Let Your Curiosity Soar
Chance Vought SLV-1 Blue Scout
SCOUT, an acronym for Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test system, was a four-stage solid fuel system capable of launching a 385-pound satellite into a 500-mile orbit. SCOUT was America’s first solid-fuel launch vehicle capable of orbiting a satellite.
After a programmed flight of 1,500 to 5,500 nautical miles, the Snark’s airframe separated from its nose cone, and the missile’s nuclear warhead followed a ballistic trajectory to its target. Plans developed by the Strategic Air Command employed the Snarks against enemy defensive systems, especially radars, to ensure the effective penetration of enemy territory by manned bombers.