Cape Canaveral marks 75 years since its first rocket launch It is 75 years since the first rocket launch from Cape Canaveral: a two-stage rocket consisting of a German V-2 missile and a US sounding rocket. The system, dubbed the "Bumper V-2," was launched from Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950. The first six Bumper flights had been conducted from the White Sands Proving Ground in New …
Actually, according to my 1962 World Book Encyclopedia, the "WAC" part of "WAC Corporal" stood for "Women's Air Corps" since it was a scaled-down vehicle.
But we can't have any sort of sexist terminology like that these days, can we?
And I feel old, because I still have my KSC "50 years of launches" pins & banners.
The Corporal rocket was replaced by the Sergeant, and the Sergeant was also known as the more familiar Castor motor when used commercially.
Edit: and the Bumper series was moved from White Sands to Cape Canaveral because one of the V-2s decided to go boom in Mexico, and this was regarded as a less than nominal outcome, though I'm sure the present administration might have a different opinion.
Also, Patrick was never abandoned. It was transferred from the Navy to the new USAF. The NASA article is simply wrong.
Also, Patrick was never abandoned. It was transferred from the Navy to the new USAF. The NASA article is simply wrong.
Patrick (then "Naval Air Station Banana River") was deactivated in 1947 and placed in caretaker status, which is heading toward "abandonment" if not actually there. The USAF picked it up in late 1948 for rocket testing. (And Space Force got it in 2020).
