Castor A
Argentine sounding rocket
The Castor A was an Argentine sounding rocket designed in 1969 by the Instituto de Investigaciones Aeronáuticas y Espaciales (IIAE).
The rocket featured a two-stage configuration, utilizing five Canopus II rockets (four in the first stage and one in the second). It was capable of placing a 75 kg (165 lb) payload at a 400 km altitude.
Throughout its operational lifespan, the Castor A was launched seven times. Experiencing one failed launch, it had a success rate of approximately 83.3%.
01Launches
Castor was launched seven times:
| Date | Mission Type | Nation | Agency | Apogee | Launch site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 22, 1969 | Test mission | Argentina | IIAE | 52 km | CELPA Chamical |
| December 19, 1970 | Test mission | Argentina | IIAE | 45 km | CELPA Chamical |
| November 22, 1973 | Ion beam Ionosphere mission | Germany | MPE | 406 km | CELPA Chamical |
| September 30, 1975 | Ionosphere mission | Germany | MPE | 400 km | Vice Commodore Marambio Base, Antarctica |
| October 3, 1975 | Ionosphere mission | Germany | MPE | 400 km | Vice Commodore Marambio Base, Antarctica |
| March 21, 1979, 11:49 PM | Spread F Barium release mission | Germany | DFVLR | Failure | Chilca, Peru |
| March 22, 1979, 11:59 PM | Spread F Barium release mission | Germany | DFVLR | 268 km | Chilca, Peru |
02Specifications
- Apogee: 400 km
- Total mass: 355 kg
- Diameter: 69 cm
- Length: 8 m
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Castor A”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- CSA Castor.png by Je navesnik, CC BY-SA 3.0
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