View source for Rockoon

{{Short description|A sounding rocket carried by balloon to the upper atmosphere}}
{{for|the albums|Rockoon (Tangerine Dream album)|Rockoon (T-Square album)}}
[[Image:Deacon Rockoon.jpg|thumb|A Deacon rockoon just after shipboard launch.]]
[[Image:Rockoon.png|thumb|A rockoon at liftoff, August 2022.]]

A '''rockoon''' (from ''[[rocket]]'' and ''[[balloon]]'') is a [[sounding rocket]] that, rather than being lit immediately while still on the ground, is first carried into the [[upper atmosphere]] by a gas-filled balloon, then separated from the balloon and ignited. This allows the rocket to achieve a higher altitude, as the rocket does not have to move under power through the lower and thicker layers of the atmosphere. A 2016 study by ''[[Acta Astronautica]]'' concluded that low-mass and high altitude launches give the best results.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Okninski |first1=Adam |last2=Raurell |first2=Daniel Sors |last3=Mitre |first3=Alberto Rodriguez |date=October 2016 |title=Feasibility of a low-cost sounding rockoon platform |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0094576515302800 |journal=Acta Astronautica |language=en |volume=127 |pages=335–344 |doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.06.010|bibcode=2016AcAau.127..335O |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The original concept was developed by Cmdr. Lee Lewis, Cmdr. G. Halvorson, S. F. Singer, and [[James A. Van Allen]] during the [[Aerobee]] rocket firing cruise of the [[USS Norton Sound (AVM-1)|U.S.S. ''Norton Sound'']] on March 1, 1949.

A serious disadvantage is that unpiloted balloons cannot be steered,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.balloonsoverrockbridge.com/ballooning-faqs/ |title=Ballooning FAQs |website=balloonsoverrockbridge.com |access-date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> and consequently the location from which the rocket is launched can be uncertain. Therefore, a large area for the fall of the rocket is required for safety reasons.  The rockoons that [[Robert Ellis (physicist)|Robert Ellis]] worked with cost around a tenth the cost of rockets.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fetterman |first=John |date=March 20, 1955 |title=Project Skyhook |work=[[The Tennessean]] |pages=9}}</ref>

==Early atmospheric research==
[[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] reported in 1959: "Van Allen's 'Rockoons' could not be fired in Iowa for fear that the spent rockets would strike an Iowan or his house." Van Allen convinced the [[U.S. Coast Guard]] to let him fire his rockoons from the icebreaker [[USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)|''Eastwind'']] that was bound for [[Greenland]]. "The first balloon rose properly to 70,000 ft. [{{cvt|70000|ft|m|disp=out}}], but the rocket hanging under it did not fire. The second Rockoon behaved in the same maddening way. On the theory that extreme cold at high altitude might have stopped the clockwork supposed to ignite the rockets, Van Allen heated cans of orange juice, snuggled them into the third Rockoon's gondola and wrapped the whole business in insulation. The rocket fired."

[[File:Rockoon Van Allen.jpg|thumb|right|200px|James Van Allen holding (Loki) instrumented Rockoon, Credit: JPL]]
The [[Office of Naval Research]] (USA ONR) used the [[Loki (rocket)|Loki]] in some of its Rockoon launches, lofting the Loki to high altitudes on a helium balloon before firing, for upper atmosphere research.<ref name=ONRRockoon>{{cite web|title=Chronology - Quarter 2 1951 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/chrono/19512.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118150730/http://astronautix.com/chrono/19512.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2010 }}</ref> The first Rockoon launch of the Loki I occurred on Jul 1 1955 from shipboard off the coast of Greenland.<ref name=LokiDeacon>{{cite web|title=Chronology - Quarter 3 1955 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/chrono/19553.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202220731/http://www.astronautix.com/chrono/19553.htm |archive-date=December 2, 2008 }}</ref>

During July–October 1955 instrumented Loki I and [[Deacon (rocket)|Deacon]] rockets were successfully balloon launched (Rockoons) from shipboard off the coast of [[Greenland]] in cosmic-ray studies by The University of Iowa research group. Army Ordnance supplied JPL-developed Loki rockets and ONR sponsored the project.<ref name=ONRTimeline>{{cite web |title=Aeronautics and Astronautics Chronology, 1955-57 |url=https://history.nasa.gov/Timeline/1955-57.html }}</ref>

The first attempt of the Deacon Rockoon on Aug 21 1952 06:25 GMT from the [[Arctic Ocean]] 80.1 N x 68.5 W was a failure.<ref name=DeaconR1>{{cite web|title=Chronology - Quarter 3 1952 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/chrono/19523.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118153858/http://astronautix.com/chrono/19523.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2010 }}</ref> However, success came on Aug 9 1953 in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], Launch Site 11 Launch Point 10 74.38 N x 71.93 W, at 05:54 GMT.<ref name=DeaconR2>{{cite web|title=Chronology - Quarter 3 1953 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/chrono/19533.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202220023/http://www.astronautix.com/chrono/19533.htm |archive-date=December 2, 2008 }}</ref> This was quickly followed by another success on Aug 30 1953 20:46 GMT, at Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11 Launch Point 13 53.13 N, 54.75 W.<ref name=DeaconR2/>

In September 1957, as part of the U.S. contributions for the [[International Geophysical Year]], thirty-six rockoons were launched from Navy icebreaker {{USS|Glacier|AGB-4}} in Atlantic, Pacific, and Antarctic areas ranging from 75° N. to 72° S. latitude, as part of the scientific program headed by Van Allen together with Lawrence J. Cahill of the University of Iowa. These were the first known upper atmosphere rocket soundings in the Antarctic area. Launched from IGY Rockoon Launch Site 2, Atlantic Ocean; Latitude: 0.83° N, Longitude: 0.99° W.

==Recent usage==
{{Update|section|date=October 2020}}
More recently, the [[JP Aerospace]] company has developed and used rockoons as part of its space access plans.<ref name=JPAero>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpaerospace.com/rockoons.html|title=Rockoons|website=www.jpaerospace.com}}</ref>  Additionally, [[Iowa State University]], the [[University of Alabama in Huntsville]], and [[Purdue University]] (Purdue Orbital) have started programs to develop rockoons<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://space.uah.edu/BalloonSat.html|title=BalloonSat|website=space.uah.edu|access-date=2018-10-14|archive-date=2020-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225142603/http://space.uah.edu/BalloonSat.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=ISU>{{cite web |url=http://wiki.seds.org/index.php/ISU_Rockoon_Project |title=ISU Rockoon Project - SEDSWiki |access-date=2010-02-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927050406/http://wiki.seds.org/index.php/ISU_Rockoon_Project |archive-date=2009-09-27 }}</ref><ref name = Purdue>{{cite web|url=https://www.purdueorbital.com/|title=Purdue Orbital|website=Purdue Orbital}}</ref> and significant work has been recently done by Leo Aerospace based in Los Angeles and a Romanian space company, [[ARCASPACE]]. The Spanish company [[Zero2infinity]] plans to launch a toroid shaped rocket from a balloon called [[Zero2infinity#Bloostar|Bloostar]] in 2018{{needs update|date=January 2023}} to carry micro satellites to low Earth orbit. UK base company, B2Space is developing the concept to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit.<ref name = B2Space>{{cite web|url=http://www.b2-space.com/|title=B2Space|website=www.b2-space.com}}</ref> The American company [[Deimos-One]] is developing an AI assisted concept to launch rockets and carry satellites to low Earth orbit.<ref>{{Cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.-->|date=2021-01-25|title=Stealth Startup Deimos-One Seeks To Revolutionize The Aerospace Industry With Radical New Launch Strategy|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stealth-startup-deimos-one-seeks-130000720.html|access-date=2021-01-26}}</ref>

The University of Washington investigated Rockoon launches between 2006 and 2014.<ref>{{Cite conference |last1=Johnson |first1=Ian |last2=Roberson |first2=Race |last3=Truitt |first3=Chad |last4=Waldock |first4=Jaime |last5=Northway |first5=Paige |last6=Pfaff |first6=Michael |last7=Winglee |first7=Robert |date=August 2014 |title=Development of a Rockoon Launch Platform and a Sulfur Fuel Pulsed Plasma Thruster CubeSAT |url=https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2014/Poster/3 |conference=28th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites |id=SSC14-P2-10}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col}}<!--keep entries in alphabetical order please-->
* [[Air launch to orbit]]
* [[CU Spaceflight]]
* [[Da Vinci Project]]
* [[JP Aerospace]]
* [[Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator]]
* [[Non-rocket spacelaunch]]
* [[Zero2infinity]]'s Bloostar
* [[Deimos-One|Deimos-One's]] Vulcan
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite web|title=Encyclopedia Astronautica - Rockoon|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/rockoon.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108131319/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/rockoon.htm|archive-date=2013-11-08}}
* {{cite book|last=Leland Goodwin|first=Harold|title=The Flying Stingaree|date=1963|publisher=Rick Brant Science-Adventure Series|url=https://archive.org/details/theflyingstingar30401gut}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|rockoon}}
* [http://stratocat.com.ar/bases/15e.htm Details of Rockoon launches made in 1956 from the USS COLONIAL in the Pacific Ocean] Stratocat website
* [http://stratocat.com.ar/bases/20e.htm Details of Rockoon launches made between 1952 and 1954 in the Arctic by the USCGC EASTWIND] Stratocat website
* [http://www.harcspace.com/ High Altitude Research Corporation]

[[Category:1953 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:Rocket propulsion]]
[[Category:Spaceflight]]