Suborbital spaceflight in 2009
Encyclopedia
A number of Suborbital spaceflights were conducted during 2009, consisting of sounding rocket
missions and missile
tests. Between the start of the year and 1 March, at least nine publicly announced suborbital spaceflights were conducted, the first of which occurred on 26 January.
ese auroral
and upper atmospheric research mission, conducted using an S-310
sounding rocket. It was launched from Area U3 at the Andøya Rocket Range
. The launch occurred at 00:15 GMT on 26 January, making it the first recorded spaceflight launch of 2009. The mission was conducted by Andøya for JAXA and Nagoya University
.
rockets, launched from Poker Flat
on 29 January. The rockets carried an Auroral research payload for the University of Iowa
. ACES-I, using a Black Brant IX, was launched at 09:49 GMT, and ACES-II, which used a Black Brant VB, followed 90 seconds later.
test fired a Trident II
missile from the in the Pacific Ocean
. This was one of two Trident II launches conducted in February, however the date of the other test was not released.
to research the upper atmosphere. Four Terrier-Orion rockets were launched from Poker Flat
on 18 February, at 09:52, 10:29, 10:59 and 11:47 GMT. The rockets released trimethyl aluminium vapours into the upper atmosphere to study turbulence at high altitudes.
mission launched from White Sands
at 10:45 on 25 February. A Black Brant IX sounding rocket was used. The payload was operated by the California Institute of Technology
, and the flight was reported to have been successful.
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
missions and missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
tests. Between the start of the year and 1 March, at least nine publicly announced suborbital spaceflights were conducted, the first of which occurred on 26 January.
Delta-2
Delta-2 was a JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese auroral
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
and upper atmospheric research mission, conducted using an S-310
S-310
S-310 is the designation of a Japanese sounding rocket.The S-310 is a middle-size rocket for carrying various payloads. It is a single-stage sounding rocket, 310 mm in diameter, and can reach an altitude of 200 km...
sounding rocket. It was launched from Area U3 at the Andøya Rocket Range
Andøya Rocket Range
Andøya Rocket Range is a rocket launch site and rocket range on Andøya island in Andøy municipality in northern Norway...
. The launch occurred at 00:15 GMT on 26 January, making it the first recorded spaceflight launch of 2009. The mission was conducted by Andøya for JAXA and Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
.
ACES
ACES consisted of two Black BrantBlack Brant (rocket)
The Black Brant is a Canadian-designed sounding rocket built by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over 800 Black Brants of various versions have been launched since they were first produced in 1961, and the type remains one of the most popular sounding rockets ever built...
rockets, launched from Poker Flat
Poker Flat Research Range
The Poker Flat Research Range is a launch facility and rocket range for sounding rockets in the U.S. state of Alaska, owned and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute since 1968...
on 29 January. The rockets carried an Auroral research payload for the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. ACES-I, using a Black Brant IX, was launched at 09:49 GMT, and ACES-II, which used a Black Brant VB, followed 90 seconds later.
Trident II tests
On 13 February, the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
test fired a Trident II
UGM-133 Trident II
UGM-133 Trident II, or Trident D5 is a submarine-launched ballistic missile, built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, and deployed with the US Navy and Royal Navy. It was first deployed in 1990, and is still in service....
missile from the in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. This was one of two Trident II launches conducted in February, however the date of the other test was not released.
Turbopause
Turbopause was a series of spaceflights conducted by Clemson UniversityClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
to research the upper atmosphere. Four Terrier-Orion rockets were launched from Poker Flat
Poker Flat Research Range
The Poker Flat Research Range is a launch facility and rocket range for sounding rockets in the U.S. state of Alaska, owned and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute since 1968...
on 18 February, at 09:52, 10:29, 10:59 and 11:47 GMT. The rockets released trimethyl aluminium vapours into the upper atmosphere to study turbulence at high altitudes.
CIBER
CIBER was an infrared astronomyInfrared astronomy
Infrared astronomy is the branch of astronomy and astrophysics that studies astronomical objects visible in infrared radiation. The wavelength of infrared light ranges from 0.75 to 300 micrometers...
mission launched from White Sands
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
at 10:45 on 25 February. A Black Brant IX sounding rocket was used. The payload was operated by the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, and the flight was reported to have been successful.