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Aerobee 350

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Status: Retired 1984. First Launch: 1964-12-11. Last Launch: 1984-05-09. Number: 20 . Payload: 227 kg (500 lb). Thrust: 217.00 kN (48,783 lbf). Gross mass: 3,839 kg (8,463 lb). Height: 15.90 m (52.10 ft). Diameter: 0.56 m (1.83 ft). Span: 2.30 m (7.50 ft). Apogee: 450 km (270 mi).

The design found no takers until it was pitched to NASA in 1961 and development was authorized. The final configuration selected used a Nike Ajax missile booster, 56 cm in diameter, followed by the Aerobee 350, equipped with 4 Aerobee 150A engines. The rocket could take 65 kg to 480 km altitude or 455 kg to 240 km altitude. NASA funded the rocket in FY 1964, and the first test with a live booster and dummy upper stage took place at Wallops Island on 11 December 1964. The first all-up flight took place on 18 June 1965 and a total of twenty were subsequently flown. The 2 stage vehicle consisted of 1 x Nike + 1 x AJ60-91

From NASA SOUNDING ROCKETS, 1958-1968 - A Historical Summary, NASA SP-4401, 1971, by William R. Corliss

Late in 1961 Aerojet submitted a proposal to NASA for the development of a new member of the liquid-fueled Aerobee series, the Aerobee 350. Goddard let the development contract to Aerojet in 1962 and assigned John H. Lane as Project Manager at Goddard. The 350 was a large Aerobee, consisting of a Nike booster plus a cluster of four Aerobee 150 engines with another 150 as the upper stage. It could launch 227 kg (500 lb) to about 340 km (210 mi) and was designed specifically to give instruments a "soft ride " The Aerobee 350 also incorporated a sophisticated attitude-control system that could select several astronomical targets during flight. The first test of the first "all-Goddard" rocket took place on December 11, 1964, at Wallops Island, when the booster stage was tested successfully with a dummy second stage. The purpose of the test was to check compatibility between the new rocket and the Aerobee launch tower at Wallops. The first complete system test of the Aerobee 350 was successful at Wallops Island on June 18, 1965.

Payload: 227 kg (500 lb) to a 450 km altitude.

• Dummy sustainer test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

• Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 374 km (232 mi).

• Test / ionosphere-solar mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 358 km (222 mi).

• Electron gun Plasma mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 271 km (168 mi).

• Astronomy / test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi).

• ECHO I Plasma mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 350 km (210 mi).

• Crab polarization X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 196 km (121 mi).

• JHU Airglow 11 / S169 Aeronomy / test - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 328 km (203 mi).

• LPARL XRT X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

• HISTAR Infrared astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF CRL. Apogee: 111 km (68 mi).

• Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 237 km (147 mi).

• Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 253 km (157 mi).

• Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 214 km (132 mi).

• Infrared astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF CRL. Apogee: 286 km (177 mi).

• X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 221 km (137 mi).

• SAO XR X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 232 km (144 mi).

• HISTAR Infrared astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF GL. Apogee: 257 km (159 mi).

• NRL Mk II ultraviolet Camera Ultraviolet astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

• Astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

• X-ray astronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).