Project Pilot

In-active

US Navy (USN)

July 4, 1958

Description

The NOTS-EV-1 Pilot, also known as NOTSNIK was an expendable launch system and anti-satellite weapon developed by the United States Navy's United States Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS).

Specifications
  • Stages
    5
  • Length
    4.4 m
  • Diameter
    0.76 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    0.76 m
  • Launch Mass
  • Thrust
    125.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Project Pilot
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Project Pilot
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    1.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

US Navy

Government
None
USN 1963

The Navy was competed with the Army to put the first American satellite into orbit. Their first two Vanguard missions failed, with the second being a highly publicized failure, as it exploded on the launchpad. They went on to put 3 satellites into orbit but did not beat the Army to be the first. Their work in space continues today largely on military satellites.

Project Pilot | NOTS 6

US Navy | United States of America
Air launch to Suborbital flight
Aug. 28, 1958, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Project Pilot | NOTS 5

US Navy | United States of America
Air launch to Suborbital flight
Aug. 26, 1958, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Project Pilot | NOTS 4

US Navy | United States of America
Air launch to Suborbital flight
Aug. 25, 1958, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Project Pilot | NOTS 3

US Navy | United States of America
Air launch to Suborbital flight
Aug. 22, 1958, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Project Pilot | NOTS 2

US Navy | United States of America
Air launch to Suborbital flight
Aug. 12, 1958, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Project Pilot | NOTS 1

US Navy | United States of America
Air launch to Suborbital flight
July 25, 1958, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

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