In the late 1950s, some rockets were specifically designed for the study of
aerothermal heating occurring at hypersonic speeds, and more particularly during
the atmospheric re-entry of military warheads. In Europe, there was Bérénice
in France and Jaguar in the United Kingdom. This vehicle, designed by the British RAE
Supersonics Department as part of the HRV (Hypersonic Research Vehicle) program, was
a co-operative venture between them and the Australian WRE.
The Jaguar, also called Jabiru, has been used from 1960 to 1974 under different
versions. All versions used a Rook motor (Royal Ordnance) as first stage. It was
a fast-burning version of the Skylark's Raven motor, 44 cm in diameter, weighing
1057 kg including 871 kg of propellant, and giving a total impulse of 1720 kNs
during 5,5 seconds.
The first version, Jaguar Mk1, comprised two upper stages using Gosling and Lobster motors. Gosling measured 26 cm in diameter and gave 380 KNs in 2.5 sec while Lobster measured 18 cm in diameter. The first stage, fired from a short inclined ramp, made the upper composite to coast on to a height of 24 km. The remaining stages accelerated the experimental payload downwards, so as to reach speeds up to 11000 km/h. Ten Jaguar Mk1 were launched since October 1960. This rocket, 11.9 m high and weighing 1680 kg at takeoff, would have been able to send a 9 kg payload to an altitude of more than 800 km.
A more powerful version, using the Goldfinch motor as second stage and Gosling as third stage was introduced in October 1964. This vehicle had an overall length of 12.5 m and weighed about 2040 kg. Goldfinch, used later as booster for the Skylark rocket, measured 44 cm in diameter and provided 700 KNs in 3.7 sec. Jaguar/Jabiru Mk2 could thus carry 90 kg payloads. Twelve rocket of this type, that proven more reliable than the precedent, were launched until December 1971.
Although the HRV program has come to an end in April 1970, the Jaguar/Jabiru rocket was used until November 1974 for others aerothermal experiments. The Mk3 version, the most powerful, comprised only two Rook stages. Five launches had been made.
Note : Rook started its career as a motor for projecting models of supersonic aircrafts. The first launches occurred in June 1959 from Aberporth. It was then used as booster for the two-stage Leopard rocket, the upper stage being Goslings. Rook was fired 70 times altogether, in 65 flights and 16 different vehicle design. It was also proposed as booster for the Skylark 14 and 15 sounding rockets, but these projects were never born.
Tables
a/ Jaguar/Jabiru rockets evolution
b/ Rook-based rockets launches
Links
Australian Space Research Institute (ASRI) - Australian Launch vehicles
Jaguar/Jabiru rockets evolution
Version | Year | 1st stage | 2nd stage | 3rd stage |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1960 | Rook II | Gosling II | Lobster I |
2 | 1964 | Rook IIIA | Goldfinch II | Gosling IV |
3 | 1973 | Rook IIIA | Rook IIIB | - |
Rook-based rockets launches
Listing by John Harlow
Date | Site | Vehicle | Mission | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|
29 Jun 1959 | ABP | Rook | F | |
07 Jul 1959 | ABP | Rook | F | |
22 Oct 1959 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 2b | F |
02 Jan 1960 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 1b | F |
07 Jan 1960 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 1c | F |
23 Feb 1960 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 1d | S |
29 Apr 1960 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 1e | S |
29 Apr 1960 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 1f | S |
05 May 1960 | ABP | Leopard (1-st) | Leopard 1g | S |
27 May 1960 | ABP | Leopard | Leopard 3 | |
14 Jul 1960 | ABP | Rook | Rook 1h | |
12 Jul 1960 | ABP | Leopard | Leopard 4 | |
17 Aug 1960 | ABP | Jaguar (2-st) | Jaguar G1 | S |
?? ??? 1960 | WOO | Rook | Rook 1j | S |
17 Nov 1960 | ABP | Rook | Rook 1i | S |
15 Dec 1960 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 1 | S |
21 Apr 1961 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 2 | S |
26 Apr 1961 | ABP | Rook | Rook 1k | S |
20 Jul 1961 | ABP | Leopard | Leopard 5 | S |
26 Jul 1961 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 3 | F |
24 Aug 1961 | ABP | Rook | Ranger 23 | |
24 Aug 1961 | ABP | Rook | Ranger | |
?? Nov 1961 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 4 | S |
19 Jan 1962 | ABP | Rook | Ranger 26 | |
04 Apr 1962 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 5 | S |
26 Jun 1962 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 6 | S |
?? Sep 1962 | WOO | Rook | Bonorong 1 | |
?? Aug 1962 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 7 | S |
30 Nov 1962 | ABP | Leopard | Leopard 6 | S |
27 Mar 1963 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 8 | S |
12 Feb 1964 | WOO | Jaguar | Jaguar 9 | S |
02 Oct 1964 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 201 | S |
10 Dec 1964 | ABP | Rook | Ranger 28 | |
12 May 1965 | ABP | Rook | Lynx 4 | |
23 Jul 1965 | ABP | Rook | Ranger 30 | |
25 Aug 1965 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 202 | S |
10 Aug 1966 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru ??? | S |
?? Nov 1966 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 204 | S |
?? May 1967 | WOO | Rook | Rook (IIIA) | |
11 Jul 1967 | ABP | Rook | Lynx 6 | |
?? Aug 1967 | WOO | Rook | Oberon 1 | |
07 Sep 1967 | ABP | Rook | Ranger 32 | |
07 Dec 1967 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 205 | S |
18 Jul 1968 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 206 | S |
?? Oct 1968 | WOO | Rook | Oberon 2 | |
?? Apr 1969 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 207 | S |
?? May 1969 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 202-2 | S |
03 Jul 1969 | ABP | Rook | Lynx 5 | |
16 Jul 1969 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 208 | S |
16 Oct 1969 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 209 | S |
26 Nov 1969 | WOO | Rook | Oberon 3 | |
05 Feb 1970 | ABP | Rook | Lynx 8 | |
01 Apr 1970 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru 210 | S |
22 Jun 1971 | ABP | Rook | Orion 23 | |
03 Jul 1971 | ABP | Rook | Lynx 7 | |
?? Jul 1971 | WOO | Rook | FFARV | |
20 Oct 1971 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru J-1 | S |
04 Dec 1971 | WOO | Jabiru 2 | Jabiru J-2 | S |
22 Jul 1972 | ABP | Rook | Badger 5 | |
14 Nov 1973 | WOO | Jabiru 3 | Jabiru J-3 | S |
06 Dec 1973 | WOO | Jabiru 3 | Jabiru J-4 | S |
05 Sep 1974 | WOO | Jabiru 3 | Jabiru J-5 | S |
31 Oct 1974 | WOO | Jabiru 3 | Jabiru J-6 | S |
20 Nov 1974 | WOO | Jabiru 3 | Jabiru J-7 | F |