 | |
| Function | Sounding rocket Launch system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | ABMA/Chrysler |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 21.8 metres (72 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in) |
| Mass | 30,000 kilograms (66,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toLEO | |
| Mass | 45 kilograms (99 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Redstone |
| Comparable | Jupiter-C Juno I |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Woomera Test RangeLA-8 |
| Total launches | 10 |
| Success(es) | 9 |
| Failure | 1 |
| First flight | 28 November 1966 |
| Last flight | 29 November 1967 |
| Carries passengers or cargo | Re-entry vehicles,WRESAT |
| First stage –Redstone | |
| Powered by | 1A-7 |
| Maximum thrust | 416 kilonewtons (94,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 265 sec |
| Burn time | 155 seconds |
| Propellant | LOX/Ethanol |
| Second stage –Antares-2 | |
| Powered by | 1X-259 |
| Maximum thrust | 93 kilonewtons (21,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 293 sec |
| Burn time | 36 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage – BE-3 Alcyone | |
| Powered by | 1 solid |
| Maximum thrust | 34 kilonewtons (7,600 lbf) |
| Burn time | 9 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
TheSparta (orRedstone Sparta) was a three-stage rocket that launchedAustralia's first Earth satellite,WRESAT, on 29 November 1967.[1][2][3]
Sparta used surplus AmericanRedstone rockets as its first stage, aThiokolAntares 2 fromScout rocket as a second stage, and aWRE BE-3 Alcyonesolid-propellant engine as a third stage.[2][3][4]
A first stage was recovered from theSimpson Desert in 1990 after being found in searches by explorerDick Smith the previous year.[5]: 76–80
Several Spartas were launched between 1966 and 1967 fromWoomera Test Range LA8 inWoomera, South Australia as part of a joint United States–United Kingdom–Australian research program aimed at understanding re-entry phenomena, and the US donated a spare for the scientific satellite launch intopolar orbit.[6][2][3]
The first launch was a failure, while the rest were successful.[3]
| Date | Mission Description | Nation | Agency | Apogee (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 Nov 28 | Sparta SV-1 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 |
| 1966 Dec 13 | Sparta SV-2 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 |
| 1967 Apr 20 | Sparta SV-3 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 |
| 1967 Jul 4 | Sparta SV-4 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 |
| 1967 Jul 24 | Sparta SV-5 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 |
| 1967 Aug 17 | Sparta SV-6 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 |
| 1967 Sep 15 | Sparta SV-7 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 91 |
| 1967 Oct 11 | Sparta SV-8 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 137 |
| 1967 Oct 31 | Sparta SV-9 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 111 |
| 1967 Nov 29 | WRESAT (satellite) | Australia | WRE | 1252 |
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