SA-2 (Apollo)
SA-2 was the second flight Saturn I launch vehicle, the first flight of Project High Water and was part of the Apollo Program.
| Mission Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Mission: | SA-2 |
| Launch: | 25 April, 1962 14:00:34 UTC Cape Canaveral LC34 |
Objectives
The objectives of SA-2 were much the same as those of SA-1. But as well as testing the rockets structurally and the new engines, SA-2 was designed for Project High Water. This was an experiment to release a large quantity of water into the upper atmosphere to investigate its effects.
SA-2 rocket sitting on Pad 34 with service structure
Flight
The preparations at the Cape only took two months from the arrivals of the first stage and dummy upper stages to launch on 25 April, 1962. As with the first flight this mission was sub-orbital. Once again the launch phase was perfect and the rocket reached a maximum height of 105 km.
At this point commands were sent to denonate the rocket as planned. This dispersed the water ballast and within five seconds observers on the ground reported seeing a cloud forming. It then proceeded to raise up to about 160 km in altitude.
Engineers were pleased to find that the sloshing the had occured on the first flight in the fuel tanks didn't happen on SA-2. This they credited to the extra anti-slosh baffles that had been installed.
