Titan II was initially developed and utilized as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) but was later repurposed as a space launch vehicle for NASA. A total of twelve Titan IIs were employed in NASA's Gemini manned space program during the mid-1960s.
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| A Titan II launch cover from "Swanson" featuring a rubber-stamped cachet, postmarked at Patrick Air Force Base with a machine cancel on March 16, 1962. The cover commemorates the maiden flight of the Titan II, launched from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 16 on March 16, 1962. |
The Titan II's first flight was launched from Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral on March 16, 1962. The vehicle was designated N-2, and the flight was a full-scale research-and-development test of the new missile. The Titan II was developed as the successor to the Titan I. It was a two-stage, liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, using storable hypergolic propellants and an inertial guidance system. Its design made it particularly suitable for conversion into a crewed-spaceflight booster. NASA selected a modified Titan II, designated the Gemini Launch Vehicle, to launch astronauts into orbit.
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| Photo: The first successful launch of Titan II rocket on March 16, 1962. |
There was, however, a problem that would become important to Gemini: the first Titan II experienced significant longitudinal vibration, later known as “pogo” oscillation. NASA was concerned that excessive vibration could pose a serious problem for astronauts aboard Gemini. The issue subsequently became one of the major engineering challenges in adapting the missile for human spaceflight.
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| A Titan II launch cover from "Sarzin", postmarked at Port Canaveral with a hand cancel on March 16, 1962. |
(Reference from
LGM-25C Titan II)
