The Black Knight was a British test vehicle designed to test re-entry vehicles for the Blue Streak MRBM. It was subsequently used for a series of US-sponsored test of RV radar signatures.

In July 1955 Sanders Roe was selected to build a rocket to test re-entry vehicle designs for the Blue Streak MRBM. The rocket was required to loft a 115 kg re-entry vehicle shape to an altitude of 800 km for re-entries at 5 km/sec. Two development launches and three RV tests were completed before the Blue Streak was cancelled in April 1960. However the vehicle continued in use in a new series of tests sponsored by the United States. These studied the radar signatures of RV's and their plasma trails, crucial in development of early warning and anti-ballistic missile systems. In order to reach the higher re-entry speeds of an ICBM, a Cuckoo second stage was added to the vehicle. This was mounted upside-down in order to accelerate the RV shape down into the atmosphere during descent. These flights were conducted in two series, code-named Gaslight and Dazzle.

The Gamma engines of the vehicle were manufactured by Bristol Siddley and used on both the Black Knight and Black Arrow launch vehicles. Propellants were High Test Peroxide and Kerosene. Black Knight used 4 chambers in two pairs on the Y and Z axes. The motors were gimballed to provide thrust in all axes. The Cuckoo second stage motor was manufactured at RPE Westcott.

Manufacturer: Saunders-Roe. Launches: 22. Failures: 3. Success Rate: 86.36%. First Launch Date: 1958-09-07. Last Launch Date: 1965-11-25. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 803 km (498 mi).

Single stage version.

Single stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Black Knight 201

Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 75.000 kN (16,860 lbf). Total Mass: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb). Core Diameter: 0.91 m (2.98 ft). Total Length: 10.20 m (33.40 ft).

2 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Black Knight 201 + 1 x Cuckoo IB

Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 95.000 kN (21,356 lbf). Total Mass: 6,400 kg (14,100 lb). Core Diameter: 0.91 m (2.98 ft). Total Length: 11.60 m (38.00 ft).

2 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Black Knight 201 + 1 x Cuckoo II

2 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Black Knight 301 + 1 x Cuckoo IB

2 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Black Knight 301 + 1 x Cuckoo II

1958 September 7 - 10:33 GMT - Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: LA5. Launch Pad: LA5A. Launch Vehicle: Black Knight. LV Configuration: Black Knight 201 BK.01.

• Research and development launch Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 485 km (301 mi). Black Knight missile of the United Kingdom was launched from the Australian range at Woomera to an altitude of over 300 miles. References: 17, 1899.

• Research and development launch Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 537 km (333 mi). Second British Black Knight rocket reached 350-mile altitude at Woomera, Australia. References: 17, 1899.

• Research and development launch Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 803 km (498 mi). References: 1899.

• Research and development launch Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 442 km (274 mi). References: 1899.

• Research and development launch Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 732 km (454 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 563 km (349 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 484 km (300 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 531 km (329 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 687 km (426 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 415 km (257 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 583 km (362 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 795 km (493 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 573 km (356 mi). References: 1899.

• Gaslight Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 576 km (357 mi). References: 1899.

• Blue Streak test mission Nation: Europe. Agency: ELDO/RAE. Apogee: 527 km (327 mi). References: 1832.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). References: 1836.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 602 km (374 mi). References: 1899.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 629 km (390 mi). References: 1899.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 651 km (404 mi). References: 1899.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 492 km (305 mi). References: 1899.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 605 km (375 mi). References: 1899.

• Dazzle re-entry vehicle test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RAE. Apogee: 632 km (392 mi). References: 1899.

• 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.

• Emme, Eugene M, Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of Science and Technology in the Exploration of Space 1915-1960, NASA, 1961. Accessed at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html.