Scout A

Scout-A

Mission Profile

Scout A was a four-stage all-solid-fuel launch vehicle and a standardized service variant of NASA's Scout family, one of the longest-running and most versatile small satellite launch programs in American spaceflight history. Standing 22 meters tall with a liftoff mass of 21,000 kg and generating 464 kN of thrust, it could place about 90 kg into low Earth orbit. Making its first flight in December 1965, Scout A launched a variety of scientific and military satellites from both domestic facilities and Italy's San Marco equatorial platform in the Indian Ocean, taking advantage of the near-equatorial launch site to efficiently deploy payloads into low-inclination orbits. Its simplicity and reliability made the Scout family a favorite for budget-constrained science missions.