The Exos, originally designated RM-86 and later PWN-4, was a sounding rocket developed by the University of Michigan and NACA for use by the United States Air Force.
 | |
| Function | Sounding rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | University of Michigan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 12.941 metres (42 ft 5.5 in) |
| Diameter | 580 millimetres (22.9 in) |
| Mass | 2,660 kilograms (5,870 lb) |
| Stages | Three |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Eglin AFB |
| Total launches | 10 |
| Success(es) | 9 |
| Failure(s) | 1 |
| First flight | June 26, 1958 |
| Last flight | November 2, 1965 |
History
editDeveloped by the University of Michigan for use by the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Exos used a three-stage configuration, consisting of a first-stage rocket from an Honest John rocket, a second stage from a Nike-Ajax surface-to-air missile, and a Thiokol XM19 upper stage.[1] It was designated XRM-86 in April 1959, and redesignated PWN-4A in June 1963.[2]
Utilising a rail launcher, the first launch of a full Exos vehicle took place in June 1958,[2] launched from the Wallops Flight Facility.[3] Eight operational launches took place between 1960 and 1965, launched from Eglin Air Force Base.[4]
Launch history
edit| Date (UTC) | Rocket | Launch site | Apogee | Outcome | Mission[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 June 1958 | Exos | Wallops Island | 370 kilometres (230 mi) | Success | Test launch |
| 25 September 1958 | Exos | Wallops Island | 460 kilometres (290 mi) | Success | Test launch |
| 19 February 1960 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 37 kilometres (23 mi) | Failure | Chemical release research |
| 11 August 1961 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 114 kilometres (71 mi) | Success | Ionospheric research |
| 3 August 1962 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 365 kilometres (227 mi) | Success | Bipolar Probe ionospheric research |
| 25 October 1962 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 669 kilometres (416 mi) | Success | Ionospheric research |
| 25 July 1963 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 623 kilometres (387 mi) | Success | Ionospheric research |
| 25 May 1965 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 488 kilometres (303 mi) | Success | Ionospheric research |
| 2 November 1965 | Exos | Eglin AFB | 686 kilometres (426 mi) | Success | International Quiet Sun Year aeronomy mission |
References
edit- ^ Skoog, Å. Ingemar and R. Cargill Hall, ed. (1990). History of Rocketry and Astronautics: Proceedings of the Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth History Symposia of the International Academy of Astronautics. AAS History Series. Vol. 10. Springfield, Virginia: American Astronautical Society. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-87703-329-5.
- ^ a b Parsch, Andreas (2002). "University of Michigan RM-86/PWN-4 Exos". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
- ^ Shortal, Joseph Adams (1978). A New Dimension, Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years. Hampton, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. p. 581. ASIN B004VJHCKC.
- ^ a b "Exos". www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 2003-09-04. Retrieved 2024-04-28.