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of NASA's first tasks was to develop a reliable rocket to launch
small satellites and probes into space. The result was Scout,
the smallest launch vehicle in NASA's inventory.
Because
NASA wanted the new rocket to be operational as quickly as possible,
it used components from existing solid-propellant rockets to
build the Scout. The first stage was adapted from the Navy's
Polaris missile, the second stage from the Army's Sergeant missile,
and the upper two stages from the Navy's Vanguard.
Since
1960 NASA has carried out more than 100 Scout launches, most
of them placing satellites in Earth orbit for scientists, the
Department of Defense, and customers from other nations. The
last Scout was launched in 1994.
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This
launch vehicle is a Scout-D, which had a more powerful first-stage
motor that was introduced in 1972. This Scout-D was transferred
to the Museum from NASA's Wallops Island launch facility in 1975.
Its payload is the backup for the INJUN/Air Density Explorer (Explorer
40) satellite launched in 1968.