Nike-Boosted Rockets (original) (raw)

Miscellaneous _Nike_-Boosted Rockets

(Nike-Javelin / Nike-Hydac / Nike-Nike / Nike-Orion)

This article summarizes all _Nike_-boosted sounding rockets, which were used at least once by the U.S. Air Force, but which are not mentioned in other articles of the**Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles**.

Nike-Javelin

Between May 1963 and March 1975, the USAF and the U.S. Army launched a total of at least 25 Nike-Javelin two-stage sounding rockets. The Javelin was a solid-propellant rocket stage built by Space Data Corp., and was also built as the modified_Javelin 3_. Six of the USAF's Nike-Javelin launches used the Javelin 3 as upper stage.

Nike-Hydac

The Space Data Hydac solid-propellant rocket was a derivative of the Javelin with a longer casing and a different propellant type. The U.S. Air Force launched 27 Nike-Hydac two-stage rockets between November 1966 and June 1983. The typical altitude was about 150 km (90 miles), but two early shots reached 250 km (155 miles).

Images: Orbital Sciences
Left: _Nike-Javelin_Right: Nike-Hydac

Nike-Nike

Between May 1978 and October 1979, the USAF fired 7 _Nike-Nike_-boosted "Smoke" payloads (the whole vehicle is sometimes labeled Nike-Nike-Smoke). The payload consisted of a cone containing titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), which was continuously released while the rocket ascended to an apogee of about 50 km (30 miles). The TiCl4 formed a highly visible smoke trail in the air, which made winds at all altitudes measurable by direct optical observation.

Nike-Orion

In the early 1970s, the U.S. Army replaced its MIM-23A Hawk surface-to-air missiles with the improved MIM-23B version, and thousands of Aerojet M22E8 solid-propellant rocket motors of MIM-23A missiles became surplus. The NASA realized that these motors would be useful upper stages for sounding rockets, and designed a payload section, new fins and a new tail around the motor casing. As a sounding rocket stage, the Hawk motors were called Orion. After a few Hawk/Orion single-stage firings in 1974, NASA launched the first two-stage _Nike-Orion_on 9 September 1975. NASA has since launched more than 175 Nike-Orions and is still using it today.

Photo: NASA, via Peter Alway
Nike-Orion

The U.S. Air Force launched three Nike-Orion rockets during a solar eclipse on 26 February 1979. The fourth and so far final USAF Nike-Orion was fired on 14 August 1987.

Specifications

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for Nike-Javelin 3, Nike-Hydac, Nike-Orion:

| | Nike-Javelin 3 | Nike-Hydac | Nike-Orion | | | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | | Length | 8.2 m (26 ft 11 in) | 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) | 9.01 m (29 ft 6.5 in) | | Diameter | 1st stage: 41.9 cm (16.5 in)2nd stage: 23 cm (9 in) | 1st stage: 41.9 cm (16.5 in)2nd stage: 23 cm (9 in) | 1st stage: 41.9 cm (16.5 in)2nd stage: 35.6 cm (14 in) | | Weight * | 900 kg (2000 lb) | 900 kg (2000 lb) | 1100 kg (2425 lb) | | Altitude * | > 100 km (60 miles) | > 150 km (90 miles) | 140 km (85 miles) | | 2nd stage propulsion † | Space Data Javelin 3; 93 kN (20900 lb) | Space Data Hydac; 58.7 kN (13200 lb) | Aerojet/NASA Orion; 13 kN (2920 lb) for 32.5 s |

* With typical payloads
† 1st stage for all: ABL M5 Nike, 217 kN (48700 lb) for 3.5 s; all stages are solid-propellant rockets

Main Sources

[1] Peter Alway: "Rockets of the World", Saturn Press, 1999
[2] Peter Alway: "Rockets of the World, 2003 Supplement", Saturn Press, 2003
[3] Jonathan McDowell: Launch Vehicles Database
[4] Mark Wade: Encyclopedia Astronautica

Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4

Last Updated: 17 January 2006