NASA Sounding Rocket Program

The NASA Sounding Rocket Program is a NASA run program of sounding rockets which has been running for over 40 years. [1] The missions carried out by this program are primarily used for scientific research, particularly low gravity and material based research.[2] NASA's sounding rocket program is commonly used by colleges and universities for upper atmosphere research.[3]

NASA sounding rocket launch from the Wallops Flight Facility

Launches
Mission Name Date Launch Vehicle Status
PolarNOx 27 January 2017 Black Brant IX Success[4]
DEUCE 30 October 2017 Black Brant IX Failure - No data

recovered but payload

was recovered [5]

USIP 25 March 2018 Terrier Malemute Success[6]
ASPIRE 30 March -

7 September 2018

 Black Brant IX Success[7]

PolarNOx

The PolarNOx mission was a set of experimental launches used to measure the nitric oxide present in the upper atmosphere that is produced by auroras.[8]

DEUCE

The DEUCE (Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Experiment) mission was planned to obtain scientific data about the IGM. This failed however due to problems with the attitude control system.[9]

ASPIRE

The ASPIRE mission (Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment) was an experiment which tested a Mars mission parachute design. The mission consisted of three tests using the Black Brant IX sounding rocket, with the third and final test taking place on Sept. 7, 2018[10].

AZURE

The Auroral Zone Upwelling Rocket Experiment in April 2019 caught many Norwegians by surprise by triggering an unusual form of the Aurora Borealis.

See also

References
  1. Jenner, Lynn (6 March 2015). "Sounding Rockets Overview". NASA. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  2. Gurkin, L. W. (October 1992). "The NASA Sounding Rocket Program and space sciences". ASGSB bulletin: publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. 6 (1): 113–120. ISSN 0898-4697. PMID 11537652.
  3. "1962NASSP..13....1P Page 1". adsbit.harvard.edu. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  4. "Aurora Experiment Streaks Into Alaska's Sky on Small NASA Rocket (Photos)". Space.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  5. "NASA's DEUCE-carrying sounding rocket mission fails". The Indian Express. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  6. "Undergrad Science Experiments Launch on a NASA Sounding Rocket". Space.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  7. "Third ASPIRE Test Confirms Mars 2020 Parachute a Go". NASA. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  8. "NASA Rockets Launch to Unveil Mysteries of the Northern Lights". Space.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  9. Hille, Karl (27 October 2017). "Sounding Rocket Probes the Dark Regions of Space". NASA. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  10. "Third ASPIRE Test Confirms Mars 2020 Parachute a Go". NASA. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
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