Explorer 5

  1958-F11

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The last US Army Explorer, a joint ABMA/ARPA project, was launched by Jupiter C (Juno I) from Cape Canaveral on 1958 Aug 24. A few minutes after launch, the booster collided with the JPL Cluster upper stages and the payload failed to reach orbit. The cluster was pitched 23 deg down instead of 8 deg at stage 2 ignition, and yawed 40 deg in the wrong direction. Explorer V transmitted successfully during its 10 minute flight. It had been intended to study natural and Argus-induced radiation. The planned orbit had been 282 x 2936 km x 50.8 deg.

Explorer 5
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1958 Aug 24	0617:22	Launch by Juno I	CC LC5
		T+2:34 MECO
		T+2:40? Redstone sep
		T+2:52 Booster collided with cluster aft unit
		T+2:53 Second collision
		T+3:12 End of contact with booster
		T+5:59 Stage 2 burn
		T+6:07 Stage 2 cutoff
		T+6:07 Stage 3 burn
	0623:38	T+6:16 Stage 3 cutoff	-3074 x 282
		T+6:16 Stage 4 burn
	0623:45	T+6:23 Stage 4 cutoff, apogee 284 km	-713 x 1125 x 75?
	0630?	Stage 4 impact at 50.1N 65.1W, Quebec
		T+10:53 Redstone impact 1459 km
		T+11:31 Stage 2 impact 2064 km
		T+13:28 Stage 3 impact 3276 km