Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
U.S. Army PGM-19 Jupiter
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 20, 2016
1. U. S. Army PGM-19 Jupiter Marker
The Jupiter missile that launched Able and Baker into space just before launch on May 28, 1959.
Installation of a Jupiter missile in the West Test Stand of ABMA9 (Army Ballistic Missile Agency) Jan. 16, 1957
America's first Intermediate-range ballistic missile (RBM), the Jupiter Rocket was an outgrowth of Redstone rocket technology. It was developed at Redstone Arsenal under the technical guidance of German rocket engineers. First test-launched in March, 1957, the Jupiter was delivered to the U. S. Air Force in August, 1958 and played an important role in preserving peace.
In addition to testing nose cone materials, the Jupiter launched two monkeynuts—Able and Baker—into space in May, 1959. Achieving an altitude of 480m (300mi), Able and Baker were the first living creatures to be launched into space and successfully recovered, helping pave the way for humans. After her retirement from the space program, Miss Baker lived out her years here at the U.S. Space & Rocket.
Length: 60ft (18.3m)
Diameter: 8.8ft (2.7m)
Weight: 108,804lbs (49353kg)
Thrust: 150,000lbs (667,233N) Velocity: 11, 455mph (18,435km/hr)
Range: 1,770mi (2,849k m)
Propellants: Liquid oxygen and kerosene
Contractors:
Chrysler Corporation (fuselage)
Rocketdyne Div., North American Aviation, Inc. (propulsion)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1957.
Location. 34° 42.688′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: NASA Saturn I (within shouting distance of this marker); Ms. Baker: Monkeynaut (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Project Liftoff: Solar Power in Space (about 300 feet away); Cosmic Apple Tree (about 300 feet away); Armstrong Collins Aldrin (about 300 feet away); McDivitt Scott Schweickart / Stafford Young Cernan (about 300 feet away); Conrad Gordon Bean (about 300 feet away); Lovell Swigert Haise (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntsville.
Also see . . . U.S. Space & Rocket Center. (Submitted on September 26, 2016.)
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 20, 2016
2. U. S. Army PGM-19 Jupiter Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 26, 2016, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 839 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 26, 2016, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
