was to allow US strategic bombers to launch their weapons ...
missile.
International Aeronautic Federation International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
. ''Interavia'
volume 15
p.814.


Launch history

AMR DZ means Atlantic Missile Range Drop Zone.


See also


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links



''Gunter's Space Page''.

''Gunter's Space Page''.

''spaceline.org''. {{USAF system codes Air-launched ballistic missiles Ballistic missiles of the United States Anti-satellite missiles Cold War air-to-surface missiles of the United States Air-to-surface missiles of the United States