Martin Orbit Project of 1946

[jzichek]

New article reproducing a September 1946 progress report on the Martin Orbit Project is now up on <a href="http://retromechanix.com/articles/aerospace/martin-orbit-project-1946/">RetroMechanix.com</a>:

This huge rocket project appears to be a refinement of Martin's earlier High Altitude Test Vehicle (HATV) proposal, an ambitious single-stage-to-orbit satellite launch vehicle designed for the U.S. Navy immediately after WW II. The accompanying gallery features 24 images, including several high resolution drawings of the vehicle.

-Jared

 

[Johnbr]

Love the info.

 

[blackstar]

Very interesting.

The first US government report on spaceflight was a Project RAND report produced in May 1946, "Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship."

http://www.rand.org/pubs/special_memoranda/SM11827.html

Project RAND produced the report at the request of the Air Force. The Air Force initiated the study because Curtis LeMay learned that the Navy was interested in a satellite vehicle. This Martin Orbit Project that you linked to must be the Navy study--they started it earlier, but it continued into the fall.

I seem to remember that the RAND report essentially put the kibosh on the Navy work. It was more extensive than what the Navy had done, and so the senior leadership in the War Department (it did not become the DoD until 1947) gave the space mission to the USAF. My guess is that Martin finished up their preliminary work and then closed out the contract.