Black Arrow 1970 - 29,836 bytes. 257 x 506 pixels.

Britain's only indigenous launch vehicle. Used unique propellant combination and large number of simple motors. Black Arrow was a three stage vehicle. The first stage had an 8 chamber layout with 4 pairs of Gamma engines gimballed as with Black Knight giving thrust in all axes. The second stage had two Gamma chambers with extended nozzles to give full expansion in vacuum. Both engines were gimballed to provide thrust in three axes. The third stage for Black Arrow was a Waxwing solid rocket motor manufactured by RPE Westcott.

Launches: 4. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 50.00% pct. First Launch Date: 29 June 1969. Last Launch Date: 28 October 1971. LEO Payload: 73 kg. to: 200 km Orbit. Liftoff Thrust: 22,680 kgf. Total Mass: 18,130 kg. Core Diameter: 2.0 m. Total Length: 13.0 m. Flyaway Unit Cost $: 8.00 million. in 1985 unit dollars.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Black Arrow-1 Gross Mass: 14,104 kg. Empty Mass: 1,070 kg. Thrust (vac): 23,945 kgf. Isp: 265 sec. Burn time: 142 sec. Isp(sl): 251 sec. Diameter: 2.0 m. Span: 2.0 m. Length: 6.9 m. Propellants: H2O2/Kerosene No Engines: 1. Gamma 8

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Black Arrow-2 Gross Mass: 3,537 kg. Empty Mass: 535 kg. Thrust (vac): 6,958 kgf. Isp: 265 sec. Burn time: 113 sec. Isp(sl): 251 sec. Diameter: 1.4 m. Span: 1.4 m. Length: 2.9 m. Propellants: H2O2/Kerosene No Engines: 1. Gamma 2

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Black Arrow-3 Gross Mass: 397 kg. Empty Mass: 87 kg. Thrust (vac): 3,000 kgf. Isp: 278 sec. Burn time: 28 sec. Isp(sl): 245 sec. Diameter: 0.7 m. Span: 0.7 m. Length: 1.2 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. Black Arrow-3

• Research and Development Flight

  Suborbital.

• Research and Development Flight

  Suborbital.

• R-2 Spacecraft: Prospero. Payload: R-2.

• Orba Spacecraft: Prospero. Payload: X 2.

• Prospero Spacecraft: Prospero. Payload: X 3. Mass: 66 kg.

  ---

  Black Arrow Credit: © Mark Wade. 399 bytes. 27 x 143 pixels.

  ---

  To test in space equipment for future satellites and to conduct a scientific experiment to measure the incidence of micro-meteoroids. Launch time 0409 GMT, injection point 13.7 deg S, 137.9 deg E. Anticipated life 100 years.

• 17 - Emme, Eugene M, Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of Science and Technology in the Exploration of Space 1915-1960, NASA, 1961. HTML when accessed: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html
• 247 - Newell, Homer E, editor, Sounding Rockets, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959.

---

Prospero Credit: ESA. 18,143 bytes. 311 x 300 pixels.

---