Private (missile)

The Private was the first U.S. step rocket, combining a Tiny Tim rocket and a 30AS-1000C JATO unit. Tsien Hsue-shen was the JPL section leader who directed research for the Private A.

The Private preceded the MGM-5 Corporal surface-to-surface missile.

Timeline for the Private (missile)

 * January 1943: Major General Barnes requested the Caltech group proceed on the ORDCIT Project,

ORDCIT Project
ORDCIT was an Ordnance Corps project conducted with GALCIT (later with JPL) that developed the Private and MGM-5 Corporal missiles. Frank Malina was the ORDCIT director. which named their first rocket Private A.
 * December 1–16, 1944: Private A test launches (24) were conducted at Leach Spring on Camp Irwin.
 * April 1–13, 1945: Private F (a Private A with wings) test launches (17) were conducted by JPL employees at Hueco Range on Ft Bliss (all Private Ftest round went into a tailspin.)