What are Sounding Rockets?
Sounding rockets take their name from the nautical term “to sound” which means to take measurements. They are divided into two parts-a solid fueled rocket motor and the payload. The payload is the section which carries the instruments to conduct the experiment and send data back to Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) currently uses 14 different sounding rockets. The rockets come in a variety of sizes from the single-stage Super Arcas which stands 7-feet (3 meters) high to the four-stage Black Brant XII which stands at 65-feet (20 meters) tall. These rockets can carry scientific payloads of various weights to altitudes from 30 miles (48 km) to more than 800 miles (1,287 km). Experiments flown aboard sounding rockets provide a variety of information on the upper atmosphere, the Sun, stars, galaxies and other planets. Wallops Flight Facility, Va., operated by Goddard, is responsible for the NASA sounding rocket program and is currently launching from 40-50 rock
