PGM-19 Jupiter

The PGM-19 Jupiter was the first nuclear-armed, medium-range ballistic missile of the United States Air Force. It used special fuel and a powerful rocket engine to give it a lot of power. This missile could carry a big explosion to places far away.

The Jupiter was first made by the US Army. They wanted a missile that could reach places like China and the Soviet Union. The US Navy also looked at using this design but decided to work on a different missile instead. Even though it was changed for use on ships, the Jupiter kept its short and wide shape.

Development history

Jupiter started as an idea based on the PGM-11 Redstone missile, the United States' first nuclear missile. The team led by Wernher von Braun at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency wanted to make a better version with a stronger engine. This new engine would let the missile travel much farther than the Redstone.

The US Navy also wanted to use similar missiles on their ships. They worked with the Army to develop a missile that could launch from both land and sea. But later, the Navy decided to make its own missile called Polaris.

Jupiter's development continued, and it became an important part of the United States' missile program. Even with some disagreements between the Army and the Air Force, Jupiter was made and ready for use. The missile was designed to be accurate and powerful, able to hit targets far away.

Testing history

Engineers tested the first engine for the Jupiter missile in California in 1955. Early tests had problems, but these were fixed over time. The Jupiter missile used a special fuel system and a different control method from other missiles.

Jupiter AM-18 pre-launch

Tests of the Jupiter missile began in 1957 from launch pads in Florida. The first few test flights had some problems, like the missile shaking apart during flight. Engineers fixed these issues by adding special parts inside the fuel tanks. By 1958, the Jupiter was ready for regular use.

Some Jupiter missiles carried small animals as part of science tests. These tests helped learn how animals could handle space travel. The information learned was important for future space missions.

Operational deployment

In April 1958, the U.S. Department of Defense wanted to place the first three groups of Jupiter missiles in France. But the new French President would not allow them. This made the U.S. look at Italy and Turkey instead. The Air Force was getting ready to place four groups of Thor missiles in Britain.

In 1958, the U.S. Air Force set up a squadron at ABMA. They thought about training crews in California but decided to train everyone in Huntsville. In June and September that year, they made two more squadrons.

In April 1959, plans were made to send two groups of Jupiter missiles to Italy. These 30 missiles went to 10 sites in Italy between 1961 and 1963. Italian crews operated them, but U.S. personnel handled the nuclear parts. The missiles were based at Gioia del Colle Air Base in Italy.

In October 1959, Turkey agreed to host one group of Jupiter missiles. This group of 15 missiles went to five sites near İzmir, Turkey, from 1961 to 1963. They were operated by U.S. crews, but some control went to the Turkish Air Force in late 1962.

Between mid-October 1961 and August 1962, lightning struck four Jupiter missiles in Italy. In two cases, this activated parts of the nuclear warheads. After this, protective towers were added to all the missile sites in Italy and Turkey.

By the time the missiles were placed in Turkey, they were becoming old and less safe. All Jupiter missiles were taken out of service by April 1963.

Deployment locations for Jupiter missiles in Italy from 1961 to 1963

Deployment sites

United States

Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama:

White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico:

Republic of Italy

Headquarters: Gioia del Colle Air Base, the launch sites were near the villages Acquaviva delle Fonti, Altamura, Gioia del Colle, Gravina in Puglia, Laterza, Mottola, Spinazzola, Irsina and Matera:

Turkish Republic

Headquarters: Çiğli Air Base:

Description

Jupiter with its "petal" cover open.

Jupiter squadrons had 15 missiles and about 500 military personnel. They were split into five groups, each with three missiles. These groups were placed far apart to make them harder to attack.

Each missile site had around 20 vehicles, such as generators and trucks for fuel and equipment. The missiles were brought to the site on large trailers. Crew members would attach a support structure to the missile and lift it into an upright position. Once upright, the missile was filled with fuel and ready for launch. The crew could launch the missiles from a mobile control trailer.

Specifications (Jupiter MRBM)

The Jupiter MRBM was a large rocket used by the United States Air Force. It had a special engine that gave it a lot of power to fly high.

The missile was very tall, about as long as two school buses lined up together, and wide enough for a person to hug. It carried a powerful energy source that could travel far and fast, moving quicker than any car.

Launch vehicle derivatives

The Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets used parts made from the same tools as the Jupiter and Redstone missiles. They had a main tank the same size as the Jupiter, with eight smaller tanks like the Redstone around it, all holding special fuels.

Illustration showing differences among Redstone, Jupiter-C, Mercury-Redstone, and Jupiter IRBM.

The Jupiter missile was changed by adding more parts on top, using small Sergeant-style rockets, to make a space rocket called Juno II. This is different from the Juno I, which was made from Redstone and Jupiter parts. It can also be mixed up with another Army rocket called the Jupiter-C.

Specifications (Juno II launch vehicle)

Main article: Juno II

Juno II launch vehicle derived from Jupiter IRBM mobile missile.

The Juno II was a four-part rocket made from the Jupiter design. It was used to launch 10 satellites, but some of these launches did not work well. It sent up Pioneer 3, Pioneer 4, Explorer 7, Explorer 8, and Explorer 11.

Juno II total length: 24.0 m
Orbit payload to 200 km: 41 kg
Escape velocity payload: 6 kg
First launch date: 6 December 1958
Last launch date: 24 May 1961

Jupiter MRBM and Juno II launches

There were 46 test launches. They all started from Cape Canaveral Missile Annex in Florida.

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

Former operators

United States

United States Air Force

Map with former PGM-19 operators in red

Italy

Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force)

36ª Brigata Aerea Interdizione Strategica (36th Strategic Air Interdiction Brigade)

Turkey

Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force)

Surviving examples

Some Jupiter missiles and Juno II rockets can be seen in museums and special places:

The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama shows a Jupiter missile in its Rocket Garden.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama shows two Jupiters, including one set up as a Juno II, in its Rocket Park.
A Jupiter (set up as a Juno II) is shown in the Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was damaged by a storm in 2004 but was fixed and put back on display.
A PGM-19 missile is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Air Power Park in Hampton, Virginia shows an SM-78 missile.

Other places also have Jupiter missiles on display, including museums in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Columbia, South Carolina, Roanoke, Virginia, and Dallas, Texas.