- Rocketsonde
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A rocketsonde, a kind of sounding rocket, is a system for atmospheric observations that consists of a rocket that launches instruments that can make weather observations up to an altitude of 75,000 m. Common meteorological rockets (rocketsondes) are the Loki and Super Loki.
A typical rocket is 3.7 m tall and is powered by a 10 cm diameter solid fuel rocket engine. The rocket engine separates at an altitude of 1500 m and the rest of the rocketsonde coasts to apogee (highest point). This can be set to an altitude of 20,000 m to 113,000 m.
The meteorological instruments record data on temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction, wind shear, atmospheric pressure, and air density. Position data (altitude and latitude/longitude) may also be recorded.
Rocketsondes were used in the fictional television miniseries Category 7.
See also
Earth-based meteorological equipment and instrumentation Anemometer · Barograph · Barometer · Ceiling balloon · Ceiling projector · Ceilometer · Dark adaptor goggles · Disdrometer · Field mill · Hygrometer · Ice Accretion Indicator · LIDAR · Lightning detector · Nephelometer · Nephoscope · Pan evaporation · Pyranometer · Radiosonde · Rain gauge · Snowboard · Snow gauge · SODAR · Solarimeter · Sounding rocket · Stevenson screen · Sunshine recorders · Thermograph · Thermometer · Transmissometer · Weather balloon · Weather radar · Weather vane · Windsock · Wind profilerCategories:- Sounding rockets
- Meteorological instrumentation and equipment
- Atmospheric thermodynamics
- Atmospheric science stubs
- Rocketry stubs
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