The Development of U.S. Missiles During the Space Race with the U.S.S.R.

By Robert Tata

This book describes some of the more interesting aspects of life at Cape Canaveral and the U.S. missile systems that were developed there through the eyes of a young engineer, fresh out of college, who was indoctrinated into the profession during one of the most turbulent times in U.S. history. It briefly describes rocket engines, rocket engine propellants, and the various missile systems developed during the Cold War with the U.S.S.R. It goes behind the scenes in discussing problems experienced during an actual countdown operation with the Atlas Missile. It concludes with a candid narrative by the author of his sometimes serious, sometimes humorous experiences at Cape Canaveral that took him close to some of the people that made U.S. history in space flight and space exploration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 24, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456740849

Robert Tata

The author has a BSME from Case-Western University, Cleveland, Ohio. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. He has had 40 years of Mechanical Engineering experience, 26 of which were with the General Motors Corporation. While there, he obtained U.S. Patent number 4,645,432, “Magnetic Drive Vehicle Coolant Pump”. He went on to become a leader in anti-friction bearing applications in both the automotive and industrial fields. Valuable experience was also gained in gears and mechanical power transmission. Prior to that he was employed by TRW, Cleveland, Ohio, where he was responsible for bearings, gears and mechanical power transmission in the aircraft and missile fields under the tutelage of Mr. Thomas Barish, a leading mechanical power transmission consultant. Also, Mr. Tata has authored 27 technical papers that are available on the internet and other sources for professional development hours. He is also the author of the book “The Development of U.S. Missiles During the Space Race with the U.S.S.R.”. It is based on his experience, early in his career, working as a Flight Test Engineer at Cape Canaveral, Florida during the Cold War with the U.S.S.R.. More recently, Mr. Tata has ventured outside the technical field in authoring his second book, “The Greatest American Presidents”. Following that is his third work, a part technical, part historical book titled “How Detroit became the ‘Automotive Capital of the World’ ”. The fourth book is a workbook sized publication titled “Mechanical Engineering Primer” complete with a multiple choice quiz for classroom use or any other party so inclined.

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© 2011 Robert Tata. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 4/28/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-4084-9 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-4083-2 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011904251

Printed in the United States of America

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Overview

This publication provides a short history of introductory information on ballistic missiles developed by the United States military including reference to the space race competition between the United States and Russia during the Cold War. It features easily understood insight into the operation of rocket engines and the early stages of development of the Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System (ICBM), the first that was developed by the U.S. It also describes other U.S. missile programs and their deployment across the United States and Europe to combat the Russian threat. It concludes with a sometimes serious, sometimes humorous narrative by the author of his life as a Flight Test Engineer at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He describes his experiences working on the Atlas ICBM test stands and taking part in Atlas missile launches during its early stages of development. This publication was written for the interest and enjoyment of the average reader who might be interested in the space race through the eyes of a young engineer, fresh out of college, who had a small role in it. It includes eleven illustrations, several of which are full size photographs of Cape Canaveral missiles and missile launches from the author’s personal collection.

Contents

Background

Introduction

Rocket Engines

Rocket Engine Propellants

Missile Types

Missile Launch Sites

The Atlas ICBM

The Titan ICBM

The Minuteman ICBM

The MRBM and SRBMs

Author’s Narrative

Background

During World War I the United States and Russia fought as allies against Germany and Japan. After the war, the U.S., tired of the ravages of international conflict, greatly reduced its armed forces while Russia kept the bulk of its huge army active and forced Eastern European nations to join the Communist bloc. The term "Cold