History

The A3 (Aggregate-3) was a German experimental rocket, part of the V-2 family. It was first launched on December 4 1937, and was intended to test components for the planned A4.

Only three more test launches were carried out, all of them failures. The final launch, on December 11 1937, was typical of all the attempts: the engine cut out early, and the rocket was destroyed as it fell to the ground, the parachute failing to deploy. All the failures were due to the unstable design of the rocket's experimental Inertial guidance system.

After this last unsuccessful launch, the A3 was abandoned, and a complete re-design was carried out to bring the A5 into being, and to continue subscale testing for the A4.

Specifications

Dimensions:

Length: 6.74 metres.

Diameter: 0.68 metres.

Finspan: 0.93 metres.

Launch mass: 748 kilograms.

Fuel:

ethanol and Liquid oxygen.

Thrust:

Liftoff thrust: 14.7 kN (1500 kgf).

Weblinks

• http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/a3.htm
• http://www.aeromuseum.org/Articles/Oct04/V2PartTwo.htm
• http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/space/lectures/lec04.html