NOTS-EV-1 Pilot

From Spacefaring

Q1754017




The NOTS-EV-1 Pilot, better known as NOTSNIK was an expendable launch system and anti-satellite weapon developed by the United States Navy's United States Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS). NOTSNIK began as an in-house project using available NOTS funds. The Advanced Research Projects Agency later supplied some funds for the program. The program involved creating transistorized sensors to detect nuclear explosions from the Operation Argus tests. Ten were launched during July and August 1958, all of which failed. It was the first air-launched rocket to be used for an orbital launch attempt; however, none was recorded as having reached orbit. Following the third orbital launch attempt a NOTS engineer at the tracking station in Christchurch, New Zealand reported receiving a weak signal from the spacecraft; This was never confirmed, and the launches were not catalogued as having reached orbit. The Pilot rocket was part of Project Pilot.

Project Pilot on ground 2Project Pilot on ground 2
Project Pilot on ground 1Project Pilot on ground 1
Project Pilot on ground 3Project Pilot on ground 3
Project Pilot on ground 4Project Pilot on ground 4
Project Pilot launchProject Pilot launch
Project Pilot take-offProject Pilot take-off
Project Pilot flightProject Pilot flight
NOTSNIK test shape on F4D-1 Skyray at Armitage Field in 1958NOTSNIK test shape on F4D-1 Skyray at Armitage Field in 1958
Project Pilot Ground LaunchProject Pilot Ground Launch
Pilot (NOTSnik) with F4D-1 SkyrayPilot (NOTSnik) with F4D-1 Skyray
    TypeSubtypeDateDescriptionNotesSource
    commonsimageProject Pilot on ground 2 Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot on ground 1 Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot on ground 3 Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot on ground 4 Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot launch Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot take-off Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot flight Commons
    commonsimageNOTSNIK test shape on F4D-1 Skyray at Armitage Field in 1958 Commons
    commonsimageProject Pilot Ground Launch Commons
    commonsimagePilot (NOTSnik) with F4D-1 Skyray Commons