![]() One of the first Orion rockets (HAWK at the time) shortly after launch. | |
Function | sounding rocket [1] |
---|---|
Manufacturer | NASA |
Country of origin | United States |
Size | |
Height | 5.60 m |
Diameter | 0.35 m |
Mass |
|
Stages | 1 |
Launch history | |
Launch sites | Wallops, White Sands, Poker Flat, Andoya, Esrange, Barreira do Inferno |
First stage | |
Thrust | 7 kN |
Orion is the designation of a small American sounding rocket. The Orion has a length of 5.60 meters, a diameter of 0.35 m, a launch weight of 400 kg, a launch thrust of 7 kN and a ceiling of 85 kilometers. The Orion, built by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, is also used as an upper stage of sounding rockets, usually paired with a Terrier missile as the first stage, [2] [3] [4] although Nike, Taurus and VS-30 rockets are also used. [5]
Two Orion versions exist: [5]
The sounding rocket is launched from Wallops Flight Facility, White Sands, Poker Flat Rocket Range, Andoya Rocket Range, Esrange and Barreira do Inferno. [2] [6] [5]
A lightning storm over the Wallops launch pad on 9 June 1987 ignited a NASA Orion rocket and 2 other sounding rockets. The Orion flew horizontally about 300 feet into the ocean. The sounding rockets rose to around 15,000 feet altitude, then fell about 2 miles from the launch pad. No persons were hurt in the incident. [7]
![]() One of the first Orion rockets (HAWK at the time) shortly after launch. | |
Function | sounding rocket [1] |
---|---|
Manufacturer | NASA |
Country of origin | United States |
Size | |
Height | 5.60 m |
Diameter | 0.35 m |
Mass |
|
Stages | 1 |
Launch history | |
Launch sites | Wallops, White Sands, Poker Flat, Andoya, Esrange, Barreira do Inferno |
First stage | |
Thrust | 7 kN |
Orion is the designation of a small American sounding rocket. The Orion has a length of 5.60 meters, a diameter of 0.35 m, a launch weight of 400 kg, a launch thrust of 7 kN and a ceiling of 85 kilometers. The Orion, built by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, is also used as an upper stage of sounding rockets, usually paired with a Terrier missile as the first stage, [2] [3] [4] although Nike, Taurus and VS-30 rockets are also used. [5]
Two Orion versions exist: [5]
The sounding rocket is launched from Wallops Flight Facility, White Sands, Poker Flat Rocket Range, Andoya Rocket Range, Esrange and Barreira do Inferno. [2] [6] [5]
A lightning storm over the Wallops launch pad on 9 June 1987 ignited a NASA Orion rocket and 2 other sounding rockets. The Orion flew horizontally about 300 feet into the ocean. The sounding rockets rose to around 15,000 feet altitude, then fell about 2 miles from the launch pad. No persons were hurt in the incident. [7]