|
BRITAIN'S FIRST SPACE ROCKET
The story of the Skylark |
> Book home
>
Book details
> A brief history
>
Mission Index
>
Meet the author!
>
Reviews
> Videos & links
>
New Forest Electronics |
|
< previous
(alpha-numerically)
SL10
next
(alphanumerically) > |
< previous
(chronologically)
1960
June 16
next
(chronologically) > |
|
|
Summary: This
vehicle was part of the UK programme, and included a repeat of Belfast's
sodium vapour experiment as flown on SL16 the previous November, and for
the first time, a micro-meteorite detector. Unfortunately both experiments
failed, although repeated more successfully later, see 'Results' below. Preparation:
No details are known, but SL10 was
the 25th Skylark to be launched, and the 3rd in 1960, so the numbering was
well out of sequence. The launch took
place from Woomera, two months after SL62. After SL10, it was nearly two months
before the next, SL61, was fired.
Flight: An apogee of 129
km (80 miles) was achieved.
Recovery: Nothing
known, the usual case when experiments failed, and there was no academic
result published.
Results:
Both experiments failed, apparently an 'Instrumentation
failure' (Flight Magazine 26 February 1960, p.270), but were repeated more
successfully two months later on SL13.
|
Seq. Nos |
Launch date |
Ref.
(sponsor)
launch site |
Configuration |
Apogee km
(miles) |
Experimenters |
Experiments |
Result |
|
25
(3) |
16 June
1960 |
SL10
(UK)
Woomera |
Unstabilised,
Raven 2 |
129
(80) |
Belfast
Belfast |
Neutral atmosphere (sodium vapour)
Micrometeorites (microphone detector) |
F
F |
|
More:
Brand, R. H. (2014), Britain's First Space Rocket, pp.139 & 614.
Massey & Robins (1986), History of British Space Science, p.394
(summary only).
Flight Magazine, 26 February 1960, p.270. |
|