Flight History
All except Viking 4 were flown from White Sands, New Mexico.
The first launch, of Viking 1, on 3 May 1949 came after a very prolonged and trying period of ground firing tests, and attained an altitude of 50 miles (80 km). The altitude was limited by a premature engine cut-off, eventually traced to steam leakage from the turbine casing.
Viking 2, flown 6 September 1949, also suffered early engine cut-off for the same reason as Viking 1; it reached only 32 miles (51 km). (Subsequent engines had the turbine casing halves welded rather than bolted together, solving the problem.)
Viking 3, 9 February 1950, suffered from instability in a redesigned guidance system, and had to be cut off by ground command when it threatened to fly outside the range. Altitude was again only 50 miles (80 km).
Viking 4, on 11 May 1950, launched from the deck of the USS Norton Sound near the Equator, reached a peak altitude of 105 miles (169 km), almost the maximum possible for the payload flown, in a nearly perfect flight. Guidance system was reverted to that of Vikings 1 and 2.
Viking 5, 21 November 1950 reached 108 miles (174 km). Engine thrust was about 5% low, or altitude would have been slightly higher.
Viking 6, 11 December 1950, suffered catastrophic failure of the stabilizing fins late in powered flight, with loss of attitude control, and associated very large drag. Altitude was therefore only 40 miles (64 km).
Viking 7, 7 August 1951, reached 136 miles (219 km) altitude to beat the old V-2 record for a single-stage rocket. This was the highest and last flight of the original airframe design.
Viking 8, 6 June 1952, first rocket of improved airframe design, lost when it broke loose during static testing, and flew to 4 miles (6.4 km) before ground commanded cut-off.
Viking 9, 15 December 1952, reached 136 miles (219 km) altitude in the first successful flight of the improved airframe design.
Viking 10. The engine exploded on first launch attempt 30 June 1953. The rocket was rebuilt and was flown successfully 7 May 1954, to 136 miles (219 km).
Viking 11 rose to 158 miles (254 km) on 24 May 1954, an altitude record for a Western single-stage rocket up to that time. Earth photography and re-entry vehicle test.
Viking 12 was flown 4 February 1955, for re-entry vehicle test, photography, and atmospheric research. It reached 143 miles (230 km).
Two additional Viking airframes, similar to Vikings 9 through 12, were flown as test vehicles for Project Vanguard. Both were launched from Cape Canaveral, in 1956 and 1957, and were designated TV0 and TV1.
Read more about this topic: Viking (rocket)
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