PWN-9 Kangaroo

The XPWN-9A Kangaroo was a project to develop a sounding rocket intended for use by the United States Navy. Using an unconventional design, flight tests were unsuccessful, and it was not put into production.

PWN-9 Kangaroo
FunctionSounding rocket
ManufacturerUnited Technologies Corporation
Country of originUnited States
Size
Height3.0 metres (10 ft)
Diameter170 millimetres (6.5 in)
StagesTwo
Launch history
StatusCancelled
Launch sitesPoint Mugu
First flight1969
First stage – Booster
Diameter170 millimetres (6.5 in)
Engines1
FuelSolid
Second stage – Dart
Length1.2 metres (4 ft)
Diameter41.3 millimetres (1.625 in)
Engines1
ThrustUnpowered
FuelNone

History

The Kangaroo was designed as a "boosted dart" type rocket, the unpropelled "dart" containing the payload being housed within the solid booster rocket's propellant, where, upon burnout, it would be ejected from the rocket by a pyrotechnic device.[1] Rail launched, Kangaroo was intended to be used to measure radiation levels and the density of micrometeorites prior to the launch of manned space flights.[2]

The initial design of what was then called Kangaroo-Dart was developed by the Aeromachnics Branch of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range.[1] Detailed design was performed by Aerojet;[3] however when bids for developing the prototype, given the designation XPWN-9A, were requested, United Technologies Corporation submitted the winning bid and was given a contract for construction of prototypes in November 1969.[3]

Flight trials of the Kangaroo booster were undertaken at the Pacific Missile Range at Point Mugu; they proved unsuccessful, and production of the rocket was not undertaken.[3]

gollark: ++supported_langs py
gollark: You can see there is no "py".
gollark: ++supported_langs
gollark: ++exec ```pythonprint("Potato OS")```
gollark: ++exec ```print("Potato OS")```

References

Citations
  1. Bollermann 1970, p.337.
  2. "Sounding rocket from UTC". Flight International, 15 January 1970, p.101. Accessed 2014-05-11.
  3. Parsch 2003

Bibliography
  • Bollermann, Bruce (1970). A Study of 30 Km to 200 Km Meteorological Rocket Sounding Systems: Literature and data review. Huntsville, AL: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. ASIN B007FBI6OO.
  • Parsch, Andreas (2003). "Aerojet/UTC PWN-9 Kangaroo". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
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