Nike (rocket stage)
{{Short description|American solid fuel rocket stage}}
{{Multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=July 2013}}{{more footnotes|date=July 2013}}}}
The Nike stage or Nike booster, a solid fuel rocket motor, was developed by Hercules Aerospace for use as the first stage of the Nike Ajax (M5 motor) and Nike Hercules (M5E1 and M88 motor) missiles as part of Project Nike.{{Cite web |date=28 January 2012 |title=Nike M5 (and M5E1, M88) Scale Data |url=http://meatballrocketry.com/nike-motor-data/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918125915/http://meatballrocketry.com/nike-motor-data/ |archive-date=2020-09-18 |access-date=2020-09-21}}{{cite web |last=Parsch |first=Andreas |title=Miscellaneous Nike-Boosted Rockets |url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/nike-xxx.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065408/http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/nike-xxx.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |access-date=2016-03-03 |publisher=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles |pages=Appendix 4}}{{Cite web |last=Thelen |first=Ed |title=Nike Missiles |url=http://ed-thelen.org/missiles.html#booster |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411072407/http://ed-thelen.org/missiles.html#booster |archive-date=2013-04-11 |access-date=2013-04-23 |website=Ed Thelen's Nike Missile Web Site}}{{Cite web |title=M5E1 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/m/m5e1.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica}}
It was subsequently employed in a variety of missiles and multi-stage sounding rockets, becoming one of the most popular and reliable rocket stages, not only in the United States, but also in several other countries around the world.
Sounding rockets based on Nike Booster
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- The Nike Deacon has a ceiling of 189 km, a takeoff thrust of 217 kN, a takeoff weight of 710 kg, a diameter of 0.42 m and a length of 7.74 m.{{cite book|last=Corliss|first=William R.|title=NASA Sounding Rockets, 1958-1968|year=1971|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|location=Washington D.C.|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720005224|id=NASA-SP-4401|page=24}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20161228053051/http://astronautix.com/n/nikedeacon.html Nike-Deacon] at Encyclopedia Astronautica
- The Nike Javelin was launched 34 times between 1964 and 1978. The maximum flight altitude of the Nike Javelin was 130 km, the takeoff thrust 217 kN, takeoff weight 900 kg, 0.42 m and length 8.20 m.{{cite book|last=Corliss|first=William R.|title=NASA Sounding Rockets, 1958-1968|year=1971|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|location=Washington D.C.|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720005224|id=NASA-SP-4401|page=82}}{{Cite web |date=2016-10-26 |title=Nike Javelin |url=http://www.astronautix.com/n/nikejavelin.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026013724/http://www.astronautix.com/n/nikejavelin.html |archive-date=26 October 2016 }}
- The Nike Malemute consists of a Nike starting stage and a Malemute upper stage. It has a ceiling of {{convert|500|km|mi|abbr=on}}, a takeoff thrust of {{convert|48,800|lbf|kN|abbr=on}}, a takeoff weight of {{convert|1,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, a diameter of {{convert|0.42|m|in|abbr=on}} and a length of {{convert|8.60|m|ftin|abbr=off}}.{{Cite web |date=2016-12-28 |title=Nike Malemute |url=http://astronautix.com/n/nikemalemute.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228050455/http://astronautix.com/n/nikemalemute.html |archive-date=28 December 2016 }}
- The Nike Orion has a Nike base stage, taken from U.S. Army surplus stocks, and an Orion upper stage. The Nike Orion is {{convert|9.01|m|ftin|abbr=off}} long. There are two stages of boosters; the first is 41.9 cm (16.5), and the second is {{convert|35.6|cm|in|abbr=on}}. It has a launch weight of {{convert|1100|kg|lb|abbr=off}}, a launch thrust of 217 kN (48,800 lbf) and a ceiling of 140 km (460,000 ft).{{Cite web |title=Nike Orion |url=http://www.astronautix.com/n/nikeorion.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228012820/http://astronautix.com/n/nikeorion.html |archive-date=December 28, 2016 |access-date=2019-06-01 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica}} The first Nike-Orion rocket was launched on February 26, 1977, and had more than 175 launches through the 2000s.
- The Nike Recruit has an apogee of 5 km, a liftoff thrust of 217 kN, a total mass of 1100 kg and a total length of 8.00 m.{{Cite web |date=2016-12-20 |title=Nike Recruit |url=http://www.astronautix.com/n/nikerecruit.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220204505/http://www.astronautix.com/n/nikerecruit.html |archive-date=20 December 2016 }}
- The Nike Tomahawk has a Nike rocket as the first stage, and a Tomahawk rocket as the second. The Nike Tomahawk has a ceiling of 230 statute miles (370 km), a payload capacity of {{convert|100|lb|kg}}, a launch thrust of 49,000 pounds of force (217 kN), a launch weight of {{convert|2,200|lb|kg}}, a diameter of {{convert|17|in|m}} and a length of {{convert|35|ft|5|in|m}}. The Nike Tomahawk was launched 395 times between June 25, 1963, and November 27, 1995.{{cite book|last=Corliss|first=William R.|title=NASA Sounding Rockets, 1958-1968|year=1971|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|location=Washington D.C.|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720005224|id=NASA-SP-4401|page=63,64}}{{Cite web |date=2016-10-26 |title=Nike Tomahawk |url=http://www.astronautix.com/n/niketomahawk.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026033603/http://www.astronautix.com/n/niketomahawk.html |archive-date=26 October 2016 }}
One of its launches was in 1966 on the beach in Cassino, Rio Grande, Brazil.
- The Nike Viper consists of a Nike starting stage and a Viper upper stage. The Nike Viper has a ceiling of 80 km, a takeoff thrust of 217 kN (48,800 lbf), a takeoff weight of 600 kg and a length of 8.00 m.{{Cite web |date=2016-12-28 |title=Nike Viper I |url=http://astronautix.com/n/nikeviperi.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228024734/http://astronautix.com/n/nikeviperi.html |archive-date=28 December 2016 }}{{cite web|url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/nike_su.htm|title=Nike With Upper Stage|access-date=2016-03-03|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073549/http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/nike_su.htm|url-status=live}}
Below is a list of sounding rockets based on Nike, Nike-Nike or Nike upper stage combinations:{{Cite web |title=Nike |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/nike.htm |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Nike Nike combinations |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/nike_nike.htm |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Nike with upper stage |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/nike_su.htm |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Sounding rockets based on Nike !Launch Vehicle !Stage 1 !Stage 2 !Stage 3 !Stage 4 |
| Nike
| rowspan="31" |Nike (M5-E1) | - | - | - |
| Nike Nike (Python)
| rowspan="9" |Nike (M5-E1) | - | - |
| Nike Nike Cajun
|Cajun (TE-82) | - |
| Nike Nike Deacon
|Deacon (X-220) | - |
| Nike Nike HPAG
|HPAG | - |
| Nike Nike Recruit
|Recruit (XM-19-E1) | - |
| Nike Nike T-40
|T-40 | - |
| Nike Nike T-40 T-55
|T-40 |T-55 |
| Nike Nike Tri-Deacon T-40
|3 × Deacon (X-220) |T-40 |
| Nike Nike Tomahawk
|Tomahawk (TE-M-416) | - |
| Nike Apache (Argo-B13)
|Apache (TE-307-2) | - | - |
| Nike Asp (ASPAN)
|Asp | - | - |
| Nike Cajun (CAN)
| rowspan="2" |Cajun (TE-82) | - | - |
| Nike Cajun Little-David
|Little-David | - |
| Nike Deacon (DAN)
| - | - |
| Nike Double-Loki
|2 × Loki | - | - |
| Nike Genie
|Genie | - | - |
| Nike Hawk
|Hawk | - | - |
| Nike Hydac
|Hydac | - | - |
| Nike Iroquois (NIRO)
|Iroquois (TE-M-388) | - | - |
| Nike Javelin
|Javelin | - | - |
| Nike Javelin-3
|Javelin-3 | - | - |
| Nike Malemute
| - | - |
| Nike Orion
| - | - |
| Nike Improved Orion
|Improved Orion (M112) | - | - |
| Nike Recruit
|Recruit (XM-19-E1) | - | - |
| Nike T-40 T-55
|T-40 |T-55 | - |
| Nike Tomahawk
| - | - |
| Nike Viper-1
|Viper-1 | - | - |
| Nike Yardbird
|Yardbird (TE-289) | - | - |
| Astrobee-200
| - | - |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nrl.navy.mil/accomplishments/rockets/nike-booster/ U.S. Naval Research Lab. - Nike Booster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221101851/http://www.nrl.navy.mil/accomplishments/rockets/nike-booster/ |date=2013-02-21 }}
- [https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/fins-set-four-rocket-nike-booster-nike-cajun/nasm_A19580045002 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Fins, Set of Four, Rocket, Nike Booster, Nike-Cajun]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080830015505/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/nike.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica - Nike]
{{Nike rockets}}
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