Algol (rocket stage)


The Algol family of solid-fuel rocket stages and boosters is built by Aerojet and used on a variety of launch vehicles. It was developed by Aerojet from the earlier Jupiter Senior and the Navy Polaris programs. Upgrades to the Algol motor occurred from 1960 until the retirement of the Scout launch vehicle in 1994.
The Algol family use solid propellant fuel with a loaded mass of 10,705 kg, and produces 470.93 kN of thrust. The motor has a specific Impulse of 236 seconds in a vacuum environment. Variations Algol I, I-D, II, II-A, II-BA popular rating was 40KS-115,000, also known as Senior.
They were initially developed as the first-stage of propulsion for the Scout rocket, with the design being based on the UGM-27 Polaris, a submarine-launched ballistic missile developed for the United States Navy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Algol 1 (XM-68)

Algol 1 (XM-68)

This rocket design started as the Polaris test motor, 31 feet in length with a diameter steel case, and 86,000 lbf of thrust.
The eventual UGM-27 Polaris A-1 was larger, in length and in diameter.
The Algol 1 was first used for a successful suborbital launch of a Scout X-1 rocket on September 2, 1960. The rocket started as a UGM-27 Polaris test motor with a 40-inch diameter, the largest solid motor ever tested at the time. It had a nominal performance rating of 40 seconds duration and 45,000 kgf thrust. It was long, in diameter. Later versions for Scout D scaled to in diameter.

Specifications

These are the basic specifications for the Algol 1 engine:
  • Gross mass: 10,705 kg
  • Unfuelled mass: 1,900 kg
  • Height: 9.12 m
  • Diameter: 1.01 m
  • Thrust: 470.90 kN
  • Specific impulse: 236 s
  • Specific impulse sea level: 214 s
  • Burn time: 40 s

    Algol 1-A

Used on the Scout X test flight flown April 18, 1960. served as prototype vehicle for eventual Scout rocket.

Algol 1-B

Used on Scout X-1, RM-89 [Blue Scout I], and RM-90 Blue Scout II.

Algol 1-C

Used on the Scout X-1A. After this single flight, the Scout X-2 with Algol 1-D replaced this prototype.

Algol 1-D

It was first used on the Scout X-2 on March 29, 1962. It continued to be used on Scout X-2 and Scout X-2M launches until 1963. The same year, it was also used on the Little Joe II Qualification Test Vehicle.
Image:Apollo- Little Joe II Liftoff - cropped.jpg|thumb|Little Joe II, A-002, December 8, 1964, flight

Specifications

These are the basic specifications for the Algol 1-D engine:
  • Gross mass:
  • Unfuelled mass:
  • Height:
  • Diameter:
  • Thrust: 440.00 kN
  • Burn time: 44 s

    Algol II

The Algol 2 series was first flown in 1962. It was used a first stage on Scout A, Scout B, Scout X-3 and Scout X-4.
Algol II was proposed as a strap-on motor for the 3BAS2 configuration of Titan 3B rocket proposed by Martin in the mid-1960s. It would have been used for deep space missions with a Centaur upper stage and strap-on for liftoff thrust augmentation. It was never flown. It was also proposed for the Athena RTX program in 1969, losing to Thiokol.

Algol II-A

The Algol II-A was introduced in 1963 using the Aerojet 40 KS motor. It first flew on Scout X-3 in 1963.

Algol II-B

The Algol II-B was created after an Algol II-A flight failure, the nozzle was designed and designate the II-B model. It first flew on Scout X-4.

Specifications

These are the basic specifications for the Algol II-B engine:
  • Gross mass: 10,700 kg
  • Unfuelled mass: 1,170 kg
  • Height: 9.10 m
  • Diameter: 1.02 m
  • Thrust: 400.00 kN
  • Burn time: 80 s

    Algol II-C

The Algol II-C flew on Scout A-1 and B-1. Scout A-2, B-2, C and 2 versions planned for Algol II-C were never used.

Specifications

These are the basic specifications for the Algol II-C engine:
  • Gross mass: 10,800 kg
  • Unfuelled mass: 1,200 kg
  • Diameter: 1.02 m
  • Thrust: 436.00 kN
  • Burn time: 76 s