The Viking Sounding Rocket---Some New Observations
- Paper number
IAC-17,E4,2,6,x37082
- Author
Mr. Frank H. Winter, National Air and Space Museum, United States
- Coauthor
Ms. Kerrie Dougherty, Australia
- Year
2017
- Abstract
Just a few years after World War II, the Viking sounding rocket became America's first, large-scale liquid-propellant rocket. It also became the first single-stage U.S. rocket to enter space, making several such flights during its flight phases from 1949 to 1955. Some of those flights were also record-breaking and included among the earliest photos taken from space from a rocket. Additionally, Modified Vikings No. 13 and 14 served as test vehicles for Project Vanguard---America's first vehicle designed specifically for launching satellites. The latter two vehicles made sub-orbital flights for the Vanguard program in 1956 and 1957, respectively. Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI) –-America's first liquid-propellant rocket company---was responsible for the development of the 20,000-lb thrust XLR-10 rocket engine for this vehicle from 1946. The late distinguished rocketry historian Frederick I. Ordway, III referred to the Viking as then: “…the most advanced liquid-propellant rocket under development in America." In the course of research for the book Pioneering American Rocketry: The Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI) Story, 1941-1972, published in 2015 by Ordway and Winter, new facts and insights were discovered and documented on the history of this very important and historic vehicle. It is now known that the Viking rocket incorporated several revolutionary technical developments. Details of these developments are therefore also presented in this paper.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-17,E4,2,6,x37082.docx (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.