Test vehicle. Country: Australia. Status: Retired 1973. The Cockatoo solid-propellant sounding rocket replaced HAD at Woomera in 1970, and consisted of a British Gosling I first stage and an Australian Lupus 1 second stage.
A much larger vehicle than Kookaburra, Cockatoo could attain altitudes of 130 kilometers. Over sixty Cockatoos were launched during through 1975, about two-thirds of them falling sphere trials as a continuation of the earlier HAD program. Cockatoo had greater capabilities and most of its other flights were lithium-trail experiments to measure winds and turbulence at about 80 kilometers altitude. It also made measurements of ozone concentration, ultraviolet radiation and ionospheric conditions.
Four Gosling motors with canted nozzles were used as boosters for the British Thunderbird ramjet surface-to-air missile. 664 Gosling IV motors were supplied for the Thunderbird, Bloodhound, and Seaslug Mark II missiles.
For sounding rocket applications, motors were supplied with in-line nozzles. The Gosling IV had an a all up mass of 256 kg, was 3.00 m long, and 0.254 m in diameter. It produced an average thrust of 124 kN over its 3.15 second burn time.
Manufacturer: WRE. Launches: 25. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 1970-04-16. Last Launch Date: 1973-10-22. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 0 N ( lbf). Total Mass: 400 kg (880 lb). Core Diameter: 0.26 m (0.85 ft). Total Length: 6.60 m (21.60 ft).
- Stage1: 1 x Cockatoo-1. Gross Mass: 200 kg (440 lb). Motor: 1 x Gosling. Thrust (vac): 152.000 kN (34,170 lbf). Burn time: 2.50 sec. Length: 3.30 m (10.80 ft). Diameter: 0.26 m (0.85 ft). Propellants: Solid.
- Stage2: 1 x Kookaburra-1. Gross Mass: 100 kg (220 lb). Motor: 1 x Lupus. Length: 1.70 m (5.50 ft). Diameter: 0.12 m (0.39 ft). Propellants: Solid.
Cockatoo Chronology
1970 April 16 - 06:38 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo COCKATOO 0101 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1970 April 16 - 10:02 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo COCKATOO 0102 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1970 May 21 - 10:15 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo COCKATOO 0104 Lunar ultraviolet Ozone Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 96 km (59 mi).
1970 May 26 - 07:00 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo COCKATOO 0103 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1970 October 21 - 09:39 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 106 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1970 November 6 - 03:36 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 108 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1970 November 12 - 11:00 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 105 Lunar ultraviolet Ozone Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 104 km (64 mi).
1971 March 2 - 10:08 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 110 MPE Barium release? Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 218 km (135 mi).
1971 May 18 - 08:39 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 112 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1971 July 19 - 08:43 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1016 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1971 August 24 - 09:05 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1017 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1971 September 20 - 09:18 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1018 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1971 October 18 - 09:38 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1019 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1971 November 8 - 09:54 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1022 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1971 December 15 - 10:32 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1025 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1972 February 3 - 10:27 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1023 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1972 February 23 - 10:06 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1024 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1972 March 22 - 09:33 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1026 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1972 April 19 - 10:01 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1027 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1972 May 18 - 08:37 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1030 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1972 May 29 - 10:34 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1014 Fields mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 120 km (70 mi).
1972 June 15 - 08:31 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 1033 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1973 January 25 - 01:15 GMT - Woomera LA2. Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 122 km (75 mi).
1973 August 14 - 08:58 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 4001 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 121 km (75 mi).
1973 October 22 - 09:38 GMT - Woomera LA2. Cockatoo 4002 Aeronomy mission Agency: WRE. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi).
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