Waxwing (rocket motor)

Waxwing was a British solid rocket motor used for apogee kick as the 3rd (upper) stage of the Black Arrow satellite launch vehicles. Waxwing was used to successfully place the Prospero X-3 satellite into low Earth orbit on 28 October 1971, Britain's only satellite launch on an indigenously-developed launch vehicle.

This article is about the rocket motor. For other uses, see Waxwing (disambiguation).
Black Arrow satellite deployment, with Waxwing upper stage.
Waxwing seen without its engine nozzle

Another use of Waxwing was to increase the velocity of test re-entry vehicles on Black Knight during tests for the Blue Streak missile.[1]

Design and development

Design was by the Rocket Propulsion Establishment (RPE) at Westcott and it was manufactured by Bristol Aerojet.[2] The casing was spherical and the propellant grain used an internal star profile to control the initial burn rate.

Specifications
  • Thrust: 29.4 kN[3][4]
  • Specific impulse: 2700 m/s (278 s) [3]
  • Burn time: 28 s
    40 seconds [4]
  • Weight:[3]
    • Gross mass: 397 kg (875 lb)
    • Unfuelled mass: 87 kg (192 lb)
  • Dimensions:[5]
    • Diameter: 28 in (0.71 m)
    • Overall length: 52 in (1.3 m)
    • Nozzle length: 22 in (0.56 m)
    • Nozzle diameter: 18 in (0.46 m)
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References
  1. "Waxwing rocket motor".
  2. "Point of the Arrow" FLIGHT International, 11 November 1971
  3. "Black Arrow-3". astronautix.com.
  4. Black Arrow exhibit, Science Museum, London
  5. "Waxwing dimensional drawing". Space UK.


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