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Jupiter-C Composite Reentry Test Vehicle

Jupiter-C was a three-stage U.S. Army research rocket built from an elongated Redstone first stage and clustered scaled-down Sergeant solid motors. Three flights from 1956 to 1957 tested high-speed trajectories and Jupiter intermediate-range ballistic-missile nose-cone reentry; the final round successfully recovered its test nose cone. Adding a live fourth stage transformed the design into the distinct Juno I satellite launcher.

Jupiter-C Composite Reentry Test Vehicle
NASA Johnson Space Center · NASA asset; NASA current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual or informational/editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement. NASA’s S61-03248 catalog identifies Johnson Space Center (JSC) and credits the photograph to NASA; no third-party photographer or copyright holder is listed. Commercial, promotional, merchandise, logo/insignia, or other protected-rights uses may require separate clearance. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Jupiter CComposite Reentry Test VehicleJupiter-C RTV
Family Name
Jupiter-C
Full Name
Jupiter-C Composite Reentry Test Vehicle
Status
retired
Type
rocket

Details

Description
Jupiter-C was a three-stage U.S. Army research rocket built from an elongated Redstone first stage and clustered scaled-down Sergeant solid motors. Three flights from 1956 to 1957 tested high-speed trajectories and Jupiter intermediate-range ballistic-missile nose-cone reentry; the final round successfully recovered its test nose cone. Adding a live fourth stage transformed the design into the distinct Juno I satellite launcher.
Dimensions
Diameter
…
Height
…
First Flight Year
1,956
Last Flight Year
1,957
Operator
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Variant Notes
      Migrated from legacy reference "Rocketdyne A-7" without inventing a more precise installation.
    • Count
      11
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Variant Notes
      Migrated from legacy reference "Scaled-down Sergeant" without inventing a more precise installation.
    • Count
      3
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Variant Notes
      Migrated from legacy reference "Scaled-down Sergeant" without inventing a more precise installation.
Rocket Specs
Liftoff Mass
…
Reusability
expendable
Stages Count
3

Links

Official Url
https://www.nasa.gov/history/70-years-ago-first-redstone-launch-from-cape-canaveral/

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 12:43:55 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 15:38:45 UTC
Image
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