Fulmar (rocket)
 Fulmar sounding rocket | |
| Country of origin | Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Size | |
| Height | 7.47 m (24.5 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.26 m (0.85 ft) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to Suborbital | |
| Altitude | 250 km (160 mi) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Andoya |
| Total launches | 6 |
| First flight | November 21, 1976 |
| Last flight | March 19, 1979 |
| First stage – Heron | |
| Maximum thrust | 107 kN (24,000 lbf) |
| Second stage – Snipe | |
| Maximum thrust | 16.7 kN (3,800 lbf) |
The Fulmar was a two-stage British sounding rocket.[1][2][3] It was related to the Spanish INTA-300.[2]It was a part of cold-war era scientific research rockets. It was used to conduct studies of the upper atmosphere, Ionosphere and auroras.
The Fulmar, developed by Bristol Aerojet, consisted of a Heron starting stage with 107 kN thrust and a Snipe upper stage with 16.7 kN thrust.[2] The Fulmar had a diameter of 26 centimetres and a length of 7.47 metres.[2] It weighed 500 kilograms at launch and could reach a height of 250 kilometres.[2]
Launches
[edit]The Fulmar was fired six times between 1976 and 1979 at Andøya in Norway; the last launch, on 19 March 1979, failed.[1][2]
| Date | Site | Vehicle | Apogee (km) | Mission | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 November 21 | Andøya | F2 | 137 | auroral mission | Success |
| 1976 December 11 | Andøya | F5 | 214 | aurora / aeronomy / ionosphere mission | Success |
| 1977 October 16 | Andøya | F3 | 247 | "Wind / T" atmospheric mission | Success |
| 1977 November 17 | Andøya | F1 | 261 | "Electrons / Ions" ionosphere mission | Success |
| 1977 December 5 | Andøya | F4 | 255 | "HLC 2B" auroral mission | Success |
| 1979 March 19 | Andøya | F6 | 15 | aeronomy mission | Failure |
References
[edit]
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