Jupiter-A

PGM-11A Redstone variant

Mission Profile

Jupiter-A (PGM-11A) is an early variant of the US Army's Jupiter ballistic missile used for reentry vehicle testing and propulsion research, combining the Redstone propulsion system with a widened airframe to evaluate ablative and radiative heat shield designs. First flying on 22 September 1955, it stood 19.3 meters tall with a 27,760 kg launch mass. Jupiter-A test data directly informed the design of both the Jupiter IRBM and the thermal protection systems used on early American space capsules.