Skua is the designation of a British sounding rocket which was launched between 1959 and 1981 in four versions over 300 times.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The Skua was developed by Bristol Aerojet and RPE Wescott.[1]
It consisted of a starting stage made up of several Chick rockets (like the Petrel) that burned for 0.2 seconds.[1] They propelled the rocket 20 metres over the 5-metre-long launch tube.[1][8] After that, the Bantam main stage ignited. The solid rocket motor of the main stage had an end-burning propellant grain and burned for 30 seconds.[9] The starting stage descended on parachutes and was re-filled and re-used.[10]
The fastest jet stream velocity ever measured (656 km/h or 408 mph) was recorded by instruments on board a Skua rocket above South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland at an altitude of 47,000 m (154,200 ft), on 13 December 1967.[11]
Versions
[edit]There were four versions of the Skua rocket:[1][2][3][4][5]
| Version | First Stage | Second Stage | Payload (kg) | Apogee (km) | Thrust at start (kN) | Weight (kg) | Diameter (m) | Length (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skua 1 | 3 x Chick | Bantam | 5 | 70 | 20 | 58 | 0.13 | 2.21 |
| Skua 2 | 4 x Chick | extended Bantam | 5 | 100 | 27 | 68 | 0.13 | 2.42 |
| Skua 3 | 4 x Chick | extended Bantam | 5 | 120 | 27 | 75 | 0.13 | 2.80 |
| Skua 4 | 4 x Chick | improved Bantam | 7.5 | 140 | 27 | 83 | 0.13 | 2.80 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Skua". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ a b "Skua 1". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ a b "Skua 2". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ a b "Skua 3". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ a b "Skua 4". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ "Skua Sounding Rocket | Science Museum Group Collection". collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ "South Uist (Outer Hebrides), early 1970s". UCL DEPARTMENT OF SPACE & CLIMATE PHYSICS - MULLARD SPACE SCIENCE LABORATORY. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ "Skua Rocket". National Meteorological Library & Archive. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ Serra, Jean-Jacques (2005-02-07). "Skua and Petrel rockets". European Rockets. Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ Bollerman, B. (1970). "Skua". A Study of 30 Km to 200 Km Meteorological Rocket Sounding Systems. Vol. 1. Part 2 - Literature and Data Review. NASA. pp. 281–282, 283–284. NASA-CR-1529-PT-2.
- ^ "Strongest jetstream". 13 December 1967.