Sparta (rocket)

Sparta
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(s)	1
First flight	28 November 1966
Last flight	29 November 1967
Type of passengers/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
Burn time	9 seconds
Propellant	Solid
	[edit on Wikidata]

TheSparta(orRedstone Sparta) was a three-stage rocket that launchedAustralia'sfirst Earth satellite,WRESAT,on 29 November 1967.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Sparta used surplus AmericanRedstonerockets as its first stage, aThiokol Antares 2fromScoutrocket as a second stage, and aWREBE-3 Alcyonesolid-propellantengine as a third stage.^[2]^[3]

A first stage was recovered from theSimpson Desertin 1990 after being found in searches by explorerDick Smiththe previous year.^[4]^: 76–80

Launches[edit]

Several Spartas were launched between 1966 and 1967 fromWoomera Test RangeLA8 inWoomera, South Australiaas 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.^[5]^[2]^[3]

The first launch was a failure, while the rest were successful.^[3]

Sparta launches^[2]^[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

Gallery[edit]

Redstone-Sparta atWoomeraLA8
Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 atWoomeraLA8
Preparation for launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 atWoomeraLA8
Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 withWRESATsatellite (November 29, 1967)
Launch of Redstone-Sparta CC-2029 withWRESATsatellite (November 29, 1967)

References[edit]

^Wade, Mark."Redstone".Encyclopedia Astronautica.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-02-07.
^^a ^b ^c ^dWade, Mark."SPARTA".Encyclopedia Astronautica.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-11-09.Retrieved2023-10-16.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eKrebs, Gunter D."Redstone with solid fuel upper stage".Gunter's Space Page.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-12-09.Retrieved2023-10-21.
^Dougherty, Kerrie."Retrieving Woomera's heritage: recovering lost examples of the material culture of Australian space activities"(PDF).Artefacts: Studies in the History of Science and Technology.Vol. 6. p. 80. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2023-10-11.Retrieved2024-04-24.
^LePage, Andrew J. (May 2, 2011)."Old Reliable: The story of the Redstone".spacereview.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 7,2023.

This rocketry article is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it.

[1] Wade, Mark."Redstone".Encyclopedia Astronautica.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-02-07.

[:0-2] Wade, Mark."SPARTA".Encyclopedia Astronautica.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-11-09.Retrieved2023-10-16.

[:1-3] Krebs, Gunter D."Redstone with solid fuel upper stage".Gunter's Space Page.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-12-09.Retrieved2023-10-21.

[4] Dougherty, Kerrie."Retrieving Woomera's heritage: recovering lost examples of the material culture of Australian space activities"(PDF).Artefacts: Studies in the History of Science and Technology.Vol. 6. p. 80. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2023-10-11.Retrieved2024-04-24.

[5] LePage, Andrew J. (May 2, 2011)."Old Reliable: The story of the Redstone".spacereview.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 7,2023.

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In development	Antares 330 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 12 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV Nova OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
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Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol^†indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)