Zenit (sounding rocket)

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The Zenith sounding rocket in front of the Hermann Oberth Museum in Feucht

Zenit is the name of a sounding rocket developed by Oerlikon Contraves in Switzerland , which was used, among other things, to study the ionosphere .

construction

The Zenit sounding rocket was a single-stage rocket with a length of 5.6 meters, a diameter of 0.42 meters and a launch weight of 610 kilograms. It was powered by a solid-fuel propulsion unit, which delivered 45 kN of thrust in the start phase and 22 kN ( kilonewtons ) in the further flight phase and could carry a payload of 25 kilograms at a height of 210 kilometers or a payload of 130 kilograms at a height of 115 Transport kilometers.

The starting acceleration was 6 g and the maximum speed at the end of the burn was 1600 m / s.

commitment

On its maiden flight from Salto di Quirra on October 27, 1967 , the Zenit reached a height of 145 kilometers. The Zenit was later launched only twice, namely on July 30, 1971 from Salto di Quirra with a British rocket of the "Cuckoo" type as a launch stage and on December 13, 1973 from Andøya also with a Cuckoo launch stage. The RSE Kriens guided missile paved the way for the development of the Zenit.

A Zenit sounding rocket is exhibited in front of the Hermann Oberth Space Museum in Feucht near Nuremberg .

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