Name: NASA S-56 — Scout X-1
Start: 1960-12-04T21:14:00Z
End: 1960-12-04T21:14:00Z
Location: Launch Area 3

Question 1

What rocket is launching NASA S-56?

Accepted Answer

NASA S-56 is launching on the Scout X-1.

Question 2

Who is launching NASA S-56?

Accepted Answer

NASA S-56 is being launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a government launch provider founded in 1958.

Question 3

Where is NASA S-56 launching from?

Accepted Answer

NASA S-56 is launching from Launch Area 3 at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is NASA S-56 heading to?

Accepted Answer

NASA S-56 is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Scout X-1 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Scout X-1 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Scout X-1 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Scout X-1 has launched 6 times to date, with 3 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the NASA S-56 mission?

Accepted Answer

An American satellite launched by NASA as part of the Explorers program. It failed to reach orbit when the second stage didn't ignite.

Question 8

Where is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility?

Accepted Answer

Wallops Flight Facility is NASA's own launch range on Virginia's Eastern Shore, operating since 1945 and managed through Goddard Space Flight Center. It also hosts the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Question 9

What launches from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

Wallops flies NASA's long-running sounding-rocket programme alongside orbital launches: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo missions to the ISS on the Antares rocket from Pad 0A, Minotaur vehicles from Pad 0B, and Rocket Lab's Electron from Launch Complex 2.

Question 10

Can you watch a launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center is the designated public viewing area and posts information for each flight. Nearby Chincoteague and the Assateague seashore also give open-horizon views across the water.

Question 11

What was the first orbital launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The first orbital launch from Wallops was TacSat-2, on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur in December 2006. Wallops later launched LADEE, the first deep-space mission to fly from Virginia, in 2013.

NASA S-56

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Area 3

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Frequently asked questions