Bumper (rocket)

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Fact sheet
Bumper
Bumper 5, launched February 24, 1949
Function	Sounding rocket
Manufacturer	Army Ballistic Missile Agency
Country of origin	Germany/United States
Size
Height	62 feet
Diameter	5 feet, 5 inches
Stages	2
Launch History
Status	Retired
Launch sites	White Sands Proving Ground, Cape Canaveral
Total launches	8
Maiden flight	May 13, 1948
Last flight	July 29, 1950

After a July 1946 suggestion by Colonel Holger N. Toftoy to combine the V-2 rocket and Wac Corporal, the US Bumper Program was inaugurated on June 20, 1947:

to investigate launching techniques for a two-stage missile and separation of the two stages at high velocity,
to conduct limited investigation of high-speed high-altitude phenomena, and
to attain velocities and altitudes higher than ever reached.

Over-all responsibility for the Bumper rocket was given to the General Electric Company and were included in the Hermes project, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was assigned responsibility for the theoretical investigations required, the design of the second stage and basic design of the separation system. The Douglas Aircraft Company was assigned responsibility for fabrication of the second stage and detail design and fabrication of the special V-2 rocket parts required. The program was officially concluded in July 1950 after 8 launches.^[1]

Six Bumper launches, as well as other V-2 test launches, were from White Sands Proving Grounds. In 1949, the Joint Long Range Proving Ground was established at remote, deserted Cape Canaveral, Fla and the July 24, 1950 Bumper 8 launch became the first of hundreds to be launched from "the Cape."[1]

[edit] Bumper Test Launches

Rocket number	Time	Launch site	Pad	Maximum altitude (kilometres)	Remarks
1948
Bumper-1	May 13, 1948	White Sands	Pad 33	127.3	Bumper 1 Premature cut-off of WAC 2nd stage
Bumper-2	August 19, 1948	White Sands	Pad 33	13.4	Bumper 2 First stage failed due to propellant flow interruption
Bumper-3	September 30, 1948	White Sands	Pad 33	150.3	Bumper 3 WAC stage failed
Bumper-4	November 1, 1948	White Sands	Pad 33	4.8	Bumper 4 Explosion in tail of V-2
1949
Bumper-5	February 24, 1949	White Sands	Pad 33	129	Successful flight. Separation of stages at 32.2 km
Bumper-6	April 21, 1949	White Sands	Pad 33	49.9	Premature V-2 cut-off; WAC stage failed to fire
1950
Bumper-8	July 24, 1950	Cape Canaveral	Pad 3	16.1	Low-angle atmospheric flight over 320 km range. First rocket launch from Cape Canaveral.
Bumper-7	July 29, 1950	Cape Canaveral		16.1	Low-angle atmospheric flight over 320 km range