Aerojet General X-8
| X-8 Aerobee | |
|---|---|
| |
| Aerojet X-8 rocket | |
| Role | Upper Atmospheric Research Vehicle, X-plane |
| Manufacturer | Aerojet General |
| First flight | 2 December 1949[1] |
| Primary users | NACA/NASA United States Air Force United States Navy |
| Number built | 108 |
| Variants | Aerobee |
The Aerojet General X-8 was an unguided, spin-stabilized sounding rocket designed to launch a 150 lb (68 kg) payload to 200,000 feet (61.0 km). The X-8 was later spun off into the prolific Aerobee rocket.
Operational history
At launch, an 18,000 lbf (80 kN) thrust Aerojet solid rocket booster fired for 2.5 seconds. After booster jettison, a 2,600 lbf (12 kN) thrust RTV-N10 liquid fuel rocket burned for up to 40 seconds (depending on desired apogee). The spent rocket then fell back in a ballistic arc, the payload returning to Earth via parachute. The baseline X-8 measured 20.2 ft (6.2 m) in length and measured 5.25 ft (1.6 m) across the fins. In testing, a maximum altitude of 138 miles (222.1 km) and a speed of Mach six was achieved.
Variants
- X-8 - 68
- X-8A - 34
- X-8B - 1
- X-8C - 2
- X-8D - 3
Specifications (general)
Data from The X-Planes: X-1 to X-45[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: unmanned
Performance
Armament
None
See also
Related development
References
- ^ a b Miller, Jay (2001). "Aerojet General X-8A, X-8B, X-8C, and X-8D Aerobee". The X-Planes: X-1 to X-45. Hinckley, UK: Midland. ISBN 1857801091.