posted 10-31-2010 06:10 AM               

An early Historic Aeronautics Association space cover is shown for the first night rocket test of a V-2 rocket conducted at White Sands Proving Ground. The cover is cancelled at Palomar Mountain, California, December 17, 1946, the night of the test. Mount Palomar observers actively participate in this important V-2 rocket test involving major U.S. universities, the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, and commercial industry.

Space Cover #81: Mount Palomar and V-2 Rocket Test, December 17, 1946

The V-2 rocket test was conducted by Wernher von Braun team members, U.S. Army ordnance personnel, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Aerojet Engineering Corporation, the California Institute of Technology, University of New Mexico, and Johns Hopkins University scientists at White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico, December 17, 1946. The test was the first night test in America of a German V-2 rocket, number 17, drawn from a very limited test inventory of only 35 rockets salvaged and then rebuilt from German V-2 rockets captured in Europe at the end of World War II.

The night of December 17th, the V-2 rocket majestically thundered off its launch pad at 10:18 pm local time over White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico. Scientists anticipated the test would be seen 688 miles away using the Mount Palomar observatory's 18-inch telescope on Palomar Mountain, California, and this was included in the test. An enveloping low cloud cover on the eastern horizon, however, prevented Palomar staff from seeing the test, although the test was closely tracked by observatory personnel using the observatory's 8-inch Schmidt telescope positioned at White Sands Proving Ground for the test.

The scope of the rocket test was ambitious and very different from previous tests to date. It included a cosmic radiation test, biological test, and a shaped-charge (artificial) meteorite test. Scientists anticipated the artificial meteorite test would be observed as a man-made meteor shower and also would allow them to scientifically observe a test originating in the upper atmosphere.

The successful test of V-2 rocket number 17 set an American record in obtaining a true space altitude of 111 miles and a record rocket velocity of 5,350 feet per second. This important test involving leading scientists from U.S. universities, the Military, and the public sector would also establish the methodology and key participants for future V-2 rocket scientific tests and for subsequent tests to be conducted using U.S. rockets as test vehicles when the German V-2 test rocket inventory was expended.

And, Boo! A Happy Halloween to you, too!