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Terrier Oriole (Oriole-2)

Terrier Oriole

The Terrier Oriole is a two-stage, unguided, fin stabilized rocket system which utilizes a Terrier first stage booster and an Oriole rocket motor for the second stage propulsion. The Terrier motor has four equally spaced fins, and the Oriole motor has four fins on the aft end arranged in a cruciform configuration to provide stability.

The Terrier motor is 3.94 m long with a principal diameter of 45.7 cm. There is a 35.5 cm interstage adapter which allows for drag separation after Terrier burnout. Typically, the Terrier booster will utilize two spin motors to reduce dispersion and also serve as drag plates. Each Terrier fin is 0.45 m² feet in area. Normally, the fins are canted to provide two revolutions per second spin rate at Terrier burnout. The weight of the Booster system is 1001 kg.

The Oriole is 55.8 cm in diameter and 3.94 m long. The Oriole fins are normally canted to provide for four revolutions per second spin rate at burnout. The Oriole was developed in the 90ies by Astrotech as a new sounding rocket and target launch vehicle and is the first privately developed sounding rocket in U.S. history and the first new suborbital launch system developed in the last 25 years. It can be launched alone and with a Terrier booster. On the maiden flight in 2000, the Terrier Oriole combination was used. The Oriole features Alliant's GEM-22 graphite-epoxy-motor.

The standard payload for the Terrier Oriole has a principal diameter of 55.9 cm and utilizes a 19° total angle nose cone, although an Ogive cone can also be flown. The envelope of payload lengths that can be flown has not been established yet. The rocket system will carry a 363 kg payload to 340 kilometers and a 680 kg payload to 184 kilometers when launched from sea level at an 85° launch angle. Standard hardware includes a nose cone and a capacitive discharge ignition system. Separation systems can be provided to separate the payload from the motor during ascent.

Vehicle	Stage 1	Stage 2
Terrier Oriole (Oriole-2)	Terrier Mk.70 (TX-664)	Oriole / GEM-22

Nr  TypeNr   Vehicle                  Date             LS             Payload

xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           07.07.2000  *    WI             ?
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           03.03.2005  *    Kau            NASA 45.01DR (ARAV-B1 TRACKEX FTM-7)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           02.11.2005  *    Kau            NASA 45.02DR (ARAV-B2 TRACKEX FTM-8)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           16.11.2006  *    Kau            FTM-11 TRACKEX (ARAV-B3 FTM-11 (sep))
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           17.12.2007? *    Kau            JFTM-1 TRACKEX (ARAV-B4 TRACKEX)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           13.06.2008  *    Kau            FTM-14 TRACKEX (ARAV-B5 TRACKEX)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           13.06.2008  *    Kau            FTM-14 TRACKEX (ARAV-B6 TRACKEX)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           20.11.2008  *    Kau            JFTM-2 TRACKEX (ARAV-B7 TRACKEX)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           13.10.2009  *    Kau            JFTM-3 TRACKEX (ARAV-B8)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           13.10.2009  *    Kau            JFTM-3 TRACKEX (ARAV-B9)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           16.10.2009  *    Kau            FTX-06E2 (ARAV-B10)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           16.10.2009  *    Kau            FTX-06E3 (ARAV-B11)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           06.10.2010  *    Kau            Aegis Target (JFTM-4 E1)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           06.10.2010  *    Kau            Aegis Target (JFTM-4 E1)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           12.11.2010  *    Kau            Aegis Target 16E2B (ARAV-B14)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           22.01.2011  *    WI LA-2 MRL    Aegis Target (ARAV-B Atlantic Trident)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           16.03.2011  *    Kau            SSTS Target (ARAV-B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           01.09.2011  *    Kau            Aegis Target (ARAV-B?)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           15.12.2011  *    Kau            Aegis Target (FTX-16 Event 3)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           27.03.2012  *    WI LA-2 ARC    NASA 45.004UE (ATREX 1)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           25.10.2012? *    Wa             FTI-01 Aegis Target (ARAV-B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           07.05.2013  *    RN             NASA 45.005UE (EVEX)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           06.11.2014  *    Kau            Aegis FTM-25 Target (ARAV-B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           24.02.2015  *    WI LA-2 MRL    FTX-19 Target (ARAV-B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           24.02.2015  *    WI LA-2 ARC    FTX-19 Target (ARAV-B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           24.02.2015  *    WI LA-1 50K    FTX-19 Target (ARAV-B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           15.03.2017  *    Kau            AMDR Target (ARAV-B Vigilant Hunter)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           25.09.2017  *    SUi            Aegis FS-17 Target
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           15.10.2017  *    SUi            Aegis FS-17 Target
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           30.05.2021? *    SUi            Aegis Target (SRBM-T4B)
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           25.10.2023  *    Kau            Aegis FTM-48 Target 1
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           25.10.2023  *    Kau            Aegis FTM-48 Target 2
xxx   xxx    Terrier Oriole           08.11.2023  *    PF LP-3        NASA 45.007GE (DISSIPATION)


Planned:


Launch sites:

Kau = Kauai Test Facility (KTF) (Pacific Missile Range Facility), Barking Sands, Kauai, USA 
PF  = Poker Flat Research Range, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA 
RN  = Roi-Namur, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands 
SUi = Royal Artillery Guided Weapons Range, South Uist, Hebrides, UK 
Wa  = Wake Island, USA 
WI  = Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

References:

NASA: Code 810: Sounding Rocket Vehicles - Terrier Oriole (45.XXX)

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