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Aerobee

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Aerobee

Status: Retired 1985. First Launch: 1957-07-16. Last Launch: 1959-11-30. Number: 35 . Payload: 68 kg (149 lb). Thrust: 18.00 kN (4,046 lbf). Gross mass: 727 kg (1,602 lb). Height: 7.80 m (25.50 ft). Diameter: 0.38 m (1.24 ft). Apogee: 130 km (80 mi).

Aerobees were launched for 53 m tall launch towers to provide the necessary stability until enough speed had been gained for the fins to be effective in controlling the rocket. Launch towers were built at White Sands, Fort Churchill, Wallops Island, and aboard the research ship USN Norton Sound. The Aerobee could take 68 kg to 130 km altitude.

From Aerojet - The Creative Company, 1995:

The origins of Aerojet's sounding rockets lie in the development of the thrust chamber assembly for the Nike Ajax surface to air missile. Douglas Aircraft Co. (the vehicle contractor) let a contract to Aerojet on January 1, 1946 for a 21AL-2600, regeneratively cooled, pressure fed unit using RFNA and a 65%-35% mixture of aniline and furfuryl alcohol propellant. Development and early production of some 6600 thrust chambers and more than 100 complete engines was successful. However, the rest of the main production orders for the liquid rocket portions of the 16,000 operational missiles were given to Bell Aircraft. We did get to supply several thousand of the inertially activated pressure regulators. This was the first major operational surface to air missile in the United States, and was widely used by at least eleven other countries. The U. S. Army had converted to Nike Hercules by 1960, and some 7000 training flights of the Ajax worldwide, had been made by 1978.

During WW II, Aerojet also provided some support for early work by GALCIT on their Private and Corporal missiles. Some of these missiles were converted to sounding rocket service and WAC-Corporal sounding rockets were launched in late 1945. Dr James Van Allen, then supervisor of the High Altitude Research Group of the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University, visited Dr. Rolf Sabersky at Aerojet in 1946 to survey its rocket capabilities, which of course, included Ajax. As a result, he persuaded the Navy to support development and initial production of what came to be known as the Aerobee family. Dr. Van Allen was also in charge of the sounding rocket part of the APL Bumblebee (tactical solid rocket) program � and coined the name Aerobee as a contraction of the Aerojet and Bumblebee names.

In December 1947 the Navy gave a contract to Aerojet for the development of the entire Aerobee sounding rocket, later known as the Aerobee 100. In those days, the preliminary design: activity was simple, direct, and effective - as described by Carson Hawk: "One day Young and I were assigned to prepare a preliminary design for a high altitude sounding rocket The next day we visited Caltech to review the data they had gathered on a similar rocket which they had tested in their wind tunnel. It was somewhat smaller as it was based on a 1500 lbf thrust chamber. We came back to Aerojet, and the next day laid out the Aerobee sounding rocket. We did a fairly complete weight analysis based on the known specific impulse for the 2600 lbf thrust chamber with RFNA and aniline/furfural alcohol propellants and the GALCIT drag data. We also did a prediction of burnout altitude and final altitude utilizing stepwise integration run on an electromechanical Marchant calculator. The first flights showed the design to be conservative by about 5%."

The contract included the 2.5KS-18000 solid booster, fins, nose cone, and all the other components needed to make a complete launch vehicle. Although the motor was a slightly modified Nike Ajax, it was now defined as a 45AL-2600, and with a new AJ10 series number. The same propellants were used, and the in-line, integral oxidizer, fuel and air pressurizing tanks constituted the main vehicle structure. In 1950, pressurization was changed to helium.

Initially the 2600 lbf thrust regeneratively cooled motor suffered a number of burnouts in the converging section of the nozzle. It used a spiral flow, fuel cooled configuration, with the fins that directed the flow being welded to the outside of the chamber wall and machined for a close fit with the inside of the cylindrical outer case and a smooth filler block in the nozzle area. A very simple change solved the problem permanently. It seemed likely that the chamber might be undergoing elongation and distortion from the thermal and pressure loads, and thus the filler block would lose contact with the tops of the fins. This allowed axial bypassing (and reduced velocity) of the coolant flow that might be causing the hot spots. The fix was to move the fins from the OD of the nozzle to the ID of the filler block, and to cut the block into two sections that were spring loaded in the fore and aft direction. This resulted in maintaining contact with both the converging and diverging portions of the nozzle wall, and no bypassing. It worked like a charm on all subsequent Aerobees and the B-47 motors.

In 1955 the 4000 lbf thrust model was introduced as the AJ10-24, and later as the AJ11-21. Chemical pressurization was developed for both the 2600 and 4000 lbf models, but Helium was generally preferred. This thrust chamber assembly was used in all subsequent 150, 150A and 170 vehicles. In the 1952-53 time period a larger vehicle with greater propellant capacity and increased thrust and nozzle expansion ratio motor was developed, and was known as the Aerobee 300. The 4000 lbf unit with a nozzle expansion ratio of only 4.6 actually produced. 4100 lbf thrust at sea level, and 4728 lbf at altitude. The 300 series (using the AJ60-92 motor) with the 10 to 1 nozzle produced a vacuum thrust of 5074 lbf. During 1965-66 the Aerobee 350 was developed, and this used a cluster of four 150 motors with a Nike solid rocket booster: Other variations included the Aerobee-Hi, the 200, and the 350A. Customers included the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA, and a variety of other government agencies, as well as foreign users, and 1025 complete vehicles were produced.

The succession of rocket motor developments and growth was no less important than the similar activities conducted on the associated vehicle, launcher, and support parts of the system. Aerojet did the design, development, and much of the fabrication of essentially all of the Aerobee liquid second stages of the 100, 150, 150A, 170, 200, 300, and 350 units. In most cases we either supplied the Aerojet solid propellant first stages, or else specified and integrated solid first stages from other suppliers. All of the propellant feed systems used the simple pressure feed configuration with the pressurant, fuel and oxidizer tanks in line and welded into a single unit. Controls per se were non-existent, but the system was arranged to provide a smooth slow start of combustion. This provided a highly desirable "easy ride" for delicate payloads. Vehicle directional control was accomplished by simple fixed fins, which required correctly estimating the wind directions and adjusting the tower tilt accordingly. Aerojet supplied the payload mounting and related componentry, as well as the nose cone, fairings, and fins (via purchase from Douglas). Aerojet even supplied a few early payloads, and developed an attitude control system that could accurately point the payload in a selected direction - which is still being manufactured and sold to other launch vehicle users.

Aerojet's AETRON Division designed almost all of the launch towers, and handled the lubrication and erection of many of them. Locations ranged from Fort Churchill in Canada to Woomera Australia, and included at least one shipboard installation, and one pair of towers for simultaneous launches.

Support requirements were minimal - two men could do all the fueling, mounting and spaceflight preparations. Payloads were of course, dependent on their complexity, and recovery operations often took on the appearance of a "hounds and hare" chase across the desert to find and recover the payloads. In later years, some flights parachuted the entire vehicle back for refurbishment and reuse.

Sounding rockets were crucial to our early understanding of the upper atmosphere, and near space environment. They also provided invaluable information on the lower atmosphere and surface environment, oceans, winds, weather, and many phenomenon of interest to the military. Their third major area of use was the early examination of outer space, the sun, planets and other astral bodies. A large part of this understanding was obtained using sounding rockets, in most cases launched by Aerojet. In fact, Aerojet sounding rockets made up 51% of all U. S. sounding rocket launches (184) and reached the highest altitude (290 km) in the period before satellites, if the captured V-2s are excluded.

Aerojet and Bristol Aerospace Ltd of Winnipeg Canada formed a joint venture to share sounding rocket technology, and this lasted from 1958 to 1974. The first sounding rocket resulting from this cooperation, the Black Brant, was launched in 1965. Bristol gradually got more and more of the orders, and essentially displaced Aerojet from the business. They have produced more than 800 Black Brants since that time, and about two thirds, of their current production is for NASA. Aerojet's Aerobee project moved from the Azusa Plant to Space launch systems in 1961, and began the attempted expansion into supplying more complex complete launch systems (some with guidance), and a much broader range of vehicle sizes and capabilities. These included the Astrobee series and a variety of configurations based on various solid propellant rockets supplied by other companies. The last of the formal Aerobee program flights was in 1984.

The Aerobee, a high altitude sounding rocket, was sponsored in 1947 by the Naval Research Laboratory. The complete vehicle was a 19 ft. long, two stage, missile configured with an ogive nose and fixed stabilizing fins. It was boosted to about 1000 ft/sec by a 2KS-22,000 solid rocket. The sustainer rocket, a 2,600 lbf thrust nitric acid/aniline and furfural alcohol unit increased the velocity of the main stage to about 5,800 ft/sec. This vertical velocity was enough to allow the stage, with its 100 lb pay load, to reach an altitude of 150 miles. The payloads were scientific instruments, housed in the nose cone. The nose cone was separated at altitude and parachuted to earth for recovery. The unit also had a telemetry link which was used for vehicle destruction, in the case of an errant flight, as well as the signal to separate the nose cone from the main vehicle.

The Aerobee was launched from a tower, approximately 100 ft high. The tower was slightly canted in the up range direction to give the vehicle a measure of direction within the Range. The first tower was designed by the architect-engineer Division (Aetron), and built at White Sands Proving Grounds. Chan Ross participated heavily in the detail design of the vehicle with Bob Young. Some novel design features were developed for the high pressure fuel and oxidizer tanks. Significant was the submerged arc welding of a special cold-rolled stainless steel (19-9DL) to withstand over 100,000 psi tensile stress across the welded section. Also the use of machined ring forgings to form the knuckle radii and skirt attachment section was considered a first. These features allowed the entire vehicle to be smaller in size than would have been possible otherwise. Bob Young, Chan Ross, and Thorpe Walker, the Project Engineer, spent many days at White Sands during the early firings.

The Aerobee Program produced a fascinating folklore of its own, which Aerojet veterans still like to recall. For instance: in the early flight tests there was considerable trouble with exactly where the vehicle was going to impact when it landed. Many of the stories concern this problem. After the vehicle reached its zenith and started back towards Earth, the aerodynamics of the fins would give it a nose down attitude. If there was any wind at all, the unit would take a slight heading into the wind, the angle depending on the wind velocity. Thus, if one were to calculate an impact point, it required a rather precise knowledge of the ballistic wind situation. This is something that could only be estimated, as it was changeable. On this one occasion at White Sands, the wind direction changed soon after launch and was blowing rather severely from the South. The tracking equipment was not in a link that could predict impact changes and, as a consequence, the destruct system was not activated. The Aerobee headed for Mexico, about fifty miles to the South. It landed a few miles outside the city limits of Juarez, killing a lone cow in a field. It was an international incident requiring an apology by the State Department. To correct the problem of Aerobees impacting out of the Range boundaries, we worked with Van Allen's people at the University of Iowa and devised a moving set of arms which remained in the field of view of one of the theodolites tracking the vehicle. The motion of the arms was such that the Aerobee would be destructed on command of the operator if the line of sight fell outside of the arm position.

Aerobee pioneered the use of high altitude photography to study meteorological phenomena including cloud patterns. From this work the concept of weather satellites and some of the sensors were derived. The first maps of the earth's atmosphere, showing variations of temperatures and pressures with altitude and variations of composition, density and turbulence between the many layers, were from sounding rocket data; much of that was from the Aerobee. Aerobee was the first U. S. space vehicle to carry mammals 2200 mph into space (1954) and return them safely --- monkeys (Patricia and Mike) and mice (Mildred and Albert). The mice became attractions at the National Zoo and Mike lived nine more years. In mid 1970's Aerobee's were built to be recovered by parachute. They were then refurbished � ready to be turned around to fly again.

The largest of the Aerobee family is the Aerobee 350 (i.e. 100 lb. payload to 350 miles) sponsored by NASA. It is 50 ft long, 22 in. diameter and over 3 tons gross weight. Most Aerobees included a payload recovery system employing a parachute and using telemetry to release the payload and the parachute. Most Aerobees were launched from towers over 100 ft high designed by Aerojet's AETRON Division. The towers allow for a nearly vertical launch.

Aerobee's conception dates back to the mid 1930s when Theodore von Karman, Frank Malina and many of the Caltech staff started rocket work at the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at Caltech. Malina's memoirs show early sponsorship by the National Academy of Sciences and the interest in operation in space well before World War II brought the need for aircraft propulsion augmentation. The early work on the missiles Private and Corporal at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) led to the WAC-Corporal sounding rocket firings in 1945. Dr. James Van Allen of the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University was supervisor of the High Altitude Research Group and directed operation of the APL Bumblebee series of sounding rockets. Van Allen visited Dr. Rolf Sabersky at Aerojet in 1946 to survey rocket capability. He subsequently obtained Navy Bureau of Ordnance support for an order for 20 of the Aerojet Aerobee sounding rockets.

The Aerobee name, given by Van Allen, is a contraction of AEROjet and BumbleBEE, the latter referring to the early rocket family of Van Allen's. Aerojet had supplied propulsion for both the WAC-Corporal and the Bumblebee according to an Aerojet 1948 brochure.

Development of the Nike-Ajax surface-to-air missile engine in 1946 was a major factor in Aerojet starting the Aerobee. Douglas Aircraft built the Nike-Ajax and contracted with Aerojet on New Years Day 1946 for 21 AL-2600 regeneratively cooled, pressure-fed rocket engines using RFNA and alcohol propellants. This was the first operational surface-to-air missile in the U. S. and Aerojet made 6000 of the engines. Bell Aircraft made subsequent production runs also. This engine was the basis for the first Aerobee 100.

The early development did not go completely smoothly. The engine suffered a series of burnouts due to thermal and pressure distortions which opened gaps in the coolant flow and reduced the effective velocity over the chamber wall. The fix entailed sectioning the outer walls of the cooling passages and spring loading the sections to keep gaps from opening. It worked and was used successfully on both Aerobee and B-47 projects. In about 1950 the need for higher performance and payload resulted in the development of an engine to replace the original 2600 lbf unit. Design features were essentially identical. Optional nozzle expansions were available giving either 4728 or 5074 lbf. The same propellants and almost identical feed systems were used.

During the International Geophysical Year (IGY 1957-8) for a concentrated 18 month period scores of Aerobees were launched to collect data to help meet the IGY objectives. A variation of the Aerobee 150, called Aerobee-Hi was selected for a number of flights from near the Arctic Circle at Fort Churchill near Manitoba, Canada using an Aerojet Aetron-built launch tower. It was a part of the IGY Project Arctic Circle. Aerobee-Hi got its strange name a year earlier for reaching an altitude record of 163 miles. Some of the other IGY contributions of Aerojet included building the second stage of the Vanguard space launch vehicle which launched IGY scientific earth satellites.

Photographs of star fields were being made from space decades before the Hubble Space Telescope. Although simple and small by comparison, they could train on a predetermined spot in the sky and take photographs in various spectral ranges. One example is the first wide angle ultraviolet photographs of star fields taken from an Aerobee in flight. New data was obtained on the variations in star temperatures. That same system was later used on the Apollo missions. The Aerobee's low cost and high reliability (about 97%) allowed scientists to collect vast amounts of data relatively easily as early as ten years before the Sputnik satellite. Data was obtained on the ascent and descent of the Aerobee. Data could be collected over a period of several minutes.

Sounding rocket launches were made from ground, aircraft (F-4) and also from a ship --- the USS Norton Sound. Widely dispersed launch sites ranged from near the Arctic Circle to Australia and South Africa. Aerobee was launched wherever the scientific data needed to be collected. Often data on astronomy, magnetic fields, radiation fields and other areas of interest require special locations for best readings. Ship launches were made from many locations. The ground launches were made from locations including: Wallops Island, Virginia; White Sands and Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Eglin AFB, Florida; Fort Churchill, Canada; Walker Cay; and Woomera, Australia.

It is easy to see that the Aerobee was one of the first icons that represented Aerojet to the world, especially to the scientists and professors. Dr. James Van Allen flew many experiments on Aerobee in his work on the cosmic ray phenomenon and his complete solution of that long standing problem. He discovered the radiation belt (later named the Van Allen Belt) that circles the earth from Aerobee collected data. The Norton Sound was fitted with a tower to extend Van Allen's work, and others, around the world with the Aerobee. In Van Allen's Origins of Magnetospheric Physics, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1983, he said, "The immense opportunity for finally being able to make scientific observations through and above the atmosphere of the earth drove us to heroic measures and into a new style of research, very different from the laboratory type in which many of us had been trained." Aerojet's Aerobee team was certainly a part of those heroic measures.

Sounding rockets are complete rocket vehicles with multiple stages, propulsion systems, stabilizing fins, guidance and control systems, aerodynamic structures, launcher interface, payload containment, parachute recovery systems, nose cones, data recording systems, range safety destruct systems and essentially all the elements of any spaceflight rocket irrespective of the size. Launcher and range support were simple and a launch could be handled by two or three people.

These Aerobees were generally two stage rockets in series, the first stage being a solid propellant motor and a liquid propellant second stage on top. There were different family groups of Aerobees with each group given a number designation 100, 150, 170, 200 and 350. An Aerobee 150 could take a 100 lb payload to 150 miles altitude. The Aerobee 350 could lift 150 lb to 280 miles or 1000 lb (half ton) to 130 miles. All but the 350 were 15 in. diameter. The 350 employed four clustered liquid engines and a solid booster stage and is 22 in. diameter. Aerobees were known for their smooth acceleration and soft ride from special propulsion and clean aerodynamic design --- a crucial factor in protecting the special pay loads. Aerobee work was moved to Space General in El Monte about 1961 and integrated with the sounding rocket guidance work brought in by acquisition of Space Electronics. Initially the Aerobees were operated as expendable vehicles with only the payload recovered. In the 1970s provisions were added to also recover the main vehicle itself for reflight. This was long before the reusable Space Shuttle. The first Aerobees were flying only two years after World War II and five years from Aerojet's inception. The last of the formal program flights was in 1984. Al Olson has been associated with the program since 1960 and although the Aerobee's are no longer flying, a small part of his responsibility is building and selling a Mk VI Attitude Control System for rockets around the world. This was one of the Aerobee subsystems developed at Space General and refined over the years with newer technology. It remains in demand and provides a profitable and steady but relatively small income for Aerojet. The unit allows for instruments to be pointed with relative precision to obtain special data on preselected guide stars.

Al Olson said recently, "I'd like to think the Aerobee made a real difference to the company, the country and even the world from all that data and from the way the sounding rocketeering led the way to the larger rockets and larger payloads. If so, then people including Cliff Chalfant, Charlie Roth, Nick Migdal, Reed Jenkins, and Jim Taylor can know all those ruined weekends and tough travel schedules were worth it." Al has kept a tally of all the Aerojet sounding rocket flights and is one of the last of the old sounding rocketeers at Aerojet. He is a program manager on some of the latest missile defense divert and attitude control systems. Tom Sprague documented that Space General President Jack Heckel (later Aerojet President) showed his engineering talent and teamwork spirit at one of his company's Aerobee launches when some smart elbow grease was needed � in that case "Rank Has Its Priorities."

The Aerobee flight log of Al Olson's shows there were 1030 flights and only 23 failures, which is an excellent record of 97.8% reliability. Tom Sprague documented a story of a recovery failure that sounds like a soap opera but was quite serious to the scientists involved. An Aerobee recovery failure caused the film of the 1971 solar eclipse to be lost in 6,000 ft of water. Gloom. Miraculously, the payload was located and recovered by a Navy deep diving vessel Euphoria! But then a mistake in the film processing lab rendered the photos useless. Double Gloom.

One Aerobee is displayed in a place of honor at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum near the Capitol Building in Washington D. C. Others are at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio and at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Rocket modeling enthusiasts have favored the Aerobee as a prototype for decades and Aerojet provided drawings to help. Life magazine photographer J. R. Eyerman and Aerojet technicians rigged a Life magazine camera on an Aerobee and the January 6, 1958 edition showed the earth's curvature from 107 miles high, giving the world its first view of the earth from space.

...the Aerobee is a hybrid resulting from Navy development funds and Army technology (the Wac Corporal). In 1946, the scientific drawbacks of the V-2 were generally well known, as was the fact that the extant Wac Corporal was too small for much of the anticipated space research. The Aerobee program had its genesis when Merle A. Tuve and Henry H. Porter, of the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) of the Johns Hopkins University, suggested to James A. Van Allen that he survey the rockets available for scientific research within the United States. An important event during Van Allen's survey was the visit to APL by Rolf Sabersky of Aerojet Engineering Corp., the manufacturers (along with Douglas Aircraft Co.) of the Wac Corporal, in early January 1946.

Van Allen's conclusions were submitted to Tuve (then Director of APL) on January 15 in a memo entitled "Liquid Powered Sounding Rockets for High Atmospheric Studies." Essentially, Van Allen's conclusions were that no fully satisfactory sounding rockets existed and that APL should act as an agent for the Navy Bureau of Ordnance in the development and procurement of new scientific sounding rockets. Also on January 15, APL directed a letter to Aerojet requesting a detailed proposal for the delivery of 20 sounding rockets capable of carrying 68 kg (150 lb) to 60 960 m (200 000 ft). Following a conference at APL on February 2, Aerojet submitted a letter proposal on February 22 bearing the lengthy title: "Proposal to Develop Sounding Rockets Capable of Attaining Altitudes in Excess of 600 000 Feet (182 880 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 1, 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-1 sounding rockets. The rocket performance stipulated was the delivery of 68 kg (150 lb) of payload to over 91 440 m (300 000 ft) - obviously, 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.

The Aerobee industrial team was essentially the same as that which built the Wac Corporal. Aerojet Engineering 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 Aerobees from Government agencies began to arrive at Aerojet. Aerojet has made various versions of the Aerobee ever since.

Some 40 of the original Aerobee design (XASR-1) were fired.

Payload: 68 kg (149 lb) to a 130 km altitude.

Aerobee 300 American sounding rocket. The Aerobee 300, also called the Sparrowbee, consisted of an Aerobee 150 or Aerobee 180 lower stage with a 20 cm diameter Sparrow rocket as an upper stage. The Sparrow would ignite at 35 km altitude at 53 seconds into the flight, and boost the payload to 10,000 kph, allowing it to coast up to 420 km apogee. The rocket was designed for studies of the sun above the atmosphere and was only fired from Fort Churchill (the White Sands range was too small to cover the possible impact points of the high-altitude rocket).

Aerobee 150 American sounding rocket. Two stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Aerobee Booster + 1 x Aerobee 150.

Aerobee 170 American sounding rocket. Two stage sounding rocket consisting of a solid Nike booster paired with an Aerobee 150 liquid-propellant second stage.

• Aerobee rocket project begun. - . Nation: USA. Original design and development of Aerobee sounding rocket begun when contract was given to Aerojet Engineering Corp..

• Dummy launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment..

• Dummy launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment..

• Dummy launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment..

• Particles Chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 56 km (34 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment. First complete Aerobee rocket was fired to a height of 190,000 feet from White Sands Proving Ground, N. Mex..

• Particles Chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 118 km (73 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 1020 local time. Reached 117.5 km..

• B field Magnetosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Magnetic field research. Launched at 1551 local time. Reached 114.3 km..

• Earth imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 113 km (70 mi).

  Photography research. Launched at 1441 local time. Reached 112.7 km. Two separate rockets fired from White Sands, one a V-2 which reached an altitude of 87 km, the other a Navy Aerobee which reached an altitude of 112.7 km, carried cameras which photographed the curvature of the earth.

• Aerobee Venus 1 Aeronomy / solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 98 km (60 mi). Solar radiation, pressure, temperature research. Launched at 1837 local time. Reached 96.6 km..

• CR / Solar Particles / solar x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 91 km (56 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation research. Launched at 0947 local time. Reached 91 km..

• Air sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 91 km (56 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1538 local time. Reached 91.6 km..

• Venus 2 Ionosphere / solar x-rays mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 96 km (59 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation, pressure, temperature, ionosphere research. Launched at 2317 local time. Reached 96.6 km..

• Venus 3 Solar ultraviolet and x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1138 local time. Failure..

• Ship launch test - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment. Launched at 1715 local time..

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Cosmic radiation, magnetic field research. Reached 104.6 km. Launched from from vessel ACM1 at Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 1-1 - Latitude: 10.80 S, Longitude:89.23 W..

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Cosmic radiation, magnetic field research. Launched at 1730 GMT. Reached 104.6 km. Launched by vessel AVM1 from Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 1-2 - Latitude: 11.10 S, Longitude:88.43 W..

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi).

  Cosmic radiation, magnetic field research. Launched at 1514 GMT. A pressure valve defect resulted in the sustainer taking off without the booster; reached 6 km. Launched from vessel ACM1 Norton Sound at Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 1-3 - Latitude: 11.27 S, Longitude:82.13 W.

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 78 km (48 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0610 local time. Reached 78.4 km..

• Ozone spectrograph Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 109 km (67 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1903 local time. Reached 109.5 km..

• Classified mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Classified flight. Launched at 0450 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• CR / Solar Particles / solar x-ray / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation research. Launched at 1621 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0901 local time. Reached 76.1 km..

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 58 km (36 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1003 local time. Reached 58.6 km..

• MX-1011 Solar x-ray / aeronomy / imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 96 km (59 mi). Solar radiation, temperature, photography research. Launched at 1520 local time. Reached 96 km. First firing of USAF Aerobee research rocket (RTV-A-1a) at Holoman AFB, the development of which was initiated earlier in the year..

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 65 km (40 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1132 local time. Reached 64.9 km..

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

• MX-1011 Solar x-ray / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi). Solar radiation, pressure, temperature, photography research. Launched at 1010 local time. Reached 0.3 km..

• Particles mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 2345 GMT. Reached 72.4 km. Launched from from vessel ACM1 at Bering Sea Launch Site 1 (APL Aerobee/Norton Sound) - Latitude: 58.00 N, Longitude:170.00 W..

• Particles mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 2317 GMT. Reached 80.5 km. Launched from from vessel ACM1 at Bering Sea Launch Site 2 (APL Aerobee/Norton Sound) - Latitude: 50.00 N, Longitude:170.00 W..

• Cosmic gamma Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 87 km (54 mi). Cosmic radiation, pressure, temperature research. Launched at 1614 local time. Reached 87.6 km..

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 49 km (30 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1754 local time. Reached 49.1 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). Temperature research. Launched at 1736 local time. Reached 72.4 km..

• Solar X-rays / Airglow Solar x-ray / ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi). Solar radiation, sky brightness research. Launched at 1343 local time. Reached 3.2 km..

• Air Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1811 local time. Reached 99.5 km..

• Particles mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 0530 local time. Reached 88.1 km..

• Insolation Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 67 km (41 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1243 local time. Reached 67.6 km..

• Optical Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 24 km (14 mi). Sky brightness research. Launched at 1007 local time. Reached 24.8 km..

• UM T / p Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 93 km (57 mi). Temperature, pressure research. Launched at 0838 local time. Reached 92.6 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 69 km (42 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 0139 local time. Reached 69.2 km..

• Sunfollower / SX Solar ultraviolet and x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1652 local time. Reached 6 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0845 local time. Reached 101.4 km..

• Photo / Temp Imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 87 km (54 mi). Photography research. Launched at 1236 local time. Reached 91.3 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 2100 local time. Reached 80.5 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

• Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0630 local time. Reached 80.2 km..

• Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 92 km (57 mi). Airglow research. Launched at 0929 local time. Reached 91.8 km..

• Probe Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 2106 local time. Reached 83.9 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 84 km (52 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 77 km (47 mi).

• UM T / p Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 106 km (65 mi). Pressure, temperature research. Launched at 1126 local time. Reached 108.2 km..

• Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1152 local time. Reached 81.9 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1555 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• Ozone Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0800 local time. Reached 90.1 km..

• Earth photography Imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 98 km (60 mi). Photography research. Launched at 1020 local time. Reached 98.2 km..

• GRD-2 NaCl release Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 66 km (41 mi). Airglow research. Launched at 1614 local time. Reached 68 km..

• Colorado UVS Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 29 km (18 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1029 local time. Reached 20 km..

• Aeromed 1 Biological mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 61 km (37 mi). Biological research. Launched at 1139 local time. Reached 61.2 km. The first Aerobee research rocket containing a biomedical experiment (monkey - name unknown)..

• Ionosphere Propagation Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1246 local time. Reached 3.7 km..

• Solar X-rays / NaCl release Solar x-ray / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Solar radiation, airglow research. Launched at 1711 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• Probe Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 1818 local time. Reached 6.4 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 67 km (41 mi).

• Airglow / NLC Imager Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 71 km (44 mi). Sky brightness, photography research. Launched at 0926 local time. Reached 71.3 km..

• Ionosphere Propagation Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 83 km (51 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 0036 local time. Reached 83.5 km..

• Rocket test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 75 km (46 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 1540 local time. Reached 75.7 km..

• UM T / p Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi). Pressure, temperature research. Launched at 0437 local time. Reached 75.7 km..

• Aeromed 2 Biological mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 71 km (44 mi).

  Biological research. Launched at 0931 local time. Reached 70.8 km. USAF made first successful recovery of animals from a rocket flight when an instrumented monkey (Yorick aka Albert VI) and 11 mice survived an Aerobee flight to an altitude of 70.8 km from Holloman AFB.

• Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 69 km (42 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1706 local time. Reached 68.9 km..

• Ionosphere Propagation Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). lonosphere research. Launched at 1117 local time. Reached 114..3 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 66 km (41 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 0245 local time. Reached 66 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 1735 local time. Reached 82.4 km..

• AF / Utah Ionosphere 1 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1345 local time. Failure..

• Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).

• Sunfollower / SX Solar / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 81 km (50 mi). Sky brightness research. Launched at 0745 local time. Failure..

• Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Sky brightness research. Launched at 0740 local time. Reached 89.3 km..

• Ionosphere Propagation Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 116 km (72 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1028 local time. Reached 112.7 km..

• Ultraviolet detectors Solar ultraviolet / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 128 km (79 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation research. Launched at 0630 local time. Reached 127.8 km..

• Ultraviolet detectors Solar x-ray and ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 126 km (78 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0842 local time. Reached 91.8 km..

• Solar flux Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 91 km (56 mi).

• Ultraviolet detectors Solar x-ray / ultraviolet / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 127 km (78 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation research. Launched at 0644 local time. Reached 127 km..

• Sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi). Density research. Launched at 1815 local time. Reached 76.1 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 1907 local time. Reached 90.1 km..

• Aeromed 3 Biological mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 61 km (37 mi).

  Biological research. Launched at 0818 local time. Reached 26.1 km. Air Force Aerobee rocket placed an aeromedical payload containing two Phillipine monkeys (Pat and Mike) and two mice to an altitude of 26.1 km, which were recovered unharmed and without apparent ill effect.

• UV / Opt spectrographs Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1050 local time. Reached 99.8 km..

• AF Airglow 1 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Sky brightness research. Launched at 0732 local time. Reached 101.4 km..

• AF / Utah Ionosphere 2 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 32 km (19 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1153 local time. Altitude not reported; possible failure..

• Sunfollower / SX Solar ultraviolet and x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 106 km (65 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0749 local time. Reached 99 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 117 km (72 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 2050 local time. Reached 117.5 km..

• UV / Opt spectrographs Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0724 local time. Reached 109.5 km..

• T-day Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Pressure, temperature research. Launched at 0735 local time. Reached 99.8 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 112 km (69 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 2045 local time. Reached 111.1 km..

• AF Airglow 2 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi). Sky brightness research. Launched at 0858 local time. Reached 75.7 km..

• Sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 1647 local time. Reached 104.6 km..

• Colorado / UVS? Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1238 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy / chemical / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 137 km (85 mi). Composition, cosmic radiation research. Launched at 1409 local time. Reached 137 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy / chemical / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 137 km (85 mi). Composition, cosmic radiation research. Launched at 0009 local time. Reached 137.3 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 109 km (67 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 2350 local time. Reached 106.2 km..

• Heating / beacon test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 117 km (72 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 1042 local time. Reached 117.5 km..

• Heating test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 122 km (75 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 0847 local time. Reached 122.3 km..

• Sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 124 km (77 mi).

• Grenade Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 108 km (67 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 0319 local time. Reached 107.8 km..

• AF Airglow 3 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Sky brightness, day airglow research. Launched at 0704 local time. Reached 114.3 km..

• AF Airglow 4 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Sky brightness, day airglow research. Launched at 0847 local time. Reached 114.3 km..

• AF / Utah Ionosphere 3 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 135 km (83 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1210 local time. Reached 135.2 km..

• AF / Utah Ionosphere 4 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1052 local time. Reached 138.4 km..

• Solar flux Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 103 km (64 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0830 local time. Reached 103 km..

• Airglow spectrograph Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi). Atmospheric composition research. Launched at 0247 local time. Reached 95.6 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 108 km (67 mi). Density research. Launched at 2205 local time. Reached 107.8 km..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Density research. Launched at 2236 local time. Reached 105.5 km..

• AF Airglow 5 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 32 km (19 mi). Sky brightness research. Launched at 0802 local time. Reached 32.2 km. Suffered an early cut-off due to a thrust chamber burn-through. Improved chamber cooling was developed in subsequent engines..

• Sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi). Density research. Launched at 1350 local time. Reached 58 km..

• Solar spectrum Solar mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1000 local time. Reached 99.8 km..

• AF / Utah Ionosphere 5 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 120 km (70 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1132 local time. Reached 120.7 km..

• AF / Utah Ionosphere 6 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 121 km (75 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1115 local time. Reached 121.5 km..

• Oxygen content Solar x-ray / ultraviolet / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 112 km (69 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 1540 local time. Reached 112.6 km..

• Oxygen content Solar x-ray / ultraviolet / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 0846 local time. Reached 95.1 km..

• Oxygen content Solar x-ray / ultraviolet / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 129 km (80 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 0830 local time. Reached 129.6 km..

• Sunfollower UVS Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Solar ultraviolet research. Launched at 1135 local time. Reached 101 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 143 km (88 mi). Gas composition research. Launched at 1412 local time. Reached 143 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). Gas composition research. Launched at 0200 local time. Reached 5 km..

• Beacon test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 98 km (60 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 0800 local time. Reached 98.2 km..

• Solar ultraviolet spectrum test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 93 km (57 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 0910 local time. Reached 93.4 km..

• UM wind vanes Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 92 km (57 mi). Temperature, aspect research. Launched at 0855 local time. Reached 91.8 km..

• AF / Utah D-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 92 km (57 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1025 local time. Reached 91.8 km..

• Solar flux Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 94 km (58 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 1731 local time. Reached 94.7 km..

• Remote sensing mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 158 km (98 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 1115 local time. Reached 158 km..

• Sodium Release 1 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 94 km (58 mi). Airglow research. Launched at 1754 local time. Reached 94.8 km..

• AF / Utah D-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 120 km (70 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1151 local time. Reached 120.4 km..

• AF / Utah D-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1538 local time. Reached 76.1 km..

• Sunfollower / UVS Solar mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 115 km (71 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 1125 local time. Reached 115 km..

• Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 115 km (71 mi). Night airglow research. Launched at 2300 local time. Reached 114.3 km..

• Solar far ultraviolet / Lyra Alpha Solar / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 112 km (69 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0947 local time. Reached 112.7 km..

• AJ11-6 engine test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 198 km (123 mi). First launcing of USAF Aerobee-Hi sounding rocket. Rocket test, 98 kg payload. Launched at 0858 local time. Reached 198 km..

• Classified mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 203 km (126 mi). Special classified flight research. Launched at 1811 local time. Reached 202.8 km..

• AJ11-6 engine test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 64 km (39 mi). Rocket test, 90 kg payload. Burnt-out thrust chamber. Launched at 0540 local time. Reached 64 km..

• Mass spectrometers Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 113 km (70 mi). Ion composition research. Launched at 0139 local time. Reached 113.4 km..

• Mass spectrometers Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 69 km (42 mi). Gas composition research. Launched at 2359 local time. Reached 69.2 km..

• XRV-N-13 test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 0600 local time. Reached 4 km..

• UM wind vanes Test / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi). Rocket aerodynamics test. Launched at 0630 local time. Reached 95 km..

• Colorado UVS Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 74 km (45 mi). Solar limb darkening research. Launched at 0850 local time. Reached 74 km..

• Sodium Release 2 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Sodium studies research. Launched at 1800 local time. Reached 101.4 km..

• Solar La / airglow Solar ultraviolet and x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 1549 local time. Reached 150 km..

• Solar La / airglow Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 1720 local time. Reached 134.5 km..

• Solar La / airglow Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 135 km (83 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 0830 local time. Reached 158 km..

• Meteorites / ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Night airglow, meteors research. Launched at 0200 local time. Reached 105 km..

• Mass spectrometers Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 132 km (82 mi). Ion composition research. Launched at 1016 local time. Reached 132 km..

• XRV-N-13 test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 0750 local time..

• Airglow / Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 142 km (88 mi). Gas composition research. Launched at 2200 local time. Reached 142 km..

• Colorado UVS Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi). Lyman alpha, solar limb darkening research. Launched at 1058 local time. Reached 138.4 km..

• Release B (NO) Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi). Nitric oxide attempt to produce sporadic E research. Launched at 1415 local time. Reached 95 km..

• Release (NO) Ionosphere / aeronomy / chemica mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 106 km (65 mi). Nitric oxide attempt to recombine atomic oxygen research. Launched at 0145 local time. Reached 106.2 km..

• Sodium Release 3 Ionosphere / aeronomy / chemica mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 106 km (65 mi). Sodium cloud, ionization research. Launched at 1005 local time. Reached 106.2 km..

• RV-N-13a test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi). Rocket performance test. Launched at 1505 local time. Reached 4 km..

• Far ultraviolet spectrometer / La imager Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 143 km (88 mi).

• RV-N-13a test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 188 km (116 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0754 local time. Reached 143.3 km..

• AJ11-6 engine test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 169 km (105 mi). Rocket test, 86 kg payload. Insufficient fin-cuff protection caused aerodynamic instability. Launched at 0840 local time. Reached 169 km..

• RV-N-13a test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 58 km (36 mi). Sunfollower spectrograph. Launched at 0713 local time. Reached 58 km..

• E-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1351 local time. Reached 137.8 km..

• E-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 136 km (84 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1342 local time. Reached 130.8 km..

• E-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 146 km (90 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1148 local time. Reached 146.5 km..

• D-region Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1242 local time. Reached 5 km..

• E-layer Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 111 km (68 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1120 local time. Reached 111.1 km..

• RV-N-13b Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 264 km (164 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1200 local time. Reached 261 km..

• Night airglow / B Magnetosphere / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 162 km (100 mi). Magnetic belt, night airglow research. Launched at 0052 local time. Reached 162 km..

• Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 129 km (80 mi). Day airglow research. Launched at 1756 local time. Reached 128.8 km..

• Ultraviolet Spectrograph Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi). Solar spectrum and atmospheric composition research. Launched at 0556 local time. Reached 2.4 km..

• Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0853 local time. Reached 85.5 km..

• Sampling Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0822 local time. Reached 85.9 km..

• Pressure Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 145 km (90 mi). Pressure, temperature, density research. Launched at 0240 local time. Reached 145 km..

• Sodium Release Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 66 km (41 mi). Sodium emission research. Launched at 0557 local time. Reached 68 km..

• Sodium Release 4 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 146 km (90 mi).

• NRL NN3.02 Aurora mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi). Aurora, magnetic field research. Also known as IGY NN3.02. Launched at 1301 local time. Altitude not reported; possible failure..

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 67 km (41 mi). Temperature, winds research. Launched at 0546 local time. Reached 67.5 km..

• NRL NN3.07F Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 129 km (80 mi). Ionosphere research. Also known as IGY NN3.09. Launched at 1332 local time. Reached 119 km..

• NRL NN3.12 Aeronomy / chemical / solar lyra-alpha spectrometry / x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 209 km (129 mi). Atmospheric structure research. Also known as IGY NN3.12. Launched at 1048 local time. Reached 195 km..

• NRL NN3.17 Ionosphere / aurora mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 250 km (150 mi). Air and ion composition research. Also known as IGY NN3.17. Launched at 2321 local time. Reached 255 km..

• AJ11-6 engine test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 193 km (119 mi). Rocket test, 80 kg payload payload. Launched at 1444 local time. Reached 193 km..

• Firefly (Ethelyne) Aeronomy / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 143 km (88 mi). Ethylene gas release (Firefly). Launched at 0105 local time. Reached 140.6 km..

• NRL NN2.26 Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 135 km (83 mi). Night sky research. Launched at 2151 local time. Reached 135 km..

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 61 km (37 mi). Micrometeorites research. Launched at 0819 local time. Reached 61 km..

• Vanguard test Satellite test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 204 km (126 mi). Vanguard test. Rocket performance, satellite instrumentation test. Launched at 0931 local time. Reached 204 km..

• RV-N-13c test / meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 289 km (179 mi). Rocket performance flight test. Launched at 0810 local time. Reached 289 km..

• Sunfollower / UVS Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 204 km (126 mi). Sunfollower spectrograph. Launched at 0704 local time. Reached 204 km..

• AU4.26 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 171 km (106 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 0700 local time. Reached 171 km..

• AU4.27 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 202 km (125 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 0707 local time. Reached 202 km..

• Aerobee completes 165th flight. - . Nation: USA. Aerobee upper air research rocket developed by the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins, and first fired on September 25, 1947, completed 165 successful firings to date..

• NRL NN3.08F Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 237 km (147 mi).

• NRL NN3.09F Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 16 km (9 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 92 km (57 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi).

• NRL NN3.13F Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

• Solar ultraviolet spectrum Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 145 km (90 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 74 km (45 mi).

• Na - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 178 km (110 mi). [Or Sep 19?].

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 51 km (31 mi).

• Grenades, Temperature, wind Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 130 km (80 mi).

• Ion probe Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 160 km (90 mi).

• Sunfollower / UVS Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 51 km (31 mi). Solar spectrum research. Launched at 0704 local time. Reached 51.1 km..

• Release A (Cs) Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 87 km (54 mi).

  USAF successfully launched pellets at a speed faster than 15 km/sec (some 3.5 km/sec faster than the velocity necessary to escape from the earth) by an Aerobee rocket to a height of 56 km; the nose section then ascended to a height of 87 km where shaped charges blasted the pellets into space. It is claimed that the Superschmidt Telescope at Sacremento Peak photographed the trajectory with a rotating shutter. These little metal pellets would therefore be the first objects to be shot into interplanetary space, months before the first launch to escape velocity (Luna 1, January 1959). But also see August 1957 nuclear test that may have blasted a manhole cover to escape velocity.

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Test / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Release 1, KNO3-Al Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 121 km (75 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 97 km (60 mi).

• NRL NN3.03F Aeronomy/Plasma/Fields mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 180 km (110 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 98 km (60 mi).

• Grenades / Sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 143 km (88 mi).

• NRL NN3.10F Test / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi).

• NRL NN3.11F Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 234 km (145 mi).

• Aerobee Jr Test / imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

• NRL NN3.18F Ionosphere / aurora / x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 225 km (139 mi).

• NRL NN3.14F Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 207 km (128 mi).

• NRL NN3.04 Aeronomy/Fields/Ultraviolet Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 144 km (89 mi).

• NO / O2 composition Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Aeronomy/Fields/Ultraviolet Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 168 km (104 mi).

• Neutral gas Aurora / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 202 km (125 mi).

• Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 214 km (132 mi).

• Grenades IGY SS12.48 - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet Spectrum Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Charge density Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 262 km (162 mi).

• Charge density Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 250 km (150 mi).

• Charge density Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 243 km (150 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Test / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Vehicle test / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 156 km (96 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 177 km (109 mi). First flight of the Aerobee 300 / Spaerobee. The Aerobee was shut down early by range safety when the missile went off course..

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 418 km (259 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 188 km (116 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 54 km (33 mi).

• Composition Aeronomy / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 211 km (131 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 59 km (36 mi).

• Auroral/Fields/Ultraviolet Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 163 km (101 mi).

• Grenades Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 59 km (36 mi).

• Electron density Aeronomy / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 207 km (128 mi).

• Auroral / Ultraviolet Phot Aurora mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 202 km (125 mi).

• Te probe Test / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 304 km (188 mi).

• Field / ne probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 97 km (60 mi).

• Field / ne probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 225 km (139 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 212 km (131 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

• Solar ultraviolet / solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 170 km (100 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet Spectrum Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 201 km (124 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 238 km (147 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 317 km (196 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 235 km (146 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 132 km (82 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 145 km (90 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 225 km (139 mi).

• Solar infrared mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 110 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Solar ultraviolet / x-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 197 km (122 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 230 km (140 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet / RPA Ionosphere / solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 235 km (146 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 227 km (141 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 218 km (135 mi).

• Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• DRTE.01 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 256 km (159 mi).

• DRTE.02 Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 110 km (60 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 111 km (68 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 113 km (70 mi).

• Utah ne probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 386 km (239 mi).

• Utah ne probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 135 km (83 mi).

• Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 142 km (88 mi).

• Utah ne probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 393 km (244 mi).

• GRD sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi).

• B field profile Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 106 km (65 mi).

• UM ionosphere probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 35 km (21 mi).

• Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi).

• Signals intelligence test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet monochromator Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet monochromator Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 226 km (140 mi).

• Ultraviolet airglow spectra Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 143 km (88 mi).

• Signals intelligence test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

• JHU Aurora 1 Aurora mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 117 km (72 mi).

• Signals intelligence test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• UM ionosphere probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 337 km (209 mi).

• Test / meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 212 km (131 mi). Aerobee 150-A, a new type, fired from new launch tower at Wallops Station, reached an altitude of 140 km and achieved rocket performance objectives as well as micrometeorite impact counts..

• Infrared studies Solar infrared mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 236 km (146 mi).

• NN3.60 Pinhole camera Solar ultraviolet / solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 222 km (137 mi).

• Magnetometer Fields mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 245 km (152 mi).

• Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 246 km (152 mi). NASA fired first of five Aerobee-Hi sounding rockets from Wallops Station in program to measure ultraviolet radiation..

• Ultraviolet star photometer Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Composition Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 242 km (150 mi).

• Ionosphere / solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 269 km (167 mi).

• NRL 49? Extreme ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 193 km (119 mi).

• Ultraviolet star photometer Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 215 km (133 mi).

• NRL-57 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 224 km (139 mi).

• UM ionosphere probe Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 321 km (199 mi).

• Ultraviolet star photometer Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 211 km (131 mi).

• NRL-58 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 222 km (137 mi).

• Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 162 km (100 mi).

• Signals intelligence test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 148 km (91 mi).

• UM ionospheric Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 415 km (257 mi). First Sparrowbee sounding rocket launched from Wallops Station, lifting 25 kg University of Michigan payload to 415 km altitude..

• Signals intelligence test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 383 km (237 mi).

• Cosmic rays mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 190 km (110 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 237 km (147 mi).

• Signals intelligence test - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Solar Constant Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 102 km (63 mi).

• AMPP Remote sensing mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi).

• Thermal / CR Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 195 km (121 mi).

• AMPP Remote sensing mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi).

• CR / Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• AMPP Remote sensing mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 225 km (139 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 211 km (131 mi).

• Composition Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 227 km (141 mi).

• Ultraviolet detector Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 217 km (134 mi).

• Ultraviolet Spectrograph Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 183 km (113 mi).

• OkSU quiet night Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 91 km (56 mi).

• OkSU quiet day Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

• NRL NB3.103 Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 197 km (122 mi).

• MHD waves Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 241 km (149 mi).

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 204 km (126 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 152 km (94 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Monochromator Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 275 km (170 mi).

• Ne / RPA Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 400 km (240 mi).

• UM ionospheric Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 386 km (239 mi). NASA Aerobee research rocket with University of Michigan payload shot to 406-km altitude from Wallops Station..

• Ultraviolet star photometer Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi).

• Attitude control test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 206 km (128 mi).

• NRL NB3.104 Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 242 km (150 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 154 km (95 mi).

• Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 294 km (182 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 312 km (193 mi).

• AMPP FU6 Remote sensing mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi).

• AMPP FU5 Remote sensing mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 23 km (14 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Venus Flytrap Meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 165 km (102 mi).

• NRL ND3.112 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 197 km (122 mi).

• NRL NE3.102 Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 271 km (168 mi).

• Attitude control test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 187 km (116 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 153 km (95 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Monochromator Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 271 km (168 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Mon / X-ray counter Aeronomy / solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 225 km (139 mi).

• Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 260 km (160 mi).

• Air sampler Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 78 km (48 mi).

• CWAS Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 59 km (36 mi).

• OSO spectrometer Solar x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 223 km (138 mi).

• Air sampler Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 73 km (45 mi).

• Ultraviolet absorption Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 192 km (119 mi).

• Lunar X-ray X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Air sampler Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi).

• Air sampler Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 65 km (40 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 152 km (94 mi).

• AS&E-2; X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 232 km (144 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 212 km (131 mi).

• Air sampler Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 68 km (42 mi).

• Air sampler Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 71 km (44 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 238 km (147 mi).

• Sphere Aeronomy / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 234 km (145 mi).

• Micrometorites Test / meteorites mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 246 km (152 mi).

• HR Solar Spectra Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 169 km (105 mi).

• UM Ionospheric Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 365 km (226 mi).

• Attitude control test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 209 km (129 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Mon / X-ray counter Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Ultraviolet Spectrograph Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 157 km (97 mi).

• Ultraviolet Absorption Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 323 km (200 mi).

• Structure Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 79 km (49 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 286 km (177 mi).

• Gyro interaction Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 94 km (58 mi).

• Day airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 275 km (170 mi).

• Radar test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 196 km (121 mi).

• Sea recovery test/Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). Sea recovery test mission..

• Extreme ultraviolet Monochromator Aeronomy / solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 216 km (134 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Monochromator Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 299 km (185 mi).

• AS&E-3; (Sco X-1) X-ray Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 224 km (139 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 158 km (98 mi).

• JHU Airglow 1 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

• JHU Airglow 2 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 208 km (129 mi).

• Radar test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: AFCRL. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

• Lyra alpha test Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 208 km (129 mi).

• Attitude control test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 149 km (92 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet / x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 234 km (145 mi).

• Ultraviolet Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 74 km (45 mi).

• Day Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 306 km (190 mi).

• Ultraviolet Photometer Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 187 km (116 mi).

• Electric structure Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 260 km (160 mi).

• Lockheed XR X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 171 km (106 mi).

• AS&E-4; X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 317 km (196 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Mon / XR / RPA Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 213 km (132 mi).

• OAO sensors Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 188 km (116 mi).

• HR solar spectrum Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 308 km (191 mi).

• Firefly III FANNY Aeronomy / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 260 km (160 mi).

• Firefly III GILDA Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 253 km (157 mi).

• Firefly III KAREN Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 234 km (145 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 29 km (18 mi).

• LeRC LH2 test Technology test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 206 km (128 mi).

• Ultraviolet Airglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

• Thermosphere Probe 1 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 345 km (214 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 203 km (126 mi).

• Firefly III LAURA Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 220 km (130 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 52 km (32 mi).

• JHU Airglow 3 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).

• Firefly III MARTHA Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 222 km (137 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Mon / RPA Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 224 km (139 mi).

• JHU Airglow 4 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 4.00 km (2.40 mi).

• Sphere Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 234 km (145 mi).

• Bennett Mass Spec Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 239 km (148 mi).

• Solar extreme ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 306 km (190 mi).

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 228 km (141 mi).

• Lockheed XR 2 X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 201 km (124 mi).

• Ultraviolet absorption Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 99 km (61 mi).

• Ultraviolet geocorona? Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 237 km (147 mi).

• Solar X-rays Spectrum 1 Solar x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 205 km (127 mi).

• CSIRO VLF Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 198 km (123 mi).

• Visible Dayglow Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: KPNO. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

• Thermo Probe 2(AE-A) Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 342 km (212 mi).

• Electron density Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 199 km (123 mi).

• Ultraviolet Photometer Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 197 km (122 mi).

• Extreme ultraviolet Mon 2 / XR / RPA Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 232 km (144 mi).

• JHU Airglow 5 Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 223 km (138 mi).

• CSIRO VLF Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 203 km (126 mi).