The Lockheed X-17 was a three-stage solid-fuel research rocket to test the effects of high mach

atmospheric reentry Atmospheric entry is the movement of an object from outer space into and through the gases of an atmosphere of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite. There are two main types of atmospheric entry: ''uncontrolled entry'', such as the ...

. The first stage of the X-17 carried the rocket to a height of before burning out. The rocket would then coast on momentum to about before nosing down for reentry. The second stage engine would then fire before jettisoning and igniting the third and final stage. On April 24, 1957, an X-17 reached a speed of at

Patrick AFB Patrick Space Force Base is a United States Space Force installation located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick, USAAC. It is home to Space ...

. Ultimately the X-17 would be traveling towards Earth at up to Mach 14.5. The X-17 was also used as the booster for the Operation Argus series of three high-altitude nuclear tests conducted in the

South Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...

in 1958. The rocket engine used by the rocket is called 1.5KS35000, a

solid propellant A propellant (or propellent) is a mass that is expelled or expanded in such a way as to create a thrust or other motive force in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, and "propel" a vehicle, projectile, or fluid payload. In vehicles, the e ...

rocket engine designed by

Thiokol Thiokol (variously Thiokol Chemical Corporation(/Company), Morton Thiokol Inc., Cordant Technologies Inc., Thiokol Propulsion, AIC Group, ATK Thiokol, ATK Launch Systems Group; finally Orbital ATK before becoming part of Northrop Grumman) was ...

. It was used in at least 23 launches.

Polaris FTV program

The X-17 was used as a test vehicle to test technology for the development of the

UGM-27 Polaris The UGM-27 Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fueled nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). As the United States Navy's first SLBM, it served from 1961 to 1980. In the mid-1950s the Navy was involved in the Jupiter missi ...

missile in 1957–1958. During this testing, the rocket was called the Polaris Flight Test Vehicle, or Polaris FTV. The Polaris FTV-3 was a standard configuration X-17. The Polaris FTV-5 was a two-stage configuration using the same first stage, a

Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

rocket, with a different second stage.

References

External links

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X-17 History

{{Authority control X-17 Lockheed Corporation