TheINTA-100 vehicle was a small 2-stage meteorologicalsounding rocket designed and developed between the 1980s and the 1990s by theInstituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA).^[1][2] The final design was entirely produced in Spain to be used by the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (INM now part of theAEMET)^[3] in conducting experiments on theatmosphere.

The rocket was a small cylindrical rod 4 meters in length and 10 cm of diameter and a total weight of 70 kg. It was divided into two sections: 1st stage (codename INTA S-12) and the 2nd stage (codenameUrbión in reference to theIberian peaks of the same name) each with its ownstabilizing fins.^[1] This configuration allowed up to 6 kg of payload with a flightapoapsis of 115 km.

The INTA 100 sounding rocket project was initiated in 1980. With help from the British companyBristol Aerojet, the first launch took place in June 1984, with six additional launches performed by 1986. The main drive behind these test was to further develop and improverocket engines and theirguidance system. With one notable exception, all test were highly successful^[4] in helping develop a hybrid inertial/infrared guidance system that would later be used in several of INTA's satellites (such as theMinisat 01 ETRV and theNanosat 01 ACS). The 5 following test would focus ongeodesic studies such as reception of ionospheric beacons emitted by satellites and atmosphere dynamics. To fund these missions INTA reached for several, both public and private, investors such as theSpanish Air Force, theUniversity of Valencia, theUniversity of Sussex,DFVLR,IROE and most important theComisión Nacional de Investigación del Espacio (CONIE).^[5] The later completely funded 2 launches and quickly became INTA's main partner also participating inballoon launches and the funding of infrastructure.^[6]

As a consequence of the closure of CONIE in 1986, the INTA-100 project was put on hold for 4 years due to the lack of funds. Nonetheless, by 1990 the situation was good enough to resume work on the rocket producing 6 more rockets that would be complete testing by 1992. These test would prove successful enough to encourage the development of the INTA rocket series that would culminate on theCapricornio.^[7] In addition, INTA would be given funds to develop more ambitious projects such as the first Spanishsatellites (Intasat andMinisat 01) that would pave the way for INTA to joinESA and reach the current involvement on the space industry.^[8][9]

During its career 12 rockets were built and used in a total of 17 missions (15 of them successfully) fromEl Arenosillo, most of them to conduct various test on either the rocket or its payload.^[2]

The family of sounding rockets developed from the INTA-100:

• INTA 255
• INTA 300

• Sounding rockets of Spain
• Space launch vehicles of Spain
• Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial

• CS1 European Spanish-language sources (es-es)
• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• Use dmy dates from July 2021