NASA Sounding Rocket Program
The NASA Sounding Rocket Program (NSRP) is a NASA run program of sounding rockets which has been operating since 1959.[1][2] The missions carried out by this program are primarily used for scientific research, particularly low gravity and material based research.[3] NASA's sounding rocket program is commonly used by colleges and universities for upper atmosphere research.[4]
Program
In 1965, NASA's cost of a sounding rocket system was $5,000 to $150,000, using combinations of stage motors from the
The program was consolidated at the
Propulsion
Rockets in use include single-stage or combinations of:[1]
- Black Brant family, 17.26" diameter[1][5]
- Improved Orion surplus motor, 14" diameter[1]
- Hercules MK12 or MK70 surplus motors, 18" diameter[1]
- Oriole motor[1]
- Magellan Aerospace Nihka exo-atomospheric motor, 17.26" diameter, 192,878 pound-seconds impulse[1]
- Thiokol Improved Malemute TU-758 surplus motor, 16" diameter[1]
- Hercules Talos surplus motor, 30.1" diameter[1]
Some combinations of stages allow payloads of up to 1550 pounds.[1]
Launches
Mission Name | Date | Launch Vehicle | Status |
---|---|---|---|
MUMP 9 | 15 January 1971, 1955 EST | Nike-Tomahawk
|
Success- |
MUMP 10 | 15 January 1971, 1530 EST | Nike-Tomahawk
|
Success- University of Michigan's Space Physics Research Laboratory; day-launched 169lb payload added two Langmuir probes, reached 289.6 km[6] |
PolarNOx | 27 January 2017 | Black Brant IX | Success[7] |
DEUCE | 30 October 2017 | Black Brant IX | Failure - No data recovered but payload was recovered [8] |
USIP | 25 March 2018 | Terrier Malemute | Success[9] |
ASPIRE | 30 March -
7 September 2018 |
Black Brant IX | Success[10] |
PolarNOx
The PolarNOx mission was a set of experimental launches used to measure the nitric oxide present in the upper atmosphere that is produced by auroras.[11]
DEUCE
The DEUCE (Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Experiment) mission was planned to obtain scientific data about the IGM. This failed however due to problems with the attitude control system.[12]
On 11 July 2022
ASPIRE
The ASPIRE mission (Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment) was an experiment which tested a Mars mission parachute design. The mission consisted of three tests using the
AZURE
The Auroral Zone Upwelling Rocket Experiment in April 2019 caught many Norwegians by surprise by triggering an unusual form of the
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "NASA Sounding Rockets User Handbook" (PDF). sites.wff.nasa.gov. July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ Jenner, Lynn (6 March 2015). "Sounding Rockets Overview". NASA. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- PMID 11537652.
- ^ "1962NASSP..13....1P Page 1". adsbit.harvard.edu. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ a b Eleanor C. Pressly (January 1965). "Sounding Rockets" (PDF). Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ a b H. J. Grassl (November 1971). "Sounding Rocket Flight Report: MUMP 9 and MUMP 10" (PDF). The University of Michigan College of Engineering: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Space Physics Research Laboratory. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Aurora Experiment Streaks Into Alaska's Sky on Small NASA Rocket (Photos)". Space.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ "NASA's DEUCE-carrying sounding rocket mission fails". The Indian Express. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ "Undergrad Science Experiments Launch on a NASA Sounding Rocket". Space.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ "Third ASPIRE Test Confirms Mars 2020 Parachute a Go". NASA. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "NASA Rockets Launch to Unveil Mysteries of the Northern Lights". Space.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ Hille, Karl (27 October 2017). "Sounding Rocket Probes the Dark Regions of Space". NASA. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ Johnson-Groh, Mara (11 July 2022). "NASA Rockets Launch from Australia to Seek Habitable Star Conditions". NASA. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Third ASPIRE Test Confirms Mars 2020 Parachute a Go". NASA. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.