SSM-N-6 Rigel

The Rigel missile was named after Rigel, the brightest star in the constellation Orion.{{cite book | last=Yenne | first= Bill | year= 2018 | title=A Complete History of U.S. Cruise Missiles | location= Forest Lake, MN | publisher= Specialty Press| isbn=978-1-58007-256-4 | page=61}}

In 1946 the US Navy sanctioned development of the Rigel missile as a sub-launched supersonic weapon to attack enemy shores, in parallel with development of the subsonic SSM-N-8 Regulus. The SSM-N-6 was to be launched by means of 4 rocket boosters and a catapult, with two ramjets for the cruise mode of the flight.

Several Rigel test articles were built to test the planned ramjet system for the Rigel missile. They had a single ramjet and a single rocket booster. Subsequently, scaled-down Flight Test Vehicles (FTVs) were built with a configuration similar to the full-scale missile, and the first FTV launch occurred in May 1950. Unfortunately, plans to build the SSM-N-6 missiles were cancelled because the failure of FTV flight tests, but also due to the fact that Rigel posed a problem for submariners by requiring a longer launch rail on submarines than the SSM-N-8 Regulus.{{cite web|url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/ssm-n-6.html|title=Grumman SSM-N-6 Rigel|website=www.designation-systems.net}}

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Category:Nuclear cruise missiles of the United States

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