Improved Orion
Sounding rocket. Year: 1994. Country: USA.

Unguided solid propellant single stage rocket using a military surplus M112 Hawk rocket motor. The motor was a dual thrust burner with a boost phase of 5 seconds and a sustainer phase of approximately 21 seconds. The rocket accelerated the payload then for 26 seconds with peak acceleration during the boost phase of 21g. A payload mass of 100 kg could be carried to an apogee of approximately 110 km.

Manufacturer: WFF. Launches: 27. First Launch Date: 1994-12-05. Last Launch Date: 2006-05-04. Launch data is: continuing. Payload: 100 kg (220 lb). Apogee: 110 km (60 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 7.000 kN (1,574 lbf). Total Mass: 400 kg (880 lb). Core Diameter: 0.35 m (1.14 ft). Total Length: 5.60 m (18.30 ft).

Improved Orion Chronology

1994 December 5 - 00:48 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion HYGROSOND.

  • Hygrosonde Aeronomy mission Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 77 km (47 mi). References: 1924.
1995 July 14 - 07:50 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion DLR K-O/I-216.
  • Test mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1582.
1995 October 8 - 10:36 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion DLR K-O/I-217.
  • Test mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1582.
1995 December 4 - 10:23 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion REXUS.
  • Test mission Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 89 km (55 mi). References: 1924.
1997 June 4 - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion GYROTEST.
  • Test mission Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 94 km (58 mi). References: 1924.
1999 July 6 - 00:06 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion MD-MI-05.
  • MIDAS aeronomy mission Nation: Norway. Agency: NDRE. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2000 May 6 - 17:08 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion MS-MI-03.
  • MIDAS Ferdinand-115 Aeronomy mission Nation: Norway. Agency: NDRE. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2000 May 15 - 00:46 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion MS-MI-05.
  • MIDAS Ferdinand-116 Aeronomy mission Nation: Norway. Agency: NDRE. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2001 February 19 - 06:02 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion DLR K-O-?.
  • Maxus test mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 81 km (50 mi). References: 1896.
2001 May 15 - 01:57 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion.
  • Hotel Dart test mission Nation: Norway. Agency: NDRE. Apogee: 115 km (71 mi). References: 1932.
2001 June 17 - 00:05 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion SO-MI-05.
  • MIDAS aeronomy mission Nation: Norway. Agency: NDRE. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2001 June 24 - 21:21 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion SO-MI-11.
  • MIDAS aeronomy mission Nation: Norway. Agency: NDRE. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2001 December 16 - 05:12 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion.
  • Hygrosonde II Aeronomy mission Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). References: 1879.
2002 March 7 - 09:07 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion NASA 30.49UE.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1884.
2002 March 15 - 11:15 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion NASA 30.52UE.
  • Aeronomy mission? Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1884.
2002 March 15 - 13:03 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion NASA 30.50UE.
  • Aeronomy mission? Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1884.
2002 March 15 - 13:42 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion NASA 30.51UE.
  • Aeronomy mission? Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1884.
2002 March 18 - 21:07 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion NASA 30.47UO.
  • SRP-4 Education/Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 89 km (55 mi). References: 1884.
2002 July 2 - 01:44 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion MIDAS.
  • MM-MI-12 Aeronomy mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2002 July 5 - 01:42 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion MIDAS.
  • MM-MI-25 Aeronomy mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2002 July 5 - 01:10 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion MIDAS.
  • MM-MI-24 Aeronomy mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1887.
2003 July 1 - 09:23 GMT - Launch Site: SvalRak. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion ROMA RO-MI-01.
  • ROMA 2003 Aeronomy mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1875.
2003 July 4 - 08:20 GMT - Launch Site: SvalRak. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion ROMA RO-MI-02.
  • ROMA 2003 Aeronomy mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1875.
2003 July 6 - 08:23 GMT - Launch Site: SvalRak. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion ROMA RO-MI-03.
  • ROMA 2003 Aeronomy mission Nation: Germany. Agency: DLR. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). References: 1875.
2003 October 9 - 11:37 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion NASA 30.54UO.
  • Student rocket Education mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 64 km (39 mi). References: 1884.
2004 October 28 - 20:53 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion REXUS II.
  • REXUS-2/ECOMA Education/Meteor mission Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 91 km (56 mi). The REXUS program was a joint project between the Swedish Space Corporation SSC, ESRANGE, and the Mobile Rocket Base (Moraba) of the German Aerospace Center DLR, conducted by newly founded EUROLAUNCH. The scientific payload capacity was shared between Swedish and German student experimenters. REXUS was considered as an annual sounding rocket program.References: 1879.
2006 April 5 - 05:56 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion s/n REXUS 3.
  • Nation: Sweden. Agency: DLR/SSC DLR/SSC Student. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi). Education References: 2.
2006 May 4 - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion REXUS II.
  • REXUS 3 Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 110 km (60 mi). References: 1879.
2006 July 21 - 09:04 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion s/n NASA 30.066DR.
  • Target? Nation: USA. Agency: NASA/NAWC NAWC/Winstead. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Target References: 2.
2006 July 21 - 13:05 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion. LV Configuration: Improved Orion s/n NASA 30.067DR.
  • Target? Nation: USA. Agency: NASA/NAWC NAWC/Winstead. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Target References: 2.
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.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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