Saturn I SA-2

SA-2 was the second test flight of the first stage of a Saturn I with dummies of the second and third stage. During this mission, the project Highwater was performed.

Objectives

Due to the size and power of the Saturn rocket family NASA decided to conduct a test flight for each part of the rocket. In SA-2 only the first stage was active, the second stage and the third, a Jupiter nose cone were filled with water to simulate the starting weight. To test the functionality of the first stage, was an object of this mission. In addition, this was the first of two flights of High Water project. In this explosive charges were mounted on the rocket. You should bring the rocket at an altitude of 105 km to the explosion and release the water contained in the ballast levels.

Preparations

The rocket was delivered by sea and assembled within two months.

History of the flight

After a trouble-free countdown to 83 % fueled rocket was launched on April 25, 1962 at 14:00:34 UTC. After an error- free, nearly two minutes flight it reached an altitude of 105 miles and was detonated as planned. Five seconds later, the formation of a cloud was spotted from the launch site, which rose to 160 km altitude.

The flight was on schedule and without incident. For the next flight, the rocket should be tested with full tank filling. In addition, Project High Water should fly again.