Aerobee 300
Aerobee 300
Sounding rocket. Year: 1958. Family: Aerobee. Country: USA.

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).

The sounding rocket as launched from Wallops Station could lift a 25 kg University of Michigan payload to 350 km altitude.

Manufacturer: Aerojet. Launches: 28. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 92.86%. First Launch Date: 1958-10-22. Last Launch Date: 1965-03-20. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 45 kg (99 lb). Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 18.000 kN (4,046 lbf). Total Mass: 983 kg (2,167 lb). Core Diameter: 0.38 m (1.24 ft). Total Length: 9.90 m (32.40 ft).

Model: Aerobee 300. Family: Aerobee. Country: USA.

Basic three stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Aerobee Booster + 1 x Aerobee 150 + 1 x Sparrow

Model: Aerobee 300A. Family: Aerobee. Country: USA.

Aerobee 300A used a four-fin Aerobee 150A second stage rather than the older three-fin 150.

Aerobee 300 Chronology

1958 October 22 - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.001. FAILURE: Shut down early by range safety when the missile went off course.

  • 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. References: 378.
1958 October 25 - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.002.
  • Meteorites mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 418 km (259 mi). References: 378.
1958 November 30 - 18:37 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 ABM10.200.
  • Test/Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 285 km (177 mi). References: 1592.
1958 December 1 - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 NN10.001.
  • Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 930.
1958 December 3 - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 NN10.002.
  • Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 930.
1959 October 25 - 17:44 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.184C.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 282 km (175 mi). References: 781.
1959 October 28 - 14:47 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.185C.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 135 km (83 mi). References: 781.
1959 November 6 - 16:36 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.187C.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 393 km (244 mi). References: 781.
1959 November 14 - 22:38 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.165C.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 155 km (96 mi). References: 1592.
1959 November 22 - 18:35 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.186C.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 35 km (21 mi). References: 1592.
1960 January 14 - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 TATTLETALE PCC 1.
  • Signals intelligence Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 1836.
1960 February 16 - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 TATTLETALE PCC 2.
  • Signals intelligence Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 1836.
1960 March 16 - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 TATTLETALE PCC 3.
  • Signals intelligence Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 1836.
1960 March 16 - 21:25 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 NASA 06.01UI.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 337 km (209 mi). References: 1592.
1960 June 15 - 22:56 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 NASA 06.02UI.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 321 km (199 mi). References: 1592.
1960 July 27 - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 TATTLETALE PCC 4. FAILURE: Failure.
  • Signals intelligence Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1836.
1960 August 3 - 15:26 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.03UI.
  • 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. References: 17, 1592.
1960 August 10 - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 TATTLETALE PCC 5.
  • Signals intelligence Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 383 km (237 mi). References: 1836.
1960 August 31 - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 TATTLETALE PCC 6.
  • Signals intelligence Test mission? Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 1836.
1961 March 8 - 16:53 GMT - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 AA10.192.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 400 km (240 mi). References: 781.
1961 March 26 - 16:54 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.04UI.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 406 km (252 mi). NASA Aerobee research rocket with University of Michigan payload shot to 406-km altitude from Wallops Station. References: 18, 1592.
1961 December 22 - 04:24 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.05UI.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 365 km (226 mi). References: 1592.
1962 November 20 - 21:41 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.06GA.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 345 km (214 mi). References: 1592.
1963 April 18 - 21:00 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.07GA.
  • AE-A pass Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 342 km (212 mi). References: 1592.
1963 July 20 - 21:54 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.08GA.
  • Aeronomy/Eclipse mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 338 km (210 mi). References: 1592.
1964 January 29 - 03:09 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300A NASA 06.09GA.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 309 km (192 mi). References: 1592.
1964 July 28 - 21:14 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 NASA 06.10GA.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 322 km (200 mi). References: 1592.
1965 March 20 - 05:42 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 300. Model: Aerobee 300. LV Configuration: Aerobee 300 NASA 06.11GA.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 326 km (202 mi). References: 1592.
Bibliography and Further Reading
  • McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
  • Alway, Peter, Rockets of the World, Saturn Press, Ann Arbor, 1995. ISBN: 0962787655. Comprehensive account of world rocketry, from the beginning 'til now, from sounding rockets to Saturns. Oriented toward rocket modellers, with accurate drawings and color guides. More at amazon.com...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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