Function | Sounding rocket |
---|---|
Manufacturer | United Technologies Corporation |
Country of origin | United States |
Size | |
Height | 3.0 metres (10 ft) |
Diameter | 170 millimetres (6.5 in) |
Stages | Two |
Launch history | |
Status | Canceled |
Launch sites | Point Mugu |
First flight | 1969 |
First stage – Booster | |
Diameter | 170 millimetres (6.5 in) |
Powered by | 1 |
Propellant | Solid |
Second stage –Dart | |
Height | 1.2 metres (4 ft) |
Diameter | 41.3 millimetres (1.625 in) |
Powered by | Unpowered |
The XPWN-9A Kangaroo was a project to develop a sounding rocket intended for use by the United States Navy. Using an unconventional design,flight tests were unsuccessful,and it was not put into production.
The Kangaroo was designed as a "boosted dart" type rocket,the unpropelled "dart" containing the payload being housed within the solid booster rocket's propellant,where,upon burnout,it would be ejected from the rocket by a pyrotechnic device. [1] Rail launched,Kangaroo was intended to be used to measure radiation levels and the density of micrometeorites prior to the launch of crewed space flights. [2]
The initial design of what was then called Kangaroo-Dart was developed by the Aeromachnics Branch of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range. [1] Detailed design was performed by Aerojet; [3] however when bids for developing the prototype,given the designation XPWN-9A,were requested,United Technologies Corporation submitted the winning bid and was given a contract for construction of prototypes in November 1969. [3]
Flight trials of the Kangaroo booster were undertaken at the Pacific Missile Range at Point Mugu;they proved unsuccessful,and production of the rocket was not undertaken. [3]
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