NASA NTRS1963
The Little Joe II Qualification Test Vehicle, Model 12-50-1, was launched from Army Launch Area 3 {ALA-3) at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on 28 August 1963. This was the first launch of this class of boosters. The Little Joe II Launch Vehicle was designed as a test vehicle for boosting payloads into flight. For the Apollo Program, its mission is to serve as a launch vehicle for flight testing of the Apollo spacecraft. Accomplishment of this mission requires that the vehicle be capable of boosting the Apollo payload to parameters ranging from high dynamic pressures at low altitude to very high altitude flight. The fixed-fin 12-50 version was designed to accomplish the low-altitude parameter. The 12-51 version incorporates an attitude control system to accomplish the high altitude mission. This launch was designed to demonstrate the Little Joe II capability of meeting the high dynamic pressure parameter for the Apollo Program. For this test, a boiler-plate version of the Apollo capsule, service module and escape tower were attached to the launch vehicle to simulate weight, center of gravity and aerodynamic shape of the Apollo configuration. No attempt was made to separate the payload in flight. The test was conducted in compliance with Project Apollo Flight Mission Directive for QTV-1, NASA-MSC, dated 3 June 1963, under authority of NASA Contract NAS 9-492,