Terrier Orion


The Terrier Orion sounding rocket is a combination of the Terrier booster rocket with the Orion rocket used as a second stage. This spin stabilized configuration is most often used by the Goddard Space Flight Center, who operate out of the Wallops Flight Facility for sounding rocket operations. The system supports payloads ranging from, and is capable of achieving altitudes as high as, but at least, depending on payload size.

Technical details

The Terrier Orion system is designed to be rail launched, and can be supported at most fixed and mobile launch sites. The Terrier Mk 12 Mod 1 or Mk 70 rocket used for the first stage uses an diameter motor along with cruciform configured tail fins. The Improved Orion motor used in the second stage is in diameter and long. The system typically uses spin motors and has a total weight of approximately, excluding payload.
The Improved Orion motor uses a "bi-phase propellant" system which provides it with around of thrust during the first four seconds of motor burn. The thrust then tails off to approximately of thrust until burnout occurs at around 25 seconds. The fins are normally configured so that the rocket will have a stabilizing spin rate of approximately four cycles per second.