| Bold Orion | |
|---|---|
 Bold Orion, with B-47 launch aircraft | |
| Type | Air-launched ballistic missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1958–1959 |
| Used by | United States Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1958 |
| Manufacturer | Martin Aircraft |
| No. built | 12 |
| Specifications (Two-stage version) | |
| Length | 37 feet (11 m) |
| Diameter | 31 inches (0.79 m) |
| Engine | First stage,Thiokol TX-20 Sergeant; 1,500 lbf (6.66 kN) Second stage,ABL X-248 Altair; 2,800 lbf (12.45 kN) |
| Propellant | Solid fuel |
Operational range | 1,100 miles (1,800 km) |
Launch platform | B-47 Stratojet |
TheBold Orion missile, also known asWeapons System 199B (WS-199B), was a prototypeair-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed byMartin Aircraft during the 1950s. Developed in both one- and two-stage designs, the missile was moderately successful in testing, and helped pave the way for development of theGAM-87 Skybolt ALBM. In addition, the Bold Orion was used in earlyanti-satellite weapons testing, performing the first interception of a satellite by a missile.
The Bold Orion missile was developed as part ofWeapons System 199, initiated by theUnited States Air Force (USAF) in response to the U.S. Navy'sPolaris program,[1] with funding authorised by theUnited States Congress in 1957.[2] The purpose of WS-199 was the development of technology that would be used in new strategic weapons for the USAF'sStrategic Air Command, not to deliver operational weapons; a primary emphasis was on proving the feasibility of an air-launched ballistic missile.[2][3][4]
The designation WS-199B was assigned to the project that, under a contract awarded in 1958 to Martin Aircraft, would become the Bold Orion missile.[3] The design of Bold Orion was simple, using parts developed for other missile systems to reduce the cost and development time of the project.[3] The initial Bold Orion configuration was a single-stage vehicle, using aThiokol TX-20 Sergeant solid-fuel rocket.[3][5] Following initial testing, the Bold Orion configuration was altered to become a two-stage vehicle, anAllegany Ballistics LaboratoryAltair upper stage being added to the missile.[3][6]
Having been given top priority by the Air Force,[7] the first flight test of the Bold Orion missile was conducted on May 26, 1958, from aBoeing B-47 Stratojet carrier aircraft,[3][8] which launched the Bold Orion vehicle at the apex of a high-speed, high-angle climb.[3][9] Thezoom climb tactic, combined with thethrust from the rocket motor of the missile itself, allowed the missile to achieve its maximum range, or, alternatively, to reach space.[9]
A twelve-flight test series of the Bold Orion vehicle was conducted;.[3] Despite suffering only one outright failure, the initial flight tests of the single-stage rocket proved less successful than hoped.[3] Authorisation was received to modify the Bold Orion to become a two-stage vehicle. In addition to the modifications improving the missile's reliability, they increased the range of Bold Orion to over 1,000 miles (1,600 km).[4][10] Four of the final six test firings were of the two-stage vehicle. These were considered successful, and established that the ALBM was a viable weapon.[2][3]
The final test launch of Bold Orion, conducted on October 13, 1959, was a test of the vehicle's capabilities in theanti-satellite role.[11][12] Piloted by Carl E Brust Jr, the missile was launched from an altitude of 35,000 feet (11,000 m) from its B-47 mothership, the missile successfully intercepted theExplorer 6 satellite,[13] passing its target at a range of less than 4 miles (6.4 km) at an altitude of 156 miles (251 km).[14][3] If the missile had a nuclear warhead, the satellite would have been destroyed.[9][15]
The Bold Orion ASAT test was the first interception of a satellite by any method, proving that anti-satellite missiles were feasible.[11][16] This test, along with an earlier, unsuccessful test of theHigh Virgo missile in the anti-satellite role, had political repercussions. TheEisenhower administration sought to establish space as a neutral ground for everyone's use, and the "indication of hostile intent" given by the tests was frowned upon, with anti-satellite weapons development being soon curtailed.[9][17]
The results of the Bold Orion project, along with those from the testing of the High Virgo missile, also developed under WS-199, provided data and knowledge that assisted the Air Force in forming the requirements for the follow-on WS-138A, which would produce theGAM-87 Skybolt missile.[3][18]
| Date/Time (GMT) | Rocket | Launch site | Outcome | Remarks[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-05-26 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 8 km (5.0 mi) |
| 1958-06-27 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Failure | Apogee 12 km (7.5 mi) |
| 1958-07-18 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 100 km (62 mi) |
| 1958-09-25 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 100 km (62 mi) |
| 1958-10-10 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 100 km (62 mi) |
| 1958-11-17 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 100 km (62 mi) |
| 1958-12-08 | Two-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 200 km (120 mi) |
| 1958-12-16 | Two-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 200 km (120 mi) |
| 1959-04-04 | Two-stage | AMR DZ | Success | Apogee 200 km (120 mi) |
| 1959-06-08 | Single-stage | AMR DZ | Success | Apogee 100 km (62 mi) |
| 1959-06-19 | Single-stage | Cape Canaveral | Success | Apogee 100 km (62 mi) |
| 1959-10-13 | Two-stage | AMR DZ | Success | Apogee 200 km (120 mi) |
AMR DZ means Atlantic Missile Range Drop Zone.
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