Jump to content

Sparta (rocket): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
(7 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 49: Line 49:
|type = stage
|type = stage
|stageno = Third
|stageno = Third
|name = BE-3
|name = BE-3 Alcyone
|engines = 1 solid
|engines = 1 solid
|thrust = 34
|thrust = 34
Line 57: Line 57:
}}
}}


The '''Sparta''' (or '''Redstone Sparta''') was a three-stage rocket that launched [[Australia|Australia's]] first Earth satellite, [[WRESAT]], on 29 November 1967.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wade |first=Mark |title=Redstone |url=http://astronautix.com/r/redstone.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica |publisher=}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wade |first=Mark |title=SPARTA |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/sparta.html |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Krebs |first=Gunter D. |title=Redstone with solid fuel upper stage |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/redstone_sd.htm |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref>
The '''Sparta''' (or '''Redstone Sparta''') was a three-stage rocket that launched [[Australia|Australia's]] first Earth satellite, [[WRESAT]], on 29 November 1967.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wade |first=Mark |title=Redstone |url=http://astronautix.com/r/redstone.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207065553/http://www.astronautix.com/r/redstone.html |archive-date=2024-02-07 |access-date= |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica |publisher= |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wade |first=Mark |title=SPARTA |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/sparta.html |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica |archive-date=2022-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109060720/http://www.astronautix.com/s/sparta.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Krebs |first=Gunter D. |title=Redstone with solid fuel upper stage |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/redstone_sd.htm |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209140340/https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/redstone_sd.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


Sparta used surplus American [[Redstone (rocket)|Redstone]] rockets as its first stage, a [[Thiokol]] [[Antares (rocket stage)|Antares 2]] from [[Scout (rocket family)|Scout]] rocket as a second stage, and a [[Defence Science and Technology Group|WRE]] BE-3 Alcyone [[Solid-propellant rocket|solid-propellant]] engine as a third stage.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
Sparta used surplus American [[Redstone (rocket)|Redstone]] rockets as its first stage, a [[Thiokol]] [[Antares (rocket stage)|Antares 2]] from [[Scout (rocket family)|Scout]] rocket as a second stage, and a [[Defence Science and Technology Group|WRE]] BE-3 Alcyone [[Solid-propellant rocket|solid-propellant]] engine as a third stage.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />


A first stage was recovered from the [[Simpson Desert]] in 1990 after being found in searches by explorer [[Dick Smith (entrepreneur)|Dick Smith]] the previous year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Kerrie |title=Retrieving Woomera's heritage: recovering lost examples of the material culture of Australian space activities |volume=6 |pages=80 |work=Artefacts: Studies in the History of Science and Technology |url=https://www.artefactsconsortium.org/Publications/PDFfiles/Vol6Space/6.04.Space-Dougherty,Woomera75ppiWEBF.pdf}}</ref>{{rp|76–80}}<gallery mode="nolines">
A first stage was recovered from the [[Simpson Desert]] in 1990 after being found in searches by explorer [[Dick Smith (entrepreneur)|Dick Smith]] the previous year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Kerrie |title=Retrieving Woomera's heritage: recovering lost examples of the material culture of Australian space activities |volume=6 |pages=80 |work=Artefacts: Studies in the History of Science and Technology |url=https://www.artefactsconsortium.org/Publications/PDFfiles/Vol6Space/6.04.Space-Dougherty,Woomera75ppiWEBF.pdf |access-date=2024-04-24 |archive-date=2023-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011025449/https://www.artefactsconsortium.org/Publications/PDFfiles/Vol6Space/6.04.Space-Dougherty,Woomera75ppiWEBF.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|76–80}}{{clear left}}
⚫
File:Redstone Sparta.jpg|link=|Redstone-Sparta on pad at [[RAAF Woomera Range Complex|Woomera]]
⚫
File:Redstone Sparta CC-2029 1.jpg|link=|Redstone-Sparta on pad at Woomera
⚫
File:Redstone Sparta CC-2029 4.jpg|link=|Redstone-Sparta missile CC-2029 carrying the Australian [[WRESAT]] satellite
⚫
</gallery>{{clear left}}


== Launches ==
== Launches ==
Several Spartas were launched between 1966 and 1967 from [[Woomera Test Range]] LA8 in [[Woomera, South Australia]] as part of a joint United States&ndash;United Kingdom&ndash;Australian research program aimed at understanding re-entry phenomena, and the US donated a spare for the scientific satellite launch into [[polar orbit]].<ref>{{cite web |last=LePage |first=Andrew J. |date=May 2, 2011 |title=Old Reliable: The story of the Redstone |url=https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1836/1 |access-date=February 7, 2023 |website=spacereview.com}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
Several Spartas were launched between 1966 and 1967 from [[Woomera Test Range]] LA8 in [[Woomera, South Australia]] as part of a joint United States&ndash;United Kingdom&ndash;Australian research program aimed at understanding re-entry phenomena, and the US donated a spare for the scientific satellite launch into [[polar orbit]].<ref>{{cite web |last=LePage |first=Andrew J. |date=May 2, 2011 |title=Old Reliable: The story of the Redstone |url=https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1836/1 |access-date=February 7, 2023 |website=spacereview.com |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602011346/https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1836/1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />


The first launch was a failure, while the rest were successful.<ref name=":1" />
The first launch was a failure, while the rest were successful.<ref name=":1" />
Line 80: Line 76:
|-
|-
|1966 Nov 28
|1966 Nov 28
|Sparta SV-1 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-1 (re-entry vehicle)
|[[United States|US]]
|[[United States|US]]
|[[United States Army|US Army]]
|[[United States Army|US Army]]
Line 86: Line 82:
|-
|-
|1966 Dec 13
|1966 Dec 13
|Sparta SV-2 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-2 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 92: Line 88:
|-
|-
|1967 Apr 20
|1967 Apr 20
|Sparta SV-3 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-3 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 98: Line 94:
|-
|-
|1967 Jul 4
|1967 Jul 4
|Sparta SV-4 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-4 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 104: Line 100:
|-
|-
|1967 Jul 24
|1967 Jul 24
|Sparta SV-5 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-5 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 110: Line 106:
|-
|-
|1967 Aug 17
|1967 Aug 17
|Sparta SV-6 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-6 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 116: Line 112:
|-
|-
|1967 Sep 15
|1967 Sep 15
|Sparta SV-7 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-7 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 122: Line 118:
|-
|-
|1967 Oct 11
|1967 Oct 11
|Sparta SV-8 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-8 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 128: Line 124:
|-
|-
|1967 Oct 31
|1967 Oct 31
|Sparta SV-9 re-entry vehicle test flight
|Sparta SV-9 (re-entry vehicle)
|US
|US
|US Army
|US Army
Line 134: Line 130:
|-
|-
|1967 Nov 29
|1967 Nov 29
|[[WRESAT]]
|[[WRESAT]] (satellite)
|[[Australia]]
|[[Australia]]
|[[Defence Science and Technology Group|WRE]]
|[[Defence Science and Technology Group|WRE]]
|1252
|1252
⚫
|}{{clear left}}
|}

{{clear}}
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
⚫
File:Redstone Sparta.jpg|Redstone-Sparta at [[RAAF Woomera Range Complex|Woomera]] LA8
File:Redstone Sparta CC-2029 3.jpg|Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 at [[RAAF Woomera Range Complex|Woomera]] LA8
⚫
File:Redstone Sparta CC-2029 1.jpg|Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 at [[RAAF Woomera Range Complex|Woomera]] LA8
⚫
File:Redstone Sparta CC-2029 4.jpg|Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 with [[WRESAT]] satellite (November 29, 1967)
File:Redstone Sparta CC-2029 2.jpg|Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 with [[WRESAT]] satellite (November 29, 1967)
</gallery>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:38, 5 May 2024

Sparta
FunctionSounding rocket
Launch system
ManufacturerABMA/Chrysler
Country of originVereinigte Staaten
Size
Height21.8 metres (72 ft)
Diameter1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in)
Mass30,000 kilograms (66,000 lb)
Stages3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass45 kilograms (99 lb)
Associated rockets
FamilyRedstone
ComparableJupiter-C
Juno I
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sitesWoomera Test Range LA-8
Total launches10
Success(es)9
Failure(s)1
First flight28 November 1966
Last flight29 November 1967
Type of passengers/cargoRe-entry vehicles, WRESAT
First stage – Redstone
Powered by1 A-7
Maximum thrust416 kilonewtons (94,000 lbf)
Specific impulse265 sec
Burn time155 seconds
PropellantLOX/Ethanol
Second stage – Antares-2
Powered by1 X-259
Maximum thrust93 kilonewtons (21,000 lbf)
Specific impulse293 sec
Burn time36 seconds
PropellantSolid
Third stage – BE-3 Alcyone
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust34
Burn time9 seconds
PropellantSolid
[edit on Wikidata]

The Sparta (or Redstone Sparta) was a three-stage rocket that launched Australia's first Earth satellite, WRESAT, on 29 November 1967.[1][2][3]

Sparta used surplus American Redstone rockets as its first stage, a Thiokol Antares 2 from Scout rocket as a second stage, and a WRE BE-3 Alcyone solid-propellant engine as a third stage.[2][3]

A first stage was recovered from the Simpson Desert in 1990 after being found in searches by explorer Dick Smith the previous year.[4]: 76–80 

Launches

Several Spartas were launched between 1966 and 1967 from Woomera Test Range LA8 in Woomera, South Australia as part of a joint United States–United Kingdom–Australian research program aimed at understanding re-entry phenomena, and the US donated a spare for the scientific satellite launch into polar orbit.[5][2][3]

The first launch was a failure, while the rest were successful.[3]

Sparta launches[2][3]
Date Mission Description Nation Agency Apogee (km)
1966 Nov 28 Sparta SV-1 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 90
1966 Dec 13 Sparta SV-2 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 90
1967 Apr 20 Sparta SV-3 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 90
1967 Jul 4 Sparta SV-4 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 90
1967 Jul 24 Sparta SV-5 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 90
1967 Aug 17 Sparta SV-6 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 90
1967 Sep 15 Sparta SV-7 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 91
1967 Oct 11 Sparta SV-8 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 137
1967 Oct 31 Sparta SV-9 (re-entry vehicle) US US Army 111
1967 Nov 29 WRESAT (satellite) Australien WRE 1252
  • Redstone-Sparta at Woomera LA8
    Redstone-Sparta at Woomera LA8
  • Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 at Woomera LA8
    Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 at Woomera LA8
  • Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 at Woomera LA8
    Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 at Woomera LA8
  • Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 with WRESAT satellite (November 29, 1967)
    Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 with WRESAT satellite (November 29, 1967)
  • Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 with WRESAT satellite (November 29, 1967)
    Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 with WRESAT satellite (November 29, 1967)

References

  1. ^ Wade, Mark. "Redstone". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2024-02-07.
  2. ^ a b c d Wade, Mark. "SPARTA". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  3. ^ a b c d e Krebs, Gunter D. "Redstone with solid fuel upper stage". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  4. ^ Dougherty, Kerrie. "Retrieving Woomera's heritage: recovering lost examples of the material culture of Australian space activities" (PDF). Artefacts: Studies in the History of Science and Technology. Vol. 6. p. 80. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-11. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  5. ^ LePage, Andrew J. (May 2, 2011). "Old Reliable: The story of the Redstone". spacereview.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Stub icon

This rocketry article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sparta_(rocket)&oldid=1222359690"