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) Planned: xxx xxx Terrier Oriole xx.01.2023 * PF NASA 45.007GE (DISSIPATION) Launch sites: Kau = Kauai Test Facility (KTF) (Pacific Missile Range Facility), Barking Sands, Kauai, USAPF = 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
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