NASA 


SOUNDING 


ROCKETS, 


1858-1968 


A Historical Summary 


NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPAC AD IN ISTR ATIO N 


NASA 

SOUNDING 


ROCKETS, 


1958-1968 


A Historical Summary 

William R. Corliss 

The NASA Historical Report Series 

Scientific and Technical In/ormation Office 1971 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

WaJhington, D.C. 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 


Washington, D.C. 20402 . Price $1.75 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, 

U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 

Price Stock Number 

Library ofCongress Cotalog Cord Number 70-169175 
FOREWORD 

To explore the upper atmosphere man first used kites, then balloons, 

then aircraft. For many years balloons were the most effective means of 

obtaining direct measurements in the stratosphere. But they were limited in 

altitude, so scientists had to probe the ionosphere and other portions of the 

atmosphere beyond the stratosphere by indirect means. 

Sounding rockets provided the first means to carry instruments to the 

outermost reaches of the Earth's atmosphere. They were, indeed, our first 

space vehicles. As Mr. Corliss relates in this history, in this day of satellites 

and deep space probes, sounding rockets remain as important to space 

science as ever, furnishing our most powerful means for obtaining vertical 

profiles of atmospheric properties. NASA continues to depend on sounding 

rockets for research in aeronomy, meteorology, ionospheric physics, 

exploratory astronomy, and other disciplines. 

Those of us who were privileged to take part in the early upper 

atmosphere rocket program, who recall with considerable nostalgia watching 

V-2s, Vikings, and Wac Corporals carry our instruments into the sky, are 

pleased to see some of the record of those pioneering days preserved. Out of 

that early work has come the more flexible, more capable sounding rockets 

of today, and a facility in their use that permits a broad involvement of 

university, Government, and other researchers. As Mr. Corliss suggests, this 

most valuable feature is a major reason why sounding rocket research 

continues to flourish. 

HOMER E. NEWELL 

Associate Administrator 

III 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	 vii 


I. Importance of Sounding Rockets in Space Science . 	 1 


II. Development of Scientific Rockets prior to the V-2 	 5 


III. The V-2 at White Sands .............. 	 11 


IV. Development of the First Sounding Rockets ......... 17 


V. The Use of Sounding Rockets during the IGY ........ 29 


VI. 	 Genesis of the Goddard Space Flight Center Sounding Rocket 


Program ...................... 35 


VII. 	 Sounding Rockets during the Heyday of Scientific 


Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 


VIII. Sounding Rocket Resurgence, 1965-1968 . . . . . 	 61 


IX. A Summary of Sounding Rocket Development . . 75 


General Bibliography .................... 77 


Appendix A. Short Descriptions of Major Sounding Rockets .. 79 


Appendix B. Compendium of NASA Sounding Rocket Firings, 


1959-1968 ..................... 85 


Appendix C. Trends in Vehicle Usage, 1959-1968 .. 139 


Appendix D. A Typical Memorandum of Agreement. 141 


Appendix E. Trends in Use by Discipline, 1959-1968 145 


Appendix F. Financial Summary, 1958-1970 147 


Index .... 149 


The Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 


v 

PREFACE 

This monograph represents a first attempt at sketching the evolution 

and history of NASA sounding rockets. If it seems to be a Goddard Space 

Flight Center story, that is because NASA's sounding rocket program has 

been directed from that Center. The study is complicated by the great 

abundance of different vehicles, different governmental and private organizations, and by the many hundreds of NASA launchings since 1958. The 

author will be very happy to hear of any errors, omissions, or misconceptions. Original measurements were in the English system. 

The author wishes to acknowledge the help of the following people in 

preparing this short history of sounding rockets: Alfred Rosenthal, Goddard 

Historian and monitor of this project, and Karl R. Medrow, Eleanor C. 

Pressly, George E. MacVeigh, Jon Busse, and Norman Peterson, all of the 

Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch. In addition, William R. Witt, of the 

Goddard International Programs Office, and Lloyd E. Jones, Jr., Headquarters Office of International Affairs, have helped relate NASA's extensive 

cooperative programs. At the Goddard Library, C. DeMoss and staff helped 

materially in researching this monograph. Joseph Robbins, Wallops Station 

Historical Monitor, and E. C. Draley, at Langley Research Center, provided 

information about the early NACA work at Wallops. R. Cargill Hall, Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory Historian, submitted valuable information on the 

early days at Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory, California Institute of 

Technology. John R. Holtz, at NASA Headquarters, contributed considerable information on sounding rocket development trends and overall 

NASA philosophy. In addition to the above individuals, Joseph A. Shortal, 

Eugene M. Emme, Frank W. Anderson, Jr., John E. Naugle, Leonard Jaffe, 

and J. Allen Crocker also reviewed the Comment Edition. 

WILLIAM R. CORLISS 

Glenarm, Md. 

May 1,1971 

VII 

I 

IMPORTANCE OF SOUNDING ROCKETS 

IN SPACE SCIENCE 

When the first Sputnik began beeping back scientific data from outer 

space in 1957, it seemed that the l2-year reign of the sounding rocket as the 

chief space research vehicle was over. Scientific satellites can stay above the 

atmosphere for months, even years. A satellite gives the Earth-confined 

experimenter data from its orbital track all the way around the world. The 

sounding rocket can offer the experimenter only a few minutes at high 

altitudes above the launch site. 

Certainly satellites are superior in terms of staying power and 

geographical coverage-if that is what the experimenter wants. Often this is 

not what he wants; often he wishes to make measurements in regions of the 

atmosphere that are too thick and dense for satellites to orbit and yet too 

high for balloons to reach. Sometimes he does not wish to wait two or three 

years for the design, development, and launch of a scientific satellite. All 

three research vehicles-sounding rocket, balloon, and satellite-have their 

own roles to play and regimes to explore in space research. Far from being 

the "Model T's" of the Space Age, as they were once called, sounding 

rockets are more popular than ever with the scientists who use them. 

The sounding rocket offers a scientist a vehicle that will carry his 

instruments (a few kilograms to a few hundred kilograms worth) to almost 

any altitude he desires between a few kilometers and a few thousand 

kilometers. Besides affording the opportunity of making measurements on 

the way up and back down through the atmosphere (a "vertical profile"), 

the sounding rocket can provide several minutes of observation time above 

the Earth's atmosphere, that layer of gas that insulates scientific instruments 

from much of the radiation, plasma, and micrometeoroid flux pervading 

outer space. Thus many sounding rockets are true spacecraft, albeit 

ephemeral ones. Just a few minutes above the atmosphere has been sufficient 

to make many fundamental discoveries about the nature of the Sun, the 

stars, and our celestial environment. And, of course, rockets remain our best 

1 
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Some basic space research problems requiring the use of sounding rockets. 

rockets can explore successfully the region between maximum balloon 

satellite altitudes. 

vehicles of all for exploring that region of the atmosphere ab

altitudes (about 40 km, or 25 mi) and below satellite orbits (ab

or 100 mi). 

The payload and altitude capabilities are not the only f

attract experimenters to sounding rockets. 

Some Advantages of Sounding Rockets 

2 

• Simplicity: Sounding rockets are usually much s

satellites, with far fewer interfaces to match. Launch 

also less elaborate. 

• Informality: Most sounding rocket payloads consist o

ment or one group of closely related experiments. Th

the "property" of only one experimenter; and there 

formal, time-consuming reviews to ensure compatibilit

experimenters. 

• Low cost: Small sounding rockets can be bought f

$10000; the biggest for $150000 to $200000. S

contrast, are multimillion-dollar vehicles. Sounding 

cheap enough to try new ideas on. Indeed, many 
 	 Recoverability: Payloads, such as film packs and even small 

animals, can often be recovered for study or reflight. 

• 	 Geographic flexibility: Sounding rockets can be launched almost 

anywhere, making them ideal for studying eclipses, solar flares, 

polar-cap absorption events, the equatorial electrojet, and other 

localized phenomena. 

• 	 Temporal flexibility : Experiments and rockets can be prepared in 

just a few weeks to take advantage of scientific targets of 

opportunity. Or they can be kept in readiness for firing during solar 

flares and, as has been done on occasion, during the passage of a 

scientific satellite to obtain vertical-profile and orbital data at the 

same time. 

Some Disadvantages of Sounding Rockets 

• 	 Restricted time of observation: Sounding rockets are essentially 

"quick-look" vehicles. 

• 	 Localized coverage: Unlike satellites, sounding rockets do not see 

the geographical "big picture." 

• 	 Payload limitations: Some experiments, such as large telescopes, 

are just too big for sounding rockets. 

• 	 Lack of glamour: This used to be a factor right after Sputnik, but 

the advantages of sounding rocket research have overcome this 

subjective problem. 

That the advantages of sounding rocket research greatly outweigh the 

disadvantages is obvious from the fact that NASA alone launches over 150 

each year-launches by other U.S. agencies double this figure-with no 

slackening in demand as bigger satellites have become available. 

Although sounding rockets perform much rather routine work of a 

synoptic nature in the upper atmosphere, they are also often first into space 

with new research tools. In this sense they are in the vanguard of space 

research and have marked up many "firsts." The discovery of cosmic X-ray 

sources by Herbert Friedmanl and his group at the Naval Research 

Laboratory (NRL) is typical. Rockets were also the first to measure the 

1 H. Friedman, E. T. Byram, and T. A. Chubb, "Distribution and Variability of Cosmic X·Ray 

Sources," Science, CLVI (Apr. 21, 1967),374. 

3 
2Homer E. Newell, Jr., "Rocket-Sonde," paper presented at the AIAA S

Vehicle Technology Specialist Conference, Williamsburg, Va., NASA N67-23480 (Feb

3 M. Dubin, "IGY Micrometeorite Measurements," in H. Kallmann-Bijl, ed., 

(New York, 1960), pp. 1042-1058. 

4 
II 

DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC ROCKETS 


PRIOR TO THE V-2 


All rocket histories are replete with the well-worn stories of the Chinese 

rockets of the 13th century, Sir William Congreve's war rockets of the early 

l800s, and the whole plethora of more recent weaponry. While most rocket 

development aimed at attaching bombs or other lethal apparatus to the 

rocket, a few scientists swam against the current and dreamed of sending 

instruments into the high regions of the atmosphere. 

The scientific urge to explore the atmosphere was a strong one. 

Torricelli carried his barometer up a mountain in the l640s; in 1749 kites 

carrying thermometers were flown in Glasgow; by 1893 huge box kites had 

taken instruments over 3000 m (10000 ft). Balloons were not neglected by 

science, either. Unmanned, instrument-carrying balloons had reached 16 150 

m (53000 ft) by 1893. Balloons, in fact, were essential in unraveling the 

mystery of cosmic radiation during the first decades of this century. It was 

only logical to convert rocket warheads into instrument capsules, too. 

Claude Ruggieri, apparently an Italian living in Paris, rocketed small 

animals into space as early as 1806. The payloads were recovered by 

parachute. By 1830, Ruggieri's rockets were able to lift a full-grown ram.4 

Little else remotely resembling science was done with rockets until 1906, 

when Alfred Maul, a German engineer, employed rockets to take cameras to 

high altitudes. Maul's 19l2-model rocket carried a photographic plate 203.2 

by 254.0 mm (8 by 10 in.) in size and was stabilized by a gyroscope. All in 

all, these were a rather precocious run of experiments. 

In his classic 1919 paper, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes, 

Robert H. Goddard suggested that rockets might well be used for upper 

atmosphere research.s It was not until July 17, 1929, however, that 

4Willy Ley relates that Ruggieri was preparing to launch a human volunteer into space when the 

police stopped him. Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel, rev. ed. (New York, 1958), p. 85. 

sCoddard repeated his suggestion in 1920 in "The Possibilities of the Rocket in Weather 

Forecasting," Proceedings ofthe National Academy ofSciences, VI (1920),493. 

5 
Dr. Robert H. Goddard (second from right) and his colleagues holding a liq

rocket in 1932 at their New Mexico workshop. 

Goddard placed scientific instruments on his rockets. On this fl

test at Auburn, Mass., before officials forced Goddard an

contraptions to New Mexico-an aneroid barometer and a therm

attached to the rocket to measure ambient conditions. A camera 

both instruments was tripped when the rocket parachute w

Although the scientific content of this experiment was no

certainly not the main purpose of the flight, this was the first i

rocket. Unfortunately, it attained an altitude of only 52.1 m (17

Goddard's work began to attract attention, notably that o

Lindbergh, who recommended that the Guggenheims help financ

venture. The real military potential of the rocket was fores

prophetic articles as R. MacMechen's "Rockets, the New 

Doom," in 1931.7 But the great scientific utility of this remark

was not neglected either; also in 1931, W. J. Humphreys publish

"Mining the Sky for Scientific Knowledge."8 Both MacM

Humphreys harangued a deaf audience. Except for Goddard, a fe

the German army, and the Russians, rockets were mere toys. 

6Esther C. Goddard and G. Edward Pendray, eds., Robert H. Goddard, Rock

Liquid·Fuel Rocket Research, 1929·1942 (Englewood Oiffs, 1961), p. xxv. 

7R. MacMechen, Liberty, VIII (Sept. 19, 1931), 16. 

8W.1. Humphreys, Scientific American, CXLIV (Jan. 1931),22. 

6 
Polar Year beginning August 1, 1932.9 Unfortunately, the depression killed 

such marginal proposals and, for many scientists, the whole Polar Year 

program. 

If the instruments on Goddard's July 17, 1929, flight are classified 

merely as engineering devices, the honor of launching the first true sounding 

rockets belongs to Russia. In 1933, a Russian named Tikhonoravov 

apparently launched an instrumented, liquid-fueled sounding rocket. 10 In 

1935, another Russian rocket designed by F. A. Tsander reached an altitude 

of 11 km (8 mi) carrying instruments for upper atmosphere research.ll 

As the world moved toward World War II in the early and middle 

1930s, two developments occurred that profoundly affected the history of 

sounding rockets. First, the German military rocket program began in 1930 

under the Bureau of Ordnance. Second, rocket work at the Guggenheim 

Aeronautical Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (GALCIT), was 

begun in 1936. 

The German work, of course, is important because it culminated in the 

V-2 (discussed in the next chapter). Actually, work leading to the V-2 was 

begun long before Hitler came to power. Called the A-4 (for Aggregate 4) by 

the engineers, the V-2 was only one of a long series of rockets developed 

during the years between 1930 and 1944 by the German army. It is 

interesting to note in passing that Walter R. Dornberger, one of the key 

German rocket men, refers to the A-2 as a "sounding rocket.,,12 The A-2 

was first launched just before Christmas in 1934 from the island of Birkum 

in the North Sea. With a motor of 299.4-kg (660-lb) thrust, the A-2 reached 

an altitude of about 980 m (6500 ft). No information about its scientific 

instrumentation-if any-is known. Later, the A-4s (V-2s) occasionally 

carried instruments on test flights, but these were aimed at measuring the 

performance and environment of the rocket. 

GALCIT was created in 1926, but it specialized at first in aeronautics 

under the leadership of Theodore von Karman. A decade later GALCIT was 

9Walter Sullivan, Assault on the Unknown (New York, 1960), p. 16. 

10Frederick I. Ordway, III, and Ronald C. Wakeford, International Missile and Spacecra[l 

Guide (New York, 1960), p. 4. 

11Ibid.,p. 4. Just what instruments were carried and what results were obtained were never 

revealed in publications reaching the West. 

12Walter R. Dornberger, "The German V-2," Technology and Culture, IV (Fall 1963), 397. 

7 
Frank J. Malirui (a former JPL Director) and the Wac Corporal at White 

1946. The solid-propellant booster is not shown. 

8 
Malina and others carried out rocket research that ultimately led to the 

well-known Jet-Assisted Take Off (JATO) units used during World War II. 

More important to our story, though, Army Ordnance also asked GALCIT to 

develop missiles for field use in January 1944.14 The Private, Corporal, and 

Sergeant missiles evolved from this work. It was a scaled-down version of the 

Corporal missile, called the Wac Corporal, that became this country's first 

rocket designed specifically for sounding the upper atmosphere. The Wac 

Corporal work commenced in December 1944, when the Army Signal Corps 

notified Army Ordnance that it needed a high-altitude sounding rocket "to 

carry 25 pounds [11.3 kg] of meteorological instruments to 100 000 ft 

[30480 m] or more.,,15 The Wac Corporal (named that because it was a 

"small" Corporal) led directly to the famous Aerobee sounding rocket. In 

Chapter IV, following the V-2 story, the JPL developments leading to the 

Aerobees are discussed further. 

While the Army's GALCIT worked on solid-propellant JATO units, a 

parallel series of developments was taking place across country. Reaction 

Motors, Inc., a company founded by experimenters from the American 

Rocket Society, began designing and developing liquid-propellant JATO 

units for the Navy. The Navy work was to lead to the Viking sounding 

rocket and its descendants. The Navy Viking program actually began before 

the end of World War II. So even as Germany was building and firing V-2s, 

two different foundations for future sounding rocket technology were being 

built in this country. 

13 R. Cargill Hall, A Selective Chronology, GALCIT -JPL Developments, 1926-1950, JPL Report 

(Sept. 8, 1967), p. 4. See also E. M. Emme, The History ofRocket Technology (Detroit, 1964). 

14The stimulating document in this instance was the Nov. 20, 1943, memo by von Karman 

entitled "Memorandum on the Possibility of Long-Range Rocket Projectiles." Project ORDCIT 

commenced in January 1944 as a result of a letter to von Karman from Major General G. M. Barnes, 

Office of Chief of Ordnance, U.S. Army. 

15Ibid., 27. 

9 

III 

THE V-2 AT WHITE SANDS 

The V-2 is most famous for the havoc it wrought in England during the 

closing phases of World War II. This missile, standing some 14 m (46 ft) high 

and capable of carrying 907 kg (1 ton) of explosives almost 322 km (200 

mi), also was to have an impressive scientific history. It is the purpose of this 

chapter to describe the importance of the V-2 to sounding rocket 

technology-the peacetime V-2-rather than recount once more the days at 

Peenemuende. 16 

In retrospect, the V-2 had three important effects on the history of 

American sounding rockets. 

1. 	 Knowledge that the Germans were working on large rockets during 

the war stimulated the formation of the ORDCIT project, which 

ultimately led to the Wac Corporal. 

2. 	 German V-2 technology (in terms of captured hardware and 

engineers) was later applied directly to such American sounding 

rockets as the Viking. 

3. The 	 capture of V-2 rocket components and their subsequent 

assembly into operable rockets gave American scientists an early 

opportunity to develop rocket research techniques as well as make 

some fundamental scientific discoveries at high altitudes. 

In short, the V-2 was a windfall and a great stimulus for both American and 

Russian science and rocket technology. 

The Germans themselves did not overlook the scientific potential of the 

V-2, but pure science was naturally of low priority as the Third Reich 

faltered. According to Rosen,17 plans did exist for a program of scientific 

firings of the V-2 from an island near Peenemuende. Instruments for these 

16Two important works dealing with the early days of the V-2 are : Ley, Rockets, Missiles and 

Space Travel; and Walter Dornberger, V-2 (New York, 1954). 

17Milton W. Rosen, The Viking Rocket Story (New York, 1955), p. 19. 

11 
Americans had captured most of the development enginee

Russians whisked away a large contingent of production p

Russia. More pertinent to a sounding rocket history, though, is 

the American Army was first to capture the underground V-2 

Niedersachswerfen. It had already been decided that this par

would be occupied by the Russians; but, by the time the milita

necessary for the transfer had been arranged, the Americans h

and removed 300 boxcars full of V-2 parts and equipment. Ev

of these parts were assembled into complete rockets and fire

Sands. 

One of the American scientists who went to Europe t

German scientists was Ernst H. Krause, of the Naval Research 

Krause returned greatly impressed with German missilery but u

captured V-2s. When Milton Rosen, one of his NRL staff, prop

an American research rocket, Krause was most sympathetic. C

on December 17, 1945, the NRL Rocket-Sonde Research 

constituted officially. Research groups to study cosmic rays, the 

the ionosphere, and spectroscopy were created. And, of cours

started to develop a new sounding rocket to carry the scientific 

Scientists and engineers in the NRL Rocket-Sonde Researc

scarcely begun their work when, on January 7, 1946, they lea

Col. J. G. Bain, Army Ordnance Department, of the capture of 

to build perhaps 100 V-2s. Plans for a new Navy sounding ro

aside in favor of exploiting the unexpected acquisition of V-2s 

Col. Bain. The Army had already drawn up plans for firing t

White Sands to gain military experience but had not implement

research program. Col. Bain was delighted to find that NRL 

organized a group to these ends. NRL, which had the scienti

but no rockets, was equally pleased and quickly accepted 

invitation to join the V-2 project,18 

Nine days after Col. Bain's NRL visit, about 50 interested 

engineers from more than a dozen organizations met at NRL 

exploitation of the V-2s. On that date, January 16, 1946, a 

18M. A. Garstens, H. E. Newell, Jr., and J. W. Siry, Upper Atmosphere Resea

NRL-2955 (Oct. 1, 1946), pp. 1-3. 

12 
from NRL, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Army Signal Corps, and the 

U.S. Air Force. The Army Ordnance Department, which had overall 

responsibility for the V-2 program, assigned the job of assembling the V-2s 

and their payloads to General Electric. Actually the General Electric V-2 

work was done under the auspices of the Hermes program, a more general 

missile research and development effort initiated with GE on November 15, 

1944. The major scene of action was, of course, the Army's White Sands 

Proving Ground, which with foresight the Army had established on July 9, 

1945. 

As Army and GE engineers sorted out the captured German parts, they 

discovered to their consternation that at best only two complete V-2s could 

be assembled from the original components. Gyros were in especially short 

supply and 140 more had to be built by American industry. So it went, 

down the list of components; despite the 300 boxcars of parts, many repairs 

were required and industry had to tum to and manufacture a great variety of 

missing pieces. For example, entirely new scientific "warheads" had to be 

made because the captured military versions were too heavy and (obviously) 

had no access doors that would allow experimenters to get at their 

instruments. The Naval Gun Factory was chosen to fabricate new payload 

structures. 

All problems were eventually overcome and the first American V-2 

static firing occurred on March 15, 1946. The first flight came a month later 

at 2:47 P.M. on April 16. 20 

From April 16 to the final V-2 flight on June 28, 1951, 67 V-2s were 

fired from White Sands as part of the Hermes program. Among these were 

six Project Bumper shots, employing a Wac Corporal atop a V_2.2l Seven 

19The membership was confined to people actually working with the V -2s. Membership varied 

with time. On October 1, 1946, the members were E. H. Krause (Chairman), NRL; G. K. Megerian and 

C. F. Green, General Electric; 1. Brinster, Princeton; W. G. Dow, University of Michigan; M. J. E. 

Golay, Army Signal Corps; M. D. O'Day, Watson Laboratories; N. Smith, NBS; J. A. Van Allen, 

Applied Physics Laboratory; and F. 1. Whipple, Harvard. 

20A list of White Sands firings can be found in Ley, Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel, p. 458. 

Additional details can be found in General Electric Report R52A051O, Final Report, Project Hermes, 

V-2 Missile Program (Sept. 1952). 

21 Two other Bumper shots took place at the Long Range Proving Ground (predecessor of Cape 

Kennedy) in Florida. Additional V-2 military flights were made at various sites, including a shipboard 

launch (Project Sandy). 

13 
A Bumper- Wac on the launch pad at White Sands in the late 1940s. The f

V-2; the second, a Wac Corporal. 

14 
on February 24, 1949, when the second-stage Wac Corporal reached the 

record altitude of about 400 km (250 mi). 

Almost half the V-2s launched from White Sands were officially 

classified as failures. Even though most rockets left the launch pad, many did 

not go far; some exploded; still others behaved so erratically that the 

scientific experiments were compromised. In fact, as the V-2 firing program 

drew to a close, it was generally felt among scientists that the rocket was too 

unreliable to warrant risking months of work in preparing an experiment. 

Nevertheless, the V-2s took the first solar ultraviolet spectrograms above the 

Earth's ozone layer. They captured spectacular photographs of Earth from 

high altitudes; they brought back air samples and cosmic-ray measurements. 

Although valuable atmospheric data were obtained, it is more honest to 

regard the series of flights as scientific test vehicles upon which new 

instrument and telemetering techniques were perfected. Experimenters 

learned how to build compact, rugged, reliable equipment, while rocket 

engineers found how to give the instruments a smooth, clean ride. Advances 

were also made in instrument pointing and recovery. This was technology 

rather than science, it is true, but experience with the V-2s provided just 

what American scientists and engineers needed to build sounding rockets 

tailored specifically to space research. 

15 


IV 


DEVELOPMENT 


OF THE FIRST SOUNDING ROCKETS 


THE WAC CORPORAL 

The V-2 was a remarkable weapon-it was a decade ahead of Allied 

rocket technology. It was also the "workhorse" of the early American rocket 

research program. But in the late 1940s, as the captured German 

components began to deteriorate and the V-2s in consequence became less 

reliable, scientists turned their interest toward the Aerobee, the Viking, and 

several other small rockets that had been developed especially for highaltitude sounding. 

The first true sounding rocket-built for no other purpose than upper 

air research-was the GALCIT-JPL Wac Corporal, mentioned earlier in 

Chapter II. Begun as a meteorological rocket to meet Army Signal Corps 

requirements, the Wac Corporal was about 5 m (16 ft) long, had an Aerojet 

liquid-propellant motor, weighed about 320 kg (700 lb) at launch, and could 

carry about 11 kg (25 lb) of payload to 64 km (40 mi). This performance 

could hardly match the 900-kg (l-ton) V-2 payloads, but the Wac Corporal 

was cheap to make and easy to use. 

Wac Corporal studies commenced in December 1944 at the ORDCIT 

project. 22 Rather than test the results of their studies out on a full-scale Wac 

Corporal, JPL engineers first built a one-fifth-scale model called the Baby 

Wac. Live tests of the Baby Wac were carried out at the GALCIT Goldstone 

Range, July 3 to 5, 1945. The choices of three fins and the rocket "booster" 

were confirmed. 23 

2 2 F. J. Malina and H. 1. Stewart, "Considerations of the Feasibility of Developing a 100,000 ft. 

Altitude Rocket (The 'Wac Corporal')," JPL Memorandum 4·4 (Jan. 16,1945). 

23Many liquid-propellant sounding rockets, such as the Aerobee, employ solid-propellant 

boosters that propel the rocket clear of the launch tower. "Research and Development at the Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory, GALCIT," Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, VI (Sept. 1946),52. 

17 
military Corporal missile. Radar tracking showed that the first 

reached an altitude of 70 km (43.5 mi), about twice the dista

planned. This increase was ascribed to design improveme

substitution of the more powerful Tiny Tim solid-propellant bo

originally selected. 

Although the Wac Corporal payloads were rather smal

could be produced quickly and in quantity. There is no doubt 

have been used extensively in the middle and late 1940s had no

V-2s become available. As it turned out, the major contributio

Corporal to sounding rocket technology was its role in the evo

famous Aerobee series. 

THE AEROBEES 

From an agency standpoint, the Aerobee is a hybrid re

Navy development funds and Army technology (the Wac Corpo

the scientific drawbacks of the V-2 were generally well know

fact that the extant Wac Corporal was too small for much of th

space research. The Aerobee program had its genesis when Merle 

Henry H. Porter, of the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) 

Hopkins University, suggested to James A. Van Allen that h

rockets available for scientific research within the United 

important event during Van Allen's survey was the visit to A

Sabersky of Aerojet Engineering Corp., the manufacturers 

Douglas Aircraft Co.) of the Wac Corporal, in early January 194

Van Allen's conclusions were submitted to Tuve (then Dire

on January 15 in a memo entitled "Liquid Powered Sounding 

High Atmospheric Studies." Essentially, Van Allen's conclusio

no fully satisfactory sounding rockets existed and that APL sho

agent for the Navy Bureau of Ordnance in the development and 

of new scientific sounding rockets. Also on January 15, APL dir

to Aerojet requesting a detailed proposal for the delivery of 

24Jarnes A. Van Allen, John W. Townsend, Jr., and Eleanor C. Pressly, "The A

in Homer E. Newell, Jr., ed., Sounding Rockets (New York, 1959), p. 55. 

18 
[182880 m] and Carry a Payload from 300 to 1500 Pounds [136 to 680 

kg], This to Include Liquid Rocket Motor and Fuel Development and Also 

to Develop Efficient High Thrust Launching Rockets." 

Meanwhile the Naval Research Laboratory, which had provided many 

experiments for the V-2s, was consulted. On March I, 1946, Van Allen 

recommended that the Navy Bureau of Ordnance negotiate a contract with 

Aerojet for the procurement of 20 liquid-propellant sounding rockets, 15 of 

which would go to APL and 5 to NRL. The contract was formally awarded 

to Aerojet on May 17 for 20 XASR-l sounding rockets. 25 The rocket 

performance stipulated was the delivery of 68 kg (150 lb) of payload to over 

91 440 m (300000 ft)-obvious1y, the Aerobee would have to be considerably larger than the Wac Corporal. At APL, which was assigned the task 

of technical direction by the Navy, James A. Van Allen took charge of the 

Aerobee program. 26 

The Aerobee industrial team was essentially the same as that which 

built the Wac Corporal. Aerojet Engineering 27 was the prime contractor 

while Douglas Aircraft Co. performed aerodynamic engineering and some 

manufacturing. The original Aerobee was about 6 m (19 ft) long and 

weighed roughly 725 kg (1600 lb). It featured the same propellants as the 

Wac Corporal (furfuryl alcohol and red fuming nitric acid) and a 1.8-m (6-ft) 

solid-propellant booster that accelerated the basic vehicle to about 300 m/sec 

(1000 ft/sec) before dropping off. 

The first Aerobee test took place at White Sands on September 25, 

1947, when a dummy Aerobee was launched with a live booster to check out 

stage separation. Two similar tests followed in October. Then, on November 24, 1947, the first full-scale Aerobee was launched. Although the flight 

had to be terminated after 35 seconds because of excessive yaw, so many 

subsequent flights were successful that the rocket was soon renowned for its 

reliability-particularly in comparison with the V-2. Orders for more 

25 The APL rockets were given the name "Aerobee" by Van Allen, a combination of the name 

of the prime contractor, Aerojet, and the name of APL's series of Navy missiles, the Bumblebees. The 

five NRL rockets were originally called "Venus," but eventually the name "Aerobee" was applied to 

all rockets in this long series of sounding rockets. 

26For details, see Aerobee High-Altitude Sounding Rocket Design, Construction and Use, 

Johns Hopkins University, Bumblebee Series Report 95 (1948). 

27Another link between the Aerobee and Wac Corporal lies in the fact that von Karman and 

other JPL personnel helped found Aerojet Engineering_ 

19 
An Aerobee 150 sounding rocket. 

Aerobees from Government agencies began to arrive at Aerojet. 

made various versions of the Aerobee ever since. 

Some 40 of the original Aerobee design (XASR-l) were 

this sounding rocket was supplanted by an improved model 

"Aerobee-Hi" and, after further improvements, the Aerobee 15

were actually two Aerobee-Hi's: the Air Force version (Air Fo

the Navy version (Navy-Hi) as well as some interim and 

models. 29 The Aerobee-Hi's were born when the Navy and Air 

approached by Aerojet in 1952 on the subject of an improved 

rocket capable of lifting 68 kg (150 lb) to about 240 km (150 

28 See Appendix A for a listing of all major models of the Aerobee series. As mi

in such a long program, there have been a great many changes over and above major 

Appendix B summarizes NASA firings from 1959 through 1968. 

29John W. Townsend, Jr., Eleanor Pressly, Robert M. Slavin, and Louis K

Aerobee-Hi Rocket," in Homer E. Newell, Jr., ed., Sounding Rockets, p. 74. 

20 
Air Force and Navy each had its own modifications of the basic vehicle. 30 

The first Air Force-Hi rose from Holloman Air Development Command in 

New Mexico on April 21, 1955. It carried a payload of 97.5 kg (215 lb) to 

198.0 km (123 mi). The first Navy launch occurred at White Sands on 

August 25, 1955, but the test rocket attained scarcely more than 3-km 

(2-mi) altitude when the main Aerobee engine failed to ignite. Despite the 

initial difficulties the Navy experienced, the Aerobee-Hi soon proved as 

reliable as its predecessor and replaced the original Aerobee as the 

"workhorse" of space research. 31 

THE VIKING 

Back in December 1945 when the NRL Rocket-Sonde Research Branch 

was taking its first steps, the engineers in this embryonic organization had 

planned to build their own research rockets. The availability of the V-2s only 

delayed these plans. At the beginning of their search for the best rocket, 

NRL engineers C. H. Smith and Milton Rosen set a performance goal of 227 

kg (500 lb) of payload at roughly 160 km (100 mi). They reasoned that 

some experimenters might be satisfied with the 45-kg (1 OO-lb) payloads of 

the Aerobees then under development but that others needed something 

closer to the V-2 ton-size payloads. The rocket design finally selected was 

therefore much larger than the Aerobees on the drawing boards and 

understandably bore considerable resemblance to the V-2. Originally, this big 

rocket was called the Neptune; the name it is now remembered by is the 

Viking. 32 

While the Aerobee received its technical direction from APL (the 

Laboratory was supported largely by Navy funds), NRL took charge of the 

Viking. The Navy was the key Government agency in sounding rocket 

development, although the Army and Air Force did play their roles, as 

mentioned in connection with the Wac Corporal and Aerobee-Hi. The two 

major contractors on the Viking were Glenn L. Martin Co., which won the 

competition for the prime contract in August 1946, and Reaction Motors, 

30For a description of the differences, see Upper Atmosphere Research Report No. XXIV, 

NRL-4576 (Sept. 8, 1955). 

31 For details see 1. W. Townsend and R. M. Slavin, "Aerobee-Hi Development Program," Jet 

Propulsion, XXVII (Mar. 1957),263. 

32The name was changed when it was discovered that the Navy already had an aircraft called 

the Neptune. 

21 
A Navy Viking rocket on the launch pad at White Sands, circa 19

Inc., which built the rocket engine under a separate contract from 

Bureau of Aeronautics. 33 Program direction at NRL was origina

Smith, under E. H. Krause; but in the fall of 1947, both Kraus

left to work on another project. Their places were taken by 

Newell, Jr., and Milton W. Rosen, respectively. 34 

The original Martin contract called for 10 Vikings. Altogeth

built, with the last 2 assigned to tests in the Vanguard E

program. There were many minor variations from vehicle to vehi

major varieties are recognized: the type 7 and the type 9 

rockets of type 7 were about 15 m (49 ft) high and weighed ab

33 Milton W. Rosen, The Viking Rocket Story. 

34Homer E. Newell, Jr., "Viking," in Homer E. Newell, Jr., ed., Soundin

235-242. 

22 
actually given to converting the Viking to a submarine-launched missile. 

Viking 1 was fired from White Sands on May 3, 1949; the 12th, the last 

of the sounding rockets, left its launch pad on February 4, 1955. Two 

particularly interesting launches were Viking 4, which was fired from the 

deck of the U.S.S. Norton Sound in the Pacific (Project Reach) and Viking 

8, which broke away from its moorings during a supposed static test firing 

on June 6, 1952. It landed on the desert 8 km (5 mi) away. 

The Vikings transported a great many experiments into the upper 

atmosphere and above-254.3 km (158 mi) up for Viking 11 on May 24, 

1954. They also took impressive high-altitude photographs of the Earth. But 

the Viking was too expensive and required too many ground personnel and 

facilities to make a practical sounding rocket. The most significant 

contributions from the Viking program were in technology. The Viking 

pioneered the gimbaled engine and paved the way for the Vanguard program 

with its first-stage powerplant. 

NIKE-DEACON AND NIKE-CAJUN 

When the V-2 series terminated in 1952, the Aerobees had taken over 

most of the research workload. In the background, however, the military 

services were developing a great variety of missiles and pilotless aircraft, 

many of which could be combined to make passable sounding rockets. Most 

of these missiles were rather small solid-propellant rockets, but they had the 

advantage of being highly reliable, available, and, when they became 

obsolete, very cheap. Typical of the missile-based research rockets are those 

using Nike boosters, such as the Nike-Cajun. 

The Deacon was a member of a family of solid rocket motors named 

after ecclesiastical dignitaries; viz, the Curate and Vicar motors. The 

development of this series began near the end of World War II under the 

National Defense Research Council. 35 When work on the solid-propellant 

Deacon at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, Cumberland, Md., terminated with 

the end of the war, some 300 propellant grains became "surplus." The 

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) purchased these 

propellant grains and, working with Allegany, assembled them into what is 

now known as the Deacon rocket motor. 

35W. 1. O'Sullivan, "Deacon and Cajun," in Newell, ed., Sounding Rockets, p. 96. 

23 
sounding rocket also used the Deacon motor. Deacons were a

high altitudes by balloons prior to fuing in the well-know

program. 

In 1956, studies at PARD indicated that the Deacon's 

could be substantially improved by substituting new propella

retaining the Deacon's convenient configuration and size. NAC

with Thiokol Chemical Corp., Elkton, Md., for the deve

construction of this new motor. 37 The name Cajun was applied 

by Joseph G. Thibodaux, head of the PARD rocket section a

Orleans. The first Cajun firing occurred at Wallops Island on Ju

In size, the Deacon and Cajun were no competitors to eve

Wac Corporal. The Cajun was just under 264 em (104 in.) long 

75.3 kg (166lb) before firing. The Deacon's dimensions were si

When the Deacon and Cajun rockets were combin

solid-propellant booster of the Nike I guided missile, two 

sounding rockets evolved: the Nike-Deacon (called DAN for 

Nike) and Nike-Cajun (CAN). DAN could take a 23-kg (50-lb

III km (69 mi), while the higher performance CAN could ca

payload to 167 km (104 mi). 38 

The original mating of the Nike and Deacon was carried o

PARD personnel in 1953 as an in-house project with later fina

from the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (A

objective of the NACA work was again the acceleration of mode

aircraft to high Mach numbers. The first of these firings t

November 19, 1953, at Wallops Island. 

36This work was done under the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division (PAR

Rese~r~h Center. PARD employed rocket-propelled and gun-propeJled models t

velocItIes necessary to NACA's exploration of the supersonic flight regime. See R. 

Investigation of 6.25-inch-diameter Deacon Rocket and lO-inch-scale Model Ro

L8H26 (Mar.. ?5, 1949). For general treatment see 1. A. Shortal's History of 

Comment Edition (Wallops Station, 1969), which describes the substantial rocket 

(and later NASA) gained from the supersonic, rocket-propelled vehicle work at Wallo

370ther contenders for the Cajun contract were ABL and the Grand Central 

Central lost the competition but went on to build its proposed motor anyway

eventually employed in the Asp sounding rocket. 

38L. M. Jones, W. H. Hansen, and F. F. Fischbach, "Nike-Cajun and Nike-D

ed., Sounding Rockets, p. 190. 

24 
expensive and more easily launched than the Aerobee. OSullivan recom

mended the Nike-Deacon. Subsequently the Aeronautical Engineering 

Department of the University of Michigan, which was developing upper 

atmosphere instrumentation for AFCRL, was funded by AFCRL to convert 

the PARD Nike-Deacon into a sounding rocket. The new rocket was 

launched from Wallops Island for the first time on April 8, 1955. 39 

It was only logical next to combine the Nike booster with the improved 

version of the Deacon, the Cajun. The same NACA-Michigan-Thioko1 group 

made the modifications. The first launch of the combined Nike and Cajun 

took place at Wallops Island on July 6, 1956. 40 

The Nike-Cajun quickly superseded the Nike-Deacon and was widely 

used during the International Geophysical Year (lGY). It also found 

application in the Weather Bureau's Project Hugo-a long-range weather 

research program. The Nike-Deacons and Nike-Cajuns were cheap and 

reliable, the basic rocket motors having been developed and well tested 

during their military and NACA careers. Further, they were simple and easy 

to use-scientists could take them wherever targets of opportunity existed. 

The University of Michigan group, for example, fired five Nike-Cajuns from 

the U.S.S. Rushmore in 1956. Many launchings in various parts of the world 

followed. 

mE ROCKOONS 

Rockoons have been mentioned several times in the preceding pages, 

particularly in connection with the Deacon rocket. The Deacons were used 

on most rockoons, but a rockoon is actually the combination of any balloon 

with any rocket. The rockoon concept seems to have been originated by Lt. 

M. L. (Lee) Lewis during a conversation with S. F. Singer and George 

Halvorson during the Aerobee firing cruise of the U.S.S. Norton Sound in 

March 1949. The basic idea is to lift a small sounding rocket high above the 

dense atmosphere with a large balloon in the Skyhook class. Once enough 

altitude is attained, the rocket is fired by radio signal straight up through the 

39R. H. Heitkotter, Flight Investigation of the Performance of a Two-stage Solid·propellant 

Nike·Deacon (DAN) Meteorological Sounding Rocket, NACA TN 3739 (July 1956). 

401. F. Royall, Jr., and B. 1. Garland, Characteristics of the Nike·Cajun (CAN) Rocket System 

and Flight Investigation ofIts Performance, NACA RM L57D26 (1957). 

25 
A Navy roc/won just after a shipboard launch. A Deacon rocket is suspe

balloon. 

26 
satellites and highaltitude sounding rockets became available in adequate 

nymbers, the use of rockoons declined. 

James A. Van Allen first put rockoons to practical use when he cmd. his 

grqup from the University of Iowa fired several from the Coast Guard C4U~r 

East Wind during its cruise off Greenland in August and September 1952, ~1 

Van Allen was looking for high-altituge radiation near the magnetic pqies 

and needed a vehicle that could reach well over 80 km (50 mi) with an It-kg 

(25-lb) payload and yet still be launched easily from a small ship. The 

rockoon was the answer. With his rockoons, Van Allen detected considerable 

soft radiation at high ~ltitudes-much more than scientists expected. This 

was one of the first hints that radiation might be trapped by the Earth's 

magnetic field. One drawback to the rockoon was that it had to be fired 

before high-altitude winds carried it out of radio range. 

Project Farside was an attempt to reach extreme altitudes with th~ 

rockoon concept. Using a four-stage solid-propellant rocket hung below a. 

106l88-m3 (3750 000-ft 3 ) balloon, altitudes approaching 6437 km (4000 

mi) were reached during the fall of 1957. Farside was an Air Force Office of 

Scientific Research project, using various instruments prgvided by the 

University of Maryland. Six rockets were built by Aeronutronic Systems, 

Inc. Bad telemetry precluded the discovery of the Van Allen pelts during the 

Farside shots near Eniwetok. 

ROCKAIRE 

If balloons were so useful in stretching rocket performance, why not try 

high-altitude aircraft? Thus, the "rockaire" concept was born. Actually the 

rockaire concept was first suggested by Hermann Oberth in his 1929 classic 

Wege zur Raumschiffahrt. The Air Force studied the idea on and off from 

1947 on. The Navy did the same and finally tried the idea out on August 16, 

1955, using a Navy F2H2 aircraft off Wallops Island. An altitude of 54864 

m (180000 ft) was reached with a 69.9-mm (2.75-in.) folded-fin aerial 

rocket (FFAR) of Korean vintage. 42 The Air Force launched theirs in 

1956. 43 In general, however, the rockaire concept never achieved the 

popularity of the rockoon. Apparently no important scientific rocket 

41 James A. Van Allen, "Balloon-Launched Rockets for High-Altitude Research," in Homer E. 

Newell, Jr., ed., Sounding Rockets, p. 143. 

42Malcolm D. Ross, "Aircraft Launched Rockets," in Newell, ed., Sounding Rockets, p. 165. 

43R. M. Slavin, "The Air Force Rockaire Program," Jet Propulsion, XXVII (Mar. 1957), 279. 

27 
To summarize the period from 1945 through the beg

International Geophysical Year (IGY),on July 1, 1957, the de

sounding rocket technology may be characterized by the follow

• 	 Captured V-2s provided an immediate source of 

vehicles and test beds upon which to perfect scientifi

• 	 The Wac Corporals and especially their direct des

many varieties of Aerobees, quickly became the "wo

space research. 

• 	 The Aerobees were supplemented by other military-

cles, such as the Nike-Cajuns. 

• 	 The Viking, conceived as a high-altitude research 

quainted the United States with the technology o

propellant rockets. 

The period 1945-57, then, was primarily a period of pe

rocket and instrument techniques. No spectacular new scientif

came during the 1945-57 period, although the discipline of ge

extended from 32 to 40 km (20 to 25 mi) and there we

achievements in aeronomy. It was still a time of preparatio

Allen's discovery of soft radiation at high altitudes was interest

research had been greatly stimulated by the first ultraviolet sp

the Sun. Hundreds of sounding rockets had begun to sk

complex, ever-changing upper atmosphere and ionosphere; rock

the Earth's weather showed the practical potential of high-alti

Nevertheless there was nothing that might be labeled a "sci

through," like the later discoveries of the Van Allen belts, 

sphere, etc. 

28 

V 

THE USE OF SOUNDING ROCKETS 


DURING THE IGY 


The International Geophysical Year OGY) began on July 1, 1957, and 

lasted 18 months. This period saw the greatest concerted, systematic 

application of sounding rockets to upper atmosphere and space research yet 

attempted. The United States alone fired over 200. Other countries 

employed hundreds more. The first Russian and United States satellites were 

also orbited during the IGY, and the first Pioneer space probes were 

launched in the direction of the Moon. The Van Allen belts, the 

magnetosphere, and the solar plasma were all discovered by satellites and 

space . probes. However, the technology they employed was primarily 

developed on sounding rockets. In fact, the early name for the U.S. IGY 

satellite was the LPR (Long Playing Rocket). And, of course, the scientific 

firsts of the satellites and probes had to dovetail with the immense quantity 

of data collected by sounding rockets from the upper atmosphere and the 

fringes of outer space. Satellites helped complete a picture that sounding 

rockets had begun to draw in 1945. 

Preparations for the IGY officially began during October 1951, when 

the International Council of Scientific Unions, following a suggestion of 

Lloyd Berkner, decided to hold a Third International Polar Year. 44 This 

international effort was to be a larger version of the two previous Polar Years 

in 1882 and 1932, which had been primarily concerned with accurately 

locating meridians. In October 1952, the official name was changed to the 

better known IGY. 

Within the United States, the IGY effort was led by the U.S. National 

Committee for the IGY (USNC-IGY) established by the National Academy 

of Sciences in February 1953. Funds were supplied by the National Science 

Foundation. Under the USNC-IGY a Technical Panel on Rocketry (TPR) 

was organized with F. L. Whipple of the Smithsonian Astrophysical 

44Eugene M. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1915-1960 (Washington, 1961), p. 68. 

29 
tional Geophysical Year (Working Group on Rocket Operatio

evolved. from the Upper Atmosphere Rocket Research Pan

mentioned in Chapter IV. SCIGY membership 45 was as follows

Homer E. Newell, Jr., NRL (Chairman) 

John W. Townsend, NRL (Executive Secretary) 

Warren W. Berning, Ballistics Research Laboratory 

Leslie M. J ones, University of Michigan 

Frank B. McDonald, State University of Iowa 

William G. Stroud, Signal Corps Engineering Laboratory 

P. R. Wyckoff, AFCRL 


Robert W. Slavin, AFCRL (replaced Wyckoff) 


Kinsey A. Anderson, State University of Iowa (replaced M

Nelson W. Spencer, University of Michigan (added 1956) 

John Hanessian, Jr., USNC-IGY (Recording Secretary) 


Pembroke J. Hart, USNC-IGY (Recording Secretary) 


SCIGY began work as a UARRP committee in 1953. In Fe

SCIGY was formally adopted by the TPR and thence bec

technical advisory group on IGY sounding rocket programs. 

An interesting and pertinent feature of the TPR and S

strong representation of NRL scientists and engineers. These N

who figured so strongly in the IGY rocket program, eventual

almost to a man to NASA when it was created in 1958. Newe

McDonald, Stroud, and Spencer went to Goddard Space Fli

build the space science and sounding rocket programs there. 

The IGY sounding rocket program was so extensive t

summarized by a table (Table 146 ). Nearly half of the IGY 

launched from Fort Churchill, in the Canadian province of Man

Arctic barrens, the Fort Churchill site was built by the United 

IGY at the invitation of the Canadian Government. The facilit

five months by 550 men of the 87th Task Force, U.S. Ar

Engineers, using a design and special equipment provided by 

Aerojet Aerobees, being liquid-propellant rockets, could not b

45 Jack R. Siewert, The United States IGY Upper Atmosphere Rocket O

Report of The Special Committee for the IGY (Working Group on Rocket Operatio

9. 

46Frederick I. Ordway, III, and Ronald C. Wakeford, International Missi

Guide, p. 204. 

30 
(, ) 

, , j

Antarctic Rockoons 40 

San Nicolas Island (off California) Asps, Nike-Deacons, Rockoons 31 

Arctic Rockoons 18 

White Sands Aerobees, Nike-Cajuns 9 

Guam Aerobees, Nike-Cajuns 9 

Danger Island (Pacific) Nike-Asps 8 

Total 210 

time without special ground facilities. Thus, Fort Churchill and White Sands 

saw most of the IGY Aerobee firings, while solid-propellant rockets were 

launched from shipboard, rockoo1'\S, and many remote sites. 

In Table 2, the breakdown of the IGY rocket program47 shows the Fort 

Churchill site receiving the great bulk of the funds allocated by the National 

Science Foundation, with most of this fraction going to the Aerobee 

program. Project 10.1, the Rockoon · and DAN program, included the ship 

firings in the Arctic and Antarctic noted in Table 1. Also under this program, 

TABLE 2. Breakdown ofICY Sounding Rocket Projects 

Project 	 Agencya Budget 

10.1 	 RockoonJDAN program SUI $ 338300 

10.2 	 Aerobee program, White Sands NRL 90000 

10.3 DAN program, Southern California NRL 154000 

lOA Aerobee program, Holloman GRD 0 

10.5 	 Aerobee program, Fort Churchill NRL 1 020064 

10.6 	 Aerobee program, Fort Churchill GRD 248936 

10.7 	 Aerobee program, Fort Churchill SRDL 213889 

10.14 Nike-Cajun program, Fort Churchill BRL 	 90000 

10.16 	Meteorological support, Fort Churchill SRDL 12000 

10.17 Antarctic rocket data reduction GRD 	 0 

10.18 	Rocket measurements at Guam SRDL 244500 

10.19 	Contract support NRL 90800 

10.20 	Alpha tron-sphere experiment Mich. 75500 

10.21 	 Pacific solar eclipse expedition NRL SO 000 

Total $2627 989 

aSUI =State University of Iowa; NRL =Naval Research Laboratory; GRD =USAF Geophysics 

Research Directorate,; SRDL =U.S. Army Signal Research & Development Laboratory; BRL = Ballistics Research Laboratory, Mic~. =University of Michigan. 

47Siewert, The United States ICY Upper Atmosphere Rocket Operations, p. 5. 

31 
Puka Puka Island in the South Pacific before and during t

X-rays and the Lyman-alpha line of hydrogen were measured 

eters in the payloads. This was the first of many rocket-equ

expeditions that were sent to various climes between 1957 and 

The mainstays of the U.S. IGY rocket stable were the 

which was modified and improved to create what is now termed 

150;48 the Nike-Cajuns; the Nike-Deacons; and two new m

rockets, the Loki-Dart and the Nike-Asp. The Loki was 

Ordnance development, while the Asp was a Navy rocket b

atmosphere work, mainly in connection with nuclear weapon

the Lokis and Asps were manufactured by the Cooper Develo

Monrovia, Calif. 49 

Two brand new Aerobees were added to the series during 

Aerobee 100 and the Aerobee 300. The Aerobee 100 (al

Aerobee Junior) was shorter (7.8 m; 25.7 ft) and lighter (655.6 

than the standard Aerobee 150. From a performance sta

Aerobee 100 could reach 160 km (l00 mi) with about 18 k

payload. The most interesting feature of the Aerobee 100 prog

it was not Government sponsored. The development of the ne

the manufacture of 20 rockets were carried out with Aerojet 

manufacturer's words, it was a "do it yourself" rocket. NRL, t

and NASA (after it was formed) eventually purchased all 20 

first was fired by NRL at White Sands on February 18, 1958. 

vehicle in the series, launched on September 21, 1961, failed. 

The Aerobee 300 is in reality an Aerobee 150 with a m

Sparrow missile for an upper stage. For this reason, it is o

"Spaerobee." Standing about 1 0 m (33 ft) high, and weighing 

kg (2075 Ib), an Aerobee 300 can reach 480 km (300 mi) 

(50-Ib) payload. It was developed with Navy funds under 

direction of NRL. The first of the new 300s was fired from F

on October 25, 1958; it was an Air Force rocket instrumented b

reached an altitude of 418.4 km (260 mi). 

One other important sounding rocket to make its debut d

was the Arcas (stands for All-Purpose Rocket for Collecting 

48Whenever a "stand<trd Aerobee" is mentioned, an Aerobee-Hi or its deriv

150, is usually mean t. 

49C. M. Zimney, "The Asp, a Single-Stage Solid-Propellant Sounding Rocke

XXVII (Mar. 1957), 274. 

32 
y yg

p

July 1959. The Arcas was not used in any of the IGY programs, but NASA 

has since fired several dozen, particularly in its international programs. 

The results of the IGY sounding rocket program came not only from 

American rockets but from other types developed and flown by foreign 

countries, often in worldwide synchronized experiments. Knowledge was 

extended in almost every area of geophysics, although as mentioned 

previously, real scientific breakthroughs had to wait for the first scientific 

satellites in late 1957 and early 1958. Some of the more significant results 

from rocket research during the IGY are summarized in the remainder of this 

chapter. 51 Examination of the results will show that the new data ex tended 

rather than revolutionized geophysical thinking. 

Meteorology. High-altitude wind patterns were measured. Very high 

speed westerly winds were measured over Fort Churchill. 

A tmospheric physics. Pressure, density, and other parameters measured 

by sounding rockets were used in preparing the 1962 U.S. standard 

atmosphere. Vertical distribution of ozone measured up to 70 km (44 mi). 

Mass spectrometer measurements above Fort Churchill detected N, 0, H2 0, 

NO, °2 , and CO2 between 85 and 241 km (53 and 150 mi). The night 

airglow at 6300 A was shown to originate above 140 km (87 mi). Hydroxyl 

radiation was observed between 50 and 80 km (31 and 50 mi). The 5577-A 

oxygen green line was found to be strongest between 90 and 100 km (56 and 

62 mi). Sodium vapor released just below the E region of the ionosphere was 

seen to fluoresce brightly in sunlight. In the auroral zone, soft radiation 

many times more intense than the primary cosmic radiation was discovered 

above 40 km (25 mi). 

Ionospheric physics. Electron densities were measured directly up to 

389 km (242 mi); and the E and F2 regions were mapped in greater detail 

than possible before. Rockets discovered that atmospheric ionization 

remains dense during the daytime from the E region to as high as 

measurements were made. 

Fields and particles. The Earth's magnetic field decreases according to 

the inverse cube, as expected. (Note that IGY rockets did not reach the 

magnetosphere.) Measurements of the primary cosmic radiation were 

SOw. C. Roberts, R. C. Webster, and W. D. Charles, Arcas and Metrac Sounding Rockets-A 

Status Report, ARS paper 2340-62 (1962). 

51Homer E. Newell, Jr., ''The Use of Rockets for Geophysical and Solar Research," in Newell, 

ed., Sounding Rockets, pp. 37-43. 

33 
showing a maximum near 40 A, where kinetic temperatures a

about 700 000 K (I 260 0000 F). 

Astronomy. Some limited micrometeoroid influx data we

Discrete Lyman-alpha radiation sources were found in the sky. 

34 
VI 


GENESIS OF THE 


GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 


SOUNDING ROCKET PROGRAM 


The IGY had proven the efficacy of the sounding rocket as a research 

vehicle; it had also been the stimulus for the development of better rockets, 

better auxiliary equipment and procedures, as well as smaller and more 

rugged instrumentation. Something else born out of the IGY was the 

scientific satellite. 

On one hand, the scientific satellite seemed to be a direct competitor of 

the sounding rocket. A satellite could stay in orbit for months, even years, 

continually sending back data about its environment. In comparison, 

sounding rockets were quick-loOk vehicles that now seemed rather obsolete, 

like propeller aircraft did after the jets came along. On the other hand, the 

Sputniks and Explorers brought the beginning of the so-called Space Age; 

and more money became available for space research than IGY scientists had 

ever dared hope for. Further, the satellites brought about the formation of 

NASA and the centralization of space research, formerly dispersed throughout the country, including sounding rocket research. These events, at least, 

were beneficial to sounding rocket technology. 

Although the satellite was a more romantic and exciting vehicle to use 

for experimentation, it soon became apparent that there would not be 

enough satellites to go around for at least several years after Sputnik. On top 

of that, there were obviously some things that satellites could not do that 

sounding rockets could; for example, gather data below 160 km (100 mi) 

altitude and make direct measurements within the atmosphere along a 

vertical flight profile. Sounding rockets were not dead, but they certainly did 

not have the glamour of the satellites and deep space probes. 

NASA, created on October I, 1958, was the logical organization to 

organize the nation's sounding rocket research program, but it had no staff 

experienced in this field. Where were cadres of experienced sounding rocket 

35 
November 16, 1958. As it turned out, NRL also provided the g

NASA's sounding rocket knowhow when, on December 28, 19

Townsend, Jr., was transferred to NASA along with 46 NRL s

engineers in his Rocket-Sonde Branch. 52 

Together, the. NRL Vanguard and sounding rocket perso

the nucleus of professionals for NASA's· new Beltsville Space 

north of Washington. Another NRL scientist who had been m

sounding rocket research, Homer E. Newell, Jr., transferre

Headquarters. 

In the new Beltsville organization, NRL's sounding rocke

first assigned to Townsend's new Space Sciences Division. He

group was Karl R. Medrow, who had moved with Townsend fro

May 1,1959, T. Keith Glennan, NASA Administrator, annolin

new Beltsville Space Center would be renamed the Goddard 

Center. 53 In the same announcement, John W. Townsend, Jr.

Evolution ofthe NRL Rocket-Sonde Branch 

Another NASA NASA I NRL project HQ HQ 

I~ , 

..... /, ,.......----~~ 

ROCKET·SONDE 


BRANCH 


E. H. Krouse Homer E. Newell, Jr. John W. Townsend, Jr. Le

I I 

/ 

I ,~ 

ENERGETIC O

ELECTRONICS PARTICLES O

SECTION SECTION 

Korl R. Medrow Leslie H. Meredith 

52Robert L. Rosholt, An Administrative History of NASA, 1958·1963, 

(Washington, 1966), p. 47. 

53 Alfred Rosenthal, Venture into Space, NASA SP-4301 (Washington, 1968)

Space Flight Center is located at Greenbelt, Md., although the present Sounding 

remains at Beltsville, Md., a few miles west. 

36 
Medrow line of authority remained intact until 1962. (See Chapter VII.) 

The structuI:'e of Goddard's Sounding Rocket Branch has not changed 

significantly since the group transferred from NRL. When Karl Medrow took 

charge of NASA's sounding rocket effort right after Christmas 1958, he set 

as a primary goal the establishment of competence in four areas: vehicles, 

mechanical engineering, instruments, and performance. Essentially, this was 

Evolution of top management structure at Goddard. (Only that portion pertinent to 

sounding rockets is shown.) 

DIRECTOR 

Harry J. Goett 

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR 

Eugene W. Wasielewski 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 

SPACE SCIENCE AND 

SATELLITE APPLICATIONS 

John W. Townsend, Jr. 

I I 

SATELLITE 


SPACE SCIENCES 
 APPLICATIONS 


DIVISION 
 SYSTEMS 

Leslie H. Meredith DIVISION

Doniel G. Mazur 

I 1 

PAYLOAD SYSTEMS THEORETICAL INSTITUTE FOR 

DIVISION DIVISION SPACE STUDIES 

N. w. Matthews Robert Jastrow Robert Jostrow 

Jam10ry 1961 

37 
-

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 


SPACE SCIENCE AND 


SATELLITE APPLICATIONS 


John W. Townsend, Jr . 

L J 

INSTITUtE FOR 

SPACE StUDIES 

SYSTEMS 

REVIEW 

GROUP Robert Jastrow H. Lagow 

o -

J 

SPACECRAFT INTEGRATION 

AND SOUNDING ROCKET 

DIVISION 

R. Baumann 

I I 

SPACE SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS 

SCIENCES AND PROJEcTS 

DIVISION DiViSION 

Les I ie H. Mered ith Daniel G. Mazur 

J J 

SPACECRAFT THEORETICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION DIVISION 

W. Hess N. W. Matthews 

AERONOMY AND 


METEOROLOGY 


DIVISION 


W. Stroud 
Eugene W. Wasielewski 


I 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 


FOR TECHNOLOGY 


Donie I G. Mazur 


DEPUTY 

R. J. Mackey 

DEPUTY FOR 


ADVANCED PROJECTS 


R. A. Stampfl 

I 1 

SPACECRAFT SPACECRAFT INTEGRATION AND TECHNOLOGY SOUNDING ROCKET DIVISION DIVISION N. W. Matthews R. Baumann 

SYSTEMS 

DIVISION 

A. E. Jones 

I 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 


FOR SPACE SCIENCES 


G. F. Pieper 

I 

INTERNATIONAL 

PROGRAMS OFFICE 

W. Witt 

I 

LABORATORY FOR 

SPACE SCIENCES 

Les lie H. Meredith 

I 

LABORATORY FOR 


ATMOSPHERIC AND 


BIOLOGICAL 


SCIENCES 


N. Spencer 

October 1967 

I 
 NATIONAL SPACE 


SCIENCES DATA 


CENTER 


J. Vette 

INSTITUTE FOR 

5"PACE STUDI ES 

Robert Jastrow 

I 

LABORATORY FOR 


TH EOR ETICAL 


STUDIES 


T. Northrup 

39 
Performance. The single exception was Francis (Dutch) J. H

NASA in 1959 55 and was replaced by George E. MacVeigh. 

SOU~DI~G 

ROCKET 

BRA~CH 

Karl R. Medrow 

I 

I I I 

E~GI~EERI~G FLIGHT SOU~DI~G ROCKET 

SECTIO~ PERFORMA~CE I~STRUME~TATlO~ 

George E. MacYeigh 

SECTIO~ 

Ernest F. Sorgnit 

SECTIO~ 

Edword E. B;ssell. Jr. 

The Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch in 1968. The basic structure of 

has remained unchanged since the move from NRL. The major personnel 

1958 and 1968 mlS the replacement ofHartz by Mac Veigh. 

The original group of NRL transferees was augmented in 

by other engineers lured to Goddard from other Government ag

case of sounding rockets, the Naval Ordnance Laboratory w

source after NRL. Starting with the 47 NRL people, the Godd

Rocket Branch roughly doubled in the first decade of NASA's e

It is important to point out here that the Sounding Roc

Goddard provided vehicles and launch services and did no exp

itself. Rather it served various "customers" in the universities, 

itself, in industry, and in other Government agencies. Only ab

of the Branch's launches were specifically for NASA experime

in contrast to the group's role at NRL where almost all the 

in-house. 56 The "standard procedure" was for prospective exp

approach the Office of Space Science and Applications at NA

ters with a proposal to fly an experiment on a sounding rocket. 

these proposals were solicited by NASA for specific series o

54Personal interview with Karl R. Medrow, Dec. 11, 1968. 


55 Hartz eventually returned to Goddard. 


56Personal interview with Eleanor C. Pressly, Dec. 3, 1968. 


40 
An essential adjunct to the Goddard role was the availability of Wallops 

Station, which in 1958 became part of NASA along with Langley, Ames, and 

Lewis Research Centers and the other NACA facilities. Wallops served as a 

major launch and test site for the sounding rockets procured and 

instrumented under Goddard's management. For years, many rockets from 

other Government agencies were launched from Wallops, such as the Army 

Air Force MX-570 missile as far back as July 4, 1945. 

The "tools" that the Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch had available to 

carry out its task were the rockets described in the preceding chapter: the 

Aerobees 100, 150, and 300; the Nike-Cajun; the Arcas; and various 

combinations of the Nike, Asp, and other solid-propellant military rockets. 

Of course, balloons and aircraft could be used to improve rocket 

performance as they did in the rockoon and rockaire concepts. But sounding 

rocket performance had improved so much-in payload and altitude- that 

rockoons and rockaires were used hardly at all after 1959. There was still a 

need, however, for better rocket performance and, in particular, lower cost, 

better reliability, and improved logistics-that is, ease of transport and 

launching simplicity. Experimenters needed better pointing control for their 

instruments and bigger capacity telemetry systems. And because NASA was 

specifically charged in the Space Act of 1958 with fostering international 

cooperative programs where possible, it would be helpful to have vehicles 

that could be exported without concern for military antecedents. 

During the first year of the existence of Goddard's Sounding Rocket 

Branch, several sounding rockets, whose development predated NASA, came 

into the "stable" of vehicles readily available to NASA. Chief among these 

were the Javelin and Journeyman, both in the so-called Argo series. The 

Argo series was developed by the Aerolab Development Co. under the 

sponsorship of NACA/NASA, with support from the Air Force Special 

Weapons Center, the Naval Bureau of Ordnance, and the Allegany Ballistics 

Laboratory. 

The Argo vehicles were derived from a family of NACA/NASA 

hypersonic test vehicles, after the fashion of the Nike-Deacon and 

Nike-Cajun. Aerolab has designed a long series of Argo rockets, including the 

Argo E-20, designed to lift 4.5 kg (10 Ib) to 24 384 m (80 000 ft); but only 

the Jason (Argo E-5), the Javelin (Argo D-4), and the Journeyman (Argo 

57See William R. Corliss, Scientific Satellites, NASA SP-133 (Washington, 1968), pp. 408-410, 

for a review of NASA's experiment selection procedures. 

41 
Journeyman helped NASA gather radiation data prior to the Mer

and has also seen some Air Force use. In general, the Argos are 

by sounding rocket standards. They were all put together from o

military hardware, often following vehicle adaptations by Langle

Center. (See Appendix A for rocket details.) NASA use of the 

has been minimal. 

The development of the Iris sounding rocket had begun at N

the transfer of its Rocket-Sonde group to NASA. Iris was bu

Atlantic Research Corp. for the Naval Bureau of Ordnance, 

monitoring the design, the production, and the payload. 58 The de

of the rocket was completed by NASA, with the first NASA fi

place at Wallops Island on July 22, 1960. In contrast to the mon

Argo series, Iris is a small, two-stage, solid-propellant rocket 

lifting 45 kg (l00 1b) to about 320 km (200 mi). NASA has not u

rocket since 1962. 

During 1959, its first year of operation, Goddard's Sound

Branch (with the help of other agencies) fired only 16 rocket

Wallops Island and 4 from Fort Churchill. Six of these firings w

the Arcon rocket at Wallops Island; all of these were classified 

(NASA never used the Arcon again.) There also were five Ni

Aspan) launches during 1959, all from Wallops Island. Four of th

successfully launched and two released payloads of sodium at hig

for studies of the upper atmosphere. Four Aerobee 150s were 

Fort Churchill in a series of ionosphere experiments in collabo

Canada's Defence Research Telecommunications Establishmen

these were successful. 59 

An interesting scientific use of rockets appeared in 1959

October 28, 1959, NASA launched a 30-m (lOO-ft) inflatable sp

suborbital trajectory from Wallops Island as part of Project Shotp

Shotput used a Sergeant-Delta launch vehicle to test payloads fo

passive communications satellite project. 60 A second suborbita

58 J. W. Townsend, Jr., and P. J. Hartz, Arcon and Iris Rocket Report No

(1958). 

59pull data on these flights as well as all other NASA sounding rocket flights m

J. A. Sterhardt and W. E. Weaver, NASA Sounding Rocket Program, Summary of So

Flights, X-721-66-515 (Greenbelt, 1966) and X-721-68-283 (Greenbelt, 1968). 

60The first successful Echo satellite was launched August 12, 1960, from Wallop

42 
satellite from Wallops Island in 1962, for example. the Shotput tests must 

really be considered as extensions of the NASA philosophy of testing 

scientific instruments on sounding rockets before committing them to 

satellites. 

To summarize! the year 1959 was a year of transitioh and preparation 

for future programs at Goddard. The Sounding Rocket Branch was 

developing programs that would launch a total of 60 sounding rockets in 

1960 (about four times the 1959 total). The shift from serving in-house 

experimenters (the NRL approach) to that of providing rockets for scientists 

the world over was a major perturbation. In fact, 1959 Was only the 

beginning of perturbation. The year 1959 was only the beginning of Ii service 

to science here and abroad that has remained fairly constant despite the 

recent ups and downs of the overall NASA budget. 

43 


VII 

SOUNDING ROCKETS 


DURING THE HEYDAY 


OF SCIENTIFIC SATELLITES 


PREDILECTIONS FOR SATELLITES 

During the five-year period 1960-1964, "getting an experiment on a 

satellite" was the thing to do in space science. 61 Space funds were 

concentrated on satellites and space probes until the $10-20 million in 

NASA's annual sounding rocket budget was less than 10 percent of that 

allocated to the Explorers, Orbiting Observatories, Mariners, Rangers, and 

other space vehicles. One sounding rocket proponent put it this way: 

. .. the IGY also saw the beginning of satellite era, itself a product of the 

rocket's prior success, and the satellites sapped the strength which would 

otherwise have gone into rocket studies. 62 

Even the name "sounding rocket" had an archaic ring to it. 63 Thus the 

Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch entered the 1960-1964 period at a 

psychological disadvantage. 

Despite the swing of many experimenters to satellites, many scientists 

felt more comfortable with sounding rockets and, as pointed out earlier, 

some atmospheric and ionospheric research just cannot be done with 

satellites. Further, NASA recommended that new instruments destined for 

satellite flight first prove themselves on sounding rockets wherever feasible. 

The demand for sounding rockets also rose because scientists newly attracted 

to space research found it much easier to get space on sounding rockets-the 

61 Personal interview with Eleanor C. Pressly, Nov. 27, 1968. 

62Colin O. Hines, "Sounding Rocket Resurgence," Astronautics and Aeronautics, IV (Jan. 

1966), p. 8. 

63 Jon Busse, at Goddard Space Flight Center, has suggested that the name "near-space probe" 

or "research rocket" might be more appropriate. 

45 
ORGANIZATION OF U.S. SOUNDING ROCKET ACTIVI

The Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch, beginning with 

transferees from NRL and other agencies, could not handle 

workload alone. Rockets in the NASA "stable" had to be procur

at 10cati<Jns around the world; new rockets had to be developed a

improved; and there was continuous negotiation with the ex

from sister agencies, the universities, and foreign countries. T

demand, Goddard approximately doubled the manpower of it

Rocket Branch between 1959 and 1965. In addition, onsite 

such as Fairchild-Hiller, provided personnel who worked hand in 

NASA employees. Of course, much of the vehicle engineering an

production were done by contractors all over the country. NAS

philosophy was to keep roughly 20 percent of the Scientific and 

work inMhouse to maintain Goddard's competence in the ar

competence is obviously essential in dealing with experim

contractors in a complex technical field. 

Many other Government agencies conducted their own soun

research programs, particularly the Navy (NRL) and the Air Forc

The Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) 

meteorological rockets to help gather synoptic weather data. T

Energy Commission, too, was interested in the upper atmosphere 

its responsibility for monitoring radioactivity and detecting nu

sions. 

Generally these agencies procured their own sounding r

provided their own launch services for firings within the United 

Fort Churchill, Canada; and from vessels in international waters

Research Laboratory was an exception where NASA provided so

launch services, and funds to develop some of the experiments a

same way it does for an in-house or university experimenter. Ex

in other agencies could and did approach NASA for rockets 

Occasionally the Air Force, which maintained a vigorous soun

program at the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, req

received launch support services available only from NASA. NAS

64Medrow interview, Dec. 11, 1968. 

46 
B bears this out. The Air Force has also been instrumental in developing 

rockets, such as the Black Brant series (Chapter VIII) that NASA ultimately 

adopted. 

Who coordinates all of the rocket research taking place around the 

country? There is the natural desire not to duplicate research work. This is 

augmented by congressional pressure to define agency missions precisely and 

reduce overlap. The Rocket Research Panel, established as the Joint 

Atmosphere Rocket Research Panel, partially solved this interagency 

coordination problem. This panel was formed when NASA and DOD 

estabijshed the Aeronautics and Astronautics Coordinating Board (AACB) 

on September 14, 1960. The Rocket Research Panel, however, ceased 

functioning in the early 1960s. The only remaining nationwide forum for 

sounding rocket research was the White Sands Scheduling Committee, which 

dealt only with Aerobee launches. NASA interfaces with other agencies in 

the sounding rocket area have thus become informal ones-with the 

following exception. 

Whenever another agency wished to launch a sounding rocket from a 

foreign country, as was sometimes the case when eclipses occurred, or when 

a phenomenon was localized (viz, the auroras), NASA acted as their agent in 

all dealings with the country involved. 6s Space research has been promoted 

as a nonmilitary enterprise by the United States ever since NASA was 

created; indeed, the desire to keep the space program nonmilitary was one of 

the main reasons why NASA was formed as a separate agency instead of 

placing space research under the Air Force. 66 The civilian mien of NASA 

sounding rocket work has usually made it relatively easy for NASA to secure 

launching privileges in foreign countries where a military agency might be 

unwelcome. 

The procedure an experimenter follows for obtaining space on a 

sounding rocket was similar-up to a point-whether he was a U.S. citizen or 

foreign national: 

1. The experimenter submitted a proposal for his experiment to the 

Physics and Astronomy Programs Directorate at NASA Headquarters. The proposal may have been a response to a general 

6sPersonai interview with William R. Witt on Dec. 11, 1968. In the case of DOD, this policy 

was spelled out in the so-called York Memorandum. 

66 The U.S. Air Force did, of course, carry out scientific experiments from many of its own 

spacecraft. 

47 
3. 	The Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch determined i

provide the requested support. 

4. 	A go-ahead was given and Headquarters provided the f

experimenter and the Sounding Rocket Branch. 

NASA'S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 

A similar procedure was followed if a foreign country was 

addition, a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding 67 was p

NASA Headquarters (Office of International Affairs), which stip

each side would provide. Typically the foreign country supplied 

crew and launch services, the site, transportation, and the 

NASA, in turn, supplied the rocket, knowhow, some instr

launch services, the support equipment, and sometimes p

experiment. In the beginning of the space program, some co

wanted to "do something in space" without sufficient back

preparation. Education and the development of research c

therefore, have been two of Goddard's main functions in th

rocket program. 

Once the Memorandum of Understanding68 was signe

countries, each country appointed a Project Manager, who work

directly. Work then began, often with a simple payload. As th

scientific competence increased, more complex experiments w

taken. 

During the period 1960-1964, NASA negotiated Mem

Understanding and initiated 13 cooperative programs with th

foreign countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germ

Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway/Denmark, Pakistan, Swed

United Kingdom. The international flights that resulted are sum

Table 3.69 

67See Appendix D for a typical Memorandum of Understanding. Actually, it w

between NASA and a designated civilian agency in the other country. 

68When NASA initiated a foreign program, as it sometimes did to obtain 

propitious sites for eclipse observations or a spot on the magnetic equator, it negotia

Agreement with the country involved rather than a Memorandum of Understanding. 

69The bulk of the information in this table was extracted from the booklet 

Programs," prepared by the NASA Headquarters Ort"Jce of International Affairs. 

48 
Australia 

Canada 

France 

Germany 

India 

Italy 

-l:>.. 

\Q Japan 

Woomera 

Wallops I. 

Fort Churchill 

Wallops I. 

Wallops I. 

Hammaguir, 


Algeria 


White Sands 


Thumba 

Thumba 

Sardinia 

Sardinia 

Wallops I. 

Sept. 1961-Nov. 1961 

Apr. 1963-May 1963 

Continuous 

June 1962-Dec. 1962 

Oct. 1963 

Apr. 1964 

Nov. 1964 

Jan. 1964 

Nov. 1963-Nov. 1964 

Jan. 1961-Dec. 1962 

May 1963 

Apr. 1962-0ct. 1964 

experiments on 2 NASA NikeCajuns. 

Goddard flew ultraviolet astronomy expe

4 Skylarks. 

Australia launched 2 Aerobee l50As in r

experiments. 

79 NASAlaunches during period. 

Canada launched 6 Black Brant Ills from 

vehicle tests, while Fort Churchill was 

due to fire. 

France launched 2 Aerobee l50s with io

payloads. 

NASA and France jointly studied ionosp

French Dragon and Centaur rockets. 

Germany participated in launch of an Ae

with experiment designed to collect ex

dust (part of the Luster program). 

University of New Hampshire flew 4 Nik

investigate equatorial electrojet. (Thu

the geomagnetic equator.) 

India's Physical Research Laboratory at A

used 7 Nike-Apaches in sodium-vapor 

Italian Space Commission launched 8 Nik

and Nike-Asps with sodium-vapor expe

3 Nike-Apaches fired by NASA with sod

experiments aboard. 

Japanese Radio Research Laboratories an

cooperated in ionospheric studies; 3 N

Aerobee 150s, and 1 Javelin launched 
v, TABLE 3. Cooperative International Programs, 1960-1964-Concluded ~ 

Country Location Date(s) Details 

New Zealand Birdling's Flat, N .Z. May 1963-Dec. 1964 University of Canterbury carried out exp

upper atmosphere and ionosphere wit

rockets. 

Norway /Denmark Wallops I. Dec. 1961-Apr. 1963 Norway participated with Goddard in la

Nike-Cajuns and 1 Nike-Apache in ion

studies. 

Andoya, Norway Aug. 1962-Mar. 1964 Goddard participated with Norway in a 

Nike.(:ajun and 4 Nike-Apache launch

varied instrumentation. 

Pakistan Sonmiani Beach June 1962-Dec. 1964 Cooperative sodium-vapor experiments u

Cajuns and 4 Nike-Apaches. 

Swedena Jokkmokk Aug. 1961 Sweden used an Arcas to measure winds 

of noctilucent clouds. 

Kronogard Aug. 1962-Aug. 1964 Series of noctilucent clouds studied usin

Cajuns and 8 Nike-Apaches. 

White Sands Oct. 1963-Dec. 1963 Sweden fired 3 boosted Arcas rockets w

ionospheric payloads. 

Wallops I. Mar. 1964 Sodium/lithium vapor experiments with 

Arcas. 

United Kingdom Wallops I. July 1964-N ov. 1964 Cooperative British-American experimen

spheric physics and radio propagation 

Apaches. 

White Sands Nov. 1964 Collection of extraterrestrial dust partic

Aerobee 1 SO (part of Project Luster). 

lie. B. Tackett, Sweden Operations-1962. NASA 1M-X-55174 (1965). 
scientists measured upper atmosphere winds by photographing sodium vapor 

released from the rockets. In this case, NASA worked directly with the 

Italian Space Commission. 

Most of the countries listed were scientifically and industrially 

advanced. Some, such as Canada and Australia, had their own rocket 

programs long before NASA was created. In these cases, the cooperative 

programs have been primarily concerned with NASA acquiring access to 

desired launch sites outside the United States or with the foreign countries 

wanting to employ U,S. sites. With less advanced countries such as Pakistan, 

NASA's role in helping to develop local technological capabilities has been 

more significant. For example, NASA began working with the Pakistan 

Space and Upper Atmosphere Res~arch Committee in .1962, when NikeCajuns were used to launch sodium-vapor payloads from Sonmiani Beach, 

Pakistan. More sophisticated payloads followed. 

NASA's international sounding rocket programs, like its cooperative 

satellite programs, have been highly successful as agents of good will and 

stimuli to space science around the world. 

SOUNDING ROCKET STATISTICS 

From the scant 16 sounding rockets fired during 1959, the number 

launched by Goddard's Sounding Rocket Branch steadily increased to 152 in 

1964. Appendix C indicates that the most popular of these rockets in the 

early years was the Nike-Cajun, a rocket which had been improved only in 

minor ways since its introduction in 1956. The chief additions to the 

"stable" were the Aerobee l50A and 300A, the Astrobee 1500, the British 

Skylark, and the Javelin. 

The Aerobee l50A is essentially an Aerobee 150 with four tail fins 

rather than three. Likewise, the Aerobee 300A is an Aerobee 300 which uses 

a l50A second stage rather than the older three-fin 150. All rockets in the 

NASA "stable" show such evolutionary improvements, most of which never 

get recognized by a change in rocket designation. 

The British Skylark sounding rocket was first employed by NASA in 

1961 when four were fired from Woomera, Australia, in a program of 

southern hemisphere stellar photography. No Skylarks have been used by 

NASA since. The Skylark (originally named the Gassiot High Altitude 

51 
The Astrobee 1500, one ofNASA's larger sounding rockets. 

Vehicle) was produced by the Royal Aircraft Establishm

introduced during the IGY. 

The Astrobee 1500 was first used by NASA in 1962. It wa

be a replacement for the large Argo 0-8 Journeyman rocket, 

used for big payloads and high altitudes. A replacement w

because the Journeyman first stage, the Sergeant motor, w

increasingly hard to get. Built by Aerojet, the Astrobee 1500 co

Aerojet 100 (Aerojet Junior) first stage augmented by two Thio

plus an Alcor second stage. Like the Journeyman, the Astro

been used only sparingly in NASA's programs, it being unneces

expensive for most purposes. 

THE NlKE-APACHE AND AERO BEE 350 

The most popular sounding rocket introduced during th

period was the two-stage, solid-propellant Nike-Apache, which w

the Nike-Cajun in most respects. The primary difference was t

52 
Nike-Apaches ready for launch from Fort Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. 


A Nike-Apache on the so-called "universal" launcher at Wallops Station. 

Elkton, Md. The Nike-Apache has been fired in large numbers si

An Aerobee tower launch at Wallops Island. 

70The Asp was originally developed by the Cooper Development C

subsequently bought out by Marquardt Corp. 

54 
to about 340 km (210 mi) and was designed specifically to give instruments 

a "soft ride." The Aerobee 350 also incorporated a sophisticated attitudecontrol system that could select several astronomical targets during flight. 71 

The first test of the first "all-Goddard" rocht took place on December 11, 

1964, at Wallops Island, when the booster stage was tested successfully with 

a dummy second stage. The purpose of the test was to check compatibility 

between the new rocket and the Aerobee launch tower at Wallops. The first 

complete system test of the Aerobee 350 was successful at Wallops Island on 

June 18, 1965. 

SUBSYSTEMS AND GROUND SUPPORT 

When experimenters first began using the captured V-2s in 1946, they 

discovered to their consternation that a V-2 usually rolled and tumbled so 

much after its engines ceased operating that instrument pointing was 

impossible. As specialized research rockets, such as the Aerobees, were 

introduced, instrument-pointing equipment was developed to aid the 

scientists. A typical development of the 1950s was the Sunfollower, designed 

by the University of Colorado. When NASA commenced sounding rocket 

operations in 1959, it had no choice but to make the experimenters 

themselves responsible for pointing their experiments. This meant that the 

experimenters had to go to the University of Colorado or Ball Brothers 

Corp., a manufacturer in Boulder, for their equipment. In 1962 NASA began 

its own development of rocket attitude-control devices. Some stellar 

pointing control work, involving high-precision pointing, was done at 

Goddard and Space-General, a new subsidiary of Aerojet. Much of the NASA 

work on solar pointing was carried out at Ames Research Center during the 

1965-1968 period. Ames developed a solar pointing system that employed 

gas jets and a magnetic system for rocket stabilization, the Solar Pointing 

Aerobee Rocket Control Syst~m (SPARCS). This equipment was used for 

sunspot and solar limb studies. 

71C. B. Tackett, "Aerobee 350 Rocket Instrumentation," NASA TM-X-63156 (1968); also J. 

H. Lane and C. P. Chalfant, "Development of the Aerobee 350 Sounding Rocket," AIAA Sounding 

Rocket Vehicle Technology Specialist Conference (New York, 1967), p. 43. 

55 
Aerobees, Goddard engineers modified a launch tower that 

used in 1949 for Aerobee launches from the U.S.S. Norton S

NASA acquired this structure it had been modified and used 

Ordnance Test Station (China Lake) for six Aerobee launc

Bahamas in 1963 and 1964. Goddard modifications to the t

shortening the tower and making the entire assembly and asso

support equipment fully mobile. The result was called the m

launch facility (MALF). MALF was first employed by NAS

United States when Aerobee l50s were fired from Natal, Braz

1967.72 

The mobile launch facility used for Aerobee launches. Shown in Brazi

An extremely important facet of sounding rocket perform

reliability. During the early Aerobee work, for example, fail

occasionally as high as 20 percent, whereas NASA experien

Aerobee failure rate of only about 10 percent from 1959 

72Jon R. Busse, "Mobile Aerobee Launch Facility," AIAA Soundin

Technology Specialist Conference (New York, 1967), p. 507. 

56 
the state of the art. 

RESEARCH TRENDS 

The sounding rocket compendium, Appendix B, lists each NASA rocket 

flight. Obviously there are too many to discuss individually, but some 

general statements can be made regarding the Goddard program during the 

five-year period 1960-1964. Table 4 is conclusive in showing that sounding 

rockets find their greatest application in atmospheric and ionospheric 

physics. Noteworthy, too, is the fact that few biological experiments were 

flown during the five years covered in this chapter. 74 

When one examines the 1960-1964 record according to the agency 

conducting the experiment, Goddard scientists have accounted for almost 

half of the launches (Table 5). As we shall see in the next chapter, however, 

university and international flights have become more important with the 

maturation of the program. 

TABLE 4. Types ofSounding Rocket TABLE 5. Agencies Conducting 


Experiments, 1960-1964 Experiments, 1960-1964 


Discipline Flights Agency I Flights 

Aeronomy 147 Goddard 219 

Biology 2 Other NASA centers 26 

Energetic particles 35 Universities 73 

Fields 15 Department of Defense 14 

Astronomy 29 Other Government agencies 7 

Ionospheric physics 81 Industry 75 

Meteorology 77 International 39 

Radio astronomy 2 Total 453 

Solar physics 14 

Special projects 21 

Test and support 30 

Total 453 

73Pressly interview, Nov. 27, 1968. 

74This observation holds for scientific satellites, too. NASA has been criticized on occasion for 

not pursuing more space biological research. 

57 
rockets (about 8 percent) were fired there. Of course, the A

other Goverrtment agertcies with their own rocket programs 

Sands extensively. During 1960-1964, Goddard fired 79 rock

Churchill (not counted as international flights); 4 from the 

Range; 5 from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and 8 from Asc

which is in the South Atlantic near the end of the Eastern T

addition to these terra firma launches, six Nike Apaches were l

the V.S.N.S. Croatan in late 1964. The launches occurred in th

Wallops Islartd and in some cases were synchronized with si

from shore. 

It is difficult to single out anyone flight or series of flig

mention. 7s Several flights involved the feature of payload 

nuclear emulsion recovery vehicle (NERV) and biological sa

flights fall into this interesting class. The first NERV was l

Point Arguello, part of the Pacific Missile Range, on Septembe

measure the characteristics of the inner Van Allen belt and 

effect of the radiation upon mold spores. The flight wa

successful with the capsule being recovered some three hour

1930 km (1200 mi) away. The two BIOS capsules were also l

Point Arguello by Journeyman rockets. Launched in N ovem 

BIOS capsules contained nuclear emulsions, biological spec

addition, equipment to collect interplanetary matter. 76 V nfo

BIOS capsules were not recovered. Also of special interest wa

six Nike-Apache flights attempted from Fort Churchill du

eclipse of July 20, 1963. Launched within a three-hour perio

were intended to measure the eclipse's effect on the ionosph

two rockets failed, but the remaining four were successful. 

The international phase of the NASA sounding ro

gathered considerable momentum during the 1960-1964 

Goddard launching a total of 48 rockets involving seven c

Table 3.) 

7S For the description of a specific typical flight, see W. P. Fortney,lnstrume

Report for Aerobee 150 Flights 4.122 CG and 4.123 CG, NASA TM-X-55493 (1965

76 A number of sounding rocket flights during the 1950s carried so-calle

Experiments," Which were designed to collect micrometeotoid samples at high alt

Luster flights in the late 1960s had the same purpose and were more ambitious. 

58 
in the disciplines of atmospheric and ionospheric physics, the areas where 

satellites are of limited usefulness. Sounding rockets were also training aids 

for experimenters and their equipment. As the middle of the decade 

approached, more and more scientists began to appreciate the positive 

advantages of sounding rocket research over satellite research: lack of 

formality, short lead times, low costs, and more design freedom. The Model 

T stigma began to disappear from sounding rocket research. 

The remainder of this chapter summarizes rocket research results, 

1960-1964, in various disciplines.?? 

Meteorology. Some 3500 small rockets (Areas and Lokis) and a few 

dozen larger rockets fired from a wide geographical area helped refine our 

knowledge of winds, temperatures, and other weather-pertinent features of 

the upper atmosphere. The small rockets were launched by various agencies 

as part of the cooperative Meteorological Rocket Network. It was learned, 

for example, that there were consistent exceptions to the supposed steady 

decline of temperature with altitude in the mesosphere and that circulation 

systems of the lower mesosphere changed their behaviors abruptly at higher 

altitudes. 

Atmospheric physics. The temperature of the mesopause was variable, 

generally having its maximum value at high latitudes in the summer with the 

minimum in the winter. Noctilucent clouds were often associated with the 

low temperatures in the summer. Strong shear zones were found between 70 

and 120 km (44 and 75 mi), apparently arising from internal "gravity 

waves." The bright auroras were excited by energetic electrons, while the 

more diffuse and extensive auroras were proton excited. Apparently the Van 

Allen belts were not the source of the aurora-exciting particles. 

Ionospheric physics. The solar spectral regions responsible for ionization were determined throughout the ionosphere. The F-region electrons 

were produced by a wide range of wavelengths. At the magnetic equator, the 

sporadic E layer arose from an acoustic wave generated by a two-stream 

instability associated with the electrojet. A great deal of data on electron 

77Extensive details may be found in a series of NASA special publications covering the 

significant achievements in space from 1958 through 1964: Space Astronomy, NASA SP-91; 

Ionospheres and Radio Physics, NASA SP-95; Satellite Meteorology, NASA SP-96; Particles and 

Fields, NASA SP-97;Planetary Atmospheres, NASA SP-98; and Solar Physics, NASA SP.lDO. All were 

published in 1966. These reports form the basis for the summary. 

59 
the inner and outer belts with emulsions and particle spectrome

Solar physics. From the beginning, satellites have taken 

research burden from sounding rockets; viz, the OSOs, the 

series, etc. Consequently, sounding rockets have been relegated 

instruments destined for future satellites, such as spect

coronagraphs. 

Astronomy. In the absence of satellites specifically devo

omy, sounding rockets made the major discovery of discrete 

outside the solar system. Ten such sources had been found 

1964. 

60 

VIII 

SOUNDING ROCKET RESURGENCE, 

1965-1968 

In the January 1966 issue of Astronautics and Aeronautics, Colin o. 

Hines presented an article entitled "Sounding Rocket Resurgence." From 

this article came the title of this chapter. Eleanor C. Pressly, of Goddard's 

Sounding Rocket Branch, feels that the word "resurgence" is perhaps not 

indicative of exactly what happened in the middle 1960s. 78 Most experimenters, she stated, never "left" sounding rockets. Indeed, a study of the 

number of NASA sounding rockets launched each year (Appendix C) shows 

a steady increase to about 160 firings per annum, with no significant 

decreases in recent years despite reductions in the overall NASA budget. The 

word "resurgence," then, really applies to the reawakening of the scientific 

community to the value of sounding rockets as research vehicles. The stock 

of sounding rockets began to rise noticeably in 1965. 

Even more indicative of the enhancement of scientists' regard for 

sounding rockets may be found in the 1969 recommendations of the 

National Academy of Sciences on the subject of sounding rockets in space 

research. 79 Specifically, the Committee on Rocket Research of the Space 

Science Board suggested that NASA increase its annual expenditures to $27 

million by 1971 (an increase of 36 percent over fiscal year 1969) with an 

annual increase of 12 percent thereafter. 

Some of the reasons for this enhancement of the sounding rocket 

mystique have already been mentioned: the fact that only sounding rockets 

can make direct measurements between 32 and 160 km (20 and 100 mi), 

their convenience and lack of formality, the short experiment lead times, the 

low cost, and the greater design freedom. Some additional and more subtle 

reasons are noteworthy. First, much space research is carried out with the 

78Pressly interview, Nov. 27, 1968. 

79Committee on Rocket Research, Space Science Board, Sounding Rockets: Their Role in 

Space Research (Washington, 1969). 

61 
pppy, 

scientific satellites often raise when comparing satellites to so

It is true that a single satellite of the Observatory class can t

greater volume of data than all of the sounding rockets NAS

single year. Much of these data are uninteresting, how

unanalyzed. When something "interesting" happens in spac

the eruption of a solar big flare or the detonation of a high-

weapon, a satellite with the proper instruments may not be in 

be in the wrong place. Sounding rockets, in contrast, ca

quickly from almost any spot on Earth. In short, soundin

much greater versatility as to what they measure, when they 

where. 

Appendix E portrays the trends in rocket research 

discipline. Manifestly, aeronomy, meteorology, and ionos

depend heavily upon rockets because satellites and balloons c

as instrument carriers between 32 and 161 km (20 and 

resurgence of sounding rockets is most marked in the discipl

particles. The years 1961, 1962, and 1963 saw an averag

payload per year; but in 1964, 16 energetic particle payloads 

by rocket. This increased rate has been maintained since 

explanations for the three-year decline and subsequent resu

those we have listed and, in addition, a focusing of at

low-altitude auroral zones. 

Another discipline that has waxed strong recently with s

vehicles is galactic astronomy. Some of this heavy use of sou

attributable to the long delays in launching a successful Orbi

ical Observatory (OAO), but undoubtedly some astronomers 

the simplicity and short cycle time of rockets over the OAO-c

In the context of payload simplicity, there was initially 

early part of the 1965-1968 period toward multi disci pl

rockets- a movement that paralleled the trend away from s

satellites to multidisciplinary observatories. Some of the bigg

as the Aerobee 350, had ample room for several experiments

was actually a regression, in a sense, back to the multidiscipl

all the attendant problems of matching interfaces between exp

In the preceding chapter, the Aerobee 350 and its dev

described. As indicated in Appendix C, this rocket was first 

62 
per round. Perhaps 2000 were fired each year, mainly for meteorological 

purposes. It was also a good rocket for launching small payloads to moderate 

altitudes-5.4 kg (12 lb) to 64 km (40 mi), nominal performance, and 

employed no special launch equipment. It was therefore eminently suited for 

NASA's international programs. The Arcas was put into service in Norway, 

New Zealand, and other countries during the 1965-1968 period. The rockets 

were purchased directly from the Atlantic Research Corp. 

The Arcas tube-launched meteorological rocket. 

The Nike-Tomahawk also saw considerable operational use by NASA 

beginning in 1965. Originally developed by the Thiokol Chemical Corp. for 

Sandia Corp., the acting agent for- the AEC, the Nike-Tomahawk carried a 

larger payload to higher altitudes than the Nike-Apache. 

63 
A Nike-Tomahawk at Wallops Station. 

The most interesting addition to the NASA "stable

1965-1968 period was the Black Brant IV, a rocket bu

Aerospace, Ltd., in Winnipeg. There was some controversy w

regarding the desirability of purchasing a rocket from a fo

64 
American manufacturer could match with off-the-shelf vehicles. 

(Note: NASA paid only for a propellant change in the Black Brant 

to improve performance. The U.S. Air Force also contributed 

financially to the development of the Black Brant series.) 

2. 	 The Black Brant used no military hardware and could thus be fired 

from foreign countries. 

3. The Black Brant represented the cheapest way to get the job done. 

By the end of 1968, NASA had fired two Black Brant IVs: one with a 

Canadian payload from Wallops Island on May 7, 1968, and a second from 

Brazil with a radiation payload provided by the Manned Spacecraft Center, 

on June 11, 1968. 

Appendixes C and E summarize the launch activities of the Goddard 

Sounding Rocket Branch by rocket vehicle and discipline during the 

1965-1968 period. NASA sounding rocket funding is recapitulated in 

Appendix F. The trends in these areas were covered earlier in this chapter. 

At this point, some of the more important domestic and international 

programs are related. 

Almost 700 sounding rockets were managed by Goddard Space Flight 

Center in the four-year period 1965-1968. (See Appendix B for listing.) Most 

were launched from Wallops Island, Fort Churchill, and White Sands. The 

instrumentation reflected the emphasis on aeronomy, meteorology, and 

ionospheric physics portrayed in Appendix E-that is, pitot tubes, grenade 

experiments, ion probes, etc. While these programs fonned the basic fabric 

of the sounding rocket program, there was also a long series of firings from 

the U.S.N.S. Croatan during 1965, three major eclipse expeditions,81 and a 

continuation of the highly successful international program. 

The 1965 shipboard firings were part of NASA's contribution to the 

International Year of the Quiet Sun (lQSY). A total of 77 Nike-Cajuns, 

Nike-Apaches, and small Arcas meteorological rockets were launched from 

Wallops' mobile range facility on the U.S.N.S. Croatan, while it steamed 

along the west coast of South America between March 8 and April 22, 

1965.82 The experiments were aimed at detennining the states of the upper 

8 °Medrow interview, Dec. 11, 1968. 

81 E. E. Bissell, Report on United States·New Zealand Solar Eclipse Project, NASA 

TM-X-55519 (1966). 

82Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1965, NASA SP-4006 (1966), pp. 110,121,163,195. 

65 
The U.S.N.S. Croatan, the Wallops mobile range facility, used during 

along the west ,Coast ofSouth America during 1965. 
ber 18, 1965 (a Nike-Apache), and October 22, 1966 (an Aerobee 150)-all 

from White Sands. The samples collected from altitudes of 160 km (100 mi) 

were distributed in the United States and Europe. 83 During Project Luster, 

the Goddard Sounding Rocket Branch provided rockets and launch services, 

while Ames Research Center was responsible for the payloads. This is the 

typical relationship between the Sounding Rocket Branch and any experimenter, whether from Government, university, industry, or a foreign 

country. 

Ames Research Center has also been involved in the development of 

attitude-control equipment for sounding rockets, notably SPARCS, as 

mentioned in Chapter VB. The first flight test of SPARCS took place on 

December 10, 1967, when an Aerobee 150 was fired from White Sands. The 

test was partially successful. 

Cooperative sounding rocket programs with foreign countries expanded 

considerably during the 1965-1968 period. Close to half of NASA's sounding 

rocket launches occurred on foreign soil-particularly at polar and equatorial 

sites essential to studies of auroral and equatorial electrojet phenomena. 

Several new countries-Brazil, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, and Spainconcluded agreements with the United States, and ongoing programs with 

other countries increased in size. Because of the importance of these 

international flights to NASA's mission, they are all listed in Table 6. 84 

The remainder of the chapter summarizes rocket research results, 

1965-1968, in various disciplines. 85 

Atmospheric physics and meteorological research. Using a new ionized 

barium technique, electric fields were measured for the first time in the 

upper atmosphere. They seemed to be about 100 times stronger than at 

lower altitudes. The vertical profile of neutral helium was measured up to 

1000 km (620 mi). 

83/bid., pp. 518, 52l. Also Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1966, NASA SP4007 (1967), p. 

326. See Table 6 for countries involved. 

84The bulk of the information in this table was extracted from the booklet "International 

Programs," prepared by the NASA Headquarters Office of International Affairs. 

85The detailed achievements of NASA space science programs during the 1965-1966 period 

may be found in Space Science 1965, NASA SP-136 (1967), and Space Science, 1966, NASA SP-155 

(1967). 

67 
0\ 

00 Country 

Argentina 

TABLE 6. 

Location 

Tartagal 

Wallops I. 

Chamical 

Chamical 

Brazil 

Mar Chiquita 

Wallops I. 

Natala 

Natal 

Natal 

Cassino 

Natal 

Natal 

Natal 

Cooperative International Programs, 1965-1968 

Date(s) 

Nov. 1966 

Nov. 1966 

Sept. 1967 

Apr. 1966-Apr. 1968 

May 1968-Dec. 1968 

Aug. 1965 

Dec. 1965 

Jan. 1966-Dec. 1968 

May 1966-Mar. 1968 

Nov. 1966 

Dec. 1966 

Mar. 1967 

June 1967 

Details 

Argentine scientists studied upper atmosp

eclipse of Nov. 12, 1966, with 12 Arca

3 tests of the Argentine-built Orion rocke

National University of Tucuman studied i

with 2 Nike-Apaches. 

As part of the Experimental Inter-Americ

logical Rocket Network (EXAMETNET

launched 38 Arcas rockets and boosted 

EXAMETNET operations moved; 19 mor

rockets and boosted Darts fired. 

Brazilian and Goddard scientists launched 

Apache to study effect of cosmic rays 

As above; 2 Nike-Apaches. 

EXAMETNET operations (see Argentina)

the launching of 52 Arcas rockets and 

Darts. 

Brazilian and Goddard scientists employe

to study upper atmosphere; 25 Nike.(:a

17 sounding rockets of various types laun

and Brazilian experimenters during the 

eclipse on Nov. 12, 1966. 

Using an Aerobee 150, Catholic Universit

menters identified new X-ray sources in 

ern hemisphere. 

Variety of experiments prepared by the U

New Hampshire launched on a Nike-To

In a tripartite agreement, German scientis

Javelins in a variety of experiments and 

equipment for the German Research Sa
Canada 

France 

Germany 

0, 

\0 

aNatal, Brazil, was 

Natal 1968 Air Force Cambridge Research Laborato

meteoroid flux with recoverable paylo

Nike-Iroquois rockets. 

Fort Churchill Continuous 127 NASA launches during period. 

Resolute Bay Oct. 1967-Dec. 1968 Canadian and Goddard scientists fired 12 

Arcas rockets in studies of particle ab

ionosphere in polar regions. 

Wallops I. May 1968 With a Black Brant IV, Canadian enginee

satellite instrumentation and measure

Wallops I. Sept. 1965 Electron density and VLF field strength 

with Aerobee 150 payload. 

White Sands Nov. 1965, French experimenters provided part of P

June 1967 payloads (Aerobee 150s). 

White Sands I Nov. 1965, German scientists collected dust samples 

Oct. 1966, Project Luster (4 Aerobee 150s). 

June-Aug. 1967 

Wallops I. Aug. 1966 German researchers measured electron d

a Nike-Apache . 

Wallops I. Sept. 1966 A Javelin and Nike-Tomahawk were used 

ments dealing with cometary physics, 

tosphere, and the interplanetary plasm

Fort Churchill Nov. 1966 German scientists tested instrumentation 

Research Satellite and performed vari

ments using a Nike-Apache. 

Kiruna, Sweden Apr. 1967-Apr. 1968 Same as Wallops Island location for Sept

10 Nike-Apaches. 

Natal, Brazil June 1967 Same as Fort Churchill location for Nov. 

Javelins. 


especially desirable as a sounding rocket launch site because it is within sounding rocket range of the South A
TABLE 6. Cooperative International Programs, 1965-1968 -Concluded 

Country 

~ 

Greece 


India 


Israel 


Japan 


The Netherlands 

Location 

Kiruna, Sweden 

Thumba, India 

Kiruna, Sweden 

NASA ship off 

Greece 

Thumba 

Thumba 

Thumba 

Thumba 

White Sands 

Wallops I. 

Wallops I. 

Coronie, Surinam 

White Sands 

Date(s) 

Dec. 1967 

Mar. 1968 

June 1968 

May 1966 

1964-1966 

Mar. 1966-Dec. 1968 

1968 

Mar. 1968 

Nov. 1965, 

Oct. 1966, 

June-Aug. 1967 

Apr. 1962-0ct. 1964 

Apr. 1967 

Sept. 1965 

Oct. 1967 

Details 

Same as above, using 1 Nike-Apache. 

Germany: and India cooperated in barium 

experiment with 4 Nike-Apaches. 

Micrometeoroid detection experiments, u

Apaches. 

Goddard scientists studied ionosphere du

. solar eclipse. 

30 boosted Darts fired in meteorological 

supporting the Indian Ocean Expeditio

Long series of various experiments prepar

Physical Research Laboratory at Ahme

launched by 15 Nike-Apaches. 

New Delhi National Physical Laboratory 

electron/ion densities, Lyman-alpha ra

X-rays with a Nike-Apache payload. 

Goddard payloads on 2 boosted Arcas ro

investigated electron density in equato

ionosphere. 

University of Tel Aviv participated in Pro

Aerobee firings to gather samples of ex

restrial dust. 

Goddard and Japanese Radio Research L

measured electron temperature and de

3 Nike-Cajuns, 2 Aerobee 150s, and I 

Japanese scientists fired 10 boosted Arca

and I 0 Japanese MT-135 rockets in a s

meteorological experiments. 

4 Nike-Apaches fired in sodium-vapor exp

An Aerobee 150 limnched by the Labora

Space Research to investigate spatial d

of solar X-ray sources. 
Pakistan 

Spain 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

'-l

.... 

Andoya 

Wallops I. 


Andoya 


Andoya 


Andoya 


Sonmiani Beach 

Sonmiani Beach 

Sonmiani Beach 

Huelva 

Andoya 

White Sands 

White Sands 

Sonmiani Beach 

Mar. 1966 

1968 


Aug. 1967-1968 


Sept. 1967 


1968 


1964-1967 

Apr. 1965-Nov. 1967 

Feb . 1966 

Oct. 1966-1968 

Mar. 1965 

Nov. 1965 

Nov. 1964, Nov. 1965, 

Oct. 1966 

Apr. 1965-Nov. 1967 

Goddard and Norwegian cooperative expe

an ion spectrometer launched by a Nike

Same as above, using a Nike-Apache. 

Polar ionosphere and radiation instrument 

on 4 Sidewinder-Arcas rockets by Godd

Norway . 

6 Nike-Tomahawks fired to compare tech

measuring electric fields. 

Near-simultaneous launches of barium pay

instruments to measure particles, and m

electric fields. 5 Nike-Tomahawks used

32 boosted Darts launched as meteorologi

for Indian Ocean Expedition. 

Pakistani and British scientists combined t

meteorological experiments using grena

from 2 Nike-Cajuns and 4 Nike-Apache

Cooperative experiment ; sodium-vapor pa

2 Nike-Apaches. 

National Aerospace Institute used boosted 

make meteorological measurements. 

2 boosted Arcas rockets and 2 Nike-Apach

in auroral and ionospheric physics expe

Swedish scientists participated in Project L

British scientists participated in Project Lu

Nike-Cajun and Nike-Apache launched in 

with Pakistan. Grenades released by 2 

and 4 Nike-Apaches. 
Antenna in front ofrange buildings at Natal, Brazil. 

Static test stand for small experimental rocket motors at Thumba Spa

Technology Center India. 
Areas being loaded into launch tube, Thumba, India. 

Ionospheric physics. The eclipse expeditions revealed the collapse of 

the lower iOhosphere as the Moon cut off solar radiation. The effects of the 

Lyman-alpha solar line on the D-region during the eclipse led to a better 

understanding of the mechanisms creating the ionosphere. The electron 

temperature in the ionosphere was found to drop more than 15 percent at 

190 km (118 mi) during totality. 

Solar physics. Improved instrument-pointing equipment led to highresolution ultraviolet and X-ray pictures of the Sun's surface. During the 

eclipse expeditions, the Moon was employed as part of the experiment to 

help pinpoint sources of radiation on the Sun's surface. 

Astronomy. Many new X-ray sources were found. Two classes of X-ray 

sources were differentiated. One was associated with optical emissions; the 

other was not. Ultraviolet astronomy also made progress as many spectrograms of stars in the 1000-2000 A region were taken. Lines of carbon, 

silicon, and nitrogen were observed. The effect of absorption on the 

Lyman-alpha line due to interstellar hydrogen was observed, but the results 

conflicted with those from radio astronomy. Collection of interplanetary 

dust during Project Luster indicated that the dust particles were complex, 

irregular, and highly vesicular. They might have been the remnants of 

disintegrated comets. 

73 

A SUMMARY OF 


SOUNDING ROCKET DEVELOPMENT 


Sounding rockets have been operational on a regular basis since 1945 

when the first Wac Corporal flew successfully. Since then, they have become 

an ever more useful tool of space science. NASA launches roughly 150 

sounding rockets a year; collectively other U.S. agencies match that figure. 

Thousands of small meteorological rockets are also used each year. Looking 

at the unfolding of sounding rocket technology within NASA, developments 

may be summarized as follows: 

• 	 NASA has concentrated all sounding rocket development and 

procurement at Goddard Space Flight Center. The basic Goddard 

sounding rocket organization was transferred from the Naval 

Research Laboratory in December 1958 and has remained essentially unchanged since that time. 

• 	 Goddard has not had to develop a new "stable" of sounding 

rockets. Utilizing the Aerobees, Nike-Cajuns, and other off-the-shelf 

rockets (many originally developed by PARD), NASA has been able 

to meet most needs of the scientific community. New vehicle 

developments that have been considered essential to its mission 

have been the Aetobee 170, Aerobee 350, Nike-Apache, NikeTomahawk, Javelin, and Black Brant. Except for the Black Brants, 

these rockets were primarily modifications or new combinations of 

existing hardware. 

• 	 The development of accurate attitude-control devices has greatly 

increased the effectiveness of sounding rockets in space astronomy 

and solar physics. 

• 	 With the coming of scientific satellites, sounding rockets temporarily seemed obsolete for space research. But their intrinsic 

simplicity and low cost, their short lead times, and the informality 

of sounding rocket research have effectively erased that stigma. 

75 
gpp

76 
American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics. AIAA Sounding Rocket Vehicle 

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Benton, M. The Use of High-Altitude Rockets for Scientific Investigations, NRL 

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78 
APPENDIX A 


SHORT DESCRIPTIONS 


OF MAJOR SOUNDING ROCKETS 


During the preparation of this brief history, the writer had to organize a card 

file of major sounding rockets in self-defense. It seemed as though almost every 

permutation and combination of extant rocket stages had been used at one time or 

another. Furthermore, various names had been applied to the same vehicle. To aid the 

reader, this glossary of major sounding rockets has been prepared. 

Aerobee Hawk: See Aerobee 75. 

Aerobee-Hi: See Aerobee 150. 

Aerobee Junior: See Aerobee 100. 

Aerobee 75: (Aerobee Hawk) Developed by Aerojet for the Army Signal Engineering 

Laboratory. First flight in 1958. Theoretically could lift 45 kg (100 Ib) to 

120 km (75 mi). Abandoned. 

Aerobee 90: Combination of Hawk and Sparrow missiles. Designed to lift 18 kg (40 Ib) 

to 125 km (78 mi). All other Aerobees had liquid main stages. A "paper" 

rocket. 

Aerobee 100: (Aerobee Junior) Developed by Aerojet on company funds. Twenty fired 

between 1947 and 1961. Could lift 18 kg (40 Ib) to 160 km (100 mi). 

Aerobee 150: (Aerobee-Hi) The Aerobee 150 was actually an improved Aerobee-Hi, but 

differences were slight. This became the so-called "standard Aerobee." 

Developed by Aerojet. First used in 1955 . Navy and Air Force versions 

existed. Many slightly different models. Could lift 68 kg (15 Ib) to 275 km 

(170 mi). 

Aerobee 150A: Similar to Aerobee 150 except it had four rather than three stabilizing 

fins. First flight in 1960. 

Aerobee 170: An Aerobee 150A with a Nike solid-propellant booster. 

Aerobee 300: (Spaerobee) Aerobee 150 plus a Sparrow third stage. Developed by 

Aerojet with Navy funds under technical direction of NRL. First used in 

1958. Could lift 23 kg (50 Ib) to 480 km (300 mi). 

Aerobee 300A: An Aerobee 300 with the Aerobee 150 stage replaced by an Aerobee 

150A. 

Aerobee 350: Main stage employed four clustered Aerobee ISO stages; the upper stage 

was another Aerobee ISO. A Nike booster was used. Developed by 

Space-General (Aerojet) for Goddard. A large rocket, it could lift 227 kg (500 

Ib) to 340 km (210 mi). 

79 
Archer: A 	small solid-propellant rocket developed by the Atlantic 

Introduced in 1962 for the IQSY. Could lift 18 kg (40 Ib) 

rni). 

Arcon: Similar to the Deacon and Cajun. Developed by the Atlantic Re

NRL. First used in 1958. Designed to lift 18 kg (40 Ib) to 113 

Argo series: All of the rockets in this series were adaptations b

Development Co. of Langley-designed vehicles. The Argos 

large rockets. An Argo glossary follows. 

Argo A-1: (Percheron). Modified Sergeant plus 2 Recruits. Used on occ

Research Center. Could lift 180 kg (400 Ib) to 177 km (110 m

Argo D-4: (Javelin) Honest John plus 2 Nike-Ajax plus X-248. First NA

Could lift 45 kg (100 Ib) to 800 km (500 rni). 

Argo D-8: (Journeyman) Modified Sergeant plus Lance plus Lance plus 

development. First NASA use in 1960. Could lift 68 kg (150 

(1000 mi). 

Argo E-5: (Jason) Honest John plus Nike plus Nike plus Recruit plus T-

1958. Air Force used in Project Jason during the Argus high

tests. 

Arrow: A version of the Loki solid-propellant motor. 

Asp: (Atmospheric Sounding Projectile) Developed by Cooper Develo

the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory. Flight test in 

13.6 kg (30 Ib) to 40 km (25 mi). 

Aspan: (Nike-Asp) Rail-launched vehicle consisting of an Asp plus 

Product of the Cooper Development Corp. Could lift 27 kg (6

(160 rni). Also an improved version, the Aspan 300. 

Astrobee 200: Similar to the Aerobee 150, with a higher acceleration re

by Aerojet for the Air Force Cambridge Research Laborator

lift 57 kg (125 Ib) to 320 km (200 mi). 

Astrobee 250: Developed by Aerojet. Designed to lift 227 kg (500 Ib) 

mi). 

Astrobee 500: Developed by Aerojet for the Air Force Cambridge R

tories. Could lift 18 kg (40 Ib) to 800 km (500 mi). 

Astrobee 1500: A large sounding rocket originally developed by Aer

Force. Consisted of an Aerobee 100 (Aerobee Junior) aug

Recruits plus an Alcor second stage. Replacement for the Jo

launch attempt by NASA on April 8, 1963, at Wallops Isla

Used sparingly by NASA for heavy payloads and very high 

lift 34 kg (751b) to 2414 km (1500 mi). 

Black 	 Brant: A series of sounding rockets developed by Bristol 

Winnipeg, primarily for the U.S. Air Force. The important mo

Black Brant III: 39.5 kg (88Ib) to 184 km (114 mi) 

Black Brant IV: 38.5 kg (85 Ib) to 926 km (575 mi) 

80 
Cajun-Dart: A small rocket developed by Space Data Corp. under contract to Marshall 

Space Flight Center. First tests at Eglin Air Force Base in August 1964. 80- to 

96-km (50- to 60-mi) range. Used at Cape Kennedy as a chaff rocket. 

CAN: See Nike-Cajun. 

DAN: See Nike-Deacon. 

Deacon: A rocket motor developed by Allegany Ballistics Laboratory for the Navy 

Bureau of Ordnance as one of a series of missile solid-propellant motors 

(Curate, Vicar, etc.). First fired at Wallops Island in April 1947. NACA used 

extensively for firing aerodynamic models. Later used in Terrapin rocket, on 

many rockoon flights, and by NASA in the Nike-Deacon sounding rockets. 

Superseded by the Cajun. Used alone, it could lift 9 kg (20 lb) to 80 km (50 

mi). 

Deacon-Arrow: A small rocket developed by Sandia Corp. for use in nuclear weapons 

tests. Could lift 9 kg (20 lb) to 77 km (48 mi). 

Exos: A development of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, assisted by 

NACA and the University of Michigan. Consisted of an Honest John plus 

Nike-Ajax plus Recruit. First fired from Wallops Island on June 26, 1958. 

Could lift 18 kg (40 lb) to 480 km (300 mi). 

Farside: A type of rockoon developed by Aeronutronics Systems, Inc. The rocket 

consisted of 4 Recruits plus 1 Recruit plus 4 Asps plus 1 Asp. Fired from a 

General Mills balloon at about 30 km (19 mi), it was used to probe at very 

high altitudes. Could lift 1.8 kg (4lb) to 6437 km (4000 mi). Project Farside 

fired six rockets in the fall of 1957. 

Hasp: (High Altitude Sounding Projectile) This small rocket was a converted Loki missile 

modified by the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. Hasps were fired from 127-mm 

(5-in.) guns. Could lift 2.7 kg (6lb) to 29 km (18 mi). 

Hawk: (Loki II) A modified Loki II developed by JPL for Army Ordnance and 

manufactured by Cooper Development Corp. Used extensively during the 

IGY from the ground and from rockoons. Could lift 3.6 kg (8 lb) to 121 km 

(75 mi). 

Iris: Development of this Atlantic Research Corp. small sounding rocket began with NRL 

as the contract monitor but was completed by NASA. First NASA firing at 

Wallops Island on July 22, 1960. Rarely used today. Could lift 45 kg (l 00 Ib) 

to 320 km (200 mi). 

Jaguar: An air-launched rocket developed by the Air Force Special Weapons Command. 

Consisted of 3 Recruits plus 1 Recruit plus a one-fifth-scale Sergeant. Fired 

from a B-47 in the late 1950s to explore the Van Allen belt. Could lift 15.9 

kg (35 lb) to about 800 km (500 mi). 

Jason: (Argo E-5) Copy of a five-stage PARD research vehicle made by Aerolab for the 

Air Force (AFSWC) for use in the Jason program, which measured the 

trapped radiation from the Argus nuclear tests in the latter half of 1958. 

81 
y 

g 

Naval Ordnance Laboratory converted the Loki II into the H

the first Loki on June 22, 1951. Loki I could lift 3.6 kg (8lb

mi). 

Nike-Apache: A small rocket almost identical to the Nike-Cajun, with 

interchangeable depending on the payload and altitude desire

motor, was manufactured by Thiokol. One of the most co

rockets in the NASA "stable." First test firing from Wal

May 25,1961. Could lift 45.4 kg (100 lb) to 160 km (100 mi). 

Nike-Asp: See Aspan. 

Nike-Cajun: (CAN) Developed by NACA in conjunction with the 

Michigan, sponsored by the Air Force Cambridge Research 

Many launches during the IGY. Still used by NASA in large 

tested at Wallops Island on July 6, 1956. Could lift 34 kg (75 

(100 mi). 

Nike-Deacon: (DAN) The predecessor of the Nike-Cajun. A cooperativ

effort between NACA and the University of Michigan, with t

of the Air Force. Used by NACA in 1954 for aerodynamic tes

during the IGY. First firing at Wallops Island on November 1

lift 27.2 kg (60 lb) to 97 km (60 mi). 

Nike-Genie: A development of Sandia Corp. Could lift 74.8 kg (165 lb) 

mi). 

Nike-Iroquois: An Air Force sounding rocket. Iroquois stage manufactur

Could lift 19.9 kg (44 lb) to 217 km (135 mi). 

Nike-Javelin: An Air Force sounding rocket. 

Nike-Nike: See Python. 

Nike-Recruit: First launched December 21, 1956. 

Nike-Tomahawk: Developed by Sandia Corp. for nuclear weapons work. 

kg (100 lb) to 322 km (200 mi). NASA has used the Nike-

research purposes since 1965. 

Oriole: A Dart boosted by a Loki I. Development by the Army Signal 

University of Maryland. First fired from shipboard off Virgini

1957. Could lift 1.6 kg (3.6 lb) to about 130 km (80 mi). 

Pegasus: A large sounding rocket developed by Lockheed Missiles &Space 

of a modified Sergeant plus 3 Recruits plus 1 Recruit. Could li

lb) to 1770 km (1100 mi). 

Phoenix: A small two-stage sounding rocket developed for the Air Force 

Power Co. Instrumented by the University of Maryland. Coul

lb) to 274 km (170 mi). 

Purr-kee: A boosted Dart used by the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in 

research. Manufactured by American Machine & Foundry. 

Python: (Nike-Nike) A Marquardt rocket. Could lift 113.4 kg (250 lb) 

mi). 

82 
m (180 000 ft) altitude off Wallops Island. Rarely used for scientific research. 

Roekoon: A generic term for balloon-launched rockets. (See Chapter IV for development 

history.) Deacons and Lokis (Hawks) were launched from several types of 

balloons before and during the IGY. Rockoons could lift 11.3 kg (25 lb) to 

approximately 113 km (70 mi). Project Farside employed the rockoon 

concept. Rarely used today. 

Roksonde: 	A family of small boosted Darts used to eject chaff at high altitudes. 

Manufactured by Marquardt Corp. (formerly Cooper Development Corp.). 

Models 100 and 200. The Roksonde 100 used a Loki booster. 

Sergeant-Delta: A large rocket used by NASA in Project Shotput in preparation for 

launching the Echo satellites. Consisted of a Sergeant plus 2 strapped-on 

Recruits plus a Delta X-248 second stage. 

Sidewinder-Areas: An Arcas rocket boosted by the Navy Sidewinder missile motor. 

Sidewinder-Raven: The British Raven rocket boosted by a Navy Sidewinder missile. 

Spaerobee: 	 See Aerobee 300. 

Sparrow-Areas: An Arcas rocket boosted by a Sparrow missile motor. 

Strongarm: A large five-stage rocket developed by the Army Ballistics Research 

Laboratory with the cooperation of the University of Michigan. Consisted of 

an Honest John plus Nike plus Nike plus modified Recruit plus a scaled-down 

Sergeant. Fired first from Wallops Island on November 10, 1959. Could lift 

6.8 kg (15 lb) to 1600 km (1000 mi). 

Terasea: A small sounding rocket developed by the Naval Ordnance Test Station, China 

Lake. Consisted of a Terrier plus Asroc plus Cajun. Could lift 11.3 kg (25 lb) 

to 158 km (98 mi). 

Terrapin: A small Navy sounding rocket. Originally developed for the University of 

Maryland by Republic Aviation and Allegany Ballistics Laboratory with 

National Security Agency funding. Modified Deacon first stage with Thiokol 

T-55 second stage. First fired from Wallops Island on September 21, 1956. 

Could lift 2.7 to 4 kg (6 to 9 lb) to 129 km (80 mi). 

Tie: A Sandia Corp. sounding rocket used in nuclear weapons tests. Consisted of the 

Lacrosse missile motor plus a Recruit. Could lift 49.9 kg (110 lb) to 160 km 

(100 mi). 

Tomahawk: A Sandia Corp. sounding rocket. Could lift 2004 kg (45 Ib) to about 160 km 

(100 mi). 

V-2: The large German military V-2s were modified for sounding rocket use after World 

War II. (See Chapter III for historical details.) First U.S. flight at White Sands 

on April 16, 1946. Could lift 1134 kg (2500 lb) to 184 km (114 mi). Used in 

Project Bumper and many military test flights. 

Viking: 	A large sounding rocket developed by the Martin Co. for the Naval Research 

Laboratory. (See Chapter IV for historical details.) Two types. Type7: nominal performance: 227 kg (500 lb) to 217 km (135 mi); Type-9: 

nominal performance, 454 kg (1000 lb) to 254 km (158 mi). First firing at 

White Sands on May 3, 1949. 

83 
Research by the Cooper Development Corp., the Wasp w

l27-mm (5-in.) guns. A small rocket used primarily for chaff e

altitudes. First used in February 1956. Could lift 2.7 kg (6lb) 

mi). 

X-17: A sounding rocket developed by Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. 

modified Sergeant plus 3 Recruits plus I Recruit. Originally dev

Air Force for warhead reentry tests. 

84 

APPENDIX B 


COMPENDIUM OF NASA 


SOUNDING ROCKET FIRINGS, 1959-1968 


The following tables present key information for all NASA sounding 

rocket flights. 

Key to sounding rocket nomenclature 

\ Experimenter affiliation 

\ ,Type of experiment 

18.24 GE 

SoundinFo,'et typ' J. ~ Vehicle nlJmber 


(a! the type designated) 


Sounding rocket type code 

1. Aerobee 100 

2. Arcon 

3. Nike-Asp 

4. Aerobee 150/ 150A 

5. Iris 

6. Aerobee 300 

7. Jason (Argo E-5) 

8. Javelin (Argo D-4) 

9. Skylark 

10. Nike-Cajun 

II. Journeyman (Argo 0.8) 

12. Special projects 

13. Aerobee 170 

14. Nike-Apache 

15. Arcas 

16. Astrobee 1500 

85 
D Department of Defense 

G Goddard Space Flight Center 

I International 

N NASA center other than Goddard Space Flight Cen

U College or university 

Experiment code 

A Aeronomy 


B Biology 


E Particles and fields 


G Galactic astronomy 


I Ionospheric physics 


M Meteorology 


P Special projects 


R Radio astronomy 


S Solar physics 


T Test and support 


Firing site abbreviations . 

ARG Chamical, Argentina 


ASC Ascension Island, South Atlantic 


AUS Woomera, Australia 


BRAZ Natal, Brazil 


BRAZ-A Rio Grande Beach, Brazil 


EGL Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 


FC Fort Churchill, Canada 


IND Thumba, India 


ITALY Sardinia, Italy 


NOR Andoya, Norway 


NZ Karikari, New Zealand 


PAK Karachi, Pakistan 


PB Point Barrow, Alaska 


PMR Pacific Missile Range, Calif. 


RB Resolute Bay, Canada 


SUR Coronie, Surinam 


SWE Kronogard, Sweden 


WI Wallops Island, Va. 


WS White Sands, N. Mex. 


Affiliation abbreviations 

AFCRL Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories 


AIL Airborne Instruments Laboratory 


86 
GSFC 

JHU 

JPL 

LaRC 

LeRC 

MSC 

NCAR 

NOTS 

NRL 

NYU 

SCAS 

Goddard Space Flight Center 

Johns Hopkins University 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

NASA Langley Research Center 

NASA Lewis Research Center 

NASA Manned Spacecraft Center 

National Center for Atmospheric Research 

Naval Ordnance Test Station 

Naval Research Laboratory 

New York University 

Southwest Center for Advanced Studies 

87 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Aeronomy 

00 

00 NASA 

rocket Date 

Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performancea 

Affiliation/ 

experimenter Purpose 

1959 

3.13 CA 

3.14 CA 

3.15 CA 

3.16 CA 

3.17 CA 

Aug. 17 

Aug. 19 

Nov. 18 

Nov. 19 

Nov. 20 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

S 

X 

S 

S 

S 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

1960 

4.09 GA 

3.23 CA 

3.24CA 

10.03 GA 

10.04 GA 

10.oI GA 

10.05 CA 

10.09 UA 

8.04 CA 

4.14 GA 

10.10 UA 

10.11 CA 

10.12 CA 

8.05 CA 

10.06 GA 

Apr. 29 

May 24 

May 25 

June 16 

July 9 

July 14 

Sept. 20 

Nov. 2 

Nov. 10 

Nov. 15 

Nov. 16 

Dec. 9 

Dec. 9 

Dec. 10 

Dec. 14 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

WI 

S 

X 

S 

P 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

X 

S 

S 

S 

GSFC/Horowitz 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GSFC/N ordberg 

GSFC/Nordberg 

GSFC/Nordberg 

GSFCjNordberg 

U. Mich./Dubin 

Lockheed/Dubin 

GSFC/Taylor 

U. Mich./Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GCA/Dubin 

GSFC/N ordberg 

Atmospheric composi

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Atmospheric composi

Ionosphere 

Atmospheric composi

Atmospheric composi

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 
3.07 CA Apr. 21 WI X GCA/Dubin Sodium vapor 

3.08 CA Apr. 21 WI S GCA/Dubin Sodium vapor 

10.34 GA Apr. 27 WI X GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.02 GA May 5 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.28 GA May 6 WI S GSFC/Smith Gren

ade 

10.29 GA May 9 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.50 UA June 6 WI S U. Mich/Dubin A tmospheric 

structure 

10.56 UA June 9 WI S 

U. Mich./Dubin Atmospheric compositio

10.30 GA July 13 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.31 GA July 14 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.32 GA July 20 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.35 GA July 21 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.57 UA July 26 WI S U. Mich

./Dubin Atmospheric compositio

8.06 CA Sept. 13 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium 

vapor 

8.22 CA Sept. 13 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

3.09 CA Sept. 16 WI X GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

3.18 CA Sept. 16 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

10.36 GA Sept. 16 WI P GSFC/Smith Gren

ade 

10.37 GA Sept. 17 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

3.19 CA Sept. 17 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium 

vapor 

1.08 GA Sept. 23 FC S Varian/Martin Atmospheric structure 

1.09 GA Sept. 30 FC S Varian/Martin Atmospheric structure 

8.23 GA Oct. 10 WI S GSFC/Taylor Ionosphere 

00 

\0 

1.10 GA 1.07 GA 

Oct. 15 

Oct. 17 

FC 

FC 

S 

S 

Varian/Martin 

Varian/Martin 

Atmospheric structure 

Atmospheric structure 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
1.11 G A 

1.12 G A 

10.72 NA 

1 0 .6 4 G A 

1 0 .9 0 UA 

1 0 .1 0 0 CA 

10.38 GA 

10.101 CA 

10 .3 9 G A 

4 .1 8 G A 

1 0 .1 0 2 CA 

1 0 .4 0 GA 

1 0 .1 0 3 CA 

10.41 G A 

1 0 .7 9 NA 

10 .4 2 G A 

3 .2 0 CA 

5 .0 4 G A 

10.91 UA 

14.19 UA 

10.43 GA 

3.21 CA 

3 .2 2 CA 

Rehbar 1 

(N ik e-C aju n ) 

'C 

a 	 NASA 

rocket Date 

Nov. 2 

Nov. 5 

Nov. 18 

Dec. 21 

1962 

Feb. 20 

Mar. 1 

Mar. 2 

Mar. 2 

Mar. 2 

Mar. 19 

Mar. 23 

Mar. 23 

Mar. 27 

Mar. 28 

Apr. 5 

Apr. 17 

Apr. 17 

May 3 

May 18 

June 6 

June 7 

June 7 

June 7 

June 7 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Aeronomy-Continued 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 


site performancea experimenter 


FC S Varian /Martin 

FC S Varian/M artin 

WI S LaRC/Hord 

WI S U. Mich./Spencer 

WI S U. Mich./Dubin 

WI S GCA/Smith 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

WI S GCA/Smith 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

WI X U. Mich./Spencer 

WI S GCA/Smith 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

WI S GCA/Smith 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

WI S LeRC/Potter 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

WI S GCA/Smith 

WI P GSFC/Taylor 

WI S U. Mich./Dubin 

WI S U. Mich./Spencer 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

WI S GCA/Smith 

WI X GCA/Smith 

PAK S GSFC/Mustafa 

Purpose 

Atmospheric structure 

Atmospheric structure 

Airglow 

Atmospheric structure 

Atmospheric composition 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Atmospheric structure 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Ozone 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Atmospheric structure 

Atmospheric composition 

Atmospheric structure 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 
(j) 

K-62-4 I Aug. II I SWE IS I GSFC/Witt I Air sample 

(Nike-Cajun) 

14.30 CA Aug. 23 WI P Lockheed/Depew 	

I Atmospheric structure 

K-62-5 	 Aug. 31 SWE S GSFC/Witt Air sample 

(Nike-Cajun) 

1.13 NA Sept. 6 WS S JPL/Barth 	 Ultraviolet airglow 

14.16 CA Nov. 7 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium 	 

10.65 GA Nov. 16 FC X GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

1.14 NA Nov. 20 WS X JPL/Barth 	 Ultraviolet airglow 

6.06 GA 

INov. 20 WI S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

14.17CA Nov. 30 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

14.20 UA I Dec. I WI S U. Mich./Spencer Atmospheric structure 

10.45 GA Dec. I WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.68 GA Dec. I FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

14.45 AA Dec. I I EGL S AFCRL/Dubin Sodium vapor 

14.46 AA Dec. 3 EGL S AFCRL/Dubin Sodium vapor 

10.46 GA Dec. 4 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.67 GA Dec. 4 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

14.18 CA Dec. 5 WI S GCA/Smith 	 Sodium vapor 

10.47 GA Dec. 6 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.66 GA Dec. 6 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

4.74 UA 	 Dec. 13 WI X JHU/Dubin Airglow 

I 

1963 ...... 

\Q 

10.80 NA Jan. 17 

IWI 	 I LeRC/Potter 

IOzone 

4.73 UA Jan. 29 WI I~ JHU/Dubin Airglow 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
\0 

tv 	 NASA 

rocket 

3.11 CA 

14.35 CA 

10.48 GA 

10.58 GA 

14.39 CA 

10.53 GA 

10.59 GA 

10.54 GA 

10.60 GA 

14.08 UA 

14.09 UA 

6.07 GA 

4.98 UA 

14.110 CA 

10.77 IA 

14.140 DA 

14.141 DA 

14.137IA 

14.138IA 

14.139IA 

14.13 CA 

14.14 CA 

10.130 DA 

14.14 CA 

14.40 CA 

14.41 CA 

14.42 CA 

Date 

Feb. 18 

Feb. 20 

Feb. 20 

Feb. 20 

Feb. 21 

Feb. 28 

Feb. 28 

Mar. 9 

Mar. 9 

Mar. 28' 

Mar. 28 

Apr. 18 

May 7 

May 8 

May 16 

May 18 

May 18 

May 20 

May 21 

May 21 

May 22 

May 22 

May 22 

May 23 

May 24 

May 24 

May 25 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Aeronomy-Continued 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 


site performancea experimenter 


WI X GCA/Srnith 

WI S GCA/Srnith 

WI S GSFC/Srnith 

FC S GSFC/Smith 

WI S GCA/Srnith 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

FC S GSFC/Srnith 

WI S GSFC/Smith 

FC S GSFC/Smith 

WI 	 S U. Mich./Dubin 

WI 	 S U. Mich./Dubin 

WI 	 S U. Mich./Brace 

WI 	 S JHU/Dubin 

WI 	 S Lockheed/Bordeau 

PAK 	 S GSFC/Pakistan 

EGL 	 S ARCRL-Ga. Tech. 

EGL 	 S AFCRL-Ga. Tech . 

ITALY 	 S Italy 

ITALY 	 S Italy 

ITALY 	 S Italy 

FC 	 S GCA/Dubin 

FC 	 S GCA/Dubin 

EGL 	 S AFCRL-Ga. Tech. 

FC 	 S GCA/Dubin 

WI 	 S GCA/Dubin 

WI 	 S GCA/Dubin 

WI 	 S GCA/Dubin 

Purpose 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Atmospheric composition 

Atmospheric composition 

Thermosphere probe 

AirgIow 

Massenfilter 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 
10.75 VA 

K63-4 

I Aug. 2 

Aug. 7 

IWI 

SWE I~ IV. Mich./Holtz 

SWE/Witt 

I Atmospheric density 

Grenade 

(Nike-Cajun) 

10.92 NA Sept. 25 WI S LaRC Chemical release 

10.93 NA Sept. 25 WI S LaRC Chemical release 

14.102 NA Oct. 9 WI S LeRC/Potter Chemical release 

14.l03NA Oct. 10 WI S LeRC/Potter Chemical release 

4.76 VA Nov. 12 WI S JHV/Dubin Airglow 

4.85 NA Nov. 18 WI S JPL/Barth Airglow 

14.128IA Nov. 21 IND S India/Dubin Sodium vapor 

14.10 VA Nov. 26 WI S V. Mich./Dubin Atmospheric compositi

10.131 VA Nov. 26 WI S V. Mich./Dubin Atmospheric density 

10.55 GA Dec. 7 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.21 VA Dec. 7 WI S V. Mich./Theon Atmospheric structure 

1964 

14.129 IA Jan. 8 IND S India/Dubin Sodium vapor 

14.130IA Jan. 12 INO S India/Dubin Sodium vapor 

14.38 CA Jan. 15 WI X GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

14.106 CA Jan. 15 WI P GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

14.125 CA Jan. 16 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

14.126CA Jan. 16 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

\0 

Vv 

8.310A 

10.61 GA 

Jan. 17 

Jan. 24 

WI 

WI 

S 

S 

NRL/Dubin 

GSFC/Smith 

Composition; airglow 

Grenade 

10.86 GA Jan. 24 FC X GSFC/Smith Grenade 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Aeronomy-Continued 

'0 

-I::... NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

6.09 GA Jan. 29 WI S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

10.71 GA Jan. 29 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.89 GA Jan. 29 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.81 GA Jan. 29 ASC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.22 UA Feb. 4 ASC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

10.62 GA Feb. 4 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.87 GA Feb. 5 FC S GSFC/Srnith Grenade 

10.63 GA Feb. 5 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.136 GA Feb. 13 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.82 GA Feb. 13 ASC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.88 GA Feb. 13 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

4.124 UA Feb. 27 FC P JHU/Dubin Aurora 

10.137 GA Mar. 7 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.134IA Apr. 9 PAK S Pakistan Sodium vapor 

4.86 NA Apr. 14 WS X JPL Airglow 

14.24 UA Apr. 15 ASC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.23 UA Apr. 15 ASC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

10.142 UA Apr. 17 WI S U. Mich./Dubin Atmospheric density 

10.73 GA Apr. 18 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.83 GA Apr. 18 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

4.113 GA-GI Apr. 21 WS X GSFC/Aikin Astrochemistry; ionosph

14.54 DA May 28 WS X AFCRL/Smith Air sampling 

14.49 CA July 15 WI S GCA/Srnith Sodium vapor 

14.50 CA July 15 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

14.51 CA July 15 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

14.52 CA July 15 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

6.10 GA Julv 28 FC S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 
10.139 GA Aug. 12 SWE S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.84 GA Aug. 12 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.105 GA Aug. 12 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

14.57 DA Aug. 16 SWE S AFCRL/Smith Air sampling 

10.140GA Aug. 16 SWE S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.85 GA Aug. 16 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.115 GA Aug. 16 ASC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.116GA Aug. 16 ASC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.58 DA Aug. 17 SWE S AFCRL/Smith Air sampling 	 

10.141 GA Aug. 17 SWE S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

10.106 GA Aug. 18 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.113GA Aug. 18 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

4.115NA Sept. 18 WI S JPL/Barth Dayglow 

14.195 CA 	 Oct. 7 WI S GCA/Dubin Luminescent clouds; 

ionosphere 

8.03 CA 

IOct. 8 

IWI 	

ILockheed/Dubin 

IIon composition 

14.194 CA 	 Oct. 8 WI I~ GCA/Dubin Luminescent clouds; 

ionosphere 

14.197 CA I Nov. I I FC IS I GCA/Dubin I Luminescent clouds; 

ionosphere 

1O.132GA Nov. 3 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.107 GA Nov. 5 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 	 

8.34 VA Nov. 5 WI S JHU/Dubin Airglow 	 

10.133 GA Nov. 6 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

\0 14.131IA Nov. 6 IND S India Sodium vapor 

v. 

10.134GA Nov. 6 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Aeronomy - Continued 

'0 

0\ NASA 

rocket Date 

Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performancea 

Affiliationj 

experimenter Purpose 

10.135 GA 

14.204IA 

14.205IA 

14.114 CA 

14.53 CA 

14.115CA 

14.112 CA 

14.116CA 

14.113CA 

4.45GA 

4.118 NA 

14.233 UA 

10.153 UA 

14.29 UA 

10.117GA 

14.135IA 

14.136IA 

4.83 GA 

4.132 GA-GI 

4.125 UA 

Nov. 6 

Nov. 9 

Nov. 10 

Nov. 10 

Nov. 10 

Nov. 11 

Nov. 11 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 16 

Nov. 16 

Nov. 17 

Nov. 17 

Nov. 19 

Nov. 19 

Nov. 30 

Dec. 1 

Dec. 1 

Dec. 16 

Dec. 17 

WI 

IND 

IND 

Ship 

WI 

Ship 

WI 

Ship 

WI 

WI 

WS 

Ship 

Ship 

Ship 

WI 

PAK 

PAK 

WS 

WS 

WS 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

X 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

GSFCjSmith 

India 

India 

GCAjSmith 

GCAjSmith 

GCAjSmith 

GCAjSmith 

GCAjSmith 

GCAjSmith 

GSFCjBrace 

GSFCjAmes 

U. Mich.jDubin 

U. Mich.jDubin 

U. Mich.jSmith 

GSFCjSmith 

Pakistan 

Pakistan 

GSFCjHennes 

GSFCjBerg 

JHUjDubin 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Thermosphere probe 

Micrometeoroids 

Atmospheric density 

Atmospheric density 

Pitot probe 

Grenade 

Sodium vapor 

Sodium vapor 

Ultraviolet airglow 

Micrometeoroids 

Airglow 

1965 

14.142 NA 

4.111 NA 

10.124 GA 

10.121 GA 

Jan. 7 

Jan. 13 

Jan. 27 

Jan. 27 

WI 

WI 

PB 

FC 

S 

S 

S 

S 

LeRCjPotter 

JPLjDubin 

GSFCjSmith 

GSFCjSmith 

Airglow 

Airglow 

Grenade 

Grenade 
14.11 UA Feb. 18 FC S U. Mich./Dubin Composition 	 

4.129 UA Feb. 19 FC S JHU/Dubin 	 Auroral studies 

14.95 UA Feb. 19 FC S 

U. Mich./Dubin Composition 	 

10.155 UA Feb. 26 Ship S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 	 

14.196 CA 	 Feb . 28 FC S GCA/Dubin Ionospheres; luminescent 

cloud 

14.198 CA 	 I Feb. 28 I FC IX I GCA/Dubin Ionospheres; luminescent 

cloud 

14.l99CA 	 I Feb. 28 I FC Ix I GCA/Dubin Ionospheres; luminescent 

cloud 

14.200 CA I Feb. 28 I FC IX I GCA/Dubin Ionospheres; luminescent 

cloud 

14.253 IA I Mar. 1 I NOR 

ISweden 

IDischarge of TNT 


Ferdinand IX 

I Mar. 3 

I NOR I~ Norway /Kane Auroral absorption 

(Nike-Apache) 


14.254IA Mar. 5 NOR S Sweden Luminescent cloud 

14.64 UA Mar. 8 Ship S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.65 UA Mar. 9 Ship S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.98 UA Mar. 11 Ship S U. Mich./Dubin Composition 	 

10.156 UA Mar. 11 Ship S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 	 

14.99 UA Mar. 11 Ship S U. Mich

./Dubin Composition 

Ferdinand X Mar. 15 NOR P Norway/Kane Auroral absorption 

(Nike-Apache) 

'0 14.62 UA 

IMar. 18 

ISCAS/Horowitz 

IComposition '-l 12.05 GA 	 Mar. 19 ~ ~ GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

(NikeTomahawk) 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Aeronomy - Continued 

\0 

00 NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

6.11 GA Mar. 20 WI S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

Ferdinand XI Mar. 22 NOR P Norway/Kane Auroral absorption 

(Nike-Apache) 

14.132 NA Apr. 1 WI S LeRC/Potter Airglow 

14.66 UA Apr. 4 Ship S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.26 UA Apr. 6 Ship S U. Mich./Smith A tmospheric structure 

14.63 UA Apr. 9 Ship S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.67 UA Apr. 13 Ship S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.27 UA Apr. 13 Ship S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.101 UA Apr. 13 Ship S U. Mich./Dubin Composition 

4.127 UA Apr. 15 WS S U. Minn./Dubin Composition 

14.100 UA Apr. 15 Ship S U. Mich./Dubin Composition 

14.25 UA Apr. 15 Ship S U. Mich'/Smith Atmospheric structure 

10.171 NA Apr. 23 WI S LaRC/Tolefson Chemiluminescent cloud 

14.255 NA Apr. 23 WI S LaRC/Tolefson Chemiluminescent cloud 

10.150GA Apr. 28 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.94IA Apr. 29 PAK S Pakistan Grenade 

10.951A Apr. 30 PAK S Pakistan Grenade 

10.127 GA May 3 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.47 UA May 22 ASC S U. Mich./Smith Pitot probe 

14.48 UA May 22 ASC S U. Mich./Smith Pitot probe 

14.201 CA June 23 WI S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere; 1uminescent 

clouds 

4.112 NA June 29 WS S JPL/Dubin Airglow 

4.128 UA July 15 WS S U. Minn./Dubin Composition 

10.154 UA Aug. 7 WI S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 

10.157 UA Aug. 8 WI S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 
4.150 GA-GI-GB Sept. 28 WS S GSFC/Berg Micrometeoroids ; ionos

14.202 CA Oct. 5 FC S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere ; luminescen

clouds 

14.203 CA I Oct. 6 I FC IX I GCA/Dubin I Ionosphere ; luminescen

clouds 

4.142 NA 

4 .164 UA 

Oct. 19 

Oct.21 ~ S 

S 

U. Colo./Dubin 

JHU/Dubin 

1965F comet spectra 

1965F comet spectra 

18.03 GA Nov. 9 FC S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

18.02 GA Nov. 10 FC S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

4.119NA Nov. 16 WS S Ames/Dubin Micrometeoroids 

14.78 UA Nov. 18 WS S Dudley Obs./Dubin Micrometeoroids 

1966 

10.158 UA Jan. 25 WI S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 

10.159UA Feb. 3 WI S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 

10.143 UA Feb. 4 WI S U. Mich./Dubin Air density 

4.162 UA Feb. 20 FC S JHU/Dubin Auroral physics 

14.211IA Feb. 25 PAK S Pakistan/Dubin Sodium vapor 

14.212IA Feb. 26 PAK S Pakistan/Dubin Sodium vapor 

8.25 GA-GI Mar. 2 WI S GSFC/Smith Geoprobe 

14.257IA Mar. 24 IND S India Sodium vapor 

14.258IA Mar. 25 IND S India Sodium vapor 

'0 4.143 UA Apr. 14 WS S U. Col0./Dubin Dayglow 

'0 4.165 UA Apr. 21 WS S JHU/Dubin Planetary ultraviolet 

14.96 UA July 11 FC S U. Mich./Dubin Atmospheric compositi

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
....... 

<:::l NASA 

<:::l rocket 

8.12 UA 

8.32 DA 

14.170 UA 

18.05 GA 

18.06 GA 

18.22 GA 

14.278 CA-CI 

14.279 CA-CI 

14.280 CA-CI 

14.281 CA-CI 

14.282 CA-CI 

8.27IA 

18.26IA 

4 .161 NA 

4.195 GA-GI 

14.77 CA-CI 

14.299 UA 

4.181 UA 

4.180 UA 

4.163 UA 

14.161IA 

Date 

July 12 

Aug. 15 

Aug. 16 

Aug. 26 

Aug. 26 

Aug. 28 

Sept. 14 

Sept. 14 

Sept. 16 

Sept. 16 

Sept. 16 

Sept. 24 

Sept. 25 

Oct. 22 

Oct. 25 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 18 

Nov. 30 

Dec. 2 

1967 

Feb. 17 

Mar. 6 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights~Aeronomy Continued 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 


site performancea experimenter 


WI S U. Pitt./Dubin 

WI S NRL/Dubin 

WS S Dudley Obs./Dubin 

WI S GSFC/Brace 

WI S GSFC/Brace 

WI S GSFC/Brace 

FC S GCA/Dubin 

FC S GCA/Dubin 

FC S GCA/Dubin 

FC S GCA/Dubin 

FC S GCA/Dubin 

WI S Germany / Adamson 

WI S Germany / Adamson 

WS S Ames/Dubin 

WS S GSFC/Berg 

BRAZ-A S GCA/Dubin 

WS S Dudley Obs./Dubin 

WS S U. Minn./Dubin 

WS S U. Minn./Dubin 

FC S JHU/Dubin 

IND S India/Dubin 

Purpose 

Atmospheric compositio

Atmospheric compositio

Micrometeoroid 

Thermosphere probe 

Thermosphere probe 

Thermosphere probe 

Ionosphere; luminescen

clouds 

Ionosphere ; luminescen

clouds 

Ionosphere; luminescen

clouds 

Ionosphere; luminescen

clouds 

Ionosphere; luminescen

clouds 

Barium release 

Barium release 

Micrometeoroids 

Micrometeoroids 

Eclipse 

Micrometeoroids 

Atmospheric compositio

Atmospheric compositio

Auroral spectra 

Luminescent clouds 
14.283 CA Mar. 31 WI S GCA/Dubin 	 Luminescent clouds 

8.43 UA May 17 WI S U. Pitt./Dubin Atmospheric composition 

14.300 UA May 31 WS X Dudley Obs./Dubin Micrometeoroids 

4.222 NA June 6 WS S Ames/Dubin Micrometeoroids 

4.179 UA June 21 WS S U. Minn./Dubin Atmospheric composition 

4.212 UA July 20 WS S U. Minn./Dubin Atmospheric composition 

4.211 UA July 20 WS S U. Minn./Dubin Atmospheric composition 

15.16 DA Aug. 2 PMR S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

14.343 GT-UA Aug. 5 WS S GSFC/Wood 	 Recovery system test 

4.207 UA Aug. 8 WS S U. Mich./Dubin Composition 	 

4.223 NA Aug. 11 WS S Ames/Dubin Micrometeoroids 

15.17DA Aug. 21 PMR S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

15.35 DA Sept. 14 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

15.36 DA Sept. 17 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

18.50 GA Sept. 18 WI S GSFC/Brace Thermosphere probe 

15.37DA Sept. 19 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

15.38 DA Oct. 13 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

15.39 DA Oct. 19 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribu tion 

15.40DA Oct. 22 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

15.41 DA Oct. 25 Hawaii S NOTS/Horowitz Ozone distribution 

18.66 UA Dec. 5 FC S U. Alaska/Dubin Auroral studies 

4.197 UA Dec. 50 WS S JHU/Dubin 	 Planetary atmospheres 

14.347 UA Dec. 12 WI S U. Co10./Dubin Atmospheric composition 

...... 

<::::> 	 1968 ...... 14.259 IA Feb. 2 IND S IIndia/Dubin 	 Luminescent clouds 

4.217UA 	 Feb. 9 FC S JHU/Dubin Auroral physics 

as = successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 

>--. 

a NASA N 

rocket 

14.284 CA 

14.208 CA 

18.67 UA 

14.350 CA 

18.68 UA 

18.53 GA 

18.49 GA 

18.5i GA 

8.40 UA 

4.238 VA 

14.335 VA 

14.355IA 

14.354IA 

14.349 VA 

10.253 VA 

14.348 UA 

10.254 VA 

18.31 VA 

4.224 NA 

18.51 GA 

18.56 GA 

14.336 VA 

14.301 VA 

4.241 UA 

Date 

Feb. 21 

Feb. 22 

Feb. 23 

Feb. 27 

Feb. 28 

Mar. 17 

Mar. 17 

Mar. 17 

Apr. 9 

Apr. 23 

June 10 

June 11 

June 12 

July 24 

July 24 

July 24 

July 24 

July 31 

Aug. 1 

Aug. 8 

Aug. 9 

Aug. 12 

Aug. 20 

Oct. 1 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Aeronomy - Concluded 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 


site performancea experimenter 


WI S GCA/Dubin 

WI S GCA/Dubin 

FC S U. Alaska/Dubin 

WI S GCA/Dubin 

FC S U. Alaska/Dubin 

PB S GSFC/Spencer 

PB P GSFC/Spencer 

PB S GSFC/Spencer 

WI S U. Pitt./Dubin 

WS S U. Colo./Dubin 

WS S Dudley Obs./Dubin 

SWE S Germany 

SWE S Germany 

WI S U. Colo./Dubin 

WI S U. Mich./Dubin 

WI S V. Col0./Dubin 

WI S U. Mich./Dubin 

WI S JHU/Dubin 

FC S Ames/Dubin 

WI S GSFC/Brace 

WI S GSFC/Brace 

S Dudley Obs./Dubin IWS WS S Dudley Obs./Dubin 


WS S U. Colo. 


Purpose 

Aeronomy; luminescent 

clouds 

Luminescent clouds; 

ionosphere 

Auroral studies 

Aeronomy; luminescent 

clouds 

Auroral studies 

Thermosphere probe 

Thermosphere probe 

Thermosphere probe 

Composition 

Airglow 

Micrometeoroids 

Micrometeoroids 

Micrometeoroids 

Atmospheric composition 

Air density 

Atmospheric composition 

Air density 

Airglow 

Micrometeoroids 

Thermosphere probe 

Thermosphere probe 

Micrometeoroids 

Micrometeoroids 

Ultraviolet dayglow' 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Particles and Fields 

NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

1960 

10.17 GE June 6 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 Solar beam experiment 

(SBE) 

8.07 GE June 30 WI X GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

10.18 GE July 22 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

4.16 UE Aug. 23 WI S NYU/Meredith Cosmic rays 

10.19 GE Sept. 3 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.20 GE Sept. 3 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

11.01 GE Sept. 19 PMR S GSFC/Naugle NERVI 

10.21 GE Sept. 27 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.22 GE Nov. 11 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.23 GE Nov. 11 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.24 GE Nov. 12 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.15 GE Nov. 12 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.16 GE Nov. 13 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

'­ 10.13 GE Nov. 16 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

a 

Vv 10.14 GE Nov. 17 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

10.26 GE Nov. 18 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 SBE 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Particles and Fields-Continued 

..... NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

~ rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

10.27 GE Nov. 18 FC S GSFC/Fichtel SBE 

8.08 GE Dec. 12 WI S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

1961 

14.03 UE July 14 WI S U. N.H./Heppner Magnetic fields 

14.04 UE July 14 WI S U. N.H./Heppner Magnetic fields 

14.05 UE July 20 WI S U. N.H./Heppner Magnetic fields 

10.76 GE Dec. 10 FC S GSFC/Fichtel Cosmic rays 

1963 

11.06 UE Feb. 12 PMR S U. Minn./Cline Electron spectrometry 

4.91 GE Sept. 4 FC S GSFC/Fichtel Cosmic rays 

14.06 UE Sept. 9 WI S U. N.H./Schardt Electrojet 

1964 

14.150 UE Jan. 15 WI P Rice/Schardt Auroral observations 

14.79 UE Jan. 25 IND S U. N.H./Schardt Equatorial electrojet 

14.80 UE Jan. 27 IND S U. N.H./Schardt Equatorial electrojet 

14.81 UE Jan. 29 IND S U. N.H./Schardt Equatorial electrojet 

14.82 UE Jan. 31 IND S U. N.H./Schardt Equatorial electrojet 

14.43 GE Feb. 20 FC S GSFC/Evans Aurora 

14.44 GE Feb. 29 FC S GSFC/Evans Aurora 

14.151 UE Mar. 18 FC S Rice/Schardt Aurora 

14.152 UE Mar. 20 FC S Rice/Schardt Aurora 
14.123 DE Apr. 22 FC S Alaska/Schard t Aurora 	 

14.155 GE June 10 WI S GSFC/Davis 	 Magnetic fields 

14.156 GE June 25 WI S GSFC/Davis 	 Magnetic fields 

14.157 GE June 26 WI S GSFC/Davis 	 Magnetic fields 

14.154 DE July 9 WI S Rice/Schardt Airglow 	 

4.107 GE July 23 FC S GSFC/Fichtel Cosmic rays 	 

4.108 GE July 25 FC S GSFC/Fichte1 Cosmic rays 

14.158GE Oct. 7 WI X GSFC/Davis Magnetic fields 

14.159 GE Oct. 8 WI S GSFC/Davis 	 Magnetic fields 

14.60 DE Dec. 7 WI S D. N.H./Schardt Energetic particles 

1965 

14.61 DE Feb. 3 WI S D. N.H./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.160 GE Mar. 8 Ship S GSFC/Davis 	 Magnetic fields 

14.85 DE Mar. 9 Ship S D. N.H./Opp Magnetic fields 

14.83 DE Mar. 10 Ship S D. N.H./Opp Magnetic fields 

14.07 DE Mar. 12 Ship S D. N.H./Opp Magnetic fields 

14.84 DE Mar. 12 Ship S D. N.H./Opp Magnetic fields 

14.171 GE Mar. 16 Ship S GSFC/Davis 	 Geomagnetism 

14.172 GE Mar. 18 Ship S GSFC/Davis Geomagnetism 

14.174GE Mar. 24 Ship S GSFC/Davis Geomagnetism 

14.173 GE 	 Ship S GSFC/Davis Geomagnetism 

I Mar. 26 ........ 


<;::, 14.175 GE Mar. 27 Ship S GSFC/Davis 	 Geomagnetism 

v. 	 14.70 GE Mar. 29 Ship S GSFC/Davis Geomagnetism 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Particles and Fields- Continued 

....... 

c:::, 

0\ NASA 

rocket Date 

Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performancea 

Affiliation/ 

experimenter Purpose 

14.185 DE Apr. 2 Ship S D. N.H./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.207 DE Apr. 3 FC S Rice/Schardt Aurora 

14.184 UE Apr. 5 Ship S D. N.H./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.186 DE Apr. 13 Ship S D. N.H./Schardt Energetic particles 

11.07 DE Apr. 14 WI S D. Minn./Opp Energetic particles 

4.140 GE June 17 FC S GSFC/Fichtel Energetic particles 

4.141 GE June 23 FC S GSFC/Fichtel Energetic particles 

14.234 DE Sept. 16 FC X D. Cal./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.235 DE Sept. 17 FC S D. Cal./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.237 DE Sept. 20 FC X D. Cal./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.236 DE Sept. 20 FC S D. Cal./Schardt Energetic particles 

14.238 DE Nov. 17 FC S Alaska/Opp Aurora 

14.239 DE Nov. 20 FC S Alaska/Opp Aurora 

14.124 DE Nov. 24 FC S Alaska/Opp Aurora 

14.242 DE Nov. 24 WI S Rice/Opp Magnetic fields 

1966 

14.188 GE Feb. 10 FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral physics 

14.243 UE Feb. 17 WI S Rice/Opp Magnetic fields 

14.189 GE Feb. 18 FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral physics 

14.190 GE Mar. 14 FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral physics 

18.07 GE Mar. 23 FC S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

18.08 GE Apr. 14 FC S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

14.59 IE-II July 7 IND S India Magnetic fields; ionosph

14.218 GE July 20 FC S GSFC/Fichtel Solar particle intensity 

position experiment 

(SPICE) 
p

18.21 UE Sept. 6 FC S U. Cal./Schardt Auroral radiation 

18.19 UE Sept. 17 FC S U. Cal./Schardt Auroral radiation 

18.04 GE Nov. 8 WI S GSFC/Aggson Fields 	 

14.287 IE Nov. II FC S Germany/Franta Energetic particles 

18.27 UE Nov. 20 WI S U. N.H./Opp Energetic particles 

1967 

18.23 GE Jan. 28 FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral studies 

8.4IUE Feb. 9 FC S Rice/Opp Auroral studies 

18 .24 GE Mar. 9 FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral studies 

8.47 UE Mar. 18 FC S Rice/Opp 	 Auroral studies 

18.28 UE Mar. 27 BRAZ S U. N.H./Opp Energetic particles 

18.09 GE Mar. 31 WI S GSFC/Wescott Magnetic fields 

14.328 IE Apr. 7 SWE S Germany 	 Magnetic fields 

14.329 IE Apr. 8 SWE S Germany 	 Magnetic fields 

14.330 IE Apr. 9 SWE S Germany 	 Magnetic fields 

14.331 IE Apr. 10 SWE S Germany 	 Magnetic fields 

14.332 IE Apr. II SWE S Germany 	 Magnetic fields 

18.29 UE June 6 FC S U. N.H./Opp Cosmic-ray intensities 

14.297 CE June 13 WI S AS&E/Schardt Energetic particles 

8.49 IE June 16 BRAZ S Germany/Franta Energetic particles 

8.50 IE June 17 BRAZ S Germany/Franta Energetic particles 

18.43 GE Aug. 31 NOR S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

...... 

C) 18.46 GE Aug. 31 NOR S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

'-l 18.44 GE Sept. 2 NOR S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

18.47 GE 	 Sept. 2 NOR S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
...... 

c:::, NASA Co 

rocket 

18.45 GE 

18.48 GE 

18.34 UE 

14.288 IE 

18.13 UE 

18.38 UE 

14.276 GE 

18.61 GE 

18.35 UE 

8.48 UE 

18.37 UE 

4.198 GE 

18.36 DE 

18.63 UE 

14.375 IE-II 

14.376 IE-II 

14.377 IE-II 

14.378 IE 

14.277 GE 

18.60 GE 

18.39 DE 

18.33 CE 

18.40 DE 

Date 

Sept. 12 

Sept. 12 

Nov. 24 

Dec. 5 

1968 

Jan. 23 

Feb. 6 

Feb. 22 

Feb. 22 

Feb. 23 

Mar. 2 

Mar. 2 

Mar. 16 

Mar. 18 

Mar. 21 

Mar. 28 

Mar. 30 

Mar. 31 

Mar. 31 

Apr. 4 

Apr. 4 

Apr. 24 

Apr. 25 

Apr. 25 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Particles and Fields-Concluded 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performance a experimenter Purpose 

NOR S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

NOR S GSFC/Heppner Magnetic fields 

FC S U. Cal./Schardt Auroral studies 

SWE S Germany/Franta Energetic particles 

FC S U. A1aska/Opp Particles and fields 

FC S u. N.H./Opp Electric field; auroral 

studies 

FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral studies 

FC P GSFC/Evans Auroral studies 

FC S U. Cal./Schardt Auroral studies 

FC S Rice/Opp Auroral studies 

FC S U. Cal./Schardt Auroral studies 

WS S GSFC/Boldt Energetic cosmic rays 

FC S U. Cal./Schardt Auroral studies 

FC S u. Md./Opp Auroral studies 

IND S Germany Magnetic fields; ionospher

IND S Germany Magnetic fields ; ionospher

IND S Germany Magnetic fields; ionospher

IND S Germany Magnetic fields 

FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral particles 

FC S GSFC/Evans Auroral particles 

FC S u. N.H./Opp Energetic particles 

FC S TRW/Opp Energetic particles 

FC S u. N.H./Opp Energetic particles 
p

g

18.58 IE Sept. 20 NOR S Norway Particles and fields 

18.76 GE Sept. 21 NOR S GSFC/Wescott Magnetic fields 

18.77 GE Sept. 23 NOR S GSFC/Wescott Magnetic fields 

18.59 IE Oct. 1 NOR S Norway Particles and fields 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Ionospheric Physics 

NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

1959 

4.08 GI Sept. 11 FC S GSFC/Jackson Ionosphere 

4.07 GI Sept. 14 FC S GSFC/ Jackson Ionosphere 

4.02 II Sept. 17 FC S DRTE/Jackson Ionosphere 

4.03 II Sept. 20 FC P DRTE/Jackson Ionosphere 

1960 

6.01 UI Mar. 16 FC S U. Mich./Bourdeau Ionosphere 

100... 

c:;:, 3.fOUI Mar. 17 FC X U. Mich./Bourdeau Ionosphere 

\0 6.02 UI June 15 FC S U. Mich./Bourdeau Ionosphere 

6.03 UI Aug. 3 WI S U. Mich./Bourdeau Ionosphere 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
'­

'­ NASA C) 

rocket 

3.12 CI 

1.01 GI 

1.02 GI 

10.25 CI 

6.04 UI 

8.10 GI 

8.09 GI 

8.13 II 

8.15 AI 

10.51 CI 

8.17 AI 

1052 CI 

10.74GI 

6.05 UI 

8.16 AI 

10.110 GI 

8.21 GI 

10.112 GI 

10.111 GI 

14.12GI 

14.31 GI 

Date 

Aug. 22 

Nov. 23 

Nov. 27 

Dec. 8 

1961 

Mar. 26 

Apr. 27 

June 13 

June 15 

June 24 

Aug. 18 

Oct. 14 

Oct. 27 

Dec. 21 

Dec. 22 

1962 

Feb. 7 

Apr. 26 

May 3 

May 16 

May 17 

June IS 

Oct. 16 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Ionospheric Physics- Continued 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performancea experimenter Purpose 

WI X GCA/Bourdeau Langmuir probe 

FC S GSFC/Whipple Ionosphere 

FC S GSFC/Whipple Ionosphere 

WI S GCA/Bourdeau Langmuir probe 

WI S U. Mich./Bourdeau Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Jackson Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Jackson Ionosphere 

WI S DRTE/Jackson Antenna test 

WI S CRPL-AIL/J ackson Ionosphere 

WI S GCA/Wright Langmuir probe 

WI S GSFC/Jackson Ionosphere 

WI S GCA/Bourdeau Langmuir probe 

WI S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

WI S U. Mich./Wright Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Jackson Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Serbu Electron temperature 

WI S GSFC/Serbu ELF electron trap 

WI S GSFC/Serbu Electron temperature 

WI S GSFC/Serbu Electron temperature 

WI S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

WI S GSFCjBauer Ionosphere 
p

(Nike-Cajun) 

1963 

14.86 CI Feb. 27 WI S GCA/Bourdeau Ionosphere 

14.107 GI Mar. 8 WI S GSFC/Whipple Ionosphere 

14.87 CI Mar. 28 WI P GCA/Bordeau Ionosphere 

4.58 UI Apr. 3 WI S Stanford/Bourdeau Ionosphere 

14.108 GI Apr. 9 WI S GSFC/Kane D-region 

4.96 II Apr. 12 WI S Australia/Cartwright VLF receiver 

4.44 GI Apr. 23 WI S GSFC/Bauer Electron density 

4.97 II May 9 WI S Australia/Cartwrigh t VLF 

8.14 GI July 2 WI S GSFC/Bauer Ionosphere 

4.59 UI July 10 WI S Stanford/Bourdeau Ionosphere 

14.88 CI July 14 FC P GCA/Bourdeau Ionosphere 

14.89 CI July 20 FC X GCA/Bourdeau Eclipse ionosphere 

14.90 CI July 20 FC X GCA/Bourdeau Eclipse ionosphere 

14.91 CI July 20 FC S GCA/Bourdeau Eclipse ionosphere 

14.92 CI July 20 FC S GCA/Bourdeau Eclipse ionosphere 

14.93 CI July 20 FC S GCA/Bourdeau Eclipse ionosphere 

14.94 CI July 20 FC S GCA/Bourdeau Eclipse ionosphere 

6.08 GI July 20 WI S U. Mich.jBrace Thermosphere probe 

Ferdinand V Sept. 1 NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

....... (Nike-Cajun) ....... 
 Ferdinand IV I Sept. 12 I NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

(Nike-Apache) 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 

....... 

..... 

..... NASA 

N rocket 

4.65 GI 

4.64 GI 

8.18 GI 

14.36 DI 

4.93 II 

4.94 II 

1437 GI 

Ferdinand VI 

(N ike-Apache) 

Ferdinand VII 

(Nike-Apache) 

Ferdinand VIII 

(Nike-Apache) 

12.03 GT-GI 

14.143 UI 

4.113 GA-GI 

1433 GI 

14.144 UI 

14.145 UI 

14.146 UI 

14.127 GI 

14.34 GI 

8.24 GI-II 

14.104 DI 

Date 

Sept. 25 

Sept. 28 

Sept. 29 

Oct. 7 

Oct. 17 

Oct. 31 

Dec. 13 

1964 

Mar. 12 

Mar. 15 

Mar. 19 

Apr. 15 

Apr. 16 

Apr. 21 

June 3 

July 15 

July 15 

July 15 

July 16 

Aug. 26 

Oct. 19 

Nov. 5 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Ionospheric Physics-Continued 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performancea experimenter Purpose 

WI S GSFC/Hirao Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Hirao Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Bauer Ionosphere 

FC S BRL/Bourdeau Ionosphere 

WI S France/Shea Ionosphere 

WI S France/Shea Ionosphere 

WS P GSFC/Whipp1e Ionosphere 

NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Guidotti Rocket test; ionospher

WI S U. Ill./Schardt Ionosphere 

WS X GSFC/Aikin Astrochemistry; ionosp

WI S GSFC/Bauer Ionosphere 

WI S U. Ill./Schardt Ionosphere 

WI S U. Ill./Schardt Ionosphere 

WI S U. Ill./Schardt Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Stone Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Bauer Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Serbu Ionosphere 

FC S BRL/Bourdeau Ionosphere 
S 

p

ION 1 64-1 Dec. 1 ARG S Argentina/Bauer Ionosphere 

(Nike-Cajun) 

ION 1 64-2 I Dec. 4 I ARG IS I Argentina/Bauer Ionosphere 

(Nike-Cajun) 

4.132 GA-GI 

IDec. 16 I WS S GSFC/Berg 	 Micrometeoroids 

14.209 GI Dec. 16 WS S GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 	 

I 

1965 

8.28 UI Jan. 13 I WI S I Penn State/Schmerling Mother

-daughter 

ionosphere 

15.03 II Mar. 1 NOR S Sweden 	 Ionosphere 

15.04 II Mar. 2 NOR S Sweden 	 Ionosphere 

15.01 GI Mar. 16 NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 	 

14.177 GI Mar. 16 Ship S GSFC/Blumle Ionosphere 	 

14.178 GI Mar. 18 Ship S GSFC/Blumle Ionosphere 

14.176GI Mar. 18 Ship S GSFC/Davis Geomagnetism 

14.179GI Mar. 18 Ship S GSFC/Blumle Ionosphere 

14.228 UI Mar. 20 Ship S U. Ill.jSchmerling Ionosphere 

15.02GI Mar. 23 NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

14.229 UI Mar. 23 Ship S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

14.180 GI Mar. 24 Ship S GSFC/Blumle Ionosphere 	 

14.181 GI Mar. 26 Ship S GSFC/Blumle Ionosphere 	 

....... 


....... 14.182 GI Mar. 27 Ship S GSFC/Blurnle Ionosphere 

V,; 14.230 UI Apr. 5 Ship S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 

14.231 UI 	 Apr. 9 Ship S U. Ill.jSchmerling Ionosphere 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Ionospheric Physics- Continued 

....... 


....... 
 NASA Firing Rocket Affiliationj 	 

-l:.. rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

4.232 UI Apr. 12 Ship S U. Ill.jSchmerling Ionosphere 	 

.29 UI 	 May 19 WI S Penn StatejSchmerling Mother-daughter 

ionosphere 

5.18 GI May 25 NZ S GSFCjKane D-region ionosphere 

.37 GI May 26 WI X GSFCjMaier Ionosphere 

5.05 GI May 30 NZ S GSFCjKane, Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

5.06 GI May 30 NZ S GSFCjKane, Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

5.07 GI May 30 NZ S GSFCjKane, Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

5.08 GI May 30 NZ S GSFCjKane, Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

5.09 GI May 30 NZ S GSFCjKane, Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

5.10 GI May 30 NZ S GSFCjKane, Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

4.245 UI June 14 WI S U. Iil.jSchmerling Ionosphere 

4.246 UI June 17 WI S U. Ill.jSchmerling Ionosphere 

4.215 AI June 18 WI S BuStdsjSchmerling Ionosphere 

4.210 GI Aug. 24 WI S GSFCjBourdeau Ionosphere 

4.213 UI Sept. 1 WI S SCASjSchmerling Ionosphere 

4.214 UI Sept. 3 WI S SCASjSchmerling Ionosphere 

4.244 UI Sept. 15 WI S U. Ill.jSchardt IQSY ionosphere 

4.138 II Sept. 17 WI S FrancejStevens VLF experiment 

.36 GI Sept. 23 WI S GSFCjMaier Ionosphere 

4.139 II Sept. 25 WI S FrancejStevens VLF experiment 

4.150 GA-GI-GB Sept. 28 WS S GSFCjBerg Micrometeoroid; iono- 

sphere; micro-organi

8.30 UI Oct. 5 WI S Penn StatejSchmerling Mother-daughter 

ionosphere 

8.42 UI Oct. 10 WI X Penn StatejSchmerling Mother-daughter 

ionosphere p 
14.68 II Dec. 15 I BRAZ S Brazil/Blumle 

IIonosphere 

14.69 II Dec. 18 BRAZ S Brazil/Blumle Ionosphere 	 

I 

1966 

14.248 UI Jan. 10 WI S 

U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

8.25 GA-GI Mar. 2 WI S GSFC/Smith Geoprobe 	 

14.1 09 GI Mar. 21 NOR S GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 

14.216AI Apr. 6 WI S BuStds/Schmerling Ionosphere 

14.76 UI Apr. 8 WI S SCAS/Opp Ionosphere 	 

15.25 GI May 15 Greece X GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 

15 .26GI May 20 Greece S GSFC/Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

15.27 GI May 20 Greece S GSFC/Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

15.28GI May 20 Greece S GSFC/Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

15.29 GI May 20 Greece S GSFC/Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

15.30GI May 20 Greece S GSFC/Aikin Eclipse ionosphere 

15.31GI May 21 Greece S GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 

14.270 UI June 14 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

Ferdinand XIII June 26 NOR S Norway/Kane Ionosphere 

(N ike-Apache) 

14.59 IE-II July 7 lIND S India 	 Magnetic fields; ionosphere 

14.166 II July 14 WI S Germany /Bauer Ionosphere 	 

14.271 UI Aug. 24 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

14.272 UI Aug. 25 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

...... 

...... 15.12 GI Aug. 29 WS S GSFC/Pederson Ion density 

v, 15.11 GI Aug. 29 WS S GSFC /Pederson Ion density 

14.278 CA-CI 	 Sept. 14 FC S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
....... 


....... 
 NASA 

0\ rocket 

14.279 CA-CI 

14.280 CA-CI 

14.281 CA-CI 

14.282 CA-CI 

14.164 UI 

8.38 GI 

4.195 GA-GI 

10.181 AI 

14.77 CA-CI 

14.274 UI 

14.302 UI 

14.304 UI 

14.303 UI 

14.275 UI 

Ferdinand XIV 

(Nike-Apache) 

14.163 lA-II 

14.206 lA-II 

Date 

Sept. 14 

Sept. 16 

Sept. 16 

Sept. 16 

Sept. 16 

Oct. 6 

Oct. 25 

Oct. 25 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 12 

1967 

Jan. 31 


Mar. 3 


Mar. 12 


Mar. 12 


NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-ionospheric Physics- Continued 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performancea experimenter Purpose 

FC S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds 

FC S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds 

FC S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds 

FC S GCA/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds 

WI S U. Md./Schrnerling Ionosphere 

WI S GSFC/Maier Ionosphere 

WS S GSFC/Berg Micrometeoroids 

WS S ESSA/Schmerling Ionosphere 

BRAZ-A S GCA/Dubin Eclipse ionosphere ; 

luminescent clouds 

BRAZ-A S U. Ill./Schmerling Eclipse ionosphere 

BRAZ-A S U. Ill./Schmerling Eclipse ionosphere 

BRAZ-A S U. Ill,fSchmerling Eclipse ionosphere 

BRAZ-A S U. Ill./Schmerling Eclipse ionosphere 

I 

WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 

NOR S Norway /Kane Ionosphere 

IND S India/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds 

IND S India/Dubin Ionosphere; luminescent 

clouds 
8.39 GI Apr. 12 

S 

p

14.268 UI May 5 FC S SCAS/Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

8.26 UI June 21 WI S SCAS/Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

14.273 UI Aug. 8 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

15.21 II Aug. 25 NOR S Norway/Kane Ionosphere 	 

14.308 UI Sept. 7 PB S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

14.305 UI Sept. 8 PB S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

14.309 UI Sept. 8 PB X U. I11./Schmerling Ionosphere 	 

8.45 UI Sept. 21 WI S U. Iowa/Schmerling I Ionosphere 	 

15.22 II Oct. 9 NOR S Norway/Kane Ionosphere 	 

15.23 II Oct. 13 NOR S Norway/Kane Ionosphere 	 

15.32 GI Oct. 24 RB P GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 	 

15.33 GI Oct. 24 RB P GSFC/Kane Ionosphere 	 

14.298 UI Nov. 16 WI S U. Md./Schmerling Ionosphere 

8.35UI Dec. 8 FC S SCAS/Schmerling Ionosphere 

1968 

10.273 GI Jan. 16 WI S GSFC/Somayajulu Lower ionosphere 

10.275 GI Jan. 16 WI S GSFC/Somayajulu Lower ionosphere 

15.58 GI Mar. 8 IND S GSFC/Kane Lower ionosphere 

15.59GI Mar. 8 IND S GSFC/Kane Lower ionosphere 

18.10 GI Mar. 15 WI S GSFC/Herman Ionosphere 	 

14.375 IE-II Mar. 28 IND S Germany 	 Magnetic fields; ionosp

...... 

...... 14.376 IE-II Mar. 30 IND S Germany Magnetic fields; ionosp

'-l 14.377 IE-II Mar. 31 IND S Germany Magnetic fields; ionosp

16.04 UI 	 Apr. 20 WI S U. Minn./Schmerling Ionosphere 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
--

"­

"­

00 

NASA 

rocket 

19.0411 

8.46 UI 

14.358 UI 

14.359 UI 

14.360 UI 

14.361 UI 

15.52 GI 

15.34GI 

14.369 GI 

14.368 GI 

14.370 GI 

18.30UI 

15.43 II 

14.379 GI 

14.311 GI 

as = successful; P = 

NASA 

rocket 

3.01 GS 

3.02 GS 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Ionospheric Physics- Concluded 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

May 7 WI S Canada Ionosphere 

May 25 FC S U. Iowa/Schmerling Ionosphere 

July 24 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 

July 24 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 

July 24 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 

July 24 WI S U. Ill./Schmerling Ionosphere 

Aug. 2 RB S GSFC/Kane D-region ionosphere 

Aug. 2 RB S GSFC/Kane D-region ionosphere 

Aug. 21 WI S GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 

Aug. 21 WI S GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 

Aug. 21 WI S GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 

Aug. 21 WI S U. Md./Schmerling Ionosphere 

Oct. 24 SWE S Sweden Ionosphere 

Nov. 7 WI S GSFC/Goldberg Ion concentration 

Nov. 19 WI S GSFC/Aikin Ionosphere 

partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Solar Physics 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

1960 

Mar. 1 WI S GSFC/Hallam Solar studies 


Mar. 3 WI S GSFC/Hallam Solar studies 

1962 

4.23 US I WI S U. Colo./Lindsay Sun follower July 24 

4.21 US Nov. 27 WS S Harvard/Lindsay Solar studies 

1963 

4.61 AS June 20 WS S NRL/Packer Coronagraph 	 

4.62 AS June 28 WS S NRL/Packer Coronagraph 	 

4.77 GS July 20 WS S GSFC/Wolff Solar studies 	 

4.22 US Sept. 6 WS S Harvard/Lindsay Solar studies 	 

4.78 GS Oct. I WS S GSFC/Hallam Solar studies 	 

4.33 GS Oct. IS WS S GSFC/Muney X-ray 

1964 

4.116 GS I Oct. 30 WS S GSFC/Muney ISolar studies 

1965 

4.63 GS Mar. 17 WS S GSFC/Muney Solar studies 	 

4.49 GS Apr. 12 WS S GSFC/Fredga Solar studies 	 

4.146 DS Oct. 20 WS S NRL/Smith 	 1965F comet solar studies 

'­ 4.53 GS Oct. 26 WS S GSFC/Fredga Solar studies 	 

'­

\Q 4.145 GS Dec. 2 WS S GSFC/Fredga Solar studies 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
..... 

N NASA 

c:::, rocket 

4.99 OS 

4.100 OS 

4.24 US 

4.189 OS 

4.95 GS 

4.92 GS 

4.101 OS 

4.153 GS 

4.191 OS 

16.05 US 

4.102 OS 

4.103 OS 

4.168 CS 

4.117GS 

4.192 OS 

4.104 OS 

4.1 52 GS 

4.243 OS 

4.239 US 

Date 

1966 

I Mar. 2 

Mar. 3 

Apr. 14 

Apr. 28 

May 20 

May 20 

Aug. 26 

Nov. 12 

Nov. 12 

1967 

Feb. 25 

Mar. 14 

Mar. 22 

Apr. 5 

Apr. 24 

May 9 

Sept. 30 

Oct. 3 

Oct. 5 

Oct. 19 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Solar Physics-Concluded 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performancea experimenter Purpose 

WI I S AFCRL/Smith Solar studies 

WI S AFCRL/Smith Solar studies 

WS S U. Colo./Dubin Solar studies 

WS S NRL/Smith Solar studies 

WS S GSFC/Underwood Solar X-ray 

WS S GSFC/Neupert Solar spectra 

WI S AFCRL/Schmerling Solar studies 

WS S GSFC/Underwood Eclipse solar studies 

WS S NRL/Smith Eclipse solar studies 

WI S Harvard/Srnith Solar physics 

WI S AFCRL/Schmerling Monochromatic extreme 

ultraviolet 

WI S AFCRL/Schmerling Monochromatic extreme 

ultraviolet 

WS S Lockheed/Weldon Solar physics 

WS S GSFC/Neupert Solar X-ray 

WS S NRL/Smith Solar studies 

WI S AFCRL/Schmerling Monochromatic extreme 

ultraviolet 

WS S GSFC/Underwood Solar X-ray and ultra- 

violet 

WS S NRL/Holtz Solar studies 

WS S U. Colo.!Glaser Solar studies 
4.134 DS June 8 WS S NRL/Glaser Solar physics 	 

4.263 CS June 8 WS S AS&E/Glaser Solar physics 	 

4.246 DS Sept. 22 WS S NRL/Glaser Solar corona 	 

4.185 US Sept. 24 WS S Harvard/G laser Solar studies 	 

4.231 	GS Sept. 30 WS S GSFC/Behring Solar extreme ultra- 

violet 

4.248 CS 	 S Lockheed/Glaser Solar studies 

4.240 US 	 S U. Colo./Glaser Solar physics 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Galactic Astronomy 

NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

, I 

-

1960 

I 

4.04 GG Apr. 27 WI P GSFC/Kupperian Stellar fluxes 	 

4.05 GG May 27 WI S GSFC/Boggess Stellar fluxes 	 

4.06 GG June 24 WI S GSFC/Boggess Stellar fluxes 	 

-N 

...... 4.11 GG Nov. 22 WI S GSFC/Stecher Stellar spectra 

as = successful; P = partially 'successful; X = unsuccessful. 
....... 

w NASA 

w rocket 

4.34 GG 

9.01 GG 

9.02 GG 

9.03 GG 

9.04 GG 

4.35 GG 

4.36 GG 

4.69 CG 

4.54 UG 

4.70 CG 

4.30 GG 

4.37 GG 

4.29 GG 

4.3IGG 

4.15 GG 

4.81 GG 

Date 

1961 

Mar. 31 

Sept. 18 

Oct. 4 

Nov. I 

Nov. 20 

1962 

Feb. 7 

Sept. 22 

Sept. 30 

Oct. 30 

1963 

Mar. 16 

Mar. 28 

July 19 

July 23 

Oct. 10 

1964 

Apr. 3 

Apr. 10 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Galactic Astronomy -

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performancea experimenter 

WI P 


AUS S 


AUS S 


AUS S 


AUS S 


WI X 


WI S 


WI S 


WI S 


WI S 


WS S 


WI S 


WI S 


WS X 


WS S 

WS X gg 

Continued 

Purpose 

Stellar fluxes 

Stellar photometry 

Stellar photometry 

Stellar photometry 

Stellar photometry 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar photometry 

Night sky mapping 

Stellar studies 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 
4.109 GG Nov. 7 WS S GSFC/Stecher Stellar spectra 

4.110 GG Nov. 14 WS S GSFC/Stecher Stellar spectra 

1965 

4.133 UG Mar. 6 WS S Princeton/Kupperian Stellar spectra 

4.56 GG Mar. 13 WS S GSFC/Boggess Stellar spectra 

4.57 GG Mar. 19 WS S GSFC/Boggess Stellar studies 

4.114GG Apr. 24 WS X GSFC/Boggess Stellar studies 

4.89 GG May 5 WI S GSFC/Boggess Stellar studies 

4.17 UG June 2 WS S Princeton/Kupperian Stellar spectra 

4.147 CG Sept. 22 WS S AS&E/Roman Celestial X-ray 

4.121CG Oct. 1 WS S Lockheed/Roman Stellar X-ray 

4.151 UG Oct. 13 WS S Princeton/Kupperian Stellar spectra 

4.155 GG Nov. 30 WS S GSFC/Scolnik Stellar spectra 

1966 

4.90 GG Jan. 18 WI S GSFC/Wright Stellar spectra 

4.50 UG Feb. 2 WS S Princeton/Kupperian Stellar spectra 

4.148 CG Mar. 8 WS S AS&E/Roman Stellar X-ray 

4.171 UG May 18 WI S U. Wis./Roman Stellar studies 

4.51 UG May 24 WS P Princeton/Kupperian Stellar spectra 

....... 


N 4.159 GG July 16 WS S GSFC/Stecher Stellar spectra 

u" 4.144 DG July 19 WS P NRL/Roman Stellar spectra 

4.176 UG Sept. 20 WS S Princeton/Kupperian Stellar spectra 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Galactic Astronomy - Concluded 

...... 

N NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

~ rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

4.149 CG Oct. 12 WS S X-ray astronomy 

4.154 GG Nov. 21 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.182 UG Dec. 13 BRAZ S X-ray astronomy 

1967 

4.160 GG Mar. 3 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.84 UG Mar. 3 WS S Stellar infrared 

4.l94 DG Mar. 17 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.204 GG Apr. 1 WS P Stellar spectra 

4.186 UG Apr. 7 WS S Stellar spec tra 

4.157 GG May 5 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.203 UG May 5 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.210 GG June 2 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.190 UG July 8 WS S X-ray spectra 

4.172 UG Aug. 4 WS S Stellar ultraviolet 

4.l87 CG Aug. 26 WS S Stellar X-ray 

4.158 GG Oct. 27 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.226 UG Nov. 1 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.229 DG Nov. 4 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.228 CG Nov. 20 WS S Stellar X-ray 

4.219 GG Dec. 6 WS S Stellar ultraviolet 

1968 

4.205 GG Jan. 26 WS S Stellar spectra 

4.261 CG Feb. 2 WS S / Stellar X-ray 
4.221 GG 

4.173UG 

4.236 UG 

4.225 UG 

4.174 UG 

4.265 DG 

12.13 GT-GG 

14.261 IG 

4.268 UG 

4.264 CG 

4.l78 UG 

May 17 

May 25 

July 27 

July 27 

Sept. 21 

Oct. 10 

Oct. 26 

Nov. 7 

Nov. 15 

Dec. 6 

Dec. 20 

WS 

WS 

WS 

WS 

WS 

WS 

WS 

IND 

WS 

WS 

WS 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

S 

GSFC/Kondo 

U. Wis./Roman 

Colo. Rad. Lab./Roman 

MIT/Roman 

U. Wis./Roman 

NRL/Roman 

GSFC/Busse 

India 

Princeton/Roman 

AS&E/Roman 

Cornell/Roman 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar X-ray 

Stellar X-ray 

Stellar spectra 

Stellar spectra 

Rocket test 

X-ray astronomy 

Stellar spectra 

X-ray astronomy 

Infrared radiation 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Radio Astronomy 

NASA 

rocket Date 

Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performancea 

Affiliation/ 

experimenter Purpose 

1962 

11.02 UR Sept. 22 WI S U. Mich.jCoates Radio astronomy 

....... 

N 

V, 1964 

8.33 GR Oct. 23 WI S 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

GSFC/Stone Radio astronomy 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Radio Astronomy-Concluded 

........ 

N 

0\ 

NASA 

rocket Date 

Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performancea 

1965 

11.03 UR June 30 WI S 

14.75 GR Sept. 9 WI S 

1966 

8.44 GR May 20 WI S 

1967 

16.03 GR Aug. 30 WI S 

1968 

14.346 GR Mar. 28 WI S 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

Affiliation/ 

experimenter 

U. Mich./Roman 

GSFC/Stone 

GSFC/Stone 

GSFC/Stone 

GSFC/Stone 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Biology 

NASA 

rocket Date Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performance a 

Affiliation/ 

experimenter 

1961 

11.04 GB Nov. 15 PMR S GSFC/Campbell 

11.05 GB Nov. 18 PMR P GSFC/Campbell 

Purpose 

Radio astronomy 

Radio propagation 

Radio astronomy 

Radio astronomy 

Radio astronomy 

Purpose 

IBIOS I 


BIOS I 

IDec. 5 

1968 

4.214 NB 

4.215 NB 

June 24 

Nov. 21 

WI 

WI 

S 

S 

Wallops/Belleville 

Wailops/Belleville 

Gravity preference 

Gravity preference 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Special Projects 

NASA 

rocket Date 

Firing 

site 

Rocket 

performancea 

Affiliation/ 

experimenter Purpose 

1960 

1.03 GP 

1.05 GP 

4.43 GP 

Sept. IS 

Sept. 24 

Oct. 5 

FC 

FC 

FC 

S 

S 

S 

GSFC/Baumann 

GSFC/Baumann 

NRL/Baumann 

Arctic meteorological pho

tographic probe (AMPP

AMPP 

AMPP 

........ 

N 

'-l 

1961 

4.38 NP Feb. 5 WI S 

4.39 NP Apr. 21 WI S 

as = successful; P = partially successful; X = unsuccessful. 

LeRC/Gold 

LeRC/Gold 

Hydrogen Og 

Hydrogen 0 g 
"­

Vv NASA <::::> rocket 

3.28 GT 

5.02 GT 

3.29 GT 

3.36 GT 

5.03 GT 

10.49 GT 

4.19 GT 

12.01 GT 

14.01 GT 

4.20 GT 

14.02 GT 

4.68 GT 

10.69 GT 

10.70 GT 

4.48 GT 

4.60 GT 

Ferdinand II 

(Nike-Cajun) 

16.01 GT 

4.87 GT 

14.111 GT 

Date 

Aug. 9 

Oct. 18 

Nov. 3 

1961 

Jan. 17 

Jan. 19 

Mar. 15 

Apr. 14 

May 2 

May 25 

June 26 

Aug. 16 

1962 

Jan. 13 

Mar. 1 

Mar. 2 

May 25 

Aug. 8 

Dec. 14 

1963 

Apr. 8 

June 17 

Oct. 31 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Test and Support- Concluded 

Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

site performancea experimenter Purpose 

WI S GSFC Rocket test 

WI S GSFC Rocket test 

WI S GSFC Rocket test 

WI S GSFC Rocket test 

WI X GSFC Rocket test 

WI S GSFC Cajun fin test 

WI S GSFC Attitude control 

WI S U. Mic Cone test 

WI S GSFC Rocket test 

WI S GSFC Attitude control 

WI S GSFC Rocket test 

WI S GSFC Attitude control 

WI X GSFC Water test 

WI S GSFC Water test 

WI S GSFC Sea recovery 

WI P GSFC Attitude control 

NOR S Norw: NASA-telemetry only 

WI X GSFC Flight test 

WS S GSFC Attitude control 

WI S GSFC/ Vihration test 
12.02 GT Dec. 11 WI S GSFC/Lane Rocket test 

1965 

17.01 GT June 18 WI S GSFC/Lane I Rocket test 

1966 

17.02 GT Aug. 17 WI S GSFC/Lane Rocket test 

12.06 GT Sept. 20 WS S GSFC/Busse Booster test 

1967 

15.55 GT Apr. 20 WI P GSFC/Hudgins Tone ranging test 

14.343 GT-UA Aug. 5 WS S GSFC/Wood Recovery system test 

12.07 GT Sept. 12 WS P GSFC/Busse Aerobee rail launch test 

12.09 GT Oct. 3 WI X GSFC/Wood Arcas booster test 

4.201 NT Dec. 10 WS S Ames/Holtz SPARCS test 

1968 

12.08 GT Feb. 5 WI S GSFC/Sorgnit Rocket test 

4.202 NT Mar. 19 WS S Ames/Holtz SPARCS test 

12.10 GT Apr. 17 WI S GSFC/Wood Rocket test 

14.363 GT June 4 WS S GSFC/Wood Recovery system test 

........ 

v,., 12.16GT Sept. 20 WI P GSFC/Pedolsky Launch tube test 

........ 12.13 GT-UG Oct. 26 WS S GSFC/Busse Rocket test 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
NA SA Sounding Rocket Flights-Meteorology 

....... 
 NASA Firing Rocket Affiliationj 

~ rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

1965 

14.71 CM June 23 WI S GCAjSmith Luminescent clouds 

14.72 CM June 23 WI S GCAjSmith Luminescent clouds 

14.73 CM J une 23 WI S GCAjSmith Luminescent clouds 

14.74 CM June 23 WI S GCAjSmith Luminescent clouds 

10.l28 GM July 23 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.151 GM Aug. 7 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.96 GM Aug. 7 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10. 162 GM Aug. 7 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10. 165 GM Aug. 7 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l68 GM Aug. 7 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l69 GM Aug. 8 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l66 GM Aug. 8 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l63 GM Aug. 8 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l 67 GM Aug. 8 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.170 GM Aug. 8 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.164 FM Aug. 9 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.1 52 GM Oct. 13 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.97 GM Oct. 13 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.129 GM Oct. 13 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l77 GM Oct. 19 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.98 GM Oct. 19 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.l74GM Oct. 19 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.1 78 GM Oct. 23 PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.175 GM Oct. 23 WI S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.172 GM Oct. 23 FC S GSFCjSmith Grenade 
14.262 CM Jan. 17 WI S GCAjSmith Sodium vapor 

14.263 CM Jan. 18 WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.264 CM Jan. 18 WI S GCA/Srnith Luminescent clouds 

14.265 CM Jan. 18 WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.266 CM Jan. 18 WI S GCA/Smith Sodium vapor 

10.185 GM Jan. 24 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.182 GM Feb. 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.l47 GM Feb. 1 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.186 GM Feb. 2 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.187 GM Feb. 10 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.l48 GM Feb. 10 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.l83 GM Feb. 10 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.145 GM Feb. 10 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.149 GM Feb. 10 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.184 GM Feb. 10 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.251 UM Feb. 27 ASC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.252 UM Feb. 28 ASC X U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

10.1801M Mar. 24 PAK S Great Britain-Pakistan Grenade 

14.165 1M Mar. 27 PAK S Great Britain-Pakistan Grenade 

14.249 1M Apr. 26 PAK S Great Britain-Pakistan Grenade; chemical release 

10.190 GM May 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

....... 

v,; 

v,; 

10.188 GM 

10.194 GM 

10.l92 GM 

May 2 

May 2 

May 2 

WI 

BRAZ 

FC 

S 

S 

S 

GSFC/Smith 

GSFC/Smith 

GSFC/Smith 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights-Meteorology-Continued 

...... NASA Firing Rocket Affiliation/ 

~ rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

10.191 GM PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.193 GM FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.189 GM WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.195 GM BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.198 GM FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.196GM PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.199 GM FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.197 GM PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.291 CM WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.292 CM WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.293 CM WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.294 CM WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.295 CM WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.296 GM WI P GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.204 GM BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.202 GM FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.289 UM FC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

10.203 GM FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.206 GM WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.205 GM BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.200 GM PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.201 GM PB S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

14.285 UM WI S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.286 UM WI S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

4.156 GM WS S GSFC/Heath Airglow; electron tern- 

perature and density 

10_146 GM p WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 
10.215 GM Oct. 2 BRAZ S GSFCjSmith Grenade 

10.160 GM Dec. 9 WS S GSFC/Hilsenrath Ozone 

1967 

10.207 GM Jan. 31 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.319UM Jan. 31 FC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.310 CM Jan. 31 FC S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

10.216 GM Jan.31 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.315 UM Feb. 1 FC X U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.311CM Feb. 1 FC S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

10.217GM Feb. 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.317 UM Feb. 1 FC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.312 CM Feb. 1 FC S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

10.218 GM Feb. 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.318UM Feb. 1 FC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.313 CM Feb. 1 FC S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

10.219 GM Feb. 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.316UM Feb. 1 FC S U. Mich.jSmith Atmospheric structure 

14.323 CM Feb. 1 FC S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

10.220 GM Feb. 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

14.314 CM Feb. 1 FC S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

...... 14.322 UM Feb. 1 FC S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

'-'" 10.221 GM Feb. 1 PB S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

v. 

10.222 GM Feb. 3 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Meteorology-Continued 

'­


v", NASA Firing Rocket
 0\ Affiliation/ 

rocket Date site performancea experimenter Purpose 

10.208 GM WI S th Grenade 

10.226 GM PB S th Grenade 

10.227 GM PB S th Grenade 

10.223 GM WI S th Grenade 

10.228 GM PB S th Grenade 

10.224 GM WI S th Grenade 

10.225 GM WI S th Grenade 

10.229 GM PB S th Grenade 

10.232 GM WI S th Grenade 

10.230 GM PB S th Grenade 

10.233 GM WI S th Grenade 

10.161 GM WI S enrath Ozone 

10.231 GM PB S th Grenade 

10.238 GM BRAZ S th Grenade 

10.237 GM BRAZ S th Grenade 

10.239 GM BRAZ S th Grenade 

14.337 eM WI S 1 Luminescent clouds 

14.97 UM PB S mith Atmospheric structure 

14.290 UM PB S mith Atmospheric structure 

14.338 CM WI S 1 Luminescent clouds 

14.339 CM WI S 1 Luminescent clouds 

14.340 CM WI S 1 Luminescent clouds 

14.342 CM WI S 1 Luminescent clouds 

14.341 CM WI S 1 Luminescent clouds 

10.240 GM BRAZ X th Grenade 

10.241 GM BRAZ S th Grenade 

10.242 GM g BRAZ S / th Grenade 
10.249 GM Dec. 12 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.246 GM Dec. 18 BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.247 GM Dec. 19 BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.250 GM Dec. 19 BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

1968 

18.62 GM Jan. 22 WI S GSFC/Heath Airglow 

10.264 GM Feb. 1 WI S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.259 GM Feb. 1 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.255 GM Feb. 1 PB X GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.260GM Feb. 1 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.261 GM Feb. 1 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.262 GM Feb. 1 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.263 GM Feb. 5 FC S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

10.234 GM Feb. 7 WS S GSFC/Rast Ozone parachute 

system test 

14.364 CM Feb. 22 WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.365 CM Feb. 22 WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.336 CM Feb. 22 WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.367 CM Feb. 22 WI S GCA/Smith Luminescent clouds 

14.344 UM Mar. 17 PR S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

14.345 UM Mar. 17 PR S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

'­v..., 14.333 UM Mar. 18 PR S U. Mich./Smith Atmospheric structure 

'-l 10.270 GM Mar. 24 BRAZ S GSFC/Smith Grenade 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
...... 

v., NASA 

00 rocket 

10.271 GM 

10.272 GM 

12.11 GM 

14.356 UM 

10.258 GM 

10.265 GM 

10.266 GM 

14.187 UM 

14.357 UM 

10.281 GM 

10.287 GM 

10.288 GM 

10.251 GM 

10.252 GM 

10.293 GM 

14.386 UM 

10.283 GM 

10.284 GM 

10.289 GM 

10.290 GM 

10.294 GM 

10.295 GM 

10.285 GM 

10.291 GM 

10.286 GM 

10.292 GM 

Date 

Mar. 25 

Mar. 25 

Apr. 8 

Apr. 23 

July 24 

July 24 

July 24 

Aug. 8 

Aug. 9 

Sept. 27 

Oct. 15 

Oct. 15 

Oct. 16 

Oct. 16 

Nov. 19 

Nov. 19 

Nov. 20 

Nov. 20 

Nov. 22 

Nov. 22 

Dec. 12 

Dec. 12 

Dec. 13 

Dec. 13 

Dec. 13 

Dec. 13 

NASA Sounding Rocket Flights- Meteorology - Concluded 

Firing Rocket Affiliationj 


site performancea experimenter 


BRAZ S GSFCjSmith 

BRAZ S GSFCjSmith 

WI X GSFCjSmith 

FC X U. Mich.jSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

WI S U. Mich .jSmith 

WI S U. Mich./Smith 

FC S GSFCjSmith 

PB S GSFCjSmith 

PB S GSFCjSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

FC S GSFCjSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

WI S U. Mich.jSmith 

FC S GSFCjSmith 

FC S GSFCjSmith 

PB S GSFCjSmith 

PB S GSFCjSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

WI S GSFCjSmith 

FC S GSFCjSmith 

PB S GSFCjSmith 

FC S GSFCjSmith 

PB S GSFCjSmith 

Purpose 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Rocket test 

Atmospheric structure 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Atmospheric structure 

Atmospheric structure 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Atmospheric structure 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

Grenade 

as =successful; P =partially successful; X =unsuccessful. 
APPENDIX C 


TRENDS 


IN VEHICLE USAGE, 1959-1968 

...... 

~ 

~ 

Year 

Vehicle 

1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 196

Aerobee 100 0 4 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 

Aerobee 150 4 1 0 3 12 22 23 24 31 3

Aerobee 150A 0 10 8 17 18 4 6 5 4 

Aerobee 300/300A 0 3 2 1 2 2 I 0 0 

Aerobee 350 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 

Arcas 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 9 16 

Arcon 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Astrobee 1500 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 

Black Brant IV 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Iris 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 

Javelin 1 5 8 2 2 7 7 6 9 

Journeyman 0 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 

Nike-Apache 0 0 5 11 36 76 92 57 48 5

Nike-Asp 5 10 8 3 1 0 0 0 0 

Nike-Cajun 0 24 23 37 20 38 43 43 35 3

Nike-Tomahawk 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 12 15 3

Skylark 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Miscellaneous 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 2 

Total 16 60 70 78 93 152 19 1 158 162 17

Note.-These data do not include the much larger quantities of small meteorological rockets fired allover the world by various agencies, in
APPENDIX D 


A TYPICAL MEMORANDUM 


OF AGREEMENT 


MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 


BETWEEN THE 


COMISSAO NACIONAL DE ATiVIDADES ESPACIAIS 


AND THE 


NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 


The Comissao Nacional de Atividades Espaciais (CNAE) of the United States of Brazil 

an d the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of 

America reaffirm their desire to conduct space research projects of mutual interest for 

peaceful scientific purposes. 

Accordingly, CNAE and NASA agree to conduct a series of scientific sounding rocket 

flights from the Barreira do Inferno range near Natal, Brazil, to sample the radiation dose 

rates in the vicinity of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The unique aspects of the South 

Atlantic Anomaly Region allow these data to be obtained by launching an electron 

energy spectrometer and other radiation detection instruments to an approximate 

altitude of 550 statute miles by means of a Black Brant IV sounding rocket. The data 

returned will allow scientists to examine the dynamics of the inner radiation belts, and 

will be useful in safeguarding astronauts conducting low altitude, low inclination, Earth 

orbital missions. 

To carry out this project, CNAE and NASA agree to use their best efforts as follows: 

1. NASA Responsibilities: 

a. Provide training at facilities in Brazil for a mutually agreed number of CNAE 

personnel in payload preparation and handling; Black Brant IV assembly, 

prelaunching preparation, and launching techniques; and maintenance and operation of the data recording equipment. Training is to include a live launching from 

the Barreira do Inferno range. 

b. Provide and transport to Brazil three Black Brant IV rockets and flight-qualified 

payloads. 

141 
f. Provide appropriate technical assistance to carry out the project. 

g. Provide and install a teletypewriter circuit between the Barreira d

and an appropriate NASA facility. 

2. CNAE Responsibilities: 

a. Provide a mutually agreed number of personnel to train in paylo

and handling; Black Brant IV assembly, prelaunching preparation, 

techniques; and in the maintenance and operation of the data record

b. Assist with customs clearance and provide transportation within 

project support equipment, rockets, and payloads required for this pr

c. Provide storage for rockets, payloads, and project support equi

duration of the project. 

d. Assist in the installation of launcher rails, teletypewriter equipm

project equipment. 

e. Maintain and operate the teletypewriter equipment at the Barr

range. 

f. Prepare and operate the launching range and associated facilities

special data recording equipment provided for this program. 

g. Assist, on a training basis, in vehicle and payload assembly, prepar

checkout, and launch of the first Black Brant IV rocket and payload. 

h. Assemble, prepare, conduct preflight checkouts and launch 

rockets and payloads according to a mutually agreed schedule. 

i. Provide photographic coverage of the preparation and launch of ea

j. Provide quick look telemetry and radar information as soon as pos

follow-on flight. 

k. Provide radar and telemetry data for each flight. 

Each agency will bear the cost of discharging its respective responsibil

personnel, travel and subsistence costs. 

142 
of one year, records or copies of reduced data will be deposited with the National Space 

Sciences Data Center and listed with the appropriate World Data Center. Such records 

will then be made available to interested scientists, upon reasonable request, by the World 

Data Center or other selected depository. Results of the experiment will be made 

available to the scientific community in general through publication in appropriate 

journals or other established channels. 

Each agency may release public information regarding its own portion of the project, as 

desired, and insofar as the participation of the other agency is concerned, after suitable 

coordination. 

In the event of damage arising from activities under this cooperative agreement, under the 

principles of the Treaty Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of 

Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, and international law; 

CNAE and NASA agree to consult promptly. 

For the Comissao Nacional For the National Aeronautics 

de Atividades Espaciais and Space Administration 

Dates 

143 


APPENDIX E 


TRENDS IN USE 


BY DISCIPLINE, 1959-1968 

....... 

-!:>.. 

0\ 

Year 

Discipline 

1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 196

Aeronomy 5 10 21 30 35 51 45 31 28 3

Biology 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 I 

Energetic particles 0 16 I 0 2 16 IS 14 11 2

Fields 0 2 3 0 I 9 13 5 12 1

Galactic astronomy 0 4 5 4 5 11 10 11 16 1

Ionospheric physics 4 8 10 14 27 22 46 25 20 2

Meteorology 0 5 13 14 II 34 53 59 57 4

Radio astronomy 0 0 0 I 0 I 2 I I 

Solar physics 0 4 I 2 6 I 5 9 10 1

Test and 

miscellaneous 7 II 14 13 6 7 2 3 6 

Total 16 60 70 78 93 152 191 158 162 17

-- - --- - - 
FINANCIAL SUMMARY, 1958-1970 

1963 and prior $38304000 

1964 16740000 

1965 16674000 

1966 19256000 

1967 19928000 

1968 19856000 

1969 12234000 

1970 18 500 000 (plan) 

Total 161 492000 

Source: NASA Headquarters, Physics and Astronomy Office. 

147 

INDEX 


Aerobee-Hawk,79 

Aerobee-Hi, 2, 20, 21, 32, 79 

Aerobee Jr. See Aerobee 100 

Aerobee series, 9,17 , 18-21,23,25,28,30,31, 

54,55,56,57 , 75,84 

Aerobee 75 , 79 

Aerobee 90, 79 

Aerobee 100, 32,41,52,79,80,140 

Aerobee 150, 20, 32,41, 42,49,50,51,55 , 

67,68, 69, 70, 79,140 

Aerobee 150A, 49, 51,79, 140 

Aerobee 170,75,79 

Aerobee 300, 32,41,51,79,140 

Aerobee 300A, 51 , 79, 140 

Aerobee 350, 52 , 55,62,63, 75,79, 140 

Aerojet Engineering Corp., 17 , 18, 19 fn, 20, 

30,32,52,55,79,84 

Aerolab Development Co., 41,80,81 

Aeronautics and Astronautics Coordinating 

Board,47 

Aeronu tronics Systems, 27, 81 

AFCRL, 24, 25, 30, 32 , 36,46, 69,80,81,82 

Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories. 

See AFCRL 

Air Force-Hi, 20 

Aleor, 52, 80 

Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, 23, 41, 81,83 

American Machine & Foundry, 82 

American Rocket Society, 9 

Ames Research Center, 55, 67 

Anderson, Kinsey A., 30 

Apache, 54, 82 

Applied Physics Laboratory, 13, 13 fn, 18, 19, 

19 fn, 21 

Areas, 32, 33, 41, 50, 59,63,65,68,69,70, 

71,80,83, 140 

Archer, 80 

Arcon,42,80, 140 

Argentina, 48, 49, 68 

Argo series (see also Percheron, Jason, Javelin, 

and Journeyman), 41, 42,80 

Argus project, 42, 80 , 81 

Arrow, 80 

Asp, 24 fn, 31,41,54,80, 81 

Aspan. See Nike-Asp 

Aspan 300, 80 

Asroc,83 

Astrobee 200, 80 

Astrobee 250, 80 

Astrobee 500, 80 

Astrobee 1500,51 , 52, 80,140 

Astronomical research, 57, 60, 62 , 68, 73, 146 

Atlantic Research Corp., 33, 42, 63, 80,81, 83 

Atmospheric research, 33,49, 50,51, 59,67 , 

68 , 146 

Atomic Energy Commission, 46, 63 

Australia, 48, 49,5 1 

A-2,7 

A-4. See V-2 

Baby Wac, 17 

Bain, Col. J. G., 12 

Ball Brothers Corp., 55 

Balloons (see also Rockoons), 1, 2, 5, 62 

Barnes, Major General G. M., 9 fn 

Baumann, R., 38, 39 

Beltsville Space Center, 36 

Berkner, Lloyd, 29 

Berning, Warren W., 30 

Biological research, 5, 15, 57, 146 

BIOS, 58 

Bissell, Edward E., Jr., 40 

Black Brant series, 47 , 75, 80 

Black Brant III, 49,80 

Black Brant IV, 64, 65,69,80,81,140 

Black Brant VA, 81 

Black Brant VB, 81 

Blossom project, 15 

Boa, 81 

Brazil, 56, 65,67, 68'{)9, 71, 14 1-143 

Brinster, J., 13 fn 

Bristol Aerospace, Ltd., 64, 80 

149 
Cape Kennedy, 13 fn, 81, 82 


Carnegie Institution, 7 


Castor, 83 


Catholic University, 68 


Centaur, 49 


Clark, John F., 39 


Congreve, William, 5 


Cooper Development Corp., 32,54,80,82,83, 


84 


Corporal, 9, 18 


DAN. See Nike-Deacon 

Dart, 68, 70, 71, 82, 83 


Deacon, 25, 26, 27, 80, 81, 83 


Deacon-Arrow, 81 


Denmark, 48, 50, 71 


Department of Defense, 47,57 

Dornberger, Walter R., 7 


Douglas Aircraft Corp., 18, 19,84 

Dow, W. G., 13 fn 

Dragon, 49 


East Wind (Coast Guard Cutter), 27 


Echo satellite, 42, 83 


Eclipse expeditions, 65, 68, 70, 73 


Eglin Air Force Base, 81 


Environmental Science Services Administration, 


46 


EXAMETNET, 68 


Exos,81 


Explorer I, 34 


Fairchild-Hiller Corp., 46 


Farside,81 


Farside project, 27, 81, 83 


Fleming, John A., 7 


Fort Churchill, 30, 31, 32, 33,42,46,51,53, 


56,58,65,69 


France, 48, 49, 69 


Friedman, Herbert, 3 


GALCIT, 7, 9,17 

General Electric Co., 13, 13 fn 


General Mills, 81 


German Research Satellite, 68, 69 


Germany, 48, 49, 69-70 


150 


Golay, M. J. E., 13 fn 


Goldstone Range, 17 


Grand Central Rocket Co., 24 

Greece, 70 


Green, C. F., 13 fn 


Guggenheim Aeronautical L

GALCIT 


Halvorson, George, 25 


Hanessian, John, Jr., 30 


Hart, Pembroke, J., 30 


Hartz, Francis J., 40 


Harvard University, 13 fn 

Hasp, 81, 82 


Hawk, 27, 79,81,83 


Hermes project, 13, 15 


Hess, W., 38 


Hines, Colin 0., 61 


Holloman Air Development Co

Honest John, 80, 81, 82,83 


Hugo project, 25 


Humphreys, W. J., 6 


IGY, 25, 28, 29-34, 35, 51, 52

India, 48, 49, 70, 72, 73 


Indian Ocean Expedition, 70, 7

International Council of Scien

International Geophysical Yea

International programs, 41, 4

63,65,67-71,76,141-143 


International Quiet Sun Year 

80 


Ionospheric research, 33,49,5

70,71,73,146 


Iris, 42, 81, 140 


Iroq uois, 82 


Israel, 67, 70 


Italy (see also San Marco proje

Jaguar, 81 


Japan, 48, 49, 70 


Jason, 41, 42,80,81 

Jason project, 80, 81 


Jastrow, Robert, 37,38,39 

JATO, 9 


Javelin, 41, 42, 49, 51, 68, 69
Krause, Ernst H., 12, 13 fn, 22, 36 


Lacrosse, 83 


Lagow, H., 38 


Lance, 80 


Lane, John H., 55 


Langley Research Center (see also PARD), 24, 


42,63,80,83 


Lewis, Lt. M. L., 25 


Ley, Willy,S fn 


Lindbergh, Charles A., 6 


Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., 82, 84 


Loki, 27, 32, 59, 80, 81,82, 83 


Loki-Dart, 31, 32 


Loki II. See Hawk 


Long Playing Rocket (LPR), 29 


Long Range Proving Ground, 13 fn 


Luster project, 49, 50, 58, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73 


McDonald, Frank B., 30 


Mackey, R. J., 39 


MacMechen, R., 6 


MacVeigh, George E., 40 


Malina, Frank J., 8, 9 


Manned Spacecraft Center, 65, 69 


Marquardt Corp., 54, 81 , 82,83 


Marshall Space Flight Center, 81 


Matthews, N. W., 37, 38,39 


Maul, Alfred S., 5 


Mazur, Daniel G., 37, 38 


Medrow, Karl R., 36, 37,40,65 


Megerian, G. K., 13 fn 


Mercury program, 42 


Meredith, Leslie H., 36, 37,38,39 


Meteorological Rocket Network, 59 


Meteorological studies, 9, 28, 33, 57, 59, 63, 


67,68,70,71,146 


NACA, 23, 24,41,81,82,83 


NASA (see also Ames Research Center, God­


dard Space Flight Center, Langley Research 


Center, Manned Spacecraft Center, Marshall 


Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters, 


Wallops Island), 20 fn, 32,33,35,36,41,42, 


43,46,47,49,51,52,56,57,58,61,63,64, 


65,67,69,70,75,76 , 80,81,82,83 


National Academy of Sciences, 29, 61 


Naval Gun Factory, 13 


Naval Research Laboratory. See NRL 


Navy-Hi, 20 


Neptune, 21 


NERV project, 58 


Netherlands, 67, 70 


New Zealand, 48, 50, 63,71 


Newell, Homer E., Jr., 22, 30,36 


Nike,24,41,55,79,80,81,82,83 


Nike-Ajax, 80, 81 


Nike-Apache, 2, 49, 50, 52,53,58,65,67,68, 


69,70,71,75,82,140 


Nike-Asp, 31, 32, 42,49,51,80,140 


Nike-Cajun, 2, 23-25, 28, 31,41,49,50,51, 


52,65,70,71,75,82,140 


Nike-Deacon, 23-25, 31,41,82 


Nike-Genie, 82 


Nike-Iroquois, 69,82 


Nike-J avelin, 82 


Nike-Nike, 82 


Nike-Recruit, 82 


Nike-Tomahawk, 63, 64, 68, 69,71,75,82, 


140 


Northrop, T., 39 


Norway, 48, 50, 63, 71 


NRL, 3, 12, 13 fn, 19, 19 fn, 21, 22, 30, 31, 


32,36,37,40,42,43,46,60,75,79,80,83 


Oberth, Hermann, 27 


O'Day, M. D., 13 fn 

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, 62 


ORDCIT,9 fn, 11 


Oriole, 82 


Orion, 68 


O'Sullivan, William J., 25 


Pakistan, 48, 50, 51, 71 


PARD, 24, 75, 81 


Peenemuende, II, 12 


Pegasus, 82 


Percheron, 80 


Phoenix, 82 


Pieper, G. F., 39 


Pilotless Aircraft Research Division. See PARD 


Pogo project, 24 


Polar Year, 7,29 


151 

Reach project, 22 


Reaction Motors, Inc., 9, 21 


Recruit, 52, 80,82,83,84 

Republic Aviation, 83 


Robin, 83 


Rockaire, 27-28,41,83 

Rocket Power Co., 82 


Rocket Research Panel, 47 


Rockoon, 24,25-27,31,41,81,82,83 

Roksonde, 83 


Rosen, Milton W., 11 , 12,21,22 

Ruggieri, Claude,S 

Sabersky, Rolf, 18 


Sandia Corp., 63, 81,82,83 


Sandy project, 13 fn 


San Marco project, 43 


Satellites, in comparison to sounding rockets, 1, 


35,45,59,61-62,75 


Sergeant, 9, 52,80,81,82,83,84 


Sergeant-Delta, 42, 83 


Shotput project, 42, 43, 83 


Sidewinder, 83 


Sidewinder-Areas, 71, 80, 83 


Sidewinder-Raven, 83 


Singer, S. F., 25 


Skat, 83 


Skylark, 49, 51, 140 


Slavin, Robert W., 30 


Smith, C. H., 21, 22 


Smith, N., 13 fn 


Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 29 


Solar research, 15,28,34,55,57,60,70,73, 


146 


Sorgnit, Ernest F., 40 


Space Data Corp., 81 


Spaerobee, 32, 79 


Spain, 67, 71 


SPARCS, 55, 67 


Sparrow, 79 , 83 


Sparrow-Arcas,83 


Spencer, Nelson W., 30, 39 


Stabilization (see also SPARCS) 5 55 75 


Stampfl, R. A., 39 " , 


Strongarm,83 


Stroud, William G., 30, 38 


Sweden, 48, 50, 71 


Tomahawk, 83 


Townsend, John W., 30, 36, 3

Tsander, F. A., 7 


Tuve, Merle A., 18 


T-55, 80, 82-83 


United Kingdom, 48, 50, 71 


University of Colorado, 55 


University of Iowa, 27, 30, 31

University of Maryland, 27, 8

University of Michigan, 13 fn

81,82,83 


University of New Hampshire

Upper Atmosphere Research P

U.S. Air Force, 20, 21, 	32,4

82,83,84 


Geophysics Research Dire

Office of Scientific Resear

Special Weapons Center, 4

(see also AFCRL) 


U.S . Army, 21,33,41 


Ballistic Missile Agency, 36 

Ballistics Research Labor

Corps of Engineers, 30 


Ordnance Dept., 12, l3, 3

Signal Corps, 9, 17, 30, 31

(see also White Sands) 


U.S . Congress, House Fore

mittee,7 

U.S. 	 Department of Com

Bureau, 25 


U.S. National Committee for 

U.S. Navy, 9,20,21,27,32,3

Bureau of Aeronautics, 22

Bureau of Ordnance, 18, 1

Naval Ordnance Test Stati

Office of Naval Research, 

Ordnance Laboratory, 40, 

Radiological Defense Labo

(see also NRL, Naval Gun 

U.S.N.S. Croatan, 58,65,66 

U.S.S. Norton Sound, 23,25,

U.S.S. Rushmore, 25 


Van Allen, James A., 13 fn, 

32 


Van Allen belts, 27, 28, 29,3

81 


152 
Wac Corporal, 8,9,11,13 , 14,15,17-18,19, 


19 fn, 24, 28, 75, 84 


Wallops Island, 24, 25, 27 , 33,41,42,43,46, 


49,50,53 , 54,55,56, 58,63,65,68,69,70, 


71,80,81,82,83 


Witt, W., 39, 47 


Wyckoff, P. R., 30 


XASR-1, 19,20 

X-ray sources, 3, 4 


X-17,84 

X-248, 80, 83 


153 


THE AUTHOR 

William R. Corliss is a self-employed writer and consultant specializing 

in the space and nuclear fields. Mr. Corliss holds B.S. and M.S. degrees 

in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of 

Colorado. He has also taught at both of these schools. Mr. Corliss' 

industrial experience spans 10 years and includes experience at Pratt & 

Whitney Aircraft, General Electric Co., and the Martin Co.'s Nuclear 

Division. 

In addition to dozens of booklets and technical articles, Mr. Corliss 

is the author or coauthor of the following books: Propulsion Systems 

for Space Flight (McGraw-Hill, 1960), Radioisotopic Power Generation 

(with D. G. Harvey, Prentice-Hall, 1964), Space Probes and Planetary 

Exploration (Van Nostrand, 1965), Scientific Satellites (NASA SP-133, 

GPO, 1967), Mysteries of the Universe (Crowell, 1967), Teleoperators and 

Human Augmentation (with E. G. Johnsen, NASA SP-5047, 1967), 

Mysteries Beneath the Sea (Crowell, 1970), Man and A tom (with G. Seaborg, 

Dutton, 1971), and Human Factors in Teleoperator Design and Operation 

(with E. G. J ohnsen, Wiley, 1971). 

155 

NASA 


HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS 


HISTORIES 

MANAGEMENT lllSTORY SERIES: 

Robert L. Rosholt, An Administrative History of NASA , 1958-1963, NASA SP-4 101 , 

1966, $4. 

PROGRAM HISTORY SERIES: 

Loyd S. Swenson, James M. Grimwood, and Charles C. Alexander, This New Ocean: A 

History ofProject Mercury, NASA SP-4201, 1966, $5.50. 

Constance McL. Green and Milton Lomask, Vanguard: A History, NASA SP-4 202, 

1970. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va., 22150; also 

Commercial Edition, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1971, $12.50. 

CENTER lllSTORY SERIES: 

Alfred Rosenthal, Venture Into Space: Early Years of Goddard Space Flight Center, 

NASA SP-4301, 1968, S2.50. 

Edwin P. Hartman, Adventures in Research: A History of the Ames Research Center, 

1940-1 965, NASA SP-4 303, 1970, $4.75. 

HISTORICAL STUDIES 

Eugene M. Emme (ed.), History ofRocket Technology (Detroit: Wayne State University, 1964). 

Mae Mills Link, Space Medicine in Project Mercury, NASA SP-4003, 1965, S1. 

Historical Sketch ofNASA , NASA EP-29, 1965, and 1966 . 

Katherine M. Dickson (Library of Congress), History ofAeronautics and Astronautics: A Preliminary 

Bibliography, NASA HHR-29, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va., 22150, 

S3. 

CHRONOLOGIES 

Aeronautics and Astronautics: An A merican Chronology of Science and Technology in the 


Exploration ofSpace, 1915·1960, compiled by E. M. Emme, Washington : NASA, 1961. 


Aeronautical and Astronautical Events of 1961, published by the House Committee on Science and 


Astronautics, 1962. 

157 
Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1969, NASA SP-4014 (1970). 

James Grimwood, Project Mercury: A Chronology, NASA SP-4001, 1963, $1.50. 

James Grimwood and Barton C; Hacker, with Peter 1. Vorzimmer, Project Gem

Operations: A Chronology, NASA SP-4002, 1969, $2.75. 

Ivan D. Ertel and Mary Louise Morse, The Apollo Spacecraft: A Chronolog

November 7, 1962, NASA SP-4009, $2.50. 

Mary Louise Morse and Jean Kernahan Bays, The Apollo Spacecraft: A C

November 8, 1962·September 30, 1964, NASA SP-4013 (1971). 

Note:-All titles with prices can be ordered from the Superintend

Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, except where otherwise not

158 


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