US Navy Jupiter SSBN

[Triton]

During the mid-1950s, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Arleigh Burke sponsored a high-priority program to develop a naval intermediate range ballistic missile.

On November 8, 1955, the Secretary of Defense established a joint Army and Navy intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) program--Jupiter. The sea-based Jupiter program was going to send the missile to sea using converted merchant ships. In 1956, a schedule was developed to send the first Jupiter-armed merchant ships to sea in 1959. Some studies were also addressing the feasibility of submarines launching the Jupiter IRBM from the surface, with four missiles to be carried in a nuclear propelled submarine of some 8,300 tons displacement.

Caption for artist's impression:

Forced to join the Army in a quest for a ballistic missile force, the Navy produced several preliminary designs for a submarine to launch the liquid-propellant Jupiter missile. This version has four SLBMs in a modified Skipjack hull. Satellite navigation is shown being used as the submarine's sail penetrates the surface.

From Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines by Norman Polmar and Kenneth J Moore, Brassy's, Inc., 2004.

 

[Michel Van]

so far i know was this a Lockheed project

but to have big quantities of liquid Oxygen/Kerosene inside a Sub

not even the Soviets were so crazy

 

[Triton]

Two Jupiter SSBN configurations were considered in 1956 based on variations of the Skipjack-class (SSN-585) nuclear attack submarine design. Because they were far too long to be accomodated in their hull, all Jupiter missiles would be carried in their sails.

The original version, attached first, is dated August 18, 1956. Length is 396 feet and beam is 39 feet. 6,300 tons surface displacement and 8,300 tons submerged displacement.

The modified version, attached second, is dated August 21, 1956 and carries Jupiters redesigned to use multiple solid-fuel motors designated Jupiter S. Length is 376 feet and beam is 40 feet. 5,700 tons surface displacement and 7,700 tons submerged displacement.

Each was powered by a S5W nuclear reactor (15,000 SHP). Crew is 15 officers and 110 enlisted men. The large dome between the pairs of missiles was a radiometric star tracker. Note the elevator on which the missile was elevated before launch. Unlike the roughly contemporary Soviet ballastic missile submarines (Golf and Hotel), these craft would have fired with only their sails above water.

In December 1956, the US Navy broke away from the US Army Jupiter program, including the solid-fueled Jupiter S, in favor of the Polaris program.

Sources:

Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines by Norman Polmar and Kenneth J Moore, Brassy's, Inc., 2004

US Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman, US Naval Institute, 1994.

 

[Triton]

so far i know was this a Lockheed project

but to have big quantities of liquid Oxygen/Kerosene inside a Sub

not even the Soviets were so crazy

According to Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines by Norman Polmar and Kenneth J Moore, Brassy's, Inc., 2004:

The Navy's leadership had objected strenuously to the joint program, because the Army was developing the liquid-propellant Jupiter missile. The Navy considered liquid propellants too dangerous to handle at sea, and a 60-foot (18.3 m) would be troublesome even aboard surface ships.

The Navy still had severe misgivings about the use of highly volatile liquid propellants aboard ship, and studies were initiated into solid propellant missiles. However, solid propellants had a low specific impulse and hence were payload limited. The major boost for solid propellants came in mid-1956, when scientists found it feasible to greatly reduce the size of thermo-nuclear warheads.

Information about the PGM-19 Jupiter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGM-19_Jupiter

 

[Grey Havoc]

Chrysler PGM-19 Jupiter

(Designation-Systems.net aka Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles)

not even the Soviets were so crazy

To be fair, the USN did eventually start development on the solid fueled Jupiter S, before dropping it in favour of Polaris.

 

[Hanz2k]

As far I remember from a book about space race between US and USSR move from Jupiter to Polaris was result of two „revolutions”. one with aluminium oxidizer polimer solid fuels and second - miniaturization of nuclear warhead. Solid Jupiter was a rocket with asphalt based solid fuels and Nagasaki type nuclear bomb which were very inefficient.

 

[Archibald]

Edward N. Hall - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This man was all important in making solid-fuel missiles a reality.

Mind you, he a had a younger brother named Theodore Hall...

Theodore Hall - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ed and Ted Hall...

Well, the younger Hall was later identified as one of Klaus Fuchs pals: a Manhattan Project soviet spy.

Sooo, at the end of the day...
- Ed Hall was working hard to send atomic bombs on Moscow via solid-fuel ICBMs.
- Ted Hall was working hard to send atomic bombs SECRETS to Moscow via spies.

The two brothers only realized that after the end of Cold War...

Un-be-lie-va-ble.

 

[Hanz2k]

Just found the names:

Jack Parsons - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

and

Charles Bartley - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Parsons was responsible for asphalt fuel (BTW used for Gen 1 JATO) and Bartley expanding his work replacing asphalt.

 

[Deleted member 4286]

During the mid-1950s, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Arleigh Burke sponsored a high-priority program to develop a naval intermediate range ballistic missile.

On November 8, 1955, the Secretary of Defense established a joint Army and Navy intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) program--Jupiter. The sea-based Jupiter program was going to send the missile to sea using converted merchant ships. In 1956, a schedule was developed to send the first Jupiter-armed merchant ships to sea in 1959. Some studies were also addressing the feasibility of submarines launching the Jupiter IRBM from the surface, with four missiles to be carried in a nuclear propelled submarine of some 8,300 tons displacement.

Caption for artist's impression:

From Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines by Norman Polmar and Kenneth J Moore, Brassy's, Inc., 2004.

About Navy's ideas in 1958 about space mission; linked to Jupiter