What are the restrictions on the payload mass?
The Nike-Orion can carry payloads with a mass of 68kg to 204kg. • How high will our rocket fly? The Nike-Orion can obtain altitudes between 90km and 190km. The rocket will remain airborne for less than 20 minutes. • Describe what happens after the rocket is launched? For approximately 45 seconds the rocket motors will burn their fuel and accelerate the rocket upward. After the fuel has been consumed, the motor separates from the vehicle and falls back to earth. At this time, the payload section has left the earth’s atmosphere and is traveling through space. The booms are deployed and the experiment begins. Instruments start recording data and transmitting it to earth. After the payload re-enters the atmosphere a parachute is deployed, allowing the payload to gently splash-down into the Atlantic Ocean. • Will the rocket burn up on re-entry? No, the aerodynamics of the rocket and the deployment of the parachute ensure that the vehicle will survive re-entry. • Where will the rocket land?
