Orion (rocket)

This article is about the American sounding rocket. For the Argentinian sounding rocket, see Orión (rocket). For the spacecraft, see Orion (spacecraft). For other uses, see Orion.
Orion
One of the first Orion rockets (HAWK at the time) shortly after launch.
Functionsounding rocket[1]
ManufacturerNASA
Country of originUnited States
Size
Height5.60 m
Diameter0.35 m
Mass
  • 400 kg
Stages1
Launch history
Launch sitesWallops, White Sands, Poker Flat, Andoya, Esrange, Barreira do Inferno
First stage
Thrust7 kN
[edit on Wikidata]

Orion is the designation of a small American sounding rocket. The Orion has a length of 5.60 meters, a diameter of 0.35 m, a launch weight of 400 kg, a launch thrust of 7 kN and a ceiling of 85 kilometers. The Orion, built by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, is also used as an upper stage of sounding rockets, usually paired with a Terrier missile as the first stage,[2][3][4] although Nike, Taurus and VS-30 rockets are also used.[5]

Two Orion versions exist:[5]

The sounding rocket is launched from Wallops Flight Facility, White Sands, Poker Flat Rocket Range, Andoya Rocket Range, Esrange and Barreira do Inferno.[2][6][5]

Incidents

A lightning storm over the Wallops launch pad on 9 June 1987 ignited a NASA Orion rocket and 2 other sounding rockets. The Orion flew horizontally about 300 feet into the ocean. The sounding rockets rose to around 15,000 feet altitude, then fell about 2 miles from the launch pad. No persons were hurt in the incident.[7]

  • Orion carrying experiments developed by students (June 8, 2006)
    Orion carrying experiments developed by students (June 8, 2006)
  • Improved Orion scheme
    Improved Orion scheme
  • Improved Orion just after launch.
    Improved Orion just after launch.
  • Improved Orion launch
    Improved Orion launch

References

  1. ^ International Astronautical Federation; United Nations. Office for Outer Space Affairs; International Institute of Space Law (2007). Highlights in Space 2006: Progress in Space Science, Technology and Applications, International Cooperation and Space Law. United Nations Publications. pp. 58–. ISBN 978-92-1-101147-0.
  2. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "Orion Sounding Rocket". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  3. ^ "Terrier-Improved Orion (41.XXX)" (PDF).
  4. ^ Staff, SpaceNews. "NASA Sounding Rocket Tests New Technologies". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  5. ^ a b c "Orion". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  6. ^ Cowing, Keith (2023-02-18). "NASA Launches Two Sounding Rockets For Tech Research". SpaceRef. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  7. ^ Patricia Tanner, Update, Air & Space/Smithsonian, Vol. 2 No. 3 (August/September 1987), p. 21


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