M-100 Credit - NASA

Two-stage, solid propellant, fin stabilized, unguided Russian sounding rocket, fired in greater numbers than any other. At least 6,640 were fired to the edge of space before the vehicle was discontinued in 1990.

The M-100 is said to have begun testing in 1953, using propellant with a specific impulse of only 150 seconds. The rocket was used to make basic weather soundings on a world-wide basis. A typical flight consists of launch to 90 km altitude, following by the descent of the nosecone under a parachute over a period of 50 minutes. During the descent the payload radioed temperature, pressure, and density data. Below 50 km radar could be used to track the nose cone and determine winds aloft. In the 1970's the M-100B was cross calibrated by firing it simultaneously with American Super Loki-Dart, British Skua, and French Super-Arcas rockets. This allowed it to be integrated into the World Meteorological Rocket Network.

While the M-100 has been equipped with non-standard payloads, it was used in such numbers over such a long period that the data from the series was used to determine long-term climate trends (a steady drop in temperature of 0.3 to 1.0 deg C per year at an altitude of 80 km).

When the Soviet Union collapse, funding for state scientific work evaporated. Launches of the M-100 abruptly ended.

Manufacturer: GMS. Launches: 6640. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 15 kg (33 lb). Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Total Mass: 475 kg (1,047 lb). Core Diameter: 0.25 m (0.82 ft). Total Length: 8.34 m (27.36 ft). Span: 0.66 m (2.18 ft).

Basic model, 4,908 fired from 1957-07-11 to 1983-09-28.

Special modification, only fired twice on 1976-11-10 and 1976-12-22.

Model calibrated with Western sounding rockets and part of the World Meteorological Network. 1,730 launched from 1976-01-07 to 1990-12-.

• 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...