Wickman Spacecraft &
Propulsion Company
Commercial Sounding Rockets
- PSAN-I Ammonium Nitrate & Propellants
- SHARP Spaceplane
- Small Launch Vehicle
- Sounding Rockets
- Liquid Oxygen Monopropellants
- Lunar Soil Propellant (LSP)
- Lunar Bases & Lunar Concrete
- Small Launch Vehicle
- Pintle Nozzle With Thrust Vector Control
New WSPC Sounding Rocket Under Development
(Vehicle Diameter = 4 ft, Vehicle Length = 40 ft)
Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion Company's sounding rockets use an inertial guidance and control system to control the ascent trajectory without spinning the rocket. This enables the sounding rocket to fly a precise trajectory and return the payload to land within a very small area. A series of sounding rockets are being developed to meet the payload and budget requirements for private and Government customers.
The "A Series" Sounding Rockets
This sounding rocket is ideal for small payloads that must be flown at the lowest cost. The smaller diameter rocket restricts payload diameters to 12 inches. The A series rocket can lift a 25 pound payload to an altitude of 167 kilometers to yield 234 seconds above 100 kilometers.
The "B Series" Sounding Rockets
The series B sounding rockets have twice the capability of the series A. In this case, a 25 pound payload can be lifted to an altitude of 256 kilometers for a time above 100 kilometers of 356 seconds. Payload diameters can be up to 18 inches.
The "C Series" Sounding Rockets
The series C sounding rockets are essentially in the Black Brant 5 class. The maximum altitude for a 25 pound payload is 361 kilometers. The time above 100 kilometers is 461 seconds or over 7.5 minutes. The payload diameter is 18 inches.
The "D Series" Sounding Rockets
The series D sounding rockets are multistage and equivalent to the Black Brant 10. A range of heavier payloads can be lifted by the three stage vehicle to very high altitudes. A 150 pound payload can be lifted to an altitude of about 900 kilometers to yield about 14 minutes above 100 kilometers. Payload diameters can be up to 18 inches in diameter.
The "E Series" Sounding Rockets
The series E sounding rockets are equivalent to the Black Brant 12. These are four stage vehicles that can lift a payload of 150 pounds to over 1400 kilometers for about 19 minutes of time above 100 kilometers. Payload diameters can be up to 18 inches in diameter.