Bioflight 3 was a biological mission that launched on September 15, 1959. The Jupiter missile, which carried the Bioflight 3 payload containing 14 mice and several NASA biological specimens in the nose cone, lifted off from LC 26B at 16:45 EST. However, the missile encountered issues almost immediately, wobbling during its ascent. Just before it flipped upside down, its kerosene tank ruptured, and 14 seconds after liftoff, the missile began to disintegrate. The failure was attributed to a defective silver solder connection to a pressure sphere.
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| Bioflight 3 lanuch cover postmarked on September 15, 1959, Port Canaveral. |
(Reference from
KING OF GODS: The Jupiter Missile Story,
Bioflight 3)
