Aerobee X-8

The Aerobee rocket was a highly successful and widely used sounding rocket in the United States. Developed by Aerojet Corporation, the goal was to create a rocket with the altitude capabilities of the V-2 and the cost-effectiveness of the WAC Corporal. From 1947 to 1985, over 1000 Aerobees were launched and provided valuable data on astronomical, physical, aeronomical, and biomedical research.

On September 25, 1947, a dummy Aerobee was attached to a live engine and launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico for flight testing. After two more dummy tests in October, the first complete Aerobee was launched on November 24th. Unfortunately, the flight had to be terminated after 35 seconds due to the rocket’s tail swaying. This event led to the US Navy’s first comprehensive missile range safety program.

The next Aerobee launch on March 5, 1948, was a complete success, reaching an altitude of 73 miles (117 km) and surpassing the 62-mile (100 km) boundary of space.

The Air Force’s first Aerobee launch occurred on December 2, 1949, at Holloman AFB Launch Complex A. While the rocket flew to an altitude of nearly 60 miles (97 km) and captured the first color motion-pictures of the Earth from space, the payload was lost and not retrieved until July 13, 1950. Unfortunately, the film and x-ray emulsions carried aboard were unsalvageable. Despite this rocky start, the Air Force conducted 32 more Aerobee flights, with most of them successful, including the first successful monkey flight on April 18, 1951.