UPPER AIR ROCKET SUMMARY                                                                       V-2
                                                                                                                           NO. 48
IDENTIFICATION                                                                            17 February 1949

    Time of firing: 1000 MST
    Agency: Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University
    Altitude: 62.5 miles

UPPER AIR INSTRUMENTS

    Composition: One air-sample bottle (Signal Corps, Mich. U.)
    Cosmic radiation: Three arrays of three Geiger tubes each surrounded by various
        thicknesses of aluminum. Single pulse ionization chamber in nose extension.
        Fourfold Geiger tube specific ionization telescope (APL).
    Solar radiation: Two thermoluminescent detectors (NRL)
    High altitude photography: Three K-25 cameras with black and white, infrared, and
        aero kodacolor film
    Biological experiment: Fruit flies

DATA RECOVERY INSTRUMENTS

    Telemeter: NRL telemetering
    Physical recovery: Warhead blowoff by radio command

ROCKET INFORMATION

    Unfueled rocket weight: 9652 lb
    Gross weight at takeoff: 29,217 lb

ROCKET PERFORMANCE

    Program angle: Seven degrees
    Time to burnout: 63.5 sec.
    Velocity at burnout: 4440 ft/sec
    Altitude at burnout: 20.6 miles
    Time to zenith: 205 sec.
    Altitude to zenith: 79.5 miles
    Time to tail blowoff: 321.2 sec
    Altitude at tail blowoff: 39.1 miles
    Flight duration: 568.5 sec
    Impact Coordinates: 37.4 mi. north, 1.4 mi east

BALLISTIC INSTRUMENTS

    Theodolites: Mitchell - good images from 0 to 70 sec; Askania - data reduced from
        0 to 75 sec
    Cameras: Bowen-Knapp - operations satisfactory; ballistic - satisfactory some
        images obscured by vapor trail
    Telescopes: Good operation
    Radar: To 568 sec

DATA RECOVERY

    Physical recovery: Air-sampling bottle punctured by fragment. All cameras
        recovered. Thermoluminescent detectors recovered, one operated
        satisfactorily.

COMMENTS

    Rocket performance: Roll rate - 1 Rev/10.9 sec at 70 sec, 1 Rev/10.2 sec at 107 sec
    Other: Impact predictor operated

REPORTS AND PAPERS

    "The Specific Ionization of the Cosmic Radiation Above the Atmosphere," S. F.
        Singer, Phys. Rev. 76:701 (1949)
    "The Zenith Angle Dependence of the Cosmic Radiation Above the Atmosphere at
        lambda = 41°N," S. F. Singer, Phys. rev. 77:729 (1950)
    "On the Nature of the Cosmic Radiation Near the Pfotzer Maximum at lambda = 41°N,"
        S. F. Singer, Phys. Rev. 77:730 (1950)

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