Cirrus II Credit - Harald Lutz

Cirrus II was a two-stage sounding rocket developed by the German Rocket Society in the late 1950's. It could carry meteorological or biological payloads up to a speed of over 1000 m/s and an altitude of 50 km. The first stage produced 1800 kgf and the second 508 kgf. All launches were made from Cuxhaven, and discontinued when the German government prohibited civilian rocket launches in June 1964. The propellant was developed by the DRG and fabricated at Liebenau Company for Production of Chemical Materials (GmbH zur Verwertung chemischer Erzeugnisse Liebenau).

Launches: 1. First Launch Date: 1961-09-16. Last Launch Date: 1961-09-16. Payload: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). to a: 35 km altitude trajectory. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 17.600 kN (3,957 lbf). Total Mass: 60 kg (132 lb). Core Diameter: 0.15 m (0.49 ft). Total Length: 4.12 m (13.50 ft).

1961 September 16 - Launch Site: Cuxhaven. Launch Vehicle: Kumulus, Cirrus I, Cirrus II.

• Cirrus rocket reaches 50 km altitude Nation: Germany. The first Cirrus rockets are launched. Cirrus I, a two stage rocket, with each stage providing 508 kgf, reached a velocity of 750 m/s (Mach 2.5) and 35 km altitude. Cirrus II, 4.155 m long, with a thrust of 1.8 tonnes, reached 1000 m/s and an altitude of 50 km. Kumulus I and II took biological specimens aloft. Each Kumulus had a mass of 28 kg, was 3 m long, produced 508 kgf, and reached 750 m/s, Mach 2.0. Kumulus I carried the Mexican salamander Lotte to an altitude of 12 km. Lotte landed safely in the Cuxhaven flats. Kumulus II took the goldfish Max to an altitude of 15 km, but Max, enclosed in a plexiglass globe, made a hard landing.

• Test mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DRG. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). References: 1927.

• Cuxhaven - Im Zeitalter der Raketen, "Wolf, Sonja", Unpublished manuscript, Cuxhaven City Archives, August 1986. Provided by Harald Lutz..

• Contemporary newspaper articles, 1952-1964, Collected and provided by Harald Lutz.