SP-4402 Origins of NASA Names

 

SECTION V

SOUNDING ROCKETS

 


[
120]

High-gain antenna at Wallops Flight Center receives telemetry signals from experiemnts launched on sounding rockets.

High-gain antenna at Wallops Flight Center receives telemetry signals from experiments launched on sounding rockets.

 

[121] Sounding rockets are rockets that carry instruments into the upper atmosphere to investigate its nature and characteristics, gathering data from meteorological measurements at altitudes as low as 32 kilometers to data for ionospheric and cosmic physics at altitudes up to 6400 kilometers.1 Sounding rockets also flight-test instruments to be used in satellites. The term "sounding rocket" derived from the analogy to maritime soundings made of the ocean depths.2

Sending measurement instruments into the high atmosphere was one of the principal motives for 20th century rocket development. This was the stated purpose of Dr. Robert H. Goddard in his rocket design studies as early as 1914.3 But it was not until 1945 that the first U.S. Government-sponsored sounding rocket was launched-the Wac Corporal, a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and U.S. Army Ordnance.4

Sounding rockets played an important role in the International Geophysical Year (IGY), an 18-month period (1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958) coinciding with high solar activity. The IGY was an intensive investigation of the natural environment-the earth, the oceans, and the atmosphere-by 30 000 participants representing 66 nations. More than 300 instrumented sounding rockets launched from sites around the world made significant discoveries regarding the atmosphere, the ionosphere, cosmic radiation, auroras, and geomagnetism.5

The International Years of the Quiet Sun (1 January 1964 to 31 December 1965), a full-scale follow-up to the IGY, was an intensive effort of geophysical observations in a period of minimum solar activity. Instrumented sounding rockets again played a significant role in the investigation of earth-sun interactions. By the end of 1974, some 20 countries had joined NASA in cooperative projects launching more than 1700 rockets from ranges in the United States and abroad.6

Sounding rocket research gave rise to three new branches of astronomy-ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma ray. Experiments launched on rockets have characterized the main features of the earth's upper atmosphere and contributed the first recognition of the geocorona, knowledge of ionospheric chemistry, detection of electrical currents in the ionosphere, and....

 


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Aerobee 150A, top, in assembly area. At left below, Aerobee 350 launched on its first full flight test, 18 June 1965. At right below, Astrobee 1500 erected for its first flight test, 21 October 1964.

Aerobee 150A, top, in assembly area. At left below, Aerobee 350 launched on its first full flight test, 18 June 1965. At right below, Astrobee 1500 erected for its first flight test, 21 October 1964.

 

[123] ....description of particle flux in auroras. One of the earliest discoveries was of solar x-rays originating in the solar corona.7

Because higher performance sounding rockets were not economical for low-altitude experiments and lower performance rockets were not useful for high-altitude experiments, NASA used a number of rockets of varying capabilities-including Aerobee and Astrobee, Arcas, Argo D-4 (Javelin), Nike-Apache, Nike-Cajun, Nike-Hawk, Nike-Malemute, Nike-Tomahawk, Terrier-Malemute, and Black Brant. A high-performance rocket, the Aries, was under development in 1974. Vehicles could economically place 5 to 900 kilograms at altitudes up to 2200 kilometers. Highly accurate payload pointing and also payload recovery were possible when needed.8

 

AEROBEE, ASTROBEE. Development of the Aerobee liquid-propellant sounding rocket was begun in 1946 by the Aerojet Engineering Corporation (later Aerojet-General Corporation) under contract to the U.S. Navy. The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) of Johns Hopkins University was assigned technical direction of the project. James A. Van Allen, then Director of the project at APL, proposed the name "Aerobee." He took the "Aero" from Aerojet Engineering and the "bee" from Bumblebee, the name of the overall project to develop naval rockets1 that APL was monitoring for the Navy. The 18-kilonewton-thrust, two-stage Aerobee was designed to carry a 68-kilogram payload to a 130-kilometer altitude.

In 1952, at the request of the Air Force and the Navy, Aerojet undertook design and development of the Aerobee-Hi, a high-performance version of the Aerobee designed expressly for research in the upper atmosphere.2 An improved Aerobee-Hi became the Aerobee 150. The uprated Aerobee 150 was named "Astrobee." Aerojet used the prefix "Aero" to designate liquid-propellant sounding rockets and "Astro" for its solid-fueled rockets.3 Some of the Aerobee and Astrobee models employed by NASA were: 4

 

Sounding Rocket

Payload Weight (kg)

Nominal Altitude (km)*

.

Aerobee 150 and 150A**

68

270

227

110

.

Aerobee 170 and 170A

113.5

250

227

150

.

Aerobee 200 and 200A

113.5

310

227

290

.

[124] Aerobee 350

136

400

454

210

.

Astrobee 1500

45

2200

136

1200

.

Astrobee F

91

500

454

400

*Sea level launch at 85° launch elevation.

**The "A" designation indicated the rocket had four fins instead of three.

 

 

APACHE. The Apache solid-propellant rocket stage was used with the Nike first stage. Identical in appearance to the Nike-Cajun, the Nike-Apache could reach higher altitudes because the Apache propellant burning time was longer (6.4 seconds versus Cajun's 4 seconds). It could carry 34-kilogram payloads to an operating altitude of 210 kilometers or 100 kilograms to 125 kilometers.1

 


Technicians ready a Nike-Apache on board the USNS Croatan, Wallops Flight Center mobile range facility.

Technicians ready a Nike-Apache on board the USNS Croatan, Wallops Flight Center mobile range facility.

 

[125] The name "Apache," from the name of the American Indian tribe, followed Thiokol Chemical Corporation (later Thiokol Corporation) tradition of giving Thiokol-developed stages Indian-related names, which had begun with Cajun.2

 

ARCAS. A small solid-propellant sounding rocket, Arcas was named in 1959 by its producer, Atlantic Research Corporation. The name was an acronym for "All-purpose Rocket for Collecting Atmospheric Soundings."1 It was intentional that the first three letters, "A-R-C," also were the initials of the Atlantic Research Corporation.2 An inexpensive vehicle designed specifically for meteorological research, Arcas could carry a five-kilogram payload to an altitude of 64 kilometers.3 Later versions were the Boosted Arcas, Boosted Arcas II, and Super Arcas, all of which NASA used.

Two other sounding rockets developed by Atlantic Research were used briefly by NASA. The Arcon was named by the Corporation and the Iris was named by Eleanor Pressly of Goddard Space Flight Center, which managed the rockets.4

 


Arcas being loaded into its launch tube.

Arcas being loaded into its launch tube.

 

ARGO. The name of a series of sounding rockets, "Argo" was from the name of Jason's ship in the ancient Greek myth of Jason's travels in search of the Golden Fleece.* The first sounding rocket in this series, developed by the Aerolab Company (later a division of Atlantic Research Corporation), was called "Jason." Subsequent vehicles in the series were given names also ....

 


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Javelin in horizontal position on the launcher, for last-minute checks during prelaunch operations.

Javelin in horizontal position on the launcher, for last-minute checks during prelaunch operations.

 

Journeyman.

Journeyman.

 

....beginning with the letter "J": The Argo D-4 and Argo D-8 were named "Javelin" and "Journeyman." The "D-4" and "D-8" designations referred to the number of stages-"D" for "four"-and to the design revision-fourth and eighth.1

[127] Argo D-4 (Javelin) was designed to carry 40- to 70-kilogram payloads to 800- to 11OO-kilometer altitudes. Argo D-8 (Journeyman) could carry 20- to 70-kilogram payloads to 1500- to 2100-kilometer altitudes.2 Javelin was still used by NASA in 1974, but Journeyman was discontinued in 1965.3 Javelin was also mated to the Nike first stage for heavier payloads.

 

ARIES. NASA in 1974 was working with the Naval Research Laboratory, Sandia Laboratories, and West Germany to develop a new sounding rocket, the Aries, using surplus second stages from the Department of Defense Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles. The rocket, which had flown three test flights by December 1974, would lift larger payloads for longer flight times than other rockets-in astronomy, physics, and space processing research projects.1

The Aries would have greater volume for carrying experiment instruments than provided by the Aerobee 350 sounding rocket and would carry 180- to 900-kilogram scientific payloads to altitudes that would permit 11 to 7 minutes viewing time above 91 440 meters, appreciably longer than the viewing time of the Aerobee 350 and the Black Brant VC. (The first test flights had carried 817 kilograms to 270.7 and 299 kilometers.)2 It also was expected to give 11 to 8 minutes in weightless conditions for materials-processing-experiment payloads of 45 to 454 kilograms.3

When the project was first conceived, the new vehicle was called "Fat Albert" after the television cartoon character, because its short, fat appearance contrasted with that of other rockets. The Naval Research Laboratory asked Robert D. Arritt of its Space Science Division to choose a more dignified name. Arritt and a group of his colleagues chose "Aries"; it was the name of a constellation (the rocket would be used for astronomy projects) and it was "a name that was available." It also was Arritt's zodiac sign.4

 

ASP. The name of the solid-propellant sounding rocket "Asp" was an acronym for "Atmospheric Sounding Projectile." Designed to carry up to 36 kilograms of payload, the Asp was developed by Cooper Development Corporation for the Navy's Bureau of Ships; the first prototype was launched 27 December 1955.1 NASA used Asp as an upper stage in the Nike-Asp briefly: it was test flown several times in 1960, but a need for the vehicle did not develop.2

 


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A scientist makes final adjustments to the Nike-Asp payload before launch from Wallops Flight Center.

A scientist makes final adjustments to the Nike-Asp payload before launch from Wallops Flight Center.

 

Black Brant VC.

Black Brant VC.

 

BLACK BRANT. The Black Brant series of sounding rockets was developed by Bristol Aerospace Ltd. of Canada with the Canadian government. The first rocket was launched in 1939. By the end of 1974 close to 300 Black Brants [129] had been launched and vehicles were in inventories of research agencies in Canada, Europe, and the United States, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and NASA.1

The Canadian Armament Research and Development Establishment (CARDE) selected the name "Black Brant" for the research rocket, taking the name of a small, dark, fast-flying goose common to the northwest coast and Arctic regions of Canada. The Canadian government kept the name with the addition of numbers (I through VI by 1974) for different members of the series-rather than giving a code name to each version-to emphasize that they were sounding rockets rather than weapons.2

NASA took Black Brants into its sounding rocket inventory in 1970 and was using the Black Brant IVA and VC in 1974. The Black Brant IVA used a modified upper stage and a more powerful engine than previous models, to boost it to 900 kilometers. The Black Brant V series consisted of three 43-centimeter-diameter sounding rockets with all components interchangeable.

The Black Brant VA (or "BBVA") used stabilizer components with the BBII's engine and carried 136-kilogram payloads to 160 kilometers, to fill a need for that altitude range. The BBVB, using an engine giving rocket performance double that of the BBII, was designed to meet requirements for scientific investigations above 320-kilometer altitude.

The Black Brant VC was used by NASA to support the 1973-1974 Skylab Orbital Workshop missions by evaluating and calibrating Workshop instruments. The three-fin solid-fueled Black Brant VB was converted to a four-fin model suitable for launching from White Sands Missile Range and permitting recovery of the rocket payloads. The changes decreased performance somewhat but increased stability and allowed greater variations in payload length and weight on the VC. NASA launched the Black Brant VC on two flights during each of the three manned missions to the Skylab Workshop.3

The performance range of NASA's Black Brant sounding rockets (with an 85° launch angle) in 1974 was:4

Model

Gross Payload Weight (kg)

Altitude (km)

.

Black Brant IVA

40

900

100

530

.

Black Brant VC

200

305

 


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Nike-Cajun in launch position.

.

The new Hawk launched into flight.

.

Nike-Cajun in launch position.

The new Hawk launched into flight.

 

[131] CAJUN. The Cajun solid-propellant rocket stage was designed and developed under the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' Langley Laboratory (later NASA's Langley Research Center). The project's manager, Joseph G. Thibodaux, Jr., formerly of Louisiana, suggested the new motor be named "Cajun" because of the term's Louisiana associations. It was the name of persons in that region reputed to be of mixed Acadian French and Indian or Negro blood. Allen E. Williams, Director of Engineering in Thiokol Chemical Corporation's Elkton (Md.) Division, agreed to the name, and later the Elkton Division decided to continue giving its rocket motors Indian-related names.1

Design of the Cajun motor was based on the Deacon motor, begun during World War II by Allegany Ballistics Laboratory for the National Defense Research Council. NACA purchased Deacon propellant grains from Allegany to propel its aerodynamic research models. Deacon was used with the Nike first stage. In 1956 Langley contracted with Thiokol to develop the improved Deacon, named "Cajun."2

The Nike-Cajun, lifting 35-kilogram instrumented payloads to a 160-kilometer altitude, was one of NASA's most frequently used sounding rockets.3

 

HAWK. NASA was developing a low-cost sounding rocket in 1974-1975 using surplus motors from the Army's Hawk antiaircraft missiles. The research rocket inherited the Army's name, an acronym for "Homing All the Way Killer," although the new uses would be far removed from the purposes of the weapon system.1

To be flown as a single-stage Hawk or in two-stage combination as the Nike-Hawk, for a variety of research projects, the 35.6-centimeter-diameter rocket would provide a large volume for payloads. Both stages of the Nike-Hawk would use surplus Army equipment (see also Nike). Development testing was proceeding under Wallops Flight Center management. By December 1974, two flight tests of the single-stage Hawk sounding rocket had been launched, the first one lifting off successfully 29 May 1974. The first flight test of the Nike-Hawk was planned for mid-1975.2

The single-stage Hawk could carry a 45-kilogram payload to an 80-kilometer altitude or 90 kilograms to 57 kilometers. Engineers were working toward a performance capability of 45 kilograms to 210 kilometers or 90 kilograms to 160 kilometers for the Nike-Hawk.3 [MISSING]

 


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Nike-Malemute lifts-off.

.

 

The winged goddess Nike (courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

.

 

Nike-Tomahawk poised for flight.

.

Nike-Malemute lifts-off.

The winged goddess Nike (courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

Nike-Tomahawk poised for flight.

 

[133] MALEMUTE. The Malemute, a rocket second stage, was developed in 1974 in an interagency program with NASA, Sandia Laboratories, and the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories as sponsoring agencies. Designed to be flown with either the Nike or the Terrier first stage, the Malemute began flight tests in 1974. It was named for the Alaskan Eskimo people by the contractor, Thiokol Corporation, in Thiokol's tradition of using Indian-related names (see Cajun).1

The Nike-Malemute sounding rocket would be able to lift a 90-kilogram payload to 500 kilometers; the Terrier-Malemute would lift the same payload to 700 kilometers. The new vehicles were intended to replace the Javelin and Black Brant IV rockets in the NASA inventory.2

 

NIKE. The Nike, a solid-propellant first stage, was an adaptation of the Nike antiaircraft missile developed, beginning in 1945, by the Hercules Powder Company for U.S. Army Ordnance.1 The name "Nike" was taken from ancient Greek mythology: Nike was the winged goddess of victory. In NASA's sounding rocket program, Nike was used with Apache, Cajun, Tomahawk, Hawk, or Malemute upper stages, as well as with the Aerobee 170, 200, and 350.2

 

TERRIER. The Terrier, a rocket first stage used by NASA, was developed by Hercules Powder Company as the first stage of the Navy's Terrier antiaircraft missile, and NASA inherited the name. NASA used it with the Malemute second stage, as the Terrier-Malemute.1

 

TOMAHAWK. The Tomahawk, a sounding rocket upper stage used with the Nike booster stage, was named by Thiokol Corporation for the Indian weapon, in Thiokol's tradition of giving its motors Indian-related names (see Cajun).1 The Nike-Tomahawk could lift 27-kilogram instrumented payloads to a 490-kilometer operating altitude or 118 kilograms to 210 kilometers.2

 


* Jason named his ship after its builder, Argus. See Thomas Bulfinch, Mythology, Edmund Fuller, ed. (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1959), p. 108.


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