A member of the Redstone rocket family, Jupiter-A was the first variant of Redstone, used to test components later used in the PGM-19 Jupiter medium-range ballistic missile. These included the Redstone ST-80 inertial guidance platform, Jupiter angle-of-attack sensors, warhead fusion systems and explosive bolts.
A total of twenty-five launches took place from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Florida, on Launch Complexes 5 and 6, between 1955 and 1958.
Jupiter-A is 21.20 meters high, with a diameter of 1.78 meters, and a height of 4 meters for the fins.
The first two flights, RS-11 and RS-12 (launched on September 22, 1956 and December 6, 1956), were powered by a Rocketdyne NAA 75-110 A-3 engine. Starting with Jupiter-A RS-18 on March 15, 1956 the A-4 rocket engine was used. From October 2, 1957 the A-6 engine was used (the A-5 version never entered service).
The rocket used a fuel consisting of 75% ethanol cut with 25% water and liquid oxygen as oxidizer. Jupiter-A RS-22 tested a A-4 rocket engine burning Hydyne as fuel, with a mixture of 60% UDMH and 40% DETA.
Twenty-five Jupiter-A launch attempts were made between 1955 and 1958 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.